The Intolerable Clock: A Non-Canon Hexarchate RPG

[GM note: This is a wrap-up move to close off the Station Moongray arc. Well done, everyone!]

[IMPORTANT: There is a roll call thread in this move. Please respond if you intend to continue as an active player for the next arc. Otherwise I will move you off the active list and to the NPC/inactive list.]

Year 361, Month Three, Day Seventeen (Monday), ~0900

Kaliyan (NPC) successfully guides the Wasp to the rift without complications or interference. She reports that the Rosemallow ship has veered away and chosen not to pursue or harass them further--at least in this timeline. The ship will be spending the next five to seven days in rift travel.

In the Rift:

Ashari orders everyone to catch up on sleep in shifts. After this has happened, they call a meeting that includes Sulen, Virmad, Sasha, Iawa, Alaric, and Mikodez [if pengwern is available], with Gerae (NPC) and Remi (NPC) as guests. The Wasp (NPC) may also venture opinions through Alaric and Sasha as interpreters. Kaliyan (NPC), Ankat (NPC), and Yehan (NPC) oversee the ship in case of emergency, but can be called via the ship's grid if anyone has questions for them specifically.

Tentative agenda as per this thread [Move 23]: (a) addressing problems in teamwork during the Station Moongray mission, (b) how to rectify those issues, and (c) next steps, including any recruitment.

[GM notes: Players are welcome to suggest plot hooks for what they'd like to explore in the next arc. Going after Quill? Rabble-rousing? Crashing the heptarchate's stock market?

Also, I'd really prefer the team leader to be a currently active PC rather than an NPC. If someone would like to volunteer their character for the job, I can move Ashari (NPC) to more of a background/support position, or maybe "shadowy boss who doesn't get involved in the day to day decision-making that much."

For recruitment, I still think the team would benefit from a couple of more fighty/meat shield type characters, and I'm thinking of opening up applications so we can recruit two more PCs. Thoughts on this are welcome, either IC or OOC. I'm personally not opposed to opening up mothlings as adoptable PCs, although they're not really meat shields yet...]

[GM note: This is largely a maintenance move so that folks can continue threads from Move 21 without having to dig through a lot of comments.]

For easy reference:
- Move 21 recap (thanks to zuhrovet) [wiki]
- the escape plan [wiki]
- Station Moongray Timeline [wiki]

Year 361, Month Three, Day Seventeen (Monday), ~07:90

Confrontation with the baby fox
From this thread:

Sulen moves towards Mikodez, eyes gleaming the brassy color of clock gears. "I think it's time for some truth, Mikodez."

On the Wasp, Ashari (NPC) welcomes the arrival of Sulen, who threatens Mikodez with scrying after Mikodez is recalcitrant about answering Sasha's questions about why he didn't call for help for Istradez (NPC). Iawa is on standby in case Mikodez needs to be sedated again.

The disposition of a magistrate-thief
From this thread:

“‘Belong’ would be an overstatement,” Virmad says, concealing his amusement. “But yes, we did — I was just about to check on him [Gerae].”

He inclines his head to Sulen. “I’ll see you later; good luck with the foxling.”

Then, to Alaric: “Has Gerae had any food? I did tell him before I left that I’d make sure he got something to eat.”

"It looked like someone fed him, yes," Alaric replies, "although I don't know about Fluffy. Dragon snacks might make the conversation go smoother."

Alaric has just informed Virmad as to Gerae's status, and is about to hand Gerae over to Virmad's care. Meanwhile, Yehan (NPC) comes to talk to Alaric about mothling care: she reports that the station is having the remaining mothlings delivered to the Bumblebee and they are due any moment.

[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."

(Thanks to zuhrovet for keeping the Station Moongray Timeline updated for everyone's ease of reference.)

Year 361, Month Three, Day Seventeen (Monday), ~0515

Iawa is with Istradez in Medical. The chart indicates that Istradez (CORRECTION: "Imsayed") has mild concussion that is apparently aggravating a pre-existing head injury. Istradez moans, then his eyes open. He blinks blearily before focusing on Iawa. "This isn't the ship," he says intelligently, sounding hazy.

Next thing Iawa knows, Istradez seems to come fully alert and attempts to sit up too quickly. "My brother--!" He seems apt to scramble out of bed and after Mikodez unless prevented.

