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Contents
Lobby <Red Eclipse, Comorro Station>
You enter a small waiting area first, complete with a couple of couches and some magazine-laden small tables. A holo-screen on the central table cycles through the latest news-briefs, focusing mainly upon the assorted tumultuous dangers of Hiverspace. There is a clear polycarbonate wall between the waiting area and the actual room, so one can see what is within without being able to hear it.
Through a set of double doors is a much larger room; the front left-hand side is the training/workout area, also behind a clear polycarbonate wall so that potential candidates and clients alike can observe the available mercenaries in their natural habitat. Music is usually playing at a boisterous volume, the playlist consisting of bass-thumping, parent-offending, wall-rattling tunes from many eras and planets.
Beyond the training area is a door marked "Captain's Office," and a mess hall/break area separated from the rest of the room by a chest-high wall. On the right hand side of the room is the reception desk; just beyond that, smoked polycarbonate cubicle walls designate a private area for interviews and consultations. In the far wall, a door leads into the barracks.
A small group of boxes is piled on the kitchen countertop in the mess hall area. Each one bears a hastily-scrawled label reading 'REM' written in permanent marker. A similar stack sits on the floor beside the counter. A decidely bored-looking James Sterling slides one of said boxes under the detector plate of a device which emits a cheerful 'mleep!' whenever he does so. He sets it aside and picks up another to repeat the process. "Tinned fruit, yeah, okay," he mutters, reading the contents labels on the boxes as he scans them. "Hey, burger patties!" His face lights up with excitement, then falls as he reads the details on the label. "/Veggie burgers/? Damn that casse-couilles cat! Even when she's doing somethin' t'help us out she manages t'do it in an annoying way." He scans the box and tosses it onto a very small pile beside the refrigerator.
After about the fourth or fifth cheery little 'mleep', Joca leans out from her office and squints. "...what, really? Ugh. Whoevair sough sat making -burger- out of -vegetable- was good idea. Burger is meat. Une sorte de malades, ruining a burger like sis. Any word from Monsieur Papillon? I need to get -out-, and I don't care if it's a war council wis a bunch of butterflies I will settle for anysing."
Xanya walks by the REM office while looking at a holomap on her pda. She stops bit and looks a bit closer at the map.
Sterling finishes scanning the last couple of boxes on the counter and begins putting them away. "Yeh, back home there're folks that wanna have burgers but they don't wanna eat animals," he calls. "They made the burgers outta soybeans. They /say/ they taste the same but I never tried 'em. Animals're made o'meat for a reason." He notices movement outside the office's front doors and peers in that direction. "We got a visitor incomin', mebbe," he adds.
Jocaira crinkles her nose prissily. "Beans? Beans does not taste like meat, what is se... oh!" She ducks briefly back into the office, presumably to push her chair in judging from the noise, and walks out over towards the main door and the passing Xanya. The helmet and visor of her red-lacquer smartsuit armor are retracted, and she straightens her hair as she walks. "Ah, it is Madame Xanya of se Danu Chroi, 'allo Madame! Can we be of an assistance to you?"
Xanya look up and smiles to joca. "oh hello there. am... well I want to see if we can find something to help comorro with repairs." She says and diactivates the holomap and puts her pda away. "no luck on the maps right now. so... I might have to go out and look around myself."
Sterling slaps the box of patties into the refrigerator with a scowl, then turns toward the front doors. His smartsuit armour is similarly arranged, with helmet and visor retracted. "G'day," he calls, lifting a hand in greeting to Xanya as he leaves the mess hall and comes out into the lobby proper. "Something fer repairs? Like what?"
"Whoa whoa no-ho, Madame Xanya, you are not going out and doing anysing all by yourself what is sis, Madame Sadie and all of se Danu Chroi would be very un'appy if we let you run off in some all away universe and get eaten by some kind of alien creature," Joca says, waving her arms in the air. "What do you need to get done? Did you find somewhere to... actually go? Because you will need guard if you are going anywhere absolument."
Xanya giggles a bit. "oke you have a good point there. and since my usual guard got left behind I could use some help in that department. To be honest thought I have no idea yet where to go to. I was just gona go out there run some scan's and see what looks like a good place to start."
"You got a ship?" Sterling asks, glancing to Jocaira. "I could use a change o'scenery, an' y'won't get eaten by any alien creatures with us around."
