The Praxa system is at the very fringe of Known Space, and shows signs of extensive planetary engineering. Former gas giants have been reduced to their exposed rocky cores, and other planets have been stripped and mined of resources. Praxafallopus itself is a green and blue planet, but hardly natural looking. An equatorial continent spans the globe, with a ring sea to the north and south separating it from large northern and southern continents.
On approach, further engineering becomes apparent: there's a band around the planet at low orbital altitude, about 180 kilometers, that is physically connected to the surface via dozens of spokes. These are grounded in an city that spans the equator itself, and a multi-colored aurora flows between the surface and orbital ring.
"We've been seen," Katie reports from her station. "Vartan communication protocol.. they want to talk to us."
"Is it weird that I know how to talk to gods but when a regular settlement wants to talk to us, I don't really know what to say?" Tasha whispers in to her station and off to Gabriel's, having taken up the typically unused navigation boom mounted station. She isn't actually navigating either, having her display switched to an overview mode that is currently analyzing surface structures. She doesn't like displaying uncertainty infront of the crew, but she's also never had to deal with Galactics beyond Caltrop and the far-flung Beagle IV, at least not as a Khattan or Vartan. The rets had all been as a Titanian, which she found to be very easy. "Well, um, lets see ... "
"I'll take it, Katie. We're just an expensive yacht -- completely harmlesss Khattans, after all!" Tasha switches modes, ready to dazzle, confound, panic or bemuse, depending on how things go.
"This is The Golden Ratio," a Vartan voice announces, "acting port authority for the Praxafallopus Relic Zone. Please state your business, Dark Horse."
Lacci stands on the main bridge deck behind Tasha, but doesn't offer any advice at this point.
"I am Aldara, acting owner of the Dark Horse. We're on a little cruise right now, new crew, seeing the sights. Our Vartan apprentice showed me this very interesting artifact they had, the Flame? And you know what? I wanted to see the world it came from, so here we are. So much history! You'll let us dock, won't you?" Tasha leans back as she talks, eyes closing, hands resting in her lap. She exudes a kind of focused, intentional calm of a person trying hard to sound like they're not interested at all, although it doesn't reach her tone which remains light, friendly, and vaguely but politely affronted by trivial inconvienences. In other words, what she thinks a 'Khattan like her' would act like.
"Follow the course I'm sending you," the voice replies, and information begins appearing on the displays. "This system is dangerous, so do not deviate from the course. You will be met at the dock to receive Green Zone passes."
"No sightseeing," Kaa complains, but follows the course towards the ring.
"Thank you, Golden Ratio. I see that my navigation officer has the data. We'll be inbound shortly. Dark Horse out." Tasha switches communications back to Katherine, then stretches in her seat. "I wonder if anyone ever thinks, "Wow, I bet that ship's on a spooky mission for a sinister goat," or if there's a checklist for that sort of thing."
"But don't worry Kaa, we'll be following their requirements alllll the way until it's clear we can't anymore. Then we go where we have to." Tasha shoulders roll in a shrug. "So we migth end up sight seeing after all. There'll probably be ruins. There are always ruins."
"When my Clan was posted here, we were mostly providing safari security for rich Khattans," Lacci notes. "The Stonecutters are gone, but none of their stuff is. And we can't tell if it's doing exactly what it's supposed to be doing or acting weird."
Tasha turns in her seat, rolling over until her head pops up over the boom's chair top. "So, what did the Stonecutters do, exactly? Or are doing? Is it stones? I bet they cut stones."
"Well.. they sort of used stone," Lacci says, then blinks. "No, I said it wrong. They used sort-of-stone. It's called wellstone."
"Is it a sort of stone that weighs almost nothing, has a distortion around it, and shows up on scans as a black hole where the object is?" The young hybrid asks, head resting on her hands as she lays in her chair backwards. "Does it look more stone-ish if you bring it together with the same material?"
"No.. it looks like stone," Lacci says, giving Tasha a worried look. "But it isn't. It's some kind of programmable matter, we think."
Tasha responds to the look by sticking her tongue out. It's really the only answer she has to being looked at like she's odd and crazy, after all she's possibly both of these things or so off the main line of modern Galactic thinking she might as well be. What she suspects is a pan-universal or at least pan-universe hyperdimensional entity-deity has asked her to dig up a dead body while looking like a giant winged goat, which for some reason Nora's memories thinks is funny or possibly absurd. It's the only answer. "Well programmable matter is better than the other stuff. Anything exciting we should see? I mean, besides tombs. Food? Entertainment? Giant monsters?"
"Port Authority guy said it was dangerous down there," Hakeber notes. "What makes it dangerous?"
"You're ruining the surprise Hake-bear," the ex-Cadet mock-complains.
"Well.. the whole city is made of the stuff.. and the city is the ring and the spokes and the ring on the ground.. and it's sort of.." Lacci tries to explain, then looks around and says, "haunted."
"Oh no. Ghosts. What will we do. We better just go home, Gabriel." Tasha turns to the captain, reaching out and waggling a hand at him. "There are ghosts."
"The bunny gave us magic rings for punching ghosts," Gabriel points out.
