Super Robot Wars ∀: Deep Space IC Thread - Part 2: Of Dire Tides

[Xinnidy]

Volunteering Mama

"Ah... R-roger!" Doing as best of a salute as a civilian could, it seemed Makoto wasn't going to trail off on his own after that complaint from Elaine. For a few moments, he kept eyeing the android, but his interest was quick enough to fade. "So... what was that fighting all about this time? I don't think I've ever seen the mechs that were attacking you guys before... and what about those new fancy units like the one you were in? I don't remember them from the colony battle..." There was certainly a lot to be answered still.

Disdraught

"...That was Officer Cabello, huh?" Roxanna seemed to have come to senses sometime while the call was happening, though her movements were still slow. Whatever she was thinking of, it definitely must not have been a fun tangent to let your brain wild on. "...It seems I always dump that kind of work on you. Remind me to not, next time. Can't have you do everything as the Ensign." Roxanna's expression was too neutral to tell anything, but her tone seemed distressed enough. "I'll try to contact HQ again, to ensure everything is fine... we're going to have to make ground crew work overtime, at this rate." She let out a sigh, this was really no time to be stalling.

[Phoenix]

Megumi didn't much mind Abigail's overly familiar approach to conversation, nor her liberal use of expletives, but she wasn't going to interrupt to point that out. Abigail was going to have to get good at conversing with people other than the doctor if she wanted to avoid whatever passed for justice within the ANF. Megumi was more focused on that, as well as figuring out what the Riese's sole remaining captive knew about Apotheosis. She listened intently, wading through Abigail's frustrated attempts to start things off proper.

Megumi felt her eyes widen at the mention of liberating the colonies from the ANF. Given the results of that mission, it had been akin to trying to rescue a child from his abusive parents and landing the lad in the hospital in the ensuing struggle. Doubtless there were more details, but at the end of the day, Abigail had already admitted that the mission had gone awry early on. Exactly how such a goal turned into a massacre was an issue for the historians to sort out. All that mattered right now was that Apotheosis saw fit to use mercenaries for their pre-incursion machinations. Why? The doctor wagered it had something to do with that one captive they took with them.

Abigail seemed to be caught between embarrassment and rage, now that she was considering her group's part in this whole fiasco. It was one thing to work for the highest bidder ... and it was another to be used as a buffer under false pretenses, especially with one's own purportedly noble goal motivating them. The Riese crew didn't have it easier, either, though. They were being forced to pick up far too much of the military's slack. Worse still, as Abigail had concluded, the Riese's battle with her forces had provided a good buffer for Apotheosis. It had also let them keep their hand mostly concealed until that final moment. That couldn't be all this was, though. They were after the scientists at Colony One, and they'd taken one of them.

"You can call me Megumi," Megumi finally said, figuring that getting on a first name basis couldn't hurt. It was just a shame she couldn't pass for a Japanese woman. Her name always seemed to get eyebrows rising, especially when her sisters were present. "So they were supposed to help you liberate the colonies? That sounds extremely optimistic in hindsight." She was going to say extremely stupid, but Megumi had already read the very book she'd recommended to Abigail, How to Win Friends and Influence People in the Interplanetary Age. There was no need to point out the obvious and rub salt in the wound. "You're right, though. We're only just now beginning to engage Apotheosis, and the colonies are also being attacked. We had the option to return to Earth or head to Colonies Two or Five. Returning here was probably the best decision strategically, but we're going to be on Earth for a long time, I imagine." No need to state the obvious, alright. The colonies were in serious trouble.

---

Brant explored the lower depths of the pool for a good thirty seconds before making for the surface. He didn't want to go back up just yet, nor did he really need to, but it'd be wise to not overdo it on his first dive. This was the first time in memory he'd done this without any of his training gear and there was a real chance he'd hurt himself in the excitement if he didn't reel himself in. Popping up on the surface like a curious seal, Brant wiped the wet hair from his eyes and looked around. From the look of things he was very close to the center of the pool.

"Well that was fun," he mused aloud. Jessica seemed to be alright, so Brant dove back down after a deep breath, practically inverting himself in the process. It's not much different from flying, if I'm being honest~ No longer was he making a mad break for the surface from a seemingly bottomless oceanic pit. Now he was gliding through a clear blue fluid as beautiful and tempting as the sky, and doing it with gleeful ease.

[Nanami Touko]

It's no Problem

"Don't worry yourself, XO. I'm used to this sort of work. I was trained to be a captain, after all." Tristan wondered for a moment if Roxanna wished to talk, stepping away from his console and up towards her, offering a small salute as he did. "Is there something... Troubling you, that you wish to discuss? I can keep things quiet, to not alert the rest of the bridge... Or we can step away, if you wish. It wouldn't do to have the second in command lost in thought, were the captain to falter..." While his addressing her may have been a bit curt, he was still sincere in his intentions. He'd felt that getting too familiar, though, would've been rude to her. He didn't claim to understand how she felt, after all.

