Move 7 (Chapter 1.7)

[yhlee]

Time: 361
Place: Station Moongray, at last!

[GM's note: If your characters wanted to make any preparations or do any interactions in between Move 6 and Move 7, that's totally fine--just start a thread here with an appropriate subject header so everyone knows. If it's more in the nature of character RP than plot-related RP, it's also fine to start a separate character RP post.]

The Wasp
The Wasp is securely docked under Kaliyan's guidance in one of Moongray's bays--pretty roomy, but Moongray must be used to receiving shipments of raw materials for any fabrication, plus any specialty equipment they can't make or replace with what they have on-station.

In response to Alaric's last communication with the Wasp [Move 6], it responds with a box containing the Wasp, a bag-of-water human figure, and the Rebellion's logo and a "1." Then it pauses and sends two juxtaposed illustrations, one of a moth inside a box with a specifically Nirai voidmoth logo, and one of three moths outside the box.

The welcome on-station
When anyone who's coming on-station emerges, Andan Bokali and Nirai Pavn lead the way.

The group is greeted by Station Administrator Nirai Paerani Shan--who watches them from behind a translucent partition. Shan is a short, stumpy woman whose every inch of visible skin is covered with tattoos and/or implants. The lenses covering her eyes combined with the colorful, shimmering shawl she's wearing makes her resemble a butterfly. "So what's this I hear about trade goods?" she says through an intercom system that distorts her voice.

A rather harried looking group of security workers appears at another door that is blocked by yet another translucent partition. Interestingly (and this was not mentioned in the briefing materials), their leader appears to be a broad, muscular lieutenant seconded from the Kel--the Nirai uniform looks like it only barely fits him, and the golden Kel ashhawk at his breast gleams in the lights of the docking bay.

"Before we start negotiating," the lieutenant says after an inscrutable look in Shan's direction, as if he's used to her jumping the gun (so to speak), "I will have to ask you all to submit to a security and medical scan, for everyone's safety. It might tickle if you have any implants." He holds up a handheld scanner.

Bokali looks bemused. "I always do love being the guinea pig for any bored diseases, but I don't even feel so much as a sniffle coming on."

Comments

checking on plans from the previous move

[zuhrovet]

[Sasha did indeed send Ankat maps, including evacuation routes and highlighted extra-large ventilation shafts.

If she had a few hours between moves, she also used the matter printer to print a 3D printer. I'm not clear on how much time elapsed.

Did the other ship follow us to the station?]

[the Rosemallow ship and 3D printer]

[yhlee]

[The other ship did not follow you to the station but continued to hold position in a rather lurkery way.

You can have the 3D printer. I imagine arranging the logistics took time, plus the station would have wanted to prepare a proper welcome.]

Re: [the Rosemallow ship and 3D printer]

[zuhrovet]

The 3D printer has a shiny seal, indicating (erroneously) that the device is compliant with Safe Manufacturing Act VZ-7195, and therefore its internal software prevents it from creating dangerous items as detailed in SMA VZ-7195.c.iii. Sasha spent much of her production time persuading the matter printer to print a seal without unicorns.

Re: checking on plans from the previous move

[pengwern]

[Did the rest of the party get maps, or is there versions that went to Ankat and Ashari but not the others?

Questions for the GM! 1) What are the exits/entrances to the bay, and is it ever possible to straight up ram a moth through station walls. 2) Can implants/augments like the ones later hexarchatian citizens would have be turned off, and are they removable without surgery?]

[exits, moth-ramming, and implants/augments]

[yhlee]

[I'm going to leave the disposition of maps to the players. ;)

1. Besides the one you came in from (to your back), there are three exits/entrances to the bay, straight ahead, left, right. The administrator is straight ahead and the security is to the right.

You can definitely ram a moth through station walls but it would most definitely be considered a hostile move, and the Wasp isn't a warmoth. It could take a lot of damage in the process.

2. Visible implants like what the station administrator has might or might not be able to be turned off depending on what they do. Augments from Cheris's era definitely could be turned off, and are generally subdermal and might not even be detectable by scanners from this day and age unless you're doing something like actively trying to hack the station grid with them. They'd usually require surgery to remove.]

Re: checking on plans from the previous move

[zuhrovet]

[I don't even know if Ashari has maps. It depends on whether they got a chance to debrief Sasha after the reception.

Mikodez could ask Sasha for data, if he wants!]

[venndaai]

Sulen checks out the signifiers of the administrator and the lieutenant.

They possibly spend slightly too long checking out the administrator. They've always been kind of weak for eye-catching body mods.

[yhlee]

The administrator's signifier is a Voidmoth of Many Constellations, which implies that they're good at...being an administrator. It's like a Nirai signifier cliché.

The lieutenant's signifier is an Ashhawk Contemplative. It's pretty rare in Kel, and suggests a rather intellectual mindset, maybe even ascetic tendencies. Which might be why he's here on a Nirai station, away from other Kel (which a lot of Kel don't tolerate well for long periods). Trying to bribe him with whiskey is likely to be a mistake.

marching orders? - paging everyone, especially Ashari and Ankat

[zuhrovet]

[I'm not entirely clear on what our plan is right now. I'm also not sure what information our characters have had a chance to exchange (as pengwern pointed out!)

