Play@YSDC

Docking Bay - Styx Base, Pluto
0840 GMT - Tuesday, August 9, 2112

A few minutes later, the airlock opened again. It contained Captain Karin Bauer, Lt. Colleen Rose, Sergeant Heinrich Kohl, Story, Elizabeth, Lucius, and Brook.

"All humanzzz are now accounted for," said the Mi-Go. "Exzzzellent."

"We have a request," said General Pryce. "According to our protocols, our security chief must undergo a complete examination by our medical officer before he is allowed to board our ship, considering he was in your custody."

"Requezzzt denied. There have been too many delayzzz already. You humanzzz will all board your vezzzelzzz and depart for Earth. Immediately."

Story and his companions knew that if they were forced to go to Earth aboard ship, they would be leaving the TARDIS behind and would likely never see it again.

"Then we have no choice but to comply," said General Pryce. "We can still follow our protocols, after a fashion. The Persephone has a crew capacity of three. Captain Bauer, you shall return to Earth aboard her with Lt. Colonel Bruce. That will suffice to keep him in isolation until you have had time to examine him. The third member of your crew will need to be a pilot. Lt. Hu would be an acceptable choice. I need Captain Desjardins to fly Charon's Ferry. She will load the Demeter into Charon's Ferry while the rest of us board."

OOC,[b]Karin[/b], [b]Colleen[/b], and [b]Heinrich[/b], please roll Sanity for seeing the Mi-Go. Everyone else has already seen these Mi-Go and does not need to roll. Sanity loss is 0/1d6. However, [b]Karin[/b] has already lost 2 Sanity for seeing the first Mi-Go, so she can lose a maximum of 4. Any loss of more than 4 counts as only 4. If you lose 5 or more Sanity, you must roll Idea. If you fail the Idea roll, you may act freely, the same as if you lose less than 5 Sanity. If you succeed at the Idea roll, you go temporarily insane.

ooc,Regarding 'millions of Mi-Go' ... just because he said there were millions don't mean there are ... or that they're all alive. Lucius isn't one to take anyone at their word anymore.

Lucius says quietly to Story, "Not really liking our options here, my despot." He leaned to Brook and whispered, "An aureus says they attack the ships once they take sail."

ooc,Despot is a Roman term for lord, master. Figured it was fitting for a Time Lord. Aureus is a gold coin in Roman currency.

Karin is more horrified at the idea of spending her journey back to Earth with Lt. Colonel Bruce than seeing more MI-Go. She jabs her finger at the General,"That is not sufficient and you know it! You are putting Lt. Hu and me at unnecessary risk; even if we survived the journey back we'd be contaminated with whatever it is Bruce has got."
She turns to the aliens, "And you lot! What's the big rush? You've been here for goodness knows how long, what difference is twenty minutes going to make? How do we know all this racing around is going to do us any good anyway- how do we know you're not going to blow us out the atmosphere like you did with the last crew?"
She swings back round on the General, "And another thing, you can't expect the visitors to travel back with us to earth, they need to go on their own ship!"

Lucius smirked, "Oh, I do like her, Story. She has gumption."

Juliette considdered her options. She loocked on to General Pryces channel, opening up on Story too and said:

General Pryce and Story,"Sir. If I am to safely pilot the Charons ferry back to earth, I need the newcomers ship as a tertiary emergency unit. I know that the Mi-goo are abel to override all our safetycodes, and can not be certain that they have not tampered with our ships. It would not be according to security regulations to abandon any functioning ship at the base when we evacuate. I am sure you can reason with the Mi-goo so that we can get the ship, it will not take longer than loading the other two ships into the Charon anyway. Right mr. Story. You and your crew can get your ship here in a wiff? "

"Captain Bauer, you are out of line," said General Pryce. "I am trying to make the best I can out of a difficult situation, to prevent an interplanetary war, and, incidentally, to get all of us home in one piece. We don't know whether or not Lt. Colonel Bruce is contaminated with anything, or whether it is contagious if he is. Our suits would insulate us in any case, as long as we do not break the seals before your examination is complete. And if he does turn out to have some alien pathogen, there is always the airlock. But perhaps you are right about one thing. I do not want to risk losing Lt. Hu either. His mind is irreplaceable. I am an accomplished pilot in my own right, though it has been some time since I've flown. I would be willing to take the risk myself, to fly Persephone back to Earth with you and the chief." He nodded to Juliette. "I will see what I can do."

