Move 20 (Chapter 1.20)

[yhlee]

[Sorry for the delay!]

EDITED ONE MORE TIME: the escape plan, for easy reference.

Move 20

Year 361, Month Three, Day Seventeen (Monday), ~05:75

Just outside of Medical
The mothling Crowned-with-Eyes is continuing to purr rapturously from within Mikodez's pack, which is in Alaric's possession. Fluffy has finally piped down--maybe napping, who knows what her sleep cycles are? Mikodez is currently under Alaric's watch (so to speak). [The GM strongly suggests that players cooperate to keep Mikodez from escaping yet again as I'd like to get y'all off this station! *g* ]

Sulen gets to check their lokwor, which contains an updated message from Ashari reiterating that everyone should return to the Wasp ASAP. Ashari adds, rather ominously, that they authorize Sulen to "use any necessary force" to round up crew members; they would like Sulen and Virmad to contact the administrator from the Wasp once the two of them are on the moth again.

A thoroughly exasperated-looking male nurse (the one Alaric spoke to earlier) wheels Istradez (NPC) out on a float chair, accompanied by Iawa, whom the nurse has entrusted with further instructions for Istradez's care. Istradez looks like he's seen better days, and Iawa notices that his mind seems to be wandering again--a lingering concussion effect? It's too bad that the nurse seems thoroughly determined to get rid of them all and heads back into Medical at the first opportunity.

Sasha, accompanied by Ankat (NPC), can meet our merry adventurers just outside Medical, if she likes.

"Bumblebee" status
Kaliyan (NPC) is manning the cockpit. Ashari (NPC) has left the office [edit, continuity, sorry about that]. Yehan (NPC) is currently manning comms as well. The Wasp itself is currently quiescent, no doubt chewing away on magic squares (which Sasha gave it to think about in Move 19). Gerae is contained (for the moment) in his makeshift cell; video surveillance will reveal that he is slowly drinking his Space Nescafe, making everything last and looking as if it's the best coffee he's ever had.

After giving orders to crew members on the station, Ashari seeks out Virmad in the galley and tells him that they expect him and Sulen to prepare to call the administrator on the station so they can get the hell out of here as per the plan as soon as Sulen and the rest of the crew is back. Ashari suggests that Virmad draft the communication for Sulen's approval and adds, "Did you find out anything useful from Teo? Don't be shy, darling, every little bit helps."

Comments

Re: housekeeping in the visitors' quarters - still paging everyone, esp. Iawa & Sulen & Virmad

[yhlee]

There are a couple lokwor bugs indeed, but they are easily captured.

The mothling continues to burble happily.

order of operations says bugs before guns - paging Iawa

[zuhrovet]

Sasha lures the bugs into motion by playing a couple of rounds of jeng-zai through the lokki tunnel. (She wins enough to buy a fancy tea.) She captures them in a flat, transparent box that used to hold a data stick. Trapping Imsayed's bug is a little bit trickier, but eventually it starts moving.

"Is this what you needed help with?" she asks Iawa.

let's talk about all the guns - paging Sulen

[zuhrovet]

Sasha prints the specially designed pellets, first. While the printer's working on the air pistol to match, Sasha rummages through her backpack and finds a couple of the pens she made. She peels off the stickers and attaches one to the pellet case.

"Dar Chresh," she says, as the printer finishes. "This weapon isn't loaded." It couldn't possibly be, coming straight out of the printer, but she demonstrates anyway. "I am going to affix this sticker, which tells the station recycling system to crush this object, and then I am going to hand this weapon to you."

Re: let's talk about all the guns - paging Sulen

[venndaai]

Sulen laughs, high-pitched. "Wonderful. Now we have two." They put the bag down on a table, letting the moth flutter out.

Re: let's talk about all the guns - paging Sulen and Alaric

[zuhrovet]

Sasha whistles, half in surprise and half in greeting. The mothling looks like Ashari's weaving, come to life; she wishes they had time to talk.

"Damion," she says calmly, "would you keep the baby moth away from this table?" Sulen doesn't seem ready to take the air pistol, so she sets it down, carefully pointing the muzzle toward the wall. Then she looks inside the backpack.

Knots and stars, that isn't an air gun. Sasha removes the weapon from the bag, cautiously, and checks whether it's loaded. It isn't, and there's no sign of ammunition in the bag, unless Mishka's given to murdering people with glitter.

"I take it this is Avrayen's work?" she asks Sulen. "We don't have cartridges for it. Would you object to destroying it now?"

Re: let's talk about all the guns - paging Sulen and Alaric

[slybrarian]

"Hello, there, let's explore the couch instead of the firarms." Alaric gently herds the mothingling aside.

"Admittedly tactics is not one of the things I am a certified expert it," Alaric comments over his shoulder, "but it seems like we're past the point of where guns would be useful. A nice contingency to have had, but now the risk of detection because of them outweighs the benefit of shooting our way out of a problem."

Re: let's talk about all the guns - paging Sulen and Alaric

[zuhrovet]

"There's a reason we've stopped fucking around with ammunition delivery," Sasha answers. "Rahal Dar Chresh. I am going to take this pistol with the green streaks, walk to the printer, and turn it back into carbon and plastic. By the time I am finished, I hope you will have taken the functional weapon and made it disappear."

Re: let's talk about all the guns - paging Sulen and Alaric

[venndaai]

Sulen makes a sharp arm gesture. "Yes, good, fine." They seem on edge. "Just get that boy back to the Wasp and then, I strongly advise you, lock him up."

