hexarchate_rpg | Move 15 (Chapter 1.15)

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moves: chapter 1

Move 15 (Chapter 1.15)

Year 361, Month Three, Day Sixteen (Sunday), evening

[I'm trying desperately to get Mikodez caught up, I promise! If the rest of y'all want to take a bit of a break, that's fine--or if you want to settle logistics, that's fine too. So sorry...]

Mikodez and Istradez [NPC] on Moongray Station, plus HATCHED EGG, ca. 20:50

[continuing from this comment by

pengwern]

"I have no idea what would happen if you fouled up the stock market," Istradez says. His eyes are starting to look glassy. "And I'm just as married to the fucking job as you are." He gives forth a sigh and appears to be dropping into semi-slumber when Mikodez's last words penetrate. "We need you as hexarch. Just...maybe less of a psychopathic one? But you don't know about that 'training incident,' either..."

Hmm. Istradez's pulse is becoming too slow for comfort. Better do something about that.

Year 361, Month Three, Day Seventeen, ass o' clock Monday

on the Bumblebee/Wasp/Monthra

around 1:00, in the hold of the Wasp

Remi and Alaric have made excellent progress on the conversion of the "Bumblebee"'s hold space into a mothling habitat. Remi has lapsed into a brooding silence, considering Alaric's revelations about what life is like outside of the heptarchate. At this point, however, the moth starts to hum again. It doesn't seem to want to shut up, but at least its humming is quieter--maybe the station hasn't noticed.

Remi looks interested. "Your moth is very talkative--is that usual?" His expression turns sad. "They never talked much in captivity with us. I suppose it's understandable."

around Monday 2:50

Gerae asks Ashari and Sasha, "Should I go back into my room now? I promise I'll stay out of the way. And you have all my lockpicks, so it's not like I can finagle my way out." He glances sidelong at Virmad and Sulen, then adds, "Fluffy especially likes cookies, but she shouldn't have too many of them. She also likes honey-dipped locusts, if you can get any. Some of the food vendors on the station carry them sometimes, but I have to request them special, and they confiscated my supply."

NOTE: For anyone who is not otherwise occupied, it would be a great time to get some rest, or alternately, ask Iawa for stims in anticipation of the morning's activities.

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Sasha stands. "Grid, please ask Ashari to come to the comms room.-- I cut off Avrayen's lokwor tunnel from our grid to the station grid. But discipline is Ashari's department. And communications is mine. If you can find someone else to do it, I'd be happy to stop working three jobs. But you don't have personal communications with people outside our organization. Not while we're on a mission, and definitely not with the head of station security."

Sasha remembers how tired Virmad looked earlier, and adds, "You should probably let me check your devices, to make sure Teo didn't tamper with them." She's confident in the security pack she installed, but she's not confident that Virmad maintained physical security, not if he's this trusting.

“Trust me,” Virmad says wryly, “there wouldn’t have been time for that.” He pulls himself up to his full height, although, he reflects, his uniform probably won’t actually impress Sasha, foreigner as she is. “Kel Teo has given me no reason to think that he poses any threat to us. He’s the chief security officer on a quiet, out-of-the-way science station that happens to be — for a few days, until this anomaly dissipates — the welcome point for some unusual visitors. He may not be a typical Kel, but he’s well within Kel parameters, and his signifier would show, in any case, if he were anything else. Also, and most importantly, at the moment, they need us” — he gestures to include Sulen in this — “and spying on either myself or Sulen would be a sure way to jeopardize their chances of actually getting our help. Remember, we’re not just taking Gerae because he’s got some rebellious sympathies, we’re taking him because investigating his crimes is the cover we’ve taken up — the cover the station administrator asked us to take up. And the administrator, unlike some people on this ship, doesn’t want any trouble.”

Sasha doesn't think Virmad is a threat, not really, but she wishes he would stop blocking the door. And start making sense. Maybe if she explains things to him slowly?

"There is a virus on this station. It's not Shuos work. It infects any device that's not protected, and some of the ones that are. The data feeds to the same place as the station's cameras: the office of the chief of security. A variant of that virus was attached to the first message we received from the station, and set to collect information about rifts. I'm guessing Teo wrote the virus, but even if he didn't, he monitors the reports. So, yes, he's trying to spy on you, and Sulen, and the rest of us, and everyone on station. That's his job. Mine is not to let him."

To his credit, Virmad does look slightly chastened, and decides to close his mouth rather than say anything else.

[real q: surely after identifying the virus when we arrived Sasha would have preemptively inoculated our space smartphones?]

[Yeah, everyone got the update before going onto the station, except for Iawa, who ignored direct instructions to leave their tablet on the ship. Sasha and Iawa have had A Conversation. Grid support is not actually the same thing as security engineering, which is why Sasha is complaining about having three jobs...]

