Description
Exburnans (ekss-BRRN-nin) are creatures, that though may share a humanoid structure, certainly aren't humanoid. They have certain powers. They are able to generate electricity, but in return, they have to drain energy from external forces every so often, whether that means eating or draining electricity. They also have the ability to read the memories of any creature, including language, yet they cannot read a man's conscience or what he is thinking about. Also, it is rumored that in some rare cases, some Exburnans have highly telekinetic powers, a trait picked up by fault of a highly telekinetic and in no way humanoid known as Drakathons (dru-KAH-thon) of which are now extinct. Though, these rare cases are of legendary status, and if one were to exist, it would be exiled.
Rokunam is the average kind, same powers that all of his kind share, and has the same average appearance. He'll wear a Federation Uniform to show his loyalty, but rarely wears any type of armor or gadgets unless it's part of the mission. His eyes are Red, but they may sometimes turn a gold or blue depending on certain things, not exactly emotions, more like things involving powers, like encountering a power source or using a lot of powers or whatever.
Personality
Many Exburnans are wise and often can be very crafty. Due to their abilities, many will very rarely tell lies to each other, nor to others. Though they once used a lot more technology, now they are highly religious, and often describe certain intelligent powers as 'gods' such as their own deity, Mykeishah (maie-KEE-SHAH). Also, they have a word in their language which very rarely is translatable into other languages, the word being "Shaah". Few people now what it means, but the Exburnans use it often, and usually by itself.
Rokunam is much like that. He is always interested in humans, like how they are quite similar to his own race in structure (a detail which wouldn't be pointed out very often) as in how they both have similar things, like a pair of arms, a pair of legs, a mouth with teeth, eye(s) of some sort, muscles, bones, necks, even fingers. He's also interested with human memories, of which he is able to read, and he likes to hear the explanations behind human reasoning. Although he seems very accepting and believes in fairness and understanding between any race that is willing to make peace, he isn't opposed to the slavery that takes place on his planet. He is very loyal to his superiors, however, it's not like he doesn't have his own opinion, and of course he has common sense. He does have a sense of fear, though it's not easy for him to show it, considering he never let's his voice sound nervous. He'd have to tell you that he's afraid for you to tell. By himself, his bravery isn't strong, however, as long as he is working in a team, he can feel more comfortable. If he suffers a great lost, he doesn't respond in anger, or rather in sadness or depression, being the strongest possible reaction for him. He often speaks as if he's been expecting whatever is happening to happen. The only thing that would make him angry is basically anything that would make a person angry when he is in the intensity of battle. When idle, he doesn't speak with many people, mostly because they don't speak to him. He does follow orders and gives suggestions and tell situations and stuff like that. Occasionally, out of the blue, he may ask a person something, usually concerning something in their memories. If someone wants to stir up a conversation with him, he'll gladly be involved with it, however, he's not always the best at conversations. Otherwise, he is quite quiet when idle. Some people think he gives off either a scary feel or a gloomy, possibly depressed feel. Oh, and he can speak English.
Equipment
They're technology is not very advanced machinery-wise, often relying on Human Technology, however, they have proven to be good engineers. They also specialize in bio-logical creations as weapons.
Rokunam isn't exactly fan of using mechanical weapons such as machines guns, and in fact isn't fond of using weapons of any kind, however, if he has to, he will use weapons. He also isn't much of a fan of gadgets, however, he will once again use them if he needs to or it's part of his mission.
Rokunam does have a lot of field skills. He is wise, like most of his kin, but not super intelligent, like scientist smart. Well, he is willing to work with scientists anyway. He's good with team combat, and also has a lot of field knowledge, as he has experience with how to deal with many types of unknown terrain.
History
There is also a race related to the Exburnans, known as the Sozards. Sozards are quite similar, except they are taller, stronger, have green skin, and have four arms. This race is treated as a slave race for Exburnans. You'll often see them as personal servants, or workers or assistants. They do not have powers like the Exburnans do, however, they do have very fast minds, and are stronger and more resistant that Exburnans. They are often quiet, but they are very organized and have strong memory. They don't speak other languages than their own, the Exburnan language, likely because they cannot read memories like their master cousins do. However, though they are slaves, it's no uncommon to see Sozards and Exburnans working on certain tasks as equals.
The reason the Exburnans have these powers is because of the war they once had with the Drakathons. In an attempt to flush the Exburnans out, they had, through some unknown source, had acquired a nuclear type of bomb, a few actually. Upon detonation upon the Exburnan land, it had killed many of their population, almost all of it, however, there were a number that didn't die. Some of them were normal, others became mutants. Thus, creating the Exburnans. Though they had won the war, there became major conflict in between the originals and the growing numbers of mutants. The originals, however, grew to become what is now known as the Sozard.
Ever since the Exburnans joined the Federation's rule and have become friendly, their planet, named Exburna, is one that provides many things. Though many of their natural resources still have yet to go through more half-lifes (how radiation amounts and the time spans it takes to go through are measured) so those may not be safe, However, they create a lot of Bio-Weaponry. They are continuing to develop more human compatible weaponry, but have still become very helpful. They also make good soldiers, engineers and medics, though many prefer to stay on their home planet. Also, the planet's known for farming with creatures known as the K'siel, aggressive insect-like creatures that live underground. They live in "the Mines", a large mine once used by Humans and Exburnans to dig up things like Oil (which seemed unusable) and Precious Metals and Diamonds. It still is being used for that, however, a large portion of it has been overrun by the K'siel. However, it turns out that the K'siel can collect the native oil and somehow use it to create a substance that can be used to generate as much power with a jar, as a small nuclear power cell, which is very valuable for some Federation ships. Nobody knows what the bugs use it for, but there are many supported theories. Of course, getting it is the hard part, and so, a lot of outside help is used. The Mines can be threatening, but it's a popular place for work for the Exburnans, both workers and soldiers.