Free Show

Message sent, Brant still alive, judging by the splashing behind her, not accompanied by screaming. She slowly ended up turning around, slinking her arms out of the hot tub to rest them on the edge. It also gave her the perfect spot to watch him swim, though he seemed to be enjoying diving, right now. That was fine... It was nice to see him so quickly adamant about something. Or, it seemed like that. He was pretty quiet, all things considered, so these recent tiny outbursts were all exciting. The surprise at the door was pretty great, thinking about it... "I guess Megumi's advice was pretty great... Though, I'm sure she'd be lecturing me again, seeing me here with one of the pilots." It almost felt like breaking a rule, though there wasn't really a rule about it.

"Oh, actually..." This was a good time to think of topics, if he came over after his little swim. What to talk to him about? Maybe... Performance, if he was enjoying his stay, thoughts on... No, no thoughts on Apotheosis, that would sour moods. Maybe just general questions about himself? Would that go poorly? Hmmm... This was tougher than it had seemed! A spontaneity was bad for her.. Ugh. Difficult...

[Dandragon]

It seemed like every single time Makoto asked something, it was something that Elaine wasn't sure she should answer, whether for personal reasons or otherwise. And this time, he had been asking why they were fighting, this time, along with wondering about the newer robots within the hangar. Elaine bit her lip and did not speak for a moment. She didn't know protocol, or whatever to call it, about civilians asking about the current terrorist attacks that are and would be happening. Did that protocol even apply to Makoto, considering he and his mother were going to be on the Riese for an undisclosed amount of time?

Then there was asking about the new mech suits, which Elaine herself just didn't want to talk about. She was still a little upset about the fact that she had taken something so old and out of date in comparison to, say, Kim's newest version of Velite designed for Telekinetic's like her. The Heracles had looked so new and fresh on the outside, but once she slipped inside, the work it desperately needed to catch up with standard ANF mechs was apparent.

"Uhhhh You know what? Why don't we go look ssssssomewhere else? The Riese has plenty of other things than the hangar that makes it interesting! Liiiiiike..." She paused, then snapped her fingers. "I know! Why don't I start by showing you the engineers and mechanics labs? That sounds fun, right? And it's on the same floor so we don't have to take the elevator."

[Ether]

"Still not get point, Chrissy?" Kim replied, shaking her head a bit.

"Not expect you make tradition Korean food. Want you make something you comfortable make, okay? Let taste Chrissy cooking, that what I want, even if just different kind of eggs."

[Shin]

It had been a simple response, albeit effect. It also meant that Makoto would have a place to stay for the time being. Tarquin would have to consult with the domestic staff and Makoto to coordinate it, but those were minor details he could deal with later. Thorvald's words were still swimming in the back of his head, his mind trying to dismiss them as a trivial passing comment. He didn't want to become dependent on Cheryl to solve all his problems, it would only prove that he was indeed still a child. He had gotten through and understood Nikolai by himself, he was convinced that he could deal with it alone. People were things he hadn't understood at all until recently, and he was continuously making progress. It would only be a matter of time before he had a full grasp on them. They weren't like books by any means, but with enough exposure he'd be fine.

Wandering towards the elevators, perhaps subconsciously trying to retreat to his room, he caught sight of Hannah - the artificial android who had joined their ranks. It was easy to dismiss her as simply a machine but when something appeared so human and responded as such, the definition of a person became incredibly blurred. She lacked the same uncertainty that other people, sans Nikolai, gave off. Perhaps it was even a sort of kinship? Tarquin quickly dismissed the notion, if only because thinking himself as an artificial construct was rather unsettling. Whilst she was a machine, he still needed to engage as if she were a human - it was both how she was programmed and a method he needed to practice.

"Your combat performance was beneficial to our efforts." Tarquin commented, pressing the button to call for an elevator. "Even after taking damage you were able to continue without impairment."

That was more than he could say for himself after the mission on the colony, being mechanical appeared to have advantages in holding one's nerve. If being organic was meant to help with creating a natural conversation, Tarquin felt he was sorely underutilising whatever potential he had. 

-

Talia yawned, sitting herself up in her bed. She hadn't remembered what time she'd fallen asleep the night before... or earlier in the morning. CineWeb was perhaps the greatest thing in her life, but also the biggest detriment to her sleeping pattern. Nobody had knocked on her door to bring breakfast... had she woken up too early? Glancing up at the clock shot down that theory, it was the middle of the morning. Would she actually have to venture outside of her own room? Going hungry wasn't a pleasant concept, but she couldn't even remember the last time she'd stepped outside of her room. It wasn't that people didn't know who she was, being known was precisely her problem.

"The Professor's little failed experiment, Die nicht so Wunderkind, der Fehlschlag... Sie versteckt sich in ihrem Zimmer.." she fumed, gritting her teeth. She'd definitely heard them talking about her, there was no other explanation to it. All the researchers saw her as the dud, the reject. She hadn't asked for all the expectations they had of her, and she could hardly see them doing any better in her position. Approaching the door, she put her ear to it, listening out for anyone. She could hear voices, and confirming her paranoia, they were talking about her.

"They got hit pretty hard in the east, we're going on full alert. We're not frontline by any means, but we wouldn't survive a full assault. We're a research facility, not a military base." one of the guards commented.

