( august intro log )

[hownkai]

Who: Everyone
When: August 1st and on
Where: The Moira
What: New “guests” join the crew on their journey and implement some changes.
Warnings: None for now. Please label your content!

I N T R O L O G

old but unfamiliar faces "We sometimes encounter people, even perfect strangers, who begin to interest us at first sight, somehow suddenly, all at once." 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. Shortly after, you are led out and toward the medbay. Inside this room, you are given a physical scan and offered a contract to sign that states you are now part of the crew of the Moira with a specific job. Any questions you might have would be answered in a straightforward manner as well as an explanation about how the Ingress, the thing that has pulled you onto the Moira, is broken and bringing people here unintentionally. This process also consists of a complete work-up of medical history and current health, and afterwards, you are given your MID, a device that is integrated into your hand or wrist with only the slightest pinch. From there, you are guided out of the medbay and to your living quarters. At first, this month seems no more unusual than the previous one for those who have been aboard the Moira for any amount of time. The crew who had landed on the slaver outpost were rescued, and with everyone aboard, the ship has pushed forward into the darker parts of the Runoff. Anyone arriving through the Ingress follows the same routine—moving from the Ingress room into the Medbay for their physical and contract before being assisted by seasoned crew members and helped to their assigned decks. But all familiar things must eventually come to an end: two final travelers come through the Ingress. The first, and most noticeable difference between them and all the others, is their clothing. Both are dressed in standard Moira uniforms, though they bear the insignia of one sharing the same rank as Captains Cúrre and Thán. After a moment to take in all the people on the platform ahead of them, one of the two latest arrivals approaches one of the Ingress panels and begins to manipulate the controls. The Ingress completely shuts down. Unlike before, however, there isn’t an imbalance felt across the ship; everything remains normal and stable. Utilizing the computer systems located in the Ingress room, they send out the following message to the crew via the MID: To all those aboard this vessel: I am Ira Phirun, assigned captain of the Moira. First Mate Egan and I will be commandeering all rights to the ship as soon as word is sent to those currently in charge. Expect a more detailed report as soon as all records and logs in Navigation have been reviewed by myself and the First Mate. All questions will be answered in a timely matter. For now, there will be no interruption of daily routine or reprimand if conduct among ranks is broken. Thanks for your time. Heading to Navigation, the Captain and First Mate, for seemingly unknown reasons, approach Navigator Manasseh and have her show them all records and logs of the Moira. Those working in Navigation when the Captain and First Mate arrive will see Mana greet them in a professional manner. Oddly, the Captain and First Mate act very familiar with the Navigator. They review all documents, but when they come upon news that the Ploiatos is on board, their mostly friendly demeanor shifts quickly. The Captain issues a sharp order, unintelligible to those who are close enough to overhear parts of their conversation, and without any warning at all, Mana loses consciousness and collapses right there on the bridge. Within minutes of this happening, the ship as a whole falls into a low power state with basic functions only. Mana’s MID alerts Medbay, and without hesitation, Captain Cúrre places her in cryo with strict orders to those who work there not to disturb the unit. As promised, the Captain and First Mate soon address the crew. ☄ lights down low The lighting has dimmed in all the rooms and halls, the normally crisp air that is pumped from the vents low, and all machines and tech are running at half-speed. These effects can be found throughout the ship. Water in the showers remain hot for only a few minutes before reverting to cold. Recreational equipment powers off not long after it has been turned on. The sanitation and water filtration systems require an hourly manual reboot, and all unused areas of the ship have no power allotted to them until a crew member steps inside. Even then, most functions are not optimal. It’s as if the Moira has been transformed into a dark house with only a candle flickering on the window sill. ☄ reuse & recycle The Captain and First Mate are quick to establish that this is a new regime and go about making the ship and its crew more efficient in the wake of their change in course and the low power state of the ship itself. This means they will systematically inspect each occupied barracks room and leave notes for what needs to be disposed of or stowed away. Unlike before, this is no longer a pleasure cruise, and each member of the crew is a guest on board; they will not tolerate useless clutter. Anything seen as unnecessary will be either placed into storage in the Cargo Bay or disposed of through the airlock. This new need for efficiency also extends to the need to conserve resources until they reach their destination. The showers are set to an automatic timer to minimize water waste. Those few minutes of hot water are all a crew member is now given. Meals are smaller, bordering on ration sizes, and luxuries are done away with entirely in order to preserve supplies so that the ship can go longer before needing to dock at a planet. ☄ new jobs, same faces The Captain and his First Mate, as expressed in their addressing of the Moira, explain that work efficiency is a priority. Applications for a head of the following departments will be accepted for a short period: Navigation, the Tower, Medbay, Defense, the Hold, Sanitation, Ingress work, and the Galley/Mess Hall. (Here.) After reviewing what they receive, one head of department will be chosen and tasked with helping crew find positions relevant to those departments and their own skillsets. They will be allowed to retain any positions that they held before that aren’t ship-functional jobs, but they will have to be done in leisure time. In two weeks time, they’ll be accepting department position applications which will be approved, and all those that do not apply will be assigned in accordance with their initial work application. They will also choose three individuals to act as guards of Ploiatos to ensure that there is a rotation available at all times. Will you choose to follow this new decision and promote yourself into a position of responsibility? Or will you simply wait for a reassignment?

