[21:28] <Chamelaeon> <<SESSION TWENTY-THREE, LIFTOFF! FNORD!>>
[21:28] <Isis> ( I want to know, before we start... am I really the only one who
took a level or more of Appearance? ^_^; )
[21:28] <Chako> (No.
[21:29] <Charlie> (Charlie has one)
[21:29] <Chako> (Don't you remember? It was the Guy Magnet stuff. He said so.
^_^;)
[21:29] <Isis> ( If Chako has it, it's likely balanced out by the "It's A Man,
Baby!" defect at +1, at the very least)
[21:30] <Tim> ( I took... uhm, several. )
[21:30] <Chamelaeon> (Girl/Guy Magnet +2)
[21:30] <Chako> (No, but the body-wide scarring doeesn't help.)
[21:32] <Chamelaeon> <<Present day - March 31st. Present time - 12:23. Present
location - Irene's Docks, slot R6-F4-S17.>>
[21:34] <Chamelaeon> <<It's been two days since the work on the ship started,
and the Geeks now say that the ship is finally ready to go, barring a few more
preflight checks. This means you'll finally be let on board - the hazard of
Vernon's welding made it a safety hazard to actually be on the ship while not
wearing something ostensibly fireproof.>>
[21:34] <Isis> ( Whereas now there's nothing to protect us from Vernon. )
[21:35] <Vernon> (Oh, and Cham, regarding Vernon drunk? Check his charsheet.)
[21:36] <Chamelaeon> <<You've got beds, and nightstands, all of nice pressed
DunnoWood(tm), but you've been sleeping in the slot, on the floorspace not taken
up by the ship and the supplies delivered yesterday evening.>>
[21:37] <Chamelaeon> <<Vladimir took one look at the ship and declared he could
fly the damn thing blindfolded, one-handed, upside down and roaring drunk, then
offered for any one of you to test him on this.>>
[21:37] <Tim> ( Oh, dear. )
[21:37] <Isis> ( Over my dead body. Preferrably in the metaphoric sense only. )
[21:37] <Chamelaeon> <<He's given you a contact number, and instructed you to
give him a call when you're absolutely sure you're ready to go.>>
[21:39] <Chamelaeon> <<The docking slot is empty now - the furniture and
supplies were moved in a few hours ago, and Charlie, Chako, and Isis merely
await the chance to see the hell that awai.... er, the ship.>>
[21:39] <Chamelaeon> <<[/END EXPOSITION!]>>
[21:42] * Charlie is leaning against a wall "I'm about ready to get outta this
place.."
[21:42] * Chako taps her foot. She's impatient, because yesterday was boring.
The part she didn't spend getting over the hangover, anyway. "Yeah, I hear
that."
[21:43] <Charlie> This dock is not the most comfy place to be..
[21:43] <Charlie> You think they got that thing working well enough to get us
there and back?
[21:43] * Isis continues to look like some bizarre amalgam of a Shangai street
assassin and a leather bar waitress. She also looks... weary. "Agreed. However
bad they say the suburbs are, I prefer them vastly to the endless I-Zone
wasteland."
[21:46] * Vernon wanders out of the ship, with a clank, thud, and further set of
worrying sound effects.
[21:46] * Chako says, "Yeah, well, at least the I-Zone's got some spice to it."
She looks over at Vernon briefly with a frown.
[21:47] * Isis raises an eyebrow. "Cut a dangerous drug with nutmeg, and it's
still a dangerous drug."
[21:47] * Chako chuckles. "Fair enough. Never said the damn place was safe."
[21:48] * Tim pokes his head out the airlock. "Psst! Hey, Vernon! Are we ready
yet?"
[21:48] * Vernon peers over at Tim. "Yes, I do believe we are."
[21:49] <Isis> ( ...brief, scary image of those two assassins from "Diamonds are
Forever". c.c; )
[21:49] <Chamelaeon> (....)
[21:49] * Tim nodnods. "Alright! Bring 'em to the back."
[21:50] <Vernon> (...this means I have to give most of the tour. Evil Tim. >_>)
[21:50] <Tim> ( Nono. I'll be there, too. ;P
[21:51] * Vernon turns to the rest of the group. "Okay, I believe we're set.
Everything's done and tested, except for a few preflight checks."
[21:52] * Vernon opens the front door, and politely motions everyone to follow.
[21:52] <Charlie> Alright! Maybe we can get outta this place now.
