Time Tickin' Down...

((Ok folks, if you weren't here for the rps, then you can't use the info in this blog. Sorry 'bout that. But you can ask 'round to those in the know. If there's anythin' I missed or made a mistake with let me know so I can fix it.))

Somehow I aughta be more excited.... Well I was. Lookin' out the window of the old lookout tower on the hill, I watched folks movin' by the landin' area.. Watchin' em go in and out the welcome buildin'. "Seems I was worried 'bout askin' the question to Lily. I was... My palms were asweatin'. Told her how I felt and all. I got down on one knee, Asked her to marry me. All she could do was stare at the ring I got her. Big ol' diamond. Got it while I was doin' a little side trip to get some minin' done for Jai. She said she'd be thinkin' on it. She needed time to decide.... Time, I could wait on her. It didn't take too long later b'fore she come screamin' back at me sayin' somethin' 'bout me shrinkin' her down to shove into my heart... Not sure what all got into her to be sayin' that to me.... Got gorram confusin'. Somehow got me riled too. I was feelin' hurt.... Didn't even think to ask her why she got that idea, 'cept she said the Doc said somethin' to her.... I'd have to talk to that doc later"

Settin' down on one of the wood chairs there, thinkin' of what to do. Time was not helpin' over much. "I love Lily. That much I can't get out of my head. We been through a lot together. Then she gone and done somethin' I'm real worried 'bout. She got a new program inside her... Her friend, she says. Somethin' 'bout that program got her to wantin' to scare if not kill some woman by the name of Mercedes Celestalis. The woman worked at NVI, from what I gathered. I been there a few times. Gorram scarifyin'." Rememberin' the place made my spine crawl, even to makin' me shake for a mo. It was gettin' late from the time on the wall.

"Yeah, I was all angered, b'tween Lily all scared of me and me fearin' for Anna, I had to go do somethin'.....Maybe it was all wrong timin' or somethin' not in my karma.... who all knows. Gorram gravity kicked out as I was tryin' to get to one of the datastream consoles. I was needin' info on this Merecedes.... I know Jai said she mighta been involved with organ stealin', and takin' folk from Blackburne 'round the time of the reaver attack... Maybe just maybe.... "My brain pan was startin' to pick up speed. Time sped up while my mind chewed on the info and questions. So many what ifs....... There could be folk still alive from that attack... Maybe even family...... if.....

"When the gravity cut out, it tossed me into the datastream of Necronom.... Don't ask me how I survived. I don't gorram know my own self. From what Kitten said, I was floatin' there nice as you please. I could feel my nerves afirin' and janglin'. It had my brain pan goin' wild. Don't even know how much time passed while I was in there. Don't know what all happened after. I just know I woke up in the clinic at Al Raqis. Kitten and Dylan were there. I got a big feelin' Dylan did some heain' on me too. Nerves were still feelin' like that were on fire for days....."Sighs, watchin' folks head for Firefly's, "When I got up and sat in a chair, I was contacted by.... Not sure how.... By an Ardra drone. It tried to play conscience with me. Not like I don't already have my own demons. But I got to talkin' with it. No one else could hear it but me."

Seemed real strange it wanted to talk to me... But there mighta been somethin' in there..."It said that it was conveinient for Lily to be so acceptin'. That bothered me.... A lot. Then there was info that Barbosa, the feller I had to buy Lily from was plannin' on cheatin' Blue Sun. He sold the contract to Merecedes too.... The huen dahn was playin' a real dangerous game.... But this here drone was tryin' to ask me 'bout free will on top of it all. Got me real bothered. Seems it was tryin' to get me to think mei mei was playin' me for a puppet. Maybe hintin' that Ardra was doin' the same to Lily. But somethin' else.. It said somethin' 'bout the fact Mercedes is not as important as Mindo is to Blue Sun, if somethin' happened......" Gritted my teeth at what they done to all those folk they hyjacked into storage boxes. " Somehow I was gettin' the feelin' I was bein' led down the path to talk to this Mercedes. Don't know if I like it over much. "Yeah, I wanted to do somethin', Wanted to deal a real hurt.... Maybe for all the hurt me and Kitten had to endure.... Time don't always heal everythin'....."

Some folk were headed towards the Bar... Good thing too, "Found a couple more bodies.... Posed and out in the open. Like someone tryin' to make em into some of those fancy sculptures.... Had to seal em b'fore the smell attracted animals into town.... causin' an even bigger ruckus. Don't need no one gettin' mauled while headin' to the market...." Sighin' I rubbed my neck, feelin' all tensed. "Somehow, I ain't even feelin' like myself. Lily wasn't all too right today. She'd been soundin' downright different.... Her gettin' all angered at the doc today and kickin' at doors and such.. That ain't Lily. And the fact that after her tellin' me to get Anna away from her while Ardra was 'round... then today sayin' she wants Anna to meet Ardra. I won't have none of that. Even Anna don't want to be 'round Lily right now either. She been scared enough to tell me "bad machine". At first I didn't get it, but now.... I'm gettin' real worried for Lily. Here eyes even changed.... Gone from yellow to brown. Got me a thinkin' somethin's bein' changed' in her. I just hope Ardra ain't makin' Lily change over... It'll kill her... And that's what I'm fearin' 'bout. But how much time does she have?"

"Got to tell Seana, warn her that her Lily, ain't the same now.... Not like she was... Since Ardra come to stay. More like her takin' over Lily and pushin' her out. Somethin's got to be done, but what?", frownin' I got up from the chair, went on down to the door. "I was startin' to wonder if I'll have to hightail it out somewhere with Anna to keep Lily from findin' her. I made a promise to protect Anna with my life. Her and Lily.... but I don't know what to do for Lily, or how to get Ardra out of her.... It's killin' me as the program changes the woman I love. But I also got a commitment to a little child who's more important then anyone knows. A child who's part of my life. I know I'm goin' to have to make a descission, and time's runnin' out...... I love Lily with all my heart, but Anna's a part of me. She's my little one."

Leavin' the tower, I shut down the lights and walked slowly toward the bar, feelin' the pain inside me with every step. Time is against us right now...... Tickin' away with every step, every breathe.... Every heartbeat.....