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Scribe
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Way Down South
Posts: 73
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The Intergalactic Misadventures of Boyo and Bucko (II)
The faun girl´s name was Leela, she had seductively accepted Boyo´s chivalrous offers of drinks and vials (gigglingly turning down the Karmesutrezine) and found herself seated upon the soft down of his party clothes, crammed seemingly along with everyone else on the Station into the same Tubo car. Boyo noticed that the dips and rises of the car´s movement along the magneto-rails made for excellent lap-sitting.
Somehow, within the throng, Bucko managed to wave his drink around, yapping into the face of a tired-looking businessman.
¨ I like cold-blooders, ¨ he was saying, ¨ They´re funky. Freaky. Take one to an outer moon and she´s all icy. Even inside. Cold lips, cool tongue. It´s freaky. Then, say, you´re close to a sun, and it´s...hahaha...it can be too hot. Isn´t that right, Boyo? ¨
He spun around for confirmation from his friend, his tail thwacking the thigh of the businessman, and there were Boyo and Leela, looking like a strange mythical beast, part woodland creature part bird of paradise.
¨ Eh, Boyo? Isn´t that right? ¨
Boyo pulled his face from Leela´s nape, and nodded, ¨ That´s right, ¨ and leaned back into her.
Bucko returned to his captive conversation partner, his tail swished lightly under Leela´s nose, and with a little laugh she pulled back, bonking Boyo´s noggin. Apologetically, she soothed him.
¨ Moody, though, ¨ Bucko continued, ¨ I mean I guess that makes sense in a way. You know, body changes...hot, cold...suppose it stands to reason, but it can drive a hot-blooded guy nuts! ¨ he took a pull from his bottle and stared at the businessman, ¨ Ever been with a coldy girl? ¨
¨ No, ¨ the pale face shaking.
¨ Sometimes I think cockadoo here, ¨ he indicated Boyo behind him with the bottle, ¨ is a cold-blood. You shoulda heard him an hour ago, couldn´t shut up. ¨ he changed his voice to a most unflattering falsetto, ¨ ´ooo, we gotta find her, Bucko! Do you see her, Bucko? Do you see him? Find him and we´ll find her, Bucko, keep looking, aaaaaah, I don´t see them, aaaaaah.´ ¨
The Tubo car eased to a stop, the walls opened, and nearly everyone shuffled off into the street. Leela pulled away from Boyo´s lips on her neck, took the seat beside him, and with a crafty look she said, ¨ Her? Who´s ´her´? ¨
Boyo blinked at her in confusion. He´d been paying no attention whatsoever to Bucko, had in fact been ignoring him since he saw him swallow the Zerker. Leela watched him patiently a moment before slowly reaching out and removing his plumed head-piece, breathing huskily into his face, ¨ Who were you looking for at Rocco´s? ¨
Boyo chuckled, gave Bucko a split-second evil eye, and said, ¨ Well...you might as well know the truth. ¨
The walls closed solidly and the Tubo car slid into motion. Boyo fingered his feathery lapel and continued, ¨ We heard that the Wormholes would be there and I...I wanted to slip them a stone of my music. ¨
¨ You´re a musician? ¨ Leela´s eyes grew round with delight.
¨ He´s a charlatan! ¨ Bucko exclaimed in mid-bounce. He was dancing, in a fashion, to a tune only he could hear, ¨ Musician my eye. Fiddles with programs, hums a jingle, usurps a rythm, sings of...love...it´s all a great charlatan joke. ¨
Leela, following Boyo´s lead, was also now ignoring Bucko. Boyo nodded solemnly, ¨ Yes, yes it´s true, ¨ he said dramatically, ¨ I´m a musician. ¨
The Tubo car came to rest again and the walls opened. Boyo took Leela by the hand and stood, extending his other hand to Bucko. ¨ This is where we say goodbye, ¨ he said importantly, ¨ I´ll see you tomorrow. Get some sleep. ¨
¨ Ha! ¨ Bucko erupted, bowing low to Leela.
¨ Goodbye, Bucko, ¨ Leela´s fauny behind into the street beside Boyo´s colourful display, ¨ See you ´round. ¨
¨ Beat it, troublemakers! ¨ Bucko shook his fist at them as the walls pulled shut, ¨ You good for nothing stinking kids! ¨
Bucko noticed that he was alone in the Tubo car, which seemed to him to be expanding on all sides and the floor was racing along though his feet were still. Wait, no, they weren´t still; he was running. Stop running, Bucko. He stopped. No, he didn´t, now he was running the other way.
Stars! Bucko thought, it´s going to be a tough morning.
* * *
The magic red liquid sloshed loudly from the dispenser and Boyo sucked it down quickly, tapped the button for another. He was tired in a most positive way, the previous night´s exertions leaving him a little slow, perhaps, but steady, and with a feeling of accomplishment, as though victorious at a great sporting event.
He retrieved the plastifoam cup, and sipping lightly turned and walked to the edge of the loading-dock. He said loudly and clearly, ¨ Today´s schedule. ¨
Instantly a glowing chart appeared in the air before him, a strangely empty chart; just one ship to unload. With a soft ´hmm´ he stepped back against the wall and eased into a hard chair.
