The shift between the Drift and the Material is a subtle one, but anyone who travels the driftways for long starts to get a feel for when they're within the transitive plane and when they're safely back in the stability of the Material. The ship barely reacts beyond a small tremor and a slight change in lighting. It has been a long trip, nearly three weeks in the Drift, and certainly long enough for the nearly two dozen passengers to start to grow a bit restless. But an air of excitement has started to grow among the passengers and crew alike over the past few days. The ship's intercom crackles to life and the now familiar voice of the captain barks through the speakers. "Attention all hands. We've just entered the Ikirit system. Ten minutes out from Returner Station. All passengers, ensure that your belongings are packed and prepared to disembark."
Space travel was always uncomfortable for Xevras.
He had hatched and been raised on Triaxus, a scion of the more traditional sect of dragonkin who mostly remained planetside and so retained their ancestral size (though truth be told, he was a bit on the small side for his lineage). This meant that few spacecraft had quarters sized very well for him, leading to constant hunching, ducking, and trying not to bump into things.
His solution for this trip had been to reserve a piece of the ship's cargo bay for himself. While the ceiling was not high enough to fully stretch out his back and neck, he had enough floor space to sprawl out and even stretch his wings a bit. It didn't make his trips through the smaller sections of the ship for meals and other necessities any less cramped, but just knowing he had a space to stretch in made it more bearable.
Right now, he was sitting up against a large container, using it as a backrest while he read up on some of the most recent discoveries on Ikirit. He looked up at the captain's announcement, then slipped his personal comm unit back into its pocket. He'd already stowed all the rest of his gear hours ago in anticipation, and now, while his expression remained unreadable to most, anticipation was what was building within him. Not just because he'd truly be able to stretch his wings again, but because he'd finally be out on the bleeding edge of knowledge, somewhere that both his physical and mental prowess were needed together.
But for now, he had to wait... just a little bit longer.
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Flux could barely contain its excitement as the small droid bounced lightly on its four spider-like legs. It had never gotten to travel on a ship before, let alone traverse the Drift. And now, the captain had said they were close to landing at the space station that hovered above Ikirit, the planet the Dreamers had sent it to investigate.
The small purple robot quickly climbed down from the ceiling and dashed through the cramped space that encompassed the droid storage for the ship (which was not much wider than a broom closet). Flux really wanted to stay with the other passengers during the voyage and make some new buddies, but one of the crew had told it that it had to stay with the non-sentient droids that maintained the ship. But now, now it could mingle with the others as the ship made its way to Returner Station.
Flux greeted a few of the passengers as it explored the ship, but they seemed pretty busy as some didn't even acknowledge it was there. Well, no big deal. It'd would catch back up with them later once they had some time to chat. It wasn't long after that that the hyperactive SRO found itself in the cargo bay mesmerized by the person trying to recline in the cramped space.
"Wooooaaaahhh, a Dragonkin! I've never met one'a you before. The lab probably would have been too small for someone like you to fit, huh? Can I touch tour wings?! Is that rude? Oh wait, I forgot to introduce myself. The name's Flux and its great to meet you!"
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Rokayla had been very busy during the trip. Keeping track of the needs of three different groups was always a challenge; making sure she coordinated with Tia to see what their first steps were when arriving on the planet; trying to manage the other Starfinders aboard, being the de-facto Venture Captain in setting up a Lodge...it would be very difficult deciding which settlement it would eventually stand in; and keeping in mind the Order's tenets should they stumble upon any star-shattering tech...Meditation helped, but she couldn't help but feel slightly overwhelmed.
Eager for a break, the captain's announcement to pack for landing, she strides back to the cargo bay to find two of her colleagues-to-be talking within...or rather one of them talking incredibly rapidly while the other stretched and listened. When they look to see the new arrival, they see a short, solidly-built woman with parchment-yellow skin, swirling tattoos twisting around her bald head and her left eye, black and bronze armor emblazoned with the concentric orbits of the Pact Worlds, with a noticeable gap where Absalom Station would be. A tiny orb of pitch darkness orbits her head.
"Heya...You can call me Rokayla, Rokayla Vonarx if you're into formality."
