004. text.

[regulatingpressure]

Raven Reyes here.

To the departments (any) - What's protocol when your boss goes MIA? MIA as in disappeared at jump. As far as I know, she never did name a second.

To Flight & Comms - How's our chain of command looking? Still got Wash and Ryuuzaki? Did we lose anyone else?

To Engineering - What now? I'm doing everything I can but we can only go like this for so long.

To anyone who can tell me what the hell this thing is - [ she's attaching a picture of what looks like a rubik's-cube-sized square of skin and flesh?? it's sitting alone on a table. ] I'm all ears.

To anyone I've ever talked to - Be nice to know if you're still around.

Comments

text.

[forgodssake]

we've talked
hello

what that is is horrible
that's my official scientific conclusion based on available data
lockers?

text.

[regulatingpressure]

Sorry, who is this again? [ he can't see/hear it but she's laughing a little that he felt the need to remind her that they were acquainted. ]

Lockers.
Doesn't seem too horrible yet. At least it's got skin on the outside. Could've just been a hunk of meat, I've heard that happens?

text.

[pushesback]

I know what it is. It's gross.

text.

[regulatingpressure]

Never could've figured.

voice; text is hard

[songburdened]

Raven! I'm still here! Is everything okay?

voice; text is a necessary skill in life elizabeth get with the program!!

[regulatingpressure]

Heyyy.

Everything's fine, don't worry. Just getting some business in order, with a side dish of scientific inquiry.

[overdraws]

im not entirely sure i want to know what that is

[regulatingpressure]

Part of me wonders if this is an 'ignorance is bliss' kind of deal.

The rest of me knows how shitty I am at 'ignorance is bliss' either way, so I might as well find out what I can.

text;

[axeyou]

Maybe that's a gift to congratulate you on your promotion. Congratulations, you're the new boss. Here's a cube of fat and skin.

That's what you get for joining a department.

text;

[regulatingpressure]

That's not seriously how this works, is it? I'm not even the senior engineer.

text.

[materminal]

[ Well, this certainly inspires a lot of faith in the department situation. Skipping that bit for now, because... ]

Have you run any tests on it?

text.

[regulatingpressure]

[ not raven's fault you came in at a shitty time. the departments are usually-... okay, incredibly understaffed, but she's been pulling at least double her weight in a couple of them and they've had enough people to scrape by. ]

I'm a mechanic, not a scientist. Wouldn't have a clue where to even start.

[klutziness]

re: engineering
i dunno
i mean i guess we can recruit and give a crash course on basic stuff
but you're right

[regulatingpressure]

Not what I meant.

I mean - yeah, we definitely need more people. But manpower's not so hard to find.

I meant the department head. Someone to answer to when hell breaks loose. If we haven't got one when it does, best case scenario's a clusterfuck.

[skjalf]

I am present still, Raven. I am relieved to see that you are as well, given the many recent departures.

How do you fare of late?

[regulatingpressure]

Not so bad. Busy with the departments, but that's nothing new.

What about you?

[immuno]

Well I doubt it's the comforting answer you were hoping for, but it looks like human flesh.

[regulatingpressure]

I mean - I figured that much. [ and yet she's got no trouble handling it. who even knows. ] I guess I meant more like 'flesh serving what purpose'?

[ryuuzaki]

I'm fine.

The thing turned up in your locker? I got a tin of human teeth in jam about a year ago, among other things. Someone else got part of a leg once. It just happens now and then, but I don't believe it's been documented enough to determine any patterns... we can't compel participation.

[How much easier would things be if he could compel participation in the kind of documentation he would, in an ideal world, like to do?]

[regulatingpressure]

Jam like the kind you spread on toast? Just so we're clear.

Consider me a participant anyway. What info do you need?

text;

[peckish4action]

Robin here, still around.

If you need an extra pair of hands around Engineering, I can start showing up over there when I'm off-shift in Comms?

[ You know. Like she does for Comms. ]

text;

[regulatingpressure]

We'll definitely keep it in mind. For now, I'm more worried about who the hell I answer to - or whether this means people are answering to me.

[ she hadn't considered the second option, until her brief talk with erik and johanna (not that she knows either one by name). ]

text;

[51stcentury]

We're gonna have to make some decisions here, that's for sure.

text;

[regulatingpressure]

Couple of people are saying I've been promoted. I mean - I could do it, if that's how this goes. I know everything she did.

But I'm also far from the senior member here, and if we've got someone more qualified just tell me who I answer to next.

text; VERY BELATEDLY

[technologist]

Still here.

Do you think you'll go after engineering?

text;

[regulatingpressure]

I might have to. Don't see anybody else stepping up.

text.

[de_void]

whatever it is i think i'm jealous. i never get anything cool like that.

text.

[regulatingpressure]

It's ticklish too.

[trynotodie]

depends, what would you say to a little bit of science to find out?

[regulatingpressure]

I'd say hell yes.