Having no response from the Captain before he stomped away, Kamiya made the decision to redock the Blackmoon Rising aka Honu. "Just putting you back to bed for the moment, Honu. But don't worry, we'll be on our way again shortly."
Being free now to leave her pilot's chair, the lashunta went and joined the others. There seemed to be some issue communicating with the android because of its current state so she focused her mind on detecting its thoughts. After a moment or two, she shared with the others, "His name is Thyx and he's cold. He doesn't seem hostile."
Kamiya kneeled down beside their new passenger and took off her long jacket and draped it over him since she didn't have a blanket. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Thyx. My name is Kamiya. We'll just wait here with you until you unthaw enough to speak. Then you can tell us your story and how you ended up outside our ship."
Thyx eyes shifted in his head as the group shifted his body onto the floor of engineering. The thawing was taking a little time but his voice was coming to him. 'I'm not dead. This IS a ship. Kamiya? I don't under... my story? I was outside??' A confusion rose in him. He looked at the people surrounding him and they all seemed familiar somehow. They all seemed to puzzle together and he had the strangest sense that he had been here before. The Ysoki, the Human, and the Lashunta standing together like that seemed most uncanny. The modulation of his voice was decreasing to a soft male monotone, "I'm not t t t with youuuu? Where am I? Yes, miii name is Thyx. It's very nice to meeet you Kamiya, if a bit dis disorienting." Though the circumstances were bizarre to say the least the battered android sounded like he was trying to work out a crossword puzzle and not an existential enigma.
[dice=tying Thyx up]1d20
"I'm not t t t with youuuu? Where am I? Yes, miii name is Thyx. It's very nice to meeet you Kamiya, if a bit dis disorienting."
Kamiya smiled reassuringly as she leaned back on her heels to give Thyx space in case he was able to sit up, "You are definitely not dead. Take your time getting your bearings. You are onboard the Blackmoon Rising and this," she motioned at the towering vesk, "is Captain Sigirijus. He's in charge."
'Ah, the loud one'
Kip relaxed a bit, seeing that Kamiya wasn't afraid of the newcomer. She could read minds, so if she trusted the android, that was good enough for Kip.
Scampering up, she sat on her haunches beside Kamiya. Patting the android on its restrained arm, she said, "You're lucky we found you when we did. Could have been floating around out there a long time. Where are you from? Do you know what day it is? Were you in a battle?" She observed it carefully. The android looked weathered and beat up, but not recently. It looked fascinating, and she couldn't wait to hear about it's life.
"I am the one in charge." Sigirijus agreed. "You can have some time, but like Kip says, we need some answers. Start with this; whether or not you are a danger to this ship."
... she said, "You're lucky we found you when we did. Could have been floating around out there a long time. Where are you from? Do you know what day it is? Were you in a battle?" She observed it carefully ...
Though choppy, Thyx movement came back to his neck so that he could look at everyone. 'I can't seem to ...' "I'm from ... I came from ... today is ... a battle? Yes, I must have been. I must have been in aaaaa battle. Must'n't I? I'm sorry. I can't seem to to to access. My name IS Thyx. I'm pretty certain of that." 'Have they done this to me? No, they would be more subtle, more ...'
"I am the one in charge." Sigirijus agreed. "You can have some time, but like Kip says, we need some answers. Start with this; whether or not you are a danger to this ship."
'Why would I hurt any of these people? They seem to have saved me! Something about this feels so familiar. I'm supposed to be here! With these people???'
In an unconvincing monotone, "I'm not."
Sigirjus seemed unconvinced, but looked away for a moment, and then back "I've been where you are. Got concussion when I was a recruit. It's scary, but you'll be okay."
He turns back to Thyx "If we can, we'll try to find out where you're from. If you'd prefer we didn't, you're welcome to leave. We'll even dock with the station first."
