NationStates Jolt Archive

The salvage boat bopped up and down in the water as the first crew rowed ashore. Even at Christmas, work still had to be done…the crew had to work long hours to make a living.
Like everything in Iesus, the boat was semi military in nature. The crew were all merchant navy, civilians but also considered 'in the armed forces'. That really meant nothing except being assigned government news reels to watch and being at the beck and call of the military. Still the thirty six year old captain tried to run the ship with something like military discipline…he'd served in the Iesus surface fleet and old habits died hard.

Ashore, the captain led several crewmen towards the small village they’d seen evidence of from the boat.
Curiosity pricked the captain…

The captain advanced slowly, he felt reassured by the weight on his hip. It had been years since he’d even had to draw his pistol for anything but cleaning.
Curiosity over rode any caution and with his crewmen behind him, he advanced towards the building that seemed to be in use.
As they approached, they began to see signs that this was no church like they would have seen back in Iesus Christi. However, having traveled widely, the Iesians might recognize, if not approve of, the trappings of a Mormon temple, although, despite the fact that there were people inside, this one had clearly not been in actual use for decades.
Smelling of the ships diesel engines, the captain crept forward, he had reasons to be careful, for all he knew these people could be pirates, smugglers or worse
With a Whisper, he ordered his 2ic to cover him as he crept forward to the doorway.
As he reached the old temple door, he saw an old, faded newspaper lying on the steps.
The Captain picked it up, and looked it over. Contrary to foreign ideas, Iesus Christians tended to be literate and educated.
It provided a simple explanation for the village. These Mormons had fled Utah when it came under the control of California and Alaska, with the radically secularist policies of that nation, and had founded a religious colony here. It did not explain why they were here no longer, but then, it was dated sixty years ago.
The captain growled inwardly, Mormons disgusted him as they did any right thinking Christian. With great care, the Captain looked around the door....he was dying to know what was inside.
All he could see from his position was the dimly let front room of the temple.
He gestured for his 2ic to cover him, and entered the temple. His hand drifted over his holster but he didn’t draw the weapon
"I think this used to be some kind of temple." he heard a voice saying from a nearby room. "Maybe it was Hindu or something..."
He froze, then spoke loudly "errrr hello?"
"Hello? Is someone there?" answered an eager, female voice. "I think we've been rescued, ladies!"
The Captain waved his 2ic to the temple door as he talked "Errrr Yeah..hello? who’s there?"
"Our ship crashed on the shore!" the girl yelled back. "We were just a football team."
"where are you?" The 2ic and another crewman advanced into the room, their weapons drawn.
"Right in here." repeated the voice from the next room.
The captain motioned the crewmen to either side of the door. Carefully the captain opened the door. The caution may have seemed silly, but the Captain liked having a pulse
The girl who had been speaking was the first one that he saw. She seemed to be a rather pretty, although not beautiful girl, he charmingly smiling face somewhat countered and somewhat highlighted by her short and somewhat plump figure. She was dressed in a manner which would have been scandalous in Iesus Christi, though apparently with no seduction intended, wearing fairly short red shorts, sneakers, and a T-shirt.
As his eyes took in the twenty or so people in the room (mostly, but not entirely, female), the Iesian could see beings nine feet in height with blue skin and horns, beings with visible animalistic features, beings with slightly pointed ears, and incredibly beautiful women with green skin and hair. After seeing all of this, he might also notice that the first woman, who had looked human at first glance, had eyebrows just a little too thick for too thick for the human norm. There were also two women who looked perfectly human, one looking Amerindian and the other Jewish.
The 2ic's jaw dropped "Sweet Fucking Jesus Christ...."
The Captain looked the room over and was struck dumb for a few moments.
"What's wrong?" the first girl asked in obvious confusion.
The Captain regained himself and glared at his second in command. He realised the uniforms were dirty and generic enough to not be easily ID as Iesusian.
"How long have you been here?" The Captain finally managed
"Two or three days." the girl answered. "It's been awful. I'm famished! I haven't had a proper meal in a long time..." She smiled pleasantly, looking at him with hope and gratitude.
" I suppose we can....find you food? How the hell did you get here?"
"Our boat crashed." the girl repeated.
"o...k.....Linc...stop staring and radio back to the boat" With the order hardly out of the Captains mouth, the 2ic gave the fascist salute "Yes Sir!
The Jewish girl took a step back, her face showing visible worry now. The others frowned and faint disapproval but no one else seemed to think this would effect them personally.
"I guess it was our own fault." she said with a slight blush. "We were celebrating a little hard."
"Drink and Boats don’t mix well....are any of your company hurt?"
"I twisted my ankle pretty badly." said a beautiful green woman.
" I bet.. I'll send crewman Vaines to get the ships medic and some food...I cant offer you a lot more I'm afraid.."
"Can you give us a ride off the island?" asked a tall, blue woman.
"errrr....perhaps we'll just treat the injured and get you food first. We can get into all that other stuff latter..."
"Very well." she answered.
"Thank you so much!" enthused the plump girl.
The Captain finally ventured another question "my Pleasure...Miss..?"
"Bagman, Rosie Bagman." she answered with a grin. "Rosie is fine."
"Are you the default leader of this....expedition?"
"No. Our team captain is Sarah over there." she said, gesturing to the blue giantess.
Struggling to sort out his thoughts, The captain looked over the team captain and dumbly muttered "ok...."
As Rosie talked to the captain, the Jewish woman quietly tried to sneak out the door behind the two Iesians. The football captain nodded to the man looking at her. "Sarah Ericsson."
"Pleasure to meet you, I'm Captain Vaughn" he didn’t extend his hand "perhaps it would be better if you all stuck together?
"Of course." she said, offering him her hand. After all, the woman was always supposed to offer first. "It is nice to meet you, Captain Vaughn." Meanwhile the girl trying to escape started out the door of the room, into the entrance room.
The captain ignored the hand, he cough slightly "I said...it would be wise if you stayed together?"


OOC:IRCed with that damned sexy Resurgent Dream bugger.

Sarah frowned almost imperceptibly as she lowered her hand. "That is an interesting turn of phrase, captain." Her voice sounded about the same as it had from the beginning, although her stance had grown visibly tenser in the last few seconds, at the ready and alert.

"I'm just going to get a breath of fresh air." the girl sneaking out the back said. "It didn't seem like anything was going to happen soon."

"Unless we're going to go get food now, Hannah." Rosie commented with a hopeful glance to the Iesians. Of all of them, she seemed by far the most trusting, slightly flirty without being slutty, grateful to be rescued, and very very hungry.

"Merry Christmas!" exclaimed a girl with tufted animal ears and a long, stiff, muscular tail. "This is the worst possible way anyone could spend Christmas but Merry Christmas." She gave an almost exagerrated grin, trying to ease the tension.

"Those Menelmecari pagan bastards are probably ruining it backhome with their mass marketing of crap and their watered down, secular holiday greetings." muttered one of the great, blue women, not Sarah this time.

The captain decided against elaborating on what he had meant, frankly he hadn’t even really known what he had meant by those words…

With a prayer of thanks the captain leapt on the opening “ Yes, merry Christmas. It’s a wonderful time of year…and it isn’t cold..that’s nice. umm I'm sure there are much worse places to celebrate the birth of the redeemer of humanity…..” He stopped talking realizing he was blabbering and instead listened to the girls talk. He soon found it hard to marry up what was being said with his knowledge of foreign metahumans. He had to admit to himself his knowledge of metahumans was largely passed on textbooks and Ministry films…..

Lieutenant Linc the 2ic returned with a couple more crewmen struggling to carry boxes. The Captain sighed with relief when he saw them approach. “Cheers Linc. Looks like it will be Christmas ashore this year. Call the other three ashore too..and tell cook to raid the extra stores. We’ve got guests…”
The captain turned back to the ‘team’, and bumbled through his sentence “errrr…we’ve got some food and drink..and our cook is above average for a incompetent git…so..would you care join us for something like a Christmas dinner? But perhaps you lot should lay off the booze considering…” He gave a conspiratorial grin, making it clear that he was attempting a joke.

The team, and the four men who were most likely dating some of them, laughed lightly at that. "Thank you so much!" Rosie said, moving towards the captain as though she was tempted to hug him before blushing, regaining control of herself, and looking down. "Thank you." she repeated.

Sarah, two other blue giantesses, and a blue giant headed down towards the sailors who seemed to be struggling with the boxes. "Excuse me!" she called out. "Would you like some help with those?"

The others sort of milled about, talking quietly to themselves. The girl who had been trying to sneak out leaned against a wall and put her hands in the pockets of her jeans, warily eyeing the captain. "So where are you guys from, anyway?"

The staggering crewmen paused, uncertain of what answer to give. Behind them a couple of bottle totting crewmen sniggered.
The 2iC replied after a moments thought “sure, why not…you’re built for it…lets put the junk down near the Captain.”
Nine crewmen were now ashore, basically the ships entire complement. Nothing like a matching uniform could be made out..the only way the Captain and the 2iC could be distinguished from the crew was their officers caps.

The Captain cracked open one of the boxes a sailor had thrown at his feet. Ignoring the question, he pulled out a bright green apple and rubbed it on his trousers and then threw the apple to inquisitive girl “My crew and I are salvage operators. We’re from Iesus Christi.

Hannah caught the apple instinctively, her eyes widening at the man's answer. Her voice quivered as she answered "Oh..." taking a long look at the apple. Deciding, tentatively, that the men could kill them without tricks if they wanted anyway, she pulled the apple to her mouth and bit in, her hand trembling visibly.

The three women with animalistic features and the one male of the same kind panickeed at the man's statement, scurrying between the walls of the room, sobbing, struggling to find some other exit.

The Amerindian seeming woman gave no outward sign of being phased at all. "I've heard a lot about Iesus Christi but most of it is pretty biased. What is it really like there? You can never trust what you hear about people you haven't met." As she spoke for the first time, her voice seemed quite beautiful.

Rosie, who had been so quick to trust, now looked almost betrayed. Not bothering with words, she slowly raised her hands above her head and sank down to her knees, her mouth gaping speechlessly as she stared at the man she had wanted to hug seconds ago.

The green women simply looked up with wide, unspeakably sad eyes but they took no action. The expression on their face was a profound sense of resignation.

The three males in the room looked terrified at first but then began to quietly speak to one another in whispers. After a moment, the green man approached the captain, looking grace. He opened his mouth and almost choked on his words as he said them. "Captain...I...we know what might be going on. If...if you fed the girls, cleaned them up, and left them here with a radio...us men would do whatever you wanted."

The giant and giantesses didn't hear the man's answer and thus had no cause for alarm. The simply took the boxes and casually carried them off.

As the tremor of the news cut through the team, the Captain noticed the 2iC and several other crewmen put their hand on their sidearms. He could see the sweat on their brows and their fingers inching open the holsters….
He knew his men, they wouldn’t act without provocation or orders…in theory…the whispers would make them nervous, hell it made him nervous. Frowning, he now eyeballed the men who talked to him, he wasn’t quite sure what they were suggesting, loathing entered the captains mind as he glared at these racetraitors. He could also feel the tension rise in his men also, he knew they’d all be watching him closely and following his lead. He knew the reality that with the weather closing in and the salvage work undone, they wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon….

“Good Joke! I’ll take that joke back to Iesus with me “ The captain practically shouted the words, and he heavily slapped one of the men on his back “Now I’m sure my cook needs potatoes peeled…sure you wouldn’t mind helping him? Christmas dinner isn’t making itself you know….”
He walked through the milling girls, smiling and assigning random tasks he hoped would be obeyed. Busyness and food would take their minds of doing anything stupid….he included his own crew in that assessment. Arriving at Rosie, he reached into his uniform and pulled out a hipflask emblazoned with the Iesus navy Cross. With a wink he handed it to the stunned Rosie. “You look like you could use a drink. You should listen to your friend, don’t judge people you don’t know too harshly. Merry Christmas?”

The 2iC watched carefully, but soon he and the sailors had returned to their tasks. As Lieutenant Linc walked past Hannah he joked to the sailors “Nice catch. Wonder which one of the animals she usually plays fetch with..”

The man frowned a little. "Is that a yes?" he inquired. The other two came up behind him to await the answer. The men (or males, as the Iesian more likely though) seemed both more resistant and more willing to risk their own safety, likely out of the sense of chivalry that Christofacist Iesus Christi had abolished with the revolution out of the belief that it infringed on the human dignity of women.

The women who were assigned task went about them without fighting, although the ones with animal features kept looking around for any chance to get somewhere where they could be alone and shaking wildly. The green women, who seemed to universally look beautiful like an untamed forest is beautiful, went about their tasks with the same grim resignation. The pointy-eared women with complexions identical to Arabic or African human women were the most sullen and visibly resentful, although they didn't fight.

Rosie smiled nervously as she took the drink and then took several huge gulps. "I know...it's just...I was worried you might." She looked up at him with nervous, innocent, naive eyes. "What is going to happen, captain?"

When Sarah and the others got back, they could hardly fail to notice the difference. Sarah looked around with a largely unchanged expression. "Did something happen while I was gone?"

The unconcerned Amerindian woman made her way over to a nearby cluster of foliage, just waist high bushes and the like. Smiling, she bent and began leafing through the bushes as she song in her own language. The tune was tantalizing, possessing an ancient beauty made heart-tearing by the melancholy of enormous lost.

"I'm...well...I am the goalie." Hannah said nervously to the joking sailor.

The Captain didn’t answer the men, the more they talked the more angry he got. It was exactly this attitude that caused problems the captain thought to himself. At a leisurely pace he picked up another apple, cleaned it on his trousers and took a large crunching bite from it. Only then did he answer the men who hung around like a bad smell “ We’ll talk about this latter, ok? Plenty of time for your paternalistic heroics latter”

With attempted ease, he then sat down next to Rosie. Still crunching his apple he talked between mouthfuls “Firstly we’ll eat, then we’ve got some work to do. We’re here to salvage. We may need a hand with that…we’ll be behind target cos of this weather front moving in…” he knew that didn’t really address the question but the captain believed in procrastination for certain issues. Still the coming decision loomed ahead.

