Elite roleplay: The docks

THE DOCKS (Dockyards)

The Docks is where all pilots berth their ships. It is the first place that pilots find themselves upon landing their ship. Docking and launching is controlled by the Citi Gateway’s Traffic Controllers while each individual dock is controlled by a dockmaster and a team of orange clad dock crew workers.

The Docks is a sparse and desolate, 0.1G environment, littered with service vehicles, cranes and landing pads. While cool, the air is dry and lightly filled with the smell of burnt metal and ship grease. Public Service Announcements blare across the the docks reminding all pilots of station regulations. The docks contain 45 individual ship docks, several warehouses storing massive tank of hydrogen fuel, and standard shipping containers of cargo, the dock’s traffic control tower and the local pilot’s market which resides in one of the warehouses.

Ship docks
Each specific dock has a landing pad, a ship hangar and adjoining terminal. In each terminal there is a passenger waiting area, the dockmaster’s control tower and several dock crew vehicle bay.

Warehouses
If the docks were already unpopulated, warehouses would be completely vacant of anyone if not for a small handful of security staff. Warehouses are completely automated and highly guarded facilities as they contain massive amounts of valuable and flammable material.
"Loitering is a crime punishable by death" - Station Announcements

Pilot's Market
The pilot’s market is best described as a tourist trap for pilots. Every person who’s not a pilot is trying to guile a pilot to part with their credits.

"The station administrators would like to remind all pilots that transactions in the pilot’s market are not protected by Citi Gateway or The Bank of Zaonce" - station announcements

General Roleplay Etiquette:

1. Control only the actions of your own character(s). (AKA: God Mode)
This doesn't matter how small the action is, even if it is as simple as scratching their nose or a direct reaction to something else that just happened. This applies to everything from casual conversation to full blown fight scenes. If you'd like someone to do something specific, PM that person, however keep in mind they are completely within their rights to say no. Especially if said action is inappropriate to their character and/or circumstance.

2. Don't brute force your way into another persons RP.
Approaching with a conversation starter is fine, or indeed some other small action. However charging in, guns blazing and disrupting the flow of another person/pair/groups conversation/arc is about as rude as doing so in real life. If something is going on that you'd like to participate in, be subtle about it. Put out a gentle hook for someone to take, but again, be aware that said hook may not be taken. If you fear it was simply unnoticed, PM the person or people it concerns. Or even leave a message in the OOC forums.

3. Good grammar and spelling is preferred.
We're not asking you to be perfect, but please at least demonstrate willingness. no1 iz gna tak u srsly usng txt spk. There's a wide variety of people here, many who speak English as a second, or even third language. There are even some with varying degrees of dyslexia and/or likely other issues that affect spelling/grammar. We accept them all here. However, people who aren't accepted, are those unwilling to accept polite correction. Remember that even a small thing like the placement of a comma, or the wrong use of there/their/they're can completely change the definition of an entire sentence.

4. Accept constructive criticism gracefully and politely.
If someone spots an issue with your writings, they may wish to help you improve that writing. They may do this through PM or even publicly air their thoughts on the OOC forum. If they have taken the time to be polite and explain what is wrong with your writing, the best way to behave is to respond in kind, using the same manner they have approached you with. It means they have taken an active interest in what you have written and wish to see more. Basically, you have a fan!

5. Don't take the actions or opinions of things done IN RP, to be directly relevant to the writers thoughts or opinions.
Basically, if some ones character calls your character a jackass, it doesn't mean the writer thinks you are a jackass. It's a ROLE they are PLAYING. Watch a movie. The argument between the characters isn't an argument between the actors involved. The same applies here.

6. It's not a popularity contest.
Your RP might be bustling with participants. You have 3 people off station in a fire fight, while another 2 are infiltrating the darkest areas of the station, meanwhile a group of 4 others are tracking your movements in an effort to stop you. Good for you, I'm sure it will be a thrilling read! But you know what? Sometimes the absolute BEST work, comes from two RP characters having a simple heart to heart. Both are valid, both are great, but NEITHER is categorically better than the other. Period.


Inara RP Etiquette:

1. Respect the setting and rules of the universe.
Inara is an Elite: Dangerous 3rd Party Tool. The RP Forums are set in the Elite: Dangerous universe. Elite: Dangerous has rules, as any fictional universe does from Lord of the Rings to Star Wars, or Game of Thrones to Star Trek. If you intend to RP within the Elite: Dangerous universe you are bound by the history and rules of that universe. Simply put, this RP forum is bound by the same rules as the game, so if it can't be done in the game, it is not permitted here. This applies to things from a 50Ly Jump Range on a normal, unmodified Sidewinder, to the destruction of entire stations.

2. Respect the characters created by others.
We have a wide variety of characters already here. It's expected that some will be similar, just as it's expected that two characters will be vastly different. Opinions of each persons character will naturally be varied, but all are valid provided they follow the rules of the universe. You are allowed to interact with, or avoid interaction with, any character in the RP forums. But you have no right to belittle others for their creation. You are not an authority figure on writing, nor are you directly affected by another persons imagination. You might not like it, but you MUST respect it.