"Magnusson. Check to see if you can find a serial number, or a licence on his equipment. Kip, look up the bounty boards, see if 'Thyx' is there. Opunui, check in with station's missing persons. Someone could be looking for our new friend here."
"Magnusson. Check to see if you can find a serial number, or a license on his equipment. Kip, look up the bounty boards, see if 'Thyx' is there. Opunui, check in with station's missing persons. Someone could be looking for our new friend here."
”Can’t see how that’d hurt,” Robert said, shrugging his shoulders as he began preparing datasphere queries in his virtual vision while he inspected Thyx’s gear for such discernable identifiers. Say what you like about the big brute of shoe leather still walking an’ talking about while waiting for the inevitable date with a tanner, he did know his business.
Kip's eyes widened at the mention of bounty. She scampered back to her station, not sure if she hoped this Thyx had a bounty, or not. Money was good, but he seemed nice.
Not sure how to spell it, Kip searched every variant of Thyx she could think of. A bounty came up for a catburglar (Kip shuddered at the thought of cats) called Thicks Kin, but he was a gnome, so no match there.
On comms, she said, "No bounty, Captain."
Sigirjus seemed unconvinced, but looked away for a moment, and then back "I've been where you are. Got concussion when I was a recruit. It's scary, but you'll be okay."
He turns back to Thyx "If we can, we'll try to find out where you're from. If you'd prefer we didn't, you're welcome to leave. We'll even dock with the station first."
'Dock first? That's generous.' If the comment was a joke it went over Thyx' head, though, with this new captain, the android was probably surmising astutely. "I very much appreciate the hospitality. I'm sure I can make myself useful, that is, once your checks are complete." Something, some faint wave washed over Thyx, a flow and ebb that he couldn't place. It was relief and anxiety. He was relieved that he wasn't being ejected. Then his anxiety pulled back the calm. What if he 'is' guilty of something? It would only be a matter of time before they discovered.
Outwardly, the android lay on the floor of engineering all strapped up like it was the most natural thing the the cosmos.... On comms, she said, "No bounty, Captain."
The wave of relief returned, but promised to be as stable as water.
Action 1:
'Why would I hurt any of these people? They seem to have saved me! Something about this feels so familiar. I'm supposed to be here! With these people???'
Kamiya continued to scan the android's thoughts and cocked her head to the side in mild surprise as she hears that this feels familiar. Did she hear him right? "Thyx, what about this feels familiar to you?"
Action 2:
Opunui, check in with station's missing persons. Someone could be looking for our new friend here.”
The lashunta gracefully jumps to her feet, "Duty calls, Thyx. You lay there while we check you out. We'll help you fill in the blanks, for sure."
Kamiya quickly looked into the list of missing life forms that the Station regularly updated. Not that it was a comprehensive list. Rather it was a list the authorities knew about. If Thyx was into something shady, chances are he wouldn't have been reported by his crew. As suspected, she found no mention of an android fitting Thyx's description. She relayed the info to the Captain, "Missing lifeform list's a dead end."
Action 3:
Kamiya's antennae drooped to match her mood. Going through the pre-flight check was comforting because it was familiar but every so often she would go to ask the Captain something and she'd be overwhelmed by sadness. Each time she would take a deep, cleansing breath and then start again. Needless to say, her pre-flight check was taking much longer than usual.
The lashunta still couldn't believe he was dead. The Captain had sacrificed himself without a second thought. It was the first time anyone she knew had been killed. Even though they hadn't known each other for very long, the fact that he had given his life so that she could survive made his death that much more poignant.
Kamiya continued to scan the android's thoughts and cocked her head to the side in mild surprise as she hears that this feels familiar. Did she hear him right? "Thyx, what about this feels familiar to you?"
"III'm not certain. You are familiar Kamijjja iya. And the rest of you. Not you exactly, your silhouettes? The hum of the deck plates is familiar. The smell of oil. Perhaps it is not this place, not you four. Perhaps it is just my random access crossing paths with my deep storage memory. As I come back on line things 'feel' like like like remembering. Or it could be wishful thinking."
