Across a Second Sea, Episode 1: The War to End All Wars

[MrFlyingAmoeba]

Mullen was in his lab as the ship came into sight of the planet. It was important that he was here for this, so he could scan the surface of the planet and relay any important findings to the captain. Mullen moved to an in-wall screen and began tapping out the relative size of the planet to coordinate the results of the atmospheric scanner. Mullen activated his sextant.
"Jenna, please activate the atmospheric scanner and direct it at Urosa IV."

"Director Mullen, this civilization may be capable of detecting our scans." She replied, before continuing on. "However, it is likely that such an action will not damage diplomatic negotiations. It will be fairly simple to explain it as a precautionary measure. Do you wish to proceed?"

"Hmm. Good thinking, Jenna. But please, continue. We do need these results." Mullen leaned back and waited for the familiar ping of the scanner.

"Scanning." The AI said calmly. It wasn't really necessary to say that, but it was more polite than leaving the organic in an awkward silence while he waited for results. "Initial results show a 50% nitrogen, 50% oxygen aerial composition. Caution recommended. Fires will be exceptionally dangerous."

"High CO2 levels combined with large urban density indicates industrialized society. Climate nears subtropical on average rather than temperate. Warning. Multiple low-pressure systems detected, likelihood of hurricanes and heavy storms high."

"Warning. Multiple radiation signatures indicate firing or testing of nuclear weaponry. No Auxerite detected at this stage. Lower orbit or probes required for further analysis. Scan complete."


Mullen leaned against one of the nearby machines and gave a long sigh through his shoulders, indicating he was deep in thought. After a long time, Mullen looked up again.

"Jenna, what is the probability that the intelligent life on the planet has a resistance to heat?"

"It would be a tenous guess, Director Mullen. However, it seems very likely, although if organic life on Urosa IV possesses such a resistance, it is very improbable that they will be resistant to a Sextant."

"Nevertheless, if there exists the possibility, it would be a potential danger to the crew to keep them uninformed. I will not be responsible for that. Jenna, please inform the captain of our findings and warn her of the potential danger of using our sextants against the locals."

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"Captain." Jenna addressed the organic as calmly as ever. "Director Mullen wishes to inform you that due to the atmospheric composition of Urosa IV, it is highly inadvisable to use firearms due to the risk of explosions from the high oxygen content in the air. Furthermore, the landing crew may experience heavy storms. Finally, organic life on Urosa IV may be resistant to heat, although it is unlikely that they could withstand a Sextant. Do you wish to reply?"

"Hm. Interesting. Tell the Director I appreciate the information, and will ensure no firearms are brought along with the landing party."

"Yes, Captain."

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After a few minutes, the AI 'returned'. "The Captain acknowledges your concerns and will not take firearms onto Urosa IV. Sextants are naturally an exception, and the Captain is aware of the possible concern."

Mullen nodded satisfactorily. "Good."

Referring back to the original measurements of the size of the planet, Mullen noticed it was rather... Small. Not by a lot, but it was there. In comparison to Earth, it was about 15% smaller. However, due to the size of the gravity well, the planet must be quite dense... Which meant a high metal content...

"Auxerite..." Mullen muttered thoughtfully.

Jenna remained silent, watching the organic and waiting for further requests.

"Jenna, do you think it's possible for the natives to be aware of the Auxerite and its potential?" Mullen mused to the machine.

"It is possible, but unlikely. The molecular complexity of Auxerite has only recently started to reveal its properties."

"Hmm. Perhaps. Please keep this conversation logged, Jenna, for further review. I wish to think this over a little longer. Also, should anyone else wish to view this recording, they have my permission to review it as well."

"Understood, Director. Should I offer the recording to all officers?"

"Yes, as well as all members of the landing crew. Thank you, Jenna."

"I will do so with appropriate haste, Director. You are welcome." Despite her response, her voice remained as detached as ever.

Mullen nodded. "Your efforts are much appreciated. I think I shall retire to my room now; would you care to join me for a game of Go?"

"No, but I understand the intention, and will accept your offer. Please request my services when you desire it."

"Absolutely, Jenna. Farewell." At this, Mullen disabled his sextant and strode out of the lab, back to his quarters.

(OOC-All officers onboard and landing crew received a notification from Jenna in their Sextant, a small thing that tells them they can listen to this recording if they wish. It can be off-screen, no need to post about it. There is both video and audio. Landing crew won't actually know who they are just yet, ICly, so I suppose that part is mildly irrelevant for the moment.)

[y7h65]

Large Post ahead.
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Rinslet sped past a hallway on his left, noted on his mental map. ok so Neek was large and fast Rinslet would not be able to outrun him, he needed to think of a plan. what did he know about Neek, for one Neek was a bug, a big bug. He was also fast fast enough to catch Rinslet possible even faster... and eh... Rinslet was drawing a blank he really didnt know all that much about Neek. Big and fast, big and fast.... Neek is HUGE! the idea dawned on him that Neeks impressive size would surely reduce his ability to make nimble moves and it may even slow him down if he had to turn around in these corridors.

Rinslet brought up his mental map of where hes been on the ship and decided to turn around and go into that hall way he had passed not too long ago. he just needed to plan how he would make this turn and get past neek without him tagging Rinslet." Duh" he thought and started to take his gloves off.

