<> <> <> <> (What are the other ship's specialties?) (Uh... the Orchid are great at douchebag, and the Apiary are clever sneakthieves.) (If nobody else has a chance to suss out more organic tech from Guub II, we likely have to go ourselves.) <> (Otherwise, we know more of the supposed prophecy than anyone, so we'd be good on Aqueon.) (Did we mention it? We must have mentioned it.) <> (The prophecy? Yeah.) (The prophecy was mentioned, yes.) (I'm thinking we'd want an armed force to check out the Deukti? Unless fighting is just plain not worth it?) (Yeah, could have them go with one Supernova or Orchid.) (We should definitely throw the better armed forces toward the homeworld.) (I felt like people wouldn't want the suicide job.) (More heavily armored ships are less likely to suicide, at least.) ("Have fun, you might not die"?) (Yes!) (Okay, need a sec to order dinner.) (Everyone here grasps how serious this is. They'll head back to Mars, which is definitely suicide, so... the question is, how many forces, if much at all, did the Duekti leave behind? There are a LOT orbiting Mars right now.) (So we need to do that... if people go get artichokes, then chances are high that the only ships with artichokes are ours and the ones that go.) (We'll give the Orchid the glory of leading that charge.) (We don't need to do that. XP) (We can't bring artichokes back to equip ships with?) (That pretty much puts us going to Aqueon then.) (Well, the Guuub installed ours; we're not really sure how to do it.) (It does seem as if, unless we ourselves split up, that yeah, we're going to Aqueon, one ship goes to Guuub 2: Electromagnetic Boogaloo.) <> (Orly) (If *that's* the case, we might be best to deal with the Guuub, since we're the only ones who have.) (So Don Goatee and the corp ships up the interdiction line, Nova and Apiary to Guuub, and Breaker to Aqueon.) (Talking to the PI over at Aqueon's pretty easy.) (We *could* send an emissary.) (The planet's empty, though, or so Mika and Leo claim.) (oh right. Still, we could send Kyle or 'Deus to help find the artichokes (We'll split the shit out of this party.) (*switches Tomas off*) (NO GO HOMBRE. TOMAS IS ALWAYS ON.) (Since people can't head up the interdiction line until someone comes back with the artichokes anyhow, you could go to Aqueon, the Nova and the others could go grab as many artichokes as they can carry, and then everyone heads up the interdiction line.) (I suppose your assessment, re: The Interdiction Line, is accurate.) (Sounds like a good idea!) (Go ahead and lay it out, then, and we'll get underway.) (Are we sending anyone to help identify the artichokes or can we describe them well enough for Team Guub Guub?) (You can show them, honestly.) (We are officially Thinking Too Much about this.) (That'd work.) (That was my last sticking point.) (THIS IS ATC. YOU CAN NEVER OVERTHINK.) * Tomas points at everybody that isn't from the Breaker, "You guys need artichokes or you aren't going anywhere useful, so you can head to Guub Guub to gear up. Amadeus or Kyle here can describe the device to you and how to integrate it with your drives." Describe it? How 'bout we just show them? Our crew will head to Aqueon and see what more we can find out about this Tone and what it has to do with the Duekti. * Tomas shrugs at Kyle, "Whatever works, chief." * Amadeus nods to Kyle, then says, "I took a picture of it. Hang on." He pulls out his datapad and jacks to it. A few eyeclicks, and a picture of the artichoke comes up on the screen. * Amadeus unplugs and hands it off so they can pass it around. * Zeke, now that people are doing the planning stuff, has been not-surprisingly silent. After you guys have your artichokes and we've figured out this tone nonsense, we'll all head up the interdiction path to Duekti Prime. (It would be sweet if we had some ansible style FTL comms to continue coordinating.) (That would be totally hot.) <> "Take the fight to them, eh? I approve. We will ready our crews." <> (I had a crude FTL system, it just didn't get much traction.) (Did everybody go up to the soda fountain and refill their cups before leaving?) (Yes except instead of soda it was booze.) (Booze garden!) (What kind of crazy bar has self-serve