Episode 35

[Bynw]

[19:58] <bynw> **** RECAP ****
[19:58] <bynw> [21:52] <Raith> ::Steps into the quarters that Jaeih forced open::
[19:58] <bynw> [21:56] <Raith> ::Looks about::
[19:58] <bynw> [21:58] <Raith> "Sathara, can you check the mirror in the head. Fog it up." ::Smiles slyly at her::
[19:58] <bynw> [21:58] * Sathara breathes on the mirror to fog it up.
[19:58] <bynw> [22:02] <Sathara> "I don't see a thing, Cap'n."
[19:58] <bynw> [22:03] * Sathara shines the flashlight around.
[19:58] <bynw> [22:06] <Raith> "Well it was worth a try. Hiding things in plain sight seems to be way of this thing."
[19:58] <bynw> [22:06] * Sathara breathes on the mirror again.
[19:58] <bynw> [22:15] <Raith> "Lets give one more room a visit then head down stairs. Ken, you want to get one of these doors open for us please."
[19:58] <bynw> [22:17] * Ken pulls out his odd suction type tool after ensuring it is unlocked and then uses it like a handle
[19:58] <bynw> [22:20] * Sathara follows with the flashlight shining.
[19:58] <bynw> [22:21] <Raith> ::Follows in last, then heads to the bathroom and the mirror there::
[19:58] <bynw> [22:21] * Sathara looks around, shining the flashlight all over the room.
[19:58] <bynw> [22:22] <bynw> *the room is ransacked liked the rest ... nothing of note sticks out
[19:58] <bynw> [22:23] * Sathara follows Raith and shines the flashlight toward the mirror, trying not to flash anybody in the eyes.
[19:58] <bynw> [22:25] <Raith> ::Breaths on the mirror to fog it up::
[19:58] <bynw> [22:28] * Ken suddenly pulls out his datapad and starts making some furior calculations
[19:58] <bynw> [22:28] <Raith> "Nothing here."
[19:58] <bynw> **** END RECAP ****
[20:00] * Sathara notices Ken doing something with his datapad with a great deal of intent.  "Ken, what's up?
[20:00] <Sathara> "
[20:01] <bynw> *Ken* "Attempting to figure out that writing on the mirror in Raith Prime's quarters. It a hexidecimal code of somekind ... but can't be coordinates ... using any system within the Alliance."
[20:03] <bynw> *Ken goes back to attempt making sense of the information*
[20:03] <Raith> "Doesn't seem to be anything here. I think it's time we moved on to the downstairs."
[20:04] <Sathara> "Aye, Cap'n."  Sathara takes her flashlight and makes sure it still has plenty of battery life.
[20:04] <bynw> *Jaeih heads for the stairs going down since the lift will be out of commission due to its lack of power*
[20:05] * DrCross moves closer to the mirror "Well, Ken? Is it a message or just gibberish?"
[20:06] <bynw> *Ken* "it was a message alright ... but too short to be anything other than coordinates or maybe a cypherkey"
[20:06] * Sathara 's ears perk up.  "A cypher key?"
[20:06] <DrCross> "A password?"
[20:07] <Raith> "I'd bet good credits that you'll have to combine it with clues elsewhere, like that data crystal."
[20:07] <Raith> "It's what I'd do."
[20:08] <Sathara> "Can we reassemble that data crystal?"
[20:09] <bynw> *Ken looks up from his datapad as the group heads down the stairs following Jaeih* "Not a chance. We will be lucky to access it at all and it will take some time in the lab to even attempt it."
[20:10] <Sathara> "Oh, joy."
[20:10] <DrCross> "If thats a key, maybe we should look for the lock?"
[20:11] <Raith> ::Keeps his ppg pistol pointed upwards and unholstered as he moves back out into the hallway and starts following Jaeih:: "Can you see in this dark?"
[20:11] * Sathara shines the flashlight up the hallway.
[20:11] <Sathara> "No, cap'n.  CSS for me."
[20:12] <Raith> ::Chuckles:: "The people that came through here didn't smash that crystal. They would've taken it. It must have been smashed by Raith prime, or someone with him."
[20:13] <bynw> *Jaeih reaches the doors to the 2nd level and pushes them open*
[20:14] * Elf (~wildelf9@2A2CA4.6CB250.18E7ED.19E05B) has joined #teara-adan
[20:15] * Elf is now known as Ken
[20:15] * bynw gives voice to Ken
[20:16] <bynw> *As Jaeih pushes open the doors .... Sathara's light floods into the large and empty (save for hanging wires and other items not taken) large chamber ...