Jocaira claps her hands. "Sen it is settled, we go wis you. I could use for absolute certain a change of scenery where no one is yelling at me. It 'as been too long since I 'ave adventure wis Danu Chroi, ehn? You all 'ave always been so good to us in good times and bad. It would be se 'onor to be able to return sis. Let me get armament and we will cast off!" She tromps back into her office and starts loading the panels in her armor with knives and other shiny, sharp things, humming merrily.
Xanya nods to james. "wel yea, of course I have a ship. I wouldn't be much of a ships designer without having my own ship, would I? besides I also own Stardust manufacturing so ships are my thing." She says and smiles to Joca. "I apreciate it. OH and joca,.... sorry for the weird flirty sentance the other day. I haven't been realy myself not being home with sadie and all."
Sterling smiles after Jocaira. "Sure'n we've been cooped up in 'ere too long," he comments, taking a few moments to look over his own gear, stored in compartments in his armour. "Gonna need me rifles, too, I imagine." He grins over to Xanya. "Jus' in case a bug-eyed monster /does/ come after us. Oh, I forgot you were a shipbuilder. When we get home I'll have t'remember that: been thinkin' over maybe gettin' meself somethin' little. Y'know, fer the freedom of it." He heads back toward the barracks to gather his own armaments. "Back inna sec," he promises.
Jocaira chortles, coming out of her office now that she's filled her armor with sharp things. "Not to worry, Madame. I know sis armor makes my ass look fantastic. But 'appy marriages are out of my territorie, ne?" She taps the side of her nose. James has just gone to get some toys, and the Captain is heading over towards Xanya in the doorway. Looks like somebody's getting ready for a fiiield triiip~.
Xanya nods to joca. "Yes you do look good in that armor. Too bad I left my gear back home. Else I'd have me an armor together with jetpack and two guns, or a dart rifle with sniper scope."
Ever quick on the uptake, Micky advises after he butts into the conversation, "We'll need atmo suits."
Sterling slings the second of two rifles over his back as he comes back out from the barracks area. "Joca looks good in ever'thin'," he drawls, directing an eyebrow waggle at his boss. "G'day, Micky. Have we got atmo suits?"
Jocaira makes kissy faces at Sterling and loses herself in inane tittering for a moment or two. Then there is a pause as her forebrain finally wedges its way into the conversation. "Well, se armor is sealed, but not full atmo I do not sink. Most certainly not enough air for extended mission. Are sere se atmo suits on your ships, Madame Xanya? Or Monsieur Mickee, don't want anyone to feel left out."
Xanya thinks a bit. "Not sure if I do. usually I don't have much on this ship since it's more of a travel vessel than a storage vessel. Still need to design a good transport ship some day." She says trailing off a bit. "Anyway, I'd have to check my ship for anything."
"I got a line on some suits," admits Micky somewhat less than enthusiastically.
"You got a line on 'em?" Sterling asks Micky skeptically. "You tryina say you got a supplier on C'morro you think'd part with 'em under th'circumstances?"
"De toute beaute!" Joca crows, apparently not as skeptical as James, or just so eager to breathe some different air that she doesn't care where the suits are coming from, if they've been taken off of unfortunately dead adventurers, or even if they're made from the souls of orphans. "Well! You go and get your line and meet us at se Madame's ship if you want to come along, ne?" That sounds less like a question than it should, as though the option to decline is there, but there's going to be a woman scorned on the other end if it happens. "Lead on, Madame Xanya, onward to save se whale and get us out of 'ere."
Xanya smiles and cheers. "Onwards, to free willyyyyy." She says with a giggle and turns around heading towards the docking bay.
Cockpit <SDM Vulpecula>
Cramped and framed by viewscreens, this tight compartment provides a trio of acceleration couches with only room enough for a pilot, engineer, and communications officer. Data from outside the craft is relayed to the cockpit occupants via a holographic heads-up display, providing both a view from the ship and supplemental graphic navigation, trajectory, and tactical information overlays. The acceleration couches are mounted upon gyroscopic devices which allow them to twist and rotate with the ship during acceleration and maneuvering.
Xanya enters the ship and heads straight for the cockpit at the front of it. Once there she activates all systems and prepares for take off. "Oke lady and gentlemen. Thank you for choosing SDM Airways. Choose a seat and buckle up, We will be leaving shortly. During take off or when ever else the 'fasten your seatbelt' sign is on, please keep your seatbelts on. Failing to do so can result in painfull situation if your unlucky." She says as she continues get the ship ready for flight.