Mikodez, just outside Medical, is bearing both Fluffy the Vraselian pseudo-dragon and Crowned With Eyes (CWE for short) the newly hatched mothling. He is being confronted by Alaric, who brought four caffeinated drinks, one additionally dosed with a sleeping drug, and who is hinting strongly to Mikodez that CWE needs to be united with the adult moth on the Bumblebee. Sulen has, by chance, grabbed the sleeping-drug-enabled drink, and was not prepared for Alaric also showing up to deal with Mikodez--a command-and-control snafu, apparently; Sulen has not yet drunk the drugged beverage, although it's not clear that they have understood Alaric's attempts to warn them from doing so.

The last response in that thread, an exchange between Mikodez and Alaric:

"I know, right? I had no idea that the term was so literal either until it started chatting," Alaric said, happy both that Mikodez was being distracted and that someone else was actually enthusiastic about this. "I'm not sure exactly what it looks like because it's in its own compartment and we're communicating over a primitive text interface, but it does seem friendly enough. Mostly it wants to bring Remi's baby moths with it when we leave, and fortunately Remi wants to bring them too. So, one the one hand it's yet another bit of terrible behavior by the authorities, but on the other an exciting scientific opportunity."

Just on cue, CWE the mothling hums happily and launches itself out of the pack, followed by an angrily whistling Fluffy, who seems to think the mothling is escaping property.

Virmad has received permission from Ashari to check on Gerae. The camera has revealed that Gerae is agitated and pacing the room. He does not appear to have any weapons, although given his talent for legerdemain, this is not an absolute certainty. If Virmad enters, Gerae will prostrate himself in a frankly embarrassing fashion and beg for an update on Fluffy's status, and oh by the way is Virmad's leader Ashari really going to slit Gerae's throat and leave him for the fishes?

Sasha overhears Gerae's plaints as she makes it to environmental. Her first inspection reveals that the filters are, indeed, poorly seated. Judging from the cruft around them, they were probably messed up even before Alaric and Remi started banging around the Bumblebee making modifications. While she's busy with that, Yehan [running as NPC] messages her and says that she's done with her meeting with Ashari and is now overseeing comms.

Year 361, Month Three, Day Seventeen (Monday), ~04:00-04:50

Assumptions, just to get everyone more or less on the same time track again:

- Mikodez ignored messages from the other PCs for a couple hours while he collected a DNA sample from unconscious!Istradez, screwed around with his gun, and entertained baby Crowned-with-Eyes the mothling and Fluffy the Vraselian pseudo-dragon. The notebooks that Mikodez abstracted from Remi's lab appear to be a Space Bullet Journal about life on a war-torn technologically backwards planet. [The heptarchate is evil, but as long as you're not a heretic, the standard of living is actually quite high, with good social/medical services &c.]

Also, at some point Mikodez will have noticed that someone (Sasha) has cut off his access from the lokwor into the station grid.

At 4:50, Mikodez runs into Vana looking for Remi at the bubble tea shop. We can pick up from there. As per zuhrovet's suggestion, I advise that Mikodez is looking for Remi in order to get much-needed information on mothling care, although it may occur to him that he can possibly wheedle that info out of Vana as well.

- After the meeting between Sasha, Sulen, Virmad, and Ashari:

I presume that Sulen has either gone off to practice with the airgun in the interim (or lied to Sasha that they were going to, to get her off their back; your choice!). How good is Sulen with firearms? Ankat (running as NPC) will volunteer to show Sulen the basics, largely out of Kel paranoia that someone is going to screw up Gun 101.

Around 4:00, Teo has messaged Virmad saying that a Safety worker has discovered Istradez (running as NPC) in one of the guest rooms. He says that Istradez has been given first aid but do they want to send someone from the Bumblebee to retrieve him, or will they authorize sending Istradez to Station Medical? If Vass wants, they could go to Istradez and perhaps supervise any additional care that the medics give him.

Sasha will have overheard this presumably. In the intervening hours, it appears that the owner of the wriggly virus suspects that it has been detected. It has gone quiescent and/or deleted most traces of itself, presumably in the hopes of lying low until Sasha's suspicions die down.

Kaliyan (running as NPC) shows up in the newly made mothling bay to inform Alaric that she thinks that the modifications to the ship have screwed up something in life support--not critical now while they're docked at a space station, but kind a problem later.

Ashari, investigating Gerae's lockpicks more closely in some spare moment (maybe because they're having trouble sleeping?), discovers that some of them include hidden poison needle units. This isn't just a matter of a hobby of picking pockets, Gerae was prepared for Serious Business.

NOTE: If inactive players wish to return to active status, message me or leave a comment or email me (yoon at yoonhalee dot com), and we'll work something out.

