<> <> <<... wait, wrong notes. It was because the BUGS came and wiped them out! Like they are good at. Tomas had found an automat with a pressed kelp bar, of which only a tiny bit remains. The PI has decided to allow you to tour the facilities in a sort of Epcot-style mausoleum tour.>> <> * Tomas wanders back to the rotomat before the tour begins to see if there are any more delicious kelp bars. <> (CAPTURE IT. It will make a fine pet.) (How delicious does the sea-rat look?) * Hestia stands up from the 'desk' she was at and continues to stare at the PI version of the walphin. The tour was its idea, not hers. "Remind me," she mutters, "to work on some sort of translation program. As much fun as playing tour guide translator is." <> ~A-man, you interested in a sea-rat-like scavenging creature for your samples?~ * Amadeus nods. "I really should have gotten around to learning Sleythin." * Zeke's got a drone looking at it funny! Because he's still up with the ship, as his drones party with the group. ~Yes. Anything's useful, Thomas.~ * Hestia smirks at Amadeus. "Get a good head cold before you start. You'd be amazed how much it helps with pronounciation." * Tomas stows the ex-sea-rat-like scavenging creature in a sample bag, "We going to start this tour?" <> [Come...] * Hestia glances at the PI. "Well, there's the signal to start." Undaunted, she heads toward the room! * Tomas joins the tour! * Zeke's drones all decide to skitter that way. * Amadeus looks around, then follows Tia. Since that's probably what he's supposed to do! * Lexi follows behind Tomas. (afk quick) <> <> * Hestia puts a hand to her hip. "About what you'd expect from something that looks like a walrus." <> <> (Spec?) <> Man... I really should have brought my swimsuit. 2d6+11 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Amadeus (2d6+11) and gets a natural 10 for a result of 21. 2d6+9 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Zeke (2d6+9) and gets a natural 6 for a result of 15. (I will also try!) (And one higher if biochem counts. XP) 2d6+8 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Hestia (2d6+8) and gets a natural 9 for a result of 17. (I'm a badly rollin' engineer.) 2d6+6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Tomas (2d6+6) and gets a natural 10 for a result of 16. (Spend a session rolling only 3s, then get back to me on that.) (meh) 2d6+7 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Lexi (2d6+7) and gets a natural 3 for a result of 10. (Ha! Maybe I WILL) <> * Hestia glances down into the water, then crosses her arms under her chest. "Hope someone brought a camera." (I missed the spec chem. Add one to mine =D) <> It's not a problem. I'd prefer the PI keep the water level up, though, and we can transfer anything that way. (Why is it 85 degrees, argh) <> [I have engaged systems... all is in readiness.] * Amadeus looks to Tia in askance. * Tomas flips his mask back down. * Zeke's drones start to walk up the path on their own. Zeke comms, ~We had best start.~ * Hestia shrugs. "He's turned everything on. Quote, 'all is in readiness'." Then she looks back to the PI. [Alright, let's go.] <> * Amadeus heads down the ramp, as there's no time like the present. * Tomas moves onward. (Except the future! Which will be a lot like the present in a moment. Or the past! Which is a lot like the present a second ago.) ( /me wipes the blood from his ear. ) * Lexi heads down into the water. ~This is wicked. A whole new civilization that we get to explore. Where's he taking us first, Tia?~ * Hestia shrugs at Lexi, but decides that's a reasonable question to ask. [Can I get a summary of our destinations?] ( And where are the sexy aliens? ) <> [We go to the room of last holding. How did you arrive here?] * Hestia frowns at that description which predictably makes very little sense. [Last holding? Also we arrived by starship. We're explorers.] [There is a room, where the most important things were stored, when they knew it was the end.] <> [You journey slower or faster than light?] (Oh god how tod escribe the mole drive to him. "We don't bother with light." "... ._.") ('faster'.) * Hestia ohos, and turns back to Lexi (and whoever's near her). ~ Seems like