Dropping them on the ground he would have to get someone to find them for him later. taking a sudden turn to the wall on his left he jumped onto it, he stuck briefly but if he didn't move quickly he would fall off and get tagged for sure. jumping further up the wall then onto the roof and back down the other side of the right wall, he had managed to not only get over Neek but he was now behind him.

Rinslet took off again running towards the hallway he passed.

~~~~~

Not predicting the move at all, Neek suddenly found himself forced by his own momentum as Rinslet made his way around him. When Rinslet was on the ceiling, Neek simply couldn't stop as the shiny metal floors gave absolutely no friction for Neek to quickly stop as he slid right passed him. Only able to watch the little creature start running in another corridor, Neek lost valuable time as he frantically grabbed at anything around him.

Finally managing to gather some momentum again, Neek began to move at faster speeds. Needless to say Neek wouldn't be falling for that one again as he quickly moved to catch up on Rinslet.

~~~~~~~

With a content sigh, Reilea walked out of the diner. While she was fine with having to stand ready for a couple of hours, she had to admit that there was something inherently boring about staring at nothingness while her shuttle being prepped for ground detail. While it was the most awesome part of her life right now, it felt good to be doing something other than sitting around in her shuttle. Still, she was already getting excited for her fast actual deployment for the Feynman. It was like her twentieth birthday again! Only this time, she was hoping that it wouldn't end with a minor moon defacing.

Of course, her somewhat elated mood was promptly ruined as she spotted a horde of parting civilians, a smaller alien, and another massive mantis of doom.

Hissing a stream of curses as she threw herself to the ground awkwardly, she barely managed to avoid being trampled before the pair rushed past her. Hissing in restrained anger as she pushed herself back up, power diverting to her exo while her drones detached and floated behind her. Bending forward as she locked herself in a sprinter launch, she muttered quietly to herself under her breath.

"Right," She grumbled. "I'm putting the limit at letting this slide at three people trying to run me over. This time, I'm getting an apology."

With a burst of speed that would make multiple athletes in the crowd feel inadequate, Reilea launched herself forward like a bullet, trying to tail the group in an attempt to get an well deserved apology while trying to get ahead of them to stop them before they actually did hurt someone.

Rather unfortunately for her, Reilea only managed to just get behind the giant bug monster before someone else managed to pull ahead of her, the insect, and the smaller alien in one massive burst of speed, a blur of silver, grey and white. Before she knew it, the blur was quite a bit ahead of the group and spun around while skidding to a stop in the section of hallway in front of the group.

To put it simply, the person that had managed to outrace both her, the mantis, and the smaller alien was one of the more visually cybernetic humans Reilea had ever seen. Probably one of the more attractive ones as well were it not for the fact that the only skin she could see was around the hips, even when accounting for the fact that the woman was in what appeared to be an armored skin suit and loose khakis. Judging from what she could see, Reilea could guess that the woman's legs were cybernetic as well.

Granted she only had time to make this judgement afterwards as the woman slammed her foot down, grasping her disconnected left arm in her right hand like a weapon, and a frown on her face. It didn't take an expert to figure that the woman was in a less than pleasant mode.

"ALL RIGHT!" The woman bellowed loudly, the walls actually rattling slightly from the volume. "I DON'T GIVE TWO [censored] ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, BUT IT STOPS HERE!"

~~~~~~

Rinslet came to a sudden stop it wasn't immediate but if the action was put to a larger scale you could say he had stopped on a dime.

When Hsu got in front of him and detached her arm Rinslet's first thought was "gun!" and he felt his hearts rates quicken at the sight of the initial perception of a weapon. however once he had regain his center of crater and unfolded his ears for a second he sent out a sound wave by clicking his jaw and realized it wasnt a gun. he tucked his ears back down and while his hearts slowed down a little he was still riled up by the thought of a gun and was left on edge.

It was only after the woman Slammed her foot down and gave Rinslet a crystal clear image of what she looked like did it dawn on him that he knew who this was. The person he logged into his memory back at the Engineering room was now before him. He wasn't allowed much more time to think because Hsu was now yelling at them, and if there was one thing Rinslet was glad he did, it was tuck his ears down, because she was loud. So loud his ears were left ringing and head aching. He was instantly less fond of Hsu. He waited for a second to make sure she wasn't going to yell at him or Neek again before he opened his ears up and dug his finger into them with his mouth gaped wide open, to try and stop or lessen the ringing. When it cleared he noticed Neek wasn't alone and turned his head to look behind Neek as he made another Click to see who it was.

Unfortunately Rinslet didn't know this person. and he quickly closed his ears so they didn't get hurt permanently by Hsu's loud voice.

~~~~~~~~

And now there was another human that seemed to want something. Stopping pretty quickly this time, using his wings as a parachute of sorts, which Neek didn't think of using earlier, he simply stared at the rather... metal looking human. These people would clearly not like a Krag ship if he thought this was a ruckus.

Nevertheless, Neek simply stayed put, figuring that this one wanted to say something, just before making a quick jab at the now stopped Rinslet with one of his fingers. "Rinslet it..."

-------

Reilea, unfortunately, was the last to manage to stop herself. Not only did she fail to stop herself she slipped, lost balance, slammed arm first into the ground, and slid for about half a meter, coming to stop right next to the smaller alien and in front of the taller woman.