"Not ghosts.." Lacci says, her feathers puffing out in embarrassment. "It's just that the city is maybe alive. Or has its own agenda. Or is insane. We don't know. It doesn't register as digital cognizance. But the wilderness areas have huge wellstone constructs and other weirdness."
"I do like punching things," Tasha admits, rolling in her chair until she's facing forward again. "The other bunny will expect me to look respectable when we get down there, you know. I'm going to have to wear coats and be boring. Is there any way I can punch that, too?"
"Looking snazzy is probably good in this case," Katherine says. "You want to look professional. Because rich AND professional means trouble if you upset them."
"Plus it will give Liza something to focus on," Hakeber says. When Liza did finally leave her room during the flight here, she just shuffled around in a bathrobe for the first day.
"Poor Liza," the owner says, sighing and slumping in to her chair. "I've been too busy to sit down and talk with her about these things. I was worried this might happen, but I thoughr we had longer before ... Well, before what happened, happened." Her head shakes, her fingers drum on her armrest and she nods. "Alright, Liza can do what she wants, I'll just smile and look important. You'll have to fawn on me, do what I say. Show respect. It'll be hard for everyone."
"Well.. we aren't all meeting with the Vartans, right?" Shojo asks from the rear of the bridge.
"I sense that someone just volunteered to stand around me and remind the new Vartans other Vartans really like me," Tasha notes, placing a hand to her temple as if she recieved the thought from the ether. "I sense their names are Shojo and Lacci. Kaa will want to come to, and Yue will want to sneak around. I should bring a Terran or two. It's important I show tolerance for the upstarts. The Khattan I am is equananimous and inclusive."
"Plus you want us to distract whatever escorts we end up with?" Katie guesses.
"I sense Katie is very distracting," Tasha adds. Her ears wiggle. "Yue and I will probably by sticking our noses in to scary old tombs. Captain-mate? Woudl you like to take some time off, for once?"
"I don't know," Gabriel says. "Exploring strange new worlds.. I suppose I could give it a try." He winks at Tasha as well.
Tasha winks right back. Her old wolf really does work too hard, she knows he would never take a real vacation unless pushed to do so. "We'll need a few people remaining behind in case we need to run screaming back to the ship and run away from aliens, security, security aliens or something etirely new!"
"Kaa and I can't go too far in our walkers," Moka points out. "The misters can't keep our skin moist for extended periods. But we can operate near the ship."
"Showing off the Phins will be a big show of wealth," Yue notes. "Phin pilots are exorbitantly expensive, and require special permission from the Terragens government."
"Then you are welcome to enjoy yourself around the ship. Just remember, we're here to accomplish something and that might or might not be what the authorities or even the world want us to do. We won't know until I get closer to the location and have some idea about what we're up against and how the powers heer might feel about it." Tasha taps her arm rests again, then nods. "It's nice to know the Terran government thinks so highly of me. Is that your doing, Yue?"
"Oh, these Phins are technically pirates you know," Yue points out. "But the Vartans won't know that. Or that this isn't a Khattan ship. You just have some Terran xenoarchaeology specialists along to help you.. uh.. look official!"
"So.. how much of this world has actually been explored?" Hakeber asks Lacci. "What's a Green Zone?"
"The Green Zone is the part that's been explored and determined to be safe," Lacci says. "So.. one spoke, and a few hundred square kilometers at the top and bottom."
"I forgot how we're all technically some sort of pirate," admits the ship owner, who shrugs her hands out in a very exagerated way. "I guess as a Titanian I can't be beothered to remember these things? Anyway, except for the Phins, everyone decide what you'd like to do and whether you want to relax and distract or come with me. Yue, you don't get a choice because I need you. I'll forward the question to the others, although I expect Liza will wnat to fuss over me until I need to sneak away."
"I should go with you too," Hakeber points out. "But we don't know if the city you want is part of the explored area or not."
"It'll be like the old times, Hake-bear! The, uh, a-few-months-ago old times!" Tasha cackles a laugh, then twists to smile back at her friend. "Besides, that's never stopped us before, right? If we have to, we'll find some other way to get where we're going."
"Will be able to ask soon enough, coming in to port!" Kaa announces, as they pass the massive Command and Control Dreadnought that is The Golden Ratio. The orbital ring is below, several kilometers across and studded with buildings, lakes and parks. "They're sending us to a lake.."
"Everything really is too big, you know. Lacci, your civilizations are just too big." And so Lacci gets a hand waved back at her, mock angry.
"This isn't our civilization," Lacci says defensively. "First Ones liked big stuff!"
"I know I know, I just like blaming you. You get all poofy! It's great." Tasha leans back. Whatever else happens, it's good to be around these people.
The Dark Horse sets down in a lake, alongside a few other ships. Once down, the water moves it towards a stone dock, which extends out to meet it. "We're anchored," Moka declares. "Not sure how. That water isn't really water either, so don't try to drink it."
"Real gravity though at least," Yue says, and secures her station. "I guess we should all put on our best clothes now?"
