thisavrou | video, December 3, evening

[A sharp, knowing, bare-cheeked face appears on the monitor, framed with soft brown hair. The voice that comes through is a bright alto in a broad Betan accent, heavy on the flat rs, indistinguishable as to gender. (And quite different from, say, that group of space Russians two rooms over.)]

Hello, Moira! Bel Thorne here, arrived the other day with the rest of the new people, fresh from the Wormhole Nexus. I'm told we're a captive crew and there's no way out but forward, so I look forward to meeting you all as we bring our ship home. I'm also the new Interrogation Tech, so you'll probably see me patrolling the ship, trying to figure out what the hell that's supposed to mean.

[a more serious look, the voice now clipped and on point]

Meantime, I have some experience in deep-space survival situations. Since our captains are apparently inaccessible, no doubt for some very important reason, I'm going to assume they'd prefer us to live through this, and have for all your consideration a couple of suggestions. You'll find them in the attached text packet. This shouldn't be so hard to get through if we can all keep each others' welfare in mind.

[Pause; then an ironic smirk.]

If you're wondering whether I'm a woman or a man, the answer is "yes." We'll surely all learn more about one another as we get better acquainted.

Oh, and if the word "Dendarii" means anything to you, get in touch.

[The attached text packet opens to a neat memo.]

Captain Bel Thorne
Dendarii Light Cruiser Ariel
Presently: Interrogation Technician, Moira

First, the good news: while we're having temperature problems, it looks like the rest of the environmentals are holding steady. Who else is in favor of breathing? Don't all raise your hands at once.~ For all you dirtwalkers -- people more used to living on planets, I mean, that makes things easier, since it means you'll be able to gather in closed spaces for warmth and just let the air circulate now and then.

Next, the fewer spaces, the better. Those of you who've been on board the longest will probably have a better idea of which areas are best at retaining heat. Anyone with an empty bed in their cabin, invite someone in to share it. Better yet, double up in each bunk. The room'll be warmer and you might make a new friend! Cabins should be either completely empty or completely full; that way no one's wasting body heat or left alone in a room. If there's any common areas that can be heat-secured, those can be used as well as the cabins. Stay away from heat-sinks like Sanitation and the Observation Deck, unless you have essential duties to carry out -- and if you do, take frequent breaks to warm up.

Next, keeping warm. Who's our quartermaster? Let's talk. Spare bedding from the unused bunks on your deck should be redistributed to the full quarters and shared among the occupants. We get three sets of uniforms? Wear them all. Layer up if you have to leave your cabin. Any extra warm-weather gear? Share it among whoever has duties out in the cold. Forget about bathing regularly or laundering your outerwear until you're not in danger of freezing. If you feel grimy, take a cloth and some warm water and wipe yourself off in your cabin; don't try to be a hero and wind up making everyone sick. Any essential laundering should be done in one big load every day or two. Just imagine how nice it'll feel to be all clean and crisp when the heat comes back.~

For any of you who aren't used to shipboard life: no open fires. Fires use air. I'd like to talk to anyone who has heat-generating weapons, for example a plasma rifle that could be used on a low setting to heat up any large metal objects that could radiate heat for a while. If anyone tries that trick, make sure the metal object is safe on a heat-resistant surface.

Anybody injured, ill, small, or otherwise more vulnerable to the cold should spend as much time as possible in their cabin, and be accompanied at all times if they have to leave it. It's up to everyone to make sure your fellow crewpeople are protected. These classes of people should also be excused from long or heavy labor until the heat comes back, and their official jobs divided among their crewmates. Priority should go to tasks essential for ship maintenance and crew survival. Everything else can be cleaned up afterwards.

Next, and this is important. Someone on each deck should be checking in with each warm room. If someone has to work in the cold parts of the ship and doesn't come back, they should be missed and found as fast as possible. No one disappears.

I'm new here, so this is going out to everyone who already knows the ship and crew well enough to implement any of this. You'll find me on Nomo Deck; get in touch if you want to coordinate.

[Dating this to December 3 since the event is already started but Bel's still meeting people. edit: and if you're on Nomo Deck, you may get a knock on your door as Bel tries to figure out who knows the ship and/or needs to make room arrangements.]]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Probably because we accidentally destroyed a planet a few weeks ago. I mean, none of my commanding officers have decided that locking themselves in their rooms is the appropriate answer to this sort of thing, but the closest we've come to is just conquering a planet instead of letting it collapse in on itself.

( he squints at the video, since bel looks... familiar. he knows the accent, and the reference to the mountains in miles' finally places the betan somewhere in ivan's general sphere of knowledge. good god. )

Does, uh. Does Miles know someone's asking after the Dendarii?

