Futuristic Transsolar

[BookWyrm]

Vince looked over at Adira with some concern. What had just happened? "Adira, is everything okay?" He turned to her and laid his hand against her cheek. "Why would I want to be alone?" He took a risk and pulled her into a warm hug. "Adira I...this is something new to me. I've never cared about someone else before, and I've never had someone care for me like you do. I know that this could get us both into trouble, but to hell with it all if I am going to let that scare me away. I want to be with you, and I am willing to deal with the risk of being with you." Vince pulled back enough to look Adira in the eye. "I mean, as long as you feel the same."

 

[Dragongal]

Adira hesitated for a moment before wrapping her arms around him and returning the hug, burying her face against his neck. How could she say this? "I do. I don't really know how this whole relationship thing works, but I'm figuring it out. I just worry.... If we get caught and you get tested, and... and if something goes wrong, then you'll be off the job... and doesn't that mean you'll be... killed? I don't like keeping this all a secret but I don't want you getting hurt and I don't want them taking you from me. "

 

[BookWyrm]

Vince felt his heart drop when Adira mentioned the test. Her reluctance and worry made sense now. "I know that, at the time, SIAD would have rather killed me than turn me loose, but with the Lullaby needing a Commander of Security they transferred me to Space Division. Even if something happen now I don't think SIAD has much of a..." Vince's voice dropped off as he recalled the one thing that SIAD still had to keep his life in check. "Adira, there is something I need to tell you. I didn't think about it until now, but there is one thing still keeping me under SIAD's thumb. One of the last procedures a SIAD operator goes through they are completely unaware of. The only reason I know about it is I dug around in some files that were well above my pay grade. During the last enhancement procedure we are unconscious, so they take the time to insert an ATTD, or asset tracking and termination device, in each operator's heart. It keeps up with our position and well being, but it is also loaded with enough explosives to do us in if something were to ever give them warrant."

 

[Dragongal]

Adira felt herself grow cold with this new information. She pulled back a bit, looking him over. Even this far from SIAD, he was still caught in their snare. Slowly her body regained its temperature, then passed it as her fear shifted to anger and disbelief. They could figure a way out of this. If after everything she had done she couldn't fix this, that would be unbelievable. "Damn them...." Now was the time for a little fair play. They could do that to him without his knowing? Those dumbasses had fucked up assigning him to her crew then, because she never had taken too kindly to manipulative threats. So she could fix him without their knowing, maybe do a little damage to them too. All's fair on the final frontier, right? Hadn't they checked her records anyway? Who did they think she was, to send one of her crew to her like that and not expect some return? They were just asking for trouble. Now was the time for the immediate solutions, though. "We could talk to Doc. The signals from here to Arid harbor take almost a week to reach, if we removed it now somehow, then, then they wouldn't be able to do anything until they got it a week later. Doc is one of the best surgeons, I'm sure she could...." Adira's voice faded off as she looked up at him again, her heartrate slowing and her adrenaline bleeding off. This wouldn't help him at the moment, he was upset enough as it was. Vengeance was for later. Comfort was for now. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug as she quietly promised, "We can fix this. I won't let them have control over you anymore. I promise."

 

[BookWyrm]

Vince took Adira at her word. He didn't have to see some grand scheme to know that she would fight for him in this, but that could come later. After a couple of minutes Vince finally pulled away. His heart beat had slowed, but he thought he could faintly feel some trace of the ATTD in there somewhere. "I found the files on how they do it. It's going to be hard as hell to get it out, but if you think Doc could pull it off, then I'll consent." Vince scratched at the back of his neck in his usual nervous habit. "They don't like letting things get removed easily that is for sure."

 

[InsanEleven]

Saami finally caught up with his work around dinner time, and in the whole time he had been on the bridge, exactly nothing interesting happened. Except maybe for when that ice comet zipped by and slung into Othid. There hadn't been any people though, not even to pick something up or to check on things.


Normally he wouldn't even have noticed, he'd just be working and doing his tasks not even aware of how alone he was. But now he couldn't help but feel everything was a little bit too quiet and a little bit too empty. Like it wasn't quite right. They hadn't even come by to make fun of him... and he wasn't sure if he should be glad he wasn't laughed at, or sad he wasn't even acknowledged at all.


Maybe he just needed sleep or so? It did near to the one day in the week he actually needed to sleep, so it could be that that was just interfering with his program. Food and sleep, those didn't sound like bad ideas. So he got up and decided he might as well take care of the first. He still had quite a large margin left, seeing as he only had taken two bites of yoghurt and half a sandwich.

