"Ooh, Gilina, that's terrible!" exclaimed Maissa, and she gave a quick hug to the tech.

OOC : this is in fact a attempt to manipulate Gilina through the latter's emotions. CSX could sense that Maissa's show of empathy lacks sincerity! :)

"Who did that? Who was this monster? Corporal Eaven? Is she aboard this ship?"

"And I lost the drift in this traumatic tale.. Shy is the chief of this disreputable gang? They do ZM's dirty work? Jax was with them?"

The art of cross-interrogation, asking the same questions with different words, was a skill Maissa had experienced on the side of the suspect, and picked up.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:00, Thu 10 Feb 2022.

Gilina nodded.   "It was a small lander.  Didn't have enough O2 for three."  She accepted Viper's embrace and her jaw tightened, but she didn't cry.  She wouldn't let them see her lose composure.  "You can't break natural laws."



--
The surviving marines:

• Sergeant Shy is the lead of the Bravo Brutes. Or, was.
• Corporal Karin Eaven, the blond
• Unnamed guy with a severed arm (rank, name undefined)
• Unnamed guy (rank, name undefined)

Jax was a technician, part of Gilina's group.  He was apparently using the control room equipment to try to hack the encryption on the Orishi's systems, when the marines entered.  Gilina said that Karin Eaven shot him.  Took half of his head off, in fact.

Viper: Noted.  Thanks for the side note to CSX!

Rayfe shrugged at the terms being outlined for the contract. "Honestly? I do not really mind what the contract says. Just so long as you don't kick me out an airlock. Money... I can get that easily enough. The Unity Banking Cartel is just about the most secure financial institution around, and I could break that. Others should be like taking candy from a baby. Seriously, if we need capital to get this ship fixed up, I'd be happy to find some. I need somewhere to stay, and something to do. I can't really go back to my old life, and I've never been out and about in the way some of you clearly have. And I've got plenty of other strings to my bow. I'm not just a systems expert. You'll find I can carry my weight."

He ate some more food. He only had one current objective in life, and he had work to do before he could get on with it. For now, a crew with similar problems, who needed his skills, was the best he could probably hope for. It was not going to be comfortable. He was resigned to that. On Gauda Prime, he was an Alpha Grade. A highly privileged group, the Alphas. He had a comfortable life. He had a very good apartment. He had a good salary. He had access to very luxurious facilities.

The only thing he didn't have was freedom. Now he had that in abundance, and pretty much nothing else. He was not unaware of the irony of his situation.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:51, Fri 11 Feb 2022.

"Ughhh!!!" Baylee groaned audibly as the last of the food she'd taken was finally packed away somewhere in her lither form, "Fuck all the stars in the void! I am sick to fuck of talking. Ok, I'll work on writing a charter and send it around for you all to make your mark. Later. While we are on K-Zino. Anyone who doesn't make their mark gets left on the roid. Hao a?"

She tossed her empty food storage device onto the table and looked around to see if that point was settled. She then pointed a long finger at Sheng Xin, "Ok, so, ship's cook and, probably, medical officer? Hao le." Her finger shifted to Maissa, "Pilot, dui a? Pero, maybe, first officer? Yeah?" She jabbed the finger at Gilina then Gothique, "Ship's mechanics. Keep the old girl space-worthy? Mabuti naman. Pero, you can run the charter past the rest of the techies types once I send it out. Ying wei they don't sign on, suo yi I don't need their gago names." She grinned at that. She then looked to Rayfe, "Ship's CTO? And no targeting large financial institutions! Susmaryosep! Don't bring that heat down on us. Tian a. Pakshet. Keep it small. I am obviously unconcerned with legality, just getting in over our heads. We just got our freedom returned, let's not overreach and lose it, dui a?"

She then surveyed the gathered group and nodded. It wasn't a bad little start of a decent crew, but she needed some more dedicated heavies. Maissa and Rayfe might be able to handle a fight, but that was different from teh mentality of someone who chose violence as their path. She stood and pointed at Maissa again then waggled her finger to come closer, "We're going to go talk to the damned marines then... we're going to have a more private conversation. Come along... uhm, please?" Best not to push that too much. Interpersonal stuff could ruin a crew as easily as it glued it together. She looked around at everyone once more as she moved toward the rest of the ship, "anything else? Oh, once on K-Zino, make money how you know how. Just, like, try running it past me first? I don't want to be a dictator, pero you bring the heat down on my ship and I'll cut your glands off and feed them to space sharks. You'll wish that I'd spaced you."

