CHOSEN

[dash=white]Saniya

"You're throwing out the name of that group a lot," Saniya said looking at the man with the cigarette, her arms folded.

This was all like a bad story set up. A back alley, a man he doesn't trust and a shady contact. However, this was the first time she hear someone say they actually knew how to contact Genesis.

Saniya struggled between hope and suspicion. If the man said the wrong thing, Saniya would run like a frighten rabbit. She didn't need more trouble after all. Yet if he really knew a group of people in Genesis. People that understood that the foul government had betrayed the people it was suppose to serve, then she needed to be with those people. They might be able to help her, and failing that, she might be able to do some good with them.

"What do you know of the terrorists?" It was a roll of the dice. She needed to be interested, but not too interested.[/dash]
 
The stranger looked a bit annoyed that Jasper blew him off and left. But since the young woman had stayed behind to talk to him, he was more than eager to answer her questions.

He nodded, holding a hand out for her to shake.

"Name is Fargen by the way. Them terrorists ain't much of terrorists, if you take it from me. No more than Terradyne with their stompin' around an shoving guns up your noses." He took another puff of his cigarette, blowing the smoke sideways from his mouth.

"If ya ask me, turnin' down help is a fools move. Knowing the Terradyne, there's a chip or someshit implanted in his brain or somethin'. Brain control an all that. If you wanna get out from under the Terradyne foot, there ain't no better way than contacting their biggest enemy, right?"
 
[dash=white]Saniya

Having Jasper disappear out of the alley was, admittedly, a bit disappointing. Not that he was good company, but because he was such a straight shooter she at least knew where she stood with him.

This other guy though, he was a bit slimy. That didn't mean he was a bad person, it just meant he was going to be harder to figure out. Saniya would keep her own council on what she thought of Jasper and his loyalty to the Terradyne for now.

"As long as the enemy isn't worse then the Terradyne," Saniya offered her hand. "Saniya. You seem to know a lot for someone out here were the Terradyne and Genesis aren't suppose to have any sway."

Her dark eyes looks around the alley and then back at Fargen. It was a lousy place to have a conversation, however she wasn't completely convinced one way or another yet.[/dash]
 
Fargen grinned, the cigarette balanced precariously between his lips. He gave Saniya a wink before releasing her hand and shrugging his shoulders. "Gotta work, yeah? Just because they don't reach out this far don't mean they can't. Gotta use your noodle even out here in the 'skirts."

Though ever so often he'd look around to make sure no one was watching or lurking around the corner. Anybody would be a little nervous about standing in an ally when on a backwater planet.

"You uh, don't seem like the type to be travelin' with some uppity Terradyne soldier." he commented with curiosity. "Though it looks like he dun give two wits walkin' off like that."
 
[dash=white]Saniya

"Terradyne hasn't done me any more favors then for the commander there lately," she said in explanation though she did frown with the follow up. "We are not exactly friends."

Saniya's dark eyes looked at Fargen and she made up her mind. "You aren't going to say much more out here, are you? I think I need to hear more of what you have to say." Know about Genesis, know what happened to her friends, maybe find out what was the fatal wrong move that she made that made her a target for assassination.

If only the stupid, uppity commander hadn't fled at just hearing the word Genesis, he could learn more too. It was a shame he was so stubborn, but it was none of her concern in the end.[/dash]
 
Fargen looked to think about it for a moment before he shrugged and nodded. "Talkin' out loud can get a man in trouble, but I'm guessin' you might have figured that out the hard way."

Another look around, and he motioned his finger for Saniya to follow. Fargen lead the way down the alley and used a key to open up a back entrance to building. The business was one Jasper's friend was running, though in this case it looked like Fargen was temporarily in charge.

Once Saniya stepped in, he closed the door behind them. His cigarette was out, so he tossed the butt to the floor and was just as quickly lighting up a new one. The room was nothing more than a typical storage room filled with supplies and wares packed away in neatly organized boxes. He motioned for her to have a seat at the little table that was set up, while he picked up a data pad and busily typed something in.

"Don't know much about Genesis, huh? Don't blame ya. Nice girls don't get involved in shady business like that. Not that all they do is all shady. Fightin' for Freedom and all that. But that's always what they say, though. Ol Hayden says that got more than enough reason to be up and pissy about the Terradyne. All those people disappearin' and such Gotta make a man wonder what you're hidin' if you're so determined to keep people quiet."
 