Balazar was also very busy during the trip, but mostly busy trying to keep a very low profile. Worried that he would get identified as an impostor, he kept to himself. However, the quiet time was not unproductive -- where he wasn't talking, Balazar was listening. Through surreptitious eavesdropping and noncommittal small talk, he learned a lot about the mission of the colony, the goals of the explorers, and about his erstwhile bunkmates. He found himself warming to them, in an unfamiliar way... like he, they were generally misfits and outcasts back in the Pact Worlds. Although he had no legitimate reason to be going to Ikirit, in the weeks of transit he started to almost feel like he belonged there.
Maybe I'm just deluding myself into believing it, he mused a moment before the captain announces the impending arrival. He picked up his pack -- the entirety of his meager belongings -- and joins the others by the hatch.
As Flux greets Xevras, Balazar adds, "Careful, Flux. He looks like he could bite you in half." He gives the warning with a nervous look to the large dragonkin.
Xevras is surprised when a small, purple robot bursts in and starts chattering at him. For a moment he thinks someone is playing around with a drone, but before long he realizes that this must be an SRO of one sort or another.
He chuckles, a deep, rumbling sound, then replies, "I am Xevras, Flux. It is good to meet you as well. You are unnacustomed to organic life, I infer?"
Then two more people arrive, one obviously human, the other of a less familiar species. A slow grin forms on his muzzle, though Xevras is careful to keep his lips closed--opening his mouth while smiling tends to give the wrong impression of his intent among smaller races, he has found.
"Greetings, Rokayla. And to you as well." He nods at the human. "Perhaps I might have predicted that the cargo bay would be a more popular destination before arrival than usual."
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Flux merely shrugs its shoulders. "Well, the only other person I've really hung out with was my boss. The others always said they were too busy to talk. But it's fine, they were doing science so it can't be helped."
When the others started to arrive in the cargo bay, Flux excitedly waved at them as it spoke. "Hi, Rokayla, Nice to meet'cha! Do you know that you got a ball orbiting your head?"
At Balazar's warning, the small robot looked back to Xevras, its head cocked to the side. "You eat robots? Weeeeiirrrd, I thought I'd be too crunch. Plus, I don't think I have alot'a nurtrional value."
Xevras laughs. "I do not eat robots. Nor do I eat humans or other sentient beings, though I know that my stature and draconic appearance lend me a predatory mien. In truth I have come to Ikirit in hopes to study the technological remains here, as well as lend my strength to the colonization efforts."
Balazar appraises Xevras and nods. "Considerable strength, to be sure. Have the... have you heard if explorers encountered anything dangerous on Ikirit?"
It's painfully obvious to anyone spending time around Dr. Kjestis that she doesn't take well to Drift travel. Between nervously darting around the viewing ports, through spending a lot of time skimming through scientific papers for the umpteenth time for distraction, to occasional trips down the cargo bay to hide behind a box, the muscle-bound ferran seems to be almost at the end of her nerves.
As the announcement echoes through the intercom system, she glances up with interest, swallowing a ball of nerves. Just a little longer. It's just that the hardest part is here..., she ponders, jumping from her seat in the cantina and trotting down towards the service stairs. A set of quick footsteps are heard by the party as Dr. Kjestis appears from behind a crate, holding a small device in her hand. "Oh, he-", she coughs out upon seeing everyone gathered at her favourite spot, trails of vapour coming out of her mouth mid-cough. Quickly, she stows the device in her pocket, throwing a guilty glance at Rokayla, and crosses her muscly arms. "Are... we having a meeting here?", she adds. "I was just trying to get out of the noise."
Her eyes glare up at the dragonkin, another visitor to the cargo deck she'd tried to avoid interacting, aside from the occasional crossed glance, on her trips of guilty pleasure, then looks down at the small robot. "Hello, everyone. I'm Dr. Kjestis, but you can call me Tia. I'm one of the biologists for the planet, and a medic."
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Flux excited waved its hand in the air, like a hyperactive child trying to get the teacher's attention.
"Oh Oh, I'm here to study Ikirit too! My Dream Pals asked me find out what happened to this planet. Well, they didn't so much as ask as show me a vision in my dreams, but that's the same thing, amirite?"
In all its excitement, it didn't notice the new Ferran that had just walked in until she had introduced herself.
