STORY: “Nice to meet you both.” She walks to the door.
TUELLER: “See you around, Cal.”
MILLICENT: “Oh, nice to meet you, dear!”
TUELLER: Tueller finishes his coffee in a drink.
STORY: She nods, smiles at Millie.
ALEJO: Alejo follows her, giving Tueller and Millie a quick glance like “if you don’t hear from me in a couple of hours, call out the search dogs.”
TUELLER: Tueller remains seated and watches them go.
TUELLER: Makes eye contact with Alejo as he’s going out.
ALEJO: Alejo grabs a jacket off a hook near the door, slips on a cap, and nods to Tueller as he walks out.
MILLICENT: RIGHT after they’re gone. “Think she’ll kill him?”
TUELLER: “Probably not tonight.”
ALEJO: “Shit! Cal? What . . . ? Hi.” Alejo blinks hard and gets his hand free to rub at his ear.
STORY: Calixta lets you go and leans back, letting you escape, laughing as she plops down at the foot of the bed.
STORY: “Nice digs.”
STORY: She looks around the room, which is tiny but not dirty.
STORY: “Looks like a short stay?” She gestures to your bag.
ALEJO: He sits up and shakes his head at her. He doesn’t say anything immediately. “Quick stop, yeah. What are you . . . why are you here? Not that it’s not amazing to see you.”
STORY: “Work.”
STORY: “I’m leaving tomorrow, it’s lucky my subnet search popped for you today. You’ve been MIA, brother.”
ALEJO: He shrugs playfully. “Work.”
STORY: “You got coffee in that kitchen?”
ALEJO: “Gods, it’s good to see you.” He says this as he slides out of the bed and slips on a tee. “Yeah, course.” He gestures to the door, welcomingly. “Please.”
STORY: It’s the middle of the night, so the door opens to darkness beyond. The running lights under the countertop hydroponic bay give the common area dim illumination. Calixta settles down on a stool at the round common table.
STORY: She pushes her hair behind her ears, a gesture that still reminds you of her as a kid.
ALEJO: Alejo smiles at this and moves past her to the kitchen area, preparing coffee.
MILLICENT: —haha I forgot about wife’s Mom’s Spaghetti garb
MILLICENT: —hi guys
MILLICENT: —I made good drinks
ALEJO: –Hi Josh!
MILLICENT: —hey, Stu, you gonna be back in the States and rested up by the weekend of April 8th?
STORY: “You still running with that CJH guy?”
MILLICENT: —Hey Henry! How are you, buds?
TUELLER: —We’re not leaving until the end of May, so yeah.
STORY: — husband I don’t mind if your’e gonna watch Binging with Babish while we play, but if you could turn the volume down I’d appreciate it
ALEJO: Alejo keeps making coffee, half turned away from her as he answers, “Tueller, yeah. But he’s not really plugged in to CJH anymore.”
MILLICENT: —yes ma’am
MILLICENT: —Stu, we’re thinking about coming to NYC for that weekend. There’s a show on Sunday we want to see, but maybe we could grab a meal and hang while we’re there?
STORY: Her eyes pop open. “Wait, is he here? I looked him up, he’s haaaandsome.” She jumps up and sneaks to one of the doors off the common room, leaning theatrically towards the door. “Is this his?”
STORY: “Is he…” she points toward the door. “In here?”
TUELLER: —We’re free then, and in town, so of course.
ALEJO: Alejo gives her a mock stern look. “Cal. Don’t. He’s grumpy when he’s woken up in the middle of the night. Play nice.”
TUELLER: Tueller locks his door, btw.
ALEJO: “And we should try to keep it quiet. By the way. I’ve got other neighbors too.”
TUELLER: And people regularly try to assassinate Tueller, so he’s less good with surprises.
MILLICENT: I imagine Tueller locks every door as soon as he’s inside
ALEJO: Alejo finishes the coffee, pours a cup, and brings it to Calixta, ushering her back to the stool.
STORY: She mock makes a move for the doorknob, then smiles. “Ok, fine. Grump.” She sits back down. “What about that other dude, the skinny farm kid from Enceladus?”
ALEJO: Alejo nods. “Kahn. Yup. But he’s not here now.”
STORY: She nods, walking around, checking out the room, poking at the decor. “Hm. Hey Cinco, you look terrible.”
STORY: “You getting enough sleep?”
STORY: “I mean, aside from tonight.”
ALEJO: He raises an eyebrow and frowns. “Rough day. But yeah, I’m good. You look good. Keeping busy?”
STORY: “Too busy. Girl thing, then?”
ALEJO: –Alejo would like to take one of these assessment rolls, Stu mentioned! Alejo knows Cal. Can he get a sense of how she’s really doing?
STORY: “You only look this unhappy when you’re heartbroken.”
STORY: Yes, but how are you trying to get an idea of that?
TUELLER: When you collect critical information about an important, dangerous or mysterious subject using…
TUELLER: …stealth, focus or cunning, Roll+Mettle
TUELLER: …research and experimentation, Roll+Expertise …exploration, labor or strenuous activity, Roll+Physique …informants, interviews or gossip, Roll+Influence
TUELLER: …the SectorNet or open networks, Roll+Interface
ALEJO: –Little signs like the hair thing. Cadence of her voice. The way she’s playing. The fact that she’s asking a lot of questions but not offering a lot of answers.
