Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

1. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

   #1

   (OOC: Before you post here, check out Deadspace in Misc. Homemade Ideas unless you already know what it is. If you don't like science fiction, get outta here, ya' barmy krudge!)
   
   "F**k! Blerm, wees tha cahgoe?! Ah need deh boksez!"
   "Ah shootz yeh oop, Denb! Ah beh gooin on break!"
   "Dahmn yah, yah bahmy krudge! Yeh ghot noo break! Dis cahgoe need goin teh deh Baron ehn a fyeh owahs!"
   Shouts in the hideous accent and decayed grammar of the worker's pidgeon echoed about the shipyard, bouncing and mingling throughout the docked starships. Taliesin stepped from his small Stingray-class cutter ship, Gwion, into the bizarre, dark brown-red light of the Ghede sun. The shipyard was a collection of ugly shadows in the Ghede star's bloody twilight. Night was deeper than black here on Ghede, but only offworlders, like Taliesin, who hailed from the far-off system of Ceridwen, had to wear night-vision lenses, as the Ghedeans themselves had powerful night eyesite from living in the blood-red light of the sun of Ghede.
   Well, Taliesin, here you are. Delta Ghede. he thought to himself. The Birdhead ran a hand through his feathers and looked down on the cargo haulers, burly Dogheads who shouted out at each other in the ugly dialect.
   "K'moon, yeh krudges, woork eht oop! Wey beh gettin eh foyve-pahsent coomishin oon dis johb!" roared the headman, a vicious looking Doghead with brown-black fur, rotten, black, and gapped teeth, and an ear torn of at the middle.
   "Well, I'd better get started." Taliesin said to himself, switching on his night-vision lenses.
   The black, black Ghede night-time was coming.

2. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

   #2

   Morighana looked around the shipyard in distaste. Damn Dogheads couldn't keep anything clean. She flicked her tail in irritation. Of course, this would be where her ship would decide to break down. No drive system, and the only world with the repair capabilities was Delta Ghede. She listened to the Dogheads bicker. Bleh. She wandered over to the repair dock, adjusting her night-vision goggles. She had to admit, even with part of the internal workings exposed, it was a fine looking ship. Sleek and narrow, and one serious mover. It was a heavily modified Swordfish-class fighter. There was only room for three occupants, if they crammed in, and no real cargo space to speak of, but it was one of the fastest crates in the sector, and she was damn proud of it. She'd won it in a bet with a half-crazy Chaukat. She glanced up at the Doghead who was working on it. "Why are these repairs taking so long?" she demanded.
   "Look, yeh dahmn 'Shala, I done told yah, itel take a coop' owahs at lees!" He muttered something under his breath.
   "Do I look like a damned Chaukat to you?" She gritted her teeth. There was nothing to be done but wait. She hated waiting.

3. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

   #3

   No moons shone in the sky of utter black as Taliesin strode down the streets of Magana Town*, a solid mass of beings even this time of night.
   "Saah! Saah-taah ra'an!" called a hawker, swinging a pole draped with furs and pendants and scarves.
   Taliesin pushed against the crowds of people like a swimmer against the tide.
   "Saah-taah! Ra'an!" rang the calls of the hawkers, echoing from the buildings. Huge suspended lamps beamed artificial light down on the Magana Town, yet it did nothing to mitigate the blackness of the alleys or spaces between. Taliesin held tight to a small package, wrapped in brown, crinkly paper. His gaze was drawn to it, even as he collided forcefully with a female Doghead, laden with sacks of dry plast-crete.
   "Wachet, yah darsh!" she snarled. "Fooken Buhdheds, nevah wachen ware theh gooin!"
   Taliesin barely looked up, scrabbling for his package, even now kicked among the uncaring passers-by.
   
