Trinity Universe: Dreams of Dragons

[ProfPotts]

Alexander Yi cleaned the lenses of his vidspecs for what must have been the millionth time since the transport had broken Earth orbit. It wasn't like they needed cleaning, but then again they probably didn't need the various minute calibration adjustments he constantly made either. For that matter, none of his equipment required the level of maintenance he'd put in over the last week or so. The problem was that he was bored.

The trip into orbit (his first) had been a rush, even if the artifical gravity had made him queasy for the first few minutes. But then the blue-green orb that was the cradle of humanity had faded into the distance, & the back-drop of stars had gotten 'normal' very quickly. He'd spent some time recording the other 'stars' - the diplomats, officials, corporate sponsors, Psions, & crewmen who shared the transport with him, his boss, & the other select few reporters that had been granted the rare priviledge of taking the trip - but soon found that they were also unlikely to produce any spontaneously newsworthy events. With a wicked thought he pictured what the journey may have been like with a few of those Bollywood starlets onboard - the ones in the exposé he & Simon had done on that UAN government minister last year. He chuckled quietly, then shook his head, & went back to his unneccesary equipment maintenance.

The Asian man's bordom was shattered as Simon, his boss, woke up & told him that they'd arrived. Alex started to question the reporter's 'source' (how did he know?), but then stopped mid-sentence as he saw that their destination was, indeed, framed in the view-port of the small two-bunk cabin. It was the most incredible sight he'd ever seen.

Still more than a dozen klicks distant the Jumpship was clearly visible. A behemoth of the stars it was over a klick long with smooth organic curves that, to Alex's mind, made it look like the celestial dragons depicted in the art of his ancestors' homeland. A subtle greenish luminescence ran in lines & whorls along the hide - 'hull' Alex mentally corrected himself - it just looked so much like a living creature he had a hard time equating the bio-ship before him with the hard angles of the functional hardtech transport he was currently traveling in. In a way, he supposed, the Leviathon was a living creature... but he soon pushed such embryonic philosophical thoughts to one side, & instead just marveled at the magnificent feat of bio-engineering before his eyes. It took a nudge from Simon to remind the news-technician that he should really be recording the amazing images, rather than just marveling at them himself...

The transport moved closer to the Leviathon & soon the larger vessel filled the small cabin view-port entirely. At this distance smaller craft - hybrids & frigates - could be seen, maneuvering around, or docking in (or on) the massive bio-ship. Several of the smaller ships also showed the organic styling of bio-technology, but none approached the sheer majesty of the Jumpship. Closer still & the humanoid shapes of VARGs could be seen, walking across the Leviathon's hull, or spinning silently through the surrounding space, directed by occasional bursts from back-mounted propulsion units. Eventually (too soon for Alex, who'd have prefered more time to view the outside of the Jumpship) the transport was swallowed by one of the Leviathon's docking bays, & crewmen in vacuum suits could be seen dotted about like insects within the belly of the beast.

Finally the transport was docked. There was a momentary vague sense of falling as the hardtech vessel's gravitic grid was powered down, & the Leviathon's own pseudo-gravity took effect, & Alex silently muttered a prayer of thanks that he'd forgotten to have breakfast in all the excitment. There followed a rather frustrating period of waiting (similar, the tech' thought, to that which air-travellers of the late twentieth & early twenty-first centuries must have felt when using the overcrowded airports that were all the rage at the time), as the docking bay atmosphere was normalised & checked, the transport was secured & scanned, & then even more waiting as the 'more important' passengers got to disembark first. At last, after what was beginning to seem like a lifetime, Alex & Simon walked off the transport ship & took their first steps, along with many others, onto one of the few wonderous Leviathon Jumpships.

Greeting the transport's passengers were several crewmembers, dressed smartly in their form-fitting dark-green jumpsuits, with various insignia & designation patches on the shoulders, cuffs, & chests. Some also wore the matching cap that also bore the ship's insignia. Stepping forward an attractive Asian female crew member beamed a smile ::biggrin at the new arrivals & anounced (then repeated in several languages),

"Welcome aboard the Kai Xing."

[phoenix]

Meanwhile, two men stare out the window from another bunk on the transport. The first one is a man who Alexander Yi, had he been present, would have found to be quite a spectacle, for several reasons. The first reason was that he is wearing nothing but a loose-fitting pair of pants, and that his entire chest and back are covered in Celtic tribal tattoos of a complexity that rival that of the Leviathan's shimmering carapace itself. The second reason is not so tangible.. the man attracts attention just by the way he carries himself; somehow he seems to be able to swagger without moving at all. He is staring at the Leviathan as though it was the Holy Grail, and if anyone asked him right at that moment, he would probably say that it is.

His name is Sean Vinge.

At first he had given the exquisite ship only a perfunctory and nonchalant glance from his bunk in order to look cool (mostly for the benefit of his roommate), but had to keep stealing eyefuls of the glorious ship. Eventually he had said to hell with it and had gone to stand at the porthole with wide-eyed wonder. When he speaks to the second man, it is with an Irish accent and a companionable smile.

"Chroist in a soidcar.. Such an honor, eh mate?"

OOC: Who wants to be my roomie? ::cool

[Umoja]

The first thing that catches you about Simon's appearence is his gaze, it seems rather detached, and almost weak for the way he carries himself. This seems rather strange considering the dark skinned moreno (African-Latino) is dressed in a nice Kostbaar coat, and a local (but expensive) Columbian style of shirt and pants. Over his right breat pocket he has a Newsday badge, and on his hands he wears a pair of gloves made from some expensive artificial cow-skin knock off. Simon brings a finger across his ear, scatching it, and bringing attention to his vocorder, possibly because he's nervous, but he doesn't seem to be taken at all by what Sean has just said.