ALEJO: –Influence, for sure.
ALEJO: –Like Millie is good reading boring science stuff, Alejo should be decent at reading people. :slightly_smiling_face:
STORY: Sure – BUT in the future the game doesn’t want you to ask to make rolls, you just tell me what your’e doing and I’ll tell you when you need to roll for something
STORY: This is gonna be +Influence
ALEJO: –Fair.
ALEJO: /roll 2d6+2
STORY: @ablair01 rolled 7 + 2 = 9
STORY: Ok, keep going with the conversation, I’ll let you know what you notice
TUELLER: —Important thing about assessments. Bad rolls give us bad information. Not faulty information. True information that’s bad.
ALEJO: Alejo nods. “Good read. Yeah, a little bit of heartbreak.”
STORY: “You always cared about them too much.” She’s picking at her cuticles. She has to do something she doesn’t want to do.
TUELLER: —Anything below a 7 makes things worse.
STORY: She comes to stand with you in the kitchen, opening the cabinets to look at the rental’s dish selection. All metal. She scoffs.
ALEJO: Alejo takes a sip of the coffee.
STORY: She looks completely comfortable with you, relaxed in a way you only see her when the two of you are alone.
STORY: She takes her mug and has a sip. “Wow.”
STORY: She goes to sit down at the table. “This is -terrible.-”
STORY: “My god, I’ve had some bad coffee, this is… this shouldn’t count as coffee.”
ALEJO: Alejo agrees. “It really, really is!” He takes his cup to the sink and pours it out before coming and sitting next to her.
ALEJO: “What’s up, Cal? Why you here.” He smiles, mirroring the ease she has with him.
STORY: She sighs, rolling her eyes at you the way she does when you are going to make her be niiiiice.
STORY: “Um.”
STORY: “It was luck, that you ended up here. I’m glad, it gives me the chance to.” She sighs again. “Saying goodbye for a while.”
STORY: “Got a longer job coming up, under cover. I won’t be in contact for a while.”
ALEJO: He swallows hard. “Right. How long?”
STORY: “Not sure. It’s… this isn’t a normal kind of job.”
ALEJO: “I shouldn’t ask, but . . . ”
STORY: She raises her eyebrows. “Really?”
STORY: face adversity + influence please!
ALEJO: “Getting soft. Slow. And apparently nosey, when it comes to people I care about.”
ALEJO: /roll 2d6+2
STORY: @ablair01 rolled 3 + 2 = 5
ALEJO: –Damn! This dicebot HATES me.
ALEJO: +2, but still.
ALEJO: –Oh, crap, that was with +2. Goodness.
STORY: “Yeah, Cinco, you know I can’t tell you that.”
STORY: “It’s work. It’s the job. It’s worth it, even if it’s… this is gonna be a weird one.”
STORY: “I’ll reach out whenever I can. Until then, I’ve got a little time. Catch me up on you.”
ALEJO: Alejo raises his hands, mea culpa. “Fair enough. I’m sorry you’ve got to go under. But you’ll be amazing, as always. As for me . . . stole a ship recently. Sort of. I’m working with some very interesting folks right now, but it’s all small scale stuff. Nothing thrilling. A bit of heartbreak.” He pauses. “I’ve got a bodyguard now! My own muscle.”
STORY: She laughs. “He any good?”
ALEJO: “She’s green as I imagine grass on earth, but she’s got heart.”
STORY: “Awww. Don’t break her, Cinco.”
STORY: “Doing anything we should know about?” The “we” is noticeable.
ALEJO: He shakes his head, nonchalantly. “No. Not at the moment.”
STORY: Calixta looks idly around for a moment, then grabs your hand. “Oh! I know what we should do.”
ALEJO: “Sounds fun already.”
STORY: She stands, pulling you up and towards the door. “There’s this amazing observation deck a sector away, I can show you the Ring.”
STORY: “And we can get druuuunk.”
MILLICENT: There’s a click clicking at the door
MILLICENT: Maybe it’s a tap tapping
MILLICENT: Then a low beep
STORY: Calixta drops your hand and steps to the wall, taking a stance that will allow her to attack whoever enters. She eyes Alejo.
TUELLER: —I was wondering when Tueller should get up for some of that coffee.
ALEJO: Alejo looks towards the clicking and waives her down, but he too squares up, readying himself.
MILLICENT: And Millie idly pushes the door in with the toe of her foot, removing the key card from the scanner and walks in, buried in whatever she’s reading on her pad.
MILLICENT: She doesn’t even look up.
ALEJO: “Hiya, Doc.”
ALEJO: Alejo wavies an exaggerated greeting.
MILLICENT: Only Millie’s eyes move, snapping up to Alejo.
MILLICENT: “Oh.”
MILLICENT: She takes a step back.
STORY: You run into Calixta.
STORY: She clears her throat. “Sorry. Hi.”
MILLICENT: “HiYA!” This last part comes out as a bit of a yelp
MILLICENT: Millie hops around a little bit and ends up leaning on the kitchen counter
STORY: Calixta covers her mouth as if she is scratching it, hiding a smile.