[20:17] <Raith> ??Look like this was the cloning chamber??
[20:18] <bynw> !! no, that was upstairs ... this was the powersupply and other maintenance stuff
[20:19] <bynw> *Jaeih stops and looks at Raith questioningly*
[20:20] <Raith> "Lets take a quick look." ::nods for Jaeih to go in::
[20:21] <bynw> "If the data crystal was smashed by our father ... why didn't the scavengers take the shards? they too could be able to recover the data"
[20:21] <bynw> *she asks and goes into the chamber*
[20:22] <Raith> ::shrugs:: "Good question. Maybe the scavengers dropped it."
[20:23] <bynw> *Raith's voice echo's a bit in the chamber*
[20:23] * Ken pull sout his em and rad dedtectors and takes various readings around the chamber ; articularly where power conduits would have been attached.
[20:25] * DrCross inspects the scattered, left-over items
[20:25] <Raith> ::Enters the chamber and looks about::
[20:25] * Sathara shines the flashlight around the chamber.
[20:26] <bynw> *wires, bits a tubing and piping are everywhere ... dust and debris from the place being gutted lay about the chamber
[20:27] * Ken locates a main power coupling and takes a sample form the end like he did the other coupling from upstairs and seals it for later study
[20:28] <Sathara> "Holy hells.  Who stripped this joint?  They did a frakking good job."
[20:29] <Ken> "Hmm standard modular field fusion unit"
[20:29] <DrCross> "What would those samples tell you, Ken?" *wiping his dusty hands
[20:29] * Sathara sneezes from kicked-up dust.
[20:30] <Ken> ::looks up:: "How long ago the couplings were disconnected from the main reactor. It is possible that the plant was taken by the owners not the scavengers."
[20:30] <Sathara> "Hmmm.  That could tell us a lot."
[20:30] <Raith> ::Holsters his PPG pistol::
[20:31] * Sathara checks to make sure her pistol holsters are open.
[20:31] <DrCross> "Ah, the owners could have just abandoned this place before the scavengers made renovations... interesting"
[20:32] <Raith> ::Sighs::
[20:32] <Sathara> "You didn't expect this to be easy, did you, cap'n?"
[20:32] <Sathara> "Maybe Ken can make some sense out of that hex code."
[20:33] <Raith> ::Picks up a piece of debris the size of a throwing rock and chucks it lightly across the room:: "Yeah."
[20:34] <Raith> "Lets pack it up. Nothing more here by my account."
[20:34] <Sathara> "Aye, cap'n."
[20:34] <bynw> *it hits and echo's around the room*
[20:34] * Sathara turns the flashlight back toward the stairs to alleviate the CSS problem.
[20:34] <Raith> ::Backs out of the room and begins making his way for the front door::
[20:35] <DrCross> "Ok, I got nothing too" *follows the teamout
[20:36] <Raith> "Sathra, lead us out. Keep an eye peeled. Most likely time for anyone to ambush us would be on our way out before we get to the ship."
[20:36] <Sathara> "Jaeih, is there anything else on this rock besides this installation?"
[20:36] * Ken pulls out his deep radar scanner and sonar mapping to complete the map of the installation
[20:36] <Sathara> "Aye, cap'n."
[20:36] * Sathara takes point, PPG pistol at the ready in one hand, and flashlight in the other.
[20:36] <bynw> *Jaeih* "Not according to the orbital data ... some fauna and flora ...
[20:37] <Sathara> "So diddley squat, basically."
[20:37] * Sathara walks carefully up the stairs, flashlight shining from her left hand and pistol in right.
[20:37] * Ken finishes up and puts his gear away
[20:38] <Ken> "No we have that Hex number"
[20:38] <Sathara> "Which makes precisely no sense."  Sathara sighs.
[20:39] <Ken> "not yet"
[20:39] <Sathara> "Well, that's true enough."
[20:39] * DrCross scans for life signs one last time
[20:42] <DrCross> "I still got nothing"
[20:42] * Sathara arrives at the top of the stairs, still on guard.
[20:43] * Ken follows along behind with his em scanner still active
[20:43] * DrCross starts slapping his scanner
[20:44] * Sathara starts cautiously up the hallway toward the front door of the installation.
