Trinity RPG: Back to the Stars - Xiao Dao: Departure

[Krul]

About a week passes, without major incident, other then perhaps some tension between the various members of the crew. The Captain takes such matters in stride, staying out of it unless his authority is needed, and the crew begins to come to together. About a quarter of the crew are psions, which was exceptionally high percentage, but considering the ship’s mission it made sense.

Today, the lead members of the various orders were on the command deck, as the Captain prepared to read their orders. “Ladies and Gentlemen, we are charged with the following orders; to reestablish contact with the human colonies, to defend humanity from the Chromatics and other dangers, where we are able, to reestablish diplomatic contact with the Qin, establish good diplomatic relations where we can, and finally to explore and extend human awareness of the universe.”

He looks to each of the members of the 6 orders present, and then nods, before reaching down to press a button on his chair. “Now Hear This, this is the Captain Speaking.. all crew and passengers will prepare for Transit to Khantze Lu Ge, in Alpha Centauri will begin in 10 minutes.”

[z008]

Lien was excited, which also meant she was nervous and half a dozen other emotions that weren't necessarily the best for paying close attention. Two weeks on the ship, and while she wasn't bored, she was very glad to be actually moving on with their mission. She kept a tight control on her mental space, ensuring no 'leakage', especially with so many other psions about. The telepaths, even without using their abilities, were usually tuned in enough to people to catch her hightened state; most grinned to see their leader elated. She looked adorable.

She grinned at the other leaders of their respective orders, more open and expressive than she'd been for the past two weeks. "Well, now it really begins. Would anyone want to start a jump tradition? A toast or....?"

[Hypothetical]

Marvin smirked at the suggestion, intrigued by the idea of a tradition, to raise morale and goodwill where it had been tense. "A toast without a drink, to save time." He suggested in an enterprising manner.

He raised his hand in a mimicry of holding a wine glass in celebration. "To goodwill among us. To good fortune in our missions. To new discoveries. Anyone else have a toast to suggest?"

[Rorx]

Down in his quarters George secured his HUD gear on his head and the VR gloves on his hands before strapping himself in to his bed. Scuttlebutt from some of the Orgotek guys who had gone through the early test Jumps had said it could be rough on Psions, and you definitely didn't want to be using any Psi during a Jump.

With that in mind George used purely hardtech and skill methods of linking up to the ship's network and dropping himself into the system. From there he could access the external feeds as well as the navigation datastream. He was no expert, and a only a month or so ago it wouldn't have meant anything to him, but now he knew enough about Astrophysics to at least have some idea where they were and where they were going.

[Krul]

The Captain took note of the other psions present, then nodded to the Telepath and Clairvoyant. "Five minutes to Jump, all Psions should now move to proper shielded locations, to reduce Jump Backlash." The Captain himself was checking to make certain that everyone was where they should be. The Bridge itself was shielded, but not so much as some of the other locations.

[z008]

Lien laughed and "toasted" with him, pleased and amused at the idea. Over the past two weeks the petite woman had changed somewhat in appearance, taking on a soft roundedness and healthy glow that was the opposite of what usually happened to most people couped up in the confines and artificial light of a spaceship. She sipped at her "drink" to complete the toast and laughed again.

At the Captain's announcement, however, Mai spoke softly with the Ambassador; Lien sighed but nodded. She bowed to the Captain and the other leaders on bridge. "My apologies, however I think I shall remove myself to my quarters for the Jump itself; I understand that it can be quite stressing for psions and the quarters are more sheilded than the bridge. Anyone who wishes the extra sheilding is more than welcome to join me."

She waited long enough to be polite and allow anyone that wanted to join her to do so before making her way from the bridge back to her quarters.

[Hypothetical]

Marvin went with her, smiling in good humor. "You seem to be doing well, here, surprisingly." The words from the ISRA's proxy echoed in his head as he mentioned these words, and he both wanted to check on how good a job he was doing, and also keep it secret for now.

[z008]

"Surprisingly?" Lien quirked a brow at Melvin, her tone still light and positive, but curious now. "Is there a reason you thought I would not adapt well?"

She might have been newly trained as a diplomat, but she'd already learned how to ask questions that might otherwise be accusatory with a nuetral tone and inquisitive manner that usually bypassed people's emotional responses so that she could get a informative answer. The acutely observant of those following along with the two could note the tension in the telepath's shoulders; despite her light and cordial mannerism, the statement had bothered her.

[Grim]

Anatole padded along quietly behind them, hands hanging loosely at his sides and dressed in his usual bulky synth-leather jacket and pants. If the Norca had any opinions or had made any obervations, he gave no indication of it at all.

In the last two weeks he had distributed his time between reading over the ship's equipment and crew manifests, working on scenario planning with the other Norca, solo training in the small practice area, and arranging and tending to his collection of rare flowers. His side of the quarters he shared with Gunsou Magnusson was a riot of color and beauty that so far only a few had seen, usually messengers who had knocked at his door for one reason or another, but many gossiped about while in the mess hall. Gossiped often, but not loudly, and with one eye on the door.

