| abstract
| - Much of the catacombed chest cavity that serves as the living district of the ancient Yaralu is occupied by the station's residents; it is a multicultural sprawl of mostly quiet activity centered generally around small commerce, education, and community. Sectioned off near the back with signs written in both Standard and some foreign, esoteric language is what amounts to a blank sheet of paper - an empty network of nodes and bony growths that have been reserved for the refugee housing project. It is there that Mika is heading. Jest grunts, hauling up her tool box a bit higher. She grumbles under her breath some complaint or another and looks around. Conspicuous among most any crowd, Einornesk stands head and shoulders above all but his fellow Hekayti... and some of them he dwarfs as well. It doesn't seem to bother the man as he clops in from the levimodule, smiling with the calm satisfaction of an honest day work. Silvereye falls in behind Jest and Mika. "Need a hand?" He asks the former. Alexandra is trailing along toward the housing project, some distance behind Mika and Jest. She too carries a toolbox, though hers is on the smaller side of things. Jest looks to Silvereye and winces, "Please?" She grins and offers the toolbox, using both hands to raise it. "I'll love you forever, dear." Tamila makes her way out of the levimodule after the main group. She's currently putting her attention between the scanner-like device from 4008 in one hand, and where she's going. Or rather where she believes she's going. Silvereye hefts the tool box from Jest with ease, relieving her burden. "No problem." He glances ahead towards the blank space. "That might do." "She's lyin'," Mika drawls good-humoredly, sparing Silvereye a hooded, sideways look. "She'll love ye fer an hour an' then walk off with yer wallet." She slides a wink Jest's way, stepping over the demarcation tape that stretches between two blue-green pillars of cartilage. A few more paces inside and the salvor more or less halts, arms akimbo, turning in a slow circle and observing what Comorro has permitted them. It is far from luxurious; it is hardly more than a glorified cave, deliberately set apart from the rest of the Comorrite hub and tucked off the main drag - as if to say, "welcome to the wrong side of the tracks." But there is plenty of space, it is largely level terrain, and even though it is more often than not webbed with tough organic tissue, there is more than enough headroom and enough space for most races to walk several persons abreast. "Huh," is all Mika says after a moment. Einornesk's seemingly rambling path explains itself soon, a few shortcuts around various naturally occurring obstacles taking him in the same direction as the others. Glancing over to Silvereye and Jest, the Hekayti offers an amiable nod. "Are you here to work too, Silvereye Paintedheart, Captain Jest?" Mika just gets a look that is notable only for its utter neutrality. Drae pauses two steps off the levimodule and looks confused for second. "Now, I was sure I saw him goin' this way," she mutters to herself, before shifting rapidly to make way for an impatient, and larger, alien behind her. "Bats this place is just too big." Alexandra isn't far behind in joining the group, leaning to the side a bit to get a look inside the proffered compartment. She doesn't, it seems, have any comment to make, though. "Such lies," Jest gasps to Mika. She reaches for something absently in her vest and, lo and behold, a bit of rolled up paitex is flicked at Mika. She smiles to Silvereye and then nods to Einornesk, "That we are, handsome. That we are." She looks at the spot and sighs. Snowstreak twinges his ears forward as he mews? sorta trotting behind and after Tamila and Drae. The Demarian flits his whiskers forward before he sniffs at the air, looking around and trying to figure out what is going on. He feels like the salmon following the rest upstream. Sure, everyone else is going but he can't shake that feeling that the rocks around here all look like a bear's stomach. Silvereye looks around the open space, being brought back to reality by Einornesk's greeting. "I think so." He replies. "We can make this work, if we figure out amenities...Hells, it's better than the loading bay. Peaceful, almost." Mika, once again, cannot tell Hekayti apart - and therefore has zero recollection of any incident involving Einor. Following the exchange between him and the Demarian, Mika eyes the alien speculatively. "'ow does Comorro 'andle water an' waste?" she asks of the Hiverspacer. "Do we buil' an aqueduct? Can we... we can't really dig, can we?" As if its purpose was punctuation, Jest's projectile bops between the rogue's eyes the second she is done speaking. Mika blinks rapidly, flinching, and smirks at the captain. Following Tamila mightn't be the best idea, as she just idlely walks along towards somewhere near the back of the cavity. "Wonder what the density and flashpoint of this material is?" she quietly muses to herself as her brow furrows thoughtfully. She finally makes it to where the area has been put aside for refugees, and peers in. "I'm reasonably sure setting Comorro on -fire- would get you eaten," Lex asides mildly to Tamila, one brow raising. "Just an observation." She too edges