***
“Ching-wah TSAO duh liou mahng,” Lisa snarled, the intensity of her fury making several people jump slightly. “Athena, how long?”
“Twenty seconds to the cargo hold,” Athena replied calmly. “They’re not leaving now.”
“Finally… okay, I don’t want Glear turning this into a hostage situation. Can we keep them away from the Friez?” the commander asked.
"They're already in the same room," Athena pointed out. "And the Professor is nearly ready to tackle them if they try to run for the ship... oh. That could work."
Lisa was about to ask what 'that' was, when the Void Eagles coilguns spun around, locking onto the Professor. Miyu Glears reaction was immediate, tackling the Professor and throwing him to the deck under her. "Huh."
***
"Would you get off me?!" the Professor demanded, squirming underneath his curvy bodyguard. She paid him little attention, arm transforming into mini-gun mode and searching for a target. "Miyu! I need to start my bioscans of Julianne!"
"I know that gun's non-lethal," a new voice growled. There was a flicker of light in front of the Friez, and a semi-transparent figure appeared, projected from an emitter on the side of the ship. A blue-haired young woman, late teens perhaps, in spacers coveralls and a slightly ratty leather jacket. "And given what you just did to my family, you're really not the best human shield," she added in a near snarl.
Paling slightly, Miyu still hunted for a target. "Who are you?" she demanded.
"Arturia Wood," she said with a mocking bow. "Daughter of the man you just stabbed, sister of the droid you just dismembered. And you are Miyu Glear, bodyguard to the Professor, his Lovely and Talented Assistant... and the woman that was supposed to stop this," she growled. She gestured at the man Miyu was pinning down, who was still trying to squeeze out, protesting about his need to run tests. It was likely he hadn't even noticed the guns or the hologram.
Returning her arm to normal, Miyu met Arturias eyes. "We didn't want to hurt anyone," she said softly. "But they shouldn't have tried to harm my Professor. He just wanted to run his experiments-"
"On people he's traumatised too much already, with no concern about their desires or the fact he's not welcome here!" Arturia yelled. "Oooh, clearly my Dad deserved to be run through, the monster!" she added mockingly, hands clenched into fists. "You didn't hesitate. Dad went with Slapstick gear, you went for the blades. You're worse then the Mad!"
Eyes narrowing, Miyu glared at the younger woman. "I protect him," she growled. "I've seen what happens when I fail, and that will not happening again." Glancing down, she grabbed the Professors arm as he tried to slip out from under her. "Professor, please, it's not safe!" she hissed.
"I don't care! I need to set up the immersion tank! The Juliane Friez machine has to work around her existing biomod, so if I go with a deep scan using the Dismantler-Organiser... do we still have that in storage?" he asked, calming down and looking thoughtful. "If I have to build a new one, it'll delay me by almost an hour," he complained.
Eyes wide, Jules backed up towards the ships entry ramp. "You're not doing anything to me again! Haven't you done enough already?" she demanded, tears running down her face. Clutching at her tail in both hands, she glared at him. "Just stay away from me!"
Smirking slightly, Arturia put her hands in her jacket pockets. "Oh, don't worry, he will be."
Before Miyu had time to wonder what she meant, two pairs of hands grabbed her and dragged her off the Professor. The woman shrieked in surprise, even as her hands were pulled behind her back and heavy cuffs were clamped over her wrists. A miltiaman in riot gear stepped into her field of view, looking unimpressed. "Miyu Glear, you are under arrest for assault with a deadly weapon, illegal entry and attempted manslaughter," he growled as three more men stepped into view, one keeping his rifle locked on the Professors head as the other two attempted to get the once again frantic man into cuffs.
Sighing in relief as the android was read her rights, Kitbashes shoulders slumped and the coilgun returned to its normal powered down position. "Sergeant, am I glad to see you," she managed.
Turning away from an indignant Miyu, Sergeant Collins gave the hologram an apologetic smile. "I'm just sorry we took so long ma'am," he admitted. "We have medics with your father now. I'm afraid we don't have anyone that can help your droid, but he seems able to respond to us, so..."
Smiling weakly, the girl nodded slightly. "I don't think he was hit anywhere vital. We can reattach the leg later."
Stepping forward cautiously, Julian gave the scene a wary look. "So, it's over?" he asked.
