Saskia doesn't answer at first.  Instead she lifts the cup to finish the last of the water.  Only afterward does she speak.  "Wasn't taking it out on the Margin.  Was taking it out on me.  I'm a frelling engineer - I should be able to tell the difference between conduction gel and blood.  Frelling dren!"

Her hand comes down hard, smashing the cup onto the coffee tables and sending plastic shards in all directions.  "I was stupid."

"Don't do that to yourself, Ms. Blake." Ash chides Saskia, "It isn't worth it.  And it isn't true.  Besides, if anyone is fault for the misdiagnosis, it is me."

His eyes widen slightly when the cup explodes, but to his credit he doesn't flinch.  He starts to pick up shards of the shattered cup off of the floor, noting semi-playfully, "Ms. Taylor will likely get a kick out of our mistake."  He raises an eyebrow, venturing, "Maybe she will even forget to ask us more about artificial intelligence algorithms..."

The navigator then reminds the engineer, "Likely we should check that access panel again. That conduction gel is coming from somewhere."  He knows that she hasn't likely forgotten, but Ash also figures that if he can get her to focus on that.... well, then maybe a month of cold showers isn't a forgone conclusion.  Maybe.

Jago settles back into the familiar comfort of his well-worn pilots chair and runs another exterior scan. After a short while he shifts his position and realises that these days, there’s a bit more familiarity and a bit less comfort that there used to be, in fact so much so that he wonders if Saskia’s skills extend to upholstery.

Just a couple of minutes to go.  Both berths are still in the green, though one lags slightly behind the other in the chase to reach the correct temperature for opening.  So everything is going to plan.  Shui and Yas are alone again, at least for the next two minutes or so...

Jago sits on the bridge, watching the local news feeds.  They aren't, frankly, that interesting.  And then something catches his eye...

Authorities in Fordon City have announced that the recent rise in cases of respiratory tract infections are not due to Beck's Syndrome, as was first assumed.  They are now working on the theory that the crew of a visiting ship introduced a bacterial strain, one previously unknown on Rangent, to the city.  City officials have assured the local residents that there is no fault in the city's air filtration system.

"See?" Gan says, gesturing towards Tylen, but addressing Kvetz.  "He says it's nice and quiet.  That's what I need now, I think.  I'm not a young man any more.  Sure, the freezers have stopped me ageing as fast as most, but I am still ageing.  Last month I was even thinking of retiring... "

"What?" Kvetz sounds incredulous.

"Yes, yes, I Know... me, retiring."  The bounty hunter laughs and reaches up to slap the belly of the ship, "But this...  This would be better.  It would at least keep me busy and reduce the risk of dying in a freezer."

He waits for Kvetz to answer, but all she does is shake her head and look away.  "Look, we just have two prisoners.  You should be able to handle them on your own.  I've got some money on me.  I'm thinking of asking the Captain if I can stay aboard as a real passenger until he hits the next port.  Then I'll look for work on a ship.  You take the prisoners home, and the bond is all yours.  Call it a going away gift."

"What do you think?  Will your Captain be looking to take passengers?"

And in the lounge, Ash and Saskia discuss their individual medical expertise...

Having paused in the doorway, Shui watches Ash follow Saskia away.  With a small sigh, she returns to the room, just in time to catch the tail-end of a comment from Yasmine.  It's a rhetorical question, though, so she doesn't answer it.

Silence falls as the doctor goes back to her work, distressed.  First Corlan, now Saskia.  These days there doesn't seem to be much she can do to assist her friends.  That is selfishness, Shui, she reminds herself.  Stop being self-centered, and focus on your task at hand.  There will be time to do something for Saskia later; feeling good about yourself is not the priority here.

Saskia sighs, "I think I know where the gel came from.  I was working with it.  Then I smacked my skull on the panel, and I must have had some gel on my hands when I rubbed my head."

The engineer starts picking up fragments of the cup, "See?  Sometimes I'm not too frelling bright.  Dim as a broken lighting panel."

Ash has to stifle a chuckle when the Profit Margin's engineer explains the likely origin of the conduction gel.  "Saski-" he starts, then catches himself and blushes slightly, "... er, Ms. Blake, that is hardly a mistake that reflects poorly on your intelligence."  At this point, the navigator is pointedly looking down at the floor and fastidiously gather shards of mug.

Only once all of the visible pieces are collected does he look over at Saskia.  "Have enough coffee?" Ash prompts, "Or do you need another cup?"  He gives her a crooked smile, knowing that it is more than a bit of a dopey pun.  He stands and makes his way to counter and the trash disposal, muttering under his breath to himself about trying too hard.

Of course, the counter also puts him conveniently close to the coffee as well...

”Probably.” the ex-scout responds laconically.  ”But from what I recall we are heading away from the main rather than somewhere with good shipping links.” the scout adds after a moment’s thought.

Then he shrugs his shoulders again.  ”But then you know how to check out destination logs as well as me.  Just make sure you get somewhere with a decent flow of traffic through it, rather than the backwater I grew up in.  One ship a month and every one competing for the spare berth.” he adds by way of explanation.

