[Junk XIII] Fetch Quest (S 6-5)

Rich

Stitch,

You wake from a nightmare in your bed. Metro is lying beside you, watching with concern. What were you dreaming about?

Metro says softly, "Are you alright, Stitch? You looked very stressed, I nearly woke you."

It is very late, you can tell from the temperature of the room and the ambient lights.

What do you do?

Genevieve

In my dream, I had a child. She was five or six, and we were playing in the garden on the Ascendant. It was one of those perfect moments that sort of cracks and turns bad in an instant. Bran was behind Metro, whispering to him. Metro smiled that horrible oily grin of Bran's, and took my daughter from me. Someone held me back. I screamed no! Don't take her! He's lying to you! But Metro didn't hear me. In the next moment I was back in my infirmary tending patients. Was it all in my head? Did Metro ever even exist? Did Kiddo and VB exist? Or have I always been on this ship, Bran's ice cube doctor?

I breathe hard. My throat hurts- I might have been screaming. "Just a bad dream." I lie. I can feel my heart hammering and my hands shaking- I touch the bed, my own face. This is real, right? I'm not still in stasis... I think.

Rich

Metro pulls you into an embrace, letting you calm down, "It's alright, Stitch. You're here, you're safe. We're going to go find Sapphire and her brother now, as soon as you are ready."

How long does it take before you're calmed down, Stitch?

What do you do?

Genevieve

I hug him for a long time, my head on his shoulder. His arms around me feel real, which helps. I almost want to tell him about my dream, but I'm afraid to say it out loud- like if I am still in stasis it'll break the spell or something.

After ten minutes or so, I try to take yesterday's clothes off, but my hands are too shaky to get the buttons undone. Metro gently pushes my hands out of the way and does them for me.

"I should take a shower." I tell him- more to convince myself than him. I take a breath in and out. My brain reminds me that I had a very long day yesterday- today?- and anxiety is perfectly normal. I want to try to get to Saff as soon as possible, but I'm absolutely useless to her in this state.

Rich

Metro nods, and picks you up once you're undressed. He carries you in his arms to the shower, and gently sets you down to stand. Before he turns on the water, he asks gently, "Do you need me to join you, or do you want to be alone?"

Genevieve

I shake my head. "No, I don't want to be alone." I tell him and a tear finally spills over onto my cheek. Then another. "This is real, right? I'm not still in stasis..." My face full of doubt and sadness.

Rich

Metro quickly slips out of his clothing and steps into the shower, closing the curtain and pulling you into his arms. He pulls your head to his chest and answers gently, "Its real. We're real, Stitch. It was a nightmare. Just a nightmare."

He reaches past you to turn on the shower, and a blast of cold water hits your back, then quickly warms. The water setting is massaging and soothing, your lover is in your arms. It should feel wonderful, right? It's almost like a dream.

Genevieve

I barely feel like I got any sleep. Too long of a day yesterday plus that nightmare.

The steam kicks in quick and I hug Metro, my head on his shoulder. I close my eyes and go into my own brain, searching for answers...

OOC: Open your brain incoming.

Genevieve

OOC: Open your brain. Roll+weird.
(Rolled: 2d6+3. Rolls: 4, 5. Total: 12)

Rich

The white rabbit you've been chasing, the one in your head, the elusive reality of who is Stitch, the real Stitch.

You catch her.

All the lies of your stasis, even the ones you told yourself about Ethan, and never wanting a baby ever again, they fall away. You see them for what they were, just stories. Not real. Not you.

Right here and right now IS real. As kooky as it seems, you are in the wreckage of a starship on a far-flung planet in the arms of an android who completely loves and adores you. You run the best clinic in the world. You're best friends with a teenage kingpin and you sit on a Council with the best hope this world has for achieving actual civilization.

What's more, Stitch. You realize there are other seeds, suggestions and mental triggers that lay dormant within you. Little bear traps, all set by the programming of the ship, your home in stasis. They shrivel up and die under your powerful gaze, but they were there. And they're still there. In Svenja. In Caesar, too.

They're ticking time bombs, Stitch. You know this now. And it's real.

What do you do?

Genevieve

My knees go weak and Metro has to catch me, but he does. "Oh fuck me." I say reflexively. "I have to get Svenja into the infirmary- god, and Caesar!"

There's no way I can travel back to Boomtown to get Cee. I'd lose too much time at the infirmary. I can send someone. Hell- maybe Saff will help me. I can take care of Sunkist if she'll trust me.