Though they say that Exburnans never lie, out of habit being that on their planet, having the ability to read others minds (or memories rather) lying to each other is pretty much useless, though, Rokunam's past isn't exactly brought up a lot, so it's not like a ton is known much about him, but really, nobody bothers to ask.
Well, Rokunam's lived a mostly normal life, on his home planet. Born there, raised there, got soldier training there. Simple life it seems, for someone of his race. Well, other than the fact he was interested in serving on ships. The Nightwing was his first opportunity.
Well, there are some things in between all this, right? Well, originally, he wanted to work in the Mines. Many who worked in the Mines had to be trained soldiers, for the K'siel, though were described as bugs are five feet tall and deadly when they come in numbers, and the Mines held many, many bugs. Rokunam, after his training, had worked in the Mines for about a human month. Of course, he had been used to having to fight swarms of bugs, and casualties weren't an uncommon thing, however, there was one certain day, of which he does not talk about. Exburnans, Sozards and Humans often worked together in the Mines, and maybe any other Federation races that volunteer to work there. His group was to collect some of the K'siel Extract, the substance the bugs create using the oil. His group consisted of 4 Exburnans, 4 Humans and 2 Sozards, his squad which he had worked with for a while. He had known is group very well. It's not exactly known what kind of events happened that day, but, not everybody on the squad had made it back. Rokunam was the last of the still living people who managed to escape, with only a gallon of the extract. Rokunam quit some time later. Of coursed not very many people except those who worked at the Mines and people he is close to know about this incident, so, obviously, nobody really asks, because they obviously don't know about it.
So begins...
Rokunam waited in the hangar, among other graduates, for who may be his new captain. After working in the Mines, he had went and studied and graduated at IDA. And, now, was his chance. Most people have heard of his species before, the Exburnans. However, unless one's been to the planet, they've likely never seen one before. His species was one that enjoyed their home planet where it was. Though, Rokunam, just the planet wouldn't be enough. He wanted to work on a ship and travel the unknown, because he as well, was interested. The native soil and rock of the Mines, sure was dangerous, and sure was deep, but it was still native.
His species were known for a couple key reasons. One, his species is known for all the mysterious powers they have, which only some rare species may only have one of these powers. Another reason was that the Extract of K'siel was a very valuable substance for some larger ships, for such was an oil that could generate unbelievable power, which made a very strong fuel for large ships. It was popular, but it was still rare, considering it could only be found on his planet, and within the most dangerous part of it. And, cupped in his small hands, he had brought a souvenir, from his own planet, a whole jar of the glowing blue substance.
Surely, one with such a crew member, like himself, could have a crew to brag about. That is what mattered to many humanoids, is it not?
Regina
After leaving the infirmary, Reggie stood in the hallway trying to decide which way she wanted to go first. Discussing these matters with her crew were very important, but she had to meet the graduates. She glanced over towards the hangar, her first impression should be a good one. But then turned to looked towards where the kitchens were. According to MAK, that's where they were. Her duty as a Captain was strong; her responsibilities to her crew were very important to her.
But it would have to wait.
Her crew was capable. And she knew that her crew could handle maybe an hour without her. At least she hoped. She turned and made her way to the hangar elevators. Her leg buckled beneath her and Reggie had to stop and realign her leg. She pressed her palm to the wall and put pressure on her leg until she felt a POP. She sighed, the relief outweighing the pain.
She waited until she could walk properly before making her way to the hangar once again. It felt nice to walk straight, to not have to limp her way down the hall. She felt like she was taller, her back straight and shoulders back. It was like she had transformed into a different person, just by popping her knee back into place.
Reggie finally arrived in the hangar and was almost too pleased to see the amount of graduates waiting on her ship. She had to resist the urge to clap with excitement. "Wow," She said stepping up to Colin. He was assessing the graduates, his arms crossed over his chest. "They really expanded the race of recruits." Reggie commented.
The IDA used to be a human exclusive school until many alien races petitioned to make it a galactic school. Every recruit had to pass the entrance exams to get in, but any race was welcome now. Reggie made note of all the several races, before finally stepping forward.
"Welcome to the Nightwing," She called. "I'll be your captain, Captain Oris. All of you will address me as such. Unless I really like you, and I will allow you to call me Regina." The group laughed, and Reggie couldn't help but smile.
"We'll be going on a very important mission. We will be making several ports before leaving the outer rim of the charted universe. The planet we are traveling to is unknown, but we have reason to believe that it is Earth. The lost home planet of the human race. Although, some of you are not human, your skills and knowledge will be helpful on this journey. If you wish to stay, please, follow my second in command, Colin, to the barracks."
She turned to Colin and smiled. "He will give you a tour of the ship." She turned back to the graduates. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to speak with the other members of my crew. I hope you will all enjoy your time here."
Dedrik stood amongst the other recruits in the hangar. Off to the far side, he simply acted as a spectator to the many conversations and happenings amongst other graduates that had gathered. He listened with an emotionless face to their excited inquiries about where they could possibly be going, they ideas about what was beyond the steel walls and stale air of the station. It was all so exciting for everyone, and Dedrik shared in this feeling, but failed to show it. Glancing around he took in his scenery as well, the hangar was exquisite, but looked nothing of the high class battle frigates or command ships he'd ever seen, simulator or not. The ship alone on the outside was spectacular from what he saw through the windows of the station as well, but it reminded him of a modified civilian vessel. Whether or not it was truly didn't matter, he was simply making silent observations.
