Oddballs' Introduction

"No way baby, the herbs help you focus and the burning spheres are self contained no way could they be a fire hazard. I should know, as I designed them myself. Just those negative thinkers trying to drag us all down baby, light up a bowl and you will see its all just negative vibes and that embracing the positivity only increases the productivity."

"Oh man, why would anyone wanna do that." He shakes his head in disbelief. "I'm simply not that complicated of a guy all I do is my best ta keep things runnin' baby. I got no time for all that negativity, besides that would be just a major drag which is definitely not my scene."

Well things were not looking good for Oddball here but being a man of constant positivity and having a rather lassaifaire attitude towards things, he had no serious investment with the Colony and if it wanted to choose the dark path of negativity who was he to stop them from self destruction. So he focused on finding a better situation and potentially putting a positive spin on all this negativity. I mean he would rather not be around when their proverbial feces hit their proverbial rotary blades. So he proceeds to look into making a move to something more suitable for someone with such a high quality attitude and equally high quality skills.

Oddball takes the announcement with a smile of enjoyment saying, "Cool baby." Which the nega-talkers probably could not understand, assuming they even cared to pay attention to anything but their own negativeness. As that was the nature of negativity it focused inward and downward, while positivity focused outward and upward. He encouraged his friends to keep their heads above the negative waves so not to get drowned in them and was sure things would get better for them eventually as well, either here or elsewhere. Especially if they kept focused on steeping themselves in the positive energies of the cosmos for in doing so as one door closes two other doors will open. Just look at his situation, he had to do nothing to be given a sweet ride to a better place. He gives instructions to a couple of his friends on how to keep the herb garden growing and producing and then went about gathering the few important things he would be taking with him.

"Cool baby, I am just gonna relax and watch some vids during this long relaxing trip."

Prof. Oddball, took another small bite of the herbs and tried to pay attention to the film... But he recognised some mistakes from the beginning "Oh man, I'm not entering this career, I've been working for a while." But he was surprised as the screen didn't answer.
"Hard work, yeah.. those guys full of negativity tried to give a hard time, but the work was niiice".. only then he realised this was NOT an interactive video...
"Hey baby, do you have some sleeping air in you? Do you mind sharing a bit?"He probably didn't finish to watch the video before falling asleep.

He somehow finds it refreshing to be arriving somewhere, eventhough his body automatically starts streching his muscles as the sleep was way longer than what could have been confortable. He longs for some exercise...

And the dream, such a strange dream, quite vivid but not very nice. Not shocking either, as he has seen worst in previous jobs. He seems to recall something about a birthday that everybody left... "Cause they were full of negativity man! But, I left, they remained in their rabbithole." Answered aloud, even if only to reassure himself.

'Oh, so this is the gray world the nice baby of the video mentioned' thought to himself, not sure if he actually said it aloud or not. "Niiiice"

He stood up to have a better view of his surroundings and to pick up his stuff. But as soon as the hatch opened the world's smell entered his nostrils. "Oh, not that *cough*... nice... *cough* " Clearly it will take some time to get used to the smell.

After putting in his backpack whatever usefull items he could find in the ship, and getting out of the ship, he found a big rock where to sit to wait for the transport and put one of those chewing little masterpieces in his mouth to chill and enjoy the view, thinking all good things he could create here with his science, his engineering or ingenuity or new alliances, or both.

Happy to get something usefull from the pod, he puts the flashlight, the tape, the photograph in his packpack, and the credits in his wallet, before the van arrived.
As soon as he saw the van arriving, he slowly walked out of the pod to wait for them, visibly relax either from the long wait or from the cumulative effets of the herbs... or both. "Suup, guys? Thanx a lot for coming to pick me up! What's new in this place to need a good engineer?" He said while clumsily boarding the vehicle. He wouldn't want to stay longe there, and hopefully this guys are possitive people.