It wasn't that the silent man had actually menaced anyone. He never even raised his voice. Somehow, that didn't reassure those who had seen him practice in the training room. And besides, his sister ("Twins? How could twins be so different?") was confrontational enough for them both. No crewman wanted to be on the other end of a tongue-lashing such as the one the Clear, Saxon, had received.

Now, however, it was just Anatole present in the Ambassador's party. Evana had decided that she would try to sleep through the Jump after having heard one too many horror stories about the sensations it caused. So he ghosted along in Lien's footsteps, his pale eyes incuriously roaming over his surroundings.

[Special Agent Gary Samson]

John was already in his quarters. He'd been withdrawn since coming aboard and had made little effort to socialize with the others. He lay on his bunk meditating, isolating his mind from the noetic totality rather than embracing it. He'd spent the better part of a week questioning his choice to come here and avoiding the Norca whenever possible. Let them hate him, he didn't care. Evanna had thus far refused him the common decency of an apology for her own part in the earlier situation. John didn't normally hold grudges but he also didn't normally get accused of cowardice and dissent when he'd done nothing than make a joke.

The countdown ticked toward the jump and John waited, wondering what it would be like to become pure information surfing the noetic totality.

[Hypothetical]

Marvin shrugged, in a manner that suggested there was little reason to be concerned about his statement. The little word there did prove an issue on occasion, but he was up to the task of covering it over.

"You were rather nervous that first day. I figure it might take you a little more time to get used to us, but I daresay you've made a mockery of those calculations. It's like the ship itself helped you to become comfortable with us."

Then, as his feet continued to move in a rote advance, angled his head back toward Anatole for the moment. "On the other hand, some people haven't helped other become comfortable." It was obvious he was making a reference to the spat on the first day.

"Anatole," Marvin began, knowing this was a difficult but necessary appeal, "you need to talk to Evana. This petty spat of her's has managed to actually harm group relations, and it has to stop."

[Grim]

"You are in error." Anatole said flatly in his quiet, inflection-free voice without even returning Marvin's glance. "There is no on-going spat. The situation was resolved when your associate made his apology to me. As far as she is concerned, it is long-settled. For me it was never even an issue, but she is protective of me." Now he did look at Marvin, the pale ice of his gaze distinct around the curiously small pupils.

"Perhaps you should speak with the one who has been acting the most aggrieved by the incident. As it stands his sulking does little to dispell my sister's initial opinion of the man." The Norca primo tilted his head very slightly. "Evana cannot learn that she was mistaken in her judgement if he avoids her like a spanked child."

[Astrid Alfarsdottir]

Astrid paced restlessly up and down the hall between her own quarters and those of her men, issuing commands through a shortwave comm link and ensuring there were no stragglers. The VARGs were secured, the crews were either in their quarters or in the areas designated for them, and she only had to wave a few into the "barracks" as the seconds ticked by. The butterflies in her stomach felt more like elephants, but there was nothing of her excitement and apprehension in either expression or tone; it would only further unsettle those under her command, and the sense of nervous anticipation in the ship was already thick enough.

When everyone was accounted for, she returned to her own quarters to continue pacing. There was no going back, no running home now, and the thought both terrified and exhilarated the young gunsou.

"I will make you proud," she swore quietly, a tiny, wistful smile touching her lips as a picture of her father cycled through the frame on her desk.

[z008]

Lien held in a pensive sigh as the argument that had been haunting the psions of the crew since their first day was once again refreshed. She was composing what she hoped would be an eloquent but firm closing of the issue at least for the moment when a wave of diziness caught her off-guard. She misssed step and stumbled, catching herself with a hand on the wall of the hallway. Mai stepped forward, obviously working up to a good fuss over her minor misadventure; Lien took a deep, steadying breath before adknowledging her friend.

She spoke softly in Mandarin, "I'm fine, Mai. Just a little dizzy. Sitting down and something to drink will fix the matter." She smiled to the others, making light of the stumble and speaking in English, "I should save that for the jump itself, yes? Luckily we're almost there."

The Ambassador's quarters were only a few more steps away, and as promised the sitting room/office was well apointed with comfortable furniture and refreshments. Mai cajoled Lien into one of the chairs and procured a glass of water and some sweet crackers for her to eat.

[Rorx]

It was while he was reviewing some of the VR training he had done during the last two weeks that George was alerted by his agent to brief email. He swore at his agent as he scanned the message. It was an invitation to a Jump party by the Ambassador, and not something he could ignore, nor did he particularly want to.

He quickly exited the system and removed the VR googles, replacing them with his HUDContacts. George straightend his jumpsuit as he headed out the door of his shared quarters and quickly walked the few doors down to the Ambassador's quarters. The door was already open and so he simply rapped breifly on the doorframe before entering.

