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World of Darkness: The Darkness of Space - [Darkness of Space] Comming Online


LydaLynn

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Work on the Moon Base is almost complete. A few lights have not been wired and a couple fixtures are still waiting to be mounted. The artists working on the murals in the Main Concourse and Central domes are adding finishing touches. The sound system occasionally still crackles and technicians are tracing the problem. But this will all be finished by the Dedication Ceremony in three days.

The Residential dome has been opened and people are arriving on Incarnum 4 Moon Base. The Base Commander, Dove Hawke and the Lead Researcher/Head Mage, Sam are scheduled to arrive tomorrow. It is said that Commander Hawke will name the base during the Dedication Ceremony, but no one knows what the name will be.

With shuttles coming and going from orbiting transport ships delivering Ambassadors, delegations, staff, merchants, and everyone else coming to the base for the Dedication or to stay, the Main Concourse is full of people of all shapes, sizes and colors. For some, not accustomed to seeing aliens, this is a fascinating parade of the strange and different. For others, the congestion is something to push through on their way to more important matters. Command dome is humming with communications directing traffic around the moon, its base, and the planet below.

For now, people on the base are limited to the following domes, Main Concourse, Central, Residential. Only Command staff in the performance of their duties are allowed in the Command dome. Medical staff and Research Scientists are allowed in the Science/Medical Dome to set up labs and medbays, otherwise, only medical emergencies are allowed in the dome until after the Dedication. The Recreation Dome is still being finished and will not be available until one week after the Dedication. One quarter of the Mess/Hydroponics dome is taken up with the kitchens and base eating area and staff have access to that dome during standard meals, visitors and dignitaries are encouraged to eat at restaurants in the Central dome. The Auxiliary dome is still having the containment seals tested and will not be online for a few weeks. MS dome, or Mechanical Supplies is restricted to engineering/maintenance staff members only. Engineers and Maintenance have access to all domes as part of their assignments. Security also has access to all domes. The area outside the domes has not completed terraforming. Unprotected excursions is prohibited and large warning signs indicate the need for suits to protect against radiation as well as for breathable air.

th_moonbaseimage.jpg

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Main Concourse: Grimm

The bustle of beings from all over the known universe talking in a thousand of the more common tongues surrounded the slim, short, cloaked figure as he wove through the crowd. Many did not even notice him, their minds busy on other matters such as trade, catching up with old friends, politics, and a dozen topics of conversation more important, more urgent than the hooded wraith that slipped between and around the knots of talking people.

Now and then a perceptive traveller or security guard would catch a glimpse of a well-woven dark blue cloak and the delicately thin, pale features of the boy under the hood. The very perceptive would notice the dirt smudges on his cheeks and the ragged condition of the rest of his clothes, and assume (correctly) that this was a child with none to care for him. The presence of such a stray on a brand new installation like the base was the sort of thing security staff took an interest in - it didn't look good to have vagrants, beggars and assorted pests clogging up the place before the inauguration had even happened.

But even as they formed that thought and began to move to intercept the boy, the erstwhile officers would find someone obstructing their view for a second, or the boy would walk behind an ornamental railing or support pillar... and they would lose sight of him. A few seconds later, they would wonder who it was that they had lost sight of. A... person? In a cloak, for sure. Or was it a coat? A jacket of some dark colour. And they were about so tall and roughly this build - wait. Who was? And at that point the guard would be feeling a little strange and resume their previous beat, wondering at why they had spaced-out.

Grimm peered out from under his cloak at all the strange beings, some of whom were very richly dressed indeed, others looking practically normal. A food vendor with a hovering tray pushed before him was selling something that smelled rich and savory, and the young boy salivated quietly, rubbing his stomach as it grumbled loudly enough for a nearby traveller to look around for the source of the noise. But of course, there was no-one there.

Surely no-one would be able to catch him if he stole a morsel or two of food, the young sorcerer pondered. In a crowd like this, he could practically reach out at waist height, steal something and be gone before the vendor even realised anything was missing.

*And are you a thief then, Grimm?* A familiar voice demanded of him. *One such as you, reduced to stealing food at the first signs of adversity. Hah!* Grimm ignored the voice - HE didn't get hungry, after all.

*I have been hungrier and more alone than even you can imagine, young one.*

Shut up. You don't know how I feel. Grimm told the Other, but his heart wasn't in it. He knew better.

*I am you. As you are me. And we do not steal food merely to quiet some belly rumbles.*

No, we steal food to survive! Grimm shot back heatedly. The Other laughed, a cold booming sound.

