A Fatal Slip

Independence Harbor 


 * The land and sea meet uncertainly, salty blue ocean water giving way to thick hummocky estuary mud in a whisper of spent waves. The silt-laden waters of the Washington River snake out of the muck, pouring a fertile brown stain across the ocean. Sea birds with enormous wingspans wheel and cry like calligraphy against the sky. The long light wooden finger of the Independence Docks stretches out through a clear stretch of ocean with several small boats tied along it. It leads to a broad wooden platform of roughly split logs that's set on a patch of relatively dry ground and tethered against the lift of the tide. Upon this are some few wooden sheds and coils of rope, half-repaired boats and sailcloth. Crisp ocean scents struggle for dominance with brown organic decay and the smell of fresh wood.

Jantine is just jumping off the Raven, looks as if he just secured her to the dock.

Solace is stumbling her way from the landing pad. The normally contained Timmiegirl is sobbing silently, chest heaving, tears coursing down her cheeks. She's in the process of fumbling a pulse pistol from her holster, cursing incoherently as it catches.

Jantine looks over at the crying Timmonae, he looks around awkwardly for a moment, scratching the back of his neck, he calls out "You alright, miss?"

Solace flat out ignores the call, pausing long enough to jerk out her pistol and start powering it up. She continues walking towards the water, snuffling between hiccups that now wrack her body. Jantine frowns, moving over a bit closer, but not to intrude "Miss, are you alright?" he asks again. "Do I LOOK all right?!" Comes the furious shriek from the Timmiegirl, as she turns and glares down the man. The weapon finally powered up, she flicks off the safety and raises it to the side of her head. "Do I fucking LOOK all RIGHT to YOU?!"

Jantine steps back slightly "Please ma'am, don't shoot, don't do it!" Jan says, waving his arms with a bit of a fearful look in his eyes as he finally seems to realize just what she's doing.

"Don't really got anything else to say." Solace says, apparently calming down a little. "Sometimes you gotta just get over it and do what you gotta do. Everyone gets to that point, you know. Most people just throttle it down, yeah?" She doesn't remove the gun, but continues wading out into the water, up to her knees now. "Ain't nice to make a mess..."

"Ma'am, no, please, don't!" Jan says, wading partway into the water. He fishes into his pocket, taking a commlink, saying hurriedly into it" This is Corporal Osligoth, there's a woman here down by the docks trying to commit suicide, I can't stop her, I need help!"

"Oh for the...Why do you gotta make such a big deal about this?" Solace says in a voice that comes dangerously close to a whine. "I really don't want this to be a big deal. Can't you just shut up?" She's practically up to her waist now, turning to look at Jantine. It seems that she's really calmed down now, maybe even rational about all of this...

And then she goes to take a step forward, slips on a loose rock, and as she reflexively grasps for any kind of purchase, the gun in her hand goes off, missing the intended target by about six inches. Unfortunately, she still hits close enough for the energy blast to have the same effect, if not exactly how she planned.

Jantine cries out "No!" as the shot goes off "I need a med team, NOW!" Jan screams into the commlink, before throwing it onto shore, he wades out towards the woman as fast as he can go. for action

There isn't that much mess, but there's enough of it, and it's quite obvious that despite what she -may- have been trying to do, be it get attention, or really kill herself, the Timonae succeeded in the latter. for action

Jantine grabs the Timonae's body, beginning to drag it up onto shore. Tears begin to glisten in his eyes as he says, softly "Please don't be dead, please don't be dead" over and over. It doesn't look as if he has much hope about it though.

A few minutes pass before the emergency vehicles arrive on the docks, sirens wailing and lights flashing in the twilight sky. A pair of medical personnel head down towards the shore, waiting by the water's edge for Jantine and Solace.

Jantine brings the body up, a tear does manage to streak down his cheek. He doesn't say a word as he gives the body to the medical personnel.

The personnel unfold the hoverstretcher, placing the body upon it and hovering it up to the docks. It isn't long before they've sealed up the ambulance and it's blaring on its way off into the distance.

Jantine stands there for a moment, watching the ambulance go. As it disappears, he picks up a rock from the shore, throwing it out over the water with a cry of "DAMN IT!" tears are coursing down his face now as he stands by the waters edge, clenching his fists.