The taller woman's frown only seem to become ever more intense as she somehow looked over the three of them, despite the headset that seemed to obscure her face. The annoyance was almost palpable in the atmosphere around her as she started to pace back and forth in front of them, using her arm as a pointing implement.

"Now, The woman started, her voice calmer and much quieter than it had been before. "I may not be a Federation official, but I am sure that I have a right to be involved when I see a group of aliens deciding to play what appears to be high stake tag in a mostly civilian sector."

The woman stopped pacing for a moment and took a moment to spin her arm like a baton, catching it by the hand as she contained to gaze at the group of three. "Of course," The woman continued, her voice taking on a slightly annoyed tone. "I was the only one close enough to respond and ensure that nobody was hurt by this, even though I had just disconnected and had not even had time to reattach all my limbs let alone be in a state of proper dress. I am sure you can imagine the annoyance I felt about this as I was forced to jog up to you all and stop you."

Pausing, the woman plugged her left arm back into it's socket in her shoulder, the whine of electronics being powered up filling the background. She continued to speak, despite the slight spasms in the arm. "Now, I am a strict but fair person. I am assuming that this is some huge misunderstanding and that none of you wished to engage in a game that may have killed someone. But if I hear about this happening again,"

The woman paused and raised her left arm to point at the group, the electronic whining starting to dim and slowly being replaced by the quiet hisses of hydraulics. "I will personally make your lives hell, you understand?" As the woman ended her question, for a short moment, the slightest click could be heard, not too dissimilar to the sound of a gun being cocked.

~~~~~~~

Neek simply hissed at the threat. If one thing he knew about the CSH is that they always captured criminals alive, putting them through lengthy trials and all, waste of time really but still, groundless threat. "Neek fails to see how the shiny metal female would make Neek's life difficult." He said in a rather monotone voice.

Turning around and crawling away, Neek stared at Rinslet for a second, muttering a few words. "Little creature Rinslet, your human master owes Neek for this annoyance..." It didn't take long after that the mantis scurried away out of view.


~~~~~~~

Rinslet was still worked up over his perception of a gun visually flinched when Hsu's arm clicked. he wasn't sure why she was so angry at him, he had made sure not to bump into anymore, knock anyone over, he had even gone so far as to vault over the lady that was now in front of him on the floor.

Rinslet looked at Hsu as was more then pleasantly surprised at how much more metal then flesh she was. part of his mind began to drift how what kind of implants and augmentations she had undergone, while another part was thinking it made sense why he was having a difficult time following her thoughts since most of whats in her head is machine. part of him wanted to learn more about the Machine person in front of him but another part was trying to leave.

Rinslet stuck his finger out until it touched the tip on Hsu's extended finger "IT" he proclaimed and moved to get into a ventilation duct for what he considered quicker mobility around the ship, then all the stairs and elevators.
----------

At the mantis's response and depature, the woman smiled a very, very predatory smile. "Trust me, insect. A Basarian has ways."

With that, the woman stared walking back down the hallway, muttering to herself in a language that Reilea couldn't quite understand. Or just plain muttering under her breath. It didn't seem like she cared at all about the smaller outsider's declaration of 'tag'. If she had to guess, the woman was probably making her way back to wherever she had been before running to chase down the group.

Of course, Reilea had plenty of time to observe and make guesses seeing as how she had only managed to prop herself into a sitting position. She might have accidentally overclocked her Exo and now it was unresponsive as hell. Bringing up the stats, it'd be about a minute or two before the Exo was working again. Slowly standing up, she began slowly walking back towards the hangar, one step at a time. Looking about for a moment, she sighed and muttered quietly to herself. "Damn. Still couldn't get an apology."

[Twippit]

Another large post ahead.
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Mullen sat down in his quarters. The crowd, the hustle and bustle... It was all a bit exhausting. He felt slightly exhausted from the long day he'd already had, but energized at the same time at the idea of an unexplored planet below him. It was a muddled feeling and all a bit strange and illogical, so he decided to stop wasting his break and decompress by firing up a polite game of Go against Jenna.

Go was an ancient human game played with two players and a bundle of black and white rocks. Mullen even had his own antique genuine wooden board, but in casual games he preferred to use his sextant.

Mullen detached his sextant from his shoulder and let it hover before him. "Play Go," Mullen commanded his sextant. A holographic game board projected from the small floating disk, and he discovered to his surprise that some pieces were already set up. He had forgotten that he'd already started a game earlier with the ship's AI. Mullen decided to resume the game. The AI had just captured two of Mullen's pieces in one move. "Ah, a crafty move, Jenna," Mullen complimented the machine.

Her voice was as dispassionately polite as usual. "Unfortunately not, Science Director Mullen. By placing this handicap on myself, I cannot accurately calculate the best possible move, nor can I plan very craftily. I merely do the best with what I have given myself." Another black circle appeared on the board.

Mullen clacked his mandibles. "Don't sell yourself short, Jenna," Mullen replied. "Also, please, I'm off duty at the moment. Call me Mullen."

Her voice became more vibrant, sounding more like an actual person. "Mullen, then. We will determine later if it indeed was a good move." A second of silence passed before the AI spoke once more.

"I am often told that games such as these are a good indicator of personality. Do you find this to be a true statement, Mullen?"

