Rift Station: Open Worlds
I clear my throat and start to "break the ice," so to speak. Before I manage a sentence, the one to my right starts first.
"Better clear that out before we get to maximum security. The inmates get restless if the pipes are clogged. Ha ha!"
The other one utters a half-breathed laugh.
I reply with the classic, "You'd know." Classics never go out of style.
The man turns his head toward me. The thing is littered with scar tissue. Optimistically, it distracts from the fact his eyes are too spread apart in a fish-like manner.
"I guess you'll find out, won't you?" he answers. So much for making friends. I decide to change the subject to something less rape-y.
"What'd they nab you for? Rape?" the word just slips out. Damn it, don't you hate when you say what you think without thinking?
"Murder," he says. The way he pronounces the word sounds like "meer-dur."
Keeping my composure this time, I reply, "Well, did you do it?"
"'Course not!" the other brute butts in. "Can't you spot a pacifist when you see one?"
I eye the heavily-muscled tricep jamming into my side of the seat then look back up to the scar tissue.
"Not when they look like a shaved bear."
"Ha ha!" the butting in brute laughs.
Bear says,"I was framed. Turbo here can vouch."
Turbo, the butting in brute, answers, "Yeah, ol' 'bear' here is innocent. How do I know? Because I did it! He was just unfortunate enough to bum a ride with me on my speeder when I got caught. Wrong place, wrong time."
"Talk about unlucky," I comment.
"Yeah," Bear says. The three of us sit, staring in front of us for a few moments.
A space-helmeted transport guard overhearing the conversation walks by. "I wouldn't get too chummy. Not where you're going."
Leave it to the authorities to ruin the mood. I take a deep sigh and slouch as best I can in the chained seat, wondering what fate had in store for me.
"Better clear that out before we get to maximum security. The inmates get restless if the pipes are clogged. Ha ha!"
The other one utters a half-breathed laugh.
I reply with the classic, "You'd know." Classics never go out of style.
The man turns his head toward me. The thing is littered with scar tissue. Optimistically, it distracts from the fact his eyes are too spread apart in a fish-like manner.
"I guess you'll find out, won't you?" he answers. So much for making friends. I decide to change the subject to something less rape-y.
"What'd they nab you for? Rape?" the word just slips out. Damn it, don't you hate when you say what you think without thinking?
"Murder," he says. The way he pronounces the word sounds like "meer-dur."
Keeping my composure this time, I reply, "Well, did you do it?"
"'Course not!" the other brute butts in. "Can't you spot a pacifist when you see one?"
I eye the heavily-muscled tricep jamming into my side of the seat then look back up to the scar tissue.
"Not when they look like a shaved bear."
"Ha ha!" the butting in brute laughs.
Bear says,"I was framed. Turbo here can vouch."
Turbo, the butting in brute, answers, "Yeah, ol' 'bear' here is innocent. How do I know? Because I did it! He was just unfortunate enough to bum a ride with me on my speeder when I got caught. Wrong place, wrong time."
"Talk about unlucky," I comment.
"Yeah," Bear says. The three of us sit, staring in front of us for a few moments.
A space-helmeted transport guard overhearing the conversation walks by. "I wouldn't get too chummy. Not where you're going."
Leave it to the authorities to ruin the mood. I take a deep sigh and slouch as best I can in the chained seat, wondering what fate had in store for me.