Meet N' Greet

[cityship]

Part of the crew might be gone, but life on the ship goes on. In fact, new people have woken up and, eventually, they've been spat out into the mess hall.

Maybe it's better to introduce them to some of the worst aspects of ship life first, right?

Anyway, the word is out that there's new people, and someone should probably go say hello. Before the n00bs mistake the glop for crew.


[ooc: read before tagging, plz]

Comments

[domeanthings.livejournal.com]

"I'd say 'at least you can eat', but in this case? Not complaining." Tex shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe the fun stuff starts later."

[spacecowboyjim.livejournal.com]

"So what are you, then? You look like a hologram. The way you say that, though... you ain't always been one, huh?"

Jim leaned back in his chair. "Hopefully they'll have the grace to wait until I catch some shuteye."

[domeanthings.livejournal.com]

"Apparently, I'm an AI, but nobody ever bothered to tell me that until I ended up in this AI complex." Tex made an annoyed noise to herself, crossing her arms. "Before that? The best theory we had for Church and I was 'ghosts'."

She glanced towards the cafeteria's exit, nodding towards it a little. "There's holes you can cram yourself into, if you want to sleep."

[spacecowboyjim.livejournal.com]

He can't help but chuckle. In his world, 'Ghost' means something very different. "Sounds like a real pain in the ass. Better to know where you came from, though."

Jim follows her gaze, grimacing a little. This place kept on getting better and better. "Well, I ain't bein' shot at, so I suppose it's better 'n some places I've caught some winks."

[domeanthings.livejournal.com]

"Not really. Finding it out here means I've got a lot of questions, and nobody to yell at for answers."

Tex looks away from the cafeteria exit. "Do I want to know?"

[spacecowboyjim.livejournal.com]

"Suppose you've got a point." Jim pauses, then frowns. "So you got spared the slime bath treatment, then."

He shrugs. "War's a war, sister. You sleep where you can."

[domeanthings.livejournal.com]

"Yeah. I got a different kind of weird."

She shrugs. "Can't argue that. Anyway-Tex, Freelancer. You?"

[spacecowboyjim.livejournal.com]

"Heh. Dare I ask?"

Jim nods in her direction. "Jim Raynor, Captain of the Hyperion. Just call me Jim. I'd shake your hand, but..." he shrugs. "You know."

[domeanthings.livejournal.com]

"Well, it's pretty weird going from an exploding ship to being in some AI complex on a flying spleen, for starters..."

Tex glances at-or more accurately, though-her hand. "Yeah. I'm not really liking this whole 'intangible' thing. Captain, huh?"

[spacecowboyjim.livejournal.com]

"Exploding? Some might call this a stroke of luck for you, then." He shrugs again. "'Course, guess it's all relative."

Jim nods, leaning back and putting his boots up on another unoccupied chair-growth. "Someone's gotta run the ship." For a moment, he pauses, frowning - wondering what the hell is going on back at home, but... nah. His second-in-command is a good guy.

[domeanthings.livejournal.com]

"Yeah. Sarge shows up here, I'm gonna find a way to kick his ass."

Tex's body posture changes slightly-even with her face obscured, it's clear she's interested. "Military?"

[spacecowboyjim.livejournal.com]

"He the man responsible for gettin' your ship in a fix?"

Jim nods at her in confirmation. "Private outfit, these days. Guess you'd call us freelancers."

[domeanthings.livejournal.com]

"He's the one who set off Andy-the bomb. Long story."

Tex makes a snrk of amusement. "Freelancers, huh? Different kind than I'm used to."

[spacecowboyjim.livejournal.com]

"Long story, huh? I got a million of 'em."

Jim looks at her, tilting his head to the side ever so slightly. "Then what kind are you used to, exactly? Me, I never quite saw eye-to-eye with the folks callin' the shots in the main camp. So..." He shrugs. "Find a good crew, fix up a good ship - Freelance."

Of course, we're not going to mention a burning vendetta against the current leader of the Terran Dominion, but that certainly didn't change Jim's decision.

[domeanthings.livejournal.com]

"The special ops kind. Project Freelancer-trying to pair soldiers up with AIs to make them stronger, or faster or meaner." She pauses. "I get not seeing eye-to-eye, though. Got some experience in that area."

Tex returns the headtilt. "So. What kind of freelancing? Salvage? Mercenary work?"

[spacecowboyjim.livejournal.com]

"Black ops. I know the kind." A pause. "So, which were you - the AI, or the soldier?"

Jim shrugs, wishing for the millionth time that day that he had his cigarettes with him. "Whatever keeps the bird in the sky and the food on our table. We've done a little of column A, a little of column B..." A sly if small grin on his face. "But the Hyperion's a Battlecruiser. She ain't exactly suited to runnin' errands."

[domeanthings.livejournal.com]

"The soldier. I got the Omega AI-O'Malley." Judging from her tone, she isn't too fond of the other AI.

Tex nods a little at the smirk. "The interesting freelancing." She pauses, considering. "Last time you were on it-was it blowing up?"

[spacecowboyjim.livejournal.com]

"Well now, that's interesting. So how do you go from being a soldier with an AI... to being one yourself?" Jim pauses, and then holds up a hand with a tired chuckle. "Lemme guess: Long story."

He crosses his arms over his chest. "It does get interesting. And... not that I can remember. Hope to hell it still ain't."

[domeanthings.livejournal.com]

"Long story that I never got told. Like I said, before I got stuck here? Theory was that Church and I were ghosts."

Tex nods a little. "So. Three people that almost got blown up, counting me, one that didn't, and I didn't bother to ask Grif. Maybe there's still a pattern."

[spacecowboyjim.livejournal.com]

"Somehow, I ain't surprised. Even Special Ops are just numbers to the folks running the show. They ain't gotta tell the rest of us a damn thing." Is that a touch of bitterness in his voice? Why yes. Yes it is.

Jim looks at Tex for a moment, and then leans back again. "Maybe there is. Hell, for all I know this damn ship just picks us by hurlin' darts at a board. Or whatever the giant spaceship equivalent is."

[domeanthings.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I picked up on that once they started trying to kill both of us."

"In this case? Probably bones at some kind of organ. We're on a flying space spleen."

[spacecowboyjim.livejournal.com]

"That's a bit more direct then usual, far as I know. They want you dead, they'll just leave you to die."

Jim shakes his head, giving a short, bitter little chuckle. "Sounds like it. You ever been on anything like this before? Organic spaceships?"

[domeanthings.livejournal.com]

"They tried to be a little sure about it with O'Malley and I. It didn't work." It's said flatly.

Tex shakes her head as well, glancing around the cafeteria. "Nope. Last time I was having to deal with aliens, it was just the big one and Tucker's freak baby."

[spacecowboyjim.livejournal.com]

"Glad to hear it. You don't seem none the worse for wear. Makin' it through the fire alive is worth a fair few points in my book." Well, as alive as an AI gets, anyway. That part still confuses him, but he figures it ain't worth the trouble of asking.

He looks down at the fleshy growth that passes for a chair, grimacing. "Never known anything quite this size, but... I've had a few run-ins with somethin' like this before. Race of aliens called the Zerg - everything they build, it's all alive." Jim frowns. "Still, this ain't like any Zerg ship I've ever seen."