He nods quickly to the Asian woman, and responds to her in Mandarian, speaking only with a slight Spanish accent. "Thank You, Miss. I only hope the other crew members are as beautiful as you." He grins, displaying teeth that are too perfect, giving cause to the idea that he got fake teeth put in.

Simon turns his attention back to Sean, smiling, but obviously confused. He nudges Alexander on the shoulder, and then in a slightly paniced tone speaks outloud, in his Sudamerican Spanish. "Alex.... My vococorder, it doesn't pick up his accent! How can I communicate with these people if I don't know their accent?" The panic in his voice is clearly evident, although his eyes and physical stance don't seem to reflect that.

Alexander nods, and replies to Sean although his voice has a heavy Spanish accent, "I'm sorry sir. My friend here doesn't speak English.... I'll have to interpret for him. That doesn't bother you? Right?" Alexander smiles, and brushes a strand of his dark hair back.

((OOC- Oh the joys of not knowing English!))

[phoenix]

Sean only grins, and replies in almost perfect Sudamerican Spanish. "You'll not get out of dealing with me that easily, pal! Don't worry, your vocoder's not broken.. it's just not very good. My name's Sean Vinge." He offers his hand to both Simon and Alexander.

OOC: If we're all on the bridge of the jump ship at this point, then Sean is not shirtless. He is wearing black pants, a grey shirt, and a black duster. His tattoos are only slightly visible crawling out of his shirt on his wrists and neck.

[Umoja]

Simon chuckles a bit, and brings his thumb across his nose. Perhaps a subtle sign that he's embarassed? He extends his hand to Sean and shakes, letting out a string of words in his now arrogant sounding voice. "Pleasure to meet you Sean. I'm Simon Bolivar Mendez, Reporter for Newsday. May as well get this all off to a good start. This man here, is my technician and all around buddy Alexander Yi." Alexander extends his hand and shakes Seans hand and nods. Simon continues talking, "While we're here, I may as well get some questions in. Why are you aboard this ship? What do you hope to accomplish? And finally, what Organization is backing you being here?" Simon looks at him inqusitively, taking out an electronic notepad, and a stylus to write with.

[ProfPotts]

OOC: If we're all on the bridge of the jump ship at this point, then Sean is not shirtless. He is wearing black pants, a grey shirt, and a black duster. His tattoos are only slightly visible crawling out of his shirt on his wrists and neck.

[The action is currently in one of the Jumpship's large vehicle bays - the characters (& many others) have just stepped off the hardtech transport vessel they travelled on to reach the Leviathon.]

He nods quickly to the Asian woman, and responds to her in Mandarian, speaking only with a slight Spanish accent. \"Thank You, Miss. I only hope the other crew members are as beautiful as you.\"

The Asian woman giggles, hastily hiding her smile behind behind her hand as she blushes ::blush at the dashing reporter's words. Alex just rolls his eyes ::rolleyes , & slips on his vidspecs (which resemble high-tech shades).

Various crewmembers busy themselves checking the transport's passengers off against lists displayed on datapads, answering questions, & directing people towards their new quarters. A youthful-looking European crewman, with a shock of ginger hair that can't fail but to draw the eye, pushes through the crowd, waving one hand & calling out,

"Mr Vinge! Mr Vinge, sir!"

Reaching the small group he tries to talk, but his excitement gets the better of him & he is forced to pause for breath. Finally he manages to ask,

"You're Sean Vinge, the new bio-engineer? Crewman Norris, sir," he offers his hand, "I've been wanting to ask your opinion on a patch of discolouration we noticed on one of the port wings - section thirty-seven beta. The Chief said it was nothing, but it could be, right? Calcification, or bio-infection, or something? We don't want anything going wrong at this stage. I'm sorry we couldn't get the complete spec's to you before - it's all hush-hush, I'm sure you understand - I'll make sure you get a copy. Or you could just ask Tess - you can access her from engineering. I'm honoured to meet you, sir, really. Maybe later you could..."

"Excuse crewman Norris, gentlemen," Norris is interupted by the female Asian crewmember, who (noticing the young man's rather over-enthusiastic greeting) has stepped over to the group, "he's keen & skilled, but his social graces leave something to be desired."

It's now Norris' turn to blush ::blush , & he stammers out an apology. A brief smile touches the woman's lips as she gently suggests to the lad,

"You have duties to attend to, crewman; & Mr Vinge will be wanting to at least see the inside of his cabin before he gets to work. There'll be plenty of time for all your questions later. The Kai Xing isn't going to fall apart just yet..." ::sly

The chided crewman takes his leave, & the woman turns to the others, first bowing repectfully, then offering her hand to each in turn, & switching from English to Spanish,

"Mr Vinge. Mr Mendez, Mr Yi. Welcome aboard. I'm senior crewman Sung Mei Tian - currently assigned to diplomatic duties, " she glances around the crowded bay, "as you can see."

To Sean she adds,

"I look forward to serving with you, sir, your expertise will be appreciated. You're scheduled to meet the Captain & Chief Engineer a little later but, as you can understand, things are a bit hectic right now."

Turning to Simon she smiles ::smile & switches to Mandarin,

"Your Chinese is very good, Mr Mendez - although your choice of words praise me too much, I thank you for your kindness."

[phoenix]

\"While we're here, I may as well get some questions in. Why are you aboard this ship? What do you hope to accomplish? And finally, what Organization is backing you being here?\" Simon looks at him inqusitively, taking out an electronic notepad, and a stylus to write with.