"As soon as he's properly cuffed," the Sergeant replied, glancing at where his men were still struggling with the Professor. "The aftermath of this is going to be a bitch and a half though. Word is, Antilles is beyond furious at this mess, and all those idiots with cameras back there will probably have this story going viral already." Scowling, he flipped his visor open. "Fucking spectator syndrome. Always hoped that wouldn't make it off Earth."
Giggling weakly, Jules sat down on the ramp and grinned at him. "Guess human nature is eternal after all," she observed, wiping at her face.
"For good and ill, I suppose," he muttered. "We're going to need to get statements from you all, but Athena assures me this mess is well documented, so I doubt that-" A sudden gasp from Kitbash grabbed their attention, and they all turned to where the hologram had frozen, image not updating properly.
Before anyone could speak, their questions were answered by an urgent, depserate voice drifting in from the cargo hold. "He's not breathing. Check his airway, I'll start compressions."
Straightening up, Julian spun towards the doors. Before he could move however, he was beaten by the Professor. Having frozen the moment he heard the medics declaration, the man exploded into motion, his size and mass throwing the militiamen off him before they had time to react. As everyone except Kitbash turned towards him, the man was already running, sprinting for the doors he'd blasted open earlier. "Stop him!" Sergeant Collins growled, raising his rifle.
The Professor was faster than any of them however, jumping through the hole in the door, body-checking an idiot with a camera out of the way, then skidded to a halt next to Chris, dropping to a crouch with a tricorder in his hand. "CPR's no good," he declared. "The blade punctured a lung and several arteries. He's bleeding out directly into his lung and drowning."
"Biofoam," one of the paramedics said, but the Professor shook his head, all his attention and focus on this new, time-critical problem.
"Will just block off the heart completely. Terrible place to be stabbed. Your response gear?"
"JMC standard," the other man answered. Frowning, the Professor looked back down.
"Quality, but not what we need in the time left." Reaching into his lab coat, he dug around in the pockets and came out with a large, unmarked syringe filled with faintly glowing handwavium. Before either of the paramedics could reply, he rammed the needle down into the dying mans chest and jammed his thumb down on the plunger.
For a moment, nothing happened, then the mans body spasmed, eyes opening shockingly wide. As the people around him watched, his eyes changed color, becoming a vibrant blue, then he slumped back to the deck. Slowly, his breathing settled, and they watched as his features began to shift.
"Well, that's resolved. I should work on something to help paramedics with that kind of problem," the Professor mused. Before he could continue, one of the paramedics reached over with a hypospray and pressed it against the mans neck. "Hey! What was..." his eyes unfocused, looking at nothing. "Oh dear." And with that, he fell backwards, out cold before he hit the deck.
Moving up next to the Professor, Sergeant Collins kept his rifle ready. "Cuffs, now," he ordered, one of his men darting forward to restrain the snoring figure. Once that was done, he glanced at the paramedics. "Captain Wood?"
"Biomod's taken hold," one of them confirmed, setting out a stretcher next to the figure, who looked smaller than he'd been a moment ago. "He'll live, but I want to get him to the hospital, just in case."
"Do it. Hutch, you and Joe goe with them. Protective detail. Last thing the Captain needs now is some Professor groupie going after him." The pair nodded.
Stepping into the room, Julian Friez took in the scene. "Put his phone somewhere he can see it," he told the pair, retrieving it from the ruined longcoat. "His daughter will need it there."
"As for the rest of you vultures," Collins declared, raising his voice to address the spectators, "show's over. I'm giving you to the count of five to disperse, or all of you are getting your phones confiscated!" Watching the crowd scatter in front of him, he sighed. "That should not have worked as well as it did."
Unrolling a second stretcher to drop the Professor on, the paramedic shrugged. "Human nature," he commented.
"Huh, the catgirl said that," he mused.
"Because I'm right," Jules said from the door. "Um, what about the droid?" she asked.
"If it's alright with you Sergeant, I'd really like him to stay here," Kitbash called out from the docking bay. Glancing over at T7, who gave a chirp that sounded positive, he shrugged and nodded. The two Friez went to collect him as the Professor and Captain (Who seemed to be vanishing into his clothes) were ferried out, a furious and distraught Miyu dragged along behind.