drafts?) (The one at the end of the universe) (The one where people are getting ready to go save the solar system?) <> (It is bad that when I think of the Tone, I hear 'Hymn of the Fayth'.) <> * Kyle is totally good with being in the cockpit with Lexi. * Amadeus is in fact in the map room! * Lexi is ready to rock! Like always. (Todd: I hear ... it's like a Phillip Glass fugue.) * Tomas takes his usual launch position on the couch in the lounge, reading a dog-eared issue of "Fisticuffs Quarterly." (Ha.) * Hestia idly monitors gauges. Power levels: holding steady at 8999. "I still wonder why I didn't hear the Tone on Aqueon, like everyone else." * Lexi shrugs. "It's because you're not special, T. That's all." (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ch-R1aIM-C0&feature=related This. It sounds like this.) * Amadeus hmms. "Thanks for that, Lexi. More seriously, it probably has something to do with your SCA mutation." (Okay so) (I apparently had the '1911' switch on still) (And was like: It sounds like a player piano roll?) (Also man, I remember this shit.) <> * Hestia leans back in her chair, glancing at Amadeus for a moment, before looking up at the ceiling. She's got the shipwide voice comm on, because that's how this shit goes down. "Lucky thing you knew that guy stashed away on Indi Epsilon who conveniently had information for us, Zeke," she offers idly, and factually incorrectly. * Zeke is silent a moment, then offers, "You have calmed down significantly, Hestia." And you're as good at reading people as ever. * Zeke replies, "I had the unmistakable impression that if you were still as angry as you were before, I would not be alive." I think other things are more important right now. * Lexi comms. "You guys ready?" * Amadeus nods and plots a course to Aqueon! * Hestia says, perhaps a little more harshly than even she intends, "Killing you without getting an explanation first serves no purpose." * Lexi nods "Right then. Hang onto your martinis." * Kyle thumbs-up. * Lexi fires up the ship and takes off! <> That is... probably correct. ...but what's really funny is that, with every life on Mars potentially on the line and the technology that enabled that potentially invaluable, you're still being cagey about it. * Zeke is silent a moment, then replies, "Survival is imperative, Hestia." A moment, then he adds, "But it is clear that an explanation is necessary. It is not a simple explanation, and as such I suggest people are prepared for the consequences." * Amadeus frowns. He doesn't like this already. (If nobody's gonna protest...) (Dude, who's going to protest?) Really? WHAT is going to shock me at this point? The PI bodyguard robots of former xenophobic space chickens have now surrounded my homeworld and are threatening to... to NANNY humanity out of existence, while we hunt for the barely-audible sound of space walrus-dolphins that might defeat them? What in the hell could be weirder than THIS? * Zeke looks to Tomas, and then says, surprisingly simply, "I... am a Cxxchrck. I have been concealing my race for the purpose of study, discovery, and continued survival, as it is likely revealing my nature would cause violent reactions on a large scale." (Well how's that for timing.) (That lined up nicely.) Uh... (I DID IT ON PURPOSE) (i hit the self-destruct) * Tomas looks up from his magazine and at Zeke, crooking the eyebrow, "I don't know how you charm all those chickas with that sense of humor, Z." * Kyle idly makes sure he can do SOMETHING if Zeke goes crazy. Like, hickory smoked. (weirdness threshhold: 9001 / 8999) <> * Zeke replies, "It is strange, I agree." (That's mostly what I was making sure I could do!) * Tomas turns a page, muttering, "It just makes no sense." (FYI I am pretty sure all of you would recognize the name from the diagrams you were shown by the troylae PI.) * Hestia turns to look at the only other person in physical proximity: Amadeus. (Wait, 'Cxxchrck' isn't a word used in human society?) (Nope.) (God, even your reveal wasn't a reveal!) * Amadeus is blinking rapidly as he works through what Zeke just said. "Wait... what? Chix- chiz- that sounds like a... uh..." And now he pales and seems like he maaay want to throw up. "Bug