"Don't drink weird alien water, check." Tasha reaches over and taps the return button, her boom arm retracting until she's back aft, where she pulls herself out of her chair and stands. "Alright! Decide, make choices, figure out if you want tomb-and-gloom or a relaxing stay next to a beautiful lake. Don't decide too quickly, I know it's hard. Yue, make Yue-style plans. Liza should be ready because Liza is always ready, so I am going to my cabin now. Yes, best clothes! If I have to dress up, everyone does. Make them see the Dark Horse isn't to be, uh, truffled with. Triffled? Triffled."
"Trifled," Katie corrects. "Which is a type of dessert, actually. So it's okay if it means they offer us pastry."
"As long as it's a suitably awed pastry," Tasha insists, and then she's gone.
The new uniforms and communication gear were donned with only a few minor hiccups - mainly due to the nature of the spray-on corneal displays, which had to be done one at a time and a few people were uncomfortable with. Jonas elected to remain on the ship for the meet-and-greet, since someone had to look after the Jotoki in case the locals wanted to inspect the ship.
The first thing Tasha noticed on stepping onto the dock was that the air smelled.. wrong. It didn't have any odor at all, really - all she could smell were the people nearby. It was also very quiet. At the far end of the dock, a wheeled ground vehicle with an open back (which reminded Tasha of the 'truck' from Orpheus) was parked, with a few armored Vartans and one dressed in a uniform not too differently styled from their own - that is, looking more civilian than military. That Vartan was older and more lightly built than his escorts.. and also didn't wait for them as he made long strides towards the new arrivals.
Upon spotting who she assumes must be the dockmaster or other similiar functionary -- inspector, tax man, there are hundred variations and careers for dock officials Tasha has met throughout her lifetime and they all seem to be universal -- the young ship owner breaks from her circles of friends and move to stand before them. She doesn't need to call to Gabriel, whom she knows has even more experience in these things than she does, and who can be expected to stand beside her when officials come to call. Just as he has so many times before.
Once Tasha thinks she's in visual range, which is quite far for Vartans, she settles in to the friendly if somewhat meaningless smile she's seen on countless merchants and noteworthies. A smile that says she respects and acknowledge the authority infront of her, does not wish to cause problems for either party, but would also rather be doing something else and that it's not personal. She tries to think what a Khattan representative her age might be doing specifically, but having never met another isn't sure, and supposes whatever mistakes and eccentricity she displays will have to fill in instead.
The old Vartan reaches them before his guards do, and he actually falters a few steps once he actually sees the assortment waiting for him. "Oh.. welcome to Praxafallopus," he finally says, "I'm Dr. Ztathas, the current planetary administrator, and.." He pauses, and leans to one side slightly to look around Tasha.
"Hi Fennes," Yue says and waves. "Shouldn't you be on Tharsis?"
"Still waiting on the rest of my funding, as usual," the Vartan snorts, then blinks and straightens back up. He looks at Tasha, since she's mostly in front, and asks, "Are you Aldara?"
"I see you've found my TerraGens doctor," Tasha notes in a cheery tone that isn't at all faked, She turns around to watch the spectacle, pleased to not be the source of it for once. Her enjoyment promptly ends as business resumes. She stands straighter. "Yes, I am Aldara Tasha Argentine, and the Dark Horse is mine. You've met Dr. Sen, of course, and the big Karnor beside me is Captain Gabriel Akkers, should you need to deal with ship-related matters."
"Should I?" Dr. Ztathas asks. "That is.. I don't generally deal with such. I'm primarily in charge for expeditions." He looks up a bit at Gabriel, and his feathers puff out around his neck slightly. Then he notices Liza, and the Phins, and seems to need a moment to deal with all the differences in scale being represented. "Yes!" he squawks, breaking out of his musing. "Well.. there are local accommodations that I'm assured are safe. At least.. nobody's been eaten by them that I've been told of. And there are few other groups assembling for the surface. There's no flying, if you hadn't heard. The planet doesn't like flying things. So it's ground transport or nothing, I'm afraid. And.. uh.. I assume you're here to poke at things, if Dr. Sen is involved?"
"She does tend to do that, doesn't she? Yes, we'd like to look at tha various ruins and such, perhaps we can discuss that elsewhere? Somewhere more comfortable?" Tasha has noticed wealthy people like to dicuss things 'in comfort', which besides the obvious she understands as 'in private where others can't hear us plot things they may not care for'. "But it's a shame about flying. Well, my Phins will be remaining behind for obvious reasons, but the rest would like to come along, and where would I be without my Liza? Should we follow you?"
"Remaining behind?" the Vartan asks, clearly not aware of the 'obvious reasons' involved. "Oh.. yes.. follow me.. us. To the transport, I mean.." He then turns and heads back, but pauses to look behind and make sure people are actually following.
"Clearly a senior mage," Aaron comments. "They're all like that, when they're sober."
"Their walkers can only provide so much mist, they're aquatic, you know." As Tasha walhs along she has a moment of doubt where she reviews her own words and wonders just who that young woman is that's speaking, because it can't be her. It can't, can it? But follow along she does. "We don't use 'mage' out here, Aaron. He's a scientist or research. Half the studious ones are like that, Hake will probably be like that in ten years. The other ones are Yue."
"That's what senior mages do," Aaron claims. "Research, theory, drinking. Keeps them out of trouble."