( ooc; For questions, go here. Please comment to activity check to receive new ranks (if applicable)! )

Comments

spock (star trek aos) | ota, will match

[rustledbyjimmies]

lights down low, time to get nerdy

Disconcerting as the announcement following his arrival was, sudden change of leadership rarely providing calm in any capacity to the affected, Spock took to acquainting himself with his new vessel over dawdling on possibility. There was little sense speculating what he did not yet fully understand, and exploring, even just to busy himself at a time like this, was fair reprieve from the concern that was not so easily assuaged. At the least, he could acquire better resources with the task, and the situation could be better analyzed through his findings at a later time.

He made his way through the entirety of the ship, from the stern through the levels and rooms available to him on toward the bow. It was a scattered journey, access not always so clearly defined, but Spock gave his best effort to chart his personal discoveries as accurately as he could. In preparation for his formal duties aboard the Moira, he also documented his encounters for further interpersonal analysis.

(ooc: since he’s just going to be all over, leave you’re location of choice as the subject for me as a heads up. he'll most notably be in engineering, kipos (the gardens), and the library. thanks!)

engineering

[arcreact]

Spock - God help him - will inevitably make his way into the sweltering heat of the engine room, which might be more his speed, all things considered. But it's also very dimly lit thanks to their new captain tightasses, and all the more treacherous for it.

Tony's making attempts to fix that, because he's too damn old to spend all day squinting at intricate mechanics in near-darkness. Right now it involves jury-rigging the lighting to run off of alternative power sources, and it's all going to be extremely ingenious and efficient once he finishes it, but right now there are wires and tools scattered all over the place. It's something like controlled chaos, with a single probably-crazy man standing in the middle of it.

"Yeeeeeah, I wouldn't step there, that wire's live."

Is how he greets Spock when he notices his arrival. Workshop safety is clearly paramount, here.

[rustledbyjimmies]

The displacement of wires and tools across the floor indicated either a lack of organized personnel or potentially rushed work with regard to the ships lowered state of energy, and if Spock had never before seen the Enterprise’s own chief engineer Mister Scott at work in troubled situations, he likely would have only surmised the former. To his great relief, the fact someone is standing in the disorder indicates something more along the lines of the latter and not the fact that the Moira has employed the wrong people for the work entirely.

Eyeing the cable which had been indicated to him as hazardous, he takes a careful step around it and cautiously approaches the man poised in the center of the mess. While Spock’s immediate fascination is in the structure and mechanism of what powers the ship as a whole, it is worth acquainting himself with the stranger first.

“The warning is greatly appreciated. I am afraid that I am not yet acquainted with this power system’s structure, though I assume you would be the one to inquire regarding it.”

1/2

[arcreact]

"Yeah, well, as you've guessed, you're in the right place," he says distractedly, busy connecting two wires that trail from opposite sides of the room. A machine somewhere in the corner starts making a loud whirring sound as he does so, which appears to be a good sign, because he offers a brief "a-ha!" of satisfaction.

Only after that's done does he look up at his visitor, distraction subsiding enough for him to remember he has one.

"Right. Anyway. So why're you—"

[arcreact]

And he immediately freezes, letting the wires still clenched in his hands drop to the floor.

There's a Vulcan standing in his engineering department.

