STORY: Wen looks at the group of you, gesturing to Alejo. “You gave me your blessing, man.”
ALEJO: Alejo goes back to get Aki, who is still looking up to Wen. “We gotta go.” He says this softly.
STORY: Alejo, Akilah takes your hand, without looking away from Wen. She shakes her head sadly.
STORY: “Tueller, you were my best man!”
STORY: He’s just sputtering at this point.
TUELLER: “You’re better off not being part of this family, man. I’m sorry.”
TUELLER: Tueller looks mildly sorry.
ALEJO: Alejo closes his eyes for a moment. “Jesus.” He looks up to Wen again. “I’m sorry, Wen. I truly am.” He squeezes Aki’s hand and heads, with her, to the shuttle.
STORY: Wen just looks pathetically at the scene. Akilah turns away and hustles to the shuttle.
MILLICENT: Millie waves at Wen. “Sorry! Good luck with the in-laws!”
ALEJO: There’s a pneumatic hiss, and then the glass door glides shut. Recessed lights in the ceiling glow a chilled blue. Alejo cranes his neck and tests the restraints on the gurney once more. They aren’t going to budge.
ALEJO: The walls on either side are covered with elaborate apertures, and a few seconds after the door shuts, a fine, supercooled mist sprays out of the ceiling coating him head to toe. He flinches as frigid droplets bead on his bare skin and freeze solid. A few more seconds pass and a thick vapor gushes silently out of the apertures, opposing streams from either side colliding over and around his body.
ALEJO: A chemical in the vapor reacts, instantly, with the frozen droplets on his skin, causing an excruciating burning sensation, like an acid bath. He writhes in pain, thrashing against the restraints and screaming, knowing that it will do no good to fight the sensation. So, he tries to lean into it. This sort of chemical dousing torture, though it leaves no visible scars, can cause permanent nerve damage. But he has to hold out long enough to sell that he broke. Aelish Hart is no amateur when it comes to torture.
—
STORY: Millie, you watch the crowd as it rises and disperses, and gather after about a minute that this part of the wedding is not one that anyone is in a hurry to resolve. Purportedly, you’ve been cast to search for the bride and groom and reunite them on the wedding stage, but things have taken a decidedly mercantile turn, as businessmen from across Sol and the surrounding systems begin to talk shop.
STORY: Ezio leans in to you. “We’ve probably got twenty minutes before they get serious about looking. Now’s a good time.”
MILLICENT: Millie takes a look around to see if she can spot the bride, groom or shipmates
STORY: You don’t see Wen or Akilah anywhere. Tueller is still standing up front, being a good sport.
MILLICENT: Millie makes a show of looking around for the bride and groom
STORY: Ezio’s with you the whole way. “This part of your plan, doc?”
MILLICENT: “We’ve got to look natural, now smile.”
MILLICENT: Millie heads for Tueller.
STORY: He smiles.
STORY: He melts into the crowd, still within reach, still watching, but out of Tueller’s line of sight.
MILLICENT: Does Tueller notice Millie’s approach?
TUELLER: Are you trying to be noticed or not?
MILLICENT: I think Millie’s conflicted about that
MILLICENT: So probably off and on
TUELLER: Well, Tueller’s just glad-handing with family, feeling faker and faker with every unstructured moment.
TUELLER: I would say he’s suppressing his fight or flight urge at every moment.
MILLICENT: Millie gets closer, trying to see how Ezio reacts to Tueller
STORY: He does his best to avoid Tueller noticing him, but he stays close enough to watch you.
MILLICENT: Also she’s got one hand in her pocket trying to figure out what this thing is by feel
MILLICENT: Like, can she tell if it’s a bomb or acid sprinkler or something?
STORY: How about an Assessment + Mettle on that
MILLICENT: /roll 2d6+1
STORY: josh rolled 9 + 1 = 10
STORY: It’s really hard to tell anything from touch, but a groove on one side reminds you of a brand of compact data drive you’ve used before and it clicks. Whatever’s on that drive, who knows, but you suspect it won’t be good for Tueller to be in possession of it. You gain a data point about Sergio!
MILLICENT: Oh hooray
MILLICENT: Millie approaches Tueller
TUELLER: When Millie is within about 15 feet, Tueller looks up from his conversation with Charel about a particularly violent eruption on Io last year, and notices Millie. His smile freezes for a moment, and he cocks his head to the side minutely.
STORY: She looks nice!
STORY: Millie, how else do you look? Anything being communicated on your face that Tueller’s likely to gather?
MILLICENT: Millie flashes Tueller a look
TUELLER: Charel continues on to talk ruefully about the changes in lava flow patterns.
MILLICENT: Millie smiles kind of painfully, makes eye contact with Tueller, grimaces, makes big eyes, then smiles kind of painfully again.
TUELLER: Tueller gestures to Millie for a moment, just an One Second finger, followed by a Halt gesture.
MILLICENT: Millie mills around, circling
TUELLER: To Charel. “Rellie, I’m so sorry to interrupt, you know how I love hearing about your work, but I must take a moment. If you see our family party planner–it’s still Li-An, right? If you see her around, could you please tell her I’d like to speak with her for a moment?”
STORY: Charel looks disappointed, as he was really just getting into explaining the recent geothermal abnormalities he’s been documenting, but as he is an extremely boring man, he acquiesces.
