Broski wiped excess residue from his uniform. "You sure you ain't going to need none of this", he asked the security officer.
"No", Proteau replied, "I'm generally able to regenerate at least a small portion of my physiology."
"Super", the corporal observed, vainly attempting to flick small drops of Proteau from his fingertips.
Mr. Jeffy looked over at his subordinate. "How are we looking, Hibbard?" "Systems are spiking, sir", the ensign remarked, still stunned that their plan had worked. "Energy indicators
show full restoration of power."
"Excellent", the engineering officer proclaimed triumphantly. He keyed his comm-link. "Engineering to Bridge."
"Transmit, Mr. Jeffy", Schultz responded dispassionately.
"Please advise the Commander that we are ready to proceed."
"Understood, Mr. Jeffy", the science officer conveyed, "I will pass your message on."
Jeffy turned a smug expression on the other assembled crewmen. "Nothing can stop us now."
Broski could swear he smelled chicken...
Meanwhile, Lightnin' Liz stepped slowly away from VanTedly, her index finger caressing the handle of her splazer enticingly. "Well", she chided, "are you gonna draw, er' what?!?"
"No, I'm not", the ensign shot back defiantly. "Violence never solves anything!"
Liz chuckled mirthlessly as she widened her stance and rested her hand on her belt buckle. "Right."
"Wait!!", VanTedly sputtered as his mind raced for a peaceful solution. "I uh...I challenge you to a sudden death match of...uh...Paper, Scissors, Rock!!"
"What the hell're you talkin' about?!?", Liz' asked incredulously. "I been all the way from the Rio Grande to the foothills of the Blackfoot mountains", she declared, "and I ain't never heard
of nothin' like that."
"It's a space thing", the ensign replied, anxious to avoid a confrontation that was destined for tragedy. "You see, on the count of three, we..."
"I ain't got time for all this foolishness", Liz snarled. "Why don't you just shut your dang trap and draw!"
VanTedly sighed. "It doesn't have to end like this." He shifted his weight and stepped away from the wall. "Are you sure you don't want to reconsider?" His voice had taken
on a hollow calmness that Liz found disturbing.
"I ain't yelluh", Lightnin' protested, though some of the fire in her eyes had been replaced by an unfamiliar, cold dread.
"So be it", VanTedly responded vacantly, his eyes mirroring the cool detachment his voice conveyed. Though his hands hung loosely at his sides, he resonated the imminent lethality of a coiled snake.
Liz's eyes narrowed as she reached for her weapon. She felt a sudden flash of heat beneath her fingertips as a beam of energy tore the holster free, and sent it skittering across the floor. Liz looked
up, stunned, and found herself staring at the business end of VanTedly's splazer.
The formerly unbeaten gunfighter made no move to retrieve her weapon, but tilted her head marginally as if seeing something strange for the first time. "Ain't no one ever beat me", she muttered, clearly
awed by the ensign's performance.
"Well there's a first time for everything", VanTedly replied darkly.
"I reckon there is", Liz cooed, eyeing the ensign * appreciatively.
DISCLAIMER: It should be noted that the use of the word "appreciatively" in this context should convey the lustful gawking of sexual attraction, and not the professional attention to detail one would find
in an experienced soldier.
