001 // action for bishop (or people in shuttles); private voice to michiru

[actsmagnificent]

[ action - aboard the bishop ]

[ Hopefully nobody's too fond of going out in the shuttles on this ship. One of them has been missing for hours at a time ever since the beginning of the week.

If you wait around long enough for it to return, however, you'll find a tall young "man" ducking out of the shuttle and heading down the corridor. Lost in thought as they are, this person isn't watching in front of them.....

Alternatively, should anyone in the Fleet also enjoy joyriding, that shuttle has been flying around and trying experimental maneuvers. Whoever's at the controls seems pretty good at coaxing speed out of something that isn't currently built for that, but they also don't seem to have a goal in mind. They're even drifting in what, to someone aboard a ship, might look like an upside-down position. ]

[ voice - private to Michiru ]

This is Haruka. I've investigated the shuttles.

Comments

[preformthisneigh]

[That feelings will never go away. ]

Nice to meetcha! I'm Cheese Sandwich.

[See? It only gets worse. ]

[actsmagnificent]

[ You don't say. ] ...What d'you do on the ship?

[preformthisneigh]

I'm the pilot! I take us to all the new places and dodge stuff and all that! It's pretty neat.

[It's a miracle no one's dead yet. ]

[actsmagnificent]

[ This is punishment. It's punishment for dirtying her hands in the name of her Mission. That is the only explanation Haruka can think of. ] You'll have to show me the cockpit sometime.

[ Haruka may also be a pilot. ]

[preformthisneigh]

[Lessons need to be learned, it seems. ]

I sure will! You just missed the second pilot we had, he was a penguin.

[She will be the first pilot the Bishop has had with actual hands. ]

[actsmagnificent]

[ Haruka has very likable hands, it's true.

She also wonders if there's a way out of this with a shred of her self-image remaining.

There isn't, is there. ] It takes all kinds.

[preformthisneigh]

[Nope. She's on the Bishop now, she can kiss goodbye to any shred of dignity from here on in. ]

I know right? So what're you gonna be doing on the ship? I hope it's not another cook, because wow, we got two of them already and Belth's already super territorial over the kitchen.

[actsmagnificent]

I'm a different double. [ A nod down the corridor. ] The cockpit's this way?

[ Haruka has always preferred to show rather than tell. ]

[preformthisneigh]

Ooooh, what are you doubling?

[He'll nod and trot over to it. There are two pilot seats, but he assumes one is leftover from Frobisher. His is certainly shorter and the controls are a lot bigger because...hooves. ]

Here we go!

[actsmagnificent]

[ Haruka would probably feel weirder about how natural these controls seem to her if she hadn't been good with driving things all her life. Sliding into the second pilot seat, she straps herself in and takes the helm. Right. This handles the steering...

She's got a lot of passengers, so she can't exactly joyride (these ships aren't built for that). But they are definitely off autopilot and Haruka has an absent little smile on her face. Implanted or not, she was born to do things like this.

That tiny smile is her only answer to Cheese Sandwich's question. ]

[preformthisneigh]

[Ohhhhhhh. Okay, that makes a lot more sense now. He gives a happy little laugh, hopping into his own seat. ]

Awesome! It's always great to have somepony else to talk to up here.

[actsmagnificent]

[ "some-"

No. Not going to think about. Not actually an issue. Driving. Driving the spaceship. Yes.

And only sneaking a tiny glance to see how he manages without fingers. ] Does it come off autopilot often?

[ She has heard that you cannot actually leave the fleet, which makes her wonder...where people go. Taking everyone for a jaunt? ]

[preformthisneigh]

[He grins, nodding enthusiastically. ]

Sure does! And we need it when we're being attacked. It's pretty good to be able to dodge.

We can never go far from the Marsiva, though. We're stuck with it.

[He nods at the nearby behemoth, floating amongst them like a shark in a pool of fish. ]

[actsmagnificent]

[ Haruka laughs, keeping her eye on, well, space. ] So much for family-friendly entertainment.

[preformthisneigh]

Yeah. Whoever came up with that tagline was really embroidering the truth.

[actsmagnificent]

I can handle a challenge. [ It beats boredom, in some ways. And might create opportunities.

While she's sitting here, though, she may as well fly this ship around for a bit. Nothing fancy - people are living on it - but driving has always calmed her down.

Yet there's no wind in space. ]

[preformthisneigh]

[He'll sit, happy to enjoy somepony else flying this damn thing.]

Lucky for you, we got plenty of those here.

[actsmagnificent]

[ Haruka just smirks in response. Her focus is on driving now.

Let's make a loop around the Marsiva, nice and easy... ]

[preformthisneigh]

You're pretty good at this.

[actsmagnificent]

It'd be nicer if there were a breeze. [ She doesn't deny her talent, though. Why should she? Even without an implant, she's never met a vehicle she couldn't figure out. ]

[preformthisneigh]

Well, you might get one on one of the S.R ships, if you go planetside.

[actsmagnificent]

[ Haruka inclines her head to acknowledge the point but seems content to attempt to loop the Marsiva for now.

...there's a lot of it, huh. Much more than they were given access to upon arrival.

Figures. ]