Date: September 22, 2012
Game date: January 20, EY218
Location: Aiscapo system, Daebak
Previous events: Bishop slept with Whang and nothing else mattered
When Bishop returns to Xao's the next day he berates everyone for thinking that Whang was a criminal, something that he too believed in but has now conveniently forgotten. He also tells them that she's a Dreamer but doesn't go into how that's completely unknown for anyone who's not from uBuntu.
During the short time left before the flight Bishop spends some more time with Whang, both in helping her with her Dreaming and in yet more enjoyable pursuits. Olivia shows up on the 19th, apparently refreshed from her shore leave and ready to go.
The Resplendent Dragon isn't completely ready to go on the 20th but Olivia's confident that she can bolt the last few things down on the way to the gate. There isn't enough time to finish everything in dock anyway; true to form they've left things to the last minute and find themselves with a three-day trip and two days to do it in. The ships will have to floor it the whole way if they want to make this gate opening and not have to sit around for another week.
Malcolm wants to take a Clegship again but agrees that he'll stay close to the others this time. Jillian will fly the Steel Hummingbird and the Resplendent Dragon will have its usual complement. When Jillian and Neet both calculate the quickest route to the gate Neet does a better job of it. Jillian's impressed with the way that Neet worked out the calculations; he really seems to have a gift for it.
Unlike last time the flight to the gate is uneventful and after paying the toll they pass through it unmolested to the Nodapar system, home of Crapworld. There's three days of waiting until that gate opens to Providence, which they spend socializing, Jillian taking some time to work on sculptures as well. After all, the Hummingbird is so... empty after the modifications. The three ships are all attached by umbilicals and Olivia and Volkova show off their ships' new upgrades to each other. Volkova is amused that despite being a very good engineer Olivia has never managed to get her head around the alien -- literally -- principles that govern space drives, requiring Neet to be the mechanic where that's concerned.
Everyone refuels here where it's less expensive and on the 25th the gate to Providence opens and they fly through. Once in Providence everyone does a sensor sweep above the orbital plane but there's nothing to be seen there, or at least nothing is detected. It's a long trip from the gate to Limbaugh, 10.5AU, and Jillian and Neet get to calculating the fastest way in. Once again Neet wins out and the trip is set to take nine days instead of the usual twelve. Good navigators really make a difference!
As they begin the slog sunward Bishop uses his "egg" to contact the Iof. He sends an emotion of "a glimmer of hope tinged with fear" but that's either too subtle for Chig to make out or Bishop's Dreaming isn't developed enough to send such a delicate emotion: Chig responds with a confused emotion and Bishop sends a somewhat happy emotion next. From that communication Bishop can tell that the Iof is at Ingraham again but not what the Grob are doing there. Perhaps Ensig is collecting more worms as pets.
The three ships dock at McNeely Station orbiting Limbaugh at midnight local time on February 3rd. Jillian checks for messages as soon as they dock and finds that she has three. The first is from Gabi, left November 25th, saying that she's always happy to have the Steel Hummingbird crew visit and also that Harry's left, if that helps to encourage them. The Deccan Driller left a message on November 26 saying that they're heading out to investigate the "Telushkin" at Prager and should be back on February 15th. Jillian leaves a message for them hoping that all went well and then puts that into her "doesn't need to be dealt with now" category. The third message, sent on December 1st, is from Roberta Kirshner on the Eggen Observatory inviting them over for tea and research. Volkova goes through the motion of checking her perpetually empty mailbox only to find a message from Jörg Bauer, also from the Eggen Observatory! He says that he was using some of the parts that she'd donated to the observatory to do repairs and was thinking of her. She's both surprised and pleased. It's late enough that everyone gets some sleep, planning on getting things done in tune with the local schedule.
The next day, February 4th, Bishop goes to deal with the delivery of their delayed kimchi shipment, a note from the producer in hand. It goes well and the condiment is soon removed from their hold and the payment divided between the crew and ship. The small load makes for a meagre pay packet but everyone has more money than they had before. Neet and Volkova spend the morning working on exactly how they're going to modify the space drives on their ships for using the slide points. The Grob aren't pleased with the preparations for modifying drives when they should be rescuing Seo and Tigd. Bishop reasons with them that the slide points are a good escape route if things go badly and they'll need some information on the von Däniken if they're going to go there. It's going to be dangerous, after all. The aliens grudgingly agree that Bishop has a point but are still impatient to reunite with their lost companion and their ship.
