This story was created with Twine and is powered by TiddlyWiki.

[[Fight fire with fire, they said.|f2]]

[[Really though, the Heat wasn’t cut out to fan the flames.|f3]]

[[It didn’t take long for them to extinguish what little remained of the passion the job had once kindled.|11]]

[[Like one of those big statues from the pictures of old world.|g25]]

[[His ship’s a thumbnail now, hot on the heels of the young moon.|see you]]

[[Clambering back into the cockpit, he moved with a resignation that comes with more than just age.|h3]]

[[He must have caused quite a stir though, given what they’re offering.|h4]]

[[The venom behind that sneer from the photo had clearly lost his luster.|h2]]

[[They never do stray too far when they get into a funk like that.|h7]]

[[If not, there’s always another close behind.|moons]]

[[Would take me years to pull in that kind of money, the way business is these days.|h5]]

[[In any case, he’ll be back.|h6]]

<<silently>>\n<<set $bad_ending = 0>>\n<<set $good_ending = 0>>\n<<endsilently>>[[How High the Moon|0.5]]

<<silently>>\n<<set $bad_ending = $bad_ending + 1>>\n<<endsilently>>[[To keep on like that, each and every night must be exhausting.|a2]]

[[At present, its a mere trickle on the hills, the whole length of the runway separating them.|4]]

.passage {\nfont-style: italic;\n}

[[Best not find out.|11]]

[[Would Velma finally give up the chase without the encouragement of those whispy smoke signals, the only outward recognition of her plight in this god forsaken wasteland?|d2]]

<<if $good_ending gt $bad_ending>>[[By the look of him then, he seems like the type who’d have trouble deciding which foot to start walking on.|g1]]\n<<else>><<silently>>\n<<endsilently>>[[It was his eyes that looked the most different.|h1]]<<endif>>\n

[[Always emphatic, no matter the shit that’s going on below.|g3]]

[[Might be best to head off.|21]]

[[That was him alright.|22]]

[[The way he clocked me in an instant - guy like that’s used to keeping his head down.|23]]

<<silently>>\n<<set $good_ending = $good_ending + 1>>\n<<endsilently>>[[Every drag reverberates with the pounding of bass drum, shocking the nerves into a fresh spasm of delight.|e1]]

[[Done with the repairs, the droid has rolled back into its kennel under the charge station.|14]]

.passage a {\ncolor: white;\nfont-size: 80px;\nmargin-left: 20px;\nmargin-right: auto;\nfont-family: "Georgia";\n}\n.passage a:hover {\ncolor: white;\n}

.passage a {\ncolor: #262626;\n}\n.passage a:hover {\ncolor: white;\n}

[[Out here, she makes the night her own, her violet aura dowsing every blade of grass and inch of asphalt.|2]]

[[She seems agitated.]]\n\n[[She seems calm.]]

[[Even this far from the city, few are familiar with her deliberate gait.|2b]]

[[Other traffic round here is scarce, especially since the plantations were abandoned.|6]]

[[You can’t spend much time travelling at this hour without beginning to rely on Velma’s company.|5]]

[[Velma though - you could always count on her.|8]]

[[Even back when you could set a watch to the rainfall, sentient pilots were a novelty and one best avoided.|7]]

[[When she shows up, you know time’s getting on.|10]]

How High the Moon

[[The last of the green light is just visible between the reeds, the power lines above measuring Velma’s gradual approach. |1]]

[[The shifts were always long after they started putting out the bounties, but never as long as that first swig at quitting time.|f1]]

[[Time to get going.]]\n\n[[Might as well get going.]]

[[Would take me years to pull in that kind of money, the way buisiness is these days.|g6]]

[[Must be doing something right anyway, given what they’re offering.|g5]]

[[He looked older, sure, but better for it.|g4]]

[[Climbing into that ship just now though, there was a real certainty about him.|statues]]

[[Frantic looking, a real deer in the headlights type of situation.|g2]]

<<silently>>\n<<set $good_ending = $good_ending + 1>>\n<<endsilently>>[[Done with the repairs, the droid has rolled back into its kennel under the charge station.|14]]

<<silently>>\n<<set $bad_ending = $bad_ending + 1>>\n<<endsilently>>[[A crunch of dead foliage accompanies each step back to the docking area, the only interruption in the ship’s interminable thrum.|12]]

<<silently>>\n<<set $good_ending = $good_ending + 1>>\n<<endsilently>>[[Try as it might, the daylight will never catch up on her.|b2]]

[[Last of the packet too.|c1]]

[[What’s more, the daylight seeping around the hills at the other side of the runway shows no sign of fatigue.|4]]

[[The hue of her reflection across the runway's surface is unmistakable.|9]]

[[It keeps the day ticking over, driving forward the hours.]]\n\n[[It keeps you on your toes, keeps you wanting.]]

[[Smoking is like a metronome.|c2]]

[[It’s a different kind of charge that you get out here, but no less powerful than those on countless nights in the tunnels.|e2]]

[[Sure as a pair of moons.|see you]]

body {\n\tbackground: black;\n\tcolor: white\n}\n\n.passage {\nbackground: black;\nwidth: 800px;\nfont-size: 30px;\nmargin-left: auto;\nmargin-right: auto;\n}\n.passage .title {\ndisplay: none;\n}\n.passage:not(:last-child) {\ndisplay: none;\n}\n#floater {\ndisplay: none;\n}\n#footer {\ndisplay: none;\n}\n.passage a {\ncolor: white;\nfont-weight: normal;\n}\n.passage a:hover {\ncolor: white;\ntext-decoration: none;\n}\n\n\n\n\n\n

[[Days spent undercover bled naturally into nights amongst the crowds, bending as one to beat after beat.|e3]]

[[As long as there was a record playing, you could stay awake for an eternity.|11]]

[[The cigarette is almost out.]]\n\n[[The bottle is almost empty.]]

[[Who know's if it'll start again?]]\n\n[[You never know when you’ll need to leave in a hurry.]]\n\n[[There’s always somewhere else to be.]]

[[It's best to leave the engine running like that.|13]]

[[Every time it seems to creep a little higher, so incremental that most folks likely turn a blind eye - that is, if they even notice.|16]]

[[The display above rates the ship’s integrity level at a healthy 4 bars, but the price blinking next to it is far from reassuring.|15]]

[[The old guy inside shifts in his seat a little, trying to mask a quick glance towards the ship.|18]]

[[The lights are on inside the service booth across the way.|17]]

[[At least those types are just as eager to leave the past behind.|20]]

[[His eyes are suspicious, but in a perplexed sort of way; the kind of expression you see when you realise you’ve just walked into a room full of people you once put behind bars.|19]]

[[Picture on the broadcast must be a couple of years old though.|24]]

<<silently>>\n<<set $bad_ending = $bad_ending + 1>>\n<<endsilently>>[[What might the world look like without another cigarette?|d1]]

<<silently>>\n<<set $bad_ending = $bad_ending + 1>>\n<<endsilently>>[[Done with the repairs, the droid has rolled back into its kennel under the charge station.|14]]

[[Though never in danger of treading on her sister’s green coattails, Velma strides briskly, wary of the spray playing at her ankles from morning’s caustic surf.|3]]

Anonymous

See you space cowboy...

<<silently>>\n<<set $good_ending = $good_ending + 1>>\n<<endsilently>>[[A crunch of dead foliage accompanies each step back to the docking area, the only interruption in the ship’s interminable thrum.|12]]