His golden eyes crossed over the doors of the hangar as they opened and a man walked through. For now he was silent, standing and simply checking over the recruits before him. Dedrik concluded that he was some sort of high rank, but apparently not high enough to merit any sort of special treatment as far as falling to attention; that or the buzz of excitement had totally caused a lapse in everyone's memory and thus they completely forgot or simply disregarded any sort of standard protocol as to a C.O. being present. For now however, the man technically wasn't anything of the sort... Technically...
A woman followed next, and Dedrik raised an eyebrow in curiosity. The way she carried herself definitely had an aura of command and authority. He had no issues with working under a female Captain, and simply by her stance he could tell she was of such a commanding rank. Instinctively, Dedrik snapped to attention, not necessarily caring if anyone else did or not, his boots coming together at the heels and toes, his chest protruding slightly as his back straightened and his right arm fell to his side. His left arm still clung tightly to the large power-staff he carried, though the name intrigued him as it was more of a halberd or over-sized axe than a staff.
She spoke now, confirming the man's thoughts as she introduced herself as Captain Oris. She then made a joke about what people were to address her as. Dedrik fell to ease now and allowed himself a smile, but nothing more. As usual, a quick debriefing was in order, and Dedrik listened carefully, noting destination and anything else of value. He was a bit leery about traveling to an unknown planet, possibly Earth, but the idea wasn't bad nor did he particularly care about where they were heading to.
If you wish to stay, please, follow my second in command, Colin, to the barracks. He will give you a tour of the ship. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to speak with the other members of my crew. I hope you will all enjoy your time here."
Colin, second in command. Dedrik thought as much. He was about to follow the group when another recruit spoke up, an odd looking creature, one he'd never seen except in images. He'd definitely not seen him during any training, which he thought was odd. Normally he noted each and every face, name and mainly person that was there. The recruit stepped forward, isolating himself from the rest as he held out a jar of something that was obviously of value. The man tilted his head slightly as he watched, but thought nothing more. His grip on the staff tightened and relaxed slightly as he awaited to be lead away on this tour, then followed obediently.
Regina
Reggie paused and turned carefully. Her leg couldn't last much longer. Her rush to leave was to hobble her way to a hidden spot to properly fix her joints. She moved slowly, not wanting to collapse under the unsupported weight. She was greeted by an Exburnan. It's large form so unlike the human, Reggie was almost shocked when she saw it.
She had read about that, she had read about all the discovered alien species, her mind swimming with the knowledge. His species, at least she thought it was a him, was very interesting. So much history hidden within the glowing creature.
It spoke to her, the tone and syntax awkward and broken, but Reggie couldn't help but smile. It was honorable to see one off it's home planet, the call of the unknown far to great to keep the creature on his own planet. He handed her a jar, the glowing substance beautiful and mesmerizing. The Extract of the K'siel. Reggie had only read of the fuel in her books, the only images in her mind of pictures she had only seen in books.
It was as beautiful as she imagined. It glowed, just like the species that mined it. "You are correct, Exburnan." Reggie stated, answering the alien's question about if her memories were false. "You see no lies. I know much about your kind, but meeting one in person is far more exciting."
She smiled again taking the jar into her hands. It seemed to pulse with life. "Thank you." She said sincerely. "Really, this is..amazing."
Dedrik followed the crowd as the were lead away. The ship was gorgeous on the inside, and though normally he didn't care about aesthetics, he didn't mind. The fact that the interior was so well designed as far as he could tell was simply another luxury that'd make the job a little more pleasurable.
He continued on, being trained from such a young age and having had the proper way to carry yourself no matter what you're doing engrained him in, he held the his powerstaff diagonally across his chest, one hand clasped around the shaft just at his waist, the other near his shoulder. His boots tapped rhythmically off the floor, mixed into the other recruit's steps. Being also highly attuned to the things around him, Dedrik also noted several people joining into their line who weren't recruits, most likely being already part of the established crew he concluded. He payed no further attention the humans.
They arrived in the kitchen moments later, the large number of recruits having to take a moment to arrange themselves in the space. Dedrik's golden eyes flicked back and forth, taking in every detail of his surroundings. His gaze fell on those already present and wasn't too surprised to find they were also of varying races. Dedrik dug into his memory, searching out the correct names as he looked to them. There was a pink girl, totally pink, he took a moment before the term Shariva appeared in his brain before looking to the other woman, a Firni. His head tilted just slightly as he looked her over, using the tell-tale freckles upon her face to find the proper name for her species. There was an android, the tattoo upon his wrist giving it away as clear as the others, and what appeared to be another human male. It seemed all were enjoying some dessert known as cookies. Dedrik had never had the luxury of eating these, himself preferring a tough meat over anything sweet and he looked over slightly as the Captain appeared.
Dedrik remained silent as he waited for something further to happen. He had no quarrel with standing at attention all day and night, but did detest frivolous things such as this. All he needed was an order and he'd be satisfied. No matter what it was, it would be done.
Dlew looked around warily at all the people filling the room. Obviously these were new recruits as each were in uniform, and because collecting them was the only reason the ship was here in the first place. He hoped though that they would be nice to him, or at least show any sort of kindness instead of the usual cold shoulder he received. The android waited patiently, watching as nothing really happened for the first few moments. He noted Bond and Arc enter behind the crowd, as well as the doctor but didnât pay any more attention otherwise.
Suddenly an explosion occurred in the room that set everyone into a shock. A huge cloud of colorful smoke filled the room, following a pop and Dlew just caught side of Bond ducking out one door. Dlew was on the floor with the sudden excitement, his only thoughts being that of the ship under attack as he heard several shots get fired off.
