Understood Grover's Corner, we'll be there in a few minutes. I said, signing off and tossing the headset on the desk.
"Coolness. See you then. Grover's Corners out,"
I turned and looked at my guys. All of them were in various stages of amusement, or as close to amused as they get when working in Thia's case. Except Calli, she looked halfway between amused and outrage. Heh.
Well, that could have gone better, I said scratching my head.
Astute observation, my Captain, Cynthia said, with a tone so filled with dry humor I thought all the water in my body would boil away. And you wonder why I stick you in a hole when we do business over the air.
Jeremiah looked thoughtful though. Well, it could have gone a lot worse too. At the very least we know that they have a sense of humor about the whole situation. It'll be interesting to see how they run that place. But I guess we aren't in a position to throw stones about weird command structures. You do need to work on your hail though, Skip. Captain Picard you aren't, he said, then stood and stretched, popping joints and tendons like bridge cables in high winds. It's sort of an alarming process to watch, like all that dense power he has will explode and perforate anybody nearby.
Well, I figured this was a special case. So, take Gaye and the L.R.D.?
Callisto took the moment to finally decide she was annoyed rather than bemused.
I can't believe you Perry! Rusted old crabber my ass! I just KNOW this is gonna turn into one of those timeless running gags you'll all share with the Corner's crew. I can see it now, twenty years from now you'll all be sipping mimosas on a beach on Mars, joking about how my hull looks good for an old gal. Her avatar started waving her hands erratically near her head and her voice pitched up in mockery. 'Ooooo, that Callisto, she might be getting on in years, and her paint's flecking, and she doesn't accelerate like she used to and... what were we talking about? Nevermind! Who wants another cocktail!' I hate you guys! All the screens winked out at once, and the screen saver was now simply a volcano erupting on a stick figure while it got struck by lightning repeatedly. Poor Perry.
Everyone tried to keep a straight face. Nobody wanted to share Perry's new role as Ship Biatch. It was hard. Seriously.
Ok. Well, you guys go ahead and head over, I want to back us out a couple dozen kilometers. It's getting crowded around here. Cynthia did a head nod out to starboard while feathering the throttle. That's the Epsilon Blade out of Stellvia. Whoever Noah Scott sent, they will have probably brought a handful of Fen from factions that annoy him the least. Cynthia gave me a pointed sidelong glance. Be nice.
What? I'm on pretty good terms with the guys at Stellvia?
Not talking 'bout them, Captain. They're going to be Senshi and Wizards around, and it's almost guaranteed that if they aren't on that ship they won't be far behind. So, don't be a jerk. I know, it'll be hard. Do it anyway. Sir. She added, almost as an afterthought. Keep him honest Jeremiah?
Perry had taken a glassy eyed minute to contemplate the horrors he could now expect, then pipped up, You know, I should go over with you guys. You know, make sure Jon doesn't offend these people by being himself. Jeremiah still really doesn't know all that much about fandoms other than broad guidelines. It was a transparent ploy as any of us had ever seen, but man, what are you gonna do. When one of the things you learn out here in the Black is when an AI is on the warpath, you help a buddy out, long as you don't have to walk into the firing line. We all nodded in a pitying way, not that I liked my guys thinking they had to babysit me. Seriously, I'm not that bad!
Will do Cynthia. Come on Fearless Leader, let's go be neighborly Jeremiah hooked a meaty arm around my shoulders and steered me out of the Wheelhouse.
O' for the days of floggings.
***
Gaye liked to think she was like most other women. She had some good friends, she liked to spoil herself probably more than she should, she had the same niggling insecurities about her body but thought all and all she looked good. Sure, she had a weird job, but she liked it and did it well. Other than that, she was like most women.
All I'm saying, if I can't be cruel to my enemies, what the hell do I want them for? The skinny, dark haired cargo shorts and t-shirt clad one with Eurasian features whined from the passenger seat.
Ok Captain Exaggeration, like you have any actual enemies. The shorter, paler, similarly clad but glasses wearing man scoffed from the cramped back seat.
Well, when was the last time we got a greeting from anybody from Venus that didn't start with 'Oh, it's you again?' The taller, broader, older, blonder man in a polo shirt and jeans said while driving her into the garage hold of the giant floating piece of former West Virginia.
Well, maybe not totally like most women. She just happened to look like a shiny red metal pear that weighed half a ton and her 'brain' was made of circuit boards instead of meat.
A couple years maybe. Jon admitted.
Roight. Doesn't it make sense if you want your stuff read, not to piss off half of the Fen by getting into flame wars?
Dude, I never used to get into that kind of shit back dirtside. It's being out in space. It does things to you. I think I got modded to be a spectacular asshole. And my stuff get's red because I'm the soul of wit and charm.
Gaye took the bait that was clearly given, and tiny monitor attached to the dash showed her strawberry blond self split into a smirk Boss, you were born a spectacular asshole, and are the soul of whine and smarm to appreciative chuckles all around and a eyeroll from her captain.