Thyx was resigned to being unable to remember anything. He was lost for anything to grab onto so he closed his eyes and listened to the floor as it hummed in sympathy with the warm engines, and he slept. In his sleep the nanites went to work.
-----
It had taken a week, a week of rehabilitation to learn how to walk and to hold small objects. It was a week of one crew member always being in the same room - not watching him - not directly. They had all seemed to come to the conclusion, eventually, that he was incapable of being a danger. He couldn't seem to remember how computers worked, except their most basic functions. He didn't seem to know anything about medicine, or have any particular scientific training, and the cultures of the cosmos were a mystery to him. Kip discovered, quite accidentally, that Thyx had some little engineering knowledge, but was no match for her talent. "Excuse me Kip I've observed you at work and you seem to know this ship better than the others. It is a compliment to your mechanic's eye I think."
He was, however, a good lifter and, when it came to cargo, he made himself useful.
It was a week after 'the incident'. Thyx had been playing it over and over in his head. He had joined the team in off-loading the medical supplies on Akiton. When the Aspis Consortium ambushed them, Thyx instinctually slapped his thigh. His hand came up but - no weapon. That's when the Captain stepped in and took control of the fight. Everyone followed his orders, made for the Blackmoon Rising. Thyx watched bewildered as he saw the Vesk go down. Cptn Malumaje was gone.
Over-and-over Thyx stared out the window and played it in his head.
Everyone was being so quiet since. He wanted to do something but didn't know where to start. He wanted to be a real help. Not sure which of the team to ask he turned to Magnusson and blurted out, "Might I have the weapons you found me with?" It came out coldly.
It was just then they heard a sound coming from off the bridge - a door opening?
Everyone was being so quiet since. He wanted to do something but didn't know where to start. He wanted to be a real help. Not sure which of the team to ask he turned to Magnusson and blurted out, "Might I have the weapons you found me with?" It came out coldly.
”Sure, knock yourself out,” the technomancer muttered, not looking up from the complicated astral construct he was building with a force of his will, almost like a kinetic sculpture of light floating above his head as he reclined on his chair, distracting himself by trying to recreate the current solar system they were floating in as the ship’s sensors showed, down to the last comet hurling itself towards the sun. He frowned in thought as he shifted the orbit of one of the system’s gas giant’s moons 10 degrees off the plane of ecliptic. It was pure busywork, he knew, but he felt he needed to distract himself with something.
For he found himself missing the stupid dead lizard.
Which was ridiculous, of course. Far better for Robert to keep his hide intact and the Captain to bite the bullet, but silly as it sounded, the ship seemed larger and emptier without that loudmouth accidentally trying to shatter his eardrums every time there was a contact in the long-range scanners or someone dropped a bolt behind the couch in the lounge.
Sigirijus Malumajae walked through the door, dressed only in the ES undersuit he took off only when showering.
In one hand he held his datapad, the headlines of the day gently projected photographically into the air, and in the other he held a large, chipped mug.
"Thyx?" The large Vesk startled, his mouth dropped open, and the mug fell to the floor.
"You're... alive?"
Nine Lives shrugged. "Looks like no-one's looking for you. That's good and bad."
The large Vesk checked a chronometer. "We've got a schedule to keep. Magnusson, looks like it'll take hours to get 'Thyx' operational? Doesn't look to be too dangerous. Right." He nodded decisively "I'm deciding whether to cart him along or toss him out on the dock like he is. Anyone wants to weigh in, I'm listening."
For all that Nine-Lives claimed to be an autocratic captain, he'd learned early to listen to advice whenever there was time.
OOC: Don't fret too much about it. Sometimes, you just have to start and other people will follow.
I'm assuming Sig is surprised that Thyx is alive because he saw him die in the 'other reality'.