As Hannah replied, the 2ic and the other sailors went sullen. They glared at Hannah, giving her the impression they were somewhat offended by her even speaking to them. For a moment it seemed like the 2iC would say something, but the soft haunting singing of the Amerindian woman drifted over them. The cutting words from the lieutenant died on his lips and instead he paused to listen to the singing for a few moments…

"We're not stupid." the man said. "We all understand the situation and refusing to talk about it isn't going to make everything fine." The idea that the Iesian captain himself might find the matter unpleasant or even hard to reach a decision about didn't seem to have occurred to them. Nonetheless, the men did walk away to sullenly watch the events, one of them answering Sarah "They're Iesians."

Hannah shuddered and finished her apple hurriedly before looking to the captain. "What should I be doing?" she asked, anything to get away from the glares.

The Amerindian woman gathered a few things from the bushes, pausing for a moment before noticing everyone was looking at her. "It's an old song of my people." she explained. "Very old. A few of the words making reference to our old heathen religion have been changed, of course. It wouldn't be proper for a Christian woman to sing them. Still, we do maintain something of the old love of nature, passed down now from parent to child in the form of an especial sense of stewardship for God's creation in the natural world, or what's left of it." She started back towards the house, pausing to speak gently, but with an almost maternal chiding, to the second-in-command. "We've always felt a responsibility to all of God's creation, especially his other sons and daughters." she said as she looked from him to the nervous but human Hannah. She then walked past, heading inside. I'm going to try and make some tea for everyone if that's alright."

Rosie looked up as the song wore off. SHe wasn't freaking out or being sullenly resigned or being calm or trying to be a hero. She was just a very scared and very young woman and she sniffled slightly at the indecisive answer as one cheer rolled down her cheek. "Food will be nice, I guess."

Sarah nodded grimly and walked over to the captain, speaking quietly. "I would wish to speak to you in private, captain, leader to leader."

The Captain really hated the ‘males’, something about them just made him twitch. He watched them as they 'stormed' off and came to a conclusion about what he’d have to do…
“Help with the food if you wouldn’t mind. Unless you don’t feel like eating…” The captains answered Hannah with a tone that was abrupt and tense. He sighed a little and glanced sideways at Rosie “Food is good. It will be simple food but there is plenty of it..to be honest I don’t even know what you lot eat…”

“uhuh…” The captain Vaughn looked up at the ‘team’ Captain “ok, prolly not a bad idea….would you excuse us Rosie?”

The 2ic reached out and gripped the Amerindian woman as she walked past “nice song, if theologically incorrect. Only humanity are the children of God..” He gripped her arm harder “You’d do well to remember that, I wouldn’t be singing any more if I was you…I hope you understand?” Lieutenant Linc rested his hand on his holster “feel free to make your ‘tea’ but keep it away from my crewmen…”

After a few minutes, the males just sat down, neither working nor fighting nor running.

Hannah opened her mouth to say something, closed it, and then walked over to the men to await instruction, since they found her speech offensive, she was hardly willing to ask for instructions. Help with the food, was, of course, hardly useful as far as instructions went.

Rosie looked a little confused at the captain's statement. "Well, I don't see what it matters. We'll eat what you have here. I mean, normally my favorite is chicken and dumplings, but none of us are vegetarians or anything. I guess Hannah tries to stay kosher but she's not really that strict, especially not when she's starving." She nodded as he asked to be excused. "Sure. Where should I be helping?"

Sarah started to walk aside with Vaughn, going to where the others couldn't hear her. "Captain, what exactly is our situation here? I understand that is is unpleasant but I think it will be easier for everyone if we know what is happening. To be honest, I would rather have you decide than your lieutenant." She looked over to where Linc was harassing the human woman.

The woman, for her part, was neither cowering nor trying to get loose nor agreeing to do as Linc asked. She simply looked at him with a calm, patient, and yet sad expression, like a mother disappointed in a child's mistake.

Struggling under two sacks of potatoes, a dirty looking lanky teenage boy wearing oiled stained overalls headed towards the males and Hannah. The teen threw the sacks at their feet with a grunt “You’re to peel these…” When the ‘boy’ spoke it became clear that the oil stained flat chested teen was actually a very plain looking girl. She rustled in her pockets and throw the men some peeling knives “They’re blunt as stone. Have fun”

The Captain looked around, and pointed Rosie over to the men…”Potatoes”
He felt a little dumb, but part of him was really glad to learn the eating habits didn’t include human flesh or anything gross…he had intellectually known that it wouldn’t but still…part of him had wondered….

Now the captain walked with Sarah. By reflex his hand rested on his holster “I think you should all consider yourself in my custody…for your own safety for the time being. I’d be much obliged if you passed the news around. We’ll feed you, and get this work done. We could use your help to salvage some of the material around here….After that…we’ll see what happens..I know that isn’t the best answer but it’s the best I can give you for now.” He looked over an Linc, but did nothing “tonight I don’t want to have to tie you all up or anything…you can sleep in that so-called temple - under guard. If any of you do anything dumb, things will get a whole world more icey.”

“What’s that look for?” Linc fumed, digging his fingers into the woman’s arm “Do you understand what I said to you?”

Hannah and Rosie went to work on the potatoes. Hannah was sullen but Rosie was relaxed, smiling innocently. Rather than emphasizing the situation, the work seemed to take her mind of it. Her smile had a child-like innocence and her work, even with the poor knives, was both speedy and efficient. The men ignored the Iesian girls order entirely.

"We are not your enemies nor do we have any objection to helping you. We intend no harm to you or your people. However, I will not make myself a liar by telling you that we will refrain from trying to avoid death by escape if the opportunity arises." She remained collected as she spoke, but firm. "Unless you can give us some sort of assurance..."

The Catholic woman just looked at the little trickle of red blood pooling from under Linc's fingernails and then looked back at him, her eyes almost unbearably sad, for him rather than for her. "No, I didn't. All three people I called children of God, you, Hannah, and myself, are human beings. As for the others, that is a painful question dividing the Church and my only prayer is that Christian unity be restored.As for the rest, I will obey your orders if you are determined. However, it pains me not to be able to share my gifts, such as they are, for the relief of men so far from home at Christmas. I can assure you that there is nothing in my brew or my song but human talent, well-trained. If you would prefer something in English or Latin..."

The Iesian girl leant against a tree and watched the peeling (or lack thereof) After watching for a few minutes, she walked over to another crewmen, and the two had a hushed conversation.


The captain thought over Sarah’s comments for a moment then replied “I can assure you that while in my custody you wont be harmed unless you bring it upon yourself. My men arnt soldiers, so don’t push them and expect military discipline…”
"Then why is he attacking that woman?" Sarah asked, looking over at the lieutenant, her face still calm.
"attacking...?" the captain looked confused, standards of violence being alittle blurred in Iesus Christi "If you simply do what we ask, we'll all be ok..."
"We have done everything you have asked so far." Sarah explained. "However, you still have given no assurance as to after your task is completed."
"I have none to give...but I'm not a liar by nature. My assurance to you rest on the fact that if we wanted it, you could already be dead..."
"But if you have none to give, I have to act on the assumption that you will hand us over to those who will murder us." Sarah said. "Your nation is well known."
"I'm offering you my word, but fine...do whatever you want...your lives are in your hands as well as mine. Continue to force this issue and the blood will be on your hands."
"I have accepted you at your word, sir." Sarah corrected calmly.
The Captain paused, he was nothing like as calm as Sarah "Piss off and tell your crew they're in protective custody. remind them my men are armed and will fire if you try anything daft. We clear?"
Sarah nodded, as collected, non-violent, and gentle as ever, dressed like any athletic girl of college age. "You have made yourself quite clear."
"excellent." The captain stormed off to where Linc was still 'debating' with the young woman.
"I will still be here if you desire to negotiate." Sarah said.
The captain stopped and turned around " Negotiate?! pardon?"
"For our cooperation." she explained calmly, the towering and serene girl making the emotional captain look almost like a child having a tantrum.
He pointed his finger up at the woman "I'll have your cooperation or I’ll prove everything you've ever heard about Iesus to be correct"
"I will not offer to prove what you may have heard about metahumans correct. I do not harm others. But, if you wish to kill me, I do not fear it." She regarded him with a faint hint of disappointment. She had thought, for a moment, that he might be a nicer or more compassionate man than many of his fellows
His next sentence was almost whispered, his tone was slow and angry "Get off your cross for one damn minute and look at the reality of the situation. This isn’t a YMCA camp..."
"I understand the reality of the situation." she answered. "You yourself have said that you cannot guarantee our safety in the long run if we remain in your custody."
"Please. Do what I say and I'll do all that I can. Keep this longing for martyrdom up and you'll take things out of my hands…"
Sarah started to say something, closed her mouth, and then started again more quietly. "I understand that you are in a very difficult position. However, you must understand that it is even more difficult and dangerous for us. I do not fear death, but I fear for the others, especially the Pookas and Rosie. I can promise that we will not fight you and that we will help with the work. I cannot promise anything more until you can." She paused, ready to let it go at that, before venturing "Captain Vaughn?"
He raised an eyebrow, he felt somewhat relieved by Sarahs words "yes?"
"I do trust you to do everything you have said you would do. I will make sure the others do not make it more difficult than they might otherwise for you. I will help calm Wilma down, if you like." She glanced towards the officer and the Amerindian woman to indicate who she meant. "I believe we have an understanding, if an imperfect one." She offered her hand again, to seal it.
"I believe we have an understanding. I pray God we do anyhow. You'll have to forgive me, but I cannot be seen taking your hand"
"Perhaps in a more peaceful age." she said quietly, lowering it.
"If the saviour wills it" He looked over at Linc. "best make sure that concludes..."
"Wilma, do not fight the man." Sarah called.
Linc was almost lost in anger with the apparently calm Wilma. He growled his words at her "I'll give you a greater worry if you don’t cut this attitude"
Wilma didn't say anything until the captain got there.
The captain rested a hand on Lieutenants shoulder "whats going on Linc..." The Lieutenant quickly explained that this girl had been 'lippy' and was 'cruising for trouble'
Wilma just looked at the captain demurely.
The Captain spoke softly "well..that true?"
"I intended no offense." Wilma said. "I was trying to offer a courtesy to you and your men. I believe the lieutenant did not trust my intentions."
lieutenant jumped in "I certainly don’t sir...she's one of them. They're filth sir...God knows what she was planning..."
The woman just looked at her bleeding arm and then looked back to the captain.
Linc pushed the woman back with some force "don’t trust her captain!"
The woman stumbled slightly, looking at him in sudden fear before landing on her back.
The Captain pulled Linc to one side, they talked in hushed tones. It looked like the Captain was trying to calm his 2ic down.
Rosie got up from her potatoes and ran over to the fallen woman, worrying and fretting over the other woman far more than her minor scratches and bruises seemed to justify.
The captain patted Linc on the back and he walked off in a casual way. The Captain knelt next to the fallen Sarah, "ummmm you ok? thanks Rosie"
"I'm fine." Wilma said with a nervous laugh, the shove having broken her calm as she stood up.
Rosie blushed slightly as she got up, modestly adjusting her shorts and T-shirt on her plump but curvy figure, the legs and sleeves having been rolled up slightly in her efforts. "Back to the potatoes then?" she inquired.
"sorry about that. my 2ic is a keen fellow.." The captains eyes roamed and he couldn’t help looking as Rosie corrected her shorts, he looked away quickly hoping no-one had noticed "errr Rosie...if you like...or you could stick with Wilma. but if you’re inclined you could even show me around this dump"
"I'll show you around." Rosie answered.
"good good." he stood up "Lay on"
Rosie nodded, walking him around the town. It was really a town like any other might have been in the 1920s, for the most part. Aside from the Mormon Temple itself, there was nothing that was likely to have offended the Iesian. "The most interesting spot is a little outside town." she mentioned.
The captain noted things down in his note book as they walked, Salvage information and the suchlike. "oh? well...if it isn’t far we could go now?" he didn’t make it an order, he didn’t feel the need with this girl.
"Sure." she said casually. She was scared, certainly, and worried for her friends. But she didn't act as though she were talking to danger or to someone to negotiate with but to a person, whatever the situation.
"I hope you don’t mind, Just the sooner we get started the sooner we can all go to our homes.."
"Will we really be going home?" Rosie asked nervously, as she started to lead him down the road just out of town.
" I hope so, your kind and ours haven’t ever got on, but I don’t want anything bad to happen..to any of us.."
"Thanks." she said, a little puzzled. "We don't have a problem with your kind though."
"Right...I suppose that’s the 'official' line is it?"
"No. We really don't. Well, Boggans don't anyway. Redcaps and Thallain and stuff probably do." Rosie said, as though expecting him to know what he was talking about.
He looked at Rosie and laughed "I'm sorry, but I have no idea at all what you're talking about. My knowledge of Metas is pretty limited. To be honest, I don’t even really know what you are"
"What's a meta?" Rosie asked.
"a meta...metahuman. You lot. ya know. Metas!"
"Oh..." Rosie said, trying to figure it out for a moment before shrugging and answering his question. "Well, I'm actually a Boggan. We're a race of craftsmen and helpers." she said, We're also kind of gossips." she admitted with a slight blush. "I guess Boggans are what you would call Metahumans. I know that's horribly vague. Is there something specific you'd like to know?"

"To be honest, I wouldn’t know where to start. We don’t learn a lot about metas besides relating to theology and ethics. I saw a elfy type thing in a natural history museum..."

"Well...do you want to know about our ethics?" Rosie asked. "I don't know anything about theology, really, although if you asked simple questions..."

As they walked, the captain replied without thinking...his answer had been instilled into his head by years of Iesus education "The ethics of the Meta is destruction. They are our deadly race enemy; hey have no respect for the created order and desire the destruction of civilization. "

Rosie didn't know what to say to that, she just looked down in silence and fear, hiding her eyes from him and sticking her hands in her pockets as she walked in silence.