Jillian calls Gabi and winces as Emily picks up the line on the other end. Gabi's sleeping but Emily can tell her that Jillian called. There's some strained small talk before Jillian feels comfortable ending the conversation. Once she hangs up she realizes that Emily seemed different. She didn't ask about Bishop, was more mature in general, and the call didn't make Jillian want to have a drink! Perhaps she's changing for the better.
Having worked out what parts are needed Neet and Volkova take Bishop along to buy them. His bargaining skill falters this time and he's unable to get a good deal for them, the hazards of buying at larger outlets where clerks have less room to maneuver on price. Volkova's not the most socially aware person at the best of times, but talking to Neet while calculating and then browsing through various stores she realizes that he really likes her passionate pursuit of the new for the sake of the new. That's good, because she does as well.
Gabi calls Jillian back that afternoon. They catch up a bit and Gabi invites the Steel Hummingbird's crew over for dinner. Jillian cautiously accepts and gets the Resplendent Dragon included in the invitation. When everyone gets back to the ship the final roll call for who will come to dinner is Jillian, Malcolm, Neet, Xao, and Volkova. Bishop begs off, not wanting to deal with Emily and using spending more time with the Grob as an excuse. Olivia's off doing something or other and will likely be back the next day.
Malcolm drives everyone over to Gabi's that evening in the minibus. Dinner is a simple but hearty affair and everyone gets along just fine. The furnishings in the apartment have gotten much nicer since last time the crew saw it. Harry is indeed gone, having taken all his possessions and left without a word. He is not particularly missed. To everyone's relief Emily's certainly changed for the better. She's been going to school and has matured a fair bit since the crew saw her last. Neet fades into the background, as usual, and Xao is at his glittering best. John has also changed since his rescue from Hannity, having gained in confidence and mellowed out a fair bit. When Jillian asks him how he feels about living in McNeely Station he replies that he quite likes it and finds it ironic given his law enforcement past that he enjoys working in crime with Gabi so much! She gives him a quick scowl and a swift kick under the table.
There's some confusion around the table and Gabi cops to making a living as a cat burglar in McNeely Station. It's what she did back in Walküren before falling in with Ned Trudley's gang and used those skills for him too. John makes for a good partner; his former occupation as one of the secret police in Hannity means that he's very good at hiding and observing, ideal abilities for a lookout. Everyone's surprised that Gabi's not just a nature-loving hippy but Jillian, for one, is relieved that Gabi's late nights haven't been due to sex work!
There's a definite opportunity here and Jillian takes it. She plainly tells Gabi that her crew and the Resplendent Dragon are planning to break into a secure government facility to rescue a captured alien and human; a cat burglar would be ideal for the job. Gabi thinks Jillian's having her on but once she's convinced this is actually true she's reluctant to say yes. It just seems too dangerous. John, on the other hand, is all for it. At Jillian's suggestion Emily is sent to her room at this point. The teenager doesn't want to go but Volkova's scowl sends her packing.
Once Emily's gone Jillian works on convincing Gabi to do this job. Gabi's will is whittled down; Jillian and her crew did save her life and take care of her, after all. She finally agrees, to John's obvious approval, and then it's time to talk about details. Gabi's not too concerned about who is being rescued -- she doesn't bring up the alien at all -- but wants to know about the site. She's told what little is known about the von Däniken platform. Since it's in orbit she'll have to learn how to handle herself in a space suit, something that Neet can help her with. Since there's no particularly tight time frame they can try to find out more information concerning the platform.
Given that the platform used to be owned by Box they should be able to find some details on it in the organization's offices. Jillian remembers seeing the system offices on McNeely Station and Gabi offers to case them for the next day or two. If their security isn't up to snuff she can break into them and find the plans. Jillian offers to come along; she's had enough experiences with bureaucracy to have an idea where the plans would be in the office and is quite sneaky. Gabi will check things out and get back to the Steel Hummingbird by February 7th. With that dinner winds down.
