(IC) Lost in Dreams (Julian)

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Concordance Lady in Swat Gear: "We have the starpus. The Screamers are just animals. We'll have a seeker soon enough. Its arriving... right here. Oh. They were hoping to get off the station on the one ship we'd allow to leave, the one bringing a seeker. Clever."

"So they've been caught?"

Originally Posted by ericthered

Big Digger: "Do you work for whoever is closest to you? Did you mean the bargain you made with us?"

It kinda surprises me when an alien fish gets a good read on me. "Yeah... I guess I do."

"I can't imagine the Concordance is under the same pressure to make the same bargain, but, well, they're willing to talk. And they're more able to actually follow through."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Hungry Singer: "So where are we?"

That's a good question. It's a rough neighbourhood, but where exactly? Backroom of a warehouse? Abandoned unit?

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

"So they've been caught?"

"No, I'm just seeing what their plan was. They're free. We're within 100 yards of the dock we were bringing in the new seeker in on. The only ship that would be allowed to leave this station before we found the starpus."


"We'll see if we can catch them. For now, we have the kidnapped starpus back."

It kinda surprises me when an alien fish gets a good read on me. "Yeah... I guess I do."

Pleasant Caller: "And do you expect us to do the same?"


Big Digger: "So far, we have. I suppose if nothing else you have shown us a wider ocean and what the first humans will do to keep us with just them. Do humans usually obey other humans who threaten to stab them?"

"I can't imagine the Concordance is under the same pressure to make the same bargain, but, well, they're willing to talk. And they're more able to actually follow through."

Gentle Arms: "Its a good bargain. We should ask for it again! Can you tell them that's what we want?"

That's a good question. It's a rough neighbourhood, but where exactly? Backroom of a warehouse? Abandoned unit?

You left the rough neighborhood where the folks with the screamers were hiding to go near the docks, where you found a mobile Starpus tank in a truck (you can't see them visually, but you can sense each of them and they can sense you)



The robotic sniffers continue searching for a bomb

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

"No, I'm just seeing what their plan was. They're free. We're within 100 yards of the dock we were bringing in the new seeker in on. The only ship that would be allowed to leave this station before we found the starpus."


"We'll see if we can catch them. For now, we have the kidnapped starpus back."

"I guess we should go look for the screamers after we secure the Starpus."

I ask the Starpus, "Are you all in that tank?"

Originally Posted by ericthered

Pleasant Caller: "And do you expect us to do the same?"

"Well... Not really. You do have the leverage here."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Big Digger: "So far, we have. I suppose if nothing else you have shown us a wider ocean and what the first humans will do to keep us with just them. Do humans usually obey other humans who threaten to stab them?"

"Ones better than me might not, but I think most do."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Gentle Arms: "Its a good bargain. We should ask for it again! Can you tell them that's what we want?"

I tell the SWAT lady, "The Starpus want to renegotiate."

I suppose this is way over her head, but I outline the same deal that Royal offered.

Originally Posted by ericthered

You left the rough neighborhood where the folks with the screamers were hiding to go near the docks, where you found a mobile Starpus tank in a truck (you can't see them visually, but you can sense each of them and they can sense you)

The robotic sniffers continue searching for a bomb

" You're in the same kind of vehicle that moved around when you were moved from the first tank."

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

"I guess we should go look for the screamers after we secure the Starpus."

"No, we have a proper seeker now. You'll stay here."

I ask the Starpus, "Are you all in that tank?"

Big Digger: "All nine of us."

"Well... Not really. You do have the leverage here."

Gentle Arms: "What is leverage? What do we have that you don't?"

"Ones better than me might not, but I think most do."

Big Digger: "What a nasty custom"

I tell the SWAT lady, "The Starpus want to renegotiate."

I suppose this is way over her head, but I outline the same deal that Royal offered.

"Renegotiate? about what? oh. oh. Umm... that's way over my head, I'm just a security officer. And its way over your head, you're just a criminal astropic cooperating in exchange for a lighter sentence."

