RP: Cirrus Station [Episode 1] Welcome to Cloud Nine

Dream half-turned around to face Serra, and the Elysian heard that neat jingle you hear in dating sim games when you score a relationship point with someone.

Well, no. Not really.
But Dream clearly approved.

"I'm... sure there are people who will appreciate this kind of physical entertainment." She said. "And, since it has already been done, and it's already here, well then there's really no reason not to use it, I suppose." She said.

But she was still tapping her foot, waiting for Kess to show them some other place. (Like, something that wasn't the huge waste of perfectly good resources that this was, at least from her point of view.)

MoonMan said:

Mimi looked worriedly at the Neko 'Spacer, obviously upset that she would feel the need to be alone, especially at an important time like this.

"Please, Miss Tweak, I must implore you to join the rest of your peers. Wandering the station without purpose while on duty is against the regulations Administrator Montreal has laid down...and as your Savtech, it is my job to look after you. Why do you feel the need to be alone? Do you have a condition that was not noted in your profile?" The Savtech queried with concerned interest, keeping up her virtual walk to stay in step with Tweak.

Click to expand...

Tweak stopped in the corridor and lead back against a wall, drooping her head and closing her eyes with a sigh. One hand went up to hold the strap of her duffel that hung at her side as her other hand continued to mess with the cuff snap.

"I'm sorry, I just can't stand being around so many people," said Tweak finally, opening her eyes and staring at the floor. "I'd just prefer to be alone right now. Just for a little while, please?" She glanced up at Mimi with a sad look, then looked back at the floor.

"I don't get it...I'm not a security guard. I...I just wanted to fix things. Or make things. If I can't, if she doesn't need me to do those things, then I guess I don't belong here..."

P3C Himiko Muzai quietly stepped off of the newly arrived shuttle at Cirrus Station. She had arrived later then all of the others since she had missed the earlier ones to the station. The shuttle schedules made her confused, so this one had to do.

Hopefully, no one would be mad that the Yamataian was a little late. She called out to anyone in the vicinity, "Hello? Does anyone know where I should be? Or who I am to report to?" She looked this way and that, hoping that someone would help her.

A little invisible exclamation point appeared above Jan's head as he heard his friend Himiko's voice. Getting up from the bench near the snack machines, where he had been munching protojerky, and walked over to her.

"Hey, Himiko. We're both late. I've been sitting here waiting for you for the past few minutes. I figure we should wait here till someone from the administration finds us." Jan handed her a pack of Vitanana Flakes.

"I know they seem weird, but try these." Jan smiled at Himiko, glad to see her again.

Lucius rather liked the cold steel that boxed them in from nearly every direction. It was something had had lived with for practically his whole life. It was practically his job to like it. He felt safe in the solid corridors, no one could sneak up on him if he was careful.

As they entered the apparent rec room, Lucius raised an eyebrow. This is quite extravagant of a place for Cassefin to give to her beloved security team. He thought sarcastically. Then again, they probably wouldn't be allowed to use it nearly as often as science team.

"Interesting..." Was all he said, his arms still behind his back. They probably wouldn't have any sort program on the nanoplatform, or another facility for spaceball, but this would do for at least some measure of exercise.

Himiko blinked at the strange man that had talked to her. It took her a moment before she realized who it was. She thought to herself, That's right, we bumped into each on Ayame Station. We were both in a hurry, I had nearly forgotten. His name is... "Jan," she finally said, "Good to see you, I suppose." She had practically whispered the last two words.

The Yamataian gratefully took the offered food since she hadn't eaten in a while. As she took a bite of one of the flakes, her face almost matched her hair... and soon if almost matched her marine uniform. She sighed, swallowing the flake and made a face. She wondered if the administrator would find her before or after she had to rush to the bathroom.

"Miss Himiko, are you okay?"

Jan's smile was replaced for a second with worry, then him running to the nearest Cassefin Resevoir, ordering a bottle of Choco-Latte, then running back to Himiko with the chocolate-like drink, and handing it to her.

"Here, take this, it should help." Jan seemed to be genuinely worried about Himiko. Of course, she was as green as Nespleslian Green, which generally meant bad things.

Himiko quietly thanked him before taking the drink and sipping some of it. It didn't taste too bad, but it had a slighty blandness that seemed to stick in her mouth. It's better then nothing, I suppose the amorer mused as she took another sip. Her face soon returned to its normal paleness. "I'm fine, now..." she said after a few more sips.

Jan sighed in relief, sitting down on a nearby bench.

"I'm sorry for kinda getting you sick there. I figured you'd be hungry after the trip to the station." Jan looked up at the Atrium's ceiling, thinking.