"Don't we have the Reclusive Princess? I mean, she's meant to be a pilot, right?" another replied. "Although I figure she'd only be helpful if we needed food eaten or cartoons watched."

"Don't be too loud, Professor Liebenwalde's got a soft spot for her, the last thing you want is him to decide he wants a new set of guards." his colleague retorted, hushing the other down.

Talia drew away from the door, standing still in a silent fury. Part of her wished the base would be attacked, and wanted a certain pair of guards to be the first victims. 

[Xinnidy]

Concern

Trained to be a captain, weren't you... Competition wasn't lacking in the Riese, which was to be expected with the caliber of ship they were dealing with. Only the most competent or promising crew members... and then Jess at the helm and Roxanna as XO.

"Hm... uh." Roxanna wasn't in the mood to talk about it, at all, but telling Tristram to let her be didn't seem very smart at that point. "I'd like to ask your opinion, actually..." It was time to address something increasingly obvious, as uncomfortable as it was. "How much do you think I actually contribute to the crew?" It seemed like there was little use to her, honestly. The crew was self-sufficient in many ways whenever Jess faltered, and not even the admiral took her reports as valid. All in all, she had no reason to be there, and the fact she was transferred...

No, Jess had to be making things up, but the pieces still didn't fit...

Deflected

"Huh?" Makoto was confused by Elaine's change of topic. While the engineering labs were interesting, there were still many things he'd like to know about what happened, could it really just be glossed over like that? "Well..." He tilted his head, "Can I even go see those? I mean, if so, then alright." He managed in the hangar because nobody yelled at him, but it was still a blind shot. It wouldn't do to jeopardize Elaine because she was showing him stuff that was meant to be secret!

...That was what the mechanics lab was for, right? Super secret stuff!

[Nanami Touko]

Herrington Address

Hannah turned to Tarquin's comment, looking him up in the ship's database for a moment. There was a large section of his history that she was either unable to access, or that should not be available to a normal search section, so she wouldn't address it with him.

"Thank you. Though I have been told that I do not take my own recklessness seriously. Specialist Herrington,
in your opinion, do you believe that an artificial life has merit? I am just a robot, yet I am cared for by
some of the pilots on this ship. Does that make logical sense to you?"

She stopped, looking away for a moment, before shaking her head some.

"My apologies. I do not know if that was an appropriate thing to ask. I am currently experiencing issues...
I must see to the head mechanic soon, for I fear I do not understand what is causing these errors."

She felt so odd... This was definitely not normal. She wasn't meant to be feeling emotions unless dealing with pilots, yet she was becoming concerned over her own words. An idle shifting of her feet was far too noticeable to her, stepping into the elevator as it opened.

"As well... Uhh."

Now I am stuttering? This is an error I must address immediately.

"I am impressed by your accuracy record as a pilot. It appears to be one hundred percent in live fire
situations. I do not know of any other pilots that can boast such an impressive streak."

There. Back to somewhat normal conversation...

Not Getting It

"O-Oh." Now she just felt silly... "Well! It's your fault for not saying so in the first place!" With a huff and a shaking of her head she went over to the fridge, getting what she'd need for dumplings and eggs. "Tell me about something while I cook... If we're going to be sharing a cockpit, I want to know more about you, okay? Like... Tell me about Korea, highschool, what it's like being an idol... That sort of stuff."

Use

"How much do you... That feels like quite the loaded question. We haven't been in live combat for very long... I would say that I don't contribute much to the crew as far as my position is concerned." Tristan didn't want to say she contributed nothing, but as it stood, so far, that was the case.

"I think that the Captain, despite her shortcomings, has things under control. Maybe not at first, and maybe not when talking to people, but as an acting captain at the helm of the ship, I trust her to control the Riese. She proved as much defending the base. I know your question wasn't about her, but I feel as though you may be comparing your use to the captain's." Tristan shook his head some.

"It's not fair for you to do that. Just because there's been little for us to do so far doesn't mean we will be unable to contribute in the future. That's what being a crew is about. We pickup after each other, when one of us falters. No?"

Edited June 12, 2017 by Nanami Touko

[Ether]

"Thought imply pretty obvious, self." Kim replied, as Christina began the prep for her cooking, deciding to ask Kim more about herself, it seemed.

"Broad question, where should start?"

[Shin]

Hannah's speech patterns weren't entirely human, overly formal and robotic, perhaps even akin to his own. Her question did pose an interesting dilemma though, did she actually matter? Surely if she were destroyed, they'd simply be able to replace her with another unit? But then again, couldn't a soldier be replaced if they were killed? The person behind the uniform would be gone, but another combatant wouldn't be that different. Adding to that, he could essentially have another copy of himself produced, he was fourth in the series, there was no telling if they'd make a fifth if he were to perish. He'd never really needed to think about these things before, and it was confusing to start doing so now... as well as a little scary.