   *The capitol city of Delta Ghede

4. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

   #4

   Morighana wandered aimlessly down the street, still irritated that the repairs would take so long. Most folks were too busy to pay attention to her, but she did have to politely turn down a couple of street merchants, and not so politely turn down one who wasn't getting the message. As she avoided the Dogheads that were bustling about, something collided with her foot, and she picked it up automatically. It was a small, paper-wrapped package. She looked up and saw a Birdhead frantically searching for something on the ground. She pushed her way over to him and held up the package. "Hey. You lose something?"

5. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

   #5

   He looked up at a Pershala, who, it appeared, had picked up his package.
   "Many thanks! I...." the sentence was left unfinished as a huge, shiny black Grakoi skittered beneath, tripping him.
   Taliesin rolled quickly out of the way as a pack of Clowns wearing slave collars charged past. The brightly colored aliens jabbed their fingers around at the scenes of the city and leapt and tumbled and did all the things that Clowns do. Their owner, an enraged Birdhead, charged after them, smashing his foot down on Taliesin's beak. "So sorry!" the slave owner shouted quickly then turned to persue his slaves.
   "Miss! Miss!" he shouted, desperately calling for the Pershala as a duo of snarling Dogheads strode past, swinging rusty swords around their heads. "Help me! Someone!"

6. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

   #6

   Morighana swore as the Clowns and Dogheads knocked her over. She had an infamous temper; if she stayed out in the street much longer, she would ventilate someone. From the shouts that rose over the din, the Birdhead was having it worse than she was. Just then, a ruddy great behemoth of a Doghead stepped on her tail. She jumped to her feet, yowling incoherent threats and obscenities. The Doghead just looked at her and shrugged, then went on his way. That's it. I'm not staying on this street for another minute. She made her way through the crowd, shoving people out of her way when necessary. It happened that she passed the Birdhead she had been trying to talk to before, and she grabbed hold of him and dragged him along with her. When they reached a deserted sidestreet, she let go. "Sorry about that. This is a much less hectic place to talk. This is yours, isn't it?" She held up the package again.

7. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

   #7

   "Y-yes, thank you." he said, taking the package and holding tightly to his side. "Eh, miss? Are you, by any chance, a local? I need directions to the Tahaddi-al-Ayat Mosque."

8. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

   #8

   "Naw, I'm not local." I wouldn't live on this miserable dirt ball if you paid me. "But I've got nothing to do for a while; maybe I can help you find it."

9. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

   #9

   "Perhaps." said Taliesin, observing the signs. They're written in those dreadful Ghedean runes.
   "I can't read any of this. That's the problem with backwater planets like this, they barely use Galactic Speech." he complained to the Pershala.
   "I am Taliesin Machynlleth. Greetings."

10. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

    #10

    "I'm Morighana." She looked around. "Eh. I can read some of it, I think. Not a lot, mind you. Are you in a hurry?"

11. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

    #11

    "Of an order. I need to deliver this package to Beybars al-Mohammed at the Tahaddi-al-Ayat. He hired me to get it to him on Wattha Shaowei."
    Good thing she doesn't know what's in it.

12. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

    #12

    Morighana shrugged. "Kay. Let's ask around, then. Someone's got to know where it is. Hopefully by the time we find it, my ship'll be repaired and I can get off this rock."

13. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

    #13

    Taliesin nodded and started walking along the side of the street, stepping over a few filthy derelicts and a buzzing, fly-like Zzabz dying in the gutter. Taliesin tried to ignore the twitching being and looked back to make sure that Morighana was still following.

14. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

    #14

    Morighana glanced at the residents in disgust. "This place is filthy." She saw someone who looked more intelligent than some of the others. She asked him for directions to the mosque Taliesin was looking for. The Doghead beat around the bush for a few minutes, but she finally got him to tell her where it was. She relayed the directions to Taliesin, and thought for a moment. "It'll take us a little while to get there, I think."

15. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

    #15

    "Hmm." Taliesin said, a vague agreement. He looked over the heads of the crowd in the direction of the mosque. "Perhaps if we had weapons this might be easier. I hear tell that the arms of the law aren't so long here on Delta Ghede."

16. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

    #16

    "Step ahead of you. I don't go anywhere unarmed." Morighana produced her pistol and mas-blade. "I've learned that it's best to keep weapons on me at all times."

17. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

    #17

    "Well, that does make sense. On Ceridwen Secundus, we don't usually need to carry weapons. I should have known, though."
    The Birdhead stepped forward into the crowd, then leapt quickly back onto the sidewalk as some sort of dog-sized hairy thing ran past, snarling.
    "Heheh...You go first, yeah?"

18. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

    #18

    Morighana shrugged. "Sure. Why not." She made her way across the street, shoving people out of the way when necessary. Just like everyone else. Finally, she got annoyed. She fired a couple of shots into the air, which got everyone's attention. "Will everyone kindly get the blip out of my way?" Not many did, but enough that she and Taliesin made it across the street. "Well, that was fun. Let's do it again."

19. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

    #19

    "Well. Nicely done, Morighana." said Taliesin. He looked down at the package, smelling the sickly sweet scent of it. Damn you, Beybars. Making me haul all of this halfway across the galaxy.
    "Let's go."

20. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

    #20

    Morighana wrinkled her nose. "What is that, anyway? It doesn't smell too good." Without waiting for him to answer, she said, "I think that place is up the street just a little."

21. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

    #21

    The wailing of Christoislamic prayers could be heard even from their distance away. Allah! Allah!
    "Hmm. Religion." said Taliesin, walking towards the mosque, a squat structure of marble and black stone lit with small lanterns.
    "Thanks for helping me find this place." Taliesin said, turning to face Morighana. He looked up at a sign, proudly declaring in Galactic Speech, Ghedean Runes, what appeared to be poorly written Pershalan, and Human Arabic, that this was the Mosque of the Tahaddi-al-Ayat.
    Who is the hawk who has led us across the desolace to God? called the Imam-Reverend.
    "Rather loud bunch, aren't they?" he said, snickering.

22. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

    #22

    "Yeah. I never did understand any of these people." Morighana looked up at the sign. "But they are proud of it, aren't they?"

23. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

    #23

    "Heheh. Well, y'know, if I thought my religion came straight from the Masters, well I might be pretty proud, too." said Taliesin, scratching the feathers on his arm. "Then again, maybe that's not a good thing."
    He walked up the alley toward the Mosque steps.

24. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

    #24

    Morighana followed him. "Why do you people still call 'em that, anyway? So far as I know, they didn't do anything except screw you over and then end up destroying themselves."

25. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

    #25

    Allah! Allah! Allah!
    He is our Lord, who did strike our chains and make us free!
    "Well, I guess it's just habit. Or racial memory, or something like that. It just seems....right."
    Allah!
    Who are his son and his prophet?!
    They are Jesus and Mohammed!
    Call out the name of the Lord!
    Allah! Allah! Allah!
    "Now that I think about it, that's exactly what the Humans did. By witch's blood, it's loud in here."

26. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

    #26

    "Tell me about it." She winced. "Y'know, I think I'm gonna wait outside. The noise makes me uncomfortable."

27. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

    #27

    "If you like." said Taliesin, shrugging. He continued on into a small chamber at the back of the building. "Beybars? Beybars, old pal, are you there?" he said looking around. A fine schkenwood desk sat in back, with the cross-and-crescent symbol of Christoislam inlaid in gold. "I have the...uh....the package........Beybars?"
    Silence.
    "Hmm...They service must have ended." Taliesin said to himself.

28. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

    #28

    Morighana was hanging around outside the mosque when a sudden silence pervaded the area. At first Morighana was pleased, but quickly became uneasy. Something didn't seem right. So she started quite severely when she was almost run over by someone moving fast enough to impress her. She hadn't seen the person long enough to actually see him. Assuming it was a him. Wonder what that was all about. It didn't matter. Hopefully, Taliesin would be done shortly, and she could go back to the spaceport. Maybe the repairs would be done, and she could get her tail off of this nasty rock.

29. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

    #29

    A deep voice drifted from a cloister chamber behind the desk.
    "Do you indeed? Everything is in order, I assume."
    Taliesin looked into the veiled entrance of the cloister.
    "...Eh...Yes. Yes, everything is in order."
    From the veiled chamber stepped a Doghead, dressed in a white robe and crimson cape. His fur was a coppery color that darkened to black at the ends.
    He smiled, revealing jaws full of sharp, pearly teeth.
    "This is good news! Praise Allah! Please, please, give it to me."
    Taliesin slid the package across the desk into Beybars's waiting paws.
    As the Doghead began to unravel the packaging Taliesin drew a hidden mas-knife from his pantleg and slammed it down between the fingers of Beybars's left hand on the desk.
    "Ah-ah-ah, careful, Beybars. I'm not like one of your crazy fanatics out there in the Mosque. I won't hesitate in killing you. That being said, Doghead, where's my money?"

30. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

    #30

    Morighana walked around outside, waiting for Taliesin. She was getting bored, but she didn't really fancy walking back to the port by herself.

31. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

    #31

    "So? Are you gonna pay? Or am I going to gut you?" Taliesin said, nearly whispering, his beak nearly touching the Doghead's muzzle.
    Beybars's trembling hand reached beneath the desk for a small hidden drawer.
    "Don't make any sudden movements, Beybars. You know how quick my knife hand is."
    Beybars pulled open the drawer and removed a small grey envelope.
    "Here, take it, Tal. You know I would not go against you, who is so exalted among the Dragons!" he said.
    As Taliesin walked out the door, he turned and said "I don't work with them anymore."

32. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

    #32

    Morighana looked up as Taliesin came out. "So. Did you get the thingy delivered?" Without waiting for an answer, she started walking back the way they had come.

33. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

    #33

    "Eh....Yes, I did. And I got paid for it." he said, following her. "Hey, since I've...ah...got a little cash to spare, are you hungry?"

34. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

    #34

    Morighana shrugged. "Sure. Since it's your money, you decide on the food."

35. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

    #35

    "Hmm...Well, I'd really hope they have something from off-world. Ghedean cuisine tastes like mud mixed with bitter wine, all of it." said Taliesin, stepping out into the street.

36. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

    #36

    Morighana grimaced. "Ick. Okay, then. Let's go find something edible." They wandered down the street for a little while. "Ooo... they have a Pershalan restaurant. It's probably not as good as the real stuff, but it's gotta be better than the indigenous swill."

37. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

    #37

    They stepped into the Pershalan restaurant, smelling sweet and peppery spices of Pershalan cuisine. A variety of folk sat around low, Pershalan-style tables, sampling cuisine that looked surprisingly authentic.
    "Hmmm....Perhaps a Pershala runs it, yeah?" said Taliesin, stepping up to the counter where a bored-looking female Doghead sat reading the days latest issue of the Delta Ghedean Herald. She set down the news-holo on the table and scratched her snout irritably.
    "Welcome to Mouk-mouk Vharikanal's Pershalan Cuisine. Please seat yourselves." she droned.

38. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

    #38

    Morighana looked around and picked out a table. Sitting down, she said, "Maybe a Pershalan ran it once, but not likely now. I can't see a Pershalan sitting still for any considerable length of time."

39. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

    #39

    The waitress, a Chaukat, padded up to the table, handing them menues and pouring water spiced with spakt-sugar. Thrusting her breasts out to make them extra-visible, she said "So, handsome," and then, turning to Morighana,"and beautiful, what can I get you two to drink?"
    Taliesin blinked, shook his head and then said "Eh.....Eh.....I'll...Um....Water's fine for me."

40. Deadspace: Welcome to Delta Ghede

    #40

    Morighana looked up at the waitress. "Um... yeah. You got any Cacalian wine?" She was crazy about the stuff. And a nifty little bonus was that it seemed to enhance her reflexes, which was always good. If she got hyped up on enough of the stuff, there wasn't an organism in the galaxy that could keep up with her.

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