3. Be caught up on current events before joining in.
You need basic things like character descriptions in order to interact with them. You also need to know what's going on in the surrounding areas. This is simply because the people you are hoping to RP with, might be gearing up to something that you might not want to be part of. Or simply that the most recent post, out of context, could leave a different impression on the goings on than if you gather that context. We don't expect you to read every single post from the beginning of the forums, just enough to get that basic understanding.

4. Either subscribe to, or frequently check, the Roleplay: Q&A and OOC forum.
People may be discussing something relevant to you there, or even discussing you directly. Perhaps someone asked what the general consensus on the existence or non-existence of a certain object. Or we're just chatting about random gibberish. Either way, be aware of it and use it. If you're unsure about something, such as how guns would look and or behave, or even the music selection, use the OOC forum to ask. We don't have all of the answers, but the collective knowledge and logic usually allows us to overcome an issue and come to a decision on what should be allowed. Frontier Developments, and even David Braben himself, don't have the answers to every possible question that can be asked.

5. Large Scale events exploding out of nowhere are a complete no go.
We get it. Everyone wants their character to be noticed and for people to be tripping over themselves to interact with them. In some audiences, an introduction involving you blasting in for landing in a fiery wreckage of a ship, before cart wheeling out and sword fighting 35 Ninjas before whisking off with the local celebrity for a glorious night of passion, is in fact, cool. This is not one of those audiences. It is generally considered better to build your character up slowly over time. Eventually, you might even have a legitimate excuse to fight those Ninjas. Maybe even with other RP participants by your side.

6. Perfect characters are boring.
The point of a character arc, is that it is in fact, an arc shape. One who is morally unquestionable, fully kitted out and an infinite fountain of knowledge, cannot go through an arc. Give your character flaws. Be it a tendency towards befriending the wrong people, or a bad knee that frequently gives out at inopportune moments. It gives readers something to latch onto and empathise with. You can give your character exceptional capabilities at something, but it requires balance. She's a damn good pilot with no equal, but can't drive an SRV for peanuts. It can lead to some very interesting moments between characters, be it heartfelt or comedic.


Other Notes:
It should be noted that there can be exceptions to these points. For example, good grammar when a character is speaking is actually rare. Few people in real life actually speak with perfect eloquence after all. Or previously arranged actions during a fight scene, such as someone stumbling back after a punch. What's key to remember is context.

All in all, remember this is purely for fun. We have some seriously talented writers here, and others whose writing history starts and ends at high school. But many are willing to help out in whatever way they can. All it takes is that you ask nicely.

Also keep in mind that many people who RP here, also have logbook stories related to the character, or characters, they portray. If it looks like there's an "in joke" going on that you're unsure of, it's probably in those.

In fact, some users have even gone to the trouble of creating "alts" to RP with. If you read back far enough, it's usually pretty clear who has and hasn't, and which ones are the "alts". It's therefore not unheard of to see the apparent seizing of control of other characters. If you do spot one, point it out in the OOC section. If intervention is needed, it will be sorted quickly and (hopefully) politely.

Most, if not all RP participants here have Logbook stories pertaining to their character(s). These are for the reading pleasure of anyone who wishes to do so. While it can be useful to read them in order to gain a bit of backstory on a character you wish to interact with, it should not be assumed that your character shares that knowledge. Within the E:D Universe, these Logbooks either don't exist, or are private diaries kept by the characters. Either way, without explicit statements to say otherwise from the writer, your interactions should reflect that your character is in the dark about any information you, the writer/reader, have gained from reading the stories.
Kasumi Goto
04 Aug 2023, 10:04am
“You’d be surprised how many idiots out there scream ‘Death to the bugs’ and care about nothing more than eradicating them from existence. Because we totally weren’t the ones stomping on their feet and prompted a defensive reaction. Then came ‘Salvation - ’” I spat out the man’s pseudonym, showing my disrespect toward him. “- and made things ten times worse. And yet, people still follow him, like he didn’t lead us to our doom.”

I sighed, not wanting to go into that subject much.

“As wars go, this one is pretty much up there in stupidity. All because the Thargoids threatened ‘human superiority’. Like we deserve to rule over a species that has been spacefaring for millions of years. So many deaths could have been avoided if we weren’t idiotic cavemen, thinking we can take what isn’t ours. Anyway …”

I took a breath, pondering my thoughts.

“You’d get your data for their involvement with Azimuth. I might actually have it already, but I can pull some files off of the carrier’s databanks for good measure too. Its orbital trajectory would take long enough to destabilize that we could poke around inside a little once I’m through with Diaz and his goons. Needn’t worry about Thargoids hitting you - they do anything out of line, I’ll tell them off.”

A piece that Meowers had said before jumped to my mind again.