*Aye. To survive. But we are not there yet, boy. Use your head and your heart, not your stomach to think.*

Fine! The boy snapped back, and turned away from the food, heading further into the crowds of the concourse. His Other was right. Theft was hardly the way to start in a new place. Such acts came back on one. He kept his mismatched eyes alert, waiting for an opportunity of any kind to present itself. One would, he was certain. The runes had guided him here, had guided him onto the right ship to get here. There was a purpose to all things, even the most terrible. The mark of the magus was to discern the purpose, to Become the purpose.

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Main Concourse-

For Miu, being surrounded by so many new people was somewhat unnerving. She'd always been alone in the wild, as tigers were not particularly social animals, not like other big cats like lions at any rate. In the time since her first change though, Akisame-sensei had managed to at least teach her not to show how uncomfortable it could make her.

Miu while dressed in the same normal attire of an average woman was far from it. Her beauty had always attracted the gaze of men, and some women, since her first change. Today she wore no makeup, and let her long black hair fall around her shoulders.

She had no real purpose, she'd come here mostly because her sensei had told her it was where she should be and sent her off. She smiled, thinking of him. He was a great man, and pretty much the standard she held other men against.

She set aside her idle thoughts, and nodded. First thing's first, She relaxed and steadied herself and opened her senses, listening to and watching the crowd, wondering if anything interesting would happen today.

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Science/Medical

"Hassan! Where are the antibiotics? They aren't with the other drug boxes, and three days from now we're going to have every last hypochondriac with a sniffle in here convinced they picked up some super bug from one of the aliens." A flustered young woman called out from where she was sorting drugs into their cabinets and confirming that the labels matched the actual contents.

What idiot decided to give us so little time to get set up? Sure, the construction crews installed everything and delivered the boxes they had to where they were labeled, but something always goes missing. If they'd let her show up a couple of weeks ahead of time, she would have been able to order anything missing before the base was occupied by more than a skeleton crew, but apparently they didn't consider the med staff essential enough personnel to give them more than a week to prepare.

Not that things were really that bad. She was just obsessing a bit over trying to make everything perfect. Soon, she would get a chance to pursue one of her dreams, and treat every sentient species known to man. What most doctors would shy away from as an insurmountable task was beckoning her.

Now, if she could only find her errant nurse...

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Main Concourse: Tejah

“Try it now, Stud.” The slightly mechanized voice came from under the console. Above the console, a handsome man with sleek brown hair tied back in a tail paused and looked down at the boots poking from under the console. There was a soft noise, almost a pause so pregnant it was a sound, then the voice said, “Sorry, typo.”

“I don’t mind that kind of typo,” Harper Stevens assured the woman under the console.

“Focus please?” the voice pleaded.

“I’m trying, but I find it hard to concentrate when pretty girls call me ‘Stud,’” he told her.

There was another annoyed sound-that-wasn’t-a-sound. “It was a typo. Try the system.”

“Already on it, Strawberry,” Stevens said, grinning because he knew that she’d meant to say his last name instead of ‘Stud’.

Tejah lay under the console, glad that Stevens couldn’t see her face. Men treating her like this made her uncomfortable. She was never sure what to say to them. Her one real relationship had been awful and he’d pursued her, just like Stevens was doing now. Except, she knew Stevens wasn’t really pursuing her; he had a girlfriend back on Mars. He either wanted to tease or he wanted to play around, and she wasn’t interested in either. She just wasn’t sure how to dissuade him.

The speakers hissed with static and then squealed. Tejah’s AVIS – Audio to Visual Integrated System – turned the sounds into a harsh burst of color in her heads-up display. “Alright, I’m still getting feedback,” Stevens replied and the words appeared to float in the air before Tejah as AVIS turned them into text. The complex system was one-of-a-kind, cobbled together by her father and one of her best friends. It allowed the deaf girl to function almost as well as the hearing.

Teej reached over to the keypad on her wrist and typed, Cle-. On her goggles, a handful of words appeared – the ones she used most commonly. She selected ‘clearly’ on her screen and hit the ‘Speak’ button. The speakers on the side of her goggles enunciated the word for the hearing world. Sighing, the pink-haired woman undid the wiring she’d just set and tried another combination. Working in silence, she was almost able to forget her annoyances – namely the one hovering over the console. “There. Try that.”

“Sure thing, Strawberry.” Tejah sighed to herself.

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From a vent shaft Mik works on some loose wiring taking note of those who stand out, even those who try to disappear. The crowd will catch a whiff of cigar smoke very light but enough to seem odd and stand out. There is a sound of a wrench turn and a grunt of work from the vent now and again. He notes the number of people thinking how much the number of malfunctions and broken items will increase. He makes notes in his head on some of the interesting folk and somewhat keeps an eye on the comings and goings. Making special note to watch the one "helping" his assistant with an especially sharp eye and grunt.After some time and work the inconspicuous Mik fades even further into the background not being noted as folk like him do not tend to stand out.