This keeps happening. How does this keep happening? He hasn't had a drink in weeks. Is that why? Is he going insane with sobriety? Is that a thing?

Spock wants to look at his power systems.

"Jesus Christ. I've finally lost my damn mind."

Library

[poolhall_killer]

Could it be...?

Most of the day's been consumed by this tedious new job. Venom's finished his current set of windows, and before he can be assigned new ones, he picks up and does a bit more wandering.

Fortune must have smiled upon him because he's found his new home away from dorm: the library. He never got a chance to visit the Guild's library before his last mission, so it's nice to see the Moira having quite the collection. Unable to resist the idea of losing himself in a book, Venom quietly places his equipment near the entrance and goes to explore.

The lack of lighting doesn't get the assassin down at all as he's perusing the collection, not able to pick out a place to start. As he's close to getting lost, he spots a curious man with even more curious ears. The man's presence is just as unusual as his humanoid appearance.

Venom's not even sure if he should say something as they are in a library. Still, he's going to try, albeit softly. "I didn't expect them to have such a variety."

[rustledbyjimmies]

Looking up from the shelf he is currently perusing, he runs his eyes across the man who had spoken to him, someone with a curious appearance that likely would have seemed stranger if Spock had not long grown accustomed to the varied appearances of alien races even in his home universe.

He offers a small nod in greeting and concurrence. “Yes, I must admit that the fact has taken me by surprise as well. Where I am from, books are no longer so common, and yet, to have such choice in this ship...” He trails off to skim the names of the row again briefly, to mark his place for whenever he returns, before turning properly to face his new acquaintance.

“You have not ventured here before, then?”

[poolhall_killer]

A world where books aren't as common... It sort of hurts Venom to think of such a place. The Crusades did immense damage, but the Guild's collection survived mostly intact. And he's always preferred physical copies over anything on a magic screen.

He shakes his head. "I haven't. I was brought on to the ship recently. And you?"

nerdy in the library

[psychadrellic]

The presence of the library is about as much of a godsend as Thane could have asked for. The climate control in this section of the ship makes it by far the most comfortable of the locations he has visited, and the nature of the area lends itself extraordinarily to peace and quiet. While it's still a very public location, it possesses the almost universal qualities he tends to attribute to libraries of solitude and privacy.

Although aware of the illusion, he allows himself to relax by a few fractions regardless. The cool, dry air is soothing to his damaged lungs, and the distraction of wandering the stacks a welcome one after the abrupt and jarring event of his arrival and subsequent orientation.

He's actually, for the time being, open to being approached, making only the most cursory of attempts to hide his presence - which mostly amounts to the well-practiced silence of his movements. He's prone to spending long, thoughtful pauses in the long aisles of books, gently perusing one volume filled with alien text after another. The topic of nearly every book he picks up is a mystery to him, unless said books also contain illustrations to provide hints as to the subject. That doesn't matter overmuch, though. The simple action of selecting a book, opening it, turning the pages, and carefully returning it to its rightful place is comfort enough for the time being. Understanding, or at least, locating a book he can understand, can come later.

[rustledbyjimmies]

He has already spent considerable time looking through all the shelves and is now returning through to collect the titles he has found most intriguing. Happening upon the man, he is genuinely surprised to find he is not alone among the rows as his hearing tends to alert him to the presence of anything about him. A moment's pause shares enough to Spock, the stranger clearly being not one of much noise to begin with. A curious matter, but Spock keeps the query to himself for the time being.

While not wishing to disturb the serenity about them, one of the texts he wishes to add to the forming stack in his arm is just within the other man’s reach, enough that Spock finds it difficult not to take it without first presenting himself. It is even possible that the man may wish to browse the volume himself, and Spock would not wish to incite conflict over his personal curiosity.

As he is often quite soundless himself, he makes effort to make himself more apparent as he approaches, to at least hint to the man that he is no longer alone in the off chance it has not been realized already. Then, he speaks.

“Apologies for my intrusion, sir,” he starts, trailing off to allow the man time for reaction.

[psychadrellic]

He does hear the quiet approach, but does not feel the need to immediately react to it until he's actually addressed. This is a library, after all; other people are going to be perusing the shelves. He looks up from his book and over to the speaker, half turning to face him.