STORY: He pats you on the shoulder. “Good luck with your… ship venture or whatever.”
TUELLER: Tueller gives a nod to Millie and works his way over to the bar, giving a wave for her to come along with.
MILLICENT: Millie follows
TUELLER: Tueller shows up at the bar, edging out a minor Ndrangheta cousin for space for them both.
TUELLER: “Jacques,” to the bartender, “Please, a healthy pour of the Balvenie Nikka 15 year for my friend here.”
STORY: The cousin scowls at you and backs off.
TUELLER: “And another for me.”
MILLICENT: Millie nods and tries to find Ezio in the mirror behind the bartender
TUELLER: “Oh, and bring a half dram of the 21, if we have it.”
STORY: He’s ducked inside the crowd, but you see him watching you as he chats to the cousin Tueller just brushed off.
TUELLER: Tueller looks at Millie, and then glances around, performing, Making Sure People Are Giving Us space but also checking out who’s around us, before leaning in in a friendly sort of manner to Millie.
MILLICENT: Millie stands at the bar, not looking at Tueller, waiting for her drink, nearly vibrating with nervous energy
TUELLER: “I told you I’d give you a chance to try the 15, to see it was far superior to the overcasked 21.”
MILLICENT: Millie nods.
TUELLER: “I just…wasn’t expecting to have my chance _today_ Doc.”
STORY: The bartender, recognizing you, brings you whatever you’ve asked for quickly and gets out of the way.
TUELLER: Tueller slides a very large tip over to the bartender as he expertly steps back.
MILLICENT: Millie raises the 21 to Tueller, “Your health” and takes a long drink before doing the same with the 15.
STORY: He smiles at you appreciatively.
MILLICENT: “Goddammit, Tueller.”
TUELLER: Tueller sips at the 15, acknowledging the toast.
MILLICENT: “You were right.” Her voice has flattened a little.
TUELLER: Tueller is pacing himself when it comes to drink.
TUELLER: “I, to my great delight, occasionally am.”
MILLICENT: “I don’t think I have a lot of time and I need to tell you a lot.”
MILLICENT: Millie stares at the mirror, keeping Ezio in sight.
TUELLER: Tueller registers the sightline but does not look just yet.
TUELLER: Giving Millie his full attention for now.
TUELLER: “Triage it, doc.”
MILLICENT: “But before I do that, I wanted to tell someone, to tell you. I really, really messed up. I made a very serious mistake and I acknowledge that.” Millie’s hand shakes, but her voice doesn’t.
TUELLER: “Recently, or just coming out now?”
MILLICENT: “It might come out soon. I just wanted you to know that I _know_ I messed up. Now. At the time, I. I didn’t see anything.”
TUELLER: Tueller leans back a little bit, against the bar.
MILLICENT: “I was egotistical and vain and so. Goddamn. Angry.”
TUELLER: Tueller smiles a little at that.
TUELLER: Kind of ruefully.
MILLICENT: “And I.” Her voice drops to a whisper “Endangered the entire human race, planet, moon, colonies and shipfarers.”
MILLICENT: “I see that now.”
MILLICENT: Millie looks at Tueller for the first time. “I really do get that.”
TUELLER: You know that surprised gif? That’s Tueller now.
MILLICENT: Millie shakes her head. “Anyway, I won’t let my fear of that chase me down another, secondarily bad path.”
STORY: Hey, Millie? Where’s Noma right now? She has to occupy a system, so she’s either onboard Peregrine or hanging out in your visor on idle.
MILLICENT: Visor, probably
STORY: Roger that
MILLICENT: Definitely visor
TUELLER: “This sounds…like you could use a friend right now.”
MILLICENT: Millie laughs a laugh that almost starts her crying.
MILLICENT: She catches herself with a start and empties one of the Scotches.
TUELLER: Tueller pushes the remainder of his over to her, and signals for another to the bartender.
TUELLER: “That you’re here now…well, _you shouldn’t be here_–for your own safety–and yet you’re here.”
TUELLER: Tueller’s kind of trying to work through things out loud, not really confident just yet.
MILLICENT: “Tueller, listen to me. There’s a piece of Ndrangheta trash watching me now. I’m supposed to plant a compact data drive on you. I’m not going to and when that’s clear, I think they’re going to break a story about my actions.”
TUELLER: “What do you need me to do?”
TUELLER: “How. Can. I. Help?”
TUELLER: Sharp, enunciated, through his teeth.
MILLICENT: Millie smiles. “I needed you to know to watch your back and I wanted you to know that the story is, well, it’s about how I met our mutual ethereal friend.”
TUELLER: Tueller slides another hefty tip to the bartender who expertly drops a glass on and fades back with the money.
MILLICENT: Millie slides her visor across the bar to Tueller. “If I’m arrested or killed, I want you to make sure she’s safe.”
TUELLER: “You need to be seen putting it on me?” Tueller smiles like we’re having a conversation about a mutual friend.
STORY: Millie, as soon as Tueller lays his hand on your visor, Ezio is at your side, smiling. “So.”
STORY: He puts a gentle hand on the small of both your backs.
MILLICENT: Millie turns with a smile. “Here he is! My charming date I’ve been telling you all about!”
STORY: “Tueller, good to see you again.”
