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[eripui]

Boy, that was a close one! That gas formation was a clever trick.

Hello there.

I know I've already spoken to some of you—I had hoped to do this individually—but it appears we need to move things along more quickly than we'd realized. That ship of yours seems eager to shake us, and we simply can't let that happen.

My name is Lina Barnez. The rest of the team and I have been working on contacting the Tranquility for some time. Unfortunately, our tech isn't perfectly compatible with what you're running on. It hasn't been easy, but we're managing. I don't know how long we'll have.

We're here to help you, but in order to do that, we'll need you to help us. You've been through a lot on this ship: it's a miracle so many of you are still with us. We'd like to make sure you stay that way, but we can only do that if you're completely honest with us.

We know about the events on Strela, the Cyllene and Arima, as well as the Scylla. What happened to those poor people was not your fault, and you have my word that we have no plans to hold you responsible for those events.

But we need to work together to make sure it doesn't happen again. The more you tell us about what's been going on aboard the Tranquility, the more we can do.

[ NOTE: All conversations will be cut off before too long by the engines suddenly powering back up, and the jump alarm sounding to alert characters to proceed to medbay immediately. ]

Comments

[eripui]

Internment, you would call it? What is it that is keeping you allied to the Tranquility, I am not sure I understand. Is it an imprisonment? Who is in charge? Do you feel free to say?

That does all sound horrible, and I'm sorry that we were not here to help you with it. In the future we would like to provide such help, or better yet, would like to prevent such situations from occurring. Who is your - wife, you say? In a chamber?

Any information we can obtain is optimal, yes.

[yardbird]

Right now, I can't say WHO the hell is actually in charge anymore. We basically run our own departments, but as for who's driving this thing and to where, we don't really know for sure.
I'm not "allied" to anyone but the people I trust, and they just so happen to all be living on this end of the phone.

Yeah. My wife. She's in stasis in one of those gravity couches - same with a small handful of us. It happens from time to time but no one knows why.

HOW, though? I don't understand any of the stuff that goes on here in all my time stuck in this place.

[eripui]

You run your own departments? And yet there is no Captain in charge? How is it that you run the departments without the correct authorization implemented? It is difficult to imagine that they remain functional.

There are some who remain in 'stasis', as you would call it? I'm afraid we know little about this type of stasis that seems to have occurred to your wife. Again, any information you might be able to tell us would be helpful. How long has she been in stasis?

[yardbird]

Well, I think there is, but the asshole's hardly ever around. Is it normal protocol for your captains to go AWOL in this universe?

Since the last jump. For some reason a month is as long as anyone ever stays in those things before they wake up.

[If they wake up, that is.

[Nope nope nope not going to think about that.]

[eripui]

No, it is not. It's a breach in protocol, and quite unusual. If you can provide a name and a description of his negligent duties, that would not only be informative to us, but we can file an official complaint.

Do you believe that she will awaken, next jump? What do you anticipate her reaction as being?

[yardbird]

You know what? I think we can file our own complaints on that bastard.

I'd like to think she will, yeah. Can't say I know how she'll react, but I'll be there when she does.

[eripui]

Your own complaints? To whom?

Has she remained in "stasis" before? You say there seems to be a pattern to these occurrences -- what is this pattern?What help might she require? I'm glad, that she will have someone there for her. Especially someone so dedicated!

[yardbird]

I'm... not sure yet. But I'll figure something out.

No, she hasn't. This isn't the first time this has happened to people, though.

And... thanks? [Suspicious.]

Look, I don't know who you are, but we can handle all of that on our own just fine. Are you and your people ACTUALLY interested in helping us or not, and how do you plan on doing it?

[eripui]

I'm not sure I understand, how one can file a complaint against an unknown party. Maybe it is worse, if he is the -- bastard -- that some have claimed. I cannot say.

If you are accustomed to such absences, how is it that you plan to help her? How have you dealt with such absences yourself?

We're very quite interested in helping the current passengers of the Tranquility! As you may have seen, we're currently unsure as to how to best launch and implement any strategy -- our knowledge, unfortunately, remains rather limited. What is it that you would say your current crew needs?

[yardbird]

Yeah, I'm not entirely sure I get it either, but I don't know who you or your people really are to give out too much information. I actually think I might've said too much already.

I deal with it, same as I always have. She'll wake up, and everything will be fine until the next big shitstorm happens. Whether it's coming from the visitors or the home team, I guess we'll have to find out.

What we NEED is a way out of this can. Many of us want to go home. Me, I don't really care where we end up just as long as it's safer than here and people leave what's in my brainpan alone.