Baylee is going to find the marines to talk to them.

As soon as this is said she smiles and turns and not even needing to say a word.



"A pleasure to meet you Sheng-Xin and thank-you for sharing."

She is almost moved to tears as she grabs something to eat and was about to down it when Gilly is saddened by something she is discussing.  At that moment she is more torn about her friend vs the food she has in front of her, as her friend is someone in need and that causes her to put the food down.  But then one of the other females starts to comfort her and that gets her back to position one which is the food.

As the topic starts jumping around she just stays silent as she does not know how to react to it all.  That and there was food.  Food that she seems to very cautiously divide in two and only eating one pile.  The other other which she was thinking of saving for later if needed or for someone more in need.

The older man nodded in response at his proposed duties, and then drew nearer as the Captain prepared to depart.

"Captain, I am quite... perceptive at sensing emotion, including deception.  Do you wish me to observe the marines as you converse with them?"

Baylee looked at the man and nodded then hesitated, "Chang, I ever... I mean EVER... catch you reading me. The words will be sharp, but not as sharp as the knife. Ting dong? Understand?"

A second later she was all smiles again and motioned him to follow. She cared not one whit how he interacted wiht others, that was for them to define, but she would define how she would be treated. The idea of anyone else inside her head or heart gave her visions of violent delights.

The older man nodded solemnly.

"我明白了，舰长^*.  Therefore, let me give you a full disclosure..."

"Even across a crowded room, you are still aware of voices raised, and whether they are glad, or sad, or mad."

"However, there is a difference between passively having such awareness and actively striving to eavesdrop."

"Please rest assured that as long as I serve aboard, I only intend to use whatever humble abilities I possess in the service of this ship, and of the Captain commanding her."

^* "I understand, Captain."

Rayfe gave a rather wry smile. "I am in no hurry to end up back in a prison, you can be sure of that. A few credits here, a few credits there. It soon mounts up, and we are a lot less likely to draw attention to ourselves. But right now, my focus has to be on the ship, and the crew. I'll keep working on the missing parts in our memories. They will come back on ther own, sooner or later, but it won't be long before we are declared as galactic fugitives. I think we need to be firing on all engines before that happens, if we want to have any chance of staying ahead of the curve."

Maissa followed Ling-li, but as soon as they turned a corner [EDIT : AND NOBODY COULD SEE THEM], she grabbed the arm of the Pai Huai preceding her - a thin arm, but muscular and solid. When the slender woman turned and faced Maissa close, Maissa realized she was 5cm taller [yes, on Sarius they use the metric system]. The pilot was distracted by the spicy perfume of her captain, so Maissa first stared right at the hair to keep focused.

She spoke in a low voice : "Pardon my gesture, Cap... if I may... I beg you to listen... I've thought a little... Consider that Marines gang; they committed crimes together, maybe for years. They're knit so tightly that it's a kernel hard to break. If you meet them all at once, they're going to look up to their sergeant to tell'hem what to do."

Maissa replaced her hands. She now had one hand on Baylee's left arm and the other holding the Butcheress' forearm.

"Now, this sergeant... so focused on his group's survival that he'd sacrifice all techies instead of trying to rescue everybody. 'Not a good addition to our crew, and if the four Marines joined us, he'll set up a coup and we'll become the prisoners of our prisoners."

Maissa now stared intensely in Baylees dark eyes.

"The Karin is a cold-blooded, trigger-happy, killer. Why head-shoot a technician when you could just tell him to get away from the controls? A fast shooter like this 'd bring 1000s problems to... your crew. Then, the other Marines - two unknowns. If we separate them from their leaders, they may join us and not slit our throats in our sleep."

The brunette underlined her words by caressing the throat of her co-escapee.

"If I may suggest... let's bring the Marines one by one before the crew - starting with Karin, then the subordinates, and ending with the Sergent. We screen the candidates, question them, make them our offer, and everyone can veto them, especially Gilina. Wasn't it that way in the charter anyway?"

Maissa got her face closer and spoke in hushed tones

"We've got to keep them separated, unable to communicate, unable to know what we did with the others. This bad girl witness'd the efficiency of the method in so many police stations... Tell me, is there a better way to weave our group together than having us be the judges and jury and take decisions as a team?"