Sean smiles, continuing in Spanish (OOC: red denotes Spanish, green denotes english). \"Well, I'm a bioengineer. I'm here to make sure the ship stays, well, shipshape, over the course of our voyage. I'll be working as one of the chief bioengineer's two assistants, and there'll be one of us on duty at all times in order to cover any problems that might come up. This voyage is sponsored by the Aeon Trinity, and they're the ones signing my paycheck for my work here, so to speak. Er.. would you excuse me? \" Sean smiles at the reporter again briefly, then turns to the newcomer, murmuring, \"Céad míle fáilte..\"

\"You're Sean Vinge, the new bio-engineer? Crewman Norris, sir,\" he offers his hand, \"I've been wanting to ask your opinion on a patch of discolouration we noticed on one of the port wings - section thirty-seven beta. The Chief said it was nothing, but it could be, right? Calcification, or bio-infection, or something? We don't want anything going wrong at this stage. I'm sorry we couldn't get the complete spec's to you before - it's all hush-hush, I'm sure you understand - I'll make sure you get a copy. Or you could just ask Tess - you can access her from engineering. I'm honoured to meet you, sir, really. Maybe later you could...\"

Sean shakes the newcomer's hand heartily. \"Hey mate! Yeh, I'm Sean. That patch could be something, yeh, but I doubt it. Send me those specs jes' as soon's you can though, right?\"

\"You have duties to attend to, crewman; & Mr Vinge will be wanting to at least see the inside of his cabin before he gets to work. There'll be plenty of time for all your questions later. The Kai Xing isn't going to fall apart just yet...\"

\"'Course she's not!\" Sean quips with a grin. \"I haven't started working on 'er yet, 'ave I?\"

\"I look forward to serving with you, sir, your expertise will be appreciated. You're scheduled to meet the Captain & Chief Engineer a little later but, as you can understand, things are a bit hectic right now.\"

Sean smiles affably. "I'm not in a hurry, I'll just sit back and take in the sights." He steps back and gives both the Leviathan and the woman frank and admiring looks.

[Umoja]

((I'll follow your lead and use Red for Spanish))

Simon quickly jots down what Sean has just said, and nods to him. Not wanting to interrupt his business. He looks over to Alexander, "Got all your stuff? I want to inspect the rest of this beast, I can call it a beast right? It won't pee on me for that, I hope." Alexander just rolls his eyes, and nods patting the duffel at his side. Simon nods, but soon realizes he isn't carrying his, and runs back onto the transport, and gets his.

Alexander points Simon towards the crew members directing them to there quarters. Simon gives one last smile to the Asian girl, and him and Alexander walk off to ask for directions to there quarters.

((Edit- it censored out p.iss, woops! Didn't mean to mess with the filter.))

[ProfPotts]

Alexander points Simon towards the crew members directing them to there quarters. Simon gives one last smile to the Asian girl, and him and Alexander walk off to ask for directions to there quarters.

There's quite a wait before the reporters are attended to (possibly because they're willing to be more patient than many of the other 'guests'... ::wink ). However, finally, a crewman is free to escort the pair to their shared quarters (a bunk again... ::rolleyes ).

The Jumpship's corridors curve towards the ceiling, & are various shades of mottled greens, browns, greys, & the odd splash of blue or red. Bio-luminescent pulses pass along the walls every now & then, & sections appear designed to be removed (presumably for access to the vessel's inner-workings). A standard corridor appears wide enough to allow two people to easily pass each other, & maybe two & a half meters high. By contrast, the floor is obviously artifical hardtech, & is composed of a polished silvery-grey material that sounds metallic as it's walked on. It appears as though the curvature of the organic corridors continues below the floor-plating. Hardtech lighting suppliments the ship's natural luminescence, & is found in strips along the ceiling & upper walls.

As the reporters progress through the ship they pass many crewmembers, a large number of whom are engaged in technical duties. Where they pass an open wall-panel (there's a 'squelch' noise & some clinging mucus as the carapace panel is lifted off) they can make-out snaking vine-like cables passing through the walls. Eventually they arrive at their quarters.

The room is larger than the one on the transport (which wouldn't, in itself, be difficult ::wink ), & has small en-suite toilet & shower facilities. There aren't any windows, but a single flat-screen monitor displays (unclassified) information on the ship, as well as a variety of moving scenes (such as 'flower-filled field in summer', or 'ocean view').

The crewman who escorted them tells the reporters that the reception isn't for another 24 hours or so - since more guests have yet to arrive. He asks them to respect the rules of the ship & follow any directions given them by crewmembers. Indicating the flat-screen monitor, he adds that the computer can answer other questions they may have. At that he quickly leaves them to their own devices - having many more guests to house before his shift's over.

Sean smiles affably. \"I'm not in a hurry, I'll just sit back and take in the sights.\" He steps back and gives both the Leviathan and the woman frank and admiring looks.

Crewman Sung blushes ::blush at the Irishman's obvious looks ::blink , & quickly excuses herself to attend to organising the other transport passengers.

A while later - after the crowd has thined considerably, she returns, & offers to show Sean to his quarters.