[I want to apologize for the egregious lateness of this move--I have bipolar disorder and was struggling with some depression stuff for reasons completely unrelated to the game.

Also, uh. I'm trying to get the whole party time-aligned again but given that we're still resolving multiple threads, it may take a bit longer. My apologies!]

Move 14

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

Mikodez and Istradez [NPC] on Moongray Station, confronting a HATCHED EGG, ca. 20:25

[Continuing from this comment by pengwern.]

Istradez [NPC] fumbles for a moment with the explosive, then swears. "The hell, Miki, are you screwing around with passcodes again?"

The hatched mothling continues its soprano hum as it now starts to circle in the air before Mikodez and Istradez, in apparent distress. Then the humming intensifies, and it launches itself at Mikodez with a series of high-pitched squeals, almost like a puppy. Istradez advances; the mothling attempts to hide behind Mikodez, as if beseeching his protection.

---

Year 361, Month Three, Day Seventeen, ass o' clock Monday (wee hours)

on the Bumblebee/Wasp/Mothra

around 00:50, in the hold of the Wasp

Remi works companionably with Alaric in order to provide the mothlings with a suitable environment. Midway through the work, he asks hesitantly, "I noticed that you speak of the heptarchate as--as a visitor. Might I ask, if it's not impudent, what it's like outside the heptarchate? Is it--better?"

around Monday 1:75

[GM FIAT: I'm making a maintenance move for Kaliyan and Ankat. For the nonce, we'll say Yehan appears to be holed up in her cabin and has sent a DON'T BOTHER ME note to anyone who asks her to emerge. Kaliyan, Ankat, and Yehan are currently inactive.]

Ankat, having heard that Iawa is the one to go to for any medical issues, shows up and asks for painkillers for himself and Kaliyan. If pressed, he will explain that they're both suffering migraine-level headaches and muscle aches, a known side-effect of outprocessing/formation break in former Kel. He adds that he would really prefer not to trouble Ashari with such a minor problem, but it's obvious to Iawa that both Kel are going to be out of action for a while, and that could be anything but "minor."

It's up to Ashari whether they catch wind of this if Iawa doesn't outright tell them, and what, if anything, they want to do about it, considering the general chaos going on tonight.

around Monday 2:10

[continuing Ashari, Sasha, Sulen, and Virmad debating Quill and freeing the moths]

"Excuse me," a diffident voice says during a lull in the conversation. Gerae, looking rather the worse for wear, has poked his head around the corner. "I couldn't help overhearing--your ship is a living animal? Like Fluffy?" At the stares/glares/??? in reaction, he sheepishly holds up a small device. "You forgot to relieve me of my lockpicks. One of my first cases involved a thief, and she taught me picking locks during the interrogation, I think in the hopes that I'd show her special consideration during sentencing. You forgot to search me when you brought me here...anyway, are the moths friendly? Fluffy's very friendly, you know."

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

On the Station, at The Bar on Level Three: Virmad
[in response to Virmad flirting with Teo in Move 11]

[poetry:] Teo listens attentively as Virmad tells him about Kel Zem Rao's poetry. "That's fascinating," he says. "I admit I've never given much thought to form in literature--I'm afraid Kel Academy only throws enough high language at us in the form of 'how to write a good post battle report' and isn't really high on literary value. I'll have to look up those poems you mentioned sometime."

[slime mold racing:] "If you hang around long enough," Teo says, "I'd be happy to take you to a slime mold race. There are recordings, but, ah, I feel that the sport is best appreciated live. The Nirai who are into it get very into it."

[dramas:] "Excellent!" Teo says. "Whenever you're in the mood"--his mouth quirks in a smile--"we can head on over."

[lleullawgyffes, your call as to whether you want to fade to black at whatever point you deem fitting, or RP Virmad/Teo more explicitly. If the latter, I can start a locked post for the RP. Let me know!]

Mikodez, on Moongray Station, sniffing around for clues
[in response to this thread from Move 11]

The "racing" records are surprisingly well-defended. A little nosing about on some of the local forums and discussion boards suggests it has to do with the breeding of lineages of speedy space slime molds for the local sport of slime mold racing. Apparently some of the slime mold lineages are particularly valuable. Or it could be a cover for something else, who knows? Nirai are weird.

