A Not-So-Short Story

[Ian2454]

*Note that this is the first story I've ever seriously started working on aside from a school essay or something. Any sort of critical remarks are acceptable. If it sucks then say so. Also note the cut lines make it look bigger.
*Don't read this unless you are okay with stories that might stop in the middle of important parts. My parents requisition the computer randomly.
Anyways...

"..and it comes with a jumping device, mining beam... Lil' bit more and it comes with a enlar-" I spaced out. I'd heard enough anyways. Enough to get the putt-putt on. Wait...
"How much does it cost?
"-raded wing systems. Plus a cup holder. Throw on an extra fuel ce-" He didn't hear me? Right.
"HOW MUCH DOES IT FRIGGIN' COST!?" I said just a wee bit louder.
'Wha...?" That was enough to stop this babbling vendor. Surprise was a common look on the nearby people.
Uncertainty filled his voice. "Ehhhhh... Abou-"
"I'll take it."
"I've been nice to you! You know what?! I ain't selling you a damn thing! Out! GET OUT!"
Oh really? Hmm... I just casually started to scratch my stomach, slowly cinching my shirt as seconds past. The outline of the 'particle pistol' in my waistband became obvious. It was really a shaped block of wood made especially for getting discounts. Surface etching helped make it look more authentic.
*Ahem*
" What are you doing? I said get out!" What? How can you miss that? Alright then. I put my hands in my pocket, put a finger over the end of the barrel and waved the 'gun' at him. When he looked down I said a long drawn out "Yeah..." I guess it helps that the merchant needs vision correction. The muscle in his jaw started pulsing, probably weighing selling me a boat versus getting shot. My knuckles cracked as my fist tightened and a smile rose...

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"Hangar 2 Partiton 7 eh? That's quite a ways away it seems"
With a title deed from the local registration office and a copy of the space regulations I went to the hangar where that was. My brand-new never-owned...
...rusty decrepit flying fuel-tank?! "There goes the rest of my stash. Another case of 'You get what you pay for' I guess." There was an plethora of people scrambling across. Not very reassuring that they were only stripping the iridescent ID numbers pasted across the hull. One of the engineers saw me and gave the 'Hold on a moment' signal.
"Break time everyone! Grease monkeys begone!" And with a flourish of his hands everyone started leaving. Once it quieted down a bit he came over to talk.

"Hi there! How can I help you?"
"Uhh... I just received a title to a space craft..."
"Do you have any paperwork with you?"
I handed him my ID card and the registration chip. Ironic how they still call it paperwork. The most infamous things usually last the longest. He walked across the partition to the adjacent storeroom to get a mobile workstation. The computer beeped a few times as it processed the request.

"It says you are indeed the proud owner of a Raven-class vehicle." He looked over at the ship. "Looks like it's seen better days though..."
"Yeah no kidding. This doubles as an item-storage facility for the station in orbit right?"
"Yeah," He looked around for a moment. "We do repairs if the price is right..."

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"Finally..." I muttered as I walked out of my apartment. "What takes an entire crew three weeks when I could do it myself in one?" A gust of wind blew and made me shiver. I guess the evenings are a little cold... Memories of my family during winter came back. What with the snowball fights and all. Good times indeed. *Sigh* My mind turned from the weather back to that annoying engineer who also happened to run the hangar. "And to call me out at this time of night! Such insolence for the money I pay him." My own arrogance made me laugh. I could swear I sounded bitter. I got on my hoverbike and sped across the city. I mostly looked at the road, too many lights to enjoy the stars anyways. A grin played across. "I will get my chance." As I arrived at my destination there was a homeless person burning anything that would catch. "Perfect! This thing is killing me." I walked up to the pile of flaming composites and tossed a 2,340 page manual for all the equipment put onto my boat. I watched it turn from an ordinary old-fashioned leather-bound book into a raging ball of fire.

The main hangar door was open, and there he was, leaning against the wall. As I walked in the lights switched on.
"Oh wow. Nice!" It was beautiful! That idiot had actually done a good job and completely replaced everything from the armor to the engines. The formerly rusty and dented hull was now smooth and polished, the then-bent wings were sharp and precise. Even the cargo bay was shiny.
"Alright then, I've already received payment from the family accountant. Enjoy." And the engineer walked off into the night.
I used the access console to pop the access door on the top of the hull and listened to the door open with a satisfying hiss... I stepped up onto the wing and hopped in. The only available light was the hangar floodlights drifting through the access door and the cockpit which made it quite hard to see. I didn't see a switch anywhere... Might be just too many old videos but...
"Computer, raise lights."
The seconds ticked away and nothing happened.
"Right." And left the ship to go find a flashlight in the partition storage room. The ship was pretty linear, with sleeping quarters in the back and a secondary sensor console behind the cockpit. Interestingly, the power was on, and I activated the comm. console. I called my childhood friend to tell her the good news. She answered immediately as she lived on the other side of the planet.
"Heya, and NO I'M NOT GIVING YOU ANY MORE MONEY!!!"
"Well, that certainly is a disappointment, but I think you might like this better." I finally found the light switch and turned it on, and panned the camera around to show her the rest of the ship. I even brought up my registration file from the ship database and sent it over. The look of envy on her face was worth millions.
"You dirty rat! Where the hell did you get the cash to buy that?"
"Gambling" I said confidently, and with a smile.
"You're supposed to LOSE money at gambling. Not win it."
"I'll be right back, I'm thirsty..."
"Hey you get ba... DON'T YOU EVEN DARE-" And I put her on hold. The kitchen was behind the cabin and near the quarters so I walked down the little hallway. I just needed some place to laugh. It was so funny to see her get angry! Something caught my foot as I went through the doorway and I fell, reaching out with my hands. My left grabbed hold and shuddered a bit before I stopped. It was a tray, that had a old lunchbox on it and I had wedged it against the counter as it flipped under my weight. That little box was now flying through the cabin and into the cockpit. *BEEP* A little firecracker emerged from the outside hull and raced across the street into a building. Wait, why would a firecracker be on a space vessel!? Noooo... OH SH-

BOOOOM!

