[Game] [IC] Into the Black

[Ellain]

Rowan- just outside the Bridge

Rowan poked her head into the bridge. "You called, Captain? We just finished settling our passengers and their gear."

[Exile]

Zhan - Bridge of the Deucalion

"With all due respect, I understand your concern Aidan, but I did not find any truly concrete evidence of imminent danger and I am not one to go chasing phantoms as you well know." the Captain continues addressing his subordinate in an attempt to show empathy before donning a wry grin, "If it would please you, should any trouble come from our guest Mr. Lerga I will gladly give you permission to say 'I told you so.' Until then I believe I have an announcement to make to our passengers. Anyone seen Number 1?"

[Chanlin]

Tucker - Bridge of the Deucalion

For his part, Tucker stays on the Bridge of the ship not interacting with any of the passengers until the ship is on its way and he can kick over the ship to Autopilot. He sticks around on the bridge reading a book for roughly 30 minutes before he is satisfied that he can safely let the ship fly itself.

[Tyg3rW01f]

Aidan "Wolf" McCuan -- at his work station on the bridge

"Aye've a bad faylin aboat this trip..." The lanky, suspicious Celt puffed his e-pipe almost furiously until they hit The Black. "Don' liket one bi'."

[Jay 2K Winger]

South Docks Entrance - Zhan, Rowan, Mando + Syman Lerga

The old man beams happily at this proclamation and shakes the captain's hand. "Thanking you muchly, Capitan Coook," Mr. Lerga says. "I will be seeing you coming the morning, yah? Buon voyages, yes." He mangles the pronunciation on the saying, but then again, he tends to do that on a lot of words.

Following the meeting - Back at the Deucalion

Once the captain and his squad finish their meeting and return to the Deucalion, there's little more to say about that evening. Dinner comes and goes (if it hasn't already) and what checks need to be made before lights out go without undue fuss. The local constabulary does blip off a quick missive thanking the crew for their cooperation in getting Ricky Kellins some more help with his problems and addictions, but it's boilerplate stuff and nothing that will prevent them from leaving in the morning.

In the morning, Franklin Brisket shows up with his workers-- Bill Weyland the metalworker, Nick Gilchrist the laborer, and Henry Blevins the accountant-- to see them off. They each have two or three trunks or large duffels of luggage, as one might when shipping off to another world for work. Brisket is, as usual, smoking two cigarettes at once, and is giving Syman Lerga a studious look of his own. For his part, Mr. Lerga is smiling his gormless smile back at the man.

[Exile]

Zhan with Rowan and Mando - South Docks Entrance

After the brief interview, having seen no real reason to do otherwise, he smiles thinking of Wolf's imminent reaction to the new passenger and says warmly, "Well Mr. Lerga I'd like to welcome you aboard the Deucalion. It will be a pleasure, and we leave in the morning. Now if you'll pardon me..." he offers his hand to the bussinessman to seal the deal and continues, "we do have final preparations to attend to so you'll have to pardon us for rushing off."

[Jay 2K Winger]

Meeting with Syman Lerga - Zhan, Rowan, Mando

Mr. Lerga answers happily enough. No, he's not allergic to molded protein. Yes, he's traveled offworld, he was conscripted into Alliance military service during the War and is originally from Aesir. No, just two trunks of personal belongings. Of course, he's fine being in close quarters with other passengers, it is to be expected on these sorts of journeys. In case of emergency, please to be contacting his nephew, Pyotr Rusev, on New Melbourne. He has no particular rush, so other stops are perfectly reasonable, yes.

The old man gives no sign of annoyance at all of the questions that the captain asks him, blithely answering any additional ones that need answering as well. Even that steady, studious, discerning gaze is accepted with hardly the bat of an eyelid.

[Exile]

Zhan - Docks

"I just happen to be a bit of an Earth-That-Was history enthusiast, but all that is past now I suppose. You're right though, I do have a few questions. . ." he responds (quicker than I do irl!) and continues asking the following...

Are you allergic to molded protein?

Have you ever travelled offworld?

Do you have any special cargo needs?

Are you ok with being in close quarters with other guests?

In case of emergency is there anyone you would like us to contact?

Are you needing direct travel or are other stops reasonable?

Cook will be paying close attention to responses looking for any sort of irregularities as a precautionary measure but is really only screening to shut Aidan up when he almost inevitably welcomes Lerga aboard in spite of the hacker's protests and theories. This does not however sway his discerning gaze. Better safe than sorry in his mind.

