Author Topic: One Week (Read 3896 times)

Marjorie · « **Reply #40 on:** October 31, 2019, 11:11:01 pm »

Emrys just nodded in respect to Nova and then leaned his head back against the head rest again.

Emrys was too tired to care about searching data files at the moment. He fully intended to sleep on the hop to TRIMM and then get down to business once he was there. Sleep deprivation wasn’t something he’d had to deal with much sense the war had ended, but he fully intended to practice the idea of sleep when and where you can. Because once they got there he wasn’t likely sleeping anymore until they left.

They boarded the ship with a swipe of Emrys’ chip and then it would be a short hop over to TRIMM, that would take a couple hours.

DragonSong · « **Reply #41 on:** November 01, 2019, 09:28:07 am »

With nothing else to really do for the trip up to TRIM, Nova satisfied herself with an alternation between glancing through and highlighting certain areas of the data files and attempting to catch up on the sleep she'd be missing thanks to this little "field trip".

Well she didn't so much "sleep" as "doze", but at least it was something.

Marjorie · « **Reply #42 on:** November 09, 2019, 10:52:54 pm »

Once they were nearing the space station Emrys took half a minute to really wake up, then made some likely excuses for them to be here. He sent a communique to some high ranking someone about him being a random inspection from the AEDA, and to expect him within the hour. That one was a text file he sent along with a brief video message which he recorded on the spot. Then he sent a second video message, this one personal in nature, to someone he actually knew on board the station, asking if he was available for drinks later, and apologized for such short notice.

An hour later, they were docked. An attache met them at the docking bay. "Pilot Noble Borin," they greeted him respectfully, then glanced at Nova, "and Cadet...?" He was looking for a name. "I'm sorry, I wasn't able to arrange much for you in the way of quarters that isn't basic, we weren't expecting you."

"That's the surprise in surprise inspection," Emrys said dismissively.

DragonSong · « **Reply #43 on:** November 10, 2019, 09:05:19 am »

Still working the kinks out of her neck and shoulders from sleeping in an upright position, Nova replied briskly to the attache, "Erinsri."

It was sort of a bastard's name, with roots firmly planted in ancient Adela that even to a modern ear she knew made her surname sound "low-class", but she'd learned not to care. And most people knew better than to show a reaction, if they even had one.

She rocked back on one heel, eyes darting about warily, as she waited for Emrys to finish speaking with the other man. She'd never actually been off-world before, and she wasn't entirely sure what to expect.

Marjorie · « **Reply #44 on:** November 10, 2019, 06:01:44 pm »

“That’s fine,” Emrys replied, about only having basic quarters available, “ we’re leaving tomorrow. Show me to my quarters first, I’ll be ready for the tour in twenty minutes.”

The attaché glanced at Nova, apologetic, and almost nervously... though his nervousness was more about offending Emrys than his subordinate. “I’m sorry, sir, I wasn’t expecting your Cadet,” he said.

“It’s ok,” Emrys said, “one night of shared quarters won’t kill us. Have a cot or something brought up to the room while we’re on the tour.”

The attaché nodded. “Of course sir,” he gestured for them to follow, “if you would follow me.” Emrys spared Nova the briefest of glances which seemed to say ‘on your best behavior, now’ before falling in step behind their guide.

“Most of the personal in TRIMM are civilians - especially the scientist, or regular military,” Emrys said to Nova, “There are also a handful of Pilots stationed here, but by and large, they are an independent corporate entity.” Though obviously there was some government oversight. Which is what he was posing as now.

They were lead to quarters which were the sort reserved for junior officers in the regular military. Nothing like Emrys was used to, but nothing that would inconvenience him either. There was one main room that was smallish and doubled as a sitting room and bed room, the smallest kitchenette he’d ever seen, and a full bathroom. It was good enough.

