Traveller: Life in the Marches - A ship of our own

Banjo

It has been a difficult week. As much as he has tried to fill it by wandering the ship, exploring the different functions and systems, he always returns to that closet. How ironic that something so confining should be the only place where he can truly be free. A crewman usually let's him out in the morning, by the end of the week more out of genuine compassion than a fear that he's compromising the integrity of the floor cleaning fluid.
On the last day of jump, he's in the canteen.
"Dinner?" The galley staffer asks.
"I'm always hungry for dinner" he replies but the meal goes untouched as he stares out the window. Outside, a universe collapses as they reach their destination. He understands how it feels.

Fourier

Mollyb60 wrote: »

Always interested to see new land, Verne disembarks the ship and has a quick scout around 567-908. He notes the settlement they have landed in and the species that inhabit it. While he's out in the "air" he has a look around for a food hall. He's always interested in tasting the flavours of a new planet.

Verne is met with disappointment. All he sees for miles is unending sandy brown ground with the occasional rock.

The only exceptions being the observatory, the few houses and the canteen. Entering the canteen he is met with a very limited range of human foods. An automated food deliverer can produce various soups and the only meat on offer is cloned cow meat. A pamphlet mentions a modern art exhibit.

Behind her Dhinor approaches, tailed by a massive tarantula.

Mollyb60 wrote: »

[OOC: I'm sure you'll let us know if any of our species would have a significant problem with a Droyne?]

OOC: Not really, humans tend to be wary of anybody with significant psychic ability, but the Droyne are very good natured and peaceful so most look on them well.

Fourier

jasonb wrote: »

Pausing only to implant the thought in Riga’s mind that Kaagira has been faking it, Glenn says his goodbyes and heads towards the Landing Port, to report to the Captain of the ‘Wind on Stars’.

"Goodbye Glenn" says Kaagira, "hey I will miss having a flying member of the team."

Riga turns sternly.

"Oh will you really miss him or are you just faking it?"

A large argument ensues as Glenn heads out the door.

Fourier

OldGoat wrote: »

She also spends time with the ships medic, swapping information and techniques, learning what she can about the planet they are heading for and about it's native life.

The ship's medic was quite young and obviously not very up to speed on current medical knowledge. Like most Vilani she had little concept of disease. Since Vland's life was fundamentally incompatible with Earth's, the vast majority of Vilani had never been sick. One of the reasons Earth, with its swarm of viruses and bacteria designed to damage the human body, was deemed a "plague world" by Vilani.

By the end of the week Nestor had recommended some good texts on Virology, stupid the crew being so unprepared.

Fourier

Pter wrote: »

Dhinor joins Verne.

'ill tag along if I might do, my Aslan friend'

Dhinor makes sure he has his comms device on him, and that it's fully charged, which it is.

A large taruntula bumps into Dhinor at the canteen. It snarls and hisses and raises its legs, but a translation unit on its abdomen converts it into standard Galanglic.

"Queues huh?"

OOC: Galanglic is spoken by most space faring humans. It originated as a combination of Chinese, Spanish and English. It has since evolved so much that nobody speaking those languages could recognise anything in it and it also took in plenty of Vilani words.

All the human characters would speak it and Verne has learned it.

Fourier

jasonb wrote: »

He won’t miss 567-908, that’s for sure. He wonders how his new crew mates will feel about having a Droyne onboard.

OldGoat wrote: »

"Hello Captain. Forgive me for not introducing myself to you before now, I've been busy and I'm sure you have been too."

Dagonet turns to Nestor.

"No need to worry about that, our ship's medic has been singing your praises, I respect focus on one's own field, no need to visit the bridge.

The reason I called you is that the Droyne we are picking up rates high on psychic potential....for a Droyne. Considering the typical Droyne toddler outranks most corporate psionic agents, I fear what a unusually potent adult might be like.....but the Droyne are very placid so the rational part of me says not to worry, still though...just monitor him with your equipment."

They leave the ship and met Glenn at the prearranged spot outside the Canteen.

Dagonet shakes his hand.

"Hi....ehm...." she begins whistling and slurping, but manages well enough at Glenn's real name, meeeelfeghyumkupraytsirvsyu ("the sport greater than a 1000 others")

"...but your file says you go by the Galanglic 'Glenn', so let's use that."

