S02E01 - Hunting Gryphons - Day 4 - Gathering the Crew

[Andes Maley]

Andes finished up his workout and cleaned up in his cabin. No one decided to join him, he wasnt surprised, they were still getting their bearings. He eventually made his way to the galley and took a seat at the table. Fishing a deck of cards out of his pocket, he started to deal three hands.

[Glen Demonte]

Glen dropped his things in one of the passenger cabins choosing one more or less at random. After he had climbed the stairs to the second deck Glen paused, throwing a long look towards the engine room. He gave a wistful sigh then smiled. Time enough for that soon. And with certainty there would be more than enough work for him. Fireflies. Magnificent creatures. Finicky as all hell. A half dozen rampant ideas were already running through his mind but again, time soon enough.

The mechanic clapped his hands and grinned wide, an energetic stride drove him towards the mess. Glen took a seat across from Andes and gestured at the cards he was dealing out. "What game?" Glen was, by his own admission, awful at any sort of game of guile and chance.

[Andes Maley]

"Dealers choice." He answered with a smile. "Just playing around, killing time." Andes put the cards down and stood, "Andes. Glad to have life on board again." He reached out his hand to shake the newcomers. "What is it that you do? They dont tell me much around here."

[Emerson Bell]

The crew streamed into the bowels of the ship, Em left her workout equipment in the cargo bay for the time being and recalling what the Captain said bypassed the first two port side cabins kicking open the ladder to the one closest to the cockpit and slid down into the room.  These ships were useful for many things but definitely not for the walking impaired or the extremely inebriated.

She scoped out the small cabin and figured it would be good enough, and began pulling down her remaining equipment.  She would unpack later and so climbed back up the ladder and hooked a left to check out the cockpit.

She'd seen a Firefly before and this was about the same as any other she'd seen.  Of course all Fireflies seemed to have modifications of some sort or another especially the older models which were missing must-have features of the modern day ships.
She ran her hand across the dash, feeling the contours of the buttons, switches, dials and knobs.  Using her thumb she wiped off some dirt on the view screens camera before her eyes moved to the switches above.  Bell smirked as she saw the familiar three switches renown in Fireflies for having an overwhelming amount of responsibility for the overall functionality of the ship.

Her father who used to own one said that whoever created the Firefly model had attempted to streamline functionality by reducing the amount of buttons and switches, clearly it hadn't taken the worlds by storm as it was a feature only found in Fireflies that she knew of.
She slid into the pilots seat, the cushions were stiff and she'd likely have to break it in to her comfort level but it was her first proper look outside the windshield she'd soon be staring out of for hundreds of hours.

Eventually she rose and made her way out of the cockpit and down to the mess hall where they were to convene.  She saw the mechanic and another bloke who had been shuffling a deck of cards introducing themselves.  She stepped in and leaned against the wall not making any notice of herself to them.  Introductions would come and go but she just wanted to fly so the sooner they got the pleasantries out of the way the better.

[Andes Maley]

Andes had just asked his question to the new guy when a new gal walked in. She seemed self-assured with her quiet demeanor and there was no doubt that she new her way around both a ship and a gym. And she was a looker too. They just seemed to be dropping from the sky on this rock.

"Hello there miss. Names Andes, I help with Mischief's security. Me and this fella were just getting acquainted. Why don't you join us." Andes motioned towards the table where the cards were laid.

[Alexandria Mercer]

Mercy nodded at the captains orders before making her way inside the ship. She glanced around as she headed toward the infirmary. It was a Firefly, but still in good condition from what she could see.
It wasn't too far a walk before she came upon the passenger cabins and the medical bay. She toss her personal items on the a bed in a cabin before walking back to the medical bay.
She figured everyone would take a moment to settle in before going to lunch, so she could take this time to check the stock.
She opened a few cabinets and drawers, getting a feel for what was here. Nothing to exceptional. Just enough to keep everyone alive.
She opened her bag, pulling a few updated tools and equipment, placing them in strategic areas around the bay. Her pulse ox meter was definitely newer than the one in stock and she smiled as she placed the older items in storage on the other side of the room.
Taking out her small cooler, she found the fridge and began categorizing the medicine inside by type and name. She left out a couple for herself, placing the rest inside and ensuring that the temperature was at the appropriate level. They were low on a few essentials and pulled out a pad and began listing what she would need to pick up at their next stop.
Inventory was going to be a pain,but all in all it wasnt half bad, and she had worked in worse...far worse during the war.

She finished up with medicines and basic first aid supplies, telling herself she'll come back to tools and emergency equipment after lunch. Placing the pad on one of the tables she hung up her lab coat on a hook by the door before going to the galley.

A couple of the crew was already inside, the mechanic, Glen, and the security officer, whose name she couldnt remember, as well as the young woman from downstairs. She was tempted to speak to the woman by the door, but she didnt look like she wanted to talk. Instead she nodded at the lady before heading to the table where the men were.