name." (Sorry, it's the proper name.) * Kyle glances at Lexi, and off-coms comments. "Well... I can vent him if we gotta, but he hasn't gone crazy at us. Yet." (N, I got it! For I am Amadeus!) * Zeke nods to himself. "That is correct, Amadeus. I am a bug." ...well, that would explain an awful lot, except for the part where you're actually _helping us_. * Amadeus takes his glasses off, then puts them on immediately after. "Right. A bug. Excuse me." He stands and heads for the bathroom. * Lexi blinks and shakes her head. "Um... Zeke... I don't know if you realize this... but bugs don't look like giant tin cans with birds on their shouldsers. No offense." * Hestia stays right where she is. She sure is fingering the edge of her holster, though. * Amadeus says, almost annoyed before he enters the bathroom, "He IS the bird, Lexi!" (HAHA, does Lexi think he's crazy?) * Zeke replies to Lexi with, "That would make this a disguise, Lexi. But no, I am not the bird." Dude, bugs are birds? Seriously prof? Why didn't you ever teach us that in class?! 'The bird' is my primary lieutenant drone. If constructed normally, it would be what you call a 'Cricket'. * Lexi shakes her head. "I uh.... why haven't you killed us, yet, then? Isn't that what you guys do? Also why did you go all wackaloo on those bugs on the asteroid if you're a bug. None of that makes sense." * Hestia tightens her grip, then gets out of her chair and walks, purposefully, into the lounge, talking the whole time. "So, your friend 'Four'... the one who oh-so-conveniently has information that can 'help' us... he a Bug too?" And now her voice is rising in volume, and even pitch a little. "That the plan? Exploit the moment of weakness, sweep in and finish the job?!" * Amadeus is in the bathroom. Possibly throwing up. Or freaking out. Or both. (Taking a flying leap off the handle-like-apparatus.) (Yes!) (Hellz yeah!) * Zeke is silent a moment as Hestia rages, then he explains, "There is... no conquest goal. The Pyramid is dead, the war over." And Four is... an unknown. A dangerous unknown. * Hestia enters the lounge gun first, trained on Zeke (if he is there) from second one. "Oh, _really_? Dangerous unknowns! Certainly I prefer those to be external, rather than _on my own god damned ship for the last few months_!" * Zeke looks back at Hestia, and is there. The birdsect looks at her as well. "I can understand, given the Pyramid's war, why you would be suspicious." * Lexi shakes her head. "Okay okay okay... let me get this straight... You're a bug... like those things that tried to kill us when we started chain jumping... but you're saying that you're not trying to kill us because bugs aren't trying to kill us anymore.... or something? Space Jesus! I need a drink!" ( ON IT!) * Hestia narrows her eyes. "There's lots of suspicious things about you, jackass. We've never seen you out of the suit, for one. Then there was your little tete-a-tete with the people from ATC out on Ganymede. I wondered what it was all about, and you can thank the fact that they didn't vaporize you on sight for me not pulling this fucking trigger right now. And what the HELL are you talking about?" <> Yo, Lexi, can you get me one too? Something really fuckin' strong. * Lexi floats over to the bar and sits down on a chair in front of it. Two martinis mix themselves behind her. * Lexi floats one of the martinits to herself and one to Kyle. * Zeke is silent a moment, then says, "The war in 2064 was the result of the Pyramid's directives, the long term extinction wars that she engaged in." * Kyle takes it and drinks. "And you're not part of this, you're saying?" * Amadeus exits the bathroom and makes his way to the lounge, where Tia has a gun aimed at Zeke. Amadeus has a gun in hand as well, actually, but he's trembling something fierce as he approaches the conversation. He looks frankly terrified. * Zeke says, "We are... typically combative towards other Cxxchrck. My supposition is that once she was in control of all Cxxchrck, that there was only one other group to fight." I was not... privy to her reasoning. * Kyle sighs, making sure he can slam the button to jettison Zeke if it REALLY comes to it. But that'd suck. The Prof is totally