"I didn't know I was a senior mage!" Hakeber says with a chuckle.
"Researcher or scientist." Tasha keeps her head up. Liza will be upset if she slumps or slouches, but it makes her feel like some sort of royalty. "I thought you were a dark researcher, Hake-bear."
Kaa and Moka do come along, at least to see where the others are being taken.
"I've been called a dork researcher.." Hakeber claims. Even Yue snorts at that. The transport has two long benches, which are adequate (although the Lapis and Yue let their feet dangle), and the Phins take up the center aisle. They pull away from the lake, and past a statue of a reptilian-looking biped with a toad-like face and tendrils (or tentacles) that flow down from its head like hair. They've gone less than a kilometer before stopping before a large skyscraper, made of stone like everything else, which has an open lower level made up of support pillars. There are vehicles collected here, and other equipment, and at least there are smells that seem familiar.
"So I find it very strange I can't smell anything except the people around me. Does the planet scrub the air that completely? And, what happens to fliers?" Tasha asks Dr. Ztathas as they proceed to disembark, her head swiveling around to try an take in an entire alien world. She's come to realize she's been in such a hurry to get her job done that she often misses the little details, lamenting chances lost only days, weeks, or months after. She's determined not to do that again, but the mission does still take priority. "And are those statues of the 'Stonemakers'?"
"Stonecutters," Dr. Ztathas corrects. "And we haven't located the air scrubbers yet.. we suspect the surfaces of the buildings are cleaning it somehow.."
"How convienent." As one of the first to exit, Tasha steps aside to clear the way, then side steps on over to bend over and peer at the apparent stonework of a nearby column, hands tucked behind her back. "Well, it does very much look like stone, but so many things do. You said there are other expeditions gathering together, can you tell me about them?"
Hakeber perks up once they arrive. The atmosphere here is familiar - it isn't very different from Expedition City, just with better dressed people. But they're clearly scholars, given the way they casually interact. There are Khattans, Silent-Ones, Vartans, Imperials and even a few Confederates. They all seem to cluster around a central area with projections of surface details floating in the air. There's also the smell of alcohol.
"Well.. they're from.. uh.." Ztathas seems to falter, and waves about with one hand. "Everywhere, I suppose. There should be some Terragens in there as well.. I think. The support people are.. somewhere.."
"Well, I'll just ask around then. Do we need to be seen to our quarters, or are we free to interact? And are we required to carry our ID? The 'Green Passes'?" Tasha asks, the young woman straightening after her inspection of the rock, which she can't make heads or tails of anyway.
"Oh.. passes.." Ztathas says. One of the escorts takes over at that point, and hands out bracelets. "If you wander near the edges of the Green Zone the bracelets will sound an alarm and notify us," he explains. "I think each group has claimed a floor of the tower, so.. just take the lift to an empty one and settle in."
"I'll call and we can catch up later, Fennes," Yue promises, then grabs Tasha's hand and starts heading towards the crowd. "I think I see someone I know.." she tells Tasha.
"I see. Thank you." Tasha holds up her arm, peering at the bracelet, then sniffing at it. "I'm sure we won't be any problem." And then she straightens, turning to the others. "Well, I've been inside ship enough to want to walk about. The rest of you caaa--" And then she's being dragged off by Yue, waving back and insisting the others, "know what to do" before quickly leaving earshot.
After they're a bit away, Tasha rubs her arm and gives Yue a scrunched muzzle, wrinkle-nosed look of momentary impatience, which vanishes when she asks, "You do?"
Tasha finds herself being led to.. a hookah. Not the multi-segmented critter sort, but the smoking sort. A pair of Eeee are there, along with a sleeping blue Naga and a red-and-yellow one that is still puffing. Yue, sticks a finger to the back of the Naga's head and says, "This is a raid!" This causes the Naga to choke and start coughing.
Tasha watches this with bemused silence, having become used to Yue's little 'Terranisims' as she likes to think of them. Terrans all seem to have them, which seems to be half of what exasperates the rest of the galaxy about them. She also feels like if she says anything and the Naga gets a look at her and chokes further she may end up explaining why her archaeologist killed another scientist, and she's really rather save that conversation for a Plan B, or preferably, C. Day two at least.
"Ssssensless!" the Naga hisses once it recovers. "I thought you were captured by rebelsss?"
"Nessy!" Yue counters, and pats the serpent on its back. "I thought you were in a Chiroptan prison!"
"He was," one of the Eeee says. He's wearing a silver tunic with dark pants, and has gray fur and hair. "Technically he still is in our custody."
"Tash, this is Nessus.. not his real name.. a specialist in artifact recovery," Yue says by way of introduction. "That is, he's a thief with a diploma."
"Yue is in my custody," Tasha notes, standing a little taller. "But I've been told I grew out of being rebelous when they made me have authority and respectability." She nods her head to the man. "I can see why you two would get along."
"You are one to talk, Sensssless," Nessus says, and looks Tasha up and down. "You are curiousss."
"Hey, I have my own intern now," Yue claims.
"It's one of my best traits," Tasha replies, smiling her best and winningest smile. "I'm Aldara."