TUELLER: Tueller smiles with teeth. “Ezio, you little padulo.”
STORY: He winks at you.
TUELLER: “Strange. I didn’t smell you coming.”
STORY: “So what’s the topic of conversation?”
TUELLER: Tueller looks at Ezio and Millie, back and forth.
TUELLER: “My ex-girlfriend, an alien with HILARIOUS misunderstandings about human culture.”
TUELLER: “I’m sure she’d HATE you.”
MILLICENT: Millie nods. “Her culture is humorously different than our own!”
STORY: “I see. And that’s why Millie’s turning in her prohibited tech to you?” He’s nodding.
TUELLER: “Yes, please, hand it over, Millie.”
TUELLER: Tueller holds out his hand.
STORY: He puts a hand on it, looking carefully at Tueller.
STORY: Tueller, I’d like a Face Adversity + Influence please
TUELLER: /roll 2d6
STORY: chris.stuart rolled 3
TUELLER: oooooooooof
MILLICENT: oh yikes
STORY: Ezio, keeping eye contact with Tueller, carefully lifts the visor off the bar and tucks it into his back pocket.
STORY: He takes a long look at Millie.
MILLICENT: Millie looks him back in the eye.
STORY: “Gonna be that way, then?”
MILLICENT: “Return it, please.”
TUELLER: “Now, that’s not how this is going to go, you little weaselly fuck.”
TUELLER: Tueller grabs Ezio by the collar.
MILLICENT: Millie grabs him by the balls
STORY: A few people in the area gasp.
STORY: You are without question witnessed.
MILLICENT: Louder, “Return it, please.”
TUELLER: Luckily, Tueller has a reputation for brawling.
STORY: Ezio grunts, reaching back with one hand. “Let me go or I crush it.”
STORY: Millie, if the power source is interrupted, you aren’t sure Noma will survive.
MILLICENT: Millie ponders. “That would be a very bad choice.”
TUELLER: Tueller switches to the throat. “Indeed.”
MILLICENT: “Would you really put your testicles on the line to harm my personal computer?”
STORY: He doesn’t look scared. “Three.”
MILLICENT: “Four?”
MILLICENT: “I don’t know this game.”
STORY: “Two.”
TUELLER: Tueller looks to Millie.
MILLICENT: “Oh we’re counting down.” Millie releases Ezio’s balls and steps back.
MILLICENT: “You could have said so.”
TUELLER: Tueller leaves his arm resting on Ezio’s shoulder.
TUELLER: He does not step back.
STORY: Ezio steps back from both of you.
MILLICENT: “We seem to be at a bit of an impasse.”
STORY: Tueller, do you release his shoulder?
TUELLER: Yeah, if he steps back, I’m not holding him.
STORY: He takes one more quick look at both of you and steps back into the crowd.
MILLICENT: Millie follows, she will not let him out of her sight.
TUELLER: Tueller sticks by the bar, does not chase off with Millie.
STORY: He ducks behind someone, something, and you lose track of him.
STORY: Alejo!
STORY: The floor’s cold, but the fur coat Akilah found to pull over the two of you while she rests her head on your chest and catches her breath helps. You aren’t sure how that rack of coats got overturned, but you’re pretty sure it had something to do with you. You can hear the sounds of the party outside, though the chanting has stopped and it sounds like people mostly milling around. In this room, it’s just the sound of her breathing.
ALEJO: He smiles and gently runs a hand through her hair, letting the moment sink in.
STORY: It’s hard not to start thinking of what happens after the next five minutes or so.
ALEJO: He takes a deep breath. “That was. Wow.” He keeps stroking her hair. “So… We’re not careful, we could have a farce on our hands here.” He says this playfully and easily, letting the seriousness of the situation speak for itself.
STORY: She keeps her eyes closed. “Mm.”
ALEJO: “This is not what I expected.”
ALEJO: He looks at the door, cautiously.
STORY: “Mm.”
ALEJO: “Aki,” he smiles at her, “gods, you are gorgeous.” Stops stroking her hair. “But seriously, Aki?”
STORY: “Shh.”
ALEJO: He takes another deep breath and tries to relax, feeling the comfort of the fur coat and her skin against him, but he can’t help but listen for approaching steps at the door.
STORY: She notices. “Relax.” Still with closed eyes.
ALEJO: “You’re pretty chill, given that . . . How the hell are you so calm?” He says this quietly, keeping things light.
STORY: “I told you, they won’t start looking for half an hour. That was, like. Ten minutes tops.”
STORY: Alejo, you’re pretty sure it was more like half an hour.
ALEJO: He laughs. “Hey now! Been a while for me, you know.” He gives her a loving pat on her arm. “’Sides, I’m pretty sure it was a bit longer than that.” He stretches his legs out. “I wanna say something really corny right now, but I think that you’d punch me.”
STORY: She sighs unhappily. “You’d be right.” Then sits up, looking around for her dress.
ALEJO: “There she is,” he sits up and hands her the dress, which is next to him.
STORY: “Okay, so what’s the plan.”
ALEJO: “Yeah, a plan. I sort of think that’s complicated. Or maybe not? I mean,” he hesitates for a second, “this just, you know, jitters for you?” He reaches for his shirt. “I’d get it if so.”
STORY: She laughs. “Maybe you don’t know me that well.”
STORY: “Jitters a thing you think happens to me?”