[and there he is; Greg had mentioned he was on board. hasn't changed a bit, either. oh joy.]

Ivan Vor-something, for the love of God. [broad, far-too-bright smile] I haven't seen you since that memorable wedding night all those years ago. [technically Bel didn't see him during the incident on Earth, but... yep that was also a thing.]

could just explain, but tbh Miles and Ivan both brought this on themselves~] You'd have to ask him. What's your security clearance these days?

[more seriously] Maybe if the captains stay out of sight, they won't lose their crew too. What the hell's wrong with this ship?

Edited 2015-12-07 01:48 (UTC)

Vorpatril. ( he offers helpfully, digging through his brain to turn up a name. no such luck, give him a bit longer. ) Yeah, how are Elena and her husband doing these days? Still, you know, doing whatever it is married people do?

( he hopes he never finds out. personally that it, about marriage. although he doesn't want to know those details about elena's life either, now that he thinks about it. she'd probably knee him again. )

Dunno, it gives my commanding officers one hell of a headache. ( ivan says with a grin. not incorrect -- he knows about the dendarii for being there during its formation and also helpfully being around to give miles the few missing pieces he needed in order to figure out that getting strung up for treason was looming in his future. ) Not as much as Miles gives them, I'll give him that.

( as for what's wrong with the ship, well. ivan just raises a brow and shrugs. )

Hell if I know.

( and he'd like to continue living in this blissful state of ignorance, please and thank you. )

Edited 2015-12-07 02:09 (UTC)

Vorpatril, that's right. [the name is right up there in the video, Ivan.<3 have you been drinking? and if so can Bel have some?] Oh, they're doing very, very well. [very suggestive smirk; doesn't think Elena will mind.] I suppose they'd have sent their love if they knew we'd be meeting like this.

[yes, Ivan. Bel was there. you were probably hanging out with Auson and didn't notice.~] Pity. Well, why not ask him? Or better yet, ask that good-looking foster brother of his. Maybe he can tell you something.

[tilts head, pondering the great and terrible mystery that is Ivan] Well, at least you're not alone. Ivan... how does Miles hold up in weather like this?

( maple mead, and no. that's his, it was delivered to him. there is some left in the bar, however, because no one can actually drink three kegs of the stuff. )

Er. Yeah, probably. ( or, you know, more physical violence, whatever. bel you can't seriously hold the auson thing against him forever. what was he supposed to think? ) What, Gregor? ( ivan frowns -- since when has gregor been 'good looking'? not the point. ) I think I'll take the cousin that doesn't answer questions with "let's see what happens".

( he likes to think he's pretty simple to figure out. hell, he's put a lot of time in effort into being so. )

Weather like this, where he's not in charge and he's just died? I can't say it's happened before, not on the equivalent of ship duty.

Edited 2015-12-07 02:45 (UTC)

[oooh. perhaps Miles will effect an introduction then.

Ivan you were still staggering the next morning. nah, though, Bel doesn't really hold that against him. it's just a nice conversation point.~] Oh, I thought he was going by Greg. [you didn't notice he's good-looking, Ivan? maybe you'll notice now. ^^] Up to you.~

[...ah, but the next line, though

did you ever fancy seeing Bel's face go bloodless in barely a heartbeat? well, you have now.]

.........Died?

Yeah, last planet we were on. ( guess who's not noticing bel's reaction? this man. ) We burnt a death offering and everything, but he apparently got revived just fine and showed up a week later.

( it slowly, slowly dawns on ivan that something is wrong with bel's face. er. whoops. )

He didn't tell you that?

( goddamn it miles. bel's one of yours, it's not ivan's job or place to drop 'hey your co died' on them. how was he supposed to know you didn't mention that? it seems like the sort of thing you'd want to lead with. )

[having reached a reaction point visible enough to register to Vorpatril, Bel is just listening to this. 'revived just fine' suggests cryo-revival, but the details can come later.

finally, suffused voice]

.............No.

[have you met Miles, Ivan. ಠ_ಠ]

Incidentally, where are they right now?

[why? no reason. at all.]

[[the icon I am having so much trouble keeping a straight face at work]]

( unfortunately yes, he's met his cousin. for twenty-five years. )

Probably in his office. ( that ivan is pretty sure he conned himself into, rank, promotion, and all. because miles naismith vorkosigan, and ivan's really just waiting for the moment he takes over at this point. ) Although he hangs around the library too, some days.

( ivan can't blame him. he's tempted to, just for the exceedingly attractive librarian. not for the books. )

(( armie hammer makes the best faces for ivan, i don't make the rules. ))