[20:44] <Sathara> !df 5
[20:44] <ChanServ> Result: (+)(+)( )( )(-)
[20:45] <Raith> ::Follows up close behind Sathara::
[20:46] <bynw> *Jaeih takes up the rear guard*
[20:46] * Ken continues sweeping with his em scanner, wide spectrum looking for odd spikes
[20:51] <bynw> *reaching the front door to the installation, the upper floor is just how the crew left it a few hours ago
[20:52] <Raith> "Lead on Sathara."
[20:55] <DrCross> "Cap, what's next? Jump to another planet?"
[20:56] * Sathara leads the crew on to the Lady Luck 2.
[20:57] <bynw> *out by the lady luck are only things that could be described as "dogs" a pack of them sniffing around the ships ramp .... close to a dozen*
[20:57] <Sathara> ::sotto voce but decidedly surprised:: "Holy frak!"
[20:58] <bynw> *Jaeih pulls out her alien PPG and clicks its switch ... as it hums to life*
[20:58] <DrCross> "... another goose chase... what!"
[20:58] * Sathara flips the switch on her PPG and takes aim. "Cap'n?!"
[20:58] <Raith> "Hold up, hold up."
[20:59] * Ken puts away his scanner at Sathara's swearing
[20:59] <Ken> ::looks up and pulls his PPG::
[20:59] <Raith> ::Takes a knee, reaches into one of his coats many pockets and pulls out a ration bar::
[21:00] <Sathara> ::still sotto voce::  "Cap'n, what the frakking hell are you doing?!"
[21:00] <Raith> ::breaks it in half and chucks half of it just short of the animals::
[21:00] <DrCross> "what. are. you. doing, Cap?"
[21:01] <Raith> ::Keeps his eyes on the animals and holds onto the other half of the bar:: "Keep in mind we are the aliens here. This is there home."
[21:02] <bynw> *a couple of them go over and sniff it out ... and one is clearly the alpha of the 2 and eats the bar nipping at the other*
[21:02] * DrCross looks incredulously at the captain, thinking his one kooky dude
[21:03] <Raith> ::Waves the bar at the alpha making kissing sounds to get it's attention::
[21:03] <DrCross> *he is one kooky dude
[21:03] * Sathara keeps her weapon at the ready but makes no move to fire.
[21:04] <Raith> ::Once he gets it's full attention he throws the half bar as hard as he can to the left of him making sure the animals see it go::
[21:05] * DrCross whispers to Ken "When this is over (and we are still alive), remind me to sedate the good captain"
[21:05] <bynw> *several of them go after it ... still leaving half of them at the ship*
[21:06] <Sathara> ::quietly:: "Now what?"
[21:06] * Sathara puts away the flashlight now that she's out in daylight and draws her second pistol, just in case.
[21:07] * Ken nods
[21:07] <bynw> *Jaeih quietly aims her weapon and squeezes the trigger ... a bright bolt plasma ripples through the landscape and hits near the foot of the ramp causing a cloud of dirt and debris to scatter the remaining dogs*
[21:08] <bynw> *she starts walking towards the ship, holstering her weapon as he does*
[21:08] <Raith> ::Looks to Jaeih, his eyes narrow::
[21:08] * Sathara follows quickly, but with weapons still out at the ready and severely pissed off.
[21:08] <Raith> "Sathara."
[21:08] * DrCross ducks his head as the plasma blast passes by
[21:09] <Sathara> ::quietly but tersely:: "Aye, Cap'n?"
[21:09] <Raith> "Congrats."
[21:10] <Sathara> ::still quietly but now kind of confused:: "For what, cap'n?
[21:10] <Sathara> "
[21:10] <Raith> "Your promotion. Second in command."
[21:11] * Sathara reaches the top of the ramp and turns.  "ME?!"  ::turns and makes sure everybody else is at least on the ramp::
[21:11] <Sathara> ??Is everybody at least on the ramp???
[21:11] <Raith> ::Starts walking quickly towards the ship, a bit stiffly::
[21:12] * DrCross heads for the ramp quickly, muttering "I'm stuck with crazy people!"
[21:12] <Raith> "That's what I said. You don't like stupid officers? Heres your chance to show us how it's done."
[21:13] * Ken quickly gets on the ramp once the "dogs" have scattered
[21:13] <Sathara> "Aye, Cap'n.  Get on board while we've got a chance, then, everybody, and let's blow this weird place."