There are a myriad of reasons he may be being addressed. He could simply be in the other's way and need to move over a bit. Perhaps the book he's holding is one which the other needs, in which case he'll be happy to pass it along. Less likely but still possible is that the library is closing and that he's about to be asked to leave, which would be disappointing but presents no actual problem, or maybe he's been mistaken for a staff member and is about to be asked for assistance. Not that he thinks that is very likely. Non-humans are by far the minority on this particular vessel. He's met one whole handful thus far, and a couple of those have been crew mates, not strangers. Far more likely, given Thane's recent experiences aboard this vessel, is that the man addressing him has never seen an alien before and can't pass up the chance to speak with one.

In any event, he's sure to find out momentarily what the stranger needs of him.

"Yes?"

gardens.

[sickbays]

[ Kipos is about the only part left of the ship with any decent sort of lighting, and that's exactly why Leonard gravitates toward it, hoping to find some sort of respite there, away from everything that's booze confiscating away from giving a migraine. He's only just barely caught up with everything he missed while in cryo, and now there's all these new rules and leadership he's expected to follow.

He should have brought some of that brandy up with him, but heading back to his barracks was too much of a hassle given the terrible mood lighting. The doctor leans back, his head and shoulders pressed hard against the circular railing surrounding the tree, eyes closing for a moment as he steadily breathes the tension out of his muscles.

He's successful, for the most part. His entire body relaxes slightly, slumping against the hard wiring as he draws another breath in and then another out.

In then out. He repeats the process over and over, relaxing until he's almost on the verge of sleep, his head lolling slightly into his shoulder. The sound of boots clipping across the floor snaps him awake, though, and he tilts his head up, blinking wearily at the figure before the recognition hits his groggy mind. ]

Oh, I hope this just a dream.

[rustledbyjimmies]

[Spock is quite pleased to find that there is live greenery aboard the vessel. As it often is, space is not the most hospital for plants, but his personal favoring of natural vegetation does leave him wanting at times. Overall, the arrangement is impressive. It is no simple feat to achieve what the gardens have become, and he appreciates that the area is properly lit for the plants inhabiting the space.

It is all so very curious and fascinating. He finds himself flitting from section to section in silent awe, and his mind is so lost in his interest that he does not even recognize the man dozing to the side until he speaks. When he does, Spock’s attention immediately returns to the present.]

Doctor. You are here. [An obvious observation, yet something he feels he must say, not only for the fact that the Doctor is aboard the Moira but also to address that he is in the same space as Spock as well.

And the Doctor's comment proves particularly difficult to answer well without further context.] I do not know in which manner I should address your statement.

[Or if it is even welcome, given the usual pattern of their dialogues.]

[sickbays]

[ His lips pull into a slight frown at that observation, telling Spock all he needs to know without having to utter a single word. He wasn't delighted to be here, on this godawful ship running at half power. There wasn't a point in time when he had been, except for those short couple of vacation weeks they spent on the Collective, where he passed most of his time away off the ship, his feet on solid ground and the sun above his head.

That'd always been his biggest dig against spaceships, how confined and unnatural they felt. Humankind isn't meant for this kind of life, especially not for any sort of prolonged period of time.

But that is a digression for another time, when McCoy's not so stunned and annoyed by the first officer's presence, whether it be a dream or not. He scrubs at his eyes, a soft sigh escaping from his lips. ]

You could jus' say you're happy to see me. [ If this were a real dream, he would, if only because that's the only place Leonard would expect to hear it. He tosses his hand down atop his leg, his back pushing uncomfortably away from the wirey fence. ]

Oh yeah, this was a bad idea. [ He groans, reaching around to rub the ache settling in along his spine, his fingers massaging against bone and muscle as he slouches forward. ]

nerdssssssss

[sketchycharacter]

[The library is one of Nate's favorite places on the ship. There's so much to learn, to understand—there's so much history. It's also got the table space to spread out a little, which is convenient and also saves him from having to haul a pile of books all the way back to his room every time he gets on a research jag.

So here he is, basically surrounded by five open books (marked in various places with the equivalent of space post-it notes for bookmarks) and a stack of books on the table edge opposite to him...which some jerkoff brushes against as he goes by, knocking the top book to the floor. Nate glares after him, but doesn't want to get up to retrieve it, maybe if he reaches out with his foot—nope, too far.

But hey, there's some guy with serious eyebrow game passing by who's closer to the fallen book.]

Hey, would you mind getting that for me?

