Partitioned by a canvas screen lie four stacks of triple-tiered bunkbeds. The walls are bare metal, the floors are scuffed but clean slip-resistant tile, and the recessed overhead lighting hums persistently. There is a heavy smell of recently used antiseptics.
"The uh, facilities are that way," points a young lashunta mercenary. "There is a common area over there. Someone will be here at 0745 to escort you in the morning. Ready or not, they will drag you out of here. Good luck. Oh, and uh, glad to have you in the company. I hope." The kid grins and walks off. He is barely two steps away before he shouts across the other partitioned sections of the barracks to tell his friends he's off duty officially now.
Castor tossed his ratty duffle bag onto on of the bunks and unzipped it. The battered canvas bag clearly contained what few items he had seen fit to bring from his previous life. The grand total of his worldly goods was a spare uniform, his civvies, and a set of toiletries. Clearly, he was not the sort to make frivolous attachments.
Everything was secondhand with the exception of his spare uniform. His weapon was a cheap refurbished pulsecaster of a model that had gone out of production a few years ago. His ill-fitting armor was clearly military surplus from somewhere, though the difference in materials between part of the chest plate and rest of it clearly indicated what probably happened to the previous owner.
Lean and pale, he as perhaps the youngest looking in the bunk room with a shock of straw blond hair and sharp features. His movements were jerky but precise and his hands, when empty, had a tendency to twitch. Then there was the back of his head and neck. Someone had clearly jammed some hardware into him and done a poor job of it. Most of the time, datajacks were innocuous enough and only visible as a set of small ports embedded in the skin. Cas's was demarcated by a mess of scar tissue and the partially exposed surface of the jack, a matte black panel emerging where he had not healed over it.
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An attractive half-human woman, well more like a girl as she probably doesn't look much older than 17 or 18 is escorted in, she is handcuffed and a guard carries her belongings in a satchel.
Velocity scans the bunk room for an open bottom bunk. but she cannot move for just yet. as the guard tosses the bag at her feet and turns to go, Velocity gives a little "ahhemm" to get his attention.
when he looks back, Velocity holds up her hands, forgetting something darlin'?
the guard returns oh yeah.
but as the guard pulls out the key, Velocity simply hands him the cuffs already, picked and removed. nevermind, I had a spare key. she says with a smile.
the guard takes the cuffs and grunts a snide remark under his breath as he turns to leave.
once he is gone, she turns to face the others with her. giving a stretch as though she has been confined to some tight quarters for a long time.
seeing an open bottom bunk, Velocity rushes over and jumps on it, DIBS! she yells claiming the bunk for herself.
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A squat, for a vesk, 2 meter tall wall of scale clad muscle walks into the room, wicked helm under one arm and a large duffle in the other. he scans the room and the others in the room.
”I am Steelskin, stay behind me and Y’all should be safe”
He walks over an open locker and drops the bag that thumps heavily to the tile. It takes his a few minutes trying to reprogram the biometrics.
He gives up and walks over to a set of bunks tossing the duffel on the top bunk and climbing onto the middle.
An android enters the the barracks next, followed closely by a combat drone. The android scans the room visually for a bunk that does not appear to be claimed then wordlessly climbs the ladder and inserts himself into it. The drone then takes up position in a corner out of the way but with a clear line of sight to both its master and the curtain.
Something in Cas's pulsecaster sparked and fizzled, making the ready light flicker and wink out. With a caustic expletive he sat on his bunk and began prying the casing open with a handy tool.
"So we've got a meat shield," he said to no one in particular, checking a questionable connection in the guts of his rifle gingerly. "A gearhead," there was another spark and he jerked his fingers back quickly, "And a crook?"
Having identified the problem, strapped the loose connection down with some spare electrical tape and reassembled his rifle. "So is this the part where we establish points of contention and conflict that will later be overcome through hardship and bonding?"
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Velocity looks up at the crook comment, Who you calling a crook? she asks, pulling a small ear piece from her ear, the loud music coming from it still playing.
Hoping off her bunk, she goes over to the tinkerer, Name's Velocity. Probably one of the best pilots around. she extends her hand to greet him.
"Excuse me, a... gear-head? Are you referring to me?" Issac turned his head to the side. "A curious nickname, as there are no gears in my cranial structure. Is there some reason you expect... 'contention and conflict'?"
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As Bagit reaches to the bunk above him to grab some gear from his bag he thinks
'Don't forget the lovable wise-ass'
He pulls out one of the gauntlets from his bag, a set of tools and a spare battery. After a bit the battery is connected and he puts on the Glove and closes his hand into a fist, listening to the faint hum before making some adjustments before repeating the process again and again for the next 30-40 minutes.