Across the dock a door slid open and Bucko stumbled in, both hands caressing his belly. He looked pitiful, everything a mess right down to shoelaces dragging behind. He didn´t even make for a chair, crumpled just beyond the doorway flat on his back.
Boyo chuckled, smiled, and hollared, ¨ GOOD MORNING, STARSHINE!!! ¨
Bucko cringed, slammed his hands over his ears, then pulled his leviwand from his pocket and pointing it at Boyo he growled, ¨ Do that again and I lose this job, ¨ the leviwand fell from his hand, clanging against the floor. He rubbed his stomach, ¨ Jerk. ¨
Still chuckling, Boyo said, ¨ Don´t worry. It´s an easy day. Just one ship, an unload, ¨ he watched Bucko squirm in sickness.
¨ Uggh, ¨ Bucko´s voice was low and crawled out of his throat, ¨ Why´d you let me get so...so...I think I told Adasa that I love her last night. ¨
¨ Where´d you see her? ¨
¨ Went to her place. ¨
Boyo laughed, ¨ I´m sure she-- ¨
The alert boomed loudly in the air, the brighter docking lights flooded the room, immense doors groaned aside at the end of the dock, and a ship´s open bay slid into place, a great screeching of alarm and knocking metal that sent Bucko into near convulsions. It seemed to take so long to him, bang! bang!screech!, stars, why can´t those guys taxi worth a credit?
The noise and the lights changed, only to be repeated with equal jarring volume as the haul came sliding through the other side of the dock. Mercifully, a stillness finally settled in.
With a spring in his step, Boyo leapt onto the ship`s ramp and cast a patient look at Bucko, ¨ Let´s have a look? ¨
Bucko shrugged, and Boyo ascended quickly into the ship´s hold.
¨ Hello! ¨
With an annoyed grimace Bucko spun round to see what fool was shouting, and found himself facing a man he´d seen many times before. The beard, the black foreign clothes, the ear-ring, the lopsided grin. Impossible.
¨ Hi there, ¨ the man shook Bucko´s hand, ¨ How is it? ¨
¨ Allright. ¨
¨ Listen...you lads are fantastic here at the Station. I have no complaints. But...I need this done extra quickly, fastest possible. Do it double-time and I´ll double your wages for the week. ¨
Something was weird in Bucko´s stomach. Maybe the leftovers of last night´s indulgences, maybe the excitement of the credits, or of the person standing in front of him. He croaked, ¨ Allright. ¨
¨ Brilliant, ¨ the man smiled broadly, mostly with the left side of his face, and produced a scanner from the dark folds of his jacket. Bucko dug through several pockets, found his key, and handed it over. The transaction beeped its completion.
¨ Uh, ¨ Bucko said uneasily, ¨ There are two of us. ¨
¨ Eh? ¨ the man´s face wavered, then the smile returned and he scanned the tiny crystal key again, ¨ Right. Make sure he gets it, yeah? ¨
He thumped Bucko on the back like an old trusted friend and made for the door.
¨ Captain! ¨ Bucko found his voice and the man paused in the open doorway, ¨ It is ´Captain´? ¨
¨ Yes. ¨
¨ Captain B-- ¨
The man lifted a finger to his lips in a silent shush and disappeared through the door. All feelings of uneasiness now giving way to the natural stimulus of excited enzymes, Bucko bound with two steps into the ship´s hold where he nearly collided with Boyo on his way out.
Boyo said easily, ¨ There´s a lot but not too much. We should-- ¨
¨ This is Bordeaux´s ship! ¨ Bucko said quickly.
¨ Ah? ¨
¨ For sure. I just saw him! I don´t know how much he gave me, but he scanned my key twice for us to-- ¨
The sounds of running feet, boots on the platform of the loading dock interrupted him. From the clamour rose authoritative shouting.
¨ See? See? ¨ Bucko put his hands on Boyo´s shoulders, ¨ That´s the Company guys chasing off the Hounds. I told you! This is his ship. That mean´s she-- ¨
The ship rocked beneath their feet, and they saw closing fast, too fast, the cargo bay door.
¨ Stars!! ¨ they shouted in unison.
It was already raised to far for them to get out, and in the next instant it was shut, the locks hissing into place. Boyo and Bucko stood aghast, staring wordlessly at the sealed bay. The commotion from the dock was gone, a heavy silence surrounded them for dumbfounded seconds before being broken by the buzzing drone of the ship´s main engines coming to life.
Bucko´s hand searched his pockets, and finding them empty he slapped Boyo on the chest, ¨ Levvy it down! Levvy it down! ¨
Boyo pulled his leviwand from his toolbelt, ¨ It won´t turn on! ¨
He pressed the button of the wand frantically and Bucko raced to the rear of the cargo bay in search of the ship´s com-system. The walls of the bay rang out with the sounds of being smashed by heavy objects.
¨ Stars! ¨ Boyo shouted, not giving up on the ´ON´ button, ¨ They´re shooting at us! ¨
Bucko found no console. They felt the ship moving, and looking back at his friend standing helplessly in front of the bay door, his shoulders twitching as he struggled with the wand, Bucko braced himself as the engines grew louder still, and they both felt the ship lurch forward, jostle, and swoop into the cosmos.
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