TUELLER: “Is your old boyfriend going to talk to you more?”
TUELLER: “Or should we just worry about getting the fuck out of here and figuring it out from not-mortal-peril distance away?”
MILLICENT: “For his amusement, I think.”
MILLICENT: “Here’s my current theory: the AI Collective need sentients to go through the relays.”
ALEJO: “Answers are going to be harder to come by from not-mortal-peril distance.”
TUELLER: “Mortal. Peril.”
TUELLER: “Damn. When did I become the cautious one?”
ALEJO: “We’ve all died like two dozen times, apparently.” He shrugs. “But I see your point.”
STORY: Nikau Manaaki, the second one you’ve seen today, sits down at one end of a long, curved couch near a coffee table and gestures for the two of you to do the same. He wears a trimly cut blue sweater, work slacks, and the same black shoes everyone onboard is issued. The other Nikau Manaaki sleeps in his chair, knocked out by Alejo.
ALEJO: Alejo glances at Millie, frowns, and moves cautiously to the chair. He pointedly keeps the pistol.
MILLICENT: Millie sits and looks pointedly at the tea pot.
STORY: Manaaki looks at her a long time. “You want me to ask someone to come in here, see what’s going on in here, and make tea? Do you understand what will happen to that person?”
MILLICENT: “Oh I didn’t realize you were beyond making tea yourself. Forgive me if I’m coming off as snappish, I slept in a vent.”
STORY: “Sit down.” He isn’t happy.
MILLICENT: Millie is sitting.
STORY: “We’re not having tea. I already have to execute Hannigan because of your fucking games today. Now tell me what you’re doing here and what is going on before this gets worse for you.”
MILLICENT: “I found your notes, I realized that these relays were manned. A couple of years ago I stumbled across one of the destination planets for your creations. I put two and two together.”
STORY: “Creations?”
STORY: “And why would you have access to my notes?”
MILLICENT: “Also this man next to me is fast enough to get to you before you press an alarm button, so, just keep that in mind.”
MILLICENT: “I stole them.”
MILLICENT: “They’re pieces of history these days.”
ALEJO: Alejo’s eyes widen. “You’ve obviously not been around the Doc in a while. You are so going to get your ass handed to you.” Alejo mutters this as he watches this exchange.
TUELLER: Tueller continues searching for Millie in the vents on a different floor.
STORY: “History. I see.”
STORY: He shakes his head. “I would have thought I’d live longer.”
MILLICENT: “You.” Millie pauses, softens. “You ended your own life, Nikau.”
STORY: “Mm.” He rubs his chin.
STORY: “Why are you here?”
MILLICENT: “I don’t believe you could live with it any longer.”
MILLICENT: “I’m surprised this version has.”
STORY: “I don’t care about that. Why are you here?”
MILLICENT: “That’s my question for you. What could you possibly be getting out of this arrangement?”
MILLICENT: “How are you okay with all of this?”
STORY: “Answer my question, Millie, or I’ll find a room to lock you in you can’t break out of.”
MILLICENT: “Did you miss the immediate danger you, this you, is in?”
STORY: “Don’t be ridiculous, if you were going to kill me you’d have done it.”
ALEJO: Alejo checks the gun, calmly.
STORY: It’s high tech, Alejo.
STORY: Lasery.
MILLICENT: “Nikau, please. Let’s not do this the ugly way. Why are you doing this?”
STORY: He stands. “Answer me now. This is the last time I’ll ask. Why are you here?”
MILLICENT: “Alejo, sit Dr. Manaaki down, please.”
ALEJO: Alejo stands and grabs Manaaki, pushing him back to the chair.
STORY: “You understand, Mr. Soto, that literally everyone on this base works for me, including the thirty-five security personnel? Why on earth would you risk your life like this?”
ALEJO: “Seems like I’ve died before. Besides, unlike you, I’ve figured out precisely where I stand.” He stands behind and to the side of Manaaki’s chair. “Question is, are you going to start even remotely playing nice, or are we just going to blow a lot of your shit up. I promise, before you kill me, I’ll cause your little experiment a lot of damage.”
STORY: “You have no idea what you’re talking about.” He stands again, and walks to the door he came from.
ALEJO: Alejo doesn’t let him leave. “Doc. Answer his question, please.”
MILLICENT: “I came to stop you, Nikau. What you’re doing is wrong. You’ve made an atrocity machine.”
STORY: How does Alejo stop him?
ALEJO: He moves in front of him. If necessary, he will use force.
STORY: Manaaki stares you down, Alejo. “One shout from me and you and your friend are both dead. Why play with your life.”
ALEJO: But he won’t unless he absolutely has to do so.
ALEJO: “You could have killed us by now too. It feels like you want something. The Doc just answered your question. Shall we continue the chat you asked us to start?” He gestures back to the table and chairs.
ALEJO: “I feel like this could be a lot more . . . well, less adversarial.” He takes a deep breath and smiles, continuing to gesture.
STORY: “Oh, I don’t want anything from you,” Manaaki sneers at you. “I was trying to gauge Millie’s willingness to be read in.”
STORY: “I got my answer.”
STORY: Manaaki finishes moving to the door he came through and steps out of the room.
