six_word_stories | (no subject)

(no subject)

The Company is throughly corrupt. Questions?

[Raises hand.]

You know corrupt translates as run. Right?

Not when you're contractually obliged to assist them, D'Aramitz. Lawyers are expensive and Weyland-Yutani have endless pockets.

Basically, please forgive the French, you’re screwed. The corruptness does however tells you to expect things to go south.

Wouldn't be the first time a mission requested by the Company goes south. But until my NCO tells me to pull out, I'll do my job.

While loyalty is admirable. Don’t let your loyalty blind you too much.

I'm loyal to the Colonial Marines. They're one of few things in this world that gives a shit.

And I really should learn to avoid going there with that subject.
I surrender. You win.

I wasn't aware it was a competition. [Dryly. He has no idea how the conversation went this way.]

[ She knows soldiers have their own moral compass that isn’t the same as hers when it comes to things like loyalty. She’ll learn that one too, one day. Today isn't that day.]

How about I try again? My name is Celeste and I’m a civilian who is retired out of government work.

I'm Corporal Hicks, US Colonial Marine Corps. Not retired.

Is there anything beyond the Colonial Marines? I mean, you have downtime, right?

Downtime that's either spent on base or in hydrosleep.

Sounds fun. It's not normal sleep is it?

You're frozen down under controlled circumstances. Your bodily functions is set on pause, to preserve you for dozens of years. It's a dreamless sleep. It's the only way to keep you from aging during long trips between stars.

I understand it as suspended cryopreservation, not exactly the same, but close.
All it tells me is, you need a third trouble because trouble travels in threes. Corrupt company, check one. Your people in a vulnerable position to get where you need to be, check two. What’s the third charm?

Yeah, yeah. Whatever the technical term is.

I've told you all that I know. If there's a "third charm" I wouldn't know it.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only