text and action.

[coinstability]

Who: Connor + you
Broadcast: yes, fleetwide text
Action: the Iskaulit
When: today

text.

I'm interested to know if anyone has purchased the personal augment upgrades available on the system. Do they work as stated in the description? And does anyone know if the ranks listed but unavailable are likely to become available at any point?

action - the iskaulit.

[Being back aboard the ships 24/7 has given Connor ample time to run through dozens of questions, much like the one he just sent out to the Fleet. The distraction of the planet had meant investigating the Fleet as a whole had taken a minor backseat - something he would never have countenanced back in the old days. Without a pre-programmed need to look into this specific issue, however, the draw of the alien world had proven stronger.

No longer. Now he's going to canvas the Iskaulit properly, instead of the brief tour of the occupied areas he had done shortly after arrival.

This proves a bigger task than expected, given the size of the ship. That isn't much of a deterrent to someone who doesn't need rest or sleep, however, so Connor can be found all over the ship at various times. He tests closed doors, breaking into them where it seems reasonable to do so. He scans the airducts and vents, building an internal map of the space and the likely exit points for the ventilation system. If any cleaning droids are in the area, he immediately goes over to them and touches them with a white palm stripped of his synthetic skin.

This goes well enough until he gets to the cleaning droid in the museum, which dodges his advances until it skitters out of bounds - and immediately starts blaring out an alarm. Connor's pretty unflappable but even he jerks back at the godawful noise, before grabbing the thing and hauling it back into the museum. It goes quiet immediately, much to his mingled relief and frustration.]

Was that really necessary?

[He doesn't expect an answer out of it; it just felt like something he needed to get out there, in case anyone was watching through the droid.

During the day he also lingers in the lecture hall, where he had been on the verge of departing until he spotted the scrape marks around the fake floor tile. Once he pulls out the document hidden beneath it, he stays there a while, flipping through it. Later on after a brief return to his own ship, Connor comes back to an empty room with one of the Fleet-issued sidearms from the Starduck's armoury. A few moments of setting up stray cans and metal sheets later and he begins firing practice shots, pausing in between each firing to readjust his grip as he assesses the gun's particular recoil and handling.]

Comments

Iskaulit // bang bang, he shot me down

[sinistral]

[The Iskaulit is a godsend some days, and that's a thought Bucky never imagined he'd have. Then again he'd never imagined himself in space either, so imagination clearly has its limits. But thankfully the ship is bigger than the Starduck, with room enough to stretch the legs and yes, to just get away. He's quiet enough, moving through the hallways, that part of his training simply second nature by now. Move silently, be invisible, complete the operation and slip away. Of course there's no mission here, nothing at all like his old life, but some habits die hard. It's more comfortable for him to observe others at a distance, to spend a handful of moments before slipping away. Occasionally someone catches his attention for more than a few moments though, and it has him stopping. This is one of those times.

Bucky is silent as he leans in the doorway of the room where Connor practices, watching. It's not until Connor gets off a good half-dozen shots that he'll quietly make his presence known.]

Not bad.

[coinstability]

[After accounting for the differences in the gun, Connor's shots had maintained steady accuracy. There's a small trail of bullet holes leading out from the target's centre demonstrating the course correction he had gone through to reach this point. Bucky's approach is quiet enough that Connor doesn't notice as soon as he usually would - although by the time the other man is in the doorway, Connor does know he's there. He can hear him breathing, his heart beating. If he were to scan the area he would pick up on more than that.

So he lowers the handgun when Bucky speaks, without appearing particularly surprised to see him there. He nods once.]

Thanks. It doesn't have the same weight to it as similar firearms I've used before. I would assume it's because of the alien design.

[sinistral]

[There aren't many people Bucky can't sneak up on, so Connor's lack of surprise is noted as interesting. He's not going to mention it though, because Connor's been helpful and because Bucky thinks he could like his shipmate, inasmuch as he himself is able to truly befriend anyone.]

The recoil is off too.

[Which is a small thing, but Bucky knows firearms well enough that it bothers him. And Connor's clearly skilled enough to correct for it all pretty quickly, judging by the grouping on his target.]

Practicing just to stay sharp? Or because it's relaxing?

[coinstability]

It is, but not so much as to be impossible to adjust to.

[It is an important but buried part of Connor's programming that he be able to adapt to unknown weapons on the fly. Already in his short life he's had to pick up and fire half a dozen different weapons as soon as an assailant dropped them. Clicking the safety on, he turns to properly face Bucky rather than the makeshift targets.]

The former. I felt it was important to know how these handle, since they're what's provided on the ships.

[sinistral]

For someone trained maybe. Others might have problems.

[But it does bring up questions: about their personnel, and about the ships. Bucky makes a mental note to try to access old records, to see if there is any information about deliberately hostile encounters.]