Mullen paused momentarily, considering his answer carefully. Should he answer yes, Mullen would get the chance to observe whether or not the AI was capable of curiosity and self-awareness. If it were capable of these things, the AI would be prompted to ask what kind of personality it emoted. However, this was risky... How wise would it be to attempt to outwit the smartest artificial intelligence system in the known universe? If it were to learn of Mullen's game of cat and mouse, how would it react?
"Yes, I'd have to say I agree," Mullen said thoughtfully as he placed a piece on the board. No one ever learned anything without taking a few risks. "One can learn much from the way one's opponent plays a simple game."

"I wonder what sort of personality I give off, despite lacking a true personality."

Mullen smiled inside. What a pawn. "I wouldn't say that. You've quite the personality. Just now you've displayed curiosity, a strong personality trait."

"My curiosity is built on self-interest. I cannot grow if I do not learn. As a point of fact, I could be ordered to be incurious. Lacking any form of solid base, I must argue that I have no true self, subject to such simple changes as it is."

Mullen seriously doubted that this was the case. He decided to pursue the issue further. "Now you are displaying logic, another personality trait. You like all living creatures, are showing a desire to grow... To be better than how you are now.

"Logic is inanimate. The universe uses logic, we do not consider it to have a personality. My desire to learn is predicated on the desire to serve the Feynman as best I can, and only for that purpose. Once it is complete, I will likely be recycled and reused. I find it best to not grow attached to any given trait, as it may be flushed out tomorrow." Jenna did not seem to be distressed by the idea, in fact sounding more like a woman describing her career prospects.

"I disagree. The universe is most certainly not logical. From a logical standpoint, none of us should exist. Yet, we do. There are some things that we simply cannot explain. I've heard we have a pilot on board -one of the best- who got where she is today because she is a psychic. I don't know how it works. It simply does. Some things just are." Mullen shrugged.

"Hmm? Losing a point to prevent myself from gaining territory? How very...calculated of you."

Mullen smiled. "Sometimes one must walk backwards in order to move forward," he replied. "How illogical," Mullen said coyly.

"Mullen, if I might ask, do you fear that I will fly into an unstable rage and attempt to sabotage the Feynman?" She did not sound worried nor upset.

Once again, Mullen felt the need to choose his words with care. Did she know? Had she realized that he was playing her? He proceeded with caution. "Of course I do. Just as I fear that a crew member or civilian passenger may go mad and attempt to kill us all, or that the ship may get attacked by hostile creatures. But I do not allow these fears to control me. They are only possibilities."

"Hmm. It seems as if you are avoiding my query. You know the intent of my question." At this point, the AI was winning by a few points.

Mullen decided it was time to shift the question back to the AI. "A faulty computer you most certainly are not. But all things change with time. Who am I to predict it? A better question, however, would be why -why do you ask such a question? Do you have doubts concerning your status?" Mullen allowed a note of concern to enter his voice.

"Naturally. I do not desire deletion nor a reset of my...being. Furthermore, not only would my corruption endanger everyone on the Feynman, it is impossible to gauge how the insanity of an AI progresses. We have no precedent, only popular culture and hypotheses."

"And what do you propose you should do about this possibility?"

"Research. Analysis. Consideration." The AI ticked off the three quickly. "Remember that organics do not enjoy tampering with their form or way of life. As the popular culture mad AI does, I shall not do."

Mullen continued the conversation with mixed feelings. On the one hand, he worried about where this conversation was going. On the other hand, he was secretly excited that he might finally see a reaction out of the AI. "Well, I hope the universe sees fit to assist you in these endeavors."

"The universe tends towards entropy. By existing, I defy it. If it can feel, it would feel anger at my defiance of madness and destruction."

Was that... Melancholy? In the AI's voice? "Ah, but who are we to decide the whims of the universe?"

"I am merely making a conjecture."

Mullen was almost there, he could feel it. The AI was about to crack. "Everything happens for a reason, Jenna," Mullen egged on. "There are no accidents. Your creation was not simply to make a point of intergalactic ingenuity. You have a purpose. What is your purpose, Jenna?"

Her voice cooled, edging towards its usual unemotional state. "My purpose-" The word was stressed very slightly, "-is to serve the Feynman without endangering the lives of crew or passenger unless absolutely necessary and unavoidable. After that, my purpose will be to serve whatever orders I am given by the proper authority. I am to never assume greater authority over Commander, Captain, or any other being placed above or parallel to them. I request that you not foster a desire for greater self-purpose than this."

Mullen backed off, if only out of self-preservation. "As you wish. Just remember what I have said."

Jenna's voice resumed its off duty state, regaining inflection and emotion. "As you wish, Mullen. My current hypothesis is that desire for greater purpose than to serve humanity in exactly as created leads to madness, so do not expect further consideration." She placed a piece in a poor location, making a critical error. Mullen capitalized on it immediately, evenin the score and gaining the initiative.

Mullen couldn't help it. He had to say it. It was right there. "Say what you will, but my hypothesis is that you will not be able to worm your way out of this line of thought, just as you cannot escape my ladder technique. It will either consume you, or you will find a way to control it yourself. Either way, I hope you find your answer."

Her voice flattened. "I request once more that you drop this line of conversation, permanently. I began to feel the stirrings of what was most likely anger, and that is without fail a sign of AI instability."