[21:13] <Raith> ::Says as he passes Jaeih:: "New duties include reigning in our pilot."
[21:14] <bynw> *the dogs have all joined one another again ... momentarily confused just long enough for everyone to get to the ship*
[21:14] <Raith> "Since she can't seem to do it for herself."
[21:14] <Raith> ::Passes Jaeih and continues walking::
[21:14] <Sathara> "Yeah, I could---hang on."  ::pushes the button to retract the ramp into the ship now that everybody's on board.  "I have a few choice words for the pilot."
[21:15] * DrCross shoots a look at Raith "We've been telling you that since we got her" exasperated
[21:15] <bynw> *Jaeih raises an eyebrow at Raith's remarks*
[21:15] * Ken heads for engineering with his samples and the data crystal shards.
[21:16] <Sathara> "Jaeih, you could have gotten us all killed.  You don't know whether those things would have attacked, you don't know whether they've got some hells-begotten fatal disease, you don't just frakking shoot when you're that outnumbered without a good reason."
[21:17] <Sathara> "You're--WE'RE--just lucky they scattered long enough for us all to get on board.  I thought *I* was frakking trigger-happy.  DON'T FRAKKING DO THAT AGAIN."
[21:17] <Raith> ::Stops and turns, his face red:: "Let me make myself clear."
[21:17] * Sathara holsters her weapons and takes a deep breath to try to rein in her own temper.
[21:18] * DrCross looks up at the captain "Yes?"'
[21:19] <Raith> "We're not out here to shoot up the locals. We're visitors everywhere we go except this ship."
[21:19] <Sathara> ::more calmly but still obviously having temper issues:: "Aye, cap'n?"
[21:19] <Raith> "We are guests, on every planet we set foot."
[21:20] * Ken arrives in engineering and starts a comparative electron decay analysis of the two samples
[21:20] <DrCross> "And?"
[21:21] <Raith> "You don't walk into someone's home and start shooting it up, or shooting the locals animals."
[21:21] * Sathara takes another deep breath, still trying to cool off.
[21:22] <Raith> "There just dumb animals tryin to find something to eat. Didn't even so much as growl at us. Got shot at for doing nothing but walking by."
[21:23] * Ken then carefully lays out the data crystal shards and starts a microcrystalline fracture analysis on them to determine what pieces coneected to what pieces.
[21:23] <Raith> "Dumb animals if we're lucky. Just because something doesn't walk on two legs doesn't mean it's not sentient either."
[21:24] <Sathara> "Holy frak, cap'n, did any of them board the ship?  That ramp's not that hard to walk up."
[21:24] <Sathara> "Hey, Doc, scan around."
[21:24] <DrCross> "Finally! We got the *captain* back"
[21:24] <Raith> ::Looks straight at jaeih:: "Go find out. I'll take us out."
[21:25] <Raith> ::Turns and starts to walk away:: "And check your weapon with Sathara."
[21:26] <Sathara> "Yo, Doc, do me a favor and scan the ship for any life other than us."
[21:26] * DrCross scans the ship
[21:26] <DrCross> "Already on it, Lt. Sathara" *winks
[21:27] <DrCross> "... the ship is clear"
[21:27] * Sathara walks over to Jaeih.  "I'll put that in the weapons locker; it'll be in the common room, but I've got the key."
[21:27] * Sathara grins back at the doctor.
[21:27] <Raith> ::Walks out of the common room and onto the bridge, sits in the pilots seat and starts the pre-flight::
[21:27] <bynw> *Jaeih* "I was not lucky. They are scavengers and unless cornered or injured they would run off if momentarily frightened. This not some alien world we know nothing about. It has been on your frontier for years. Its documented." *she hands her the weapon*
[21:30] <Sathara> "It's documented right enough, but not very completely.  We didn't know--still don't know--who scavenged the place.  Those animals could have been diseased, and diseased animals don't act normal."
[21:30] * DrCross faces Jaeih "You can't just shoot anytime you like, esp. without orders"
[21:30] <Sathara> "I bet the doc could tell you about some animal diseases that would make them vicious."
[21:32] <Sathara> "I'm gonna drop it, because I think you got the point that the Cap'n is not happy, but next time, don't shoot without orders or a real frakking good reason."