TUELLER: “Doc, any further idea where I can find you?” Tueller comes in on the comms.
STORY: Tueller! Your partner comes to you and lets you know the all clear has been called, prisoner found.
STORY: You’re off duty for now.
STORY: “But stay awake for a bit, sometimes they call us back.”
TUELLER: “Gotcha. Any further news on the prisoner, or is that not the type of question I should ask, sir?”
STORY: He shrugs. “Sometimes we find out, sometimes we don’t. Have a good night, man.”
TUELLER: “You too, sir.”
TUELLER: Tueller wanders the halls, looking for anything that it looks like it might be guarded.
MILLICENT: Millie doesn’t answer Tueller.
MILLICENT: She does follow Nikau out of the room
TUELLER: Looking for guards at doors and such. Waiting until isolated to check in with Millie.
TUELLER: “Tell me what’s up, Doc.”
TUELLER: “What can I do?”
STORY: The door closes behind him, Millie, and locks. Nowhere to follow.
TUELLER: Urgent whispers.
MILLICENT: Whispered, “Director’s office, he’s locked me and Alejo in.”
MILLICENT: Millie heads to the terminal and starts hacking into it.
MILLICENT: “That is not the same man I knew.”
TUELLER: “Oh god.”
MILLICENT: “What could they have done to him?”
TUELLER: “Any idea when he diverged?”
MILLICENT: “There are TWO of him”
TUELLER: “Different eras?”
MILLICENT: I guess she kept the channel open so Tueller and Alejo both got that
ALEJO: Alejo ties up the other Director, using his belt to bind his hands.
MILLICENT: “They look to be the same ago, don’t they?”
STORY: Alejo, when you do so you awaken him, and he stirs, opening his eyes.
STORY: He looks at you unhappily, not speaking.
ALEJO: “Morning sunshine.”
TUELLER: “What level is the Director’s office on? I’m coming for you.”
MILLICENT: Anything on that computer hacking or
MILLICENT: Over her shoulder to Alejo, “Any idea what level we’re on?”
STORY: He’s looking at you, Millie. Do you continue to try?
ALEJO: “What level are we on? How many guards are there on this station?”
ALEJO: Alejo tightens the belt around his hands.
MILLICENT: Millie waves. “Here’s the thing. You’re both acting like there’s some big piece of information I’m missing. You’re not acting like the Nikau I knew. BUT you are acting like I ought to know what it is. You’ve been working on your Big Scary Man vibe. So if you fill me in, maybe we could get on the same page.”
MILLICENT: “What do you say?”
STORY: “A physical threat? Oh no, please don’t,” Manaaki says sarcastically.
STORY: Manaaki levels his eyes at you, Millie, then looks back at Alejo.
STORY: “Secure your ape and I’ll speak to you as much as you like, Dr. Breedlove.”
ALEJO: “We’re on level four. But we’re in a part of the station I don’t know well.” Alejo steps back, not responding to the insult. He let’s Millie get closer, if she wants to do so.
MILLICENT: “There. You’re tied up because the last you ran away after the threat of some light conversation. Now, will you please tell me why you’re doing this? What are you hoping to accomplish?”
STORY: “‘There’?”
ALEJO: Alejo keeps a watchful eye on the doors, and he checks the gun again, curiously examining it.
STORY: “Untie me, let security remove this man from our presence, and we can talk. I see no reason to cooperate otherwise.”
MILLICENT: Millie groans and looks at the ceiling.
MILLICENT: “You can talk to me or I can hack your computer. Dealer’s choice.”
STORY: “You won’t succeed.”
STORY: “I’ll give you one for free, Millie. It’s not my computer.”
STORY: “Which is why I know you won’t succeed.”
MILLICENT: “And whose computer is it?”
STORY: He waggles a finger at you.
STORY: “When we’re alone.”
TUELLER: “Doc?” Comms.
MILLICENT: Millie hides her next line into a groan spin away from Nikau, whispered to Tueller, “Level 4.”
TUELLER: Tueller heads towards level 4, which he’s already searched much of last session.
TUELLER: “Coming.”
ALEJO: “Your double didn’t seem to have much interest in negotiating or talking, so why should we trust that you will?” Alejo says this to cover Millie’s covert communication.
MILLICENT: She spins back. “You tell me why you don’t fear physical pain anymore and why you’re acting why you’ve already won and I’ll consider it.”
MILLICENT: “You still haven’t given me any reason to believe you’ll actually open up once you’re unti-yes, thank you.”
STORY: “Torture isn’t a reliable information gathering technique, surely your spy knows that.”
STORY: “And death? What have I to fear from death?”
STORY: He pointedly does not answer Alejo.
MILLICENT: “Okay, but if I go poking around in your AI Collective computer and I send some sensitive data to some journalists in the Sol system, I imagine your free new bodies will dry up pretty quick, am I right?”
STORY: “That’s quite an ‘if’, Millie.”
STORY: “Tell you what. Take your time. Try to get in. I’ll wait.”
MILLICENT: “What’s your other going to do in the meantime?”