Xanya has manned the main console.
Micky shows up wearing a gently used hazmat suit with a couple of more draped over his arms. They may or may not fit perfectly, but they are all in useable condition. He piles them up somewhere and goes back to checking fittings, straps, and seals on his own suit. He's got a smaller collection of weaponry than has been standard for the past couple of weeks secured about his person.
Sterling chuckles at the airline-style announcement, then gazes at the unruly pile of hazmat suits. "Well, if it keeps us from suffocatin' or breathin' poison gas..." He picks up one of the suits, looks it over, and shrugs, stepping to the side in order to get into the thing.
Jocaira plunks down on one of the acceleration couches, straps herself in, and prepares to do the thing that she's absolutely good for during ship travel: tilting her head back with a cavernous yawn, and settling in for a nap. Apparently she plans on getting dressed when we arrive at the party.
Xanya smiles a bit and activates the ship. slowly the ship lifts off and flies out of Comorro. "and of we go. to boldly go where no man as gone before." Xanya says as they head out. When they are out of the ship she activates the scanners to see what lies around the ship.
Micky takes up residence somewhere he can check out the holographic displays and such. Whethere he understands them or not is up for debate. He transfers the crate/backpack combo from his back to his lap when he straps himself in. He straps the odd luggage to his front, securing it.
Sterling deactivates his smartsuit armour, stepping out of the boots as soon as the plate armour finishes unwrapping itself from his body, leaving him in nothing but a pair of red shorts. He kicks the smartsuit case shut, climbs into the hazmat suit, picks up the case, and straps himself into one of the acceleration couches, holding the case on his lap.
Jocaira opens one eye, and with catly dissatisfaction, is roused from her nap to get ready to go. After removing a rather excessive quantity of edged weapons from her smartsuit compartments, she deactivates her own smartsuit armor, under which she is wearing absolutely nothing at all. With a slight grumble at the atmo suit's far less fancy design, she climbs in, secures it up, and starts putting her weapons in the sheathes. "Hnn. I wish Monsieur Kethren were 'ere, you know I'm sure sere should be some kind of atmosphering seal and machinerie we can put on our suits."
Xanya looks at her scanners as she tries to determen where they currently are. Then as Joca changes clothing, xanya sneaks a peak for a short moment at frenche lady. "you always wear that much clothing joca?" xanya says. "oh and I'm sure there can be an atmospheric seal onto the smart suits. I'll have kethren look at it or make something when where back." Xanya says after which she continues to look at the scanners mubling some stuff. "oke lets see. Some ateroids nearby we can check those out."
At this point, Micky's the one that is taking a nap. Although, his resembles more a drunken stupor than a catnap. He hasn't secured his helmet yet, so when he drools, it is on the case of gear that he's brought along.
Sterling makes no attempt to look away as Jocaira deactivates her armour, rather leering openly at her. "Be better if we could 'ave this hazmat stuff /inside/ our suits, yeah," he comments. He glances over what monitors he can see from his seat, nodding as Xanya mentions the nearby asteroids.
Jocaira remains unashamed as she checks seals and bindings. The segmented bracers protecting her arms creak slightly under the thick fabric. "Ehn? Bettair to wear little or nussing under se smart suit, you get bettair interface, Mastair Diri teach me. Is -comfortable-. But yes, I would like to 'ave it built into se smart suit because se armor is bettair and you get all of se... what is it, computair good bits and fastair unsheath of se weapon." She blinks slowly at the display showing the asteroids just out of habit; it's clear she has no idea what any of that stuff means.
Xanya continues to read the scanners as she zooms in on the asteriod field. "hmm... seems to be no atmosphere at all. thats gone be fun. oh and look at that. Subzero Temperatures as well. Those suits of yours better work." Xanya says to micky. "else were going to have some ice-creams for dinner. and your right joca. Right about now I'm nto only missing a good smart suit. but my jetpacks too. those would make it easier to move out here as well." She zooms into an other part of the asteroid. "hmmm... looks like we got a cavern of sorts right there. I think I can land there." She says and starts heading into that direction.
Micky's response is to start to snore. He, at least, seems confident enough about the suits to be relaxed enough to sleep. That or he's used a little too much liquid courage.