Banjo

Evan walks the stony soil of 567-908. Harsh. Unforgiving. Rugged. The smooth, tanned ground, the occasional chisled rock. Every step is a caress. It gives him time to think.
Dependency can be weaned, temptation resisted, addiction fought. But this... This was hunger and hunger must be sated or it will gnaw at you like you were a pencil in the maw of an insomnolent beaver trying to do a Sudoku at 4am. And like a Sudoku, his own puzzle will be solved once he slots his 7 into the right box. He calls it 7 after the 110 degree bend 2/3s along the length.
Belatedly he realises he's not giddy with excitement, it's oxygen depravation - once he fixes his mask in place his thoughts return to more conventional rails.

There's nothing to see in the observatory. He tries inquiring of the automaton whether they have any cloned human meat. I mean, if it's cloned, what's the harm? But the machine has a conventionally limited menu.

Necro

Bakleth has spent most of the past week sleeping, avoiding the pesky humies and dreaming of shooting one or two of them for the sheer fun of it.

'Still Not Sorry', he mumbles to himself as he rises from his sleep and exits the ship.

Scanning the environs he muses to himself that vegetation may be tough to come across.

He re-embarks for a few moments and returns to the kitchen quarters to stock up on a variety of vegetable substitutes and looks with disdain at the cooking pot, still not scrubbed and smelling of vile meat and... human extract.

Then he disembarks again and moves to catch up with Evan.

Mollyb60

Fourier wrote: »

Verne is met with disappointment. All he sees for miles is unending sandy brown ground with the occasional rock.

The only exceptions being the observatory, the few houses and the canteen. Entering the canteen he is met with a very limited range of human foods. An automated food deliverer can produce various soups and the only meat on offer is cloned cow meat. A pamphlet mentions a modern art exhibit.

Behind her Dhinor approaches, tailed by a massive tarantula.

Verne turns to Dhinor, 'Ok this place is disappointing and the food doesn't smell appetising at all. I'm gonna pop over to the art exhibit quickly before we head off. You wanna come or hang out with your new many legged friend?'

Baggly

Dhinor nods

'Ill come to the art exhibit. The spider keeps getting web all over my boots.'

Dhinor follows Verne. Art isnt really his thing, but it beats talking to a giant spider.

Dhinor repositions 'The Negotiator' on his back, and sets off alongside Verne.

OldGoat

Fourier wrote: »

Dagonet turns to Nestor.

"No need to worry about that, our ship's medic has been singing your praises, I respect focus on one's own field, no need to visit the bridge.

The reason I called you is that the Droyne we are picking up rates high on psychic potential....for a Droyne. Considering the typical Droyne toddler outranks most corporate psionic agents, I fear what a unusually potent adult might be like.....but the Droyne are very placid so the rational part of me says not to worry, still though...just monitor him with your equipment."

They leave the ship and met Glenn at the prearranged spot outside the Canteen.

Dagonet shakes his hand.

"Hi....ehm...." she begins whistling and slurping, but manages well enough at Glenn's real name, meeeelfeghyumkupraytsirvsyu ("the sport greater than a 1000 others")

"...but your file says you go by the Galanglic 'Glenn', so let's use that."

I take off my glove and offer my hand in the universally recognised (even by non human) gesture of greeting.
"Me elf guy umm spray tiramisu? Nestor, nice to meet you. I'll call you Glenn too as to not cause outrage at my pronunciation. The captain has asked me to update my medical files with your scans if that is OK with you?"

Meanwhile I'm shouting as loudly as I can in my mind "The captain asked me to spy on you cos... your psy and her paranoia are not good bedfellows. Stand on one leg if you understand me."
Thinking to myself "I wonder if humour translates through psy?"

Aloud I continue "What have you been doing here? It looks pretty sparse, not much to keep you amused. All work and no play? What does a Droyne do in a mining colony?"

Banjo

In the corner of the canteen a couple argues. A few minutes ago they had been going ape**** over a cup of coffee. Evan approaches.
"Sir, greetings from the far flung reaches of space! Milady, you are by far the most beautiful creature I've seen all week, although truth be told your competition is that giant tarantula and a horseman who lives in my ships basement.

Still, I pains me to see an exquisite rose such as yourself planted in such fetid fertilizer as this drab, soulsucking nothing of a planet, even though I know that it's that very fecund banality that makes you blossom so - and I'm not for one second suggesting you're the kind of woman who'd exchange eternal virtue for the fleeting, sensuous pleasure of a bar of chocolate but yet here we are, no prospect of other diversion on the featureless horizon, nothing but that cupboard, and..."

he begins to open a kitkat

"...they do go so well with a coffee."

He snaps a section off the bar (it's not a chunky one), the sharp crack loud and palpable like when you've been shoveling snow for ages and then stand up straight for the first time in an hour and a half and your back and knees decide to choose that moment to remind you that you're not 20 anymore. He offers her the section and raises an eyebrow.