"Castor- Cas. Unless the 'droid can do it better, I'm a fair hand with most tech or a med kit," Cas said, giving her hand a shake. Retrieving his hand, he tapped the back of his head, with a slightly twitchy smile, "Then there's this. Refurbished but I can hardline myself into just about any computer system and I've got an induced synesthesia package loaded in to help interpret data."
"Elta-," Cas started to say without thinking but caught himself. His eyes turned quickly back to his rifle where he started trying to wipe a scuff mark from the barrel of his weapon.
"I mean, uh, quick cash and glory, the usual."
"Ah, no, I've got Eltanin's Syndrome but you don't want to hear about that," Cas said with a self-effacing laugh, clearly trying to deflect from the subject. "Try the big guy if you want a good story."
There are two saving graces to the illness, the process is relatively slow and follows a very specific course with the demyelination starting at the lower end of the spine and creeping upwards. There are a few methods of treating Eltanin's but all involve in depth testing and are prohibitively expensive. A nerve bypass will improve the victim's quality of life but depending on the substance involved, most victims are still looking at an early grave as the condition eventually progresses to the brain.
"Actually did I rob a bank, Issac responded holding up a finger. "attempted to at least. That is 'what I am in for', attempted robbery... but I was only trying to access what is rightfully mine."
"Eltanin's Syndrome," he continued cocking his head to one side again. "A degenerative autoimmune disease caused by exposure to certain artificial or exotic substances while in utero. These chemicals bind to the myelin sheaths of the nerves in the spine. The patient's immune system then targets and attacks the sheaths, slowly wearing them away. The process is relatively slow and predictable, demyelination begins at the lower end of the spine and continues upward. There are a few known methods of treatment but they are extremely expensive. A nerve bypass can improve the subject's quality of life for a time, but in most cases the condition is terminal as it eventually progresses to the brain." He recites this information as if reading from a medical journal, with little inflection in his voice to indicate any apparent concern over someone in the room having been diagnosed with this illness. "I assume then that you are still in the relatively early stages."
Cas had gotten progressively redder and redder as Isaac explained the condition. He was good at machines and himself, not people. The expected responses would either be pity or scorn and he did not have the time or patience to deal with either of those at the moment.
"For the record, tin-man, 'you don't want to hear about that' does not mean 'explain the prognosis in laborious detail.' Got it?" Cas said, throwing his roll of electrical tape at the android. It bounced off the mattress and rolled to a stop in the middle of the room instead.
A loud guffaw breaks the tension. Standing just outside the partition are two humans and an insectoid pasimachi in uniform.
"Look at these guys! They won't last a day in the Swamps of Fear!" says one of the humans, a tall male with a perfect flat top of blonde hair. A pair of pistols rest on his hips.
The other human, a shorter, more muscular, and far more dangerous of the two looks to be sizing the group up. She smirks "Betcha sick-boy is the first to break.
"50 credits on Scales," he replies. The trio laughs and moves on.
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Velocity was about to try and calm a tense situation syaring, when she was interrupted by some wanna be cool dudes.
As they walk away, Careful with those pistols. Don't want any premature discharges.
She then turns back to her new found friends, So, where we're we? Ah yes, why we are here. Am I to understand that just me and hear head are "crooks"?
"For the record, tin-man, 'you don't want to hear about that' does not mean 'explain the prognosis in laborious detail.' Got it?"
"Tin-man... ah, a reference to pre-gap literature, 'If I only had a heart'. I will attempt to remember your shorthand in the future."
"Just let it drop, yeah? I'm not made of glass, I got this far and I've got every intention to go farther," Cas was not being reproachful or catty over the issue, just gently pushing to shut down the issue. For someone so young he had clearly come to terms with what his illness meant for him long ago.
"But yeah, I did not know the Blackvines accepted penal labor contracts. Gotta be better than a prison station or getting put on ice."
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Velocity goes over to her bunk. yeah I guess so she says in reply to Castor. never been caught until now though. anyway...Tin-Man, you really tried to rob a bank? cool. indicating her acceptance of the android.
anyway, Cas, I hope your ready for a wild ride. and turning to the soldier, you too soldier boy, the four of us are gonna rock this place she says with some confidence and little air guitar.
Things quiet down among the newly assembled bunkmates and the lights dim progressively until they're at a comfortable level to sleep for most living creatures. The overall level of background noises in the living area fade and soon enough everyone in the starboard quarters falls asleep, meditates, or otherwise conserves power as appropriate.