“Oh, and I don’t think I have magical regeneration abilities. So I don’t think I’d grow back an arm after losing it, or something like that. Maybe it heals up faster if it were to be broken, but I’ve no idea. Not that I want to put it to the test, mind you.”

“And I’ve got a fancy gun of my own, though perhaps better suited for fighting at range. Unless you consider a railgun made to fire at a distance good for close quarters.”
Meowers
04 Aug 2023, 10:57am
"People... Humans. Humans are xenophobic", I shrugged ironically, "Ethnicity, skin colour, sexuality, you name it. And we carry that shit since the simplest, stick'n'stone times. To be honest, it allowed us to survive as species during those brutish ages. But now, when our brains are somewhat more effective... You may guess. No practical need for that. But the Thargoids are easy to be xenophobic against. Even those... Mudlarks. Or how were they called. Completely extinct, because Imperials wanted the planet to be their playground. Though, they didn't shoot back."

I rubbed my nose bridge with a finger, whilst trying to unravel the thought more correctly.

"This... War. I bet you know it's not the first one, the first one happened more than a century and a half ago. It's literally impossible to tell exactly now who fired the first shot. Especially considering that first encounters are even older, registered in 28-friggin-something-year. Some say it's us. Some say it's them. I prefer to think that Thargoids are aggressive and they see other sentient races and their technologies inferior, we're the same mudlarks for them, what's... Close to the truth, if you ask me. The fact that we actually can fight back is nothing less than a miracle. Same happened to the Guardians when we, humans, were rather a bit more advanced monkeys. Guardians tried to communicate and they failed. Though... You know all those history lessons better than me."

Finishing my tea, I threw the empty can into the recycler and sat on the floor again; letting out a long sigh which emphasised the difficulty of the topic, I tried to come up with a conclusion of sorts.

"We both were born in a world that had this conflict going on for centuries already, if only in way less intense phases. We've had our, different, shares of hardships to end up being who we are now, to adapt to lives we're having, and we met each other on this little station in the middle of an endless nowhere. Billions of people were born before us, in 32nd and 33rd, and billions will be born after us, in 34th. And then in 35th. And so on. The conflict is something... Almost constant, in our latest history of humankind. Like that Sapiens vs. Neanderthals thing that happened, like, fifty thousand years ago, several generations lived together until Darwinforce sorted everything out."

"I guess the best we can do is to be good people of our time. And that might include, phah, getting rid of those who definitely aren't. Like slavers. Keeping our limbs intact during the process will make the work of future archaeologists easier, I guarantee."

Last edit: 04 Aug 2023, 11:29am
Kasumi Goto
04 Aug 2023, 12:36pm
Meowers" You know all those history lessons better than me."


“You bet I do.”, I replied. “Nothing against your knowledge, by the way. Guardians might be dead now, but it wasn’t the Thargoids that killed them. They beat the angry space flowers, but only because they built AI to do it for them. Or maybe it just made their victory faster. I don’t know. Then they got caught up in a civil war and the Constructs killed off almost all of them, horrified by their violent nature. The records say, anyway. Which, I might add, make me think we’d better hope said AI doesn’t come back. We might just remind them of their creators too much.”

I sighed.

“You know, I’m part of that group who thinks we should try talking for once. Even if it might be a little late for that now. But, as you might also have guessed, I’m not very favorable toward the Thargoids either. I expect them to stop killing people in the Bubble as much as I expect us to stop being absolute idiots. Though, to be honest, I’m not sure I’d care - or want to care - about this war, if it wasn’t for my… situation.”

I changed my position, pulling my knees up to roughly chest level, keeping my arms on them.

“I’d just like to have Silvia back. She… stopped me from doing something really stupid. I was so out of this shitty world, and what I have to put up with, that I just… didn’t want to do it anymore. But she wasn’t having any of it.”

I scoffed lightly.

“Goes to show what I know. The one person that I least thought I would get close to, stopped me from putting one through my head. The world’s still shit, though. The Pilot’s Federation can claim how many wonders there are all they want, but they can’t hide all of the bullshit humans still haven’t unlearned after over a millenia of spaceflight.”

I paused for a moment.

“I guess the archeologists of the future are going to have a real field day when they find the remains of my body somewhere. Assuming I don’t give it to a believable organization for research purposes or something. Suppose I should focus on what I do best until then, which is proving to assholes why they shouldn’t piss me off. Then look stupid because I got the lower half of my body stuck in some impossible spot. Don’t suppose you’re going to be around tomorrow or whenever you’re done with… whatever it is that you were going to do?”

I’d forgotten what her assignment was already, which was somewhat embarrassing to me.
Meowers
04 Aug 2023, 2:12pm
"Yeah", I sighed sacractically, "Rise of The Machines and all those classic grotesque plots. Sometimes I wonder, like, where our own human tech could've been now, had we uncovered that story a few centuries earlier. And every time my logic, kind of, justifies AI's actions, because humans are arseholes."