"Hey hey, Dr. Tia! The name's Flux. I'ma...well Boss said that I'm something called a Witchwarper. All I know is that I get brief flashes of the veil that separates the infinite kaleidoscope that is the multiverse and sort of...poke holesin it. Which is super neat!" Flux punctuated this by quickly climbing on top of a crate before tracing a line with its finger in the air above it. Where its finger traced, a line of roiling purple and pink energy could be seen in a clean cut that sat in the middle of air. From this cut, baby blue snow lightly fell on top of the small SRO before the cut abruptly sealed itself. "TA DA!!! And for all you science folks, if you need anything, just ask your buddy Flux. I'ma pretty good assistant if I say so myself."
Xevras feels a little awkward sitting while everyone else is standing, so he cautiously gets to his feet. Even here he has to lean forward a bit more than he is accustomed to in order to avoid hitting his head on the ceiling, but even so he stands roughly as tall as two men standing atop each other.
"It seems this has become a meeting place, yes," he rumbles with another tight-lipped grin. "It is a pity that we have not taken better advantage of the journey to meet one another, but with the discomfort of the common areas of the ship for one of my stature..."
He shrugs. "Suffice it to say I look forward to arriving on the planet."
"Me too," Balazar adds after a long moment of trying to process Flux's display and enthusiasm. "I can't say I'm a very experienced spacer. While the trip hasn't been unpleasant, I would prefer a bit more substance to the floor I'm standing on, if you get my meaning."
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When the others started to arrive in the cargo bay, Flux excitedly waved at them as it spoke. "Hi, Rokayla, Nice to meet'cha! Do you know that you got a ball orbiting your head?"
Rokayla raises an eyebrow at the enthusiastic little robot.
"I do! It's my stellar mote. It's like a miniature black hole...that I can turn into a gun!"
She smirks, expecting THAT would probably excite them.
It's painfully obvious to anyone spending time around Dr. Kjestis that she doesn't take well to Drift travel. Between nervously darting around the viewing ports, through spending a lot of time skimming through scientific papers for the umpteenth time for distraction, to occasional trips down the cargo bay to hide behind a box, the muscle-bound ferran seems to be almost at the end of her nerves.
As the announcement echoes through the intercom system, she glances up with interest, swallowing a ball of nerves. Just a little longer. It's just that the hardest part is here..., she ponders, jumping from her seat in the cantina and trotting down towards the service stairs. A set of quick footsteps are heard by the party as Dr. Kjestis appears from behind a crate, holding a small device in her hand. "Oh, he-", she coughs out upon seeing everyone gathered at her favourite spot, trails of vapour coming out of her mouth mid-cough. Quickly, she stows the device in her pocket, throwing a guilty glance at Rokayla, and crosses her muscly arms. "Are... we having a meeting here?", she adds. "I was just trying to get out of the noise."
Her eyes glare up at the dragonkin, another visitor to the cargo deck she'd tried to avoid interacting, aside from the occasional crossed glance, on her trips of guilty pleasure, then looks down at the small robot. "Hello, everyone. I'm Dr. Kjestis, but you can call me Tia. I'm one of the biologists for the planet, and a medic."
"Hey there, Tia," she says. She'd done her best not to disturb the good doctor when she'd duck back here. She still had a very...planetary mindset, compared to a more interstellar person like herself. "Just grabbing my stuff before we arrive."
"We're old schoolmates," she explains to the others.
Flux hopped across a few crates to get a better look at the ball floating around Rokayla's head. "You can turn black holes into guns. Woooow!"
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"Oh, well that's still pretty neat! Never met a solarian before. Boss never let me out of the station. Too busy studying the Dreamers, not that I minded hanging out with my Dream Pals."
Climbing onto the side crate, Flux extended its hand for the Ferran to shake it. "The name's Flux. Its great to meet my first solarian!"
"We appear to represent a wide variety of magical and martial traditions," Xevras comments. "No doubt the variety of skills and perspectives will be useful in facing the dangers and interpreting the mysteries of Ikirit."
Balazar nods in agreement. Sagely. As if everything Xevras and Rokayla are saying makes perfect sense to him.
What the heck have I gotten into here?