ALEJO: “First time for everything.” He shrugs.
ALEJO: “And I didn’t want to presume.”
STORY: She does up the side zip of her dress. “So I figure you’ll have to kidnap me.”
ALEJO: He nods. And keeps nodding. “Right.” More nodding. “Right. Makes sense.” It makes no sense.
STORY: “Can’t think of another way to get out of here without pissing off Esinam. You’re going to need pants.” She stands and looks around.
ALEJO: “Right, ’cause that’s not gonna piss her off,” he mumbles as he stands looking around for pants.
STORY: She finds them, and tosses them to you. “Help me with this rack.” She starts to lift the large coat rack off the floor.
ALEJO: He flips the pants over his shoulder and helps.
STORY: Tueller!
STORY: Ezio has vanished into the crowd. Scanning, you note that people have started to actually search for the couple, and you see Esinam standing in the center of the room, one eyebrow raised, looking off towards the entrance. She’s doing math in her head.
TUELLER: Tueller heads directly towards Esi.
STORY: You follow her gaze to the door of the coat room as she starts off toward it.
STORY: Let’s have an Assessment + Mettle please!
TUELLER: /roll 2d6+1
STORY: chris.stuart rolled 10 + 1 = 11
STORY: It is kinda weird that after this much time no one has found Akilah. And the coat room door is closed. And you haven’t seen Alejo in… well, at all since the wedding started. And you think you know what Esinam suspects. You gain a data point about her!
STORY: What do you do?
TUELLER: “Esi! Hold up!” Tueller weaves through the crowd to catch up with her.
TUELLER: Quick side glances as he runs to see if Sergio is around anywhere.
TUELLER: Or Ezio.
TUELLER: But prioritizing getting to Esi.
STORY: You don’t see Sergio. Esinam glances at you as she keeps walking, and you catch her as she puts her hand on the coat room doorknob. “What is it, Tueller?” she asks impatiently.
TUELLER: “Serj is running an attack on the Family at this fucking wedding.” Tueller hisses at Esi.
STORY: She raises an eyebrow. “Details.”
TUELLER: “He got the Doc in. Ezio’s running her. Got her running scared. She’s to plant a data stick on me or they destroy her reputation.”
STORY: She looks at you skeptically. “That sounds like a you problem, not an us problem.”
TUELLER: “How is an attack on a Family member at a Family occasion NOT an US problem, sister?”
STORY: “You wanted your freedom, little brother. You have it. You didn’t think there wouldn’t be difficulties, did you?”
STORY: And she turns the doorknob.
STORY: It’s locked. She looks down at the handle in disbelief.
STORY: And then back up at Tueller, angrily.
STORY: “I _knew_ you bringing that little traitor to this would fuck it all up.”
STORY: “Get them out of there and clean this up – _now_ – or I’ll make sure Sergio gets whatever he’s after.”
STORY: And she whirls away, back into the crowd, smiling and waving at a guest.
TUELLER: Tueller stands at the door and knocks. Four quick raps. A pause, two raps, a pause, and then two hard knocks. A knock Alejo recognizes.
TUELLER: No one who is paying any attention would come near Tueller. He is incandescent with anger right now.
ALEJO: Alejo slips his pants on, slides his jacket over his shirt, his bow tie untied and collar open, gives Aki a look and whispers, “Tueller,” and gets ready to open the door when she is ready.
ALEJO: He sighs.
STORY: Millie, where are you?
MILLICENT: Millie is finding the nearest computer. I’m guessing it’s a POS touchscreen
STORY: There aren’t any public terminals here; it’s like a country club. There might be something behind the bar or in one of the rooms.
MILLICENT: Millie’s searching, behind the bar, rooms, whatever’s closest.
STORY: You’re just going to walk behind the bar?
MILLICENT: She’d rather go into a room if no one is looking.
STORY: Folks are searching all over the venue, looking for Wen and Akilah, but you head upstairs and enter what looks like the bridal suite in search of a console.
STORY: You find Wen there, sitting on a fabric-covered stool, face red.
MILLICENT: Is there a console in this room?
STORY: Yeah, there’s one near the dressing table.
STORY: He sort of looks up at you and points in recognition, but is searching for your name.
STORY: “You fixed up my cheek.”
STORY: He’s been crying.
MILLICENT: “Hi Wen! I did! Nice to see you again!” Millie is kind of frantic, moving in the room and closing the door.
MILLICENT: “Are you. Having a nice wedding?”
STORY: Wen laughs ruefully.
STORY: “I wouldn’t say that, no.”
MILLICENT: “Oh! I’m sorry to hear that! I’m experiencing a kind of, well, life and death situation. Do you mind if I use that console behind you?”
STORY: “Wh–”
STORY: He looks confused.
STORY: “Okay?”
STORY: He wipes his face and offers you the stool.
MILLICENT: “Thanks!” Millie sits down and offers him a hanky from her clutch.
STORY: He takes it.
MILLICENT: Millie gets on the SectorNet and searches Sergio’s presence. Specifically for any unexplained absences in employment or sudden windfalls or lucky breaks.
STORY: Let’s make this an Assessment + Interface!
