Prologue: Inauspicious Beginning to a Starfleet Career

[Orvost]

Both AliK and Shur seem to be telling Cadet Weathers to suck it up, put up with it, it will be over soon and things aboard ship will be better. She isn’t particularly happy to hear what they have to say but, resigned, she seems to accept it.

“I suppose you’re right. If Starfleet expects me to be able to perform my duties in the face of certain death, I suppose I should be able to risk … what? A little career suicide? I don’t know how to describe it. It seems so silly now. You must think I’m awful!”

Weathers reaches out and grabs Alec’s hand, the hand that had grasped Shur’s shoulder slides down and rests over his heart.

“Thank you”, she says as she pulls away. Her eyes catch yours before, during, or after she says it in such a way that you are certain she was speaking directly to you.

[ManWithDoor]

Alik is a little awkward at that point. He likes people and wants to build friendships, but he feels that everyone else got a 'Manual of How To Make Friends' while he missed school that day. In these vulnerable emotional times he doesn't know the 'right thing' to say, so he just awkwardly stands there and lets her hold his hand tight. He tries squeezing her hand in response. Better than nothing?

[Shurijo]

Shur doesn't know how to comfort the other cadet with her unfortunate assignment. He does hope she finds meaningful work soon. He doesn't understand why a cadet would be given that responsibility, but also knows that not every task done in the fleet will align with their studies.

[Orvost]

Weathers gives Shur’s chest a friendly pat as she pulls away. She gives Alik’s hand an affectionate squeeze, returning his gesture as she deftly removes her hand from his grasp. She walks a few steps forward and turns to face you again suddenly, rather dramatically, and strikes another pose. Her hair swings around her shoulder and comes to rest next to her face.

“Well then, do my evening callers have anything else they’d like to discuss? The evening is still young, but we all have a busy day tomorrow.”

[Shurijo]

Cadet Ijocado suggests, "How about we explore our new home a bit? It appears to be a standard layout, but it's always better to get a better feel for our new home."

[ManWithDoor]

"That's not a bad idea. Could also wander around a bit getting the lay of the land. "Night" shift tends to be quieter, so there'll be less foot traffic as we stretch our legs after being stuck on a ship." Alik looks around to see how the others take the idea. "Or we could always do that another time, if people want to catch up on sleep for the early shift. It's all good. We're going to be stuck here for awhile, so no hurry."

[Orvost]

Weathers is enthusiastic about the prospect of ‘going out on an adventure’ and socializing. Serao is simply willing to go with the group. The decision is made before Campeador expresses his opinion. As you all leave Weathers’ room, you overhear Campeador and Serao’s exchange:

Campeador: “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”
Serao: “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
Campeador: “You know I’ll get you back, right?”
Serao: “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

As you leave your suite of rooms and traverse the long corridors in this hospitality complex, your pooled understanding of Federation history allows you to deduce, among yourselves, that these semispherical nodes connected by long hallways are the original habitation domes of the colonizers of planet M-11. The layout and materials suggest the complex was constructed about 100 years ago, give or take 40 years, for a hostile environment. These once grim and practical structures have been renovated and repurposed as spacious, luxury accommodations.

The long corridors give you the opportunity to converse with each other, individually or as a group, on whatever subject you like. The subject that keeps coming up, especially when you come to a crossroads, is what your ultimate destination is. Since Cadet Ijocado suggested this excursion in the first place, there seems to be an expectation that he knows where the group is going.

“What is our heading, Navigator?” offers Cadet Serao when you come to a particularly bewildering choice of six different corridors.

Display

I don't mean to put you on the spot. You don't need a particular destination if you don't have one.

[Shurijo]

OOC

Sorry for delay. I was going to post to this, then forgot about it. I keep forgetting that I'm a player in one game

Cadet Ijocado shrugs and says, "How about we check out engineering?"

[ManWithDoor]

Alik puts a friendly arm around the Navigator. "Now that's my kind of thinking! I knew we were friends for a reason." The engineer is quite happy to be heading to, well, engineering. "Especially since I'm sightseeing and I'm not actually on a shift."

[Orvost]

Alik’s enthusiasm for Shur’s choice isn’t shared by everyone else, but the destination is incidental for this opportunity to sightsee and spend time together. Nobody complains.

At one point, as you continue to make your way out of the habitation domes, you make a wrong turn and have to double back. As you navigate your way back to the main exit, you turn down a corridor that abruptly ends at a door. From the make of the door and a brief glimpse inside, you gather that it is an entrance to a suite of rooms similar to your own. Outside the door is a tall, thin humanoid male with yellow skin. He quickly closes the door and turns to face you at your sudden appearance. He speaks in accented, but fluent Galactica:

“OH! Pardon me. I seem to have lost my way.”

Communications officer Serao has the most insight into this being, which she voices as an aside to all of you:

“An Orion trader. Specifically, an associate monopolist from the Rigel system.”

OOC

See Captain's Log entry on what you know about Orions.