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*click*

.

.

.

*click*

"D'Sha!" Doctor Wyrd exclaimed. Rubbing her forehead, she wondered what else was going to go wrong, today, to add to the rather large list of things she'd already fixed. Now there was no power in one of the equipment rooms, and despite her skills in other areas, technology was not particularly her friend.

"Si'lialit`?" She called to the Syolin out in the reception area going over some records in preparation for opening day. "Would you please contact engineering and tell them we have another power problem? We really need all of this working before we have cases that need them."

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After about 15 minutes Dr. Wyrd hears a grunt from behind her, she is sure there was not anyone there a moment ago. Once turned to him you see a 5'7" hairy redhead parts of him are covered in grease and grime. He has some odd mechanical/cybernetic device around his neck, as well as his left arm just below the elbow. He seems to cary a few tools and there seems to be a hover cart behind him, as if it were following, with even more tools in it.

"Yea called for me lass." His Irish accent clearly evident even in the electronic tone coming from the device around his neck.

"Wha seems ta be tha trouble?"

You now note that his mouth does not move in his communication to you.

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The young woman quirks an eyebrow at the red-head's appearance, wondering if he is a tech mage or just a gear head, before dismissing the matter as--probably--inconsequential.

"We've had yet another power problem. Why is it that new facilities never work properly?" she says with a touch of exasperation in her voice.

"This particular problem is this way." She leads him to one of the rooms. Not surprisingly, it is currently dark. "We are probably going to need this particular equipment within a day or two, depending on how stupid people are being, so having power running to it would be nice. I long ago learned to never underestimate the stupidity of people, so we might need it sooner," she concludes wryly.

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Main Concourse

Chickadee, her hand firmly holding Bradan's smaller hand, walked out into the Main Concourse. For so long the base had been quiet, empty. Now there was so much going on, she didn't want to miss it. Watching all the people coming and going, listening to their gossip, drew her into the press. She still looked young enough that some would wonder she didn't have a babysitter of her own, but despite her short blond hair, a deep wisdom shine through her eyes.

Chickadee had been sure to get permission before leaving with her two year old charge. He was a happy baby, at least for her. She was careful to keep him to the edges of the crowd and make sure he wasn't jostled, but he wanted to walk on his own. And he wanted to carry the orange for his lunch.

Most of their lunch in a bag over her shoulder, Chickadee had let him have the bright orange fruit to carry. She was angling towards some tables when Bradan dropped his snack. Being an orange, and rather round, it didn't just land at his feet. The bright sphere went rolling across the Main Concourse floor, the people moving about the room occasionally kicking it in new and interesting directions.

Chickadee managed to keep Bradan's hand for a few moments before he wiggled it out of her grasp and went toddling after the orange. Though she was short, Chickadee had a harder time navigating the people and followed, fretting, more slowly.

Bradan bumped into the boy in a dark blue cloak. His arms reaching out in front of him as he plowed into the other child's legs. He wasn't seeing much but the orange as he pushed himself away from Grimm and moved on.

As the orange came to a rest at the feet of the exotic young woman, Bradan caught up to it. Almost colapsing on the fruit in his joy at recovering it, his small hands picked up the rather battered orange, juice from a split peel squishing out onto his arms. With a huge grin, he held it up, showing his trophy to Miu with pride.

Chickadee, hurrying after the toddler got there a moment later, "Oh, I'm sorry, he just got away from me. . ." She seemed a bit intimidated by the other young woman and pulled Bradan back against her legs protectively. A slight smile showing bravely as a friendly gesture.

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Mik grumbles not seeming to answer the question about proper work. He follows DR. Wyrd into the room and looks around while she talks about time lines. When the stupidity of people is brought up he quirks his left eyebrow and looks the DR. directly in the eyes. A pause in the air is felt, as if he is considering the measure of the DR. and her words.

"I will see whut I ken do aboot the power, it shall nae be rushed."

With that he turns from the DR. and walks to a wall pulling a tool from his belt to start removing a panel despite the darkness.

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Having far too much else to do, Wyrd leaves Mik to his work, saying, "Just tell one of us when you get it fixed, please, or if you find it can't be fixed now so we can try to make alternate arrangements."

She then returns to the office, which is remarkably quiet given how rushed the people working there are. With only two patients currently in a space designed to handle dozens*(one with a broken leg from a fall, and one with bad electrical burns from a power surge), the noise of people hard at work just seemed to dissipate.

