Log:SPACETEAM 2: The Re-Spacening!, Scene 4

SPACETEAM 2: The Re-Spacening! 2017/06/11 Rick Griffin Indira Quiet 4

Quiet isn't a biologist, much less the exo- variety, but she has a general idea of symbiotic relationships. They're not unlike others: it takes two to work, or FUBAR it. There is some tapping of fingers on her right forearm before the rarely-used artifical speach emits from her helm.

"They are a third faction? They became independent? Altered their partners?"

It may be the first time she's queried the aliens directly.

Vaksoh's gaze finally shifts from the back of Breach's helmet to stare in obvious confusion at the back of Quiet's helmet. There is a good ten second gap where he is not actively scowling at anyone or anything. Perhaps he thought Quiets simply didn't speak at all?

"Kroexdan are complex," replies Ambassador Querkha, "But that is the simplest explanation. The biological weapons platform was rushed through by the wartime conditions. Insufficient avenues of research were conducted before it was unleashed."

"Initially it functioned as intended. The entire moon-world of Dahk-Shri VII was purged of Asrani and rebel fighters," booms Vaksoh from the rear of the room. There is something almost like admiration in his tone of voice. It is, of course, tinged by a mixture of regret and personal loss. "The Krox'Zan were clever like that. We fielded our own version soon after the Dahk-Shri encounter. It had similar results in strategic, unwinnable engagements in several systems."

Querkha may be paling somewhat at Vaksoh's revelations. Certainly everyone within range of his Neuro-Chemical Attraction can see his features seeming to pale and grow a little waxen as Vaksoh rumbles onward. The Ambassador clears his throat and zooms the holographic display in on a strange looking stellar system. It may be relatively close to the Shi'Krox'Zan homesystem that he was displaying only moments before.

"The problems began when both strains were released in a battle near to the Shi'Krox'Zan homeworld. The two strains at first attempted to destroy one another before they became... Symbiotically linked to one another. It is most unprecedented, according to our Keklime fa shologists." Go ahead, try to say that five times fast. "The devastation was extraordinary on the moon-worlds of Kro'Zan Te. Kroexdan evolved very quickly, apparently learning more and more complex behaviors and patterns from each soldier it took. Some scientists are suggesting there may be a kind of lingering psychic connection to the original strains and the worlds upon which they were initially released."

Indira pales as well at the devastation of Dahk-Shri VII, but also at the news of the release of an Asrani counter-bio weapon. She was standing before during the start of the presentation, but now she feels the sudden need to sit. She lowers herself numbly on a bench, perhaps not even verifying that it was there, as she plunks down rather suddenly rather than easing herself as she should. There is little doubt by her expression that she is ill at ease with the type of warfare being discussed.

"They have become a system-wide hive race?" Indira asks softly, realizing this is the dawn of a new species potentially. "What of those taken by the Kroexdan? Is there no way to undo the bonding between them?"

Quiet miscontrued the scope of this 'biological weapons platform,' have assumed a tactical, squad level implementation. After this latest update, her helm dips and her left hand rises, though the two stop just short of faceplate-palm contact. The halt may just be to allow more typing, though now her comment is sent only to the /0 comms.



PLEASE TELL ME TWO PLANETARY SCALE FUCKING BIO WMDS DIDN'T JUST SUDDENLY GROW A BRAIN, CALL A TRUCE, AND START SHARING INTEL ON EVERY SOUL THEY INFECTED TO SET UP THEIR OWN OP PLAN WITH THEIR OWN HIJACKED ARMY...

A look of quiet concern and definite surprise rolls over Griffin's face as more and more is revealed.

He's surprised because for some reason he expected more of the Asrani- certainly not wiping out whole moons of their own fighters right alongside the enemy.

"Complex is one word for it." He grumbles quietly as he notices Indira's reaction to Dahk-Shri VII.

He's starting to notice there is a clever convention the Asrani have of naming things with candy coatings. 'Weapons Platform' instead of 'Super-Sentient Hive-Mind Murder Goo' is just today's example.

He subvocalizes ont he /0 Comms, <<Time to get curious, Q because it sounds like Murder-Goo is on the menu. Who's going to ask how we avoid being taken over?"