up to the 'doorway' such as it is, and looks in, to Mika in specific. "...That's a really good question, actually." Drae pirouettes one last time and gives up. "Sneaky doctor," she murmurs, and starts on a perimeter run to see what might be there. Eventually, then, she ends up behind Silvereye and Alexandra. "This is not a bad space," Einornesk rumbles his agreement. "There is a considerable amount of room for... whatever it is exactly you intend to do. Unless it's housing all of you. Then it's not so considerable an amount, but that would be silly anyway. ...No, you cannot dig. But you can lay piping along the walls and set in shallow bolts and the like." "You'd have to run it just like a ship interior, wouldn't you?" Jest muses. She points, "Could mount the pipe work if need be. But, yeah, stuff should already be somewhat in place, eh?" She looks innocently at Mika and then questioningly to Einor. Snowstreak mewfs and keeps following Drae, his ears quirked as he looks about and then takes in a slow breath. He looks around quietly though... he tries to be discreet as he leans down and takes a sample of the substance all around. Oh yes, genetic material! Its a weird thing to be curious about but he is a doctor. Its like wafting a graduated cylinder in front of a heroine addict and expecting them to refrain from having mental flashes of meth labs. Yes, its a bad analogy but it works. "Not setting fire to Comorro," Tamila dryly tells Lex with a shake of her head. "I'm not familiar with the exact composites and make up of the material, so I like to take caution with such things." She glances down to the device she has before taping several buttons. The TKer then gently knocks her fingers against what could be classed as the front wall. Mika shakes her head dumbly, plainly bewildered by the notion of conducting this sort of work on a vessel which is very much alive. "This's... this's kinda 'ard ta wrap me 'ead 'round," she confesses, reaching her nude right hand out to touch one of the stalagmite-seemings protruding from the deck underfoot. Her fingers come away dry as a bone, she rubs them against her thumb regardless, face screwed up in a wince. "She wouldn't 'ave given us all this wot if'n she didn't think we coul' make somethin' workable out've 't. Who's got a techscanner?" The lanky little human's voice lifts. "We need a mock-up o' this place." "Comorro has her -own- blood vessels of sorts and the like, of course and a matrix of smaller tubes that only carry water- though I suspect she did that more for our needs than her own," Einor murmurs, stepping into the space. "Usually you can find them because they are much closer to the surface than her native vessels, shallow enough to be tapped into without causing her pain." His eyes sweep the area, his huge hands settling on the nearest wall and patting around it carefully. "But you should only tap into any such tube once, to keep its structure sound just in case... it'd be best for you to set a valve into the tube and run your own lines from there." "Hello," Drae stands behind Lex and grins. "What's going on?" She peers around her, "It looks like a party." Alexandra blinks at Tamila and chuckles a bit, then looks over her shoulder at Drae. "Building housing," she comments. "For people that don't have ships and the like to live on." She sets her toolbox in and fumbles in it for a moment before she produces a small scanner device, connects to her datajack, and starts into the compartment, scanning as she goes. "Water?" Tamila says, as she pulls her eyes away from the small scanner and looks towards Einor. "You mean it's like his urine?" She wrinkles her own nose up in disgust. "I hope it really isn't urine." She then shrugs and then starts to follow after Lex, slowly scanning the walls with her own scanner. She takes it a lot slower than the Sivadian doctor. "It is not -her- urine. It is purified from her bodily fluids, yes, and it also keeps you alive," Einornesk tells Tamila, stopping abruptly. He tentatively squeezes a portion of the chamber's wall, nodding his approval. "All right, I am pretty sure there's an intubation here. Does someone have something to mark it with for a future pipeline?" "Oooooh well that's right nifty," Drae replies and steps into the cavern. "Hello, sir!" she greets Silvereye and then offers a wave at Einor. Not attempting the name, right this time around, though. "Hi." Did the mass in here just increase? Cathal lumbers his way into the cavern, even heavier than usual due to the Martian woman attached to his arm like a rather pretty, presumably non-blood sucking leech. The big Lunite lets out a long whistle, looking around the potential building site. "Well I wouldn't be buyin' no waterfront property here, but I guess we can't be too picky, huh? At least it's sorta tucked away an' all. Prob'ly good an' safe." "Our plan is ta see wot we're workin' with, Mika tells Jest, plucking a fat, stinky blue paint pen from her jacket pocket as she joins Einornesk. With it, she marks a bold, sloppy X - though it takes rising to her tiptoes and stretching a bit. When she lowers back down to her heels, the rogue searches out Lex to call over, "Map out all supply lines if'n ye coul' - water in blue, power in red, and any wide, clear roadways in black. Flag