"Dr. Farfle," the Eeee introduces himself, and gestures to a free hookah-hose. "And this is my associate, Tholis." The Eeee woman nods in greeting as she's introduced, but doesn't stop smoking.
"I'll show off Hakeber whenever I find her," Yue says, taking a seat on a cushion. She looks to the sleeping Naga, and asks Nessus, "What happened to Cuddles?"
"It's nice to meet you. You're one of the expeditions, then?" Tasha takes a seat on a cushion as well, following Yue's lead, but she doesn't go for the hookah herself. The last time she tried one she ended up asleep in Bumper's lap and missed all the juicy governemental plotting. "Hake will be in her quarters, or eating somewhere, or flirting and eating somewhere."
"Settled down on Sethis," Nessus claims. "This is Finley, as she likesss to call herself. Graduate student with the Institute of the Great Library."
"We are tagging along with one of them," Dr. Farfle says. "We haven't decided which yet."
"Then we're in the same situation, although we've just arrived. Perhaps we'll even host our own expedition, we're still working out the details. I'm sure Dr. Sen has ideas about that." Tasha pulls her legs in towards her chest and laying her head on her hands and knees. "We were rather interested in an artifact, the Flame of This Place, among other things."
"The Varties only want to take one group into the interior, so everyone is still trying to figure out which site to target," Nessus explains. "And who will be brave enough to go."
"How risky are th expeditions? It sounded like some may have been lost," Tasha inquires, ears perking. "I think I once heard about tombs or something? Am I misremembering, Yue?"
"I haven't heard of anything similar to the Flame being found yet," Dr. Farfle notes. "Though at least some of the scholars will be heading to the temple it was found in. Supposedly there's some inscriptions in Galactic Six that show up there from time to time."
"Will the Temple be part of the area covered in the expedition, then?" The hybrid then asks. "We've had some thought that it might be from elsewhere, it'd be interesting to look for other signs that reveal if it was -- or wasn't."
The Eeee points to the floating displays. "The one that looks like a big hole with a six-pointed star suspended in it is the favored spot so for," Farfle notes. "It's in the northern continental jungle. Hard to get to, so pristine so far."
"The temple isss at the base of the spoke," Nessus explains. "Found it early. Easy to get to." He gestures to a structure near the center of the forest of columns, which seems to be a series of cylinders or tubes running from floor to the high ceiling.
And so Tasha lifts her head, studying the display and frowning in thought. Thotep wasn't exactly forthcoming with details except that the destination was hard to reach. For something to be hard to reach for a being like Thotep, she suspects it must be possessed of a mix of conventional difficulty and defenses specific to being like it and its servants. The favored spot, then to the temple, and back again. Based purely on observation, the star seems like it could be part of a warding designed to keep something out -- or in -- and reminds her of magic circles and other such things. The temple doesn't seem to possess obvious traits, but if the artifact was found there and it is from Erebus, then the means it go there may also be present -- and quite possibly in Galactic Six. "Hrrrum," she goes.
While looking at the image, something is tossed into the air near it, only to explode into powder. This is followed by a cheer, and something else being tossed up.. which also bursts into sparkly dust.
Tholis puts her fingers into her ears and grumbles something.
Being a Vartan, both motion and sparkily anything are a source of great distraction for Tasha. Unsurprisingly, she immediately sits up and tracks the explosion, darting to look at each in predictable and birdlike fashion. "Are those part of the expedition?"
"Sonics," Dr. Farfle notes. Yue watches as well now, as a third objects is lobbed skyward, to similarly be burst apart. "It's Kaa showing off with his saser," the human tells Tasha. "He closes his eyes, Moka pings the target and he shoots it based on the echo."
"Kaa, huh." The tone is that of something said that explains everything. The young woman shakes her head, but decides not to interfere. Her crew deserve some time to unwind, after all, and if it's her crew or the locals she's obligated to favor her crew. Her gaze returns to the diagram of the subterranian facility and she asks, "Yue, does the deisgn here stand out to you? The pointed star, I feel like that's significant with what we know, and I don't see anything like it elsewhere. Does the facility have a name, you think? Is it known to be dedicated to anything, or used for any purpose?"
"I think they're calling Shaft Prime," Nessus answers. "There are sseveral shafts that go deep into the planet, but only one of them has a large structure like that. It is the size of a small city."
"Could be Faihias," Yue tells Tasha. "It's an obvious 'look at me' structure, and far from the main population zone. From that view there don't seem to be any roads or other ways to reach it."
"Could be. The design makes me thinking of some kinf of ward, which is interesting. And our man seemed to be unique among the population, so it makes sense his facility would also be unique." Tasha rubs her nose. It's as good a lead as any. "I should have Hake-bear take a look at it and see what she thinks. I really do think how it's built is significant, though."
"Need to find a higher resolution image to examine," Yue notes. "Someone will have one."
"Is there someone around here, or a headquarters for the expeditions we can try?" Tasha asks her archaeologist, turning to look at her now. "We can grab Hake and bring her along to look."
"There's a Research Node near the bar," Nessus offers. "It is the only Library node we know of. If there is one on the planet, it has not been located yet."