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Main Concourse: Grimm

He watched bemusedly as the toddler pushed past him, lost in single-minded pursuit of his small bright quarry. A moment later a girl maybe a few years older than Grimm himself pushed past, intent on following the young one and an expression of worried concern on her pretty face. Neither really noticed Grimm: the toddler had forgotten the blue cloaked figure as soon as he'd disentangled himself from it, and the girl had thrown an absent 'sorry' over her shoulder at... someone she'd bumped. Probably.

Grimm watched their progress for a few steps more before shrugging and turning to go, then felt his foot strike something. A wrapped package had dropped from the girl's overfull bag as she'd gone by: by the feel of it as he swiftly stooped to pluck if from the floor a pastry or sandwich of some kind. The hungry waif's stomach growled. She wouldn't miss it. She had a whole bag of food.

He sighed, turning to follow along behind the unaware Chickadee. As she recovered the toddler in front of a tall Asian woman with remarkably blue eyes Grimm stepped out of the crowd at her side and spoke, the simple act allowing the natural obfuscation of Reality to drop.

"Excuse me. You dropped this while you were following the little one." he said to Chickadee, holding out the wrapped package from his cloak. From under the cloak's hood, one grey and one blue eye regarded both girl and young woman gravely from a thin face.

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Main Concourse: Ebonardo

Ebonardo stepped off the luxury cruiser with his fellow passangers, looking around the inside of the main concourse of the moon base curiously. He gazed at the aliens around him uneasily, as the last time he had seen any non-humans, he had been fighting for his life against them.

That war ended long ago, La'Kindy. Let it lie.

He sighed, and ignored the stares of the beings around him. Even in a place of such grand variety, the old mage stuck out like a sore thumb. He glanced around, searching for his "old friend." Ebonardo chuckled quietly at the thought. She was hardly an old friend, but it was someone who remembered him. Over the centuries, that had come to be very valuable.

The mage's thoughts were immediately interrupted by the smell of hot tea. Instantly, he focused on that wonderful smell, and extricated some of that wondrous elixir from a server. Sipping the hot liquid, he wondered idley what he was doing here.

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Main Concourse

Chickadee blinked as she looked over at the young man as he spoke. She remembered the blue cloak as she passed, but . . . He looks dirty, hungry. Must have taken alot to bring that food back.

Nodding, she smile, "Thank you. I . . . I'm sorry if we disturbed you. Um, I have plenty of lunch packed. Bradan can be picky so I packed to make sure I'd have whatever he wanted to eat today. Would you two like to join us. It's okay if you don't, I know there's all kinds of important stuff going on, but . . . just, you know, if you want. There's so many people around that I just wanted to come see it all. But it's really nice to see younger people here as well. I was afraid everyone was going to be too old to know how to have fun anymore."

Her smile was defiantly warmer now, friendly and inviting. She started to gesture towards some tables when she seemed to spot someone. Stiffening slightly at the sight of the tea cart, Chickadee seemed to decide those tables might not be the best place for a picnic. Turning, she waved towards a grouping of tables semi-hidden by some potted plants. "That looks like a good place, out of the way but still able to watch people. Oh, sorry, I'm still a little scattered, I'm Chickadee. This is Bradan." She indicated the toddler at her feet, happily playing with his orange and getting sticky fruit juice all over his face, hands and the front of his shirt.

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Ebonardo looked up from his tea, noticing Chickadee's glance and the change in her expression. He frowned in puzzlement, wondering how this young girl could possibly recognize him.

Oh, well. No sense in being unfriendly.

Ebonardo lifted his teacup to her in greeting, and tried to giver her a reassuring smile.

Hm. I hope I don't look like a dirty old man trying to flirt with some young girl.

Something about this young woman bothered him deeply. It was a memory, tugging at the edge of his mind. Why did she remind him so much of the past?

He had to know. Ebonardo began to move purposefully towards Chickadee.

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Main Concourse: Grimm

Quote:
Nodding, she smile, "Thank you. I . . . I'm sorry if we disturbed you. Um, I have plenty of lunch packed. Bradan can be picky so I packed to make sure I'd have whatever he wanted to eat today. Would you two like to join us. It's okay if you don't, I know there's all kinds of important stuff going on, but . . . just, you know, if you want. There's so many people around that I just wanted to come see it all. But it's really nice to see younger people here as well. I was afraid everyone was going to be too old to know how to have fun anymore."

...Turning, she waved towards a grouping of tables semi-hidden by some potted plants. "That looks like a good place, out of the way but still able to watch people. Oh, sorry, I'm still a little scattered, I'm Chickadee. This is Bradan." She indicated the toddler at her feet, happily playing with his orange and getting sticky fruit juice all over his face, hands and the front of his shirt.

She talks a lot. Nerves? Loneliness? Or just friendly? Grimm mused over that as Chickadee introduced herself. He liked her kindness, the well of compassion he read in her aura. Maybe a bit of all three. The oriental woman is a little strange, the way she stares so. Not hostile, just... odd.