MILLICENT: /roll 2d6+2
STORY: josh rolled 6 + 2 = 8
MILLICENT: 8
STORY: You do some searching, some cross referencing, some poking at public records and some informed guessing. Three years ago, before being given the post on The Ark, Sergio made roughly ten times his likely salary. The increase in lifestyle expenditure seems to coincide with a trip he took. What are the details you were able to gather about that trip?
MILLICENT: I’ve been less involved in the politics of the outer planet colonies, so maybe you guys can help me get this right.
TUELLER: Well, is he profiting off of the revolutionaries that Alejo used to work for?
STORY: The Roti dan Garam?
TUELLER: CJH is a business. A criminal one. But we all have rules.
MILLICENT: There was a particular money making scheme shared by CJH that failed back then. Territory fell into the hands of the Roti dan Garam, maybe it had some ripple effects on Alejo? Anyway, Millie finds out that Sergio intended to sell out just the Ya’Makasi side, but everyone fell as a result of his actions. The Roti still paid him.
TUELLER: On Dione, maybe?
STORY: Wen sniffles a little behind you, looking out the window.
MILLICENT: Millie types up a quick script that will require her, once a day, to log in to actively stop this news from going public
MILLICENT: “Hang in there, champ.” Kind of over her shoulder to Wen.
MILLICENT: I spend the data point to set this up: “Expend a Data Point on the SectorNet to have the facts about the subject become common knowledge.”
STORY: Data point spent, dead man’s switch installed.
MILLICENT: Millie sends a quick note to Sergio:
MILLICENT: “Mr. ’Ndràngheta, I expect my property returned immediately. And we’ll have no further talk of Triton or the entire system will learn what happened on Dione. I’ve proof and a dead man’s switch.”
MILLICENT: Millie swivels her chair around and faces Wen. “There there.”
MILLICENT: “Cold feet?”
STORY: Wen takes a deep breath and starts his tale.
STORY: Alejo, Akilah nods as she unlocks the door and opens it just far enough to admit Tueller, staying mostly behind it as she scans the room for her shoes. “Hey T, we were just discussing my kidn–” and stops abruptly when she sees Tueller’s face.
STORY: She closes the door behind you and locks it again. “…T?”
TUELLER: “Are you happy here, Lah?”
STORY: Tueller, Akilah is in her dress, but her hair’s all out of place and she isn’t wearing her shoes. Alejo has pants on, at least, but that’s it.
ALEJO: “Hiii.” Alejo says with a single wave.
TUELLER: Alejo has known Tueller long enough to recognize incadescent fury.
STORY: She looks at you quietly, and shakes her head.
TUELLER: “Me neither.”
STORY: “It isn’t the same without you two” comes out in a whisper.
TUELLER: “Esi’s reeling in the leash on me but leaving me out to dry.”
TUELLER: “I am fucking sick of being Ya’Makasi.”
TUELLER: Tueller has barely even seemed to notice what you guys have gotten up to.
ALEJO: Alejo raises his eyes at this. Surprise and a little relief.
STORY: She smiles despite herself.
TUELLER: “Ejo, the Doc’s in trouble, and one of Serj’s goons has Noma.”
TUELLER: “Sis, I do not think I want to stay around for the ceremony.”
TUELLER: “I think I have to take care of my real family.”
ALEJO: He straightens up. “She safe? And which goon?”
TUELLER: “Ezio. The handsome sleezefuck.”
ALEJO: He nods. “Yeah, I’ve had the displeasure.”
TUELLER: “Has the Doc’s visor. I assume, based on Millie’s discomfort, that Noma’s crashing the party.”
ALEJO: Alejo buttons his shirt, all business now. “Best get it back.” He brushes a hand through his hair. “But we have another problem.”
TUELLER: “Oh, and Millie was being blackmailed to plant something on me.”
TUELLER: “Information of some sort, not a weapon.”
ALEJO: “An additional problem.”
TUELLER: “You two fucking?”
TUELLER: “That’s always been sort of a background radiation type problem.”
STORY: Akilah rolls her eyes.
ALEJO: He nods and shakes his head at once. “Yeah, no. Not that.”
TUELLER: “That is a bit of a problem here, Ejo.”
TUELLER: “Or at least something to work around.”
TUELLER: “Happy for you both, though.”
TUELLER: Tueller nods at Akilah.
STORY: “Yeah, yeah. What’s the other problem?”
ALEJO: “Aki’s coming with us.” He looks at her questioningly. “I think.” He shakes his head. “But the other problem is that we don’t have a ship. Maybe. I’m not sure. Doc should know.” He pauses and catches his breath. “Okay, short version . . . ”
ALEJO: He checks the door again. “Tormod is here. He’s not dead.” He lets that sink in for them both, as they should both understand the significance of that fact.
TUELLER: Tueller looks blankly.
STORY: Akilah looks shocked. “He’s what?”
TUELLER: “That guy? Why would he be dead?”
ALEJO: “When I saw him, I had the Doc send the Peregrine away. I hope.”
STORY: “Back up. _You_ told me he was dead.”
ALEJO: “Because I was supposed to have killed him.”
STORY: “I took that to mean that you had killed him, Alejo.”
TUELLER: “I’m going to assume this is all important and I’ll be filled in on why at a convenient time. Just tell me what I need to work with here.”