cool. (Zeke goes on to write The Hive Queen and then mope about for an eternity before making himself a younger body out of Nullspace.) Oh, well. I suppose plausible deniability is important when you're bent on galaxy-wide genocide. * Zeke replies, "It likely did not occur to her. I do not inform my drones of all my thought processes, and I am far closer to them than she was to me." * Zeke is silent a moment, then adds, "Is this line of conversation truly the most informative for you all, given your continued worry about me?" You- you really are a bug. * Zeke looks over to Amadeus and nods slightly. "Yes. I am sorry, but as you can see, the alternative to deceit would have been almost certainly suicidal." It... was not ideal, now that we are a... hive of sorts. No. Why come with us *at all*? * Zeke is silent a moment, then says, "I was a researcher. When I... resurged, as you would call it, I was disconnected from everything." I have been engaging in discovery regarding humans and the state of the universe ever since, and that naturally yielded chainjumping as a reasonable possibility. * Hestia really wants a reason to holster that gun, but frankly she's hard pressed to find one. "ATC obviously knows something we don't. Why not work for them?" So who else knows you're a bug anyways? Does Four know? How about ATC? Oh, I bet ATC knows. Maybe the guy that hired you? * Amadeus scowls at the thought of ATC. Man, fuck those guys. * Zeke looks directly at Hestia. "At the beginning, I was not aware of their level of knowledge. Currently, we do not have a... strong relationship, due to discrepencies in their motives and mine." * Lexi takes a sip of her drink. "Does P-Dawg know?" * Zeke then looks at Kyle. "I believe I have kept my nature completely secret. This includes to our handler." (Like he knows anything pertinent. Seriously.) ATC is the exception. And you have no desire to hurt us? (Awww. DW7 makes Dian Wei's death so sad :( And I don't even like him!) * Zeke shakes his head. "You are part of a... loose hive with me, as I have come to understand human relations. There is no reason or desire to hurt you: what could be gained?" (Hurt? No. EXTERMINATE? YES) Right. I see. Okay. Our _silence_, for one. For two, don't you dare lump me in with... with... With who. Us? * Amadeus looks at Tia curiously, his fear of Zeke temporarily gone. I think she meant... with bugs. I assume your silence is assured. Unless you are willing to kill me, any lack of silence would be equivalent to the Duekti situation. You would be assumed to be... Bug sympathizers. * Zeke looks up and lets out an electronic 'sigh'. "False though it would be, they thought more foolish things about the Duekti." * Lexi drinks more. "Okay... wait a minute... let's put the whole... Zeke being a horrible genocidal killing machine thing aside for a minute. If you're a bug... do you have any information on the Duekti that we don't already have?" No, personally, I do not. Duekti were reduced to near extinction outside of my perception. I have informed you of everything that I was aware of via other methods. * Lexi sighs and drinks more. "Bummer" I don't believe this. I had considered the possibility that visiting Cxxchrck planets might yield more information, but the likelyhood is not high. * Hestia tightens her grip on the gun in her hand. "What I really don't believe is why I haven't just pulled the fucking trigger." The only advantage I can provide is slow contact with the Directrix. And other people on Mars. Via my... spiders. * Amadeus sighs, holstering his gun. "Because he's been too human, Tia. Weird, mechanical, and semi-human." * Lexi shrugs at Tia. "Because he's not trying to kill us and the Duekti are." * Hestia narrows her eyes, before slamming the gun in its holster. "Do what you want. You people are all lunatics, anyway. And if this really does turn out to be some sort of plot on your part, _Bug_, I will end you. Believe it." * Amadeus removes his glasses and rubs at his eyes. Yeech. * Zeke nods slightly. "I believe it to be likely, Hestia." Four is clearly engaging in a plot. * Zeke shakes his head. "I wish I had better news to offer with this revelation." <> * Lexi shrugs. "Well... Come on, Chix. If