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[ISS] Tremors (Mar 3.7)

RichRich
in ISS Tsiolkovsky
image

Mark,

You find Nadja in her room, sitting on her bed in the corner, her back wedged where the walls meet, her knees pulled up to her chest. Did you knock or just walk in? Trish isn't here.

Nadja looks up when you enter, her eyes sunken and red.

What do you do?

Comments

  • CoalhadaCoalhada
    image

    I just walk in. I didn't really ever want this uniform but I am sure as stomm going to take advantage now that I have it. And that includes waltzing into people's rooms whenever.

    I sit down next to Nadja on the bed I reach out and take her hand, and hold it with both of mine.

    "So," I say, "yeah. It's Ourania. She's like a literal witch. She promised to stop all this... this stuff. If you apologise to Bea in public for that thing with the video. I said I'd tell you, I didn't promise anything."

    I don't think I've ever seen Nadja so vulnerable. Whatever it is she's seeing, it's really messed her up. And kept her awake, I guess that doesn't help.

    "If you don't want to... I'm not sure I could make her make it stop. But I could try."

    I don't want to try . God only knows what else Ourania can do.

    "It might be best just to do the apology. et it over with. Ourania might not be around much longer, so you'll want it over with, before."
  • RichRich
    image Nadja stiffens when you take her hand. She closes her eyes and can't meet your eyes, Mark. She listens, nods a few times and squeezes when you offer to try. At the end, when you mention Ourania might not be around, she turns her head a little, hair falling away from her ear. "I'll apologize, whatever. Bea's a terrible person and a liar, too. Despicable little snitch who plays like she's so sweet and thoughtful, but she's just wishing she was somebody special. Not the little Nerd Girl she is. Whatever, I'll apologize. I'll do anything to make this stomm go away. Anything."
    She pauses, then looks up at you, but keeps her eyes closed, "Mark, what do you mean about Ourania not being around much longer?"
  • CoalhadaCoalhada
    image

    "She's planning something a little crazy. It might get her killed. If not, you can be sure her mother will take her away and keep her isolated from all of us."

    Truth be told, I'm not entirely sure what Ourania's demands are going to be.

    "Oh, I got something for you. Made it, kind of."

    I've been walking around with it in my pocket for ages. Kept forgetting about it. I put a sensor disc from the little maintenance robot onto a memory chip and a Navi plug. The chip has a bunch of old songs on it. That jazz stuff she likes.

    I hold the device out and show it to Nadja in the palm of my hand. "I made it out of that thing that shot you." This sounds less romantic, out loud.

    "Shall I put it on? I'll put it on."
    I plug it into the top of Nadja's Navi and hold it up so that the sensor can see her face.

    "It only plays for you," I say. A little green light comes on, under the sensor, and music fills the room.
  • RichRich
    image Nadja's mouth opens slightly when you tell her you got her a present, she seems surprised and interested. She does open her eyes, but doesn't look at you, only down at the device. She watches your hands as you affix it to her Navi, and looks down at the Navi in response when you move it near. The music comes on, and for the first time in days, she smiles. She closes her eyes as Miles Davis comes on.
    "I've... had lots of time to think, Mark. Not sleeping does that. I think maybe I pushed you too hard, sort of tried to take over your life. When you said I should go away, that I shouldn't love you, it hurt. But... I just tried harder."
    She turns her head towards your face, eyes still closed like she's afraid to look at you, "I want to be what you want, Mark. I. I don't think I am, though."
  • CoalhadaCoalhada
    image

    I feel like I ought to care more for her than I do. That's not her fault.
    Maybe it is a little bit her fault. Whatever.

    "I don't even know what I want. To get out of quarantine, I know that. For things to change. Other things... look."

    I run my hand slowly through her hair.

    "The reason you need to keep your distance. There's something wrong with me. Really wrong. I didn't just get hurt in the airlock accident. I died. I actually died, and they put me back in my body. But in my mind there were... holes, I guess. And those holes are starting to fill up with something else. I can feel it. Becoming dangerous."

  • RichRich
    image
    Doubt creeps over Nadja's face when you reveal your death, but she doesn't object. The mention of holes concerns her, though. "Who are... they? Science Department? And... what is filling the holes, Mark?"
    You can hear the slight tremors of fear in her voice, Mark.

    What do you do?
  • CoalhadaCoalhada
    image

    I pull my hand away. My expression goes hard.

    "I don't know. How would I know?"

    I stand abruptly, smoothing the creases out of my uniform. I pace over to the door and turn back again. All of a sudden I feel so distant from everything.

    "They fill up with hunger, Nadja. To break things, and hurt people."

