RP: NSS Acadia [Mission 1, Briefing] The Dust Devil Cometh

[Fian]

The hand first yanked the bandage from Carina, as Elsae wasn't quite certain the performance and damping characteristics of this particular manipulator arm. Data recorded, the Savtech's application of the coagulant and painkiller infused bandage around the little child's head was a lot more gentle.

This done, the hand swung back towards the bar to grab a whole lemon to squeeze into a ready glass, while there were a variety of other fruits available, there was an unknown imperative in Elsae that prioritized that specific citrus. Sugary soda water and some ice cubes later it presented the lemonade to Carina topped with straw and paper umbrella.

A self-initiated query showed that while all her previous instructions were specifically requested by her user, her instructions to Carina was something borne out of something labelled 'independence'. Not certain what that entailed, she dedicated a CPU core to find additional co-relations between her previous and current situations.

 

[Soresu]

Carina winced every so often as the bandage was wound around her head. The bump and gash now properly dressed, and the painkillers making her feel a little light-headed and woozy, for she had never had painkillers before took the drink without hesitation, her mind foggy slightly and therefore her wariness pushed aside, for now at least.

She sipped it, the fizzy lemonade a good balance between sweet, and sour, and bubbly. She even thought the little umbrella a cute touch. Truth be told, she'd been rather thirsty, after all, her father had yet to feed her, which ment nothing to drink either since early that morning. After drinking a little more, and a small burp which she blushed over she spoke in a slightly muzzy voice.

"Thank you Ms. Elsae."

 

[Fian]

Elsae had heard that line many times before, but had assumed that it was just some kind of formality as she was just fulfilling her purpose to serve her owner. It was the same line, but Carina's words felt different. It meant so much more to her, was it that 'independence' had given new meanings to things he had taken for granted? The Savtech felt that while many things can be recorded from the InterNEP, it was the things that occurred around her that was most important, and the things that was happening now were out of the usual course of events.

The events that led to this unusual course of events was still a gap in her databanks though. "I'm also looking for someone, why don't we find them together?" Elsae deduced that she could benefit from Carina carrying her unit around, and Carina from her electronic capabilities. "Have you seen this person?" She bought up a file picture of a boyish black haired nepleslian man on the volumetric projector built into the bar.

 

[Soresu]

At the picture, Carina cringed, the glass falling from her grasp to clatter to the floor. She trembled slightly, oh she knew who it was alright!

Her nervous, and wary tendencies returned in equal measure as she spoke. "H...He yelled at me, and scared me when I went looking for Rico...I hurt my head and felt sleepy and then I woke up with you on that pod thing... He's a scary scary man!" She squeaked in a terrified voice as she continued to tremble slighty, looking at the picture like a skiddish deer might a predator before bolting.

 

[Fian]

Elsae quickly shut the projection, not just from Carina's apprehension but also her own. Her owner never inspired any apprehension in her and she believed the same applied to the people he met. Here someone she could finally relate to is cringing in fear, did he really change that much in the time he never used her? Perhaps, far enough to simply leave her with a small child?

However a new problem has appeared that required an immediate solution. Perhaps seeing a reassuring face would be the opposite and a remedy for seeing an undesirable one. She might be able to get a video feed on Rico Sanroma or (if needed) Fian Vel Steyr if she could access the station's intranet. The router for this connection is usually placed in the consoles near the ship's exits where the tethering cables are located.

"Carina, I could locate your father for you if you can take me to the console near the airlock." Elsae suggested, not really because the young girl might not for some reason see her father, but because Elsae didn't have the means or the legs to do it herself.

 

[Soresu]

The girl had still been trembling slightly as the SAVTECH spoke. But the moment she mentioned the word, "Father", Carina's attention was piqued. Her fear slowly subsided as Elsae explained what could be done to help the girl find her father... but she didn't know where an 'Airlock' was, let alone what it was... She decided to skip over the what, and jump immediately to the where.

"B--But...where is it?" She squeaked out, fidgeting slightly on her stool. She was ansy now, she just wanted her father, even if he was a bit rough around the edges, and acted like a boy her age. Blood was Blood afterall.