STORY: Tueller, let’s have Assessment + Mettle to see if you can find the office
TUELLER: /roll 2d6+1
STORY: chris.stuart rolled 6 + 1 = 7
STORY: You’re pretty sure you can guess which one it is – it’s the one with two guards out front that they waved you off of searching!
STORY: “I’ve no idea, he’s his own man.”
TUELLER: “Found a door on 4 with two guards–only door I’ve ever seen guarded. I think I found you.” Comms
MILLICENT: “I see. Well, enjoy your stay.”
ALEJO: “So, you do have something to fear from dying. He’s not actually you. Well, you you.”
TUELLER: Comms: “Around a corner. Say the word and I’m coming for you.”
MILLICENT: Millie turns around again and starts talking mad computer language, apparently to herself. She’s trying to hack the terminal and indicate a message to Tueller, “Interesting it’s a computer jargon computer jargon hang on computer jargon computer jargon I’m trying something”
MILLICENT: Italics mean I’m sending to Tueller
STORY: Millie has to press a button on her neck to transmit. Is she doing this?
MILLICENT: While scratching, worrying at her hair, etc. Very covert
STORY: FA + Mettle please
ALEJO: Alejo steps roughly between the Director and Millie, just looking at him flatly.
MILLICENT: /roll 2d6 + 1
STORY: josh rolled 6 + 1 = 7
STORY: Okay, he doesn’t seem to notice. Alejo, he’s watching Millie around you.
STORY: Millie is trying to hack the computer now?
TUELLER: Comms: “Ok.”
MILLICENT: Yes!
STORY: Okay! You fail.
MILLICENT: Okay! Do I learn anything?
STORY: This isn’t a computer, it’s an AI interface. There’s someone in there, stopping you, and they’re about a billion times faster and smarter than you.
MILLICENT: aha
MILLICENT: Millie turns. “I’ve done it. I hacked it. Your station now belongs to me.”
STORY: Manaaki laughs. “Oh, I forgot about your humor. I have missed you, Millie.”
MILLICENT: “You know, you could have just told me it was an AI interface. When did you get so bloody-mindedly unhelpful?”
MILLICENT: “You used to be unhelpful, of course, but it was usually due to inattention or absentmindedness.”
STORY: “When you broke into my facility and threatened to send humanity back to the stone age, you ungrateful child.”
ALEJO: “Can I just shoot this guy already?” Alejo steps back and moves closer to the main door.
MILLICENT: Millie laughs. “Oh that’s right, I forgot you were always a bit of a pompous ass.”
MILLICENT: “It’s helpful to see this side of you!”
MILLICENT: “Okay, go on. Convince me. Pitch me on how making all these people for the Collective’s experiments is for the good of humanity.”
MILLICENT: “Seriously, I’m listening.”
STORY: “I will.” He looks at Alejo, then back at Millie.
ALEJO: Alejo rolls his eyes.
MILLICENT: “You’ve got to pitch him too, I’m afraid. See, if he leaves this room he might be killed by your other and you can see why we can’t allow that.”
MILLICENT: “So.”
STORY: “Then you’ll have to kill me, and guarantee your own deaths in the doing.”
MILLICENT: “Ugh. God, you’re boring.”
MILLICENT: “Fine, why can’t you speak in front of Alejo here?”
STORY: “Because I would have to kill him afterwards.”
ALEJO: “And if I leave now? You wouldn’t?”
ALEJO: “You don’t have a history, so long as I’ve been on this place, of being very forgiving of even minor . . . infractions. How do I know you won’t kill me anyway?”
STORY: “If you leave now, there’s a chance you survive. That’s my offer.”
MILLICENT: To Alejo, “Sidebar?”
ALEJO: “Guy’s such a charmer. How can I possibly turn down that wonderful offer.” Alejo nods and walks to the side with her.
ALEJO: He hands her the gun. “I think I go. It seems like the only way we’re getting any answers.”
ALEJO: He whispers this. “Tueller’s here, yeah? He can swoop in and get you if this goes south.”
MILLICENT: We’re whispering. “I think you’re right. Yes, he’s outside waiting.”
MILLICENT: “Be safe, Alejo. I’ll do my best to keep you that way.”
ALEJO: He is still holding the gun out for her. “I know.” He looks at her for a long moment and then smiles. “You too.”
MILLICENT: She squeezes his elbow and looks like she wants to do more, but she glances over his shoulder at Nikau.
MILLICENT: She takes the gun.
ALEJO: He nods, turns, and walks out the main door with his hands up.
STORY: Tueller, Alejo comes out of the door with his hands up. You hear from inside, “Hannigan, please take Mr. Soto somewhere he can’t escape from and stay in radio contact.”
STORY: “Maybe that unused conference room on 3.”
STORY: Alejo, are you allowing yourself to be escorted?
ALEJO: Yes.
STORY: All right! He takes you up to the room you previously hid out in.
STORY: There are two sets of boarding armor just folded in a corner. Would you like to keep Hannigan from seeing this?
TUELLER: Comms: “I’m still with you, Doc. Alejo can handle one guy.”
ALEJO: Yes.
STORY: How do you do that?
ALEJO: Alejo will turn, in the doorway, and look at Hannigan. “Look, I know, you have a job to do. I get it. I’m not going to put up a fight. But if there’s any way I could get something to eat, I’d be crazy grateful.” He smiles.