  • RichRich
    image
    She moves her head to track when you leave for the door."Well, you're a corporal now. Nobody's going to stop you." She turns away to look at her Navi, opening her eyes and slowly nodding her head, trying to look unaffected by all this. Failing. But trying.

    Once you leave, where do you go?
  • CoalhadaCoalhada
    image

    Aiden's door is right there, but I'm not in the mood. Now I really do want to break something. I stalk away down the corridor. I'll take ten minutes for shooting practice on the speedball court.

    I try to raise the voice on the way. "Hey, head voice. Ourania is planning to bomb-threat the ship, are we on board with that?"
  • RichRich
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    Mark,

    "We are. Make sure she gets the support she needs. Do not count on aide from Corporal Tek, I only communicate with him indirectly and he has his own agenda at times."
  • CoalhadaCoalhada
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    Tek and me both.

    "Understood."

    It occurs to me I don't even know Tek's real name. I'm sure I heard someone call him it once. Marcus, or Bruce. Patrick, maybe.

    "Anything you need me to do right now?"
    The voice is going to ask for something eventually, I may as well find out now, if I can. I open the door to the court changing room and start to unzip my uniform jacket.
  • RichRich
    image

    Mark,

    You head into the court changing room to find Gams and Kellek suited up and chatting while sitting on a bench in the locker room. They both glare at you for a long moment, like they expect you to leave. Kellek even goes so far as to say, "Pod Eight has the court reserved. Sign ups are in the system."

    What do you do?
  • CoalhadaCoalhada
    image

    I give Kellek a long, hard stare.

    "What's wrong with your court?"

    These Pod 8 drokks, acting like they own the place.
  • RichRich
    image

    Mark,

    Gams gives you a sneer, "We're slumming it."

    Kellek glances over at her, not sure how far to push it with a corporal, then explains, "Our coach wants us to train on the court where we lost. The grav pads are twitchy here, he thinks it threw us off."

    "So BUZZ!" Gams says, clenching her fists.

    What do you do?
  • CoalhadaCoalhada
    image

    I arch one eyebrow.

    "Sure. The grav pads are twitchy. That must be it. It couldn't be anything about how Coach I-have-no-plan-B lines you guys up."

    I meet Gams' gaze, look her up and down, smirk, and look back at Kellek.
  • RichRich
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    Mark,

    Gams stands up, "Do you... want to go, Larsen? Because right here, right now, I will throw down with you." Kellek rises up beside her, defending his teammate, but definitely less aggressive to a corporal.
  • CoalhadaCoalhada
    image

    I square up to Gams. Hands loose at my sides, but ready. She has to make the first move, if it's going to happen.

    "Don't feel like you need to defend your team's honour, Gams. Do you know the kind of things they say behind your back? That's not a team that's worth putting yourself on the line for."

    They weren't kidding, she really will do anything for them. What a drokking idiot.
  • RichRich
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    Mark,

    let's see you shut her down
  • CoalhadaCoalhada
    Shut Someone Down

    (Rolled: 2d6+2. Rolls: 2, 4. Total: 8)

    +1 xp
  • RichRich
    edited August 2016
    image

    Mark,

    image The bit about "behind her back" struck a nerve. Kellek gives you a look like "man, seriously, you went there?", but it goes away when Gams looks over and up at him. Gams swallows hard, then looks at you again, Mark, like she got the confirmation she didn't want. "Well, my team's not perfect. But they're drokking mine." The words have no bite to them, they're more defensive, and she walks past you towards the court. Gams gets a string on you

    Kellek follows, shaking his head, muttering "Dick," as he passes.

    What do you do?
  • CoalhadaCoalhada
    image

    I smile and watch them leave. At least this little break hasn't been a total write-off.
    Per procedure, I have a quick look through their belongings, not expecting to find anything.

    Then I head back up the corridor to Aiden and Tunde's room.
  • RichRich
    image

    Mark,

    You find a few first aid patches in Gams stuff, really quick-acting stuff. Kellek has a little puzzlebox cube, made of plastic, and a few food bars.

    When you head to Aiden and Tunde's room, you find Aiden there. Tunde isn't. Aiden looks up from his Navi and calms down when he sees it's you that walked right in.
  • CoalhadaCoalhada
    image

    "Hey man."

    I smile and sit down on my old bed. "If it's something nefarious, don't tell me. How's things? With you and Bea, and whatever."

    I feel kind of funny, like my fingers and toes are all cold and tingly. I might hit the med bay later, if we haven't detonated it. I have one of my post-accident checkups scheduled anyway.
  • RichRich
    image

    Mark,

    image Aiden swipes at his screen and you see several bubbles of menu options wink off. He scoots back in his bed and turns towards you, leaning against the wall as he stays on his bed. "Nothing nefarious, don't worry," Aiden fibs. You throw him a bit with the bit about Bea, but he recovers, clearing his throat, "It's alright, nothing you need to worry about, though. Chaste. Totally chaste, Mark. She was a little mad that I tried to help out Nadja when she freaked out in class, but otherwise, we're friendly. Hand-holdy, that kind of thing."