"And your point about communications has some logic beneath it too", I added, shrugging slightly, "Like, we research their communications and maybe it's possible to transmit something to them, in theory. See, I like to mock those Thargoid-talking theories since, mostly, they're done by idiots and in an idiot way. Remember what happened to that megaship, how was it called... Ah, doesn't matter now, a bunch of cultists and other people of... Questionable intellectual capacity... boarded a giant tin can equipped with all kinds of literal bells and whistles, and embarked on a journey right into the Thargoids' Giant Flying Hivemobile. Honking every bell and ringing every whistle they've had. I swear, when the 'Go Woo: Thargoid Language for Dummies' textbook appear on store shelves, this bold move will deserve a bold font in 'what not to do' section."

Making some comical gestures while speaking, like 'mad pilot pulling the sticks chaotically', 'festive moron beating a drum', 'another festive moron marching with a flag', I finished on a 'stupid face and a finger pointed upwards', parodying the illustrations in books that usually explain common sense things to people who like to put a triangular piece into a circular slot, and vice versa, in a popular 'low-end IQ' test.

Then, after a pause made to separate that sudden outburst of comedy and more serious things, I continued.

"And I want her back too. I don't know that much about her as a person, though she seems okay. She doesn't deserve ending up in a slave pen or on Azimuth torture-surgery table. Especially... Especially if she was able to support you during those difficult moments. You simply can't overestimate that. That dark shit that fills your mind is horrible."

I sighed deeply, looking in Kasumi's eyes. I didn't want to ask or talk more about what happened, trying not to disturb her memories, and I've already had enough 'information input' to figure out why she ended up making an attempt.

"The world is a cruel unfair piece of shit and it doesn't care even a little about us individuals. And our ability to care for each other, understanding what kind of care should be proper, should be received well, is what, 'a', differs us from instinct-driven animals, and 'b', plays no small role in our ability to get through living in that cruel unfair piece of shit."

"So... My assignment? Ah. I guess I didn't tell you since there's nothing fancy. AXDF techs equipped Marshmallow with some nerdy sensors, scanners, detectors and other magic prodding sticks and I'm heading for the Maelstrom system again. No serious fighting this time, just flying around and pretending I'm a scientist, collecting the data for our researchers. Then I have to retreat to relative safety and transmit those readings remotely to several outposts, two carriers and a bunch of other facilities since it's way quicker than visiting those places personally. So... If you want to see me here tomorrow to help you get your lower part unstuck, preferably keeping it connected to the upper part, that's totally doable."

Last edit: 04 Aug 2023, 2:27pm
Kasumi Goto
04 Aug 2023, 2:43pm
MeowersRemember what happened to that megaship, how was it called... Ah, doesn't matter now, a bunch of cultists and other people of... Questionable intellectual capacity... boarded a giant tin can equipped with all kinds of literal bells and whistles, and embarked on a journey right into the Thargoids' Giant Flying Hivemobile. Honking every bell and ringing every whistle they've had.


"Yeah, that ship... I mean, it had good intentions, but it was obviously not going to work. Especially since some idiot planning it thought it was a great idea to place it in the direct path of the thing that had been proven to be surrounded by angry Thargoids. Don't even need hindsight to figure that out. Some think it was all just used as a political tool for that Fed guy, whatever his name was, to go up the step ladder. Never heard a peep from him after the ship got blasted. Though it is worth mentioning that some asshats thought it was funny to smuggle some Thargoid probes and sensors on the ship. Found 'em in its cargo bays like a day or two after it was destroyed. Well, not me. Other people did."

I rolled my eyes at the stupidity of not that, but our lack of understanding of the Thargoids.

"See, this gets me pissed again. Even if we didn't care to communicate with them, or they just refused to talk, what do you lose by trying to understand your enemy? I don't remember wars being won by politicians saying 'No, you don't research. Just build more guns, and go fight on the front while you're at it.' to the scientists and other researchers. Yet apparently, everyone thought that was a great idea here." I shook my head in annoyance, and disappointment. "Imagine being so ridiculously... xenophobic, I guess, that you don't even think you need to do basic research about the enemy you're facing. Only took a few years, turning Aegis into a weapon building machine, then taking it out of the picture when it inevitably failed, for them to realize that maybe it made sense to do so."

I could see it in Meower's eyes that she was looking to know why I'd gone to the edge of the abyss.

"I guess you've probably already figured out what made me want to do, you know, but I'll say it anyway. I was already getting pushed along for god knows how many months from this Thargoid nonsense, and never properly worked through... things... that happened before then. No friends worth talking about either. And I screwed up some... interactions with someone that I could have gotten along with, when I was already at a low spot. So yeah... that's that. Not sure how far I've gotten from there, but... well, the only things that are going to see the barrel of my pistol will be not me."

I folded one of my legs under the other, as I felt like changing my position slightly.