"If I wore much less'n I do," Sterling tells Joca, "I'd worry I'd be in fer an embarrasing, not t'mention painful, accident whilst the armour's buildin' itself up aroun' me." He chuckles, then frowns. "That'n I'm not sure I wanna be naked inside this hazmat suit." He glances over to the snoozing Micky. "Never know who or what wore this before I did."
Jocaira is already settling into a doze, it seems. She cocks a pale eyebrow, but shrugs, clearly unconcerned about where she has or hasn't been naked. "Well, is not silk lined but it isn't bad. Least is not riding up on my ass. Cannot stand sis. Let me know when we land."
Xanya shakes her head smiling at her crew. "oke. where close now. going in for a landing. hopefully not a crash one." She says and starts the landing.
The ship fires its thrusters as it begins a descent towards the planet below.
Micky cracks an eyelid as the ship shifts into a landing maneuever. He squints at the viewscreen.
"Don't have that problem," Sterling replies to Joca, tightening his grip on the smartsuit case in his lap. "Hey, yeah, let's not crash, if y'please. I'm from Sydney: I hate the cold."
Jocaira shrugs again. "Yeah... I don't want to die eiser. Since I can't get to see se Doctair I don't 'ave a good backing up for a while." Yawwwwn. "I don't like a crash. Is all bumpy and yelling. Don't 'ave sis probleme so much wis water ships, ehn?"
Xanya giggles as she lands the ship, deliberatly letting the ship fall the last half foot. "there, we landed." she says and turns the ships flight systems off. "oke. Lets see what we got our here shall we?" She says and stands up to put on her hazmatsuit, putting it on over her current clothing.
The landing doesn't seem to bother Micky too much. He stands, readjusts the backpack/crate deal and moves to disembark from the ship without a bunch of fanfare.
Sterling's eyes go wide for a moment before the ship touches down. He flicks Xanya a smartass smile. "Very funny." He unbuckles himself from the acceleration couch and stands up, flexing his shoulders and stretching his neck.
Jocaira's only reaction to the small sharp drop is a delicate belch. "Ehn? What is funny. Did we land on somebody?" She seems more eager than wary. When it becomes clear that we haven't run somebody over, she shrugs again and unstraps, preparing to disembark. "Channel four please, everyone," she says, before fastening the helmet shut.
Xanya closes her hazmat suite and then turns on channel four. "Got it I'm online. I'm ready to go."
Mossy Cavern
A spacious cavern with a thin, misty atmosphere that provides sustenance to a sort of rusty red moss that looks a lot like dried, furry blood on the gray stone floor and walls.
Being a trend setter, Micky manages to escape the ship first. Over channel four, he declares, "Not dead yet." After that, he amuses himself with spotlighting the area around the ship with a weapon mounted flashlight. Once all that is done, he drops off the gear he brought.
Sterling adjusts the comm channel in his suit, gathers up his rifles, and disembarks from the ship. He, too, activates his rifle-mounted light and looks around the cavern.
Jocaira stalks carefully around the perimeter where Xanya is working, fingers twitching over the cutlass sheathed at her hip. There is a brief moment where she tenses, lowering her upper body slightly, and zeroes in on something in the dark. Creeping forward in a manner not entirely unlike a cat who's spotted something to eat, she comes to a halt. There is a cry of... disappointment. "Dammit sat rock wis moss on looked like a person."
Xanya steps outof the ship. and looks around using her scanners. she soon spots something and walks over tot it. it being the same spot as where joca thought she spotted something to shoot. "hmmm... I think this can work. I'll harvest some of this and see if comorro can use this to heal or repair herself." she says and sets out to work on gathering as much moss as she can.
Micky shines a light over at the rock in question before he briefly illuminates Jocaira. Already shining the light at other stuff, he asks, "You been smokin' again? Lacin' your smokes with a little something extra, maybe?"
Sterling moves past Xanya, still searching the cavern for anything remotely threatening. "Looks quiet t'me," he says.
"I don't 'ave -anysing- to smoke, sanks to Monsieur Choucrote's decree sat I am too dangerous and impulsive to visit se labs like who fucking died and left 'im in charge," Joca snaps back. "Nussing good to eat, nussing to smoke, nussing good to drink. And nussing to kill. Stupid fuzzy rock." She nudges the base of the mossy rock formation with her boot, as though blaming it for not being a crouching enemy.
