"No longer being the pilot, and having no desire to be the esteemed Captain, I find no need to know the figures for the landing procedure.  That is unless it is headfirst and painful, then by all means, tell me first."  Rhaef's face is deadpan as ever as it holds her gaze before once again lifting the glass to his lips.


Licking the remaining moisture from his lips, Rhaef takes a step toward the mechanic.

"I actually don't know what brings me here, but I can see I am intruding, so I will leave you to your work."

Rhaef turns and heads back out through the hatch from whence he came, returning to the Cargo bay.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:32, Wed 18 Jan 2006.

"Rhaef, you're..."  She starts to say something, but he walks off.  She lets out a sigh after he's gone, rolling her eyes and turning back around, crouching over the box and slowly folding the dress.  It wasn't the one that Kyoko had just given her, of course...she'll look at it soon, when she knows that no one is going to burst in on her.  Of course, she knew when that was...however long it was from now.  She let out a murmur, sitting back and folding her arms on her knees, resting her head on her arms...

Charlie stepped into the engine room, smiling and brushing her hands through her shoulders, looking around the room for a long moment.  Here she was, safely on land, and having to do work.  It would be lovely to take the day, sit in the sun and enjoy having her feet on the ground for a day...but that's not what's going to happen.  Not until they reach a landing point where they're staying for more than an hour, that's for sure.  Maybe she'll get lucky, captain will start a fight and end up getting detained for a few hours.  It wouldn't be the first time that things hadn't gone according to plan, to say the least.

Charlie slowly changed before she started, getting rid of the coveralls, stepping up into a lighter pair of pants and something sleeveless on the top.  True, it was inefficient to work in and it would hurt like hell if skin ended up touching on any of the hotter parts underneath, but the sun would feel good.  If she got any burns or scrapes, she'd have who knows how much time to let them heal until the next time they land on another burning rock.

With a mutter to herself, Charlie hefted up her toolbox and headed off for the belly of the ship, urging to get some work done while she still had time to do so without a rush...


------>Under the Ship [PMs]
This message was last edited by the player at 18:00, Fri 06 Jan 2006.

Charlie burst into the engine room, spilling onto the floor when she reached the top of the ladder, knocking against the floor hard.  "Fang zong feng kuang de jie!"  She shouts as she picks herself up, getting on her feet and heading to the engine.  She slammed a fist on the controls for the rebreathers, closing the vents that rested on the belly of the engine that were slowly replenishing the o2 tanks.  They've probably kicked up their share of dust, and there was no telling if they were full, but it was definitely more than nothing.

She checked the level on the stabalizer, picking up the radio and speaking into it quickly.  "You need a stronger burn, Bear, shout and it's yours."  She looked back at the gagues, sighing.  "Assuming we make it out...Kale'll pull us through."

COMM: "No need mia, you're beautiful as ever"

Charlie heard Ren's comment over the radio, smiling to herself...it wasn't often she was given something like that.  The pink peeked out through her cheeks, but thankfully, she was alone for that moment.  "Don't toy with my heart, Baby Bear...you don't want it breakin' on ya.  You know where to find me."  She spoke over the radio, hanging it back up and closing her eyes, letting out a steady breath.  Someday, she thought to herself, finally heading back to the doors and into the cargo bay.


-------->Cargo Bay

Charlie entered the room, sighing as she leaned against the wall, pulling off her boots and throwing them across the room.  Supported by the wall, she puts her hands on either side of her head, groaning as she massages her temples.  Who knows what this was...something wicked just washing over, causing distress in her.  Something she didn't need.

Charlie gets her balance again, standing up and stretching, making the slow walk across the room to the hammock.  Her joints have started to ache, something she can only imagine is from running about the past few days and not having much else to do.  She sat on the edge, slowly swinging, rubbing her forehead again.  It was a low ebb, like a pulse beacon somewhere, coming in slow flashes through the edges of her vision and the lower frequencies of her hearing.  Like being in front of a spotlight, the spots beginning to dance.

I'm tired, Charlie thought.  This'll all seem better after a few hours of sleep.  She coughed hard, covering her mouth, her head swimming even further into the pain as she did so.  It only takes a moment to shake it out, running the back of her arm over her mouth and wiping her hands on the thighs of her jeans.  She rolls back into the hammock, oblivious to the smears of blood she's just put across her cheek and her pants, not to mention her hands...

Charlie rolled over from the hammock, sighing and holding her head in her hands for a second...it was still throbbing, like a million men with a million hammers marched away at all the sensitive parts insde of her brain.  She sniffled as she breathed in, able to feel the warmth starting to come from her forehead.  Good chance she was running a fever, which was the last thing that the doctor needed right now.  Anything cool would feel good to the skin, but she's not going to empty out their entire ice chest to find that.  Thankfully, they're on a ship in the middle of space.  Charlie pulls off her boots and socks, setting them down on the cold metal floor.