all obstructions in yellow." "...Wonder what we're usin' t'build wit'." Tia wonders alound, though Cathal's fat must absorb a great deal of sound, for the words aren't very loud and don't carry far. Snowstreak is doing his quiet impression. Yup, a lot going on and the Demarian seems intent to look at whatever sample he has gathered. His long tail moves slowly around behind him as he head-tilts lightly. Johiadi seems to have unlazed afterall, since he too enters with the other two. Keeping some space from them, mind you and just peering around the area as he enters "...this will be interesting." "Alright," Lex calls back over to Mika, nodding. A few keys are tapped on the back of the scanner. A glance goes over to Tamila, and she nods to herself. And then? Well, then she continues on her way. Scan scan scan. "Well beggers can't be choosers, I guess. I don't think I'm far off from being a egger at the moment," remarks Tamila to Einor, before going silent. Her brow furrows slightly when she pauses at something, before giving a low area a gentle kick with her foot. The grey suited woman then kneels down beside what has caught her interest and holds the scanner closer to it. Jest sighs and crosses her arms over her chest, eyeing the expanse yet again. Silvereye comes back from looking around the cavern. "Building material is a good question." The Demarian muses. "Likely once we've dismantled the ships we'll no longer use and strung out what tents we have we'll have to barter for the rest of it." And at that, his eyes fall on Jest. "How many Hiverspace expeditions were you apart of?" "Typically it's safe to cut or insert fastenings about six inches deep into Comorro's innards before she feels anything," Einor calls to the assorted group, voice a carrying rumble. "She does not allow incisions deeper than a foot before it starts becoming actually painful or dangerous for infections and the like. If you scan anything more than a foot in, it's her own native systems and should not be disturbed." Drae lingers in the doorway, trying to stay out of the way, but listens. She also touches the walls hesitantly. "Not sure what you mean, honey," Jest says to Silvereye, "Asylum went out with Sanctuary. We did quite a few scouting missions beyond her. But I haven't been back since that time." The fact of the matter is, there is very little in the way of housing to build; a look around reveals hundreds upon thousands of recessed cave-like niches, rather like honeycombs - though there is likely not enough of these for one-per-family. "Accessory an' service construction's gonna be th' bitch," Mika notes Silvereye's way, keeping herself paced with the emerald-skinned Einornesk. "Ye soun' like ye know 'bout this sorta thing. Yaralu refittin', I mean -- 'r wote'er ye call 't," she remarks, before swinging a curious look toward Tamila. "Foun' somethin'?" Cathal wanders close enough to the planning group to see and hear properly, folding his freakishly large arms over his chest. He stays mercifully quiet for now. Alexandra nods again, this time in response to Einor. She doesn't tap any more keys on the scanner, but just keeps at it. "...There's an awful lot more piping and such than one might think inside a starship," she offers to Mika. "Even if some of the services have to be semi-communal, though, it'll still be an improvement over tent cities in the landing bay." "I've lived on Comorro for a year," Einor tells Mika with a gentle shrug. "Whenever we need to build anything, we have to know what's safe to alter. If you want me to put in a valve for water right now, I can do it- it's an operation I've done before. Though, you may find the water amount more limited than you like." Tamila looks up towards the Lotorian yelling out, then leans back to take a look towards Einor. She doesn't call anything back in reply, but she does press several buttons on the scanner and then scans the area once more. The woman then turns to look back towards Mika and shakes her head. "No ma'am. I think I'd set this too be going in too deep. Not to mention my equipment doesn't have the parameters set yet, so I end up with a couple of false results being presented." She slowly stands up once more, before resuming the scanning of the wall. Drae offers a little smile at Cath and shifts to make room. "How are you?" She asks softly. "And...the rest of the crew?" Johiadi stands more on the side himself rather, both not to be getting into any of the crowds and so he doesn't get in the way or something. Cathal offers a large, pudgy hand to Drae, "Good ta see ya. An' we're doin' alrigh'. Figured I'd bring a few of us down ta lend some help. Didn't realize you lot'd be plannin' and thinkin' an' the like though. I'm more on the fetch, carry an' lift end o' things." "I want ta put ye at th' 'ead o' th' project," Mika amends with a brow-furrowed look up at the ginormous engineer, arms crossing over her hilariously flat chest. "Th' Battleclaw an' I are tryin' ta bloody do this th' right blinkin' way. But we don't bloody know wot that is." She pauses to half-turn, holding a hand out for Lex's scanner - though her eyes are on Tamila. "Don't ma'am me. I blinkin' work fer a livin'." Silvereye hrms at Jest, tail lashing. "Perhaps the Ariels will have some records from the Grey