"That's interesting." A civilization that may not have been part of the Library network. A rarity, as far as Tasha knows, which also suggests a civilization capable of unique and unusual creations, culture and technologies, not unlike Terrans. "Well, I think we can get Hake to come along at the mention of 'by the bar'. I could use a drink. If she refuses, I'll justpick her up, it's not like she can escape or anything."
"Someone is emptying those bottles that Kaa is sniping," Yue notes. She exchanges comm cards with Farfle and Nessus, then joins Tasha on the way to the bar at the center of everything.
"I never found out if Phins can drink," Tasha asides as they approach the bar. "Did you know I used to be able to drink almost anyone under a table until I blew myself up and got my liver replaced along with a lot of the rest of me?"
"If you have a new liver you should be able to drink more now," Yue reasons. "Vartans have a lot of muscle density. So do Karnors. And Pans. Phins outweigh every warm-blooded sapient except for Vykarins, so should be able to out drink anyone here." The crew does seem clustered together a bit, with the three Karnors and the two Vartans apparently shielding the Lapis - at least, they can't be seen. Kaa and Moka are soaking up most of the attention at least. It's a Silent-One that is throwing the empty bottles into the air.
Tasha pauses before she returns to the group, taking a moment to soak in the view of her crew -- her friends and loved ones -- all gathered together and favoring each other's company despite being on what amounts to a kind of shore leave. The sense of togetherness, of seeing her family become a kind of family to each other as well, warms her heart and wags her tail.
After having her moment the young woman steps forward, feeling that perhaps she has accomplished something more than just rushing about and trying to save the universe. "So, what's good? Hake! Where are you?"
Hakeber is closest to the bar, and already has a squeeze-bottle of something in her hand. "Over here Tasha!" she calls.
Tasha scootches past people to join Hakeber, tugging on Gabriel's tail as she passes behind him to let him know she's back. She leans on to the counter, but is assaulted by thoughts of Liza frowing at her from somewhere nearby and immediately straightens. "So, uh, we found some exploration sites that may or may not be of interest, and we'd like you to use your Hake-sense on them. Dark magic. Ha-ke-now-ledge."
"Oh, you mean the thingy over the big hole?" Hakeber says. "That seems to be the place everyone is interested in. And afraid to go to!" The Karnor then pulls a fourth Karnor that Tasha hadn't noticed into view, an arm around her shoulder. This is one of the 'new' Karnors, and is smaller than Hakeber. Compared to Katie and Gabriel, she seems even more like a Gallah. She has somewhat shaggy, light brown fur and ears that flop to the sides instead of standing upright, and she looks very, very overwhelmed. "Right, Emelia?" Hakeber asks. "Oh, this is Emelia Asimov! She's with Dr. Broom, who is with.. uh.. I forget. Emelia, this is my boss, Ta.. Aldara Tasha!"
The smaller canine has big brown eyes, and mutters, "Pleased to meet you, ma'am."
Tasha barks a laugh at seeing the Hakeber has actually found someone smaller than herself, and shyer. She then sees she's not really helping that shyness any, and so leans back a little and tries not to show any more teeth. "Pleased to meet you too, Emelia. I know Hakeber can seem a bit overwhelming ... " I can't belive I said that. " ... but she's really very nice once you get to know her. She's one of my dear friends, and probably the oldest."
At the mention of Hakeber being overwhelming, the headlocked woman glances quickly to Gabriel and Katherine before nodding. "She is very.. scholarly," Emelia claims.
"Aren't you very scholarly, Miss Asimov? I'm under the impression everyone is very scholarly here, unless they're assigned to some other work, or like myself." Tasha also casts a glance towards Gabriel and Katherine, grinning a little to herself and knowing just how overhwleming those two can be. Emelia is much safer with Hakeber, although perhaps not with her. "Are you with a research team?"
"I'm Dr. Broom's research assistant," the girl notes. "He's.. busy with the.. bunnies.. uh.." She turns her head to indicate the bar, or at least the section being blocked off by the Dark Horse heavies.
"They're very endearing, aren't they?" Tasha might say they're very other things as well, but endearing is by far the most charitable and she's really trying to sound non-threatening here. "Liza is my personal assistant, and Aaron is, well, Aaron is Aaron." She then lifts a hand and gestures to the two Karnors the young woman had indicated. "The biggest Karnor is my mate, Gabriel, and the woman beside him is my girlfriend Miss Katherine Vesuvius. They're Captain and Communications Officer, respectively, and they're very nice although I do know how intimidating they can be."
"They are very intimidating," Emelia agrees. "So are you, Miss Aldara."
"I can be intimidating," Yue claims.
"Yue is more intimidating on the inside," Tasha notes, gesturing to the human woman beside her. "As for me, well, um, you're right. I can be. I mena, I am. I try not to be, not always, but I know how I seem. Liza keeps telling me I need to be quieter, but that hardly seems fair when I'm a Karnor and a Vartan, and we're both intimidating sorts don't you think? Would you like a drink? I'd like a drink."
"The bartender is hiding," Emelia claims nervously, and Hakeber immediately guzzles down the rest of her drink before Tasha can commandeer it. "Dr. Broom shooed him away."