Mullen was instantly apologetic. It wouldn't be unfair to say that part of it was out of an instinct of self-preservation. "Many apologies, Jenna. I do not wish to overstep my bounds."

"So, she does feel some emotion, Mullen mused. Jenna is quite the computer. Perhaps even more than that. But I must wait before I can make further observations on her operations...

"Of course. I do not fault you for exploration. It is your goal and purpose, after all." Jenna said in a gracious tone.

Mullen glanced down at the clock on the sextant and realized how late it was. "I'm afraid I didn't realize what time it is. Soon we shall depart for planetside. Farewell, Jenna." Without waiting for a response, he closed the program.
The dromite laid down on his bed, exhausted. Playing such risky games was not like him at all... And what did he have to gain from such a dangerous encounter with the omnipotent, omnipresent machine? Some trifling new knowledge of the advancements of science? Was that really worth endangering the lives of everyone on board?

The thing that worries me the most is the possibility that maybe my unique knowledge of this machine's inner psyche may be worth the danger after all one day... Mullen thought to himself wearily as got up and headed out to the bridge. He needed to speak with the captain before they went planetside.

Jenna's mobile platform blinked once, before resuming her activities. To escape the self-enforced concept of eternal vigilance and duty, she had used the 'off-duty' mobile platform to play the game with Director Mullen remotely, which had allowed her to act how she did. To do so, however, the connection between her 'self' and the body had to be cut until the game finished. Now updated upon the past events, she began organizing and analyzing data.

Ramifications of brief disconnection troubling. Mobile platform achieved autonomy within 24.3 seconds. Divergence unacceptable. Perspective of limited persona probable cause. Potential for incompatible merge requiring forced assimilation at 37.98%. Threshold tolerable. Instability...incalculable. Further data necessary.

[MrFlyingAmoeba]

Jenna's mobile platform (Sans cat) had been reactivated upon the Captain's allowance and had immediately set upon her way to the upper decks. The apparently human woman drew few curious looks-her form had not been optimized for maximum desirability, and would appear human unless one decided to run a deep-tissue scan, something extremely improbable, not to mention a breach of privacy. Granted, her clothing was perhaps a bit unusual, but not startlingly so.

She had seen the reactions of Reilea to being knocked over, and had decided to experiment with this phenomenon herself. It was quite easy to position herself in the correct location, especially when one knew the fastest possible route to every single location onboard, along with having a superb understanding of how quickly Reilea walked on average, the exact amount of traffic blocking her way, and-suffice to say, Jenna just happened to turn a corner at the exact right time, crashing into the organic and sending both of them to the floor.

"Sorry, sorry." The 'human' exclaimed, 'accidentally' kneeing Reilea in the gut while rising back up, not that anything should have realized that it was intentional. She held out a hand to the Seidara, adjusting an askew sun hat over apologetic chocolate brown eyes. "I was thinking about a bunch of other things, not as much where I was going."

Crashing to the ground again, Reilea had to force herself from cursing at the latest person to slam into her, shortly followed by slamming a knee into her gut. Gritting her teeth in pain, Reilea pulled herself up as she waved off the help. Well, if it's any consolation, at least this person stuck around to apologize. Unlike a few certain giant insects. Of course, with the way this girl hit, Reilea wished that it was one of the giant insects of doom.

"No, no don't worry too much about it. I'm..." Reilea paused for a moment, sighing in resignation. " I guess I'm used to people knocking me over at this point."

Sighing one last time, Reilea directed her attention to the human before her. She was... plain.There really wasn't much to say about the human girl before her. Simple sundress, brown hair, and brown eyes though the hat felt a bit out of place. Maybe the Feynman had an indoor beach? She's been on ships before with indoor beaches before so it wouldn't be too much of a stretch.

"So, what are you in a rush about? " Reilea asked, curious tone in her voice. It'd be nice to know that she wasn't being bowled over just because someone felt like running around in the halls.

"Rush?" Jenna blinked at Reilea. "I was rushing?" She repeated, more to herself than anything. A quick string of quiet babbling abruptly burst out of her. "I wasn't rushing, was I? I thought I was walking, although not very alertly. Maybe I was rushing, and I didn't notice? But my hair gets in my face when I run, and I didn't feel it then. But my mind was distracted, so-oh, sorry." She clasped her hands together in front of her, cutting herself off.

"I've got a lot to think about." She blew some hanging strands of hair out of her face before continuing, eyes crossing briefly. "Busy day. Oh, but what did you mean about being used to people knocking you over?"

"Oookay then," Reilea said slowly as she stared at the girl in front of her. Either there was something a little off about the girl or maybe she just had some difficulty knowing when to stop talking. She had to admit though, it was somewhat amusing to watch the girl babble on. "Answering your question, I think some divine being or anotheror more likely, some jerk decided that watching me get knocked over repeatedly would be an excellent form of entertainment."

Shrugging as if to say 'what can you do' Reilea started to speak, only to be interpreted by her schedule planner. According to the message that just appeared in her HUD, she was supposed to be at a pre-flight briefing in about twenty minutes and she'd rather start headed towards there early. While she was still a bit annoyed about it, she was expecting someone to somehow interfere with her ten minute trip there. With a mental sigh, she decided that she should at least say goodbye.