"Yeah dude, a long journey on a pod.. but you know, that funny smelling sleeping air works fiiiine. So I didn't feel like a long trip dude... Good they need me, those guys are the station were full with negativity. They would talk behind my back, that's not cool man." *caughs*

After hearing about suicidal missions and James... "Sorry dude, never met this James, your friend, must be a cool guy." And in a curious voice "Nor I've met a lizard-dog-thing, but sounds dope man! I'd looove to meet those guys. Just, not on suicidal missions, you know, I'm an engineer, I build staff..." *caughs*
Then, to the second guy "You got your lungs fixed? Niiice... mine are just ordinary lungs, you know? How long it took you not to caugh anymore?"

"Soooo this lizard-dog, a non-local animal..." Oddball sounds a bit confused, he knows tech a lot, but not much about animals *caugh* "...that survived your dark-age, but is not yours... or ours?... sounds crazy man! Sounds like, there may be some surviving lizard-cats too, or lizard-rats,... hmm... or lizard-folks... if they exists, I mean, the lizard-folks, do you think they would enjoy some cormic herbs? That would be aaawesome dude, riiight?" *caugh*

Then he seemed confused again, a bit lost in thoughts...

"What were we talking about?... oh, yeah, competive and cold nature of our community, yeah, I remember them... I had to leave them man, too much negativity. But you guys are coool!" He finishes that last sentence with a wide smile.

After a minute, when he noticed then closed the windows for him... "Oh, the fresh air! Where were you hiding it? Thanks dude!"

Ed, seeing that now Vince and Antonio are starting to understand his conversation with Boris, feels relieved... otherwise he may had had to explain more than he would feel confortable.
"Yeah man, you get it Boris! Way to go! In off hours and in private too, sure man! However it suits you dude." Somehow, Ed already knows his own limit for 'on-hours' feeling good and creative without compromising his mechanical or designing skills, and almost never goes beyond that.

"I'd looove to see those trucks too! I'm all into engines! I looove good machines, really man, I do, all my life, for real!... Will we have time to see them when we arrive to the base?" Says excited as if he was already imagining the most perfect, efficient, and beautifully designed truck ever in history of mankind and beyond.

"Oh also wanted to ask you guys, who run the base? Are there like bosses for different areas and stuff, right? Are they cool like you guys? Yeah, if they are bosses, they are probably all serious and stiff, maybe not as cool as you, but maybe coolish in their own bossy way", then he starts to laugh openly, being cool in a bossy way sounded so contradictory he just laugh at his own foolishness... or maybe not that much, who knows, maybe they are like helping and training everybody around and keeping a nice place with nice habits, hopefully Boris or Vince or Antonio knows.

"So, no crimes here, that's good! It is a small community after all, criminals would be easily spoted and teeeerribly disposed of, right?... But, what about mood worsening, and that creepy face you mentioned? that sucks dude! Sounds full of negativity, nooooot cool man. If I see that guy with the creepy face, I would... I would... invite him for a ride in that coooool-super-engine-adaptive-cost-efficient-way-better-than-my-space-pod truck you mentioned, or invite him some herbs!! Yeah man, that's relaxing! No more creepy face, just chill out and smile, right?" and he feels happy, as if he had just solved the whole creepy face issue for everyone in the base, and he loved to help people and solve issues, he is an engineer afterall... haha, ignorance is a bliss, until reality chatches up.

Oddball meet both Boris and Antonio explanaitions with curiosity and his usual possitive face, a thank them again for the ride and the good chat. And when, at the distance, he sees a guy in a suit and glasses waiting, he shares his expectations on meeting again soon for that tour or to share some drinks, and say his goodbyes "... Niiice ride! Later dudes!".

"Thanks for the reception... emm... " Oddball looks at the name tag for a moment... " Administrator Theo, that's you right? Yeah man, I'm Professor Odlyxacur Ballantschnik, some call me Odlyx, a lot call me Professor, but my friends call me Oddball. They are all fiiine." He stops to think for a bit "Yeah man, Colony Gamma is a great place, lots of friends there, cool people, except for a few liars that create trouble for the rest of us. Those few are full of negativity man, they are building their own doom, I prefered to be transfered anywhere else. So, yeh man, those few are veeery unwanted by the rest, but they can't do much about it." His serious face lasts for only an instant, the he goes on smiling.. "Niiiice!! I enjoy doing stuff, like solving and fixing things, like machines, you know? Those are so cooool!! I don't enjoy lazing around, pfff, that's booooring! Not for me man!"