She rubbed her face again, letting out a sigh as she stood, placing a hand on the wall.  Maybe there was something in the infirmary for this headache.  Only one way to know, of course...that's to get over there.  Keeping her hand on the wall, Charlie shuffles towards the door, muttering to herself the whole way...

--------->Cargo Bay

Geof stepped in lightly, looking about the room with a bit of curiousity. He hadn't been in this part of the ship yet and he didn't expect to be coming in all that often. He wasn't all that good with the machinations that made up the engine and he wasn't that comfortable around it. Not to mention that this was basically Charlie's bunk and he doesn't go into a ladie's bunk unless invited. Way too many unpleasant things can come from being in one uninvited, most of which involving a knee and a groin and hard contact between the two.

He moves to the hammock set up in the corner of the room and gently lays Charlie down in it. He puts the IV stand near her and then mutters lightly over the needle. "Gorram it. Uh...Am I s'posed ta put this thing back inta yer arm or what? I ain't to sure on this...", he said with a bit of a frustrated shake of his head.

She stretched out as Geoff set her in the hammock, sighing and letting herself relax finally.  She took the needle of the IV, biting her bottom lip for a second as she looked at it.  "I'll do this.  I mean...I know where it was, I can feel it'n all."  She looked over the edge, bringing out her arm to find the hole again.  There was blood trailing down the inside of her arm where the IV needle had been, still bleeding when even as small as a needlepoint.

"Can you...Geoff..."  She spoke with her head down, watching the hole in her arm and the needle, obviously trying not to look at him when she spoke at this point.  "You...y'heard what Acacia told me about th'shot, right?  Before she gave me it t'give myself, I mean."

Geoff sighed heavily and nodded to Charlie as she spoke. "....yeah. Yeah, I heard. About yer heart and....yeah. I heard.", he said softly before putting on a false grin and shaking his head, "But...but ya shouldn't be worryin' 'bout that! Ya'll be fine! She said it might! Didn't say fer sure! So...no worries..." His voice trailed off at the end as did the smile as he looked toward the ground.

"Yeah, she...she said it, all right."  Charlie stopped, holding her breath as she slid the IV back into place, gritting her teeth at the feeling.  It definitely wasn't as smooth as the ones that Acacia had put in, but as her first, not too bad.  She sighs, laying her head back and looking at Geoff, resting her arms back at her side.  "Thing is...things'll go less smoothly if I've got anyone worryin' more about me, or anythin' about it.  Do me a favour, an' don't tell Kale.  If ya'd pass that on to Acacia, that'd be appreciated as well."  She coughed, covering her mouth with a fist, grimacing at the feeling...still hurting from the inside incredibly.  "Kale'll worry 'til th'day he dies about me, if he knows.  I'm not...I'm not needin' that."

Geoff looked back to Charlie and opened his mouth to say something before pausin and nodding lightly. It wasn't his place to tell the captain anything Charlie didn't want shared. If she wanted to keep this to herself, then that's her business. Still, he couldn't help but think that keeping such a thing from Kale would only hurt in the end. Still, he nodded his agreement and said, in a low voice, "Sure enough. I won't say nothin' to the cap'n, if'n ya don't want me to. Ya got my word on that and, even if it is the word of a crook, ya can count on it, dong ma?"

She smiled at him, reaching up and patting his arm.  "There's a good boy...don't think that you're lyin' or nuthin'.  I'm not askin' ya to lie. Just...there's no reason for him t'know.  I suppose, n'less Acacia tells him...but she won't.  She shouldn't."  Charlie shook her head a bit, shifting how she laid in the hammock.  "An' one thing you gotta learn, I guess...I trust Kale.  He's never lied t'me, he's never done me wrong, an' he's come through for me a million times.  I have no question in his judgement.  So...way I see it, if Kale trusts you, I'm havin' no reason not to."  She smiled again, looking up at Geoff.

After a moment, she lays her head back and closes her eyes, taking in a deep breath.  "You better go'n get ready.  We're gonna be on th'shore soon, and you'll need t'get the crate in, get the cure'n head back."  A smile cracked at the corner of her lips.  "Big day..."

Geoff smiled lightly and nodded as he looked over Charlie one last time before turning to head out. Nice ta be trusted. Ain't happened in such a long time, I almost forgot what it was like. It's nice..., he thought as he headed out. "Rest easy, Charlie. We'll have ya right as rain in no time...", he said softly as he walked out into the cargo bay.