“We’ll see you in twenty minutes,” Emrys said before shutting the door on their guide. “I have to change,” he said to Nova, then headed for the bathroom, “make yourself comfortable, and put some coffee or tea on if there’s any in there.” He pointed at the kitchenette before the bathroom door shut, leaving her alone.

The bathroom was a bit cramped but included all the essentials. He imagined, usually, no one ever changed in there though. No matter. He pulled his dress uniform out of his overnight bag and hung it over the towel wrack, then he shaved and dressed. When he exited the bathroom he had his cover under one arm and his bag in the other hand. His bag was dropped on the small sofa.

DragonSong · « **Reply #45 on:** November 10, 2019, 06:49:00 pm »

She had to resist the urge to make a rude gesture at Emrys's back as he shot her that look, as though she was a child.

She didn't quite resist the urge to project it toward his mind, however.

Their temporary quarters were honestly nicer than her dorm back home, but she didn't exactly feel the need to say anything about that. Seeing Emrys grab his dress uniform, she supposed she was expected to change too, waiting until he was in the bathroom to do so.

"I thought we were leaving in twenty minutes," Nova grumbled to herself once she was dressed, but she moved to hunt through the kitchenette, coming up with a positively antique tea kettle and hot plate. She filled the kettle with water and left it on the plate to boil before setting herself to dig around a little more, which turned up a few packets of instant coffee, and what she thought was a synthetic green tea mixture. "Make yourself comfortable, he says. Right. Ten minutes of comfort, excellent."

When Emrys emerged from the bathroom again, she jerked her head toward the now gently whistling kettle. "Soup's on."

Marjorie · « **Reply #46 on:** November 10, 2019, 11:35:10 pm »

Emrys sent the mental impression of himself slapping her upside the head for her insolence, though he gave no outward reactions.

Even ten minutes was enough for a cup of coffee. He couldn’t even remember if he’d told Nova to pack her dress uniform. Good on her if she did whiteout his remembering, good on him if he had. Either way it wasn’t vital that she was. As a Candidate, she wasn’t inspecting anything. Officially, anyway.

“Thank you,” he said, and headed over the the kitchen. Instant coffee. He made a face. He’d drink it anyway. He poured steaming water into a... paper cup and then dumped the offensive dark powered into it, followed be several packets of sugar and some kind of powered creamer imitator. He made another face after he took his first sip and looked at the cup as if it had offended him, then downed the whole think like a shot. At least it had caffeine and sugar in it.

“Do you want any of this... frankly, I can’t even call it coffee?”

DragonSong · « **Reply #47 on:** November 11, 2019, 08:48:54 am »

Nova shook her head at the offer, tugging at the hem of her semi-formal dress shirt in an effort to get it to lay flat. She hadn't actually had reason to back her dress uniform, but it seemed in her groggy state that morning she'd managed to snatch a few of the nicer things she owned out of her closet and shoved them in a bag. Seeing Emry in a dress uniform, she figured she should go with something a little more formal.

"I don't do substances," she said distractedly. "Not even caffeine, really. Messes with my systems." She tapped the side of her head near the implant in her temple to emphasize what she meant.

Marjorie · « **Reply #48 on:** November 11, 2019, 04:31:39 pm »

“I don’t know how you even live,” Emrys teased.

“While we’re out,” he said, “I want you to keen a sharp eye out. They’re going to ignore you. It will be easy for them to forget you’re even here. Use it to your advantage. There’s information here, but I do t know what it is or who all knows it ocean even access it. There’s a Pilot here... a doctor. She’s got some of it, but we also don’t know who is watching us. You read the reports, this Redtide consumes minds and posses their bodies. Anyone could be one of them.” Not to sound paranoid or anything, but when they really were out to get you...”

DragonSong · « **Reply #49 on:** November 11, 2019, 06:33:09 pm »

Nova's eyebrows crept toward her hairline. "Was that a joke?"

She swallowed back another snarky comment when he spoke again, slipping with surprising ease into a professional air. She nodded once to show she understood him, but didn't say anything aloud--he had a point, after all. For all they knew, they were being monitored in their own quarters.

