Genevieve smiled at the doctor's humor. She could tell there was that unspoken issue between the two of them, but Genevieve was smart enough to realize she was in the wrong. She would make it up to the doctor later when she was safely back on the ship, which according to Gideon may not be as soon as she would have liked. She smiled, despite Dorothy's pestering of the boy, "As soon as possible would be appreciated, Gideon. That is, after all, my home."
She finally stood up, brushed herself off, before she turned to the two women with her, "Well, what do you both propose we do? I, for one, don't feel comfortable leaving Gideon alone with the ship, and there is safety in numbers. I leave it up to you two, though." She still had her rapier with her as well as her stunner, should the need arise. Dorothy mentioned Patience's crew and, more than likely, they were not happy with their recent rendezvous.
Daphne was annoyed, it looked like Gideon was going to be working on the shuttle for a while. With Patience running around with her group, it didn't help that they were quite a ways from the ship. Gideon suggested that she leave with Gene to go back to the ship, Dorothy looked like she didn't really care for that idea. When Gene spoke, Daphne felt a little cornered,and didn't know what to do. If they left and something bad happened, she would feel really guilty about leaving them behind. If something bad happened back at the ship and they needed to make an emergency take off, she would feel guilty about not being there.
Her mind was struggling to find a solution, one that would make her feel better about her decision. Daphne hated to think of two people stuck out here with Patience close by, without a vehicle. She believed that they had a better chance of survival if more people were nearby in case of a fire fight. Daphne looked over at the others, "Well, I think it might be better if we stick around, maybe even for just a few more minutes. It depends on how long the repairs are going to take. If they are going to take more than an hour, I'll head back with Gene".
@FantasyChic@Bluesky44@Morose - Gideon looked t the two women as if they had lost their ever loving mind before he busted out laughing and shrugged his shoulders. "Fine by me girls, always glad to have some beauties around me but considering the Captain has been shot and she is the only one left on the Vengeance that can actually pilot it and your main muscle Camilla has been shot as well seems to me you are leaving them in a bad sitting situation. But hey, if you think they'll be fine and don't need a pilot at all, sure stay here," he laughed as he flipped over his wrench in his hands before looking at Gene. "And sweetheart, you know as well as I do, you aren't no good in a fight when it comes to guns, so if you want to be my pretty meat shield, stick around," he added before turning back towards Dorothy. "Don't people know I always work slower with more pretty faces around?" he chuckled before laying down on his back and sliding under the console to get back to work. If they wanted to stay he had no problems with it but he had a feeling that the Captain would have plenty. He gave his two cents, so as far as he was concerned they could take the back lash from Anisa this time instead of him. Be a welcome change.
Atticus Pearson
Location:Room 9
Atticus was tired of sitting there listening to the kid dribble on and on about what Patience was going to do to this crew when she got her hands on them. Opting instead of listening to his rubbish anymore to tossing him into one of the spare rooms on the lower level of Vengeance, room 9 to be specific, and lock him away after tying him up. "Now you stay put or no amount of praying I do for yer soul is gonna help son," he said before the door slid shut and he activated the lock for it. Shaking his head slightly he rubbed the back of his neck.
Looking up he glanced around, Dorothy still wasn't back, he hadn't heard from the others in a while. There had been some messages on the com but he hadn't been listening closely. Well he had been trying to but the boy wouldn't shut up and drowned out everything. Picking up his bible he started wandering through the ship, peaking his head in here and there but he couldn't find anyone. Outside all was quiet, in the cargo bay the mule was gone. Had they all went on a trip without him? Making his way up the stairs in the cargo area and back towards the kitchen he heard Jackson spouting off towards Camilla before the two of them wandered off. Seeing Lionel left in the kitchen alone he finally strolled in and tilted his head to the side when he spotted the cart full of meat.
"Sweet baby Jesus, looks like some mighty fine meat there," he said as he clapped his hands together and rubbed them vigorously. "Want some help with that?"
And just like that, Camilla was whisked away to do who knows what for the Captain and First Mate leaving rich, old Lionel to figure out how to do everything involving the actual cooking himself. Sure he'd never cooked horse meat and there was a tā mā de dūn of the stuff to be dealt with, but how hard could it be? Well, first he'd need to season the meat with some S&P, then tenderize it and chuck it into an oven/onto a grill. But how much should he prepare? And which method should he use?
Well there was way more here than the crew would be able to eat, no matter how hungry for actual food they were. Maybe next time he was in the the chance, he could pull out some cash from his personal fortunes to set aside for a dedicated Real Food fund. Even if it was just a bunch of cans of soup. Anything was better than those "rations." When Pearson chimed in, Lionel's first instinct was to tell him to piss off, but his rational side stopped him from saying as much. Given the sheer size of the task and his current condition, he was in no position to snub any offers for help.
"I would not dispute a bit of aid," he conceded, firing up the stovetop. "To start, you could help me find some of the 他妈的 cookin' implements. I wouldn't be surprised if we left everything out in the Black. 'D hardly be missed."