"Hey," she said sitting down, motioning at the cards. "What do we have here?"

[Emerson Bell]

Her presence hadn't gone unnoticed, as the man whom she had yet to meet gave her a once over, either sizing her up or checking her out.  Either way she was felt compelled to give a response as he spoke to her offering her to join them at the table, she didn't move from her spot but eyed the cards.  She wouldn't mind getting a game of New Texas in once they were more familiar.

"No thanks, spent the last few days on my Pi Gu.  Just want to get this meet an' greet over with so I can find some place to get a quick work out in before setting off."  Judging by his glossy forehead he was likely just working out himself, also she could smell his sweat from the other side of the room, not that it bothered her.

Saved (hopefully) from further conversation the prim and proper one came in and walked by her with a nod which Em returned even adding a slightly curled up lip.  She never did know why she was so uncomfortable with greetings, possibly due to growing up with a bunch of debutants and wannabe princes who used high society like a shield against the unwashed masses and those of which she never really fit in with.  Either way she didn't have to be the belle of the ball so long as they needed her to fly the ship.

Em did however wait for the response to the woman's inquiry, vicariously living through her social butterfly tendencies to find out what sort of card sharks might be in their midst.  It was strange that the crew had all gathered but the captain and her betrothed hadn't yet arrived on the scene.  It was a new crew and she'd need to feel them out but it was already not the worst group of people she'd worked for.

[Andes Maley]

Being thoroughly rebuffed, Andes just smiled, "Fair enough. You are always welcome." he stated in response to the sullen blond. He added as an afterthought, "There is equipment in the hold, near the med unit. Just need to pull it out and put it away when your done. It's not everything but it is enough."

"What do we have here?"

"Cards, pick your game to pass the time. I'm sure we will be doing this a plenty on our runs." The crew really was filling up. "Names Andes, ship security." Like the others, he offered his hand to her. "I've been with Mischief the better part of a month. Not too long but long enough to know where everything is, or supposed to be at any rate. Feel free if you have any questions."

[Chris Carver]

C hris ducked out of the galley breifly to let Tara know that the new crew waas assembled and by the time she got back, Andes was presiding over a deck of cards.

She smiled and said, "Trying to fleece the new crew of their hard earned cash afore they be getting it, Andes?" she asked and dropped him a wink to let him know that she wasn't scolding him.

"Take a seat everyone and I will get our charterer to come and then everyone can introduce themselves."

Chris waited for them all to be seated before continuing.

"Before Ms Marx arrives, I would just like to run through a few standing orders."

Chris gave them a moment or two to settle.

"First, firearms are to be on your person, locked in your cabin or in the ship's armoury. I don't want to see weapons lying around.

"Second, passengers are not permitted in operational areas without my authority. Operational areas are the engine room,bridge,  machinery, electronics and services compartments.This means that the bridge and engine room hatches are to be secured at all times. The exception is that Ms Marx is allowed on the bridge as long as a member of the crew is there as well. I will be advising our passengers of this but I need your assistance to enforce this. You have my permission to stand up to everyone on this so don't feel cowed into allowing unauthorised access.

"If you see something that you are not comfortable about, please let me know as soon as practicable. If you are having difficulty with another member of crew or a passenger then please try to resolve it with them first. If you can't resolve it to your satisfaction then please come to me and I will arrange a meeting of all the people involved.

"If you make a mess, please clean it up. Please don't leave things lying around that may become a hazard."

She stopped for a moment and thought about whether there was anything else. She had had a cheat sheet but had mislaid it somewhere which was a little ironic given her last statement.

"Any questions so far?" she asked, partly to give herself time to think.

[Glen Demonte]

The mechanic returned Andes' handshake with hands that were firm and steady. "Glen, and I'll be the ship's mechanic so long as every sees fit to keep me around." He gave Hellzy a brief glance but she seems content to keep a space. No harm no foul with that. He understood the need to a little breathing room around new folks, even if he didn't often need it himself. Glen picked up one of the hands Andes had dealt but did not look at it as of yet, instead he began to idly shuffle the cards. If he wasn't focusing his attention on something a might seriously he found it was best to keep his hands busy. Ma had always said that idle hands made the devil's work, though that sentiment didn't stick with him much, he found himself recalling it more frequently since his accident.

As Chris entered the galley and spoke up Glen set the cards back down and tucked his hands beneath the table while he listened. The ground rules, as they were laid out, seemed pretty straight forward.

"Any questions so far?" she asked, partly to give herself time to think.

Glen looked up at his new captain, his face passive and open, and shook his head.

[Alexandria Mercer]

Mercy couldnt help the way her eyebrows went to the top of her head at the captain's instructions. Nice. Succinct and very clear. She was tempted to stand and give the woman a salute, but realized that was just the medicine in her system.

"Any questions so far?" she asked, partly to give herself time to think

"None from this medical officer," she said with a nod. So they had a passenger. That was a little fact she was shock to find. Was this just a transportation ship, or was their more involved. She probably should have asked all this before settling on the job, but it was too late now. She glanced about the room at the rest of the crew. No one else seemed worried.