"The offer of lunch is hard to pass up." he told Chickadee, smiling a little. The smile, slight as it was, momentarily transformed the grave, serious face into something more boyish... but only momentarily. Then he nodded. "I'd like very much to eat with you, if it's no trouble." He'd hesitated, unused to introducing himself to strangers. Everyone back home knew him already, and he'd gotten used to thinking of himself as Grimm. Despite that, he'd almost slipped and introduced himself by his Sleeper name, a name that had no business being here, a name whose intergalactic passport had been abandoned in a refuse skip on a refuelling station just off Dellaan IV. Hopefully the girl wouldn't be curious enough to go looking for Grimm in the station's arrival logs. Grimm was rather counting on her forgetting him ten minutes after he had eaten and said his polite goodbyes, in fact. "I'm Grimm." he told her, offering a thin hand criss-crossed with small white scars.

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Main Concourse

With a smile, Chickadee takes Grimm's hand in her own. "Nice to meet you." Turning, she leads the others towards the tables, hoping the silent young woman will choose to join them, but not pressing the issue. A few shoulder taps keeps Bradan moving in the right direction in front of her, the orange still in his hands, leaving sticky juice on the floor behind them.

Chickadee doesn't seem to notice the older man making his way towards them.

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Main Concourse: Ebonardo

Ebonardo moves to the side of Chickadee and Grimm, politely clearing his throat.

"Ahem. I apologize for bothering you, young lady, but you appear to be familiar to me. However, the long years my have dulled my memory. Might I inquire as to who you are?"

This last sentence was punctuated with a polite bow and slight lift of his cane. Ebonardo gave what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

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Miu regarded the small child with a warmer smile than most got from her. Children were innocent, by and large, and Akisame-sensei had always told her to be kind and forgiving to the young, because they knew no better. She too had once been like that, in a way.

"Nicely don to follow your quarry amidst so much turmoil, little one."

When the female arrived, she nodded. "No need for apologies. Children can be quite single-minded at times, and can easily find ways to get what they want."

Then the man with different eyes appeared, and Miu withdrew a little. She could have sworn he wasn't there moments before, and she was usually abit more aware of her surroundings.

The offer of a meal roused her from her momentary withdrawal, and she nodded. "It would be my pleasure to join your for lunch, thank you for the invitation."

Once they had arrived at the tables, and seeing that the others had introduced themselves, she nodded to Chickadee and Grimm, and smiled to Bradan. "My name is Miu, it is nice to meet all of you."

The Old man's intrusion caused her eyes to narrow, as she watched for Chickadee's reaction to it, and whether or not something would need to be done.

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Main Concourse

"Nice to meet you Miu," Chickadee was politely smiling when they were interrupted. An expression flitted across Chickadee's face so quickly that it is impossible to tell the emotion behind it as the man addressed her.

She turned with a smile that was both friendly and closed, the welcoming smile she had given the others gone for the moment. "No bother, sir. I am called Chickadee. You hardly look old enough to have memories dulled, I'm sure you're as sharp as the Club." Perhaps she was trying to be witty, emphasizing the last two words, if so, even she seemed to know the attempt fell flat. "I've just invited this new friends to lunch. I would invite you to join us, but I'm sure you have places to be and the little picnic I have here couldn't hold a candle to the Pirate Annie restaurant in the Central dome."

Chickadee hoped Ebonardo would move on. Another time she might have had fun asking him questions, but right now she was looking forward to getting to know some of the newest youngsters on the base. She promised herself to look him up later and apologize appropriately.

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After and hour of grumbles and the occasional foul word from the room the DR. needed repaired, the lights flicker on. A second hour gone and the DR. again feels a presence behind her smelling slightly of grease. Not waiting to be acknowledged she hears.

"Tha room agein has power lass, lights are workin, and the med table is movin as it should. If there nae be anythin else?"

Waiting the DR.'s response Mik slides an odd tool into a back pocket and looks around for a waste bin to toss a soggy cigar butt into. Finding one he flicks the end into it and turns back to the DR.

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Ebonardo smiled and chuckled at Chickadee's response. He shook his head knowingly.

"Very well. I'll go take a look at this resaraunt, then. Enjoy your game. Sorry to disturb all of you."

Ebonardo turned and walked away without another word. He decided to check out this restaraunt. Besides, he was a little hungry.

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Medical/Science Dome

The doctor's eyes follow the arc of the cigar butt. She pauses to sniff for the smell of smoke under the pervasive odor of grease before commenting. "Well, I thank you for getting it fixed, but I have to say that tobacco is restricted from most of the rooms in this section. If you can't go two hours without a smoke, I'm going to have to ask you to send someone else when we have a problem."