I hope we don't get ourselves into trouble with alternate realities and an android who doesn't remember what happened to him. :)
Questions?
Game on!
OOC: This is why we need to make sure everyone understands this 'scene'.
I believe that this Sig (Sig current or Sig-C) is from an alternate reality and somehow was transported to this reality. Sig-C knows nothing about him dying (in fact, I think he thinks that Thyx died).
We are treading dangerous territory because who's to say that this hasn't happeened before or won't happen again.
Are we all going to question who's who?
If this is going to be confusing then we can just scrap it.
Thoughts?
He nodded decisively "I'm deciding whether to cart him along or toss him out on the dock like he is. Anyone wants to weigh in, I'm listening."
Kip leaped to the android's side, stroking its head as she would a wounded animal. "Oh, please can we keep him? He's nice, I just know he is. I'm sure he'll work hard, and...and...and we need somebody to man the gunner's tower. I'll bet he's good at that. Can we keep him, please?"
Action 3
The mood on the ship had been dour, and Kip was tired of it. Everybody was moping around. And why? They didn't know each other that well, not really. And it's not like anybody had really liked the captain with his stupid loud voice and his stupid shouting all the time. It's not like when Sara died, not at all like that.
”Sure, knock yourself out,”
Since Beardo was the next grumpiest on the ship, Kip had mentally bestowed captainhood to him, even though it was not official. She ran for the locker where they'd put Thyx's weapons and retrieved them for him. She'd forgotten he'd arrived with any, and was used to him walking around like a civvy. To see him toting the baton and longarm was...downright unsettling.
Action 4
The sound of the mug smashing to the ground startled Kip badly, and she leapt from her chair and hid behind it before the shards had settled. Only then did her brain register the voice that had gone with the explosion of sound.
Peering around her chair, she saw the Captain standing there, in all his under-garmenty glory. Her heart leapt nearly into her mouth, and before her brain had decided what to do, she launched herself at him. "You're alive!" The ysoki wrapped herself around his midsection - the vesk was so big that her paws didn't meet around his back - but she clung to him with all her strength. Unaware of the tears soaking her whiskers, she said, "How are you alive? Where have you been?"
Action 4:
Chaos erupted with the opening of a door, a voice that was simultaneously familiar and unfamiliar, and a mug crashing to the floor. Kamiya had been blessed with quick reflexes and so she leapt to her feet, turning to face the assumed threat.
The lashunta's response was quite different than Kip's. Her face paled and she let out a choked cry, "But you're dead! You can't be real! Intruder!" Assuming that they were facing some sort of cruel attempt to steal their ship by shocking them into lowering their guard, Kamiya attempted to incapacitate the impostor. She focused her mind-affecting abilities on the deceiver with the intention of short-circuiting its mind and rendering it dazed and confused, unable to act.
OOC: getting confusing... :)
In 'Prime' existence: Sig dies while managing to save Thyx and allowing the rest of the crew to reach Blackmoon Rising and leave Akiton.
In alternate existence: Sig survived but saw Thyx die. The crew minus Thyx reach Blackmoon Rising and leave Akiton.
It is prime existence for everyone (except for Sig). Somehow, Sig from alternate existence comes into 'prime existence' and wonders why Thyx is alive while everyone wonders why Sig is alive.
The 'event' is an unexplained, one-time thing that has only been rumored to occur so it's not like we are all wondering from what alternate reality we hail from.
Does this make 'a little sense'?
Everyone remembers prime existence while Sig has some fuzzy memory abiut the past week. "What do you mean I wasn't there when we acquired the supply run from AbadarCorp?"
Thoughts?
Game on!
"Thyx?" The large Vesk startled, his mouth dropped open, and the mug fell to the floor.
"You're... alive?"