a time capsule room, or something like it. ~ She then turns back to the PI as she continues moving. [ Faster. We're from a long way from this place. ] [In this room are informations on my people. Faster than light, like the bowls?] (How commonplace is the knowledge that the mole drive and bodysliding work on the same principles?) * Amadeus whistles. He seems happy with the whole idea of a time capsule room, that's for sure. * Lexi nods and continues after them. (Common enough for chainjumpers.) <> 2d6+7 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Zeke (2d6+7) and gets a natural 4 for a result of 11. * Hestia nods at that question, then. [Similarly, yes.] 2d6+7 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Hestia (2d6+7) and gets a natural 6 for a result of 13. 2d6+7 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Lexi (2d6+7) and gets a natural 10 for a result of 17. 2d6+5 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Tomas (2d6+5) and gets a natural 11 for a result of 16. 2d6+8 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Amadeus (2d6+8) and gets a natural 5 for a result of 13. (.... wow.) (Results: Unexpected.) (I'm perceptive like WHOA tonight.) <> [Faster than light... that such ships exist. Are your species alone? My species only knew this planet.] * Lexi stops for a moment. ~Wait, anyone else feel that strange tone? It's uh... I mean it's pleasant but... Tia, could you ask the PI about it?~ * Amadeus blinks. ~Tone?~ He pauses for a moment, then asks, ~Do you mean the vibration I'm getting?~ * Hestia shakes her head. [There are us, and the sleythin, of course, and the Bugs, who have been wiped o--] She blinks, knitting her brow, and stops a second to listen. Presumably hearing nothing, she is about to ask when there's disagreement about what's going on. ~I don't hear or feel anything.~ * Lexi nods. "Yeah that might be it. The vibration." <> (Random stupid question: since i'm technically in a skintight forcefield and not a suit, does that matter?) (Not a stupid question, it's an excellent point, and you're NOT hearing it.) (My bad for missing it.) * Zeke comms, ~There is a minor vibration detected, but it is within tolerances.~ * Hestia just... looks confused. ~I'm really not getting anything.~ She turns back to the PI, however. [Is there some sort of... sound being generated?] (See, that's just the start of the resonance cascade scenario.) (Headcrabs in 5... 4... 3...) (Not headcrabs. HeadWALRUSES) (The physics is mindboggling) <> [Of course? It is the Tone, it... oh. Does it affect you?] * Hestia raises an eyebrow. She can hear that capital 'T' on 'Tone'. ~Apparently it's... 'The Tone'. Is it bothersome?~ ~No, it's ... calming.~ ~No, but what does 'the Tone' do?~ * Hestia raises an eyebrow. ~Good question. And why am I not hearing it, for that matter...~ She shrugs and turns back to the PI. [They're not bothered, merely curious. What IS the 'Tone'?] (Give me a sec, speaking like this is a pain in the ass) [All matter is part of the Tone, vibrations and oscillations of the background frequency of raw existence. Do you augment your capabilities with the metal? All around us in the water, the Tone augmented minds and clarified thought. Does your science express vibration below particles?] * Hestia stares, absolutely blankly, before answering: [Sadly, I'm not the best person to ask.] She then relays that, word for word, to Amadeus and Zeke. ~Can you make something out of that? It's half physics and half religion, and I don't know which half is which.~ <> 2d6+9 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Zeke (2d6+9) and gets a natural 10 for a result of 19. (Haha. Well I'd roll but I just said ICly I have no idea, so that seems stupid.) 2d6+11 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Amadeus (2d6+11) and gets a natural 4 for a result of 15. (Dicey wants me to suck!) (Should I roll anyway? :P) (Nah, it's obscure.) (I hope a 19 got it.) * Amadeus furrows his brow as he tries to make sense of that. "It sounds vaguely like string theory... But that doesn't have anything to do with sound, as far as I recall." * Zeke's drones continue moving as he comms, more explicitly, "They are likely to be speaking of string theory. These vibrations, however, are merely vibrations.