I'd agree. While I don't like the thought that our benefactors might send us toward a dangerous scenario, the possibility exists. I'd rather be prepared for it.

museum, i'm not sorry

[privateeyed]

[buddy . . .

Ben is leaving his shift at the bar as usual when he hears the alarm, and its curiosity that has him following the sound, only to find . . . well, Connor messing around with the droid. Both eyebrows shoot up as he watches, a mix of amused and vaguely annoyed - alarms are horrible, okay, shut up - before he can't help but speak up]

How the hell did you piss off one of those?

[coinstability]

[Connor straightens up with a snap, almost like he's been caught in the act of doing something embarrassing. Patently untrue, regardless of what the droid has to say about it. This was pure business.]

It ran itself outside of the museum space and triggered its own alarm. It looks like it's been programmed that way to prevent it being taken out of here.

[privateeyed]

[ah, if only Ben could talk to the droids too. He'd absolutely ask it what the fuck you were up to. Mostly because the more ammo he has, the better. Metaphorical ammo]

And - why would it run itself out of the museum? It not want to talk to you or something? [a pause] Can you talk to it?

[coinstability]

Not like a person, it doesn't have the capacity for that. I wanted to see what instructions it had and whether there was a link to the Atroma's systems.

[Casting the droid a sideways look as it scoots off casually to continue sucking up dirt, Connor looks a touch annoyed.]

It kept trying to avoid me.

[privateeyed]

[he isn't going to laugh. As much as he kind of wants to]

Talk at it, talk in general, you know what I mean. [for all that he keeps a straight face, he's absolutely teasing him. Though whether Connor picks up on it or not is yet to be seen]

I wonder why, if you're just peeking at droid's instructions without asking it first.

text;

[universal_charm]

I have gotten a couple of upgrades, and I can say that, so far, they seem to be working just like they say they do. But I received defensive upgrades, which is admittedly a bit harder to measure than something like being able to shoot lightning or fire.

text;

[coinstability]

Do you mean the 'Strength' upgrades that affect your physical abilities?

Re: text;

[universal_charm]

Yes, those would be it. I got them shortly after we visit the cannibal planet.

[coinstability]

Strength, Speed or Fortitude?

I take it you're referring to a world where the inhabitants attempted to eat people.

[Connor had seen some reference to it on the network. It was an extreme concept, so having some first-hand witness account of it would be helpful in confirming that's what happened. Sometimes, people exaggerated.]

[universal_charm]

I focused specifically on Fortitude, and frankly I am uncomfortable with even that much, but given some of the things we run into, I thought it necessary. I don't know of many others with personal upgrades, so I'm not sure what a multitude of them would do to the body. And yes, that particular planet, may it never be discovered again.

empty room

[permanentlyexhaustedbird]

[Tim knows the sound of a gun firing, even ones of the alien tech laser variety and he reacts instinctively, rushing to the sound, only slowing when he gets to the door]

Hello? Is everything alright in there? Is there trouble?

[He glances in, back to the wall next to the door.]

[coinstability]

[The sound of running footsteps is distinctive, so Connor's already turning and lowering the gun as Tim appears in the doorway. He takes in the other's clear worry that the noise of gunfire might have been cause for concern.]

I'm all right, [Connor's reply is calm and reassuring. He puts the safety on the gun before lowering it completely to his side.] I was just practising with the Fleet-provided firearms. This room was empty so I'm using it as a firing range.

[permanentlyexhaustedbird]

Oh...

[Tim now has all this adrenaline he's not sure where to aim]

and you're using... cans and random metal?

[He looks across at all the shots, and the lack of damage to anything behind them]

You don't appear to need the practise.

[coinstability]

[There's a moment where Connor just squints slightly at Tim, noting the domino mask and wondering exactly why someone feels the need to run around with something like that on. None of the scenarios he comes up with are particularly good.]

They were available and not in use for other purposes. [His eyebrows raise slightly as he explains.] I had to determine how this gun handles as it's considerably different from the models on Earth. The fact that it's an alien gun is reason enough to practice.

[permanentlyexhaustedbird]

I suppose that is all fair explanations. I am surprised that this place doesn't have a shooting range considering that is the weaponry they supply us with.

[Not that Tim ever intends to use it]

Do you have the security augment?

text

[becomebetter]

Do you know if the augments can be removed?

text

[coinstability]

I know that some have attempted it, with undesirable results.

[Terrible ones really.]

There's a record on the network of at least one person's attempt and what happened.

[becomebetter]

I want mine out.
Everyone I've asked says the same.

What augments are you hoping to get?

[coinstability]

Likely out of concern that you might seriously injure yourself in the attempt. That is what happened to other people.

I'm most interested in the elemental ones, since those seem hardest to implement.

[becomebetter]

Maybe.
I can only assume they want us to keep them in.
So they can control us if the time comes.

Why?