Jackson heaved a sigh as he thought about Anisa's words, Camilla never would sit right with him, that was mostly something he'd come to accept, in his mind, when he looked at her he saw Quinn, he'd always see a part of the man in her, a part of her which chose that man above all else. The fact that she'd left him because of what he became didn't factor into it for Jackson, it might've been petty almost, but it was just how things were for Jackson, even if Anisa's words did make him pause and think.
He watched as Camilla made her way over to him, turning around then as he started to head back into the ship. "In her bunk." He said plainly as he kept walking through the ship, assuming she'd follow close behind as he made his way back toward Anisa's cabin. There was a lot about this which bothered Jackson, everything that had come up so far just seemed like more and more bad luck to him, involving people he still didn't trust didn't make it easier.
As they got back to Anisa's room however, he climbed down the ladder and gave the Captain a nod. "Alright, let's just get this over with." He said, keen to be done with whatever horrible omen he expected to be found in the box they had found.
Gregory Quinn
Location: Captain's Office
Quinn looked through the file a fifth time, a sixth, again and again, he kept looking through it. Through the same pictures, the same lines of text that he knew so well he could've mouthed it all as he read. He'd seen such files before but it was almost warming to see it again, just to see any piece of Camilla, even if it was as mundane as a boring old file with older pictures of her and vague descriptions of her whereabouts and actions. He would absolutely have been lying if he'd said he didn't miss his fiancee, he did with every fiber of his being, however until then, he'd been essentially convinced he would die before he saw her again. It was still entirely possible that could happen.
Hearing the knock at the door he sighed, closing the file and setting it down as he called out. "Come in!." As the door opened and he saw who it was, Quinn assumed what Jahosafat was here for, taking his jacket off and resting it over his chair as he began to roll up his sleeve, raising an eyebrow as the man spoke. While he almost appreciated the words which came from the doctor, there was a sting to them, it hurt to talk about her, after everything that had happened as he leaned forward, holding his arm out for the blood test as he spoke. "If it may be avoided, doctor, i'd rather my personal issues remain just that, personal."
Things seem to be going as well as can be expected at this point. Gideon is trying to repair the small shuttle on Whitefall before Patience runs out of patience. The boy remains locked in room 9, beginning to doze in and out after trying to find a way to unlock the door but failing. Over on Retribution the odd doctor is finding himself stuck in the bathroom marked "out of order" but no matter of banging or yelling can be heard on the other side of the door. (Sigil will be posting the results of the mans predicament in his next post.) The sparse npc crew of Retribution is making their way in turns to the medical bay as they are called on by Jahosafat to have their blood drawn.
Anisa & Camilla
Location: Room 1 (Anisa's Bunk)
Anisa ran her fingers over the box as she waited for Jackson and Camilla to return, wondering what was inside and at the same time not wanting to know. So much time had passed but not near enough. So much pain had been caused for so many because of that battle and she was starting to understand that the pain was not just one sided anymore. It was not something she wanted to admit but many in the Alliance had been just following orders, convinced that they were doing the right thing. So many had lost so much, poor Jackson being one of them. Sighing she pushed her hair out of her face and glanced up as Camilla came down the ladder followed by Jackson.
"You wanted to see me Captain?" Camilla said as she stepped over to Anisa. The Captain simply nodding and gesturing over towards the box that had been retrieved from the mine. Camilla froze as she saw it, seeing the numbers on it and her lips parting somewhat in the process as she stood there.
"I take it you know this box," Anisa stated rather frankly as she scooted off the edge of her seat as Jackson came over. Camilla nodded as she finally blinked and stepped closer to it. "Can you open it?"
Camilla didn't say anything as she picked it up, running her fingers over it as she stood there. Hearing the Captain clear her throat she just nodded slowly as she placed it back down on the desk. Taking a shaky breath, her hands trembling as she placed her thumb against the reader. The mechanism lit up, a green light running from the tip of her thumb down the length of it. The light then went dark and the box popped open. Camilla took a deep breath as she lifted the lid and pulled out a file. Flipping it open she glanced over it and her eyes widened.
"God help us...." she let out breathlessly. Anisa reached out and snatched the file from Camilla, her eyes following the same reaction that Camilla's had.
"You knew about this?" Anisa sapped and Camilla shook her head quickly as stood there like a deer in headlights. "Then explain!" Anisa bellowed as she handed the file over to Jackson. It was talk of being able to turn the Reavers into soldiers for the Alliance back during the war.
"There were rumors but I had never thought they had gotten so far. I was supposed to transfer to the research department after the war but well... You know why I didn't."
Jahosafat Moreau
Location: Captain's Office -> Medical Bay
Jahosafat cocked a brow as he took a piece of tie and wrapped it around the Captains arm, cutting off the circulation just enough to make his veins show themselves with a bit more ease. Turning he started prepping the hypodermics and shrugged his shoulders a bit. "Ahh but see my good man, our personal life has become our professional life and it influences the decisions and actions we make. I had turned down a similar role in all this excitement before. Wanted nothing to do with it even though it did titillate my senses. Well, then," he said cutting himself off as he turned and took Quinns arm, placing the needle against the skin and slowly pushing it into the flesh, piercing the vein as he did so and began to draw vial after vial of blood.