When the smoke finally cleared Dlew remained in his position on the floor, shaking slightly. It took a moment for him to realize everything had settled and slowly he uncurled himself and rose to his feet. Looking around he also then realized that it was nothing more than a prank. Dlew shakily took his seat, his mind still racing as to who had just done this. It seemed Eddie was wondering the same thing as he called out most likely everyoneâs thoughts. The android switched topics now, deciding it better to think about finishing the picture of Saein and Eddie while the image was still fresh. Perhaps heâd do that.
âGenetic alteration? Thatâs way more complicated. I mean stem cells. Of course you can only have girls that way which is why...â
She was interrupted by Bond talking to them after having greeted the captain in an insolent way. âQuite the crowd in here, huh?â
Saein nodded. There was quite a crowd, and an unusual one too. There even was an Exburnan, there was something special about those. What was it again? She couldnât remember. Oh, that was it. She wondered what would happen when that guy would read Minnâs memories, and if she should do something about it. Saein didnât get a chance to think about that, she was taken out of her thoughts by the small explosions. Eddie immediately started shooting at something, which only added to her surprise. What had just happened?
âWho-*COUGH*-Who the hell did that?!â Eddie yelled. Someone near or behind the door was laughing. They had been pranked.
â*COUGH*-Someone-*COUGH*-stupid enough-*COUGH*COUGH*-to come back-*COUGH*-to watchâ she replied. Angry, she got up and made her way through the coughing crowd. Once she had found the laughing person, she switched on her gun behind her back, and set it to âflashâ. This setting was meant to blind opponents, and should generally not be used in front of innocent bystanders. It also was the only setting meant to be used with eyes firmly closed. Her left hand opened the empty tin of candy in her pocket, took out the bottom half and aimed that at the laugher - she could now see it was Bond. Pointing her gun into the tin, she shouted âBOND! SAY CHEESE!â
She did not pull the trigger. That would be foolish. With all that smoke reflecting the flash, the tin would do nothing to protect the eyes of the crowd, and risking damage to the eyes of the engineer was a bad idea too. All she needed was him covering his eyes for a moment, or him running away.
(OOC: Oh man, I missed the prank?! Sorry, I'm on a vacation, and this is like, the first time I got access to the computer. I just sort of quickly scanned through.)
"Shaah!" Rokunam cried as soon as the explosions went off. His instincts had went off, and his hands and wrists started cracking with crackling green energy as he ducked down low. His eyes stung in the smoke, giving him the need to blink. Though, as soon as the dust started to settle, it was then quickly and mutually realized that it was just a bad, prank? Not to mention it came with, consequences.
Rokunam's power faded, and he said in an annoyed coarse tone, "It was certainly unnecessary for the Mason to cause such a..." he took a moment to look for the word, "Ruckus! I do not think anybody benefited from such a, a," he was lost for words. Then, one of the crew members, the pilot, the Eddie Ackers, had held him at gunpoint. He even dared fire, but, it was empty. "Well, something like this was bound to happen, but the effects, at a perspective, haven't been too bad." He let his gaze wander to the Eddie Ackers and the Shariva, the Minerva Darv, "But at others, not so much," he added. A, troubled, history that he hadn't entirely understood. That wasn't the right way of putting it. He understood the whole concept completely, but, he always had a hard time understanding, how, social aspects were added in. That was a problem Rokunam had, when reading a person's past. He never really understood how the social aspects worked. He knew they somehow directly effected a person, even though it seemed indirect. Rokunam wasn't the much of a social person himself, in fact, his species was very anti-social. Friendly, yes, but not social, or, at least not in the same way most humanoids were social. Rokunam had always wondered if he should have started learning how to speak Slang or Ubby-Dubby, or Pig Latin. Perhaps he'd learn more.
Though, finally, the captain spoke up, ordering everybody to their stations. The Colin was again, instructed to be responsible for the recruits, and to take them to their stations. Rokunam turned his gaze toward him, but then decided it was best he got out of the kitchen, before he got soaked. Sure he wasn't going to short himself out, and he obviously wasn't in combat, but, it still wasn't a good idea to, well, "ignite" while wet.
Dlew found out quickly that the prankster had been the engineer. The manâs name was Bond, and Dlew did not like him at all. This man, the way he acted, it vaguely reminded the android of the raiders, how he had been captured by people aphetic towards whether or not someone got hurt, or if for instance they had robotic parts that were really sensitive, or perhaps they seemed emotionless but you beat them for fun anyway because they thought you didnât have any feelings or emotions! Dlew was getting angry with the thoughts and looking down, he realized heâd been death-gripping the counter. Immediately pulling his hand away, he looked around to see if anyone had noticed. Calming down, Dlew sighed, trying to push out these unhappy thoughts.
It was about now that Dlew realized his mechanics had begun to seize up with the dust that had gotten into them, his joints now becoming irritated. Looking up, he heard Regina order for MAK to turn on the sprinklers, and then her attention was on him. "Dlew, make sure you're not exposed to too much water," she said.
Dlew nodded as he ducked under a table, though finding much to his dismay that already his joints were becoming extremely restricted, his movements slowing considerably. He simply hoped now that the table was enough to protect him from further damage.