STORY: “Calixta Soto, Doctor…?”
STORY: She holds out a hand.
MILLICENT: I think there’s probably a little slapstick as she tries to hold her keycard and the pad she was reading and the counter for support all at once.
ALEJO: Alejo smiles at the scene.
MILLICENT: Finally she places the pad on the counter. Returns the keycard to her pocket. Takes a deep breath.
TUELLER: —Millie is hilarious and also she murdered a dozen aliens without breaking a sweat.
STORY: — she’s a special girl
MILLICENT: Looks up, faces the room and manufacturers a smile.
ALEJO: “Late night at the library?”
MILLICENT: “Hello, Mz. Soto! Doctor Breedlove, as it happens. Very pleased to meet you!”
MILLICENT: Millie shakes Calixta’s hand enthusiastically.
MILLICENT: “Alejo! I didn’t know you were…” infinite pause with no help from either participant “related to someone.”
STORY: “Sister.”
STORY: “I’m the sister. He’s my brother. How do you know Cinco?”
ALEJO: Alejo is enjoying letting this play out.
MILLICENT: “Oh! I meant to say I didn’t know you had siblings, Mr. Soto.”
MILLICENT: Millie bustles a little, seeing the coffee pot and pours herself a cup.
STORY: “Oh, I wouldn’t–”
ALEJO: “I woul . . . ”
STORY: Calixta laughs, putting her head on Alejo’s shoulder and holding her stomach.
MILLICENT: “Ah, well, your brother is my…”
MILLICENT: Millie stops, searching her vocabulary.
ALEJO: Alejo opens his eyes wide waiting for Millie’s answer.
MILLICENT: “Pirate?”
MILLICENT: Millie nods.
STORY: She looks bemused.
MILLICENT: “He’s my personal pirate. He might even make captain one day, if he works hard and applies himself.”
STORY: Calixta nods, definitely still not understanding.
ALEJO: Alejo shakes his head and looks down. “I’m traveling with a lot of arrogant assholes these days, did I forget to mention that?”
ALEJO: He smiles to Millie.
TUELLER: There is a click from Tueller’s room door.
MILLICENT: “As one of the arrogant assholes I must say, Mr. Soto, that I’m offended I didn’t come up sooner. Oh look, another of our number!”
STORY: Calixta looks toward the door and looks positively excited.
STORY: “Is it?” She holds a hand up high, as it measuring a tall man.
TUELLER: Tueller comes out, dressed only in pajama bottoms.
TUELLER: “It morning?”
STORY: She immediately inhales and bites her lip.
STORY: Tueller, the clock shows 2 am.
ALEJO: “’Morning. Tueller. My sister. Calixta.”
STORY: It is most definitely not morning.
TUELLER: “Sounds like morning out here.” Tueller is totally deadpan.
ALEJO: He gestures to Calixta grandly.
MILLICENT: “We’re having a familial soiree!”
ALEJO: “Sorry. We got a little jumped up when Millie came home.”
MILLICENT: “Apparently.”
STORY: Calixta looks like Alejo, only she smiles more. She reaches out to shake your hand. “Sorry for waking you, Tueller.”
TUELLER: “Morning.”
TUELLER: Tueller shakes her hand.
TUELLER: “I smell coffee.”
ALEJO: “Yeah, no. I wouldn’t.”
ALEJO: “It’s shit.”
TUELLER: Tueller walks over to pour a cup.
TUELLER: “It’s kopi luwak. It’s the most expensive coffee in the solar system and we’re not in the system.”
STORY: Calixta does not attempt to hide her interest in watching his back muscles.
MILLICENT: Millie pours Tueller a cup
MILLICENT: Sniffs at hers
TUELLER: “And since I’m up, I’m going to have a cup.”
STORY: Calixta grimaces at Alejo. “I guess we have terrible taste.” She shrugs.
MILLICENT: Over her cup. Curiously, not a hint of judgment. “Did you drown something in here?”
ALEJO: He wrinkles up his nose with a nod.
TUELLER: “It’s processed by civets.”
ALEJO: “By what?”
MILLICENT: Millie eyebrows jump a mile.
MILLICENT: “Processed?”
MILLICENT: “Gastrointestinally, by any chance?”
TUELLER: “They eat it.”
MILLICENT: Millie nods.
MILLICENT: Sips
STORY: Calixta belly laughs.
STORY: “I drank cat shit coffee?”
ALEJO: Alejo looks like he might throw up, all the earlier evening’s drinking and that thought catching up to him suddenly.
MILLICENT: Smiles
MILLICENT: “Do you know, I think the process may have removed some of the acidity?”
TUELLER: “I think they’re marsupials. I’m not an expert on earther creatures. They make good coffee, though.”
ALEJO: “God I’d hoped that ‘civets’ meant something else.”
ALEJO: He’s gone pale and is grimacing now.
TUELLER: “You go back to that chicory shit you like so much.”
STORY: Calixta squeezes Alejo’s shoulder affectionately and sits down at the common table, chin in her hands. “Is the rest of the crew like you two?”
TUELLER: “Sorry, Calixta. Just a coincidence you’re here at” looking at the clock again, “2 in the morning?”