"Well, then when I found out Camilla was in danger of becoming like our dear friend Jayne in the Medical Bay I found myself no longer able to say no. The chance to stop her light from being snuffed out of 'Verse is definitely my driving force for this entire mission." Pulling out the needle after the last vial was taken he placed a sterile swab on the skin and folded the Captains arm at the elbow, holding it up for a moment. "Keep your arm like that for a moment if you would."
Turning he started to label the vials he had taken as he half way leaned against Quinn's desk, stopping for a moment in mid pen stroke and looking blankly at the wall before him. "I saw her last just a little over a year ago face to face. She looked different, those eyes of hers seemed almost hollow. She had the same smile but it wasn't near as brilliant." Sighing a bit he looked down at the vial of blood in his hands, rolling it back and forth in the process before he continued. "You know what I am speaking about, I know you do. The way she could light up a room with a light laugh and a turn of her head. Never failed to turn the head of any man or woman for that matter in the room without even realising she was doing it. Don't get me wrong, heads still did turn just the light was not there."
Going back to his writing he finished up labeling everything before he stood up and turned back to Quinn, placing a small bandage on his arm before gathering his supplies. Stepping over towards the door he stopped and looked back at Quinn. "Did you know she has been working with the survivors of Battle Of Serenity? I asked her why she would work with the rebels. Her words? To make amends for failing you." Tipping his hat he stepped back out of the Captains office, letting the door slip shut behind him and making his way back to the medical bay.
"Harper, Lobo, please report to the Medical Bay," he said into the ships intercom after checking the manifest of who's blood he still needed to take.
Atticus Pearson
Location: Kitchen
Atticus looked at the pile of meat that Lionel and Camilla had been able to get together and he found his mouth watering at the thought of just having something to eat that wasn't protein rations. Something to actually chew instead of mush around in his mouth. He thought back to the beef and fowl he had eaten in the past, among other things. All a step up from rations even if rations were perhaps something far more nutritious than other meals. He had never had horse before but hey right then meat was meat.
Chuckling a bit he nodded and started to scrounge around the kitchen. He doubted they would have left the kitchen implements out in the black but he could understand where Lionel was coming from. It was a rare day indeed that they were able to cook a real meal so they were not needed very often. In time he found them but they were dusty and dirty from disuse. "Ask and the Lord shall provide." Sighing he dropped them into the sink and got to scrubbing away. "Though maybe I should have specified clean items," he laughed s he rolled his sleeves up.
"I wish we had something to go with all this but I don't have anything really edible in my quarters but I do have some good whiskey if you think that would be of use," he commented lightly as he dried off one of the pans and glanced back over to Lionel, setting up things as they were washed and dried so it was easy for the man to retrieve them without having to move too much.
Dorothy frowned, unconsciously straightening a bit. While she may have served in the Alliance army as a doctor, she still served in the military. Orders were orders, chain of command needed to be maintained, organization kept, records attended to, but above all else, they had to not be stupid. Her nostrils flared as Genevieve and Daphne both suggested remaining behind, in order to keep Gideon and herself company while the repairs were finished.
"You two best get gone," Dorothy advised sharply. "This isn't a picnic. The Captain needs all personnel at the ship that can be. I won't hear the both of you remaining here--Gideon and I are more than capable of handling ourselves. Don't forget, I know how to do more than save a man."
Her facial features had become a bit rigid, though she had no notion that she was doing so. She folded her hands behind her back, staring Genevieve and Daphne down, in order to prompt them a bit more firmly to return to the ship. They needed the crew members back there, especially the pilot. If an emergency arose, they would be stranded without Daphne. And Genevieve didn't even cross Dorothy's mind as being competent in any sort of fight, the girl more of a girl than a woman to her. It was harsh, but Dorothy wasn't thinking as a friend. She was thinking as a soldier.
"We can arrange a rendez-vous point in case something happens," Dorothy offered as well. "But get back to the ship, before someone else gets shot."
The intercom. Was that his name being called? "...gāisǐ de..."1 he breathed, interrupted from his engineering meditations by mundane, tedious work. At least, he hoped. Harper's more conspiratorial thoughts noted that he was being summoned to Medical, along with the lady with the blue gloves, whom he had blown off earlier. Maybe they knew something? This could be a problem.
The generally confident pilot pushed himself up from the railing upon which he had been leaning and straightened his coat. If he was walking into trouble, he was at least going to be straight and pressed. He smoothed his hair back as best he could with his hands, and took a deep breath. This was nothing. His coding was accurate; double and triple checked. He had personally slammed his files with inquiries, both cursory and invasive. Third party stuff, even. He was solid. Harper had become quite the talented non-person as of late; he would be better off settling into the skin of First Lieutenant William Harper, Flight Officer. And just now, the good Lieutenant was needed in Med Bay, probably for some routine testing and cataloguing, considering that he was very new on the ship. Their findings would match his records, and all would be right in the 'Verse so far as anyone knew.
The doors to upper engineering quietly hissed open, allowing the silhouette of the pilot to be viewed by anyone in the upper corridor. His crisp features were next, the second he stepped into the clearer light of the ship. He walked with a direct, cool stride, aiming for the first ladder down, and by means of said ladder, the destination of Medical.