----------->Cargo Bay

Having procured the meds from Londinium all on board Destiny have been vaccinated.  The recovering crew took refuge on the Gypsy planet Paquin where they buried the two children, Sephone and Tate, who were lost on their last mission.  Now that everyone is back on their feet Destiny is looking for work once more, while trying to avoid a very angry Cortez, Alliance patrols, and Bosik's men.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:43, Sat 13 Oct 2007.

Rhaef worked his way through the cargo bay, trying make a list of the items they'd need to replenish before taking off. Reaching the engine room, he realized he'd only been here once, and that he'd been unnecessarily rude to Charlie, even by his own sardonic standards. He was still amazed that mechanic had not clocked him for that.

"Charlie, you down here. Know you're busy, but the Captain's concerned about keeping the bird in the air, and guess it falls to me, to keep her crew alive."

Charlie enters the Engine Room, sighing at the pounding of metal.  The room was always hotter than the rest of the ship, and it wouldn't have been so bad if she had come straight from outside.  Coming from the dining hall and such first, however, always was a different story.  She kicked off her boots, leaving them on top of one of her boxes, letting her bare feet touch the floor, smiling at the smooth metal that held the ship together.  It was amazingly comforting, just to the touch...it was like home.

She began to unbutton her overalls, to change into something much cooler, when she heard Rhaef.  She turned around, holding up the front with her arms crossed, smirking at the boy.  "Of course she's concerned, I'm the one keeping her alive...I'm like Destiny's babysitter, y'know?"  She patted one of the walls, looking it up and down.  "What'cha need, then?"

Rhaef actually blushed slightly at the sight of Charlie starting to disrobe. Sometimes you could almost forget that she was a woman, this however was not one of those times. Rhaef turned briefly and regained her composure.

"Any one check her Oxygen systems lately? I don't want to go up into the black, and then be running out of air, miles from anywhere? While we're talking any check to see the aquifers and recyclers are in working order either?"

"Rhaef..."  She smiled as she spoke, cocking her head.  She entertained the thought that maybe Rhaef was too much a gentleman for this way of life...but then again, she had known him too long to know that wasn't true.  Besides, anyone on this boat would have given her privacy.  She connected one of the straps so that they would stay up, letting the other one hang as she walked over to Rhaef, gently touching his shoulder.

"The rebreathers have been open since we landed, so they're right suckin' up air straight from the atmo, givin' us something to use 'til we start needin' the processed atmo.  'course, now I have to set the levels to include two new people, not t'mention us opening the hatch a coupla times n'all, meanin' that's a loss.  I'm not too worried about whether we'll have it."  She looked around his shoulder, making eye contact with him.  "I haven't gotten to th' aquifers yet...I was gonna do that in a bit, unless you've got an urge t'go and get it done..."

"N'ah, was just checking now." Rhaef replied turning back to face her. "Anyway, I got to check on the food supplies and other stuff, before we head out." He paused, "Com me though, if we still have not looked at them by sundown, and I lend a hand, so we're ready to get off the ground, when the Cap wants." He headed out, and said of his shoulder, "Later, Charlie."

Rhaef knocked on the engine room door. This was the last place Geoff would look for him, and more than that, after the Captain, Charlie was the only person Rhaef knew well enough to trust their judgment. "Hey Charlie, you in there?"

The door to the engine room popped open, and Charlie looked down at Rhaef, crouching above the few steps that led up into the room and putting her nearly on eye level.  Her hands and arms were covered in grease and other black stuff, and there werea few smudges along the edges of her face.  They must be flying in the black, as it's always when she's got herself arm-deep in the engine, trying to keep everything tuned as it goes.

"Yeah, you alright?"  She smiled at Rhaef, figuring she wasn't going to hear another soul until the "we're getting out of here" announcement that would be broadcast much later.  "You wanna come in or anythin', go ahead."

"Thanks, think I will, Charlie. Might be a good time for me to be scarce. Might have actually finally pissed Geoff off to the breaking point." He walked through the open door. "Plus, I need to ask you about our new fare. You've been a pretty good judge of character in the past."

"Sure I have."  Charlie closed the door behind Rhaef, looking back at the first mate with a smile as she grabbed a rag from her pocket, going over her face once and getting most of the big spots off.  The engine room, as usual, stands to be warmer than the rest of the ship.  That goes double when they're in the black, as the ship supercools but the engine continues to run.  At least it's not noisy.

"Right, so you're hidin' back here n'all.  I'm guessin' that's okay, bein' what you gotta do and all.  I'm doubtin you actually need to ask me, though...you're just makin' something to speak about."  She chuckled, stuffing the rag back in her pocket, leaning against one of the supports that encased the first engine block.  "I mean, I could sit here'n figure that you've got some motive, y'know?  Somethin' you're not sayin' and all, but that'd be me just gettin' too...too picky n'all.  So which passenger are we talkin' about?"