Re: let's talk about all the guns - paging Sulen and Alaric

[zuhrovet]

Sasha nods and sets to work. The printer makes an ugly grinding sound, but it's nearly as loud when the nozzles are running. She glances at Imsayed, in his float chair; he doesn't seem to react.

Sasha doesn't know what Ashari will do to Mishka. (She remembers their face close to hers, laughing.) She doesn't know what they ought to do, either. Saint be her witness, Sasha's the opposite of an expert on regulation discipline, at least where the rebellion is concerned.

Sulen seems to think there's some leeway, in the Mishka problem. But they also implied Sasha might be involved in implementing a solution; and fuck, she does not want to be responsible for this. Mishka's the age her brother would have been.

Re: let's talk about all the guns - paging Sulen and Alaric

[yhlee]

The mothling is quite docile, and allows itself to be herded with no fuss, instead humming in apparent satisfaction at the attention.

Re: housekeeping in the visitors' quarters - still paging everyone, esp. Iawa & Sulen & Virmad

[slybrarian]

Since Sasha is busy being useful, Alaric tries mimicking the mothling's noises back at it, throwing in a couple simple whistled children's tunes of his own. It's a serviceable enough attempt at tone and rhythm.

"I wonder if your keeper has any data on your vocal range," Alaric asks it, trying not to be too specific until Sasha's sure there's no unwanted ears around. He's already thinking about possible pidgins that wouldn't require computer assistance to translate basic concepts.

musical mothling

[yhlee]

The mothling seems perfectly happy to try to imitate Alaric instead. Its efforts aren't notably better than before, but then, presumably even mothlings need time to learn musicality.

[Nirai Remi does in fact have data on moths' vocal range, which is mostly a function of their maturity, and would be happy to talk shop the next time Alaric runs into him.]

Re: housekeeping in the visitors' quarters - still paging everyone, esp. Iawa & Sulen & Virmad

[zuhrovet]

Sasha gestures "clear" when she finishes her jeng-zai game.

[Maybe Ankat can stand by the door and make sure nobody eavesdrops the old-fashioned way?]

Re: housekeeping in the visitors' quarters - still paging everyone, esp. Iawa & Sulen & Virmad

[yhlee]

[Thanks for the suggestion!]

Ankat, glowering, stands by the door to keep a lookout.

Re: housekeeping in the visitors' quarters - still paging everyone, esp. Iawa & Sulen & Virmad

[pengwern]

Following a sharp comment from one of the crew, Mikodez has been making himself helpful by packing up the last of Ashari's exhibition supplies, and is now perched on a neat 4m tall stack by the entryway...sound asleep. But his eyes are still open, courtesy of a temporary nictitating membrane mod done last term (escalating prank war).

[Putting this here so I don't mess with the convos elsewhere! As much as I would love to see working enthrallment, not sure how an Ashari encounter would go, other than more confusion from Mikodez's ???? about Istradez's claims. Mikodez has been expecting Sasha-murder for ages, or maybe for something to come of the other Naxorat ship? It's probably sensible to dump Shuos cadets to the Kel. Staring at a blank wall is fine. Staring at a blank wall while bothering the errant Rahal magistrate would be even more fine, but I'm sure anyone with an ounce of sense would keep them apart? It's only a matter of time before Gerae gives up his lockpicking secrets.

Also you can drag him onto the ship with the pallet, wake him at matterprinted knifepoint to head back, whichever works.]

Re: housekeeping in the visitors' quarters - still paging everyone, esp. Iawa & Sulen & Virmad

[zuhrovet]

[Maybe Ankat carried him back!

Sounds like dumping Mishka somewhere and letting Sasha poke at the security footage and maybe talk to Istradez would be reasonable?]

Re: housekeeping in the visitors' quarters - still paging everyone, esp. Iawa & Sulen & Virmad

[pengwern]

[DRAG HIM
Do you mean the security footage from the entrance to the mothbay?]

Re: housekeeping in the visitors' quarters - still paging everyone, esp. Iawa & Sulen & Virmad

[zuhrovet]

[I mean all the records of Mikodez from the last however many hours. Sasha wants to know where the mothling came from, and what Teo will see if he starts investigating Mishka.]

Re: housekeeping in the visitors' quarters - still paging everyone, esp. Iawa & Sulen & Virmad

[pengwern]

[\o/ we can rp all my suspicions about what exactly Sasha found.]

Re: housekeeping in the visitors' quarters - still paging everyone, esp. Iawa & Sulen & Virmad

[zuhrovet]

[There will also be some instructive facts about frogs.

So: Ashari delegates the Avrayen problem to Sasha, Sasha dumps him somewhere secure to nap and investigates, talking to Iawa and Istradez if they're available, then returns with data?]

Re: housekeeping in the visitors' quarters - still paging everyone, esp. Iawa & Sulen & Virmad

[yhlee]

[Just a note, I will respond later today--I just got off an hour-plus conference call for a writing project + writing up notes for everyone and I desperately need to nap before I'm coherent again. I apologize for the delay!]

Re: housekeeping in the visitors' quarters - still paging everyone, esp. Iawa & Sulen & Virmad

[zuhrovet]

[Please, sleep!]

Re: housekeeping in the visitors' quarters - still paging everyone, esp. Iawa & Sulen & Virmad

[yhlee]

[Ack, I missed this in the reread. I'll revise my response to your earlier comment, so sorry!]