[center][h2]Dragging It All Out[/h2][/center] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/U2BLHNj.png[/img] [/center] The Soft Bristle Tube Ingestion System (SBTIS) was designed for item recovery in hostile environments. The engineering minds who crafted it envisioned a basic serpentine structure through which extracted materials would be transferred from their resting places to the waiting hands of technicians or curators…a ‘tube within a tube.” The challenge of actual mobility through environments such as the vacuum of space was overcome by once again referring to the serpentine model. The SBTIS was fitted with rings of motorized brushes, all moving in a digestive syncopation to gently nudge their cargo toward those waiting at the far end, Of course, the mechanical workings of the SBTIS made it every bit as bulky and awkward as it’s chosen name and acronym. In short order, users bestowed upon it the nickname “Snuffler” owing to the walrus like headpiece with two bulbous, rotating intake brushes at its’ working end. Ever’ time Abby gazed upon it, she couldn’t help but think of Perfessor Marquina, him as she drew out that rare orchid for on the bulkhead. He’s still out there, in the jungles ‘o’ Greenleaf, sendin’ her waves about his expedition from time to time. Found two more orchids ain’t nobody seen afore and sent captures for her to draw. Also sent a pic of a big ole snake…looked to be ‘bout tha size ‘o’ what sat coiled on the pallet before her eyes. Most recent wave said he’s havin’ trouble with bandits pilferin’ his supply runs… “Well,” Yuri appeared, startling the girl from her thoughts. “You ready to haul this thing out?” She hoisted a pair of tin snips toward the first of the metal bands that secured the snuffler to its’ pallet. “Ready as I’ll ever be.” One by one, each of the tightly wound metal straps parted beneath the sharp tool, filling the otherwise silent air of the cargo bay with musical twangs. “Those sounded like ricochets,” Yuri observed, in a poor attempt at conversation. “Ah s’pose.” For a tick, Abby thought the liberated snuffler might unspool itself before their eyes. It didn’t budge…sign it was gonna be one heavy sumbitch. “This thing got some kinda handles on it?” she puzzled over the yellow rubber of the outer skin. They’s a powerful number of bulges she conjured was its’ inner workin’s. She weren’t no mechanic, but she sure as shootin’ didn't see an easy way inside to fix anythin’ might go South if they handled this contraption wrong. Yuri eyed the ungainly apparatus. “I see handgrips on the very [i]pi gu[/i] end of it. The museum’s tech honcho told me that there’s a cast eye every three meters. That’s how we’ll hang it off our I-beam,” he offered, “and we can use those eyes to drag it out with claw hammers.” “Shiny.” The deckhand didn’t bother turning around or making further pallaver; she just pulled a pair of work gloves from her belt as she went for the tool bay. When she come back luggin’ two claw hammers, she could tell by Yuri’s stance they’s gonna be some conversatin’...of a sort she’s prob’ly not gonna like. Fortunate for her, he thought better of it and decided to start workin’ first. The first mate nodded thanks, tucking his hammer into a loop on the leg of his denims before clapping onto one of the handgrips as the deckhand grabbed the other. “One…two…three…HEAVE!!!” They put their backs to the work, straining and grunting as the first ponderous coil slowly played out onto the deck. “Yeah…this bastard’s heavy,” Yuri panted. “One…two…three…HEAVE!!!” With supreme effort, the unwieldy mechanism slowly gave ground, as if resisting their efforts. Once four of the weighty coils had been unraveled, the pair stopped to catch their breath. “Sumbitch,” Abby gasped as she wiped a sheen of sweat from her brow. “Hope that asteroid ain’t got no gravity to speak of.” “SAM’s guessing about one tenth our normal,” Yuri replied as he stretched a complaining shoulder. “So…Abby…you doing alright?” She done her best to hide the [i]”oh la shi’[/i] look she knew had to be risin’ on her face, but she couldn’t be sure she cut the mustard on that one. “I’m shiny enough,” the girl answered cautious like. “Why?” “Well,” he swallowed, looking to choose words that suddenly just didn’t seem to be in his arsenal, “you just don’t seem to be like your old self of late,” he said, immediately hating himself for the weakness of that response. “You seem…quiet.” “Quiet.” Abby’s gaze swiveled toward him, real slow. “You sayin’ Ah cain’t be quiet?” Yuri understood right then and there that he was not cut out to have this sort of conversation. He could diagnose a system failure, or spot a broken part to replace. The mechanic’s life was a glorious world of black and white. Even managing a crew of mechanics was simpler…like minds who thought and communicated on the same plain…held a clarity that right now had China Doll’s First Mate quietly wishing he were busily tinkering in the engine room instead of exploring the mysteries of an uncooperative teenaged female. “Not at all,” he replied from his back foot. “I guess I’m wondering if something’s bothering you?” “Like what?” She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck. “That’s what I’m trying to find out,” he said earnestly. “You’re dead quiet, keeping to yourself all the time lately, except for when you go for fighting tips from the doc…” Now Abby whirled an’ squared up. “Somethin’ wrong with that?” “No,” Yuri kept his tone civil, ignoring the girl’s sudden shift in posture, “but I have to admit that when you ask her to actually hurt you in those practices? That’s a thing I need you to spell out for me. What’s up with that? Not to mention all the gunplay in your quarters?” A hot flush of anger rose to her cheeks. “In mah quarters? Yah got SAM watchin’ me or somethin?” “We can hear the target scan in the corridor, Abby,” Yuri answered. “SO WHAT? YAH THINK I”MA GO ALL MOON BRAINED AN’ PUT A ROUND THROUGH THE HULL? she demanded. “NO!” he found himself shouting back. “BUT WHEN THE CAPTAIN ASKS ME WHAT’S GOING ON I’D LIKE TO HAVE A GORRAM ANSWER, DOHN MAH?” [i]Dammit, dammit, dammit,[/i] Yuri thought as he found himself nose to nose with a fiery eyed nineteen year old. This was not at all how he wanted this to go… She done stopped shoutin’. “Here’s yer answer,” Abby’s normal high pitch was a growl as she said “Ah know muh job, and Ah do it without havin’ tah be told or looked after. Til yew see me actin’ a fool yah got no cause to come at me in mah bunk. Yer First Mate. Yah got a problem with me handlin’ a gun aboard ship then grow a pair an GIMME A FUCKIN’ ORDER!” “SHINY!” Yuri gave in to the moment once again. “NO GUNS WHEN WE’RE IN THE BLACK! NOW BACK TO WORK!” Suddenly, the weight of the snuffler seemed mightily diminished before the anger of the two people who now set to work manhandling its’ bulk into place. “Hey guys!” Edina called cheerfully from the after hatchway. “I came down to help and brought you both drinks…uh…” Sensing the thick tension of the cargo bay, she stammered, “oh, you know what? I forgot something….I need to help Penny in the galley. I’ll just leave these right here,” before making a hasty retreat.