"Understood. Sir."

Marjorie · « **Reply #50 on:** November 11, 2019, 09:53:03 pm »

“Feel free to use any alternate men’s of observation you have at your disposal,” Emrys said and sent from his data pad to her a new access code. “And you can use this access code.” That was his, new, and a little higher level than the one he’d given her the day prior.

They had a couple minutes to relax before the attaché returned to collect them.

“I was expecting your operations officer,” Emrys said as he looked over the shirt yet man. Much to his amusement, which he shouted with Nova, but didn’t express outwardly, the man squirmed.

“As I said sir, we were not expecting you. He’s in a meeting at the moment but will be available, at the conclusion of the tour,” he said, then lifted a data pad from where he held it at his side, “I do have all the figures here though...” He started to pull up a file.

Emrys waved him off dismissively. “I was most interested in seeing your chief of security, and there reports.”

The attaché nodded. “Of course, sir, we can start the tour there, if you’d like.”

“I would,” Emrys said, “and what’s your name, for my report.”

DragonSong · « **Reply #51 on:** November 11, 2019, 10:07:54 pm »

“By “alternate means” I assume you mean “cybernetic enhancements”?” Nova noted dryly as she filed the access code away with a wink and a flickering motion of her eyes.

She hung back slightly when the attaché returned, keeping her arms folded and her weight even distributed between her feet: a silent, if slightly intimidating, shadow behind Emrys.

She watched the exchange between the two men curiously, and couldn’t help the slight twitch to the corner of her lips as she felt a flicker of Emrys’s emotions brush against the outer edge of her mind. She shores up her own defenses a bit more—just in case, she still didn’t trust the man as far as she could telekinetically throw him—but projected back a quick, fiery sense of can we get him to hurry up a bit?

Marjorie · « **Reply #52 on:** November 12, 2019, 12:36:33 am »

“Or psychic spying,” Emrys added. He didn’t know how skilled she was at that though. “As long as you think you can be discreet. As I said, there’s only a few pilots around... if you avoid them and don’t be too forceful, there should be no issue.” It was taboo in their culture, but nothing she shouldn’t be unused to from the other end. Candidates regularly had their minds invaded. Also, Emrys didn’t care about taboo if it got him results. “Also if you open you mind up enough to at least casually scan those around you... you’ll be able to spot anyone linked to redtide. They feel like... you can sense multiple kinds from them behind an odd blankness to the individual.”

Emrys was quite skilled at both psych spying and manipulation though. He was doing it now, with the attaché, keeping him nervous and distracted, so he wouldn’t notice what Emrys was really up to.

We don’t want to raise any suspicions, Emrys thought back at her.

“Duran,” the attaché responded, with a dry swallow, “Jardeen Duran.”

Emrys nodded and followed as the man lead them toward the security offices.

Do you see what I’m doing here?. Everything could be a learning opportunity. There was more manipulation of the situation going on that his psychic press on the man’s feelings. The dress uniform, the way he treated the attaché with dismissive impatience and expectation. His own heir of arrogance that was only part act.

DragonSong · « **Reply #53 on:** November 12, 2019, 08:20:18 am »

I know that, I'm not an idiot, Nova projected back to him, shooting a brief glare at his back.

She watched him as he interacted with the attaché, then snipped at the back of his mind, What, being a pretentious asshole? Yeah, I can see that.

She was being snarky for the form of the thing more than anything else. She could in fact see what he meant, and she filed the information away in the back of her head.

She didn't exactly feel the need to tell him that she was actually paying attention though.

Marjorie · « **Reply #54 on:** November 12, 2019, 09:11:45 am »

Of course he could see the glare at his back but he could 'feel' it. Regardless, he ignored her snide commentary.

Duran attempted to knock, but Emrys reached for the door knob and stepped into the chief of security's office before he could be announced. He moved threw the door with self importance, not even letting the attache lead them in.