She softly kissed the lips of Bai Ling-Li.

"Mmm... of course there are other ways to come together... I could sleep with every member of the crew, even with Karnell-the-Pervert... Or push zhao cai mao in his arms. What do you thing?", she joked, blinking.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:37, Sun 13 Feb 2022.

Rayfe sighed, and looked at the pilot with a very level gaze. "Just for the record, the allegations made in the media about my sexual proclivities are entirely false. Fabrications designed to further discredit me. I would prefer it if people did not bring up that issue while we are on the same crew. A modicum of tact and respect helps everyone get along together. We've all got a dark past, but I'm a white collar criminal, not a sexual predator."

He did not sound angry. That would imply a loss of control, and he put a great deal of effort into maintaining his composure. But at some point, he was going to find out who started the rumours about his private life, and introduce them intimately to an arc welder.

Still confused at what just happened it does not really matter as Gothique has food available and no one has taken it away.  Actually as no one has commented on the separation of her food she does her best to sneak some of it in her pocket so she can either use it later for herself or if someone in need.  She is not greedy about it and it is the survivor in her from her time in the orphanage or on the street.  Heck even her mentor took time to break her of the habit.

Once she is no longer feeling like death and having her small nest egg prepared she turns and looks at Gilly being the only person she really knows there especially with others leaving.   "Gilly is there anything you want me to do right now?   Or any of you as I have to pay for being allowed to stay."  She says genuinely.  "Or is there anything you want to know about me to aid in trusting as I don't mind.  I don't hide anything."

"Kid." the heavy-set man leaned back, plopping one of the bowls in his own lap.  "There are three factions here:  Gilly and the Zenda-Meier techs, a handful of Zenda-Meier marines who were trying to kill them, and us--everyone else.  And we all woke up about that long ago from a long-sleep.  Most of us don't even remember our names. "


OOC: Gothique was one of the cryo-sleep folks, just in case it wasn't clear.  So, her memory is also torn linen at this time.

"We're probably going to do some very ugly things in a little bit.  Surely, the ones who are going to suffer probably deserve it.   But you probably don't need to be there for it. "

"Now, you're cute as hell and you remind me of someone I should probably remember. But I don't.  So, maybe you tell us.  What do you bring to the table?" He took a spoonful then apparently liking the taste, glanced over at Sheng-Xin and nodded appreciably.

"That's not fair." Gilina said. "She's already brought the internal comms online.  From scraps!, no less."

When the voice speaks to her she actually jumps a bit freaked out but calms down right away, "I think I can fix things as Gilly said I did up these comm thingees.  I was going to name them something like the comm and Go or the portable comm dumpster or small transmission device or STD for short.  But everyone looked at me oddly so I left it."  She says even now working on something in her hand.  Actually working on another comm to keep her hands busy as not to fidget.

"I think I might be more useful when my thinking process returns to normal.  But my head is a bit scrambled still.  But you also say ugly things.  I am not sure what that means either..." She starts to add before like a butterfly flying by her brain transitions to something else "Oh we discovered I am able to do some skills like opening safes.  I am not the best at it but have some ability."  She says as she finishes the one little comm and offers it to the person talking to her so she can show at least one thing she can do.

Then she realizes she forgot the most important thing as she holds out her hand, "Oh and as you likely heard I am Gothique."

"I think we'll be spending some time together, Gothique," Karnell mused. "If you are as good at everything else as you are with the comms, you might even be able to teach me a thing or two. And that is a pretty rare admission, so treasure it. You likely won't hear it again."

He rose, and finished up his remaining food. "I'd better change clothes, and get back to work. Gothique, when you get any new ideas, let me know please? I'd be very interested in whatever you want to try. I'll be at the computer, as usual." His smile was rather wry. "I am not sure if I will find very much under the name Gothique on the prison database, but I can search using many different parameters. And facial recognition." He held up the hand held pad, and took a quick photo of the perky tech-kitty. "If I find anything, I will let you know."

Gothique looks confused for a second, "I think you would need to spend all the time with me if you want to be there when I get ideas.  I usually get them in a sort of spur of the moment and then work.  But that said I will make sure to try to let you know when the inspiration occurs.  Or if Gilly is watching she can likely inform."  She smiles.

