Stairway to Heaven
Behold, The shitty guilty-pleasure York Lives AU I've been working on. For the sake of my headcanons, York's and Carolina's names have been changed to Michael McLovin and Camille Church. Try not to vomit too much. Narrators are color coded.
Tried to go back. Made a complete ass of myself. Bad memories..good memories, just. MEMORIES MAN! I..he’s dead, I know. I’ve seen a lot of death, this one shouldn’t be anything new. It.it’s just. I..goddammit. Why is this so hard!
L’s been weird. I mean, he’s always kinda weird, but UNUSUALLY weird. Gone from a man of a few words, so absolutely nothing. Kinda hard to work with someone if you can’t communicate with them..
Guess I don’t have enough shit on my plate. Maybe too much faith in them. No matter what the hell I do, things always turn to shit! And it’s not like L’s OF ANY DAMN HELP, HE WOULD BE IF HE DIDN’T JUST STARE AT ME. I DON’T KNOW WHY I’M EVEN DOING THIS ANYMORE! THIS IS HIGH-CALIBER BULLSHIT, MAN!
Running low on the basics. It’s a lot harder and a lot more expensive to manage for 400 people. A stop will set us back two days at the very least. Hoping that nothing TOO exciting happens before we get there. I hope this guy’s got patience.
No word yet on my new friends’ whereabouts, or L’s for that matter. They could be dead already, or captured or whatever. I’ve considered all options. You think L would have brought me them by now, or at least, have given me an update.
I can cross something off of my list. I went to a Heritage concert last week. The Rule in Hell needed supplies anyway. I never realized how awful they were until now. Pfft. I remember when I couldn’t stop singing Tidal Wave. McLovin and the Threshers never let me live that one down.
It’s been seven years, eight months, and five days, still another sleepless night.
Heard something outside my room last night. Opened up the door, and, I don’t recall leaving a shell there.
This log is such bullshit.
I swear, someone’s been in my room while I was out. The necklace is missing. You know, he’d give my shit about it. This shit’s getting to my head.
Found Project gear near their camp. Took my about three hours to get rid of all of it. This isn’t the first time . Found another cache in the valley last week. Can’t guess what they wanted with it. Nothing good, I presume. Nothing good comes from the project.
I can’t believe it. I just, it’s beyond me. You lying bastard, D! You’re lucky that you’re outta my head. I just…unbelievable. Camille, alive, on the newsfeeds. CC ? Who are kidding? Come on, Camille!
Camille’s gonna be pissed. Her buddies put up quite the fight. That damn smuggler was helping them out. I’ve got this feeling that I’m gonna have a lot more than one thorn at my side. Only got three. Yeah..Camille’s gonna have my head.
Let’s see, where do I begin. Three years ago, I didn’t even know you were alive. I was still recovering back then. A fuckload of surgery, comp barely covered it. Two years ago, I had no idea where to look. Gotta hand it to you, ya really nailed droppin’ off the grid. May I….
WHAT THE FUCK
Still can’t work up the nerve to say anything. She’d call me a dumb shit for it. She probably will when I get around to it. Maybe worse…
Sometimes, I hear screaming down the hall. It keeps me up at night…
My old lighter, hehe rest it’s fiery soul, has finally failed me. Maybe I’ll keep it, maybe I won’t.
Leg’s bothering me again. Couldn’t tell you why. Thought it had a pattern to it. Guess I was wrong. Hell of a day, today. Skimmed the databases again. Expecting to leave empty-handed, as usual. You won’t believe who’s looking for help. I guess pride dies hard.
They’re planning something big. A shipment came in yesterday. New tech, untested, and in high quantity. If experience is a guage, maybe I won’t be so damned bored in the coming days.
My guy got here an hour ago. Didn't show me his face over vid, still won't do it now. I've still got this, weird feeling about him. Maybe I should've hired someone else . Eh, if he'll get me the sim soldiers, guess it doesn't matter. Still , I should keep my guard up. Usually, my instinct is right about these kinda things.
Sent L to the prisons. The captives are unusually quiet about something. All we have to go on is some cryptic shit. "We are the ascendent. Freedom reigns! " That's it. Can't make heads or tails of this bullshit. Eh, not my problem. L's problem now. That's what he's getting paid for.
Have to give L a raise . We got something, something substantial. Actual, solid information. They're in the valley. In Corinth. Divided themselves by color again. Hrmph, figures. Only a matter of time. We get there before "the ascendent" we might stand a chance.
I tried to talk to L. Not about business, just small talk . Lifting the tension, giving myself peace of mind. The guy's like Maine . He only goes one word at a time. Unusual, you think He might wanna at least say more than a few words to the person paying him.
We'll be landing tomorrow. All necessary preparations have been made. I just did inventory. The only thing out of place is my bo staff, for obvious reasons. We're good on supplies. And we will be for a while if I can get Rodriguez to take shorter showers. Or leave him at the nearest waystation , either way works for me. Local government wants me to work with them. I'd prefer to do this myself. Hell, I wasn't even planning to bring the crew. Fuck man, they're just gonna be dead weight.
