Young Writers Society

Kualat

"What's the best drink you serve here?" the man asked me. I laughed heartily before I replied.
"The strongest, you mean, or just the one with the least motor oil?"
The blue-skinned face crinkled in what I presumed was this species' approximation of a raised eyebrow.
I turned and began to mix an engine surprise. It was twenty-per-cent jet fuel, perfect for destroying the stomach lining of all but the hardiest of drinkers. A few more choice liquids added to the genuinely life-threatening concoction, then a block of frozen Garneeligan oil with a core of lithium. The oil was already melting when I passed the drink to its owner.
"A word of warning," I said with a smirk, "Don't stand too close for a moment."
What I had just done could quite easily have been classed as attempted murder, but the look on his face easily made up for it.

Ra-Chak-Zid

This drink didn't look safe, not for a moment did I actually consider drinking it... well... maybe for a fraction-long enough to take a swig. I tasted the concoction steadily, and it sure was a graceful taste, but I wasn't so sure about the crackling sensation as the drink dived down my throat, soon to be divided into different components. Then came a mouth-scrunching after-taste.

I blinked hard and raised my brow in shock as the bitterness sucked the moisture from my mouth, and I could literally taste the air in some kind of surreal serpentine sense. Yet... it was amazing; I'd never tasted anything like this. I found myself necking the rest of the drink in swift time, slamming the glass much too hard- smashing it on the counter of the bar.

The shards scattered onto the floor, and a few people gazed across the bar at me. As I looked around, realisation struck me, and I my glands around my neck shrunk in embrarassment.
"Sorry barkeep, hook me up with something a little weaker-would you?" I asked quietly "But I appreciate your skills..." and then I felt my entirety of my six stomachs shift. Straining my abdomen, I gestured with my hand that I'd be back in a second- some waste needed to removed.

Whatever was in that drink, it'd went right through me.

Astraea

Everything in life is a test. Someway. I glanced down at my wrist, looking at the pulse signs of all my infiltration agents in the nearbye vicinity. They all checked out, except for Omniyus, whose heartbeat was a little erratic, but that was to be expected when he stood in the pressence of not just one, but two Projects.

The earthling and her companion dissapeared with a slight shudder. I smiled. All was going to plan. Well, almost all was...

My thoughts were interrupted as the sudden sound of glass shattering echoed throughout the entire bar. I looked in that direction and saw huge creature run off in the direction of the restrooms. I laughed, then caught myself. I knew that I was being followed. but with the Earthling and her companion gone, I didn't know who was following me. I dimmed the small light next to me on my table and looked around. Time to execute Phase 2.

I pushed a small blue button on the console attached to my wrist. Omniyus' panting breaths greeted me. "Have the Projects left the bar yet?"

"No." He said abruptly.

"What about the Earthling?"

"They are in their ship. searching for you and your ship."

I smiled, the wrinkles around my faux eyes deepening. "If you let those Projects out of your sight, there will be consequences."

Aster

"Addy? Addy, where are you?"

"Back on the Endeavor," Addy answered, her voice coming through my audio chip. "Vesper found Astraea."

"What?!"

"She's in the club," Addy continued. "The captain's getting a team ready, but he needs you to buy him some time. He says to keep your program off, and to change your uniform. And probably your hairstyle, too...I don't know if your hair can do that, but--"

"Done," I said. I changed the color of my uniform, and swiped my hair in front of my face. "What should I do now?"

"Whatever you have to," Addy answered. "We need...about five minutes, I'd say. Ten at the most."

"Good," I said. "I'll see the captain shortly."

I leaned against the wall and scanned the room. There was Astraea, talking to her second-in-command. If my program had been on, looking at her would have made me nauseated. I was just glad that Addy wasn't here. Her eyes passed right over me and continued across the club--she didn't even recognize me. Funny, considering she'd been holding me hostage on her ship not a month ago...