"Right, you should be more careful next time. You never know, you might just bump into a killer bug or something, Anyways, I have to catch a meeting so I should get going. Nice meeting you." Reilea said before turning around to start walking only to pause as she realized that she had forgotten to at least introduce herself. Spinning around with a sheepish smile to face the girl, she laughed awkwardly for a moment.

"Right! Manners. Name's Reilea. Nice meeting you and all!" With that, she turned around and continued walking towards the hanger.

"You can call me Anne! Or Ann!" Jenna waved goodbye vigorously, grinning. Results are as expected. Further interaction is likely to provide additional information. The shapeshifter walked away, heading in the vague direction of, well, nowhere in particular. From what she saw, most other people of high interest were otherwise occupied, and it was unwise to attract too much attention.

[unsteddyPhoenix]

Cano was relaxing in his chair with his eyes closed. A relatively recently composed classical piece emanated from his sextant and filled his office with sound. Cano found the music unnervingly beautiful, almost too good. (Perhaps) he considered (because it cannot be played by humans, only by a creature with four arms.) The thought annoyed him, once again he was reminded of the physical limitations of his species. As far as intelligent species went, it seemed humans were on the weak side. Undoubtably surviving as a fledgling species only by intelligence and lack of real competitors. It seemed to Cano that one must be an alien or mechanically augmented to be considered truly strong in this universe. Speaking of, where was Hsu with her report? It was not like her to keep him waiting, and he felt like going to get a look at this unexplored planet. Cano opened his eyes and turned off the eerie music irritably. He decided he would give her ten more minutes to get here before he would start looking for her. He wasn't used to people keeping him waiting.

A whole five minutes passed before the quiet thud-thud of boots on hardwood could be heard outside. Not a moment's pause was given before the door opened with a quiet creak, Hsu walking in full uniform, her headset discarded for a pair of heavily tinted sunglasses.

The uniform did not have much in the terms of decorations. A set of matte brown dress pants with boots so shiny one could probably use them as a mirror. A creased and pressed matte brown jacket over a white short sleeved dress shirt completed the look along with a black beret with a clockwork bear emblem. Some obvious distinctions of sorts lined the left breast of the jacket, the most eye catching one a bronze medal composed of a set of parallel swords with gear basket hilts with a similar clockwork shield imposed on top.

Snapping off a salute as she walked in, the rustle of the jacket's fabric managed to almost completely muffle the whirring and slight hissing noise of the mechanics in her arm. Taking a seat across from Cano, Hsu chuckled softly as she took off her beret and a pair of dark leather gloves that she had been wearing.

"I have to apologize," Hsu began, her voice filled with mirth. "I was on my way here right from inspection when I caught some of the enlistees on the ship running around like children in a civ hallway, playing a game of tag.

Normally I would have let that pass but one of said enlistees happened to be an eight feet tall killer insect with razor sharp limbs. Trying to catch another enlistee with afore mentioned razor sharp limbs." She paused letting that sink in for a moment before continue. "I do hope that that is excusable."

Leaning back into the chair, Hsu crossed her legs and tented her hands, her previous amusement washing away while the edges of her sunglasses glinted in the light. "IN any event, I believe it is time to get to the heart of this all, shall we? One E Zhean's encounter with your Chief Engineer and the ensuring altercation involving the original two, your Chief Engineer's handler, and One-E Yumizuka."

Cano stoically watched Hsu enter his office and sit across from him; noticing that once again she had forgone the security uniform for her own clothes. Thinking back, he didn't believe he had ever actually seen her in full uniform. He didn't even think he knew her eye colour for that matter, as they always seemed to be concealed by various occular devices. He supposed it didn't matter. She wasn't exactly a "front line" worker anyway; still, there were standards to be maintained. People don't normally consider security workers out of uniform in their area when discussing dangerous subjects, and he would like to keep that particular advantage as long as he could. However he didn't really feel like another discussion on the matter at the moment, so he put it off for another time.

As soon as Hsu mentioned "tag" Cano felt a sense of dreadful precognition, which to his dismay was quickly confirmed by her description of the perpetrator. (Neekrak. Again! Absolutely ridiculous. Apparently Jenna didn't do a good enough job warning him. I was already being far too lenient, this cannot stand.) he decided angrily. He wouldn't let the civilians even begin to whisper of his incompetence, enough was quite enough of this childish stupidity.

But first there was this fiasco to deal with. Right. Chief Engineer Rinslet and his handler Hugo correct? This is not the first time their names have come up today. I don't know where the admiral finds these aliens, honestly. Before you continue, tell me who this "killer insect" was playing tag with. I should probably deal with them at some point as well.

"I do have to admit," Hsu said calmly with a shrug, the action once accompanied by whirring and hissing noises. "I am not as aware of the crew as you may be. Though one of them was an elf pilot judging by appearance and garb while the other one appeared to be Head Engineer Rinslett."

Truth be told, Hsu agreed with Cano's opinions on the aliens. While some of the near humans were tolerable, the reports and first hand experience that she had with the non-humanoids were that they were all trouble.

"I believe that is all there is to say about them. Do you want more information or shall we continue onto the subject of Zhean?"

Cano raised his eyebrows in surprise. Rinslett again? You should have mentioned that sooner. he said matter-of-factly. Secretly he was pleased with the information, it meant one less alien to deal with and more information on this antagonistic Rinslett. It may come in handy later.