As for his other efforts, Mikodez comes up with some public information on Andan Bokali. Bokali has a rather bland record of service in several different marches. Mikodez's intuition tells him that there's something being hidden from him. Bokali's record is too bland, perfectly in line with what you'd expect for a second-class contact specialist of no particular repute. That seems weird--why would you trust the heptarchate's safety to a middling contact specialist? Does Bokali have extra qualifications only available to those with a higher security clearance?

---

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

on the Bumblebee/Wasp/Mothra

Sasha has no trouble cleaning up after herself. She receives a couple halfhearted probes from the wriggly virus trying to worm its way in again, though.

Alaric will need to help Ankat and Kaliyan refit the firing range into a mothling habitat--they can do the construction work, especially with the help of the matter printer [handwave], but they want guidance with the radiation shielding--best not to mess that up. Remi will assist with that for the first part of the night; he seems to have a pretty solid practical background in engineering.

Gerae will be knocking on the door plaintively asking if he can talk to someone, and promising that he will behave. In particular, he wants to know that since he's escaping with the lot of you, can he bring Fluffy with?

Toward 2 a.m. or so, unless something requires his attention, Remi will head back onto the station, avoiding Vana so that she can't corner him.

[If you want to make any other preparations before the escape attempt/confrontation proper on Day 17 in the morning, this is the move to do it.]

---

Active in Move 11: Sasha, Sulen, Ashari, Iawa, Alaric, Virmad, Mikodez

Continuing inactive: Yehan, Kaliyan, Ankat

Year 361, Month Three, Day Sixteen (Sunday), evening / day Seventeen (Monday), morning

DAY SIXTEEN (SUNDAY), EVENING

On the station, Nirai Alissa's dance studio
Artist-designate Kwor stares defiantly at Ashari. He must know that it's always a risk challenging someone who might be a genuine Andan, but on the other hand, he's probably used to being a very large fish in a very small pool.

"Kwor," Alissa says, trying to defuse the situation, "why don't you show our guest around? They're looking to set up an art installation that I think many of the stationers will find interesting."

On the station, Rahal Gerae's office
Rahal Gerae can barely keep himself from fidgeting as Sulen and Virmad go through his records and personal effects. Fluffy is busy preening.

"She's long gone, you know," he says, referring to the niece whom he helped smuggle out of the heptarchate after she turned heretic. The confessional urge takes guilty people like this sometimes, and apparently even a Rahal (albeit a corrupt one) isn't immune. "Do what you want to me. I saved her and that's all that matters."

On the station, at the "Bumblebee"
The security feed shows anyone who is watching that Nirai Remi has come with a suspiciously hefty briefcase. Any sort of scan will reveal that it contains a couple changes of clothing and some old-timey Space USB Sticks. He's beautifully groomed and moves like a dancer; but it's also evident from his expression that he's really pissed off about something.

Meanwhile, the Wasp asks again via Space ASCII Art, rather plaintively, if flying away with the baby mothlings is a thing that could happen. It continues vibrating and humming to itself.

An inquiry comes in from the station, probably in response to the Wasp's behavior, if there is some technical difficulty that the Wasp's crew needs help with. The station offers to send some spare engineers to look at the "Bumblebee."

DAY SEVENTEEN, MONDAY (MORNING)

On the station, bubble tea stand

Vana seems distraught that she can't find Remi at the bubble tea stand. The barista has this "I can't wait until my shift is over" expression, between dealing with an anxious Nirai grad student and an unauthorized teenager.

Vana's eye falls on Mikodez. "Are you one of the visitors?" she says with a frown. "I don't suppose you've seen a tall man with curly brown hair, lavender eyes?" She casts a glare at the barista for being so unhelpful.

---

Character status
- Active characters as of last post: Sasha, Alaric, Yehan, Sulen, Virmad, Ashari, Mikodez, Iawa

- Currently inactive: Ankat, Kaliyan

Inactive players should feel free to jump in wherever/whenever it seems logical, or may message me asking for a story hook specific to their character.

Time: Year 361, Month Three, Day Sixteen (Sunday), around 4 p.m.

[GM's note: per zuhrovet's information-gathering, Remi always visits the same bar, call it the Crooked Gear, on Tuesday evenings, and picks up a drink at a cafe specializing in bubble tea every morning before going in to work.]

[Also, if there's something you want to find at the station, feel free to suggest it! I already have plans for the suggested rival artist NPC.]

The Wasp
Is Kaliyan remaining on board the Wasp? If so, she (and anyone else still aboard) notices an occasional unusual humming, as though the moth is powering itself back up. Mothdrives are subject to quirks, but this one is supposed to be powered down while docked.

