driftfleet | Chocolate-flavored Dessert Cream on the House

Chocolate-flavored Dessert Cream on the House

[The bunks are filling up, but the new faces just keep appearing!

Are you a travel-weary passenger having trouble keeping your crew roster straight? Perhaps you are a fresh new recruit, finding themselves dumped into a new (and much less shiny) home. Or, maybe you've been around for a little bit and just haven't bothered meeting the other weirdos on this ship yet--what is their problem, anyway?

Well, this is the place for you!

All new passengers from the last few Shuffles, especially those who haven't met their crews yet, are welcome to post starter-comments here to invite those living on and visiting your ship to come and interact. Newbies could be just arriving on the ship, busying around where others can find them, or you can offering multiple options for interaction--however you'd like to set up your thread is fine. Just make sure to include the name of your ship in the header, so your crewmates can easily find you!

Everyone else-- go meet those newbies! Whether they are new to your own crew, or on ships you frequently visit, now is a great time to bump into them.]

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[Sup Dean, have a tall maroon guy who appears silently in the kitchen after hearing that.]

I've put in for an upgrade, but I'm afraid we need further contributions for it to take effect.

[ Excuse Dean from staring and backing up a step and staring but wow, you are a tall, maroon guy. And Dean's seen a lot of weird before, but he's never seen one of you. ...As long as you're not trying to kill him, though... Sure, talking. Dean can do that. ]

Upgrade?

[ He looks around, trying to figure out what the guy means. ]

Like a stove or something?

[ Your resident co-engineer, buddy. Aren't you glad this is what you've got to work with. ]

[Not an uncommon reaction so he takes it in stride - and notes this one is probably not from a space-faring background.]

Yes, that's part of it. More flavors of protein, more textures for the gel, and additional cooking implements and spices. Until then, the station we're docked at has a far superior selection of cuisine.

Cooking implements. Awesome. This place sure as hell needs it.

[ Yeah, it does, looking around at a whole lot of nothing. And you better believe he'll be going to the station for something edible. ...Soon as he buckles down and gets over the whole "floating in space" thing. He looks back to the, uh, large maroon man. ]

So what kind of contributions are we talking about? How much do we need to pull in?

[ Because you're obviously talking about currency Dean can win over poker hands and pool tables, right? ]

The protein gel does supply all the necessary nutrients, but the stock flavors do get rather boring after a while, I'm afraid.

[Ah yes, questions about the economy. This is familiar enough territory and he nods.] Normally, our ratings from the show would be our primary source of income, and you'll find the prices of each upgrade listed in your communicator. However, it seems our accounts have been frozen by the local law enforcement for carrying unlicensed cargo. It's necessary to earn spending money on the station for the time being.

[ Protein gel. God. Dean's sick enough on his own without the stuff they call food on this place. He'll have to get out onto the space station just to find something edible, never mind all the other host of reasons he needs to go out there. ]

Yeah, I heard about the frozen assets thing. Lucky me, I just got here. Didn't have much to start with. Not something I'm worried about it, but I'll look into the upgrade prices, to help get this place fixed up. Thanks.

[ And since he mentioned it... ]

So hey, what's the deal with that, uh, "unlicensed cargo" anyway? You're talking about those big, sealed metal crates, right? Anybody know what's in them, or where they came from?

[ After a beat, he adds. ]

I'm Dean, by the way. Should've introduced myself.

[ But you're huge and maroon and obviously not human, and Dean kind of expected to get his throat torn out sooner than his hand shaken. Still kind of does, honestly, but there's no point in at least trying to be polite to somebody who's being helpful to him. ]

Of course. It would benefit us all, I believe. [Well, okay, he doesn't get a whole lot of benefit out of it because what is eating when you're an android? But it does contribute to the ship's overall wellbeing, and that is important.]

They came from Atroma, materializing aboard the ship. Investigation shows they appear to be gumballs, but their chemical makeup is highly nonstandard and I do not recommend consuming them.

[He inclines his head.] I am the Vision, and I am glad to meet you.

[ This guy doesn't exactly look friendly, but he seems nice enough. And the awkward kind of jilted way of speaking.... Well, it's familiar. Dean can't help but trust the guy. ...Sort of. As much as he trusts anybody he just met.

And they're transporting gumballs for cargo? ...Weird. But then no weirder than being on an alien reality TV show, so... Dean'll believe it. ]

Say to no gumballs. Got ya.

[ Not like he has a sweet tooth anyway. But more importantly, Dean's eyebrows crease together, and he looks vaguely uncomfortable. ]

So... Seriously, dude, what's with the name? The Vision? That's not a name, that's...

[ Just like Amara. Like the Darkness. ]

That's, uh... I mean, do you have something else I can call you? A little more... you know, human?

[ Although, look at the guy. He's probably not human. Dean takes on hastily. ]

No offense.

[Indeed, it's exactly the kind of weirdness one would expect from an alien reality show. It's better than the exploding swimsuits, at least.

He tilts his head to one side, smiling very slightly.]

I take no offense, but it is my name. If I wished to pass as human, I'd appear quite different. There are many others who don't have that luxury, after all. If my presence eases the way for them, it is well worthwhile.

[ ....Okay yeah, exploding swimsuits? Yeah, that's weirder. No thanks. ]

Right. Peace and harmony. Kind of an alien diplomat. Okay, Barney.

[ ~~I am so sorry about Dean.~~ ]

But... What are you? Does your species have a name? Are you a god?

[The Vision tilts his head. Barney? ~~Look he's most familiar with Disney, as far as kids shows.~~]

I suppose you could say that, although I certainly don't represent any major government interests.

[That gets a blink. A god?] Ah, are you familiar with the term android?

Androids. Yeah, I know 'em. Machines that look human, like the Terminator.

[ That's the best reference Dean's got, unfortunately. He's used to the more organic types of weird. Machines that look like people, as real as this guy does... He's never seen anything like it, outside of sci-fi flicks. ]

So that's what you are? You're all parts under there?

It's the best simple explanation, I've found. My body is organic, but infused with a unique metal which gives it certain interesting properties, and my mind was created from a downloaded combination of several AI.

For those unused to technology, golem isn't entirely incorrect, either.

AI, huh...

[ Dean thinks about that for a minute, lets it sink in before shaking his head a little and responding to the other thing.]

Yeah, I know a thing or two about golems. You sure pack a punch.

[ And it makes Dean glad this guy seems relatively peaceful. But so was the last golem Dean met, when he wasn't trying to kill people. That's the problem with machines, and weapons: you've got to watch out for whose hands they're in, not the thing itself. ]

So why do they call you The Vision? I mean, you don't exactly look like the best candidate to be spying on people.

I won't deny that.

[Walking softly works best if one is carrying a big stick.]

Because I first appeared in a vision. There was some heated debate over whether I should be awakened at all - my creators were concerned I'd try to destroy the world rather than save it. One sought further insight and saw instead I would help to preserve it.

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Chocolate-flavored Dessert Cream on the House

action;

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sorry for late!

no worries

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