The lights begin to brighten at 0700. At 0730 a pleasant tone sounds through the quarters followed by a human woman's voice speaking in common. "First shift, first shift, first shift. First shift, please report for turnover. Civilians are reminded to clean up after their pets. This includes molten shells. Captain's movie pick for Bad Movie Night is Lance Harker's Race to the Beach. Good morning Paxem."
Right on time, a purple humanoid in uniform accompanied by two armed mercenaries arrives at the opening to the partitioned bunks. A shapeless arm sprouts fingers, and the humanoid lifts a multipurpose comm/computer unit. "Good morning recruits. I am Lieutenant Majid, the first officer here. On your agenda today: report to medical for final exams and uniform sizing, then we will go to the mess hall where you will receive your final contracts documents and have breakfast. Eat up, because we will be skipping lunch. Following this will be a brief tour of the most important duty locations you will need to know, then issuance of equipment and a training session intended to assess your combat readiness. Just before dinner you will meet with the Captain. Questions?" He doesn't look up or acknowledge anyone who might be in the process of asking a question. "Excellent. It is a busy day, maybe the last busy day you will have for some time, so let's get right to it."
Cas got himself together and tried to stand at something approaching attention when what was obviously an officer entered their quarters. He had cleaned up and changed into the generic uniform coveralls he had purchased right before signing up with the Blackvines and was clearly ready to start the day with as little delay as possible.
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Velocity slowly wakes up, struggling to get out of bed
She rolls out of bed, and nearly jumps at the sudden coldness of the floor on her bare feet.
well that was a wake up she mumbles as the sudden adrenaline rush stirs her more awake.
after a few minutes she manages to wakes herself up enough to get dressed. of course she seems to have very little modesty as she removes her PJ's and dons her regular clothes
Isaac wordlessly climbs out of his bunk and follows the lieutenant. His drone, motionless in its corner until now, followed closely behind as he left the room.
The day progresses perfectly on schedule. Lt. Majid seems to focus heavily on the time, almost down to the second. For each step in his careful process the looey has a separate checklist file that he strictly adheres to. The odd shape-changer is meticulous.
At the med bay, characters are given quick physical exams and injected with a blank ID implant in the hand. The doctors explain that they will naturally breakdown in the body in about three years time.
Cas is held back by a human doctor as the others finish up. The man is older, with white hair and a clean shaven face. He leans in close to Cas, conferring with him quietly.
Much of the day is incredibly boring and tedious. Majid issues standard gear late in the day. "Comms are being configured and linked to your ID grain and will be deployed following assessment. No unauthorized apps can be installed. You are not required to use the standard issue armor, but you must keep it in good order and fully charged in the event of an environmental emergency. Tactical batons are to be worn at all times when on duty, as are your jinncaster." He holds up a carbine-like longarm that looks almost like a crossbow, but without the winches and lacking a string. "You are permitted to carry your own preferred weapons as well, so long as they do not interfere with your duties. Jinncaster use elemental crystal ammunition. On-station we always use the cold type for target practice to avoid damaging Paxem."
Jinncaster in hand, and with one of the other mercenaries carrying a box of ammunition, he leads you to the training area. Exercise equipment of all types amd for a variety of species fill most of the room. The rest is cordoned off and features several mannequins bearing a variety of damage.
After briefing everyone on how to safely operate the weapon he asks for a volunteer, "Take three shots, as slowly or as quickly as you like. This is part of your combat performance testing. I will be judging based on a variety of parameters." The merc with the ammo passes everyone a light blue crystal.
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Bagit holds the Jinncaster up and sights down the weapon before grabbing the offered crystal and placing it in the weapon as instructed and fires.
He shakes his head slowly. Reaches out for two more of the blue crystals and loads them.
With a quick movment he brings the Jinncaster up and snaps off two quick shots at two targets.
He sets the Weapon on the table in-front of him and steps back.
The first shot hits the body of the mannequin, though it probably would not be a lethal hit. His second strikes a shoulder, but his rapid third shot knocks the head off the mannequin.
"Good, good. The lieutenant makes some notes and checks off one of his many checklists. "Next?"
Cas stepped up next and picked up the unfamiliar rifle. Checking the action and the crystal, he shouldered the weapon and focused along the sights carefully. With a textbook stance, he fired three deliberate shots, far slower than Bagit had.
Cas takes off one target's plastic head with his first shot, then moves down the mannequin with a solid chest hit and a glancing hit along the legs.
Majid continues taking his notes. "Good, okay, next?"