As it turned out, he did come across one person in the upper level. Not too far from Engineering, either; a man impeccably dressed in expensive civilian attire, sporting one of the dandiest moustaches that Harper had ever seen. Of course, it was one of the two gentlemen from earlier, on the bridge, who seemed to speak English in a manner that insisted upon itself. Strange choice for a skeleton crew. As he approached, the dandy squared up with him, at least temporarily denying passage. Harper looked at him, he looked at Harper, until finally the Lieutenant broke the silence.
"If you will excuse me, I have business on the other side of where you're standing." His Core upbringing was evident in his diction and accent. It seemed to brighten the man up, and he extended his hand in greeting.
"Why, unless my ears deceive, you good sir are an errant boy of the White Sun, else have taken your formatives there. Come along, how close am I?"
Harper narrowed his eyes at the man, who he noticed still hadn't taken a step out of his way. He turned his head slightly, the physical manifestation of wondering exactly what kind of game this guy was playing. "Osiris. Excuse me?" The last bit, though phrased in the form of a question, was stated in such a way as to leave no mistake - he was being told to move.
"Oh absolutely, positively, dear sir. My sincerest if I am presenting my demeanor in a manner untoward, of course. I merely desired to get you attention; point of fact to inquire as to your status regarding a little physical assistance. Ah, but wherever did my manners go? You may call me Foy. Foy Coiffeur, if it comes up in polite talk. And you are William Harper. Excellent. Now, I do require an assist moving some special cargo from the hold up to the Med Bay. What say you, old boy?"
Harper gathered himself, attempting valiantly to keep this conversation as short as possible. The man, Foy, was still holding out his hand, which was grasped by the pilot in return. "Very well. I'm due in Medical right now, but I will meet you in Cargo afterwards. Now, I need you to move."
"Splendid! Yes, yes of course sir. I should be deliriously satisfied with that result, and shall be waiting patiently for you. By your leave, sir." The gentleman snapped his heels together and stepped to one side, finally allowing Harper access to the rest of the hallway. The Lieutenant nodded silently, and continued down the way. He paused just log enough to get a grip on either side of a access ladder, sliding down the point of descent as if it were a fireman's pole. Obviously, this was a man who was comfortable on ships.
Within less than a minute, Harper found himself standing inside of the Med Bay, speaking to the room more than any specific person, "Lieutenant William Harper, reporting as ordered."
1 = Damnit
Foy Coiffeur
Location: Upper Corridor
What a very interesting conversation he just had, and with the new man, as well. It was apparent that he was a man of breeding and education, with a good, solid background. Maybe even one of his kind of people, but that remained to be seen. Of course, more of these conversations were begging to be had. And though he seemed a potentially impressive fellow, Foy couldn't quite shake that the man, William, seemed to be a touch secretive. Well, it was a big universe full of impressive happenings, not all of them grand and fuzzy. He had to have done something horrible to get stuck with this assignment. So long as Harper's past doesn't collide with Foy's own present, he can continue to be as closed off as he wanted.
"But that leads to such boring coversation." he mused aloud.
Well, a moment or so to spare before getting things ready below. Maybe he'd see how Dr. Knochengeiger was doing, holed up in the Out-Of-Service restroom. Foy trotted up to the door, still bedecked in the diagonal red banner proclaiming the lack of confidence engineering had in the small room, and rapped his knuckles three times.
"Oh, I say... Doctor? Um, Doctor, is everything evacuating satisfactorily for you?"
Silence.
Perhaps I could interest Sir in some reading material, or something in the arena of a stewed prune? Really gets your innards moving, those."
Still silence. Maybe he was being ignored. Then Foy realized that he really didn't care about the intestinal workings of the disagreeable man, and was doing this really more in an exercise of irritating the bastard. The fun quickly faded, and the always Dapper gentleman found himself back on his way to the Cargo Hold. Things to do, you see.
Though she didn't much care for Dorothy's tone, she understood the meaning behind it. However, she still felt that it wasn't safe for the two of them to be alone. She knew Dorothy had experience as a soldier, but she wasn't sure Gideon could hold his own. Then again, she saw stranger things.
She knew it was coming from the viewpoint that she was useless in a fight, and that wasn't entirely true, "Be that as it may, I seem to recall us having a full crew on board and our captain and Camilla both getting injured. However, you do have a point and orders are orders. Let's make a rendezvous point, just in case." She would wait until the others decided where that would be before she continued, "I know I haven't shown it much, but I am not useless if combat were to happen. Maybe not so much with guns, but if I were able to get close, I could be lethal. But, I get where you are coming from, and truly, I respect it. She gave Dorothy a warm smile, showing she really did get the idea. After all was said and done, she would wait for Daphne to finish up before the two walked back to the shuttle the three arived on to make their way back to the ship.