~ Short pause, then, ~Biological effects they talk of are consistent with research on low frequency noise.~ ~The similarities are... metaphorical.~ <> * Hestia smirks. ~Hence the religion part.~ She turns to look at the PI as they walk, presumably walking... FOREVER. [We think of it in different ways, but we have a similar concept, yes.] (Hafta pose on MotM, gimmie a break from translation duty for a sec.) * Lexi nods. ~Ah, okay well as long as there's nothing to worry about.~ She grins. ~Let's get to all the schway stuff in the capsule room!~ * Tomas nods at Lexi, ~You think they'll have another rotomat in there?~ * Lexi shrugs. ~No clue!~ ~I doubt they thought their vending machines were the most important things to pass on to other cultures.~ ~The food is a very important part of any culture.~ <> <> (All floating in water?) * Amadeus looks around, taking it in and deliberately blinking on occasion. <> * Zeke's bugs begin to crawl into the room and grab cartridges, checking them, while one heads towards the heap to start looking through it. * Hestia raises an eyebrow. ~Looks like they assembled the time capsule in kind of a hurry.~ * Tomas investigates the cardboard-like boxes. ~End of their world; not much time, I'd guess.~ * Amadeus moves up to take a closer look at some of the junk. * Hestia starts looking around. ~Well, that or the Bugs who wiped them out rifled through it when they were here.~ <> * Zeke comms, ~The metal is likely basic memory units, for unknown readers.~ * Hestia does the easy thing: [What happened in here?] < e both looking off-scene, and if the sleythin's expression is accurate, he is terrified. The walphin doesn't look happy either.>> * Tomas takes a couple cans of sea rat, ~The rest of these boxes are filled with devices I can't make out.~ * Lexi looks around. ~Well...um the statue is kinda neat, but most of this is less glamorous than I imagined. Bummer.~ She heads over to get a closer look at the junk nonetheless. * Zeke comms, one of his drones holding up a piece of the junk, ~Once we can understand their written language, it will be easier to sort this pile.~ * Amadeus picks up the sculpture. "What in the world..." He turns to Hestia. ~Can you ask the PI what the inspiration was for this, and if we're allowed to take any of the contents of this room back to our world for study?~ Pause. ~Yes, and if there's a primer available on their language.~ (Oh shit, totally spaced Tia's question) <> [They were in a hurry. Do you believe you will find it useful? After the first hour and the data, they gave little thought to what was stored.] * Hestia puts her fingers to her temples. ~One at a time?~ She works through the requests everyone made, then nods at the PI. [It's a start. Do you have a dictionary of some form for your language? That's the important first part.] * Zeke has his drones looking for things that might interface with the cartridges. One of them is staring at the sculpture. * Amadeus sets the sculpture aside and starts looking at the other devices, making mental notes (possibly literally) as to what they may or may not be. <> [You wish to learn our speech? One of these tapes is certainly the primer.] * Hestia brightens a bit. That's good news, for sure. [Which one, if you don't mind?] * Amadeus notes that, hahaha. * Tomas continues digging through the cardboard boxes. [... I do not know, it was originally on the bottom. Do you want me to create a new one?] <> [That might be easier than digging it out, certainly, if it's possible.] [One moment.] <> * Hestia runs her hands through her hair. ~He said there's a dictionary on one of these 'tapes',~ she adds, waving at the data storage stuff. ~But they were in a hurry. My guess is they threw this together while everyone else was getting shot in the head.~ (Did you get around to asking it about the statue, tia?) * Amadeus nods, looking around again. ~That's what it looks like.~ (Not yet.) * Hestia puts a hand on her hip and looks to Zeke. ~How much of this do you think is going to survive leaving the room, suit boy?