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: 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: [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: 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.]

[marching orders: GM suggestion]

[yhlee]

[Hmm. GM speaking here--player- vs. character-wise, it sounds to me like some of the other players might appreciate firmer guidance as to their roles, though? And since Ashari is the mission leader they might look to Ashari for it, or want to avoid stepping on Ashari's toes? Would Ashari possibly have had time to give a few quick pointers/directives over Space Communicators when they stepped away to "powder their nose" or something? It's fine to discuss even limited planning OOC just so the other players have something to work with.]

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

[smokedetective]

[Would implants from Ashari and Sulen's time show up as suspicious? I don't think Ashari has anything out of the ordinary for their time, but this is the past got them and a few problems could probably arise.]

Re: [implants/augments]

[yhlee]

[Well, worldbuilding-wise I could go either way on this. Maybe a more useful way to look at it is, do you want a subplot dealing with Ashari and Sulen's suspicious-looking implants, or do you just not want to deal with it? If the former, then we can make them a bit suspicious, and if the latter, we can say they show up as harmless and the station security doesn't care.]

Re: marching orders? - paging Ashari, Sulen, GM

[zuhrovet]

[Hmmm, so it sounds like you're thinking Pavn and Bokali rode back to the station with us? And Ashari's feeling a bit flustered?

That sounds like an effective Andan/Shuos move on Bokali's part. Sulen might be worried about Ashari?

GM question: what did the Butterfly Lens do, if Pavn and Bokali came with us? Is it still out near the rift?

Other miscellaneous questions: are we expecting to sleep on ship or on station? Can Sasha have an equipment budget?]

[sleeping arrangements, Butterfly Lens, equipment budget]

[yhlee]

[Players are welcome to either sleep on station in guest quarters or on the ship, even splitting up if y'all like.

As for equipment budget, if Sasha's going to be using materials from the station, she or someone in the group will have to negotiate that with the station--they might be willing, for instance, to give her some kind of budget in exchange for information, or dicker over the whiskey, etc.

ETA: Butterfly Lens is holding position by the rift--to make further observations, Pavn tells you.]

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

[pengwern]

[Player-wise, I wouldn't mind suggestions, since I'm going to have Mikodez go astray once the exhibit is set up, to find 1) Remi 2)info/records on other visitors through the rift and 3) a lab to analyse a bit of DNA sample he lifted off Istradez, in that order of priority. Character-wise, he's waiting for Ankat or Ashari to make any overtures to Nirai Shan and the Kel before submitting to the scan in good grace.

He will try to be first in contacting Remi regardless of what other characters have planned? Ashari could always have loomed at him again before he gets his hands on their actual loom.]

Re: checking on plans from the previous move

[pengwern]

[(no ask only steal) It does sound like a good idea to have him ask so he can double check on the accuracy of information that he gets from her. Sasha sending a basic packet with maps and schedules to the entire crew could also be irreproachable sysadmin behavior to enemy eyes, if there was no time to have a meeting?

Also -- how averse would you be to Mikodez getting to see what Sasha has accessed through the last move? Especially the personnel files.]

Re: [the Rosemallow ship and 3D printer]

[yhlee]

[Okay, I have this vision of little unicorn stickers hidden in a drawer on the Wasp and I'm just melting here. ♥ ]

Re: [implants/augments]

[pengwern]

[I'll opt out of the obvious implants plot, but not any implants-go-weird-after-scan plotlines!
re the moths, I would never be so cruel to dear fluffy Mothra :( and now Mikodez will be sensible enough to not try, unless he's desperate.]

Re: [implants/augments]

[yhlee]

[Noted! If anyone else has preferences on implants-and-scanner plotlines, do feel free to drop a comment.]

earlier, on the Wasp, with the printers - paging Mikodez

[zuhrovet]

Sasha tests her new printer by making a pair of scissors. She pulls her hat off, braids her hair into two plaits, then shuts her eyes and hacks each plait off at around chin length. She'll be alone for another twenty years now, as the proverb goes, but at least nobody will mistake her for a Naxorian? She shakes her head a couple of times, surprised at how light it feels. The plaits go into the matter printer's recycling bin.

Sasha ponders what to do with her new printer, on station. Given the appropriate code, it will print a knife or an air gun (or a pistol, but she doesn't expect to have the freedom from surveillance she'd want while making ammunition). As long as the Rosemallow ship stays away, though, Sasha doesn't feel compelled to carry a weapon. Besides, their main base of operations is going to be Ashari's borrowed studio. Sasha's posing as a ship employee-- she doesn't have a reason to hang around unless she pretends to be debugging the printer, and she's had enough real printer-debugging time this week to last another year or so.

She could give the code to the teenager? He's posing as one of Ashari's assistants, and he's supposed to be less feckless than he looks. At very least he's smart enough not to cut himself.

She waits for Mikodez to pass by, on some pretended errand. "Mishka?" she summons him. "I've got your lokwor here, and this printer is set up the way Rii asked for. Can I show you a couple of things?"

Re: checking on plans from the previous move

[zuhrovet]

[Sasha doesn't dislike Mikodez; she just gets territorial about her network. Anything he learned about manipulating Nirai in school will likely work on her, as well. I started a slight-flashback scene, above.]

Re: marching orders? - paging Ashari, Sulen, GM

[venndaai]

Sulen is a little concerned, but this whole situation kind of reminds them of past times when they'd attend Ashari's parties as moral support/a mild power move on Ashari's part. They're ready to keep an eye on people's signifiers and subtly indicate to Ashari if someone needs particular watching or is flickering in an alarming manner.

Ashari definitely took a moment on the way to the station to fix Sulen's beehive and spray their hair with product, which is also comfortingly familiar.

Re: earlier, on the Wasp, with the printers - paging Mikodez

[pengwern]

(It might seem like Mikodez is carrying nothing useful, but it’s important that he gets Ashari's twenty odd models of the planned exhibition space to the shuttle, and not that he’s removing a few spare tape recorders from the Wasp.) Sasha was clearly calling him, the only person in the room, but she said something that wasn’t the name he’d given. Best case scenario is that she forgot his name in the five days since they've met.

“Of course.” He sets the five spangly, empty boxes in his arms down and holds his sleeves carefully while taking the lokwor. “So what does Mishka mean? I don’t recognize the language. Is it from your home?”

[No idea as to how the Shuos are supposed to manipulate Nirai - going by the faction sheets, it’s “make appreciative noises about spy toys” and by the books, it’s “the less said the better”, so I guess he could...avoid volunteering a Nirai team at her……
Would that be a no to him having access to stuff Sasha’s looked up?]

[manipulating Nirai: brainstorming]

[yhlee]

[From being married to a working scientist, my sneaking suspicion is that the best way to win a scientist's heart is to cut through all the red tape when working with them. That, or make sure that no one's presentation runs over by two hours during a one-hour meeting. As far as I can tell, half of what he does is meetings, and he's an experimental gravitational astrophysicist, for crying out loud.

Other things: shiny new equipment. Shiny new equipment that doesn't break at ass o'clock. Plentiful supply of minions grad students--perhaps attentive Shuos underlings seconded to the Nirai? Generalized interest in and appreciation of the sciences. Getting their bad science puns.]