A Rude Awakening
Tucker's helmet is beeping at him. It's too early in the morning for this shit. If it's someone calling him he'll just let the machine pick it up.
But no, the beeping doesn't stop. Burying his head under the pillow does nothing to lessen the noise which seems to increase in volume, frequency and pitch no matter how much he ignores it, so he is forced to slip it on and tell whoever is calling to fuck the hell off. "Hey listen, whatever you're sellin', I'm not-"
"I need you to listen to me very carefully." It's a woman's voice! And it doesn't sound like a telemarketer, so he decides not to hang up quite yet. "Sure, babe. What can I do you for?"
"It is imperative that you leave immediately."
"What, the apartment? Who are you, the landlord? Cos you know, dibs is nine-tenths of the-"
"Not the apartment, the planet itself. Do you have any idea why the city appears to be deserted? It's 3am in the morning. Doesn't it seem too bright outside at this time of day?"
"I just figured y'know, this part of town as going through a slump." He steps up to look out the window. The sun was brighter than the last time he looked. And redder. And hotter. "A seasonal thing...?"
"...This solar system's celestial body is going through some radical changes. Within twenty-four hours the atmospheric temperature will reach levels beyond what your physiology is capable of withstanding. Are you getting a clearer picture now?"
"...Shit. I liked having this place. Wait a minute, you still haven't told me who you are, or why you're telling me this!"
His vision is overlayed of a woman with long, flowing blonde hair and little patience. "I am Sif, and all you need to know is that is the best interests of both you and I that you evacuate wih all due haste. Time is of the essence, Captain Flowers."
He blinks. In the best interests of "...You mean you're in - hey wait, I'm not Flowers!"
A pause. "This system is registered under the name of one Captain Butch Flowers..."
"Uh yeah, he's dead now. I'm, Lavernius Tucker. Private. First Class. I kinda inherited-" looted "-the armour. I never figured out how to change the ID settings. Y'know."
"I see. It is of little consequence. You know what you have to do. Don't dawdle, Private First Class Lavernius Tucker." She disappears from the HUD before he can finish asking questions.
"Wait! Are you the reason my helmet's been acting up? Where's all my p- ah, fuck."
It's going to be a shitty day, all right. And it's barely even started yet.
But no, the beeping doesn't stop. Burying his head under the pillow does nothing to lessen the noise which seems to increase in volume, frequency and pitch no matter how much he ignores it, so he is forced to slip it on and tell whoever is calling to fuck the hell off. "Hey listen, whatever you're sellin', I'm not-"
"I need you to listen to me very carefully." It's a woman's voice! And it doesn't sound like a telemarketer, so he decides not to hang up quite yet. "Sure, babe. What can I do you for?"
"It is imperative that you leave immediately."
"What, the apartment? Who are you, the landlord? Cos you know, dibs is nine-tenths of the-"
"Not the apartment, the planet itself. Do you have any idea why the city appears to be deserted? It's 3am in the morning. Doesn't it seem too bright outside at this time of day?"
"I just figured y'know, this part of town as going through a slump." He steps up to look out the window. The sun was brighter than the last time he looked. And redder. And hotter. "A seasonal thing...?"
"...This solar system's celestial body is going through some radical changes. Within twenty-four hours the atmospheric temperature will reach levels beyond what your physiology is capable of withstanding. Are you getting a clearer picture now?"
"...Shit. I liked having this place. Wait a minute, you still haven't told me who you are, or why you're telling me this!"
His vision is overlayed of a woman with long, flowing blonde hair and little patience. "I am Sif, and all you need to know is that is the best interests of both you and I that you evacuate wih all due haste. Time is of the essence, Captain Flowers."
He blinks. In the best interests of "...You mean you're in - hey wait, I'm not Flowers!"
A pause. "This system is registered under the name of one Captain Butch Flowers..."
"Uh yeah, he's dead now. I'm, Lavernius Tucker. Private. First Class. I kinda inherited-" looted "-the armour. I never figured out how to change the ID settings. Y'know."
"I see. It is of little consequence. You know what you have to do. Don't dawdle, Private First Class Lavernius Tucker." She disappears from the HUD before he can finish asking questions.
"Wait! Are you the reason my helmet's been acting up? Where's all my p- ah, fuck."
It's going to be a shitty day, all right. And it's barely even started yet.