Haw haw, my name's Gaye, I take the easy way out with my jokes. I'm funny! Be a dear and get me a link to Galvius, I wanna do a quick post before we go do this meet and greet. Jon said with the tone of a man who endured similar trials before.
Geez, you couldn't have done this before? You know how he is on uplinks. The bombastic Space Marine admin of the Truth's mainframe was one of her least favorite people, coincidentally tied with the Truth's ship AI.
More tired eyerolling. Just do it, kid.
Fine fine. A split second later and some wrangling with routers, Gaye was finished. Uplink established, you're go.
Thanks. Galvius, begin dictation on my mark. Mark.
Begin dictation!
April 21, 2012
The time is 07:30 Zulu.
Well, unless you're stuck under a rock or live in Eastern Washington (Hi2U Pullman!), you all have probably heard or will hear that a giant ass piece of West Virginia up and floated away. Well, because I'm a curious soul and frankly had nothing better to do, I'm sitting in a airlock garage on said Unreal Estate, the good, well ship aint the word but guess it'll have to do, Grover's Corner with a rack of beers and a bunch of nosy questions, about to hang out with some people whose ambition seems to only be matched by their nerve.
It promises to be an interesting day.
I thought about testing that new toy I've mentioned before, a sort of floating web cam', but who the hell wants camera shoved in their face in their own home? Not me! So, sorry to say, I won't have any visuals for you guys so you'll have to wait till somebody else posts their pics. Just put off burning me in effigy till after I post later today. Or hell, who knows? The people of Grover's Corner might do it themselves soon enough.
Oh hey, they just cycled the airlock. Time to meet the new Fen.
I think they'll fit in fine.
Bad Moon out.
End dictation! May you bring glory to the Emperor, Chapter Master.
Right. Let's go say hello, Jon said cheerfully.
As the group piled out of what was once a GEO Metro, Gaye said, "I'll keep a line open to the Truth Boss. You'll probably want to start writing as soon as you leave I bet."
"You're a smart girl, Gaye."
"I'm not just another pretty face!"
But Gaye could only watch as her friends went and met the new neighbors undoubtably to go on have another adventure.
No, she really wasn't like most women after all.---------------
-Jon
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)
The population density of Wyoming is very low, but that doesn't mean the people there aren't also out to kill you.
---
Jon
"And that must have caused my dad's brain to break in half, replaced by a purely mechanical engine of revenge!"
"Coolness. See you then. Grover's Corners out,"
I turned and looked at my guys. All of them were in various stages of amusement, or as close to amused as they get when working in Thia's case. Except Calli, she looked halfway between amused and outrage. Heh.
Well, that could have gone better, I said scratching my head.
Astute observation, my Captain, Cynthia said, with a tone so filled with dry humor I thought all the water in my body would boil away. And you wonder why I stick you in a hole when we do business over the air.
Jeremiah looked thoughtful though. Well, it could have gone a lot worse too. At the very least we know that they have a sense of humor about the whole situation. It'll be interesting to see how they run that place. But I guess we aren't in a position to throw stones about weird command structures. You do need to work on your hail though, Skip. Captain Picard you aren't, he said, then stood and stretched, popping joints and tendons like bridge cables in high winds. It's sort of an alarming process to watch, like all that dense power he has will explode and perforate anybody nearby.
Well, I figured this was a special case. So, take Gaye and the L.R.D.?
Callisto took the moment to finally decide she was annoyed rather than bemused.
I can't believe you Perry! Rusted old crabber my ass! I just KNOW this is gonna turn into one of those timeless running gags you'll all share with the Corner's crew. I can see it now, twenty years from now you'll all be sipping mimosas on a beach on Mars, joking about how my hull looks good for an old gal. Her avatar started waving her hands erratically near her head and her voice pitched up in mockery. 'Ooooo, that Callisto, she might be getting on in years, and her paint's flecking, and she doesn't accelerate like she used to and... what were we talking about? Nevermind! Who wants another cocktail!' I hate you guys! All the screens winked out at once, and the screen saver was now simply a volcano erupting on a stick figure while it got struck by lightning repeatedly. Poor Perry.
Everyone tried to keep a straight face. Nobody wanted to share Perry's new role as Ship Biatch. It was hard. Seriously.
Ok. Well, you guys go ahead and head over, I want to back us out a couple dozen kilometers. It's getting crowded around here. Cynthia did a head nod out to starboard while feathering the throttle. That's the Epsilon Blade out of Stellvia. Whoever Noah Scott sent, they will have probably brought a handful of Fen from factions that annoy him the least. Cynthia gave me a pointed sidelong glance. Be nice.
What? I'm on pretty good terms with the guys at Stellvia?