She smiles to take the edge off her words. "That said, as we don't really have any patients right now, there's no harm done." She pauses for a moment to consider her next words before trying to explain, not wanting to seem like she was enforcing a rule for no reason. "Look, I'm sure you know how smoke can muck up electronics, but it can really interfere with healing and trigger a lot of allergies as well, especially in people used to low pollution worlds, so we have to be careful about it."

An idea occurs to her that might alienate the engineer a little less, so she proposes it to him, "We also have a few rooms where tobacco is allowed, mostly for those who prefer some of the ancient styles of spirit healing, so you could go to one of them to smoke if you really need to. Just ask a nurse to direct you to one that is unoccupied."

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Central Dome: Ebonardo

Ebonardo frowned as he looked at the exterior of the Pirate Anne. The restaraunt had a distinctly nautical theme, with the staff dressed in gaudy piratical costumes. It surprsied him that even as far in time as the universe had come, humanity still romanticized people that were, essentially, a bunch of filthy murdering, theiving, swine.

Calico Jack's memories tugged at the back of his mind. That was not my life. That was his. I am not that man, nor will I ever be.

He sighed, shaking off the thought, and entered the restaraunt. A pretty hostess took him to quiet booth, took his drink order, and left. Ebonardo sat by himself, wondering what was going to happen now.

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Mik eyed the DR. as she spoke on smoking habits quirking his eyebrow when she referred to when and where it could happen. He nodded when it was noted that there were no patients about the place at the moment.

"I nae be an imbecile lass, were thur sick n wounded aboot it would nae be lit. Oxygen and all. The todog was oot when I put it in tha bin"

He seems to dismiss the comments about how smoke messes with electronics expecting that he didn't tell the DR. how to go about doctoring. It should then be a given that he could handle his work and business.

Waiting until she had finished speaking to him about some room where smoking would be a good thing. Mik turns and walks out of the dome on the way to the next fix he would get to work on.

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Main Concourse

Chickadee watched the man go, not sure she had done the right thing, but happy to turn back to her new friends as she started unpacking their lunch. She let the toddler decide what he wanted eat first.

A banana, apple, orange and pear all sat together in one pile. A ham salad sandwich was joined by a sliced turkey sandwich, a peanut butter and jelly and a roast beef. Baby carrots were set near the fruit and a small container of ranch dressing placed with them. Peanut crackers, three kinds of chips, peanuts and cheerios went into another pile. A couple bottles of water, some juice boxes and a cola came out last.

A box of wet wipes, emergency whistle, and pepper spray could be seen while she was rummaging pulling out the food. There might have been more in the bag, but it wasn't clear what any of it was. What was clear, she had pulled far more out than the bag could reasonably have been expected to hold. With as expensive as mage crafted bags were, it was somewhat unexpected to see one here with someone like Chickadee.

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Miu watched intently, wondering exactly what else was going to come out of the bag. She'd heard of things like this before, but she hadn't expected to see one. None of the food produced particularly intrigued her, it was after all food for a toddler. She waited in silence, mindful of her surroundings, yet gripped lightly by curiosity concerning the bag.

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Central

Ebonardo wasn't in the Pirate Anne long before the hostess returned with his drink and a note.

It read:

My friend,

I am glad you made the trip. I am looking forward to talking with you again. I do not know when you will find this restaurant or if I will have had the chance to talk with you first, but I knew the name would draw you.

If I have not yet had a chance to speak with you, the bartender here has information on your rooms. I am hoping you will join the team investigating the native species of the planet below us. Our old friend, Sam, is leading the scientists devoted to studying the strange magical properties of the Myst on the surface. I know he would appreciate having you involved in the research there as well.

I hope to have time soon to catch up with you. It has been far too long since we've associated. I know how painful such a long life can be, particularly for those of us destined to know and lose love. But it is the living that keeps us human, I hope this is a place you can again join in living life.

I know your rooms and will stop in as I have time. I may not be able to get away until after the dedication ceremony. But I will meet with you soon. I will understand if you don't want to stay and join us here and I will arrange for transport back if you so desire. I hope you will stay at least long enough for us to get together.

Looking forward to seeing you soon,

Dove

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Central: Ebonardo

Ebonardo read the note as he sipped his earl grey tea, mulling over the offer. He was half tempted to leave. He turned the note over in his hand, studying the paper and the stationary.

Dove was not someone the ancient mage would have considered a friend. She was the one largely responsible for the considerable alteration of what would have been the quiet life of a cloistered scholar. It surprised him that she considered him a friend, and, he hated to admit, pleased him.

And what are you going to do, La'Kindy? Spend eternity by yourself sulking? Besides, this is a dream come true. Studying alien artifacts...