Whispers of excitement run rampant through the other passengers as the group makes introductions and spend the rest of the approach chatting with each other. Everyone can feel the slight shift as the ship decelerates and comes to a stop and lights flick on, warning them back from the airlock as the docking tube connects to the large transport ship and connecting them to Returner Station. "All passengers have your paperwork ready. Welcome to Ikirit." The captain's announcement ends in a small click and the passengers start filing toward the airlock. The boarding tube it a bit cramped, mostly because of the other passengers rather than because of its size, though Xevras has to duck to get through the far end as they all file out into a spacious, if somewhat empty, room that seems to have been retrofitted into a passenger lounge. A few individuals, mostly humans and lashunta, in what look like uniforms are waiting, along with a half-elf woman in a suit. "Welcome to Returner Station," she greets the passengers, shaking the hand of the first few people out of the ship. "I'm Feya Maldos, your official greeter and guide to getting settled here on Ikirit. If everyone could form three lines, we'll get you cleared for the surface and start setting up housing arrangements in Queen's Landing. If you have any questions while we get the boring part out of the way, feel free to ask."
When the arrival announcement comes, Xevras reaches over and picks up a huge pack and puts it on. Strapped to the bottom is the dull, threatening shape of a plasma cannon, to one side a collapsed pike, to the other a dragonkin-sized laser rifle.
He waits until last to come through the boarding tube, not wanting to crowd the others. Xevras obediently files into the line that looks the shortest at present once inside the lounge.
Once settled he looks back to Feya. "I fear I must inquire as to the size and weight limits of the craft that will take us to the surface," he rumbles.
... paperwork?!
Balazar blanches, feeling a cold sweat run suddenly down his back. Of course... I should have thought about that before now!
He delays, making a show of digging through his pack. "Oh, you've got to be $#!+ing me!"
As the ship decelerates, it's clearly visible to everyone that the already ashen-skinned Tia turns practically white for a moment. Almost ground-bound, almost ground-bound..., she mutters quietly to herself as she readies at the queue, nervously hopping from toe to toe. She rustles for a moment to pull out her computer, and nervously readies the paperwork. The ferran woman's dressed in a heavy-duty armour, painted a chipper white, and a long spear with a syringe-like tip sits at her back.
"Right.", she says with a long exhaled breath after. "Dr. Tjartka Kjestis, I believe I was relegated for medical duty for my main role.", she says, passing along the information. Her eyes dart up at the various passengers one at a time, stopping Xevras' massive frame. Dragonkin... Not the strangest in term of biology, bar the size, but psychological profiles are interesting, to say the least. Half-elf. Magical-crafted sedatives may not work. Lashunta... well, doesn't really matter, practically all the medical journals are done with lashunta in mind... Her quieting ritual is interrupted by Balazar's exclaimation, the ferran turning around to glance at the tanned man's panicked search, as she turns around. "Do you need assistance?", she adds, glancing up. "Don't rush, that's no use. Did you leave them in the cabin?", she inquires in a calming tone, doing her best to hide her own stress at the vastness of space surrounding them.
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Flux quickly weaved its way between the other passengers as exited the ship. Manically, the small robot began to run around the room as it investigated the entire room. As soon as Feya mentioned housing, Flux hopped up and down as it fished its papers out of its backpack. "Hi I'm Flux! I think I'm listed as an Autonomous Exploration Droid or something. Hey, you said something about housing, right? Does that mean I get my own house? I've never had a house before!"
Balazar gives Tia his best mortified look. "I... no. Everything I own is here with me. I can't believe I traveled all this way and left my documents at Absalom Station." He groans, "They're going to send me back!"
Feya smiles and directs a few other new colonists to different lines as the rest of her staff start checking in the new arrivals. "Oh, just let me check here..." The half-elf clicks her tongue and starts flicking through her tablet. "Well, the shuttles are re-purposed cargo shuttles, so they have more than enough capacity for just about every sapient species known to the Pact Worlds. No need to worry there." Her fingers flick a couple of times as she scans her tablet. "Starfinders... Oh, an it is an honor to see you. We've had a few Starfinders come through, but most of them haven't stayed long. Lots of coming and going, you know. I believe the current lead on the ground is... Jask Starseeker. He's been working from the Starfinder office in the main admin complex down on the surface. You can't miss him, male shirren with a red carapace, like bright red."
