Week of "interesting" events.

So much has been going on this past week, I get exhausted just thinking about it. I got shot twice. Yes, you heard me. Twice, on two different occasions, and it was both friendly fire. Let me tell you what happened.

All right, first of all, on Saturday we went on an... outing with Dharma. It was me, Jai, Emma, Sandra, the Sheriff, mister (not sir) Duncan, Reese and Vega. After the meeting in the Sheriff's shuttle the week before we knew pretty much what to expect... in theory. We were supposed to retrieve some cargo, and a diversion would be created down on ground, making most, if not all, Alliance guards leave the cruiser.



When we came up, we learned that indeed had most, but not all, guards come to the aid of the townsfolk. A couple remained, and it weren't a good day for them. Two of them got shot down. It weren't...

The Sheriff had an inside man on the cruiser, and he appeared to give us the code for the cargo hold we needed to get into. T'was helpful and all, having someone on the inside, but I can't help thinking that it could go both ways. They could infiltrate us, too.

In any case, the code didn't work, and we had to venture further into the cruiser to get another one. There were replicant guards, so many of them, and they charged us. Unfortunately, when you shoot them up, they tend to smoke a lot, and when I couldn't hear metal feet moving anymore and the smoke had cleared, I saw that Jai had been knocked out cold. Sandra was still with us, but I could the footsteps of the others echoing in the distance. T'was no choice on what to do, really.



Me and Sandra stayed with Jai until she came to again, and she didn't seem worse for wear, thank God. We could hear gunfire in the distance, but before we had a chance to run to the rescue, the others came back.



The Sheriff was in a right state, he was red in the face beneath his hood and he was yelling and hollering at us for staying behind. I yelled right back at him, good and proper. Ain't nothing will keep me from sticking by a friend in danger, and the Sheriff can be a hun dan sa bi all he wants about it. I'm leaving him behind next time, see how he likes that.

... not really, but it'd be a good point to make.

After that it was pretty smooth sailing, even though Emma got trapped in a corner by more replicants and had to be pulled out, and Duncan got a good one to the head, also. But we got the cargo.

The night after we took a trip to MacLaren's Drift and Prosperity. They had a kinda shindig in the bar, but true to form, reavers decided to crash the party. It was complete chaos, bullets were flying everywhere, and before I knew it, I got clipped in the leg by friendly fire.




When I came to, Faulkin (yes, he was there too, shiny) helped me up the hill to the doc's office. They pushed me down on a cot, made me stay down, and wrapped up my leg and gave me pills from the pain. Pills made me kinda woozy, but I remember Emma being there.
I missed my ride back to Hale's, but fortunately Jai was in the neighbourhood and could swing by to pick me up the next day.

So I come back, my leg smarting something fierce, and I can't really walk that well. And then the reavers came.

I ain't sure I ever seen so many of them at a time, it was complete madness. Folks were screaming and shouting, doing what they could just to stay alive. I tried to help, but my hands were shaking funny and I couldn't aim right. But my friends... they was being cut down left and right, I had to try.

Lily thought different. I only got a hazy memory of it, Emma told me proper what happened. Lily told me I couldn't fight, that I shouldn't be up. I disagreed, and then Lily took out a gun and shot me in the gorram foot. I was knocked out pretty cold, and when I woke up, I was on a table in the infirmary with a damn needle the size of my arm in my chest.



The Sheriff said he had to stick me with it 'cause my heart weren't doing so well, and that's all kinds of unsettling. But he stitched me back up so my leg and my foot weren't bleeding so much, and had me lay down to rest.



All the while I could hear screaming and shooting and reaver howls above us, it was awful not being able to help out. Then they started pouring into the infirmary and we had to flee, the Sheriff dragging me through a hidden tunnel into the Sheriff's office. Emma took refuge there, too, and I could only watch as her and the Sheriff tried to break the seige. The windows were jam packed with reavers. I weren't very helpful.



Then somehow we got back to the infirmary, and it weren't like my legs couldn't hold me... just needed some more rest, is all. But then Emma tumbled down the stairs, with a hole through her shoulder and her legs all chewed by reavers. I don't really remember much after that, but people tell me I grabbed Brunhilde and... went to town. My first memory after seeing Emma, was me standing over the body of a dead reaver.



I'm healing up pretty good. Leg's not paining me so much anymore, it's itching more than anything.

Still. Kinda hard to sleep at night. I keep thinking about that guard as soon as I turn off the lights. I gave her a ride up to the cruiser, she'd missed her shuttle ride, the day before the... outing.



She seemed like... She weren't a bad person. But she got put in the way, and now she's dead. Something ain't right there.

Good news and bad news

Emma is back!

She's been away from Hale's, visiting family, I believe, but today she came back. It was a joyous reunion, and me and Jai celebrated by taking Emma 'round town, showing off all the new buildings.



To top it all off, we let ourselves into Amon's apartment and jumped on his bed and drank his whiskey.