I practically jump out of the shower and try off- energized. "Ok, so you know how I had all those memories?" I start talking as I'm drying. "I sorted out what's real and what's not, but I also found a bunch of other crap that was put there by either the program or the ship. Big shit. And Svenja and Cee still have it in their heads, just waiting to blow up. I have to help them."

I put clothes on fast, without even caring what I grab. "Ok, so first we go find Saff. If I can keep her brother with us, maybe she'll go to Boomtown to bring Cee here. We'll talk to Svenja- I think she'll listen to me."

Rich

Metro follows your lead, dressing quickly. He listens close and agrees, "Svenja seems pretty reasonable. We can sedate her if she is dangerous."

Then you're out into the hallway, moving quick, trying to find Sapphire in one of the three places Metro's marked on his map, the one on the tablet he handed you.

Let's see a custom move here.

When you go looking for someone hiding in the Ascendant, roll +Sharp.
On a 10+, you find who you're looking for.
On a 7-9, you find them, but there's trouble.
On a miss, you find someone else entirely. Or they find you, MC's call.

Genevieve

OOC: Looking for Saff. Roll+sharp.
(Rolled: 2d6+3. Rolls: 1, 2. Total: 6)

Rich

Stitch,

You're climbing up a narrow ladder above Metro in an access tube between decks, this is the second spot Metro marked. The first was abandoned, but you found a few stray dark hairs, looked like Saff's. Maybe.

You hear voices above you, talking in hushed tones. With the pitch, it sounds like kids. You're able to make it up to their level, and Metro follows. There are four different voices, they're all whisper-talking over each other. A little boy, you've seen him from that time in The Bay, his name is Sansui, he's showing off a matte black axe and sword. You recognize them, one of the Candies had them, the lanky one with the penchant for lots of mousse.

They're arguing about how to sell it. Sansui's saying, "We won't get much for it in the tents outside, but those people won't know...."

A dirty-faced girl about eleven says, "San, you're stupid. Why didn't you just take their food. We should just leave it somewhere."

Then chubby boy of Asian descent says, "They will beat up whoever buys the stuff, and make them talk."

Sansui says, "Let them talk, Baymak, I don't care. They can't find us. Nobody can find us in here. Not even Chufi and his clods. Nobody."

Genevieve

I look around, trying to decide how to handle this situation. I have no intention of taking these kids back to the Candies but I can't let them keep the weapons, either. Maybe I can scare up some food to trade...

OOC: Read a sitch incoming.

Genevieve

OOC: Read a sitch. Roll+sharp.
(Rolled: 2d6+3. Rolls: 2, 5. Total: 10)

Genevieve

OOC: What's my best way in?

Rich

Offer to buy the stuff off them. Or trade for it. If you just offer food, then the girl, her name's Combi, will rub it in that Sansui was dumb not to take food in the first place. If you offer up some tech or something fancy, then Sansui will be the king of thieves for a while.

Genevieve

The problem is that I don't want to encourage these kids to keep stealing. I'm not sure how to make it clear to them that it could get them killed.

OOC: What should I be on the lookout for?

Rich

Each of them are carrying little razors. They aren't fighters, but in a tight space like this, they could definitely hurt you. And if frightened, they will cut and run, literally.

Genevieve

I walk a little bit away and whisper to Metro. "You got any tech we can trade them?" I ask. Jumping in there trying to disarm them- Metro could help, but I don't want to put either of us in danger.

OOC: Who's in control here?

Rich

Metro nods, hands you the tablet, whispering back, "I can wipe it remotely, track them if we want."

They're not really an organized group, but they follow Sansui's lead for now.

Genevieve

"Thanks." I say to Metro.

I walk into the room, clearing my throat as I do. I stay right by the entrance, hands up- the tablet is jammed into the back of my pants. I'm doing my best to seem non-threatening, though I'm pretty sure if one of the kids goes to hurt me Metro will intervene.

"Hey there. That's nice stuff you got." I say, looking at the stolen goods. "Wanna trade?"

Rich

Let's see if you can Manipulate them for a positive reaction, Stitch. Take a +1 from reading the sitch.

Genevieve

OOC: Manipulate the kids. Roll+hot. +1 forward.
(Rolled: 2d6+1. Rolls: 6, 5. Total: 12)

Genevieve

OOC: Manipulate is advanced, so cross out the kids' threat type and write in Ally:friend (impulse: to back you up).

Rich

Baymak says, "It's the Angel!" Sansui drops the ax and sword, they clatter to the deck.

