Log:SPACETEAM 2: The Re-Spacening!, Scene 2

SPACETEAM 2: The Re-Spacening! 2017/04/10 Rick Griffin Indira Quiet 2

Griffin Freeman is a very easy man to please. A beautiful sunset, a starry night, a good camp fire, SciFi Fridays with Kat or training with Mason. But space?! The great unknown? The wild and untamable (not to mention infinite) frontier? These days, there are few forces on Earth that can stop Griffin- but space missions? Well it'd take an Extinction Level Event to even slow him down.

As Quiet checks her weapons, Griffin glances from her gear to Rick's. Part of him misses the hardware- but another part of him absolutely relishes in his supercharged abilities.

His glowing irises drift to Indira's melodic commands and wonders what she's saying. He shrugs again and looks up into the sky.

Each lyrical word that spills from Indira's mouth causes a different light on the beacon to change its color and intensity. To Indira this may bear strong significance. Our dear Earthicans probably have no idea what is going on with the beacon, save that Indira is manipulating it by some kind of apparently slick voice command system. Aliens have the best tech, don't you know?

Breach offers a tired groan at Griffin's incessant happiness and questions. He promptly drops into a crouch alongside the beacon while Quiet performs her weapons and armor check. Someone may have put Breach through his paces before his attempts at sleep.

The beacon abruptly issues a sharp musical tone as its "running" lights begin to strobe in a more regular pattern. Indira probably doesn't get a chance to fill Griffin in on "the call" before the entire world goes momentarily, but entirely white. Earthicans may find the experience not unlike staring directly into the heart of a flashbang, except without the horrible ringing in their ears.

When all fields of vision have cleared, the group is standing on a luminous white platform in the middle of a medium-sized room that looks like it was at least partially grown. Matte aluminum-colored surfaces are woven together by green and indigo organic matter that may or may not generate an unsettlingly rhythmic visual and auditory pulsation about every three seconds.

Four Asrani are situated around the room. Two appear to be manipulating some kind of semi-organic interface that Quiet suspects controls the platform on which the team is standing. One of them is standing off to the side of the platform, doing his very best to appear inoccuous. It's probably comical since he's nearly seven feet tall and possesses a build like a champion NFL linebacker; the fact that he appears to be sprouting heavy wooden armor from several portions of his visible anatomy very likely does not help him in "blending in" or "appearing inoccuous".

"Ambassador Paxis, thank you for responding so swiftly," intones the fourth as-yet-unidentified Asrani in the room. This Asrani wears flowing robes not unlike those that Indira favors, though it possesses a more impossibly willowy build than Indira and its Neurochemical Attraction effect hits noticeably harder than Indira's does. People's vision may swim for a second or two before the Asrani takes on an appearance more suited to positive interaction with everyone in the room.

[GM to Indira] The big guy in the corner is Commander Andir Vaksoh, a modern legend in the making. He's an adventurer in the most Earthy of molds. If he's involved, this is probably a very big deal and probably horribly dangerous.

Quiet knows she was awake, her last sip of alcohol was several minutes ago, and she was monowire focused on the upcoming trip. Then why are her eyes suddenly screaming and then her head swimming? Whent sight and focus returns, she blinks once more, just to make sure, though even the surprise and lack of perception don't dim muscle memory: her weapon is already raised from check to ready when she can see it again.

If not for the fact that the first one she sees looks very similar to Indira, at least for a split-second, reflexes and gut might have pre-empted full situational awareness. Fortunately, they don't, though her weapon doesn't lower much.

[GM to Indira] The willowy Asrani who is doing the greeting is Ambassador Vasmiren Querkha. Vasmiren's people hail from a remote region of the Asrani homeworld and are notable for their quasi-androgeny. Suffice to say, Vasmiren is currently in between "cycles". When last you two crossed paths, however, Vasmiren was in a masculine "cycle". The two of you helped to broker a peace deal between warring Krog'mar factions on a backwater, barely habitable moon orbiting a brown dwarf orbiting a late stage yellow star.

Griffin can't for the life of him figure out what's grumping Mason, but that's nothing new.