STORY: She shrugs. “Got plans tomorrow. I didn’t want to leave without seeing my little brother.”
TUELLER: Tueller’s not being hostile, but not friendly either.
ALEJO: Alejo moves to the table but doesn’t sit.
MILLICENT: Millie stays at the kitchen counter, now watching Tueller.
ALEJO: “You know family.”
TUELLER: “Oh yes. I do know family.”
TUELLER: Tueller gives a brief humorless laugh.
TUELLER: “Family is what I know”
TUELLER: “The particular love between a brother and sister.”
ALEJO: “Cal was about to take me to see the Ring, actually, so we can leave you two to get back to sleep.” He looks to Millie. “Or to sleep.”
STORY: Calixta looks both amused and completely lost by what you are saying, Tueller.
TUELLER: “Ahh yes, the Ring. Where our ship is parked. Tell us how she’s looking when you get back.”
TUELLER: Tueller sits down, and sits his coffee.
STORY: Calixta looks excited. “Ooh! Can we see your ship?”
TUELLER: “You can _see_ it, sure.”
TUELLER: “Sadly only from the outside, but Alejo can point it out if he can pick it out in the Ring on your trip.”
TUELLER: “It’s getting some work done at the moment, though.”
ALEJO: Alejo does not say anything but watches Calixta intently during this exchange.
TUELLER: “You looking for a ship?”
STORY: “For? No, I’ve got a ride, thanks.”
STORY: “I just wanted to see where Cinco was living nowadays.”
STORY: “He doesn’t call, he doesn’t write, you know.”
STORY: “Family.”
ALEJO: “Work, work, work, you know.”
STORY: She looks maybe a tiny bit confrontational there.
TUELLER: Towards Alejo or Tueller?
STORY: Tueller
TUELLER: “Well. We keep him busy.”
STORY: “Yeah, seems like you do.”
ALEJO: Alejo notices and puts a hand on her shoulder, gently and affectionately, mirroring her move earlier. “I know you’ve got a limited time, Cal. If we’re going to take a walk, we should probably get to it.”
TUELLER: “And trust me. Sometimes it’s best not to hear from family.”
MILLICENT: Brightly. “Family!”
STORY: “Maybe in your family.”
TUELLER: “Definitely in mine.”
MILLICENT: Down a little, “I’m sorry, I’ve been reading all day.”
STORY: “Nice to meet you both.” She walks to the door.
TUELLER: “See you around, Cal.”
MILLICENT: “Oh, nice to meet you, dear!”
TUELLER: Tueller finishes his coffee in a drink.
STORY: She nods, smiles at Millie.
ALEJO: Alejo follows her, giving Tueller and Millie a quick glance like “if you don’t hear from me in a couple of hours, call out the search dogs.”
TUELLER: Tueller remains seated and watches them go.
TUELLER: Makes eye contact with Alejo as he’s going out.
ALEJO: Alejo grabs a jacket off a hook near the door, slips on a cap, and nods to Tueller as he walks out.
MILLICENT: RIGHT after they’re gone. “Think she’ll kill him?”
TUELLER: “Probably not tonight.”
TUELLER: “But eventually.”
TUELLER: “If only by accident.”
MILLICENT: Millie nods.
TUELLER: “I definitely think she’d kill us in a heartbeat.”
TUELLER: “Either intentionally or un-”
MILLICENT: Millie nods again. Lifts her cup. “You can barely taste the cat shit.”
STORY: Calixta steps out into the hallway, pulling her scarf around her face, a habit built around avoiding security cameras.
STORY: Outside, once the door closes, she looks skeptically back at it. “So much for that crush. That guy sucks, Cinco.”
TUELLER: —I was going to chat with Millie further, but that’s a pretty good button so let’s just let it stand.
ALEJO: “He’s a bit of an acquired taste. But he’s just looking out for me. You should understand that.”
STORY: She shrugs. “I’d look out for you better.”
STORY: “She’s cute, though. You should go for it.”
STORY: “Heartbreak be damned.”
ALEJO: Alejo raises his eyebrows at this.
ALEJO: “Don’t believe I mentioned who was the heartbreaker.”
TUELLER: —I also am intensely curious about civet shit coffee and literally came out of the room just to bring it into this world.
ALEJO: –That’s a real thing!
STORY: She laughs, right in your face. “Cinco, you’re always the one who’s heartbroken.”
STORY: “Always always always. You gotta stop falling for mean women.”
STORY: She walks along the alley, towards the street that will lead to the taxi stand.
MILLICENT: —did you just learn about civet shit coffee? I thoguht we’d talked about it before
STORY: A merchant barks out something at you both, which she ignores.
ALEJO: Alejo walks along with her, quiet and alert.
TUELLER: —I’ve known about it for about 15 years, but of course never had it.
MILLICENT: —we can go back to Tueller and Millie after this scene, maybe?
STORY: — yes we can
STORY: — this is gonna be quick
MILLICENT: —me neither. I’m intensely curious. I would definitely try it if I came upon it
STORY: “She seems nice, anyway.” You reach the taxi stand and get in line, and she looks pained, takes something out of her pocket.
STORY: “So.”
ALEJO: “So.”
STORY: “I mean. We can go get drunk, but.”
STORY: She looks at the ceiling suddenly, holding back tears.
