Who goes there?

[thespaceopera]

[After weeks of relative silence, our intrepid passengers finally travel within visual range of a blue planet. Marsiva's slow-and-steady course makes it clear that this is the Drift Fleet's next destination--but just as your ships come within scanning range and your computers begin to gather data, a fleet of quick little watchdog ships zip out of the planet's atmosphere, heading straight for you!

They do not swoop in for an attack, but hold their positions between you and the planet. They look close enough to cause some trouble, and any working Communications Officer can tell you that they have weapons locked on the Fleet in warning.

The tell-tale sound of an incoming hailing frequency chimes over your ship's alert system. Someone would like you to pick up the phone. Thanks to their augment, all passengers instinctively know that they'll be looking for the Captain or the Communications Officer of the ship--but no one says someone else can't pick it up first.

On the bridge, the hailing frequency can be viewed on screen, along with the attached subject: "Identify yourselves." The notification chime goes off every seven seconds. These ships don't look like they're going anywhere, but they don't want to be kept waiting, either.

What do you do? Will you accept the frequency?]


ooc → see the July Star System post for details about this event! there is no real rush in this post (we won't even be around to begin responding to it until Sunday afternoon), so take your time, feel free to tag each other in this post (maybe try to get your Comms officers off their asses), and there is no time too late to tag into this post. the element of urgency is all IC, and there is no OOC pressure at all.

Comments

ss caprine

[deshabille]

a. signal + helm

[Mal tenses up when the signal comes in. She still isn't entirely sure what she's doing as captain, but one thing she knows for certain: whoever this is, she needs to get rid of them.]

This is the SS Caprine. Who's asking?

b. ship-wide broadcast

Anyone who's not up on the bridge already ought to get up here quick. We've got company.

b

[experiencepoints]

[Nightingale gets back to the bridge within seconds, like she'd already been on her way.]

Ah, I was wondering when I'd get back to the dangerous stupid shit.

[deshabille]

[She gives a grim smile and nods.]

Now, apparently. Someone's hailing and they won't identify themselves.

[experiencepoints]

... Well, they probably won't destroy the ship, at least.

[deshabille]

What makes you so sure?

[experiencepoints]

We're on a TV show, right?

[deshabille]

Right.

[experiencepoints]

So they probably won't let us be in real danger, right? Because if we're not able to keep going, that's ratings they're losing.

[deshabille]

Point. Violent death is probably very exciting to viewers, though.

[experiencepoints]

Temporarily exciting, and then permanently losing people.

[deshabille]

They can always just bring in more.

[experiencepoints]

Would you watch a show that was constantly killing off its cast? Especially a reality show?

[deshabille]

We don't have television where I come from, so I have no idea.

A

[thespaceopera]

[funny, they seem to be following a similar set of goals.

the short-tempered response comes in over an audio channel, after a short delay. the voice sounds like it could be human, a woman, and she does not sound pleased.]

We are asking, Caprine. Am I speaking with the captain of this vessel?

State your purpose and intent immediately.

Re: A

[experiencepoints]

[She's muttering to herself in the background, assuming she won't be picked up, since she doesn't actually know how these hails work.]

"Our purpose and intent", they say, like they're not part of the show.

[thespaceopera]

[apparently, the signal is clear enough for them to catch some of it. oops!]

--Excuse me? Please repeat.

[experiencepoints]

Shit.

I'm a cook, not a captain, you sure you want to hear it from me?

[thespaceopera]

...What?

[she sounds pretty confused for a moment, pretty thrown off guard by this.]

Caprine? Who am I speaking to? ...Where is your captain?

[experiencepoints]

I just said, I'm the cook. My name's Nightingale, if you're really curious.

I dunno. Does she count as a captain if I don't think she has any real power, and we're all prisoners or hostages or something anyway?

[deshabille]

That's very rude.

[She is a real captain, hdu.]

[experiencepoints]

You described your job as "captaining".

[deshabille]

That's my job. Like a soldier's job is soldiering.

[experiencepoints]

And like a carpenter's job is carpenting?

[deshabille]

Exactly.

[Now you get it!]

[experiencepoints]

... No, see, that was something I made up to highlight how ridiculous you sound.