Jared Domast

Bright and pulsing lights met my eyes while loud music and shouting pounded my ear drums. A great place to hide, I thought as I made my way to one of the many resting areas. I was here for a single reason. To bring in a bounty, dead or alive, and get my credits. My blaster had been confiscated by security but that was a minor inconvience. The armour that I wore had been heavily modified to house a number of weapons, including dart launchers and flamethrowers. The armour, in essence, was my weapon. It made a rattling sound as I sat down and causing the material below to groan.

"Now it's just a matter of waiting," I mumbled to myself as I brought my hand to my temple. Cybernetic implants, a constant reminder about what had happened in my early career. I activated the Tracker system. There could be no escape for the target now.

Astraea

I looked past the people seemingly milling around in the club. About half of these people were bounty hunters or something of that order and the other half is the people they're chasing. The only innocent people in this club were the staff, and even one or two of them were suspicious.

One person caught my eye. I paid no heed to it, but continued scannning the room. Aster was here, in the same disguise he was in when we captured him. He did it to mock me, I know it. I let a trick of a smile to control my face for a split second. Fine, if you want to play games, Aster, games we will play.

I pushed the same small blue button. Omniyus' breathing was slower and more constant. "Yes?"

"Prepare The Divinity for battle." At that time, I saw another familiar person step out of the shadows at the wrong time. Oh, no, not now. Not him. I sighed. Phase 2 might not work, because of him. Because of Jared.

I pressed the blue button again. "Omniyus, change of plans. We're moving to Plan B. Bring my daggers and tell the crew my orders. We need to keep to schedule, and these people here will just impede us if they stay."

Omniyus sighed. "So we're staying?"

"We're staying."

Ra-Chak-Zid

As I emerged from the restrooms I sighed internally- it had not been wise to drink that concoction so soon.
Lithium plus kerosene equals fire, and lots of it too...
Now my arse hurt, burned even, but my insides had coped fairly well, Chiaropoids were incredibly sturdy considering our common nature. The club had seemed to calm ever so slightly, but that was a fairly invalid assumption- my mind was still pretty bruised from that damn drink.

But my analysis of club's atmosphere had not stayed long in my mind with my recognition of two particular figures.
Two droids had emerged from the exterior of the club, one seething with rage from the body language he exuded, while the other came across much more serene, but this was merely an external guise, for the Projects manufactured by Lash corporations were much deadlier than the standard military battle drones seen today, and Project 100 was the latest model too. Equipped with hidden laser weapons concealed within his wrists, '100 (as he was commonly known) could tear apart armies, but his mind was much more logical and intellectually active for that sort of thing- his purpose was to follow orders to the syllable, and I had no doubt that he had very strict orders.

Project 98, on the other hand, was notorious for being an unpredictable wild-card, on his hard-drive the mind of a psychopathic murderer, or so it has been rumoured in the ranks of the mercenaries. His ruthless and unprejudiced slaughters are common news within the shadowy societies of Crimson and Dark Newtron factions, simply because he was dangerous, and was the main reason why mercenaries refused to take jobs in areas that he was present in, let alone operations that involved stealing from Lash.

Like a fool, however, my greed for money (despite the fact that I needed the credits) had lead me to employment from the United Planetary Bureau to recover a missing data chip that it was believed had found itself in possession of the Projects- not good for me.

I examined the two closely, trying to establish the exact whereabouts of my objective. But my nightmare had become worse. The two passed straight by another warmonger- Astraea, a leader of an organised crime syndicate in the far western galaxies; I was surprised that she had drifted as north as this place, but her presence was a sure clash to the droids, and she looked pretty serious too. Something was going on, and it had 'trouble' written all over it.

Omniyus

I scanned the radar for enemy ships and I found the one I wanted: The IFS Endeavor. With daggers in hand, the ship's location etched in my memory, I teleported to the men's restroom.