[Jay 2K Winger]

Docks Southern Entrance - Zhan, Mando, Rowan + Syman Lerga

The older man clicks his tongue and shrugs as he sits back down. "Could be maybe some of both, yah? Family and relatives were, eh, not so clear on which, and besiding which, this is not Earth-That-Was, no? I am thinking it being more of Serbian than Croat," he shrugs again, "but people are understanding of what I am saying most times, so what matters about it?"

Now Mr. Lerga claps his hands together. "So! You wanting to meet with me before deciding if whether to be taking me on your ship, no? You must be having questions to ask me. Asking away, Capitan Coook."

[Exile]

Zhan with Mando and Rowan - Docks Southern Entrance

Zhan sits down with and open and warm smile saying, "No actually, I was just trying to figure out the origin of that accent. Do I detect Earth-That-Was Croatian, or is that Serbian?" as he slides into his seat.

[Tyg3rW01f]

Wolf and Tucker -- Arrival at the Duecaleon

Wolf looked about the ship's exterior, noted Mando's absence. Hm. Well then. Excusing himself, the lanky Celt went to his quarters and retrieved his smoking supplies and his vaping kit. Outside, he found himself a good spot and began working on his kits.
"Oh blost! No' again!" Colt groaned. Once again, he'd grabbed the drained battery for his e-pipe. Oh well, he was outside and the self-appointed dock-guard. O2 was free out here. He lit up and exhaled a fragrant cloud of carcinogens into the planet-side air.
Wish you could be here with me, Aghra,((beloved)) he thought, cradling the pipe in his fingers.

[Jay 2K Winger]

Docks Southern Entrance - Zhan, Rowan, Mando + Syman Lerga

The captain's attempt at imitating Mr. Lerga's unique grasp of grammar does not go unnoticed, but the old man just chuckles and taps his palm against the table, as if applauding, before rising.

"Ah, you are making joke, yah? I am always having ... eh, trouble with English." He nods his head as he then stands straight, clicks his heels and bows slightly at the waist, even raising a hand as if doffing a hat. "My name is Syman Lerga, yes. I am be looking for transportation to in the Red Sun System, to New Melbourne." He spreads his hands. "Not so much in way of luggage, two trunks worth, not even forty kilo between them."

Mr. Lerga does look at Rowan and Mando for a moment or two, seeming aware that the good captain has gone out with bodyguards. Mando, given he's openly carrying, gets a look or two from the guards, but the stoic "public relations" man doesn't even look at them. "We can be to doing business, yah?" Mr. Lerga asks, hopefully.

[Exile]

Zhan - Docks South Entrance

"I am Captain Cook of the Deucalion, I am to beassuming you are Lerga yes? My companions are Rowan and Mando." gesturing to the appropriate individual as he introduces.

"I do not mean to interupt you festivities but I am to understand you are needing passage, no?"

[Jay 2K Winger]

Haller Landing - Docks South Entrance Guard Post - Zhan, Rowan, Mando

When the captain and his two cohorts reach the guard post, the daylight is getting low. The guard post has one large building, serving as a small barracks for the local constabulary, with the offices/cells/etc. that go with that sort of thing. But it also has a wide open area in front of it, which during the day serves as a muster area for squads or patrols.

By this time of evening, it's relatively empty. There are a couple of tables set up under projected eaves from the building, and the whole thing is well-lit. The offices inside are buzzing with a changing shift, and there are a couple of officers leaned against the wall by the main entrance to the guard post.

Sitting at one of those aforementioned tables is an older man in a natty, if out-of-fashion, suit, complete with a cravate that went out of style ... well, to say it went out of style implies it was ever in style. His gray hair is balding and he sports a full, but trimmed beard. He is smiling gormlessly as he chats with one of the officers.

As Zhan, Rowan, and Mando approach, they'd hear the tail end of some story the old man is telling. Zhan would recognize the accent straight away.

"...so the jockey with one leg saying to the girl, 'Do not be worrying about me, sweetheart, I ride to side-saddle!" Syman Lerga says. The officer to whom he is telling this story immediately erupts into laughter, and even his fellow starts chuckling, trying to keep his composure.

Then the old man sees the approaching group and sits up a little more. "Ah! You are being from the Deucalion, yah?" (He mangles the pronunciation as 'Doo-ey-call-eye-on.') He looks between the three quizzically, "Capitan Coook is which?"

[Exile]

Zhan - Outside Deucalion

"Good. By the docks, we have not scout out a nice safe localle and we don't have a lot of time to do so. Let's get moving."