[21:52] * Charlie heads over to Vernon.
[21:52] * Chako says annoyedly, "I fuckin' hope so. If ATC showed up, we'd be
out of luck." She follows.
[21:53] * Isis dusts off her pants and follows too.
[21:53] * Vernon heads on in. "First off, behind the entranceway, we have the
bridge."
[21:56] * Isis actually looks a little surprised. "What, just like that? No
elevators or special gadgets?" She looks around. "No wookies playing chess?"
[21:56] <Isis> ( She's a film buff! Yeah. That's the ticket. )
[21:57] * Chako says, "Hey, simple is best. Fewer movin' parts is fewer breakin'
ones."
[21:59] <Chamelaeon> <<The bridge is very nice and simply laid out. The wide
window at the front of the ship frames two single seats. The floor is carpeted
in a deep burgundy shag, and the back wall is padded in the same color, with a
couple grab-bars hanging from the ceiling. As you look at the panels, a few of
them sport odd labels like "This is your friend!", "Does Nothing" and "DO NOT
TOUCH!">>
[22:00] <Atom[Smallville]> ( NO TOUCH HAT? )
[22:00] <Isis> ...
[22:00] <Isis> ...a flying velvet lounge.
[22:02] * Chako eyes the carpet with slightly widened eyes. "Jesus. Shag
carpeting? In Zero-G? That's gonna look freakin' weird."
[22:02] <Charlie> heh! .. Is shag carpeting standard at ATC? I forget..
[22:03] * Vernon smiles. "The carpeting was Tim's idea."
[22:03] *** Atom[Smallville] is now known as Atom
[22:03] <Isis> ( "Not all of us are running libido-suppressing software, you
know." )
[22:03] <Atom> ( /me slaps Lana. Shut up. SHUT UP. I hate you. )
[22:04] * Chako shakes her head. "I thought it'd be yours. You SIG-ASPers are
crazy."
[22:04] * Isis shrugs her shoulders. "I don't care if it looks like a giant
flying cheese wheel. If it'll get us to Europa safely, fine."
[22:04] * Isis pauses. "It... DOESN'T look like a giant flying cheese wheel,
does it?"
[22:05] * Vernon smiles mysteriously. "No comment."
[22:05] * Isis gives Vernon the Eye. The Eye that was, in the bar the previous
evening, followed by the Knife.
[22:05] <Vernon> Through the next door is the common room, which is the hub of
the rest of the ship, basically...
[22:05] * Chako mutters, "If it looks like a flying cheese wheel, we're flippin'
a coin and we're droppin' one of ya at ATC on the way out of town."
[22:06] <Vernon> It doesn't - I think. Tim snuck in most of the decorating while
I was welding.
[22:06] <Tim> ( Mwahaha! )
[22:07] * Vernon walks through the portal to the common room.
[22:07] <Charlie> How many packs of stickers were on the budget? *wink*
[22:07] <Vernon> (...?)
[22:07] <Charlie> (Tim? STickers?)
[22:07] <Chako> (Tim's GF?)
[22:08] <Chako> (Or if he meant Stickys. ^^;)
[22:08] <Charlie> (Sticky's stickers, bar-codes.. whatever was all over tim's
suit)
[22:08] <Vernon> I...didn't ask. I saw him going into his room with a crate,
though.
[22:09] <Chamelaeon> <<The common room is ... impressive. Couches and tables are
bolted to the floor - the carpeting continues in here. Over in one corner is a
wetbar, and opposite it is a kitchenette. Both of them have "DANGER - MAGNETIC!"
signs hanging over them. There's also a TV and a comsat box bolted to the
ceiling near the couches... not too far from that are speakers and a
decent-looking entertainment system.>>
[22:09] * Isis raises an eyebrow. "This is somehow unexpected. Not unpleasant,
but unexpected."
[22:10] <Chamelaeon> <<An abused disco ball is hanging in the center of the
room, and the whole thing is done in tasteful blues, greens, and soft yellows.>>
[22:10] <Chamelaeon> <<The whole room, rather.>>
[22:10] <Isis> ( ...I should have waited for the disco ball before I said
anthing. )
[22:10] * Vernon peers around. "I wonder where Tim's hiding."
[22:11] * Isis glances at the disco ball and her expression changes. "I wonder
too," she says dryly.