[dash=white]Saniya

There was a ghost of a smile on Saniya's lips. Finally, someone that understood! it was quite a relief to hear someone say that and it sounded like cranky old commander Kelran's friend felt the same way. It was too bad it hadn't been that man that had met them.

"It is quite disconcerting," she admitted. Disconcerting was of course an understatement. It could make a woman down right paranoid! While for the most part she was watching Fargen, she glanced from time to time around at the item's in the warehouse. Cataloging everything she was seeing, just as she had when they had walked here. If she needed to, she could call back how many doorways they had passed to get here.

"What can you tell me, about Genesis?" The depths of her eagerness she kept from leaking out. She might not have any control in her life right now, but she didn't want to seem so hopeless to be helpless. She just needed a little help in direction.[/dash]
 
Taking a seat not far from Saniya, he leaned forward as if to speak a great secret. "I have to admit, I ain't the authority on the subject. Not met a soul who wants ta admit they're a part of it, ya know."

"But I hear some of their people are former Terradyne." he continued. Ever so often he'd check his datapad again. "Not just the typical disgruntled employees, but some real pissed off folk."



Meanwhile, Jasper had made his way back to Thea. Just in time to oversee the loading of supplies. He hadn't noticed Saniya missing at first. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts, he just assumed she was there all along. Once he realize she was missing, he could have kicked himself. Not only did he let his prisoner 'escape', there was some fool woman wandering Belpir like she was the Queen of Sheba.

He ran his hand over his face. The loading crew now gone, leaving him to pace back and forth in the cargo bay of the ship. No matter what, he couldn't just leave her. Be it duty to his job or just not liking the idea of ditching a woman, Jasper wasn't keen on taking off without finding her first.

The problem was figuring out where she wandered off to.

"Thea, you wouldn't happen to have implanted your 'crew' with something useful, have you?"
 
[dash=white]Saniya

This was not what Saniya wanted to hear. He was only someone that knew someone that may or may not know people in Genesis. This was actually a step backwards to the days before her friends started disappearing.

What could she do though, she didn't have any connections now. Not if she didn't want to expose herself and them. People that were trying to live their lives normally, but still knew things that Terradyne didn't want people to know.

"Still though, you know things?" Saniya was going to have to see what she could learn from him, though it might not be as much as he was hinting at in the alley. After this, she was going to go find some place that didn't creep her out for some lunch and then go back to the ship, or maybe just go back to the ship and make some lunch would be better, even if she really did not want to be stuck on the ship with Jasper when they were on a planet. [/dash]

Thea

"I do not know what you are referring to as useful Captain, but I do not implant things into my crew." The ship's voice said with almost human-like indignation. Then she continued. "I do keep on record all biochemical information of the crew on file and when applicable the frequency of communication and other work devices."

There was a pause, perhaps to see if this was something that was in the nature of what her pilot meant by useful. She did not however let him respond for the curious AI had a question for Jasper instead. "Have you misplaced the Navigator, Captain?"
 
"Yes, Thea. I misplaced the Navigator." he grumbled at the voice. Jasper remained pacing. Though scanning for communication frequencies would be useful later, it wasn't going to be applicable right now. They didn't share ship connected devices, nor did he know whether or not Saniya carried anything. Even then, risking a trace or contact like this was more than Jasper was willing to do.

He suddenly stopped walking, looking up at the metal ceiling with a soft exasperated groan. Hayden's man. He mentioned help from Genesis, and that woman didn't have sense enough to know the difference between the good guys and the bad guys. If she went asking the wrong kind of questions to the wrong people...

"Looks like I need to fetch the Navigator."

-

"Sure! I got some colleges coming over. They know all about this people vanishing business." Fargen responded, taking such a long drag on his cigarette that he burned it down to the butt. He was looking down at his datapad again, now in pretty good spirits.

"Now where them people are disappearin' too, I couldn't say. Everybody has their opinions 'bout. I likes ta think Terradyne are selling people off to interstellar slave traders, but y'know some people are more keen on the government experiments. Never cared for conspiracies."
 
