<> <> (Now they have to use radio! XD) <> <> (I suggest we warp out and not come back. I will slowly kill and eat the others until it is only me remaining.) (Heeeey, that's not a good plan.) (Shut up and glaze yourself with this marinade.) (Alternatively, we tie a note along the lines of "FU DUCKS!" to a brick and throw it through the duekti's window.) * Amadeus rubs at his head like he has a headache. Because he probably does have a headache. "Where are we going, Tia?" Orbit. Where are Lex and Kyle? We can't leave them alone in this. (I was the one who didn't want to leave until they came back!) (but you did anyway. GG.) (Prof, give some of that marinade to Tomas. :|) (Well, the question is whether we KNOW where they are.) (Then we can swing by in the lander.) (That was my point, yeah.) <> * Hestia crosses her legs and sits on the couch. She is, it should be pointed out, flying the ship without being on the bridge. "On Mars? I figure they'll call when they're ready to go." (I really love that Red Japan is the home country of Martian Kenny Rogers Roasters Inc.) (I just assume someday Calhoun Electronics will just build the Texas Mack.) (Awesome.) * Zeke says, "In the meantime, it seems that, if we plan to use the information networks, we should find a remote location to operate from otherwise. If they do not contact us before too long, and we cannot find their locations, it will become very difficult to retrieve them." (Assuming it is not trivial to track our landings.) * Hestia nods. "The whole point is that while we're up here, we're harder to track." (I was waiting for someone to go, 'So now that we've taken off, you want us to land? You're crazy! XD') <> (We can land on the ground! We do it all the time!) (Screw the rules, we have necessity.) (Yes but then you're doing it on a street somewhere, which people notice more. :P Unless you pick the desert and then you have less bandwidth and noise to hide in.) (Man, this is where we wish that we had some sort of allies on Mars.) (And weren't a bunch of antisocial loners.) (Where's Lexi when you need her.) (I might have allies, but not ones that can hide a freaking ship.) (I uh... don't wanna do too much until we're back together, so.) (Then we have to get them! Wherever they are. Um.) * Amadeus shakes his head and asks, "Do they know to call us?" <> * Hestia whips her head toward the TV. "...say what now." They know we are in orbit if they are paying attention to the news. * Amadeus blinks and looks at the television now. * Zeke looks to the TV. "Why is that odd, Hestia? It seemed an inevitability." * Hestia turns to give Zeke the What, I Mean, What expression, before turning back to the TV. "Alright, well, that complicates things." They will need to question us to determine the facts. * Tomas nods, "We need to grab the others and jump." * Zeke looks to Tomas. "Unless we can use the jump time, I do not see that as a good option." Actually, it's pretty smart, if only to give us time to think. * Hestia gets up and looks for the pad with the sleythinpedia on it. It gives them time to think as well, and their thought processes are skewed. <> Exactly. We go to one of the abandoned rocks we've investigated, come up with a plan, and come back when things are a bit more conducive to said plan. * Zeke frowns and says, "It seems ill advised to leave them to make mistakes on their own." * Amadeus picks up the phone. "Hello?" <> "No, of course not. But the principles apply. Please, don't let us stop you, make your call, but hurry. There are dozens of reporters outside." * Amadeus checks his phone again to see the number, then puts it back to his ear. "Kyle?" "Hey man. There are some suits here and a media circus outside. You guys have a plan or something? Don't tell me what you think happened, don't want it to, ahem, ruin my testimony." * Amadeus glances at the others and then says, "We were hoping we could pick you up, actually." "Look, I don't know how doable that'd be. If you wanted to do that you woulda needed to do that, like, ten minutes ago." <> "But