[22:11] * Chako snickers. "Was this a space ship or a bachelor pad? Are you two
trying to tell us we need to pick up some chicks on the way outta town?"
[22:12] <Vernon> Well, I'll admit that the entertainment system was my idea.
[22:12] <Vernon> Tim stopped me from linking the force-feedback from the gaming
systems into the engines.
[22:13] <Charlie> Yeah.. Probably a good thing..
[22:13] * Vernon points. "Everyone's quarters are here, and the rest of the ship
is through that hallway."
[22:13] * Tim comes up from the aftward portion of the ship. "Oh, there you are.
I was waiting for you at the back."
[22:14] <Chamelaeon> <<The hallway looks like something straight out of a hotel,
wall sconces and room numbers and wallpaper and everything.>>
[22:14] <Vernon> Ah! Sorry about that.
[22:14] <Isis> ...
[22:14] * Isis glances between Vernon and Tim. A couple of times.
[22:14] <Vernon> So, Tim, if you'd like to take it from here?
[22:14] <Chako> Maybe we'll skip that coin flip.
[22:15] <Tim> Uhm, I dunno. Would I?
[22:15] * Tim does, tho, opening a door on his left. "Here's the first room.
This one's Vernons'."
[22:18] * Isis does not look in. It's safest.
[22:18] * Chako can't help but look in. The more justification...
[22:20] <Chamelaeon> <<Vernon's room looks like it came out of a borg cube. It
looks like he somehow managed to route every electrical or communications signal
wire in the ship through his room. Threaded between the real wire is decorative
blue fiber optic. There's a small desk/workbench, with seven swivelmounted
synched monitors, running the old xmatrix screen saver, and a very large
specialized keyboard, and a few scifi/technical posters hung around.>>
[22:20] <Vernon> (A screen saver...OR IS IT?)
[22:20] <Chako> Well, if anyone ever takes over the ship I know where to shoot
to cripple it.
[22:21] * Charlie snrks.
[22:23] * Chako looks back at Isis. "You sure ya don't wanna look? Nobody would
convict."
[22:25] * Isis shakes her head. "I'm pretending to respect his privacy."
[22:25] <Vernon> Enh, I'm a geek. You can go through my closet...just don't
touch the keyboard.
[22:26] <Tim> Alright. Next up is my room. So, uhm.
[22:26] * Tim opens the door and shrugs.
[22:27] * Chako shakes her head. "I'll pass. Your closet's your business, and I
just don't want to know." Now she gets to look at Tim's room!
[22:27] * Isis is willing to look at Tim's room. With one eye.
[22:27] <Vernon> (Hey, you might find a dress you want to borrow. ;_;)
[22:27] <Isis> ( *points at Chako's "She's A Man, Baby!" defect* )
[22:27] <Chamelaeon> <<Tim's room is more of the same, except with alarms wired
into critical systems, most of which are actually covered by posters of cars and
ships. His workbench is larger, and littered with toolchests, and he only has
two monitors. He also has a queen-size bed, as opposed to the doubles the rest
of you have.>>
[22:29] * Chako shakes her head.
[22:30] * Charlie raises an eyebrow. "Expectin' company?"
[22:31] <Isis> ( I was just about to say that. )
[22:31] <Tim> Er, well. Uhm, next is Chako's room. 
[22:31] <Vernon> (Well, consider the $3,000 line item on the budget for
"artificial intelligence interface systems.")
[22:31] <Tim> ( Shhh! >.> <.< )
[22:31] * Isis sighs and glances at Tim, then at Vernon. "Did *either* of you
have a bachelor pad before you joined ATC?"
[22:31] <Vernon> (We are the dark masters of expense account fudging!)
[22:32] * Vernon shrugs. "I did. I keep things neat, just...geeky. Nothing wrong
with that."
[22:32] <Tim> Er... maybe?
[22:33] <Chako> I'll take that as a no. Isis?
[22:34] * Isis sighs. "At least the whole ship doesn't look like this."
[22:35] * Chako is gonna move on and see her room.
[22:36] <Chamelaeon> <<Chako's room is spartan - standard furnishings, as well
as a gun closet, a punching bag, and a gun cleaning kit. Her carpet is
shortpile, done in variegated shades of red and black. A vibrowhetstone sits on
her pillow like a complimentary mint.>>
[22:38] * Chako walks in and looks around. "Hey, ain't half bad. Guess it's the
thought that counts." She hits the punching bag.