The bio-engineer recognises the vines behind the ship's carapace walls as components of the life-support system; & gets to see many other such feats of bio-engineering that he'd previously studied, but had never had the chance to witness first hand. As they walk, Sung briefly explains the ships rank structure,

"Obviously, despite the weaponry we carry, we're not a military vessel - although certain of the crew do hold positions in various military organisations. To make things simple we've stuck to a basic rank system - as indicated by pips on the collar & cuffs. The new recruits - those on their first missions - are crewmen & have no pips. Space veterans, such as myself, are senior crewmen with a single pip. Then there are the specialists - which include yourself, sir - who oversee specific aspects of the ship & her mission & wear two pips. Above them are the department chiefs - such as the chief engineer & ship's doctor, with three pips. Then there are the command crew - the first & second mates & the navigator - four pips. Running the whole show is the Captain - you'll like her, she's an impressive woman & a skilled commander - she wears five pips, but is pretty hard to miss in any case." ::wink

Soon enough Sean's new quarters are reached. A single occupancy room (larger than the guest room the reporters have been assgned to), it contains basic funishings, computer terminal & holo-projector, & also has an en-suite bathroom. Altogether it's not huge, but not bad for a space-ship (I guess it could be called 'cosy'). Sung shows Sean the wardrobe - & the uniforms (& dress uniform) in his size that are hanging within. Before she leaves she asks,

"Do you have any questions, sir?"

[phoenix]

Crewman Sung blushes  at the Irishman's obvious looks  , & quickly excuses herself to attend to organising the other transport passengers.

A while later - after the crowd has thined considerably, she returns, & offers to show Sean to his quarters.

Sean snickers as Ms. Sung hooves it, but in consideration of her shyness, spares her the positively filthy look he might give otherwise when she asks to show him to his quarters. There's a difference between acting the maggot and being one, after all.. ::rolleyes He picks up a tote bag at his feet and strides after the woman, his ink-black duster swirling around his feet dramatically. Similarly, he resists the equally tempting option of asking her to pause so he can have a look at certain parts of the wall, partly because he knows she has places to be and partly because he's in first impression mode, even though she probably won't play a major role in his future aboard the ship. So he simply follows after her with a polite almost-smile on his face.

He listens attentively as she explains the pip system, though he chuckles a bit when she comes to his. How the hell'd I come to be here? And sir, no less! He grins. I like that.

\"Do you have any questions, sir?\"

Sean has a quick look around the room, then spins back to face her with a smile. "Uh, no, not just now.. I can plug my minicomp into that port there, right? Good.. Uh, no, that's just fine! Thank you very much." He offers his hand and then lets her go about her business like a good boy. Plenty of time for making trouble later, after all..

[Umoja]

Simon and Alexander thank the crewman, and put there stuff down. Alexander begans to unpack his holo-recording equipment, and as usual double check them, to be sure they are in complete working order. He does this in silence, as Simon looks around the room curiously.

Simon opens up his bag, and pulls out pill container. He unscrews the cap, and takes one out, popping it under his tongue. Alexander shoots him a glance at says in a moderately agitated tone, "Simon, we are on business here, the least you could do is take drugs.... who knows how the artificial gravity will effect your senses? " Alexander sighs a bit, not like it ever really mattered, Simon has always had a taste for the newest recreational drug.

Simon rolls his eyes, and chuckles a bit, running his hands across most of the biotech in the room. "These aren't drugs! These just keep me vibrant. Sort of like caffeine except, I get the emotional boost as well." Simon smiles, and turns on his minicomp, and starts to read some of the files, he was supposed to have already read for background on this assignment. He occasionally chuckles every few minutes, and this seems to subtly agitate Alexander, who never could understand why Sudamericans were so into drugs.

((These guys really don't have much to do, other then just developing there characters more, so they pretty much are in major downtime, until something big happens.))

[phoenix]

He occasionally chuckles every few minutes, and this seems to subtly agitate Alexander, who never could understand why Sudamericans were so into drugs.

Sean would have understood.

Sean will make efforts in the direction of hooking up his minicomp and getting information on the aforementioned discolored spot, and try to determine if there really is a significant chance that something is wrong.

Later, he'll take a stroll through the hallway, and take a closer look at some of the more interesting bioapps at work in the walls.

[ProfPotts]

Later, he'll take a stroll through the hallway, and take a closer look at some of the more interesting bioapps at work in the walls.

Sean is busy looking over the work a tech' is doing on a section of neural fibre behind a wall panel, checking out the Jumpship-specific nutrient suppliments that are being applied, when he feels a strong hand on his shoulder. Turning, he comes face to face with a large Indian man in a crew uniform (three pips), & matching dark-green turban. The man appears to be in his late thirties, maybe early forties, & has a full black beard that reaches half-way down his chest. Rather unusually, a long curved sword hangs from his belt, next to various engineering tools & diagnostic devices. He seems annoyed, & yells at Sean (& the tech' he was observing) in a language Vinge can't follow (although he gets the idea... ::sly ), before switching to English,

"What are you doing here? Civilians aren't allowed to mess with the ship's systems! Who are you anyway?"

A short distance down the corridor [by pure coincidence... ::wink ] the two reporters overhear the raised voices from their room.

[phoenix]

Sean is so surprised from the sudden blast of sound behind him that he leaps about a foot into the air from the spot where he was crouching, giving friendly advice to the tech. He rapidly spins to face the angry man and waits for him to finish without so much as a raised eyebrow. Oops, I forgot my uniform, and my, he looks angry. What's that he's speaking in? Damned cheap vocoder. Hope he's not gonna try and use that. He outranks me. Hmm, I wonder if he's the chief engineer himself? Either that or the doctor, and if so, I am damn well not gonna get wounded on this trip.. Oh, English now. How nice. I can brazen this out, but I better show some teeth first.. When he does finish, Sean starts shouting himself.