Breach cocks his head, looking over at Quiet for a moment. He scoots closer to Indira, however, placing one gloved hand on her shoulder as she visibly reels from the briefing. Glancing at Griffin, Breach gives Indira's shoulder a gentle squeeze before his attention returns to Ambassador Querkha and the holographic map at the center of the room.

The stellar system being displayed is still strange. Everyone here can clearly tell there is something "off" about how it is rendered, though it's difficult to pinpoint exactly what. A pair of enormous gas giants orbit a yellow-green star that may - or may not - be approximately the same size as Earth's own Sol. Myriad rocky "moons" orbit each gas giant, though Griffin and Indira may suspect these are more like captured asteroid belts, with a smattering of properly sized moons partially obscured by the smaller, more numerous "moons" in orbit around each vast gas world.

"They have become a hive race of sorts, yes, though they have rather effectively consolidated themselves in this system. Ohk Zay Chree. The Shi'Krox'Zan have long avoided this system so near to their own. In their language the name translates roughly to 'Sacred Graveyard of a Thousand Worlds at War.' Something about the intense tidal gravities caused their initial colonization efforts there to fail quite catastrophically. Ever since it has been considered an off-limits zone to their people."

"Superstitious vehk-mas," mutters Vaksoh, in the background. Breach looks over his shoulder at Vaksoh and growlingly intones, "There are ladies present."

Vaksoh mutters a very flowery sounding apology in the Asrani tongue, though he does glower darkly at the back of Breach's helmet once more. There is a strong possibility that anyone watching him might notice there's more and more hardened bark growing over the backs of his hands. Presumably a physical manifestation of his intense disdain for Breach.

"That is where you and your aides come in, Ambassador Paxis. We have finally devised a counter-measure to dissolve the physiological bond between the Kroexdan and their host bodies. Delivery of the enzymatic agent, however, has proven... Difficult by standard Asrani measures," intones Ambassador Querkha.

<< Something about the story doesn't sound right. It's about as sketchy as this solar system they're showing us. Am I the only one who feels like it looks weird? >> inquires Breach over the comms.

Quiet turns her faceplate to Griffin and nods, then gestures with a hand from him to the Asrani briefing them. He is far more equipped to ask the tough questions than she is... or at least more comfortable. The vocalization software may be near SOTA, but she still thinks it sounds all wrong because it isn't her voice.

As for Indira, Quiet isn't ignorant of her shock and upset. She'll just save reassurance for after they've avoided death by Murder-Goo.

Griffin subvocalizes <<"It all looks weird in space man. Its not like we're moonmen- this is ... a new froneir for all of us Earthlings."

Before he speaks aloud he clears his throat, twisting in his seat to sit askew in the it. "So your countermeasures have faileds so far, your delivery methods have come up short too- why? You guys are leagues ahead of tech wise. What can we do that your soldiers cannot, Ambassador?" His words are direct and to the point. But he has one more thought to add to the mix. "And on that same note- how do we avoid being taken over by this Murder-Goo?"

Indira is still in shock of the weapons revelations and the losses incurred. When Breach offers a comforting squeeze, that seems to snap her out of it. She glances to him and offers a weak smile before looking back to the holomap with a serious expression again.

Her hands do something none have probably seen them do. They fidget indecisively, trying to figure out how to weave themselves together before she finally clasps her hands in her lap. She takes a deep breath of patience at Vaksoh's insults. It is a word she hasn't used, although she has cursed in her native tongue on the rare occasions.

But she relaxes at the apology some. The asrani tongue is part vocal, part olfactory, and part telepathic, the latter two adding additional context that is lose to most races who know the language. It lets her know that while Commander Vaksoh is sorry, he may not be entirely sincere in his apology beyond what decorum requires. She fixes him with a look and delivers cooly with a passive expression, "Ni moy shral tu. Wulvradri ventah." It's a cutting acceptance of the apology. The straight translation being, "I hear your words. The Heartwood is quiet," it is an expression to show the apology is said but not felt.