"What the f-" the man was on his feet, but his words died on his lips which were left in an almost comical angry snarl, when he saw Emrys uniform. The man was a civilian, in a military styled uniform marked with TRIMM's logo. He carried a side arm, the mark of a security officer that was not just a mall cop.

"Apologies, Quiten," the attache said smoothly, though the was his feet shifted suggested he wished to flee the room, "Pilot Noble Borin is conducting an inspection for the AEDA." Predictably, he didn't introduce or even mention Nova. Nor did he really even care about her except insofar as not pissing off Emrys becaus he hadn't originally made arrangements for two guests.

The snarl on Quiten's face deepen into a frown, but he retook his seat reluctantly. On the wall behind his desk, facing the man's back was a wall of cameras that showed cells - some like jail cells, some with solid doors and no windows, halls, various rooms of many kinds, some that looked like hospital rooms. "What can I do for you Pilot Noble?"

"I'd like all of your reports for the last six months," Emrys set his data pad down on his desk so the man could send him the files, "Have you have any recent issues - downed or malfunctioning systems, personnel issues, break outs or even staffing issues?" This was a high security, locked facility... Emrys wanted to know just how secure it actually was.

The reports could be gone threw later - and likely were not as important as the questions he'd just asked, or Nova's possible access into his systems by just being in the room. However, it was the sort of request he would expect, all their recent incident reports, and all the regular routine ones too.

DragonSong · « **Reply #55 on:** November 12, 2019, 09:31:46 am »

Nova kept herself as unobtrusive as possible as she followed Emrys into the office, taking up a semi-guard stance back by the door. Her eyes flickered over the three men, and she cautiously spread her psychic signature a little further into the room, picking up on ambient thought and emotion.

Curiously, she reached out toward Quiten specifically, smoothing a sort of bland disinterest over his prickling irritation.

She wasn’t exactly practiced with this sort of thing, and she kept her psychic touch light, trying to be as subtle as she could manage. It was more from curiosity than anything else, and she blinked the implant behind her eye active to perform a basic scan on all three of the men as she took another glance around the room.

Marjorie · « **Reply #56 on:** November 12, 2019, 10:16:24 am »

Emrys was skilled enough to motor all three of them psychically. He could have pressed on Quiten's mind also, but he frankly didn't care if the man was mad. Angry people slipped up as easily as nervous ones. He was more interested in what Nova was attempting.

The man relaxed a little, though he was far from pleased or happy... or even neutral about what was going on. He tapped irritably at the surface of his desk and then swiped his finger across it in the direction of Emry's data pad, sending him the requested files.

"Guards complain about the pay, or being off world for months at a time," the security chief said, "sometimes... but they can't really complain all that much, TRIMM pays really well and as a privet security gig, they have a lot more freedoms than soldiers." Theoretically, he was also suggesting they had more freedoms than Pilots too. In some ways he was right, in others he was quite wrong.

"Walk me threw your security measures," Emrys said.

Quiten seemed offended by that direction. He expected Emrys knew damn well what their security measures were and just wanted to check if he kept up on them. Amusement wafted off of Emrys... in fact, he had a basic idea, but sense inspecting this facility was not one of his jobs he didn't know.

"Every inch of this place except inside personnel quarters is under surveillance. "I have the most critical places here - but there's a whole room of screens with all the views running 24/7 and manned by ten people at all times. Of course we don't expect them to actively watch every hall way all the time, but they motor the high priority areas all the time and can quickly pull up any location where any disturbance or incident of any kind is reported. Even if it's reported after the fact. We keep all the footage for sixty days, then destroyed... sensitive information and all. Some of the labs and medical rooms can be temporarily blocked to camera view with the right clearance, given the nature of what goes on here.

