video, December 20

[hellsbel]

[Bel's face should be tolerably familiar after weeks of ship patrols. It's a little sharper now, a little older, than it was three weeks ago.]


Thorne here. You've probably all seen Navigator Manasseh's video by now. I don't know what the hell that was, but for all intents and purposes we're dealing with a hostile intruder on board.

I'd like to call for combat-trained volunteers to protect and escort civilian crew members between essential areas of the ship. If you have an essential job somewhere on the ship, get someone who doesn't to escort you. Everyone else, stay together in public areas. Try the mess hall. At least you won't be hungry.

Anyone who figures out how to hurt the thing? Let us know.

Anyone want to help hunt it down? Let's talk.

Keep your eyes on your map. Call in if it looks like anyone is alone somewhere on the ship. Don't wait for them to call for help; they might not be able to. We'll go pick them up. If you want to go, take a friend.

If you need company on your workshift or to go anywhere, get in touch. And if you hear about anyone who needs company, see what you can do.

[a dry grin] I hope someone's feeding the cats.


[Volunteers will be asked to take charge of the following:

• Escort fellow crew from their rooms to a common area (mess hall or library, paired with another volunteer so no one has to return alone)
• Escort fellow crew back and forth from common areas to the infirmary (to visit friends)
• Stand by in the infirmary to escort medical personnel wherever needed
• Escort essential crew to areas of the ship that can't be left unmanned and stay with them while they work (nonessential crewpeople/civilians are invited for this)
• Arm up in pairs and stalk the intruder

For the record, Bel is always up for escort duty, but really, really wants to do some intruder-stalking. >3]


[[If anyone wants to handwave IC first meetings, that's fine! Threadhopping to check in with other characters and make hall-buddy plans is encouraged in here.]]

Comments

text;

[whynotgoonmyown]

... I might be able to help hunting it down. It would be easier if I had already had some sort of encounter with it, and it's definitely nothing I should do alone, but... I could be useful, even as a civilian.

text;

[hellsbel]

Tyler, I'll be glad to take you up on that.

text;

[whynotgoonmyown]

Alright. What I might be able to do is track it by scent; that's why I said it'd be easier if I'd run into already. Either way, I'll need some time to focus to do that, so yeah... Bad idea to go out there alone for that.

text;

[hellsbel]

[whistles] Huh. I can show you where it got Navigator Manasseh. Do you need her scent to rule it out?

[vengeance_driven]

I can help hunt it.

[He knows what he's good for.]

I need someone to move with, though.

text;

[commontype]

I'm in. Where you wanna meet up?

[vengeance_driven]

Mero Deck. Where are you?

[commontype]

Nomo. We should pick a spot and head there. So neither of us are alone for long.

audio;

[backsassin]

[Ugh, people were volunteering for this? Do you know how hard it is to beat competitor’s fees when they’re literally offering their services for free? Pretty much impossible. Doesn’t mean Zam can’t try.]

I can escort people around the ship. If I actually have to fight something, I’d like compensation. You know. For risking my life. [Speaking of compensation, how exactly does that work on a ship with no formal currency?] We can work out the details if it comes to that.

audio;

[hellsbel]

You mean besides these enviable accommodations, a potentially pest-free workplace, and the warm fuzzy feeling of giving your fellow crewpeople a better chance to live? [the grin is audible. we are literally in the same boat here zir~] Official commendations and combat or injury bonuses would have to go through the captains, but the rest of us could put in a good word for you.~

[more seriously] I can virtually guarantee some form of unofficial compensation if you do get off a shot at the thing. [even if Bel has to trade for themself at next planetfall.] We all want it gone.

[backsassin]

What can I say, [she says with a smirk.] I’m expensive.

[Zam’s face breaks into a grin at what Bel says next.] You know, that sounds an awful lot like a bounty to me. [In other words, straight up her alley.] I usually don’t take bounties that don’t name a price upfront, but given the circumstances… [She trails off, feigning thought.] I think I’ll make an exception.

Re: audio;

[vengeance_driven]

No problem in asking for money to cover expenses.

[He's sort of expecting the captains to make it up to them.]

If you see it, can you mark it on the MID? I am trying to physically go to spots where it is seen so that we can tell how it is getting around.

audio;

[hellsbel]

[potentially a problem having money to hand out, though. but eh, remembers that one time their fee for an operation that had expanded wildly out of control was rendered in several tonnes of Felician millifenigs, which, as Felice was losing the war at the time, would have made excellent wallpaper. and that one time they mortgaged the flagship to cover outstanding expenses in the face of a very late payroll. creative financing: the mercenary high life.]

Speaking of expenses, do you happen to know who our quartermaster is? [or if we have one.]

[vengeance_driven]

The captains handle it. We're given a certain amount depending on rank when we stop at ports.

[Niko's been hoarding his.]

[backsassin]

Exactly.

[Some instinctive part of her almost asks if he’ll pay extra for that, before she reminds herself a) there’s no official currency with which to pay her extra and b) she can’t even say that he owes her since figuring out this thing's movements is just as useful to her as it is to him. He might catch a somewhat put out sigh as she comes to this conclusion.] Yeah, I can do that.

[vengeance_driven]

Hey, don't worry about it. In this case, it is a communal effort to make sure no one gets you in the back again. [He remembers that story.]

audio;

[whatdidisay]

It, uh, shouldn't need to be fought if you're being escorted. But I'll take you up on that offer.

( guess who had a run in with it already in the worst company possible? this man. but he's seen the voice matched with someone around ship and they're pretty attractive, so ivan's gonna hedge his bets and use this as an excuse.

even if he doesn't like the idea of fighting anything. )

Re: audio;

[hellsbel]

[are you actually doing this right now]

Take special care of this one, Zam. He'll make it worthwhile.~ [best wingperson y/y?]

Ivan, you say that like a man with some experience. Don't tell me it's crossed your path?

audio;

[whatdidisay]

( have you met him. he's also not sure about bel being a wingindividual, but you know what. he'll take it. )

Miles and I caught a glimpse of it.

( they were arguing and then had the ever loving shit scared out of the both of them, but he's going to not mention that to bel. )

audio;

[backsassin]

Will he, now? [She catches on to Bel’s tone easily enough.] Only a couple of ways I can think of for someone to do that.

audio;

[backsassin]

Sounds good. Anywhere in particular you’re trying to get to? [She realizes that she’ll probably have to walk alone to get to wherever they’re meeting, but she’s not worried. She still has her blaster after all.]

audio;

[whatdidisay]

My cousin's office. Back to my room. Possibly the library. Showers?

( god he really needs a shower now that things have started to unfreeze. )

audio;

[pallantias]

I have combat experience. Specifically in hunting and killing. [She doesn’t mention that her prey was invariably human, only because it doesn’t seem relevant.] Do we need to be accompanied if our objective is to kill it? If it only strikes when we’re alone, then wouldn’t that be the wisest strategy to lure it?

audio;

[hellsbel]

[so was Bel's, mostly. war is hell.]

According to Navigator Manasseh, two attacks leave you dead. If it got you once already, you need to be accompanied. If it didn't, use your best judgment. We still don't know what we're dealing with.

Re: audio;

[pallantias]

I haven’t been attacked yet. Do we have any other intel on it? Will it die if I cut off its head? [She supposes it’s something of a shot in the dark, but well… it tends to work for most things.]