"I'm sorry" The words came out of the captains mouth before he could think about them, they were a natural reflex to seeing someone being hurt by careless words "It’s just that's what we are taught. Our nation has been attacked countless times. The soil is stained with the blood of the martyrs from the many wars of national survival"

"Not by Boggans." she pointed out. "We're a distinct race, not part of one big Metahuman collective."

"Well. I don’t know the difference. Like, we are taught you are all different but have the same...ideal? The metahuman is an animal, a violent animal that craves destruction..." For not the first time in his life, the captain felt uncomfortable with his nation’s beliefs.

"We don't, though. Boggans have a very service oriented ideal." she mentioned.

"What, you're slaves?" The Captain stopped and stared at Rosie

"No, no. We're not slaves. We like to help other people out and do things for them. We don't have to though." she said, looking at him curiously as though pondering something. "We have lots of faults too though. I don't want you to believe we're all good any more than I want you to think we're all evil."

The Captain nodded his head and then smiled "I wouldn’t worry about that me suddenly thinking you're all good"

"I guess that was kind of silly..." she said with a nervous laugh.

"No worse than me half expecting you to be baby eaters or something. You don’t have a monopoly on sillyness"

"Baby eaters?" she asked, looking down at herself before giggling slightly. Even with the indoctrination, pairing the idea next to a typical Boggan seemed funny to her.

"Well, like I said. I can’t tell a Boggan from a Balrog. I didn’t really believe you'd eat babies but, well....ya know!" The Captain laughed, it was rather absurd.

"Boggans look like fat, plain looking humans with big eyebrows." Rosie explained.

"Oh. So, which ones are the Boggans in your group?" The words slipped out again, a flare fired in his brain. He had just made a flirty comment with an animal.

"Just me." she said, apparently not having taken it as flirty.

"Oh, ok. You're description isn’t that apt."

"I'm sorry." she said, adjusting her little red shorts again over her plump legs.

The Captain felt his eyes drift but controlled the urge. "Yes well, anyhow. You girls all get along? no...race worries?"
"I don't think so." Rosie said. "I don't really think about race that much."
"uhuh. good...good....so you guys think your Christian or have your own ideas?"
"Well...I believe Christianity is true and that Jesus redeems all creation. I don't think He redeems Boggans in the same way as humans though because we're different kinds of creatures. We've been helping Christians since St. Marcelina though." she answered, shrugging a little
The Captain ventured deeper into the unknown "St marcelina?"
"Michelina, sorry." she corrected herself. "She's the patron saint of the mentally ill. According to our histories, she was also a great friend of the Boggans and we repaid her by helping her to help the sick."
"Oh, Saint Michelina..." Vaughn was silent for a few moments , then spoke "I enjoy learning this stuff. Not saying I believe it, but I enjoy it. But a word of advice, don’t go talking to the other crewmen about this kinda stuff."
"Why not?" Rosie asked nervously, stopping in her tracks and looking up at him.
He placed a hand on her shoulder "Some of these guys have had a hard life. They wouldn’t want to hear this kind of thing."
"Oh..." she said with a nod. "They'd think that I'm spoiled, I guess."
"Less that, and more the fact they 'know' what’s true. None of them are bad guys, they're just passionate about what they believe. we all are."
"What do you believe?" she asked him.
He put on a mock offended tone "A gentleman never tells a lady!"
She laughed a little. "I've never been interested in theology anyway. Can we talk about something else?"
"Oh Please do. Its such a humbug. My 2iC cant shut up about it." The captains voice with full and sincere.
"Do you play football?" she asked.
"soccer?"
"Yeah. Or Gaelic or Australian Rules...anything in the area?" she clarified.
"oh. Rugby. I love it. Cricket too."
"I've played rugby once or twice. Unfortunately, I'm pretty bad at it." she said with a self-deprecating laugh.
"Oh good or bad isn’t the point. Besides you look like you'd make a excellent fallback. But anyhow its the playing that counts. I'll be 35 next month so will have to play in senior grades back home. Its one thing the government loves - sport.”
"I would say I'd like to see you play sometime but...things being the way they are..."
"Well. If you really want to see me make an arse of myself I'm sure I could provide some other way of doing it"
"Oh?" she teased.
"Yes, I could fall flat on my face and have my crew run over me a few times. it would give you the same impression as watching me play rugby back home"
"I'm sure you're very good." she said with a coy smile.
"I would hate for you to labour under false assumptions. Sport and I don’t mix. The after match functions were more my thing. Speaking of that..." He reached into his Uniform and offered Rosie his hip flask again " Another shot for the road?" He winked playfully.
She smiled and took a drink happily enough, handing it back to him. "Thanks." she commented brightly. "It should be just up here, a few minutes more."
He sucked back a mouthful himself "Sorry I couldn’t offer you anything better than Iesus Vodka. So, what’s your Position in your team?"
"I play defense." she answered.
"I'm sure you do"
She tilted her head a little, curious if there was some meaning beyond the obvious.
The captain smiled with the face of childlike innocence masking a naughty joke.
She shook her head a little as she rounded a bin and pointed to some small shards of bronze protruding from the ground. "Those are part of some larger structure, long buried. There's no telling what might be down there."
"well. well... God knows." The captain kicked at some of the exposed bronze with his boot "Strange stuff. Mormon?"
"I don't know who else would have made it. It think it's a secular building though." she commented.
"oh, why is that?"
"Well...only one town on the island...don't think they'd need two temples." she answered simply enough
"true true." The captain poked around a little " But who knows the Mormons eh, one for the men and one for their wives?"
"Maybe." she said with a shrug. "Only one way to find out."
"Indeed. we'll dig the bugger up"
"Back to base camp now?" she asked.
The captain smiled at Rosie "In a mo. thanks by the way." he kicked around and noted a few things down in his note book
"For what?" she asked, looking curiously at the notebook.
"For bringing me here. you didn’t have to be helpful. Thanks" He flipped his notebook shut "Even if you are nosey"
"I am." she confessed casually.
"There are worse sins" He sat on a fallen log and flipped his notebook open "Its just notes and some calculations about what looks worth taking. sorry. No dark gloomy secrets of Iesus Christi in this note book"
She stood up next to him, looking down at the rather boring technical notes. "Can I sit?"
"Sure. Unless you bite" He scratched down some more figures
"I don't." she said, starting to give a small giggle before realizing her wasn't necessarily making a joke. In any event, she sat down next to him casually.
"oh, that’s a shame, just when I thought metahumans were useful for something." He kept writing figures as he talked
She didn't answer that, folding her hands in her lap.
He looked at her out of the corner of his eye "That was a joke. sorry. Not funny. I know"
"Oh." she said, pausing a moment before she actually got the joke. "Oh!"
Captain Vaughn cracked up laughing at Rosie, but not in an unkind way. The girls personality was so different.
She blushed a little more, looking down demurely. "Sorry. I just...wasn't thinking."
He offered over the hipflask again "No, I should be sorry. That’s shipboard humour and has no place around a young.....around you. Mea culpa"
"Thanks." she said, taking another sip. "That was a sweet thing to almost say."
The captain shrugged this time, awashed in a wave of thoughts.
She offered him the flask back, looking at him curiously.
He took another drink himself "we'll. I should know better" He coughed slightly
"Captain?" she inquired, not sure of his meaning.
He turned to her and gently took her hands "You're great. don’t change. My name is Gerard by the way...." He let go of her hands "perhaps we should head off"
She smiled a little, her plump hands taking his. "Ok, Gerard."
He smiled, but didn’t stand. He seemed almost unwilling to head back to the camp.
"You didn't want to take Sarah's hand..." she commented almost casually as she looked down to where they were clasped.
"No, I didn’t...you aren’t Sarah"
'Sarah's a nice girl. She just tries to look out for us." Rosie said defensively.
The Captain stood up, with a wide smile on his face "Indeed. No one couldn’t see that."
She stood with him, finding her hands still in his. "So what happens after dinner?"
"We'll come out here tonight or tomorrow and try and dig this up. That ok with you?" He playfully squeezed her hand
"It is." she said, squeezing back. "But I meant...do we still get to sleep free in the temple after Sarah didn't cooperate as much as you wanted?"
"oh well. I'd like you all to sleep in the temple...just not roam around after dark. I want what’s best for us all"
"Thank you." Rosie said, surprised and appreciative. She had been sure the leader's refusal to promise not to escape would worsen the sleeping arrangements.
"I just hope your team mates are all sensible types. My 2Ic would have you all roped together, but I'll give you all a chance . We'll have you all sleep in a one of those rooms and a couple of my crewmen will be on watch for all our safety...they're good shots. I hope they don’t have to prove it"
"They'll try if they see a chance." Rosie admitted. "You're nice but they have to take account of the fact that you don't know what happens after the salvage is over. I don't want anyone to get killed."
"I don’t want anyone to get killed, but if they try and run off they'll just get themselves hurt...or force me to...we are all in a tricky situation. if you could help me, I'm sure we'll all be fine..."
"I'll try but I'm not in charge." Rosie answered, glancing down the road.
"I know, but you have a personality that is ....influencing. "
"If only everyone else thought so...:" she wished idly.
"oh? Not everyone as perceptive as your captain?"
She blushed and looked down.
He gently squeezed her hand " come on, lets go"
"Let's." She started to walk a little way with him before she looked down at their hands. "We probably shouldn't...back at camp..." she stated the obvious as she withdrew hers, albeit regretfully.
He was ashamed of it but he was thankful she had raised the point "You're right. I hope...well. God Bless you Rosie. Like I said, never change" He let go of her hand gently.
"I'll try not to." she said, walking along beside him.
"Good," They walked in silence for a few minutes, then with a random smile Gerard asked "I don’t suppose you've ever played cricket..?"

By the time Rosie and the Captain had returned to the camp, the evening meal was just about ready. Cook had marshaled something like organization, and created something moderately acceptable to eat.
Managing not to blush, Rosie nodded to the captain and moved to stand where the others from her wreck were gathered, waiting for the actual eating of the meal.
For whatever reason, The captain found it hard not to blush too. He cursed himself for being so ridiculous and alleviate the pressure by yelling at some sailors “ Start handing out those canteens!”
Sailors rushed about, knowing the Captains 'don’t piss me off' tone.
The castaways lined up to receive canteens.
Each was given a canteen (or cup) and a plate. A few sailor went to get their food from Cook before the Castaways, causing the Captain to bark at them. "Our guests eat first! Jesus wept! You arnt a animal...let them eat first!"
The castaways shot grateful glances over at the captain but found it wisest to say nothing, taking their plates and canteens and heading off to a small outcropping to eat quietly.
The food was simple. Meat and 'two veg'. But there was a lot of it...the captain had been true to his word and raided his ships stores.
The castaways ate eagerly, as though they hadn't had anything to eat in days, because...well...they hadn't.
The sailors sat and talked amongst themselves. They had beer and Vodka with their dinner, and soon many were laughing - clearly at the castaways.
The laughter caused some of the girls to pause, blush, and eat more slowly for a period.
The Captain didn’t stop his men laughing, he knew they were more than a little stressed. He did make sure no one over did the booze, now wasn’t the time for any of his men to get aced.
Even with the pressure of the laughter, the castaways finished remarkably fast, returning their dishes.
The Captain walked over to the castaways "if you want more, there is plenty. Hospitality is a tradition I'd hate to break."
Sarah nodded. "Thank you, kindly." as she led the castaways to second helpings.
More sniggers came from some sailors. But a few nudged their comrades. The castaways were clearly hungry, and laughing at the starving wasn’t the done thing even in Iesus Christi.
After the second helpings were devoured, they finally returned their plates for good and waited for instructions.
The Captain watched them, they gave him the feeling of a group of people awaiting a storm. He felt depressed and he couldn’t think exactly why...he wrote it off as the suffering of animals could break the strongest heart....Saint Francis had said so.
Their faces sombered a little more as they waited. Some of them began looking around worriedly.
"right. lets do this. Linc. come with me, the rest of you....watch our backs.." The Captain put his plate down and walked over to the castaways. " I think its time I talk to you as a group"
There were scattered nods and quiet statements of agreement, although most of them remained silent, either looking down in fear or intently at the captain.
The 2ic stood at the captains shoulder, hand on holster. The other sailors had also gotten to their feet and looked 'ready
Sarah looked quietly to the 2ic's holster, her expression hiding whatever she was feeling.
"Right" The Captain didn’t smile, he looked stern" its getting dark...and I bet a few of you wanna try and 'escape' "
There was no answer to that.
"I don’t want to tie you lot up, nor do I want you to try and escape. That just causes shit for us all. So here is the deal I'm offering.... You all sleep in that temple..we guard the exits and no one has to be tied up....we can all be civilized. Then tomorrow...you help us dig some shit up and then....then if we are all good kiddies we'll see what happens from there"
"We already discussed this." Sarah said with a slight sigh.
"I know. But here is a new piece of information for you to consider....Linc here is going to be officer of the watch tonight...that means the buck stops with him." Linc grinned "If my plan doesn’t work, he'll do whatever he feels needs to be done."
There was some muttering at Linc's words, although Sarah's gaze didn't waiver.
The Captain eyed Sarah "Well. That depends on if we have their promise of good conduct...?"
"I am sorry." Sarah said simply. "I will not lie to you."
The captains shoulders sagged. "Linc. You have the watch. I'm going to rest..."