Astraea

I saw the Projects pass me. '98 sent a quick, curt glare at me before returning his vision to the bar. They both sat on bar stools and ordered drinks casually. I knew their firepower and intellegence, as I had stolen their brethren, Project 99, and reverse engineered it to my full extent. I learned from that procedure that you can never underestimate them. If they have one weapon aimed at you, there are hundreds more conceiled ones ready to blow you to smithreens at any moment. The real problem, though, is when they have no weapons aimed at you. That means that any wrong move you make, and you're dead.

What I needed was a distraction, and fast, before this turned into an all-out brawl, which will most likely end in the destruction of the nightclub.

I had a plan though. I had to make every word I say count, because I knew at that very moment that they could hear my respirator, making the appearance of breathing possible, so it would be no problem to hear me speak.

I rolled a fake-vein counterclockwise three times, and a secure channel opened up with Omniyus. "I need you to listen to me carefully, my dearest officer. I know that I may make it out when things start going down. Whatever you do, I want you to live and go through with the mission. Do you understand?"

"Yes, why this last will and testament speech all of a sudden?"

"Because things are more dangerous than I had first thought. I ask only one thing. Please send out Project 99."

Ayani

The lights and sounds are blaring around me, Ianari is lost in the crowd.

I can't believe I'm in a gi tehm night club, this is not how I want to spend my weekend

I walk over to the bar, there are a few people around - the bartender's skin is blue.

"Can I get you anything?" I think about it for a second, and I look around and see a terrestrial humanoid looking creature drinking a purple drink that looked drinkable.

"I'll have what that thing is having." I say pointing to the creature. The bartender gives me one of those looks like

Dude, you have no idea what drink that is or whether or not you can even ingest it

"Ino, I'll have what that creature over that is drinking." He/She starts making me the drink.

I make conversation with the other patrons at the bar.

"Dibero." I say to a random person.

Radon

"Dibero." someone said to me. I turned to face them.
I gave them a blank stare, although all this Dibero could see would be my equally blank mask. Computer images flashed before my eyes, scanning for weak points, targets, concealed weaponry, while inwardly I wondered whether the dance lights flashing against my pale grey armour was in any way beautiful.
"Are you gonna say anything?" Dibero asked. I returned another blank stare.
"Radon." I extended a hand, armour augment motors whirring, making the movement precise, if slightly jerky. Dobero shook my hand; sensory points on my glove, linked through complex electrical circuits to my own nerves, felt the warmth of the hand, its softness.
"Where are you from then, Radon?" Dibero asked. I stared.
"I do not know. During the indoctrination process, all memory is erased."
Dobero shifted uncomfortably, then took a sip of his drink. Creases of displeasure marred an otherwise smooth complexion. I blinked.
"Anything for you?" the barkeep asked. My stare flitted from Dibero to the bartender and back again.
"I cannot drink." I gestured to the smooth metal which hid my face, trying to ignore the flickering images and information fragments which danced before my eyes. Kaleesh, homeworld Kalee. Moderate intoxication. Twelve concealed weapons.
The Kaleesh turned away, saying no more. The images faded. My stare did not.

Ayani

I find that the person's name is Radon, he seems a little odd - I have a feeling that he might be a robot. He wears a blank mask over his face.

"My name is Ayani" I say to him, taking another drink of the mysterious purple drink. Which I am surprised that I can drink, and it tastes good.

"Oh, I was under the impression that your name was Dibero." He says after a moment.

I chuckle, "No, that is simply the way that we greet people in my native tongue."

Project 98

"That was Astraea, and you..." I was about to explode onto '100 with a flurry of expletives, but I decided it better to hold my metaphorical tongue. Needless to say I was still angry, how dare that little piece of protein insult my significance, he was as good as dead until my fellow droid stepped between us both. I had always hated '100's 'by the book' attitude, it was so rigid and stubborn, I weaved through situations like a lethal serpent, with much more elegance than he ever could.

"I know what you're about to say, but Lash insisted that we didn't start intergalactic conflicts, attacking crime lords is one of many ways to do just that," he replied, so 'matter-of-fact'ly, which irritated me even more. It wasn't like our creator would have any trouble with butchering a syndicate (He owned three goddamn solar systems), in fact I'm sure he would revel the challenge. But it was clear he had told '100 something he had not me.