The bright light draws his attention back to Indira and the beacon in time for the light to completely consume and replace the world around him and his team.

Seeing the Asrani- especially the big linebacker on, makes Griffin stand a bit straighter. Coming to attention with military precision the same way a pianist might step up to a piano.

He tries to make Indira look good in front of her people by putting his hands behind his back and standing with his feet shoulder width apart.

Griffin's eyes unfortunately can't stay locked on any one object for long. He leaps to take in all the scifi crazy space alien bonanza Andromedan plant-people tech he can. While its not what he'd pick as his own internal decor, he can appreciate it for its alien-ness.

Indira draws her hands before her, one hand grasping the other's wrist as she casts a glance at the wooden armored one. There's an immediately look that mars her usual placid expression. She looks concerned. Uncomfortable. She looks back to the speaker, she raises her hand up to signal Quiet to stand down completely.

"Ambassador Querkha. It has been some time. It is extremely rare that I hear from any of our people while I'm on Earth, so I had to find out the cause for sending a transbeacon to these far reaches." She motions to the other members of Zero Division. "These are my friends and aids on Earth."

Taking time to motion to each as she makes introductions, she says, "This is Rick Mason, my Quel'hazan. This is Griffin Freeman, his comrade and a heroic ally. And this is Quiet, a skilled and hardened guardian." There's something a little more poetic in her introductions. The nerd in Griffin may suspect they're an adventuring party being introduced.

Clasping her hands before, she continues briefly. "Given who is here," she looks to the powerfully built and armored Asrani before looking back to Querkha, "This must be very...critical."

Quiet can certainly understand the intricacies of hand gestures and lowers her weapon before stowing in on the grav-tractor on the back plate of her armor. She acknowledges the Asrani with a respectful nod before her arms cross before her. Her posture is neither as demure as Indira's nor as ridgid as Griffin's, but somewhere between. Business casual.

The linebacker in the corner straightens up as Quiet brings her weapon to bear. For several seconds, the big guy looks like he might be preparing to do something hostile. And then Griffin straightens himself out and adopts a patently attentive militant stance. Somehow this seems to calm the massive plantman from whatever he was planning on doing.

"Peace, Earthlander," booms the linebacker. He has a deep, resonant voice that does not really seem likely to lend itself to anything less than booming. It's like the sound just rattles around in his chest before it escapes through his mouth. "Your weapons are unnecessary here."

Breach straightens up automatically at the sound of the big guy's voice. His head swivels, orange faceplate providing dramatic lens flare with the diffuse lighting in the transporter(?) room. Rick and The Big Guy may be engaged in a staring contest throughout the introductions.

"Quel'hazan?"

The big guy laughs at this. It is a deep, terrible laugh. Kevin Michael Richardson has to be voicing this guy for him to be able to laugh like that. No one laughs like that except Trigon.

Ambassador Querkha looks from Indira to Breach and back again. Griffin and Quiet probably get the distinct impression that Indira has said something her own people consider odd. Querkha, however, is infinitely more diplomatic than the big guy. Instead of laughing, he simply leaves it at the implicit raised eyebrow before clasping his hands together in greeting.

"Your reports on the space station debacle, Ambassador Paxis, are what have brought you and your... Aides here today. I fear your People require your services - and those of your... Aides - in a most dire way."

Quiet's business casual dips to curious as her faceplate pans from howitzer-laugher to Indira, to Breach and back. Question marks could easily be envisioned.

Those promptly vanish and her stance nore stiffens at the mention of the space station debacle, mostly on the final word. The new rigidity doesn't fade with the segue to implications of dire need.

Griffin mumbles, 'Earthlander... cool.' Mostly to himself, because come on. That's cool. But he isn't too impressed by the alien's booming voice, but it does resonate nicely in the chambers, at least to Griffin's ears.

But his laugh seems to be a much more effective tool at making Griffin uncomfortable. He doesn't care for that laugh one bit.

After their adventuring party is introduced, he's surprised to hear that the Zero Division was called to help the Asrani people.