Horse." He replies. "I was just thinking that we might have another source of revenue, if we can remember where any of the Kamir artifacts we've found in Hiverspace over the years are. Might be valuable to someone." "Oh." Einor hesitates a moment, dragging a hoof along the ground reluctantly. "Well, little lady, I can tell you how to deal with Comorro, but there's lots I can't do. How about I just be your.. go-between for the -big- lady?" He squints over at Silvereye, unsure frown dogging his expression absently. Drae grins and accepts the hand. "Yeah well, I didn't know this either...sorta stumbled on 'em all. Figured I should just stay out of the way here. Not upset anyone by buttin' in and all that." Jest shakes her head slightly but falls silent. "Er... one moment," Lex offers to Mika. She fetches a flat dataslate from her toolbox, disconnects the scanner from her datajack, and connects the dataslate instead. "See, this particular scanner is made to save the files to my internal hard drive." at that, she taps her temple and grins. Then, "Ah, there." At that, the dataslate is disconnected and offered to the rogue. "It'll even do a holographic display for you if you ask nicely." "Aye, prob'ly a good plan fer us sorta folk," Cathal agrees with Drae, glancing over towards Jest and trying to attract her attention with a wave of his hand and a small grin. "You're paying my paycheck, Miss Tachyon," Tamila tells Mika, still in a crisp and professional tone. "Being called Ma'am or Sir is a free service that is always extended to all of my paying clients for ego stroking purposes." Yup, she continues on slowly scanning the area with her own scanner. From the better parts of the Comorrite Hub comes Sandrim, pockets bulging as he looks around the new refugee camp. "Busy," he muses to himself. "Now, where is she?" Jest's attention is caught after a moment. The slight woman raises a hand in return and tilts her head as if in question. Then she straightens up and heads over to the larger Captain. Invited or not. It takes a moment for Mika to get back to Einor on that, as she is presently gaping with unguarded bewilderment at Lex. "Yer internal... yeah, that isn't bloody weird t'all," she remarks of the Sivadian, from where she stands in the breast cavity of a living starship with a giant green alien. But she takes the scanner in the end, and fumbles awkwardly around with it, getting a feel for the various functions, all while wearing the same hopelessly lost expression. "Uh. Well-- maybe y'coul'-- we need someone t' at leas' 'elp us oversee th' actual construction so we don't... y'know, 'urt Comorro. An' she said somethin' 'bout a bloody inspection," she tells the Hekayti, eyes on the hologram. "Maybe groom us in 'iverspace et'quette. Only Jes' an' Silvereye" -- she indicates them with a brief glance and a nod -- "e'er been 'ere 'fore." Silvereye arches a brow at Mika. "Inspection?" He sighs. "I wonder if there's an urban planner or a contractor among the refugees. I think there's more than enough space for people to live in, but...We risk getting kicked out if it's just squalor." Tiana must have gotten distracted by looking around at her surroundings, for the Martian hasn't exactly been very adventurous, sticking mostly to the Fox. She slips up behind Cathal, obscured from sight by Captain Stinkface's girth. She pokes him, inquiring quietly, "Wot's should ah be doin', 'en?" "That I can do," Einor agrees. His face perfectly straight, he notes, "Don't call her a space cow. That is point number one. Two, be respectful of the service she does you and the wisdom she possesses. Comorro has wandered these stars for a hundred million years and deserves our reverence. And she doesn't charge rent." He begins to walk through the space, passing by the various workers at their jobs as he continues. "You have food, water, air, shelter all because of Comorro's kindness. She can hear the words you say and will know if you talk badly about her. So don't. As for construction rules... the main one is no deeper than a foot. Almost all building materials are safe to be used, though since we are here in her chest, glass is -not- recommended." Alexandra shrugs at Mika. "It's not all that unusual where I'm from," she replies. "I've installed more than a few in my time. Quite useful, really." A smile, and she looks up to Einornesk, listening thoughtfully. "There," Sandrim says cheerfully as he spots Mika and her entourage, making his way for her, with a hand raised overhead. "Mistress Tachyon! Mistress Tachyon. Oh, and hey Alexandra, Silvereye, Einor." "So...are all of you staying here, or is the plan to take the ship out once the refugees are settled?" Drae asks Cath after a long silence. "I miss real sunshine, already." Tamila slowly scans over what she got. "Hey Kidney-pincher," she calls to Lex. "I'll send you my scans later on. I need to go back and have a decent look at these now." She tucks the scanner back into her pocket, before she looks towards the rogue. "Miss Tachyon, I'm going to take my leave and have a closer look at what I've got. I've also got a meeting with the people responsible for my lodgings." Cathal offers a wink to Jest, the expression scrunching up and twisting his already unpleasant features, "I ain't here to help or nothin', I