Indira sits tall and looks back to the Ambassador, trying to push back the shock and grief of the news and focus on a resolution she hope will be peaceful. But that it requires her team will likely mean that is wishful thinking. She studies the map, trying to figure out what is wrong. "So the Kroexdan have inhabited a place some of their hosts would consider forbidden and sacred. Old colonies, abandoned. Are they there to gather abandoned resources?"

"The counter-measure you will be deploying is a type of innoculation against the Kroexdan... Symbiote. It has been tested extensively and been proven effective against both strains individually and collectively."

Ambassador Querkha pauses for a moment, its luminous eyes scanning across the members of Division Zero before locking onto Indira. There is a long pause as the Ambassador considers its words carefully. Breach shifts his weight slightly, giving Indira another squeeze on the shoulder with his gloved hand. His lips are pursed and his jaw is set, clearly Rick Mason is having some trouble swallowing the company line here.

"We believe that they are attempting to establish a homeworld," pronounces Querkha, "They are collecting and moving colony resources to a central point in orbit of the Ohk Zay Chree star. Several hundred medium to large pieces of stellar debris have also been drawn toward that point. Long range scans have been rendered... Unclear since then. We believe they have constructed some kind of sensor counter-measure to obfuscate their works."

Breach straightens up now.

"Which is why your map there doesn't look right. You're running on bad data."

Vaksoh offers a deep, rumbling growl from the back row. He notably does not repudiate Breach's assessment. Both of Vaksoh's hands are completely encrusted in bark now, which is steadily hardening as he clenches and unclenches his fists while staring balefully at the back of Breach's helmet.

"The enzymatic agent will prevent you from being affected by the Kroexdan. Your mission will be to penetrate the Ohk Zay Chree dampening field and deliver the enzymatic agent to those afflicted by the original strains. We believe removing them from the collective will cripple their combined intellectual capacity. From there, the Asrani fleet can begin to eradicate the remainder of the menace."

Quiet is back to her namesake as she listens to, and makes notes of the details. Now that they've finally made it to the meat of this mission brief, she's professional and focused. The only minor attention spared is to the continuing interplay between Breach and Vaksoh. It only takes a few taps to send a message to his HUD via comms.

LOOK AT YOU, MAKING FRIENDS ALREADY.

Griffin isn't all the way on the board yet, I mean he's always up for an adventure amongst the stars, but wiping out a newly sentient race seems a bit extreme for him.

<<"Breach is always making friends no matter where we go. He's our 'Face'." He pauses to sigh before getting on with the real issue at hand.

<<"So beyond bad intel... does anyone else ahve a bad taste in their mouth about this or am I misunderstanding what we're being asked to do here? Lobotimizing a newly sentient collective? Have they even attacked anyone they weren't programmed to?" He subvocalizes ot the rest of the team.

He makes a show of paying attention to the presentation while he speaks with tthe others.

Indira's hands clasp tighter as she realizes their intent. "I just want to understand clearly. The original hosts...they do survive the enzymatic agent, yes?" she asks. The answer will inform what she will ask next.

<> Quiet is following Griffin's line of thought. After a moment, she adds, <>

"They have in all previous tests," replies Ambassador Querkha, "Though the hosts do often enter a temporary state of catatonia after being freed from the Kroexdan influence."

Breach tilts his head toward Quiet, smirking at her comment. He shifts his weight again, resting a hand on the gooey, gelatinous seat under him. With a roll of his shoulders, Breach squares himself up and gives Indira a final, gentle squeeze on the shoulder before his hand withdraws.

"So. Just to make sure I'm understanding things," grates Breach, "You want us to saunter into the literal hive of a hive mind and hose down some people with some kind of enzyme vaccine so you can wipe out a brand new, sapient form of life because it was born by accident when you did something sketchy while fighting someone doing something just as sketchy."

Oh good. Breach is being a dick again. That's productive.

Vaksoh sails into frame from the back of the room like the fist of an angry god. Breach and Vaksoh slam into the deck plating and go rolling at weird angles before they both climb back to their feet. The Big Guy and Breach both have the same expression visible on their face; it's not a pleasant one.

