Lost in Headspace, Scene 2

Arthur does notice that there is a slightly damp mass adhered to the back of his head. And the belt, well, its not his. It looks vaguely familiar though. Just off the tip of your brain who it belongs to.

Arthur crosses his legs to try and cover himself, then realizes he's hands are free. One hand goes down to cover himself, the other reaches for the damp mass to try and remove it.

The squidy spider bots outside the viewport in the airlock door do not seem aware of you.

And the vacuum desiccated corpse sees unaware of you as well. A nametag cycles through the image an older amiable human face and a name/title - Fell Morgin, Chief Purser.

As for the mass? Well, its spongy, stuck to the back of you head, and, you fear, has tendrils going into the back of your skull as it stings if you pull on it.

Arthur winces at the tugging and let's go. "Well. This is looking rather hopeless," he mutters to himself like it's just an inconvenience. He looks to the corpse and looks saddened by the name. "He didn't deserve that."

"Welcome aboard the 'Seeker of Joy', a cruise liner of the Wings Across the Stars line," pipes up a cheerful automated voice speaking Se'lag, which it seems, you are understanding. Must have, well, absorbed it earlier. "I am your Guide to the 'Seeker of Joy'. At present, we are in the midst of a boarding action and request all passengers and non-essential crew return to their cabins or designated shelters as directed by the pursers. Thank you you cooperation!"

Arthur tries sitting up, looking around for a way off the luggage carrier. He fiddles with the damp mass again, winces, and leaves it for now. "Well, it seems Dialydd will still have a mortal friend for a while longer yet."

There's a bit of head rush as the drubs and your body fight it out a bit, but you get up. And, well, it's about a three drop over the edge to the deck plating.

"Was that addressed to me, Unknown Boarder #121?" asks the Guide. "I should remark that as an unknown boarder I shall not direct to any of the three shelters on this ship."

"I'm not an unknown boarder," Arthur says to the Guide. He moves a bit slower as the drugs swim in his head. He tries carefully rising to his feet, hoping he doesn't fall over. "What shelters? What's the status of the ship?"

"You are an unknown boarder. I cannot reveal that information to you, #121,

" states the Guide. "If the Chief Purser could vouch for you, I can reveal basic information such as you request."

Arthur opens his mouth, and closes it. Fell Morgin won't be vouching for him anytime soon. "As I said, I'm not an unknown boarder. I'm carry-on luggage," he points to his head. He also steps off to the side and tries carefully hopping down from the luggage carrier.

"Chief Purser Fell Morgin is not dead, #121. HIs organic form is defunct. His consciousness still resides in his core processing unit and peripherals." The Guide then adds in a prim tone, "And you were resting on the luggage as the other unknown boarder transported you about the ship. And you boarded form the ship that was docked without permission to the aft afterlock on level 12. By definition, you are an unknown boarder, but not a hostile."

"Which other unknown boarder? Do you have 120 other unknown boarders?" Arthur as he straightens up and looks over his body again to see what state he's in. The mirror version had all manner of wires and plugs, but also a skin suit at the time. He feels around for any other attached wires and feels his head to see if his head really is shaved. "Well, if his consciousness is still available, why don't you ask it? And what is this on my head?"

"There are presently 121 unknowns around and in the 'Seeker of Joy', #121. One is a vessel of Jerin design that you entered the ship from. There is a mass of 100 unknown cyborgs around an unknown biologic mass 1 km off the front of the ship. And nine unknown boarders of mixed robotic and cyborg origin in various parts of the vessel."

The Guide then continues, "I cannot access Fell Morgin's consciousness. Doing so without sera'a's direct permission is a violation of his right of mental privacy under CCR law."

"As for the biologic mass on the back of your head: its function is unknown to me. It has been attached to all biologics on the vessel."

"All?" Arthur asks in surprise. If he could see another person with it on, he'd have an easier time of examining it. Running around in circles to view the back of his head just won't do. He removes the belt to take a closer look at it to try and remember what it's from. "Well, it's unfortunate about Fell Morgin," he says as he snaps his fingers. A glow of white surrounds him from the neck down, dimming to resolve into his usual outfit, coat, colors, scarf, and all. "If there are any Varanyi aboard and amongst those unknowns, I am going to have words," he says, trying to recall his time before boarding.

"No living Varanyi are aboard the vessel. All guests of that species, 4 in tital, killed by the other unknown boarders, #121," states the Guide. "A maintenance and cleaning crew request has already been issued for fulfillment after this boarding action is complete."

Arthur's hair has even come back with the strange instant change. "Well that's...a mystery. I need to find someone helpful," he says as he looks around for a door or exit so he can head for it. "What or who killed Fell Morgin's organic form?"

