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

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.]