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famed & framed
"There will be no prison which can hold our movement down."
The Ingress has pulled you in. Your body experiences several sensations at once: being pushed forward as if a hand is resting on your back, momentary and startling blindness, a gentle ringing in your head. You have difficulty discerning whether it is hot or cold, but where you have been prodded is noticeably warmer than the rest of you. Some may suffer from dizziness while others are perfectly fine. Once equilibrium has been reestablished, you will notice you are standing on a long platform and that the room is filled with a soft cerulean light. It's slightly humid and dark despite the glow around you, and nothing is familiar.
Yet, unlike most new crew arrivals, this one is in the middle of chaos.
Despite more recent events, the planet of Emiri is not as peaceful as it once was. Frederick Link is still missing, and the authorities of Emiri have yet to lift the interplanetary ban they have placed on all space crafts docked at the aerospace. The captains previous held a meeting asking crew for any and all information that might help them locate the Komai, a mysterious group determined to undermine Link'd Inc's work providing flourishing matches across the universe by causing random acts of violence and protest across the three main cities: Harashan, Avelle, and St. Murtel. These things have led to mass arrests as well as an unsettling atmosphere spreading across the planet, and since a previous broadcast, things are beginning to escalate.
A downward spiral of these events begins as soon as new arrivals start to leave the Ingress—an unmarked box arrives in the cargo bay addressed to the inhabitants of the Moira. As per his job, Niko Bellic is the one to discover this box and open it. For some, the contents may be particularly gruesome. Link’s body is inside, clothed in a simple white button-down and pants (no shoes), and it looks as if letters have begun to bleed through the material. Anyone with expert knowledge of torture may note that Link was, in fact, tortured for information, and those letters? The writing itself spells out the name St. Murtel.
The captains, having been alerted of this, make an attempt to contact those at Link’d Inc. Unfortunately, the damage has already been done.
☄ First: MISCOMMUNICATIONSomehow, whether intentional or not, the Komai have once again hacked public systems and networks to brand those of the Moira as the ones behind these terroristic acts. They still use their own name, but the images are different, focusing on familiar faces wearing the ship’s uniforms and traveling to the Aerospace to return to the Moira. Not only that, there are short recordings of Link’s final words that mention a very recognizable name: Captain Thán. The Komai have redirected the blame to the Moira and its crew for their own means, and in response, any and all crew who are captured by authorities will immediately be detained and shipped out to unknown locations. The Captains send a message via MID and request everyone return to the ship to prevent this from happening. Yet, not all messages will be delivered depending on how far away they are.
With everyone’s safety hanging in the balance, the Captains have decided to take things into their own hands and find a way to lift the block on the Moira so they can leave Emiri’s orbit and avoid further repercussions regardless of whether or not any one of the crew wants to stay.
☄ Second: DECOY & DISTRACT After learning that Benjamin Link, son of recently deceased Frederick Link, knows how to unlock the ship so they can leave, the captains ask for volunteers to act as decoys on a mission to the Aerospace in Harashan. Their job is to distract guards and Emiri citizens, leaving the path clear for Benjamin to get to the computers. The captains reiterate that they are to use nonfatal methods as they don’t want a repeat of the events on Caducus Primary. Without his help, the ship won’t be able to leave, making this mission critical and extremely time sensitive. ☄ Third: RESCUEDuring the mission, Benjamin informs the crew that the Komai aren’t incorrect in their claims that Link’d Inc uses unforgivable means to obtain information in order to make their matches perfect. The children the crew dreamed about are just two of many—the offspring of Emirian citizens who had gone missing. It has long been suspected that Link’d Inc was involved in their disappearances, but only recently has the Komai done anything to shed light on these gruesome rumors. Benjamin, after successfully unlocking the ship, disables the security systems in St. Murtel, which will allow the children a chance to escape. They’ll need assistance in getting out of St. Murtel and to a pre-designated area in Avelle where a group of Komai and Emirians will be waiting for them.
But be careful. If anyone is recognized as part of the crew, they will be placed under arrest for treason and possibly never heard from again. ☄ Fourth: BREAKING OUTNow that the computer systems in Harashan’s Aerospace have been used to release the Moira, the entire crew are being called back via MID for an expedient exit from Emiri. Crew will be asked to assist other Moirans in getting back to the ship as quickly as possible via transporters or other small crafts as leaving is their only option at this point. In the escape, Emiri launches an attack on the Moira in an attempt to stop them. The ship’s previously unused defense systems activate, and those assigned to those positions are required to man their posts. Perhaps even those who don’t have the clearance are needed. Either way, it’s time to leave. ☄ Fifth: REFUGEESNow that the ship has finally escaped Emiri’s orbit, the crew will notice a group of stragglers in the main hall. During the crew’s quick exit, about fifty Emirians have taken refuge aboard the Moira, and the captains have agreed to take them to the closest planet so they may start again or live a life free of Link’d Inc “rule”. The captains ask the crew to help get them clothes and food for their short stay, no longer than a day at most, and to occupy them as best they can. Tell jokes, sing songs, bring up the kittens so that everyone can attempt to wind down after this series of unfortunate events. Light entertainment won’t be provided, but on request, some crew members may do just that.