" I figure you're hear as part of Cirrus security? If you are, don't be on the same squad as me. I'm just out of training, and I'm not sure I can be a fully effective member of my squad yet." Jan sighed, looking at his lap.

"I wish I could be a good as a marine as Rico Sanroma. That man's a hero. He's the reason I joined up. Well, him and my dad."

"Miss Tweak...being a part of the Cirrus Station Security isn't that hard. I will help you! Administrator Cassefin has assured everyone on the security force that there is nothing wrong with the station...you shouldn't be so sad!"

Mimi began to show a more concerned frown as Tweak attempted to explain herself. The giddy Savtech stopped and pondered for a moment, placing a hand on her chin and staring at the floor in deep thought. Before she could raise her voice again to speak, however, another volumetric image appeared next to her. It was Kess, her face expressing a very familiar look of mild annoyance.

"Quit coddling her, Mimi," Kess spoke sharply.

Mimi smiled weakly back at her peer. "I don't mean to coddle...I just don't want Miss Tweak to feel upset."

Kess sighed audibly, shaking her head slightly at the honey-blond Savtech before turning to Tweak. "Look. I don't have a problem with you crying to yourself in a corner...just don't do it in a closet, and don't do it when you're on duty. There's a break room around the bend here, and there's nobody in it. Sit there for a while if you have to. When you're ready to go, we'll lead you to where you need to be. Just don't cause any problems...Cassefin is already on my ass as it is."

---

Meanwhile, yet another Mimi appeared before Himiko and Jan, smiling her usual unabashed grin.

"Welcome! My name is Mimi, and I will be your personal Savtech assistant for the duration of your time here. We've been expecting you...your flight was delayed, and your peers are already settling in to their quarters. If you would please follow me, we can get you on the right track."

---

While the rest of the security members stood in awe (or in annoyance), Kess abruptly turned around and gave them all a stolid look.

"Don't get too excited. We're just passing through this area; this place is Scientist Personnel Only. Your bunks are down a few floors."

And indeed they were. After a few more minutes of travel down the service elevators, Kess brought the straggling security team to a much less impressive area, clearly labeled via a fading embossed plate next to the door, "Security Quarters".

The room was, in all accounts, little more than a glorified sardine can. Nearly the entire span of the room was loaded with five-tier bunk-beds...and nothing else. No tables, nightstands, boxes for belongings...they were honestly lucky to have a dim fluorescent light fixture on the ceiling every so often, and even then, four of the lights were blinking and in disrepair. Near the back of the room was an open space where a grimy-looking treadmill and weight bench sat (the Security Recreation Area, no doubt), as well as a few sets of Pneumatic Delivery tubing and two snack and beverage machines. Beyond that area stood two doors, marked with the silhouetted figures of a man and woman. The few security members in the room looked up and nodded at the new arrivals, quite obviously miffed themselves and no doubt pondering why they were staying in this cramped closet of a room.

Kess turned around and gave Squad #35 another utterly-devoid-of-joy glance.

"These are your quarters, recreation areas, and restroom facilities."

Serra stood where she was in honest to goodness shock. THIS was where she was going to stay? A dank, dark, cramped flea and lice infested hovel bellow the floorboards of a nicer place? HER, an ELYSIAN, stay here?!! Her suitcase fell the the floor with a loud thud as she turned quickly to glare a murderous hole through the Savtech's holographic head.

"You should be honestly happy you're just a collection of light in a forcefield." She seethed through gritted teeth. "If you were mortal, I would have torn your head off and thrown it down the hallway." She growled as she advanced on the hologram regardless.

"Shit," Keziah whispered, as emphatically and as quietly as possible.

In that single word was disbelief (why the hell would they be treated like this? Especially with the coddling the scientists get...), irritation (another closet, this time to live in. Fucking wonderful), and an instant dislike for the station. She moved away from the main body of the marines-turned-security-guards-in-a-can, and looked around at the barren livings.

Barren fit. Barren made sense.

Not even her barracks in the asteroid belt was this bad. Maybe stowing away in a cargo hold was this classy. But, this didn't make sense! There was space on the station. Lots of it, all of it being used...

By scientists. And Montreal was a scientist. And she had a cheery outlook on her gathered marines. So, yes, there was space. Lots of it. All of it for scientists.

Fucking pencil necks.

Snack machines. Great. Were there cafeterias (at least ones they could access)? Kitchen stores? Already her mind was roving for ways to construct a basic water boiler with a re-tuned plasma torch.

She turned to their helpful Savtech, pointedly ignoring the outraged and indignant Elysian. "Where can we go to get real food?"