All the fucking hot water's gone and I think I know who's fault it is, sort of. I managed to trace the energy consumption to the showers on deck 5 . Trust me, in a perfect world, they'de be jettisoned with the waste. But, seeing as I still need them, hem, how shall I go about doing this. Hrm. Yeah
« ATTENTION LEVEL FIVE PERSONNEL. DO TO, ERM, RECENT SHORTAGES. ALL OCCUPANTS OF LEVEL FIVE, STAFF INCLUDED, ARE RESTRICTED FROM THE WASHROOM UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. »
So I walk to my quarters for the night and I find L standing outside the door. He didn't say anything. He just kinda stood there like a lost dog. I wish I could say that I knew what he wanted, but he never takes his goddamn helmet off! I had to shove him outta the way for him to get the message. He's scaring me. It's gotten to the point where I keep a weapon under the bed. I , that's all I've got for today.
Journal entry.. I don't know anymore. It's been so long. We managed to recover four. As far as I've heard, the others put up one helluva fight. I would say that it was unexpected... but they seem to specialize in that. The four will be hear soon. I hope he didn't rough them up too much. I need their trust if we're really gonna do this .
Three months. It feels like a lifetime. Thank god the Othello government still checks on the old guardhouse. Woulda been screwed if they didn't. Fuck , woulda been worm food . Had to lie to the doctors, nothing new. I'm used to running. But the way my leg's fared, might have to get used to walking. Did I tell you. Funniest thing. I was really thirsty when I woke up, and guess what I drank. Chai coffee, Camille woulda been proud.
They won't let me walk yet. Got mad at for recording too. If they knew who I was....hehe, if. The chai coffee incident, as expected, didn't go well . Trust me, if I wasn't on a thousand different pain drugs, wouldn't have tried it. The doctors told me 'bout it. Told me they tried to get me to stop, said it gave 'em a laugh. Guess I've still got it.
New home's finally ready. Took them long enough. Maybe it was the bioscanner. I've only seen those on medical transport. A private ship's far from it. Just gotta get supplies and then the Paradisio and I are ready to go. Name wasn't my idea, it was the previous owners's . Nothing heavenly about a flying broom closet .
Searched the databases. Still no luck. Figures. I didn't wanna be found either. After the shit with the Project, I'm guessing, minimum twenty years jail time. But what she's doing, this goes beyond hiding from the cops. Saw her on the news, then that was it. No aliases , no pictures, nothing! Like she doesn't even exist. If there was just...someone else . Just one more survivor, that's it....
I hate my job. It keeps the Paradisio flying, keeps food on the table, but its. Being part of the Project was one thing. Didn't have to question what I did, that was my superiors' job. But doing what I do now, KNOWING what I do now, that's a whole other can of worms. It....it makes me sick what I have to do. Like, like today. It's basically gang warfare here. But my client, he offered me something. Something rare, more valuable the ship maintenance, more then money for the medicine. Info. He said, he says he knew where SHE was.....
Medicine's really fucking expensive. It's ridiculous, I could fix my ship's plumbing for what these pain meds cost. It's worth it, I guess. Can't really function without my sleep. The business I've gotten into, well, I can't really afford any more fuck-ups.
I'm gonna see her in an hour, but, I dunno. I , I can't. Not yet at least. I mean, it's her, it's Camille, but it's also a client. If this were anyone else....
I tried to speak to Camille. I couldn't really get words to come outta my mouth. It's weird how I act when she's around. Never used to be this way. I even back then, I could keep my cool. I mean, one day , I'm gonna have to tell her. Can't hide forever.
In hindsight, this wasn't my best idea, or my smartest. Let me tell ya, my ribs and my shin are NOT gonna forgive me. But, it was necessary. And I must admit, a little fun. Gotta tell ya, the look on her face. Ah, priceless. But, it's weird too. Here I am, having waited seven years for this , and I'm holed up in my quarters, audio-logging it. What am I doing? Hrm. Well, eh, guess I should go back outside. This is the Legendary Michael McLovin , signing off .
2:
What the Fuck! You could said something you dick! It's been seven damn years and all you give me is an "uh huh, okay." " What the hell happened to you? Where's the MICHAEL in you ? Eh eh. Hehehe. You wanna know where "Michael "went? You wanna know where, YOUR MICHAEL WENT?!? HE DIED. HE, HE DIED THREE YEARS AGO ON DELPHI. HE WAITED FOR THE LONGEST DAMN TIME. YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT PATIENCE GOT HIM?!? TWO IN COLLARBONE, FIVE IN THE LEG. HE WAS COLD AND ALONE AND BLEEDING OUT . MICHAEL'S DEAD CAMILLE, NOW ITS JUST ME.
3.
A weapon never left her side. Since her experience with the Project, Camille had made of habit of carrying a pistol in her pocket. Even when she slept, a harming implement was always close at hand. Since her father's death , she'd tried to vanquish that habit, but since L's strange behaviour, she'd taken it up again . Camille creeps closer to her quarters, listening to the strange voice emanating from the door. The door is thick enough to mask the voice's words, but not it's features. It is male, with a warm sticky tone reminiscent of the taste of spiced rum. Before Camille can analyze her decision, the door is already open, the muzzle of her pistol is hot, and the man lies dead at her feet. Camille dashes toward the body, eager to behold the face of her potential assassin. When she flips him over, the gun falls from her hand. His face , the muddy-colored hair, the eye, long since pearlized by blindness, the scars like serpents running down his cheekbone, and the stupid grin the ran ear to ear. Michael, her triumph, her partner of the heart . Michael, survivor of the onslaught, traveler, wanderer of space. Michael, fallen.
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