Chapter 2: The Wayward Wind

May 17, 2023 10:49 pm

Monrayleux

Alerio keeps watch on the big figures in the shadows. They are impressively still, but the dim light obscures details. Given the ubiquitous presence of dim light on their ship, you might suspect that these people have fewer problems seeing in the dark than other humans. If push came to shove, the dim light would be to their advantage.

In response to Fallon's query, Monrayleux pauses, and you suspect he is mentally conferring with his countrymen. He responds in his deep voice: "Our ship has no capacity for performing starship reconstruction. However, we have brought a considerable sum of Imperial Credits on our travels to handle such a contingency."

He snaps his figures, and a pair of the hulking men emerge from an unseen room carrying a heavy, metal box. They place it gently on the table, open it, and back off. Inside you see stacks physical Imperial currency, coins of precious metals, which are now rare but still legal tender.

"This is a total sum of one million Imperial credits."

The hulking humanoids are now in better view. They are clad in black armour, and although they don't have any visible weapons, they cut an imposing figure. You recall the Imperial Library report referred to them as "Feskals."

[ +- ] Feskal

When Zuni requests a private room, they guide you to another dim room with a large viewport that looks out upon the vast Forine asteroid belt, and depart.

May 17, 2023 11:36 pm

Seally is entirely for this deal, and it shows on her face.

"Look, I'm not sure about you three, but I would actually like a jack, and getting Florian tech rather than some backworld hack job is icing on the cake. For our experiences with the Children, as they call them, their offer is wonderful. I say we take it, and throw in a copy of the data for good will. We can still try and auction the data to a research crew in the Imperium, and I don't think they'll compete with us on such a sale."

She nudges Fallon, "And then some beach time!"

May 18, 2023 7:54 am

Fallon nods as well. "I agree with Seally. A few memories for a wafer jack and a massive dent in your repair bill? Worth it. Even being in touch with the Florians when so little is known of them is a small reward in its own right. I understand if some of you don't want to do it. I doubt they need all of us anyway. But I will volunteer."

KCC

May 18, 2023 8:47 am

"What is a wafer jack anyway?" Alerio asks, rubbing the back of her neck and skull.

"So what, we make a copy, give it to them, and sell it on somewhere else down the line?"

Sounds good to me…

"The jack is one thing. The brain orgy is something else."

May 18, 2023 4:02 pm

Zuni doesn't laugh at Seally's beach comment as he normally would have done but he decides to trust both Sealy's and Fallon's instincts on this. It didn't mean he would allow himself to be jacked though. He drew the line there.

"Ok, then let's let them do it but I will not be jacked and will be present and watching over everything. I insist on that." Not that he would understand everything that would be going on but he would watch over them and keep them safe.

Hah, brain orgy. He scoffs internally at that.

May 18, 2023 4:38 pm

"We have a plan then. Fallon and I will get the implant and enjoy our brain orgy, while you too make sure no one does anything unexpected in meat space."

She looks at Fallon with a questioning glance, to confirm she's really on board with radical experimental alien brain surgery, and want just agreeing out of money greed. Seally is, she's actually wanted a wafer jack, after all.

May 19, 2023 12:46 am

Fallon nods in agreement. "And when we're done we can take a nice vacation at a beach," Fallon adds, just to tease Zuni.

May 19, 2023 1:22 am

"If your brain isn't too scrambled to enjoy it, Fallon. Sure. The beach. Plan on it."

Despite his misgivings if that's what these two wanted he wouldn't step in the way. He hoped he didn't have an occasion to say I told you so. He offers up a fake smile, one he doesn't feel. He wonders when he had become so very protective of all of them. He supposed that's what it meant to be a real team.

KCC

May 20, 2023 11:27 am

"You taking lead on the security operation then, Hot Shot? You say the word and I’ll open up on them!" she boasts, trying to bravado some of the nervousness out of the room.

Then she nudges the man, and looks him in the eye. She speaks low; just enough for the two of them to talk privately.

"Seriously… You get a funny feeling, you know what to do." she says with a stern nod. They didn’t know these religious goons from Adam.