Watching with his emotionless eyes, he witness everyone In the room get a thorough washing, the table doing little for him, but still keeping away most of the water. The Captain spoke again once it was all through, ordering everyone to get back to work and that theyâd be taking off in five. Standing as fast as he could, heâd hoped that he couldâve spoken to the Captain before she left though in the time it took him to come out from beneath his shelter, she was already gone. Five minutes? Dlew knew he wouldnât be able to get to the bridge in time and it would take him forever to get the dust out of his gears. Hopefully the circuitry in his head would remain untouched by the tiny particles, but he doubted it. Heâd have to check after they launched to make sure no serious damage occurred. Deciding that he wouldnât have enough time, Dlew now spoke to the AI. âMAK,â he said, âCouold you tell the Captain I might not make it to the bridge in time? My joints are acting up.â He waited for the AIâs response, and then began his slow struggle to his position, hoping that in the process his joints wouldnât pop out or stop working completely.
Cassandra stepped out of her office, humming a song that she didn't know the lyrics to. She instructed MAK to lock the door, and then went off to find somebody to talk to. She hadn't left the office in quite some time. Hours. Had it been a day? She couldn't tell, for she didn't even bother getting some sleep. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her hair was in one big messy bun. She was a bit exhausted, which was proven by her now blonde hair. She yawned, but decided sleep wasn't a good option. She was so close to figuring out how to safely complete this mission...
Her stomach growled, reminding her of the food she wanted to ask Minn about. She took a step forward, but suddenly the ship took off and she stumbled back, falling onto her back. Well, she was a bit slow. She moaned, and stood up, brushing herself off. Carefully, she took a couple steps forward, before she got used to the speed and started to walk at a normal pace again. She turned a corner, and then another. One more and she would be at the kitchen... But something blocked her path. Wait... Somebody. She didn't know this person. Were they new on the staff? Or was her mind playing tricks on her?
With a good look, and a memory from her lessons as a child, Cassandra recognized him as a Exburnans. Interesting... She studied him carefully, a look of disbelief on her face. Quite fascinating. She'd have to ask Regina about him.
"Well, hello. I'm Cassandra." She stated, a lopsided grin on her face. Might as well be friendly, right?
"Oh, I apologize to the Cassandra Lassion, for introductions have still yet to become a habit for I. I am the Rokunam, one of the recruits. I am believing you know of what kind I am, as it is... mutual knowledge, between the both of us. Though, I must apologize for not sensing your presence as you came out of your office, as well as for not being present at where I must be." Cassandra mentally sorted what he was saying from the rough English, and nodded to herself. She gave him another look over, and gave a grin. He would be perfect for the mission.
"I do hope you'll be staying with us. I do enjoy the company of a Exburnan." She said, stifling a yawn. Appearing tired wouldn't be good, even though she was exhausted. Even though her voice wasn't as sincere as usual, she really did like knowing she wouldn't be lied to. She looked the fellow (his name was Rokunam, right?) over for the umpteenth time, before pulling a pen out of her pocket and writing a series of seemingly random numbers on the inside of her hand. Her entire hand was covered in reminders and numbers, but she payed it no attention. She really was a mess during work.
"If you don't mind, I'd like you to come with me to visit Reg- er, Captain. I'd like to ask her a few questions, and I'd hate to leave you when we first met." Another smile. Cassandra turned on her heel, not bothering to see if he was following or not, and looked up at the ceiling.
"MAK. Do you mind me asking where Regina is? I'd like to talk to her about some... things." She sincerly hoped that Rokunam knew about the Artificial Intelligence, so she wouldn't look like she was talking to thin air.
"At Saein's station. But she does want to be called Captain, you know."
"Oh trust me, I know." Cassandra gave a sly smile to herself, before turning around to notice that Rokunam was indeed following her. She took a turn to the left, and entered the room she was 90% sure was Saein's. Luckily, her instincts were correct. She saw that Regina was busy operating on a fake leg, and Saein was saying something to her, but didn't catch what it was.
"I have a question for you, Ca..." She cut herself off with a yawn. Looks like she had blown her cover.
Finally, after all of his work on the bridge had been accomplished, Dlew finally stood from his chair. Now was as good a time as many to go down to the hangar, and he needed it⊠Badly.
As the android made his way from the bridge, he estimated he was nearly halfway to his destination when suddenly a loud groan escaped his legs, the sounds of metal against metal shrieking before totally seizing up. Collapsing to the ground, Dlewâs arms flailed out as he tried to catch himself, though failed due to his arms being slow to respond. He hit the ground with a loud thud and slowly moved to try to unjam his leg, though to no avail as his arms ceased working next. âMa ââ CRACK!
Dlewâs eyes widened as he felt a sharp pain in his throat, the dust now settling into his voice box. âNoâŠâ he thought as he desperately tried to get his body to move. More ear shattering noises escaped his gears as they cranked and cracked before finally a loud snap emanated from his arm, coupled with an intense pain that finally allowed him to move it.
Producing his Tablet, the android slowly and shakily set it on the ground in front of him so he could see what he was doing. Opening a program that allowed him to send messages to everyone onboard the ship, the android managed âhelp,â then sent it to all contacts. It was then that his arm locked again, not that it was moving to its full extent anyway; so Dlew simply laid there, sprawled out on the floor in a sort of complete paralysis, hoping that someone would happen to open their message inbox. Fear was what swept over him now, he could only hope someone would find him before permanent damage was done.
Saein was relieved that Reggie planned to have the leg fixed soon, which is why she laughed with the captain even though she wasnât sure what the joke was. Did Regina think their destination probably wasnât Earth? Then why bother going there at all?
Reggie explained she didnât mean to offend, and that she was worried about Minn and would like reports about any strange behavior.
âI canât promise to report everything,â Saein replied, âbut when itâs in her best interest, I definitely will.â She smiled back at the captain, while she wondered whether she should say more about how she would use her own judgment at times when there might be a conflict between orders and the trust of a friend, or that she should say Minn wasnât truly a close friend yet but was most likely to become one. The captain seemed to already have the right idea about both.