swear- Jus'...y'know, casin' the joint. Plottin' misdeeds, my hand ta god." The old thug cranes his neck back to look at Tiana, "Well, ya got a more full brain-bucket than mos' there, girl. Mika an' them look ta be in charge- Comorro 'ave mercy on us all- why don't ya ask them how yer thinkmeats can be best put ta use?" He shakes his head to Drae, "Hard ta say yet. Seems like a good base, this station...but once everythin' is more settled, I gotta start makin' ends meet. That'll mean takin' the Fox out on freight runs an' the like, an' any other sorta job an old lackwit like me can dredge up, aye?" "Mika?" Yes, despite several encounters and one utterly adorable note of apology, Tiana doesn't seem to remember who this Mika person is, "Ah don' know 'oo 'at is. Ya point 'er out, Uncle Cathy?" Jest touches Cathal's arm in greeting and offers a wave to both Drae and Tia, "Alright darlings. I'm heading back. Let me know if you should need anything, eh? Mika? That goes for you too." "I-- uh. Can we-- somebody write all this down," Mika implores of the assorted workers, darting looks between them as she occupies herself with Lex's bizarre futureborn technology. "We-- yeah, no glass, no cows, no-- thank ye, mate, yeah," she rattles off with the distracted air of one pulled in ten different directions at once. Tamila and Jest are acknowledged with a nod, Sandrim with a wide-eyed stare that blinks into recognition after a moment. "Oh. Sandra, right? Yeah. Thanks fer gettin' Kit a doctor, mate." "Perhaps you should just let me do the talking in the future." Silvereye comments to Mika as he regards the Hekayti. "I think we can handle that, and try to be as good a group of guests as we can...and try not to overstay our welcome." "Sandrim," the youth corrects as he nears Mika. "And it wasn't a problem. I'd just left those three back here. I have yet to follow through on the last part of your orders and kiss Ruin for you, however." He stops a few steps away from the woman and those near her. "I'm here to discuss the hydroponics farm you requested of the Osirians." Tamila offers a wave of her hand to Mika, and then slips out of the rapidly filling work space. The gray suited woman, if she recognises people, doesn't acknowledge them before she breaks into a slow jog. "Thank you." Einor smiles faintly to Silvereye. "I think the rules of being a good guest are pretty universal. Be grateful, do not destroy. Most of your people have lived according to them so far. We can't keep all of you for good, but if those that do stay continue to behave... well, we will be all right. Let me put in that valve..." The Hekayti ambles back to the great blue X, kneeling down with his hefty duffel of supplies and rummaging away. "Blue button on the right, select yes when the prompt comes up," Lex offers helpfully to Mika, then grins at Sandrim. "You picked an -interesting- time," she offers. A curious look goes over toward where the Hekayti's rummaging through his duffelbag of supplies. "Well, I think I'm gonna go see if that Thomas fellow is around...for someone supposedly hiring, he's so difficult to find." Drae offers a general wave to the many people, and heads back out into the quarter. Mika's eyes light up at the Imperial, rather like dawn breaking. "Kee-rist. Osirian! Right, right," she offers with a grin, clapping a hand to the man's upper arm amiably. "Take a look 'roun', mate. Comorro gave us all this wot ta put some folks up, wot? Lots space fer a nice garden!" Her lips twitch, the grin faltering slightly as she glances to the Hekayti. "We can 'ave a garden, right? Grow our own food?" Green eyes widen in what can only be described as abject horror as another question leaps to the forefront of her mind: "Can we smoke?" Silvereye glances at Mika. "Comorro has ships with all kinds of exhaust going through her every day...I can't see how a cigarette would work. And I'm assuming that a garden is preferable to eating Comorro or other denizens." "Smoke?" Einor frowns slightly as his mind considers the implications of the word, courtesy of the auto-translator. "I wouldn't do it here, but I think it would be okay in other parts of the place. Gardens are fine, though unless you have a lot of dirt, they'd better we hydroponics. I have spoken with Sandrim about using your own waste as fertilizer- with proper filters it will help solve two problems at once." "The little runty, rat-lookin' sumbitch o'er there," Cathal describes the famous rogue as he indicates her with a rudely pointed finger and a glower. Sandrim blinks. "I don't think I want to allocate any garden space for tobacco," he says. "It would be a waste, if we don't have food." He hmms. "I was thinking of an aeroponic garden - uses less water, apparently, so it can be used to grow more. I'm going to want a place set aside specifically for the garden, and I will want to be able to select workers to tend the farm." He gives Mika a pointed look. "And I'm going to want to be able to assure them of having a place to stay. And, well, yes, I'm going to talk to engineers about seeing that wastes are recycled back through for the fertilizer solution." The Fastheldian pauses, to turn and look at Silvereye with a grimace. "That is absolutely disgusting." Jest chuckles softly and ducks out of the