[rustledbyjimmies]

[It is hardly an odd request, Spock himself having witnessed the rudeness, so he pauses and leans over smoothly to pluck the text from the ground.]

How disappointing to encounter such lack of consideration even in such a sacred space.

[He eyes the book’s cover as he speaks, gleaning the information as he does, before turning to poor fellow.]

I see that you are fascinated by the past events of this universe as well. It is comforting to find another who comprehends the importance of such things.

[He steps closer and offers the volume back to the lazy seated man.]

Garden!

[sorryitasedyou]

A full garden wasn't exactly something she'd expected to find when she'd arrived here and the space had quickly become something of a favorite. It reminded her of home, of finding something to contrast the chill that seemed to come with space. That stark beauty that had captured Jane's heart, and in its own way, Darcy's. Not that her level of knowledge about any of it was even close to that of her boss.

After she'd had about enough of the announcement as she could handle, she forced herself to get back up and move around. To try and stay busy so she wouldn't get overwhelmed by the what-ifs that seemed to be cropping up by the dozen in her mind. In her wanderings, though, she hadn't exactly expected to run across anyone. Especially not someone who looked vaguely familiar. With the grace of a wrecking ball, she comes to a sudden stop in front of him, eyes big as genuine excitement settles into her expression.

"You're-- oh holy guacamole on a cat. Are you? You're totally--" And her voice definitely went up in pitch at the end there, possibly getting close to dog levels of hearing. "No, you can't be because --" And she's just gonna cover her mouth for a hot sec as she gasps, stopping any other floods of words for the moment.

Hi. Hello. Hi. She's a fan of you, Spock, can you tell? This is like some weird space Christmas present.

[rustledbyjimmies]

Spock jerks to a halt in surprise, eyes widening a bit at the abruptness of her situating herself directly in front of him and brow raising in subsequent fascination. Really, it is impressive how quickly she managed to do so, barring that he has no idea why it had been necessary at all. If her exclamations were not so curious, he feels he should likely be offended by her unexpected injection into his path. Still, her sheer enthusiasm to his presence is flattering, enough that he even feels it, even if her slew of words makes absolutely no sense to him.

“Perhaps I may be of better assistance if you were to disclose your thoughts.” Because he can’t really answer any of what she has said right now. “I do not know to which matter you are make your inquiry.”

science department

[hyperkinesia]

[ Just a few doors next to the library, Spock would find another unlocked room. The long and dark corridor is a little eerie, but as the people on board have taken up rooms one by one, at least this portion of it is a little livelier now, with people coming and going from the library, the armory, the simulation room, among others— and this one, particularly, the science department.

The door slides open smoothly with a familiar sound, and the area inside is large and pretty impressive as far as technology goes. Still, at the moment it's fairly empty, and the lights in there are dimmed too. A single spot should call for most of the attention, a small corner where Bruce is currently working on a backup generator with decent capacity. Maybe it won't do him much, but he does want to get work done, and trying to use a system that keeps flickering on and off is becoming intensely frustrating.

Not looking up when he hears someone come in, he speaks up, eyes glued to some small and sensitive part he's assembling. ] Here— just a moment. What can I help you with?

[rustledbyjimmies]

[Finding a science lab behind the sliding door is a pleasant surprise, and Spock feels an odd sense of comfort as the automatic door slides shut neatly behind him. Familiar while foreign, he wonders how welcome he might be in such a place and if he can, as he often did on the Enterprise, spend hours delving into the various avenues of research here.

As expected and as is the case with many other rooms, Spock doesn't find himself alone, and he appreciates it as requesting information or access always comes easier when there is someone to ask. Approaching calmly so as not to startle the man who seems quite preoccupied with his work, he stops a fair distance away, enough so as not to cause alarm.]

Apologies if I am intruding on your research. [He isn't fond of it himself when he's making good progress.] I had only meant to ascertain the purpose of this room, but seeing as it is a functional laboratory for developmental research, I feel I must also inquire if you preside over this space.

[The man is the only one who answered promptly to his arrival, so the assumption follows.]

kipos

[otiosity]

The gardens used to be fun but not since the non-hostile take over of the new captains and the subsequent dimming of most of the lights. There's something depressing and oddly spooky about hanging around the gardens in the low light. It makes it feel like something might jump out at you from the shadows.

