Two Dudes Fight Through Time and Space Military Conflict in The Delta Space | World Anvil

Two Dudes Fight Through Time and Space

Note; While this article can be read on its own, reading through The Variance Space Station helps give a grander understanding of how the space station operates. But, for quick ease of context for this article, you have to understand that The Variance Space Station is unique in that frequently random doors will appear in its hallways, each leading to new rooms that could be mundane or bizarre. From a communications closet to a field of sunflowers and beyond. An end has never been found, nor has its core or the reason for this bizarre and seemingly unending behaviour. Those who aren't careful often find themselves lost irrevocably as will become apparent shortly.

The Fighters

Astrel "Chase" Owens
A rather low-end bounty hunter starved for cash and desperate for recognition in bounty hunter circles. His moral compass is shakey at best and he often comes into conflict with others, even those that he is close with. He is a frequent drinker at the Starlite Outpost.   Chase does not take advice well and often takes it as an attack against his credibility. Recently Chase has started taking on more morally dubious jobs, citing a need to be "less picky" due to a difficult job market. Chase has no problem starting a fight, as he is often too stubborn to admit wrong doing.
Hudson Karr
A decent spaceship engineer turned simple mechanic. He has a shop on the First Floor of the Variance Space Station and does frequent work for Chase. Hudson has seen a change in Chase as of late, seeing desperation build in his friend's soul.   He has tried bringing this up to his friend but Chase just gets mad and Hudson backs down. This time he didn't and the epic fight began. Hudson isn't one to start a fight but he won't back down when pushed to physicality due to his Lupine heritage.
 

The Brawl Begins

The fight began one sleepy night at a bar called the Starlite Outpost on the First Floor of the Variance Space Station. The conflict began suddenly, breaking the quiet chatter of about a dozen other drinkers minding their own business. And cutting short a rather drunken dance being conducted by a regular on the chipped and dusty dance floor. It began with raised voices, climbing higher over the static crackling of the radio playing old funkwave and city pop.   The fight was between two friends, a male Founder named Astrel "Chase" Owens, and a Lupine male named Hudson Karr. The two were considered close, at least by the other regulars' definition, as they seemed to meet up at the Starlite Outpost a few times a week. They often chatted about work, and their frustrations in life. Though the regulars in hindsight said there had been some awkwardness between the two in the lead-up to the fight.   It was never fully determined what exactly sparked the physical conflict between the two friends — theories about what was said are a frequent topic to this day at the Starlite Outpost. Witnesses of the event stated the two were chatting amicably moments before the fight broke out. The discussion turned sour when Hudson expressed concern over some shady business practices Chase had made a habit of. Chase did not take the criticism well and became aggressive with Hudson. Moments later the two were at each other's throats yelling obscenities in each other's faces.   They soon broke into a full-on brawl, biting, kicking, and scratching at each other. The proprietor of the Starlite Outpost quickly kicked them out, hoping some fresh air would cool the heads of two of his regulars. But the two continued to brawl even when kicked out into the streets. Interested in the outcome a few other bargoers followed the battle as it continued outside. Comically the two tumbled about for ages, soon they would bumble away from the bar, down a few sets of stairs, across gangways, and eventually stumbling and punching their way down a freshly appearing Hall.   At this point the few that had joined to watch were yelling at the pair to knock it off and be careful, the Halls were no place to monkey about. But the pair didn't listen, too engrossed in their drunken spat over whatever statement had besmirched their honour so severely. Unfortunately, just as their fellow bargoers had warned, they soon crashed through one of the doorways that the Hall had generated.   Before anyone could intervene their cries of war were silenced as the door shut behind them, and they were gone. Even when the door was opened, they were nowhere to be found, the room had already changed to something new. Knowing their was nothing they could do, the bargoers went home and the fight became a cautionary tale told at the Starlite Outpost.   Though the pair disappeared that night, it wouldn't be the last time their epic collision would be seen.
One of many Halls on the Variance Space Station, each looks different and can lead anywhere

The Occasional Sighting

Ever since the initial fight broke out two years ago, the occasional sighting of the brawling pair still occurs.   Every few months, the pair can be seen fighting across a random Hall, careening from one doorway before rolling or being thrown into the door across the way to disappear once more.  
An interesting exchange heard recently via a speaker in an Express Comms Closet

"Why are you so ******* stubborn Chase!"

"Bite me, Hudson!...Agh!... **** Not literally! You jerk!"

"Just admit that you're wrong dude!"

"I'm just trying to make a living you mark, back off! We all have to do what we have to do!"

"Eat **** Chase! You should know where to draw the line!"

"I...you...**** you! Eat fist!" *punch*

"Ow!"
When not seen in the flesh they are are seen on monitors, or via an audio communication picked up by a Express Communications Closets. In these times they can be heard yelling at each other various accusations and threats.   The two, while spotted on screen, have been seen duking it out in various locales. Bashing and bouncing off of burgundy coloured trees in a lush forest, splashing and tripping about in a babbling brook, grappling and tumbling about a field of golden dandelions.   But they don't seem deterred no matter the location. The Variance is already a strange place, with its diverse and seemingly unending nature.   It becomes even more satirical when you see two drunkards battle each other in an endless conflict across all of these seemingly impossible locales.
  They never seem in a rush to break free from their fight nor free themselves from the loop in which they find themselves. To them, it's almost as if the fight is still in its infancy and that they've only been fighting for minutes and not years.   Which doesn't seem like an impossibility, as time does seem to work differently when travelling through the various doors and hallways of the Variance away from the First Floor.
Summary
Two former friends, roughly two years ago got drunk at the Starlite Outpost and began a fight with each other over a disagreement; they tumbled out of the bar and fought down the Halls of the Variance eventually brawling their way through one of the open doorways and disappearing.   They have not returned since but can be occasionally spotted tumbling from one door to another across the Halls. Despite being gone for two years, it seems that time has left them behind as wherever they are spotted they still appear drunk, and still actively clawing at each other. It's become a bit of a bet, especially with their former drinking buddies at the Starlite Outpost on when they will appear again, and who will eventually win the fight.
Table of Contents

The Starlite Outpost
A small bar situated in a cramped section of the First Floor on the Variance Space Station, it's wedged in between a laundromat and a sketchy deli in a short row of various businesses. It has a small outdoor patio that attaches directly to the road, and a steep set of steel stairs leads down towards another level of the station adjacent to the road.   The bar itself is small, having enough room for a long bar counter, and about half a dozen tables. Visitors to the bars mainly consist of its regulars, who come by most nights after work. The bar used to be a small but popular dance club, but over time it became run down and lost popularity. Now it runs as a simple bar, serving cheap beer and reheated frozen food. Its dance floor sits cracked and dirty in the middle of the bar. Only the occasional drunkard uses it, while the drunk yet typically friendly crowd watch on in bemusement.

Time on the Variance
While time works completely normally, for the most part, on the First Floor and the majority of the Halls on the Variance Space Station, the deeper rooms found beyond new doors are a different story. No one really knows many details, as exploration of these deeper rooms is typically only conducted in small increments as getting lost forever in these rooms is almost assured once you delve too deep. Though some have tried to journey to the central core, it is a research experiment conducted under the expectation that they won't return.   However, after receiving information back from this expedition, which has slowly trickled in over the last ten years, it is believed that time flows drastically differently for those actively working their way toward or around the station's Core. With the prevailing theory being that time distorts wildly and the deeper you travel. So years on the First Floor, or outside of the station entirely, may only translate to a few months, weeks, days, or even minutes while travelling the rooms of the Halls.
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