Saturday, September 24, 2011

Saturday Centus

This week we are given more words -- 150 of 'em -- but we are limited to dialog only, which is always a fun approach to storytelling. I've got Firefly on the brain lately, so here's something that could happen in the 'Verse. A bit macabre, I know, but I've done the chipper thing a lot lately. I'm a couple words over the limit, but what can I say, I'm a rule-breaker by nature.

"This is the Captain. All lifepods have been jettisoned at full capacity, so twelve hundred of our passengers and crew will live. For you six hundred who have chosen to remain on the ship, I must inform you that we expect our oxygen reserves to reach zero in approximately fifty-seven minutes. May God have mercy on all our souls."

"Alright, then. Less than an hour to live."

"Hadda die sometime. Gotta love these old rustbucket spaceliners, huh?"

"Helluva way to go."

"Nah. I'll kill you before we run out of air."

"What?!"

"You wanna die gaspin', tryin' to breathe? Gimme a blaster to the brainpan any day over that. One for you and then one for me."

"Thanks."

"Call it a last birthday present. Hey, bar bot!"

"Are you seriously ordering another martini?"

"Wanna die sober?"

"Don't wanna die at all."

"Yeah, well, that ain't in the cards. Dyin' in the black ain't so bad, though."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Cheers."



12 comments:

Judie said...

This is obviously not the Starship Enterprise! Hahahaha! Great take on the prompt!!!

Nonna said...

Very well written !!! So who is doing the dialogue ? Zoe and Mal ? Or Jane and Mal ??? ( I'm a big fan of the show too )

I went over a bunch and broke some rules too
Again, I knew it was you by the title of your story...Once I get that "Firefly" theme song in my head, it takes days to get it out...it's back, thanks a heap...LOL !

Unknown said...

Wow. This was an unusual take on the prompt.
But why not? It's only Sci-fi.
Well done.
Best wishes,
Anna
Anna's SC wk 73'Lunch with B&V'

Viki said...

If ya gotta go sounds like the right way to do it, ha.

To the Toy Box and Beyond said...

great post very creative. good to see the captain is going down with the ship I would not have wanted to stay on the ship. Put me in a lifepod and Ill take my chances there

Sharon said...

Nice take on the prompt! We're Trekkies so this one surprised and delighted me even if it is on a dark topic.

21 Wits said...

Oh such great stuff, gimme a blaster to the brainpan...very nicely done! Just love the dialogue form hope we do this again sometime!

Kat said...

Great use of the prompt! never thought about martinis in space, but if I was hurtling through the galaxy in a tin can I can see the importance of alcohol LOL.

Belladonna said...

Having just recently listened to the audio book "The Illustrated Man" by Ray Bradbury I've been giving some thought to what I would do if I knew without question I would be dying within the next hour or day (a couple of the tales in the collection go that direction...) We all know we will die, but the mystery about it is what makes the dance in the mean time intriguing.

Dazee Dreamer said...

loved it. and I'm with you. I would rather be dying drunk on that spacepod than going full force sober. Great job. You make sci-fy actually fun to read.

Deborah said...

Uniquely done as always, wonderful! :o)

Jenny said...

I wonder if they know how to make fruity, yummy drinks on that death trap?

I might have to die sober if I had to down a martini!

This was great!