"What's the meanin' o' this, you stupid bollix? I'm not some blighted civilian, I'm an assistant to the chief engineer, and I gotta say, if this here's your idea of a.." Suddenly, Sean pretends to have an epiphany, and his manner immediately becomes orders of magnitude calmer and more civil. "Oh, you most be the chief engineer. Sorry, looks loik we had a bit of a misunderstandin'! Me name's Sean Vinge. Forgot me uniform in me enthusiasm to see the ship's workin's!" ::laugh ::blush

Sean has every bit of the nerve required to offer his hand to the man, but will only try it if it looks like he would end up keeping it.

[ProfPotts]

The Indian man glares at Sean, pointedly ignoring the outstretched hand,

"I am Chief Engineer Singh, Mister Vinge. I do not appreciate my subordiantes wandering about the ship haphazardly when they haven't even had the courtesy to report for duty. If you are to interfere with the systems on my ship, then you will at least do so in uniform."

He stares a while longer at the Irishman, the shakes his head & turns to leave. At that point he pauses, & half turns back, adding,

"It was against my express professional opinion that a drug-peddling criminal was assigned to my staff, but now that you're here, Mister Vinge, you will behave in a civilized manner, as befits a Jumpship engineer. I hope you understand?"

[Umoja]

Simon chuckles a bit hearing the commotion outside. He stands up, and looks out the door, watching the Indian man walk away. He smiles to himself, then frowns, on a whim, seeing it's Sean. Poor Sean. "Oh no! Did you just get yelled at for having a problem with Spanish Fly, and it's three very sexy sisters?" Simon chuckles, happy with his own odd joke. He walks out of the room and looks at Sean, getting oddly close as he looks at him.

"You look pretty umm... straight edge to me. Don't look like the type of person who would spend many a weekend away in Rio or Medillin. Infact, all you Euro-types are all type in the booty! Yet, your accused of a drug problem, by Mr. Beard and Sword? Oooh, oooh, no, No! That seems very bad. Very bad." Simon is talking far faster then is usual, and his voice seems to rise and drop in overly emphatic tones. To anyone, who has ever seen anyone take any drug, it's shockingly clear that Simon, is quite clearly under the influence of a drug.

[phoenix]

Sean raises his arms in mock-surrender, a hint of a sardonic grin still on his face. "Listen, mate, I ha'en't been messin' wit' the - er, your ship." The grin becomes ever-so-slightly more than a hint at this point. "Was just havin' a look around, that's all. Sorry I din't drop you a line or anything to let you know I was here, but I din't really think ye'd be in a hurry. Now there's nae need to be makin' accusations, I'm here on the straight an' narrow, aright? Good to meet ye, Mr. Singh." Sean backs off, then spins around and starts to walk away.

\"Oh no! Did you just get yelled at for having a problem with Spanish Fly, and it's three very sexy sisters?\" Simon chuckles, happy with his own odd joke. He walks out of the room and looks at Sean, getting oddly close as he looks at him.

\"You look pretty umm... straight edge to me. Don't look like the type of person who would spend many a weekend away in Rio or Medillin. Infact, all you Euro-types are all type in the booty! Yet, your accused of a drug problem, by Mr. Beard and Sword? Oooh, oooh, no, No! That seems very bad. Very bad.\"

Sean appears to be mildly amused by the obviously stoned man walking with him, and joins in from time to time with an "Imagine that!" or a "Shameful!" He's going in the general direction of his room, wanting to get into uniform before someone else happens.

[ProfPotts]

Simon & Sean reach Sean's room with no more mishap - although the reporter's obvious indulgences get more than a few raises eyebrows or even looks of complete disgust from passing crewmembers & fellow guests. [i guess that South America's big export isn't popular with everyone in the international community... ::sly ]

[phoenix]

Sean will greet all passing folks with a wide smile as though nothing in the world was amiss. Once he gets to his room, he'll hang up his duster and change into a uniform, and have a look at the files concerning the discoloration on the hull.

[Umoja]

Simon follows Sean, and continues to aimlessly prattle on about subjects with almost no rhyme or reason. Most of his topics seem to relate to either his childhood, odd newsreports in Argentina or his numerous love affairs. Needless to say, it's not all that interesting to Sean, and is probubly more on the annoying side. Clearly, this drug Simon took, was purely for his own enjoyment.

When they reach the door to Seans room, Simon waits outside, his odd moral code still holding up in his drugged state. "I suppose you must have work to do?" Simon nods slowly. "Well then... I'll just have to go and talk to someone else less work oriented!" Simon walks off, but heads back to his room, clearly he's not going to get any information out of Sean, especially while he's high.

[phoenix]

Sean watches Simon leave, then closes the door and sighs. "Right. Let's look back. I've been on the ship for about a half hour so far, and already, the resident stoner thinks I'm a workaholic and ma boss thinks I'm dealing. Lovely." He chuckles. "I suppose someone important likes the looks o' me resume if I was hired in spite o' that bastard's objections. I sure hope that doesn't change anytime soon."

[ProfPotts]

Sean checks over the files on the 'patch' - it appears that it's just a natural discolouration &, indeed, nothing to worry about. The crewman who checked it out seems to have done all the standard tests & so-forth.

As Simon is heading back to his room he's approached by a pair of crewmen (with 'Security' department patches on their shoulders & screamers holstered on their belts). They move to stop the reporter, & one (a tall white man with a blond crew-cut) says in European-accented Spanish,

"We've had some reports that you've been behaving strangely, sir. Please accompany us to sick bay & we'll have you checked out."

The other man (a shorter black man with a shaved head), places his hand lightly on the grip of his gun - as if to emphasize the 'request'.