After hearing Theo's whispering, he answers also keeping his voice low... "Don't know much on Human Resources investigation, but substance or drugs use could be dangerous man! don't recommend those, never, not even to negativity people. But I do recommend having a drink from time to time, or some friendly herbs I know, those are harmless and nice, I can invite you some man, you want some? And I do raise some as hobbie, all natural harvest man, no chemistry involved, want some?" Oddball clearly does not consider his cosmic herbs nearly close enough to whatever is involved in substance use.
As for the offer "I did mention, I like to help people and I like to fix stuff, sure I'll help you finding these substance supply. And I would expect to have a place in which I can carry on my own harvest and never be bothered about it. A two-rooms flat would be great so I can work my hobbie on the second, in a building away from prying eyes, sure that can also be arranged on a low budget, right man?"

Oddball listends carefully to Theo and nods just sligtly enough for him to notice without been seen by other. He knew this deal was not formal, but he is willing to do that. For him, the difference is very clear between some small amount of natural herbs as personal hobby and some chemical product to be manufactured in larger quantities for sale. So he doesn't even blink when Theo tries the comparison. Before the woman arrives, he nods again to reassure him of his acceptance of the conditions.

As soon as Samantha starts speaking, Oddball recognize her hierarchy in her voice and body language.
"Hello man.. sorry, lady! yeah, I'm Oddball thanks for calling me here. Those dudes over there had issues, you know? Not nice people, you know? I know nothing about luck Sammy, I'm an engineer, is see what I see, and I enjoy helping people and fixing stuff, like machines, you know? So, yeah, I can do jobs " he adds with a smile, happy to be useful in the baes "Like common jobs and special jobs, and problem-solving jobs, and like, whatever jobs I see I can solve, or help with. The money usually comes when the job is done, right? so since you called for me... I'll trust you on that part."

After he hears her whispers he starts to doubt why is everybody here whispering so much... not so cool, but let's give her the benefit of doubt, and whispers back "I am thankful that you call for me, might as well follow you right now to you office. But, shall I carry my bags with us? or should I come back to pick them up before I go to my room?".

As he follows her, he looks around to see the garage... he wonders abut the space, the materials used, the distribution of the doors and repair tools and ony other thing around. Then he also sees the people clothing, is it similar to the colony he left? He also looks at the 5 people he has already met (Boris, Vince, Antonio, Theo and Samantha) to commit to memory their phisical descriptions, he even tries to guess their ages for fun.

As Samantha orders the guys to take care of his bags, he tranks them. Then he follows Samantha listening carefully about every area of the base.
"Oh man, em, lady, you really got everything working well. I didn't know the base was this biiiigg!! That's cooool!!"
Now, about his job...
"You know Sam, can I call you Sam? I love to help and fix staff, I'd be happy doing either, the pipe fixing and the research. Where do you think the colony needs more help?"

Oddball looks thoughtful, he tries to make sense out of so many things Samantha said.
"Alright Sammy, I'll go to HR after I've looked around for this culture thing, issue, problem you said, that's cool? yeah? Since you called me, I'll go and dig these things you mentioned before all else. Gotta tell you thou, I'm better with machines than with people... but I'll do my best.
And, since this detective thingy is not related to HR, you have probably thought of some compensation for it, yes?
So... Is there a place I should start digging? Or some initial people you suggest I meet first?"

Oddball finds these tasks very much out-of-ordinary.. and he enjoys that!
"Hey Sammy, relax, take it easy, I'll get some good information for you soon, alright? Maybe faster than you think."
He looks like he just figured something out.
" Now, before all that, I need to do something important.. Could you lead me, or show me the way, to my room? I truly need to take a shower, you know? I've been flying for weeks to get here."

Oddball thanks Sam, and enters his main room (that one with his baggage).
Once she has left, he takes a shower, changes into clean clothes, puts each baggage in the proper place... as an engineer, he is fond on some order so... clothes bag by the bed, other things' bag by the living room, hygiene staff bag in the bathroom... and the bags with tools and the bag with hobby staff, both he takes to his workshop.
Then he leaves towards the cafeteria to eat something, see if he meets the guys that picked him up, and start his investigations.