ALEJO: “Yeah, I know. Tueller, I was a double agent. Lots to catch up on. Aki knows now. I’m not any more. I too am ready to take care of my real family. Bottom line, I used Tormod to try to get free of a lot of shit.” He looks at Aki. “I tried to get free for us. It was really fucked up. And I am sorry.”
TUELLER: “I….don’t know who Tormod is.”
STORY: She narrows her eyes. “Dead or not, what’s he doing at this wedding?”
STORY: She does not explain anything to Tueller.
TUELLER: “Lot of uninvited people here.” Tueller shrugs.
TUELLER: “The Doc, for instance.”
ALEJO: “Yup. My question.” He looks at Tueller and nods.
ALEJO: “And me.”
STORY: “Okay, so let me see if I have this straight.”
STORY: “You know a doctor who is in some kind of trouble, who’s supposed to be helping Sergio blackmail you. Or frame you. Whatever.”
TUELLER: “Doc Millie. Our friend.”
STORY: “Esinam doesn’t care.”
STORY: “You can’t just kidnap me because there’s no getaway ship.”
STORY: “And also a very dangerous man that has no business being alive, let alone at this wedding, is standing out there drinking with _my_ guests.”
TUELLER: “We’ve got a ship. We just…well, they may have got the bug out code.”
ALEJO: “Yup, sounds like you’ve got the salient points. But we’re also missing another crew member. An AI, Noma.”
STORY: “You have an AI?”
ALEJO: “I think we need to triage this.”
STORY: “Holy shit. I thought those were illegal.”
STORY: “Or, like. Impossible.”
ALEJO: “Well, she might more have us, I think.”
TUELLER: “We have a Ghost guest member of our crew.”
TUELLER: “She is our friend and we’re not going to leave her behind.”
ALEJO: “Let’s get Noma, before she’s off this moon.”
STORY: “You realize there’s nothing I can do here.”
STORY: “I show my face out there, this ceremony starts up again.”
TUELLER: “Esi knows you’re in here.”
STORY: She winces.
TUELLER: “And you, Ejo.”
STORY: “Welp. Gotta run, then.”
STORY: “You mind getting that ship of yours back?”
TUELLER: Tueller triggers his coms, “Doc, things got complicated. Figuring it out and we’ll link up with you.”
ALEJO: He shrugs. “She never was gonna like me. We need a terminal. Need to leave a message on an open chat board. Kahn will get it and come back or meet us where we need. Can we get outta here to someplace safe to hole up?”
TUELLER: “Doc, you get that?”
TUELLER: Tueller turns to Akilah apologetically. “Doc’s got comms in all of us, but they run through her.”
TUELLER: “You wouldn’t happen to have the Just Married shuttle shackled up outside, would you?”
STORY: Millie!
STORY: Wen’s finished his tale. It’s long, and full of parts you don’t entirely understand involving Sol film industry insider information, but it ends with a real whammy: Wen closes the SectorNet console and shows you what he had been looking at: a freeze frame from the security camera outside the coat room, and someone who looks like Akilah dragging someone who looks like Alejo into it.
MILLICENT: “Ah.” Millie leans her head back in the chair.
MILLICENT: “I suppose I deserved that.”
MILLICENT: Idly, “You didn’t, of course.”
STORY: He looks exhausted. “I just want to get off this fucking moon and back to Earth.”
STORY: “These people are all crazy.”
MILLICENT: “Oh, well!”
MILLICENT: Millie stands up. “If you can get us back to our ship, we can get you to the Ark. Where you can get a ride back to Erde Maris space.”
MILLICENT: “It’s kind of the long way around, but you’re almost guaranteed not to run into any, ah, _many_ Ya’Makasi on the way!”
STORY: “You’re headed to the Ark?”
STORY: He considers it.
STORY: “With Alejo?”
MILLICENT: “He is a captain of the ship.”
MILLICENT: “But you know.” Millie’s tone drops, “you know there’s a good man somewhere in there.”
MILLICENT: “You can kind of see it if you squint.”
STORY: “So you are offering me weeks stuck on a ship with the guy who just cuckolded me.”
STORY: Millie, Tueller comms in to you.
TUELLER: “Doc, things got complicated. Figuring it out and we’ll link up with you.”
MILLICENT: “Yes, but no potentially homicidal in-laws.”
STORY: He makes a little high pitched hum of consideration.
TUELLER: A few seconds later, “Doc, you get that?”
TUELLER: “With Alejo here now.”
MILLICENT: Still out loud, “Sounds like the boys are looking for another way and if I don’t corral them soon they’re very likely to do some extremely enthusiastic violence to _someone_ until they get a ship.”
MILLICENT: “What do you say?”
MILLICENT: In comms, “Hello, boys, please hold.”
STORY: Wen blows air out of his mouth.
TUELLER: “Okay, she’s alive at least.”
STORY: He peers out the window at the parking lot. “Yeah, they’ve got the shuttle set up. It’s supposed to fit two.”
STORY: “I need to get the fuck out of here.”
STORY: “You want to go.. out the window with me?”
ALEJO: Alejo scrunches up his mouth, an “on hold” sort of look only without the phone to his ear.
STORY: Akilah looks at her wrist, but there’s no watch there. She looks exasperated.
MILLICENT: Millie smiles, it looks like it’s been a while.
STORY: “Yeah, I mean, they’ve probably got the shuttle ready in the parking lot. We’re supposed to leave right after the ceremony.”