When it comes to to the picture Gothique actually instinctively poses with a peace sign before responding, "Awesome sauce.  Just let me know what I did as that would be nice if it is listed."  At which point if he does not stop her she goes in for a hug of thank you.  She then goes back to sitting waiting to see when and where her next project will be.

Rayfe was hugged, suddenly. He seemed a little taken aback, then gently patted the girl on her shoulder. "Yes, well. Nobody on this ship is going to be defined by their past, I think. We should consider the future." Despite the fact he was very much living in the past himself. but he was prepared to judge everyone on their own merits. And having a technical savant around was more than he had anticipated. Whatever had she done? She seemed very upbeat and perky. It must have been something awful...

He went back to the main computer terminal, and checked on how it was doing. He had things to check...

Firstly, he started a comprehensive diagnostic, trying to identify all the parts of the ship that should be there, but were not. What had been removed? What needed replacing?

Then he turned to other matters, as that was running. Chang Shen Xin's identity and criminal record was buried deeply in the prison database somewhere, he felt sure. It was encrypted, but for Karnell, encryption was rather a fun thing. He did so love breaking down someone else's code.

And then, Gothique. A name he was reasonably sure her parents had not given her. Well, she was ahead of the game. They would all need new names, sooner or later. He was confident he could create very realistic identities for them all - with time. And not from here. He needed access to systems that were not available. But for now, he would try to find out who the cheerful tech girl was. That was a start!

OOC:

OK, three more rolls done. Results:

22:17, Today: Rayfe Karnell rolled 1 using 4 Fudge dice.  Computer Systems roll. Final result: 6 shifts

22:16, Today: Rayfe Karnell rolled 0 using 4 Fudge dice.  Computer systems roll. Final result: 5 shifts

22:16, Today: Rayfe Karnell rolled 1 using 4 Fudge dice.  Computer Systems roll. Final result: 6 shifts

The first is for the ship diagnostic.

The second, to crack open the encrypted files on CSX.

The third, to burrow into the database and try to find out who, or indeed what, Gothique is.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:23, Sun 13 Feb 2022.

Moved to 02.04: Hallway Interlude (Baylee & Viper) to preserve location continuity.  --GM
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:37, Mon 14 Feb 2022.

"All right."  Spohr said finally.  The bowl he'd been eating from was empty.  sparkling, even.  The man ate quickly.   "So, we go talk to the--what did you call them--Bravo Brutes."  We gotta show them that there's a power-structure in play already and that if they don't get in-line, they'll be on the wrong side of the board.  Or the wrong-side of an airlock."

He shrugged and looked up at Baylee who's attention was wavering  "I suggest we give them a hour or two to let 'em stew.  Then you question them with wo you want.  But I suggest Bek and I be there too.  To show them that muscle is welcome but not desperately needed."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:28, Wed 16 Feb 2022.

A good thrity minutes after she stalked out, Baylee returns with her clothes altered and her attitude much more relaxed, "Enough talk! Spohr, Casks: you're doing the interviews with me." Looking around, she saw some doing what she had said and others holding up the walls.

Growling a bit, she looked at Gilina and Gothique, "A short list of the repairs needed and what materials we have and don't have aboard. Go, do, now. Uh, please and thank you."

Looking around, she grunted then spoke again, "Clear the room if you ain't be Casks or Spojr. We're doing the interviews here. Spohr, go get the marine with the limb missing."

Without hesitation Gothique stands up, "Yes Captain!"  But does not move until Gilly gets up but does her best to salute and not in a mocking means but just trying to please her Captain!

The older man blinks at his new nickname, and nods.

"Captain...  Do you prefer me to merely observe?  Or do you wish me to contribute as and when it would be useful?"

Baylee allows her edges to soften a touch as people hop to follow directions and smiles at Casks, "I hope that I can trust both your expertise as well as your discretion. So, contribute as you feel the need. Whether that be advising me or doing your own thing."

A sharped Baylee scanned the rest of the room, "That goes the same for all members of the crew. Contribute what you can where you can. Talk me to me freely. Take your own initiative. The only time I want you to hesitate and see me out is when it affects us all in an emergent way or my ship." She smiles then seeks to arrange herself for the incoming marines.

The older man returns her smile with a meaningful look and a slight bow.

"'天生我材必有用。'  It is a privilege to serve, Captain."


The older man nods thoughtfully.

"'有缘千里来相会。'"

Two different Chinese proverbs:
^*"I was born to be useful."
^**"Fate brings people together from far apart."