"INSOLENT VEKTHA GANNDIR! You are being asked to assist a superior species in ridding itself of a filthy infection and you DARE to question our motives?!" Vaksoh is roaring at this point, bark growing steadily over his arms as he hulks at Breach from across the room.

"Yeah. I dare," replies Breach. He helpfully adds, over comms, << While I have their attention, maybe we could grab some intel off of the shipboard system? Maybe one of you Hannibals could defuse the situation before he gives me space poison ivy or something? >>

[GM to Indira] Vaksoh has called Breach something akin to 'an under-evolved pigdog pretender/spy/infiltrator'. There are an assortment of cultural overtones implicit in Vaksoh's tone/pheromones and choice of words.

[GM to Indira] Loose translation. Vaksoh is also rather righteously furious with Breach, like he's of the opinion that Breach is disrespecting a lot of dead Asrani.

<<"Suppose that's me..." Griffin says, jogging over to separate the two Pan-Galactic Gladiators using this presentation room as the stage to air their personal grievances- or at least that's the ruse his pal is putting on.

En route he subvocalizes, "So- how much time do we need to give 'em?"

He of course oculd get much stronger to pry the Killer Veggie from Rick Mason but this is a show not an emergency.

Indira gasps in shock as Rick is tackled by an angered Vaksoh, ducking a moment from not knowing what's happening. She stares in shock as Vaksoh uses a most loathesome term for Breach. She rises up from her seat, standing at her full height.

"Commander, how dare you attack one of my guardsmen and call them that? You insult me with such words!" she barks crossly. This definitely could create the distraction the others need. It may also surprise them, because this is the first time Indira's ever appeared truly angry.

"-I- question your motives. This is a dangerous mission created by -your- war, and you wish to eradicate the "enemy" when they can be cured and a peace could be brokered? And have my people facilitate your planned eradication? You are withholding something, and I will not send my people on a dangerous mission without the truth." And since they seem to unwilling to tell them plainly, she may have to find out directly.

There is at least one thing significant to Vaksoh by her words. Calling the "Vektha Ganndir" her "people" means that she considers them equal.

Quiet twitches at the sudden ecalation and nearly unstows her weapon. Her hand is on the stock before she countermands, though it can't be called relaxing. There is only a quick double-click f the comm as she sidesteps out of the immediate field of fire, around and closer to the console still projecting the system imagery.

As Indira stands up - both physically and metaphorically - everyone in the room may notice a faint tingle and/or a passing floral scent. It's a fleeting sensation, easily put out of mind because it lingers only long enough to be noticed before it simply fades away.

Querkha has made a quick escape from the central floor of the chamber. The ambassador has, instead, taken up refuge behind the second row of seats. Hopefully Querkha will be safe from Breach and Vaksoh's brawl for it all on the main floor. Which takes another turn as both Griffin and Indira speak up, trying to quell the raging tempers on display.

Vaksoh grunts darkly and tries to shrug his bark-encrusted shoulder free of Griffin's grip. This proves to be more difficult than anticipated because Griffin has significant super strength of his own. Hesitating a moment, Vaksoh turns his head to look down at Griffin, his expression a mask of righteous fury and outright rage that is softened only because Griffin is not Breach. Griffin is Griffin and that may be the only thing that saves him from Vaksoh attempting to plow an over-sized, organically armored fist into Griffin's face.

"You do not know of what you speak, Ambassador," rumbles Vaksoh, his attention driftingly reluctantly from Griffin toward Indira. His eyes are blazingly bright at the moment, illuminated by the rage he feels in his heart - or what passes for it in an Asrani - toward Breach and Breach's big, fat mouth. "You have not seen the killing fields perpetrated by the Kroexdan. You have not lost friends, brothers, and comrades to these... Things that used to be Asrani and Krox'Zan. Your pet - what is the word? - monkeys fought The Scourge to a standstill. /THEY/ will rid us of this awful infection. /THEY/ will ensure no more lives are lost to this stain on our history. You, Ambassador, are being called upon to save lives and you have the gall to demand apologies from me to these... Primates?"

What? Are primates not that common in the Andromeda galaxy? Is it just full of plant people, Gorns, and sapient energy clusters?