Action 1: Over the Rainbow

[atpollard]

Samantha retires to the commons for a bit. As she enteres, she looks around before getting some water and taking a seat. "Good day gentlemen." she says by way of a greeting.

Vinnie stands as she approaches and waits for her to sit before returning to his seat. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance," Vinnie smiles a mischievous smile, "So should the fact that the Pilot is sitting in the commons make me concerned that nobody is flying the ship, or should I be reassured that everything is so exceedingly under control that your presence on the bridge is unnecessary?"

[EDIT: Since subtle emotions are harder to convey in written form, and easier to misinterpret, just for the record ... Vinnie is not flirting with Samantha, just verbally teasing the pilot.]

[Nuke66]

"We have a couple of hours til Jump yet, rest assured, I will be on the bridge when it is time." Samantha replies.

[Pulpatoon]

During a lull in the music, a distinctive chirping sound is heard from September's satchel, tucked away below his seat and forgotten for a moment in the heat of the conversation. It strikes everyone as peculiarly unlike any of the sounds made by typical portable devices--almost like a chorus of chimes made of heavily rusted metal. The sound fades back into the music as quickly as it came.

September excuses himself quickly, leaving the rest of his bourbon in the the glass and the chessboard half-rendered on the holo-emitter. "I, uhm, sorry, that's the alarm for... my... medicines. I'd really better get back to my cabin. Lovely to meet you al and I look forward to... uh, musn't forget my satchel, and... yes, okay, bye."

He rushes back to his cabin, and digs through his stuff to inspect the

MacGuffin.

[Keehnelf]

The macguffin was sleek like a bullet, all polished metal with a series of irregularly shaped ports in ine end that made clear it was part of a larger, more complex construct. Before, it had a panel that was obviously a small, crude star map leading him toward Asgard. Now the star map was gone, replaced with a single eerily flashing green light. Perhaps the device recognized something about their flight path and had decided it would soon reach its destination? The chirp-chimed again, loudly enough that he was sure someone out in the corridor would be able to hear.

[Pulpatoon]

September checks out his cabin's door lock and whether there is a safe of strongbox provided—anything secure enough that he would feel comfortable leaving the MacGuffin behind, now that it has no doubt piqued some curiosities. If not, he will keep it on himself, and if anyone asks about the noises, he will try to nonchalantly pass it off "a sensor," and change the subject.

Septmeber heads to the crew are of the ship, looking for navigation. He will try to pass this off as idle curiosity as a former Scout, but is looking for anything significant in the area that the device might be reacting to.

[Keehnelf]

September knows well enough that a ship this small will have its navigation functions on the bridge with the rest of its major controls.

Given that the pilot was indisposed in the common area, September thought it possible that the bridge may be empty or undermanned during the hour remaining before jump. As the door of the small lift opened , September sound himself face to face with the smiling face of security chief Nate Neyland. Just beyond, the door to the bridge stood open and he could see the captain and first officer busily at work on the ship's controls.

[Amalric]

"Hello there! Can I help you, Sir?"

Nate smiled at the passenger out of politeness, but his large frame blocked most of the view into the bridge. If he found this fellow wandering this way again he might be less amenable - the bridge was for crew only, after all.

[DadsAngry]

Eugene:

Eugene when hearing the door to the bridge open, lifts his head up from his console and turns to see who it is.

[max_vale]

Loraine stretched and decided that perhaps she should wander to the lounge to see if any of the other passengers or ship's crew were around. The journey was bound to take awhile; so she might as well pass the time getting to know her fellow ship-mates.

Moving to the lounge she saw a group of people talking to each other and she approaches them and at an appropriate point in the conversation; she smiles and introduces herself;

"Hello all. My name is Loraine Zane; but please feel free to call me 'El Zee'. I've just mustered out of the Navy and came into a little bit of good fortune and decided to take a trip on the space-lanes; to see the worlds out there on my own dime and time instead of the service's. How about yourselves?"


OOC: Loraine 'El Zee' Zane:

[Keehnelf]

Eugene:

Eugene when hearing the door to the bridge open, lifts his head up from his console and turns to see who it is.

Nate's frame blocks the majority of the door, but Eugene catches a peek and sees that it's one of the passengers--Eugene has hardly even looked at the manifest apart from the part that lays out the itinerary so it's impossible to put a face to a name at this point, but it's a skinny, haunted-looking kid so he feels a bit of empathy (as long as the kid isn't planning to hijack the ship, anyway).