"You know, I think she would have done pretty well as a Shuos," Sulen comments to Virmad in an uncharacteristic moment of humor.

Sasha makes the sort of mildly disgusted noise other people use for spiders. "I'm not playing games."

She keys a password, quickly; a cabinet clicks. "Sulen, what we were talking about, earlier? I've got a pistol here that uses compressed gas. I think you should practice with it, and plan to print something similar. It's going to be comparable to a .22, so you should aim for a central nervous system hit, and assume it will take multiple rounds to stop someone." She pulls out a tin of pellets, and sets it on the desk beside her.

Virmad steps fully into the room now, curious (and a little concerned). He raises an eyebrow at Sulen. “Are we using guns now?”

"No," Sulen says, glaring at Sasha. "I already told you, I'm not shooting anyone."

"If you want to demonstrate your possession of a deadly weapon without shooting it, you'll be a lot more persuasive if you know how it works. And I won't be there to print it for you: since it seems that Avrayen's not reliable, I think we'll have to send Alaric, so I can keep an eye on the station feeds." Sasha's guessing Sulen had hoped to avoid any conversation with Virmad, from the way they're looking at her. But that just shows they don't know what working with Alaric is like.

“Why do we want to demonstrate possession of a deadly weapon, with or without shooting it? I thought our goal was to keep a low profile.” Virmad is more than a little alarmed by this — he really does want to part ways with Teo on a pleasant note if possible.

"I don't. But I'm just a tech." Sasha's emphasizing the archaic singular markers. "I am informed that I do not make strategic decisions."

She lets the cabinet click back to locked.

Sulen's glare is becoming tangible. Sasha does not have time for another staring contest: someone still needs to deal with Mishka, and she's got a couple hours of work left, between Remi's and Gerae's files. Well. If reasoned argument has failed, it's time for the emotional appeal. Eight hells, this is going to be embarrassing.

Sasha lets herself notice, for a moment, that she is younger and smaller and has no place to run. Her cheek hurts, now that she's thinking about it.

"Sulen," she says softly, "please. I am working for Ashari, and you are their--" Prophet's golden scarf, heptarchate relationships make no sense even when they're formalized, and she's not sure if this one is. Spouse? Partner? Lover? Most consistent fuckbuddy? "--friend. If you get hurt and I could have prevented it, either by action or inaction, I do not know what Ashari will do. You can hold a threat in reserve, during tomorrow's operation. That is your right. But, please, choose something you can follow through on. I . . . I would count it as a personal favor."

Edited 2018-01-03 01:51 (UTC)

Fuck, thinks Ashari, I really need to get my life on track.

"Sulen is my what?" Ashari asks, voice hoarse. They look and sound a little less composed than usual, but there's nonetheless a sharp edge to their voice. "And what are we talking about preventing?"

Edited 2018-01-07 02:27 (UTC)

Sasha's face is hot like she's on her fourth shot of arak, but she's got her back to the wall and she's looking straight at Ashari. "Teo called Virmad," she tells them. "He says that Avrayen has been trying to hack the station grid, and would we please talk to him? We've cut off Avrayen's access to the lattice, but I thought you'd want to decide whether to message him or look for him in person."

Sulen sends Sasha a message via tablet, Fine. I'll pick an airgun. They hesitate for a moment before sending, and add, don't worry. At the moment they just want Sasha to stop looking like she's about to fall over from stress.

Sasha hears the incoming message chime and uses her left hand to input two command sequences: one to translate the message to Naxorian, the second to flash the resulting text on Screen Four. When she reads it, she has to bite her lip to keep from giggling incredulously. "Do not be concerned"? These people are not wolves, they're fucking wolverines.

The screen goes back to scrolling curses, and Sasha goes back to watching Ashari.

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Move 15 (Chapter 1.15)

Re: done listening - literally paging Ashari

Re: done listening - literally paging Ashari

remedial security for Rahal (Ashari, you have been paged)

Re: remedial security for Rahal (Ashari, you have been paged)

Re: remedial security for Rahal (Ashari, you have been paged)

Re: remedial security for Rahal (Ashari, you have been paged)

Re: remedial security for Rahal (Ashari, you have been paged)

Re: remedial security for Rahal (Ashari, you have been paged)

Re: remedial security for Rahal (Ashari, you have been paged)

Re: remedial security for Rahal (Ashari, you have been paged)

Re: remedial security for Rahal (Ashari, you have been paged)

Re: remedial security for Rahal (Ashari, you have been paged)

talking about feelings, and other desperate measures - attn. Sulen, Virmad, Ashari (?)

Re: talking about feelings - if time's passed, let's say Ashari has a hangover

What if we skipped all the feelings and just planned retaliation against Mishka?

Re: What if we skipped all the feelings and just planned retaliation against Mishka?

Re: What if we skipped all the feelings and just planned retaliation against Mishka?