Well, Carla was basically already at the Medical Bay, so it was a trifle to get there. Then there was no real action she had to take aside from looking professional and waiting for the new pilot, Lieutenant Harper to show up. She knew the reason Jahosafat wanted them there was so that he could take their blood, but she deigned to not prepare for it in any such way until the scientist(?) asked them to do such officially. Any more would be getting ahead of herself. When Harper arrived, she spared him but a glance, nothing more, nothing less. As far as she was concerned, their last conversation had never happened.
Location: Room 9
The first thing he grabbed from the slowly accumulating pile of clean cookware was a stainless steel (or whatever the distant future supertech equivalent material would be)skillet, still wet. He shook it a couple times to shake off excess water, and then shrugged, setting it directly onto the stove, where he was greeted with a loud hiss; the water near-instantly vaporized, creating a large, if transient cloud of steam. Lionel blinked a few times before grabbing the biggest knife available to him and one of the smaller chunks of meat that had been harvested from the horse. He laid it out on the tabletop and squinted, trying to estimate the proper size for a single person.
Fuck it. He chopped the cocksucker into thirds. That looked good. Now for seasoning. Even someone as ignorant of cooking as he knew that unseasoned meat, even when cooked was a bland affair. So off he toddled to the various pantries, opening them and inspecting their mostly empty contents at random.
"Where do we keep the 猴子战斗 salt?" he half asked, half yelled at Atticus.
Daphne understood Gideon's concern. It would be better if she and Gene headed back to the ship, making it so there was someone who wasn't shot flying if they had to make an emergency take off. There was one thing that did bother her slightly. She didn't care much for the fact that Dorothy was basically ordering her around. Seems to me she feels like she is in charge here, she thought to herself as she turned towards Gene.
Daphne walked back towards there vehicle, trying to hide her anger. She could feel herself grow a little warm at this, but she turned away from the others so they wouldn't see her. She hated it when Dorothy went into her little military mind set, and it made Daphne feel out of place. Sometimes she would wish that Dorothy would actually talk more like a normal person.
"Get a rendezvous point if you want Gene. Let's get back before more problems arise from us being here," she said as she climbed into the pilot's seat, not wanting to talk anymore.
Jackson, for the most part, did not share his dear friend Anisa's sympathies with the Alliance. As he walked with Camilla and climbed down the ladder, thinking of the box and whatever could be inside it, it brought back far too many memories, too many thoughts and considerations which had been stripped from him. Freedoms and ideals he'd once held dear, friends and family he'd lost striving for them, a peace which he found to be hollow. To Jackson, the war would never truly be over, and he was well aware of it, it was always going to burn inside him, and he would never be allowed to forget it, the box just reminded him of that.
Just as if he had returned to uniform, as if he were on the battlefield once more, Jackson almost instinctively clasped his hands behind his back, resting almost at a position of attention as he watched Anisa speak to Camilla, saw the womans eyes as they laid upon the box. He couldn't help but feel a pang of disdain, clenching his fist idly as she took the box. Just as he would never forget the war he would never forget who Camilla had once been, who she had once associated with, the choices she had once made. Part of him felt disdain with himself for his inability to get over it, but a much larger part simply didn't care.
Camilla's reaction to what she was reading, as she opened the box and took the file, didn't exactly do much to alleviate his concerns. Watching as Anisa took it and looked much the same way, Jackson held his hand out, taking the file as soon as it was offered. As he glanced over it, he idly listened to the discussion the two were having. Pressing his fingers firmly into the file as he gripped it tight, his eyes flicked up, the slightest bit of a flame in them as he looked at Camilla. "He's part of this, isn't he? I suppose he would be, the 禽兽不如..." No name was needed, the venom in his voice meant he could only mean one person...
禽兽不如 - worse than beast
Gregory Quinn
Location: Captain's Office
Quinn's gaze remained stern as he watched Jahosafat closely, making not a sound as he continued to watch and listen to the doctor speak, giving not the slightest bit of a reaction as the needle sunk into his skin, he merely remained as he was, suffering the man's words in silence. Quinn could not quite establish why Jahosafat was so intent on speaking to him as he was, why he brought up this issue and spoke about it so casually, as if the two were old friends, or as if he were some old officer, giving advice to a young newcomer. Perhaps it was his own stubborn pride, but he couldn't help but feel a patronizing air to it all.
Folding his arm upward as requested, Quinn did indeed keep it in such a position as he leaned back in his chair, eyes never leaving the doctor as he remained in silence, letting him speak. The next words almost threatened a pang of anger, not the kind he reserved for a poor officer out of protocol or a crewman who'd screwed up a maneuver, no it was a personal anger, a pang which had not come up for quite some time. For this man, this figure whom Quinn had never met or known in his life until that very day to come, to insist and act as if he knew his own darling Camilla as well as Gregory. It was disdainful, abhorrent. And yet, Quinn fought back the anger now, not before it flashed in his eyes however.
He forced himself to make a comment to the man before he left, he had been contemplating against it, but his final words forced it out, such a discussion could not be allowed without him holding the upper hand. He was the Captain after all, and this was his damned ship. "If you choose to bring this subject to me again, without my bringing it up first - I will have you forcefully removed from my office. Thank you doctor." He said before ushering the man out, ensuring that his door was locked the moment he was out, before any snide remark or comment could be made in kind. Alas Gregory was left to his peace, to his silence... To his contemplation.