Guards move on regular rotations around the facility and about a dozen additional guards move in random paths assigned by the computer, to keep the pattern form being obvious. Guards are armed with stun batons and side arms. Lethal force is authorized for use in self defense, defense of others, or anyone attempting to leave without authorization. Military personnel and Pilots operate outside out chain of command, but adhere to facility regulations. Except when they don't he thought with annoyance.

"All doors to secure areas require a chip scan for entrance plus a retinal scan, some also require a voice of code match... some require military clearance codes. All codes are changed every 10 days... and military clearance codes changes per military regs." Which he wasn't informed about.

"I don't do cyber security personally, but only out communications are tied into the network... everything else is on a separate system and never links to the network. You have to have a local wireless or hard connection to access our systems, and proper clearance.

"Our latest drills showed an improvement in disaster response time to any location on the station at twenty five minutes." Considering the size of TRIMM that was impressive. "And response times to key locations are less." Suggesting they had security hubs in or near those places.

DragonSong · « **Reply #57 on:** November 12, 2019, 10:33:23 am »

As Quiten spoke, Nova decided to try something. She pulled her psychic net back, into herself, and instead extended the abilities again as more of a spire, a probe, aiming not for any of the organic bodies in the room, but rather for the console at Quiten's desk.

Her implants whirred and popped, but internally, behind her own eyes. She winced, then hid it quickly, hoping none of the others had noticed--

And then her eyes widened.

Holy shit. That fucking worked?!

On a very, very basic level, she seemed to have been able to hack into the first layer of security on the console's system. With her freaking brain.

Okay. That was cool.

With rather more finesse than she might have used normally, Nova tossed a vague idea of what she was doing at the back of Emrys's mental shields, along with a hurried, Keep them talking, buy me like two more minutes.

Marjorie · « **Reply #58 on:** November 12, 2019, 10:42:37 am »

Surprise, but not quite the same level of awe, and approval drifted back to Nova, along with an acknowledgment. Emrys had know it was possible he just did know if she could do it... part of why he'd brought her along was she might be able to and no one would actually expect something like that from her... which is why they were all focused on the largest authority figure in the room, him.

"Twenty-five minutes?" Emrys tone was both impress and disbelieving, "without increase in losses or damages?" Emrys expression shifted subtly, as he looked at the chief security officer, feigning, very convincingly faint respect, which was 100% false considering the breach in security that he and Nova posed him at the moment.

"I'd like the report on that as well... do you have a recording of the most recent one? I'd like you to walk me threw it."

Quiten might as well have puffed up his feathers and grew four inches for how well Emrys had just stroked his ego. "As a matter of fact, I do. I would be happy to walk you threw it."

Well, now they had twenty five minutes.

DragonSong · « **Reply #59 on:** November 12, 2019, 10:49:54 am »

Holy shit.

Holy shit.

Nova somehow managed to keep her expression blank, almost bored. She leaned back against the door frame a bit, trying to add to the air of disinterest.

Mentally, she was racing through data files, the tiny red dot behind her pupil flickering with each jump through the network. With the passcode Emrys had given her she could move quickly, smoothly, but the system still wasn't designed for something like this.

Redtide, spear, magic, c'mon...

She didn't have time to read everything. Any time her search flagged a keyword, she snatched the file and uploaded as much of it to her chip as fast as she could, then moved on. It wasn't so much that she worried about the twenty-five minute timeline Emrys had just bought, she was more concerned about what prolonged exposure to this sort of thing might do to her.

As she surfed through files, she suddenly smirked, nearly stumbling--mentally--over a security system history.

With a flicker of thought toward Emrys, she noted blithely, If you want to really piss him off, mention that their whole fucking security system shut down out of no where for nearly an hour about...three days ago. Doors, hangars, everything. No warning, no explanation. And...

There was something else, something about a subject--

Ow!

White hot pain flashed through her brain and her whole body jerked as the system zapped her back from that particular file. She blinked, coming back to herself slightly, and glanced between the attache and Quiten, hoping neither of them had noticed the subtle movement.