text; "I thought this was supposed to be a REWARD"

[peridork]

Can someone please explain to me why the captains are so obsessed with assigning certain maintenance duties for certain parts of the ship to those of us who don't even use them?

I've long since been informed of what goes on in a bathroom, and as such I refuse to go anywhere near one!

[ Peridot just received her rank reward, and she's really not amused by what the note that came along with it is implying. ]

Comments

Re: text

[peridork]

...Look, I don't understand what bedds have to do with this, but honestly, I don't care. So I'll answer your actual question: What it is that makes them so horrific is that you organic types eliminate waste in there, which is disgusting and I want nothing to do with any equipment involved in such a process.

[[DON'T WORRY YOU'RE FINE]]

text

[hellsbel]

[it takes Bel a moment to work that out; there are no inorganic intelligences where they come from. even the computers don't really have personalities.]

...so where else are we supposed to eliminate it?

Not that I'm arguing that the job distribution on this rig isn't screwy, I can't help but notice you're not including yourself as one of the "organic types". Am I missing something here?


[[YAY THX~~]]

text; (I DROPPED THE BALL I'M SORRY)

[peridork]

[If only she could convey exasperated sighing through text.]

Clearly, you are. I'm a Gem, not a human. I don't partake in your kind's ritual of consuming ridiculous amounts of matter for energy, and while I do commend you all for at least devoting a specific spot for the elimination of the resulting waste in order to efficiently contain your mess, I protest thoroughly against the idea of having to go anywhere near it. Does that make sense?

text/video (ITS OK NO WORRIES c: )

[hellsbel]

[...being told there were intelligent nonhumans on board is one thing, but...????]

You are so close to making sense. [the bemused humor would probably come through more clearly in audio. as a matter of fact.....

after a couple moments, a vidcall comes through instead of another text. Bel's sharp, baffled face is framed with brown hair in an ambiguous cut, its clean lines giving no clue as to gender, but clearly suffused with curiosity.]

Even the Cetas have to feed like the rest of us, as gloriously posthuman as they think they want to be. A "gem" is a mineral formation, where I come from. A very pretty formation, mind you, but they don't talk, even on Eta Ceta. Are there many like you on board?

video;

[peridork]

[Peridot scowls as they talk, mouth scrunching up on itself in her displeasure until it's almost nothing on the landscape of her face. It's not really anger directed specifically at them; just a general weariness for having to explain this over and over to each new crew member that the Ingress spits out.] Just two of us; me and one other, if you really must know.

video;

[hellsbel]

[she looks like a vid cartoon. a vid cartoon that's alive. Bel isn't entirely sure she's not just a simulation.]

..Then I apologise on behalf of the rest of us organics for the trouble you're taking on our behalf. [mouth quirks up in a bemused smile.] Are there organics where you come from, or is this all as peculiar to you as it is to some of us?

[peridork]

Negative: There are no organics on Homeworld, or on any gem controlled colonies, for that matter.

[hellsbel]

None? Where did they go? [huh. the 'gems' must live very far away from Earth....] So you're an empire, then? We haven't come across any intelligent inorganics yet, anywhere the wormholes have led us.

[peridork]

Eh? [[Head tilt.]] What do you mean "where did they go"? There is no organic life on Homeworld, and never has been.

[[Don't even try and ask her about the gem origin of species, Bel. It's not a road you want to go down.]]

But to answer your second question, yes: The gem empire is vast and powerful. We control hundreds colonies throughout the galaxies!

[hellsbel]

Must be handy, not having to make habitats for all your squishy organic needs.

So if there were no organics around, why do you look like.... [sort of] people? Two eyes, a nose -- that is a nose, right? I mean, why stop there?

[peridork]

[She crosses her arms. Frowns at Bel askance.] I'm pretty sure the age of our race far exceeds that of humanity. So really, the question you should be asking is, why do humans look like gems? And I'm not really sure where you're implying that we should "go", or even what point you are suggesting that we have "stopped" at.

[hellsbel]

Because evolution has a really terrible sense of humor? [grins]

Beyond that sort of bipedal form, I mean. I'm a descendant of a genetic engineering experiment; this crew's full of people who would be even further outliers than me back where I come from. Can you customize yourselves?

[peridork]

Ah. Yes, we are capable of changing form at will. It’s not really very commonly utilized, though, on account of it being terribly inefficient. Far too much energy for far too little result.

[hellsbel]

That must be terribly convenient, though, if you ever really need it. [impressed, and a little envious; was only talking about gene-designing before birth. but genuine shapeshifting? cool.]