"Fell Morgin's organic shell was killed by exposure to vacuum after Unknown Boarders #3, #7, #16, and #98 brought him to this room. The Chief Purser tied his belt to a loop in the wall surface so as to not be expelled into space. As a simulant, his consciousness is stored in the inorganic parts of his body. It will be quite costly for him to purchase a new shell, but he often comments on the usefulness of one. He recommends that should I attain true sentience to start paying for one 'right away'," states the Guide.

Arthur may have to recover Fell's body later. "Alright, can you direct me to Unknown Boarders #3, #7, #16, and #98? As fellow unknowns."

"I cannot comply, #121. You are not a registered guest or crew member of the 'Seeker of Jo -" The voice cuts out and another overlays it. "Finally, right program. Who are you? This is Chief Purser Fell Morgin. Please indentify yourself. I'd say friend or foe, but as you're /not/ a murderous cyborg, I'm going with friend or at least temporary ally." The voice sounds like a pleasant light baritone human male.

"Ah, there you are. I'm so sorry about your organic parts, Chief Purser Morgin. I'm the Professor. Definitely a friend," Arthur answers. "I'm trying to find out the status of the ship and who put this thing on my head," he points to the mass. "I can't even see what it is."

Fell Morgin says, "Move closer to the camera to your right." A hmm sound comes over the speaker in the room. "Alright, I'll be honest, biomechanics is /not/ my strong suit. But, I'd bet its like a computer link but organic. Right place for a brain stem connection. Looks like the things on the backs of the heads those cyborgs carry. Nasty bit of work, that is."

Arthur steps closer to the camera. "Well, if you can even lead me out of here to other areas to research, that'll do. I...I thought I came with a friend. I heard them..."

"Was there someone else on your ship? I heard it dock right before the cyborgs grabbed me. Hoped it was CCR cruiser. Supposed to be one just a few light-hours away. But, well, we were busy fighting off, badly, the boarders. I told the Captain we needed more marines, but, well, company policy and costs. This'll show the bean counters," states Fell Morgin. "And yeah, I can lead you, but, well, can transmit far. So, put my meat on that carrier and cart it with you."

Arthur tries to remember. "My memory is a little hazy from whatever they did to me. Was there a Jerin with me? I came to help." He blinks and looks up at the camera, then over at the body in the vacuum. "Ah....yes. I can...uh...fetch you. It. That," he says uneasily and walks toward where he saw Fell's body.

"The Guide has a record of a Jerin ship docking. Registry says it's the, heh, 'Beautiful Dream of the Stars', that nicely poetic, very Jerin. You know their names are actually longer than what they normally use, right? Little definitions who they're parent's priests thought they'd turn out or so I hear." He then sighs. "Sorry, babbling a bit. Always this way when I get disembodied again. Bit of meat addict."

You can easily cycle the airlock and get Fell Morgin's vacuum desiccate corpse.

Arthur chuckles. "Well, that name would be fitting if it belonged to who I think it does." He reaches the airlock, depressurizes it, and then gulps before loading it into a carrier. It's gruesome work for him, and he's glad when it's done. "There..."

The body twitches a little on the luggage carrier. "Yeah, motor function are shot. Too much hard rads and not enough fluids left in the meat. Pity. I liked this framework. And it's, well, it was top grade. Maybe have to go for a milspec model next time with all the trimmings."

Fell Morgin sighs and the sound comes out of the corpse. "Well, seems like the larynx alterations still work. Good. Can use them and stay out of ship's systems. Got some nasty virii running around in the ship's mainframe."

"Is it...fully organic? Maybe I can help restore your body if it's still able to twitch," Arthur realizes.

"My body? Well, it's mostly organic. I'm inside an armored case in the lower chest area and my ears and larynx are Somon tech so inorganic. Rest of the body was made by Sholarron bio sculptures. Should've gone for the eyemods as well. Then I could still see out of it. But, well, budget was tight when I ordered it back then," says Fell Morgin.

"And these cyborgs? I can tell you, my people, the Somon, did /not/ make them. They

"They'r alien tech for certain. Don't fit Somon ethics at all. I'd bet their organic parts are taken forcibly...although why you'd want organic's heads?" Fell Morgin sounds a bit offended.

Arthur is worried for a moment. "And they had these weird mass things on their heads, too? Is this thing trying to replace my head?!" he asks in rising alarm.

"I, actually, fear they are just, well, be prepared when come around th corner. You're not squeamish are you? Got a strong stomach, right?" asks Fell Morgin through the dead lips of his meat body.

When you round the corner towards what the sign says the direction of the 'Day Spa', you see about 20 bodies stacked like cordwood along the corridor on luggage pallets. A variety of races (Human, Se'ecra, Se'lag, Esagite, but heavier on the CCR races) are represented among the dead. All of them are headless but otherwise intact.

Arthur purses his lips at the question, given that he's carting along a corpse of an AI. "I'm already moving you along, why would you ask...that..." he slows to a stop at the piles of bodies and is silent for several long moments. He simmers with anger and grief over the loss of life. "I need to get this off my head," he finally says with determination.

Next: Lost in Headspace, Scene 3