~ * Zeke's artistic drone looks back at Hestia as he comms back, ~Uncertain. I have not done water excavations. Our cargo hold should be vacuum safe: perhaps it can be adapted.~ <> [Do you wish for the accompanying .... zither?] (Sir, are you coming on to me?) (ALSO IF YOU WANT TO FILL THE HOLD WITH WATER YOU WILL NEED SOME TRANSPARENT ALUMINUM) (WALPHIN SONG NEEDED TO SAVE EARTH) (Awww yeah.) * Hestia blinks. [If it will help, then yes.] Pausing, she then blinks. [Oh, and what's the deal with the statues?] (Pretend that was Sleythin-like, since I doubt they have a phrase like 'what's the deal with') (What up what up where my appletatos at.) (Sleythin don't really have zithers either.) (*pushes Zeke down the stairs*) [The statue is of a prophecy we were gifted with not long after we discovered the Messenger. Do you like it?] (Did I 'hear' the question about stuff surviving leaving the room?) (I imagine so.) (I think all the ~ is team-wide) * Amadeus starts scanning items to see if they can survive a trip back to Earth and under what conditions. <> (Watta hassle.) (But doable with the tools you've got on board.) (Just time consuming.) * Amadeus doesn't look up from his work as he comments, ~I don't think these can survive long out of the water, but I'm pretty sure we can replicate the same conditions here in the hold.~ (But we must find the nuclear wessels.) (I need that movie on DVD so I can watch it when I am drunk out of my mind.) (How are we going to get them from underwater to the pressurized hold, out of curiosity.) (Pressurize the sample cases.) (So why not just leave them in the pressurized sample cases? e_ea) * Hestia eyenarrows. A prophecy? And just look at the expression on those faces. [It's... interesting. What was the prophecy?] * Lexi finishes looking through junk and heads over to the PI thing. ~What do you suppose they did for fun around here? None of this stuff exactly looks... entertaining.~ (Back the ship up into the water. Aw yeah.) * Amadeus has quit (Read error: Connection reset by peer) [The prophecy was that whoever opened the Gate of Ages would bring about the ... depopulation of the universe. Have you heard a similar prophecy?] (...............) (Kat and Chako are trying. One person at a time.) * Hestia makes a supreme effort to stay stonefaced. [No. How interesting. Is there a... text of this prophecy in the data?] (It should be obvious, BTW, that 1.) Tia is freaked by something and 2.) she is warbling away in sleythin this whole time.) * Zeke replies to Lexi with, ~Perhaps they sang.~ [I am sure it is there somewhere. Will more of you be coming here?] <> * Amadeus blinks at the instrument. Because, seriously. It's a stringed instrument from nowhere. * Lexi looks up. "Hey! There we go! Music!" [The zither. Shall I show you how to play?] Tia! What is it? * Hestia takes a breath. She's about to respond when... the zither shows up. Blinking, she responds, almost on autopilot: ~It's... a zither. He wants to show you how to play.~ And since she knows Lexi pretty well, she nods her assent to the PI. * Zeke's drones continue their search, but the artistic one has decided Tia is more interesting than weird Walphin art. * Lexi grins. "Sweet!" (*fires 10 rounds into it* I AM INTERESTING, AREN'T I :D) * Amadeus watches with interest. < rformance, even if the chord progression is definitely alien.>> (Well you'd figure a species that lives underwater and probably does a lot of echolocating would make good musicians.) (You would.) (However I would like to retcon that the animals from Metallica make a sound like a kettle drum when struck.) (That is silly.) (Are we shooting for an all-species jam band? We can't call it Phish if some of the musicians would rust) * Zeke comms, after a bit of listening, ~The meaning escapes me.~ ~Amazing. Nothing we have sounds remotely like it.~ * Lexi bounces. ~Wow! That was incredible! I wish I could do that...~ * Hestia raises an eyebrow at Zeke. ~The 'meaning' escapes you? It's... music.~ <> [It is an antique. Do you have fine artists on your world? This was owned by one of the best of ours.] * Zeke comms, ~I had thought it was working to a language lesson.~ * Hestia starts digging through tapes. She wants to find either that dictionary or the prophecy. ~He says it's an antique, wants to know if we have any artists.