"I think I am probably more intimidating than Dr. Broom. Yue?" Tasha turns to the TerraGens agent, knowing full well her request will be beneath her. "Would you find the bartender and inform him a thirsty Khattan element is wondering where the drinks are?"
"Boost me up over the bar," Yue says in reply.
Tasha glances around, then behind herself, makign sure Liza can't see and then she hunches over and locks her fingers together. "We're professionals," she insists to Emelia.
"You could have just picked me up," Yue points out, but uses the locked fingers as a step to vault herself over the bar. "Oh.. uh.." she says. "The bartender is a Silent-One and he's curled up in the corner.. Oh, there you guys are.. what the hell are you doing?"
"Everyone duck!" Aaron calls out from somewhere behind the bar, and there's a sudden hiss and a blast of steam shoots up towards the ceiling.
Tasha looks back and smiles at Emelia. "Yue can handle things, we'll hve our drinks soon, yes?" She winks, then turns and lifts herself on to a stool, sitting down and getting comfortable, leaning partly against the bar and hoping she'll get away with it. "Hakeber, Yue and I are very interested in the local ruins, and have been ever since my friend Lacci -- a Vartan -- showed us her Clan's Flame. An, um, associate of mine mentioned some, well, old research that suggested there might be a tomb of someone named Faihias, and he sounds rather interesting, so why not? The city-si--" The young woman ducks with sudden speed, eyes wide and more than a little feral, filled with the echo of unrealized danger. She blinks, frowns, and then shakes her head and then the expression is gone. "What was I saying..?"
"Hand me that rag," a different voice says, before there is a good bit of swearing.. some of the terms are even unfamiliar to Tasha! "You were talking about a tomb," Emelia prompts. Despite her apparent skittishness, the steam eruption doesn't seem to bother her.
"A tomb." Tasha settles back in her seat, wondering where the drinks are and how soon she might have one. Wondering at how close to the edge she really is, despite what she believed. She tries to push it from her mind and mostly succeeds. "A tomb of a being called Faihias, who seemed to have a special place in his society. We think he might be connected to the Flame somehow, but it's all speculation right now, so why not take a look? What do you think, Miss Emelia?"
"It's not up to me, Miss Aldara," Emelia apologizes. "You need to talk to Dr. Broom," she explains. "He's.. the one swearing.."
"Of course he is. Well, I'm going to need a drink. Two drinks, I think. Bartender Sen?" Tasha spins her stool to face the counter. "You're a sneaky sort, what can I use to win over Dr. Broom and not have him hate me and my crew forevermore?"
"What?" Yue asks, from the same vicinity. Once Tasha looks, she sees Yue and Aaron holding various tools - most of which seem to be wrenches of some sort, while Liza sits on top of the bar clutching a silver canister. They're apparently helping Dr. Broom, who is adjusting a series of valves on something that may have once been a still. He's using both hands and one foot to do it, since Dr. Broom is a Pan - shorter, hairier and considerably stronger cousin of humans. "There.. that's got it! The canister, quickly now!" he says, reaching back towards Liza, who places the can into the waiting hand. There's more steam, and a grinding noise.. and then a gurgling sound. "Yes! Yes! I knew it could be done!"
"That's not the sort of cursing and situation I was expecting at all," Tasha admits to Hakeber, sounding somewhere between bemused and disappointed. "But it's better. It's better, isn't it, Hake?"
"Well, that depends on how well we can hold back the mob now," Hakeber claims, as the machine begins to emit a familiar smell. Coffee.
"Well we are intimdating," Tasha notes, but she also sees that real alcohol isn't forthcoming. So, rather than wait and seeing Liza is distracted, she pulls herself up on to the bar counter and drops over to the other side. "Well, isn't this nostalgic? Lets see ... "
Nothing looks familiar. There aren't even glasses, just different sized glass beakers with odd notations on them, and bottles, barrels and other containers filled with unknown liquids. Some of them have cold mist falling from their sides. The bartender is still apparently traumatized by the mad ape and rabbits that took over. Everything looks cobbled together from things that generally aren't found in a bar.
"I am very disappointed by what I see, Hake. Very disappointed." Tasha hunkers down so she's on the same level as the Silent-Ones head, then she Signs, "I am Winged-Gift, Honorary Knight by Archon declaration, Titan pilot. I am very thristy and want alcohol. I cannot work these machines. Face your fears and serve me."
The feline uncurls finally when it's clear Tasha isn't going to leave him alone. He manages to get to his feet and brushes down his apron. It's not a proper bartending apron either, but a lab apron. Tasha probably looks extra terrifying with the coffee machine billowing steam behind her. "What would you like?" he signs, which his glove speaks in the same dull monotone that every other speaking glove uses.
Tasha's muzzle splits in to a toothy grin. "What'cha got?"
Eventually, Tasha does learn what everything is behind the bar, and also how to make alcoholic coffee drinks. There is a rush, if not a mob, but as long as she gets a supply of her own alcohol it doesn't bother her. She's never had anything like some of the concoctions, which sometimes have little balls of pudding in them, or consist of something not quite liquid, and everything involves some sort of chemistry lesson. But the alcohol itself is the purest imaginable. After an hour, everyone is really happy. The Phins have returned to Dark Horse, and Tasha is handed something with coffee, ice and whatever Dr. Broom poured from a flask he keeps in his jumpsuit. It's very buzzy, whatever it is.