The ground shook and I had fallen (Again.), and landed more or less on my head. "Ugh... I'm never doing that again..."
My ears hurt and the headache was starting to get irritating. When I peeled my face off the floor and looked out the cockpit window, there was a massive portion of the building missing and the rest was blackened and smoking. It was almost completely leveled. I just couldn't believe it... How many had I... No, best not to think of that. I felt around with my right hand and hit the 'Hold' button on the comm. console.
"YOU LITTLE SONOFA..." Even an idiot could tell something was off. "Hmm? Hey, you alright? You're trembling..."
She finally realized that something was indeed wrong and gazed through the camera's view down the hallway. The destruction was painfully obvious during the nighttime.
"Ah. That would just about do it, I think. Good job." Could tell from the sound of her voice she wasn't worried in the slightest. Argh.

All I thought about after that was "How am I going to get out of here..." I could quite possibly be screwed.
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"Alright, so I'm in a hangar, with a ship ready to fly, probably with weapons..." Ideas came and left. This could be something though.
"..But you forgot to read the manual and somehow got rid of it because you're too lazy to read?"
"Ah, never mind. I'm screwed."
"Lemme see the cockpit. I got an an idea for ya. Ever play a game called 'follow the leader'?" She can't be serious.
"It's written all over yer' face. Yes, I'm serious."
I transferred the call to the comm. console inside the cockpit and
pointed the camera down at the three readouts. My friend gave me a quick run-over of what they do and such. After the camera panned down a bit more she started getting a little less talkative.
"Alright, this is where it gets hard."
"This looks just like something you've flown and I just copy you to get out of being imprisoned?"
"Umm..." She glanced over everything the camera could see. "No, I've never seen something that looks like your controls and you are absolutely alone on how to fly that." Right.
"Well... This should be fun. Just do this the old-fashioned way I guess." My hand shook as I reached out to push a random button. The engine revved up and shoved the ship backwards into the partition wall. Monitor showed the rear shield had taken partial damage.
"You're never going to get out of here like that." she said.
I reached over and ended the call.
"Especially when I have no help..." I took a deep breath."I've pushed one, might as well push another, right?" and so I did.
It was a button on the joystick this time. The wings glowed orange as thrusters fired and shifted sideways.
"Alright then. Not so hard is it."
The ground started rumbling.
"What'd I push this time..." And I looked at my controls. Everything was fine. Spotlights now swept back and forth over the wrecked building.
"You have to be kidding..." Why was tonight one of the nights that the police actually did something? The comm. started beeping. I swear that woman likes to annoy me or something. I switched it on.
"Never hang up on my again. Anyways how far have you gotten?" She didn't look angry.
"Figured out how to go backwards and sideways with a good guess for the rest."
"Why aren't you going to leave already then?" she asked.
"Because I'm so very scared." My voice only shook a little bit.
"Did you find anything to help me in the time you were gone?"
"No, started watching a soap opera." I turned the comm. back off and disconnected it. I was fairly certain I wouldn't need it anytime soon. I moved the joystick a little in each direction. The nose flared and tried to spin the ship in various directions, the weight held it down though. "I might just be gifted at this sort of thing after all. How do I go forward though...?" There were no levers or sliders for throttle. "Why are all these buttons unlabeled? That's pointless!" People started to appear in front of the destroyed building across the street. Vehicles pulled up in front and more people jumped out. "I need to hurry..." I pushed another button and the engine revved again, this time rushing forward and skidding to a stop. The people looked up from what they were doing like deer in headlights. "That's all I need!" But there were too many people in front... "Meh, who cares anymore. Ah!" I pulled up on the joystick. The nose thrusters fires and rose until the ship was almost laying on the engine. "Guns, guns... Where are the guns?" I pulled the trigger and pushed a few buttons I hadn't tried yet, but nothing. "Comes with missiles but no guns? That's..." I didn't want to look for another missile. "Oh well." Shields alone should be just fine...

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Currently working on the story today, it'll probably change several times as I take food breaks.

[Edited on 3-10-2009 by Ian2454]

[Ravenfeeder]

" I put my hand in my pocket, put a finger on the opening of the barrel and waved the gun at him." Hmmm, wouldn't it have been better to put your finger on the trigger?

Or, do you think that your threat of shooting off the end of your finger would have terrorised him?

[Ian2454]

The gun is propped in his waistband with his shirt covering it, and is trying not to make it obvious to everyone around him. Story has been changed slightly in the beginning, essentially the same though. Changed a concept and reworded a sentence. Further adjustments to grammar and spelling. Had to put the extra note because my parents now like to do the mentioned activity.

Also, what's the limit for stories like this? I don't need to clog something.

[Edited on 3-10-2009 by Ian2454]