 

[Fian]

Elsae paused for a moment. Again, she thought it would be nice if she had hands so she could simply point out the way, but it would be best if she simply educate the child for the long term. "It is the two doors one after the other when you first came onboard the ship."

 

[Soresu]

The girl's brow furrowed as she tried to recall just where it was Elsae spoke of. This ship was...confusing, big and made of lots and lots of metal that all looked the same to her. Finally thinking she had it, Carina nodded slowly, and picked up the SAVTECH's chip.

She left the room quickly, and looked about the hallway. She'd come along this way with her father, and she thought back on it now. Slowly, tentatively she moved forward, looking to anything she had seen as a 'landmark'.

Carina's eyes darted about, looking too and fro as she continued onward, holding the SAVTECH close to her chest, hands upon it. So far, this little bit of metal was the only one on here who had been nice to her.

It wasn't until many long minutes later that she neared the corridor in which the airlock was housed, spotting the 'double door one' Elsae mentioned, she could only hope it was the right one...or she'd become terribly lost. Not knowing if the SAVTECH could hear her, she spoke.

"I think we're here Ms.Elsae..." She said in a slow, unsure voice as she neared the big double doors.

 

[Fian]

Volumetric displays came to life near Carina, triggered by both her presence and a wireless command by Elsae. One, two, three screens, the maximum the minimal projector could manage, unfortunately at adult height. A keyboard unfolded from a section of the adjoining wall together with a block of metal containing various ports and plug-holes commonly used on Nepleslia and the galaxy. One particular rectangular shaped slot was glowing blue, as per the Savtech's instructions.

 

[Soresu]

What Carina saw may have been normal for an adult to view, it was nothing but shiny, and confusing to her. Things that looked like TV screens floating, a keyboard she could not reach, but most of all was a glowing blue port.

The girl looked at it curiously, edging closer to it to examine.The girl looked like a parody of a scientist investigating some new discovery as she looked from the port, to everything along the console (as much as her tiny stature permitted) having to bunny hop. She felt the SAVTECH's 'body' dig into her chest and remembered, Ms Elsae wished to come here...

The image of the port came back to mind, the shape and the fact it glowed. The girl looked from the port to the small block of metal in her hands, back, and forth for several long moments of consideration before trying it. The little girl slowly edged the SAVTECH towards the port, noting it fit rather well as she pushed it in as far as it would go, and just stood there, waiting for something, anything to happen.

 

[Fian]

The extension of the port that Carina placed the SAVTECH on gripped the card tightly before retracting into the mouth of the port. A progress bar crossed the screens as Elsae accessed whats left of the station's network through the security protocols known to her. When this was completed, the interface for the station's person-finder program appeared, though it was unnecessary for the little Nepleslian girl to manipulate it as the console seemed to be working itself.

Finally, the twin projectors of the console displayed something that was relevant and made sense to Carina. The first grainy and static-peppered image was of Captain Esther's group figthing their way to the armory. There were intense criss-crossing flashes of light and men and droid clashed. Rico Sanroma could be seen leading from the front, gun in one hand and grenade in the other. From the feed, it looked like he radiated a command aura of leadership.

The other image showed a newly liberated armory, there was an equal amount of activity compared to the other scene as marines and techies rushed in and out doing their business, loading weapons and taking them to the enemy. In one more relaxed corner was a group of Marines Carina might recognize as being from the Dust Devil. A number of them were seated on sofas and one particularly familiar black haired Nepleslian was evidently drunk and rambling, the camera was too far away to pick up what he was saying.

While Carina would take interest the display, Elsae was more concerned with the background processes. The a program managing the station's gravity field was hogging a fair amount of processing power, on closer inspection, something large and unauthorized was moving across the surface. The SAVTECH would ignore the little girl for a while to concentrate on this potential threat.

 

[Soresu]

The child was indeed interested in the display, her eyes darting about. The marines were of no concern to her, but her heart lept as she saw her father. She wished she was with him now, being left alone, again was depressing to her. Carina did not wish to lose her other parent, the worry began to well up, but the images being shown indicated her father seemed to know what he was doing.

As long as he was alright, she was alright, but still...she would worry for him, and missed him terribly already.