driftfleet | A call in the dark

[It won't be long before the Marsiva leaves the system. Not once has the fleet's Host Ship gone near the green, mysterious planet, choosing instead to keep it only at the far edges of her reach. All the while, the party deck has remained open and welcoming, tempting passengers to stay and try their luck for last-minute prizes.

And just when it seems like the fleet may leave the Lagan system without incident- a sudden rush of energy flares out across the green planet's surface and beyond, rippling far past its atmosphere until it reaches every ship in the fleet. The energy buffets the hulls and scrambles the instruments for one or two very dramatic minutes - just as it had before, but much more powerful in its reach. The wave is still invisible, save for a confusing warp in the way light describes shapes, but those who are sensitive to various energies--psionic, magical, life-force, or otherwise--will be able to feel an overwhelming force comb through their entire being, before the phenomenon passes over and ends.

However, unlike last time, this wave of energy is not silent. Across both the speakers of every communication device and console, and in the minds of anyone sensitive to the energy, comes the message:]

Yei equoa seh ouat ti unduo ti akun. Yiat deht quoi yiat seh kiskhan. Yiaht seh yesui ti yiat seh enduan, tal yei vissai atuav yei ti esat yiat lehir hanui. Esat yiat lehir evess. Esat yiat lehir illua tal giskat deht. Wes sahat lehir enila yei, wes yei vissai seh nan sahat ista, sahat yayet quoi adaht woru vitsahn. Hanui gisketi ideht yesui ti tokia gisketi ideht uaru, tal adrifa deseht adtah.

[Those who had been investigating the wreckage's systems may notice that this message is the very same as the one coded in the distress signal. Perhaps the Virsua was trying once last time to communicate.]

[OOC: Feel free to use this post as a mingle--either for broadcasts over the network or in-person interactions. The Marsiva is still within range of the planet for another day or two, so any in-person threads can be on the planet's surface, aboard various ships or stations, or in the Marsiva's party room.

For those who had learned a translated word before, now is a great chance to put that knowledge to use!

While the mods continue to sort out the upcoming happenings with the Drift Fleet, we thought a final themed mingle would be fun to play with in the meantime. Enjoy!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ he switches to text if only so he can send her what he has ]

Gisketi = the ones

yesui = sleeping/asleep

Adrifa = the cycles

Deseht = will never

Sahat = you

Wes = if

Uaru = whole

[There's a thoughtful hum as she looks over his contribution.]

The big question might end up being whether this is a threat or a warning.

It feels like a warning.

[ which isn't any better than a threat. ]

I don't know, Natasha, you've been there with me. How would those old computers take over our systems like that?

We didn't see all of them. It could be there were some of them that weren't in as bad of condition.

[It's not a comforting answer for either of them.]

How much power would it take to hit the whole fleet like that, though?

The ship is empty, how would those computers know when we were taking off?

[ it all keeps getting odder and odder and steve thinks, for once, that this time maybe they shouldn't get to the bottom of this. maybe it would be best for everyone to get as far away from this planet as they can.

there are children in the fleet, for the love of. ]

Gotta be a lot, our systems went out again.

Longer than last time, too. It was quite a hit.

[She doesn't like any of this.]

AI? Or we could have tripped some kind of automated response.

You think those computers can sense a lift off enough to enable the automated response?

[ the other option is that much worse, he rather not humor it at all. but after everything they've seen with Zola and Ultron, it'd be just their luck. ]

I don't think I'm prepared to guess how they know. Or what they know, exactly.

Yeah, I have a feeling we're not going to like this.

[ at all. a sigh is heard, unseen, he rubs a hand over his eyes before asking ]

What do you think? should we head back there?

Maybe best to decide once we know for sure what they're trying to say.

[The optimistic side of her thinks at least it might give them some direction. That's a small part, though; the rest thinks they should see just how bad it is before jumping in.]

I don't know if we can know anything for sure around here, but - we're getting there with the message. I'll send you updates as they come, stay close to your comm.

[ what a fine mess the Atroma tangled them in. ]

Believe me, I'm keeping an eye on it too.

A call in the dark

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