* * *
"The fact is," Eric said, as he strode down the corridor, "whoever they are, they're already a major player. A superpower."
"C'mon," Gin shot back, "they just got here. Unless that thing is a secret project by one of the fractions, it's gotta be crewed by newbies."
Eric frowned, as he considered this. "Well...it's big, round...I guess it looks a little like a Death Star..."
Gin stumbled to a halt, nearly tripping. Eric stopped, holding a hand out - but she shoved it away, finding her balance. She gave Eric an incredulous look.
"Okay," Eric admitted, "not really. Still, fact is...that's an insanely big ship. Or mobile station. Whatever..."
Gin snorted. "It's big and it moves."
"Right," Eric said, as they continued walking, "that's enough for influence. Respect. Lifting something like that from 'daneside...apparently in secret, since this is the first we've heard of it. Can you imagine the bragging rights? That's the real Fen currency, you know that."
"Mm-hm," Gin pursed her lips.
"Annnd there's the fact...well, if Stellvia's right, that thing's a land theft. Unreal Estate. It's a chunk of floating ground more than a klick across. That has to be a new record."
"So what," Gin asked, "they're the new Commie Threat, and we need to build a nuclear arsenal?"
"Nah," Eric replied, with a grin, "I, for one, welcome our new Soviet overlords."
Gin sniggered. "Seriously?"
"No-oooo, but I hope they're friendly," Eric answered, crossing himself.
"Didn't know you were Catholic," Gin said, squinting at the gesture.
"I'm not. But I'd pray towards Mecca if I thought it'd help."
They reached the personnel entrance to Docking Bay Two, the hangar reserved for Island support craft and official deliveries. Eric and Gin passed through the airlock in short order, heading to the ship preparing for launch.
"Hey, cap'n," Katie chirped. She was standing near the aft of the ship, overseeing a band of cargo-toting robots. She looked up at their approach, tucked her clipboard under her arm, then delivered a sharp salute. "We're almost loaded up, and Matthew's just about done with pre-flight."
Eric frowned. "Matt? Aren't you the duty pilot?"
"He says it'll be a cold day in hell before he lets me fly a mission this important..." Katie gave a guileless look. "...I have no idea what he's talking about, do you?"
Eric and Gin exchanged a significant glance.
"Uh," Gin said, "no idea. None whatsoever."
Katie nodded happily. "Thought so!"
Eric shook his head, then studied the scene. The ISS Delphinus was at the end of a very strange line. The converted yacht had its cargo hold open, and a chain of brightly-coloured little robots were loading boxes inside it. The robots were throwing stuff to each other in a strange game of pass-the-parcel.
Gin was puzzled. "Why are we bringing all this stuff?"
Katie tapped her clipboard. "Standard greeting package. Goodwill junk, y'know. Emergency supplies, in case something's gone wrong in their lift...oh...and some of the Fisherbots are coming too."
Gin gave the little robots a suspicious stare. The plastic automatons were ubiquitous on the Island, a fact of life. But they still freaked her out a little. "Fisherbots...why, do you expect trouble? Security, repair force?"
"Nope," Katie replied, "they just wanna come with."
Silently, Eric tapped Gin on the shoulder. She turned...and followed his arm, as he pointed.
Gin blinked. Once, twice, three times.
"Why," she asked, "is that Fisherbot wearing a god-awful Hawaiian shirt? And is that a camera?"
"Tourist," Eric said, blandly.
Gin placed a hand over her face. "Sorry I asked."
Katie laughed. "Better get on board. Matt was looking for you."
"Right," Eric nodded. He headed for the boarding stairs, pausing halfway up to rub his hand against the dolphin painted on the ship's prow. Gin followed.
They took their seats on the bridge, behind the pilot's chair. Matt ignored them as they entered, running through the last of his pre-flight checklist. Only when he was finished - and the other two strapped in - did he turn round, looking over his shoulder.
"Hey," he called, "any updates?"
"No," Eric said, "they're still not answering any signals. Hephaestus is on site, Wire Geek's trying to dock or land with 'em...in a small craft, I think. Stellvia control wasn't too clear when they relayed that."
"Whoever they've got on the comm has really lousy phone presence," Gin groused.
Eric brushed her complaints aside. He'd heard it before. Gin thought everyone had bad communication skills. "Situation'll probably change before we get there," he said, "but I don't see any point delaying. Stellvia's expecting heavy traffic...half of Fenspace wants to get a look at this thing."
As he spoke, Katie entered the bridge, taking her seat. She started fastening her harness, before stopping. She gave Eric a funny look. "Er...Eric?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't you get sick or something whenever you leave the Island?"
"Yeah," Eric shrugged, "that's my biomod."
Katie tilted her head. "Sooooooo..."
Eric smirked. "I'm not missing this."
Matt echoed his grin. "Damn straight."
"As opposed to what," Gin quipped, "damn homosexual?"
"I have," Eric declared, loftily, "a great and true platonic love for any flying landmass. I wish to kiss it for myself."
Gin pretended to throw up.
Matt rolled his eyes, and strapped on his headset. "ISS Delphinus. Requesting permission to launch. Quickly. Before Eric makes any more jokes."
(I'm not sure exactly who on Stellvia Gin was talking to, to give her the impression of 'bad phone presence' ... but it doesn't really matter. Eric's right in that she'd complain no matter who she had to talk to.)