He felt the old thirst wash over him like a tidal wave. The knowledge that could be attained could be incredible.

He nodded to himself, and pocketed the note. He made up his mind. Drink in hand, he moved to the bar, sat down, and waved the bartender over.

Ebonardo pulled out the note.

"I believe you have a room for me?"

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Main Concourse: Tejah

Tejah wiggled out from under the console, a process Stevens watched with undisguised interest. She didn't appreciate that, at all. The engineer was already fed up with her job; wiring wasn’t really her thing but the bisho’ur architects had failed to allow enough room under the console for an average-sized person to rewire it. The options were to take it apart or for Teej to squeeze underneath. She was literally the skinniest person there, but that was nothing new. Engineers were a sedentary lot usually, but Tejah had a two-year-old and a body that refused to pack on fat. Bradan had softened some of her bonier parts, but she still had that ungainly body.

Stevens offered her a hand and pulled her to her feet. “Isn’t that your kid?” Stevens asked, pointing. Tejah looked and nodded, her bright hair bobbing. “Wanna go say hi?” the pest asked.

This time the hair swung side to side as she answered in a silent negative. “He may get upset if I don’t stay,” she typed as an explanation.

“So you’re avoiding your own son?” Stevens asked, his voice mock-teasing.

Tejah wasn’t able to pick up spoken sarcasm or ridicule, but she was able to see that he was joking with her, kinda. “You’re not a father, are you?” she asked.

“Thank god, no,” Stevens laughed. “Anyway, we done?”

“No, I’m hungry,” Tejah explained.

“I hear that the pirate place is good. Wanna go?” Stevens grinned charmingly. “My treat.”

“I’ll buy my own,” Tejah insisted, “but you’re welcome to come with.”

“We’ll see,” Stevens said, his eyes lighting up with the challenge.

Tejah sighed and sent a message to Mik letting him know about her break, then fell into step with Stevens as they left the dome.

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Central: Ebonardo

Ebonardo pocketed his room key, and ordered a bite of supper. Since Dove was picking up the tab, he decided to take advantage, and ordered the Sunken Treasure. Supposedly, it was finer than a "chest full o' dubloons!"

He smiled broadly as the spread was laid out for him at the bar. He had no idea if this was really Earth seafood, but it was close enough to make him happy. It had been a while since he had tasted crab or lobster, and this was a wonderful opportunity to reaquaint himself.

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Central: Tejah

Tejah and Stevens entered the Pirate Anne and scanned the room. It was more crowded than it had been just a couple of days ago. Stevens wanted a table, to have some privacy and a touch of intimacy, but Tejah headed right for the bar. There were two empty seats and she took the one next to the old man rather than the younger one. The older one gave her a good vibe; she felt like he was a gentleman. She could be wrong, but she didn’t think so.

She’d not eaten here before. Her home planet hadn’t had oceans and imported seafood had been too expensive for her mother to afford. The young mother idly twirled a lock of pink hair as she pondered the menu; she was distracted when the order was set out for the man next to her. Tejah watched him eat for a moment, then tapped his arm. He looked at her and she quickly typed, “I’m sorry to interrupt. Can I ask what you’ve ordered?”

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Main Concourse: Grimm

"Interesting bag." Grimm said in a pleasantly neutral tone as his keen eyes observed Chickadee using it. Of course, given the other things the young magus saw in Chickadee's aura, he wasn't too surprised that she had such an expensive item. For a moment after his bland comment the girl's eyes locked on him, but Grimm simply turned his attention to the food, grabbing the roast beef sandwich after cursory inspection.

He ate as a starving boy his age would eat - ravenously. A quick bite, a few chews, swallow and then repeat. The sandwich was not so much eaten as inhaled, and before Chickadee or Miu could even start with their own food it was gone, and the strange-eyed boy's gaze was studying them both with an unnervingly intelligent appraisal. Grimm rested his hands on the table in front of him, the faint white lines of scar tissue on them evident to casual inspection as he folded his fingers together.

"Thank you." he said simply to Chickadee. "What do you do here, if I may ask you both? Neither of you seem to be merchants or diplomats."

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Central: Ebonardo

Ebonardo looked up at the pretty young woman, somewhat surprised at being approached during his meal.

"This is the Sunken Treasure..."

Ebonardo hesitated for a second, as a conflict suddenly stemmed in his mind. Part of him wanted to be alone, but the young lady was practically crying out for a rescue from the annoyed looking man standing behind her.

(Sigh.) All this time, and I'm still a sucker for a person in need.

"...and there is far too much here for me to eat by myself. Why don't you and your friend eat with me?"

Ebonardo smiled broadly at the young man using his most annoying, patronizing old man smile.