Back in his room, Sean's contemplation of engineering files is disturbed by a beeping noise. Following it, he reaches what looks to be a standard comm' unit emblazoned with the ship's insignia - in the wardrobe next to where his uniforms were hanging. Flipping it open he hears a pleasant female voice,

"Mr Vinge - please report to the bridge."

[phoenix]

"Mr Vinge - please report to the bridge."

"Oh, o' course.. sorry 'bout the delay if ye tried pagin' me a minute ago, I was out 'n' din't know this was 'ere. Be right there". He snaps it shut, then goes out the door and heads for the bridge, pausing to bring up a map of the ship on his minicomp and quickly memorize the path there.

[Umoja]

As Simon is heading back to his room he's approached by a pair of crewmen (with 'Security' department patches on their shoulders & screamers holstered on their belts). They move to stop the reporter, & one (a tall white man with a blond crew-cut) says in European-accented Spanish,

"We've had some reports that you've been behaving strangely, sir. Please accompany us to sick bay & we'll have you checked out."

The other man (a shorter black man with a shaved head), places his hand lightly on the grip of his gun - as if to emphasize the 'request'.

Although the effects of the drug are still burning through Simon's systems, he is still lucid enough to realize when he has a problem. "I don't think that'll necessary. I can just tell you why." Simon chuckles a bit, why can't these Europeans just lay back for a second. One Space Station hits France, and they all become so banal! Simon takes out a bottle of pills, and hands it to the black man. "See this buddy? It's a bottle of premium emotional enhancers. I was just testing how they worked in space. Luckily, or maybe unfortunately, they don't work any different, other then the fact you guys likely don't approve of it. Take the pills, I'm sure it'll cause less friction with the crew here, and maybe it was a bit, shall we say, irresponsible. If you still want to run the test, then fine by me, anything to relieve tension with you guys. Besides, I'm sure I could run an article on the inside of med-bay on a Jumpship!" Simon seems to keep his emotions from flaring up as he speaks, sounding rather tight lipped as he talks, except at the end where his tone jumps up with joy as he talks about writting an article.

[ProfPotts]

The two security men look at each other. One takes the pills, & puts them in a pouch on his belt (after noting something on his datapad). The other places a hand on Simon's arm,

"You'll still need to come with us, sir - Security Chief's standing orders. It'll all be cleared up in no time, I'm sure."

Meanwhile, Sean heads towards the bridge. As he goes towards the more vital sections of the ship he starts to pass less guests, & more crewmembers. Finally he's stopped by a pair of security men at the doorway to the bridge. A quick check of his ID allows him entrance.

The bridge is an almost egg-shaped room, tapered more towards the rear, where Sean enters. Directly opposite the doorway is a main screen - currently showing a view of a transport vessel slowly approaching the Leviathan. Sub-screens reveal information on the approaching vessel, with data scrolling across various parts of the main screen in a variety of languages. Around each wall are banks of screens & control systems, with busy-looking crewmembers sitting, or walking between various stations. In front of Sean, with it's back to him, is the Captain's chair, overlooking the entire room. Between the Captain's chair & the main screen the floor is lower, with stations for (mundane) piloting, navigation, communications, & other functions. Either side of the room is another door. Various Earth-languages fill the air as comm' personnel direct the incoming transports, patrol hybrids, & VARGs working on the Leviathan's hull.

After taking in the nerve-centre for a few moments, Sean notices a striking black woman, probably in her fourties, with her hair pulled back into a bun. Ritual-looking scars run across her cheeks, & an expensive-looking vocoder sits behind her right ear. Her uniform bears the five pips that confirm she's the vessel's Captain. Looking up from the datapad she was perusing, she notices Sean for the first time, & waves him over - handing the 'pad back to the crewman who'd offered it to her, & making a few brief comments in Swahili. When Sean approaches the woman offers her hand for a (firm) handshake,

"Mr Vinge, the new bio-engineering specialist? I'm Captain Getui, pleased to have you on-board. I hear you've already met Mr Singh?.." ::sly

"Have you any questions, or can you get straight to work? I like to meet all my crew, but it's a busy time around here."

[Archer21]

Behind the security guards, Simon notices someone coming down the corridor. The man is quite possibly the ugliest person he's ever seen; tall and lean, with a large, bony nose and wide mouth, he makes not a sound as he walks up behind the security guards. Not an ounce of fat on him, his skin clings tightly to his skull, shocking green eyes peer out from deeply sunk sockets. His pasty skin displays huge pores; his hair has been shaved to stubble on his scalp. As the crew often said behind his back, he wasn't just hit with the ugly stick, he was born at the top of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down.

The two security men look at each other. One takes the pills, & puts them in a pouch on his belt (after noting something on his datapad). The other places a hand on Simon's arm,

"You'll still need to come with us, sir - Security Chief's standing orders. It'll all be cleared up in no time, I'm sure."

Stopping directly behind the two men, the newcomer speaks with a slow smile. "Yes, I'm sure it will be. What seems to be the problem, gentlemen?"

Both security men almost leap into the air in startlement before realizing who's behind them. Glaring at Simon as if it's his fault, one of the guards turns to respond. "Sorry Chief. Uh, we were just about to bring him to you. This is the reporter that is suspected of smuggling drugs onto the ship."

[phoenix]

Sean is looking around the bridge appreciatively, looking as though he's so impressed with everything there that he's in no particular hurry to find out why he is there, when he is waved over.

"Mr Vinge, the new bio-engineering specialist? I'm Captain Getui, pleased to have you on-board. I hear you've already met Mr Singh?.."