Sarah frowned slightly but said nothing.
"Right!" linc Shouted with almost joy "You big arse ones....form a group on the left...Sailors Halt and Thorn. Bring those ropes and chains up."
Sarah, the two other giantesses, and the giant, moved over to the left in silence.
"Kneel! hands behind your backs!" All the sailors onshore besides the captain were watching. They looked tense as Halt and Thorn moved forward to bind the creatures. Hands were never far from sidearms
Sarah and her companions obeyed quietly. The other castaways spoke quietly amongst themselves, looking fretful, a few noting quietly that this didn't change their own chances. Rosie was crying.
"Tight! Make 'em secure " The sailors bound the large creatures with rope and shipchain. "You'll sleep in a different building from the others. The rest of you...you're in the side room of that temple. If I see any of you outside we'll shoot to kill. If any of you manage to get away....we'll....someone will be punished in your stead. understand?"
"Your instructions have not changed." Sarah told the other castaways as she waited.
Linc turned on Sarah "what order is that?!"
She just looked up at him with quiet, suffering dignity.
Linc had none of the captains good will towards the prisoners, he pulled out his pistol and pointed it at Sarah’s head "Answer me!"
"You will have a much harder time getting any digging done tomorrow if you shoot me." she responded.
"I'd personally have no problem digging your grave" Linc sounded near bursting. Anger seeping from his words.
Sarah nodded.
"you maybe brave...but think of the others who will pay for your stupidity. I swear unto God if any of you escape, I'll personally kill another of you in revenge" He ordered on of the sailors to pull a random girl forward.
The beast-like girl whimpered and squirmed in the sailor's grip, her canine tail thrashing a little. "What's going on?"
In front of everyone, Linc turned his gun from Sarah to the girl "What is your standing order"
"Exactly what I told the captain it was." Sarah answered. "To take any chance to escape safely."
"I hope you all do try. Fucking animals. You deserve to die for what you've done."
Sarah shook her head a little, otherwise ignoring his outburst.
'Ok! Move! The large beasts into that small building, the rest of you..into that temple...move! move!"
The bound entities struggled slightly but were unable to stand without the use of their hands. The others walked quickly into the temple.
The 2ic laughed. Then ordered a sailor to help them to their feet. Guards were quickly posted on the temple, covering its two exits.
The larger beings, with the help of the sailor, finally made their way into the smaller building, waiting patiently.
They were left to sleep in the smaller building. a guard set outside. it didn’t appear Linc cared about their comfort.
They sat down against the wall and stared at the opposite wall.
Linc patrolled through the night, changing the guards once their shifts had ended and making sure no one fell asleep on duty
Linc had scouted the building, he thought he knew where the escape attempts would come from. As he watched the building from the dark shadows a girl crawl through the 'weak' window, he felt ..vindicated...
She hit the ground and began moving towards the nearest woods, keeping low.
He aimed carefully at the girl, enjoying watching her from the shadows. In a smooth quiet voice he spoke "hey you. Move and die"
She froze.
He stepped from the shadows, gun aimed at her "We did look at the temple before hand you know....idiotic animal..."
She whimpered quietly, tears pouring down over her face as she stared down at the ground.
He walked over to her pressing the gun into the back of her head "bang..you're dead" he sneered
She burst into fiercer tears, sobbing beyond reason or control.
"Fucking animal. Move! shut it! " He dragged her back to the temple front door, calling out for some help from the sleeping sailors.
Linc shouted at the sailors to do a head count, screaming at them to make sure this didn’t happen again. He continued to pull the sobering girl with him, and pushing her infront of him entered Sarah’s hut.
The other captives were all there. Most of them had changed into nightclothes and were snuggled safely in sleeping bags.even so an extra sailor was posted guard, and random headcounts decided upon.
The puppy-like being looked around the room where she had been dragged.
Linc woke Sarah with a grunt, pushing the girl to her knees
"One of your idiots tried to run. you stupid cow"
Sarah looked over at her and then at Linc.
"Who should be punished for this...this abuse of our hospitality"
"I will be." Sarah said.
"clever girl"
"Thank you." Sarah said non-chalantly.
"Next time, I'll punish someone else. there are a lot of ways to punish people"
"It is out of my hands." Sarah pointed out. "How am I to be punished?"
He ordered the guard to pull Sarah from the hut. He walked around her muttering. The girl who had tried to escape was held by another sailor. watching as Linc circled the tied Sarah.
Sarah looked straight ahead, not trying to follow Linc with her eyes.
His anger was building, and then burst, He launched a flying kick into Sarah’s stomach, then another and another.
He screamed at the sailor "Make the bitch watch. She made this happen. Her attempt to escape is to blame"
The first one was almost like kicking a wall, the girl's superhumanly strong muscles observing most of it. The second sent her stumbling back. The third produced an actual yelp of pain.
Linc stumbled back after a few kicks. His foot ached.
She slowly stood again, her eyes wide.
He walked off, breaking a branch of a low hanging tree.
"You monsters. You murdering bastards."
She watched him, showing signs of nervousness now.
He advanced on her, swinging the branch with his full strength at her chest
She grunted in pain as the branch tore at her shirt, scraping her muscular but still feminine breast and coming away with blood on it.
He swung the branch again, striking her back with the full force of his rage.
She groaned again, falling forward unto her knees.
He brought the branch down again, this time smashing it over her. sending splinters flying. He panted and staggered backwards.
She fell forward, her body hitting the ground with a barely audible thump. The other girl started wailing.
The 2ic started laughing, almost out of control. "there...that’s what happens to murdering metas. You girl. go back to your mates. tell 'em what will happen....I told you I wasn’t kidding.."
The other girl moved back towards the house as Sarah lay on the ground, breathing slowly in unconsciousness.
Linc spat at Sarah "drag her back inside. if she dies she dies." he shrugged and lit up a smoke.
A sailor dragged the other girl to the temple. throwing her in with her comrades
The next escape attempt was about twenty minutes later, one of the green beings tried to slip into the abandoned sewers from the basement of the temple. This time the girl escaped under the eyes of the Iesus sailors, but her lose was noted some 10 minutes latter as a sailor did a headcount. The 2ic was....upset..to say the least
The 2ic screamed and had them all woken up. Within minutes he had them outside kneeling and tied up.
They whimpered and muttered and sobbed as they were restrained.
Linc walked along the line and addressed the group "Do you think I am a liar?!"
They looked down in silence.
"Do I seem like I am not a man of my word..."
More silence.
"Only a meta could be dumb enough to do this....only you disgusting animals would do this...The Captain treats you like humans and look what happens....you back stabbing filthy animals!"
"Backstabbing?" asked the wallaby girl in irrepressible confusion and curiosity.
Linc looked down at her "The Captain in his kindness gives you a chance...and you betray it! You murdering bastards abuse his kindness! That’s backstabbing you vermin"
She resisted the urge to ask or say anything else. They listened to the madman's rant in quiet fear.
"How dare you hurt him. How dare you abuse him! do any of you know where this creature who escaped is hiding?!"
Wilma answered in a choked voice "She is in the sewers"
Two sailors rushed off without needing orders. hunting the girl. The 2ic strolled along the line "You may have just saved someone’s life..." He noted
Wilma didn't seem to hear him, still sobbing.
Time ticked by, the 2ic smoked constantly during the time. Eventually smiling as he saw the two sailors dragging the green thing between them.
The girl who had been trying to escape looked up at him with the same resigned, sad expression she'd worn the whole time.
The 2ic ordered her brought before the group. He smiled at the girl "I hope you're happy. Thanks to you everyone is now tied like animals. Most fitting really"
She shook her head a little.
"Speak up! I cant hear you" He slapped her face
"I didn't say anything." she said, turning her face away from the slap.
"Speak when you're spoken to then" He sucker punched her straight in the stomach. She cried in pain and fall to her knees, causing the 2iC to laugh.
The 2ic spat in her face "I want you to say sorry to us"
"No." she said, turning away from the spit. "Of course not."
"Pardon? What was that" he pulled her head back by her hair
She whimpered in light pain, looking up at him. "I said no." she repeated.
He laughed again "Wrong answer" He cracked his fist into her face.
She grunted as she fell forward, her head hitting the dirt.
"Now. lets try this again. Say sorry to the group"
She didn't move, unconscious.
Linc kicked her body Her body jerked at the kick, blood on the tip of his boot."well....." he seemed robbed of his fun. He rolled her onto her back with his boot. Thankfully her mouth was breathing slowly, hanging open.
"tie her and leave her here with the others. They can sleep in the open like the animals they are"
"And go make sure those big bastards are still tied...rope 'em together if you have too"
"What?" Rosie asked in shock as he mentioned leaving them out there.
"you can sleep outdoors like God intended. That way you wont be able to sneak off..."
"No, we can't." said the wallaby girl.
"and why is that princess?"
"Because we have to dig up that whole fortress tomorrow." she replied in an almost playful tone.
Linc looked her over "oh? and?"
"And it'd be a little bit harder to do that if we all died." she answered.
"maybe you should have thought about that before you kept making escape attempts?"
She shrugged. "Why should we? You're going to kill us all within the week anyway."
"if I had my way, you wouldn’t last the night"
"We won't." she said in a miserable, terrified tone.
"I thought all that animal blood would keep you all warm?"
"Blood?" she asked.
He knelt by her and squeezed her thigh "yeah, that. You're animals. animals live outside. simple"
She shuddered away from his touch, her bare, pink flesh goose-bumped beneath his hand.
He pinched her skin hard and laughed "Don’t worry. I'd sooner sleep with a pig"
She squealed a little and jerked away from the pinch, sobbing louder.
He laughed "shit maybe she is a pig. take the others inside. tied they wouldn’t be much of a worry..." He slapped the wallaby girl across the face
She whimpered faintly as her face reddened. The others shifted, trying to get their feet.
The sailors helped the others up as the 2ic pulled the girl to her feet by her hair and slapped her arse. Playing with her like a cat with a mouse.
The others were led away, staring over their shoulders nervously. The girl whimpered as she was tugged to her hobbled feet by her raven hair. She jumped a little as her ass was thwapped right above her tail, barely holding her tongue.
The 2ic laughed and pulled her tail. None of the sailors said a word as they watched the 2ic slap, pull and harass the girl
She gasped again, stumbling forward rapidly, trying to get away from his grasp.
He pulled her back against him by her hair "why in a rush, you were so friendly before"
She just whimpered a little, held tightly by her short hair.
He whispered in her ear "you better pray no one tries something dumb...cos you're next on the list" He pushed her forward and another sailor gripped her and escorted her into the temple. She struggled only slightly before walking in with the others.
The 2ic told the guards to check every 15 minutes on the prisoners, he didn’t care if they were tied or not.....he didnt trust these animals.

The morning came without further problems, and the 2ic woke the prisoners with a shout and ordered them to assemble outside in the morning sun.
The Captain arrived shortly after the castaways were given bread for breakfast.
The prisoners wolfed down the bread eagerly, not giving the 2iC more than sullen glances. They stretched their muscles that had been tied the night before. Sarah and the green woman were wobbling and barely able to keep their seats, covered in bruises and blood. The wallaby girl was trembling and kept dropping her bread. Rosie was crying quietly.
The captain spoke with the 2ic. It soon became apparent they were having a fight over something. The Captain pointed over at the injured girls, causing the 2ic to spit in disgust in the dirt.
Rosie looked up quietly, nibbling her bread as she watched the two officers fight.
The captain poked the 2ic in the chest, and said something that caused Linc to blush bright red. The Captain turned his back on Linc and come over to the green girl. He didn’t touch her, but instead knelt by her and inquired "How are you? do you need medical attention?"
"I don't think so." she said. "It just really hurts. Sarah might though."
"Indeed. yell out if you need anything." The captain stood up and approached Sarah. He found himself unable to make eye contact with her as he approached.
Sarah looked up at him, her eye black and swollen.
For some reason he felt an overpowering deserve to make a joke as he saw her injuries. Iesus Gallows humour. He fought the desire and instead spoke softly "I don’t think I need to ask you how you're feeling. Do you need assistance?"
"I made the decision. I can bare the consequences." she said with a grimace, blood trickling down her chin.
"Christ died so we don’t have too. I think maybe our doc should have a look at ya?"
"As you wish." she said.
"we have limited resources but lets see what we can do" The Captain called over a eating sailor, who strolled over. "This man is what passes for a medic. He can look you over. if you'd like privacy that will be ok"
"Privacy would be preferable." Sarah answered.
He nodded to the man, and waved over another crewman. It turned out to be the young girl on closer inspection "You go with doccy. use the temple."
Sarah rose to go with the much smaller folks, groaning slightly as she walked on injured legs.
By instinct both sailors held onto Sarah, letting the giant woman lean on them as much as they could bare
She walked into the Temple with them, smiling weakly.
They didn’t complain as they helped her inside, the thought never honestly entered their minds. Once inside,, the medic gave Sarah a very basic medical. His skill meant he could only give pain relief , stitches and bind/set bones
Sarah was really just bruised and battered. Albeit severely.
Rest and pain relief was the 'doctors' order. He handed her a pile of pills "You're alittle bigger than the crew..I've guessed how much pain relief should work on someone your...size..."
"Thank you, sir." she said politely, swallowing down the pills. "Thank you for being so kind." She was honestly surprised that everyone but the 2iC seemed decent enough.
The doc seemed a little surprised too "well. its just common manners the way we see it. Would you like to rest now or go back outside with your mates?"
"Am I allowed to rest? There is a dig today." she said.
"The Capt will give you time off. He's good like that. You all frankly look like you could use another few hours sleep"
"Thank you." she said,
"we'll go tell the capt. You just lay down and rest. We'll check on your latter" The two sailors left, talking amongst themselves about what would be needed for toady’s digging.
Sarah lay down and was out like a light almost instantly.,
The Captain talked with the medic about Sarah’s condition, he was happy that she wasn’t about to drop dead. He walked over to Rosie, sat down across from her and pulled out his notebook and prepared working parties.
He finished working out the numbers and stood up. he called over the 2ic and briefed him. After a moment, he then briefed the castaways "Well. Interesting times eh? The men, all you larger ..err...people and another 5 of you are to go with the 2ic here. You've got some digging to do. A couple of other sailors will go along and help with the logistics. spaces will be provided at the location"
"the rest of you, under Rosie will prepare lunch and then do digging once that’s done. Simple enough?"
The men and the large entities rose and went over to stand near the 2iC. Rosie stood as well, looking to see who would be going with who. The problem seemed to be that everyone would rather do the cooking.
The Captain found this funny...like the fat boy in PE getting picked last kind of funny "If its any help, the cooking involves lugging water. I don’t think its going to be 'easy'"
Everyone nodded their assent but no one changed their mind. The 2iC was a scary guy to be working for. Rosie rubbed her head slightly, thinking.
"Right." The captain pointed randomly "You , you and you go with the 2ic. Simple."
Hannah, the wallaby-girl, and one of the green ladies (not the one he hit) nodded and headed over to stand by the 2ic.
"Ok, we happy? Lets go" Most of the sailors went with the 2ic and the larger group. It made more sense because of workload and escape attempts.
Those selected for the larger group trudged along sullenly with them, looking about as enthusiastic as any poorly rested workgang.
The Captain spoke to the 2ic as he left. He tried to give off the impression everything would be alright. He wasn’t sure if it worked. He slapped Linc on the back “ Be safe”
The women watched the exchange in silence before resuming their march.
The captain marched back over to Rosie and the others left behind "well, who’s up for some cooking and water hauling!"