"Yes, yes, Shaft Prime.. or was it Prime Shaft?" Dr. Broom mutters. "Only interesting thing to go to. Oh, there's the giant city that circles the whole planet, but it's a city. All properly interesting sites are in the middle of jungles, don't you know.."
"Cities are cities," Tasha grees in a mild tone. Her ears have settled back against her head as if they'd realized how tiring years of being upright were and have decided to take a vacation, and she can't make them go back up. Can't just can't muster the mental energy. That would be work. So instead she leans back against the bar, drink in her hands, smile on her face, elbow keeping her mostly upright. "Sooo, we think maybe it's a tomb. A tomb. Someone named Faihias. Important sort, or, uh, at least eccentric. Interesting, at least? Yes, and then there's the Flame ... Not local, maybe Faihias brought it, maybe not?"
"Faihias is the name of a city," Dr. Broom points out, raising one long, leathery finger. "Uh.. Fessus. Fessus would be the one entombed. I think." He knocks on the side of his head a few times. "Yes.. Fessus of Faihias. Wrong mythology though. Wrong planet. But you never know, eh?"
Liza taps on Tasha's leg, to let her know, "We've claimed the sixth floor of the tower."
"Nessus and Fessus at Faihias?" That requires another sip, which Tasha obliges herself. She smiles a little more for it and wonders why she ever stopped in the first place. Something about respectability and responsibility, no doubt. "Well, yes, that man. Fessus. The translation I saw described him as a wizard, but it's not clear what that means, or even what he did exactly. The city itself is strange too, isn't it? Located above one of the shafts, with a strange design I don't see repeated elsewhere." The young woman pauses at the taps, leans over to listen, and then nods. She taps Liza back with her hoof and says, "Thank you, Liza."
"There were four cities, and four sages, or wizards or whatever," Dr. Broom says. "They were.. uh, in the north. The.. someones.. got kicked out of Ireland I think. There weren't many of them. They went to the cities, and the sages taught them how to be gods, and they went back and settled Ireland. Everyone wanted that place for some reason. But the myth is one of those archetypical ones, you know. Hard to find city or location, amazing person with special knowledge that will change your life, or your world or civilization or what-have-you."
"I know the type," Tasha admits, somehow both lazily and full of knowing. She swirls her glass, gazing in to it a moment, then looks up. "I'd like to see this fabeled city, its wizard and its would-be gods. I feel there must be something amazing there. My ... associate seems to think so, and I don't like disappoint him." Which isn't exactly true, she both needs to pay the fee and doesn't want to find out what happens if he feels greatly disappointed.
"Well, we just need to find out how many of us the Vartans will take," Dr. Broom says. "I hear they have Titans and everything down there for protection. They don't trust the landscape apparently. Hoo hoo hoo! Birds afraid of the dirt. That's not ominous. What was your name again?"
"Aldara Tasha Argentine." Tasha pronounces the syllables of her last name with alchohol-assisted emphasis, raising her glass slightly in a toast of greeting at providing her name. "I have my own Titan, I'm sure I can secure my own place by assisting with security. I'll want Dr. Yue Sen as well, and Miss Hakeber."
"Zantar Broom," the Pan says, offering his hand to Tasha. "And I have... uh.. Emelia! Yes, that's her name. Good girl. Can't make a decent cup of coffee, but that's pretty low priority. She's a wonderful archivist. There'll probably be a bit of a scrum in the morning - anyone who can travel light will probably be favored for the expedition."
Tasha removes her Karnor hand from her drink, chosing it over her Vartan hand as she shakes the Pin's. "It's good to meet you. I have a Titan, but I don't need much, however I may look. The others can make do, as well. Emelia seems very nice, and I don't see any problems between our groups, I think your assistant my Hakeber have already become friends."
"Your servants were a big help getting the samovar working," Zantar claims and winks. "Now.. this planet has a 36-hour rotation, which is hell on my sleep cycle. And I have no idea when morning will come. Didn't set my chrono. So I'm going to bed. I hope someone knows how to make a decent breakfast.."
"If they don't, come see us on floor 6 and I'll see if my Liza can't fix something for you and your assistant." There's a saying Gabriel mentioned about men, their hearts, and stomaches, but while Tasha can't remember what it is she's never met anyone who felt worse abot another person for offering them an excellent meal. "For me, I think I'm going to sit here and enjoy the sun, my drink, and the water. The ... not-water. Maybe my Gabriel will come sit with me, we haven't had a vacation together in a while."
"There are better resorts than an uninhabited world full of living buildings, trust me," Dr. Broom says, then trundles off towards the tubes.
"If only we had the time." And yet Tasha makes a note to some day see that she and her crew go to those resorts. Finding the Ogdru-hem and dealing with the Ogdoad will be a long road, she thinks there must be time to rest along it. Her experience with Liza's reaction only showed her how much rest and recovery are a needed part of her plans, as much as restocking and repair. There must be time. "Good night, Doctor. We'll see you in the morning."