"We'll have another astropic here in just a few minutes"

Something about it is bothering her though.

"You're in the same kind of vehicle that moved around when you were moved from the first tank."

Pleasant Caller: "So it will start moving around again? I don't like that."

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Big Digger: "All nine of us."

Gentle Arms: "What is leverage? What do we have that you don't?"

"Yeah, what you have that someone else doesn't."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Big Digger: "What a nasty custom"

I don't disagree...

Originally Posted by ericthered

"Renegotiate? about what? oh. oh. Umm... that's way over my head, I'm just a security officer. And its way over your head, you're just a criminal astropic cooperating in exchange for a lighter sentence."

So Tatim lied... I guess that should have been expected. Maybe if I wasn't such a cowardly, gullible traitor everything would have gone fine and I wouldn't have ended up in this mess. Maybe think of that next time, after a decade banged up.

I feel ill, and sit down.

Originally Posted by ericthered

"We'll have another astropic here in just a few minutes"

Something about it is bothering her though.

"You didn't think the Starpus thought that way either, did you?"

Originally Posted by ericthered

Pleasant Caller: "So it will start moving around again? I don't like that."

"They might drive slower, or use a different way to get about."

It's been a long day. I put together another diary entry, and rest my eyes a little.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

"Yeah, what you have that someone else doesn't."

Hah. Nice turn around.


Big Digger: "I'm not sure what you mean"
Gentle Arms: "You mean moving a ship. But we already made that deal."
Big Digger: "We already broke that deal. We can ask them for the better deal."

So Tatim lied... I guess that should have been expected. Maybe if I wasn't such a cowardly, gullible traitor everything would have gone fine and I wouldn't have ended up in this mess. Maybe think of that next time, after a decade banged up.

I feel ill, and sit down.

"You didn't think the Starpus thought that way either, did you?"

"This is the closest I've ever been to starpus."

"They might drive slower, or use a different way to get about."

Pleasant Caller: "I hope so. And I hope they can get us in a real tank again"

It's been a long day. I put together another diary entry, and rest my eyes a little.

Julian rests. In the background, he can hear the starpus talking to each other, mostly about how to negotiate and what they missed on this trip and what kind of fish they want to eat. He can also hear the echo of a screamer.

Julian is still resting when they cuff him and put him on a shuttle. He's crossing the border, back to concordance territory. he's on the same vessel as the starpus.

When he gets off, a man in a sort of white uniform is waiting for him.

"Hello, my name is Ypress. I understand you've just discovered your astropic. This is wonderful news for you. How do you feel about it?"

After getting the Answer, Ypress continues:
"I've been told that you have demonstrated astropic gifts beyond what we associate with typical astropics: abilities associated with seekers and screamers. In light of this, we would like to offer you pardon for all misdeeds in exchange for two years of service with the astropic institute. You might not know about the institute, but its a great honor to work with them: they are one of the most famous institutions of the galaxy."

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Big Digger: "I'm not sure what you mean"
Gentle Arms: "You mean moving a ship. But we already made that deal."
Big Digger: "We already broke that deal. We can ask them for the better deal."

"Yeah. Just because a deal is made doesn't mean that a new one can't be made later."

Originally Posted by ericthered

"This is the closest I've ever been to starpus."

"You don't need to be close to think about them. It seems odd to me that the people so critical to civilization operating are forgotten entirely."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Julian rests. In the background, he can hear the starpus talking to each other, mostly about how to negotiate and what they missed on this trip and what kind of fish they want to eat. He can also hear the echo of a screamer.

Julian is still resting when they cuff him and put him on a shuttle. He's crossing the border, back to concordance territory. he's on the same vessel as the starpus.

I suppose Julian notices them moving the tank.

"Be careful, they don't like to be jostled..."

Originally Posted by ericthered

When he gets off, a man in a sort of white uniform is waiting for him.

"Hello, my name is Ypress. I understand you've just discovered your astropic. This is wonderful news for you. How do you feel about it?"