"Anyway, I also have Thargoid business of my own to attend to, although not the kind where I go poke and probe them. More like I want to know what those cultist nutjobs thought when they jumped a megaship into one of their systems, not that I expect it to be good. And some things about some weird new Thargoid that no one's really sure what it does. Who knows, maybe you'll see one of those around the Ma... Mae..." The word refused to come off my tongue properly. "You know what I mean. And I'd assume I won't be stuck in a vent somewhere because I misjudged how well I'd fit through it, when I'm back here."
Meowers
04 Aug 2023, 3:55pm
"Yeah, totally. Even if we end up stuck with exchanging shots, it's better to understand your enemy. And somehow telling them that we're actually sentient and their actions, on top of being hostile and destructive, have an emotional impact..."

I rubbed my chin slightly while composing the reply, "See, I don't actually hate them, for me, they're wartime enemies who threaten the safety and maybe even the existence of humanity at the moment, and I'm an officer of the military organisation established to protect civilians from said threat," I said then, placing my hand on my chest, "But I know people who do. Mostly, they've lost someone dear to them, or their normal lives were crushed in any other violent way by the Thargoids. War takes its toll on people, and, when it lasts for long, opposing sides may actually forget why it started."

Making a sarcastic smirk and turning my head to the side, like making a comment, I added, "Maybe being such a desensitised mess isn't that bad after all, phah."

"I never supported that Salivation guy, he was... or he is... I've no idea, maybe he's actually still alive... So, in my books, he's a psychopath with a god complex and other severe ego issues. He never wanted to protect people, instead, he wanted to promote himself by doing something massive, something that might cause a 'wow-effect', covering his screw-ups and dirty methods you know too well about. And, totally by the textbook, he ultimately fucked up everything in the end. So... I never supported him not just because he's a one rare crackpot, but mostly because I don't think we should attack them at all. Defending ourselves was the key all that time."

"But now..." I shrugged, "Friggin bloody hell let loose. Though, even in these times, I'd like to see humans staying human. Humane. Even if we have to fight everywhere. I don't believe this war might end quickly thanks to some miracle, it's too deep in people's minds already, but, every little bit helps. And... Wars are ending somehow, one way or another. I'm only trying to help us not to lose it completely."

And, coming to the difficult topic, I caught myself almost unintentionally changing my pose to something similar to Kasumi's.

"Uhhh... Yeah. Thank you for telling me anyway. I understand how does it work... Perhaps too well. At some point, something clicks in you, like the last straw, and you stop caring about everything and anything. No matter was it an impulse or something you've planned to do... That last little stone on the scales, it's all it takes. Glad we've both made it through and were able to sit and talk here today. Alive."

I said the last word softly and quietly, almost whispering, on an exhale, like a sigh of relief.

"Anyway", proceeding more lively after a moment of thoughtful silence, I added, "If you want to see me here, I totally can return to the old, and maybe still good, Citi after the flight. I'm going to dock somewhere regardless, to transmit the data using an already established strong channel, definitely better than trying to relay and thread my signals from heck knows where. There's nothing secret anyway, only a shitload of numbers. So I may throw you a message once I'm back and free of any assignments."

Last edit: 04 Aug 2023, 7:10pm
Kasumi Goto
04 Aug 2023, 4:24pm
“I don’t blame the people that have lost something to the Thargoids for fighting them, or those that are doing it to defend our territory. I’d be an idiot, or one of those Far God fanatics, if I did. My issue lies with the people that caused those losses to occur in the first place - everything else is a symptom, not a cause.”

I yawned lightly.

“Same people now think we can actually win this. Delusional nonsense, I say. I’m not really a strategist or whatever, but I have really big doubts the Thargoids are hitting as hard as they could if they wanted to. Hell, if they’d cared to, they could have landed those Maelstroms in the capitals and just started wrecking everything from there. Not that I know why they didn’t.”

I closed my eyes, im thoughtful manner.

“Salvation was never about advancing humanity. He just had an unreasonable and ridiculous vendetta against the Thargoids. Not that I have any clue why. Maybe cause one took his eye or something. And now that idiot could still be alive in some magical Guardian machine. Should’ve stayed dead if you ask me.”

I yawned again.

“Anyway, seems like I need to sleep some more. Nice talking. I would find it nice to have someone around here, though. At least until Silvia’s back around. I’d count Willow - yes, I know her name - but uh, no clue whether that is a shared feeling. Not getting the impression she’s too interested.”

I didn’t quite stand up and walk away yet, though I definitely felt ready to. Part of me was, at least.
Meowers
04 Aug 2023, 5:03pm
"Yep", I nodded, "You're right, as I think. All this... Mess was absolutely avoidable. Uh... Makes me think of simpler times, like, patrolling the Pleiades and responding to distress calls now and then. Like it was... A better scenario. Danger still persisted, yet localised, not threatening the densely populated systems. And those scientists had enough time to develop less hazardous measures to stop the conflict. Or maybe, at least, decrease it to occasional stupid, figuratively speaking, bar fights here and there. Not that bloody friggin full-scale warfare."