"You humanzzz have attacked uzzz without provocation," buzzed the Mi-Go leader. "We dezzzire that you leave now becauzzze we do not truzzzt you. We will do you no harm, but we cannot be zzzertain you will not harm uzzz again. We merely want you to return whenzzze you came. We did not blow the Perzzzephone out of the atmozzzphere. It izzz right there, intact." It extended a pincer towards the craft. "The crew livezzz azzz well. Our ambazzzador will arrange for their repatriation."

"It is true," said Lt. Colonel Bruce. "I saw them and spoke to them while I was with the Mi-Go."

"What izzz thizzz about thezzze humanzzz having another vezzzel?" The Mi-Go now pointed its extremity at Story and his companions. "It izzz not in the docking bay. How izzz thizzz pozzzible?"

Story smiles at Lucius opening his mouth to speak but before he could answer he received the communication from Juliette. As Story responds he chooses not to turn towards Juliette or the General.

Juliette,[color=#0000FF]"I'm afraid it doesn't exactly work that way. It was due to a navigation error that we even arrived here in the first place. She's an old model and can be quite stubborn."[/color] Turning towards Juliette he says: [color=#0000FF]"As much as it pains me to say this the [i]Charon's Ferry[/i] is indeed the best bet for you and your colleagues to leave this place...but we can't join you."[/color]

Finally Story addresses the Mi-Go who is speaking. "None of that matters now... after all you've asked for everyone to leave. Besides she's really not that impressive...poor navigation, horrid appearance, wheezes and whines while in motion, and the desktop theme oh don't get me started on that." Smiles. "However, I must say there's no place like home and she is indeed that. So if you'll excuse us... we really must be on our way."

Brook nods first to Lucius, then to Story as he speaks. She to is impressed with Karen standing up to her boss, and waits quietly to hear if the Mi Go will let them go to their ship.

Elizabeth listens as the others talk, aware that negotiations may be on a knife edge. She hopes they can return to the TARDIS peacefully, but doubts the Mi-Go will let them.

"Zzztop!" commanded the Mi-Go. "Thizzz izzz a trick!"

"It is no trick," said General Pryce. "Their craft is not like these. It is some form of transmat, apparently."

"Interezzzting," said the Mi-Go. "We thought human tranzzzmat technology wazzz too primitive to reach Pluto. Thizzz zzztill could be a trick. Why zzzhould we truzzzt you humanzzz?"

"We have to start trusting each other sometime, if we're to coexist in peace. I have a proposal. As a show of good faith, I will depart at once with Lt. Colonel Bruce and Captain Bauer on board the Persephone. The rest of the base crew will complete the evacuation in Charon's Ferry under the command of Major Orlova, and the visitors can leave in their own craft."

"We muzzzt make zzzertain. I will need to accompany the vizzzitorzzz. Then it will be aczzzeptable." The Mi-Go flew towards the airlock where Story and the others waited.

"Excellent," the general said. "Captain Bauer, Lt. Colonel Bruce, you will come with me." He led the way to the Persephone, and the security chief followed.

Remembering that Story had taken one of the fireexstinguishers, Juliette looked to see if he held onto it as she saluted General Pryce. "Permission to check one minor detail about the Persephone before you take flight. She was kind of sluggish as I brought her here, I just need to check her batterycells, you can all board. I can do this from the outside at the outside rearpanel with the help of either lt. Hu or Private Torres. Just don't start her up before we are clear?"

mr. Handy,Juliette wants to make sure that she will know if the Persephone arms her weaponssystem, and needs the help of preferably Sofia Torres, but as she is missing in action, Lt. Hu would be more fair on the player. Juliette knows zip about computers, (but as she can navigate the ships she should know how to access the systems) and need help from one or both of them to hack the nav-computer.

Looking over at Brook, Juliette suddenly smiles. Opens a comlink only at her and says:

Brook,"Heres looking at you kid, remember to bring a fireextinguisher in case you gets firebugs up your pants." She obviously mingles a lot of quotes on purpose. As she winx at the girls, she says. "Safe journey home, whenever that might be, keep your channel open. And your spacesuits on. I have a feeling this station is gonna get punctured before long."

Lucius nodded and was grateful to hear they would let them return to the T.A.R.D.I.S. He was mildly concerned, however, that once the creature that accompanied them there saw the machine, it might change its mind and decide to keep the machine for itself. The Roman determined if that were to happen, he'd sacrifice himself to make sure Brook and Story could leave safely.

Hu nods inside his suit and speaks up, finding his voice. "I can definitely help with that. No sense in us running out of power on the way back to Earth."

OOC,Did you forget about [b]Elizabeth[/b]? ;)

Juliette Desjardins,To interface with the ship's computer, you'll need to go aboard [i]Persephone[/i]. It's fine to have [b]Sofia[/b] help out with this too, as she's the best at it, and I can NPC her as needed. She'd be glad to help anyway.