The girls stepped forward, less sullenly than the others though hardly enthusiastically.
"There is water in that well, but frankly I wouldn’t want to drink it. So, unless you have a better idea....get about making a fire and boiling water. You've got the ships fine array of tools at your disposal"
The girls nodded. Two of them set to work drawing water from the well while a couple more got to work making a fire.
It wasn’t complicated work, but the Captain watched over it. He hadn’t slept at all the night before, and wasn’t intending to strain himself this morning.
Only Cook was in camp with the Captain at this stage and by the stage the water was boiling the Captain had slid down and was sitting on the grass. He waved over Rosie.
Rosie looked up from her work and walked over. She smiled slightly but remained standing. "Yes, sir?"
The captain looked up “how’s it going? The work I mean…”
"It's going well enough." Rosie answered.
"Tell 'em to take a break. Just make sure there is always water on. "
Rosie nodded, looking over to the others. "You can rest a bit!"
He poured himself a cup of Tea from his flask "like one...made it myself"
"Sure." she said, taking it and sipping. "Have you tried any of Wilma's tea?"
without Prompting Cook was also seeing to light refreshments amongst the other girls
"cant say I have, should I?"
"Yes, it's very good." Rosie commented with a smile.
"I'll be sure to try it sometime. Personally I like our home grown stuff. Some people think it tastes too strong but I enjoy it...anyhow...sit down..these bugger all work to do..you all look tired"
Rosie sat down, smiling lightly. "I'm alright. Really."
The captain looked her over "well I'm glad. When you get home you'll be able to tell your family and boyfriend you were 'alright' during your stay here"
"I'm actually single, captain." Rosie said, glancing down with a slight blush.
"Oh. I just assumed. seemed natural anyhow..."
"How come?" she asked.
He laughed "no reason. so....who have ya got back home who’s biting their....errr...finger nails..about what’s happened to you"
"Some friends...I lost my parents when I was little." she mentioned, sighing slightly.
"I'm sorry to hear it." He squeezed her hand out of reflex seeing her sorrow "that’s always a terrible thing"
She squeezed back a little. "It is. I never really got to know them. When it happened, I was too young to really understand what had gone on."
"I'm sorry if this is hard to talk about...anyway...you seem to have turned out alright.."
"Thanks..." she said softly.
"sure they'd be proud of you. Mary Queen of....errr...yeah..." He stopped mid sentence
She tilted her head a bit, curiously. "Scots?"
"Heaven. Its a devotion in Iesus for the dead..Mary the Mother prays for ....well..."
"The dead?" she asked.
"Yes, the dead."
She nodded, falling silent once more.
"we believe Mary the Mother prays can intercede...we ask her often to pray for the dead..I just well...you..and stuff...sorry...so...sure your friends are worried about you"
Rosie just kind of stared at him blankly.
He wanted to blurt out the thought in his mind 'because your parents have no souls she cant pray for them! it'd be like praying for a dead cat'
Instead he fumbled with his mug. Rosie frowned a little and folded her hands in her lap.
"You and Linc have something in common. he's parents died when he was young.."
"That's too bad." she said genuinely.
"Yeah. He was raised in a state-home. It wasn’t easy for him...."
"I'm sorry." she said.
"Yeah. Well. He's with us now. Still...I think the time there...effected him some. I hope you weren’t raised in anything like that..."
"I was raised in a foster home." she said. "My adopted family treated me like I was their own daughter."
"I'm glad. I really am. everyone deserves to be treated fairly. It isn’t right that people suffer"
"Thanks." she said, looking down at their still linked hands with another blush.
"oh.." He withdrew his hand "I'm sorry.."
"No, no...I didn't mind." she said, smiling a little.
He spoke in a hushed tone "I don’t either. That’s the problem..." he paused, and spoke again in a more formal tone "I think you and the others should take the first lot of water down to the diggers. Cook will go with you. Linc will have a report for you to give me as well"
Rosie and the others walked for about a quarter of an hour before they came in sight of the dig.
Alone again, the captain snapped a long thin branch from the nearest tree and threw himself to his knees.
He unbuttoned his shirt, and pulled it off. "Mea culpa mea culpa mea maxima culpa, Ideo precor beatam Mariam semper Virginem,ora pro me ad Dominum Deum nostrum" As the words left his lips he swung the branch, whipping his back. Praying to Christ that he could be strong and not tempted.

Linc had been working everyone hard at the camp. He had been too...he didn’t avoid hard labour.
Rosie and the girls with the water paused near the dig and waited for him to acknowledge them.
He sighed with relief when he saw Rosie and co arrive. He held up his hand "ok! rest break!"
The others paused from their hard work and moved over to the side, all but the giants practically collapsing onto the ground.
The 2ic ordered the girls to take the water around, and didn’t even add 'to my sailors first'. He leaned on his shovel and finished writing his report to the captain.
The girls took the water around and the others drank deeply of what they were offered.
Several sailors offered cigarettes to the girls, and inquired if anyone knew what they were digging up.
Whatever it was, Linc didn’t care. Scavenging was his intent and already had the cutting tools out ready to cut up the metal beams they were recovering.
The girls got up and moved to get back to work, as Linc did stuff.
'waterparty' at random "You're staying to help" he shoved a pad in Rosies hand "take this back to the Captain. Right..back to work....come on..get up....moooooove.."
Rosie took it. "Sure thing." She started back to the captain with the remnant of her party.
As they walked off, Rosie could hear link yelling orders in his usual manner.
She frowned slightly but didn't say anything.

The Captain had remained in prayer, he had turned to his rosary after flogging his back. He felt confused and angry,peoples lives were on the line yet his mind was filled with 'evil thoughts'.
The girls went back to work cooking, most of them politely pretending not to notice. Rosie, perhaps against her better judgment, took some of the remaining water, got it warm, and went to try and wash and sooth the lashes he'd made on himself, wordlessly.
"oh!" the captain stopped praying his rosary and looked around "I didn’t think you'd be back yet....I hurt my back...carrying stuff from the ship...I should pay more attention..."
"It'll be alright." Rosie said, continuing to work on the marks.
"how are the girls?" he tried to focus on talking as feelings crept up within him, the feelings that had caused him to scourge his flesh.
"They're doing alright." she answered.
"Good...I'm glad..is Linc...ok?"
"He seemed fairly relaxed...by his standards." she answered.
"Yeah. I'm sorry about that. Last night...he just. well. he gets heated.."
"I noticed." she replied dryly.
"it isn’t his fault. He cant stand your kind. He blames them for his parents death. He was told they died in a bombing...."
Rosie just kept cleaning the wound, not saying anything.
"I'm sorry. He does try. He's usually a great guy..."
"Alright." she said politely, finally finishing up on the lash. "Do you want anything else?"
"thanks" he put his shirt back on "I know you don’t believe me, but he is a good man. Usually"
She just smiled a little. "I should get back to work."
"wait" he grabbed her hand, and cursed himself for doing it. Her hands on the lashes had undone all their work "I need to get some supplies from the tent on the beach. I could use your help"
"Sure thing." she said, smiling politely.
He knew he was now just making excuses to be with her, he couldn’t believe what he was doing. It was like watching a stranger. He couldn’t pick exactly why he couldn’t leave her alone..thoughts from school entered his mind. Was he what his RE teacher had called a 'disordered deviant'...or as they said in the schoolyard 'a furr fucker
She waited patiently for him to start, apparently clueless as to what was going on.
"Ok, lets move eh." He strode off towards the beach "only Mormons wouldn’t build on the beach itself.."
"Really?" she asked, moving to follow him. "Mormons don't like the beach?"
He laughed "I don’t know honestly. Just back home Mormons aren’t liked."
"Are there any?" she inquired.
He thought for a minute "you know, now you mention it. no. I cant be sure, but I think its illegal...."
"It's a weird religion." she said. "I think it involves magic underwear."
The Captain looked at her seriously "Really? its even more disordered than I'd been informed"
"I think so. They have to wear this special full body underwear all the time." she responded. "I might be wrong though."
"wow...that’s just..odd. I never knew that. I havent had much chance to learn these things. " The captain was fascinated, it all seemed so..different to anything at home.
"Don't they have information about stuff like that back home, even just in the form of books about heresies refuting it?" she asked curiously.
"yeah but...its pretty general unless you wanna read text books. And I’m not really into theology. Its more just jokes and stuff about Mormons and protestants. we do it in RE at school, but that’s about it"
She nodded. "Well, now you have a new joke then."
He laughed "I do! Most of the stuff on TV about them is about their dozens of wives and stuff. Magic underwear is even better. I wonder if I could get some?"
"Oh, they don't really have more than one wife any more." Rosie informed him.
"Oh. Things you learn eh...."
"They used to, but then the American President sent troops to make them stop." she said. "Their main church never tried again, although they've had some breakaway churches that did."
"oh...really? how long ago was this?"
"A couple hundred years." she said.
"really?!" he seemed shocked "you're kidding right?"
"No." she answered simply.
"Oh..." He walked in silence for awhile , then asked quietly "tell me about your country"
"Well...there's about three billion people in it. The Prime Minister is Adair Scott. The national sport is surfing. It's very diverse."
The captain nodded and listened in silence.
"The national language is English, The second most commonly used language is German and then Welsh. We went to war in Ambara to abolish slavery."
"Really. So you're against slavery? I thought your...kind..endorsed it.."
"Of course I'm against slavery!" she said, unable to keep her voice from sounding offensive.
He looked alittle shocked, and stepped back" I just thought that you people did that."
"Slavery is the ultimate offense against a person's most rudimentary innate dignity. While the barbaric torture, rape, overwork, and undernourishment, as well as the lack of personal liberty, which inevitably accompany slavery are in and of themselves usually crimes of the most extreme and horrible sort, the ultimate crime of slavery is the persistent insistence that another person is not a person and the refusal to treat them as such, a fundamental denial of who they are likely to severely damage their rational self-esteem when they are forced to endure it over a lifetime." she recited as if by rote.
The Captain looked confused "and you learn this at school? it applies to humans? I know you maybe against slaving of ...others of your kind. But humans...that included?"
"Of course it applies to humans!" she answered, seeming to get almost angry for the first time since he'd met her, very offended at the very question. "Most people in my country are human. More than ninety-nine out of every hundred."
The captain wasn’t sure what to say, he trusted Rosie but this seemed unreal "but that 1% controls the laws and people. They control the means of production. If your country is so anti Slavery why do they try and enslave us?"
"We do not." Rosie said in only mild annoyance. "And we never tried to enslave you. Where'd you get that non-sense?"
"When I was at school and then in the navy. I saw films. terrible films of what metas do. They don’t respect life. they fund international slavery"
"Well, I've never met anyone who endorses slavery! Most people back home assume they have it in Iesus but I was nice enough not to jump to that conclusion when I met you!" she burst out angrily, turning and not talking for awhile.
He walked on for a moment, but couldn’t handle the silence "I suppose you think I'm very stupid. we don’t have access to outside information like you. The state tells us everything we need to know, and I've never had reason to disbelieve it. Until now"
She was silent for a moment longer before sighing. "I'm sorry. It's just...Well, that's a pretty nasty thing to be called, a slaver."
"it is, its terrible. Slavery is an abomination unto God. It cries to heaven for justice. Just, I was always taught metas were slavers. I am clearly wrong in that regards."
Some might be. In school, they said that most slavers operated in ethnically homogenous bands who psychological depersonified targets outside their group. The people we fought in Marlund were Germans." she said, calming down.
He nodded, even if he thought himself a little thick the captain understood what Rosie was talking about. "I hope you crushed them like vermin"
"Mostly." she said. "There's still a few pockets of insurgents."
"I pray God for their quick extermination. Slavery is sin, and those who uphold it criminals"
"Isn't helping the former slaves more important though?" she asked.
"its all important. You can't let sin survive. It has to be cut out lest it spread"
"Ok." she answered cordially, continuing to walk with him.
"so, besides you not slaving..." He smiled "what else is your nation noted for"
"Information technology, book publishing, Enlightenment ideals." she said. "Oh, abortion is illegal back home. A lot of foreigners criticize us for that."
He coughed "needless to say....that surprises me too..."
"Divorce used to be illegal too." she said. "But the state's getting entirely out of marriage now. So the Eastern Orthodox and some Protestants can have divorces and Catholics can practice Pauline privilege when it's applicable."
He milled over the information "so, Mother Church IS allowed freedom?"
"Of course." she said. "Is she in Iesus Christi?"
"The Church is of course allowed in Iesus Christ! Without the light of our Mother where would we be?" it was the Captains turn to look offended.
"Sorry. The Church in my country says there's a lot of martyrs in Iesus Christi and a lot of bishops in prison there." she said.
"well. There is debate. And there were arrests. But I'm sure its all under control." he didn’t seem so certain of that point "You are a protestant I assume?"
"Yeah." she said. "I'm a Methodist."