"It would be detrimental to our forces if you were to cease functioning. Surely you would be able to better fulfil your directives whilst operational?" Tarquin replied, unsure how he would feel personally if Hannah were to be destroyed. He couldn't say he was emotionally invested in her survival, but he couldn't pretend it would not bother him. His answer had been an easy way out, just another situation where he used a logical answer to avoid showing emotion. "That being said, you've intergrated well among our ranks, it would be... different if you were gone."

For what was supposed to be a soulless machine, Tarquin was finding parallels between his own thought processes and hers, would anyone miss him if he were gone? Elaine probably wouldn't, that was for certain. He hadn't expected such deep thought from the android, were they meant to be able to do this? She seemed to have access to his records, but how much was anyone's guess - hopefully his secrets were locked away.

"My accuracy record certainly holds some merit..." he began as he joined her in the elevator, more interested in her previous questions. "What did you want to say before talking about my hit rate? What kind of errors are you experiencing? You appear fully functional."

[Nanami Touko]

Detrimental

"Different... I am afraid that I do not under... No. I understand what it is that you mean by different.
Specialist Eriksson seemed as though he wished to impart a similar message to me. That I am
'Hannah'. It is my designation, but it is also... Me. Were my data to be destroyed, were another put
in my place, it would be the same, but it would also... Not. This is upsetting..."

Never had she been able to think this hard about things... But never had she been put in this situation. Defending the colony was one thing. Sometimes there would be an issue, civil or otherwise, and if it became lethal, she, or one of her sisters, would've been dispatched to deal with it. Once it was over, that was that. There was nothing more to it. She was either relieved of duty, or put back to sleep. Checking dates, she'd never actually been 'awake' for this long. Why was that? Was she not supposed to? Why can I not stop processing? The thought was rather alarming.

"I... I have not been able to stop processing information regarding my existence since the battle.
Because of this, I am sure that I am malfunctioning. I have even begun to start questioning my
directives... Surely there is something wrong. I should not be able to question them, let alone
go against them. It does not... Ahem. Compute."

The saying was not lost on her, nor was the irony of it being said by her.

Doing All The Work

"Kim, come on. I'm cooking for you. The least you can do is decide on something and talk about it. I want to hear about it all, anyway, so start somewhere you're interested in!" With another huff and a pout, she started digging around the cupboards for some dishes and a pan. And some flour... Surely they had flour on the ship.

Edited June 12, 2017 by Nanami Touko

[Ether]

"Well... suppose start with home. Very different, America. Military Academy similar regular school in Seoul, strict, regiment, expect best, nothing less. American student at Academy complain Sergeant, supposed just used to from parent and teachers... not been to American school, seem soft according to other student at Academy." Kim began, thinking about the differences from across the Ocean.

[Shin]

Tarquin wasn't an expert on robots, or people, by any means. However, there was one thing he knew - robots weren't meant to feel sad. What made less sense was that a robot feeling sad was in turn making him upset too. Why did he care? He'd never had this problem back at the academy, the woes and anxieties of his peers hadn't bothered him at all. He'd even considered them inferior for it. So many things had changed since he'd boarded the Heion Riese, there were so many things that his mind had started thinking about. Things that he'd never considered before. It was rather shocking to find that a robot was able to have feelings, and it was also surprising to discover that he had emotions of his own to deal with. Were these the seemingly trivial matters normal people had to cope with?

"As far as I'm aware, people use acts such as these to convey sympathy and support... I think that is my current intention." Tarquin replied, offered his hand outwards, leaving it in front of Hannah. "I believe you are feeling emotions as a human would, that's not being broken. I've learned that it isn't necessarily a bad thing... it's just a little scary when you're all by yourself. You don't need to be by yourself, Hannah."

[Nanami Touko]

Do Not Understand

"I... I am feeling, emotions? I should not... That... Th-That, that, thhhat..."

I am not capable of feeling emotions, I am a robot, designation HAn4, my directives are the safety, th-the safety, of people around me... And... M-My, self? What is, a self, I-I, I do not, knoooowwww, I c-can't, com, com--c-com, com prehehehehennnnnd... I-Iiiiii, Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii--

Hannah froze, her processing trying to answer too many questions at once. What Tarquin had said had triggered some sort of overthinking, her frame gently leaning back against the elevator. I... I am... H-Hannah...?

A slow gaze made its way towards Tarquin's hand, her own slowly taking his, giving it a gentle squeeze. Something in her processors triggered a function long forgotten, as water began to trickle out of her eyes.

"I do not understand, Specialist Herrington. I do not understand. Why am I processing like this? Why am I? I do not... I..." The robotic nature of her voice had faded entirely, a delicate tone replacing it. "Do you know? Do you... Can you, tell me? I..." She began to slump down against the elevator wall, as the doors opened. Quietly mumbling 'why' to herself, it seemed Tarquin would need a specialist on the matter.

School

"Really strict, huh... School here isn't really hard on anyone. The system, at least. The kids can be... They can be pretty terrifying. At the least, though, the teachers are pretty lenient, and just want to see you get everything done." Really, her experiences in school had been pretty awful. Hopefully Kim didn't get that curious about her own learnings, avoiding that history would be good for the both of them.

