This, if you'll recall, began here, and continued on Day 9.
***
"Pay?" The word was out of her mouth before she could stop it, and Nia cursed herself. If the man wanted to pay her, let him. He didn't have to know she would have fixed the droid for free.
"Yes, you silly girl. How much? Five credits? Ten?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a purse which clinked in his hand.
Nia bristled. What did he take her for? All she'd done was fix a loose connection, and she wasn't just another sleazy mechanic who robbed anyone in sight. "Two credits," she said, sticking out her chin.
The man stopped counting coins in his hand and appraised her again. His brows furrowed, and as he squinted at her she felt as if she was a Herlon desert beetle pinned to a display.
"You are a droid mechanic?"
She nodded, wondering where this was going. Wasn't that fact obvious?
"Would you like a job?"
The question was so unexpected Nia could only gape.
"I am a merchant and I own several ships," he explained impatiently. "One that is here for a few days is in need of a mechanic to repair the droids on board and keep them in good condition."
Nia grasped for something to say. A job! On a ship, no less! She didn't like this man, but if he owned the ships he certainly wouldn't be flying them. Just thinking of all the places a merchant vessel would visit made her dizzy.
"Yes!" The little hover droid beeped happily and she grinned at it.
The man abruptly turned on his heel. "This way then," he said, calling over his shoulder. "Quickly, now. I haven't got all day, you know."
Nia trotted after him, still too pleased with her luck to feel annoyed at his brisk manner.
***
Well, something's better than nothing, I suppose. I got a bit distracted today by a library book, Making Comics. A lot of it was more geared towards artists, but there was a chapter on writing. Much of the other stuff is helpful, too, since it teaches you how to think visually and imagine how best to write a story for an artist to illustrate it. Funfun. ^_^
Showing posts with label droids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label droids. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Day 17
I thought I'd write a bit of a scene that comes later on in my droid story; I'm a bit too tired for the novel idea or the werewolf story. I'm not so attached to this story, so I don't mind messing it up. :)
***
The door slid shut behind Nia and she collapsed on the bunk. The cabin was small; standing with her hands outstretched, her palms would probably lie flat against the metal walls. There was a little storage under the bunk, consisting of several metal boxes with latches, but apart from that the room was bare.
She shook her head to clear it and grabbed her pack. Turning it upside down she dumped its contents out onto the bed. Along with her cloth roll of tools were a few changes of clothes, a small purse that clinked as it fell, a notebook, a pen, and a small metal box that she picked up. It fit into the palm in her hand and a closer look revealed it to be made of nothing more than different bits of scrap metal. Nia turned it over and pressed a piece before setting it on the ground.
***
Ooo, not much today. Ah well. Must sleep now. ^_^
***
The door slid shut behind Nia and she collapsed on the bunk. The cabin was small; standing with her hands outstretched, her palms would probably lie flat against the metal walls. There was a little storage under the bunk, consisting of several metal boxes with latches, but apart from that the room was bare.
She shook her head to clear it and grabbed her pack. Turning it upside down she dumped its contents out onto the bed. Along with her cloth roll of tools were a few changes of clothes, a small purse that clinked as it fell, a notebook, a pen, and a small metal box that she picked up. It fit into the palm in her hand and a closer look revealed it to be made of nothing more than different bits of scrap metal. Nia turned it over and pressed a piece before setting it on the ground.
***
Ooo, not much today. Ah well. Must sleep now. ^_^
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Day 9
Continued from yesterday. It wasn't exactly going anywhere fast, but I thought I might see where it takes me. That, and I'm too tired to think of anything new. ^_^
***
Mertel might have had fancies of "doing what he loved" and "getting off this rock," but look what that had got him. Nothing but disappointment.
Nia shifted the pack on her shoulder and turned to leave. She found herself face to face with metal rimmed eyes, and she yelped in surprise. The eyes turned towards her and she realized they were lenses. A questioning series of beeps made her smile in relief.
"Hello, little one. Who do you belong to?"
It was a spherical droid, hovering off the ground at eye level. His metal casing gleamed brightly, but his eyes were strangely dark. It moved hesitantly through the air, nearly running into her head before backing off.
