audio;

[springlocking]

-- okay, it's on.

[The video is briefly on, just long enough to display the curious face of the person making the broadcast. She looks average enough, aside from that scar on her left cheek, though she manages to get the camera back off before continuing. Not much analysis/staring time there.

There's a brief inhale before the voice belonging to the face (a teenage girl, no more no less) starts in with her statement.]

Hi, my name's Charlie. I just arrived on the ship, and I've got a favor to ask.

See, I've been assigned to stealth operative duty. I haven't done anything like that in my life up until now, so if someone - anyone - could train me in...anything that's got anything to do with this? I'd appreciate it.

Thanks.

Comments

video;

[vaccinations]

Uh.

Hide behind stuff. Watch your enemies' movements. Use distractions. Attack from behind. Don't get caught?

[This stuff is basically her life but somehow it's harder to explain than she would like.]

audio

[springlocking]

S...seriously, that's it? I've - done that before. No practice, but it worked well enough.

[A certain dirtbag from her home world can attest to that. Oh wait, no he can't, he's dead! My bad.]

Still - jeez, I thought it was something more than that, what with it being a job and all. Thanks for clearing that up. ... Do you have any pointers on getting better at it?

[vaccinations]

I mean. I dunno. You just kinda have to do it. You know? Don't be a moron about it. Every time is different so it's not like they can sit you in a class room and explain it.

[Ellie sniffs and leans backwards, thinking.]

What about like a practice run? You could use that simulator room thing.

audio

[springlocking]

[There's a very long pause as she thinks this over.]

... Learning the ship layout would probably help with this, huh. All right, I'll go find that simulation room thing.

[Cue Charlie being lost for several days-- okay no.]

Audio: private

[that_cost]

I know a thing or two about stealth.

Audio: private (?!?!)

[springlocking]

[She sounds relieved.]

Great. Could you give me some pointers, please?

Re: Audio: private (?!?!)

[that_cost]

Sure. May as well, since you got one of the more interesting job assignments.

Audio: private

[springlocking]

Thank you. ... Uh, what's your name, anyway?

Re: Audio: private

[that_cost]

Leigh.

Good to meet you.

text

[a_shadow]

I'd say number one is don't broadcast it to the entire ship.

audio

[springlocking]

[How can text appear vaguely menacing?!]

I - all right. I'm still learning how this MID works.

Still, how do you ask for help if you can't broadcast to the entire ship?

[LOGIC.]

text

[a_shadow]

Networking. Observing. Working out who can help you by watching what they do.

audio

[springlocking]

All right...What does networking mean, exactly?

[She's a 90s kid, forgive her her trespass.]

[realitywarped]

Do you know how to fight? I'd suggest a good grounding in that, if you're intending to stealth operate on some of the planets we've been on. Dirty fighting, the kind that pulls no punches and doesn't rely on some kind of... honor, or ethical code.

[He pulls a small face.]

I don't suppose you're magically inclined, are you?

audio

[springlocking]

Nope, my world doesn't have magic.

[It has ghosts, though.]

By dirty fighting, do you mean something like whacking a guy in the back of the head with a spare pipe? Because that's really as close to fighting as I've gotten.

[Also electrocuting a robot. The robot was possessed, does that count?]

[realitywarped]

Well, that does make it more challenging. Learn to move quietly, then, is my other suggestion.

[He sighs, exaggerating a little.]

Not particularly, no. Something more like knives, perhaps, or even just street fighting. The point of stealth is not to get caught, and it's certainly not to fight- but sometimes, it's good to know how to fight just in case stealth fails.

[springlocking]

[He can't see it because she's on audio, but she's nodding along with the words. Finally, a concrete goal!]

Moving quietly...all right. I can work with that.

[She managed it one time under very stressful conditions. All she has to do is figure out how to do that again.]

About the fighting and the quiet moving - someone mentioned a simulation room. You've been here longer, right? Would that be a good place to start learning?

[audio; private]

[soldiergenes]

[ For the most part, Snake tends to write people off pretty quick. Sure, he notices the scar on her face, but he's well aware that he and teenagers generally don't mix well. So he's prepared to just ignore whatever this girl has to say.

Except then she announces her position to the entire network, and he has to suppress a groan at that. Really?

She's young, he reminds himself. This is also something he knows a lot about, so if it turns out that she's dedicated, he'd be willing to train her. Maybe. ]

First lesson is not to tell everyone you're a stealth operative right off the bat. You should have tracked us down privately.

[audio; private]

[springlocking]

I'm sorry. I didn't know where to start or who to look for.

[This is the second dressing-down she's gotten about this. ... Best first impression ever, Charlie. Still, she does sound genuinely contrite about this mess.]

[audio; private]

[soldiergenes]

[ The fact that she seems to understand the mistake she made at least shows that's she's probably trainable. If she'd started arguing with him, that would have been a bad sign. ]

The directory lists all the crew members and what their status is. It should have jobs listed too. It's a good idea to keep your eye on it. Part of this position is making sure that you keep track of what's going on throughout the ship.

Re: [audio; private]

[springlocking]

So I'd better get used to the MID then. Okay.

[Keeping track of what's going on- that strikes a chord with her, and before she can stop herself, she blurts out:]

So it's kind of like - like being a security guard sometimes, then?

[Security. Those who are supposed to watch over others to protect them, and never to kill or betray them. Never to use that right to protect their old stomping grounds, never to reach out with cruel hands and grip her neck and

Her neck aches as she thinks about that, and she rubs it, glad this conversation is audio-only.]

audio; private

[ersatzeverything]

Looks like Allison has already told you that the first rule of stealth club is that you don't talk about stealth club.

it's cool, charlie wouldn't get the reference anyway o/

[springlocking]

[Her name's Allison, huh? She probably had her reasons for not saying anything.]

Yeah, she did. I've got a lot to learn, huh...

[Other parties have also told her this rule - but she keeps her mouth shut on that part. Private means private.]

[ersatzeverything]

No problem; everyone's gotta start somewhere.

Just remember that information is like caps...uh, like money. You don't want to just toss it out.

Like, if I told you that you kinda reminded me of my daughter, because she had blonde hair likes yours and would have been about your age now, you'd have some leverage over me.

[A lie, Deacon's never had children.]

It's not that you can't tell anyone anything, but you want to be careful about what you say, and to whom. Think about what you're giving away and then decide if you really want to and really should.

[springlocking]

[This? This she gets almost on instinct. Like not making direct eye contact with a skeevy night guard - she hadn't known what was wrong, but she had been afraid of giving something up if she made that mistake.

Information, maybe. Whatever it was that he'd seen through the mask later, she'd kept him from seeing earlier. Maybe it would've been her in the suit if she had... Her voice is quiet and thoughtful when she replies.]

I think I get the picture, a little. And you don't actually have a daughter, I'm guessing. ... Which is also information... Am I anywhere near right on how to see things? It's all about thinking before you act or speak, isn't it?

[Charlie wanted to go back to normal after the mess at Freddy's, but - do you really go back to normal after that?]