”And make sure you keep a ticket or two in your back pocket until you trust the crew you are with.  Too many stories of people getting  ‘left behind’  somewhere after their first trip or two.” he adds as a final warning, although that is probably more reflexive that with ant expectation that the bounty hunter really needs that advice.

There is a low warble, followed by the hiss of escaping air as the seal breaks.  The first of the two remaining berths is open.  The hatch lifts aside, revealing a somewhat woozy prisoner.  This one would be Gulvar Othati-Fenn, whose brother, all unknown to him, is still frozen in one of the other berths.

The younger Othati-Fenn groans, but doesn't try to move, except for his eyes which look about the room.  Then he says, weakly, "Let me go... I'll see that you're well paid."

Gan nods at Tylen's advice, then asks, "Can I speak to your Captain?  See if he'll let me book a cabin?"  Kvetz just shakes her head and mutters, "Idiot." before walking away, to stand as far as possible from Gan while still remaining under the ship.

"And now she isn't talking to me.  Again."

The news feed on the bridge monitor continues with more information about the bacterial infection which is apparently running unchecked in one of Rangent's small domed cities.  It doesn't seem too serious, and appears to be causing more psychosomatic issues than actual physical illness, but it is causing people to take time off from their jobs.

And in the lounge, Saskia and Ash are tidying up...

"Silence.  Let her put the restraints on you without resisting, or it will hurt," Yas says to the newly waken with a detached, cold voice.  She does not move, merely stands nearby in her power suit.

She knows better than to start bargaining with prisoners, be they hers or not, and hope to spare the doctor the need to wrestle with pleas and anything else that may or may not sway her or even give her a bad conscience.

"I'd give him a call once you have taken these two into custody and got them safely shore side." Tylen says "He doesn't like being interrupted when we are first down.  he always has business to do.  Catch him in a bad mood and you will get a very short answer that ends in 'off'.  I know." he says with a lopsided grin.

"Anyway, you don't want a rep for leaving a job half finished.  The good ships will check up on your references." he says with a knowing look, flicking his eyes quickly towards Kvetz.  "And you probably won't enjoy the ships that don't check." he says ominously.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:26, Sat 23 Mar 2013.

Saskia shakes her head, "No, I'm good.  But thanks."

She looks, and sounds, anything but good.  "I should get back passenger side.  I promised Keryn I'd take a look at her book and see if I can help her puzzle it out.  I don't know anything about frelling robots.  Especially their brains.  Never could understand how they work."

"I think not, sir." Shui assists the man in sitting up as she checks his vital signs herself.  Machines are nice, but machines are not immune to error; between her and it, she should have a good idea of his condition.  "As the security chief implies, you waste your time.  Please remain peaceful; given your condition and the chief's presence, it boots you nothing to struggle."

She isn't going to allow a lawfully detained criminal to escape, no matter what payment he offers.  Oh, possibly if the offense were something minor and the punishment far outweighed it; certainly not when he is a known terrorist.  So the moment she has determined Othati-Fenn is improving rather than worsening, she moves to place the restraints upon him.

Oddly enough, she has some experience with this as well, due to having obvserved officers in the past.  One of her stints aboard a ship was as a temp on a patrol boat, substituting for basic custodial services.  One learns things in such situations.

No sooner is Gulvar Othati-Fenn declared fit and reunited with his plastic and ceramic restraints than his partner, Zilon Anatsen, is released from his own berth.  Unlike Othati-Fenn, he does not appear to have considered the possibility of bribing anybody to release him.

He sits quietly through the examination, providing monosyllabic answers to questions about his condition.  He makes no attempt to resist the restraints.

With some prompting from Yas, both men proceed towards the ramp, under escort.  It's cold outside the ship, but not as cold as where they've just been.  Their clothing should be sufficient to protect them on the short walk across to the city entrance, and their captors have spare masks to protect them from the atmosphere's deleterious effects.

Gan nods appreciatively, "Thanks for the advice."

The ramp drops, with its customary screech of tortured metal, "Ah... here we are."  Yas brings the prisoners down onto the ice, and Gan and Kvetz move to put protective masks on them.  The prisoners' masks are of noticeably simpler design than those worn by the hunters.

"We'll have our gear back now, and be on our way."

Escorting the prisoners out Yas makes certain to always remain behind them even if they are in shackles.  Not that they really pose a threat for her in the suit, but it is common sense, after all.

"Sure thing.  It's all in here.  I'll take thebag back, thanks," she says at Gan's prompting and holds out the bag with their weapons in, still secured with the seal she placed there.

"You're welcome." Tylen nods as the prisoners and weapons are handed over to the bounty hunters.  "Now, if you will excuse me, I will get back inside where it is warm." he comments.

Once back aboard The Profit Margin, Tylen will use the crew channel to warn Jago that Gan may well be calling looking for a passenger berth.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:00, Tue 26 Mar 2013.