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Velocity went along with everything, trying her best to keep from getting too bored. but eventually she let boredom get the better of her. she was just about to wander off when she realized it was time to get a new weapon.
she picked up the weapon and looked it over, she seemed unfamiliar with it and fumbled around trying to figure out how to even hold the thing.
she lagged behind as the group moved on, fiddling with this Jinncaster as they moved along.
at the range Velocity eventually stepped up to the range. holding her weapon rather awkwardly at first, she only sort-of listened to the safety brief.
after each shot she tried to look down range to see if she hit anything that she was supposed to. but after the second shot her third shot looked more like a mis-fire than an aimed shot.
"I must warn you I am not proficient with this type of weapon." Isaac stated matter-of-factly before stepping up to the firing line, loading a crystal, and taking three shots as instructed.
Despite his warning Isaac performed admirably, his first shot taking out the head, and second shot landing dead center of the chest bulls-eye. His final shot was less impressive but the android showed no disappointment in his expression, nor excitement over the performance of his first two shots. He merely holstered the weapon mechanically and turned towards the lieutenant.
"Was that sufficient?"
Lieutenant Majid blinks when Velocity's third shot goes wide. He checks several boxes. "Uh, yes." Is all he says.
"Sufficient, yes, excellent work. All of you," he adds the last sentence while looking at Velocity.
From somewhere behind, someone shouts, "Captain on deck!" All of the mercenaries immediately snap to attention.
A booming, deep voice responds, "No, no, at ease." Captain Saerus Cosmilius is a large, dark-skinned humanoid. Hanging from his uniform belt is a purple bag covered in silver runes. On his other hip is a custom wand belt made of some dark gray leather. "Glad to have you aboard. I will be totally transparent with you. I believe a good Commanding Officer should always be honest with his troops. So here is the most important thing to know: most days are boring. Really, dreadfully boring. To combat fatigue, my wife and I have been trying to build a stronger community. We have allowed civilians on board, for instance. I mention this because I hope that you will become a part of our community as well. In fact, I encourage you to help out, when off duty of course, around the station. Give folks a hand if you can. Anyway, that is the most important thing you should know. Oh, and tonight, stop by the Trusted Priest. First round is on my tab. XO? As soon as you're done, stop by my office."
Majid nods and salutes the captain who turns and exits swiftly. "All right, collect your new comms on the way out. Get back to your quarters and check your gear. Chow starts in an hour. Your duty assignments will be posted about the same time. Dismissed!"
Roughly an hour later the comms chirp. A message appears with a duty schedule for everyone: first shift, general patrol, docking bay deck. Report to Mrc. Aufidia Maro.
Cas looks a little despondent once dismissed, sauntering vaguely towards the Trusted Priest for that promised round. Community building and patrolling were not what he signed up for. The Jinncaster was a nice piece of equipment, a bit old-school for his tastes though. Probably better than the cheap pulsecaster he had been hauling around regardless.
The Trusted Priest Pub was once a mess hall, but has been converted, decorated, and furnished to look like a quaint, rustic pub. A holographic fireplace Burns and crackles along one wall, with a small stage opposite it. The bar itself has been fashioned with some sort of faux oak paneling, but it is obviously a fairly cheap bar.
The place is fairly busy, with several groups of friends conversing at tables and booths.
An android woman with jet black hair and silver eyes gives a hideous fake smile. "Good evening, how may I assist you?"
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Velocity spent some time learning what she can about this station, and all the things she can go investigate on her own...especially the hanger area. though she does not sneak out she does start to formulate some plans to alleviate the upcoming boredom.
Hear of the chance at free drinks, Velocity takes Cas by the arm trying to encourage him to join her instead of sulking to much.
come on Cas, lets have some fun. don't be so down. doing her best to drag him along.
at the bar, despite it being a cheap bar, but it is much better than what she is probably used to. glancing all about the bar looking at the various bottles of drink scattered about, and checking what others are drinking.
something exotic, yet fruity, and with one of those tiny umbrella, Surprise me.
The Android stares blankly for a moment before responding in a voice devoid of emotional affect, "Given the parameters provided, I have randomly selected...'Midnight Bloom'...Query: are you recruits?" The plastic smile never leaves her face as she mixes a drink garnished with an unidentifiable slice of some sort of green skinned fruit. It smells heavily of cheap, bathtub gin and citrus.
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Bagit carries a table from the general lounge into the barracks and spends the next hour making adjustments to his right gauntlet. The kinetic dampeners on the the armors are designed to allow the alloy on the armor to stand up to ultra-speed projectiles. Using them turn the gauntlet into a "battering ram" is not an intended use.
Once he is able to resolve the ultrasonic buzz that was being generated it was time for a break and he headed to the "Pub"
He walks into the bar and heads to the Android "I am assuming that you do not have any Vesk Ale, if that is the case I will take a double shot of vodka"
"Whatever's cheapest," Cas said. Bagit may be a giant vesk, but Cas grew up in a backwater scrapyard. The kind of rotgut liquor that was common there was often brewed in very questionable containers. The distillers there would have considered a bathtub a considerable upgrade to their operation.