Thea

"I have uploaded all vitals on Saniya Karamchand into a handheld Captain. I should prove to be useful." Over the course of the last several days Jasper had been given a good run down of the devices that were connected to Thea and where they were located. Any small device was something good to keep on hand, though it would still be better with the new communication devices.

"I will not be good should the Navigator be damaged. The are hard to replace." It was hard to tell if the ship was being sarcastic or literal.

[dash=white]Saniya

Saniya was starting to feel like she was at a disadvantage. Not in knowledge, but in some sort of game. Questions like 'why were people that knew things so conveniently showing up now?' were forming in her mind. It felt almost like a stall tactic.

Perhaps it was better to leave and plan how to make her inquiries.

Standing, the dark eyed woman gave Fargen a polite smile. "Perhaps I will get a chance to talk to these colleges of yours later then."

If she did chose to talk to these people, she was going to make it a place of her choosing. Things were making her feel very uneasy.
[/dash]
 
Fargen frowned, but it looked more like he was inconvenienced than anything else. "I don't know if there's going to be another time. I mean they're already on the way and getting in contact with people about this sort of stuff ain't exactly easy."

When it looked like his words weren't having any sway and Saniya was still moving towards the door, he jumped up out of his seat to block the way. "C'mon, now. You wanted help and info right? I gots it for ya! All ya gotta do is wait a few minutes."
 
[dash=white]Saniya

The storage room, while big, was full of many many boxes and containers. All of which made the actual space that could be walked in, minimal. Saniya did not really worry about it before, but now it seemed awful cramped.

She knew the reason the feeling of being closed in on, but it didn't help her anxiety in the least. Saniya looked at Fargen and shook her head. She wasn't staying another moment.

"You arranged this all in twenty minutes." It was an accusation. There was no way a bunch of secretive people would come to meet someone they knew nothing about in such a short period of time. This meant someone knew who she was, and the last person that knew who she was ordered her shot!

Saniya tried to tell herself she was jumping to conclusions. This man was offering her exactly what she wanted. Why was she trying to leave?

That was the hopeful side, the side that brought her this far. Now though the part of her that packed up her bags and left her home was in control. "It's a shame, but I must leave now." Saniya tried to move around the man.[/dash]
 
Fargen kept a hand on the door to keep it closed shut. He looked exasperated, maybe even a little apologetic. He ran his hands through his hair before pulling out a gun and pointing it at Saniya.

"Aw'right look. I don't wanna have to be the bad guy here, but makin' money ain't exactly easy way out here what with all the officials and unofficials buggering up everyone's business. Kinda woulda preferred havin' a pair for trade, but beggars can't be choosers in the Organ Market and all." Fargen motioned with his gun for Saniya to take her seat again. In just a few more minutes his associates would be there for 'pick up' and it was better if the goods weren't damaged before freezing.

"No hard feelin's though, eh?"
 
[dash=white]Saniya

Saniya turned pale, her eyes grew wide and she felt her heart beat start to race. The sight of the gun was bad enough. That caused her to take an involuntary step back. The news of what he planned to do with her though made her blood run cold.

Either way, she was already dead. Doing something right now would definitely get her dead, but if she just did as she was told she'd be dead soon enough. She took another step backwards trying to think.

'Think fast!'

Yet all she could do was realize that she was alone in a warehouse, with a guy that wanted her dead. And for no other reason then for money. Saniya felt herself shaking with fear.

'No, don't freeze up. Think!'

Yet all she could think was that she was really horribly trapped. If she could just somehow get to the door. Someway out of the door, and then she might have a shot.

Saniya closed her eyes as the tears started to well up. She was going to be dead, with no one knowing where she was, and really no one to morn her.[/dash]
 
"Aw, c'mon now, don't start up cryin'. It ain't gonna hurt none. This ain't a torture business here."

BANG BANG BANG.

It was a loud knock on the door behind him. That should be his associates. Without taking his eyes or his gun off Saniya, he slid open the latch to open it up and allow them in.

But instead of his associates stepping in, there was a gun pressed to the side of his head.

"Whoawhoawhoa man...! Who barges in and starts pointing guns?!"

"An annoyed, trigger itchy Pilot wondering what's keeping his Navigator. Drop your gun." Annoyed very accurately described Jasper's expression as he prodded Fargen inside and kicked the door closed behind them.