[spanningtree]

Cocking an eyebrow at the sound emanating from September and her subsequent hurried exit Johan will make a note there is something odd there.

Seeing El Zee enter he will motion for her to take a seat. Just out of the Navy? I'm not to far out of the Marines! Where was your last duty station? By the way, I'm Johan.

[Grognardsw]

Isaac C. Heinlein / commons

During a lull in the music, a distinctive chirping sound is heard from September's satchel...

"Well, it was nice meeting you," Ike says to September as he leaves abruptly. He privately wonders what the strange noise was, assuming it's not dangerous if it got by the boarding check.

"Hello all. My name is Loraine Zane; but please feel free to call me 'El Zee'.

"Hi LZ, I'm Ike Heinlein, explorer and one of the pilots."

[Baron]

Dars glances up at Nate's challenge, but assumes the man has things in hand and continues with what he was doing.

With a hand near the anti-hijack button...

[atpollard]

"We have a couple of hours til Jump yet, rest assured, I will be on the bridge when it is time." Samantha replies.

"That IS a load off my mind" Vincent replies almost laughing.

September excuses himself quickly, leaving the rest of his bourbon in the the glass and the chessboard half-rendered on the holo-emitter. "I, uhm, sorry, that's the alarm for... my... medicines. I'd really better get back to my cabin. Lovely to meet you al and I look forward to... uh, musn't forget my satchel, and... yes, okay, bye."

Vincent raises his eyebrows slightly at the sudden departure, but says nothing.

"Hello all. My name is Loraine Zane; but please feel free to call me 'El Zee'. I've just mustered out of the Navy and came into a little bit of good fortune and decided to take a trip on the space-lanes; to see the worlds out there on my own dime and time instead of the service's. How about yourselves?"

Vincent rises as she approaches, and sits as she sits. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, El Zee. Everyone calls me Vinnie. I was forced into early retirement, and just felt a sudden urge to travel."

[Pulpatoon]

September takes in Nate's enormous frame and gulps audibly. "Oh! Hello! I'm, uh, one of the passengers. September, that is. My name. I was wondering if... I'd like a peek at local space, and was hoping..." September tries to peer around Nate. "Is Navigation here? And a, uhm, navigator? And could I see it? Or talk to them? Or borrow some star charts or something?"

"If it's not too much trouble? And I promise not to get in anyone's way? Please?"

[DadsAngry]

Eugene:

Eugene heart starts beating faster when he hear the passenger request. He quickly clears his screen of his own wish list of worlds to see and pulls up the charts for the system they are currently in. He moves to the edge of his seat and visually searches the room for anything that could be used as a weapon. He thinks to himself "Oh no they found me. They can't touch me as long as I'm not alone. At least I don't think they will. The captain surely won't give in to his request. Please make him go away." Little beads of sweat start to form on Eugene brow as he starts to fidget in his seat nervously.

[Keehnelf]

Olive Haro looks up from the controls she's been testing out. "Everything OK, Eugene? You're not getting space-sick on us, are you? If you are already, I don't think you're going to cut it as the navigator on an interstellar trader."

[Baron]

Dars, trying to work while wondering how his new security chief will handle the passenger, is distracted by Olive's comment. He raises his gaze to the navigator, still keeping his hand near the anti-hijack button.

[DadsAngry]

Olive Haro looks up from the controls she's been testing out. "Everything OK, Eugene? You're not getting space-sick on us, are you? If you are already, I don't think you're going to cut it as the navigator on an interstellar trader."

Eugene:

"Huh? What, me?" Eugene straights up and tries to steady himself. "No, no, no I'm fine." His eyes shift back and forth between Haro and the man at the door. He moisten his dried lips as he feels the eyes of the captain looking his way. Eugene reassures Haro one more time, "really it's nothing. I'm fine. I've done this before. Space I mean, flying and all, I mean navigating in space, really." He forces a smile across his nervous face. "See" Eugene starts punching button on his console while shifting his gaze back and forth between his console screen and the man in the door way.

[Amalric]

Nate

The passenger's request was not an unusual one, but Nate was a stickler for rules and regulations - or at least, he had been. And he still held enough of that in his genes to disregard the approaches of flunky passengers (as he saw it).

"Sorry, the Bridge is for crew only. If you'd like I'll pass your request on to the navigator, see if he can stop by your cabin when he's off duty?"

It's clear from Nate's bearing and demeanour that this is not a negotiation, it's simply take-it-or-leave-it. He's still smiling though.