"It would be a good idea to check her out before we take off," said General Pryce to Juliette. "All right, Captain, but make it quick. I don't know how much longer the Mi-Go are willing to wait."

"Can I help too, ma'am?" asked Sofia, an eager smile on her face.

Brook nods at Juliette, answering privately if possible: "Time is irrelevant. We go where the story is. Hope yours continue for a long time yet." She hopes to bring along one of the smaller containers of fungicide.

Elizabeth sees Juliette talk, and Brook respond, but cannot hear what they say. However she takes the chance to thank Juliette, and Karin if possible as well, opening up a comm link to both if she can: "Thank you for all your help. Take care of yourself."

Hu addressed the General. "Sir, I'd like to assist in the check. We can't miss anything because we're... rushed." He lets a sidelong glance at the creatures.

Karin is quiet as her death sentence (or so it seems to her) is passed. she opens up her comm link to Story's party and Sergeant Kohl and speaks woodenly, "As much as I'd like to be the one to guide you back to your ship I think Sergeant Kohl may be the only choice acceptable to the General. Farewell travellers." she marches over to the fire extinguishers, muttering about 'supplies' and picks one up. (If there are enough spare). Then, while she still has friends close by she walks over to the security chief realising that he hasn't actually spoken for some time. "Okay Chief, are you ready to board the Persephone? I've been trying to remember who Persephone was in real life - can you remember? We had that long boring lecture before we left Earth."

Juliette reponds the general on an open channel. "Sir, the two of them will be acceptable for the work. Thank you, Sir. We will work fast." Juliette then locks on to Lt. Hu and private Torres comlinks.

Lt. hu and Sofia," Lt. Hu, Private Torres. This is what we do. We run a systemcheck, but at the same time we, probably you Sofia, or lt. Hu, open a channel from the artillery guidance system to the Charons ferry, so that we can be notified if someone or something on the Persephone suddenly turns on us. In case the Mi-goo has any mindpowers. Some bugs or whatever in the system, or in any one personnel. We need to do this quickly. And secretly. We need to be able to stop any missiles that lock in to the Charon in case captain Bauer are right in her misgivings. Are the two of you up to the task?"

She then walks over to the Persephone and speaks on open channel. "Sof.. Private Torres, you check the mainframe inside, Lt. Hu, You check the fuel and engine computer. I run a diagnostics on the navcom, so that we can do the tests efficiently. And be certain of the ships integrity. " She then walks rapidly towards the Persephone. Passes lt. col. Bruce, and asks him.

" Have you eaten any pomegranateseeds sir?" She says with a smile. " I hope not." Turning towards Captein Bauer, she says: "May we just quickly check the ship before you board mam, it will go quicker from the inside."

Hu responds on a private channel to Juliette and Sofia. He keeps his mouth still as he speaks.

Juliette and Sofia,"[color=#BF0000][i]Shi[/i], right there with you.[/color]"

He heads to the ship and waits to hop on to perform the checks.

Upon seeing the Mi-Go head towards them Story quietly says: "Very well... if you must." Then he looks at his companions before turning towards the airlock.

Mr. Handy,Is an officer going with us to grant us base access or shall I use the sonic screwdriver throughout the base?

Colleen was getting used to the sight of the Mi-Go, but she had no desire to be around them. She hastily got out of the airlock and moved aside so that the Mi-Go could enter, which it did. Heinrich gulped and recoiled. Though the alien frightened him, he tried not to let it show.

General Pryce nodded. "Sergeant Kohl, you will escort the visitors to their craft and then return here on the double," he said. "You know where it is, I presume?"

"I am ready, Captain," Lt. Colonel Bruce said to Karin. "Just as soon as they finish their checks. I am vaguely familiar with the myth. She was Queen of the Underworld, I believe. Pure nonsense, of course." He ignored Juliette's comment.

Juliette, Xiang, and Sofia boarded the Persephone. It was exactly as they remembered it from the last time they had been aboard. They began looking over the systems, and Sofia managed to do everything that Juliette had requested in very short order. "All set, Captain!" she said with a grin. "That was easy!" All of the Persephone's systems were in proper order, and it contained enough fuel to return to Earth plus an emergency reserve. It also had enough oxygen, water, and food to keep a crew of three alive, again with some to spare. The Persephone was not armed with missiles, just a standard blaster cannon much like the one mounted on the Demeter.

OOC,[b]Juliette[/b] had earlier taken one of the smaller aerosol sprays, which she gave to [b]Story[/b]. The gravcart contains another small one, but it is far from the airlock, and it would be very obvious if you went over to it. There were four fire extinguishers on it, but [b]Karin[/b] has taken one.