"Yeh, that's me. Glad to meet ye! Ah was wonderin' when I'd meet someone who was!" Seeing her expression as she asked about Singh (I assume that was meant to be hers, anyway), he only smirks back as a reply.

"Have you any questions, or can you get straight to work? I like to meet all my crew, but it's a busy time around here."

"Oh, I can get roight to work. My stuff's in me room already."

[Umoja]

Simon noticably cringes seeing the actual security chief in the flesh, suddenly very scared to have been doing drugs. "Sir. I was just about to tell these gentlemen about how I was.... umm... being quite irresponsible popping esoteric Sudamerican drugs and that in no ways does Newsday or any moral Columbian support the drug trade in anyway shape or form." Simon chuckles a bit, and tries to present smile at the Security Officer, clearly worried about what a man of this appearence could do.

Simon noticablyadjust the white gloves on his hands, and brings his right hand across his forhead wiping away sweat.

[Archer21]

"Sir. I was just about to tell these gentlemen about how I was.... umm... being quite irresponsible popping esoteric Sudamerican drugs and that in no ways does Newsday or any moral Columbian support the drug trade in anyway shape or form."

The security chief eyebrow quirks in a questioning fashion. "So you can assure me that if we arranged a spot check in say, half an hour, of your cabin and possessions, we would not find any further evidence of non-prescription drugs? Hmm...yes, I think I'll drop by your quarters in 30 minutes to say hello and make sure you're all settled in. See you then."

Addressing the guards, he says, "Please escort the gentleman back to his cabin, and if necessary, educate him on the definitions of what is allowed onboard."

[Umoja]

Simon chuckles and then walks back to his room. A perscription drug? What's that? Simon let's out a relieved sigh as he walks back into his room nodding to Alexander, speaking to him quickly in Chinese, hoping to keep his language skills sharp. "Alex, shoot me with the highest caliber slug-thrower if I ever do any drugs outside of Sudamerica again. These nuts don't seem to understand how us Sudamericans are. Nuts! This moron is gonna check our room, so I sure hope I didn't pack any of that crazy designer half-tabacco half-coffee stuff!" Simon starts tearing through his bag, and pulls out a canister of the overly expensive genetically engineered tabacco and coffee mix and sighs.

Alexander looks at Simon going crazy and laughs. "What a shame. I'm sure a boring straight edge transplanted Sudamerican." Alexander looks at the crazy thing that Simon just had to bring along, and takes a sniff. "Wow! That stuff smells strong. Shame you'll have to explain your odd drink to some angry internationalist." Alexander walks back to his computer, and starts to go through some video files.

[Archer21]

Shaking his head as the reporter head back to his room, Chief of Security Randall Simon continues making his way to the bridge. By this point, he's become accustomed to the quickly averted stares and whispers from the crew as he walks the halls.

Nodding to the men guarding the bridge entrance, he steps through. Out of habit, he pauses just inside the entrance, scanning for any potential threat before committing his steps forward. Noting an additional person on the bridge, he walks quietly towards the Captain and stops a few feet away, waiting to be acknowledged.

[phoenix]

Sean, while speaking to the Captain, does not even notice the large man who moves up behind him until he finishes his sentence. There is a brief pause as he waits for her response. Suddenly, his head and torso swivel to look behind him with such speed that the people behind him jump with surprise, and he finds himself looking right into the face of the chief of security. He relaxes immediately. The entire reaction chain occurs in a fraction of a second, and though he moves faster than many of those present thought possible, only the chief might realize that he had been about to assume a martial arts stance. A smile oozes over his face that says very loudly that huge, ugly, military men surprise him on a daily basis, and he simply says, "Sorry mate, didn't realize ye were there. I'll jest be a minute." He turns back to the Captain to receive his orders - or was she speaking in general when she said "get straight to work"?

[Archer21]

Most definitely aware that the engineer had nearly assumed a martial stance, Randall smiles briefly, mentally congratulating Sean on his restraint. Unruffled by the Irishman's reaction, he notes that the man is quicker than he looks. Calm and patient, he continues waiting for the Captain's acknowledgement.

[ProfPotts]

Captain Getui takes a few moments to tap some information onto a nearby screen, moves over to another screen, glancing over the shoulder of the crewman on duty there, makes a few comments to that crewman, then turns back to the two waiting men. She smiles as she sees the Security Chief,

"Chief Simon - nothing to report I hope! In my experience no news from your department is good news..." ::sly

She indicates the Irishman,

"Chief Simon, meet out new bio-engineering specialist, Mr Vinge. I've half a mind to get you to assign him some protection from Mr Singh after hearing our Chief Engineer's opinion on the Norça..."

She glances around, then whispers,

"That's classified, naturally." ::wink

Somewhere across the bridge a computerised alarm starts to 'bing'. The Captain curses under her breath in Swahili, then rolls her eyes ::rolleyes & comments,

"I've got a ship that's not even finished being put together, a mission I can't tell most of my crew about, & a damn silly reception for big-wigs & reporters that some pencil-pusher at Æon thought would make the whole Jumpship project more acceptable to the public! Welcome to the wonderful world of stellar exploration, gentlemen..."

She sighs, & picks up a datapad, taping it's screen a few times as she turns to another monitor. As she does so she adds,

"Could you escort Mr Vinge down to Engineering please, Chief? He needs to get his work assignments off Chief Singh, & I was only half kidding when I said he'd need a bodyguard - it may go a little smoother if you're 'around' when they next meet. Be diplomatic." ::sly

[phoenix]

"Chief Simon, meet out new bio-engineering specialist, Mr Vinge. I've half a mind to get you to assign him some protection from Mr Singh after hearing our Chief Engineer's opinion on the Norça..."

