|
|
Post by faultylogic on Dec 20, 2009 21:38:15 GMT -5
"You see, that's the beauty about insanity, the person won't know he has it and can live his life in pure, blissful ignorance. Everything he does, he thinks it's completely normal and he won't feel as if anything is out of place. Assuming nothing goes horribly wrong, that person might live out his life quite happily... But you see, that's also the downside about insanity. Somewhere in that fractured and demented mind, you can't help but wonder if something is wrong. Sure, you can deny it all you want, but like some sort of unseen, oozing and filthy disease, it starts to gnaw at you. Slowly eating away, no, grinding away the very base of your sanity, no, corrupting the very core of yourself. Every little day, every waking hour, EVERY! TEENY-TINY! SECOND! Your very self is being destroyed and you can feel it slowly wasting away and there is nothing you can do about it! But, you see, that's not the worst part. The worst part is, people see it happening, but they don't do anything! So, can't you see, how can the insane be truly insane, when the sane ones are thinking the insane are sane! I'M NOT INSANE, I'M THE ONLY SANE PERSON IN A WORLD FULL OF INSANE PEOPLE!"
Roslyn held up her hands in resignation. "Alright, alright. I get it, Jack. You can have shore leave when we arrive back at the city."
Jack lets out a sigh of relief. "Thank god. Otherwise, I might have done something I might have regretted."
Roslyn raised a curious eyebrow, but let it drop for the time being. "Really now, you could've just sent in a form like everyone else, there was no need to come to my office for that little performance."
Jack grinned as he scratches the back of his head. "Ah, well, you see, I.., er..., I kinda wanted to come here and see yo..."
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooo" echoed out in the corridor of the vice-captain's office, drowning out the rest of the new pilot's words. Feeling more curious than anger, Jack decided to pop his head out of the office to see what's happening, only to see a blur of black and white streak across his eyes.
"So..., what did you see?" Roslyn asked.
Jack turned his head back and scratches his head in confusion. "I honestly have no ide..."
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" cut off the rest of Jack's words again, this time, the voice came from the other direction. Jack couldn't see it, but he felt something running behind his back and something else hard in pursuit. He saw Roslyn's eyes open wide in confusion before she placed her face onto her hands and sighs deeply. Before she could say another word, Jack already has an idea what's going on.
He asked cautiously, "The captain?"
She simply replied, "The captain."
They both sigh as the vice-captain got up from her seat and they both started making their way toward the security's training room.
|
|
|
|
Post by faultylogic on Dec 20, 2009 23:09:43 GMT -5
Even before they reach the door, they could already hear his voice, bold, full of confidence, and most importantly, loud.
"Did you honestly believe you can run away from me? On my own ship? The very meaning of my existence? You should've known better, even if you escape out the airlock, I will open the door and drag you back in."
The pilot and the vice-captain exchanged a moment of mutual sympathy before opening the door, only to be greeted by the familiar voice, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
They saw the captain covering the corner of the room, preventing a small nervous figure from escaping. They scan the room some more and they see the Miguel and the rest of the security team standing around. Roslyn and Jack did a double take at the sight of them. They were not in their usual security uniform but were wearing various butler and maid uniforms. They turned their startled gazes back toward the small figure and realize said small figure belonged to Maria. The captain was holding a very frilly maid uniform in his hand.
"Come now, a deal is a deal, you know what to do."
She screams out yet another "No!" while her eyes were darting left and right, desperately trying to find a way out.
"I don't see why you're refusing me. This maid uniform is perfect. It's made with the finest imitation silk, completed with the finest imitation lace, and colored with the finest imitation black. I dare say, this is the finest imitation maid uniform for the finest imitation maid in the system." He couldn't help but stand upright and run his hand through his hair. "Of course, this perfect imitation maid uniform can only be found by the perfect imitation capt..."
Maria took this opportunity to fake left, before dashing right and tumbling pass the surprised captain and running toward the vice-captain for help.
"Detenerlo por favor, él está loco! Él Loco! LOCO!" She held up her hands in anguish.
"Captain, what are you doing to this poor defenseless girl!" Roslyn snapped at the captain.
He held up his hand and waggle his finger. "No, no, no. You seem to misunderstand the situation. It's not what I'm doing to this poor defenseless girl, it's what I'm not doing to her. And it most certainly not getting her to accept her end of the deal."
"What deal, and why the hell are the rest of the security team wearing those clothes?"
He stood rigid and points defiantly at his X.O. "The deal that she made, just like the rest of them did."
Roslyn looked confused for a moment and looked at the others, and they sheepishly averted from her gaze. She took a deep breath and regained her composure. "Alright, let's start from the beginning. What deal did you guys make with the captain." She looked specifically at Miguel.
Sensing her gaze, Miguel reluctantly replied, "It's complicated..." He thought for a good long moment before finishing his reply, "Let's just say, a game of truth or dare gone wrong. He won, we lost, he told us to wear this."
She turned toward the captain. She pointed at the maid uniform and asked one word. "Why?"
He held his arms wide and shrugged as if this was a trivial matter. "Because they look better in them. Those dull old security uniform make them look too boring. Also, would you expect a butler or maid to be a master of unarmed and armed combat? Element of surprise. It's as much tactical as aesthetic for my reasons. Besides, this uniform is one of a kind, only someone who has refined taste is suited to wear it."