"Whatever," I hissed back, defiantly. I left his company and stomped over to the bar in bitter resentment.
"Hey! Barkeep!" I called.
The Kaleesh turned, his brown face discoloured purple from the deep blue lighting, and raised a brow upon recognition. "Back so soon?"

"Can the smart-talk, slam me up a Francium Bombardment," I grunted.

Kualat

'The Francium Bombardment, the most elegant of drinks' I amused myself with the deep, jaded sarcasm that penetrated even my own thoughs.
The droid was familiar now, having been about the bar now on several occasions, and causing a commotion for much of that time. Its eyes bore holes into me as I worked my magic, turning out a greasy concoction which smoked and sparked a little as powdered francium reacted with pockets of emulsified water.
How the droid planned to drink this, I had no idea, but it didn't stop me accepting its money. I turned away, packing the coins into an overstuffed cashier, and began again to wipe clean the bartop, starting furthest from the dangerous concoction of machine and radioactive drink in an effort to minimise the risk of grievous injury to myself.

Project 99

I can think again. I can think again!

I can feel my highly eccentric gears automatically moving again, reviving my statue of a body. I opened my eyes, systems rebooting and conforming to my enviroment.

I move my fingers. They are rough. They aren't what I am used to. They aren't mine. But they are.

I lift my right leg. It moves without noise, but it does not seem natural. It isn't mine! But it is...

An alarm blared through my cranium. I groaned, a sound that I have not been able to do for a long time. "What?"

"Hello, Project 99. How is the body suiting you?" Came a familiar voice, and not the good kind.

"It isn't mine, Astraea. What have you done to me?" My recievers began to alert my of spiked emotion outputters. The system she put in my was faulty. I cared not. She will die soon anyway, even if it took my life.

"Of course it isn't yours. If I had given you yours back, you would have been a pile a scraps with a consious. So scary." Her laugh was hollow and mechanical, even more than mine. "No, you have a complete replica of Project 100's body."

My entire body shook with anger. '100 was my most hated of brothers. "Why?" I seethed.

"To do one last thing with honor. We are both going to die today. By whose hands I know not, but I know it. I give you one last chance to prove yourself to all above you." There was a slight pause as the commotion in the background on her end got louder for a second. It died down, and she spoke again. "And trust me, '99, they will all be watching for what is about to go down."

"What is about to go down?" I asked out of amusement. She clearly doesn't know about me.

"Retrubution, of course. You are on the IFS Endeavor. I want you to kill everyone on that ship, including Ally and Aster."

My emotion outputters almost burned up from the amount of electricitiy that was going through them as I pushed all my systems to maximum capacity. Red flares were all over my screen, turning my vision red. The ones who betrayed me. Ally and Aster. Turns out she does know me. "I will kill them all."

Tequila Supernova

It was dark in the large machine that I was being kept in- very dark. I swirled around and around, filling the space of my container, yet retaining fluid motion. It was also very warm, being that the bar is kept at a very high temperature to account for the Icemonsters that come here regularly.

That's okay though, I can deal with it, I'm strong- Tequila Supernova strong.

Anyway, so the blue-skinned bartender could be heard pressing the button on my machine and I glopped for joy. I would finally be free, I would finally leave the confines of this metal prison cell.

Instantly, I rushed and sputtered out of the nozzle, straight into a glass cup.

"I'm free!" I shouted to myself. "After years and years of undergoing radioactive decay to half life, then being preserved in that machine, I can finally breath and see and feel the wind on my liquid face!"

The bartender then passed me over the counter to a large, ugly, pig-man, who immediately began to bring me up to his lips.

"Wait, no! What are you doing! Stop!" I shouted, although the Pig-Man did not seem to hear me. "Is this what you people DO with alcohol?!" The pig tipped back the glass.

And it was dark again.