Over at the crash site Gideon chuckles a bit. "Girls girls, I know you love being around me but trust me, you'll be of more use to the Captain back at the Vengeance than here with me and Dorothy. So just skedaddle your pretty little selves back to the ship and see what you can do to help there so soon as I get done here we all can be back on our way," he say in a happy voice as he keeps his head under the console, every so often holding out his hand and asking for Dorthy to hand him another tool. Once the girls are loaded up and on their way back, things go pretty smooth. It seems everything is clear between the crash site and the main ship. No one is outside but there is the remains of a cut up horse carcass outside of the ship as well as several bodies still in the middle of being buried but other than that there is not a soul to be seen. Down locked up in room 9 is the kid, Atticus and Lionel are in the kitchen with meat... The captain and Jackson are no where to be seen, neither is Camilla but the door to the Captains room is closed up tight, something she normally only ever does when she has someone pulled in there for a major bitching out session. Things are still upside down from the quick landing and could use some picking up. At door 9, that is locked with the kid inside there is some banging going on but nothing horrid, just the occasional yell - Let me the fuck out of here!
Anisa & Camilla
Location: Room 1 (Anisa's Bunk)
Camilla was not surprised by Jacksons outburst or accusation. The man didn't like her and most assuredly hated her former fiance. She couldn't blame him for it but it didn't matter. Anger still built up. "For your information he was not a part of this and neither was I! I am sick of it Jackson! I work my ass off here, I left the Alliance because of what they did, because of what he did and yet I am still having to deal with your ass constantly questioning every fucking breath I take," Camilla snapped towards Jackson as he closed the box.
"Camilla..." Anisa gave in voice laced with warning but Camilla for once did not heed such a signal from the captain.
"Don't you Camilla me Captain! I know what he did, better than any of you! You aren't the only ones that lost someone you cared for. At least yours are at peace! You aren't held guilty of crimes you did not commit just because you were associated with someone. You don't have to take each day on edge wondering if this fuckwad is going to bullet a bullet through your skull just because of who you loved. Should I punish you two just because of what was done to him?" Camilla went on.
"Get out," Anisa growled from between her clenched teeth, her eyes narrowing as she took a step closer to Camilla. Camilla said nothing, just turning on her heels and quickly making her way out of Anisa's bunk. Anisa shook her head, driving her fist into the desk before slumping down in her seat. "I don't know who to beat the shit of right now. Her, you or my self...."
Jahosafat Moreau
Location: Medical Bay
Jahosafat had cocked a brow hearing the Captains words and only shook his head as he continued on his way. He could try to have him removed but it wouldn't work, not with the current orders. He knew the Captain had meant it but he could tell by the tone of his voice that it was a more personal order than a required one. He hadn't been around the man but a few minutes and he could already tell that he kept a lot pushed down and locked away. Was not a healthy way to live. Jahosafat on the other hand never knew when the shut up, about anything and despite everything going on he was looking forward to seeing Camilla again and intended to finish up everything he needed to before they arrived in Whitefall. He must have time to dress to the nines. One could not see an old friend dressed in anything but their finest. A trip to Foy for a shave later one would most indeed be called for and he grinned to himself at the thought of a relaxing hot towel, foamy shave, and of course a wrapped candy.
Looking over as William came in he grinned broadly. "Ah yes! Lt. Harper! I was not able to give you a proper greeting earlier when I arrived. Truly wonderful to make your acquaintance now. Aren't you a finely groomed young lad? You do your gender proud with such refinement. I can only assume that we will get along splendidly. Perhaps once all of this rigor has concluded we can speak more freely," he said as he motioned for the man to have a seat. Preparing what was needed he made the simple request of the sleeve to be rolled up for blood drawing and got to work as Carla entered.
Turning, he paused with his work and gave her the same broad smile that he had given William. "Quick, punctual, to the point, no nonesense. I can appreciate that Miss Lobo. If you will just give me a moment, please have a seat over there. Once I am done with our dapper Lt. Harper, I will be all yours Mi'Lady," he chortled before turning back to Harper and drawing the needed vials of blood.
Atticus Pearson
Location: Kitchen
Atticus was never skilled in the culinary arts but he made due, being who he was and where he came from he could stomach just about anything but that was mostly because of the insane amounts of alcohol that he had ingested in his life time. It wasn't that his taste buds couldn't appreciate a good meal but they weren't turned sour by a bad one. Food was food any in his opinion anything was a blessing, especially if it was not in the form of a protein ration. Bad taste in his mind was better than no taste what so ever. So as far as he was concerned they could burn the meat to a black crisp and he would still savor each and every ashy bite.
Looking around as Lionel asked where the salt was he cocked a brow and turned around, there was normally a shaker on the table but he didn't see it. Maybe it had gotten upturned when the captain had half turned the table to knock him on his ass earlier in the day and rolled off somewhere? Stepping out behind the counter he started pacing around, looking but still not seeing it. Oh well, to his knees he went. A man who spent a large amount of his time in prayer was used to being on his knees, a man who spent a lot of time in the company of women who took care of certain desires, even more so he thought to him.