STORY: And takes a deep breath.
ALEJO: He squares up to her, not too close but not too far away either.
STORY: “Maybe better if we don’t drag it out.”
ALEJO: He looks at her for a long moment. “Never one to drag it out.”
STORY: She takes your hand, places something in it.
STORY: “If I need you, you’ll know. Take care of yourself? No more mean women?”
ALEJO: He smiles at her weakly. “Take care of yourself, Calixta.”
STORY: She reaches out and hugs you tightly.
STORY: She’s shaking, a little. “See you soon, Cinco.”
ALEJO: He hugs her back. “Be careful,” he whispers and then let’s go.
STORY: She smiles and pushes you away playfully. “I always am.” And wipes away a tear. “Okay. Get back to your mean partner and your nice not-girlfriend.”
ALEJO: He smiles, turns, and walks back towards the flat, playing with the thing that she put in his hand, absentmindedly.
STORY: It’s a small blue stone set in an electronic register the size of a silver dollar. It doesn’t appear to be active.
STORY: It’s marquise-shaped, with a hole at either point. Could be worn as a bracelet, or mounted on something.
STORY: As he walks back, Millie and Tueller restart the battle for the button.
TUELLER: —Well, this will be disappointing since I’m not seeking a button.
TUELLER: “How’d the research go?”
STORY: — aw i was gently ribbing!
ALEJO: –A clever-off Button Battle!
MILLICENT: Millie sips. “Well, I suppose. There’s a certain type of frustration that comes from learning exactly what you’re looking for and realizing it’s nothing close to what you wanted to know.”
TUELLER: “Drowning in wealth and failing to be satisfied by it is something I understand very well.”
MILLICENT: “Oh yes, I suppose it must be a familiar feeling. How was your day, Mr. Ya’Makasi?”
TUELLER: “Unsatisfying as hell.”
TUELLER: “And tomorrow has a fucking party.”
TUELLER: “So. Near future is not looking rosier.”
TUELLER: “Do you like your family, Millie?”
STORY: — guys, i’m at 20% battery and need to plug in, but
MILLICENT: “I suppose I do, after my fashion. My family is very. Appropriate. I think that after a certain amount of time appropriate stops feeling like enough. Which is rather appropriate, in its own way.”
STORY: @jess uploaded a file: Photo on 2-13-18 at 9.35 PM.jpg https://jethica.slack.com/files/U0QC1BT42/F99QNNPL7/photo_on_2-13-18_at_9.35_pm.jpg
TUELLER: —Pretty sure that’s what spouses are for.
MILLICENT: —some of us spouses are engaged in meaningful dialogue creation at the moment
TUELLER: “Hmmm. My family is appropriate. But, appropriate for an interplanetary crime syndicate.”
MILLICENT: —also, wife I’ll come up and plug you in and start a new round of drinks after this scene
TUELLER: “We have Rules and Codes and Expectations.”
MILLICENT: “Ah, yes. Mine is appropriate for upstanding members of various Erde-Maris leadership committees. I imagine it’s not all that different. We have our own rules and codes. And expectations, of course.”
TUELLER: “Ejo doesn’t talk about his family much. He talked about them enough Before, I guess. But his sister…I felt cold when seeing her. The way I feel when I see Esi.”
MILLICENT: “Cold?”
TUELLER: “Esi loves me. Even after everything she loves me. But she’d still put me at the bottom of a volcanic crater if it worked in her favor.”
TUELLER: “That one” gesturing towards the door “loves her brother. But that crater is still out there waiting for him.”
TUELLER: Millie probably doesn’t realize this, necessarily, but Tueller’s still drunk from last night it turns out.
MILLICENT: “Ah, yes. I can relate to that.”
MILLICENT: “Well, in my way.”
MILLICENT: Millie sips. “The crater, in my case, would be a private retreat with personal care and the tacit understanding that I was never allowed off the grounds so that my antics couldn’t embarrass my family.”
MILLICENT: “I suppose my version, as in many things, must seem rather muted to you.”
TUELLER: “Hmmmph.”
ALEJO: There’s a click at the door, the locks opening. Alejo walks in, closes the door, walks into the kitchen, giving Tueller and Millie a quick but silent greeting. He heads to the coffee pot, pours a half cup and comes and sits on one of the stools with them at the table.
TUELLER: “That seems awful enough, Millie. For both of us.”
TUELLER: “Anyway, tomorrow’s going to be Family shit. A party is Family at its finest. And a guy who hates me because my family and his family are partners with extinction level weapons aimed at each other is going to be there.”
TUELLER: “Also, I cut off his hand.”
MILLICENT: Millie’s eyebrows shoot up.
ALEJO: “Yeah, how’d that happen? I don’t think I’ve ever heard that story.”
TUELLER: Tueller nods at Alejo as he sits.
ALEJO: Aljeo takes a sip of the coffee, trying to figure out how to appreciate it.
TUELLER: “A disagreement, that needed to be sorted out, is all.”
ALEJO: “You have such a way with words, big man.” He says this with a smile. “Sorry for waking you, by the way.”
TUELLER: “Sergio had an obsession with katanas.”
TUELLER: “He was not as good with them as he believed.”