I stood up, stretching my arms and legs, and went to the ventilation for another smoke.

"Screw that psychopath. His story, however, strengthened my belief that those galactic powers are essentially a bunch of power-hungry arseholes. Explains why they get along fine, he knew what kind of bones to toss to make them wag their tails. And those... AX capships. Crapships. Pathetic bloated tin cans with wimpy pew pew sticks strapped to them, less effective than a wing of our AXDF trainees. They were on every GalNet and private channel. Although we remained in the shadows, actually doing the bulk of the job."

"Aaaaah, screw them all," I waved my hand and said in annoyed tone after a pause and a sigh, taking a drag of vanilla cigarette once I finished the phrase. A stream of smoke appeared in the air for a moment, then quickly going into the vent grill. "All that doesn't matter nowadays."

Then, I looked at Kasumi and smiled friendly, "What really matters is we both know how to help our friend. And, yeah... You know, it's been a nice talk, Kasumi. Maybe not exactly a light-hearted one, though... I know how does it work. You have to unload what's burdening you first. So... As I said, you might stay here if you want, rest in the personal compartment, and also... I have some prescription-grade stuff for nightmares. Have that issue as well. Not sure how it would work on you though... But I thought there's no harm in saying. Or you might go back to your ship. Whatever feels more comfortable."
Kasumi Goto
04 Aug 2023, 11:49pm
“I think I might go back to my own ship. Unless you want me to still be asleep in here while you play Thargoid researcher for a day. And the nightmares… how to put it… they often only appear if there’s more ‘activity’, so to speak, in my head. Like, there’s times where the voices are a lot more… active. Other times, they are… quieter, I suppose, as much sense as that makes for something only in someone’s head.”

I thought about some of the things I had witnessed through these dreams, which often resulted in me waking up in a hot, sweaty mess, that in turn prevented me from sleeping again as easily, and when they did. But I could find no clear correlation between the activity of the hive and the nightmares occurring, as they had sometimes also come when there wasn’t many voices active.

“It’s… still not consistent. I have no way to tell when I’ll have a nightmare about something, even if maybe they appear more often when they’re more… active.”

I sighed, stood up, and turned around to stare at a wall. Didn’t much care that it provided a good view of my back - my clothes and suits never were patricularly revealing, always only hugging the exterior curves of the body at most, even though I had a body which certainly attracted some looks, without trying or wanting to show it off.

“I can never shut them out. It’s just …” I balled my hands into fists for a second or two, pressing my fingers into my palms. “I don’t know how to keep living with this. At least, if I could choose when to tune in and out, it wouldn’t be half as bad.”

I turned back around.

“I already tire out of people and noise quickly, even when getting along with it. You can imagine how much worse it is when you’ve constantly got the voices of another species in your head, with no way to turn off and ignore it. Also gets… really difficult to hide at some point, thanks to the very untimely headaches that likes to cause. The messy state of my brain doesn’t help.”

The memory of the fuss caused around the Maelstrom as this woman and Silvia had gone into the Maelstrom jumped into my mind, lightly amusing me.

“I can assure you, they were very upset when you went and poked the hornet’s nest around the Maelstrom for a little while.”
Meowers
05 Aug 2023, 12:34am
"See... I don't mind seeing you having a good night-or-whatever-we-have-in-space sleep in the cabin, however," I chuckled light-heartedly, "The G-forces here may be... Not quite sleep-compatible. Especially if I have to defend. Speaking of combat..."

I put my hand on my chest in a sign of sincerity.

"Damn oops. I mean, really sorry. I've had no idea that our distraction will make them rant inside your brain. Obviously. I'll be trying to minimise the damage when you're around. And what about nightmares..." I put my index fingers on my temples, like, trying to lock the thoughts in place, "Mine have more common, well studied nature, and they're... 'Inside' the mind. A product of processing and reprocessing whatever shit I have in my memory. To put things simple. While yours... They may be translated, or at least triggered, like, externally. And you have that elevated resistance. So, like, I can give you some of those pills but I can't guarantee any effect."

"And noises... Shit shit shit shit shit," I repeated that word, almost whispering, several times, finishing my cigarette. And, extinguishing what's left of it and throwing into the recycler, I let out a sigh. Coming closer to Kasumi, I spoke quietly.

"Sometimes I think... I'd give everything to make those memories... And thoughts shut up. Just... Goddamn shut up. They aren't voices, but they shout... Loudly. Filling my head. Displacing every single spark of light. And all they say, or make me feel, or remember, or believe in, is simply horrible," I closed my eyes for a few seconds, made a couple of deep breaths and continued with my usual neutral voice. Maybe with a bit of decadent irony. "It would be simply a-fucking-mazing to turn that stuff off and never touch that lever again. But some wackfuck higher force thought it'd be funny to make some people live their lives like that."