Kess furrowed her brow a bit, appearing to take offense to Serra's little outburst. The raven-haired Savtech crossed one of her arms onto the others elbow, using the free hand to pull her bangs behind her ear. She stood still, not budging against Serra's advance.

"Well, I am just a hologram. So don't get too excited."

Kess then turned to Keziah with a slightly less ornery glance before pointing lazily towards the two snack machines in the rear of the room, the image of Cassefin Montreal smiling and striking poses for potential buyers illustrated on the front. A few of the more daring marines had already placed some rather profane graffiti on the machines.

"Cassefin has made it a point that her food is the only food to be consumed while on the station. Says it promotes good health. There are no assigned times to eat...you just buy it, and eat it whenever you're hungry."

Meanwhile, Dream was staring at the barren desolation that were their quarters with a sparkling smile and watery eyes (or, rather, eye)

"It's... it's just like back home! Well, minus the fungi and lichens. But still, nostalgia trip!"

It was the best thing ever. For her, at least. She took a few steps around. "Wah, this is really just like back on the Brilliant Unwritten Future Amidst The Neverending Heavens, my old Mothership! Well, it's a bit larger, but still, I like it! Now, if only the whole station was like this instead of having obvious wastes of precious resources like that last room, it would be a marvel of efficiency that'd make the Great Maker proud!"

Cyril wandered into the room proper, edging past the sergeant and brushing through the savtech's arm with a muttered 'sorry', and looked around. The walls were still the same antiseptic white, at least he assumed that's what the colour would be with decent light, but it felt different. Familiar.

He absently thumped the nearest unoccupied mattress with his tail and grunted in satisfaction to see that it was practically paper thin. The lights were suitably dim, and damned if he didn't see a game of poker going on down the rows. Even the air seemed more... 'lived in' then the rest of the station.

Cyril swept his gaze across the room and broke into a grin. By the Mad Prophet, it was just like home. Sure, the others may bitch and moan about it, but this! This is what station life was all about, from Cyril's point of view. Big spaces were for the machinery, not the biologicals. Of course, the egg heads were being pampered, but what did they matter? When shit matched coordinates with the fan, it would be the folks sleeping five to a bunk that take care of it, not some pampered pencil necked bastard with a stateroom.

Montreal may think that she was slighting the marines by putting them in a dinky little barrack, but as far as Cyril was concerned she had paid them a compliment. The five to a bunk bastards were the ones that got stuff done, and that was all that Cyril wanted in a military career.

Of course, if Cyril ever found out that the marines were the only ones sleeping in a tin can, then he might become a tad... irritated. But that was neither here nor there.

Cyril glanced over at the only other member of the squad to show any sign of enthusiasm, and vocal enthusiasm at that.

"Not a bad little billet, eh ma'am?" He said to Dream.

Before Himiko to assure Jan that she was alright, Mimi appeared. "Oh," she stated with a light salute, "Thank you, Miss Mimi. I'd appreciate any help that you may give." The Yamataian smiled as she waited for the Savtech to lead the way.

"You know what? This sucks," Jan suddenly declared. "I'm out of here." He began heading back towards where they originally arrived.

Keziah frowned at the Savtech, then turned away from her to scan the rest of the barracks. One wayward glance to their XO, and Cyril, and she was convinced that the two were either insane, or used to this kind of thing. Which made sense for both of them. But this made Keziah see that she had simply been pampered her entire spacing career.

Not that she cared. Hell, comfortable living was something everyone should be allowed to have. That didn't mean the beds--she didn't care about the beds, she could sleep anywhere--but the lighting, the layout, even the total absence of a kitchen.

This wasn't good.

"So we're supposed to live on junk food?" She shook her head, and thoughts of all kinds of nutritional diseases floated through her head.

Serra blinked when she heard they had to BUY their food. This perplexed her.

"Wait, we're supposed to BUY our own provisions from those things?" She asked as she pointed at the vending machines. "I though board was provided?"

"Oh. C'mon, Serra. It's not that hard!" Dream said, brightly, winking at Cyril in the meantime. She slammed a hand into the side of the machine. "As long as the station has enough to feed us all, we eat when we're hungry and drink when we're thirsty."

She grinned, leaning against the vending contraption. "And it seems to me that we're not exactly on shortage of resources here, since we apparently have enough to waste on useless toys." Then she said, to the vending machine: "Water, please."

Silence.

"Ahem. Water. My ration of water. Do we have water here?"

She knocked on the machine. No answer whatsoever.

"...Oh, yeah, you don't do this kind of stuff. Sorry, force of habit." She said, staring intensely at the thing. "How do you make these work, anyway?"