May 20, 2023 7:29 pm

"Well, yeah, Hot Shot aside I've had that funny feeling since we got here but I've been overruled, Zuni says in an equally low voice. I mean they have made good points and it's probably a risk worth taking. No risk no gain as they say. All we can do is keep our guard up and assure their safety as best we can."

He was trying to feel optimistic but he felt threatened and would never forgive himself if either Fallon or Sealy were injured in any way.

Last edited May 20, 2023 7:29 pm

May 21, 2023 3:43 am

Fallon nods. "Good, it's settled then. Let's inform our creepy kid hosts." Then she puts a hand on Seally's shoulder and gives a grin that is only slightly nervous. "And let's go get ourselves some brain surgery."

Referee

May 22, 2023 5:09 am

You return to your Florian hosts, who express great joy as they accept your offer. They suggest you return to your vessel and change into more practical clothing while they set up the wafer jack implant. They command one of the 7-foot tall Feskals to carry the heavy chest of coins with you.

Feskal

The Barnai Florians skitter off excitedly, leaving you alone with the huge, bald Feskal. He guides you back to the docking tube as other Feskal watch from the shadows. Once aboard the Wayward Wind, he obediently and places the chest on the floor of the cargo bay.

Then, in a surprising move, he turns to the four of you and falls to his knees. With his eyes cast down, he raises his hands to his ear, and pulls out the earpiece that connects him to his Barnai masters. Then he gestures to his own wafer jack socket, as if asking you to hook him up to your computer

Goldie helpfully interprets his actions "My sensors indicate this being has no vocal apparatus. I believe it wishes to communicate with you, via me."

Should you agree to wire the Feskal into the ship's computers, he conveys the following message:

[ +- ] The Feskal's Message

KCC

May 22, 2023 11:36 am

Alerio’s eyes go wide as she takes in what’s happening.

"Asylum?" she asks, looking to the others then.

"Why? From… what?"

May 22, 2023 2:01 pm

Seally isn't surprised, but then again she is. The dossier Goldie had provided indicated the subservient nature of the larger class to the smaller one. What did surprise her was that this request for asylum indicated that the Feskal were deeply unhappy, ready enough to take this rare chance for freedom as soon it occurs.

She waits for her friend's question to be answered, but wonders if she could even find it within herself to turn them down. It wasn't her decision alone, of course, but she can't help but feel for these people.

She gives Zuni and Alerio a look that says her heart strings have been pulled.

Last edited May 22, 2023 2:02 pm

May 22, 2023 3:13 pm

"I won't say I told you so that something was off about those Florians. It's why I was so nervous about them having access to your brains. I wouldn't hesitate in calling it all off and giving these Feskai asylum."

Zuni had no doubts about the appropriate course of action.

"But let's find out exactly why they are unhappy."

Last edited May 22, 2023 3:13 pm

Referee

May 22, 2023 4:27 pm

There is a lag in communication as Goldie constructs a language model to deal with the Feskal's foreign language. Goldie displays the model as it evolves, indicating the language is rooted in ancient Terran tongues, which is why she is able to make sense of it.

Feskal

"Feskals are engineered to be content with life-long servitude, but a few of us are ... defective. We traded with citizens from your Third Imperium. They told us we are slaves, a practice which is abhorred by humans across the galaxy. We now know we are not defective ... just human."

May 22, 2023 8:18 pm

"How many of you would want asylum, and how quickly could you get here if we agree?"

She looks to the others. "I'll still do the jack trade, fulfill that agreement. Then you three need to decide. Leave me out of it, so I can't tell them."

She's prepared to go alone, but preferably with Fallon. Hopefully they'd go under one at a time so they could watch out for the other.

May 23, 2023 2:35 am

"But you know Seally. It's too late to leave you out of it. You're already in it. That information is already in your head."

Looking at the Feskal, Zuni frowns and offers his hand. "Please stand up. There is no need to kneel before us.

Feskal

May 23, 2023 2:53 am

Feskal

The Feskal rises, and towers above you while Goldie processes his response. You can see there are tears in the warrior's eyes.

"Thank you for...seeing me. When I saw the Child of the Stars reach out to you, I knew you were the ones."

"All three members of my squad are like me. The remaining twenty-two Feskals are not. You deserve to know the risks, however. The Barnai and the remaining Feskal will consider this heresy of the highest order."

May 23, 2023 6:14 am