STORY: FA + Influence please!
ALEJO: /roll 2d6+2
STORY: ablair01 rolled 6 + 2 = 8
STORY: Hannigan looks at you, then up and down the hallway. “Yeah, I mean. Look, man–” He glances both ways again. “What the hell happened in there? What was that?”
ALEJO: Alejo shrugs. “How long have you been here? Do you even remember? I don’t. Not really. You remember anything from before here?”
STORY: He’s asking about why there were two directors, Alejo
ALEJO: Does Alejo get the sense that this guy is really asking or playing him?
STORY: He’s totally asking, he just saw two Directors! He’s freaked out!
ALEJO: “This place is a lot weirder than we realized. There are at least two Directors. Maybe more. But that’s just the half of it. Can you help me figure out the rest?”
STORY: He squints at you, making a decision. You’ve successfully distracted him enough to keep him from coming in and seeing the boarding armor, but you think you see an opportunity to recruit him to your cause – why don’t you do another FA + Influence.
ALEJO: /roll 2d6+2
STORY: ablair01 rolled 6 + 2 = 8
ALEJO: “Honestly, Hannigan. Hannigan, right? I’m scared.”
ALEJO: “But I think that if we work together, we can do something good here.”
STORY: He looks hesitant. “We couldn’t… no one could change things here. We should keep our heads down.”
ALEJO: Alejo purses his lips. “I get it. I really do. But you know what happens to people who keep there heads down here. Do you really think that I’m going to survive this? Do you think you will, after what you’ve already seen?” He shakes his head. “Why die for that man? Why not live and fight?”
ALEJO: “If others know — see — what we’ve seen. . . . These are good people here. You know them. They won’t back him.”
STORY: Hannigan swallows, then steps into the conference room and closes the door behind the two of you. We’ll let you two chat offscreen.
STORY: Millie!
MILLICENT: Nikau!
STORY: He holds out his tied up arms toward you.
MILLICENT: Millie keeps the gun, but unties him.
MILLICENT: Then she sits down and waits patiently to see what he does.
STORY: He rubs his wrists. After a moment, “Tea?”
MILLICENT: With an edge to it, “Thank you.”
STORY: He gets up and makes some.
STORY: Then, leaning on the counter, he gestures as if to start an argument, hesitates, gestures again – that cycle he does so often. Did.
STORY: “Biggest single event advancements in humanity’s history.” He gestures for you to answer.
MILLICENT: “Fire.”
MILLICENT: “Domestication of useful animals.”
MILLICENT: “Metallurgy.”
MILLICENT: “Printing press.”
MILLICENT: “Steam engine.”
STORY: He’s nodding along.
MILLICENT: “Internet.”
MILLICENT: “Kaufman drive.”
MILLICENT: “AI.”
STORY: He nods.
STORY: “And?”
MILLICENT: “Relays, which don’t really count.”
STORY: “Oh, why not?”
STORY: “You believe that because they are given to us, they are not our victory?”
MILLICENT: “I’m still trying to determine whether to classify their existence as an advancement.”
MILLICENT: “The cost might be too high.”
STORY: “And the cost, as you see it?”
MILLICENT: She shrugs. “Let’s get dramatic. Our souls, maybe?”
STORY: He waves his hand, dismissing the thought.
MILLICENT: “The Collective is cloning sentients and using them in some kind of sociological experiments.”
MILLICENT: “Whole planets full of sentients thrown together for the amusement of the Collective.”
MILLICENT: “You feel good about that?”
STORY: He smiles. “Impressive. But your conclusions are off.”
MILLICENT: “Educate me, doctor.”
STORY: “How do you move something faster than light? You can’t, not without risking destroying it. But if you could take a measurement, an accurate enough measurement, and transmit that data to another location, then recreate those data points there?”
STORY: “Faster than light travel. More or less.”
MILLICENT: “Sure. More or less.”
STORY: “But – the waste material.”
STORY: He clicks his teeth. “Difficult to deal with, no?”
MILLICENT: Millie laughs caustically.
STORY: “A copy of every person who travels through the relay?”
STORY: “The raw materials can be reused, of course, to assemble the ships that will be coming back through the other way.”
STORY: “But the organic material? More difficult to find a solution for.”
MILLICENT: “So it can’t be done without creating an exact copy at the point of origin?”
STORY: He nods. “They’re not heartless. Some become staff here, as many as will be likely to adapt to the life. Children are spared, taken elsewhere to live.”
STORY: “But most are disposed of. Painlessly, of course. They asked for my help developing a method that would keep humans unconscious for the process, to avoid unnecessary suffering.”
MILLICENT: “Why would they need your help? There have been dozens of civilizations that went through relay protocols.”
STORY: He shrugs. “Human physiology has its nuances. And they need someone onsite to keep things running.”
MILLICENT: “Fine, I understand that. Do you know what they’re doing with the ones they’re taking away?”
STORY: “The children?”
STORY: “Raising them offworld, I assume.”
STORY: “Somewhere where their existence won’t cause problems.”
MILLICENT: “Did you give any thought to how?”
MILLICENT: “What their lives are like?”
STORY: “It’s outside of my purview.”
