Buy a Little Mercy [Open; Potentially Graphic Material]

[cityship]

Less than an hour after the ship leaves Agrestic's orbit, an announcement is broadcast throughout Stacy.

|| Attention, crew. Your crewmates, Howard Bassem and Charles Merriman, have been apprehended attempting to desert. They will now be given Punishment. According to established guidelines, you are all requested to report to the Observation to witness the Punishment. Attendance is not mandatory, but highly suggested. This will serve as a reminder of the consequences of treason and desertion. ||

On the observation deck, Archon Yavek, Archite Rekkti, two other Daligig and a handful of Kessek soldiers stand outside a spherical force field. Inside the bubble, Orc and Howard are suspended by tentacles looping around their wrists. Orc's ceased thrashing around and struggling against his restraints; rust-colored fissures have developed around his shoulders and forearms from the strain, but now he simply hangs there, looking defeated. Howard's nose is bleeding, and every time a drop falls to the bottom of the forcefield there's a small sizzle. He's weeping and begging the Daligig with every plea possible, but they act as if they aren't listening. Instead, they wait for an audience.

Comments

[atadiscoverer]

"Aye. Of a sort." He looks up from his notebook, setting it on the bedside table. The notes he was writing? They're not in English, or any language based on Earth.

"We discovered this device, we call it a Stargate. It allows near-instant travel between any two points in the Network, provided there's enough power."

[bonnypiperlad]

The notes look like so much nonsense to Jamie, at least from what he could see by turning his head and peering at them. Then again, it wasn't all that long ago that reading English would have given him a fair bit of trouble. He's not so inclined to have another go at learning how to read whatever that is, and he glances away from the notebook.

"Points in the network?" he asks, slightly confused - at least, until he thinks he's figured it out. "Oh, do ye mean other planets? So they're all connected by this Stargate somehow?"

[atadiscoverer]

"Aye, that's it. Each planet that has a Stargate is connected, and each Stargate forms a network of gates that allows travel between them."

Carson finishes his scans and notes, taking a seat. "Provided you know the right address."

[bonnypiperlad]

Well, he can't say as he understands that, not completely, but it's not the first time he's been faced with trying to wrap his mind around a strange and new method of travel. It's easy enough to accept, given that. Still, he has to wonder what happens if you can't figure out where you're going. Is it like the TARDIS, where you wind up places you'd never intended on going to?

"What happens if ye don't?"

[atadiscoverer]

"It doesn't work. The Gate won't connect." He smiles. "I could always show you. The Sensoriums can make a decent copy of Atlantis."

Considering that Carson spends most of his spare time in them, he should know...

[bonnypiperlad]

"Aye, I'd not mind seeing that." Jamie's fairly sure Carson means later, but he is feeling rather less woozy now. Maybe the worst of the sedative they've used has worn off.

He flicks a speculative glance over at Carson, then asks pointedly, "So does that mean that I've recovered enough to go, then?"

[atadiscoverer]

Considering it now... "Aye. You can go." He holds up a finger. "However, if you feel any side effects, any, I want you back here on the double. Got it?"

[bonnypiperlad]

"Aye, well..." Jamie wasn't planning on coming back, not if he could help it. But if he doesn't agree, then he might not get out of here at all. "Alright."

Time to see if he could, in fact, get up without the symptoms coming back. Carefully, he pushes himself up. Still a little groggy, but not about to pass out again. Good enough. Now that that was settled, he's quick enough to swing his legs over the side of the bed and hop down before Carson changes his mind.

As he heads for the door, however, he hesitates and turns back. "Look, I've got to check on Victoria, but...I'd like to see that Stargate ye mentioned. Let me know when's a good time for ye to do that, aye?"