***
“Ching-wah TSAO duh liou mahng,” Lisa snarled, the intensity of her fury making several people jump slightly. “Athena, how long?”
“Twenty seconds to the cargo hold,” Athena replied calmly. “They’re not leaving now.”
“Finally… okay, I don’t want Glear turning this into a hostage situation. Can we keep them away from the Friez?” the commander asked.
"They're already in the same room," Athena pointed out. "And the Professor is nearly ready to tackle them if they try to run for the ship... oh. That could work."
Lisa was about to ask what 'that' was, when the Void Eagles coilguns spun around, locking onto the Professor. Miyu Glears reaction was immediate, tackling the Professor and throwing him to the deck under her. "Huh."
***
"Would you get off me?!" the Professor demanded, squirming underneath his curvy bodyguard. She paid him little attention, arm transforming into mini-gun mode and searching for a target. "Miyu! I need to start my bioscans of Julianne!"
"I know that gun's non-lethal," a new voice growled. There was a flicker of light in front of the Friez, and a semi-transparent figure appeared, projected from an emitter on the side of the ship. A blue-haired young woman, late teens perhaps, in spacers coveralls and a slightly ratty leather jacket. "And given what you just did to my family, you're really not the best human shield," she added in a near snarl.
Paling slightly, Miyu still hunted for a target. "Who are you?" she demanded.
"Arturia Wood," she said with a mocking bow. "Daughter of the man you just stabbed, sister of the droid you just dismembered. And you are Miyu Glear, bodyguard to the Professor, his Lovely and Talented Assistant... and the woman that was supposed to stop this," she growled. She gestured at the man Miyu was pinning down, who was still trying to squeeze out, protesting about his need to run tests. It was likely he hadn't even noticed the guns or the hologram.
Returning her arm to normal, Miyu met Arturias eyes. "We didn't want to hurt anyone," she said softly. "But they shouldn't have tried to harm my Professor. He just wanted to run his experiments-"
"On people he's traumatised too much already, with no concern about their desires or the fact he's not welcome here!" Arturia yelled. "Oooh, clearly my Dad deserved to be run through, the monster!" she added mockingly, hands clenched into fists. "You didn't hesitate. Dad went with Slapstick gear, you went for the blades. You're worse then the Mad!"
Eyes narrowing, Miyu glared at the younger woman. "I protect him," she growled. "I've seen what happens when I fail, and that will not happening again." Glancing down, she grabbed the Professors arm as he tried to slip out from under her. "Professor, please, it's not safe!" she hissed.
"I don't care! I need to set up the immersion tank! The Juliane Friez machine has to work around her existing biomod, so if I go with a deep scan using the Dismantler-Organiser... do we still have that in storage?" he asked, calming down and looking thoughtful. "If I have to build a new one, it'll delay me by almost an hour," he complained.
Eyes wide, Jules backed up towards the ships entry ramp. "You're not doing anything to me again! Haven't you done enough already?" she demanded, tears running down her face. Clutching at her tail in both hands, she glared at him. "Just stay away from me!"
Smirking slightly, Arturia put her hands in her jacket pockets. "Oh, don't worry, he will be."
Before Miyu had time to wonder what she meant, two pairs of hands grabbed her and dragged her off the Professor. The woman shrieked in surprise, even as her hands were pulled behind her back and heavy cuffs were clamped over her wrists. A miltiaman in riot gear stepped into her field of view, looking unimpressed. "Miyu Glear, you are under arrest for assault with a deadly weapon, illegal entry and attempted manslaughter," he growled as three more men stepped into view, one keeping his rifle locked on the Professors head as the other two attempted to get the once again frantic man into cuffs.
Sighing in relief as the android was read her rights, Kitbashes shoulders slumped and the coilgun returned to its normal powered down position. "Sergeant, am I glad to see you," she managed.
Turning away from an indignant Miyu, Sergeant Collins gave the hologram an apologetic smile. "I'm just sorry we took so long ma'am," he admitted. "We have medics with your father now. I'm afraid we don't have anyone that can help your droid, but he seems able to respond to us, so..."
Smiling weakly, the girl nodded slightly. "I don't think he was hit anywhere vital. We can reattach the leg later."
Stepping forward cautiously, Julian gave the scene a wary look. "So, it's over?" he asked.