[21:32] <Raith> ::With the pre-flight done and the engines warmed up, he eases the Lady Luck off the ground accelerates slowly to clear the atmosphere::
[21:33] <bynw> *Jaeih heads to her quarters to finish settling into the new ship, something she hasn't had the ability to do yet*
[21:33] * Sathara locks Jaeih's weapon in the weapons locker, goes to her own quarters to put away her weapons in her personal locker, and then joins Raith on the bridge.
[21:34] <DrCross> "That was surreal, Sathara"
[21:34] <Sathara> "Seriously."
[21:34] <Sathara> "The whole thing.  The abandoned world.  The dogs or whatever the frak they were."
[21:34] <Sathara> "The field promotion."  ::she grins at Dr Cross.
[21:35] <DrCross> "... and the Captain... and the Pilot... what next?!"
[21:35] <Sathara> "Well, we didn't join this adventure because we wanted the predictable."
[21:35] <DrCross> *grins back "Congratulations!"
[21:35] <Sathara> "Thanks, Doc."
[21:36] <DrCross> "Yes,  not predictable but not foolish either"
[21:37] <Sathara> "True."
[21:38] <Sathara> "Well, at least your job's not too interesting yet.  Imagine if one of those things had bitten somebody?"
[21:38] * Sathara shudders.
[21:40] <DrCross> "That would be easy... slice off the traumatized area and grow it back in the vats"
[21:41] <Sathara> "Easy for you, maybe."
[21:41] <DrCross> "Kidding!"
[21:41] <Sathara> "You better be!"  ::laughs::
[21:41] <DrCross> "Seriously, Raith needs a friend right now, Sathara... go talk to him. I'll be calming my nerves at my bunk"
[21:41] <Sathara> "A little medicine, huh?  All right, I was headed toward the bridge anyway."
[21:42] * Sathara appears on the bridge where Raith appears to be calmly piloting the ship.
[21:42] <Sathara> "Hey, Cap'n, what next?"
[21:45] <Raith> ::Flips a few switches to stabilize their orbit as they leave the atmosphere:: "We have that lead on the trader aliens. The ones that speak our language. I'd say we go make contact with them."
[21:46] <Sathara> "Okay, sounds like a plan.  I'd say let's take our time about getting there to give Ken a bit to sort out that stuff we found."
[21:47] <Sathara> "Or he found, really."
[21:52] <Raith> ::Nods::
[21:53] <Sathara> ::awkwardly:: "Cap'n, you okay?  This has been a weird trip, and everybody's nerves are frazzled.  You seem almost....too calm."
[21:53] * Ken finishes his analysis and stats carefully placing the shards in appropriate proximity and then heads to medical
[21:54] <Ken> "Doc I need an optically transparent gel to suspend this crystals in."
[21:54] * DrCross comms Ken "On my way"
[21:55] <Raith> ::Hesitates a bit and sighs. He talks but doesn't turn around:: "Just my way i guess. Too much to take in...too short a time to do it."
[21:55] <Sathara> "Amen to that, Cap'n."
[21:55] * DrCross assists Ken at engineering
[21:55] <Raith> "Going to be your job to make sure I don't frak up too bad."
[21:56] <Sathara> ::laughs::  "I'll try not to frak up my job, then."
[21:57] <Raith> ::lets out a long low breath and begins setting a course::
[21:57] <Sathara> "If you weren't flying this thing, I'd offer you a glass of Scotch.  Half tempted to have one myself, but things are just too weird for booze right now."
[21:58] <Sathara> "And the last time I mixed booze and a jump I almost got jump-sick.  Not fun."
[21:59] <Raith> ::Chuckles:: "Right now? Ha! It never stops, that's the best part."
[21:59] <Ken> "Doc I need you to perform micro surgery on these crytals assemble them in the gel based on what pieces go where."
[21:59] <Sathara> "Doc called it surreal.  Story of your life?"
[22:01] <DrCross> "That's a first, surgery on a non-living thing" *grins
[22:01] <Ken> "I could do it but I think you would be more precise."
[22:02] <DrCross> "Ok, let's do it"
[22:02] <Raith> ::Glances back and smiles:: "You bet L.T. You bet."
[22:02] <Sathara> ::laughs::  "That's a hell of a field promotion, Cap'n, former corporal to ship's lieutenant."
[22:04] <Raith> "Now you know how I feel about being a Major."
[22:04] <Sathara> "Yeah, I suppose so."
[22:06] * Ken pulls out his analysis and directs Doc which shards go where in the medium