MILLICENT: “What kind of disagreement requires you to go the full Carmichael?”
TUELLER: “Full Carmichael?”
ALEJO: “Katanas. Such a fucking cliche.” Alejo nods, as if understanding now.
MILLICENT: —I’ve decided that the Christopher Walken Broadway vehicle A Behanding In Spokane was a huge hit in the future
TUELLER: —well then.
ALEJO: —Haha!
STORY: — i saw that!
MILLICENT: On the empty looks, “What was the nature of your original disagreement? Was it money? Grades?” Pause “Love?”
STORY: — that was martin mcdonagh!
MILLICENT: —Sam Rockwell! Zoe Kazan! Anthony goddamn Mackie!
MILLICENT: —hell of a cast for a shit of a play
STORY: — hey i liked it
TUELLER: “I am sorry. I would prefer not to talk about…that…today. Just please know that the disagreement is now a moot point.”
TUELLER: —Hey, Jess, from the invite, who is throwing the party?
MILLICENT: “And, I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying much attention before because of the whole gun to the head radio station hijack situation, what are we doing there?”
TUELLER: —Is Sergio throwing it, or just going to be in attendence.
ALEJO: Alejo looks down at his coffee and then takes another sip. He looks like a kid trying beer.
STORY: It’s the annual A-Sec fundraiser, thrown yearly by some dignitary or another, usually someone connected with the Ark Council. Tell me about this year’s host!
STORY: Sergio will be a guest, not the host.
TUELLER: Okay, excellent. The party this year is being thrown by the ambassador of the Ssssszzzzssss people. The Ssssszzzzssss are some of the most intelligent and advanced creatures in the galaxy. They were natives of a tiny rock planet that had a suitable atmosphere to form carbon based life. They were large dumb gaseous creatures that were cute, and were taken off planet as pets. The higher gravity of larger planets compressed them down and made them smarter as a result due to the shorter distance their synapses needed to cover. In earth level gravity, they are the smartest carbon based beings in the known galaxy.
TUELLER: They have a nomadic society, living in space ships and in other societies, and are highly respected due to their intelligence and subsequent superiority, traveling around in enclosed space suits in all environment with miniaturized gravity fields way beyond human understanding to keep themselves at their smartest size. They use that gravity field in the place of hands, allowing them to manipulate their environment around themselves with great dexterity within ten feet all around themselves.
TUELLER: This is the cream of Ark society going to be attending, and these are people we cannot afford to offend.
MILLICENT: —I love it
ALEJO: –that’s pretty great stuff, stu. Really cool idea.
TUELLER: —I came up with these guys on my commute awhile back.
STORY: Though it will not harm a Ssssszzzzssss to cause a rupture in their suit, it is considered very rude.
TUELLER: The secrets of their action at a distance fields are known only to them.
TUELLER: Also their space ships are very advanced, and have areas segregated off where they keep the gravity at their home planet’s level, because they need to be at that level of gravity to reproduce.
TUELLER: Just in case you want to know about their sex life.
STORY: Do they call it the Fuck Chamber?
STORY: All cloud fuckin
STORY: Anyway
STORY: What does the space suit look like? Is it humanoid in shape?
MILLICENT: They probably call it the cloudy boom smash room because they’re all idiots inside
ALEJO: –Dumber but sexier.
STORY: https://the-peregrine.obsidianportal.com/characters/ssssszzzzssss
TUELLER: Honestly, they look like those things outside of used car lots. They keep a floppy hand thing to show what they’re operating on. They don’t need to, but it’s considered polite to use fabric limbs to denote how far they’re extending their reach.
TUELLER: Silvery mylar looking things.
STORY: So, we’ve got about an hour left. Why don’t we use this time to research and plan the coming heist, and also you can all tell Alejo how much you hate his sister.
MILLICENT: —God you’re good at running this game, wife
TUELLER: “I am not looking forward to this party, but I don’t see any way around it.
MILLICENT: —did you have that ready to go or did you just throw that together? The avatar, I mean?
TUELLER: —I’d sent that to her when I came up with it.
STORY: — ready to go
MILLICENT: —haha awesome
MILLICENT: “Well, now I see what the party is, but what’s our objective?”
STORY: https://99percentinvisible.org/app/uploads/2014/12/IMG_8444.jpg
STORY: https://99percentinvisible.org/app/uploads/2014/12/IMG_8449.jpg
TUELLER: Excellent.
TUELLER: “I need to try to get the information we need to find Ruma’s lost embryos from Sergio.”
TUELLER: “However, as I once sliced off his hand over a disagreement, I am not 100% confident in my ability to do so.”
MILLICENT: “Is he storing the information somewhere or is it just in his head?”
TUELLER: “The location of the ambush would be recorded in the CJH databases.”
ALEJO: “Which is where you and I come in, Doc.”
TUELLER: “As station chief and ambassador for CJH, Sergio’s terminal would have access to it.”
ALEJO: “I get you to the terminal and you . . . work your magic.”
TUELLER: “Possibly with an assist by our Ghost friend.”
ALEJO: –Do we have invitations for all of us? Are we all going to the party and then sneaking in that way?
MILLICENT: Millie nods. “And Mr. Ya’Makasi keeps this Sergio and his security force busy with his charming personality?”