Flux's obvious enthusiasm doesn't seem to throw the greeter. If anything, she seems glad to see someone so excited to be there. "More apartment than a full house. Most of the surface is already built up after all. But there's more than enough room for everyone to have their own residence. We have some guides to the most recently restored structures in Queen's Field if you'd like to browse while you're waiting."
Feya clearly looks a bit distressed as Balazar panics over his 'missing' paperwork and quickly starts to scroll through her tablet again. "Oh umm..." she bites her lip and mutters to herself. "Ah, I think I can help. We should have the resources here to do the medical work-up and get your ID sorted. It may be a bit of a delay until you get off the station though."
Xevras nodded. "I suspected all was in order, but it is best to be certain. Sometimes I have encountered those who are not aware of great difference in size possible between dragonkin."
Balazar breathes a great sigh of relief. "Well, a short delay here is better than two months shuttling to and from Absalom Station. Just point me in the right direction, ma'am."
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"Starfinders... Oh, an it is an honor to see you. We've had a few Starfinders come through, but most of them haven't stayed long. Lots of coming and going, you know. I believe the current lead on the ground is... Jask Starseeker. He's been working from the Starfinder office in the main admin complex down on the surface. You can't miss him, male shirren with a red carapace, like bright red."
"That'll change once I'm through here," Rokayla comments. "We're working towards the establishment of a permanent Lodge on this world. Thanks for the info."
She then turns back and looks at the scene Balazar's making and Tia moving to help him. She raises an eyebrow, but doesn't comment.
Xevras pulls out his communit and starts reading something on it while he waits in line.
"Fantastic," the half-elf says with a smile. "Actually, Dr. Kjestis, why don't you go with Mr..." She trails off, realizing that she never actually got Balazar's name. "Well, with our other new arrival here. The medical station here is our best treatment center for emergencies so I'm sure they'll be glad to see another doctor arrive and can get you acquainted with any important details."
The lines start to move more quickly as everyone gets organized and the new arrivals are moved through with little difficulty. As the colonists start to move off to other parts of the station, the crew starts to disembark and two vaguely humanoid robots start to unload the rest of the cargo into the docking bay.
"Smythe... Mr Smythe" Balazar finishes the half-elf's sentence with a thankful smile, using a long 'Y' sound. He rejoins the line, heading towards the exit.
I wonder if I should avoid the doc, or just go...
After Xevras gets through the line, he realizes he doesn't know just where to go next. He'd somewhat been assuming they'd be heading straight to the shuttles down, but that didn't seem to be the case.
"Ah... how long until the shuttles down to the surface depart?" he turns back and asks.
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"Fantastic," the half-elf says with a smile. "Actually, Dr. Kjestis, why don't you go with Mr..." She trails off, realizing that she never actually got Balazar's name. "Well, with our other new arrival here. The medical station here is our best treatment center for emergencies so I'm sure they'll be glad to see another doctor arrive and can get you acquainted with any important details."
The lines start to move more quickly as everyone gets organized and the new arrivals are moved through with little difficulty. As the colonists start to move off to other parts of the station, the crew starts to disembark and two vaguely humanoid robots start to unload the rest of the cargo into the docking bay.
"Looks like I'll start there too. There's few enough ferrans as it is, it'd be risky to get separated!" Rokayla comments as she joins the pair.
"So what's your field of study, Smythe?" she asks.
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Quickly stuffing the guide into its backpack, Flux scampered after the others as they made their way through the lines.
"Are we goin' down to Ikirit yet? Hey, when we get down there, let's all get apartments close together. Then we could be neighbors! Or better yet..." The small robot visibly shook with barely contained energy as it excited whispered "...roommates We could be roommates! Oh, all of us hanging out together all the time. Wouldn't that be neat?! We'll have to get a big apartment though. Maybe we could get a couple next to each other and tear down some of the walls?"
"So what's your field of study, Smythe?" she asks.
Smythe raises an eyebrow to Rokayla's question, and makes a modest shrug. "If one were to nail down my "field" to one area, I guess it would be economics, or economic impacts on, well... everything. Social push and pull, politics, technology, development and degradation. Its all there." He scratches his chin before continuing to blather. "Really, though, I hate fixed labels like that. They're limiting... creating invisible boundaries on what one can and cannot, or should not be involved with. I consider myself a generalist, a dabbler, master of and to none. I look to the gaps between the staid pillars of society, where the esoteric minutiae of life thrives. They were plentiful back home; I hope to find more here." He finishes with a wink.