"Was the academy bad, then? If it was so strict... I can't imagine the teachers being that way in America, but maybe military life is way different... Er, TK military life. I managed to make it through boot camp, with some leeway from my parents, but... Maybe they've softened up over the years, I dunno. It never seemed that bad. Not... Not until live fire."

Edited June 13, 2017 by Nanami Touko

[scorri]

Astin lay on their bed, clearly sound asleep. They twitched and mumbled something unintelligible. The mumbling slowly started to get louder, and the twitching turned into flailing.

Astin sat in the Ceres, piloting ahead of the rest of the squadron. Ahead on the horizon rose a towering beast with nine heads. "Apotheosis. Your time has come." Astin pushed forward towards the menacing figure, racing ahead of the others. As they started to swing a giant sword at it, the scene twisted. Now they were on the ground, clad in armor, sword and shield in hand. Ahead of them, a lone figure stood ready to fight. "This is it. You lose now." Taking an offensive stance, they pushed forward, swinging out at the masked figure in front of them. Their swords clashed, throwing sparks into the air. Pushing forward, pushed back, the fight continued on, neither party seeming to have the upper hand. Until finally... Astin bashed their sword aside with their shield and lunged in, ramming their sword through the other's chest. As their enemy crumpled, Astin let out a sigh of relief. The enemy was conquered. Finally, they had won. Reaching down, they pulled off the helm. "No... no it can't be!" Astin stared brokenly down at the face of their childhood friend who'd been thought killed years ago after the ANF ignored a warning from Apotheosis. "No, you were alive? But..."

"NO!!!" Astin sat bolt upright, panting heavily. Looking frantically around, they did their best to try and breathe normally. A dream. That was all. A dream. He's... he's dead. And this... This is how to avenge him. This is the right... The right thing." Slowly they stood up, untangling themself from the sheets. Leaving them behind in a tangled mess, they made their way to the mirror, staring blankly into it. It was just a dream. You need to keep it together, continue down this path you've committed to. To fight... To fight the monster. Taking a deep breath, they slowly made their way out into the hallway, glancing around, unsure of what to do now. Sleep was clearly out of the question. Dreams like that... Not again if they could avoid it.

[Xinnidy]

More Concerns

It seemed... no, it was obvious that Tristram wanted to avoid that question, which honestly Roxanna should have expected. She sighed, only respite being that she couldn't sink further onto her 'second-in-command' chair. "Well, okay. I suppose she's sufficient." Whether Tristram's words were trying to get Roxanna to cheer up or not, the result only worsened her concern. Jess certainly seemed capable at times... and it made no sense, it shouldn't even be. It just left... herself as the outlier. "Somehow..." I doubt it'll come to a point where you'll need me, unless I create it. It was a bit of a pessimistic thought to part with the ensign, so Roxanna stopped herself, but it didn't escape her thoughts. "Well, I'll make sure I won't drop the ball next time. I'll be fine..." She tried to brush off the rest of the ensign's concerns. Perhaps some me time was in order...

[riariadne]

"Having medicine on-hand to deal quickly with any difficulties that arise strikes me as the simplest solution," Dwight agreed. "Right now, I don't think I'm having any issues. They're certainly not consistent pains, and I'd like to hope that they won't become that way so quickly... if they do, I would say that would be a more appropriate time to schedule a full appointment with the doctor. Ideally that won't be the case for some time, and unless either of you have any other questions or suggestions for me, I think I'd be best off heading my way."

[Balcerzak]

The doctor's reaction of obvious surprise when Abigail had mentioned her goal was a little disheartening, whether it was in response to the goal itself or how she'd hope to begin the process. Seriously, big dreams like that are not a one mission affair, that much should be clear to anyone, the voice inside her head cried out reassuringly, desperate to stave off a guilty conscience. Despite all this, or perhaps because of it, some small inroads had begun, with the doctor having offered up her name.

"Abigail, or Abby, or I guess even 'hey idiot'. Whatever the moment calls for," the rebel leader returned the gesture, a snatch of genuine smile crossing her face. The other woman had probably figured out where Abby might have been trying to going with things, especially given that she'd recommended the book in the first place. That didn't make her decision to provide a helping hand any less important, in fact it was all the moreso notable. "Not sure if you'd already scraped that up out of some DNA database yet, but whatever, should at least hear it from me straight," she offered back the same favor.

Then there was the last bit. Of course they'd ignored the colonies' need and headed back to Earth. That was just typical ANF for you. While those kind of decisions weren't the doctor's call, obviously, from the way she commented on the situation it seemed she was in agreement with that assessment. That took some of the wind out of Abigail's sails, but despite her first instinct to get confrontations, to escalate and attack, she managed to just let that point go for the moment.

"Optimistic... yeah, I guess I was, Megumi," she admitted, partly to herself, while trying out the doctor's name. It was a bit unusual, certainly not the kind of name she'd expected, nor one she'd been much used to using, but it didn't seem a bad one. Abigail took a step back from the door, looked to the floor, then continued. "Not the first time, not the last time, I'm sure." It was true, she was remembering other cases where her hopes for a situation had failed her: personally and professionally. Once had even been as spectacular a clusterfuck as this most recent situation.