“Methodist…Methodist…ummm I don’t really know what you believe, but I know its on the forbidden cult status list…” The Captain spoke matter of factly “its really only forbidden for the sake of the nation. If it wasn’t dangerous I’m sure it wouldn’t be forbidden. And of course, once the national emergency is over and we’re left in peace I’m sure it will be allowed again….”
Gerard looked over Rosie carefully “so your people are allowed in your faith? I hear the Mother Church is forced to accept all forms of abominations in foreign lands” he hadn’t meant what he said to sound cruel, he simply found he didn’t know how to address the issue.

Rosie spoke slowly, feeling a little hurt and a little scared by his words, however he'd meant them. "Everyone is allowed in the Methodist Church." Rosie explained. "Our church doesn't claim to have any certain knowledge, much less any authority over, who is saved. It's just the church's job to preach the Word to whoever'll hear. I guess if I'd listened better, I wouldn't have gotten drunk with the other girls and the ship wouldn't have crashed and we wouldn't be in this mess."

"The Catholic Church doesn't have to accept anyone back home." Rosie said, addressing the second point. "Equal opportunity laws only apply to workplaces and stuff like that. Churches and stuff like that have unqualified freedom of association. That's why churches that don't ordain women, like Catholics and Eastern Orthodox and National Protestants, can't be sued or anything under our laws."

The Captain again looked a little surprised and concerned, he could tell he’d somehow hurt the girl and felt like scum for it…. “I don’t doubt you but, I’ve heard differently…about how the Church is treated that is….all kinds of things forced upon her and us…..and I guess if Methodists just want to spread the Word, the government will allow them freedom to do so…I guess…”
Scuffing the dirt with his boot, Gerard appeared to be about to ask something else but thought better of it. Instead he raised an eyebrow, a smile crossing his face “surely drinking isn’t a sin! I know protestants are crazy but surely not that insane!” He tapped his breast pocket where he kept his hipflask

Rosie looked at him in frank disbelief for a moment before shaking her head. "Drinking isn't a sin. Getting drunk is. Jesus says to treat your body like a temple. And I really should have listened."

The Captain coughed, sensing his joke had gone wild “Well, lighten up….Our Lords first miracle was turning water into wine…next time you’ll be more responsible.”
He smiled as they walked through the undergrowth “I’m glad you have shared this stuff with me…I know us being here has given you all a scare…and I know we can be arrogant, but only with dialogue can we work this …crisis out. It’s strange for me to see all my preconceptions challenged…last week I’d never have dreamed that I’d be talking like this, or thinking like I am….”
He left the rest of his sentence unsaid and placed a hand on her shoulder, in an attempt to undo the hurt he had accidentally caused. “Plus don’t beat yourself up for the accident. Everything will turn out fine, you’ll have plenty of chances laugh about all this in years to come” He paused, looking her over carefully, as if weighing something up “I promise everything will be fine…”

She smiled, feeling reassured as his hand took her by the shoulder. Suddenly, he didn't seem like the horrifying fascist Ubermensch that Amazing Lady and Captain Liberty were always fighting in the cheesy movies or like the ruthless exterminator that appeared in more serious films like Starrian Tears. He seemed like just a man. She laughed a little as he reassured him. "You know what the funny thing is? I believe you."

After a long pause, just walking together, she spoke again. "Thank you. I mean, I know I've found some of the stuff you've said a little offensive and the work is hard, but...I imagine that if you'd been someone else, we might well be dead by now or at least have already been marked for such a fate. So...thanks. If there's anything I can do to make this easier for you...any questions you still have or....anything at all..."

She looked about the underbrush briefly, trying to remember what they had come out here for in the first place. She had gotten a little caught up in the conversation and the walk.

Gerard watched Rosie closely, a smile crossing his face as he listened to the young woman talk. Everything about her radiated goodness….
“I never meant to say anything hurtful, not that excuses my words of course. Ignorance is hardly an excuse for hurting someone like yourself…”
Slowly and gently, he let his hand slid down from her shoulder, along her arm..gently stroking her soft skin.
“The beach isn’t much further, the supplies aren’t needed urgently, we could rest if your tired? Moving even closer to her, he ran his free hand through her hair..moving his hand so delicately, as if she would break….ever so slowly he moved closer to her, lowering his head towards hers…

Race traitor! Blasphemy! Man shall not lust the animal!
The memory of those words screamed out from his subconscious, making him redraw his hands from Rosie as if she was red hot.
The Captains face went grey, he stumbled with his words.
“…I’m sorry…”

She smiled a little at the attention, stopping to sit down on a convenient log. "Yeah, resting would be pretty good."

She blanched a little as he jerked away suddenly. "It's alright. I can't blame you for how you were raised. You've been nothing but a gentleman so far."

Gerard smiled, Rosie had an amazing ability to make him forget the past(and the future). Her honest face with the sincere smile made him melt…he felt a passion for this woman…
…his eyes drifted momentarily down her body..he had to admit other parts of her inspired passion also…
With a sigh the Captain sat next to Rosie. He took her hand in his and whispered softly “But, that’s the problem. You make me want to be anything but a gentleman…”
Without a further thought, he leant forward…his lips kissing hers…

Rosie blinked at first. That had been the last thing she'd been expecting. Beyond the last thing. She pulled back at first, more from surprise than aversion, and then she kissed him again, pressing her soft lips against his. She smiled girlishly as she pulled back again. "No, captain, you are a gentleman. More than you know."

She didn't kiss him again immediately though. She just sat and held his hand, letting the moment linger. Her hold was soft and gentle and she was flushing like a schoolgirl who'd just had her first kiss.

With great care Gerard held her hand, gently stroking her skin as he looked into her eyes….ever since he’d meet her, he’d loved her eyes…they called him.
He raised a hand and gently ran it through her hair, brushing it back from her face, mentally contrasting her hair to his graying own.

He didn’t want to push her, the last thing he wanted to do was hurt this wonderful woman…gone were the thoughts instilled by the Iesus education system..the doubts created by his feelings to Rosie were lost in his desire for her. Even the others didn’t cross his mind.

“I …you’re amazing…” He gazed longingly at her, as his caressed her hand.

Rosie laughed self-consciously at the compliment, her face taking on a rosie glow as he made her blush. She turned her soft eyes down demurely, looking at her hand in his leaner and stronger one. "I'm nothing special. I'm just a girl...a young woman. But you, you're a hero, Gerard, an amazing man...."

Rosie squeezed his hand a little, looking up at him. "I wish we had an eternity to just sit here like this. It's...it's nice."

Gerard held her hand, loving the feel of her flesh. He stroked her tender skin…he’d never felt anything like it…
He laughed at her comments….Hero wasn’t a term he could take seriously “You’re very special. More than anyone I’ve ever meet.”
He didn’t look away from her as she spoke “We can wait here as long as you like…” he tenderly kissed her hand “I don’t want to be anywhere but here…”

Rosie nodded. "I don't either, Gerard. I feel...I feel safer with you than I ever have before. I know that probably sounds silly given the circumstances but it's how I feel."

The Bogganess allowed herself to lean into the captain, resting her head on his chest. She murred faintly and laid her palm on his side. "I don't understand why I love you, Gerard. I've only known you a couple of days and every external circumstance seems to be against it. But I do. I really do."

The Captain was taken aback by the words…..quite stunned in fact. Not because they weren’t true for himself, but because he simply hadn’t dared think them.

He ran his hand through her hair, and let it slid down Rosie’s body “I feel the same. I know it seems trite but love doesn’t have to make sense…I never want to let you go…”

Lust still ached dully within the Captain at having this woman he desired so close to him, but his overwhelming emotion was care…..wanting to hold and be with this wonderful girl forever. Wanting to protect her from the looming storm...the current fate of the other girls sprung into his mind, making him instinctively hold Rosie closer…

Rosie smiled softly, closing her eyes and leaning ever so slightly towards him. She didn't say anything else. Words were useless now. Besides, the more they talked about it, the more they might realize just how insane this was. And she didn't want to talk herself out of it. She just wanted to feel herself in the arms of this man, a man raised to hate her and whom she was raised to fear and revile, this man who she found herself loving despite every normal rule of social interaction and the rather short time she'd known him. This moment was eternal.

It was all far too much for Gerard, he grabbed her tight and kissed her soft neck. Pulling her against him roughly, his hands pulled at her clothing as he became consumed with desire for this woman…
“I love you..I need you.”

Away from the Captains all consuming desire, the 2ic worked Rosies team-mates without care for their condition. As much love and affection as the Captain felt for Rosie, the 2ic felt as much revulsion and hatred….As the Captain displayed his love, the 2ic displayed his contempt…
He spat revolting words and threats at the labouring metahumans. He appeared constantly on the verge of frenzy as they worked to unearth ruins.
He backhanded a sweating tiring worker, and shoved his revolver in her face.
“I’ll kill the first one of you that stops!”

It was almost an hour later when Rosie sat up again, still flushed. She started to lay back down into her lover's arms but shook her head. "What are we going to do, love?" she asked, accepting the new, if bizarre, relationship between them and struggling to figure out how it could possibly work.

"I can't work with you hitting me!" the squirrel-like woman, whose name the second in command might have picked up was Lucara, snapped in desparate and painful exhaustion. She forced herself back to work, the air burning her lungs.

Gerard giggled with boyish enthusiasm and nibbled Rosie’s lower lip, his mind wasn’t still quite back down to earth yet.
“ohhh..so you’re in some great rush now? “
He seemed to have quite forgotten the situation around him, and the fact he had just committed a crime punishable by death.


The Second officer lost it…..
He swung his pistol down on the creatures face, cracking it down on this things face that had dare defy him. He didn’t care about the work, he didn’t care that the other sailors were watching. He simply wanted to punish this abomination.
The second officer aimed his pistol at the girl as she fell on a heap on the ground, his eye looking down the sight straight at the girls face…
He squeezed the trigger just as a fellow crewman grabbed his arm…pulling it skyward…sending the shot harmlessly into the air..


The Captain sat bolt upright as the shot sounded out…
“Oh Shit…”

"I'm not in a hurry." Rosie said. "I'm just...I'm just scared, for you, for us. I trust you to get me and my friends out of here but I'm worried that something bad will happen to you for helping us and I don't...I don't know if I could go on thinking that you were hurt on my account. And even if everything works out safely, I don't see how we can meet again. I've never felt safer than with you but this is still a very hard situation."

Rosie blinked as the gunshot sounded in the distance, quickly straightening her close and trying to conceal all the evidence. "He's...he's killing my friends, Gerard!" she exclaimed.

Lucara fell in a heap at the man's feet. Her eyes half closed and her hands moved slightly, making some vague motion as though to try and stand. The others had stopped for a moment, staring in horrified fascination at the woman who had almost died. After almost a minute, Sarah resumed work without a word. The others followed suit.

Quickly Gerard grabbed his clothing and slung his holster over his shoulder. He placed a hand to Rosie’s face…”Everything will be fine…I’ll sort it out…..I’m the luckiest man in the world to have found you…I wont let it go…”

The hatred only burned hotter in Linx. The subsistence…the subdued fatalism only drove the Second in command to greater anger….
“Don’t you Care! You…you’re animals….you’re cowed eyes…filthy degenerate animals. I cant stand the sight of you…”
The watching sailors grew nervous, and clutched their weapons tightly as they watched Linx lose control… his eyes were now blood shot and his breathing came in short bursts as if he was hyperventilating.
His voice was almost a scream as he turned on his shipmate that had prevented him killing the girl “Cant you see! They’re animals….filthy animals..they have no soul…cant you see…its all true…they’re the enemy of life…they’ve gotta pay for what they’ve done to me…”

Rosie nodded a little. Her round, pink face had gone white with nervousness, however, as she turned towards the sound of the shot. "I...I trust you."

Rosie moved swiftly to follow Gerard as the two headed back to where the second in command tormented the other Fae. As they approached, Rosie slowed down to walk slightly behind Gerard. She kept her face lowered and avoided looking at the second in command.

The other girls and the few boys were still trying to work until told to stop. Most of them were weeping, wet tears moving down their once rosy cheeks, now caked with dirt and grime. All except the Trolls were by now nearing the point of physical exhaustion. Their breathing was sharp and burned their lungs. Their vision was blurry and it took them several tries to dig the same spot.

As soon as Gerard came into sight, Wilma and Hannah both simply collapsed to the ground and closed their eyes, hoping that his return meant they were safe but unable to continue even if it didn't.

Gerard whispered a quiet prayer to the Mother Mary as he rushed to the site, praying that Linx hadn’t done anything insane.

“Dear God” he whispered as he saw the scene. The tearful and exhausted beings maked the Captain feel sick…in the back of his mind he also noted the trolls and their strength. He felt insecure as he watched them, his Iesus education screaming at him to be aware of their evil strength.

The second officer swore violently, cursing the creatures as they stopped working. Threatening them with vile words and unholy murder. Only when he became aware of the Captains presence did he stop..

“Digging is over for the day. Rest up and we’ll head back to camp…Linx go down to the beach and pick up the new supplies” The Captains booming statement left no room for debate..

As soon as the captain spoke, all the others collapsed where they were, taking low, shallow breaths. Sarah managed to drag herself over to the injured Pooka and make sure she was breathing. Rosie started to cry quietly and rushed from friend to friends, administering first aid.

Gerard looked down at the injured ‘Pooka’, and then looked at his departing second officer. Shaking his head, he whispered to Rosie “if there is anything you guys need…just ask…”

This had to stop…with a growing horror the realization was dawning that the longer this went on, the worse it became. If this continued it would simply be impossible to end peacefully.

"Food and water." Sarah said. "And breaks during work."

The Captain nodded “Yes..ok..whatever you need. Its enough for today. Half of you look like you cant even stand….” He frowned “I assume you’ll be able to all make it back to camp? I don’t think it would be wise for you to antagonize my Second officer any more…”

Rosie looked up at Gerard pleadingly as she helped one of her fellow Fae to her feet. She half-walked, half-carried the woman, starting back towards camp. The Trolls, gently moved among their compatriots and each lifted one up. Some of the male Trolls carried two. They breathed in sharply at the effort but made no other sign of discomfort, starting back towards camp.