Robert took a look at the opening door, then felt his eyes try to pop out of their sockets as a dead man walked out of an empty room. A room he knew was empty because he had take a quick gander inside at one point, just to make sure there weren’t any small but highly valuable personal items lying down where someone might come and misplace them – he had been disappointed, but had been throughout enough to know there was no room to bury any corpses inside it without him knowing it – literally or figuratively.
The light sculpture Robert had spent over an hour building failed as his concentration was shattered, the multitude of celestial bodies falling off their orbits and vanished with silvery tinkling sounds before they hit the deck. The technomancer himself almost choked on a drop of spit going down the wring way as he hurled himself from his seat to take cover behind it, coughing in respiratory distress.
"But you're dead! You can't be real! Intruder!"
’The head-tails got that right,’ he thought as he fumbled for his sidearm.
"Thyx?" The large Vesk startled, his mouth dropped open, and the mug fell to the floor.
"You're... alive?"
Thyx didn't draw his sidearm. He didn't move. His head cocked slightly as he stared unblinking at the 'once and future captain'. 'This is very odd. Was I dead this whole time? Is this a memory glitch. I might be going faulty. Is it possible that this is a simulation? These past weeks. I'd better answer.' To test to see if this was a simulation Thyx picked up his baton and hit himself over the head, "... I am."
... "But you're dead! You can't be real! Intruder!" Assuming that they were facing some sort of cruel attempt to steal their ship by shocking them into lowering their guard, Kamiya attempted to incapacitate the impostor ...
'There are only two possibilities: this is the captain; this isn't the captain. Either way, we must be careful. Kip is danger close.' "Please, be careful Kamiya!" Thyx shoved his baton in his belt and stepped a little forward. He waited to see what Kamiya was doing and got ready to grab and protect the excited Ysoki.
He made the purring sound that was the Vesk equivalent of "Hmmm". Then shrugged "Good point. Not like he's going to eat a lot of food while we decide."
Sigirijus scratched, peeling off a loose scale and dropping it to the floor. "Don't know that I'm ready to make him a gunner, yet..." he looked the android up and down "Or even give him back his weapons. But it looks like he's a combat model, and we could really use someone who knows how to take point..."
The multiverse is a continuum. A continually growing, branching tree of possibilities. Every universe differs from its neighbour by tiny amounts. But sometimes these tiny amounts make enough of a difference to cross a threshold, and create a change in state.
In this universe, all went silent, and Nine lives thought for a moment.
'Better safe than sorry. Armed android might be the most dangerous thing we see. yeah, better safe than sorry' "Tell you what, Thyx. Come up to spec. Impress me on the next mission. I'll give you a berth and a gun."
In the neighbouring universe, a BANG! sounded as a micrometorite collided with the external airlock door, as happened a dozen times a day. This one was a foot from Nine Lives' head, and it changed his thinking.
'Better safe than sorry. Plenty of stuff out there could kill us, we need a dedicated gunner. Yeah, better safe than sorry' "Tell you what, Thyx. Come up to spec. I'll give you a gun, Impress me on the next mission and I'll give you a berth as well."
Kamiya's mental thrust hit home like a bullet, the already dazed Sigirijus pushed to gaping incredulity.
"I was..." he gaped "In my cabin?" he seemed to struggle to recall. "I woke up, popped an insta-caf and... I was going to come and read out here." he looked around, and absently hugged Kip back.
He shook his head "I'm not dead! Thyx is! He died charging those Aspis on the station!"
Action 1:
Kamiya added her opinion to the mix, "We could always use another pair of hands to help man the ship. His thoughts were confused but not aggressive. It may not hurt to give him a chance."
Action 2:
Kamiya looked to Robert and Thyx for some guidance considering Kip was already hugging the supposed Captain. "Do we restrain him until we can sort this all out? I think I dazed him enough that he won't resist."
Even though the lashunta made it a point to not read the thoughts of friends and colleagues, she made an exception in this case because she wasn't convinced that the vesk who walked out of the Captain's quarters was actually the Captain. She focused on the vesk's thoughts and tried to dig a little deeper than just surface thoughts.