-- Acyl
"The fact is," Eric said, as he strode down the corridor, "whoever they are, they're already a major player. A superpower."
"C'mon," Gin shot back, "they just got here. Unless that thing is a secret project by one of the fractions, it's gotta be crewed by newbies."
Eric frowned, as he considered this. "Well...it's big, round...I guess it looks a little like a Death Star..."
Gin stumbled to a halt, nearly tripping. Eric stopped, holding a hand out - but she shoved it away, finding her balance. She gave Eric an incredulous look.
"Okay," Eric admitted, "not really. Still, fact is...that's an insanely big ship. Or mobile station. Whatever..."
Gin snorted. "It's big and it moves."
"Right," Eric said, as they continued walking, "that's enough for influence. Respect. Lifting something like that from 'daneside...apparently in secret, since this is the first we've heard of it. Can you imagine the bragging rights? That's the real Fen currency, you know that."
"Mm-hm," Gin pursed her lips.
"Annnd there's the fact...well, if Stellvia's right, that thing's a land theft. Unreal Estate. It's a chunk of floating ground more than a klick across. That has to be a new record."
"So what," Gin asked, "they're the new Commie Threat, and we need to build a nuclear arsenal?"
"Nah," Eric replied, with a grin, "I, for one, welcome our new Soviet overlords."
Gin sniggered. "Seriously?"
"No-oooo, but I hope they're friendly," Eric answered, crossing himself.
"Didn't know you were Catholic," Gin said, squinting at the gesture.
"I'm not. But I'd pray towards Mecca if I thought it'd help."
They reached the personnel entrance to Docking Bay Two, the hangar reserved for Island support craft and official deliveries. Eric and Gin passed through the airlock in short order, heading to the ship preparing for launch.
"Hey, cap'n," Katie chirped. She was standing near the aft of the ship, overseeing a band of cargo-toting robots. She looked up at their approach, tucked her clipboard under her arm, then delivered a sharp salute. "We're almost loaded up, and Matthew's just about done with pre-flight."
Eric frowned. "Matt? Aren't you the duty pilot?"
"He says it'll be a cold day in hell before he lets me fly a mission this important..." Katie gave a guileless look. "...I have no idea what he's talking about, do you?"
Eric and Gin exchanged a significant glance.
"Uh," Gin said, "no idea. None whatsoever."
Katie nodded happily. "Thought so!"
Eric shook his head, then studied the scene. The ISS Delphinus was at the end of a very strange line. The converted yacht had its cargo hold open, and a chain of brightly-coloured little robots were loading boxes inside it. The robots were throwing stuff to each other in a strange game of pass-the-parcel.
Gin was puzzled. "Why are we bringing all this stuff?"
Katie tapped her clipboard. "Standard greeting package. Goodwill junk, y'know. Emergency supplies, in case something's gone wrong in their lift...oh...and some of the Fisherbots are coming too."
Gin gave the little robots a suspicious stare. The plastic automatons were ubiquitous on the Island, a fact of life. But they still freaked her out a little. "Fisherbots...why, do you expect trouble? Security, repair force?"
"Nope," Katie replied, "they just wanna come with."
Silently, Eric tapped Gin on the shoulder. She turned...and followed his arm, as he pointed.
Gin blinked. Once, twice, three times.
"Why," she asked, "is that Fisherbot wearing a god-awful Hawaiian shirt? And is that a camera?"
"Tourist," Eric said, blandly.
Gin placed a hand over her face. "Sorry I asked."
Katie laughed. "Better get on board. Matt was looking for you."
"Right," Eric nodded. He headed for the boarding stairs, pausing halfway up to rub his hand against the dolphin painted on the ship's prow. Gin followed.
They took their seats on the bridge, behind the pilot's chair. Matt ignored them as they entered, running through the last of his pre-flight checklist. Only when he was finished - and the other two strapped in - did he turn round, looking over his shoulder.
"Hey," he called, "any updates?"
"No," Eric said, "they're still not answering any signals. Hephaestus is on site, Wire Geek's trying to dock or land with 'em...in a small craft, I think. Stellvia control wasn't too clear when they relayed that."
"Whoever they've got on the comm has really lousy phone presence," Gin groused.
Eric brushed her complaints aside. He'd heard it before. Gin thought everyone had bad communication skills. "Situation'll probably change before we get there," he said, "but I don't see any point delaying. Stellvia's expecting heavy traffic...half of Fenspace wants to get a look at this thing."
As he spoke, Katie entered the bridge, taking her seat. She started fastening her harness, before stopping. She gave Eric a funny look. "Er...Eric?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't you get sick or something whenever you leave the Island?"
"Yeah," Eric shrugged, "that's my biomod."
Katie tilted her head. "Sooooooo..."
Eric smirked. "I'm not missing this."
Matt echoed his grin. "Damn straight."
"As opposed to what," Gin quipped, "damn homosexual?"
"I have," Eric declared, loftily, "a great and true platonic love for any flying landmass. I wish to kiss it for myself."
Gin pretended to throw up.
Matt rolled his eyes, and strapped on his headset. "ISS Delphinus. Requesting permission to launch. Quickly. Before Eric makes any more jokes."
(I'm not sure exactly who on Stellvia Gin was talking to, to give her the impression of 'bad phone presence' ... but it doesn't really matter. Eric's right in that she'd complain no matter who she had to talk to.)
-- Acyl