[center][h3]The Last Bell Tolls[/h3][/center]

[center][img]https://lilymg.sirv.com/Cal.jpeg?w=200&h=200[/img]			[img]https://lilymg.sirv.com/Imani.png?w=200&h=200[/img]
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JP with [@wanderingwolf] and [@Xandrya] 

As SAM reported her findings to Cal, he kicked on the ship comms to relay the report to the crew. 

“We’re here,” his gruff voice announced with a hint of anticipation. The months that it took to get to this spot had been filled with too many hands of Tall Card, protein-powder-dishes, and one-sided games of hoop-ball (every team Elias and Boone played on always seemed to win) for his taste. Now, finally, hovering above their paydirt, the feeling of being in the saddle again made Cal stand a little taller as switches flipped.

“Yuri has assignments for all crew part of the excavation party. We’ve been through this and the plan is simple: we go down there and suss the situation. If we find what we came here for, we crack open the container and feed up what’s good. We’ll be taking it in shifts. This ain’t new news to any of you, so suit up!” He let go of the comm and shot a look at Boone which said to take them in closer, to the spot SAM had pinged. 

“Any idea if it’s intact?” Strand said to the ether.

The Bostonian voice of SAM replied, “There is a sixty-seven percent chance that the exterior hull of the shipping container sustained major damage upon impact, though whether or not the damage penetrated the shipping container’s reinforced alloy, you won’t know until you reach it.” Her voice disappeared for a moment before re-articulating, “‘Til you ‘lay eyes’ on it, Cal.”

The Captain let out a chuckle. He’d been coaching the AI on a more familiar way of speaking; so it didn’t sound so uppity. In truth, it just kept repeating what he said, obviously still unsure of the synonyms. “Keep practicin’. I’m headed to the infirmary.”

With that, Cal tread his way through the halls of his ship until he reached the medbay. With a knock on the open door, he announced his presence to those inside.

Imani had been sitting down with one elbow propped up on the counter as her hand supported her chin. She was deep in thought with her gaze subconsciously fixated on the white finish of the bulkhead. There was a sudden knock, that which startled her back to the present. Imani swiveled around in place, seeing Cal standing by the entrance. She stood and wiped her hands on her slacks, almost out of habit. 

“I heard your announcement, Captain.” She had caught on to what he said just a few minutes prior over the intercom, but didn’t get a move on as she should have. “What set of instructions do you have for me?” Her face more on the solemn side rather than joyful.

The tenor of his acting-medic’s voice gave him pause. “Somethin’ on your mind, ‘Doc’?”

Captain Strand was wearing his usual trusted and stained brown leather boots, mauve chinos, wrapped in his carbon fiber gunbelt. The butt of his pistol shone through the holster at his side. The button down shirt Cal wore was buffalo plaid in varying hues of green and brown, and it terminated at a loose unbuttoning around his throat. There was a tired bandana wrapped around his neck, something worn near threadbare by the looks of its freckled white stars on navy blue background. But the look in his eye, that was a touch softer than the rest of his exterior, and those eyes were trained on Imani. 

Sure he could rattle off the laundry list he’d been writing in his head for what she could do to pull weight for the job, but something about the way she asked, whether in tone or content, had him on a back foot for a moment. It felt like, and he weren’t much a man of feelings persay, the woman before him might be less than keen on the job ahead, or her role thereabouts. 

Cal approached Imani, then leaned on the exam chair. “I gotta minute afore we need to get settled.” He watched the stoic woman for a response before adding, “Or, we can get the boxin’ gloves out if that’s more your shine.”

“Nothin’ of concern, just been thinkin’ on some stuff lately,” she admitted without going into further detail. Imani wasn’t opposed to the idea of having a chat with Cal, or anyone who cared enough to listen, really. She was human after all, and humans were social creatures by nature. But now wasn’t the right time to do any chatting, especially since that would mean tying up the captain with her personal problems, and Imani would rather be dropped off in whichever corner of the universe than hinder the work of the crew. “I’m fine, honestly,” she went on, finally cracking a smile, “I appreciate you askin' but there’s work to do that ain’t gonna get itself done. Maybe later once the dust has settled I'll fill you in on a few pages of the book that’s my life...only if you’re up for it, of course.”

The simple gesture that was his reaching out had bettered her mood. She had been honest with Cal; her mind being elsewhere was only because she was concerned about her future, concerns that were discussed only once before with the man she assumed she would spend the rest of her life with.

“That’s a lotta ‘nothin’’ and ‘I’m fine’ outta you, but I cotton to your work ethic. Once this business is all buttoned we’ll have a long haul back to civ. I could pull out a bottle of somethin’ I’ve got tucked away.” He placed a hand to one side of his mouth, “Not even SAM knows where I keep the mango wine.”

The comm on the wall crackled for a moment of static before SAM’s voice lilted into the infirmary. “I heard that, Cal. And you have three-point-five bottles stored in your quarters under the sink. ‘Squirreled away,’ as it were.”

"The jig is up," she smirked, keeping a mental tab on that mango wine. Imani knew the captain well enough to attest to the fact that he was a man of his word, and so if he mentioned a "wine and chat", then it was safe to assume she could look forward to him sharing the bottle.

Cal nodded and chuckled, “You’re getting better at talkin’, I’ll give you that.”
“On the score of things need doin’, I’m gonna need some extra oxygen tanks asteroid-side, just in case. I figured you’d have something ‘squirreled away,’” the Captain made air quotes for the invisible company in the room. “Also wanted to pick your brain on any other kit we might need, of the medicinal flavor, while we’re excavatin’.”

"Oxygen is one of our priorities, so we got tanks available. There are also a few vials of promethazine I can hand off along with the standard med kit." Imani headed off to get some of the mentioned items from the cabinet. "While we're not runnin' low on the promethazine per se, I do ask the user to be mindful with the dosage.”

The Captain nodded along, attempting not to appear visibly baffled by Imani’s Latin, “Uh-huh. Got anythin’ to help with nausea? Sometimes lower gravity can trigger folk, and dependin’ what we find dirt-side, might be a spell before we can ride back up here.” He scratched his stubbled chin, “We could use a little stimulant, too, I reckon. Caffeine pills or somesuch maybe?”

With a vial in hand, she held it in front of her to show Cal. "That's what this is for... Nausea, vomitin', motion sickness, etc." Imani put it down on the counter to grab some additional items from the cabinet. "It has other uses too but it'll keep you on your feet." She then turned around and reached for one of the kits, inspecting what was inside. "I can add some stimulants to the inventory as it seems there are none in here. But I have to emphasize—and not because you don't know better but for my own peace of mind... IF you happen you double up on the stimulant, you will be left shakin', on edge, and in some extreme cases, you may experience hallucinations." 

Yes, the chances of that happening were extremely low, but nonetheless a possibility.

“Darlin’, shakin’, on the edge, and seein’ things is my sweet spot,” Cal replied, before meeting Imani’s unamused expression, to which he arched his brows and he added, “Yes Doc. You got it. Drugs are bad.” Straightening, the Captain squared with his medic. “You know you’re comin’ too, right? I need your boots on the ground in case we need you to do your stuff. Suit up, and meet in the bay.” 

[i]Your smartassery remains unmatched, Captain,[/i] she smirked to herself. Imani wouldn't make such a statement out loud, but she wanted to. Instead, she opted for the more civilized response. "I wouldn't miss that party for anythin'. Actually, I'd be insulted if you left me behind." She turned away from him to get her stuff done. "I'm gonna check my list once more and I'll see you down there." 

[i]You're dismissed.[/i]