"As soon as he's properly cuffed," the Sergeant replied, glancing at where his men were still struggling with the Professor. "The aftermath of this is going to be a bitch and a half though. Word is, Antilles is beyond furious at this mess, and all those idiots with cameras back there will probably have this story going viral already." Scowling, he flipped his visor open. "Fucking spectator syndrome. Always hoped that wouldn't make it off Earth."
Giggling weakly, Jules sat down on the ramp and grinned at him. "Guess human nature is eternal after all," she observed, wiping at her face.
"For good and ill, I suppose," he muttered. "We're going to need to get statements from you all, but Athena assures me this mess is well documented, so I doubt that-" A sudden gasp from Kitbash grabbed their attention, and they all turned to where the hologram had frozen, image not updating properly.
Before anyone could speak, their questions were answered by an urgent, depserate voice drifting in from the cargo hold. "He's not breathing. Check his airway, I'll start compressions."
Straightening up, Julian spun towards the doors. Before he could move however, he was beaten by the Professor. Having frozen the moment he heard the medics declaration, the man exploded into motion, his size and mass throwing the militiamen off him before they had time to react. As everyone except Kitbash turned towards him, the man was already running, sprinting for the doors he'd blasted open earlier. "Stop him!" Sergeant Collins growled, raising his rifle.
The Professor was faster than any of them however, jumping through the hole in the door, body-checking an idiot with a camera out of the way, then skidded to a halt next to Chris, dropping to a crouch with a tricorder in his hand. "CPR's no good," he declared. "The blade punctured a lung and several arteries. He's bleeding out directly into his lung and drowning."
"Biofoam," one of the paramedics said, but the Professor shook his head, all his attention and focus on this new, time-critical problem.
"Will just block off the heart completely. Terrible place to be stabbed. Your response gear?"
"JMC standard," the other man answered. Frowning, the Professor looked back down.
"Quality, but not what we need in the time left." Reaching into his lab coat, he dug around in the pockets and came out with a large, unmarked syringe filled with faintly glowing handwavium. Before either of the paramedics could reply, he rammed the needle down into the dying mans chest and jammed his thumb down on the plunger.
For a moment, nothing happened, then the mans body spasmed, eyes opening shockingly wide. As the people around him watched, his eyes changed color, becoming a vibrant blue, then he slumped back to the deck. Slowly, his breathing settled, and they watched as his features began to shift.
"Well, that's resolved. I should work on something to help paramedics with that kind of problem," the Professor mused. Before he could continue, one of the paramedics reached over with a hypospray and pressed it against the mans neck. "Hey! What was..." his eyes unfocused, looking at nothing. "Oh dear." And with that, he fell backwards, out cold before he hit the deck.
Moving up next to the Professor, Sergeant Collins kept his rifle ready. "Cuffs, now," he ordered, one of his men darting forward to restrain the snoring figure. Once that was done, he glanced at the paramedics. "Captain Wood?"
"Biomod's taken hold," one of them confirmed, setting out a stretcher next to the figure, who looked smaller than he'd been a moment ago. "He'll live, but I want to get him to the hospital, just in case."
"Do it. Hutch, you and Joe goe with them. Protective detail. Last thing the Captain needs now is some Professor groupie going after him." The pair nodded.
Stepping into the room, Julian Friez took in the scene. "Put his phone somewhere he can see it," he told the pair, retrieving it from the ruined longcoat. "His daughter will need it there."
"As for the rest of you vultures," Collins declared, raising his voice to address the spectators, "show's over. I'm giving you to the count of five to disperse, or all of you are getting your phones confiscated!" Watching the crowd scatter in front of him, he sighed. "That should not have worked as well as it did."
Unrolling a second stretcher to drop the Professor on, the paramedic shrugged. "Human nature," he commented.
"Huh, the catgirl said that," he mused.
"Because I'm right," Jules said from the door. "Um, what about the droid?" she asked.
"If it's alright with you Sergeant, I'd really like him to stay here," Kitbash called out from the docking bay. Glancing over at T7, who gave a chirp that sounded positive, he shrugged and nodded. The two Friez went to collect him as the Professor and Captain (Who seemed to be vanishing into his clothes) were ferried out, a furious and distraught Miyu dragged along behind.
***