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Chickadee shrugs, "A friend made it for me. Sometimes I wish I was a Mage. There's so much nifty stuff you can do with magic." She got distracted, then, by the way in which he made his sandwich disappear.

Blinking as Grimm spoke again, trying to forget the question of how he managed to eat so quickly, Chickadee to a moment to check on Bradan before answering. Taking the pudding cup he had started to use as finger paints and replacing it with a wet wipe, "Well, for the last little bit I've been a nanny. The child care center doesn't open until tomorrow and Bradan is the son of one of the engineers who have been here doing the building. It's been nice, but seeing the base full of all these people is so very interesting. I'll miss watching him all the time, but it will be good for him to be with other children."

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Central: Glitch

It was too crowded, so Glitch had to cool his heels outside Pirate Ann while space opened up. Everything was going topsy-turvy with the imminent arrival of the head honchos. Glitch had to run all the system diagnostics, make sure the computers were secure and bug-free, and all the damned checklist required. At least he was getting paid for being overworked.

It didn't help that El, his smoking fuck-buddy (was there really any point in being coy about it) from Security had no chance of sneaking out for a bit and throwing in a warm quickie for the two of them to enjoy. A pretty unfortunate thing, when he really could have released tension. Another layer of bosses, not that he needed that many.

Impatiently, he tapped into his portable computer, trying to double-check the network speed in this section of the Central dome. There was some issues reported with connections here anyway.

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Main Concourse: Grimm

"Yes." Grimm replied quietly, watching the happy child clean himself industriously with the wet wipe. There was an indescribably ageless contemplation in that mismatched gaze, something old and yet young peering out through one grey and one blue orb. Ignoring the others, Grimm rested his chin on his hands atop the table and studied the toddler.

Was I ever so carefree? Was I ever so innocent? A handful of years, that's all that separates me from this laughing baby.

*More than that, magus. Much more.*

Yes. Much more. Grimm smiled sadly and sat up again, glancing at Chickadee.

"I'd like to pay for the food, if you'll let me. Something small - a trick to amuse Bradan?" he said with a boyish smile on his dirty, thin face. "It was a good sandwich."

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Main Concourse

Chickadee blinked, surprised by the offer. She didn't thing the boy had eaten in a while and didn't seem likely to have been able to buy food for himself. But she understood the pride that people held, needing to find their own way and not rely on the charity of others.

With a slight nod, "Of course, you don't need to pay for anything, I rather enjoyed the company. But I don't mind if you'd like to, a small trinket. In truth, the lunch wasn't of much value."

Suddenly, flickering into existence just behind Chickadee's right shoulder, a two and a half foot floating purple head. The face was male, bald, ancient and ageless. An echoing voice emanated from it, though the lips didn't move. "Dove."

Chickadee jumped and turned so quickly, it was impossible to see the movement as she was suddenly standing facing the huge floating head. "What the . . . What happened?"

"The transport was attacked. Pirates. During the ship's night. I joined with a few other mages and we were able to permanently dissuade them. However, our ship has taken heavy damages. We're still two gates away from the base but we won't be able to make any jumps without undertaking massive repairs. Life support is also at critical. The captain assures me that without the passengers, he and the crew will be able to keep functions at a level that will sustain their lives until they can affect repairs. But there is no where nearby to land the passengers. I have consulted with the other mages and we believe we may be able to tap into the gates between here and there to effect a boost that would allow us to port people there. But we would have to have a place set aside for arrival. As none of us have been there, we'd need a way to tag that location. How many of my beacons do you have with you?" The floating head seemed to be hurrying and the effort of the communication was showing as time progressed.

Chickadee, unconsciously pulling Bradan's hand back from where he had been waving it through the insubstantial floating purple head, didn't seem to notice all the people who had turned to watch the spectacle. "I have four, one with me and three in my office. I think Mik has one, I'm pretty sure there's at least one in the Medbay. Will that be enough? And how much space are you going to need?" Her voice had changed, stronger, in charge. No longer the young woman, but a powerful leader intent on solving a problem.

The floating head sighed, "It will have to be. We have more than one hundred and fifty people who need to leave this ship. They're being gathered now, bringing only bare essentials. So the space will need to be large enough to hold everyone. If you would find the space, put the beacons in a circle surrounding the area, pushing the button as it is set in place, we'll start the transport once the sixth button has been pressed. Keep everything out of the area or the consequences could be bad. I'm going to sever connection, I'm going to need everything I've got to reach that far without a pre-set portal." And the purple apparition dissipated into nothingness as the final echoes of the voice faded into the silence of the room.

Chickadee blinked once, then turned to Grimm and Miu. "Forget trinkets for now, I need your help if you're willing . . ."

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