Not talking 'bout them, Captain. They're going to be Senshi and Wizards around, and it's almost guaranteed that if they aren't on that ship they won't be far behind. So, don't be a jerk. I know, it'll be hard. Do it anyway. Sir. She added, almost as an afterthought. Keep him honest Jeremiah?
Perry had taken a glassy eyed minute to contemplate the horrors he could now expect, then pipped up, You know, I should go over with you guys. You know, make sure Jon doesn't offend these people by being himself. Jeremiah still really doesn't know all that much about fandoms other than broad guidelines. It was a transparent ploy as any of us had ever seen, but man, what are you gonna do. When one of the things you learn out here in the Black is when an AI is on the warpath, you help a buddy out, long as you don't have to walk into the firing line. We all nodded in a pitying way, not that I liked my guys thinking they had to babysit me. Seriously, I'm not that bad!
Will do Cynthia. Come on Fearless Leader, let's go be neighborly Jeremiah hooked a meaty arm around my shoulders and steered me out of the Wheelhouse.
O' for the days of floggings.
***
Gaye liked to think she was like most other women. She had some good friends, she liked to spoil herself probably more than she should, she had the same niggling insecurities about her body but thought all and all she looked good. Sure, she had a weird job, but she liked it and did it well. Other than that, she was like most women.
All I'm saying, if I can't be cruel to my enemies, what the hell do I want them for? The skinny, dark haired cargo shorts and t-shirt clad one with Eurasian features whined from the passenger seat.
Ok Captain Exaggeration, like you have any actual enemies. The shorter, paler, similarly clad but glasses wearing man scoffed from the cramped back seat.
Well, when was the last time we got a greeting from anybody from Venus that didn't start with 'Oh, it's you again?' The taller, broader, older, blonder man in a polo shirt and jeans said while driving her into the garage hold of the giant floating piece of former West Virginia.
Well, maybe not totally like most women. She just happened to look like a shiny red metal pear that weighed half a ton and her 'brain' was made of circuit boards instead of meat.
A couple years maybe. Jon admitted.
Roight. Doesn't it make sense if you want your stuff read, not to piss off half of the Fen by getting into flame wars?
Dude, I never used to get into that kind of shit back dirtside. It's being out in space. It does things to you. I think I got modded to be a spectacular asshole. And my stuff get's red because I'm the soul of wit and charm.
Gaye took the bait that was clearly given, and tiny monitor attached to the dash showed her strawberry blond self split into a smirk Boss, you were born a spectacular asshole, and are the soul of whine and smarm to appreciative chuckles all around and a eyeroll from her captain.
Haw haw, my name's Gaye, I take the easy way out with my jokes. I'm funny! Be a dear and get me a link to Galvius, I wanna do a quick post before we go do this meet and greet. Jon said with the tone of a man who endured similar trials before.
Geez, you couldn't have done this before? You know how he is on uplinks. The bombastic Space Marine admin of the Truth's mainframe was one of her least favorite people, coincidentally tied with the Truth's ship AI.
More tired eyerolling. Just do it, kid.
Fine fine. A split second later and some wrangling with routers, Gaye was finished. Uplink established, you're go.
Thanks. Galvius, begin dictation on my mark. Mark.
Begin dictation!
April 21, 2012
The time is 07:30 Zulu.
Well, unless you're stuck under a rock or live in Eastern Washington (Hi2U Pullman!), you all have probably heard or will hear that a giant ass piece of West Virginia up and floated away. Well, because I'm a curious soul and frankly had nothing better to do, I'm sitting in a airlock garage on said Unreal Estate, the good, well ship aint the word but guess it'll have to do, Grover's Corner with a rack of beers and a bunch of nosy questions, about to hang out with some people whose ambition seems to only be matched by their nerve.
It promises to be an interesting day.
I thought about testing that new toy I've mentioned before, a sort of floating web cam', but who the hell wants camera shoved in their face in their own home? Not me! So, sorry to say, I won't have any visuals for you guys so you'll have to wait till somebody else posts their pics. Just put off burning me in effigy till after I post later today. Or hell, who knows? The people of Grover's Corner might do it themselves soon enough.
Oh hey, they just cycled the airlock. Time to meet the new Fen.
I think they'll fit in fine.
Bad Moon out.
End dictation! May you bring glory to the Emperor, Chapter Master.
Right. Let's go say hello, Jon said cheerfully.
As the group piled out of what was once a GEO Metro, Gaye said, "I'll keep a line open to the Truth Boss. You'll probably want to start writing as soon as you leave I bet."
"You're a smart girl, Gaye."
"I'm not just another pretty face!"
But Gaye could only watch as her friends went and met the new neighbors undoubtably to go on have another adventure.
No, she really wasn't like most women after all.---------------
-Jon
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)
The population density of Wyoming is very low, but that doesn't mean the people there aren't also out to kill you.
---
Jon
"And that must have caused my dad's brain to break in half, replaced by a purely mechanical engine of revenge!"