For whatever reason, Roslyn remained quiet. Jack, worried that the captain actually persuaded her to his line of reasoning, spoke up. "You can't be serious, captain. You can't force someone to do something that don't want to do, even if you did win some sort of stupid bet."
John looked over at Jack, with a surprised look on his face, before bursting in laughter. "You got me there, Jack, You almost made me think any decision of mine is not the most perfect of all possible choices anyone could make. I mean, did I, the great captain John Cassidy, not find the most perfect of soul-mate for you, Jack?"
Jack's eyes twitch in anger. "For the last time, that..., 'thing'", he speaks the last word full of malice. "is not, never, and nor forever will be a part of my life in any possible way."
The captain spoke out with a shock tone. "JACK! I have said this once and I'll say it as much times as it takes for you to understand. Love has no nationality, race, nor gender. How can you call him a 'thing' when he's so much in love with you."
Finally snapping, Jack retorted, "Nationality and race has nothing to do with this. I'm not into men, damnit! Hell, even if I was, I will never consider that 'thing'. And stop changing the subject, if she doesn't want to wear that... that..., cheap looking maid uniform, dredged from whatever old-fashioned and probably decrepit, woman's closest, then she doesn't want to wear it." He looks at the vice-captain for support. "Isn't that right, Roslyn?"
She was visibly shaken, but she still managed to reply, albeit in a monotone voice. "Captain, if someone told you to stop wearing that mantle of yours, would you do it?"
He responded defiantly, "Of course not, that mantle is part of what makes me a captain."
"Then imagine for a second that you telling her to wear that maid uniform is the same as someone telling you to stop wearing that mantle. That's how she feels right now."
John's eyes open in shock and awe, before slowly fading into understanding. "I was a fool, it's a good thing that I have you for my X.O. All of you don't have to wear those uniforms anymore if you don't want to." He walked up to the Jack, Roslyn and Maria. "Guess I should return this then."
Jack, sensing the situation has been resolved, tried to make light of the situation. "So, who's the old crone that those cheap knock-offs belong to?"
Jack's face turned from amusement, to confusion, to utter horror as he sees John handing the maid uniform over to Roslyn.
"Sorry I took your old costumes without asking, X.O."
"No apologies necessary, captain. I had only wore it a few times when I was trying out for a play in my old actress days. Kept it since I love the frilly lace design on it. Now, if you excuse me, I think I want to be alone in my office for a while." She walked out of the room, while Jack stood there, still with the look of horror on his face.
|
|
|
|
Post by faultylogic on Dec 21, 2009 0:21:42 GMT -5
Feeling much better after finishing off an entire plate of pastries, Roslyn could only sigh as she looks at her old French maid costume. She folded it up neatly before tucking it away in her old hope-chest. This time, she made sure to put at least 3 different locks on it before putting it away. With one last nostalgic look at her old life, she willed herself to look away before walking out of her office and into the bridge. The crew greeted her while Jack was babbling like a madman, asking for her forgiveness. She gave her best, "You're entitled to your own opinion" reply before taking her seat in the room. She was able to settle in when the door opened again and in came a familiar, and yet unfamiliar face.
"Have no fear people, for the captain has returned!"
The bridge crew could barely contain their shock as it has been a while since there was a captain in the bridge. Roslyn couldn't blame them since she knew the captain had been spending much time with Miguel, Maria and the rest of the security forces, in the training room.
"While I'm sure all of you have tons of unresolved and important decisions for me to make for you, l have come to learn about a completely new and radical way of commanding you all. I have decided the best way for me to tell you what to do is to not tell you what to do." He spoke with such utter conviction that if what he said wasn't a complete waste of time, she would've felt inspired.
"That being said," He took his seat. "Anything strange that's been happening since I've been away?"
Roslyn cleared her throat before giving her report. "Nothing seem to be out of the ordinary captain. Well, save for one little matter of that ship that's been following us for days."
John raised his eyebrow in concern. "What ship?"
She cycled through her papers until she found the one she was looking for. "Nothing too threatening, just an unarmed transport." She glanced over at Jack and saw him snap up straight. "Goes by the name 'Mule'" She saw Jack relax a bit. "Although I should mention that it used to be called Peace-lily under the command of a captain Fredrick Von Heinz" She saw Jack visibly shake from the corner of her eyes. She smirked in satisfaction.
"Ah yes, captain Von Heinz. Jack's soul-ma..." He stopped before completing that line. "Er... acquaintance. Haven't seen him since our last stop at Von Braun." He placed his fingers on his chin and began to reminisce. "Ah yes, I remember now, we've met in one of the bars. He is a rather effeminate man, wearing very bright and colorful clothing. Kept making claim how he's the greatest captain alive." He chuckles to himself. "Well, I can't obviously let him make that claim, at least not while I'm still alive. One thing let to another, tables were overturn, alcohol has been spilled, chairs were set on fire, guns were drawn and an elephant danced on stage..."
"Captain?" Roslyn gave a voice of concern.
"Oh right, that was a dream I had. Well, almost everything was the same, except replace the elephant with some comedian and guns with fist, and chairs were not set on fire, as they were toss aside... Know what, my dream is so much better than what actually happened."
"Good to see you're enjoying you fictional life more than your non-fictional life, captain." Roslyn suppressed those words in her head.
"Well, you know what they say, keep your enemies close, and your friends closer. So contact them and get them on board, then we can talk about old times."
Everyone in the room, including Roslyn, turned their heads toward Jack, as he lets out an anguished, "NOOOO!"
|
|