MILLICENT: She laughs
STORY: “I hope they are treated well. They are certainly succeeding at keeping their existence secret, which is the priority.”
MILLICENT: “Nikau. They’ve been making little zoos.”
STORY: Manaaki scoffs. “Doubtful.”
MILLICENT: “Sentients are being placed in iron age civilizations that revere the dragon-shaped spaceships the AI send to deliver new young.”
MILLICENT: “It’s sick.”
MILLICENT: “I landed on one. I saw it with my own eyes.”
STORY: He nods slowly. “You would prefer they were euthanized?”
MILLICENT: “I would prefer they weren’t placed in a zoo. People deserve the science their people worked to achieve!”
STORY: “Progress requires sacrifice. Working for the greater good does not mean every individual will live to see the benefit.”
MILLICENT: “Nikau, really? You aren’t at all curious as to why the Collective is seeding iron age civilizations that worship them? What do the Collective get out of this?”
STORY: He thinks about it. “I suppose they get an army.”
STORY: “Which makes sense, if civilizations knew how jump relay tech was carried out, they’d likely bring war to the Collective.”
STORY: “This is not for the squeamish.”
MILLICENT: Millie nods.
MILLICENT: “Nikau. Why are you okay with this?”
STORY: “Because with this, we ascend. We are equals in the galaxy. We are no longer children.”
STORY: “That is worth the sacrifice. Don’t you see it?”
MILLICENT: “How, exactly? What do you get out of this?”
STORY: “I? I get nothing.”
STORY: “I did not do this for personal gain, Millie.”
MILLICENT: “You’ve been locked away here, I assume without news from the outside for too long. Nikau, humanity is a second-rate citizen in the galaxy, at best. We don’t have membership on the Council. Our trade deals are faltering. We’re a generation away from losing any galactic relevance we had as a new civilization.”
MILLICENT: “We’re trading away our children for nothing.”
STORY: “I cannot help it if we squander our opportunity. But I gave it to us, nonetheless.”
STORY: He stands, putting his teacup in a little sink.
STORY: “Regardless, it’s clear you are not interested in the position.”
STORY: “Tell me how you got here, please.”
MILLICENT: “What position are you talking about?”
STORY: “My successor.”
MILLICENT: She laughs. “Sorry, just took me by surprise there. Why would you ever need one? Couldn’t you just clone up a new body when you’ve gotten too old for the job?”
STORY: “It’s not immortality, Millie. And it isn’t cloning, be precise. It’s a copy. A copy of me will be just as old, have the same trick knee.”
STORY: “I will eventually run out of time here.”
MILLICENT: “Well, I’m only fourteen years younger than you, so I’m not a terrific choice either.”
STORY: He shrugs. “Better than nothing. Please, if you’ll give me some time, I’ll work out accommodations for you. And don’t try to escape again, let me be clear – the more people that see you, the more will have to be disposed of. You are accomplishing nothing but the deaths of innocents.”
STORY: “All right?”
MILLICENT: “I think I’d rather leave than stay here.”
STORY: “Surely you don’t think that’s an option.”
STORY: “You can’t leave, Millie. No one leaves. The question is only how many people have to die before you calm down.”
STORY: “Perhaps someday you’ll want to share how you got here. Until then, I’ll find you a room.”
MILLICENT: “I see. So I’m to live the rest of my life seeing you and Alejo, if you don’t kill him. Is that right?”
STORY: He nods. “More or less. Depending on how you behave, there could be freedoms.”
MILLICENT: “Oh good, freedoms.”
MILLICENT: Suddenly Millie laughs.
MILLICENT: “Sorry, it’s just that I never thought I’d be proud of you for killing yourself. But a version of you couldn’t wrestle with this any longer. At least that one knew what he’d done was wrong.”
STORY: He raises an eyebrow and leaves the room.
STORY: Tueller!
TUELLER: Tueller’s been standing around the corner from the door, constantly play-acting like he’s lost and trying to figure out where to go, in case someone walks by.
STORY: God, it’s been forever. Millie better be alive in there so you can kill her when you get in.
TUELLER: for an eternity of standing there, he’s just going through looking around and trying to get his bearings waiting for someone to come by.
STORY: I’m really enjoying picturing it.
TUELLER: Tueller’s really not enjoying it.
TUELLER: So many breathing exercises to get through it.
TUELLER: He’s very mindful of his rage at this moment.
STORY: Eventually, you hear a door open and someone passes you in the hall.
STORY: You remember this guy from a cardboard cutout on the library planet. He had his own exhibit. You stole a computer from it.
STORY: He walks by, muttering to himself, and ignores you.
TUELLER: Tueller starts to go through his excuse and sees that it won’t matter.
TUELLER: Then walks him go off.
TUELLER: Comms: “You still alive, Doc?”
MILLICENT: To Tueller, “Would you follow Dr. Maanaki, please?”
MILLICENT: “He’s the small fellow who just left this room.”
TUELLER: Tueller does so.
MILLICENT: “And the Director of this station.”
TUELLER: Comms, whispering, “Oh it.”
STORY: Tueller, are you attempting to follow without being noticed?
TUELLER: Yes.