 

[Dragongal]

Adira took his hand and gave him a smile. "We'll make this alright. I promise." She got off the counter, still holding his hand. "Should we perhaps check on Marshall in themeantime? Or no? I'm just fine with either.... I'm not sure how sober he is yet." Adira lightly rubbed her thumb along Vince's palm, quietly adding, "And I am kind of enjoying time with you."

 

[BookWyrm]

Vince growled quietly. He had been happy to forget about the drunkard for the time being, but Adira had a point. "I am enjoying being with you too, but we need to get this whole deal with Marshall taken care of. It's been long enough as is. If we wait too long to drop by it could get messy." The last thing Vince wanted, first off, was for the ATTD to go off in his heart, but the thought of an audit when they got back to Arid Harbor wasn't a fun idea either. "Let's get this done and I'll make it up to you tonight. How does that sound?"

 

[InsanEleven]

When Saami walked into the kitchen he saw a sight he wasn't quite expecting; Captain Adira and Commander Woods holding hands standing awfully close to eachother. So he did the only logical thing he could do. Not to question it, completely ignore them and to continue finishing his task of obtaining dinner. If anything he didn't wanted to get much involved in it, and the last thing he wanted was for his superiors to dislike him.


Quietly and with his usual precise robotic mannerisms he just took a plate of pre-made reheated mesh hall dinner, and left again not showing any signs of awareness. He had to be careful around Woods anyway, and this wasn't the best predicament to suddenly grow self aware, so he made very very sure to be a good robot. Not too much later he sat down at a table in the corner of the hall and ate his food still in silence.

 

[Dragongal]

Adira smiled and leaned forward, pressing her head against his collarbone. "That sounds good to me. And you're right, we should do it sooner than later.... With Marshall, you never really know." In all, absolute honesty, she wouldn't be surprised if he managed to somehow breakout of the drunk tank. But Adira just wanted a few more moments of comfort.... Her head popped up the moment she heard the door open, and her heart stopped. Saami had just caught them.... but they were just holding hands... and standing... really close....


It's Saami, what's he going to say? Rumors have it he's broken anyway, and he wouldn't do that. But we really should go. Before someone else shows up. Adira still held Woods' hand, and gently pulled him toward the door, trying to keep quiet. She didn't know what to say anyway....

 

[BookWyrm]

The sound of the door opening up scared Vince enough that for a second he thought the ATTD had gone off, though when he noticed who had walked in it didn't help his heartbeat start up again. Quickly and quietly Adira and Vince left the kitchen and made their way towards the drunk tank. When they were finally out of ear shot of the rest of the crew Vince stopped, turned, and drove his fist into the wall. "Fuck!" When he pulled his hand back there was a sizable dent left from the impact, the only marring on his hand being several splits in the synthskin that revealed the intricate work underneath.

 

[Dragongal]

Adira flinched when Vince hit the wall, even taking a step back reflexively. After giving him a moment she stepped forward and took his hand, gently running her fingers over the splits in the synthskin. "Vince, it was only Saami. Who will he tell? Half the crew believes insane rumors about him - even if he told someone, they wouldn't believe it." How much could she reassure him without giving away Saami's secret? Adira reached up and brushed back Vince's hair for a second, then paused and withdrew her hand. What if he didn't want her touching him anymore? Now that the risk was so real.... maybe he had changed his mind about everything.... Adira sighed and said, "Look... Saami and I have an agreement or sorts. I promise, he won't tell anyone. He won't do anything."

 

[BookWyrm]

Vince closed his head and sighed quietly, though when Adira pulled her hand away he turned to look at her remorsefully. "I'm sorry." His eyes drifted down to his hand as he looked over the damage. The synthskin had split open pretty bad, revealing the true "skeleton" underneath. After a moment Vince turned and hugged Adira. "I'm sorry. Not about Saami, I'm sorry I lost it a second ago." Vince pulled back just enough to kiss Adira's forehead before taking a step back. "I shouldn't have done that." Vince looked down at his hand again before lifting it up and sticking a finger down into one of the splits and pulling. Like a seam the synthskin split away up the entire length of his arm before coming from around his shoulder and dropping off, revealing the pure synthetic in all it's glory as Vince balled up the fake "skin". "No use in walking around with damaged synthskin, it'd just make people ask more questions than if I walked around without it."