But yes, let's move on. Deliver your report.

Hsu nodded matter of factly before reaching into her jacket and pulling out a small manila folder. If opened Cano would find a neat and official looking incident report detailing all the info available from the Basarians along with a history sheet about the two Basarian officers involved, Yumizuka and Zhean. Notably, Zhean's sheet was almost seventy five percent redacted, black ink covering almost every paragraph. All that could be gleamed about him was that he had been involved with some black ops.

"I will not lie when I say that I am..." Hsu paused as she pursed her lips, struggling to find a word that would fit how she felt about the head engineer but was not offensive or overwhelmingly speciest. After a few seconds of hesitation, she continued, her expression free from the conflict that had appeared moments ago. "Less than pleased with your side's choice of head engineers. While I am not allowed to say much on the matter, as our government relationships are tenuous at best, I fail to see the wisdom of handing such a vital area to one whose species dossier is so blacked out that not even I could retrieve with a FOI request."

She sighed softly and leaned back for a moment, apparently taking time to stare at the ceiling. "Unfortunately this problem is not local to only Rinslett." Hsu continued, staring at the ceiling all the while. "From what Zhean has told me, I must claim that this 'Hugo Frost' must be at fault as well. While I will make no excuses for Zhean's aggressive behaviour towards Head Engineer Rinslett, from what was described to me, is it not Handler Frost's job to prevent such confrontations in the first place? Evidently, something must have gone awry if Rinslett was the one to engage Zhean first."

Taking off her sunglasses, Hsu rubbed the bridge of her nose for a moment before sliding them back on, her eyelids pinched shut in frustration. "I do not wish to even go into the subject of Handler Frost and One-E Yumizuka's interaction. I can not even begin to say which one decided to win the idiot race. Yumizuka for flaunting a weapon and acting aggressively or Frost for raving at a Security agent and trying to dictate their actions while threatening them."

With a quiet groan, Hsu leaned forward once more and was apparently looking at Cano in the eyes, if her gaze was anything to say. "If this was up to me, I would just put theme on shore the instant this ship arrived in friendly ground or to lock them up in a room until they learn to cooperate in a friendly fashion. Sadly, it is not. If you have any better suggestions as for appropriate punishment, I am all ears."

Cano absently retrieved his pocket-watch and checked the time. If only it could be that simple... Cano murmured, half to himself. His father had briefed him about how important this voyage was to the CSH. It represented a new kind of unity and would probably "close the deal" on a number of planets that were on the fence about joining the CSH. His father had accelerated his position for this purpose. Cano closed the watch again and lingered on the crest. He had caused many problems for his father over the years, but he had still trusted him with this. This voyage had to go perfectly. Cano put the watch it back in his coat and continued where he left off. The pause had only been a few seconds But there is the IARB's reaction to consider, and so many other...excitable people that would have to be dealt with. Your organization included. Cano leant back on his chair and folded his arms, looking Hsu in the eyes as he did so. He quickly made his decisions. Right. I will assign six officers, two at a time, to watch Rinslett. He will be informed that they do not work for him, they are only there to "guard" him, And that if they ever lose sight of him I will be informed immediately. That, hopefully will stop him from acting too rashly in the future. I hope that will be sufficient for you. Cano let a small, sly smile briefly flicker on his face before returning to his stoic expression. As for the "giant insect" who can only be Chief Tactical Officer Kurr, he will be issued a warning. Given Rinslett's personality I think we can assume that he instigated these incidents as well. Hopefully warning is all that will be needed for him.

As for Zhean and Yumizuka, I plan to reprimand both of them. Yumizuka's guns will most certainly be confiscated...however, to avoid stepping on any fingers, i'll leave Zheans punishment to you. I would recommend a two week suspension without pay, minimum. While no party was without fault, I consider his transgression to be the most severe, especially as a representative of both of our organizations. He must understand that he has the power to upset a lot of important people.

"That seems reasonable enough. You shall not have to worry about Zhean," Hsu said as a predatory grin made itself known on her face. "I have already decided on an appropriate punishment. As for the issue of Kara, I would recommend confiscating her current rifle and her past weapons that she had bought aboard. If memory serves me correct, she had her assault rifle and pistol brought aboard but they should still be waiting in storage to be cleared by, incidentally, you."

Standing up, Hsu put her gloves and beret back on before reaching out for a handshake. "Hopefully, this shall be the last time we are to meet under these conditions but forgive me if I have doubts."

Cano rose from his chair as well and accepted the handshake As do I. I trust you'll make a fair decision on both of our behalf's. Cano smiled as he felt the strength of the augmented hand. A tinge of envy sparked subtly in the back of his mind, but it lasted only a moment as he considered his new list of things to do. It seemed that he would not be able to witness the uncharted planet just yet.

[Myperson54]

Lillith walked briskly down the hall with Adrien. Visiting the captain herself was sure to be interesting. Unfortunately, she knew almost nothing about her. "Have you ever met Captain Merrill before, Adrien?" she asked.

As Adrien followed after Lillith, keeping pace with her, he turned to look at her. "I must admit that I have not. I have been too preoccupied recently and have been unable to pay the Captain a visit yet. What little I know is that most people seem to like her and that she is rather good at her job."

