driftfleet | Who goes there?

[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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[and with some real information finally provided, along with a refreshing lack of nonsense, the woman on the line sounds at least a little appeased. though, the dark news does bring a distinct somberness to her voice.]

...I see.

[for a few beats, there is a hang of empty air while she mulls it all over. and when she does speak up again, it is right before the signal cuts out completely.]

Golden, please stand by.

[just give them a moment.]

[The signal goes out, and Anders immediately switches gears from surly to nervous again, fidgeting in place while he watches the screen, waiting for the frequency to reconnect.

Eventually, because he couldn't be quiet if you literally put a cork in his mouth:]

Well, that could have gone better. But all right in the end, I think. [A small, appreciative nod to Uzuki.] Now we wait! Because that's not ominous at all.

[it's a nice long wait, to keep things mysterious. or maybe this is actually something that requires quite a bit of discussion from the other side... eventually, another woman picks up the line. she sounds middle-aged and serious, but at least more even-tempered than the last girl.]

Golden, these are very serious claims. Do you have any documentation to support what you've told us about the Nunnilis ship?

We do, yes. I played a bit of a part in helping to organize things, so I have some of the documentation from several of the groups, though I can't say it's complete -- We have a lot of ships after all, and not all the data went through me. I should be able to send you what we have on the Golden, though.

Please do. We're receiving reports from other ships in your fleet as well.

[the line will remain open, for any comms officer or captain to send data in the opposing fleet's direction.]

Then, I'll begin the transfer right away.

[Sending the data over to the fleet: A record of when they first received the SOS, stuff on the initial entry into the ship, an autopsy report, information on various stages of work on the antidote.... And various bits and pieces that managed to get pulled from the damaged computers.]

[Anders fidgets, as he's been doing most of this exchange. It'd be lying to say he wasn't at least a little relieved — it's harder for documents and facts to be misinterpreted — but also lying to say he wasn't still paranoid. They're not in the clear until they're on the ground, as far as he's concerned.

He watches the transfer go through, rocking slightly on his heels, and raises his voice just enough to be heard by communicator. Because he can't help himself.]

You'll find that it's all in line with what you're getting from the others, I expect. We'll stand by until you've had a chance to look them over, yes? If you have any questions [beat] our communications officer should be able to answer them.

[Because he also knows when he's beaten, all right.]

Thank you, Golden. [both of you.] You will be given instructions once we have finished reviewing the data.

[you guys are put on hold again while the opposing Fleet looks over their information... though, any communications officer can confirm that weapons are no longer locked on the Golden.]

...Captain, they're not locking onto us any longer.

[And with that, she just kind of collapses into the communicator's chair like a puppet with its strings cut.]

Haa... That was really close, wasn't it...?

[they have a moment to relax. give them a few minutes, and...]

Thank you for your patience, Golden. We apologize for the delay.

This planet is home to a large number of Nunnilis. It looks as though the infection on the Iskaulit is the same one that we are currently struggling to keep at bay in our own population. As such, we could not risk further contamination.

[the woman takes a deep breath... this has been a taxing evening.]

But your records check out, as does your story. We would prefer that you keep the Iskaulit in orbit, but the Golden will be given full permission to land.

For safety, we ask that you please run through standard decontamination protocol before you exit your ships, to minimize all possible risks.

[Full permission. Anders resists the urge to sigh with relief while the ship on the other line can still hear him— and anyway it's premature. "Not locked on" doesn't hold much meaning for him; there's always room to be stabbed (or in this case, shot) in the back. It weighs a little heavier, the idea of making contact with full-facultied members of the same species they spent the past month purging, but.... He'll worry about that later, if he lets himself worry about it at all.

Just a little bit longer and they'll be, if everyone here will pardon the pun, golden.]

In that case, we'll be sure to be thorough, of course, follow everything to the letter. [He is not 100% sure what the proper protocols are, but he'll figure it out. He does intend to follow through on that promise.] Glad we could get all this cleared up! Sounds like we all gave each other a bit of a scare, fancy that.

[Ha ha! What a crazy random happenstance!]

Anyway. Perhaps we'll see you planetside! But only if we're very lucky, hmm? [You thought you could keep him from flirting, team. You were wrong. Right on its heels, before he can be called out:] Misha, if you don't mind?

Only if you're very unlucky, Captain.

[yeah, she doesn't take to it much better than the previous one did. but, with that all sorted out...]

Thank you, Golden. End transmission.

[and the feed cuts. the Golden is free to land!]

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