[Phoenix]

Did the situation really call for that? Maybe, but Megumi reserved names like 'stupid' and 'idiot' for people that couldn't see their own failures for what they were. Megumi nodded softly, more or less confirming Abigail's suspicion that the doctor already had her name. That didn't mean actual introductions weren't preferable. This wasn't an interrogation, after all. "Still better if I hear it from you at least once," Megumi said, so close yet so far from a smile of her own.

The doctor was almost relieved when she heard her name said back to her normally, and not shortened to something silly like her sisters would always do, but there was more to Abigail's response than just that. There was that acknowledgement of her mistake that was so rare in Megumi's line of work ... both current and prior. Abigail then alluded to what seemed like past blunders, big ones, if her tone was any indication. Megumi felt her eyes watering ever so slightly. She was getting pulled back to places she didn't want to go, watching a true idiot 'blind luck' his way through every mission one could imagine. Meanwhile, people with an ounce of sense and greater, people like Abigail and herself, were dying all around him. That was one of the doctor's greatest pet peeves--nay, existential crises. Why did so many fools get to slip by unscathed, while everyone else collected scars like old postage stamps and lost everything else they had? It wasn't an easy question to fully address, which was why Megumi tried to keep it out of mind as much as possible.

After everything she'd gone through in her brief time in this life, Megumi's concept of justice was admittedly flawed. It was a slew of double standards, but she could forgive just about anything under the right circumstances. Circumstances like these. Knowing that Abigail was in this cell, while the other prisoners were all but free, fighting alongside the Riese's crew, was impossible to ignore. Knowing that Abigail would likely remain in this cell because she was smarter than Nikolai and made of far sterner stuff than Christina, was at once baffling and typical. Knowing that it was because of Abigail's disposition and her place within the opposing force that she might be executed by the ANF, rather than recruited, was infuriating. It made sense. It made so much sense ... but it made absolutely no sense, and that just made Megumi sick inside.

"I just hope it's not the last time, in a sense," Megumi murmured, alluding to one of the darkest possible outcomes of this incident. She could do nothing to hide her sadness, but she'd stomped her growing anger down far below Abigail's radar. "Would you mind telling me about that? The last time your good intentions were punished." The doctor didn't think the universe was actively punishing anyone, but an abstraction like that wouldn't need clearing up.

---

The next time Brant surfaced, he'd done so at his lower limits, taking a deep breath and letting it out in a boisterous, "Whew!" Leaning back, the telekinetic started to drift aimlessly on his back. This was just what he needed, a new perspective on the water, some semblance of a break from the violence, and a few minutes without thinking about Rosa. And scratch that last one. Brant's body sunk back into the water, leaving only his nose and up still on the surface. Why did I have to let my thoughts go back there ... he thought, knowing full well the reason. Rosa wanted to speak with the captain, who was right over yonder. Yeah that's not happening, Brant decided, not right now. Maybe once it's time to head back. Once all the fun's over ...

[Shin]

Tarquin wasn't sure what to do as Hannah slid down the elevator's wall. Not only had seen a robot display signs of emotion, he'd also apparently broken her as well. The elevator had reached its destination, but an initial tug on Hannah proved to be ineffective. She was deceptively heavy, although it was to be expected considering her constitution. The young boy was struggling to move her at all. He forced his foot forward to prevent the elevator from closing. Would he really be limited by his body? For his size and age, he was at the peak of human ability, but no fourteen year old could move something so heavy. 

That was true, one fourteen year old boy wouldn't be strong enough alone. But that was different when one threw a fully grown Australian into the mix. Tarquin wasn't entirely sure why, but the ship's custodian was stood near the elevator, polishing the buttons that called it. "G'day, my little chum." Bill greeted, giving Tarquin a wave. Peering over at Hannah, Bill gave a wry smile. "An elevator isn't exactly a good place for a sheila, especially if she's a cactus."

Tarquin wasn't exactly familiar with the man's vernacular, but the man was well built enough to aid him. "Uh... thank you." Tarquin replied, unable to understand Bill's response at all. "I require your assistance, Miss Hannah needs to see the Chief Engineer, Avery Wright. Would you be able to aid me in moving her? She's far heavier than I expected."

Bill laughed, stepping forwards and helping Tarquin bring Hannah back to her feet. Slinging her arm over his shoulder, Bill wiped his brow with his free arm. The two of them together could probably ease her forwards, but her lack of compliance and sheer weight she carried made it a cumbersome process. "She's not exactly a feather is she, don't you go telling her that afterwards, squirt or you'll be in for a smarting." Bill warned, almost oblivious to the actuality of the situation. "I've seen buggers blow their chances by mashing their words."

Again, Tarquin struggled to try and comprehend the unhinged janitor. Surely one had to pass some sort of language fluency test before working in the ANF? However, if Juria and Kim were anything to go by, any theoretical test would have to be incredibly easy. However, as they pulled Hannah out from the elevator, it did give him a moment to think. If she were going to see Avery for her "error", then Avery would be the best person to help fix her. He didn't have a clue where she was, but a message would suffice.