~ * Hestia says this without turning around. * Lexi nods. ~Oh of course we do! Hey! I can sing for him or something! Or dance!~ * Amadeus blinks and makes with a few eye flicks. ~I think the easy and honest answer is 'yes'. And while alien, it reminds me of baroque music, a bit...~ ~Try singing. I don't think they'll get dance.~ (Are there any popular ATC bands of note?) <> (That Lexi might know a song from?) 2d6+8 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Hestia (2d6+8) and gets a natural 4 for a result of 12. (Not that I have ever named. Feel free to invent a handful.) (Right on. Okay) (We need a new dicebot, this is re-goddamn-diculous) * Tomas gives up on the cardboard boxes and helps Tia dig. <> 2d6+5 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Tomas (2d6+5) and gets a natural 6 for a result of 11. ~I have some classical music stored in my headputer, if you want me to patch it into the speakers.~ 2d6+10 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Hestia (2d6+10) and gets a natural 4 for a result of 14. (...sigh.) (What the FUCK) (Well, I guess if it's +1 every session, I'll start succeeding rolls in about two months.) (Since now I'm up to nothing but 4s instead of 3s) (Let's hope it doesn't loop.) (Do you have the take six rule in effect, Cham?) (I might next session :P) * Lexi starts to sing something called "Interstellar Fuckup" by a band called 24 to 1. It sounds upbeat and vaguely bubblegum punkish and is about a girl who can't seem to do anything right. (My creativity is shot right now) (I blame Percocet) * Hestia stops looking through the tapes, mutters 'screw it' under her breath, and stands up, putting a hand against the side of her head and getting a far-away expression. (Be right back) <> * Amadeus finishes checking a bunch of the junk on that table over, and he goes to check out the tapes some - sure, he can't read the labels, but maybe there's pictures! <> (Ooh, there ARE pictures?) 2d6+14 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Amadeus (2d6+14) and gets a natural 11 for a result of 25. (Sweet jesus) (THERE DID THAT MAKE IT?) <> (... I've been sorting tapes from the beginning.) (Oh well, we got it!) * Amadeus pulls out the tape, brushes it off if it needs brushing, and compares the markings with the statue. ~I think this might explain the sculpture.~ * Hestia tilts her head, and though she keeps that faraway-ish look, she swivels to Amadeus. It's... sort of creepy-looking as a result. * Lexi finishes singing and bounces a bit as she waits for a response from the PI. * Hestia blinks once, and seems to come back to 'normal'. ~What did you find, Professor?~ * Amadeus blinks in return, as he was put off by Tia's look. "Er." He composes himself. ~This tape's markings match the one on the statue. They probably refer to the same event.~ <> [It is intriguing. Such pure tones are normal for you? But the sound is muddied...] <> (SCIENCE PREVAILS) * Amadeus jumps in surprise. ~Holy... did you write a translation program just now, Tia?~ (Tia doesn't have a suit, does she?) (It's from my comm.) (Same diff.) (Ah!) * Lexi tilts her head. ~Whoa, that's weird. Wish you did that earlier. But uh... I don't know if that's a compliment or not.~ * Hestia does not seem to find that odd, and walks over toward Amadeus, looking at the tape. ~'Write' doesn't quite describe it. 'Kludge' is maybe a better word. And according to our friend here, this statue is about the big universal kaboom brought on by whoever opened the Gate of Ages.~ (Haha, I didn't even think to ask if it does it in reverse. Could it? I can't see why not.) * Amadeus nods, looking at the tape himself for a moment before asking, ~Is your translation program two-way?~ (Don't see why not.) * Hestia shrugs. ~Should be. He'll basically get pared-down robot Sleythin, but it'll suffice.