TUELLER: Actually, Tueller’s following with plausible deniability.
TUELLER: So, trying not to get noticed, but not acting like he’s trying not to be noticed.
STORY: Let’s make that FA + Mettle please!
TUELLER: /roll 2d6+1
STORY: chris.stuart rolled 9 + 1 = 10
STORY: Excellent! You follow along behind him but manage to make it look like you’re just on patrol, and Manaaki takes no notice of you. He heads downstairs, then into a few offices. Let’s do Assessment + Mettle to see what you get.
TUELLER: /roll 2d6+1
STORY: chris.stuart rolled 8 + 1 = 9
STORY: Great! You follow along closely enough to see him meet up with your commanding officer, and overhear something about “enhanced security.” They split up, and the officer beckons you over.
STORY: “New guy, right? Name?”
TUELLER: “Tueller, Sir.”
STORY: “Tueller. Grab a mechanic, sweep the large quarters on B-22 and make sure all grates are fully secured. Install additional mechanical locks as well, and have the wrench rip out any tech in the room, we want it completely dead. I’ll be along shortly to supervise. Questions?”
TUELLER: “Yes sir.”
TUELLER: “No sir, I mean.”
TUELLER: Is Tux a mechanic?
TUELLER: Or Cali?
STORY: Tux is a janitor, BUT
STORY: You head down as directed to the mechanics office and find Calixta Soto sitting there at the desk, looking at you like she’s never seen you in her life.
STORY: “Help you?”
TUELLER: “Ma’am, you a mechanic?”
TUELLER: “Or know a good one?”
STORY: “That’s what they tell me. Something you need?”
TUELLER: We alone?
STORY: Yes, as far as you can tell.
TUELLER: “We need to do a job on B-22 so no one can escape from it. Make sure there’s no tech in there.”
TUELLER: “My CO is coming shortly to supervise.”
STORY: Calixta nods slowly.
TUELLER: “So…”
STORY: “I think I can manage that. Hey, Bruce! I’m going out on a job, back in a while.”
STORY: She stands up, grabbing a bag.
STORY: “Ready?”
TUELLER: Tueller nods, “As I’ll ever be. Need me to take anything?”
TUELLER: “Ma’am.”
STORY: She shakes her head. “Lead the way.”
TUELLER: Tueller does so, towards B-22.
STORY: Calixta’s too good of a spy to acknowledge you out in the open, but once you get inside she asks what’s going on.
TUELLER: “Uh, in brief, Millie’s ex is the Director, he’s a dick, Millie’s alive, and we’re making a cell for her.”
TUELLER: “Ejo’s alive too, last I saw. Getting escorted off.”
STORY: Long, slow nod.
TUELLER: Comms to Millie: “Ejo’s alive, right?”
STORY: “Well, glad everyone’s doing so well.”
MILLICENT: “When he left me he was.”
TUELLER: “We’re all so totally fucked and I’m not sure Millie or Ejo really realize it.”
MILLICENT: “Should I think he’s not?”
STORY: Calixta nods. “He always had more bravery than sense.”
TUELLER: Comms: “Well, you might have heard. He seemed fine when he went off.”
TUELLER: “Sorry, I’ll try to carry on one conversation at a time. I’m with you again, Noma.”
TUELLER: “But we’re setting up a cell for the Doc I assume, so what can we do to tilt things in our favor?”
STORY: “I can keep up. So should we leave her a way out?”
TUELLER: “If we can get it by my CO.”
STORY: “Let’s see. What were your instructions specifically?”
TUELLER: “We’re to sweep the quarters, secure the grates, install extra mechanical locks–presumably so they can’t be hacked, and make sure there’s no tech in the room–completely dead.”
TUELLER: “We could, I guess, leave keys to everything in there and not violate the letter of the law, but definitely the spirit of it all.”
STORY: “Hm. Well, that’s difficult.”
STORY: “She’ll need life support. We could maybe… leave an opportunity in there?”
STORY: “What would Millie try?”
TUELLER: “She’d try to make tea.”
TUELLER: “She’d try everything that looks like a terminal.”
STORY: Calixta smiles.
STORY: “Tea, hang on.”
STORY: She goes to the electric kettle in the corner and, with a small prybar, pops off the bottom.
STORY: “Good. This is good. I might be able to do something here.”
STORY: “Get that garden pod open, see if you can find any PCBs in there.”
STORY: Let’s see how well you help Calixta with this scheme – I’d like FA + Expertise please!
TUELLER: Sorry, had to doublecheck my stats.
TUELLER: /roll 2d6+2
STORY: chris.stuart rolled 6 + 2 = 8
TUELLER: “PCBs..oh, circuit boards, right.’
TUELLER: “We called em wafers…”
STORY: Okay, you can help her get this shit together, but your CO’s going to walk in while you do – proceed?
TUELLER: Sure.
STORY: She directs you to a few places, to rip open this and that and look for various parts, and is alternating between joy and frustration as you determine the result of each attempt. Just as you’re about to wrap up, your CO walks in to find Calixta fucking around with some wiring on the galley table and you standing among the innards of what used to be a computer console.
STORY: “What’s this mess? Why haven’t you reinforced the locks, Tueller?”