Crawling on all fours he scouted about, pushing stuff away and trying to look in the various corners and under anything in his way until he finally under one of the counters along the wall, sprawling out flat and wedging his arm to its shoulder under the counter as his fingers tried to spider their way around to see if there was anything in the darkness. "Gorham! Got it!" he finally called out as he pulled the shaker out from the back corner of the room and rolled over onto his back before sitting up. Taking a breath he stood up and dusted himself off, gripping the salt shaker in one hand as he stepped over to Lionel and held it out to him. "There we go."
Dorothy kept her face guarded as Genevieve claimed to be lethal up close. She liked the girl, she really did, but she was awfully childlike. Eventually, the day would come where they would have to fight for their lives--and Dorothy had little faith that Genevieve would be able to accomplish too much. There was a difference between knowing the techniques of fighting and being able to actually fight. Theory didn't match up with application as much as it may seem to. Dorothy knew countless recruits who were textbook perfect, and they were killed all the same.
She didn't want that to happen to Genevieve--or to Daphne, for that matter, but she knew her sister was already battle tested. Their upbringing had seen to that. Once Genevieve and Daphne left, Dorothy contented herself with handing the occasional tool to Gideon, taking off her coat and enjoying the slight coolness that came with that. She knew that she was hard on her sister--but she was hard on everyone.
Handing tools to Gideon as he asked for them, Dorothy kept her mind focused on the task, though she was slightly worried about the Captain still. Poisoning wasn't something that everyone could shake off, and with their luck today, there would be more danger shortly to follow.
The second that Harper learned that he was in Medical for the purpose of a blood drawing, he was both relieved and apprehensive. To the first segment of his mixed emotion, it was a simple medical procedure, done immeasurably across the 'Verse, that had nothing specifically to do with him aside from the fact that he was part of the crew. On the other hand, rolling up his sleeve meant that he had to reveal something about himself that he would have preferred remain unshown.
Harper removed his jacket and pushed up a sleeve, revealing a shirt of closely knitted, form fitting ballistic mesh. He opened three barely perceptible buttons along his forearm, and with directed effort, pushed the sleeve over his elbow. Then the compliments began. It was a little odd, this mystery man (who spoke in a manner very similar to the guy with the moustache from earlier) speaking to him in a very familiar manner, as if they had history, or at least similar social connections.
It was true that the Lieutenant, when able to do so, kept his appearance very clean cut and professional. The most recent chapter of his life made that more difficult, but now that he was a man of more means, he had definitely gotten back into the habit of looking after himself. Obviously, not to the extent of his two new shipmates, but his sharp features, shaven face, and educated demeanor hinted at what Foy suspected earlier: A Core upbringing. Harper considered it an extreme rarity that someone would gush about it, was all. "Thank you, Doctor. I hope we find common ground, as well."
The appearance of Carla caused a barely perceptible shift in mood. He nodded at the lady upon her arrival, but continued to speak with Moreau. His voice was a slight degree chillier as he made an inquiry. "What, um... What happened to the other doctor? Not that I want him on the other end of a hypodermic aimed at me, but I would imagine a man with his desire for control would insist on being present, at least."
The moment the blood was taken, Harper was eager to leave, citing duties. He replaced his coat, pulling it tight against any wrinkles that may have formed, and addressed the doctor. "If there's nothing else, sir, I'm needed elsewhere."
Carla didn't change her expression during the numerous things that occurred over the course of the next couple of minutes. The cold tone that Lieutenant Harper used, Jahosafat's warm but dishonest compliments and his direction to take a seat. She politely thanked the Doctor for his words and strode over to the nearby chair and sat down, with her legs crossed. Unlike Harper's tone and body language, she did not act cold toward either of the men. A better word would be "bored" or "disinterested." Her eyes did briefly flit over to the pulled up sleeve of the pilot's shirt, most notably the material with which his undershirt was comprised, but that was the biggest reaction she had.
Despite herself, Carla found herself waiting with her nails in her mouth, teeth working busily to trim them down. With Harper eager to leave, Carla stepped up to stand "in line" behind him, while she wiped her saliva covered nails clean on her pants. No need to sit around wasting time with standard blood tests.
Location: Docking Bay -> Outside Hallway near Bunks -> Dining Room
The trip back to the shit was smooth, thankfully, and the girls arrived quickly. She hoped Gideon would be able to fix her ship fast, she could use a nap after all of this, plus she needed to send a message to her client to let them know what happened. She would have to offer him something so she didn't get any bad publicity from this. She cursed inside her own head, she hated doing that.
As the girls exited, she made her way towards the bunks in the hopes of speaking to the Captain to let her know she was safely back on board. However, she noted the closed door. An odd occurrence for Anisa, unless she was inside with someone and she didn't want outside persons to overhear. Someone was probably in trouble. She was thankful it wasn't her, though she imagined she had a chewing out session in the future. Instead, she made her way to the dining room. She had to admit, she was kind of hungry. She wondered if there was food about.