[22:38] <Chamelaeon> <<It does not explode.>>
[22:38] <Vernon> (Much.)
[22:39] * Isis tries to hide the mind-bending dread she is currently
experiencing over what she just KNOWS is going to end badly.
[22:40] * Chako hits the punching bag again, and walks out. "Krissy'd kill me.
She hates black. So, who's next?"
[22:42] <Tim> Isis. 
[22:42] * Tim walks across the hall and opens the next door!
[22:43] <Chamelaeon> <<Isis' room is oriental styled, as much as a compartment
on a ship can be. Her furnishings are of a minimalist design, and the general
color in the room is black offset with grey, offset by a single tasteful
wallscroll. There is a sword rack over the desk, and a magnetic dartboard on the
wall with several darts and a couple shuriken on it.>>
[22:44] * Isis opens her right eye critically. "...it could be worse."
[22:44] * Isis smiles a little. "it's not as if you had much to go on,
considering I just blew up all my possessions."
[22:44] <Tim> ( "...so you're not gonna kill me?" )
[22:44] <Isis> ( I'm sorry, someone just came knocking at my door. At 10:30. )
[22:44] <Chako> (...)
[22:44] * Tim nods. "Glad you like it. Or at least don't dislike it too much."
[22:45] <Chamelaeon> (Todd .... ?)
[22:45] <Isis> ( She wanted to use my phone to help her daughter find her pager.
She also wanted a cigarette. And a quarter. )
[22:45] <Vernon> ("If you grant us shelter, we will invite you to join us on our
quest for the Holy Grail!")
[22:45] <Chamelaeon> (Hoo boy.)
[22:46] <Isis> ( *peers* Is this Ein person on any other channels? S/he is
really irritating. )
[22:46] <Vernon> (Ein?)
[22:46] <Chako> (RSP and Harmony? I dun see him on mine.)
[22:47] <Chako> (Are we moving on before Isis changes her mind? ^_~)
[22:48] <Tim> And last up is Charlie. Er, there's another room, but I left it
mostly blank since I didn't know who the pilot'd be.
[22:48] * Tim opens Charlie's room!\
[22:49] * Charlie looks in! He's curious..
[22:51] <Chamelaeon> <<Charlie's room has a couple movie posters in it, a single
computer console, and an arcade game. The game is Super Scope 9mm, one of the
series of sniping games.>>
[22:53] <Charlie> Simple.. not bad. *he nods*
[22:54] * Isis nods. "And aside from all this interior decorating you did...
does the ship *work*?"
[22:55] <Tim> Absolutely.
[22:55] <Tim> But that's not part of the tour. This way, please!
[22:55] <Vernon> Definitely. Anything that remains non-functional is minor, and
we'd find it during pre-flight.
[22:56] * Tim heads on back, gesturing to his right and left. "To the left is
the restroom, with two sinks and an honest-to-goodness shower."
[22:56] <Tim> To the right is some storage facilities. Oh, and that.
[22:57] * Tim points to the "DDR74TH MIX" machine.
[22:57] <Chamelaeon> <<"That" is a DDR 74th Mix machine. It looks like it's been
welded back together a few times.>>
[22:57] * Vernon grins.
[22:57] <Isis> ( ...okay, this is the SECOND DDR machine I've encountered in a
game. The third person to bring one in is getting fucking SHOT, I swear to god.
)
[22:57] * Chako peers at it. "What in the hell is that thing?"
[22:58] <Isis> ( You do not know the horror of the DDR machine that appeared in
Planeteers. :P )
[22:58] * Isis raises an eyebrow. "Whatever it is, it's certainly..." She fishes
for a response. "...brightly colored."
[22:59] <Vernon> It's a dancing game. Quite fun, although not necessarily
true-to-life.
[22:59] * Tim nods.
[22:59] <Chako> (That numbering's awfully low, you realize. They'd be in the
hundreds by now. ^_~)
[22:59] * Chako looks suspicious. "Uh... yeah."
[23:00] <Tim> And back here, we have the readyroom, repair bay, science lab, med
facilities, map room, and suit storage. 
[23:00] * Tim opens a single door into a large compartment with... yeah.
[23:00] <Chamelaeon> <<This is the shiniest place you have seen....... ever.
Really.>>
[23:01] <Chamelaeon> <<It is also covered in THINGS, most of them ostensibly
dealing with science, medicine, or repair. This is also where the landing ramp
is.>>
[23:02] <Isis> ...whoa.