When they arrived, the captives who had been digging passed out almost immediately. Rosie made an effort to get them to eat first. She was worried no food would be saved for them if they didn't eat it now. She managed to get one or two to take a few bites but most of them were too out of it. The captives who had been cooking ate heartily, although with guilty glances at the unconscious forms of their comrades. After eating, they too drifted off to sleep under guard. Rosie moved to follow the others, letting her eyes meet Gerard's for a long moment, although she wasn't in a position to say or do anything. She didn't sleep much herself.

Gerard helped as much as he could, and so did the other sailors.
The Iesusians didn’t speak amongst themselves, the only communication between them all were worried glances. There seemed to be a growing weight on them…

At the camp, guards were set. The Captain given strict orders for food to be held for those who had be working and gave special orders to watch the ‘big bastards’…in a conspiratorial whisper he made it known plainly what to do if they tried anything. Linc’s return expanded this hushed conversation…worried whispered arguments debating what they should do..the word ‘liquidation’ came from Linx’s lips too often to make any of the sailors feel safe, even if they saw the logic of it.


As things settled down and the sun started to sink low, the Captain crept next to Rosie. He held her hand and whispered “are you ok? You don’t have to stay here with the others If you don’t want….”

Rosie shook her head, whispering under her breath. "No. If any of the sailors found out, it'd be both our lives as well as any chance we have to help the others. For better or worse, I'll share the fate of my friends. I want you to know that whatever you do, I'll always love you. I need to know...I know they told you that girls like me couldn't love...I need to know you understand I really do love you."

Rosie sniffled slightly and looked away to hide the pain on her face. Then she spoke at a slightly louder volume, in case anyone had spotted them. "Yes, sir. I'll make sure to let them know you saved food for them when they wake up. Thank you for being so honorable about all this, sir."

The fae who had been cooking, a group which included none of the Trolls and none of the men, were talking quietly among themselves. Some of them were terrified while others were in shock or denial. Just yesterday they had been proccuppied with grades and relationships and had been looking forward to a nice party at sea. And now...all of that seemed like it was from another world.

The Captain risked touching Rosie’s shoulder. He did believe her, she wasn’t the animalistic unthinking metahuman of Science class’s nor was she the deviant malicious animal shown in countless Iesus movies. Gerard’s education failed him….Rosie was more human than anyone he’d ever meet…
He whispered “I understand…..I love you….”

One of the ships sailors helped cook, his young boyish face was totally smooth…shaving wasn’t something that troubled him yet. He whistled to himself as he peeled potatoes and unpacked dry rations….he set ample aside for those who had been working, and gave the other ‘cooks’ a lopsided smile when they looked at him.

Rosie nodded a little and the cooks smiled back. Beyond that, there wasn't much left to do. Eventually, all the Fae drifted off to sleep, completely at the mercy of their Iesian captors.

With sleep finally overcoming the metahumans, the sailors could talk more freely…

Several Sailors, including Linc stood around the Captain. Already the discussion was heated….
“Captain. I’m scared….this is getting out of hand. If the Ministry finds out about our interactions we could all hang…”
“ We cant let them go...it will be a scandal…”
Linc jumped in, his voice a hiss “and Immoral! We have orders… this type of situation should have been reported back to command immediately. But you didn’t, and you’ve endangered us all..and our country!”
The young sailor with the boyish face wined “Why don’t we just leave…”
“Leave them….yeah..right. Why don’t we just save ourselves the trouble, and hang ourselves here…Hell we could even have a politico or Intell officer aboard…they’ll inform on without thinking…” The grubby looking female rolled her eyes at the naiveté of her fellows.
Linc shock his head “I’m not going to hang. We should do, what we should’ve done to start with….lets finish them now. They die. We do our duty. Its win win….”
Mumbled agreement came from the sailors, unauthorized contact was a dangerous business…made even more delicate by the Captains failure to contact the Ministry and file a report. Gerard could have sworn he could read his crews thoughts ‘they aren’t human…what does it matter if we simply off them…’


“Its hardly a win…” Gerard barked out his words “No-one is going to die. I believe our radio has been out of order, we’ll simply contact HQ shortly before we leave. I’m not having unnecessary death...” he caught Lincs eye “but should the need arise, we’ll carry out our duty..”

The next morning did finally come. The Fae were hardly aware of how easily they might have been killed during the night. They were, of course, rather nervous, but Rosie made some time during the early hours to move from one to another of her comrades, making them feel that things were alright. She reassured them, gossiped with them, laughed with them, each in turn. It seemed to be the very core of Rosie's nature to put others before herself.

By the time the Fae went to line up for the leftover food Gerard had arranged for them, they seemed like any college age kids. They were laughing and talking about their lives back home. Sarah was worried because she hadn't heard back from the graduate school where she wanted to go to learn to be a public librarian. Hannah was hoping a boy from her temple would ask her out sometime this summer. Wilma was talking about her family's traditional recipe for rabbit stew, which they'd brought with them from North America two hundred years ago. The Danaans went quiet as they got to where the Iesians were, waiting as their sense of fear gradually returned.

The few sailors about made talk amongst themselves, generally less nervous than they were the day before. Even as the metas approached and the ‘air’ became more tense, the sailors continued to be warm. The smiling fresh faced boyish sailor even offered his cigarettes to passing metas with a chirpy ‘Good morning!’.

The Captain leaned against a tree and watched the group rise, he watched Rosie more closely than the others….noting her generous nature. He wondered if the other metahumans appreciated her kindness, or did they simply ignore her generosity.
He sliced his apple and watched her closely, remembering how she had felt in his arms. In a very tangible way she had complicated this incident more than anyone else…somehow Gerard couldn’t help but think that if Rosie hadn’t been present in this group, he’d have happily given the order to butcher them as they slept….

Wilma’s words had unfortunately traveled to Linc’s ears. He laughed loudly as she come for her food – too loudly.
“Sorry..it isn’t rabbit. Perhaps we’ll find some of relation of yours to cook for lunch? I’m surprised your mother didn’t eat her entire litter. Lucky for you she didn’t eh.”
He tapped his fingers on his holster and walked up to Wilma, standing so close she could smell his hatred “What are little metas made of? Snips of snails, and Satan’s entrails. That’s what little metas are made of…..I’ve always wandered if that was true…”

The Danaans cheerfully took their food, returning the cook's good morning. A Trollish man named Abi Malmros took one of the offerred cigarrettes with a hearty thanks. Wilma noted Linc's insults but did not take them much to heart. It was rather hard to be offended by insults premised on a baseless assumption that one was a non-human sentient when one was in fact human.

Linc had never, and still saw no difference between this girl and the metas. Part of him always assumed that she was a mixed racer, someone who was evidence of the diabolic plans of the metahumans. Clearly she must have meta blood, otherwise how could she stand being with those animals…
He ran a hand through her hair “I’m talking to you half breed.”

"My mother worked most of her life for her children. She was a cook. My father had problems with alcohol and couldn't hold down a job for long. He felt he had to provide for his family. Cherokee men are traditionally very proud. But he had a disease and he couldn't beat it. He died of kidney failure a couple years ago. I only have two siblings. My younger brother is about eight. He just started school a couple years ago. He loves it though. He thinks his teacher's very sweet. They're learning finger painting. My older sister is in dental school now. We tease her about it some. You know, no one likes to go to the dentist? But people do need to. She thinks it's a way to help people and to make a good life for herself too." Wilma said.

Linc’s hand shook wildly as she talked…
When Wilma stopped speaking, Linc's eyes blazed so brightly with hatred that it seemed that he would kill Wilma were she stood.
Then without warning the fire vanished from his eyes, replaced with a look of pained sorrow. He mouthed a word that no-one could quite catch...and with tears welling up, he turned and walked by himself away from the camp.

Wilma blinked a little. She sighed slightly as Linc seemed to become so emotional. She couldn't think of anyone she'd ever hated more but she still didn't really like seeing anyone so upset, although five seconds ago she would have imagined she'd like nothing so much as to see Linc in pain. At a greater distance, however, most of the other Danaans weren't especially sympathetic. Linc had been almost unspeakably cruel to them and they weren't in any mood to waste much sympathy on him.

Rosie, on the other hand, put her food aside and moved closer to Linc. She stood uncertainly about three or four yards from the man, clasping her hands lightly behind her back. She looked down, thoughtfully, following his movements with a slight raise of her head. She didn't say anything for the moment but her gaze bespoke a genuine concern for the man.

The sailors barely watched Linc leave...his problems were his own, and no one felt it wise to share them....

Linc himself didnt stop...he didnt even notice the attempt of kindness from Rosie. He walked away, in a world of his own...he didnt want sympathy, he didnt know what he wanted.

Gerard got up and walked to Rosie. Unthinking he placed a hand on her back "let him go. you cant help him."

"I want to." Rosie said whistfully before turning to look at Gerard with a sad smile.

"But you cant. I dont think anyone on this earth can...."
Gerard ran his hand up her back "I wish you or anyone could help, but he has his own demons...I love him like a brother. I dont even think that magic you spin can help him......"
Rosie continued to amaze the Captain. She should more Christian charity than many people he knew. So much for metas being genetically selfish.

Rosie wasn't sure if Gerard was actually suggesting she was a witch of some kind or referring to Draocht as magic (as many people did) or merely using the term figuratively. Whatever the case, it would have been off topic to ask. "I can't...I don't know if I can believe that, Gerard. Other children are orphaned and many of them go on to lead relatively healthy lives. There has to be some way he can be helped. I just don't know what it is."

"Linc isnt many people. Linc is Linc....." Gerard took Rosies hand and held it "I know you want to help but somethings are beyond us...even beyond you Rosie. He has his demons and will deal with them in his own way and time."

"I...won't try to help for now." Rosie conceded sorrowfully as she let Gerard take her hand. She knew, in her head, it was a dangerous move, and yet it felt so right. "But what about everything else about this situation? It's hard on all of us. What can we do?" She spoke quietly to avoid being overhead by the other Iesians.

Gerard seemed unaware of the danger as he held Rosie's hand. He seemed to have forgotton she wasnt human...
"I guess we try and sort this out...and sort it out so people dont die. How long was it you said that you guys have been missing for?"

"Just a few days." Rosie answered him. "They'll still be searching for us, at least for another week or two. Does that help at all?"

Almost as an afterthought, Rosie grudgingly let go of her love's hand. As much as she cared for him, she couldn't forget the situation. Not really. She couldn't afford to. She turned to see how the others were doing. They didn't look too good. Sarah was half-dead, between her overwork one day and her severe beating the night before. The others were in better shape but not by much. They'd eaten but they hadn't been allowed to groom themselves. They all smelled like the animals Linc thought they were and their hair was matted and unkempt. They hadn't been allowed to change either. Their clothing was similarly filthy as well as torn in places.

Rosie sighed deeply as she looked from Gerard to her friends to Linc to the other Iesians. A few days ago, she'd been getting carried away at a party without a real care in the world and now...

"Yeah...I think that helps..." Gerard smiled at Rosie and seeing her pain gently stroked her hair. He still seemed painfully unaware of eyes around them "It will be ok....I dont think this can go on much longer....I think its time to save your friends..dont you?"

The Captain walked over to Sarah, and sat down next to her. He could clearly see the metahumans were breaking. In a way he felt superior as they fall apart...confirmation of the ancient truth...Metas were weaker than humans!
But then he thought of his Rosie and cursed himself for thinking like a fascist biggot....

"So, Captain to Captain. What would you give to be free? How far can I trust you?"

"I do not lie." Sarah said simply. "But I am not sure what it is that you want in exchange for our freedom. We could probably put together a substantial sum once we returned. We might be able to give you more labor after some rest."

Sarah tried to straighten herself up as she sat. She pulled her ragged, dirty shorts down some and straightened what remained of her jersey. She painfully rolled the muscles in her shoulders in an effort to sit up straight. It didn't have much effect.

Rosie watched all this from a distance. She turned her gaze between Sarah and Gerard on the one hand and Linc on the other. She was starting to realize that the driving ideology of Iesus Christi didn't just hurt her and her kind but also poisoned the hearts the Iesian people themselves. Linc had experienced something which would be painful to any child but his society, instead of helping him heal, had instead nurtured the pain, forced the emotional wound to fester so it could be used as a source of hatred and zeal. How many others were like him? Hundreds? Thousands? Millions?

"Shit.Dont be so Jewish, Does it always come down to money for you people.." Gerard looked her over "You're a mess. A bloody disgrace...you work any longer and you'll be dropping like flies....or Linc will drop you. Either way, I dont want that. I dont want anyone to die. Anyone.....
I'm not going to ask you to lie. But perhaps omit information should you be picked up after your forces get a radio message...don't shout whats happened from the hills..."

Gerard didnt know what Rosie was thinking, and would have been troubled if he had. For him this was life...he couldnt see the poisen because he too shared in it in his own way....his considering of the extreme options if Sarah refused his offer proved that....

"I can agree to that." Sarah answered.

"Ok...but does the same go for the rest of your errrrr people. Can I trust you lot really?"

"I do not lie." Sarah said matter-of-factly. "I will make sure there is no trouble."

Gerard paused for a moment. He wondered if 'sarah' actually had any idea about right and wrong...she seemed like she had a grasp of morals...but still...she's a meta.
"I'd have to get genetic samples from you all. Nothing drastic, simply section five kinda stuff. Small Tissue and hair samples. This is doable? Our 'doctor' should be able to do it.
If this is acceptable....when we leave, we'll broadcast an open message. If your ships hurry, they'll be able to pick you up before we get any possible special orders. "

"I do not know what section five is?" Sarah probed. "Still, it seems there is little practical choice available in the matter. We will consent to what you ask of us."