Did Ashari call a big post-reception meeting, or debrief people one-on-one? Or was there no time for that because Pavn and Bokali cheerfully rode back to station with us? (If we had a meeting, Sasha would have reminded everyone that everything we say on station will probably be recorded.)

Has Ashari or Ankat given any specific orders about what to do on station? I assume the general plan is to set up the art exhibit in the dance studio and hope to run into Remi and talk about mangos.

Sasha's anticipating a meeting with a lattice engineer and will avoid wandering the station by herself.]

Re: marching orders? - paging everyone, especially Ashari and Ankat

[smokedetective]

[I don't think Ashari had time to call a meeting, and they're also not posing as one of the smugglers (I think), but as an artist of some means who is paying the ship to take them places.

They did absolutely check in with everyone that they could check in with before leaving for the station, under guise of gathering some items to show the folks at the station. I don't know if they got anything in other than a general "you good?" sort of statement.

Ashari's current plan is definitely to set up the exhibition and to talk to about mangos, or to get Mikodez to talk about mangos for them.]

Engineering

[slybrarian]

Alaric considers the Wasp's message. He thinks it is distinguishing between the moths harnessed by the Nirai from moths in general, but what's the point?

He ends up sending back the three moths, along with the 01010 question indicator. Meanwhile, he also pulls up the engineering user manual and starts looking to see if there's any information in there pertaining to using the mothdrive in different calendrical environments - specifically, if there's any indication of why hexarchate ships have to switch to invariant drives, as opposed to just instructions saying shut up and do as your told. He's got a suspicion that the problem is not with the moth's ability to fly, but with the ship's ability to tell the moth what to do....

[Everyone, please excuse me if I fail the critical thinking puzzles and break our ship. :D]

Re: Engineering

[yhlee]

The Wasp is humming slightly and does not respond immediately. Then again, it's probably trying to formulate its responses, just like Alaric is.

The answer to Alaric's question is buried in one of the appendices. His suspicion is correct: moth harnesses, which tell the moth what to do, are an exotic technology. Mothdrives are fitted with additional invariant tech that effectively paralyzes a moth and prevents it from flying wherever the hell it wants when the harnesses are inactive due to a change in calendrical terrain.

There's nothing in there about when this system was invented, though; this is a pretty bare-bones user manual that looks like it was written by committee, not a historical overview.

MEMO: Virmad to everyone going off-ship

[lleullawgyffes]

Hello, all. “Andan” Bokali’s signifier is Ninefox Guardian. Those who are going to the station should be especially careful. Yrs, Virmad.

[Virmad clearly has no idea what the appropriate register for a memo in this context would be; inter-Rahal communication tends to be both fairly terse and extremely formulaic, just with spaces for situation-specific details to be inserted depending on which of the approved formulas you're using.

Also in classic H*archate chauvinist fashion he’s assumed that everyone will immediately know that this means Bokali’s a Shuos.]

paging Ashari

[venndaai]

Ashari-

Thoughts?

-Sulen

[Sulen's met Andan with Shuos signifiers before- well, Ashari said they were legitimately Andan and definitely not spies, but who knows with Shuos. They've never heard of a Ninefox Guardian Andan before, but maybe Ashari has.]

Reply: Sasha to Virmad

[zuhrovet]

Sasha's not entirely sure what "signifier" means in this context-- nothing to do with jeng-zai, surely?-- but she understands Fox.

She replies:

thx! bokalis tablet has the spy virus but methinks its nirai make

from administrator??

[Mildly-illicit security consulting firms are not where one learns detailed control over the written high language, but from Sasha this constitutes friendliness, archaic pronouns and all.]

hello, scientist

[lleullawgyffes]

Virmad is very interested in this Kel scientist; he’s always had a soft spot for Kel in general, and Kel with an interest in anything beyond shooting people... He allows himself a moment to hope that maybe the lieutenant would be interested in a discussion of Kel Zem Rao’s poetry. Hopefully there’ll be time in between, well, collecting a would-be dissident, disrupting the High Calendar in the vicinity of the station, and just generally fomenting rebellion.

Perhaps not. Still, it doesn’t hurt to look. He makes a mental note to ask Sasha if she can find out anything about the lieutenant’s dating profile. He musters his winningest smile — with just a hint of regret; Ejad always said his smile was his best feature — for the lieutenant’s benefit, and a situationally appropriate bow for the Station Administrator.

Re: hello, scientist

[yhlee]

The expression in the lieutenant's eyes turns just faintly speculative as he returns Virmad's smile--a professional smile, but not without warmth. "Sorry about this," he says, waving the scanner again. "It's protocol, and for your safety just as much as ours. I'm Kel Teo, by the way."

The Station Administrator, for her part, bows more or less correctly in return, which is pretty much all you can expect from the average Nirai.

