Where on Earth is Xacio 555?

[tachyon]

Alarms started to ring inside the c0ckpit. The incoming spacecraft were entering firing range.
"Well I'm not waiting any longer!" Kei says, "Gordy, set us a course for Earth and charge the LDS."
The shuttle turns slightly, orientating itself with the Earth's sun, which from 10 light years away looks like every other star, a small yellow dot.
"Course is set, engines are charged, just gotta press that button on the left. Above the aircon deedley, besides the red whatcha-call-it." Gordon says,
"Ok, everyone hang on to something."
Pressing said button, every prepares themselves for faster than light travel. However something else happens. Something that would have been incredibly funny had people not being trying to kill them.
A pair of plastic rods cut back and forth in semi-circle shapes across the canopy.
"Gordon you colossal idiot, that's the windshield wipers!!"
"Oh, righto, umm, try the lever above your head."
Reaching out with a furry paw Kei flicked the lever, violently. At first nothing happened, then a sound like an electric train speeding up that grew gradually louder. The shuttle began to vibrate, and the noise grew louder. Then it went quiet, for the briefest of moments it appeared as if the drive had failed, but a brilliant flash filled the cabin as everyone was pushed back deeper into their seats. The stars stretched into lines as they went to, and past, the speed of light.
New Eden Space Station
The three figures floated there in space as if it did not bother them that they were in a total vacuum. They wore only long black trenchcoats and black fedoras, their eyes hidden behind mirrored glasses, nothing to protect them from the environment. And yet they were very much alive, in their own way. They watched the ship they had been obsevering disappear in a flash of light. The being on the left pulled out a commlink and held it out to the center being.
"They have left." said the center one, somehow able to communicate in the airless environment of space and without a visible mouth. It continued.
"No, they did not cause,"
"much trouble." completed the right being, "This was a,"
"risky venture." said the center one again. It waited as whoever they were talking to replied.
"If you believe so, this,"
"plan of yours had better work." said the left one, pausing as the unseen person asked something.
"No, the situation remains unchanged." said the center one, "It is still,"
"the same group that left Earth." said the right one. All three being tilted their heads to one side.
"No new additions."

[Machaeus]

"I'MGONNAHURL!" Urufu shouts, his voice staying at the back of the ship due to their insane speeds.

[tachyon]

The ships inertial dampeners caught up with the sudden thrust and returned the ship to normal gravity after minute of pinned-to-the-seat (or the rear bulkhead in Rufi's case) travel. Stars continued to streak by the windows in a beautiful kaleidoscopic twirl. Kei let herself relax a little, checking the ships vital systems with Gordon's help. All was thankfully normal.
Gordon ran through the checklist out loud anyway. "Engines are 100% okie-dokie, internal pressure is hunky-dory, faux-grav is lookin' nice... 'ere, your lookin' a might spaced-out there Kei."
"I'm out..."said Kei, staring blankly through the canopy, "I've...I've never left the station in all the time I've lived there but...I'm out."
She smiled. "I'm free."

[Ash]

Ash,who sat down before the ship was shaken thoroughly,starts to laugh quietly.

"Welcome to freedom.Hope you enjoy your stay.But I recommend to delay the celebration.", he says,watching the stars passing by.
Even though he could only see them as thin,white lines,he was somehow fascinated.

"Gordon.How long does it take until we reach earth?"

[tachyon]

The face of the somewhat senile looking AI squinted as if doing some mental sums.
"At our present course an' speed...about two hours, give or take fifteen minutes. Nuthin' ta do but sit back an' enjoy the stars...Y'know that's not their visible light that were seein' right now? We're goin at over 20,000 times the speed of light, so we can't actually see anythin' in the visible light spectrum. No, what we're seein' is the faster than light particles, tachyons, goin' by..."
Kei unbuckles the saftey harness that's been holding her in the pilot's chair throughout the ordeal and heads aft.
"Yeah, well enjoy the light show, I've got to take care of something first...Gordon this thing does have a bathroom doesn't it?"
"'Course it 'as, just to your left."

[Machaeus]

Urufu looks around, impressed. "Wow. Just like the Millenium Falcon from the old Star Wars movies," he mutters. "Doesn't look like much, but reliable where it counts."
Machaeus is, meanwhile, getting a well-needed nap - he mutters arcane formulae in his sleep, especially about how to increase the Retaliation Barrier's efficiency.

[Ash]

"Wait.Before you disappear in the bathroom for a hour or two,like women do,gimme the solvent.", Ash shouts after Kei as he stands up and stretches out his hand.

He looks over to Machaeus and hears his Muttering.

"Um...has he ever cast a spell...accidentally while he was asleep?", he asks Urufu.

[Machaeus]

"Nope," Urufu says. "He can't concentrate enough, he says - he's tried to cast spells during nightmares, and nothing happened."

[tachyon]

((Forgot to add: Ash recieves *Solvent* from Kei))
The ship shudders a little as a loud sucking noise comes from the back. This is quickly followed by some very obscene language in Khrohaltic, Standard, English and something that sounds like Dutch.
"Ohh, thats hardly language befitting of a lady..." cringes Gordon.
Kei storms out of the latrine with a look on her face like a wild animal, enhanced by the fact that she already looked like one to begin with.
"Gordon that fracking thing almost sucked my tail into space!!"
"Yeah, didn't warn you 'bout that did I? Been meanin' ta fix it, but I've not much use for...one o' those."
"You mean a toilet, you can say toilet you know. That is what it's called. Toilet is not a rude word."
Regaining her composure, Kei sits back down in the pilot's chair.
"Ok, whats the plan? I mean, no offence, but you guys seem to be into the whole "walk-around-till-we-find-some-guy-and-fight-them" thing. Zeke's too smart for that. He knows your coming, heh, in fact I bet he's planned this whole thing..." she seems lost in her thoughts for a second.
"You're a cunning b@stard, aren't you?" she says to herself.