Before she could say anything about anything MAK made a lot of noise and informed them Dlew had collapsed. Saein had already guessed there would be dust and water in his joints, so this wasnât a complete surprise. She quickly grabbed a few things she thought she would need, gave Cassandra and Rokunam a âfollow meâ nod in the direction of the door (Regina had ignored and probably not even noticed them when they entered) and ran after the captain.
Dedrik had already found Dlew, but apparently had known nothing to do to help the android. Saein dropped to her knees next to him. Her hands already almost touched Dlew to look for problems when she stopped. Touching Dlew would feel even less pleasant than touching any living creature not from Wen. Pretending he was dead or unconscious (which he might well be if the problem turned out to be something else than his joints) could make it tolerable until he moved. Telling herself he was only a machine could possibly work, but she had never tried that. After two seconds of these thoughts, she had the solution. âOkay, pretend itâs armorâ she said to herself.
Dlew laid unmoving on the floor of the hall as he listened to footsteps approach. His eyes were locked in place and he couldnât see who it was, but for now it seemed as though they were of no use. Another set of footsteps came next, followed by the sensation of someone touching him. Dlew still couldnât move and every second he was fading. Finally he allowed himself to be overtaken by the darkness and shut his eyes, drifting off into what one could call sleep.
Dlew found himself standing in a large factory. He himself was wearing a lab coat, and suddenly a hand was on his shoulder. Glancing back, the person now spoke. âHey, there you are Vito!â he said, âAre you coming down to the demonstration wing, or are you just going to sit there like a bum and stare at the 700s?â
âYeah,â Dlew responded simply. âI was on my way down; I just had to finish one last minute check on the fluid levels and life support systems on the pods.â
Suddenly everything shifted with a swirling black cloud, and Dlew found himself staring down at a younger android, a perfect replica of who he was. In fact, it was him, accompanied by some other man. What the hell is going on? He thought to himself as he watched the two moved down a stairwell. âAre we taking the core drop or teleporter?â Young Dlew had asked.
"Well I hate both but I think it would be better to use the core drop. Just so we don't mess up anything." The other replied.
"Yeah, I guess that would be wise but I really don't like being dropped at those speeds,â said young Dlew. âBut your right, the teleporters like to mess with the server, so death drop it is!" The young Dlew let out a laugh at the end, obviously intending a joke.
Dlewâs point of view shifted around so he see the man with his younger self, and noticed that he his eyes were a dark yellow hue and his skin bore small scales. Looking to his ID, he found the man to be Alex Ironwood. Dlew watched as Alex and himself proceeded through a set of small doors into a smaller room. Hazmat jumpsuits were lined along a rack in the center of the floor which Alex and young Dlew both put on. The two continued to the other set of doors at the far end of the room, and continued through them now, access being granted via their ID cards.
Past the doors were several seats, and Dlew chuckled happily as he joked, âWell, I will see you at hell!â
"Back at you, the Hell of busy bodies coming up with new android plans and mountains of paper work," said Alex happily in response.
"Remember we are part of that category." Replied young Dlew
Both of them now sat down in their respective chairs and strapped in. Pulling the two buckles across their chests in a V, pulling down a safety harness and connecting tubes that reached around the back of their seats to the sides of their hazmat suits, they were finally ready. After making sure they were completely secure, final checks complete, they both pressed the bottoms on the arm rests of their seats. Metal clamps clasped tightly around their wrists, locking them in place before the doors shut. Dlew was now forced back into his younger body and his finger was pressing down on a button like the one heâd just his previously. There was a click and suddenly the roaring of engines filled the air around him before he was forced back into his seat. The sensation was as if he was on the very tip of spaceship launching through a planetâs atmosphere into space, nothing like simply jumping into hyperspace.
It seemed as if a few hours had passed but finally the entire capsule came to an abrupt stop. The doors hissed open and the cuffs around his wrists opened. The safety belts released and slid up, and quickly Dlew ripped off the tubes and detached himself from the harness.
Stumbling a moment before regaining his footing, Dlew exited through the door and found himself in a room that was more or less identical to the one heâd been in previously. Removing the Hazmat suit, Dlew looked back to Alex who had just arrived. He watched as the man went through the same procedure to get out of his chair, watched him stumble a moment and then finally get into the room where he could remove his suit.
âYou look like you threw up in your suit,â Alex said.
"Same to you,â retorted Dlew. âWhy did you help design these?â he inquired.
"Because I am a master at bending gravity.â Joked Alex
"Yeah, I beat there are people here who are better and could whoop your ass with gravity projectors."
"Yeah, I guess youâre right, but the only reason your special is,â Alex stopped himself, seeming to remember something. âOops sorry man, forgot you don't like talking about that."
"Letâs go," said Dlew flatly as he continued to the door. He glanced back only once to say, âYou coming?â
"Yeah,â said Alex. âWe don't want to get yelled at by the demons for being late."
Saein quickly examined Dlew. Quite a few of his joints seemed to be stuck because of the dust and water that had recently got in to them, but there was something else going on. He appeared to be âaliveâ, but he didnât look âasleepâ in a normal way... There had to be a short-circuit in his brain! Where did the android keep his brain? In his head? In his chest? It wasnât even obvious how to open those. Of course not, one didnât want to have ones brain opened all the time by practical jokers. She had seen the captain do it, but... the mechanic hadnât been completely sane and conscious at that moment. She wished the captain could run faster with that leg of hers. She also wished her species didnât have a problem with androids and AIs with personalities in general, so she would have been able to fix things herself immediately.