Flashback: In-n-Out of Character Plans (PAGING TEAM)

[smokedetective]

Ashari smiles and excuses themself from the escorts under the guise of freshening up and collecting their works.

"Quick status check," they murmur into their communicator. "These station folk are a bit too pleasant, but don't seem all that suspicious of us.

I'll need the little fox with me. Iawa, Sulen, and Virmad, I think are coming too. Give me a quick rundown of your current thoughts as soon as you can.

Alaric, Sasha, Ankat, Kaliyan, Yehan. How are things?"

[OOC: Ashari wants Mikodez to do some sneaking around the station for them. Sulen and Virmad have their own thing, and Ashari also wants people to keep an eye for signifiers and the like. Alaric and Saha seem to solidly have their own thing going on. I think maybe someone apart from Ashari should be on the station to do trade negotiations, as Ashari currently wants to play more into the innocent artist]

Re: Flashback: In-n-Out of Character Plans (Mikodez to Ashari Memo)

[pengwern]

"Are you dressing Yisran up as anything? Personally I think it's more of an emuherd mix than a foxhound. Last I saw it was in the common room, under the couch."

Re: Flashback: In-n-Out of Character Plans (PAGING TEAM)

[talifabian]

"Yehan and Sasha, I understand you have concerns about the other moth nearby, and their ... perceived claims to your persons. Regardless of the movements of the Butterfly Lens, you may-" *pauses mid sentence* "should never be alone while on station. We should be able to control access to the Wasp ... One second"

He stage whispers into the microphone "Kaliyan, remember, any intruder who gets on board won't just press gang our crew, they'll take ALL of our pickles."

"Anyway, feel free to come back here if you need a little private time," He smiles apologetically to Yehan and Sasha. "If you're ever by yourself or will soon be, send me a memo. Acknowledged?"

"Ashari, sir, with respect, do you have a plan to contact Nirai Remi? If he's not in an external liason role of some description, we shouldn't count on establishing contact him during the course of events."

Re: Flashback: In-n-Out of Character Plans (PAGING TEAM)

[zuhrovet]

[Sasha and Alaric left to their own devices are kind of terrifying-- Sasha just built an illicit weapons factory and Alaric is threatening to rework the invariant drive-- so in-character direction is definitely appreciated! Though I cannot promise Sasha will appreciate it.]

Re: Flashback: In-n-Out of Character Plans (PAGING TEAM)

[lleullawgyffes]

“Just a quick note: I hope everyone saw my memo about our ‘Andan’ host and is prepared to be suitably on guard. Also, just a reminder to everyone going off-station to keep in mind the briefing notes about the current status of the High Calendar,” Virmad says. “I don’t know that they’ll end up being relevant for anyone besides myself and Sulen, but one can never be sure.”

Re: Flashback: In-n-Out of Character Plans (PAGING TEAM)

[zuhrovet]

"Right, reporting," says Sasha. "One: Like I said, I'm inside the station and Rosemallow ship grids. Let me know if you need specific data.

Two: I've got lokkis for everyone to use on station. They're encrypted and you can open a mini-terminal to the Wasp's grid if you need to.

Three: I put the station's welcome packet on all the lokkis. Also a Bumblebee crew list with the names and roles Yehan generated, and an outline of station emergency procedures.

Four: Leave your tablets on the Wasp, or talk to me about a security package-- the station's infested with tracking viruses.

Five: Assume everything you do on station is recorded.

Six: Avrayen volunteered me to talk to a lattice engineer. I'm planning to say that the problems with our lattice connection involve payment rather than the technical setup, but I'd appreciate any guidance. Or an excuse to skip the meeting.

Seven: Ankat, Kaliyan-- thank you. I'll try not to slow you down too much."

Sasha wonders if she should have mentioned her printer, but in the heptarchate everyone looks at you strangely if your report has eight items. Besides, the Kel are being so helpful-- she doesn't want to imply she didn't trust their protection.

On station: security theater appreciation

[zuhrovet]

Sasha hangs to the back of the group, a little apart from the other supposed Bumblebee crewmembers, and does what she always does when clearing security: ponders what could go horribly wrong.

The station crew seems more concerned about biological threats than physical ones. They've been very careful about airflow, but one member of the Kirtoi Liberation Front with a button bomb could take out that entire cluster of security workers. Perhaps if anything went really wrong they'd just dump air out of this section of the station?

"Excuse me," she asks Kel Teo, trying for precise high language vowels, "will you wand my backpack too? Or is there a separate scanner for equipment?"

Re: On station: security theater appreciation

[yhlee]

If Kel Teo has any thoughts about Sasha's accent or lack thereof, he keeps them to himself; for that matter, his accent isn't pure high language [modulo language change] either. "Separate scanner for any larger equipment you're bringing on," Teo says. "To be honest, there's no point in dragging out this ordeal on account of possible physical attacks when someone could just point a mass driver at us from beyond the rift and smash the whole place. We just want to make sure that you're not carrying around anything unusually volatile." He speaks of the prospect of destruction almost casually. Then again, he is a Kel.