Dear Chief Engineer Wright, 
Hannah has encountered unexpected errors and has collapsed. Immediate input would very much be appreciated,
I would like to request your location and arrange a suitable place to meet in order to do so.
Kind Regards, Specialist Herrington.

[Nanami Touko]

Needed

"I see..." It had seemed that his talk had done little to inspire the XO. She seemed quite defeated... The Admiral's dismissal must have struck her harder than he'd expected. He is family for her, after all... To be shot down by your own uncle, I suppose I can understand her feelings. I wouldn't say that I sympathize with them, though. He nodded, giving her a salute.

"If you ever need to talk to anyone, we're all here, ma'am." Don't be afraid to get help for these things. We're not working alone. With that hopefully helped, Tristan returned to his seat, to monitor the refueling.

Diving

Jess watched him come back up with another gasp, smiling to herself. "You'd never really think that any of these pilots were trained to fight and kill, seeing them like this... But, I suppose... When you can't see the face of who you're fighting, it must make it easier, huh... Sometimes I can't even see what I'm firing at. Just coordinates..." Too sobering for relaxation time. She'd been thinking about it ever since joining the ANF, but it never caused her to worry for more than a moment. Maybe she was already desensitized.

"Braaaaaaaaaant!" she called over at him, watching him float there. She gave him a wave, trying to gently usher him over. She did want to talk some, before she lost him to all of this diving...

Repairs Necessary

Hannah was as still as stone as she was lifted and moved, only mumbling "why, why, why, why, why, why," without stop. Her lips weren't even moving, it was just the word repeating itself from her voice box, stuck on loop. Avery or Buck or someone would be needed were they to get her functioning properly again.

Luckily for Tarquin, Avery had set her communicator to beep nice and loud were it urgent. And Hannah was a pretty important keyword for her system. With a loud beep, repeating, Avery was jostled into awakeness, tumbling back from her chair. "Whozza... What's... Wh-Wherezza fire...?" Slowly collecting her still tired self, she snatched the pad, turning off the alarm.

"Who's... H-Hannah? Error? What... Ugh." She shook her head, standing up groggily. She'd gotten some more sleep, but it still wasn't perfect. She could probably manage this, but...

"No use thinkin' 'bout it. Just go get it done..." Stepping out of her hangar and heading for the elevators, she-- "Oh!"

Well, that was fast, and it seemed as though the janitor was there to help. "Alright, gimme the lowdown, what's the ish... Oh, wow, she's real broken ain't she. What's up with the 'why's?" Avery took out a small scanner from one of her jumpsuit's pockets, helping Bill to set her down against the wall. She went about plugging it into the girl, trying to figure out what was... "Holy shit..."

Her entire processor was jammed with continuous thoughts on existence, all trying to push through at once, locking her down. Avery didn't get it at all. Someone tell her somethin'? I don't get why Colony One'd put a thinkin' AI in here iffin she'd overheat over these sortsa questions... "The hell y'all been feedin' this girl? Gonna take a few minutes ta defrag all this... Anyone wanna fill me in while we wait?"

[Ether]

"Not that bad. Like say, remind back home... seem like culture America just different from Korea. Parent, school system, society all expect everyone be best can be. Expect try work toward perfect at everything do, matter of course." Kim began, thinking over the classmates she had while in America, and the differences in their stories compared to her own.

"From what understand of America, not like that here. America very easy on underachieve, say individuality more important progress and self-improve. Easy student coast on barely pass grade, left alone, no incentive get better. Child in Korea bring home report full of Cs, would be ground and failure spread through parents and children, open mock by peers for not be good enough. In America, no one care, so no reason American children study or give effort in school unless personally enjoy." Kim continued, shaking her head a little. It had been one of the hardest things to adjust to, not calling those around her on their myriad mistakes, when she had first gotten to the US.

"A lot classmate at TK program like me in one way. Not expecting be military, scout due to TK, offer big salary to get join up. Actual expect to perform not something used to, many always complain... was used to it, and almost as strict as Sergeant at first... was normal at home to call classmate out if not pulling weight, after all. Call me Crazy Asian bitch... not so fun, that. I think one reason rose to top of class so quickly that was used to expectation, and prepare to exceed. Not care about party and drink much, a lot classmates come to class late Monday, still smell strong of alcohol." Seung-Min noted, leaning back a bit and looking up at the ceiling fan whir about as she divulged her thoughts... no one had really been that interested in hearing about this stuff.

"That main difference can think America and Korea, aside obvious. Food here very different, America use lot grease and oil, seem more concern make thing taste big and notice than about what flavour use. Shock come here, used to keep weight down for stage... never have much trouble with, always active fit, but difficult before knew way around Salt Lake City. Eventually find good market and good restaurant, tough for while though..." Kim concluded, stretching and leaning forward a bit. Christina was still cooking, so she supposed she may as well keep talking. Next up was her time in Korea itself, she supposed...