Me and Jai got our hands on some new, shiny uniforms. They look kinda like Alliance officer uniforms, but Jai insists that they are Gestapo flight attendant suits, whatever that means. They ain't Alliance, though. Impersonating an Alliance officer is illegal, yessir. Wouldn't muck about with that.



In light of the recent incidents at the Lounge, such as the Blue Sun camera and the reaver trashing, I've gotten a camera of my own for the Lounge. It should keep tabs of who's coming and going, letting me point fingers at the right perps if something should happen.



I know it's wrong to say this, but the Sheriff is so adorable with his monkey, Neelix. Just look at this photo of them cuddling. Just... adorable.
I tried to give Neelix some more fudge today, but he's abandoned me for bananas. The pain.



I met Lily today out in the Wastevillage. She seemed very agitated, talked about some danger, "danger like a dagger". She wouldn't elaborate.
She also asked me to teach her how to kiss, but that just ain't appropriate. We talked about other things, also. Just things.



Faulkin came over to the Lounge the other day to have a smoke, and I joined him. He told me about his sweetie, Sabine. She sounds like a real swell lady. Pretty, too. And curvy. He's lucky.



After a lot of tinkering, I finally finished the racks for all my girls. It turned out real shiny, and it's nice to have them all readily available.
I bet Faulkin would appreciate seeing them, being a merc also. Maybe he'd like some of his own. I'll have to ask him.

Boys

So, I had a little discussion with Jai regarding the recent disappearance of my veggies. She claimed complete innocence, promising that all her weasels were accounted for.
Then Lily chimed in, talking about how the weasel Jai gave her had a big "pumpkin belly", and that it hid away, and then there were babies.

So. There's more of the little bastards. Gallagher shot the one in the greenhouse, but I've started locking the place up so I don't lose the newly planted crop. Jai gave me some coffee bean berries to use in a trap. Vermin must go.

I've been hanging around with the boys a lot lately.



Amon showed me his apartment. He's got a lot of fancy, shiny gear and nice furniture. I sat on his computer chair, on his sofa and on his bed. Everything was nice and comfy. Sure, my things are, too, but not as clean. He gave me the access code to his front door, said I was free to hang any time. That was nice of him.



Speaking of furniture, I got a new desk. It's mostly just junk I picked up around town, some crates, an old piece of plywood. But it works for me, and I found an old monitor, too. It works, and picks up a security feed from some place. Perhaps I should show the Sheriff. Might be important.



Amon opened up his scrap shop the other day. It looks real nice, and the sign is shiny. Literally, it's all metal. It looks good, and hopefully his business will give mine a push, and the other way around. Scrap metal and drinks, what can beat that?



I hung out with Gallagher and Amon back home in the Wastes. I fed Neelix fudge, and we talked about religion. Amon don't believe in God, but that's all right. If he leads a good life, he'll go to heaven anyway. And I still ain't a monkey.



Neelix was clambering all over us, and he found things to eat in Amon's hair.



No lice here, though.



Later I went with Zade and Gallagher to browse through stores. I'm still close to broke, but I couldn't help getting that jacket. It's real nice.



Bosktipping is a fun sport, too, they should have real contests. Zade gave me a ride on his hoverbike and spread some carnage.

Over and out.

Vermin!

I am upset. I am very, very upset.

After waking up this morning-- all right, it was after noon, bloody scotch, I went down to the greenhouse to see if the tomatoes had ripened, maybe water and weed a little.

This is what I found.



All my veggies are gone. All of them. Every last tomato, every last little leaf of cabbage. And I know who the culprit is. Oh, yes. It was still lurking around the scene of the crime.



One of Jai's bloody weasels has escaped and eaten the entire crop! I will have to have very strong words with her when I see her. Perhaps she already knows, because she's been strangely absent the past day or so.

Speaking of vermin, I ran into this lady recently.



Her name is x0x0 and she works for Blue Sun. She neglected to inform me of that until after we'd shaken hands. She was looking at Jai's new trade office, and then she talked a little bit about Lily. Called her a thing. What a chao chee bai.

Oh, yes, Jai's new office. It's looking real shiny, she set it up good and proper.



Disinfected the place, too, which was a good thing. The House might have had a shiny sign, but rumour has it the floors were sticky. She also moved up to the apartment just upstairs, so just like me, she won't have far to travel to get to work.



Gallagher has bought a car, a real old vintage one. It's gotta be a replica, though, I doubt he's earning enough to buy real, Earth-that-was antiques. He took me for a ride in it. I am now convinced he really is insane. I was a hair's width from losing my lunch. I'm sure cars ain't supposed to go that fast.



Apparently I am insane as well, because later in the evening I voluntarily got into the Deathmobile again. Me, Gallagher, Vega and Sandra went for a drive round town and shot down those damn Blue Sun surveillance cameras that's popped up everywhere. I must say it was very satisfying, and I got to play with the Mossberg a little more. Shiny.