Like a tall lanky woman and her massive beast of a dog.

The woman is holding a small orb of light in her left hand (her right is in a sling) and keeping it raised far above her head to illuminate as much of the area as possible. "I'm pretty sure it went over here." The dog barks and drops his nose to the grass to sniff around. "Well, it's not my fault." Another bark. "I threw it but you didn't catch it, did you? Sounds like your problem to me."

The dog whines, sniffs around some more, and then turns around to see Spock. He cocks his head and looks curiously at the man standing in the garden. Hawke on the other hand is currently walking backwards, still chatting to the dog, and practically walks into him. She whips around and casts the light on him. Oh Maker, a stranger and not someone like Nathan Drake who would find it perfectly acceptable to converse with your dog in the middle of a dark garden at night. Not that she has much shame about it.

"So. You might not believe it but this isn't the weirdest introduction I've ever made. So let's just get started." The glowing hand is extended. "I'm Hawke. That's Kitty. We're looking for his stick."

[rustledbyjimmies]

Spock only suffers a slight stumble from the impact, and his attention immediately leaves the specimens in front of him in favor of investigating the cause of the collision, though the sudden light in his face makes him squint a bit at his new acquaintance.

It takes him a few moments to process it all, the woman, the dog, the glowing light coming from her hand, and then the woman’s casual words at the incident. He nods curtly when he makes sense of things, a woman named hawk, a dog named kitty, and a missing stick, before turning to face them properly.

He finds himself excessively curious as to why she is named after a bird and her dog is named after a cat but refrains from asking the matter when he recalls a stick having rolled his way earlier.

“Short with three prongs, perhaps?”

He glances behind his right boot at the aforementioned stick.

the gardens...again

[copycape]

[Vision had been certain the most incredible views this ship had to offer had already been afforded to him by the Observation Deck, but coming across the gardens he realized he should not have been so quick to decide. Some of the strangest and most beautiful--he supposes that is the proper word for it--flora he has ever seen greets him here and he finds himself quickly drawn in. He moves slowly around the space, utterly transfixed by the vivid colors and increasingly improbably shapes these plants are capable of taking.

They are in space, yet look at what these little beings have managed to do. He will never tire of how life continuously surprises him.

He hears the presence of another person in his vicinity before he sees them. He turns to find a humanoid being he may have mistaken for human had their ears not been immediately visible. Unless some sort of body manipulation has taken place, this is likely not a being from his own world. This is nothing new already, even in the short few hours he has been here, but it is enough to send a strange and thrilling sensation up his spine as he comes up beside them.]

I don't suppose you would be the gardener here? I've been hoping to learn the names of some of this plant life.

[rustledbyjimmies]

[He had been measuring the space before him when the strange man approached, and though he had not spared a glance initially, when he is greeted, Spock mentally marks the approximate cubic feet in his mind to log at a later time before turning to meet the stranger. The man’s appearance is the most curious that Spock has encountered aboard the ship. While humanoids are far from uncommon to begin with, there is something particularly human about the stranger’s appearance while obviously being inhuman. His Vulcan mind churns in fascination.

Following a moment of assessing his new companion, he gives a curt shake of his head in response to the man’s query.]

I am afraid I do not yet know who maintains these brilliant specimens, but I myself am also curious as to their names and origins. To my understanding, various species have been collected over this vessel’s travels and were gradually added to this space.

Library

[tearmeanewone]

[She's only one woman, her assistants are off somewhere else at the moment, but Elizabeth is silently glad she has this time to be alone with the collection. The collection she built so painstakingly, so diligently on every stop the ship had made since she arrived. And now, who knows if it would be even deemed 'necessary' by the new captain. Who knows if it would be torn apart, the novels and art history and poetry discarded to make more room for the charts and schematics and physics theory. She just doesn't know, and it makes walking the darkened stacks that much more important.]

[But at the same time, she's trying to clean up, reshelve, get everything as neat as she can if she goes to the door one morning and finds she can't open it. The thought is terrible enough that it puts a lump in her throat, even though she's certain that if she found the library locked one day, she'd open the door one way or another...]

[Elizabeth spots Spock in the shelves. Well, the library hasn't been shuttered yet, and nobody's told her to report anywhere else, so by God, she'll do what she does until she physically can't anymore.]

Can I help you find anything? [She asks, offering a faint smile.]