hey, if you wanna deal with it that way, that's fine, just make it quick. I don't know how I'll pay you back if this whole thing ruins my career." * Tomas pulls his phone out and looks at the caller ID before answering. <> * Tomas mouths 'Lexi' before answering silently. "Yeah, well, if we don't find something smart to do, our careers are all more or less fucked anyway. I'll hand you over to Tia; she's flying." * Amadeus gives the phone to Tia! "Kyle's on the line. He thinks it might be to late to pick him up, but..." "Tomas! Where are you!? Are the others with you!? I tried to reach Kyle but he's busy!" "There's a fucking media army outside my apartment! And my dad has hired guarda and he's on his way to take me to a fucking convent!" "I'm flying to the roof now but it's not easy!" "We're all here except Kyle. He's on the phoen with Amadeus now. We've taken to orbit for the moment." "Pick me up fifty meters above my apartment!" "I need to get the fuck out of here like yesterday!" * Tomas speaks to the others, "Lexi is heading to her roof. She's asked we pick her up 50 meters above her apartment." She's a bit insistent. "Also when I find out who leaked that fucking footage I'm going to beat the shit out of them 5 times at once!" "Look, I can... Hey, who's on the line?" (Amadeus?) (I handed my phone to Tia!) (WO IS TIA) (WHAT) Sounds good to me. (Hi sorry.) * Hestia cradles the phone on her shoulder. "Where are you?" * Tomas calls to Tia, "I don't know about Kyle, but Lexi's going to be waiting for us 50 meters above her apartment here soon." Where is her apartment? (WHERE ARE YOU PEOPLE.) ( I AM HAM. ) (Both apartments are in Red Boston.) In Red Boston. It'll be the one under the floating debutante. ("What's that, Lexi? Kyle fell down a well?") * Kyle switches over to Sleythin. "[Oh good, it's you Tia'na. I can meet you on the roof of my apartment, I think. There's only two goons here, I think I can take'em out. I'm in Red Boston at {insert address here}. Any idea how long it'll be?]" (Mutter. I really wish Zeke could just go testify.) * Hestia stares at the phone for a second. "[...no.]" "Tomas! Hello!? Tomas!" * Hestia rubs her temples and looks at Tomas out of the corner of her eye before looking back at the phone. "[I think we're coming to get you in the actual ship. Just hang tight.]" She then turns back to the group. "Who wants to take the lander and get Lexi?" "[Gotcha.]" "oh. hi. We're working it out now. Somebody will be there in the lander for you soon." * Kyle hangs up. I can retrieve her. * Tomas hastily hangs up, "I'll join you Zeke." "Make it quick, Tomas! I have dozens of people staring at me right now and my dad is on his way. If you don't get here quick somebody else will." * Amadeus has gone back to pacing. Pacing is awesome. * Zeke immediately moves to go pick her up! Clomp clomp clomp clomp. * Hestia stands up and draws her gun, then turns to Amadeus. Where's the rendezvous? * Amadeus looks to Tia and wonders if he should be holding up his hands in surrender right about now. Can you fly this thing? Also do we have any magnetic boots? No? (And, er, do we have magnetic boots?) (Someone should answer Tomas so he can not be sad. ;_;) (... sure!) (You would need them for external repairs in space!) (You would.) And... I think we do. In the maintanence room? * Amadeus goes to look! And returns with boots. ( Tomas sad. ) * Hestia clicks the safety, etc., looking dangerous and sexy. "Alright. How much can you lift? Give or take." (Seriously, though, if nobody answers Tomas, he can't go.) ( Tomas stuck like gum on table. ) (I don' know the answer! Someone else come up with a plan!) (I thought we HAD a plan?) (I thought Hestia was gonna take the ship down to pick Kyle up, and someone else was gonna take the lander and pick up Lexi.) * Amadeus blinks. "As much as a normal human being of my weight and height." Obviously, he hasn't tested himself for that. (Come on guys, we can be awesome. Let's be awesome.) (That is the plan. Someone think of a rendezvous point? I am trying