"That's some right fine manners, here I am trying to help and you come back threatening me in my own shop." Fargen wasn't dropping his gun yet, but he did lower it a fraction.

Jasper's expression didn't change. "Is he trying to help, Karamchand?" he asked, taking a look at Saniya. She didn't have to say anything. Her stance spoke volumes. "Drop your gun or I'm going to conveniently forget that I'm the law."

Fargen tossed his gun to the ground stiffly. "Aw'right, aw'right. Dropped."

"Who did he call and how long do we have?"
 
[dash=white]Saniya

Surprise would only begin to describe what Saniya felt when she heard Jasper's voice, because she had thought herself doomed when she had heard the knocking on the door. She had looked up as Fargen had reached over to open it, and realizing there was no escape as he kept his eyes on her, she had lowered her own.

"Not long. Organ don... black market." After all organ donors usually express a wish to donate said organs, after a death that wasn't at the hands of the organ sellers! Saniya's voice was subdued, but she was clear eyed now and was quickly shaking off the fear. She even looked around and grabbed up the gun that had been tossed to the side.

"We should leave now... Captain?"[/dash]
 
"In a moment." Jasper was thinking. They didn't have long. Assuming Fargen called his contacts as soon as he thought he had something to sell, someone could be there at any minute. Jasper had questions first though.

He jabbed Fargen with his gun. "Where is Hayden."

Fargen cringed, hesitating before he answered. "I don't exactly know for sure but... He's been gone for two weeks. Ain't seen hide nor hair of him."

Two weeks. That meant Hayden was gone shortly after Jasper got in contact with him. "Did he leave anything here?"

"Fuck, man! I don't know! I ain't his keeper."

Jasper snorted. "If you live through today, you owe me a favor." He didn't explain what he meant by the words before he clocked Fargen over the head with the butt of his gun and let his body drop to the floor. The man should be arrested and thrown in prison... But Jasper wasn't keen on having to babysit the woman and keep a black market trader locked up on Thea until he could clear his own name.

"Stay by the door and don't open it." Stepping over Fargen, Jasper made quick work of searching the back room. Looking over boxes, peeking in to things here and there. For a few minutes he disappeared in to the front.

When he returned he had a small box tucked under his arm. Not saying a word to Saniya, he snatched her by the arm and led her out of the building. His pace was almost too fast to keep up with as he practically dragged her down the street heading for Thea.
 
[dash=white]Saniya

To say the run back outside was a blur would be unfair to the young woman's quick intake of information. It was however at a pace that all she could do was file away where they were and where they'd just passed. She had no time to figure out where they were going or rather no breath. Saniya's life, despite the unease of events surrounding her friends, had been until now easy. If she wanted for anything it was on an emotional level. All her basic needs - food, clothing, shelter - had been met in spades. If she desired it, it was usually hers. Even as an adult she could usually get what she wanted with her own money, not daddy's. This also overflowed into her physical being. She was not overweight and she had no fasination for sports, which meant she had not delved into weight resistance nor endurance. In short she was a rich girl that could not run

It was getting harder and harder for her to catch her breath, and her legs felt like jello. She understood intellectually that getting as far away from where they had been was sound, but she just couldn't do it any longer. Thoughts of what might happen no longer concerned her, nor what had happened. She was truly only in the moment.

Saniya tried to pull her arm out of Jasper's grasp. "Enough!" She cried out.[/dash]
 
They were paces away from Thea when Saniya finally broke away. Jasper let her go, turning to scowl at her. With more patience than he was actually feeling, he spoke slow with his voice low and serious.

"Enough was just what I was thinking." he started, raising an arm to point back the way they came. "What did you think would happen there. A man in a piss filled back alley would open his doors and help you for nothing? There are men that will do worse to addle-headed females than sell their organs. Worse." Though Jasper wanted to snatch her up and haul her ass back on to the ship, he now had the impression that would likely dig him in to a deeper hole. No doubt the woman would flee in tears in to some other heap of bullshit, and like some guilt-ridden moron he'd go fetch her again. He had to nip this now.

Heaving a very heavy sigh, Jasper's hands rest on his hips as his head tilted back in exasperation. "Get on the ship, Karamchand. If you want to be a part of this crew. Or walk away and take on the likes of Fargen. It's your pick."
 
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