[Machaeus]

Machaeus snorts, snores once, and rolls over - onto the floor. "Ow. Hey, Gordon, 'spose I could put some shag carpet in the metal flooring's place, so next time that happens I don't hurt as much?"
Urufu raises an eyebrow. "Planned this whole thing? Dang, you make it sound like he's got an IQ of 300. He...doesn't, does he?" he asks a second later. "I mean, that kind of intellect, he could probably plan so far ahead that he's already won this little game of chess."
Machaeus gets up and lays back down where he was. "Xacio is cunning, but I doubt he has that kind of intelligence. Sure, probably no less than 145, seeing as he's a professional mercenary or whatever, and has made a living off of his gig, but I doubt it's more than 250. Heck, it's probably not more than 200. And even then, who's to say he uses it all? C0cky people often miss a few minor or even major flaws."
"Well, what do you propose we do, Kei?" Urufu asks.

[tachyon]

"Well for one thing don't underestimate, or for that matter overestimate him," replies Kei, "Yeah, he's strong, smart and dangerous but he knows the reputation he's got gives him an edge. Most beings panic when they hear he's coming for them, they start to make mistakes and get careless. Or they do the opposite and get so paranoid they back themselves into a corner."
Kei sits back with her legs up on the control panel.
"But this isn't like him. He's never, well, never in all the time I've known him, he's never gone out looking for fights. Not like this anyway. There must be something about you that interests him, otherwise he would've just done another one of his d@mned disappearing acts..." for a brief moment a look sweeps across the Khrohali's face, as if she'd remembered a painful memory. But it was soon gone.
"We'll if we're gonna go charging in we might as well know where we're going. Gordon," the AI's face looked to Kei, "You're a navigational program right?"
"Last time I checked."
"Then pull us up a map and some background history on this Vor-ho-deya-whatzit place we're heading to. Oh and Machy, Zeke's IQ is the same as mine; 124. Intelligence tests designed for humans don't work to well on other species, and you wonder why nobody likes your kind very much..."

[Machaeus]

Urufu raises an eyebrow. "Do I want to know how they don't work too well?" he asks.
"And I, at least, don't wonder," Machaeus says. "Human beings tend to screw up. Big time.
"And I'm glad that my estimate was so off. I guess I figured that anyone who can leave absolutely no trace of identity in the criminal underworld, when the guy in question 'can normally tell you what he has for breakfast', would have to be some sort of supergenius. Which means that, perhaps, Nikky the Nose isn't quite as good as he thinks."
"Well, he still has my iPod, so we're going back eventually," Urufu says adamantly. "That's my biggest connection to the past right now."
"Who's 'we', weremonkey?" Machaeus asks, grinning as he uses Kei's term.
"You're not just wrong, the rules also say you're a d!ck," Urufu retorts. "And you don't have to go if you don't want to, I just want my tunes back."
"And who made the portal to get to that area in the first place?" Machaeus asks.
"True. Just rest for now, you need your mana back. I'll think of something."

[Ash]

"Even if he planned the whole thing...there are things he could never consider.Adaptability.Something in the environment.What if someone else shows up?Okay.Its most unlikely that someone else will show up there...But you get the idea.",Ash says,shaking the solvent he got from Kei.

"He might be smart.But even he makes a mistakes.Like every living being.At least thats what I think."

[tachyon]

Kei gives a slightly aggravated sigh.
"What I meant to say was that intelligence can't and shouldn't be given a numerical value. I don't know about your ancestors but mine used to roam around the deserts in packs like animals before one bright cookie got the idea that banging rocks together over some dry brush made fire, and I bet they wouldn't have passed one of your IQ tests despite being the most intelligent being on the planet at that time.
"You see, that's what annoys other species so much about you humans; you always have to give something a value. Nothing can ever just be to you, it has to be worth something." she stopped there before going full-on into a rant.
"I'm sorry, I know that you guys are different from the usual stereotypical view of humans...It's just been one of those days for me."
A that moment Gordon's grinning balding face reappeared on the centre screen.
"I got that data you were after," he said, "an' a map to. Well, I don't really need a map but I thought I'd be good t'show you where we're goin'."
superbaydron.deviantart.com/art/SEC-Map-65264990
"Sorry, the only one I 'aves in Russian. We goin' the little star just east o' the Caspian Saltflats. Starts with a sorta 'B' lookin' letter, ends with a backwards 'R'."
((BTW guys, finnished chapter one, posted it in 'Fanfic'))

[Machaeus]

Urufu shrugs. "I guess you're right about the numbers and us needing value and stuff," he admits. "I mean, look at role-playing games. EVERYTHING is quantified and worth something, especially Hero System. Runs totally on a point-buy system. But you don't 'pass' or 'fail' IQ tests, you're given a number that relates to your intellect. That caveman was a genius for his time and stuff, but...eh, I'll quit while I'm ahead. 'Course, if someone DOES manage to fail an IQ test," he grins.
Machaeus looks at the map. "So we're headed to Russia," he says. "We'll need to dress warmly. Or is this a less frigid climate or time of year?"