Back on the Steel Hummingbird Bishop and the Grob are let in on the new plan. Everyone agrees to keep Gabi in the dark about the Iof and the Hummingbird's close relationship with the Grob.
The next day is February 5th. Jillian gets to work that morning practicing her climbing while Volkova, inspired, reads up on locksmithing. The Hummingbird's crew decide a getaway car would be a good idea if they have to make a quick escape: the station is large enough to allow an actual car chase if it becomes necessary! Malcolm and Volkova look through the classifieds for an untraceable wreck of a car that can be fixed up at short notice. They succeed on the first place they stop at, Volkova judging the heap to be in better shape than it appears to be, and on the rattling trip back to the ship they stop for the parts that Volkova will need to get it running properly. She spends the rest of the day getting it into shape -- both in terms of the engine and banging out and painting the panels -- and even bangs a fake license plate out of a piece of sheet metal and convincingly paints it in the Limbaugh colours, license number V0L-KVA and registration number 8082114. The car looks completely different by the time she's done, but the incredibly rushed job is exhausting and she takes to her bed a wreck.
Gabi calls on February 6th. She's checked the offices out and is ready to go in. They discuss plans and with a car available they'll be able to get four people there -- Gabi, Jillian, John, and Malcolm. Kel Varnsen's old pickup that Gabi and John have been using only really holds two unless someone wants to draw attention sitting in the back of a pickup on the streets. Gabi's not obviously concerned about the job, which is a good sign. That evening they head over to the Box offices; Malcolm drives, naturally.
The offices are in a nondescript three-story building that hardly looks like a government organization's system headquarters is contained within and that comes across as pretty pregnable. Malcolm drives down the alley behind it and lets off his passengers. Gabi and Jillian will make the entry. John's dressed in a shabby outfit and will hide in the alley looking like a drunk. Should trouble come by he'll start loudly, drunkenly singing. Malcolm continues on and squeezes the car into a space on the other side of the street from where the alley makes a T-intersection with the street, allowing him a view down the alley, and hunkers down in the driver's seat as inconspicuously as possible.
It's an easy climb up the highly-detailed outside of the building to an open window that Gabi has spotted on the second floor. She makes the climb first and lets down a knotted rope for Jillian to follow her up. Once in the office they take a moment to listen, then start silently going over the desks in the room, finding a phone and door number directory for the building. It looks like the "System Resources Manager" is their best chance. Luckily for them it's on the same floor that they're on and after listening at the door they slip out into the lit hallway, locking the door behind them.
The lock on the System Resource Manager's office is surprisingly easy to pick -- it's obvious that Box reasonably expects the contents of their offices to be uninteresting to the average burglar. Jillian bangs her satchel on the doorframe on the way in but after several frozen moments there's no sound of approaching footsteps and they continue in and lock this door too. There are two rooms here, the outer one that they're in filled with filing cabinets and an inner one that's likely the office proper. The half-length windows that run the length of the room allow plenty of light from the hallway while at the same time their textured surface won't allow anyone out there to see what's going on in here as long as they keep their flashlights off.
It's a slow half hour of peering at labels on drawers and manila folders in the halflight until Gabi finds what they're looking for: detailed plans for the von Däniken platform. There's a roller copier in the office that Jillian luckily knows how to use. She operates it quietly but there's no hiding the smell of the solvents that gets stronger as she rolls off copies of one sheet after another. As she's putting the last of the copies into a poster tube they hear the sounds of someone coming down the hallway! The guard is doing a thorough job checking the door handles and, worse, opening some of them! Gabi and Jillian find places to hide and wait. He stops at their door and gives the door handle a jiggle. There is the sound of a sniff and he keeps going down the hallway, perhaps driven off by the sharp smell of the solvent.
They wait until they hear the steps head down the stairs before quietly leaving the same way that they came in. John is rejoined in the alley, the three of them get into the car, and Malcolm pulls out with no sign of pursuit. No alarms have been raised and there's no way that Box would know that someone had broken into their offices unless they keep *very* close tabs on their office supplies.
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Bishop's Bedpost Notch Count: 1 (running total: 16)
Jillian's Bedpost Notch Count: ha! ha!
Malcolm's Bedpost Notch Count: 0 (running total: 1)
Volkova's Bedpost Notch Count: 0 (running total: 2)