~ * Amadeus looks more excited than anyone's probably ever seen him, turning to the PI and starting with the obvious: "What does your race call itself?" <> [It does not translate well.] * Amadeus nods. "I'm pretty sure we'll butcher it, unfortunately. Our vocals don't come anywhere close to yours. This is your home planet, correct?" [Yes. Our only planet.] (Amadeus' questions are going to continue like this. He's going to get giant piles of information out of this guy, and it will take FOREVER.) <> <> <> (I'm down.) (This is a good plan.) (I can cover Amadeus in a mini, or worst case in an OOC Q/A list.) (Amadeus doesn't think it's boring at all! ;_;) (Hence the mini.) (Also yeah, getting late.) (Yes.) <> * Lexi straps herself into the pilot's seat once again. "Well that was a more fun planet than the last one at least. Everyone ready to rock?" * Hestia is sitting in the map room, and seems very pensive about all this. "Have we actually mentioned this prophecy of ultimate doom to Preston yet?" (Were the others of us aware of this prophecy before now?) (We've discussed it before ICly.) (Alright.) * Amadeus is across from Tia, at his own map room station. They haven't put up pictures of their pets or word of the day calendars, though, so it's not quite that cozy. "I don't believe so." * Lexi clears her throat slightly annoyed. "I SAID... IS EVERYONE READY TO ROCK!?" * Zeke is in the ship, so he can talk to people for real now! He replies, "It does not seem pertinent to our mission." * Amadeus rolls his eyes, slams his hand on the comm button, and calls, "Yes, now knock it off!" * Hestia doesn't have time to rock. The universe is ending. "I don't think we should bring it up. But we suddenly find a race the sleythin contacted and they just HAPPEN to know this prophecy? I don't like it." * Lexi nods. "Right on. Let's go." She kicks off and blasts away at ludicrous speeds because she feels like it. No. I'm not certain what to do about it, though, beyond more research. * Zeke replies, "It is an odd prophecy. Odder as it is a prophecy, which has no truth basis." * Hestia glances at Zeke curiously for a moment. "We don't know that. I mean, I don't believe in prophecy any more than the next person, but..." * Zeke's holohead looks back at Hestia, "If it has a truth basis, the Sleythin should be able to provide a pedigree." * Amadeus shakes his head. "It's entirely possible a prophecy could be accurate. There are 24s with provable precognition SCA mutations." * Zeke looks back to Amadeus, is silent a moment, then repeats, "Then they should be able to provide a pedigree as well." Were you not paying attention before? The sleythin are covering this up. <> And I can't think of a LESS imaginative race than the lizards. There's more to this. (This may be why they're... terrible liars.) (Ha ha.) (When the Egg does all the lying for your entire race, you know you're in trouble.) * Lexi laughs. "Man. This is one of the only sweet things about my job. I can't believe the dorks in the map room are just sitting around talking. They always miss the interesting stuff!" * Amadeus looks at Zeke, now annoyed, and he pushes up his glasses. "Didn't I just *say* it was provable? Scientifically provable? As in, it's been proven? I don't see any reason precognition should be limited to 24s or even humans." * Hestia leans back in her chair and gives Amadeus a wry smile, folding her arms behind her head. "The nice thing about not being a scientist, Professor, is that I can pretend things are false if I don't like them." * Tomas nods at Lexi, "I'm still not over the thrill of entering the interstice." * Amadeus hmphs, but he grins a little. "It must be convenient." <> * Zeke's holoface looks confused, then he replies, "A pedigree for each prediction. Each pseudo-prophetic conclusion based upon specific information. It is reasonable to consider precognition as simply a form of logic." (... exits. exits the interstice.) * Zeke then says, "A 'prophecy' without pedigree is then no better than any other statement." (WE ARE THE OUT DOOR.) * Hestia takes a deep breath. "I care less about the prophecy than the fact that the sleythin are hiding it from us. I should hit up that museum curator again when we're done here." <> I'd love to come with when you do. * Amadeus looks at Zeke and replies, "I'm not saying that we should take this prophecy as absolute truth - for that matter, even the known precogs aren't right one hundred percent of the time. I'm simply saying it's possible, and we shouldn't ignore the