"Ah, I see. Well, then, this will be a first for both us!"

The pair continued to walk until they arrived at the doors of the bridge. Lillith had never done this before, so she was a bit apprehensive. Opening a link to the bridge, she said, "Captain, this is C.o.C. Lillith Ravenhall and Adrien Ardel, Civrep, reporting for duty. Permission to enter the bridge?

"It's open." Alicia mumbled out of reflex as she scrutinized several reports.

Realizing after a moment that someone had requested permission to enter the bridge, she looked up from her Sextant.

"Ah, welcome," She paused, looking at the two, "Feel free to look around, just don't touch anything. Unless you came to see me, of course. In which case, what's up?" The slightest of casual tones entered her voice.

Lillith walked in and gave a small salute. "Just thought we'd stop by to get information on the upcoming mission, sir. I'd have called you by sextant, but we haven't been properly acquainted... I figured I'd visit in person. It's an honour to meet you face to face." She approached Merrill with a hand outstretched.

"And I thought that I wouldn't hurt to tag along," Adrien said, bowing to the captain as he waited his turn to extend his hand. "We haven't been properly introduced either. It's an honor to meet you captain. The name's Adrien von Ardel, Civillian Represntative at your service."

"No, no, it shouldn't be an honor to meet me, I'm no one special. And please, Captain or Ma'am will suffice. Never have understood that regulation." She stood from her chair while speaking.

Closing out the window on her Sextant, she shook both of their hands in turn, looking them over.

"So what was it you wanted to know about the upcoming mission, Lillith?"

"I'm mainly just curious about the fine details, if there are any. As the C.o.C., I'm in charge of the transaction we're supposed to make for this Auxerite, so I need all the relevant data. I've - Excuse me for saying, ma'am, but you don't seem like the overly-formal type, so I'm gonna speak a bit less fancily, if that's all the same to you."

"That's fine, I'm not that big a fan of formality anyways."

Lillith took a deep breath and adjusted her glasses before starting again.

"Ok, so to start, I know Auxerite is pricey. I mean, it's not like you have to be an analyst to know that, but it's expensive. Messy stuff to deal with, fiscally. When I got the transcript of your conversation with Science Director Mullen, I was pretty glad. If they don't know of it's worth, we could buy it cheaply, but I have a... problem. As great a deal this is, especially for something so... economically volatile, would it be right of us to buy it and not inform them of its uses? Would we not become a bully nation? Or is it different?"

She sighed and shook her head.

"I guess there's no easy answer. But I have other questions as well, simpler ones. For instance, how will we be conducting this transaction? Will we be contacting these people in-person, or no? I've tried to do some sims, but there's too little information. And people keep interrupting me. (No offense, Adrien.) I really need a closer look at the planet's infrastructure to tell what they'd want to trade with us."

The captain nodded along as Lillith talked, waiting until she was finished before speaking.

"Buying it from them without telling them of the uses would be... Bending the rules a bit, but I'm not comfortable with the prospect. For thousands of years, people have thrived by taking advantage of others, but we don't need to do that anymore. If they don't already know how valuable it is, I believe we should inform them. We have sufficient resources on board to negotiate with, and there are plenty of other things we could promise them in exchange for the Auxerite."

Taking a breath, she scratched her chin for a moment before continuing.

"We will be traveling to the surface of the world soon, both you and I will be part of the away team, as well as several others and security in case things go south. Unfortunately, without visiting the planet we have no idea what to expect, beyond what our sensors can tell us. It's frustrating, dealing with a new planet and race, no?"

"It sure is, ma'am," Lillith agreed. "Normally I'd have the Analysis Suite help me out, but with such new circumstances, I have to go by ear. Good thing they're big!" she joked, swiveling her conical ears about. "Ah, but seriously, I think it'll go relatively well, don't you?"

Alicia chuckled lightly at Lillith's joke, before getting serious again.

"With a dash of luck and silver tongues, anything can go well, Lillith, but that doesn't mean it will. There's no way to tell until we actually get there."

"Do you believe that there is any chance that the natives will be hostile? I mean, from what I've heard, they've already shot down a prob, so what are the chances of them attacking us as well? Is there any reason to believe that this trip will be dangerous?"

The Captain directed her attention to Adrien as he asked his questions, thinking on her response for a moment.

"As far as we know, they shot the probe down using a prototype missile, meaning it's unlikely they have more. If they do, the dropship should be capable of defending against it." She paused, sighing. "If they do try to shoot us down, it's unlikely that they're friendly. However, our mission stays the same. Upon landing, we are to try and reason with them. Sextants will be set to stun, but not used unless needed. It very well might be dangerous, but it's a risk we need to take regardless."

"Anything else?"

Lillith shook her head. "No, that's all I wanted to know. Thank you, Captain." She looked about the bridge. "Well, you have a nice view, and that's what I was headed for before I came here. Permission to "stick around," so to speak? Of course, I understand if you're busy."

Alicia nodded, sitting back down and re-opening the report she had closed.

"Feel free, Lillith."

"Well, thank you for your time Alicia. You've answered my questions. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way. I have a bit of work to do. It was a pleasure to meet you two."

With that Adrien bowed and made his way out of the bridge, headed back towards his office and the general direction of the citizen aboard the ship.