Daphne still was not happy with her sister, but that could not be helped since she needed to probably be back at the ship. The trip was quick and uneventful thankfully for her. She could not stand having to deal with anything right now, especially with Patience. Daphne hopped off of their vehicle and headed towards her room. She felt that she needed to be alone and calm down before she runs into the Captain with her bad mood. As she walked over to her room, she saw the Captain's door was shut. Wondering who she is yelling at now? she thought as she walked across the hallway to her own room.
She was content at being in the confines of her own room. Daphne went over and sat on her bed, taking several deep breaths to calm herself. She was still mad, but after several minutes, it puttered down to the point where she could easily manage it. She contemplated working on the puzzle that was sitting in the corner of the room, but decided not to. There wasn't anything to be gained by her sitting around doing nothing. Daphne walked out again, but instead of heading towards the area where most every other member of the crew probably was, she still preferred to be alone at the moment. She went over to the bridge area, sitting down in the pilot's seat, looking out at the desert surrounding the ship.
Things over at the crash site are about as calm as one can hope for currently. The sky is clear and Gideon is working as quickly as he can to fix the ship now that the Daphne and Gene have headed back to the ship. "Well I will give Gene this, she put the ship down as best she could considering the circumstances," he mutters as he comes out from under the console and looks over towards Dorothy. "The stablizers main drive went out, must have happened when we landed originally, though from the looks of things it was just waiting to go out. Patched through a temporary fix that should get us back to the Vengeance, but I will have to do some more work once we get there for a more permanent solution," he says as he climbs into the driver seat. "Ready to head back?"
In the Vengeance Camilla pretty much blows past anyone that gets in her way on her way back to her own quarters, shutting the door tight behind her before settling down on her bunk grumbling to herself. Looking over to the desk across of her bed she sighs as she spots a ring box. Out in the kitchen Atticus and Lionel are working on preparing up the horse meat they were able to get. Atticus cocking a brow as Daphne goes through to the kitchen to get bridge, wondering how things went but figuring it was best not to ask right then. Seeing Gene come into the kitchen he gives her a grin. "Well there you are, blessed be to god that you are back safe and sound. How bad off is your shuttle?" he asks as he flips over the meat that is cooking on the stove top, searing off each side of it and trying to be of whatever help he can be for Lionel right then.
Jahosafat Moreau
Location: Medical Bay
Jahosafat as gotten to work on drawing the blood from Williams arm ad stops for a moment as a question arises. "You know, I haven't the foggiest to where the doctor has gotten off to. I had asked the esteemed Mr. Coiffeur to fetch a few things for me down in the cargo bay, perhaps he was able to wrangle the good doctor to be of some assistance to him," Jahosafat said in passing as he got back to work. Finishing up with William he gave the man a broad smile and nodded slightly. "Yes yes of course. Tend to your duties. Perhaps later on we can speak some more, perhaps over a rousing game of cards. I do so enjoy a good game of skill."
He noted the mesh sleeve that had to be given extra time to roll up but he made nothing of it as of yet, it wasn't unheard of for people to wear such things in this line of work and the man had just boarded the ship around the same time he had. Perhaps he just hadn't had a chance to change out of his more protective wear before take off. It had been a rather busy time since they all had boarded and with the minimal crew there was plenty of work to be had for each and every member of the crew. Over on the bridge a light was flashing on the console for the airlock, showing that a flush of atmo had occurred over in the bathroom that was currently out of order, the very reason the place had been shut down. The thing kept malfunctioning and dropping waste without proper precautions on its own.
Turning he directed his attention over towards Carla, still holding that same broad smile on his lips as he motioned for her to sit down. "Now, Ms. Lobo, could you please have a seat and I will get this over with as quickly and as painlessly as possible. It shouldn't take more than two shakes of a lambs wee tail to get you finished and back to whatever merriment you have planed for this evening," he said in a rather optimistic voice as he readied another needle and several vials for the blood he needed to draw.
Dorothy nodded, a bit pleased with Gene had managed to not destroy the shuttle. Perhaps she should have given the girl a little more credit, many would have done worse in an identical situation. The very fact that Gideon was able to patch it up so quickly was a testimony to Gene's skills--taking into mind, of course, the behavior that caused the companion to rush off the ship so quickly. Resolving finally to just let the Captain deal with the girl, Dorothy felt the weight on her shoulders lift slightly. Perhaps if Gene insisted on giving medical treatment, she'd teach the girl actual medicine--but for now, she'd let the Captain try to get through to the blonde.
"No, I think I'm going to examine the different types of dirt here," Dorothy quipped, smirking slightly as she climbed into the seat next to Gideon. She raised an eyebrow at him driving, hoping that he knew what he was doing. With both the mechanic and the doctor out of commission, the crew would be put in a tight spot. "Please don't kill us. I don't have time to die today."
She rolled her shoulders slightly, trying to consciously let out the tension in them. She knew that it was a habit of hers, but it was one she had a hard time shaking off. Forcing a bit of a smile, she looked ahead, half expecting to see Patience ride up with her goons. In her experience, times of peace and quiet never lasted long. And once they ended, there would be plenty of people in need of her assistance. And if they were particularly unlucky, they would be in need of Preacher's aid as well.