STORY: “Make a break for it? It’s only supposed to fit two.” She looks at Tueller in all his giganticness.
MILLICENT: “I’d love to. Just need to check my messages. Won’t be a moment.”
MILLICENT: Millie leans over the console and checks her messages
STORY: Nothing new, Millie.
MILLICENT: To herself, “I’m going to insist to be there myself when one of those boys kills that man.”
TUELLER: Tueller covers his eyes in frustration and exhales heavily.
MILLICENT: To Wen, “Let’s go!”
MILLICENT: In comms, “We’re going to steal the honeymoon car and take it to the service entrance by the kitchens, think you can sneak away there?”
STORY: Wen spins the little twisty window opener pump thingy that some old fancy windows have.
TUELLER: “What about Noma?”
MILLICENT: “There should be a door just out the hallway to the left that leads to the cooler.
MILLICENT: “Oh, we’re not leaving without her.”
ALEJO: “I’ll go after her. Shuttle’s not big enough for all of us anyway, and I’m the only one that can get around here without getting caught.”
STORY: Millie, as you watch Wen open the window through its torturously slow mechanism, you see Sergio walk out to the valet, followed by a man with salt and pepper hair and… Calixta Soto.
STORY: Sergio puts a hand on the man’s shoulder as his car is brought around and hands him something.
STORY: Something roughly handheld. Something familiar looking.
STORY: The window slowly creaks open. You’re a story up.
STORY: The man shakes Sergio’s hand and tosses the object into his open car door, giving Calixta his hand to help her into the back of the car.
STORY: She takes it and steps inside, gathering her dress after her as she takes a seat.
STORY: The door is almost open enough for a person to fit through, though you still don’t have a safe way down.
STORY: Wen stops winding for a minute to walk to the bed and take the sheet off. “I’m not sure where to tie this,” he says, embarrassed.
MILLICENT: Are there any drainpipes or anything?
MILLICENT: On the outside wall, I mean
STORY: Maybe? You can’t really see outside until the window’s open enough to fit through.
MILLICENT: How long until that’s the case?
STORY: If you let Wen bumble around with that sheet, probably twenty years
MILLICENT: Millie squeezes through the window and jumps.
STORY: hahah
STORY: Okay! Face Adversity + Mettle please
MILLICENT: /roll 2d6+1
STORY: josh rolled 10 + 1 = 11
MILLICENT: HELL YES
STORY: Oh boy.
MILLICENT: FUCK YOU, GRAVITY
STORY: hahah
STORY: You dive out and roll as you hit the ground, ending up standing before Sergio and his associate, who is just about to get into the car.
STORY: What do you do?
MILLICENT: “Good evening! Dione! Lovely night for a wedding! Dione! I believe you have my visor! Dione! Dead man’s switch! Dione Dione Dione.” Millie stops to catch her breath a little.
MILLICENT: Comms OPEN by the way
TUELLER: “Dione?”
ALEJO: Alejo gives Tueller a look.
TUELLER: “Millie found Sergio.”
STORY: Millie, you see Calixta lean forward in the back of this car, staring at you in obvious disbelief. The associate looks at Sergio, then you, and ducks into his car as quickly as he can, shouting to his driver. “Go! NOW”
TUELLER: Tueller goes out the door and shuts it behind him.
ALEJO: “Where are you, Doc?”
TUELLER: “Where, Doc, where?”
STORY: Sergio looks at you with instant understanding and lunges to grab Chandra before they drive off.
STORY: He fails.
STORY: The car peels out as he reaches for the handle, pulling him to the ground as it does, and he lands in the dirt.
STORY: He stays there, on his hands and knees, for a few moments.
MILLICENT: In comms, “Parking lot.”
MILLICENT: “Stay put for a minute.”
TUELLER: Tueller’s running flat out.
STORY: And finally just turns around and sits in the dirt, arms draped over his knees, nodding at you unhappily.
MILLICENT: “Make yourself useful and call me a goddamn ride.”
STORY: Akilah looks at you, Alejo, as Tueller just bolts out of the room.
STORY: Her face is a “???”
ALEJO: He throws the fur coat over her shoulders and opens the door cautiously, to see if there’s an opening to get her out of here without Esi or someone else seeing the escape.
ALEJO: “Working on it.”
ALEJO: “But you can’t stay here.”
MILLICENT: “Parking lot! I’m here with ’Ndràngheta, but don’t shoot him. Yet.”
STORY: Tueller, you slam into a few guests on your way out, but nobody stops you. You think you glimpse Ezio stepping in front of you, but he’s half your size and is knocked aside without any thought on your part.
TUELLER: No, Tueller punches him as he goes by.
TUELLER: He definitely does.
STORY: With the magic fists?
TUELLER: No.
TUELLER: Just a regular punch.
STORY: All right, so you just break his jaw and don’t liquefy his head.
MILLICENT: Millie advances on Sergio. “You will help me retrieve that visor and you will say please and thank you while you do it, are we clear?”
STORY: Alejo, in the general commotion Tueller has caused by knocking over half a dozen guests, you think you may be able to slip Akilah through the crowd.
ALEJO: Alejo takes her by the hand. “This is gonna be fun.” He opens the door and pulls her out. “Keep up and do what I do.” He moves her quickly in and between the frantic crowd.