Alaric has discovered a way to communicate with the moth and to disable its harness (the harness is what controls the sentient-beastie component of the moth). He has not yet informed the rest of the team of this.

Meanwhile, between Alaric, Sasha, and Ankat, they've manufactured a couple of nonsentient drones to "repair" the ship and crawl about its surface. Station Moongray has taken no particular notice of them, so a few more drones, these manufactured to mimic those of Moongray's collection, have been inserted into the population and seem to have been accepted as "authentic." At a convenient time, the drones report back to the grid, including maps of the "secure" areas. The system pings Sasha's lokwor in some suitably coded fashion to let her know the information's available.

Station Moongray Welcoming Committee

Lieutenant Kel Teo is brisk about checking everyone for harmful biologicals or volatile objects. He lingers a little--just a little--when he gets to Virmad. "Everything looks fine," he says. "But I'm sure your journey has been tiring and you'd like to relax. If you want recommendations for the few decent bars on this station, I have a few."

When Teo comes to Sasha's 3D printer, he brings out a completely different scanner and makes sure that it's not going to blow up. He admires it on a purely technical level and says wistfully that he wouldn't mind more time to play with such things himself. "Of course," he says to Sasha, "if this had been a bomb I'd already be roast chicken." He doesn't seem terribly bothered by the possibility, or, for the matter, by the weakness of his Kel joke.

Everyone is given a visitor's pass, which can be worn on a lanyard (provided) or kept in a pocket. It includes limited access to the station grid and some of the entertainments on file (think Cheris's cheesy dramas). Teo also gives directions to visitor's quarters (ample space for everyone to have a room of their own, basic furnishings provided) if anyone would rather sleep on the station rather than back on the Wasp.

Once everyone has been cleared, Station Administrator Paerani Shan goes over some of the basics from the Welcome Packet, which informs them which areas are off-limits, the location of Medical in case of allergic reaction or the sniffles, always follow the instructions of safety workers with their orange armbands, e.g. in case of depressurization or chemical spill or other accident. Frankly, it's kind of an eyeglazing lecture, undoubtedly required by regulations, although she does her best with it.

Afterwards, while people are sorting themselves out, Shan asks to speak to "Rahal Dar Chresh" (Sulen) and "Rahal Virmad" (Virmad) for help with an "internal matter."

Andan Bokali smiles at "Andan Rii" (Ashari) and their assistants. "I can take you to Nirai Alissa right now, if you like, to talk about your performance space requirements. She should be in the studio right now."

Nirai Pavn invites anyone who looks at loose ends to come join him for a tour of some of their observation equipment and laboratories. If anyone looks sincerely interested in "science," he will be really, really pleased.

Time: 361
Place: out-rift near Station Moongray

The Wasp's cockpit/command center
The Naxorian Rosemallow ship continues to hold position. Kaliyan notices it's now scanning the Wasp with some primitive [handwave] scan technology, focusing especially on the mothdrive.

The Wasp's Engineering room
Presuming a short interval of time has passed while Alaric consults as to moths' feelings about the hexarchate, the Wasp's moth repeats its query: the six hexarchate emblems in space ASCII, followed by the "1 / 0" for "???" Then after another short pause, it adds the Liozh emblem, followed by "1 / 0" for "???"

Meanwhile, Sasha's luck and guesswork regarding the Naxarat ship's encryption bear fruit. It appears that the Naxorians are discussing navigational difficulties. They've been trying to get information out of the Nirai station so they can find their way back home, but the Nirai are being closemouthed about what they've discovered about the rifts so far. There's also a brief mention of personnel shortages.

The Wasp's airlock, welcoming party
Andan Bokali still hasn't touched any of the edible fidget spinners, although Pavn is munching away on a third. "If you're ready, we'd like to invite you back to Station Moongray. Rii, you and your assistants"--Bokali's eyes flicker as they try to figure out just which people are "assistants"--"can see the space we have available for artistic displays, and as for the rest of you, surely we can offer you the conveniences of station while you dock with us. Honored inquisitors, I'm sure our station administrator would like to meet you as soon as convenient."

Bokali coughs delicately, then adds, with a glance at Ankat for being the only one in the airlock with a remotely military bearing, "The station will insist that all firearms be left behind."

[The GM would like to note in Ankat's direction that a calendrical sword is sufficiently future-tech that it probably will only show up as "weird device" on Moongray's scanners, not as "lightsabre-alike weapon."]

[Tentatively, I'd like to get y'all onto the station next turn (Move 7) unless something happens to cause y'all to abort. :p ]