I am too tired to ask if he's what comes after Express.

"Confused, a bit dumb for thinking no one would believe me, and tired."

Originally Posted by ericthered

After getting the Answer, Ypress continues:
"I've been told that you have demonstrated astropic gifts beyond what we associate with typical astropics: abilities associated with seekers and screamers. In light of this, we would like to offer you pardon for all misdeeds in exchange for two years of service with the astropic institute. You might not know about the institute, but its a great honor to work with them: they are one of the most famous institutions of the galaxy."

Wow... everything's forgiven, I get an important and prestigious job, and presumably I get my life back on track...

"This is a joke, right?"

"I talked the Starpus into running off. I kept them calm as we drove them off the station. I led the forces looking for them off track. I even screamed at a seeker and an astropic to try and break their route completely. All that, just forgotten?!"

"And I didn't even do anything to help fix things! The only reason the Starpus were recovered at all was because I was so crucial to the plan, they had no way to proceed! I just blundered around, doing nothing particularly moral or capable, and I still get rewarded? WHY?!"

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

"You don't need to be close to think about them. It seems odd to me that the people so critical to civilization operating are forgotten entirely."

"I never forget about them, I just... I'm not that close. I'm not astropic. I don't have a reason, or a way to talk to them."

"Be careful, they don't like to be jostled..."

"We're just going to be guarding them until someone who knows how to move them comfortably comes along. Unless we're attacked."

"Confused, a bit dumb for thinking no one would believe me, and tired."


Wow... everything's forgiven, I get an important and prestigious job, and presumably I get my life back on track...

"This is a joke, right?"

"I talked the Starpus into running off. I kept them calm as we drove them off the station. I led the forces looking for them off track. I even screamed at a seeker and an astropic to try and break their route completely. All that, just forgotten?!"

"And I didn't even do anything to help fix things! The only reason the Starpus were recovered at all was because I was so crucial to the plan, they had no way to proceed! I just blundered around, doing nothing particularly moral or capable, and I still get rewarded? WHY?!"

Ypress looks at him long and hard. "You stopped to talk with a man who was chasing you, turned yourself in willingly, and quite effectively replaced the seeker, performing better than any mere animal could in identifying targets. You then took an astropic scream to the face, pressed through it while a more experienced man went down, and tracked down the starpus in a time-sensitive chase."


"I see a lot of ethical behavior there, even in very difficult circumstances. I see a lot capability there."


"As for reward... you could have asked for a lot of money to get this place at the institute. Now, you will have to ask for a modicum of freedom. That does not sound like a reward to me."

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

"I never forget about them, I just... I'm not that close. I'm not astropic. I don't have a reason, or a way to talk to them."

Maybe if they had a way, there could be a reason...

Originally Posted by ericthered

"I see a lot of ethical behavior there, even in very difficult circumstances. I see a lot capability there."


"As for reward... you could have asked for a lot of money to get this place at the institute. Now, you will have to ask for a modicum of freedom. That does not sound like a reward to me."

Maybe I did do something for them, and maybe this isn't really a reward... Just calm down, pack it away, before Ypress takes the nice thing away from me... I'd have been plonked in a creche if I wasn't an Astropic, and now I'm avoiding being plonked in the clink for the same reason.

"I, uh, accept your terms."

"What's going to happen to the Starpus now? They might not be inclined to go back to the old deal."

"Are you going to find the people who I worked with? I think they might try to clone me."

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

"I, uh, accept your terms."

"Good. We will be sending you back to Kuro on the next ship."

"What's going to happen to the Starpus now? They might not be inclined to go back to the old deal."

"What exactly did you say to them? I don't know exactly what the plan is*, but we hope to continue working with them. How did they feel about being kidnapped?"

*That's a lie, Ypress does know

"Are you going to find the people who I worked with? I think they might try to clone me."

"An effort has been made to apprehend them. So far, we have no leads. I suspect they will escape, but their schemes have been stopped for now. If you want to stop them from cloning you... that would probably require winning the war on the ground."