He shook his head "I'm not dead! Thyx is! He died charging those Aspis on the station!"
Kamiya crossed her arms, clearly unconvinced, "Wrong. The Captain held back the thugs and paid with his life, not Thyx. How are we supposed to believe you are who you say you are? We all saw the Captain die."
Kamiya crossed her arms, clearly unconvinced, "Wrong. The Captain held back the thugs and paid with his life, not Thyx. How are we supposed to believe you are who you say you are? We all saw the Captain die."
”Well… he’s slow enough on the uptake to be the real deal, if he thinks the tin can is dead,” Robert grunted. He had managed to get his semi-automatic out and pointing in Sig’s general direction, yet he didn’t shoot.
”Oi, tentacles,” he hollered at Kamiya. ”How ‘bout you take a look inside that one’s noggin to see what’s inside. As far as double-agent plants go, this one seems pretty stupid if you ask me, but there’s gotta be some explanation of yon lizard coming back from the dead – wasn’t even that we had his body at hand to come back to life, and last time I looked, he couldn’t teleport.”
Kip snuggled into the captain's brief hug, then clambered up him until she was looking him in the face. Usually when she climbed him, he was in armour, so this was probably not comfortable for the vesk, but at least he had scales to protect him from her sharp nails.
Holding one cheek in each hand, she stared into his eyes. "You died, captain. We saw it. Laser blast, right here, right through you," she thumped him on the right side of his chest, then pulled back the fabric of his underclothes to peer at the area. Turning to the others, she said, "There's nothing there. Not a scar, not nothing." She gave him a good strong sniff, and declared. "He smells right. He looks right, and he feels right."
Dropping back to the ground, she narrowly avoided landing in the shattered mug. Kicking it aside, she said, "Kamiya? Does his brain sound right?" Kip fully believed the captain was back from the dead, but she was starting to realize that the others probably thought she was being hasty.
Thyx came close enough to get a good look. "He is very convincing. Could he be a hard-light simulation? Or a full body prosthetic?" The android pinched the captain hard on the forearm to check for elasticity. "If you are the captain then you will sit down and submit yourself to our examination. If you are not the captain than this ... prank ... is very cruel of you. These people were ... close ... to Captain Malumaje. You won't be released unpunished." His words were in his stereotypical monotone which made the last few sound particularly unfeeling and threatening.
”Oi, tentacles,” he hollered at Kamiya. ”How ‘bout you take a look inside that one’s noggin to see what’s inside. As far as double-agent plants go, this one seems pretty stupid if you ask me, but there’s gotta be some explanation of yon lizard coming back from the dead – wasn’t even that we had his body at hand to come back to life, and last time I looked, he couldn’t teleport.”
Kamiya bristled slightly at being called tentacles but let it slide since it was Robert. She rolled her eyes and in a monotone voice said, "Geez, why didn't I think of that?"
She focused back on hearing the vesk's thoughts, "I'm more than proficient in multi-tasking."
Thyx Sketch
I'm not able to access it.
Thyx SketchI'm not able to access it.
Thyx SketchI'm not able to access it.
OOC: I saw it . Awesome! Put a link on your profile so we don't lose it.
Feel free to sketch anything else about the game...
I intend to recap this morning but probably not move the game along any more than last turn.
Questions?
Game on!
I'm not able to access it.
OOC: I saw it . Awesome! Put a link on your profile so we don't lose it.
The Vesk's thoughts were chaotic, but seemed familiar. Definitely Vesk - the telltale focus in the limbic region. Familiarity as he looked around. Confusion. Disbelief as he looked at Thyx, and more as he processed.
"I... died?" memories of the station, Thyx drawing his weapon. Memories of waking up. Grabbing a Caf. Looking out a porthole at a flash... then walking out the door.
Fear. Not dear of death. Fear of something else. 'Worldwalker.'