I spread my arms a bit in equally ironic gesture, and then continued.

"It's saddening to hear you've been through something so atrocious. But... You're here, you're alive and you're still fighting. Your very existence now could be interpreted as a huge middle finger shoved right into their faces. Thargoids, Azimuth, whatever else arseholes. And, moreover, you're planning on kicking more arse. That's... Inspirational, I'd say."

"Anyway, if you're leaving, let's go and I'll open the hatch door."

Last edit: 05 Aug 2023, 12:40am
Kasumi Goto
05 Aug 2023, 12:47am
“Inspirational? Maybe. But unless something changes, I’ll be a figure in the shadows. Would much prefer to be, too. Public attention is not one of my preferred things.”

I sighed.

“Not even sure how much the nightmares are part of my own messed up memories, and what comes only from within the hive. When I have one of those where I get chased through a long hallway with no end, or a place that I thought was familiar turns into something alien… I can’t tell if those are memories, or ‘visions’ of how it looks inside their ships, and other places. Anyway…”

I left the information hang there for a few seconds.

“If there is any sort of ‘higher being’ that exists, I can guarantee you they have reason not to. Because they’re either careless, or one hell of a fucking sadist to let this place exist.”

I pulled my hood back up, not wanting to be identified too easily outside of here.

“Let’s go, then. You can come to my ship with me, and go back once I’m inside, or not. I’ll find the way regardless. If not, I’ll see you tomorrow? And I can take some of those pills. If it’s something I take willingly, it is allowed to pass easily.”
Meowers
05 Aug 2023, 1:43am
"Hmmm... Mmm-hmmm-hmmm... Inspiration comes in many forms..." I hummed, searching for the pills in one of the containers under the main panel, "Some of them are better for shows, books or stories... Ah, got it. Mmm-hmm-hmmmmm... And some of them are best told quietly in private."

"Here", I gave Kasumi a little plastic jar, full of white pills. "These are 5mg each, and I've been told to take one, like, half an hour before sleep, and maybe one more if I wake up in the middle of the night after seeing some shit. Essentially, a tranquiliser. Dependence and withdrawal effects are quite rare. Don't mix with alcohol or any other CNS-depressing things. Side effects... A common bunch. Dizziness, maybe nausea, or ataxia, or, phah, bits of amnesia in very rare and extreme cases. Stop trying if you spot one of these even in a corner of your eye. But I hope it will help at least with some bits of your nightmares. Can't say mine ceased to exist completely, but their frequency dropped. And that goddamn sleep paralysis is almost gone as well. Usually... People take them for a few months. But... Uh. You may guess," I shrugged, "My case is deadly severe, and your stuff is totally unknown to modern medicine."

"What we see in our sleep is, to put it simple, a mess of our current thoughts and memories. Sometimes they resemble existing things, sometimes they take weird messed up forms. That's... An entire branch of neuroscience. Which I'm not exactly an expert in, and I obviously don't have any brain-scanning-and-poking machines around the cockpit. And, well... I swear I don't keep them in any other compartments", I let out a short goofy laughter as we walked through the simplistic interior of the ship.

"And, speaking of higher beings... One time, years ago, I said that if any god exists, then I'm certainly going to punch him in the face in the afterlife. Still not taking these words back, phah."

Reaching the main airlock in the back of the ship, I entered the code and reinforced doors opened smoothly.

"So... I guess, lead the way. I could use some walking before I go back for a nap. Maybe will grab some ice cream on my way back, who knows."

Last edit: 05 Aug 2023, 1:49am
Kasumi Goto
05 Aug 2023, 3:47am
“Thanks, but I’m not gonna eat anything now. I already have enough trouble sleeping as is, and putting some food down - even if it’s justice cream - will make that even worse. Besides, not hungry.”

I even felt some disdain toward the idea of food now, my stomach rebelling at the thought. I moved to the edge of the airlock, took one foot out of it, then turned my mag boots off and lightly pushed, allowing myself to slowly float down to the pad, triggering my mag boots again once I landed.

I waited for Meowers to come down, not paying attention to whether I received any funny looks for doing what I did, busy with the very important action of scratching an itch, and making sure my hood sat right. Once she was near me, I walked off toward my ship’s hangar. We talked little on the way, at hand of there being not much to say from my end.

“And here we are.”, I remarked, standing sideways while holding a hand out toward a Federal Corvette with a black paintjob, blue lines running across the sides, its heavily reinforced armor clearly visible.

“Now for the not-so-fun task of walking all the way to the front elevator.” I began to walk, talking about the ship a little. “Prismatic shield with more durability than you’ll ever know what to do with, every weapon tuned to work at its best, and then some. Few different configurations, currently it’s just full of beam lasers, which is as much of a light show as it works well. Fighter bay too, I suppose, but I usually - almost always - fly alone.”

A number of corrosive burn marks were visible a little all over, telling of the ship’s past as a dedicated anti-Thargoid fighter. I stopped near the front, calling the elevator down.