TUELLER: —When we say “terminal” does that mean hand terminal, or home computer?
ALEJO: –I was imagining something in an office or something, but we could have to lift it off him?
STORY: Only Tueller has an invitation.
ALEJO: –What! No Space party for Millie and Alejo. Boo.
STORY: I didn’t say you can’t go!
STORY: I very much hope you -do- go
TUELLER: “There are rules that limit our engagement. While dueling is legal amongst CJH members, there has to be provocation and it has to be logged in the blockchain. Merely having once dueled is not justification enough, and I shall keep things on the cordial side of conversation. I do not believe I will be in mortal danger, but my experience at the party will not be a lot of fun.”
ALEJO: “You slay me, Tueller.” Alejo laughs at the formality of this and shakes his head.
TUELLER: “However, as my servants, you should be able to attend to me.”
MILLICENT: “Do you know if the guest list a digital or manual document?”
MILLICENT: Flat. “Servants.”
TUELLER: Tueller looks apologetic. “Sorry.”
TUELLER: “Staff, if we prefer.”
ALEJO: “My sis thought you and I were dating, so not the strangest role you’ve gotten cast in today.”
MILLICENT: To both. “I see.”
STORY: Noma pipes in from the speaker on Millie’s suit as it hangs near the door. “You are not dating?”
STORY: “Humans are confusing. I shall recalibrate my social interpretation matrix.”
ALEJO: Alejo looks at Millie and then the suit and then back at his coffee before taking another sip.
MILLICENT: Millie types furiously on an invisible keyboard
TUELLER: “I welcome your help in figuring out a proper cover story. Mr. Ndràngheta is aware of my outsider status with my family, so it will not be difficult to convince him that I am operating on the limits of my families reach, trying to find something to win back my status in the organization.
TUELLER: “As my staff, you are helping me reach out beyond the solar system to establish new….well, that’s where this breaks down.”
TUELLER: “We need to find the location of that ambush.”
TUELLER: Tueller gets more coffee.
TUELLER: “I am not an ideas man. I am a man of action or reaction.”
ALEJO: “We mostly just need to keep him busy, right? I think simple is usually better, if we can keep it that way.”
TUELLER: “You advise me not to tip our hands to him? Merely keep him distracted?”
MILLICENT: “Will they be able to tell our identities by a simple facial scan?”
TUELLER: “CJH has resources, but we are not AI.”
STORY: “Unlikely, Millie. Your identification papers are logged in the Ark’s database, but they are not available as part of the public SectorNet here.”
STORY: “A member of A-Sec may be able to identify you, if they undertake the research to do so.”
STORY: “I would advise you to avoid their attention during this event.”
ALEJO: “I mean, they know me, or some people will know me. But I shouldn’t be a hard sell as a ‘servant’ of Tueller’s. My status as a CJH operative should be good and fine.”
TUELLER: “If we cause problems for the Ssssszzzzssss, they might follow-up. But I am well known anyway.”
MILLICENT: “So then, we need a distraction and access to Mr. Ndràngheta’s quarters?”
TUELLER: “You advise not tipping off Sergio of anything involving the ambush? That is probably wise; the attack is, well, just as likely to have been a Ndràngheta attack as a pirate.”
ALEJO: “I think so.”
STORY: We didn’t! Millie, what kind of setup does Sergio use to access his private data?
STORY: Is it a handheld machine, a local terminal somewhere, does he have a physical device to key in to it, is it biometrically locked, tell me about it
MILLICENT: Samurai sword makes this guy sound like a real prick, SO
ALEJO: He’s a nob. For sure.
TUELLER: —He also has a crude and vicious prosthetic where the hand used to be. He could get a real looking one, but he likes having a vicious claw instead for his left hand.
MILLICENT: He’s got a special rig that he paid an engineer to put together, complete with special casing and cooling systems. He’s probably running a glorified version of Windows NT, but it looks flash as hell.
TUELLER: —Sorry, I meant to call him Captain Hook a bit back.
ALEJO: –Windows NT. I don’t even know what that looks like, it’s been so long since I’ve used a PC.
MILLICENT: It’s got a couple of flashy security systems to match. There’s a biometric scanner, ugh so outdated and easily fooled, but it means we’ll need a bit of DNA, some hair or skin. And he’s got an outdated fluctuating algorithmic passchain in place. No problem for Noma, but she’ll be tied up brute forcing it for at least 15 minutes.
ALEJO: –How do we find the device itself?
STORY: The device is in his quarters.
ALEJO: “So what’s the play to get Millie and me free for twenty minutes?”
MILLICENT: https://i.pinimg.com/736x/c7/2a/e2/c72ae28cae09aaec723a52fad413c690–alien-games-neon-light-signs.jpg
MILLICENT: It’s this shit
TUELLER: —-oh man. That’s so rad.
TUELLER: —I want to play Quake 3 on that right now.
MILLICENT: https://i.imgur.com/hUq3Qlc.jpg
TUELLER: —That’s the machine of someone who calls everyone “fag.”
STORY: — you guys are writing this NPC for me
MILLICENT: I feel like we’re reaching into the collective unconscious for this guy and our hands are meeting
TUELLER: No homo.