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thisavrou_log2016-02-01 11:09 am
Wildcard
Deciding to watch comings and goings on the MID directory instead of walking the decks has kept Bel out of the way of most of the chaos. Some interesting patterns have emerged, too. Wanting to follow up on one in particular, Bel slips out of Nomo 005 at about 03:30 hours, heading for a blip on the screen that isn't where any self-respecting crewperson should have chosen to spend the night.
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But what was more important was finding that place that was blessedly free of people. Sam did worry he might have to spend another night in the Engine Room at first, but this was better. Here he could watch far away stars, nebulae, and all sorts of celestial bodies…and allow himself to think.
Is this how Programs feel about the User world? Maybe they do feel this small and, ultimately, obsolete.
Only because he was he was laying on his side did Sam notice Bel. Flinging the blanket that he'd been using off, Sam got up quickly. There's a lantern (that's off right now) the blanket, a mat and pillow. It's plainly a campsite.
"Dude. Don't sneak around like that. It's freaky."
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"Fine, and dudette then. Point still stands. You shouldn't be sneaking around like that."
Beat. And since Bel chose not to say anything about Sam's initial startlement, Sam chooses not to say anything about Bel's mischievous comment.
"…What are you doing down here?"
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Stopping a pace or two away from the campsite, Bel looks Sam frankly up and down. "Indulging my curiosity. Is there something wrong with your cabin?"
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"No, I just like hard, cold deck plating."
Two can play at this game Bel. He's not been staying in his room since he ended up here, but instead of asking someone he doesn't know for a different room, he's just been sleeping wherever. It's starting to seem like the others are being put in the barracks for a reason, though, and Sam wants to know why.
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"Sure, plenty of people say hard surfaces are good for the back. And the soul. Most of 'em were Aslunders, in my experience. Myself, I've come to prefer satin and null-G."
Waving for Sam to sit back down already, Bel lowers themself to the deck and leans back against a bulkhead. "The cabin's got an advantage, though -- at least people who look you up on the ship's map during night hours have to knock to get in."
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Sitting down, Sam gave up and turned the little lantern back on.
"Yeah, but then you have to share with roommates inside that door. Not sure I like the idea of sharing living space with anybody."
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"We could all have our own rooms if they'd just open some of those locked doors," Bel sighs. Of course, given what's behind one of those doors, it might be for the best they haven't. The black-lightning scar on Bel's hip is still an unwelcome surprise in the mirror now and then.
Camping out under the stars now and then is one thing, but what Sam is doing... It's dangerous to him, what with the ship's (and crew's) unpredictability, but there's something more, something wounded and solitary in the sparse portability of the bedroll and the knowing, resigned eyes. Bel wraps both hands around one knee, voice curious and even. "Have you been doing this for a long time?"
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It was strangely freeing, and yet more imprisoning in some ways.
Still Sam had what he'd had on him on the Grid. Beyond that he had what he could keep in the one-strapped backpack with him; a blanket, a pillow, a mat, a small lantern, and his Moira uniforms. His toothbrush was small enough to fit in a pocket. Even at home Sam was rich enough to live anywhere he chose. Instead he chose to live the way he did, and preferred to keep only the essentials.
"Depends what you mean by 'a long time'. I'm not that wild about shared living when somebody I don't know and have never met decides who lives alongside me. Oh yeah. That's after kidnapping me into space."
Okay so he gave a partial reason. He also doesn't think the 'Captains' have any control over the Ingress.
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Instead a silence settles. It's a long silence that's rapidly growing awkward. At least it's growing awkward for Sam since part of him has worried about the whole concept of playing Russian Roulette in regards to what weird roommate assignment that could come through the Ingress.
Presently he narrowed his eyes at Bel;
"Have you met these 'Captains'? Because I don't see them mingling with the crew much."
Also now gesturing for emphasis.
"Do you trust them? Do you trust them with your life?"
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"Let me put it like this. I trust those locked rooms--" with nothing but air between the locks and the rest of the ship -- "even less. I'd rather have another set of doors in the way if one of them opens again. Or if that forcefield up there decides to fail."
He must be getting at something specific, but damned if Bel can figure out what it is. Maybe it's Bel's lengthy stint on shipboard, but a crewperson sleeping in random, unsecured locations feels almost as wrong and unsafe as the rest of the whole situation. We all breathe the same air....
"You don't have to go directly to them, though. Miles Vorkosigan is the Personnel Officer; he's got leverage when it comes to room assignments." The conviction in Bel's low alto is complete, rising from both personal loyalty and decisive first-hand experience. "I'd trust him in a heartbeat, with any ship of mine and everyone on it."
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"That's exactly my point. These Captains are trying to deal with everyone else on their terms. When all is said and done they have the final say on where the Moira goes, I think they're just a blind about all this stuff as the crew is. Like; in all this time why haven't we found somebody that knows more about the Ingress? Why can't we use it in reverse to get home? What's with the lying about Cadacus Primary? I only found out about that one through trolling the MID network."
And there Sam pulls up his wrist with the MID on it.
"That's another thing. Why don't these come off?"
He puts it down, giving it a baleful look.
"And they want to put the crew in barracks while they sleep apart. I don't much care about 'Captain's prerogative' or whatever. I'm not letting someone I don't know decide where I sleep. And who's in the room when I do."