"Finger?"

Baggly

OOC: Your writing is excellent Banjo. About 4 LOL moments in that post alone.

Banjo

Pter wrote: »

OOC: Your writing is excellent Banjo. About 4 LOL moments in that post alone.

OOC : Aw thanks, but I was aiming for arousing, not amusing... In space, nobody can hear you sweat! Uhn! One time!

jasonb

OOC: The amount of times I've aimed for arousing, but hit amusing instead...



Glenn lands near the two people waiting, and shakes the Captain's hand...

"Thank you for attempting my name, it came quite close to it! But you're correct, Glenn is fine".

He then leans over slightly to shake Nestor's hand, shifting his weight a little, barely lifting one foot off the ground and nodding at Nestor slightly as he does so. Nestor, to her surprise, also feels her own foot rising ever so slightly off the ground.

"Good to meet you too Nestor, please feel free to add the medical data you need on me to your files, it makes sense to have that data before any potential emergencies. Yes, you are correct, it really is all work here, nothing else to do at all. My interests and experience with Space Science led me here to study the flash/bang of ships when they exit Jump. But I believe a change is needed, and I, like yourself, welcomed the offer from Jansen Cas. I trust I will be a helpful and valuable member of the crew"

Glenn turns back to the Captain and asks...

"When will we be departing Captain, and how long to our destination? I hope you have somewhere for me to call my own for as long as we're travelling?"

Baggly

Dhinor is growing increasingly bored of the 'art'. He stares forelornly at his communicator; willing the communication signal he is waiting for to arrive.

He scans the gallery, to look for something to keep his mind off.......his communicator.

'The sooner we start the mission proper and see some action, the better' he thought to himself; simultaneously dreading reaching departing their current ship, as well as relishing reaching the new one.

Mollyb60

Verne is deeply appreciative of the art on show in the gallery. Some striking pieces. He senses however that his companion is less than enamoured with the skills on display. He sighs softly and turns to Dhinor, 'Shall we head back to the ship? I believe our departure time is fast approaching.'

Fourier

Banjo wrote: »

There's nothing to see in the observatory. He tries inquiring of the automaton whether they have any cloned human meat. I mean, if it's cloned, what's the harm? But the machine has a conventionally limited menu.

"Cloned human meat violates Imperial ethics, but planet is not under Imperial jurisdiction. Consulting ethical calculator....."

The machine reads out a notice informing Evan that its ethics calculation server is in orbit around the system's star.

".....please wait......consumption deemed ethical. Enjoy your heart and testes soup."

A nice hot steaming plate is delivered.

Fourier

Necrominus wrote: »

Then he disembarks again and moves to catch up with Evan.

Along the way he bumps into a large tarantula.

"Hey pal, another non-biped, you see my brother tell him I'm off south."

He finds Evan in the canteen

Fourier

Banjo wrote: »

"...they do go so well with a coffee."

He snaps a section off the bar (it's not a chunky one), the sharp crack loud and palpable like when you've been shoveling snow for ages and then stand up straight for the first time in an hour and a half and your back and knees decide to choose that moment to remind you that you're not 20 anymore. He offers her the section and raises an eyebrow.

"Finger?"

Evan's charm is instantly effective.

"You bring poetry and chocolate, what more does one need?"

The other one rolls her eyes.

"Don't get too excited Casanova, she's probably only faking liking the chocolate."

The first one responds.

"Oh seriously Riga..." she turns "...I'm going to spend time with my new friend here. Name's Kaagira Sir"

She loops her hand around Evan.

"So where are you taking me?"

Fourier

Bakleth arrives in the canteen.

Previously the human known as Evan had "coupled" with meet, left his seed in it.

Now he has eaten meat filled with seed and is courting a female.

Was this some strange human custom, the males imbibing the meat seed of others before fertilising the females?

His transgression of K'Kree norms exceeded what any normal K'Kree would handle, in fact he should be killed where he stands. But Bakleth was no normal K'Kree....

Fourier

jasonb wrote: »

Glenn turns back to the Captain and asks...

"When will we be departing Captain, and how long to our destination? I hope you have somewhere for me to call my own for as long as we're travelling?"

"We have outfitted a room to have slightly lower than normal gravity and thicker air, should make you feel right at home...."

Glenn had often found human air dry and a terror for his complexion.

"...we'll be leaving in less than an hour. Once we have the ship refueled from your tanks."

Necro

Fourier wrote: »

Bakleth arrives in the canteen.

Previously the human known as Evan had "coupled" with meet, left his seed in it.