“I guess you could say if I were to pick a ship to stay in, it’d be this, but I hate the low range and taking stuff to travel further in a combat ship… well, I guess you don’t need those with a carrier at your disposal. Anyway, like this thing for the bridge at the back. And it’s not quite so sluggish at maneuvering like the other big ones.”

The elevator arrived at the bottom.

“So, thanks for the talk, I guess. I won’t go out Thargoid poking in this, but my other ship isn’t here yet. It is the other potential candidate for ‘Do most of my stuff in it’.”

I stepped into the elevator, and hit the up button.

“See you around. And try not to make them too cranky while you poke them!”

I carefully listened for the final response I’d receive from the other woman for the day, as I disappeared into the insides of the Federal ship. I headed up into the personal cabin immediately after sealing things off, contemplating the pill bottle momentarily.

I put it aside for the moment, not seeing much need. Whenever the Dedicant’s intrusion had occurred, it had to go back far enough to not stir the Thargoids up now, and I felt in a good enough state of mind right now to be confident I wouldn’t have nightmares.
Meowers
05 Aug 2023, 7:09am
...Looking at the elevator moving up, I waved goodbye.

"See ya. Will drop you a message once I'm back."

Then, a short walk through the hangar section corridors, sparsely decorated with chaotic little marketplaces, ran by those who couldn't find their corner on the Pilot's Market... Every one of which was completely devoid of human beings. Even with entirely artificial station environment humans tend to stick to natural 24 hours long day cycle, for health and sanity, and... By the standard Galactic time, it was somewhere between a late night and an early morning.

Caught myself smiling slightly. Not only I found a person to talk with, which was, itself, for some not exactly comprehensible reasons, a lucky occasion; but also, despite the disturbing news of Silvia's disappearance, that person, namely Kasumi, knew what to do. And there was, in theory, a place for me too. So that I can play my part instead of doing bloody nothing. Because you're always able do more than nothing.

And the talk, whilst it looked like jumping from one heavy topic to another, left a definitely positive aftertaste, if that word is correct for thought processes. My logic here was simple, if a person feels free to talk about things they normally hide from random strangers, then the atmosphere I'm creating is comfortable, and that's a right thing to do, in general. And I, myself, perfectly know how relieving it might be, to find an environment where you could talk freely about matters you'd like to keep hidden from the rest of the world.

That long day was slowly coming to an end. I've had something like four to five hours for a refreshing little sleep, then... Back to work. Alarm clock signal, pre-flight checks, combat armour suit, take-off, a few hyperjumps, and then several hours of scanning, probing, photographing, observing and whatever else our research department wanted me to do. Everything seemed like AXDF high ranks were seriously planning to kick the Thargoids out of the settlement in 29991, in a foreseeable future, our little fleet was kept in relative safety, reinforcements were arriving, some other pilots were doing procurement and research stuff as well... Uh. Okay. One thing at a time.

And I found an ice cream, finally. In a vending machine in some unnamed corridor fifteen minutes away from the hangar.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Last edit: 05 Aug 2023, 7:18am
Meowers
06 Aug 2023, 12:58am
"Ah, you losers," I ranted cartoonishly, walking around Marshmallow after docking on Citi again, "Look what you've done to my paint!"

A few scratches and scorch marks were visible on the defiantly white paint coat, but nothing to worry about, the hull wasn't breached anywhere and systems were working flawlessly. Had to do some quick skirmishes here and there around the Maelstrom system, though combat wasn't my priority that time, and fighting them so close to their hive with one ship was beyond pointless: that only could've made me bogged down in waves of reinforcements, distracting from the main objective of data collecting, and then making it impossible due to the damage. So, essentially, a handful of cheeky Thargoids got their limbs cut off whilst trying to attack me, and I was retreating and disappearing out of their vision after the strike.

There was some disturbing news about a new type of Thargoid ship, dedicated to abducting people... Though, I decided not to spread my attention over chaotic news, AXDF research teams will fill me up with a reliable information anyway. And some of it will be based on the stuff I've collected today.

Transmitting such a heckload of data to multiple recipients placed up to four hundred light years away wasn't your daily "I forgot my lunchbox home" messaging. Establishing a solid connection, even linking my ship computer to the station equipment in order to reinforce the signal, took almost half an hour, also those facilities had to connect to each other, to share, compare and check the incoming data streams, making sure they're getting the same numbers... Still, million times quicker than visiting those facilities personally, burning tonnes of fuel on jumps.

Finally, the ship computer made a chirping noise, acknowledging me, or, to be more correct, bringing me back to reality from the slow relaxed state I was in, chilling in the pilot seat with some ambient music on the background, in a cosy violet hoodie, combined with uniform boots and trousers. I activated the transmission, popped a tea can open and got my communicator out of the pocket.

"To: Kasumi Goto

Hello there. Wanted to see me? I'm back at Citi, in the hangars, sitting in my ship at the moment."

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