... and wouldn't you know it? When I came home in the evening, Faulkin was chilling in the Lounge and he called me over. Pointed to the corner ceiling. The bastards had sneaked into my property and put up a camera. It was quickly disposed of, and then me and Faulkin drank scotch and compared peni-- I mean guns. His was really nice. Gun. His gun. The Fairlight shotgun. Nothing else.

The last of my coin

It was a quiet day yesterday, which always is a nice change. Jai showed me her new cargo shuttle with pick-up capabilities, which looked like it might come in handy in the near future. For some reason it did not want to photograph, I will try and snap a picture of it later on.



Sheriff Gallagher had thought it was a shiny idea to get a little monkey. No, two, as a matter of fact. One was small and cute and quiet and did not bite me when I tried to pet it. The other... climbed up to my shoulder and tried to hump my hairdo. I was not amused. Monkeys ain't so fun, after all.



To make myself feel better I went shopping with Zade as the day grew on. It's strange how that always seem to calm the nerves, even though they might not need calming. I picked up this nifty little thing for cheap, and I am sure I will be glad I did at some point. Everything seems to come in handy at one point or another.

Zade wisely held his tongue.



Zade had this completely amazing Callahan, and it made me all weak at the knees. Beautiful piece of potential mayhem, death and destruction. Not to mention a good thing to have between you and people who want to shuffle you off.



I was also in the mood for a new gun, and Zade knew of this amazing warehouse. It was shotgun heaven. Expletives of joy were uttered, also a few sighs and moans. I can't help it. I looked for a good long while at this little beauty...



... and also at these delicious twins. Moss started to grow on my north side.



I ended up getting the Mossberg, though, and it was a good buy, although it used up the very last of my coin. It's got a nice heft to it, so even if I run out of ammo, it should make an excellent blunt weapon to keep whoever at bay. The kick weren't too bad, either. I think we will be friends.



We sent a wave to Charly, who was in the vicinity, and she made an appearance to buy a tiny little thing, that nevertheless suited her perfectly and will probably serve her well. Too frilly, also too petite, for my tastes, but perfect for her.



I saw Amon briefly, he's gotten an upgrade from his wooden legs. These ones seem to work for him, though they look helluva impractical.
Gallagher said he'd planted a bug in the Blue Sun office, and Amon went their to interview for the new position they've advertised. Gallagher said Amon had told Blue Sun he'd lie and scheme for them. Surprise, not so much with the. I've got my eye on you, bud.

New faces

I've met some new faces as of late. It seems like there's new people landing on Hale's every day, and that's just shiny. More people means more business for the Hookah Lounge, and more chances for me to get some real work as well.



Mr. Duncan came for a visit today, together with a lady who's name I didn't catch. I'm getting work again, soon, from Jai, we're gonna run her shipment of coffee beans and civets to Zenobia, and Jai suspects we may need some extra protection. Duncan and the lady are gonna provide that, and all of us combined, we should be fine.



And then there's this fella, who I good and honest can't get a grasp of. He needs to get his mouth washed out with soap, that's for damn sure. Ain't the most polite or friendly guy I ever met, that's for sure. He's a mite careless with his limbs, too. Got wooden legs and a mechanical arm of some sort, seems fancy. As for other appendages, I'll leave that to someone else's imagination. Oh, and he fancies women who can cook.



This man is a newcomer, as well. Poor guy, he's on the run from his wife, 'pparantly, stole her ship or somesuch thing, and just ran. Musta been a hell of a bad marriage. He figures she was pretty ornery over the whole thing, and he weren't too keen on having his picture taken. I'm gonna go ahead with his...request and not reveal his name. God forbid his wife finds him. The 'verse hath no wrath, and so on.



I passed by the House of Negotiable Affection today. It's a shame that businesses can't stay open, no matter what you think of what they actually sell. We need more business.

Heavy sleeper

You know it's not going to be a good day when you sleep in late, and wake up and find this outside your window:



Yes, I managed to sleep through a meteor strike right in the middle of the Wastetown courtyard. The crater was huge, and located about 10 feet from the entrance to the Lounge. Kren came along in the evening and dragged it out into the Wastes and filled the hole up, so all is well. At least it didn't hit my building, so thank goodness for small favours.



The day didn't proceed much better, Hale's got hit by reavers, but the flow of reavers was thankfully spotty at best. Poor Reese was the only one who bit the dust, but yours truly atleast tried to drag him to safety. I took down a couple meself, or at least got the honour of the final blow.



... and then I return home, only to find that some wandering reaver decided to turn the Hookah Lounge upside down. At least I hope it was a reaver, for their sake, 'cause if it turns out it weren't, the person responsible is gonna be very, very sorry. Took me forever to tidy up.



After Kren moved the meteor he talked a bit about Blue Sun. I s'pose everyone feels uneasy about them being on Hale's, but Kren is positively agitated. No good will come of this, I feel it in my bones.



Right.



Ended the evening with a knife sparring fight with Zade. Always good for a laugh. And then ice cream.