 

[Dragongal]

Adira relaxed as he hugged her, and even more so when he kissed her forehead. She smiled reassuringly to him. "It's alright. I just got startled." She took his hand, which was now clearly synthetic, and chuckled a bit. If she closed her eyes, it was almost like nothing had really changed - sure, there were some slight differences, but his hand was still warm for the most part. "You wear synthetic well." After a moment, she let go of his hand and checked over her jacket to make sure everything was in line. "Now, to Marshall." Immediately she set off to the drunk tank. When they arrived, she dismissed the guards, telling them to wait outside. She walked up to the front of the cell. "Good Afternoon, Marshall."

 

[Marianne]

Saundary woke up when a small hum indicated a time frame change, the moment she woke up it was darker below deck and thirty minutes had passed. The iridescent plants were strangely brighter than before. Lazily, she sat up and stretched, forgetting that she was wearing Saami's jacket 'till it crossed her peripheral vision in the process of a stretch. "Ah, h-his coat," Sandy croaked. The floor wounded up colder, so she might've gotten a cold. Even so, she didn't move to go upstairs, not yet. Instead, she looked down at her makeshift pillow and dug into the sack quietly. Inside she had managed to pull out an apple, and so she bit into patiently while pulling out a piece of paper and a pen. Sandy wasn't so much into art at the moment, her skills were average, or slightly above; but right now all she managed to obtain in this small act of creativity was a runback of the memories she made a couple of hours ago. She slept on Saami, and she could just faintly remember the feel of his ribs and the warmth of his hands. Instead of draw an apple, Sandy wounded up drawing a stick figure with a large circle drawn around him. She attempted to make it have clothes before giving up.

Staring at the picture for a while, she wondered why she drew it, why she attempted to make it look like. . Saami? Frowning with her lips puckered out into a pout, Saundary frowned about many things at once: What this picture meant, why she decided to be dumb and stay down there only to catch a cold, and how she ended up missing dinner. After a few minutes of straight pouting, Sandy gathered all of her things before tucking them neatly in her bag. "I guess I should go upstairs, it'd be smarter," she mumbled. Pushing herself to stand, Sandy urged herself foreword as her throat burned. Yes, she was most likely sick, but she was not going to see a Doctor. All she needed to do was eat soup or stay in bed, and under the covers, for a good while. Opening the door, Sandy stepped out of the - what used to be an unused - room, and shut it quietly behind her. Once she had, she took slow and steady steps towards the companionway. The lights dancing on her blue hair as she allowed herself to day dream. She felt like a magical creature; if only she was, she thought.

Opening the companionway doors, Sandy walked up and before she could open the second door to the correct floor she was supposed to be on, she shed Saami's jacket before folding it and tucking it neatly in her sack. "Thank you, Saami," she croaked with a sniffle to the nonexistent Saami. She will not go to the medical department, she will not show any signs of her being ill to anyone. Just the thought of going there made Sandy tear up, her irrational fear of the medical department was, oddly enough, very real. Clasping her sack shut, Sandy opened the door and looked down the white halls in both directions. Nobody was near, so she was quite alright - closing the door behind her, Sandy walked down the vacant hallway with her head hung low, attempting to shield her face with her short, static drawn hair. The Quarters were just a little ways away in the direction she was going; she just wanted to walk past the Mesh Hall just to see if she had missed dinner. When she had, she saw that not a lot were inside eating, more like finishing. Sighing, she sneezed and tried to make it quiet before she sped to her room. Her clumsy fingers attempting to take out her key card as she sneezed quietly once more. "N-Noh," she whined.​

 

[Anaxial]

Adira relaxed as he hugged her, and even more so when he kissed her forehead. She smiled reassuringly to him. "It's alright. I just got startled." She took his hand, which was now clearly synthetic, and chuckled a bit. If she closed her eyes, it was almost like nothing had really changed - sure, there were some slight differences, but his hand was still warm for the most part. "You wear synthetic well." After a moment, she let go of his hand and checked over her jacket to make sure everything was in line. "Now, to Marshall." Immediately she set off to the drunk tank. When they arrived, she dismissed the guards, telling them to wait outside. She walked up to the front of the cell. "Good Afternoon, Marshall."

It was never a good feeling, being locked behind bars. Restricting his freedom was never a good idea and such restrictions are one reason why Marshall took comfort in the Outlaw lifestyle in the outer-rims of the Empire. Even if it meant isolating himself and dedicating a once potentially great life to a life of crime and degeneracy. It never took long for Marshall to find his way out of the cell, especially onboard ships: small crews, relatively enclosed spaces, the devastation the Tin-Can could wreak. That being said however, he found himself surprised at his own behavior, he had merely been laying on the bed for the past half-hour or so perhaps it was residual alcohol and he was still drunk... Perhaps it was something more.