[23:02] * Vernon indicates a machine. It cheerfully goes "ping!" "We managed to
get our hands on some state-of-the-art medical equipment, in particular."
[23:03] * Chako whistles. "Expect the techs to trick out a tech bay."
[23:03] * Tim nods. "Good stuff, all around."
[23:04] * Charlie nods approval.
[23:04] * Vernon grins happily.
[23:05] <Chamelaeon> <<Additionally, all yor stuff that you'd packed from ATC is
in your rooms.>>
[23:05] * Isis also nods approval. "We'll certainly be needing all this soon
enough, I sadly prophesize."
[23:06] * Chako says, "It all looks OK. But how'll she hold up if ATC comes
after us?"
[23:06] * Tim grins.
[23:06] <Charlie> or Hippies..
[23:06] * Vernon nods. "The shininess always wears off, but I think we're good.
We didn't have time to add extra armor plating, or anything, but we have
some...very effective measures."
[23:06] * Vernon grins, and looks at Tim.
[23:06] <Tim> Oh yes, we do.
[23:07] <Tim> We have a turreted long-range laser to deal with hippie suits.
Won't do much against anything bigger, but we have another little surprise for
that.
[23:08] * Isis frowns. "Speaking as a tactitian, I don't like surprises."
[23:08] <Vernon> If they send an entire army after us, yes, we're screwed.
Suits, or a couple of capital ships...
[23:09] <Vernon> (Yes, I did say capital ships. Mweh heh heh.)
[23:09] * Chako says, a little annoyedly, "Just say what it does, already."
[23:09] <Vernon> (Tim? ^_^)
[23:10] <Tim> It's a virus canon.
[23:10] <Chamelaeon> (Canon? Was it coded by Bach?)
[23:10] * Isis raises an eyebrow. "A 'virus cannon'? I'm guessing you mean a
computer virus and not, say, scurvy."
[23:10] <Tim> With a *very* happy virus. Not too many shots, but we won't need
more than one per target.
[23:11] <Chako> (Hah! Scurvy.)
[23:11] * Vernon nods. "Digital Black Death."
[23:11] <Chamelaeon> (There is no scurby in the future! Too much orange coloring
in people's diets.)
[23:12] <Charlie> (Xtreem Cheetos, Xtra-Xtra cheese flavoring probably helps.
^_~)
[23:12] <Vernon> ("Extreme" and its variants do not belong in the names of food
products. >_>#)
[23:12] <Isis> ( In the future, the vowel "e" as a first letter has been
abolished. Also, all restaurants are Taco Bell. </1pt> )
[23:12] <Chako> (Now with 99% less Cheeto!)
[23:12] <Charlie> (Tell that to the marketers of TEH FUTURE!)
[23:12] <Vernon> ("Extreme jello shots!" "Extreme Cheetos!" "Extreme
toothpaste!")
[23:13] <Chamelaeon> (Damn, secret product production revealed!)
[23:13] <Vernon> (CALC SMASH.)
[23:14] <Isis> ( I have extreme toothpaste, really. My dentist gave it to me.
It's tartar-fighting, plaque-reducing, teeth-whitening, sensitivity-lessening,
mood-altering, ass-kicking toothpaste. I sadly am almost out. )
[23:14] * Chako peers at them dubiously. "Well, if it works. "
[23:14] * Isis rubs her chin. "But how many times will it work? Won't they
eventually develop a vaccine, so to speak?"
[23:14] * Tim grins. "Oh, believe me, it does."
[23:16] <Vernon> We only have a few shots.
[23:17] <Charlie> Total?
[23:17] <Tim> Three.
[23:18] * Tim rubs the back of his head.
[23:18] <Vernon> Here's the thing, though...battlegroups tend to be networked.
[23:18] * Charlie whistles. "Make 'em count"
[23:18] <Charlie> Ah. That'll help then.
[23:19] * Isis shakes her head. "If we get the chance, we should pick up
something a little more substantive, Not that the virus cannon isn't a good
idea... but it seems more last resort than main battery."
[23:19] * Vernon nods. "Time was the main constraint, here."
[23:19] <Tim> The nanovirus is pretty much guaranteed to take out any one ship
or base we shoot it at.
[23:19] <Tim> I don't think it'd transmit through networking tho, Vern.