"Oh, you poor thing! Is is your optical sensors? They don't look like they're working properly."
He beeped in affirmative.
"Do you mind?" She reached out a hand and was rewarded with friendly chatter. "Here, let me take a look."
Carefully Nia grabbed hold of him and looked for the access panel. "Hold on," she said, reaching for her pack as she sat down on the ground, legs crossed comfortably. Out of the pack she took a cloth roll, which she opened to reveal her tools. She let her hand hover over them for a moment before picking a screwdriver of the right size.
"There we go. Now, for the access panel—" Once it was unscrewed, she gently lifted the curved metal panel and peered inside. "There you are; it's just a loose connection. I can connect it easily enough, but you'll have to power down, I'm afraid. It wouldn't be very safe, otherwise."
The droid, which had stayed quiet throughout the process, chirped and then turned itself off. Nia reconnected the wire, and was replacing the panel when her concentration was interrupted.
"Just what do you think you're doing with my droid?"
Nia looked up into the face of a middle aged man, whose current expression, complete with red-faced indignation, could only be described as irate.
"I'm—I'm so sorry, sir! Here!" She thrust the droid into his hands and stood, ready to flee. "I didn't do nothing to it, sir." Maybe if he thought her slow, maybe he'd let her go.
He glanced suspiciously at her for a moment before inspecting the droid. He pressed the hidden power button, and it hummed to life, beeping cheerfully. The man's eyebrows rose, and he turned his gaze back to Nia. He was looking at her much more closely now, and his calculating gaze was making her nervous.
"You fixed it."
"I dunno what you're talking 'bout, sir. I didn't do nothing." Nia scuffed her foot in the dirt and looked at the ground, twisting her hands in her skirts.
"That won't fool me, girl. How much do you charge normally? I won't pay more because you're pretending to be slow."
"Pay?" The word was out of her mouth before she could stop it, and Nia cursed herself. If the man wanted to pay her, let him. He didn't have to know she would have fixed the droid for free.
***
[Edit: Continued here.]
***
Mertel might have had fancies of "doing what he loved" and "getting off this rock," but look what that had got him. Nothing but disappointment.
Nia shifted the pack on her shoulder and turned to leave. She found herself face to face with metal rimmed eyes, and she yelped in surprise. The eyes turned towards her and she realized they were lenses. A questioning series of beeps made her smile in relief.
"Hello, little one. Who do you belong to?"
It was a spherical droid, hovering off the ground at eye level. His metal casing gleamed brightly, but his eyes were strangely dark. It moved hesitantly through the air, nearly running into her head before backing off.
"Oh, you poor thing! Is is your optical sensors? They don't look like they're working properly."
He beeped in affirmative.
"Do you mind?" She reached out a hand and was rewarded with friendly chatter. "Here, let me take a look."
Carefully Nia grabbed hold of him and looked for the access panel. "Hold on," she said, reaching for her pack as she sat down on the ground, legs crossed comfortably. Out of the pack she took a cloth roll, which she opened to reveal her tools. She let her hand hover over them for a moment before picking a screwdriver of the right size.
"There we go. Now, for the access panel—" Once it was unscrewed, she gently lifted the curved metal panel and peered inside. "There you are; it's just a loose connection. I can connect it easily enough, but you'll have to power down, I'm afraid. It wouldn't be very safe, otherwise."
The droid, which had stayed quiet throughout the process, chirped and then turned itself off. Nia reconnected the wire, and was replacing the panel when her concentration was interrupted.
"Just what do you think you're doing with my droid?"
Nia looked up into the face of a middle aged man, whose current expression, complete with red-faced indignation, could only be described as irate.
"I'm—I'm so sorry, sir! Here!" She thrust the droid into his hands and stood, ready to flee. "I didn't do nothing to it, sir." Maybe if he thought her slow, maybe he'd let her go.
He glanced suspiciously at her for a moment before inspecting the droid. He pressed the hidden power button, and it hummed to life, beeping cheerfully. The man's eyebrows rose, and he turned his gaze back to Nia. He was looking at her much more closely now, and his calculating gaze was making her nervous.
"You fixed it."