âCAPTAIN! Hurry up!â Saein yelled down the corridor. âCassandra! And, um, Exburnan guy! Lift the captain if you have to!â
As the others approached, Saein kept trying to figure out how to get to Dlewâs electronics without damaging. It was incredibly frustrating. Her fingers nervously searched the android body for a handle, a screw with obvious purpose, anything. Suddenly her mind shifted to Minn. Was the girl OK? Of course she was! What could possibly happen to her? This was no time to think about her love interest, she had to focus on the job at hand.
Right, focus. Theyâd probably need to move Dlew. âMAK, send a stretcher!â
âItâs already on its wayâ the AI replied.
âHeâs shorting and I donât know how to get in!â Saein shouted at the others when they approached. She wondered if Rokunam had enough of an ability to control electricity to remove the need to open Dlew immediately.
Regina
(Sorry, about the delay guys, midterms coming up)
Reggie's leg was completely exposed and she could feel the creaking as she attempted to run. Saein kept yelling for her to hurry up, and Reggie couldn't help feel like she wasn't exactly the kind of captain they had hoped for. Dlew looked like he had completely crumbled apart, and Saein was panicking on how to get him open.
Thanks to her quick thinking, the captain had remembered to grab her kit. Not all of it, but a few things that she would probably need right away. She pushed Saein out of the way, as an automated stretcher zoomed past them. Saein helped the captain pull Dlew onto the soft surface, and Reggie immediately plugged in the black chip and Dlew's entire system shut down.
Unfortunately, his gears were still short circuiting and continued to spin. Reggie pulled a small metal stick from her back pocket, almost like a screw driver, but not. She immediately stuck the piece in between two gears, they clanged to a halt and continued to strain against the stick. It wouldn't hold for long.
"If anything happens," Reggie explained rolling up her loose sleeve. "Take us straight down to the infirmary. Dlew should be fine as long as the circuit box is plugged in, and if I lose my hand the Doc will know what to do."
Saein looked at her appalled, but the captain continued without her approval. She pushed her hand into his back and carefully moved around the metal stick. If she lodged it just an inch, it could cause the gears to get loose and her hand would be eaten up by the spinning metal. She had to get to where Dlew's heart would be if he was human. There was an override switch that would completely shut down his system when activated.
The override box that she had plugged into Dlew's head was supposed to do it automatically, but clearly the switch inside Dlew's chest wasn't working. Reggie easily located the switch, and found that a few pieces had been broken when the android collapsed. "Shit," The captain cursed removing her hand.
Quickly, without any second thoughts, she licked her thumb and index finger and dug her hand back into Dlew's system and pressed her wet fingers to an exposed part of the heart piece. The shock was instantaneous, it traveled up through Reggie's arm, across her shoulders, down her chest and legs, and short circuited her leg. She felt it collapse beneath her, but ignored, placing all her weight on her human leg.
Dlew's systems completely shut down and Reggie sighed removing her hand. "Get him down the infirmary," She said to Cassandra and Rokunam. "He needs all new parts," She explained to Saein. "I don't think I have everything, but try and get anything you can switched out. I trust that you can operate on him, if not I will be down there."
She turned and braced herself against the wall. "MAK, change course. Take us to the nearest android specialist."
"If anything happens," Reggie explained rolling up her loose sleeve. "Take us straight down to the infirmary. Dlew should be fine as long as the circuit box is plugged in, and if I lose my hand the Doc will know what to do."
Saein didnât like the sight of the captain sticking her hand into Dlew. It wasnât just the risk she was taking that might cost her another body part, Saein had done such things many times and it made her feel more of a connection with Regina in a way, though she didnât like when others did it. What she had real problems with were a person putting their hand inside another person, and the very concept of a machine made to resemble a person, a concept which was made overly obvious now.
She wasnât surprised when Reggie improvised a switch with wet fingers and gave herself a shock. They definitely were two of a kind when it came to their ways of fixing things.
"Get him down the infirmary," Regina said to Cassandra and Rokunam. "He needs all new parts," She explained to Saein. "I don't think I have everything, but try and get anything you can switched out. I trust that you can operate on him, if not I will be down there."
Saein nodded and managed to keep the look of disgust off her face. âGears are gears, manuals are manuals. Iâm sure Iâll manage.â She wasnât sure if the infirmary was the best place to operate on Dlew, her workbench seemed more suitable, on the other hand with all those sharp gears that might start spinning she really wouldnât mind being close to the doctor. Before following Dlew on the stretcher, Rokunam and Cassandra to the infirmary, Saein stepped closer to Regina for a moment. âCaptain, I like your style.â She smiled, winked and ran off, more excited to be working on a new kind of machine than uncomfortable about what the machine was.
Rokunam started talking about the mission with Cassandra. Saein didnât pay much attention, she was busy skimming through a manual on her datapad. Soon she would disassemble a large part of Dlew, make a clean-or-replace decision about each part that she would take out, hopefully replace most of what needed replacing, reassemble him, clean the joints of his limbs, and then figure out the best way to test his systems before switching him back on completely. A plan for the fastest way to do it was already coalescing in her mind. With Dlew opened up, she could easily see what had gone wrong. His parts had been worn but still good enough for normal use, but when the dust had locked his joints he had strained too much, which had caused a chain reaction of things breaking.
Narration
MAK easily took control of the ship, already locating the nearest station with an android specialist. The coordinates were quickly inputted and the ship shot off. The sudden change in speed and direction, caused a rare jolt to the ship.
Crew members toppled over, their balance thrown.
"Sorry, for the turbulence." MAK informed through the speaker system. "There has been a change in course."