to plan the Kyletraction.) (That's what she said, yeah.) (He said rooftop, but if you need a different rondeveus point we could edit it in, I think?) ('cuz it was just 'insert martian address here') (...) (The party's splitting. We need some place to regroup.) (Aaaah. Hmm.) (Tomas means where the lander meets the Fatebreaker, yes.) * Zeke just answers with, "We can call again to determine that based on the circumstances," as he goes, so that things can go. ('Insert Location outside of Red Bostan here'? Call it Site 35, or something.) (Can't be too far.) * Tomas nods assuredly and follows after Zeke. (But yeah, just pick a site and we'll call it good, you just need to meet and get back into orbit) (I just said: we'll contact eachother.) * Hestia nods. "Okay, well. Let's go get you those boots." (It's not a huge tactical decision.) * Amadeus looks somewhat baffled, but he goes and puts on boots! He... does not look sexy. Or dangerous. * Tomas looks back at Amadeus and Tia then back to Zeke, "so uh, we swoop down and pick her up. Sound good/" <> That is the idea. Although it is likely we will have to stop temporarily. * Tomas nods, "It's easier to exit a speeding lander than it is to board one." (Okay!) * Zeke gets the lander going and flying down to pick up the Lexi! "I still believe we should somehow answer their questions." * Tomas shrugs, "Unless we can find hard evidence, they'll just believe what they're already been told." <> * Tomas points at Lexi, "There she is." * Zeke's holohead nods slightly as his birdsect watches Tomas, and flies the thing up next to her, attempting not to burn her or anything. "Our records are fairly clear as to the veracity of our statements, but I am uncertain how willing they will be to believe them." * Tomas opens the door, offering a hand to Lex. * Lexi floats up and into the door. Taking Tomas' hand. "Alright! Let's get the hell out of here, NOW!" And on the way, you can tell me how the hell this happened! I believe your father is more likely to know than us. * Zeke takes them up and awaaaaaaay! All we know is that somebody's thrown us under the bus. Probably to protect their interests in the spoils of chainjumping. Yeah... well he wouldn't tell me anything. Said it wasn't any of my concern. That seems unlikely. We are being concerned with it at this moment. (Haha, Zeke.) (I do enjoy Zeke.) (It is true.) * Tomas comms, ~The goose is in the stewpot.~ Yeah well... if daddy "takes care" of something he figures I don't need to worry about it. He said he made some deal... And yet, we are here. Tia and Amadeus took the Fatebreaker to pick up Kyle. We'll be meeting up with them somewhere outside of the city. Yeah... and I'm sure he's not happy about that. I expect he'll give me a call soon to give me some stupid order about getting back to my apartment so he can cart me away somewhere where I can't be any more trouble. * Lexi sighs and lowers her gaze. <> Your... father is very strange. * Lexi winces and then grins and answers it. "No." <> "ALEXIS MARIE CALHOUN YOU GET BACK HERE THIS GODDAMN INSTANT!" (Does the phone also go >_<) (It tries REALLY HARD.) * Lexi yells back. "I'LL COME BACK WHEN YOU STOP TREATING ME LIKE A CHILD AND TELL ME WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!" "I'LL STOP TREATING YOU LIKE A CHILD WHEN YOU STOP ACTING LIKE ONE! WHAT'S GOING ON IS I'M TRYING TO SAVE YOUR WORTHLESS UNGRATEFUL HIDE!" HOW!? BY IMPRISONING ME AND MAKING SECRET DEALS BEHIND MY BACK!? "YES!" * Lexi sighs. "Well I tell you what, Dad. When you're ready to involve me in the decisions you're making about my life you give me a call. Until then, Ciao." She hangs up. (Expect a call back sometime around ATC4.) (He's immortal too? :|) (Is nobody a decent normal 24!) (He's not actually immortal. Thank god.) (I'm a totally normal 24.) Your... father is very strange. * Lexi shrugs. "Yeah well... no arguments there." (Okay, my diaphragm is killing me from coughing. I'm just going to warp you all to the rendezvous and call it a night.) (Okay!) (Works for me!) (ok) <>