Levimodule. Einornesk turns back to his work- withdrawing a small circular object, he murmurs something like an apology up at Comorro before punching it into the wall over the blue X. He carefully turns a crank on its side until he seems satisfied, then pulls it out- a perfectly circular chunk of flesh coming out with it, leaving behind a deep green hole that shows no signs of bleeding. Within it, some thick dark blue tubing is exposed. Tiana looks to the rudely indicated person, the Martian peering a moment before she tentatively meanders over to Mika, "Miss Mika?" She inquires quietly, "Uncle Cathy said ah oughtta ask y'ow t'use m'smarts t'ya advantage. I ain't sure what i' is ya be needin', Miss." Alexandra, for her part, seems content to watch Einornesk's efforts for the time being. She does blink at Sandrim, though. "It was meant in jest," she explains. "It's... well, I guess it is fairly disgusting, really, even when I try to explain it." A slight frown at that. Mika considers the assembled group in silence, lips twisted into a thoughtful frown before she bobs her head at Sandrim. "I'm not a blinkin' farmer, mate, I'm a salvor. OSI's got th' bloody white-card ta do wote'er s'long as this 'ere bloke an', uh, an'--" A look around, and eyes light upon a certain militiacat. "-- an' Silvereye says it's says it's stellar, wot? But nobody make any guarantees 'bout anythin' in good bloody conscience until we've an 'ard blueprint an' we can all sit an' figure it all out. Y'know?" She is quiet for a moment, watching Einornesk, and then adds in afterthought, "Jus' don't tell me 'bout th' poop." Silence again, until Tia meekly appears, and the rogue knits her brow at her. "Oh. You. Um. Figure this out," and she shoves Lex's horrible 41st-century techscanner at her. Silvereye's nose wrinkles at some barely perceptible scent emanating from Comorro's interior. "I hope the water doesn't taste like that." The Demarian murmurs to no one in particular. He nods to Sandrim to bolster Mika's words. "Right. You guys know what you're doing, so take a scan of the place and give us a mockup of what you think you're going to be able to accomplish and we'll see what you can do. That's the stage we're in. We should begin moving refugees in stages, to sort of test out of the place once we've got the bare amenities installed." Einornesk sets the circle of flesh aside, withdrawing another circular device from his duffel bag. This one's smaller, a cylinder with two tiny red buttons on the end closer to him. He presses one button and narrow metallic spikes unfold themselves into a point from the far end. Calmly, the Hekayti jabs it right through the exposed surface of the conduit, holding the other button down afterward for a few seconds to no visible purpose. Releasing it, he next pulls something like a flashlight from the duffel- but its beam sears the flesh ringing the circular hole he's made, rather than shining light on its smooth edges. A faint odor of something acrid and utterly alien lingering after the job is done, Einor pauses to offer up soft and seemingly reverent words under his breath, a ritualistic apology for the tiny cauterized wound. "I'm sorry, Mika," Sandrim deadpans to the woman. "The poop is everywhere. You cannot escape it." He turns then to Silvereye and nods. "Alright. Do you have a floorplan drawn out anywhere? I can bring it back to Ruin, to go over with him. I think we can be started by tomorrow, though." "I told you, blue button on the... or that works," Lex muses, eyeing Mika. She chuckles at Sandrim's comment, then looks over to Tiana. "I'm guessing you'll figure it out quickly enough. It'll do a holographic display." She does wrinkle her nose as the wound is cauterized. You know, that whole lingering burnt alien flesh odor and all. Tiana fumbles a moment with the techscanner so uncerimoniously shoved at her, Martian managing not to drop the thing by some miracle and straightening it out in her hands. Initially, her forays into pushing buttons and such are tentative, however it doesn't take long before the girl gains more confidence in what she's doing, as the understanding comes. Give her a few more minutes and that techscanner will be her BITCH. Ahem. Apology given, Einor stoops to take one last thing from his duffel bag- a large, dented stein of some orange metal. He places it under the metal cylinder, pressing both buttons in. Water gushes out in a carefully regulated stream, filling the cup in a couple seconds. Releasing the buttons, the Hekayti scoops up the mug and takes a deep drink. "...Seems good!" Silvereye nods to Sandrim. "I don't have one handy, but hopefully when Tiana works out the scanner we can send a copy of what we've done down to the Osirians." He indicates Alexandra as well. "They're putting it together." Mika winces along with Silvereye, though there is no way her clumsy human senses detect whatever odors his keen feline nose picks up. Rather, the entire process seems to put her ill at ease. "I'll wanna learn th' nuances o' this sorta work," she tells Einornesk, going to kneel beside him and mimic the motions that allow waterfowl. It splashes in a cool puddle on the ground - just for a moment - before she cups her hands to collect enough for a sampling taste. She tips back, and down the hatch it