Alexander
There was a jolt from the ship, that caused Alex to knock a few books to the ground. MAK's voice ran through and the young doctor rolled his eyes. He bent over and picked the books up from the ground and placed them back on his desk.
He was about to flip through the pages, to find the place where he had left off, when the infirmary doors shot open. Alex leaned to the side to peer out of his office and into the sterile room. The intelligence specialist, Cassandra, stood with a large Exburnan. Alex didn't recognize him, probably hadn't gotten to his file yet. Dlew was slouched in between them, his body ragged and limp, although his back panel had been opened.
"What happened?" Alex questioned standing from his desk. He noticed Saein behind him, looking through something on her datapad. "What happened?" He asked again when he received no answer. "Is everything alright?"
Regina
The captain cried out, her body slamming against the wall. The ship vibrated beneath her as MAK directed it closer and closer to salvation. She couldn't walk, her mechanical leg completely useless. The joints and sprigs had fried, the mechanics no longer hooked up to her brain. She was shaking, her her nervous system trying to bounce back from the electric shock.
The detachment of her leg in such a violent way probably wasn't helping either. Reggie braced herself against the wall, as she dragged her way to the elevator. "MAK!" She cried as she pushed into the elevator.
"Captain?"
"Get me to the hangar! Immediately!"
"Right away, captain."
The elevator shot down and down, further and further, until coming to a jolting halt. Reggie gripped a hold of the safety bars, trying to keep herself upright. The doors quickly slid open and a hovering chair was waiting for her.
"I don't need that." Reggie grunted pushing past the chair. It hovered just above the ground, and turned around as the captain walked past it.
"Captain, I strongly suggest you use the chair." MAK stated in his monotone voice.
"I said, I don't need it!" Reggie yelled. "If you want to help me, then find Colin!"
She continued walking, closer and closer to the workbench. Her limbs continued to shake, her nervous system wasn't recovering. She would have to remove the leg, and quickly.
Cassandra nodded at Regina as she politely asked commanded her and Rokunam to bring Dlew down to the infirmary. Saein tagged along, and they all made their way down together. Rokunam tried to talk to her about the mission, but she shook her head. She didn't want to talk about it now, rather focus on the task at hand. She looked over at Saein, who was preoccupied with her datapad. They arrived at the infirmary, and heard the doc ask them a question she didn't know the answer to. What happened.
"I think he collapsed, or something. I really don't know. We got a S.O.S message on our datapads." Cassandra answered, taking a seat in one of those uncomfortable medical chairs. She suddenly found herself very tired. Like, more then she was before. Her muscles relaxed into the scratchy material, and she started to drift off. Almost asleep... Suddenly, the ship changed course, knocking something over. She shot awake, sitting up straight and darting her eyes around the room.
"I um, have to go back to my office." She said, hoping nobody noticed her drifting off, especially the doctor. She wasn't planning on being forced to rest for a bit. She stood, and made her way towards the door.
"Sorry, for the turbulence." MAK explained a sudden shake of the ship. "There has been a change in course." Saein wasnât quite sure what she thought of the AI dumbing down the mechanics of spaceflight this way. Somewhat amusing, maybe. On the other hand, she was not amused that apparently Eddie wasnât controlling the ship, which would have led to less shaking. Some people were trying to read while walking!
When they entered the infirmary, Saein at first ignored Alexander, as she was busy reading the android manual. When he asked what had happened, Rokunam answered first. "To my knowledge, it is not well," Rokunam replied, "It seems as if the Dlew Night android has fallen... malfunctioned. It seems as if the Saein does not have the knowledge to repair him, and we are changing course to a planet with the nearest specialized in android mechanics. Though, I believe the Saein knows more than I, so may it be best for her to explain what I have missed?" Cassandra added some more details about the situation and looked rather tired.
âOh, I do have the knowledge, thatâs what manuals are for.â Saeinâs voice was friendly, she didnât take offense. The way Rokunam spoke was odd, Saein was sure he didnât mean to imply she was stupid or anything like that. âAs for what happened... Dlewâs parts were already aging, when he got dirt and water in his joints he needed to use too much force to move and then things started breaking. Iâll clean him and patch him up, but itâs going to take a specialist to replace everything that needs replacing. We donât have it all.â
While she talked, Saein lifted Dlew onto a bed, first his top half and then his legs. She moved another bed close to it, and standing in between them she systematically disassembled Dlewâs inside parts and neatly placed them on the empty bed in the same layout they had been in inside him. âNo idea why Iâm doing that here instead of at my station. Captainâs orders.â
Saein mentioned the purpose of each part and of each of her actions, this helped her mentally keep track of what she was doing.
Once all the moving parts were out, Saein could clean the electronics. There was some dirt on the memory modules (in fact there was dirt everywhere, a lot of it from the smoke bomb) and one looked a bit loose, so Saein gave it a little push to make sure it was properly connected. Something else didnât seem quite right about the contents of the head, but at this moment she didnât realize that what was in front of her was completely different from what she had seen in the manual. There wasnât much she could do about this part of the android body, there definitely werenât spare android brain parts on the ship, so she had not paid much attention to this part of the manual. Shrugging off the feeling that something was odd, she moved on to cleaning the joints of his limbs. âShouldnât Bond be the one doing this,â she sighed, âit kinda was his fault... Ah well, now the most âfunâ part of the job: find out what can be replaced, and try to find workarounds for the rest. Real shame Dlew didnât bring a backpack full of spare parts for himself.â
Saein flipped her datapad to the ship inventory and laid it next to all the loose parts on the bed. Although she had worked very fast, a long time had passed. This was the first time she looked up from her work. âOh hey, you guys still listening to me talking to myself?â
RPG