"Sorry if I'm late, my agent had lost the message until only a few minutes ago."

He moved fluidly into the room and took one of the seats, "So how are people looking foward to the Jump?"

[z008]

Lien smiled at the newcomer as she finished off the crackers she'd been brought and the last of last-minute invitations she was sending out. "I wouldn't blame your agent, Mr. Kalnan; it's my own tardiness in arranging this. I just sent out the messages to those not here a few moments ago."

She waved him into the room and towards the others that were already there. "We've just begun. Perhaps a card game is in order? We have enough people for bridge, or for poker if that's more interesting." Her grin was mischevious and Mai rolled her eyes; Lien did love a good game of poker, even if she wasn't all that good at it.

[Special Agent Gary Samson]

John was out of body when the ship made the transit. The feeling was rather difficult to explain, luckily he was alone and had no need to do so. Returning to himself he heard the chime of his computer and realized that he was due to attend some kind of party thrown by the ambassador. He sighed an got to his feet. He was dressed in casual clothing, nothing remotely formal, a pair of baggy chino pants and a white t-shirt. He grabbed a coat, beaten brown leather, from his days in the military. The jacket still had his unit patch on one arm opposite it the FSA flag had been removed and replaced with the ISRA insignia.

He drew the jacket on as he moved through the hall. He didn't really feel sociable, and he knew that anything, everything, he said would be looked at through colored perceptions but while he did his best to avoid the Norça outright he wasn't trying to alienate the others. He walked in and got a glass of whiskey. Then found an unobtrusive space to stand and planted himself there silently.

[Rorx]

A brief flash of light in his eyes might give away his accessing of data, but could also simply be a reflection of the lighting in the room.

George smiled at the two asian agents, "I don't think we would get much beyond dealing before the Jump hits ladies and I for one intend to be sitting comfortably and doing nothing when we Jump."

[Krul]

The Captain spoke again, over the ship speakers. "One minute to jump." Then not too long after that, began a countdown. "5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1.. all hands prepare for Jump."

For everyone aboard, time and space seemed to stretch and shift, and for a moment, exactly their place in the universe seemed... uncertain. For some it was a instant, for others it seemed almost like days.. as the ship was shifted into the Subquantum medium, and it's location in the universe... altered.

Then, with an almost sudden snap, like a rubberband being released, or something locking into place, the ship was in the Alpha Centari system, over Khantze Lu Ge.

[z008]

Lien had been braced for the jump. She'd listened to the countdown. She was in a heavily shielded room.

None of that mattered.

Nausea and disorientation hit her like wave at sea. She turned a sickly ashen grey, doubled over in her seat, and just as the universe finally settled back into place, promptly threw up over her own lap.

[Krul]

The Captain was a bit nausious himself, but he had the matter under control. "Report!" The reports he got back over the next few minutes indicated that everything was in good order, though the crew was in somewhat worse shape, nausea, and a few individuals feeling disoriented, but most of them got over that shortly.

For the Ambassador, her aid came to her rescue quickly, Mai was a bit nausious herself, but no where near as bad as Lien, and she grabbed a towel, cleaning her up some, and getting her back to her feet. "Let's get you to the showers, Lien.. " At least the door to the showers, and bathing room, was connected to hers.. and not too hard to get through. The showers were connected on the back side to all of the rooms on one side, and a went into hall that went into a room that was split either way, one side for males, the other for females.

As Mai tried to get Lien through the door, while not everyone was doing quite as badly, it was clear that she wasn't the only one with this particular thought, or who had a bad reaction to the jump, some even seemed more disoriented and nausious then Lien appeared to be.

[Astrid Alfarsdottir]

Astrid had thought herself prepared, stoically awaiting their shift through space. The technical aspects of the jump had been explained to her, but it was not a subject that interested her overmuch. They were in a ship. The ship would move, and then it would be somewhere else. She didn't need further explanation than this; it was amazing, surely, but for a young woman who believed in the literal manifestation of gods, and an afterlife of eternal battle and feasting earned only through a lifetime of service and a glorious death, it was not so far-fetched.

It would not be the first, or last time she would underestimate forces beyond her control.

The transition itself was a painful, wrenching experience, as if she were being torn apart at a molecular level but could not move or scream. For a brief, horrifying moment, she was convinced she had somehow ended up in Hel, and then suddenly found that she once again possessed a body, and it was miserable.

Her muscles ached and her head swam with vertigo when she half-rolled, half-stood from her position on the bunk, and it was only with difficulty that she managed to choke down the bile rising in her throat as she leaned against the wall for stability. The metal was cool against her skin, and that was a blessing.

With a few deep breaths, at least the nausea had subsided, if nothing else, and she was (marginally) more composed when she slowly made her way out into the hall to check on her men.