[23:20] <Charlie> Well, time to set up some of my stuff. *he heads back to his
room.*
[23:20] <Vernon> Depends on how it's done, but yeah, I wouldn't count on it.
[23:21] * Chako frowns. "Well, I guess we'll just have to hope for a good pilot
and some damn good luck."
[23:22] * Isis does not look convinced. "Oh yes." She clears her throat. "Pleez
be ignorink me, I am only crazy man havink bird on shoulder, ja?"
[23:22] <Vernon> Huh?
[23:22] * Isis glances at Vernon. "You will get along with our pilot just fine,
I feel."
[23:22] <Tim> Uh?
[23:22] <Tim> ...should we be worried?
[23:23] <Chako> Yeah, well, bein' crazy never stopped anyone from bein' good at
anything, that I've seen.
[23:23] <Chako> We got crazy techs, crazy admirals, crazy Masterson, and crazy
hippies.
[23:23] <Vernon> (If it's a mechanical bird, and the pilot carries a wrench,
someone is going to DIE.)
[23:24] * Isis nods and crosses her arms over her chest. "I actually feel quite
sane at the moment."
[23:24] <Chamelaeon> (no, no. You'll see.)
[23:24] * Chako winks. "Hey, it's not like bein' crazy's a requirement either."
[23:25] <Isis> ( *eyes his brain* I hate you. )
[23:25] <Isis> ( "Zhou Yu, what a wimp." -> "Zhou Yu is a weenie." -> "Shoyu
Weenie?" -> "Zhou Yu Weenie?" -> "Zhou Yu sings classic cartoon theme songs from
the 60's and 70's!" )
[23:26] <Tim> ( ...................................... )
[23:26] * Charlie is busy putting away clothes, hanging up a few posters, and
setting up a few random doodads.
[23:26] <Isis> ( I die a little each day. Thank you, Koei. )
[23:26] * Chako waves her hand. "Anyway, we gonna get goin'? I'm not really that
ready to try out that virus thing, and I can't think of nothin' else ta do."
[23:27] * Isis nods. "I'm perfectly happy to pack our bags and get out of here.
We've wasted enough time as it is."
[23:27] <Vernon> All set, here.
[23:28] * Charlie : If one were to look in on his room now, you'd see some
posters of arial shots of some Mars colonies, an orbital horizon shot of mars, a
hardsuit babe o' the month calendar, some electrical gadgets on his desk, and a
few other doodads I can't think of.
[23:28] <Chamelaeon> (... dude.)
[23:28] <Isis> ( ...whoa. )
[23:29] <Charlie> (.. whut?)
[23:29] <Isis> ( I can't imagine what Chako will decorate her room with. Raw
meat on butcher hooks, maybe? )
[23:29] <Chako> (Mmm. Meat.)
[23:29] <Chamelaeon> (isn't that my line?)
[23:30] * Chako nods. "I'll call the pilot, and you can get all comfy with
eachother. Any phones in this place?"
[23:30] <Chamelaeon> <<There are comm units like every four feet.>>
[23:31] <Vernon> (BRB, keep going.)
[23:31] * Tim wanders off to his room to run more system checks. o/`
[23:31] <Chamelaeon> (Is THAT what they call it now...)
[23:32] * Chako eyes one, and then four more, shakes her head, and walks over.
"I ain't surprised. Shoulda expected it though." She thinks for a sec, and hits
in the number.
[23:34] * Chako talks to him for a very short bit, and says, "Well, he's on the
way."
[23:34] * Isis breathes out. "I'm going to need more sleep than I've had to deal
with him. Excuse me, please." She heads for her room.
[23:36] * Charlie is currently reclined on his bed, btw.. just relaxin'
[23:36] * Vernon wanders off to his room to code.
[23:36] <Chamelaeon> <<Woo! Exactly four minutes and fifty-nine seconds pass
after Chako hangs up the phone, and then you hear Irene's cigarette-choked voice
coming out of the comm-speaker in the docking slot. You can almost smell the
smoke. "Bastard Kookaburra is here. He's on his way up.">>
[23:36] * Tim blinks. "Who?"
[23:36] * Chako snickers. "Y'll see. Thanks, Irene."
[23:37] <Chamelaeon> <<You hear a knock on the personell door of the docking
slot.>> "Open dis de fuck up, I vant to get out ov dis hellhole az fast as de
damn ship, she will go."
[23:38] * Vernon wanders back out to the docking bay.