"Yeah, fresh off the shuttle so to speak," Cas grumbled and slumped against the bar, the picture of youthful dejection. "Wasn't expecting so much patrolling and civilian outreach though."
Isaac wordlessly followed Velocity and Cas to the Trusted Priest because the Captain had instructed them to go there more than any desire to do so. "I do not understand why organics consume substances that impair their cognitive functions for entertainment." He said taking a seat near them. His droid stood at attention behind him. "I desire a non-intoxicating beverage high in nutritional value," he said addressing the android waitress. Then to her next question, "Yes we are new recruits, I am Isaac 3. I have recently been... assigned to mercenary work. What is your designation?" He asked. "I am curious, is bartending your primary function, or do you serve another capacity aboard station?
We have been encouraged by Captain Cosmilius to 'help out' around the station when off duty. Are you aware of any such opportunities?"
"We have a homebrew ale that is chemically similar to Vesk Ale and happens to be extremely cheap. That should serve you both adequettely." She glances at Cas. "Indeed. I have had to work very hard to perfect my smile as required by my current orders. And to listen to problems, but never repeat them to anyone else. The Captain was very clear in his instructions. He is very concerned about morale of the biological mercenaries in his command."
The android's smile falters when she sees Isaac 3. She looks at the floor when replying. "Yes, sir, I shall serve...'Vegetable Juice'...I am designated Peacemaker-12. Bartending is my primary function," she hesitates a moment, "for now."
She sets the glass down with a trembling hand. "You would need to ask my immediate supervisor, Pathikarus Raynold regarding 'opportunities'." She immediately disengages from conversation and proceeds to wipe the other end of the bar.
A tall kasatha woman steps out from a back room a few seconds later, "Oh, hello! You are the recruits? Good, those are on the house, well, on the Cap'n." She is dressed in a slinky red dress with a plunging neckline. Glancing back at the android bartender she leans in close and speaks quietly. "Twelve has been through a lot, sorry if she is, uh, well, sorry. Give her time to recover and don't stress her out if you can avoid it."
"Thanks anyway," Cas said, taking a pull of the ale with little regard for quality. He let the android go but straightened up when the kasatha made an appearance.
"Bagit, hey, Bagit! Leave the poor thing alone. This is probably Ms. Raynold," Cas called over to the towering vesk before he could put Twelve into a state. The entire time he kept his eyes firmly on the kasatha's and smiled nervously. Perhaps it would be better for Velocity to handle introductions.
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Velocity sips her drink slowly, taking in the scene and wondering if this place ever livens up later at night.
glancing around for some source of music or perhaps a band will play at some point.
but her scanning is interrupted by the kasatha woman. glance at Cas' reaction to her Velocity moves over closer to Cas.
almost injecting herself between Cas and the kasatha, Hi there, names Velocity, this is Cas, she says nodding toward Castor, The Vesk there, as you may have heard is Bagit, and the tin-man over there, well we usually call him the tin-man. But I think he calls himself Issac.
Velocity slip in beside Cas (pretty close to him in fact) So you have any kind of entertainment nights here, like music or something? she asks.
Isaac took an experimental sip of his vegetable juice, then turned to the new face. "Isaac 3 is my legal designation, but you may call me 'tin-man' if you prefer. Are you Ms. Raynold? It was not my intention to upset Peacemaker-12, I was only trying to engage in friendly conversation. Should I apologize?"
The woman looks slightly overwhelmed for a moment before laughing heartily. "Oh, no, I am not," she motions with her top set of arms and moves her fingers in an air-quote gesture and affects an exaggerated and stereotypical accent of a well cultured woman, "Mizz Raynold." She takes a deep breath and sighs wistfully before resuming her normal voice and replying further. "Tell you what, let me talk to someone, see if we can't get your duty assignment swapped. I'm betting you have some dull deck orders?" She types furiously into her comm. A few moments later there is a ding sound. She looks up at everyone for a moment then types again. Pause. Ding. "There we go. You four come on in tomorrow at turnover. And speaking of performances...I really need to get ready. Apologize to Twelve? Hmm. Who knows, but maybe? Just, uh, respect whatever response she gives you if you try. But you didn't do anything wrong. She just needs...to recover." She winks and scurries off to the backroom, high heeled shoes clicking on the tile.
"I find that I have a difficult time understanding the behavior of organics. Did anyone else find that unusual? And she never did give her name." Isaac resumed sipping in vegetable juice.