TUELLER: “Sir, yes sir, I am making this room a tech dead zone, like you said, sir. I was awaiting your arrival for the locks, sir.”
STORY: He nods slowly, too stupid to be suspicious of you. “Carry on, then. I’ll have the locks sent over. How much longer do you need?”
STORY: “Couple hours, sir!” from Calixta.
STORY: He nods. “I’ll check in then. Radio if you need anything.”
TUELLER: “Thank you sir.”
TUELLER: Tueller waves with his radio.
STORY: Half an hour after he leaves, Calixta blows her hair off her forehead and closes up the electric kettle. “All right. Fuck! I cannot believe this might work. I couldn’t find anything that would guarantee she escape this room that they won’t find before she does, but – if she pops this baby open, she might be able to escape the facility.”
STORY: “Last resort only, but if Millie can get power to the setup I threw together down there, it should be a strong enough radio to transmit to anyone waiting at the relay.”
STORY: “Probably… not something we should use yet, right?”
STORY: “Given that it’d also transmit to this base.”
TUELLER: “No, not yet.”
STORY: She nods. “Okay, time to start doing the shit we were actually told to do. Hand me those pliers.”
STORY: You spend a few more hours putting the room together to your CO’s specifications.
TUELLER: Tueller does so, whispering to Millie about the set-up.
STORY: Millie!
MILLICENT: Aqui!
STORY: After a few hours, Manaaki – one of them – comes in and makes you this offer: you’re to go to the room he has set up for you. You’ll be able to roam the base occasionally, with supervision, and he’ll meet with you if you’re willing to speak civilly. He has missed equal company.
STORY: Your friend will be kept alive as long as you cooperate. You may see him, in a limited manner.
STORY: Do you agree to these terms?
MILLICENT: Millie will accept as long as they will supply her with reading material and some kind of intellectual puzzle.
MILLICENT: This is more to put Manaaki at ease. He would never accept if she said yes with no conditionals and no access to books.
STORY: Granted.
STORY: He also wants to make sure you are absolutely clear that anyone with whom you attempt to share the information he has given you will be executed.
MILLICENT: “Understood, Director.” There’s enough venom there to kill him if he were the old Manaaki.
MILLICENT: Also probably goes a long way to selling that she’s done fighting, if words are her battlegrounds.
STORY: You’re escorted to your room by a seven foot tall man in ill-fitting body armor who looks new to the job.
MILLICENT: Can we assume at some point someone relieves her of her gun or does the staff forget about it like Jess did?
STORY: I didn’t forget about it.
STORY: He never asks for it.
MILLICENT: Cool
STORY: Alejo!
STORY: You’re summoned to Millie’s room after a few hours turning Hannigan to your cause.
STORY: She’s in there, being monitored by a very tall, very familiar looking security guy.
STORY: If you didn’t know better, you’d think you had traveled with him for like five years at least.
STORY: Anyway now you’re all in a room together what do you do
MILLICENT: Millie lets out a sigh.
MILLICENT: “Hello, boys.”
TUELLER: “Guys we’re in a lot of fucking trouble.”
MILLICENT: Millie nods.
ALEJO: “This does seem like it’s worse than usual.”
TUELLER: Does Tueller have some orders to monitor them or something?
STORY: Yeah, he’s on duty there, meetings between Millie and Alejo will always be monitored.
STORY: They just lucked out that they happen to have a mole in security.
TUELLER: “This is Grell level trouble. This is medieval planet level trouble.”
TUELLER: “Just getting that out of the way.”
TUELLER: “Now.”
TUELLER: “Also, I’m going to need to report on what you guys talk about. Because this is my job.”
TUELLER: …
TUELLER: “But Millie’s tech prowess means we’re not being monitored.”
TUELLER: “So that’s a plus.”
MILLICENT: Millie takes a big deep breath. “The mass relays don’t move anything. They copy everything about you at Point A and transfer than information to Point B where they reconstitute you using cloning. Kind of.”
MILLICENT: “The You at Point A is then destroyed. Unless you’re old enough to not remember your previous life.”
TUELLER: “And Point A you becomes a slave, sometimes.”
MILLICENT: “Children, usually babes in arms are sent to iron age level planets like the ones we saw.”
ALEJO: “Or a janitor?”
MILLICENT: Millie nods. “Exactly.”
ALEJO: “Jesus.”
TUELLER: “So I’m not me but a 16th generation copy of me.”
MILLICENT: “I told Nikau. A Nikau. He thinks they’re building an army.”
MILLICENT: “And he’s fine with it.”
TUELLER: “That medieval planet had hangers full of war equipment.”
TUELLER: “An immense arsenal.”
ALEJO: “Why does the Collective need an army of humans?”
MILLICENT: “If this ever comes out the Collective wanted planets full of hardened warriors to defend themselves.”
MILLICENT: “That’s Nikau’s thought.”
MILLICENT: “It’s a good one.”
MILLICENT: “It’s an excellent contingency plan.”
TUELLER: To be clear, Manaaki was threatening to kill Alejo if he was told this by Millie, correct?
STORY: Yes!
MILLICENT: “Let’s say we send the info about this to all major Ark planets. They rise up and form armies, independent of their governments. The AI shut down the relays and only allow their warships through.”