Gerard paused, he seemed annoyed at himself “Section five is a standard section. Its harmless…." he hurried on "anyhow you do have a choice…there is always a choice. Now isn’t a time for you to embrace fatalism”

Sarah tilted her head. "I am afraid I do not understand. I was under the impression that the only alternative to this agreement was death of imprisonment. I would like to know what other choices we have before I make a decision, if there are other choices."

Rosie watched from a distance, shifting her sneakered feet a little. She wasn't sure what was happening but she was doubtful that communication was going very effectively. The rigid honesty of Trolls was often coupled with a certain literalness that led to a great deal of confusion.

Rosie gestured to Hannah and tentatively the two women approached Gerard and Sarah. Rosie just looked sad while Hannah looked nervous. The young Jewish woman kept her eyes lowered and her hands behind her back. "We were wonder ... we were wondering if we could help." she said.

"I was worried there might be cultural miscommunication." Rosie clarified gently, her eyes seeking Gerard's.

Gerard locked eyes with Rosie, dropped his eyes, then quickly raised them again, he gave an embarrassed smile and smoothed his hair.
"errrr I was just trying to explain what happens next. I dont want anyone hurt" without thinking Gerard smiled at Rosie "We'd leave and send a open message giving away your location to your own rescue personal while we'd leave with enough fullfillment of our own law to prevent us from facing trial for treason. We'd need medical samples etc...."

"Agreed." Sarah said simply.

"So we have a deal....we have a covenant with hell with everyone in agreement...." Gerard grinned but it was an entirely friendly grin....
"Rest up. I'll get the doc and enter a secure-time entry into my log. We'll get those samples ASAP..."

The Captain spoke slowly and clearly into his entrylog. It would be one of the first things read by the navy authority.
""Like any Christian, I felt disgust at the abominations we encountered. My first thought was to destroy them. However, as the responsible leader of an expedition into international waters and to unclaimed lands, I knew that we would be encountering men who had abandoned God and the creatures that lived among them and, in doing so, I had not been authorized to launch a first strike on enemy nationals or to do anything else that might initiate overt, armed hostilities. While I understand my country to be in eternal struggle with these infidels and meta scum, it is not my place to decide if and when to move such a struggle to the level of overt armed hostilities except in the face of a real, immediate threat.
Of course....steps faithful to our cause have been undertaken."

.

"Its simple.....its not rocket science...."
"I dunno Sir..." The Doctor looked around with wild eyes.
"Its simple. I'll be near by. Come on. They dont bite....much" Gerard laughed as the ships doctor went pale.

Gerard shouted out his orders to the captives.
"Ok. this is simple. come over ONE at a time. we'll take a photo of you. Get a blood and hair sample and IF NEED BE take a urine or any other sample we see fit? clear?"
The doctor looked nervous as he stood between an armed sailor and Linc. Other sailors looked on with a curious eye....this was well out of their experience...they talked amongst themselves as they watched animals who they generally believed drunk the blood of baptized infants and evoured infants' bodies.
Gerard seemed confidant as he called up the first meta...

Sarah approached first to help the others overcome their fears. Most of the Danaans did in fact look terrified and confused. Rosie was walking quietly among them, speaking quietly and giving hugs and hand holding. All eyes were on Sarah when she approached the doctor, not looking at Linc or the armed sailor. "Good afternoon, doctor. I am prepared."

She allowed him to take the blood and hair samples without reacting much. She didn't show any pain at the prick of the needle, although her skin was a little harder to puncture than a humans would have been. As soon as he had taken some blood and clipped some hair, she looked to him curiously. "Will further samples be necessary in my case, doctor?"

Sarah's attitude, calm, collected, and likely similar to how she would have acted at a regular doctor's office, calmed the other Danaans somewhat. They belied her unwashed clothes and body, her matted hair and her still bruised arms and legs. They waited to see what the Iesian would say.

The doctor looked up at Linc as he slipped Sarah’s hair into a sealed plastic bag.
Linc grinned “ Now Doctor…. Do you need anything else? I could force her to give you a bone sample…” Linc lashed out with his revolver, cracking its butt against Sarah’s face. He laughed, as if goading her…..his eyes gleamed with delight as if he wanted her to grab his gun.
The young doctor looked a little shocked “Errr no. I don’t think so. But then I’m not qualified for this kind of thing anyhow…”
“Fair enough Doctor...”
Linc coughed and spat a thick lump of mucus at Sarah’s face “This one can go then…next!”

Sarah managed to turn the other cheek to Linc's assault. Even though unbound, she was essentially as helpless as when he had beaten her within an inch of her life earlier. She clenched her teeth tightly and closed her eyes, near tears. She was barely twenty years old. She tried to remember what normal life was like before this nightmare had come out of nowhere. She had always dismissed the things the media said about Iesians as just propoganda or at least exaggeration. Thinking back on that now, she couldn't believe she was ever so foolish as to consider them just somewhat misguided Christians of a sort.

As Sarah walked away, she gave Gerard a meaningful look. If he really wanted this to go without trouble, he would have to do something pretty soon. Rosie moved in front of the Trollish man who had been in line to go next and stepped up to the doctor quietly. She lowered her eyes and quietly rubbed the dirt off a spot on her arm for the doctor. "Hello, doctor." she said in a shy, nervous voice.

The sailors were doing what they thought best, they had more worries than just watching metas ...each knew they could suffer for the outcome of this trip and besides Linc, none treated the metas with total hatred. In fact they tended to not want to think about the metas at all....reality for these sailors was different from what they saw on TV.

The Captain didn't turn to watch Rosie have her samples taken....but a change came over Linc. He didn't make any filthy comments or hit Rosie...he stood watching quite coldy.
The doctor smiled meakly and without fuss did what was needed. he patted Rosie on the shoulder "All done! off ya go..."
Then Linc leaned forward and hissed into Rosie's ear "I know whats going on. If you werent the Captains bitch I'd show everyone here what a whore you are. Get back to the others you slut or I'll kill you for what you've done to Gerard..."

Rosie blushed a little at Linc's words, her eyes tearing slightly. "I want to help you." she said quietly back to Linc and returned to the others. Rosie stood near the back, holding back tears as she watched the rest of the Danaans walk up to the doctor one by one and have samples taken.

When all of the Fae had given their samples, Wilma and Hannah looked at each other curiously and then looked up at the doctor, Linc, and the others. Hannah brushed off her now absolutely filthy jeans, torn at the knees and near the bottom. "Us too?" she asked after a second.

Wilma moved over to Rosie and put an arm on her shoulder. "It's ok, Rosie. We're going to be home soon. It's almost over. It's almost over."

Rosie looked up at Wilma's words and then looked helplessly at Gerard. "No, Wilma. But ... don't worry about me. I think Sarah might still be seriously injured after the last few days. We're all going to have to see a doctor as soon as we get home."

Linc didnt answer Rosie. He wanted her dead, he wanted them all dead. He abused each meta as they came up in turn, waving his pistol in their faces....again and again almost offering them the chance for them to snatch the gun away from him. Goading the metas into action.

The Doctor looked to Linc, who looked to the Captain...
"They dont look race mixed Captain....pure ontology but corrupt ethics.." Linc's voice dripped with a smutty undertone that was hard not to notce.
Gerard stared at Linc who backed off into silence at once. He growled his orders...Gerards temper appeared to be growing strained "Wilma and Hannah won't be tested. We'll move whatever metals have been uncovered down to the shoreline. Move 'em Linc as soon as they're rested."

The prisoners weren't heroes or soldiers who launched daring attacks any more than they were the monsters of Linc's imagination. As was becoming increasingly apparent to all but the most doctrinaire of the Iesians, they were regular college kids. And that was how they reacted to Linc. Some of the girls cried. One wet her pants. All of the kids flinched at Linc's threatening and most of those he actually hit were bruised. The ones he had beaten before still walked with limps. One boy was too terrified to budge and Rosie and Sarah had to hold his hands and walk him up to the doctor. One of the Troll boys did react with anger, narrowing his eyes and moving towards Linc instincitively before Sarah and Rosie ran to pull him back, both closing their eyes and expecting to die before getting there. Linc was clearly looking for an excuse to murder them and Sarah was beginning to doubt the captain's word.

Waves of revulsion rippled through the Iesus crew….this wasn’t heroic, it was terrorising innocents, yet Linc’s eyes had blazed with excitement when the troll had appeared to be about to ‘make a move’…it was clear he was trying to provoke something, looking for that excuse that would allow him to murder the metahumans.
“Calm the fuck down Linc. For fuck sake! Jesus Christ in heaven….” At last Gerard intervened “March them down to the shoreline. Not you Rosie….Wait here please..”
He took her by the elbow, taking her slightly out of sight “I’m sorry. This won’t continue much longer….I just…” He gently stroked her arm “I don’t want to leave you.”

The Danaans marched down to the shoreline. Most of them stayed there, resting and waiting for the Iesians to leave and send out their radio message. Only the Trolls were still in good enough shape to be of any use in moving the metal to the Iesian ship. The male and female Trolls were in more or less equal condition. While humans had very little sexual dimorphism compared to other species of animals, Trolls had none whatsoever. But the Trolls did work steadfastly and all of the metal was moved by the end of the morning. The impressive find had turned out to have nothing of an especially valuable character, just archaeological data useful for reconstructing the life of the Mormon colony.

Rosie allowed herself to lean into Gerard slightly when they were left alone. "I don't want to leave you either. But I don't want to get other people hurt on account of us and I don't know how I could live with myself if I got you hurt on account of me, my dearest. The longer we stay, the more obvious this becomes. I just ... I wish there were someway we could be together someday."

“I’d do anything for us to be toegther. I’d love for you to come to Iesus with me…You’d love it, it’s a beautiful country….I live by the sea, next to the hill where God promised Saint Finbarr that Iesus Christi would remain Christian until the end of time….I’d be the happiest man if I could show it to you…I’d be so happy if you’d stay by me forever…”
From nearby the sound of Linc ranting cut through into the lovers world. Gerard sighed and continued....
“...You must think we’re terrible….but you cannot expect people who have had their spines broken again and again once to stand up straight when a new decision has to be made…”

Rosie looked up at Gerard curiously. "I'd love to stay by your side forever but how would it work? They kill people like me back in Iesus Christi. And they'd kill you for bringing me." She looked warily down at Linc still ranting and raving. "You could come to the Resurgent Dream. We welcome emigres from places like the Reich. We could even get married there and live to a ripe old age and then die, what's that phrase from the Old Testament? ... 'full of years.'"

The Danaans who had not been able to assist in moving the metal were just sitting there. Linc's rant would have absolutely horrified them a few days ago. Now they were just glad he wasn't hitting them. They mostly listened quietly, every now and then speaking quietly among themselves. When he clearly wanted a response of fear or horror, they gave one up almost automatically but only to avoid further punishment. They had almost tuned out the words by now and were instead watching him like one might a wild animal in danger of striking.

"We could hide you..." Gerard knew it sounded stupid, and cursed himself for the desperation in his voice. "I cant leave Iesus, They'll punish people for my actions. My family, my crew, my friends.....they'd pay the price in blood. I cant betray them or my nation..."

Linc's rage burned white hot, but now several crewmen tried to cool it. They helped move metal, they ran intercept when Linc look as if he was about to start hitting people.
"Come on Linc...come help me store these samples" The doctor edged Linc away from the group, giving the everyone time to clam down.

"People can get you out safely, if you wanted." Rosie said. "You wouldn't have to do anything to pay them back for it either. You've already done so much to help people."

Meanwhile, the others had finished their task and were keeping socially to themselves and waiting for the Iesians to leave and to send out their promised radio message.

" I know ..its not a matter of money...still I cant imagine you being a covert operative.." Gerard smiled and paused, then pulled Rosie against him as he seriously thought it over.
"I cant leave. its not because I dont want too...I'm not a good person, I've done things I'm not proud about...I cant leave Iesus Christi now..
I'm so sorry that it has to end like this but i'm not ashamed of how I feel about you. I know this hasnt been wrong because i've never felt anything as right"

Down on the shore the work was done but Linc stood hurling verbal abuse at the others. Almost desperatly trying one last time to get the response he longed for.

Gerard took Rosie by the hand and led her down to the beach. He walked close to her, gently caressing her as they walked.

Linc watched in horrid fascination as Rosie and the Captain joined those left on the beach, already most of the Iesusians were back on the boat but still Linc was there berating the metas..
Linc stopped screaming at the girls and stared at Gerard….he visibly sagged as he looked from Gerard to Rosie…
With venom Linc spat out as he eyeballed Gerard “How could you…after all they did..” he waved his handgun towards the metahumans “after what those fuckers did to my family..What they did to me…I had to go through hell in that boarding home because of them…” tears welled up in Lincs eyes and his gun trembled in his hand. He stared at Sarah....
“I never wanted this..I never knew…I’m so sorry” In a flash he raised the pistol and pressed it against his own forehead. “Christ Forgive me…”
Linc squeezed the trigger.
Gerard screamed out ‘no’ as the dull thud of the pistol sung out. He recoiled in horror as Linc’s body fall limply to the ground, spewing brain and blood into the sand.

Later
The body was taken onto the ship without ceremony. Gerard remained quiet as he watched them lift the boy onto the deck from the shoreline. He could feel Rosie standing by him …
“I won’t let it end like this….” He turned to Rosie “I’ll find a way to get to you…I promise.” He took her hand “I’ll come to you; nothing will stop me…because I want to b with you forever, if you’ll have me…”

Even Later
“For you” Gerard handed over hipflask to Sarah “Sure you could use a drink once we are gone. We’ve left for enough food and water for an age…and as soon as we’re gone we’ll send the signal…sure your people will be here soon..”
He shook her hand “I wish we could of all meet under different circumstances. I’m sorry things …well…things happened…Goodluck…”



On the bridge of his ship, Gerard leant against the window watching the sea roll by. He’d sent the message as he said he would…an open message reporting finding a group of survivors…someone would be onto them within days..maybe hours if they were lucky.
He thought about his love Rosie…he’d make sure Lincs death hadn’t been in vain…he’d return to her…he’d make it work.