Now he has eaten meat filled with seed and is courting a female.

Was this some strange human custom, the males imbibing the meat seed of others before fertilising the females?

His transgression of K'Kree norms exceeded what any normal K'Kree would handle, in fact he should be killed where he stands. But Bakleth was no normal K'Kree....

Bakleth decides to ignore the pungent smell of meat for now. Instead he approaches the other female beside Evan.

'Greetings humie. I... am... Bakleth. I am unfamiliar with your customs.

Should I copulate with your meat before I speak to you or afterwards?

I am trying to learn the human way of doing things.'

Fourier

Pter wrote: »

'The sooner we start the mission proper and see some action, the better' he thought to himself; simultaneously dreading reaching departing their current ship, as well as relishing reaching the new one.

Mollyb60 wrote: »

Verne is deeply appreciative of the art on show in the gallery. Some striking pieces. He senses however that his companion is less than enamoured with the skills on display. He sighs softly and turns to Dhinor, 'Shall we head back to the ship? I believe our departure time is fast approaching.'

A spider shuffles over to Verne.

"Like our native art then. We tried to capture the nature of being an arachnid. You Aslan hunt, well, what if your females hunted you and were ten times your size? That's the nature of this piece...."

This continues for a while, but Verne soaks it in pretty well.

OOC: Verne gains bonuses to rolls on Shrieker culture and understanding.

Dhinor begins to nod off until his communicator buzzes into action.

"This is Dagonet, return when you can, forty minutes to take off."

Fourier

Necrominus wrote: »

Should I copulate with your meat before I speak to you or afterwards?

I am trying to learn the human way of doing things.'

Turning to see the gigantic K'Kree, Riga is stunned.

"....eh....copulate with meat?....."

She is literally at a loss for words and just stares bewildered at Bakleth.

"Enjoy your new lover Riga, I'm off with Evan here"

Kaagira begins to pull Evan away.

Necro

Fourier wrote: »

Turning to see the gigantic K'Kree, Riga is stunned.

"....eh....copulate with meat?....."

She is literally at a loss for words and just stares bewildered at Bakleth.

"Enjoy your new lover Riga, I'm off with Evan here"

Kaagira begins to pull Evan away.

Bakleth begins to get a little nervous.

'Yes... um... my travel companion did it before leaving the ship. I could smell the aroma for miles.

Now, I don't know if you know my species, but I am not particularly fond of meat.

But I am willing to try, if that is your custom.'

He calls to the cafe owner.

'I would like to order a large steak, and a napkin.'

Banjo

Fourier wrote: »

"Oh seriously Riga..." she turns "...I'm going to spend time with my new friend here. Name's Kaagira Sir"

She loops her hand around Evan.

"So where are you taking me?"

He looks at her smooth, bald knuckles, her weak spidery fingers, her narrow rangy bicep. He sighs and delicately removes her from him.
"Let's not waste each other's time, love. I don't have what you want and you can't be what I need. But you can have the KitKat . If you hurry, you can catch up with Baklava - I heard him boast he's hung like a person."

He slumps over to the door, strapping his oxygen mask back on, punching himself in the mickey and walking back to the ship.

OldGoat

A flyer posted on a nearby wall tells of an art exhibition. "Dammit, why didn't anyone mention this to me earlier." Nestor checks her comm. "I can see it in 30 minutes and still get back before launch." She races off in the direction of the gallery.

Baggly

Fourier wrote: »

A spider shuffles over to Verne.

"Like our native art then. We tried to capture the nature of being an arachnid. You Aslan hunt, well, what if your females hunted you and were ten times your size? That's the nature of this piece...."

This continues for a while, but Verne soaks it in pretty well.

OOC: Verne gains bonuses to rolls on Shrieker culture and understanding.

Dhinor begins to nod off until his communicator buzzes into action.

"This is Dagonet, return when you can, forty minutes to take off."

'Understood, Dagonet. Would you be free to meet me once we get underway?'

Dhinor hurredly moves towards the exit.

'Hot diggity dog' he exclaims to himself.

jasonb

Fourier wrote: »

"We have outfitted a room to have slightly lower than normal gravity and thicker air, should make you feel right at home...."

Glenn had often found human air dry and a terror for his complexion.

"...we'll be leaving in less than an hour. Once we have the ship refueled from your tanks."

"Thank you Captain, I appreciate you going to such efforts to make me feel comfortable. I'll head to my room now to settle down".

"Nestor, I look forward to meeting you again later, and the rest of the crew. We might as well all get to know each other, we'll be together for a while..."

Glenn boards the ship and goes to find his room.