STORY: So the plan is: attend the party with Tueller as his servants, get some piece of Sergio’s body from him, then get into his quarters and access the machine?
TUELLER: Obviously the play is for Tueller to play beer pong with this guy.
ALEJO: Totally. Then cross katana’s.
MILLICENT: Is that a peeing together game?
TUELLER: Tueller used a machete.
MILLICENT: It is
MILLICENT: Confirmed
STORY: https://twitter.com/Adaripp/status/956212673192103937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecut.com%2F2018%2F02%2Fadam-rippon-us-figure-skater.html https://twitter.com/Adaripp/status/956212673192103937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecut.com%2F2018%2F02%2Fadam-rippon-us-figure-skater.html
TUELLER: So, yeah, Tueller is getting y’all into the party, then we’ll collectively get what we need from him, and then Tueller keeps him distracted.
TUELLER: —I saw that. That was so amazing.
MILLICENT: —fuck, that guy is so great
STORY: Okay! We’ve got a half hour left – do y’all want to start the heist or save it for next week and either cut early or wake up the rest of your crew and have a party?
TUELLER: I don’t think I’m up for starting the heist and not finishing it.
ALEJO: I think that we should save the heist for a full session, yeah.
MILLICENT: Same
TUELLER: “Alejo, is your sister…”
TUELLER: Tueller trails off, not quite sure how to continue.
ALEJO: Alejo looks up, curious.
TUELLER: “…is she going to be a…”
MILLICENT: “Is anyone’s sister likely to kill us? Soon?”
TUELLER: “Yeah, that’s the question, more or less.”
MILLICENT: “Because it seems like everyone’s sister is likely to kill us. Or get us killed. That’s the kind of general feeling I’ve gotten from everyone’s family, lately.”
ALEJO: Alejo laughs. “She’s something, you’re not wrong.” He takes the silver-dollar sized object she gave him and flips it between his fingers as he continues, “Families are complicated.”
ALEJO: “I think that she’s likely to get me killed one of these days, but until then, I think that we’re safe.”
MILLICENT: “Oh good. Mr. Ya’Makasi, same question.”
TUELLER: “Esi is not a threat to us, especially out here.”
TUELLER: “Honestly, she’d fully support us running a job on a hapless Ndrangheta tool.”
TUELLER: “Lah was my best friend growing up. What she’s doing out here is…well, I don’t know, but I’d trust her with my life above anyone in the universe.”
ALEJO: “Akilah’s not a threat. At least to the two of you.”
TUELLER: “At this point, the only Ya’Makasi you need to worry about is me, and you’re good in my book for now.”
ALEJO: “For now?” Alejo gives Tueller a smile and a nod.
ALEJO: “Always such a diplomat!”
ALEJO: Alejo set’s the coin-like object on the table and slides it to Millie. “Can you please look into this for me?” He then pauses and looks at her seriously. “Don’t damage it! Cal gave it to me, and if I take her at her word, which I’d really like to be able to do, it’s a way for her to call for help from me, if she needs it.”
MILLICENT: Millie nods, seriously. “I’ll take very good care of it. Shouldn’t take me long to run some tests. I’ll return it in one piece.”
TUELLER: “Hard to tell what the future may bring.”
ALEJO: “Thank you.” He says with rare pure earnestness.
TUELLER: “I don’t want to overpromise and underdeliver”
ALEJO: “I’m giving you grief, big man. I know you. You are a person of honor. Mostly.”
ALEJO: “Well, honor always. Killing, stealing, cheating and lying, when the time is right.”
TUELLER: Tueller shrugs.
TUELLER: “Sure.”
STORY: The door slides open and Jac steps in. She takes a step in, notices the three of you, and stops abruptly.
TUELLER: “Want some coffee?”
STORY: She glances up at the clock, then back at the three of you. “It’s night.”
ALEJO: “Hey stranger.”
MILLICENT: Millie glances at the clock too. “It’s morning.”
TUELLER: “We’re in space.”
STORY: “It’s 2:30. I’m going to bed.”
STORY: She moves awkwardly past the three of you to her room, and slips inside.
TUELLER: Reminder, this is kind of how Tueller is dressed. https://www.celebheights.com/pr1/peter-mensah.jpg
ALEJO: “’Night.” Alejo calls out after her, a bit wistfully.
MILLICENT: Does Tueller have his a knife in his pj’s?
ALEJO: “Yeah, probably, sleep isn’t a terrible plan.” Alejo is feeling his head start to ache, a hangover definitely coming.
TUELLER: No.
TUELLER: The knife is by his bed, though.
TUELLER: Karambit, if you’re curious.
MILLICENT: Millie rubs her eyes. “Sleep does sound pretty good.”
TUELLER: “Long day tomorrow.”
MILLICENT: Millie has a book light by her bed
TUELLER: “Reading and partying.”
TUELLER: “Intergalactic felonies.”
ALEJO: “I do love a good party.”
TUELLER: “The usual.”
MILLICENT: “Do we need to know anything to play the role of.” Pause. “Servant? Tomorrow.”
TUELLER: “Ruma was going to send over some briefing papers. We’ll talk once we see those.”
ALEJO: “Dress up! Talk a bit less than usual. And have fun.”