you're going to be sticking around. We might as well move on." She floats back to the cockpit and starts to take the ship down. * Hestia just... goes to the map room. Yeah. The map room. * Amadeus glances back at Zeke and then heads after Tia. (*applies milk to cookies* SUCCESS) (Hee!) <> (oh man. the best part isn't the cookies, it's chugging the milk after. *_*) * Zeke is silent, which is probably for the best, as he carries his case, and his birdsect is perched on his shoulder. * Amadeus suits up and gets out, trying to remain calm, but really. It's hard. <> "HEY! What's the big idea? We've been waiting a whole day for the mail and supply run! If you're them, I want you fired, chainjumpers or no!" (I shoot her.) (You make Amadeus sad.:( ) ("WE'RE VERY BUSY.") * Amadeus removes his helmet and says, "We're not. There's a huge crisis on Mars. We need to find or make a Tone generator." <> "... that has to be some weird-ass crisis, if you need a Tone generator." The fate of humanity depends on us. Are you a bad enough team to do it? That statement doesn't even make sense. <> "You seek the Tone? But why?" (:D) * Lexi shrugs. "In my experience, Crisises don't come ina flavor other than 'weird ass'" So true. So very true. * Amadeus nods in agreement with Lexi. "They're all weird-ass crises, Dr. Hakes. Suffice to say, the Duekti are about to either exterminate or enslave us, and they don't seem to like the Tone for some reason." He looks to the PI. "If you would be willing to help." <> "The duekwho-wha?" <> "I am unaware of the duekti, but I can help to the best of my ability. The issue is, the Tone is generated by the planet itself. The best I can offer is a tonal profile, and perhaps a spare amplifier." ( http://tinyurl.com/43d6hmr <- Walphin PI ) * Kyle shrugs. "I think that'll have to do?" * Hestia raises an eyebrow. "How does the *planet* generate a Tone? And I still don't know why I never heard it." Certainly better than nothing. * Hestia eyes Walphin, P.I. for a moment, inclining her head. "Did you ever have alien visitors that were... repulsed by the Tone? Or adversely affected in some way?" "It is geological in nature, caused by constant plate movement. At least, this is what the data I have says. And no, no such visitors ever arrived. The first we had were the Bugs." * Amadeus successfully resists the urge to glance at Zeke! <> (Like... a guitar.) (YES) (Seriously, by that description we could generate the tone with a kettle drum.) (We will ROCK and melt their faces!) * Kyle checks the file. "Rock out. We're so gonna melt their faces with this." (The Tone ends up being those pre-programmed beat backgrounds you get on synthesizers.) (So basically we put on the most destructive rock concert of all time.) (Made on My Brother's Casio!) * Hestia looks at Kyle. "Melt their what? Did you drink more martinis while I wasn't looking?" Only three and a half. <> * Hestia glances at the plans. "...is it just me, or has this turned into a weird treasure hunt?" <> (I know how those work! I made my drones do that!) (Time to go on a chainjumping fetch quest!) (Good thing we have the airship.) Yes. Yes it has. * Amadeus looks at the plans. "It's not just you. We should get started." He looks to the PI and Dr. Hakes. "Thank you for your help." Like all the places we've been going have had all the shit we need to bu- oh god dammit. (it's the FINAL FETCH QUEST *GUITAR*) * Zeke speaks up to say, "This only reinforces the non-coincidental nature of these tasks." So let's get going. We've got a lot of gathering. (Okay. We probably ought to wrap up.) * Zeke nods. "I have significant data on the technologies of our previous planets, as I was interested in determining whether they could be used or not." Of course. * Hestia turns back to Hakes. "Take heart, Doctor. If we mess this up and the chickenbots wipe out humanity, you'll be perfectly safe here surrounded by the Tone. Unless they find some way to blow up the planet from orbit." (LIKE NUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUKES) * Kyle heads back to the ship. "Thanks for the help, Doc. And you too, PIdude." (It's the only way to be sure.) (Also the mail's not coming, FYI.) ".... thanks, I think." <> <>