Sean laughs at the Captain's remark about Singh. "Oh! Cheers!" He turns back to the Captain with a sly smile. "And how does he feel about everyone's favorite psi order?"

"Could you escort Mr Vinge down to Engineering please, Chief? He needs to get his work assignments off Chief Singh, & I was only half kidding when I said he'd need a bodyguard - it may go a little smoother if you're 'around' when they next meet. Be diplomatic."

Sean's polite smile remains, but his brow furrows. "Oh, that's not necessary, ma'am. I don't particularly loik him, but I'll nae be intimidated by some ex-thugee gobshyte."

[Archer21]

"Could you escort Mr Vinge down to Engineering please, Chief? He needs to get his work assignments off Chief Singh, & I was only half kidding when I said he'd need a bodyguard - it may go a little smoother if you're 'around' when they next meet. Be diplomatic."

Randall nods. "As you say, Captain."

"Oh, that's not necessary, ma'am. I don't particularly loik him, but I'll nae be intimidated by some ex-thugee gobshyte."

A hard look crosses the Chief of Security's face. "Mr. Vinge, I will escort you to Engineering as per the Captain's request."

Turning to the Captain again, he says dryly, "I will do my diplomatic best, Captain. Though considering Mr. Vinge's rather blatant and public disrepect to a member of your crew, I don't imagine my efforts will have much effect."

Turning his head back to Sean, his tone flat, he says, "Mr. Vinge. Please come with me."

[phoenix]

Turning to the Captain again, he says dryly, "I will do my diplomatic best, Captain. Though considering Mr. Vinge's rather blatant and public disrepect to a member of your crew, I don't imagine my efforts will have much effect."

Sean is so surprised at this that he almost laughs. "I- what?" He begins to chuckle in earnest. "Well! Good thing I've got this guy to be diplomatic for me! I don't see how it can do anything but go smoothly, with you around.."

Seeing that Mr. Simon is in no mood for arguments or jokes, Sean sighs in resignation. "Right then. Come along."

[ProfPotts]

After a long hike through the vast ship the two crewmembers reach the Engineering section. Stepping inside they witness yet another hive of activity - with the usual computer screens & readouts, but also with a mess of tools of every size, shape, & function - both hardtech & the (often) creepy biotech variety. The section itself is a wide room on two levels - the upper-level 'balcony' running around the lower floor. Certain key ship systems appear to be focused in the room - with access to the hardtech generators to the rear of the room, side panels leading to various 'artery' crawl-spaces amongst the bio-tech components of the ship, & a central pillar of light that reaches from the room's ceiling to the floor - each point revealing the emiters for complex bio-tech holographic generators. The light beam itself is about 5 meters in diameter.

Chief Singh can be seen working on something on the upper level, above where Randall & Sean entered the section. However, before they can head up one of the many ladders to that level, an image forms in the holographic pillar - an ethereal female form of pale blue-green, with long hair moving in an invisible wind as she floats a couple of meters above the room's floor. The image is strangely alluring, & certainly attractive (in an exotic way), & gestures for the two newcomers to move closer. Other crew who notice the image just glance then continue with their work - although a few smile or even wave.

As the pair approach the hologram, the female form smiles ::smile & looks them both up & down. A soft voice echoes from bio-tech vocal units built into the holographic system,

"Hello. I'm Tess, & I'm very pleased to meet you both. What's it like to be psychic?"

Meanwhile, in their shared cabin, Alex turns to his (hopefully) sobering boss as he pockets various recording gear,

"Time to eat, Simon - there's an informal lunch in the dining-room for all us 'guests'. I heard there's a Qin delagation on board, I'd like to get some shots."

[Archer21]

Outwardly unconcerned by the hologram's question, Randall evades answering.

"Nice to meet you, Tess. I'm afraid I don't have much time right now, but I'll speak with you later."

Turning to Sean, he says, "Here you are, Mr. Vinge. I'll go speak with Chief Singh, then I have an appointment to keep." With that, he makes his way over to one of the ladders, and nimbly scales it. Making his way to the chief engineer, he gestures down towards Sean, and holds a brief coversation with Singh. Shaking his head, he disappears through an unseen exit, leaving Sean to the Chief Engineer's tender mercies.

Popping out into another hallway, Randall makes his way to the quarters of the Sudamerican reporter. Arriving just as Simon and Yi are leaving for the lunch, he pauses just out of sight of their doorway. Waiting for a minute or two, he then enters their room, using his clearance to override the locks. Taking a moment to itemize how the room's objects are placed, he swiftly and efficiently searches for any drugs or weapons. (Hopefully) Not finding any, he double-checks to make sure that the room appears exactly as he arrived before stepping back out into the hallway; then going on to resume his normal duties.

[phoenix]

"Hello. I'm Tess, & I'm very pleased to meet you both. What's it like to be psychic?"

Sean smiles brightly and replies to the nice avatar. "Hi Tess! I'm Sean, and this is Randall. Being a psion is just the most amazing experience I think it's possible to have - why do you ask?" During his brief conversation with the hologram, Sean observes Randall's exchange with Singh, waving cheerfully when he points to him. When Randall starts to leave, Sean says, "I guess that's me cue.. would you excuse me, Tess?" Sean trots over to the ladder and climbs it as easily as if it were merely a flight of stairs, then goes over to Singh.

"Bioengineer Sean Vinge reportin' fer duty, sir."