goes, her throat working as the liquid is chugged down gratefully. "It's kinda... sweet," the scoundrel observes, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. "But it's water, alright." Sandrim nods to Silvereye, then grins. "I'll be down there, then," he says. "Send it that way soon, and I'll start drawing up." He slips away then, leaving the interesting smells behind. "That's the... right, and... that'll do it," Lex prompts Tiana -- or rather starts to. A glance goes aside to the Martian. "We need to get you a datajack eventually, you know," she observes. "Possibly some other enhancements. You'd be even quicker." A few more seconds of button pushing and the holographic display on the techscanner flickers into life, displaying an almost dizzying array of stats and information. A blink, then the Martian looks up to Alexandra, "Hm? Oh, yeah, ah'd like a datajack when we c'n." A mild blink, "What other sorts'ah en'ancements are there?" A blink, "Uh, what'm ah scannin' fer, 'en?" "It's pretty simple. A standard puncture-value." Einor pulls another out of the duffel. "Hit the first button, the spikes form together for the initial puncture." He demonstrates, despite having just already done that. "Hit the other button and hold it once the first puncture's complete, and they fold back down and brace." Again a demonstration- the six narrow spikes that lean inward to a sharp point slowly flatten outward, like a flower's petals pressed down by a heavy weight, and dig their ends into the air. "It sets itself in place and opens up a smooth hole. There are a few more locks inside it to ensure it doesn't slip. Sometimes we put a casing over the buttons after initial installation so it's easier to turn on and off. Basic technology." His shrug dismisses it, as he tosses the valve up in the air and catches it deftly. Silvereye nods to Sandrim as he goes before turning back to eye the holographic display. He wrinkles his nose at some of the talk between Lex and Tiana. "I'm not sure about how I feel about this enhancement culture from the future." Says your Grandpa Silver. "Is it really necessary?" Sandrim slows down a bit, looking over his shoulder. "Enhancement culture?" he asks, curious. "What do you mean, making people go faster?" Alexandra blinks at Silvereye. "Necessary? Heavens, no. I've already got an astoundingly accurate memory. Having a hard drive installed was simply a matter of convenience. I can remember far -more- that way, which can be a real boon in my profession. The same can be said of my arm." The fingers on her left hand get wiggled at Silvereye at that before she looks aside to Tiana, a smile offered. "I already scanned it. Green button on the right, it should open a menu, tell it to open the most recent file. They're datestamped, so it's fairly straightforward." Jaswinder makes his way along the nodes of the hub, following...oh, who knows. His ears, a trail of rumors, pointed fingers, perhaps all of the above. The Timonae seems more than content to wander, though, and when he finds the concentration of humanishes, finds a handy out of the way spot to observe for a bit. Tiana does as instructed, the green button opening a menu and bringing up a list of datestamped scans, "Oh.. 'right 'en. Okay. Ah dunno what'm supposed ta do wit' this inf'mation, though." The girl frowns lightly, looking between Silver and Lex, "Uncle Cathy tol' m't' ask Miss Mika what t'do, an' then ah figgered 'is scanner out 'cause 'at's what she wanted m't'do. Uhm." "I want ye ta train th' workers. Can ye do that? I'm not sure wot I got ta pay ye, but I can feed ye. Maybe letcha 'ave some parts 'r somethin'," Mika requests of the Hekayti handyman, killing the water and wiping wet hands on her jeans. She rises, looking to the others. "Alright. Miss Vincess," - did Mika just drop the maiden name? What? - "append somethin' ta that data fer me, wouldja? An' Silv, mate, can ye write up some sorta fancypants-soundin' press r'lease?" "Sure." Silvereye replies to Mika. "It shouldn't take me long at all. Though I'm not sure how we'd release such a thing. I don't think we can hang them all through Comorro." He wrinkles his nose at Alexandra, returning to that conversation. "So if it's not necessary, why do it?" "Yes, I can train the workers in the basic protocols for working with Comorro," Einor rumbles. "Food, parts, these are both acceptable pay. Especially parts I haven't seen before. Those would be -very- acceptable pay. And if you want to release things, they can be announced on the daily news." "Just scroll up using those keys there," Lex prompts, nodding to Tiana. "Open the most recent one. It -should- open up a holographic rendering of the cavern that we can take a look at. And add to. And share, for that matter." She shrugs at Silvereye, then. "Improvement. Why else?" Sandrim shakes his head, then goes to continue on his way. As he spots Jaswinder, though, he lifts a hand in greeting. "Evening." Jaswinder blinks, surprised to be addressed in the bustle, and waves back. "Plenty of chaos going, tonight." Hearing her maiden name makes Tiana freeze, eyes widening slightly before a blink follows. She's utterly surprised that Mika knows that name, and it shows clearly in her flabbergasted expression, "Oh.. uhm. What'er ya want, Miss Mika." She squeaks, then quieter, "Ya know m'maiden name?" Mika offers the other Martian present a look of incredulity, eyebrows lifting. "Yer Malion's sister, aren'tcha? I captained th' Jackal. B'fore Swifty, I mean." No further elaboration is immediately forthcoming. Her attention shifts between the talk of payment and press releases, then ultimately toward the approaching Jazz. At the sight of him, the rogue adopts an easy, crooked grin. "Lady smile, pretty boy. Look at us! 