Xanya works on on gathering the moss and soon there is a large pile of it lying around. She whipes her arm acrose her forhead as if this whipe away the sweat but alas the helmet is in the way. "Oohke... that should be it. Lets see what comorro says about that shall we? would you boys and girl mind helping me load this into the ship?" She says standing up and stretches herself.
"Withdrawl is a helluva thing," deadpans Micky before he goes over to start with the manual labor aspect of the outing. This, from the slow way he is moving, seems to leave him about as happy as his employer.
Sterling's frustrated, disappointed sigh comes over the comm system. "Yeah, I do miss th'smokes," he complains wearily. "Even th'plain ol' tobacco ones." He backs toward the ship, playing his light around the dark depths of the cavern, then turns and heads back to Xanya, slinging his rifle over his shoulder and joining Micky in lugging the rusty red moss onto the ship.
Jocaira hauls a bunch of moss up and chuffs. "I tapered off, I'm not stupid. But I still don't 'ave enough of anysing, and no doctair." Huff. "Well, at least sis is somewhere different." Tromp, tromp tromp, back she heads towards the ship.
Xanya joins the rest and pick up a large pile of the moss and caries it towards the ship as well.
Cockpit <SDM Vulpecula>
Cramped and framed by viewscreens, this tight compartment provides a trio of acceleration couches with only room enough for a pilot, engineer, and communications officer. Data from outside the craft is relayed to the cockpit occupants via a holographic heads-up display, providing both a view from the ship and supplemental graphic navigation, trajectory, and tactical information overlays. The acceleration couches are mounted upon gyroscopic devices which allow them to twist and rotate with the ship during acceleration and maneuvering.
Xanya counts the moss she collected before closing the cargo hold and heading towards the cockpit. she takes of the hazmat suite and sits down on the pilot seat preparing the ship again for take off.
Micky undoes his helmet and takes himself the same seat he had before to restart the nap he was taking.
Sterling climbs out of his hazmat suit the moment he reaches the cockpit, tossing it aside and reclaiming his smartsuit case. "Well, that was boringly uneventful," he grouses, opening the case and stepping into the boots it contains. After the red-and-white armour finishes assembling itself around him, he straps back into an acceleration couch and leans his head back.
Xanya has manned the main console.
Jocaira does the same, removing her weapons from the bulkier suit and then removing the suit. "Ah well. At least it was somesing usser sen se insides of se whale," she murmurs, shaking her hair out a bit with her fingers before clambering back into her smartsuit with a sigh of relief. "Hokay so maybe I am spoil but I really like se climate control inside a suit."
Xanya giggles. "I know what you mean joca. I realy missed that myself." She says as she starts to lift off and fly the ship back towards comorro.
The ship fires its thrusters as it lines up with the docking bay entrance and flies in for a landing within.
Somehow, despite opening an eye to regard Jocaira rather incredulously, Micky refrains from commenting.
"Mmm-nnn," Sterling agrees, the sound digitised through his suit, as he hasn't bothered to retract helmet or visor. "Got used t'wearin' this thing," he adds.
Jocaira sticks her tongue out in reflexive response to Micky's incredulity. No shame, no shame at all. "Phtbrt." Then, she straps in to await the return flight.
Xanya smiles as comorro gets in sight and she flies to the docking hub and lands there on the same spot as when she left. "oke that was that. Thank you for flying with SDM Airways. I hope you enjoyed your flight and till next time. I wish you a good day." She says as she deactivates the ship's flight systems. "oke, which of you like to help me carrie the moss to the tradeport?"
By the time Xanya's finished her question, Micky is, mysteriously, burdened by a couple of extra hazmat suits and can but offer up an awkward 'would if I could' sort of shrug.
Sterling unstraps himself from the acceleration couch and gets to his feet. "Be happy t'help ya lug stuff about," he says cheerfully.
Jocaira nods. "Aye, is not se probleme, Madame Xanya. Glad to 'elp," she says, at least genuinely, and goes to heave up a couple of bales. "Where are you going to want to put it?"
"In the tradeport will be fine as long as it's in the same spot and can easely be taken by comorro should she choose to take it." Xanya says in reply to joca and smiles thankfully to james. Then she heads down to start lifting some of the moss to there new location.