He decides to hold his tongue, especially after Indira's faux-paux, he doesn't want to make things any worse for her than they may already be. Reading alien subtlties is something he's clearly going to habe to work on.

"The Hateful Ones?" Indira murmurs of the Tyrixx aliens that sieged the station. She never spoke of the race by name. It's bad luck to call them by name. In fact, "Hateful Ones" is the literal translation of their own species name.

"Have they wandered so far as to come close to home?" she asks uncomfortably. As for the laughter and odd looks, she pays no mind. It may be an archaic term, but it still fits.

Breach's lips purse before turning down into a dark frown as the big guy laughs. Griffin - or Quiet - may have to restrain Breach before the mission briefing is through. Mercifully, the big guy's laughter dies off after a few moments. Everyone can still feel him repressing a few errant chortles though.

"Kaldri forbid," intones Querkha, waving his hands at the notion of Tyrixx coming near to Asrani space. Querkha gestures toward the door, turning that way as well as he intones, "It will be easier to show you. I am taken to understand your Earthlanders are visual learners, yes? Like the Sim'kor'Da on Uvulex VIII?"

That's probably only half as insulting as it may sound. Probably. It's hard to tell when the planet/moon is named 'Uvulex'.

Indira nods in relief, her shoulders dipping as she relaxes and looks towards the door. "Yes, very much like them, Vasmiren," she addresses the ambassador by its first name. "Showing would be best."

Quiet makes a few brief taps on her right forearm with her left hand's fingers. Perhaps to confirm the other Asrani's hupothesis, holographic text begins to appear. Can they read it? Well, she assumes their tech can figure it out.

YES, AS OPPOSED TO HAVING IT SHOVED INTO-

She stops typing as Indira beats her to the full explanation, which may be for the best. The holographics fade as Quiet goes back to listening and watching.

Ambassdor Querkha does not get a chance to see Quiet's holographic text. He is much too busy trying to encourage Indira and the rest of SPACETEAM to exit the transporter(?) room. It doesn't help that he is also almost certainly trying to keep an eye on The Big Guy back there.

For the moment, Griffin gets to play interference by staying in between Breach and The Big Guy. It's unclear if that's intentional or simply a chaotic effect of Griffin trying to look at everything in the alien spaceship! SPACESHIP! SPAAAAAAAAAAAACESHHHHHIIIIIIIIIP!

The Big Guy definitely saw Quiet's text. He lurches into motion, following Querkha and Zero Division out of the transporter(?) room. An unabashed, dark smile plays across the Big Guy's face as he nods at Quiet. She has, apparently, scored points with him.

"Very entertaining, Earthlander," praises/booms the Big Guy as he strolls past Quiet and toward the head of the pack.

One of Breach's hands moves toward his pistol. Griffin is immediately in front of him, in the way of the shot. That is probably for the best.

Querkha and the Big Guy lead Zero Division through an expansive hallway. Unlike the last enormous hallway the team was in, this one has numerous window-like sections that permit the team to look out upon constellations of alien stars. Just judging by the fact that there are TWO galaxies in clear, unobstructed visual range without the aid of optical systems, Zero Division has to be somewhere well and truly far away from Earth.

"You have, of course, been briefed on the Shi'krox'zan Rebellions, Ambassador," intones Vasmiren. It sounds like a statement of fact, rather than a question, but there is a certain degree of inquiry lingering at the end of the sentence.

Quiet wasn't trying to score points, but having the big guy amused rather than angry is probably better all-around. She moves out with the rest of /0, though slows some as she spies the view. Ok. Space is one thing, but this looks like outer, outer, outer space.

Indira steals a longing glance out the windows at the views she's missed so much before looking back to Querkha. "I've heard some about it, Ambassador. But I haven't told my aides anything about it."

[GM to Indira] Indira is aware of the Shi'krox'zan Rebellions. They aren't something that your "aides" would need to know about. After all, what do Earthicans really need to know about anti-government conflicts in the Andromeda galaxy? She's also aware that there was use of some kind of engineered bio-weapons platform, though the exact details were not revealed to Indira before she took her post in the Milky Way.