A voice soon interrupted his thoughts however, a familiar one and Marshall's memories flooded back to him. He'd almost thought he had dreamed that entire sequence on the ship and he was awaiting trial. So it was safe to assume that Saami and the rest of what happened- even if he couldn't remember anything after hiding in the Tin-Can. It was Captain Adira and Commander Woods, his two biggest fans onboard the Lullaby, Adira greeted him and he lifted his head to eyeball the two for a moment and lay his head back down on the bed. He was silent and still for a good few seconds until eventually he sat up and threw his legs over the side of the bed. He leaned forward on his knees and turned his head towards Adira and Woods.


"Adira. Woods." It's all he said, he acknowledged that they were there however his voice was ragged from the earlier episode and he seemed indifferent to both of them at best.

 

[BookWyrm]

Vince watched Marshall carefully. He didn't trust the merc to just lay around placidly for the next few days. In fact he was surprised by the fact that he had remained in his bed as long as he did. He wouldn't have put it past Marshall to try and break out, maybe even try to get revenge. But revenge for what? He had made the decision to drink himself into oblivion. By Vince's thoughts Marshall's last offense should have deserved a bullet, but he was starting to learn what second chances were about, and he was in an altruistic mood of late. "You think you are coherent enough to hold a civilized conversation, or do you want to sober up some more? Either way is fine with me, but if you need more time I am going to keep an armed guard outside the door just in case." Marshall had flex cuffs on his hands and feet. Breaking out of those would slice his skin open for one, and knowing a guard with live ammo was standing watch, well, Vince hoped that thought was enough to keep him straight if he chose not to speak right now.

 

[Spazzycat101]

About two and a half hours later, Lydia was hurrying down the hallway leading from her room with the severed, pale green vine still wrapping itself boredly around her wrist. There was a bright, gleeful smile painted across her features although she had to reach for the plant with her other hand every few seconds to keep it from cutting off circulation. Perfect, this was perfect! This particular plant made a point of shade, if the past few hours weren't spent in vain. One issue though, she had found most of it and it's cousins lurking inside of other plants, rotting plants. If there was no rotting organic matter somewhere inside the temple for a... slightly modified version of this thing to take root in, her plant seemed like it'd have quite the dismal outlook. No matter though, next jump to the surface, she could simply bag something half-dead for it to grow in. Preferably dead plant material over animal.


She managed to find her way to the lab, although its too-sterile environment bothered her like an itch at the back of her throat. Lydia managed just barely to swallow the feeling though, if only for the sake of her project. She wasted little time in searching the lab for some kind of container in which to keep the plant, her reasoning being that a place meant to study life should have a vessel somewhere in which to keep said life. After all, she had been told there were artificial greenhouses on this ship. The word combination of 'artificial greenhouse' made her flinch though, it was just about as redundant as anyone could get when referring to something plant-related. Either way, she could just barely manage to recall where it had been said those faux gardens were kept, and as soon as she had any idea where, she was scooping the plant from the table she had set it on and taking off down the hallway again.


Eventually, Lydia did make it down to the Companionway, but when she excitedly approached the door to fling it open, her peripheral vision noted something-- a lock meant for a card. In one moment she was bounding down the hall, and in the next she was standing still as the collapsed stone of the temple that remained, waiting, back on Odian. Her face looked blank, as if disappointment had yet to cross it, and she stood simply watching the door as if her glare could will it open. With a dangerously low voice, she turned around and bit her tongue to stifle a swear, only half succeeding.


Two and a half hours. Lydia needed something to keep the plant in if she wanted to experiment upon it further. However much or however little time was wasted, she didn't much like it. Besides, those two and a half hours had brought her what was more of less her solution, an almost perfect trap, and the companionway was locked. Dammit.

 

[Dragongal]

Adira looked at Marshall critically. He seemed like an absolute mess. And if the reports she'd read on her tablet earlier was true, he had been a screaming mess earlier. Please don't make me look like a sentimental idiot. She'd locked crew members away before, numerous times. She didn't like it, though. She wanted him to at least try to improve.... Adira glanced over at Woods to see if his expression revealed anything, noting that his hair was still a little messy from her playing with it. Marshall can't put that together mentally. She looked back at Marshall again.

 

[Anaxial]

Being so polite as to stand up as Woods spoke, Marshall slowly approached the bars and gripped them from the inside, resting his forehead against one of the metal rods as he examined the two with the same stoic, almost uninterested look on his face. Lazily his eyes drifted between Adira and Woods, Woods seemed more concerned with the outlaw than Adira who almost seemed distracted by something unseen by Marshall.