Combi hops up and almost walks right up to you, but hesitates. She asks, "You're the nice doctor, right? Not the mean boy, I don't like him."

Sansui blurts out, "Hey you two, shush, we're tradin! Yes. I wanna trade."

The fourth one, the one who was pretty quiet, it's a girl who is obviously older than the rest, maybe a teenager, but gods, she's thin. She wears a hospital gown, but its dirty and tattered.

Genevieve

"We can still trade. I promise." I tell Sansui. "Can we talk a bit first?"

"Yes, I'm the doctor." I answer Combi. My brow furrows. "Who is the mean boy?" The mean boy? I don't know who that could be... though I haven't been out of the infirmary in a while.

I tuck some hair behind my ear and take a step towards the older girl. "Hi. What's your name?"

Rich

Sansui doesn't object to talking.

Combi answers, "Doc Janco. He's mean. He wouldn't give us any candy, told us we had to clean for it, said he did the same work and NO HANDOUTS! I hate him, he's an asshole."

The older girl looks down, timid, takes a step back. "Her name is Beam," Sansui answers for her, "She's my sister."

Baymak says, "You got any candy, Angel?"

Genevieve

"What's wrong with working?" I ask, mock-offended. "If I didn't work who'd fix you up when you're sick? There's worse jobs than cleaning, lemme tell you."

"Hi, Beam." I say softly, taking a step away from her. I need to try and get her into the infirmary- maybe even get an IV into her.

I dig around in my pockets and pull them out- empty.

"Ok, so here's the deal." I gently reach the tablet out from behind me and hold it up. "I know the girls who own that gear, and they're very upset about it going missing. They are going to want blood from those who stole it from them."

I pause for a moment and let this sink in. "So. I'm going to trade you this tablet for that stuff. Maybe you can trade the tablet for some food? I'd tell you not to steal stuff, but I also know you gotta eat. I'm not going to tell them where I got it, and you're not going to steal from them again. Deal?"

"And if you want to come by the infirmary and work, I'll feed you." I add after a moment.

Rich

Baymak holds up a hand, "Hold on a minute! You didn't answer my question. You got any candy?"

Sansui backhands Baymak's bicep, a slap really, "You dumbhead." Baymak cracks up, and Sansui does, too. He looks at you, Stitch, and says, "I will take your deal, Angel!" He hands you the ax and sword, and the pack of other stuff they stole.

Combi says, "I told them not to take from the crazy girls. I won't let em do it no more. But, I'm not workin, Angel. Work is for suckers."

Beam flicks a glance up to you, she's trembling slightly.

Oh, Metro hasn't stepped out. Just so we're clear.

Genevieve

I hand the tablet over to Sansui and pick up the stuff they stole.

"Well then be careful?" I ask Combi. "I don't want to have to stitch up you kids! You're too small! My eyes are old!"

"Beam... will you come back to the infirmary with me?" I ask her gently. "It won't cost you anything. You all could come, if you want."

Rich

Combi laughs, a genuine, tinkling laugh, and Baymak grins wide, showin yellowed teeth that need braces.

Beam doesn't move, she doesn't answer. Sansui, who is playing with the tablet, he looks up at you and Beam, and says, "I'll come. C'mon, Beam, let's go. Angel's nice. It'll be ok."

She shakes her head no, almost imperceptibly. He says again, "I promise. If any of them come around, we'll cut them good and run. I promise, sis."

"Oh.... ok" she says finally, is a gentle, trembling voice.

Genevieve

I want to know who 'they' are, but I'm afraid to spook her by asking. Maybe I can ask Sansui later.

"Ok, you want to come with me now or meet me there?" I ask. If they want to meet me there I'll drop the stuff off with Kiddo- she can deal with the Candies better than I can any day. If they want to come with me I will stash the stuff in my room.

Rich

Sansui answers, "We'll meet you there." Nobody objects.

Baymak assures you, "We'll be there."

Where are you going to look for Kiddo?

Genevieve

I walk out first, my arms full of stuff. I move quickly so the kids don't see Metro.

"You know where Kiddo's room is?" I ask Metro when we're far enough away. "I don't think I've been in more than four rooms outside of the infirmary..."

Rich

Metro helps you with the stuff, putting several items in his small pack. "Her new place is on deck fourteen. Want me to take you there?"

Genevieve

"Yeah, thanks." I say. I'm trying to decide what I'll tell Kiddo and the Candies about the stuff. I don't know that they'll believe me if I say I bought it at the market.

Rich

Okay, please go here.