George remained silent for some time, a wary gaze shifting left and right as he was uncertain what to do – the situation seemed to go peacefully so far, but the engineer felt the tension, however slight it was, but nonetheless, still noticeable. He did not like the thought of the Mi-go following him. ”So…what do you need me to do?” he asked with a sigh.

Karin peers at the chief, "Indeed, well this Persephone has already been abducted once and I hope that's her only brush with the underworld. As soon as Captain Julliette has finished her checks we'll go on board. I'd like to complete your examination before we lift off if possible. I wish Mr. Story could have been present but at least the civilians are on their way to their own ship."

Karin realises that any more demonstrations on her part will probably lead to bloodshed as she watches them head towards the airlock. She opens her comm unit in reply to Elizabeth, "Good luck! And don't forget to take a fire extinguisher for your old ship; you really should have one installed for safety in case of fire, gas or greenfly."

Elizabeth says out loud: "Can I get a fire extinguisher for our ship before we go? We really should have one." She waves her arm towards the grav cart as she speaks.

Lt. Edward Barrett nodded and turned to George. "Go pick up one of the fire extinguishers and give it to her," he said. "It is a good idea for them to have one, just in case. I think we'll still have enough."

"You promizzzed you would depart immediately," one of the Mi-Go said in response to Karin's statement.

"And so we shall," said General Pryce. He turned to Karin. "Do not worry. We will not have gone far before you've completed your examination, and Charon's Ferry will be close behind us."

OOC,[b]Heinrich[/b] has already been ordered to go with you.

Juliette exits the Persephone with Sofia. She walks up to General Pryce, salutes him and says: " All systems ready to go Sir, quickly too due to lt. Hu and Private Torres brilliance. I will now load the Demeter into Charons bulk as Private Torres and Lt. Hu runs the diagnostics on Charons Ferry. Then we are all ready to go. " She looks the General in the eyes. "Safe journey, Sir. ." Then she quickly heads off to the Demeter and readies her for takeoff.

George, grabbing his large belly, nodded and moved over to the fire extinguishers. One after another he moved them, the engineer soon beginning to breathe heavily. Thankfully the gravity here made the moving a bit easier, else he’d be exhausted much more hastily. This was not going to go well, George said to himself again and again. Something was just going to go wrong. Life is never fluid. And when dealing with these bizarre…things? Goodness, he hated to imagine the possibilities.

Elizabeth sees George start to move the fire extinguishers, and takes one, handling it with care, after he hands it to her. "Thank you," she says to him.

As Juliette leaves the Persephone, Karin touches her arm. "Thankyou for checking her over. Good luck in the Charon's Ferry. We'll hopefully see you back on Earth." Karin frowns and looks away. "Lt. Colonel Bruce, we can board. After you." She indicates for the Colonel to preceed her up into the Persephone.

Story patiently stands near the airlock watching the Mi-Go and the base personnel as he waits for Sergeant Kohl to open the it.

Alison follows orders and prepares herself to board Charon's Ferry. She didn't join Karin's protest to let the outsiders go back to their own ship even though she knew it was right, but at the same time she didn't trust her COs to be making decisions about evacuation and the like on such short notice and at gunpoint no less.

For the moment though there was nothing for her to do about it.

Juliette checked all systems in the Demeter and prepared to start her up, but before starting the sequence she opened up her com for all to hear: "The Demeter will be taking off soon. Please stand clear."

Lucius stood next to Story and crossed his arms while awaiting their escape from this predicament.

After Elizabeth received the fire extinguisher, Heinrich sealed the airlock and it began to cycle. Soon it would let him, Story, his companions, and the Mi-Go out into the base.

A couple of minutes later, Juliette, Xiang, and Sofia emerged from the Persephone.

"Thank you, Captain Desjardins," General Pryce said to Juliette, saluting back. "Excellent work, and the same to you. I shall see you back on Earth. Major Orlova, you are in charge of the evacuation now, and you will be in command of Charon's Ferry. Good luck, and safe travels to you as well."

"Thank you, sir," said Natalia, saluting. "See you on Earth."

Lt. Colonel Bruce, Karin, and General Pryce all entered the Persephone's airlock while Juliette entered the Demeter.

OOC,[b]Karin[/b] is moving to the thread linked below.

Isolation

OOC,[b]Story[/b], [b]Elizabeth[/b], [b]Lucius[/b], [b]Brook[/b], and [b]Heinrich[/b] are moving to the thread linked below.

Back Door

OOC,Everyone else is moving to the thread linked below.

Last Dance