    He glances at your hand for a moment like maybe he sees something. "What's up? Do you need something?"
  • CoalhadaCoalhada
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    Huh, I was only asking. This happens all the time now, everyone talks to Corporal Nul instead of, you know, me.

    "Well, as a matter of fact, yeah... If somebody was going to blow up one thing inside the quarantine decks, what would it be? You know, hypothetically. And by hypothetically I mean it's probably gonna happen."
  • RichRich
    edited August 2016
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    Mark,

    image Aiden blinks a few times, trying to parse your meaning, hoping for some kind of gallows humor. "Shouldn't you be checking with the other corporals for... you know, areas at risk for that kind of thing? I mean, Tek seems like he's on top of, well, everything." He shrugs helplessly, not wanting to roll over here, but still very wary about what you're after.

    What do you do?
  • CoalhadaCoalhada
    image

    That's the trouble with asking smart guys things obliquely. They're too clever.

    "Corporal Tek is not on top of everything, believe me," I tell him, and I think that's true. Maybe he is on top of everything and the AAU has told him to keep his distance. But I don't think so. "I'm asking you because I think you'd know or be able to figure it out. If I ask Tek the whole thing escalates super quickly."

    All this, also, is true. I'm just leaving out a lot of things.
  • RichRich
    edited August 2016
    image

    Mark,

    image Aiden spends his string to offer you an XP to tell him what he wants to know.
    Aiden peers at you. "Listen. Pax was taken in, by you. And she sent out some, ah, messages before that. Now you're in here, asking these questions, and... I need to know what's really going on, Mark. I'm not trying to be difficult, and I don't want demerits or anything, but I don't think we're talking about that kind of stomm right now, are we?"

  • CoalhadaCoalhada
    image

    I guess if I can't trust Aiden with this, who can I? And besides, the worst that could happen is he blabs and sows a little more disorder.

    "You're right. No one's going to have to worry about demerits after this. Ourania is planning a suicide-bomb threat on the adults, but she needs to know what's the best part of the ship to hold to ransom. I'm helping her. I've been working for the ship's AAU ever since the airlock accident, and it wants this to happen."

    I ought to feel scared about blabbing all this out loud. Instead I feel loosed of all responsibility. Indestructible.


    (+1 xp)
  • RichRich
    image

    Mark,

    image "Well..." Aiden begins slowly, thinking through the ship. He calls up a few menu selections, "The vent pipes running through our classroom are a linchpin for the cooling system for the engines. Blow that up and the engines overheat, and we're dead in space." He taps a few more times, "Resyke is a longer term threat, since it's how we manufacture items and keep waste under control." He absentmindedly chews on a finger, swiping and tapping with his free hand. "The airlock. The one you were found in. It's along a main thoroughfare, and the throttles for it were damaged during the riots and never fully repaired. We're sealed here, but if you blew that airlock, you'd vent three quarters of the ship to space." He looks up, "It would seriously drokk them up, and scuttle the ship, pretty much."
  • CoalhadaCoalhada
    image

    I nod. The choice is obvious, to me.

    "Thanks, Aiden. I won't tell you which one. In case the adults catch up with you. But I don't think they're been watching for a long time now."

    I stand up. I have this feeling of finality, and I hold out my hand for Aiden to shake, which is kind of weirdly formal but whatever. "Thanks and, look, I could've been a better friend a lot of the time. I hope to make it up to you in future."
  • RichRich
    image

    Mark,

    image
    He licks his lips, still peering at you, not sure what to make of this. After that pause, he does take your hand and shake it. "Bea's not so bad, really, just kinda needy. She just messaged me that Nadja apologized to her, it was a big thing, crying and maybe a hug. I've never actually had a girlfriend, and you pretty much shoved me into it, you know? So, thanks. And... don't kill us all, okay?"

    What do you do next, Mark?
  • CoalhadaCoalhada
    image

    I assure Aiden that I will try to not kill us all, and head out into the corridor. I check my Navi for Temperance's last recorded location.

    While I'm standing there, I notice my heart isn't beating. Huh.

    I try not breathing for a while but really I'm just holding my breath, and after a while I can't help but take in a gasping lungful of air. So okay, breathing yes, heartbeat no. Wonder what this means. I guess this is what they're supposed to check in the med bay today.

    The Navi says Johns last pinged a sensor in Torrence's room, so I go there, through our connecting bathroom.
  • RichRich
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    Mark,

    Please go here.
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