possibility." * Hestia waves a hand toward the cargo bay. "We'll know for sure if the text of it is on one of those tapes." * Amadeus nods. <> (Sweet! We're in the history books. Ish. Wonder how many times something like this has happened before.) <> (WOO we ROCK) (Lexi's Publicity++) (and now we need a name ...) (Yep.) (Tuskaloosa?) (TUSKANY!) (Both of you. Fired.) (Lexi will totally suggest Tuskany) (Wally World?) (A tribute to the inexplicably preserved National Lampoon's Summer Vacation.) (Yaaaay!) (*shoves Tomas down the stairs*) (It's either Tuskany, Wally World, or Warble!) (I vote Aqueon.) * Hestia stands at the base of the landing ramp, looking at the crowd. A glass of wine is pressed into her hand and, being a wine fan, she doesn't argue but instead takes a sip. "Well, this was... not what I expected." (Or Planet Vernon. For no reason that our chartacters are aware of) (No consensus on the name of the planet? Or the star, which you get to name as well.) * Lexi totally parties out. And also gives TVnet reporters some great shots of her partying! Making sure to get everyone else in some shots too. * Amadeus smiles at Tia. "I was. Up to answering questions?" (I could concede Tuskany.) * Amadeus is sipping wine as well, seeing as it was shoved into his hands, too. (Okay Okay... we can name the star Tuskany and the planet Wally World) (Pun bad.) (Amadeus would NOT name the planet Wally World. That's just mean.) * Zeke looks as confused as one would expect. And looks hilarious holding a wine glass in his slightly bulky exo. (Tuskany he'll let you get away with, as consolation.) (For the star.) <> (Yay!) (Okay Star is Tuskany. Planet is whatever.) (Other name that's suggested is Aqueon.) (Aqueon is okay. There's an awful lot of water!) (I'd suggest Waterworld, but that'll just lead to more beatings.) (I'll see you on monday.) (And bring an extra baseball bat for your wife.) (What'd she do?!) (Well, I wanted to share the joy of beating you.) (... Aqueon it is then.) (Always the giver, you.) (It's what I do!) <> <> * Zeke is carrying his case, then, as Calhoun bees pissed about something. (Mars to Lexi.) (Sorry!) * Lexi blinks and waves. "Uh... Hi Dad." * Amadeus is heading out, sees Calhoun, sees Lexi, and decides that fading way into the background is a good idea. <> "You want to tell me what the hell THIS is?" <> "And now - right now! - you're on the TVNet for finding an extinct alien species!" * Zeke is just staring. It's better than TVNet? * Lexi appears confused. "Well... that is be distracting a group of heavily armed goons from killing us on a distant planet and saving our lives... and uh finding extinct alien species is kind of what you signed me up for dad, isn't it?" She sighs and shrugs. "Anyway, what do you care? You wanted me out of your hair and I am." "I thought we had an AGREEMENT, Alexis! This is not out of my hair! I don't need to see this..." <> "... on the eleven o' clock feedcast! And now I'm actually being sued for breaking an asshole's nose!" <> "You're millions of miles away and you're getting in more trouble than when you were on Mars!" * Lexi shrugs. "What do you want me to do, dad? Let the ship full of heavily armed dudes kill us? Or just stay stranded on a distant planet while they get away? And -I- didn't break a guys nose. I mean come on, TVnet reporters always get stuff like this...I've been followed around with cameras since before I could walk. I don't see why you get so bent out of shape." "You thrive on the attention! I can't handle shareholder meetings where board members are asking me which new alien species my daughter has flashed this week!" <> "I thought we could handle this like adults, but if getting a job hasn't calmed you down any, then my hand is forced." <> "I'm in negotiations with an Earther family who has a boy about your age - we've decided to arrange a marriage between you." * Lexi widens her eyes. "WHAT!? Are you CRAZY! You can't do that! What do you think this is, the 17th century? Besides..." she trails off and looks like she's going to cry. It's probably the first time anyone has seen Lexi sincerely sad. <> * Zeke looked confused through the entire thing. * Lexi just looks down and walks away. f <>