"Can't keep my hands to myself.."
I heard her sing again. We had both agreed that we'd leave by dawn, and I had been ready for at least fifteen minutes. She was seriously taking her sweet time. Nonetheless.. The woman sure did have a voice. It could be worse, I suppose.
She walked into the area I was in, a makeshift room with torn blankets and scattered gear laying around. I was wearing a small, light jacket with some trusty blue jeans and boots. That little robot, Becky, literally made this out of thin air for me. Baffling, honestly, but the fact that I was about to go on an adventure with a happy-go-lucky woman parading around in robes was even more baffling.
"Lyra.." I called out, wondering if she was ready yet. I was anxious to leave. I was anxious for answers. But she continued to pay me no mind as she sung sweetly again, moving at her own pace.
"Think I'll dust 'em off, put 'em back up on the shelf~" She walked over to a corner and picked up a heavy looking rifle with an advanced looking scope and an even heavier looking pistol. A magnum, of some sort.
"Lyra..." I called out to her again. No response. It was like she was purposefully ignoring me. She inspected her weapons, loading them and inspecting them dubiously, though her effort seem to be more into her singing.
"In case my little baby girl is in need.." She sang, cocking out the chamber of her pistol and giving it a quick spin. She took that and slid the pistol into the waist of her robes and started on the rifle. "Am I coming out of left field~?"
She looked up at me and met my impatient gaze. I didn't say a word, I figured my expression would get my point across just fine.
But obviously not.
She smiled, oblivious to my annoyed mood. And she continued singing, as if to mock me.
[i]"Oooh, I'm a rebel just for kicks, now! I've been feeling it since 1966, now! Might be over now, but I feel it still.."[/i]
Becky, her ghost, flew over to her face. "Lyra, you always have had such a beautiful voice!"
She blushed. "Ooh, thank you, sweetheart! You think so?"
"I know so." Becky responded.
I sighed. "Lyra. Could you please.."
Lyra looked up at me, while also getting up. "Please what.. Uh.. Erm.." She stuttered. "Did I ever get your name? Becky, did you..?"
"It's Coleman. Dominic Coleman," I crossed my arms, as Lyra skipped over to me.
"Well, nice to meet you, Mr. Coleman! I am Lyra, a warlock, and this is my ghost, Becky!" She smiled brightly.
"I.. I know. You told me that, already." I said, trying my damndest to not be rude at her ignorance.
She raised an eyebrow. "Oh. Right, right. Okay, well, Mr. Coleman are- wait, hold on. That's a mouthful. Can I just call you something else?" She blinked. How had she survived out here so long? She was embarrassingly.. Ditzy. But I played along.
"You can call me whatever the hell you want, as long as you help me find what I'm looking for."
"Okay. I'll call you dumbass." Lyra giggled. She thought she was cute.
"No. You're not funny." I spat.
"Becky thinks I am. Not as funny as her though, you should hear her puns! Okay, how about.. Cole?" She said, poking my chest.
I sighed. "Cole sounds fine. Now, please, I really can't wait a second longer," I said, walking and grabbing a rifle. A Khovostov, one's who's mechanisms never falter against the test of time.
"Me neither! Becky, would you please?"
"Of course! Transmatting you now." Becky said. I had no idea what that meant.
"Transmatting? What do y- AHHHHHHHHHHHH -blam!-!" I screamed, and in an instant, I was sitting in the passenger side of a vehicle, right next to Lyra. She was sitting up right, and I was on my head.
I quickly adjusted myself and was breathing heavily. "Lyra, what the HELL-"
"Shhh, calm down. You're in the ship, we're heading deeper into Russia. Ever heard of the old cosmodrome?" She smiled again. That same smile.
"Yeah, I have heard of that place that is literally the most useless place on the planet. Why are we going there?" I said back.
"There are a bunch of colony ships there. Colony ships means that somewhere in that dump, there has to be a few old terminals detailing outposts and what not. That, and I'm sure there are survivors that pass through to get supplies. I need to help everyone I can, and [i]you[/i] may find a lead on your little girl. Maybe."
"Ha, say no more. Any lead is a good lead." I smiled. Maybe this would work in my favor.
A few minutes passed by, and I was once again teleported by Becky outside of the ship and outside of the Cosmodrome's walls.
I landed on my ass and Lyra landed on her feet. I groaned.
"Hey, Becky, umm.. Please warn me next time, okay? Thanks." I say, sarcastically but also in pain.
I scrambled up and looked up in awe. "It's a shame.. Place like this, bet it was a sight to see in it's hey day."
"Yeah, I bet.. Come on, let's get a move on." Lyra said, drawing her pistol. I followed her lead.
In the distance, we head an ominous roar like screech.
"Yeah, and that sounds like our cue!" Becky said. I was confused.
"Wolves?" I asked.
"Heh, I wish. Come on, quickly! Into the wall!"
I asked no more questions and followed the "warlock" deep into the complex. We walked until it became increasingly dark, that is, until Becky illuminated herself.
"Thanks, love," Lyra said to her. We approached a metal gate, and I squatted down to lift it. Lyra and Becky went it under it, and I followed after them, dropping it back.
"Is something trailing us?" I asked her.
"Probably. Here, take this." Lyra handed me her very large pistol, and I almost dropped it from the sheer weight.
"I.. Ergh.. I already have a gun." I spoke, grunting.
"That one will hit a lot harder than that old timer. Just put it down, that hand cannon will be all you need, trust me." Lyra said, walking deeper into the complex, down some steps.
I shrugged and took her word for it. I slid the hand cannon onto my waist and sat my Khvostov upright onto a structure. I followed Lyra's lead, leaving my old gun there in the dark.
And it waited.
-
But that old Khvostov's journey wasn't over just yet, was it? Nice work, as always.