[23:38] * Tim walks over to the personel door, drawn by a sort of morbid
curiosity.
[23:38] <Isis> ( ...what a fucking charmer. Remind me to kill him and buy Vernon
"Piloting for the Insane" )
[23:38] * Vernon looks around, shrugs, and opens the door.
[23:38] * Chako says, "There he is. I'm sure y'll have a lotta fun. I'm gonna
unpack a little."
[23:38] <Vernon> (Hey, I actually can pilot a ship.)
[23:38] * Chako _leaves_ fast.
[23:39] <Chamelaeon> <<The pounding continues.>> "Vhat, iz you dead in dere?"
[23:39] <Vernon> (I opened the door.)
[23:39] <Chamelaeon> (OOp, gomen.)
[23:41] <Isis> ( Okay, is he Eastern European or a Rastafarian? Check your
accent. :P )
[23:41] <Vernon> (Why not both?)
[23:42] <Isis> ( I'll destroy you. )
[23:43] <Chamelaeon> <<A large man with tussled brown hair, wearing a 1945-style
US bomber jacket, wearing pilot sunglasses, and carrying several suitcases. He
also has a Kookaburra perched on his shoulder. It glares menacingly at Vernon,
and then Tim. The man speaks. "Jesus. I vas thinking you vould be forever in
here... who are you? I did not see you in de bar.">>
[23:43] <Tim> ...
[23:43] <Tim> Are you the pilot Chako hired?
[23:43] <Isis> ( Revenge, thy sweetness is absence. )
[23:44] * Vernon doesn't bat an eyelid. "Sorry about that...I'm Vernon, and this
is Tim. We've been upgrading the ship."
[23:44] <Chako> (Amen. *hits the punching bag again*)
[23:44] <Chamelaeon> "Of courze I am de pilot. Vhat, you think I vear dis think
for de style?" <<He picks at the jacket. The bird lets out a raucous,
ear-splitting laugh.>>
[23:46] <Chamelaeon> (If you don't know what a kookaburra looks like,
http://www.ozramp.net.au/~senani/kookab.htm . They're like a foot tall.)
[23:46] <Vernon> (...)_
[23:47] <Chamelaeon> "Now. Here are de bags, you vill put dem in my room."
[23:47] * Tim nods dumbly. "Right. Let's go and you can see de ship." He blinks
confusedly, shrugs, and heads to the ship.
[23:48] * Vernon blinks, and cautiously hefts the bags.
[23:48] <Chamelaeon> <<The man dumps his bags in front of Vernon and follows
Tim.>> "My name is Vladimir Canberra. If I like you, you can call me
Kookaburra."
[23:48] <Chamelaeon> <<The bags aren't heavy. Feels like clothes and some
knickknacks.>>
[23:49] <Tim> Alright, Vladimir. 
[23:49] * Vernon nods. "Pleased to meet you."
[23:49] * Tim points to the exterior of the ship. "That's the ship. Although you
can't see much of the inside from here."
[23:49] <Chamelaeon> <<The ship, incidentally, is "Makes It Go Faster Red"
now.>>
[23:50] <Tim> Hope ya' like the paintjob.
[23:51] <Chamelaeon> <<Vladimir rubs his stubbly chin.>> "Vell, she iz not much
to be lookink at, but at least iz not de standard ATC color. Dat is vone of de
dekommissioned ships, da?"
[23:52] * Tim nods. "Da. I mean, yeah. We did a few things with it, tho. You
have a room set aside with bed and all, but you can customize it however."
[23:52] <Chamelaeon> "Tell me she gets de satellite TV vhen in orbit."
[23:53] <Tim> Alright. "She gets de satellite TV vhen in orbit."
[23:54] <Vernon> It does, wherever there's reception. If you want specific
programs, the system can record them off any system it's passing, and play the
video back later.
[23:54] <Chamelaeon> "Good, then ve are not havink problems." <<He strides
towards the forward lock.>>
[23:54] <Isis> ( I'm gonna say Isis is asleep and skip out, if it's okay with
y'all. )
[23:55] <Chamelaeon> <<And in fact gets settled in and you take off without
incident, except for a brief brush with ATCops which Vladimir deftly deflects.>>
[23:55] <Chako> (Go Vlad!)
[23:55] <Chamelaeon> <<SESSION TWENTY-THREE, LANDED! GODDESS HAVE MERCY.>>