'onest work an' shit. Who'd a' bloody thought?" "Footnote th' readout with th' contacts fer Silvereye, OSI, an' meself, an' uh, an'..." -- Mika looks from Tiana to Einor, "wot's yer name? Uh, sorry." Silvereye shrugs lighty at Alexandra. "I tend to think of myself as improved enough already." He turns for the exit. "I'll get to work on that release." Sandrim nods to Jaswinder. "Starting stages of the new home for the refugees," he says, before grinning. "I've been asked to start up the farm here. Going to be an aeroponics affair - can feed a lot of people that way." He smirks. "And hey, haven't been in trouble, you'll be happy to know. Think you'd be able to help out?" Alexandra grins at Silvereye and nods. "It probably does seem odd to you, yes," she admits. A wave is offered as the Battleclaw departs, the Sivadian woman falling silent and looking between Bri and Tiana. "Einornesk." Einor kneels, beginning to pack up his things- on his knees, he's still taller than Mika. Jaswinder offers Mika a bow and flourish. "Miracles never cease, o chosen of Maza," he says lightly. "I can see you're busy, though. When would be a good time to steal you for a while?" He grins at Sandrim. "When I've finished hunting down and talking to all the people I have to hunt down and talk to, sure," he says. "Not my usual gig, but better than boredom." "Oh- Oh-..." Tia seems... anxious for a moment, her brow furrowing and wrinkling as she nods to Mika, "Ah'm MalMal's sister, yeah. Ah... ah don' 'member ya." The girl seems sheepish for a moment, steadfastly staring at the holographic readout as she begins to add the footnote, "M'sorry." She murmurs to Mika before she looks to Ein, "Uh... 'ow ya spell ya name, Mistah?" Sandrim grins. "Good, do you have experience with farming, or shall you be doing gruntwork?" he asks. "Will be plenty of heavy equipment to move about." "I wonder if the translator will..." Einor pauses, looking reflective, carefully spelling out- "E-I-N-O-R-N-E-S-K. Did you get that? Anyway, Einor will do as well if that's too much for you, little lady." Mika scrubs at one eye with the heel of her hand; she looks as worn-out as worn out can be. "I guess we're 'bout done 'ere, fer t'night," she tells Jazz, though her gaze lingers upon Tiana long enough to signal acknowledgement of the young woman's stammering apology. "I gotta get back ta th' Kaze. Kit's sick. But ye can walk with me," she offers with a shrug of skinny shoulders. Beyond that, she puzzles over Einor. "Yeah, no. Nice name, I mean, but no. I'ma call ye," thoughtful pause, "Big Guy." "Hey!" Cathal protests at Mika, "That's my nickname. Well...mos' o' the time, anyhow. I got me some worse ones, but that's one o' the good 'uns!" Jaswinder nods. "Be happy to," he says to Mika. "You look like you could use help not kissing walls." Tiana gives Ein a quick shake of her head, the girl already having entered his name letter-for-letter as he'd spoken it, "Ain't no trouble at all, Mistah." The Martian replies, looking up to offer Mika a small smile before she looks back to Einornesk, "Y'all jus' got names ah ain't familiar wit', s'all." Sandrim laughs and walks away. "Take care," he says to everyone in general. "I'll be on the Iuppiter." "Big Guy is fine if you can't handle Einornesk, little lady," Einor tells Mika, rising to his feet and offering a friendly pat to the top of her head on the way. His palm's immensity makes the situation briefly look like she's gained a green and black hat, covering nigh her entire skull. "All right, then. We're done for tonight?" "It seems like it," Lex offers helpfully to Einornesk. "We've at least got a schematic to work with now." A slight smile curves her lips at the skinny rogue's new-found hat, before she turns aside to Tiana, apparently making sure everything's going alright with the scanner. Mika ducks reflexively under Einor's meaty paw, and seems to be utterly amazed that her neck remains intact when it's all said and done. She straightens warily, adjusting the collar of her jacket. "I uh... yeah, um, wot she said," she agrees. "Ye can fin' me on th' IND Kamikaze. Th' NLG Outcas' is mine, too, but she's-- ye'll fin' me on th' 'Kaze. Silvereye's with th' Demarian birds. Sandrim'll be with th' IND Iuppiter Lucetius," the rogue rattles off. "Thanks, e'ryone. I'll be in touch." Turning, she levels a look upon Jazz, and sighs. "Shall we?" Jaswinder nods, offering his arm. "Lean," he says kindly. "It's not as if I don't know where the Kamikaze is." "I live here," Einor says simply, waving at the Comorrite hub with one single great sweep of his claws. "See all of you later! It's a good beginning." Smiling, the Hekayti turns to meander deeper into the hub, perhaps seeking out an alveoli to call his bed for the night.
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