"If anything, idol work scary more than military. Scout when young, not even teenage at start. Lot of stress for young kid, even more than Korea culture and school... after all, one of ten, maybe twenty girls on squad, producer have millions girls want your place. Very cut throat... slip up one time can be enough lose spot if good prospect recent. Sing, dance, choreograph, keep fitness, model, fan meet, fan sign, fan mail, commercial, tv show, movie, concert..." Kim began, listing off various things that a young idol would need to contend with in her day to day or week to week.

"More ever, most important thing for idol is be perfect. Makeup done right every time, always right weight, never get sick, if get sick never let anyone know. Keep up voice training, miss note during show death of career. Learn usual around five different new song with dance choreograph at time, instructors no patience for mixup between different piece. Leads have even worse, but only go through once... scout for military before single release though. You get into rhythm after while, but cannot get complace, or knocked down. Saw many good young idol not make cut because got too comfort, didn't watch back. Caught by compete girl with boyfriend, picture leak... no one want to be fan 'Used goods' after all, rating plummet, studio drop like rock." Kim recalled, shaking her head again.

"Have keep work and personal separate, and personal have stay secret. Fan don't care who idol really is, only want see stage performance. Anywhere people can see, have to keep performance, even not working. Go to mall buy clothes? Be idol. Go school? Be idol. Can't go dates unless super complicate process keep secret everyone. Basically always idol whenever leave house... safe side, be idol in house unless no window nearby. Tiring. No excuse not keep grade up though. Mom and dad say very clear, see any report below 98 anything, no more idol, no more go out see friend until back to perfect. Just how thing are. Expect be able juggle school and job if taking job, slack either no good at all." Seung-Min recollected, it had been rough, but the memories were still good.

"Life most like that. Never accept less than best, so always best. Start feel odd thing around other people, always knew how feel, always know how react, find out how to change feeling. Not pay much mind to at first, eventually tell some people, think lying. Had no way know at time start develop telekinetic. Continue for while, keep going life, rumour spread a bit around, that a bit strange. ANF recruit must hear at some point, scout for army after concert one day. Still had good amount time left in me be idol if wanted, but is finite. Idol thrive on cute, generate fan, get older, people not interest anymore. Took job with military for more stable future, and that how end up in America. Rest history, really." Kim concluded, looking over at Christina's progress.

 

[Dandragon]

"Alright! Good! Come on!" Elaine clapped her hands together once, then grabbed Makoto's hand and brought him with her towards the labs. There were probably several protocols she was breaking at the moment, but Elaine wasn't exactly thinking straight, far more concerned about not letting the 18 year old civilian she was watching over learn about the recent declaration of war from a group of really powerful terrorists. She didn't think about any restrictions that might be in place for both pilots and anyone that wasn't part of the crew of mechanics on the Heion Riese going into those labs, nor did she think of any trouble she might get into for breaking said restrictions. If she had known about them, then she had forgotten them in this moment of discomfort she was having.

The walk wasn't long, partly because she had been walking at a more quickened pace than usual, practically 'power walking' while dragging Makoto behind her, but when they arrived at the set of doors Elaine released him from her grip and pointed to the door on the left. "In there is the Engineering lab." Then, she pointed to the right. "And in there is the Mechanics lab." She exhaled a large breath she had been keeping in, and looked quickly back and forth, frantically thinking about which one to go in. "You-you know what, let's go into the Mechanics lab first. Tha-that sounds like a great idea!" She stammered. She turned to the right door and knocked on it a couple times. "Hey! Is anyone in there?" She asked, impatiently tapping her foot as she waited for a response before knocking again after a few seconds. "I said 'hey!' Is anyone in there?"

[Sandalphon]

Nikolai cocked his head as he watched the animal curl in his arms as he stroked its back, moving in a suprisingly realistic manner despite it wasn't an actual cat. He gently scratched the fake-cat's chin, elliciting the low rumble of a contented purr, those bright glowing green eyes squinting in glee.

He wondered how it worked, what caused it to move like a real animal despite being so clearly artificial, what laid under the soft grey fur. Was it different to flesh and bone, fluffy and soft like a stuffed animal or hard and mechanical like a machine?

The creature's owner hunched down next to him as he stroked the cat, drawing a mechanical mewl out of it as she stroked his head, speaking quickly in an animated tone as she explained its origns. He nodded slowly, trying digesting the information being given to him at one hundred miles an hour. The long haired woman had apparently created it, a creature of her own design, surprisingly realistic for something made without the reference of the real thing.

"I like him..." Nikolai muttered, trying to avoid her prying eyes. He was slightly intimidated at the prospect of interacting with someone capable enough to create artificial life like this even though she seemed rather friendly and benign, "my name is Nikolai Zielenko... I'm from earth, never seen anything like this there before..."

[Juliette]

"Hooray! Am glad you are liking, since he like you too. Well, Nikolai! Juria will remember that. Reo is friend to you, so that means I am friend to you as well! More friends, yay!" Juria watched the two before Reo crawled onto Nikolai's shoulder, then leapt and sat on her head, his contented purring a lot more realistic than any kinds of mewling. "Silly Reo! Heads not a place to be sitting, even not for small robo kitties. Well, you can still give pats for him, if wanting, Nikolai friend." She placed him onto the floor again, straightening out his tail and rubbing under his chin.