Saskia pushes herself up of the couch, throws her collection of plastic shards into the waste disposal and starts to leave.  Just as she reaches the door she stops with her hand on the controls, looks back at Ash, and gives him a sheepish smile.

"Ash.  I'm sorry I blamed you.  I should be able to recognise conduction gel when I see it."

Having disposed of his own collection of coffee mug shards, Ash turns to watch Saskia leave.  He is seems pleasantly surprised to have her apologize to him.  He reddens slightly, making light of the situation, "I don't really mind, Ms. Saskia."

He shrugs slightly, adding, "I've been blamed for a lot of things in much less flattering terms.  And with much less provocation..."  Unbidden, the end of his last stint with his previous crew comes to mind.

The lanky, navigator leans forward, pushing off the counter.  "Do you mind if I join you in your talk with Keryn?" he asks, a tinge of eagerness in his voice, "I might learn something."  He does stop short, however, pausing to note, "I'll understand if you prefer not.  I mean, if you'd like some time to yourself..."

Watching on the monitors as the prisoners escorted ashore Jago  sighs, this episode doesn’t sit well with his conscience and it’s not over yet.

Jago turns away and keys the toggle for ‘crew comms’, ++“Good job everybody, could I see you all on the bridge in twenty minuets.”++

Noting Jago's orders, an eyebrow shoots up.  He stops where he is; halfway from the counter to Saskia and asks of the engineer, "Perhaps, Ms. Taylor should wait?  Sounds like the boss wants to talk to everyone..."

He looks expectantly at Saskia, while typing in ++Aye, aye.  Be there presently, Captain...  The Margin's stops typing waiting to see whether he should accept for just himself, or the engineer as well.  Ash turns the quirked eyebrow towards Saskia and prompts, "Ms. Blake?"

Alone in the Cold Berth, Shui studies her remaining charge.  "Apologies, sir, but you'll have to stay sleeping a while yet," she murmurs, checking his vitals.  The Cold Berths have work to be done upon them - resetting, checking levels, then shutting them down properly until their next use.  One doesn't just pull the plug on them, not if one expects them to function properly over the course of years.

Jago's message comes through as she's finishing up.  Shui slowly nods, knowing where this is going.  Keying the controls of her dataglove, she responds.  + Yes, Captain Lanza.  I will bring refreshments. +

Her job here finished, she leaves the cold room behind and heads to the galley to prepare everyone's various libations.

Tylen waits in the hold until Yas is back inside and then closes the ramp and checks it is secure.

Then he will make his way to the meeting.

Gan and Kvetz take their gear, and return the bag to Yas.  Then it takes them just a minute to fit the prisoners with masks, before they turn to leave.  Gan raises a hand in a cheery salute, "Bye, Profit Margin, thanks for doing a good job of getting us, and them, here with no trouble."

Kvetz still seems too annoyed to say much of anything, merely grunting her agreement with Gan's sentiment...  Then the hunters and the hunted start the short trudge across the ice.  As they start to walk off, Gulvar Othati-Fenn can be heard saying, "Frack me!  It's cold here.  You never warned us that it'd be this fracking cold."

Unfortunately Kvetz is closest to him.  All of her anger goes into a slap across the back of his head, and a growled, "Shut it."

...

Twenty minutes later, everybody starts to gather on the Bridge to see what Jago has to say.  Yas appears to have spent the time slipping into something more comfortable... if she, in fact, considers "nearly unarmed and without body armour" comfortable.

Upon her arrive, Shui sets down her tray and begins handing out the various different coffees, cocoas, and other choices of drink.  She has brought a small cup of tea for herself, an average leaf of the green stock, perhaps a touch too long in storage.  Better she drink it than offer it to another.

"Captain Lanza," she murmurs, offering him his coffee.  "There are sandwiches as well, but perhaps you should simply begin?" There's a hopeful sound to the question; it would be better for both her curiousity and his health if Jago would  get to the point.

Jago takes the coffee with a nod of thanks and sips it before beginning.

“I just wanted to bring everybody up to speed on what’s happening,” he says, “I have a buyer for the protein concentrate, they will be along tomorrow to collect it. In addition I’ll be holding an auction for ‘Breath Easy’ medication I bought. I’m expecting three people for that, sometime in the morning. Do you think you could lay on more of these Shui?”

Jago helps himself to a couple of sandwiches, by way of illustration, and takes another sip of coffee.

“We still have Edrin Othati-Fenn in the freezer. There is a ship in here tomorrow from Tremous Dex, returning there a few days later, the bounty hunters will probably take that on their way back to Arden. I intend to release Edrin once they are gone. In the meantime perhaps someone can get him so cold weather gear. ”

“I hope that we’ll be ready to leave by then, we’ll be heading for Phlume which should be a little more civilised than this place. I also thought that maybe tomorrow night we’d invite the crew of the Ore Hound, and our own long term passengers, over for dinner, what do you think Shui, are you up for that? we’ll all help with any preparations, it might be fun.”