Sounded okay in my head. Hopefully they buy it.
He chuckles at Flux. "Your enthusiasm is a wonderful thing. But perhaps we should see what lies in store for us on the surface first."
"Oh!", Tia pauses for a moment, raising her head up to glance at Balazar. A doctor? He doesn't look like any type of doctor I know... Squinting for a moment, and as Rokayla asks her question, a thought passes through her mind. Maybe he's one of those... magical or psychological doctors. I think the Inners are a lot more succeptible to mental stress, as well as the physical one.
The long-winded answer, however, casts doubt onto Tjartka's mind. "So, uh.", she pauses, the cogs of academia spinning in her head. "A doctorate in economics with a passionate calling for linguistics?", she adds with a smirk, before pursing her lips. "Never thought economists will be part of the second wave...", she adds to herself, though loud enough for others to hear, just as Flux makes its excited suggestion.
"Is there an-", she starts saying, just as the thought hit her. An entire planet, seemingly unpopulated, with barely thousand souls living on it. Entire landmasses could be unexplored, uninhabited, free to be alone in. To the Ferran, used to squeezing past others in narrow hallways and narrower spaceships, every cog and panel familiar. The thought of so much space was so distant, until - here it was.
"-I'll get back to you on that, Flux.", she adds, her mind still drifting in the unexplored space.
"So, uh.", she pauses, the cogs of academia spinning in her head. "A doctorate in economics with a passionate calling for linguistics?", she adds with a smirk, before pursing her lips.
Balazar demurs with a slight frown. "Ahh, no. You honor me by suggesting it but I have not yet earned a formal doctorate. I hope my studies here will make for a worthy thesis."
Feya just smiles a bit mechanically. Somehow, it feels like this is a question she's used to hearing. "As soon as the supplies from the ship are loaded. We only have so many shuttles, so we like to make as much use of space as possible. The labor droids will have everything taken care of in..." She's cut off as one of the robots makes a loud hissing sound and slumps over. "Ah... well soon enough." One of the technicians hurries over and starts poking at the robot, muttering softly to himself in another language. He pulls the machine's chest plate open and shines a light inside for a few moments before the robot suddenly jerks upright again and slams one of its heavy manipulator arms into the man's chest, sending him hurtling back several feet and knocking him to the ground.
Balazar takes a step or two back, watching the robot warily. "Is, umm... that normal here? Because that's not really normal back on Absalom Station."
Xevras quickly turns and starts cautiously approaching the robot. One hand starts to go to his spear as he wishes that he'd been willing to put up with the extra inconvenience of wearing his armor.
"That looked almost like a hack," he rumbles warily.
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"Woah woah buddy calm down! No reason to start throwin' people around."
Flux maneuvered itself behind and to the side of Xevras, sparks of eldritch power dancing between its fingers. "Look, how's about you take 5, count to Pi, and let your circuits cool down abit. We gotta couple of doctors here that I know can patch you right up. But they can't do it if your knocking people a'cross the station right?"
No sooner has the robot struck the man than Dr. Kjestis has rushed forwards with little regards for her safety. Grabbing a kit from her side, she stands between the robot and the technician. "Stay calm, and lie down for now. I'm a doctor." Raising her head, a surprisingly loud voice emanates from the ferran's mouth. "Turn off the damn robot! First aider on the scene!" Giving Flux a frown, she continues giving the wounded man her full attention. Damn robots, focusing on the robot's feelings..., she mutters to herself as she inspects the man's wounds.
Several of the staff quickly clear the last few passengers from the arrival dock and they can hear someone calling for security, but the team jumps immediately. At the first look, it seems that the mechanic was only knocked a bit silly by slamming to the metallic floor. He should be alright with a bit of rest, but he's definitely going to be feeling some bruises for a few days. The robot's behavior is significantly stranger. It hisses and makes sounds that seem like a language, but nothing the party has heard before, flailing it's arms about and knocking several of the supply crates aside, sending them toppling to the ground. It seems to be malfunctioning for certain, but whether it's an intentional malfunction or merely poor luck is uncertain without taking a peek at its programming.