"I dunno what you're talking 'bout, sir. I didn't do nothing." Nia scuffed her foot in the dirt and looked at the ground, twisting her hands in her skirts.
"That won't fool me, girl. How much do you charge normally? I won't pay more because you're pretending to be slow."
"Pay?" The word was out of her mouth before she could stop it, and Nia cursed herself. If the man wanted to pay her, let him. He didn't have to know she would have fixed the droid for free.
***
[Edit: Continued here.]
Monday, June 16, 2008
Day 8
Don't think I'll get two "days" up today. Ah well; I think as long as I don't miss any more days I'll be all right.
This isn't very long, and I'm not sure how much I'm making sense at this time of night, but no matter. I have a feeling this could be loosely termed as Star Wars fanfiction, but as I'm not consciously using any terms or concepts from the series, save "droids," I think I may be all right.
A rough draft, as per usual.
***
Herlon was the largest city Nia had ever stepped foot in. As the only spaceport in the outerlands that wasn't all that surprising; anyone with business in the region had to come through here. And yet, according to Mertel, Herlon was like a small village when compared to the capital.
Standing in the shadow of the ship docks, Nia was having a hard time believing it. How could any place be bigger than this? Tall skyscrapers, glittering in the sunlight, rose so high they were lost in the clouds, and the crowded market streets stretched for blocks in every direction.
Closing her eyes against the barrage, she was assaulted with the smells of hawker stalls, meat cooking on open flames, and the coarse shouts of sellers promoting their wares. Someone bumped her roughly behind and she stumbled, eyes flying open. Nia winced as a particularly enthusiastic vendor let out his shout right next to her ear, and she fled to the dark doorway of an establishment.
It was quieter here, and Nia stopped to catch her breath. Looking up at the sign she saw it was a shop selling droids and she smiled. She tried to peer through the grimy glass, but didn't venture in. She couldn't afford a droid, and the proprietors wouldn't look kindly upon her "skulking" around the shop.
That thought made her frown, but she banished it from her mind. True, she was no thief—she'd come to Herlon for honest work, from whomever would have her—but they wouldn't know that. Never mind that she could fix just about any—
No. Nia shook her head. She wouldn't do this. She was here to take any work she could have. Mertel might have fancies of "doing what he loved" and "getting off this rock," but look what that had got him. Nothing but disappointment.
***
[Edit: Continued on Day 9.]
This isn't very long, and I'm not sure how much I'm making sense at this time of night, but no matter. I have a feeling this could be loosely termed as Star Wars fanfiction, but as I'm not consciously using any terms or concepts from the series, save "droids," I think I may be all right.
A rough draft, as per usual.
***
Herlon was the largest city Nia had ever stepped foot in. As the only spaceport in the outerlands that wasn't all that surprising; anyone with business in the region had to come through here. And yet, according to Mertel, Herlon was like a small village when compared to the capital.
Standing in the shadow of the ship docks, Nia was having a hard time believing it. How could any place be bigger than this? Tall skyscrapers, glittering in the sunlight, rose so high they were lost in the clouds, and the crowded market streets stretched for blocks in every direction.
Closing her eyes against the barrage, she was assaulted with the smells of hawker stalls, meat cooking on open flames, and the coarse shouts of sellers promoting their wares. Someone bumped her roughly behind and she stumbled, eyes flying open. Nia winced as a particularly enthusiastic vendor let out his shout right next to her ear, and she fled to the dark doorway of an establishment.
It was quieter here, and Nia stopped to catch her breath. Looking up at the sign she saw it was a shop selling droids and she smiled. She tried to peer through the grimy glass, but didn't venture in. She couldn't afford a droid, and the proprietors wouldn't look kindly upon her "skulking" around the shop.
That thought made her frown, but she banished it from her mind. True, she was no thief—she'd come to Herlon for honest work, from whomever would have her—but they wouldn't know that. Never mind that she could fix just about any—
No. Nia shook her head. She wouldn't do this. She was here to take any work she could have. Mertel might have fancies of "doing what he loved" and "getting off this rock," but look what that had got him. Nothing but disappointment.
***
[Edit: Continued on Day 9.]
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