Sigirijus considered "All right. Reasonable. Check my DNA. I can..." he froze "Wait! My Datapad!" he holds out the datapad to Roger. "I better get this back in one piece, Magnusson."
Back pains. Fighting back with many white pills. Please don't expect me to do a lot of sitting by a computer typing text just now.
Back pains. Fighting back with many white pills. Please don't expect me to do a lot of sitting by a computer typing text just now.
Get well soon!
Thyx looked at the Vesk sitting dazed in the chair, "It may be Kamiya's skills but we seem safe for now. If he wanted us hurt us he wore the wrong armour. Once, not too long ago someone gave me the benefit of the doubt. If he checks out, I suggest we do similar safety protocols. It's too soon for trust but we don't need to kick anyone off Blackmoon just yet either. What do we call you? 'Captain' doesn't seem right."
"Of course he's the captain." Kip said, planting her paws on her hips, tail lashing. "Who else would he be? He's just a little confused. Being dead will do that to you." she spoke as if with great authority.
Stepping closer, she said to the captain, "Did you....did you see another vesk, while you were dead? Sarangari? Did she say," the ysoki sniffed a bit, "did she say why she didn't come back too?"
After all, if the captain had come back from the dead, it stood to reason that all vesk could. But why hadn't Sara come back for her?
Action 1:
Kamiya's antennae moved furiously in a figure eight pattern as she tried to piece together the vesk's chaotic thoughts. Her eyes narrowed in concentration, "There are no foreign thoughts that I can find. There's a lot of confusion but his thoughts seem familiar. Although there is one word that seems clearer than the rest...worldwalker."
Action 2:
Sigirijus considered "All right. Reasonable. Check my DNA. I can..." he froze "Wait! My Datapad!" he holds out the datapad to Roger. "I better get this back in one piece, Magnusson."
Kamiya began to waiver in her initial assessment of their visitor, "Logically speaking, he wouldn't offer his DNA unless he's a pristine biological impostor or he's stupid. Although I would consider taking the sample from an uncommon place to limit the chance of a faked sample."
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Kamiya began to waiver in her initial assessment of their visitor, "Logically speaking, he wouldn't offer his DNA unless he's a pristine biological impostor or he's stupid. Although I would consider taking the sample from an uncommon place to limit the chance of a faked sample."
"And who would waste the money for a full-on clone on the likes of us?" Robert grunted, walking over warily to accept the datapad the maybe-impersonator was offering.
He retreated back to the safety of his chair before looking at the portable terminal. He didn't want to risk possible viral attack so he forgot about interfacing the pad with his own computer. 'Oh, it's connected to the ship's network already,' he realized immediately. 'There goes that layer of separation.' It was interesting that the lizard had managed to guess the network password, even though Robert hadn't gone all psycho with the security - the network was internal to the ship, after all, and any intruder who got close enough to interface with it had already got way too close for comfort.
"That's funny... The device says it's been connected for several days now," the technomancer muttered, eyes narrowed as his fingers danced on the virtual keyboard. "But the network itself says the thing was last seen a week ago, during the Aspis thing... except that it returned literally minutes ago... got mission logs in here... there's crew reports and performance evaluations... seems legit enough - wait just a friggin'... me? Tuba player? What in the name of dreaming heavens is a even a tuba? Something to do with dice? Or is it a card game?"
"Ok, this is damn weird," Robert said after a few long minutes spent muttering under his breath. "General lines are what you'd expect, but there are some pretty wild bits and pieces here that don't line up with what I know to be true," he grunted, waving the pad around in one hand. "If someone forged this to make us buy his story, they are chasing a real warped logic chain."
I hope this means the back is feeling better!
Also: Tuba player! I can totally see Robert lugging around a massive tuba.
I've probably asked this before, but have you read the Dresden files? Wizard for hire in Chicago. So good. The tuba reminds me of Butters.