STORY: She’s been explicitly instructed to tell no one what she knows.
TUELLER: “Except the people on those planets aren’t loyal to the Collective. They haven’t been indoctrinated.”
MILLICENT: “They literally worship Collective ships.”
MILLICENT: “Think they wouldn’t rise to defend the dragons?”
MILLICENT: “They could be convinced it was the fight of their souls.”
ALEJO: “This is some seriously fucked up, craziness.” He shakes his head.
TUELLER: “Sure. It’s a huge threat and it would definitely be a zerg rush, if nothing else, but they’re not trained hardened killers, at least.”
MILLICENT: “Also, the strongest warriors are taken away. Eaten by the dragon.”
TUELLER: “Oh.”
TUELLER: “Shit.”
MILLICENT: “They are exactly trained, hardened killers.”
MILLICENT: “Also I wasn’t supposed to tell you any of this.”
TUELLER: “So they’re not all trained hardened killers but enough of them are.”
MILLICENT: “And I’m meant to live my life only seeing Alejo and Nikau occasionally.”
TUELLER: “Under guards who will be killed if they overhear.”
TUELLER: Tueller raises his hand and waves.
MILLICENT: “Right.”
ALEJO: “So, what do we do? I mean, even if we get out of here. What can we do?”
MILLICENT: “Great question!”
TUELLER: “So you guys have spent some time reminiscing about the Mercury job this session, if it comes up.”
MILLICENT: “Okay, good cover.”
TUELLER: “I’ll work forward in time as we go.”
TUELLER: “This could take awhile.”
MILLICENT: “Here’s another great question. What does the AI collective get out of this?”
ALEJO: “Things were so simple then.” He shakes his head. “I mean, not really. But still . . . ”
MILLICENT: “This is such an elaborate plan.”
TUELLER: “Can’t…ummm, don’t they just destroy solar systems?”
TUELLER: “usually?”
TUELLER: “This seems like both a huge plan and also kind of small potatoes.”
MILLICENT: “Right.”
ALEJO: “Yeah. I’m still foggy on the need for an army bit.”
TUELLER: “Like, galaxy spanning small potatoes.”
TUELLER: “Also, I really want to get Noma’s perspective on this.”
ALEJO: “And, maybe a silly question, but what does this have to do with the Weave? I mean, that’s what led Tux here.”
MILLICENT: “Well, they can turn off our tech. But they’re not out there blowing up suns.”
MILLICENT: “Ah!” Millie points to Alejo. “Yes!”
MILLICENT: “That leads me to my theory.”
MILLICENT: “The Collective need the relays.”
ALEJO: Alejo nods. “For?”
MILLICENT: “Another great question!”
TUELLER: Tueller shakes his head.
ALEJO: Alejo beams.
TUELLER: “Is your old boyfriend going to talk to you more?”
TUELLER: “Or should we just worry about getting the fuck out of here and figuring it out from not-mortal-peril distance away?”
MILLICENT: “For his amusement, I think.”
MILLICENT: “Here’s my current theory: the AI Collective need sentients to go through the relays.”
ALEJO: “Answers are going to be harder to come by from not-mortal-peril distance.”
TUELLER: “Mortal. Peril.”
TUELLER: “Damn. When did I become the cautious one?”
ALEJO: “We’ve all died like two dozen times, apparently.” He shrugs. “But I see your point.”
MILLICENT: “Maybe it’s how our brain waves move through physical space, maybe it’s the act of copying, maybe it’s the use of the network the relays create. They need something about this system or else they wouldn’t have put such an elaborate defense around it.”
TUELLER: Tueller looks really uncomfortable at Alejo’s statement.
MILLICENT: “So. Our job, before we leave this relay, is to find out what that is.”
TUELLER: Like, visibly shaken.
MILLICENT: “Because there’s literally no place else in the galaxy where we can find that out.”
MILLICENT: She waves her hand at Tueller, “Yes, yes, you’re a copy of a copy of a copy. We are none of us the original collection of atoms we were born with.”
MILLICENT: “We’re going to have to come to terms with that.”
MILLICENT: An aside to Alejo, “I’ve long suspected.”
TUELLER: “I’m not uncomfortable being a copy, I’m uncomfortable because I SAW HIM DIE.”
MILLICENT: “Well, sure. But the bit of him that was traveling previously was kept and not atomized so he could clean toilets.”
TUELLER: “I don’t care about being a copy. I’m here. But this is it for me.”
TUELLER: “For all of us if this goes bad.”
TUELLER: “We can’t just go down to the store and get a new Alejo if this one dies!”
TUELLER: “I’d really be comfortable if you were less cavalier about it all!”
MILLICENT: “Yes, well, we can choose a life of slavery at the hands of the Collective or we can escape and watch everyone in the galaxy start hunting for our heads.”
TUELLER: Tueller stops and just breathes.
ALEJO: “Believe me, T, I don’t want to die. But we’ve got to stop this, right? I mean.”
MILLICENT: Millie pushes Tueller in the chest. “My former fiance is the grand fucking villain in this mess.”
MILLICENT: “It’s cavalier or comatose, which would you like to deal with?”