STORY: Let’s have a Face Adversity + Mettle, for the hell of it.
TUELLER: CLOSE UP
ALEJO: /roll 2d6 + 3
STORY: ablair01 rolled 10
STORY: You can slide her through the crowd, but people are starting to collect themselves and figure out where Tueller was headed.
STORY: Tueller, you find Sergio on his ass, dirt in his suit and hair, Millie standing over him also incandescent.
STORY: A valet stands nearby, amazed at this woman who just fell out of the sky.
TUELLER: Snarling, “You motherfucker asshole.”
TUELLER: Tueller’s running at Sergio. Y’all have a little bit of time to respond.
STORY: Sergio scuttles back on his hands and feet like a crab. “Wait, WAIT–”
TUELLER: “I will NOT.”
TUELLER: Tueller stomps on Sergio’s ankle.
STORY: It gives as much resistance as a stale pretzel.
STORY: Sergio screams.
MILLICENT: Millie lays a hand on Tueller’s arm.
MILLICENT: “That will do, Tueller. Please.”
TUELLER: Tueller looks at Millie.
MILLICENT: “Mr. ’Ndràngheta just volunteered to help us get back my stolen piece of technology in any way he can. Isn’t that right, Mr. ’Ndràngheta?”
STORY: “Yes!” he yelps, reaching for his shattered ankle.
STORY: “Jesus, yes!”
TUELLER: Tueller leans down, “Is that fucking so?”
STORY: He winces. “Tueller, you don’t even know what she did, do you?”
STORY: “Listen to me, you aren’t safe with this woman.”
TUELLER: “I’m not going for fucking safe, you shit.”
MILLICENT: Millie shrugs. “He’s not wrong, Tueller. We have some settling up to do.”
MILLICENT: “But before that, I asked you nicely to get us a ride. Where is it?”
STORY: Alejo, you reach the front door with Akilah and find Sergio on the ground, Tueller menacing him and Millie standing close by.
STORY: The “JUST MARRIED” shuttle is 20 meters to the side, doors open.
STORY: The valet is _incredibly_ invested in this scene.
STORY: And as you walk towards the end of the walkway, you hear a voice from above. “Kiki.”
STORY: Wen stands at the open window, looking devastated.
ALEJO: Alejo looks up at him, sympathetically. Then he looks to Tueller and Millie. “Where’s Noma?”
ALEJO: “We’ve got very little time here.”
STORY: Akilah trails behind you, looking up at him. “I’m sorry, Wen.”
MILLICENT: Millie shoots Alejo a look, shakes her head. Indicates the shuttle. “Hot wire it.” Turns, “Tueller, would you please restrain Mr. ’Ndràngheta and escort him to our vehicle?”
STORY: Wen looks at the group of you, gesturing to Alejo. “You gave me your blessing, man.”
TUELLER: “It’s keyed to Lah or Wen’s DNA.”
TUELLER: To Alejo.
ALEJO: Alejo goes back to get Aki, who is still looking up to Wen. “We gotta go.” He says this softly.
STORY: Alejo, Akilah takes your hand, without looking away from Wen. She shakes her head sadly.
STORY: “Tueller, you were my best man!”
STORY: He’s just sputtering at this point.
TUELLER: “You’re better off not being part of this family, man. I’m sorry.”
TUELLER: Tueller looks mildly sorry.
ALEJO: Alejo closes his eyes for a moment. “Jesus.” He looks up to Wen again. “I’m sorry, Wen. I truly am.” He squeezes Aki’s hand and heads, with her, to the shuttle.
STORY: Wen just looks pathetically at the scene. Akilah turns away and hustles to the shuttle.
TUELLER: Tueller picks up Sergio.
TUELLER: Not brutally, but not gently.
STORY: He cries out and his ankle dangles at a weird angle.
MILLICENT: Millie waves at Wen. “Sorry! Good luck with the in-laws!”
ALEJO: Alejo lets everyone else squeeze in first. To make sure that there’s room.
MILLICENT: Millie hustles everyone into the vehicle. She is Taking Charge
STORY: There’s really not enough room for five people in this shuttle. Someone has to sit in Tueller’s lap.
MILLICENT: dibs
STORY: And then someone has to sit in that person’s lap in Tueller’s lap.
MILLICENT: Okay so probably Millie in Sergio’s lap?
ALEJO: “I gotta fly.” Alejo shrugs and gets into the pilot’s seat.
TUELLER: Tueller holds onto Sergio.
TUELLER: Oh, what’s up with his prosthetic?
TUELLER: Did he replace it with something less brutal?
STORY: Yeah, it was a fairly believable prosthetic hand.
STORY: No weapons allowed at the wedding, so he went with something less grotesque.
TUELLER: “You build any guns into that hand, you fuck?”
ALEJO: “Best throw it out.”
STORY: As you tug on it, pulling the sleeve from around his empty wrist, “No, Jesus what is WRONG WITH YOU–”
STORY: Alejo, from the driver’s seat, you see Esinam cross the threshold of the venue and start walking down the path towards you.
ALEJO: “Time to go!” He shouts and starts the shuttle.
STORY: She sees you.
ALEJO: Once the lift off sequence finishes, in a second or two, he begins to lift off. “Everyone get settled.”
ALEJO: He gives her a little wave and turns the shuttle away from this place.