<> * Hestia sighs and looks at the stupid thing. It's a bunch of Si+ with someone else's programming running through it. And in her own stupid way, Tia actually feels sorry for it. Maybe it's just the idea of it having been left alone here basically forever. "Right, well..." she starts, trailing off. How to put this. "Is there something I can help you with?" * Hestia looks at the computer intently, again. It's so [eff!]ing POLITE, which could almost get on her nerves. Altruism doesn't come easy to her to begin with. "You're right in that humans -- that's us, by the way -- aren't equipped for psionic interfaces out of the proverbial box. Some of us are, however." "... mutations? Interesting. Your species must be fairly young, as such things go." Oh, so the sleythin were happy to remind us in that good-natured way they have that makes me want to smack them. No, we're young and impetuous, reckless and greedy, the James Dean the VIIIth of spacefaring bio-organisms, not that this reference makes any sense to you. "No, but I can gather a little from context." * Hestia runs her hand through her hair. "In any event, PI or no, I think being trapped on some... highway rest area of a planet after your keepers had long since wandered off to greener pastures and/or the afterlife is probably my vision of hell. So I'm willing to... share some data with you." "In exchange for?" (I forget, s/he DIDN'T just hand us the location of Planet MacGuffin, right?) (You got a fair amount of data but most of it was specific to the troylae.) * Hestia smirks a little bit. "What, I can't just do it out of the kindness of my heart?" "My apologies for my assumption. The troylae had a fairly strict moral code, out of necessity, and fair exchange was a rather key part of it." * Hestia raises an eyebrow. Having been rhetorical, she seems surprised that the otherwise perceptive PI (thus far) didn't catch it. "I don't know about morality, but that sounds like something I could handle. I don't like debts and I don't like morals. I like transactions. Nice, clean, transactions with established terms." "What did you have in mind?" * Hestia takes a breath. "The location of that other race's homeworld. The one they abandoned." "The Guuub?" Yes. I don't know if we'll even find anything useful there. * Hestia pauses to run a hand through her hair again, turning around. "I don't even know why I'm DOING this. Those jerks at ATC should save the world like always. It's not my damn problem." "I would ask for clarification on that, but I imagine that's best left until we're actually talking. I'll gladly give you what I have of the Guuub, if it will help annoy even what's left of the Duekti." * Hestia chuckles. "They're not very likeable, are they? Even an ancient PI could hold a grudge." "They're offensive in multiple ways." <> "I'm prepared for talking. You will have to initiate, since I will harm you if I do it." * Hestia smirks, stepping closer to the machine. "Good to know." First, she puts on some Barry White. Then she lays her hand palm-down on one of the Si+ crystals (provided they're reachable) or the console (if they're not) and has at, geometric patterns of light starting their crawl up her arm. <> * Hestia is experiencing all this IN HER HEAD which is why she told everyone to leave the room! But they'll never know 'cause they're not here!~ <> (Wow. WOW.) (Nicely done.) (PRO-GUUUB-NITORS.) * Hestia slowly draws her hand back from the machine, looking... well, stunned, honestly. And then she grimaces and puts her hand to her forehead, wincing in pain a bit. "Damn, damn, damn... overextended myself a bit." "Are you in pain? I can see if I can synthesize some analgesics for your biology." <> * Hestia shakes her head. "No, thank you. Just experiencing the digital version of an ice cream headache." (Should wrap it up on my end soon, Boston traffic is... Boston traffic.) "Ah. Well, thank you, that was pleasant." You're welcome. In truth, you'll probably get more visitors soon. We're... curious as a race. They'll send plenty of teams out here to figure it all out. But they're not ALL bastards, and sometimes the sleythin can keep people... honest. "It's just a shame there aren't any Troylae here to greet them." (End whenever.) Maybe... maybe not. You never know. I hear there's a prophecy of ultimate doom, out there. * Hestia gives a little wave. "See you around." And then she's out the door before THAT can get a question asked. ("What prophe--" "SORRY, I CAN'T HEAR YOU. THE RAIN IS REALLY LOUD.") <>