"I'm coherent. Bit of a migraine but uhh... I s'pose I won't complain about that. Brought that upon m'self." He said with a low sigh and lifted his hands up by his head. "Can we be civil and at least take these things off? Trust me, I don't have it in me to try anything." It was strange, a hungover Marshall seemed impossible to read, though it was always possible that there was nothing TO read, just a hungover Outlaw who wanted to be as comfortable as possible as his body hated on him for drinking so much.

 

[BookWyrm]

Vince waited for a moment before motioning for one of the security team to walk over and open the cell. They led martial into a separate room and sat him down in a chair before removing both sets of flex cuffs. "I hope you realize that you are a lucky to be here." Vince stood in front of Marshall, a slight step in front of Adira just in case. There was also a security team member in the room with them. "I think you know by now that your actions don't speak very well in regards to your reputation. This event is getting attached to your record." Vince looked over at Adira and gave her a short nod. She was the Captain, and her judgement on this would be law.

 

[Dragongal]

"Already is on your record, unfortunately. Regulations say I could leave you in the brig for months - hell, had you done just a bit more when threatening Saami and recklessly messing with weaponry while intoxicated, then you could be executed. However, I'm a pretty nice lady." Adira smiled roguishly. "So, we're going to let you out of here once we're certain you're sober. We've taken your weapons and all of your alcohol and synthehol, and you're banned from getting any any other way." Adira's smile faded and she calmly and sincerely said, "All I ask is that you make an effort to improve your behavior." After a moment she asked what seemed to be necessary: "So, do you want to tell us why you were being so rough with Saami? Or do you not remember?"

 

[Anaxial]

He didn't seem to struggle or oppose the security in any way, but was obviously grateful when his shackles were removed. Immediately he began rubbing his temples and closed his eyes as he listened to the two drone on and on. In all honesty, he couldn't care less about what happened at this point, it wasn't his first time in this situation and he doubted it'd be his last. Eventually he looked back up at them and leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs like a discerned father. Following a chuckle his shook his head ever so slightly and returned to his stoic look on indifference.


"My record is uhh.. Quite large." He said nonchalantly. "I'm not confessing to anything but I assure you, my Imperial Record isn't important to me. No offense meant, I'm just stating a fact. Making sure we're on the same level." He gave a heavy sigh and squeezed the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes for a moment as he combatted the nausea. His voice didn't seem to fluctuate as it normally would, he was at a true neutral level and aside from his obvious discomfort from the severe hangover he was entirely present for the conversation.


He let loose a sharp gust of wind after a moment and opened his eyes wide as he leaned back forward, placing both his feet on the deck and his hands on the table.


"I uhh... I appreciate your level of... patience with me though. I know I'm an asshole and I..." His eyes drifted away from the two and stared down at his hands as he shifted uncomfortably in his chair. This awkward moment didn't last long as he looked back up at the two and flash a bit of a smile at them. "I won't bother you with my problems. I'll just get to the questions." Marshall sat up straight and wiped away at his face with his sleeves. "Saami... that's an interesting one." He said looking past Woods and to Adira. Slowly his smug personality was returning, but he never took his eyes off Adira. "Why harass him though? I don't... I don't know. Could be I was trying to prove a point, I was... Just in a bad mood. Alcohol impairs judgement and I guess..." Even sober, Marshall's mind trailed off to the thought that all this could be a set up, to see what he knew. If he showed he knew something about Saami, they could just kill him and blame it on him, the forensics would back them too. "I don't have an explanation for what I did. I just... did it." he said solemnly.

 

[BookWyrm]

Vince sighed and shook his head. For how Marshall started out he seemed to be slipping back into his smart assed self again. Still, Vince could tell Marshall was hiding something. His mannerisms gave it away. In truth the merc looked scared, which gave them a fifty-fifty shot of him being cooperative or an absolute pain in the ass. "Dishonesty isn't going to get you anywhere Marshall." Vince ran a hand through his hair and scratched at an itch before continuing. "I can understand not liking INANES, but what you did in the mess hall strikes me as more than just a simple disliking of something. You either have some kind of personal issue with Saami, or maybe you have some kind of vendetta against INANES. If it is the latter then we are going to have some major issues. Saami is a chief member of the Lullaby's navigation team, and a ranking officer on this ship. As of right now, your status aboard this vessel is up in the air. Think on that for a minute, and then tell us the truth. What really happened in the mess hall?"

 

[Dragongal]

"And while you're at it, please explain your actions involving Miss Estramus. Where does she fit into this?" They needed to know as much as possible now... this was the second time something had happened between Saami and Saundary, if the reports were to be believed. She didn't want to get Marshall into any more trouble, but if he lied, then she couldn't do much.