[Andes Maley]

Andes had heard basically the same speech given before, when he joined the crew not so long ago. He sat back and watched the others as they responded. It seemed they had a good core group but it could do with some rounding. But, you went to the black you had, not the one you wish you had.

Both the engineer and the doctor seemed to be at ease with who they were and the situation and at hand. Now, Andes could not speak to their competency, but still, their calm demeanor spoke volumes for them. Andes sensed that they were not pretenders, they knew what they were doing.

Now the pretty blond hanging back was more of a mystery. Andes was having difficulty reading her, something he did not like admitting. He needed some kind of sign from her, besides the loner, brooding, pilot savant vibe she was putting out at the moment. He cleared his throat enough to catch other's attention and stared straight at the blond. He gave her a smile but made clear that he would not stop staring at her until she answered the captain's question about understanding the rules of the boat.

[Emerson Bell]

The crew was starting to take shape, her estimations had been somewhat accurate and somewhat not so.  The tall, lanky one did in fact end up being the mechanic while she was far off on the well-dressed woman who apparently was their new medical officer.  The man at the table with the cards was security and then there was ma and pa Captain.  Speaking of, ma came in and laid down the law which was standard fare.  Most crews were expected to lock their weapons away and passengers had very little access to the entirety of the ship which she was fine with, the less traffic to the cockpit the better.  The last two rules seemed more common courtesy than fireable offences.

She didn't respond to the Captain at first, the other members didn't seem to have qualms with the rules and neither did she.  However the security officer seemed not to take her silence as an answer as he drew attention to her with a clear of the throat and a thousand-day stare at her.  Pushing off the wall she uncrossed her arms, letting her hands slide down to where she planted them on her hips.

"I'm just here to fly the ship.  House rules are fine with me."  She answered to the Captain while returning her own stare at the man named Andes, hoping it conveyed her 'are you happy now?' intent properly.

"Though I do have one question not pertaining to the rules.  When are we planning on lifting off?"   She was getting anxious, especially with the attention drawn to her which she didn't appreciate.  Sooner they got in the air the better as far as she was concerned.  She assumed her lack of personable demeanour would garner a conversation at some point with the security officer, which was fine but she wasn't here to make friends.  She needed a job and they had one that was the extent of it.

[Andes Maley]

Andes gave a grateful and approving head nod to the pilot. She could speak! With her question, Andes gaze slide back to the captain. He too would like to know when they would lift off. The sky was big and he needed to get into it. The sooner they left, the better everyone would feel.

[Chris Carver]

There seemed to be no sign of dissent, which was a good start but Chris had been around long enough to know that looks could be deceiving. Still, she wasn't going to make a success of the venture by assuming the worst and it wasn't in her nature to do so. The looks the new pilot and Andes exchanged were interesting, though, and she wondered if they had history, especially when Em stared Andes down.

Em's question returned her thoughts to the matter at hand, though she resolved to have a quiet chat with each of them when she had a moment; there was always bound to be some tension in a small ship but she couldn't afford it to get out of hand. If she had to dismiss one of them it was better done at the beginning than somewhere where getting a replacement was trickier.

"That be the million credit question," Chris responded. "We be needing to do some repairs before we be departin'," Chris said. "You mayhap saw the prop under the right rear landing strut; that needs some replacement parts and the right thruster is only workin' in low atmo mode." She knew what that meant in practical terms but she wasn't sure what that meant when it came to effort to repair or what parts might be required. There was a bit more, being some of the electronic control systems for the right engine but she didn't think it necessary to go into the gory details at that point and she didn't want to engender too much disappointment or pessimissim in the crew.

"So Glen, we are going to need you to work out what is wrong and come up with a parts list  but before you do, Ms Marx, our charterer, will brief y'all on the job." Chris looked around, hoping to see Tara.

[Tara Marx]

With all she owned in a worn military duffel bag and a small leather satchel, Tara made her way toward Mischief. Goodbyes had been shared at the boarding house and the bill paid in full, left her feeling confident about the upcoming task. The ship was pretty much sound, just in need of some tender loving care, and that love cost cold hard coin. Funds were the least of Tara's worries, the crew the Carver's had cobbled together still needed to prove themselves.

Tara cleared the last of the tall crop field revealing Mischief...I sure hope she doesn't live up to her name. Tara mused. She could see the ramp was down as she approached slowly keeping an eye out for any security she didn't want to startle. Once at the foot of the cargo ramp she peered in..."Hello...Anyone home?"

[Chris Carver]

((OOC - Actually, Andes, the meeting is still going - you can just delete, modify a little and repost after this))


Expecting Tara to arrive at any moment, Chris had left the intercom from the cargo ramp open and directed to the galley. As a result, Tara's voice was

"That will be Ms Marx now. Andes, could you please go down and let her in and break the bad news to her that I would like her to address the crew." It was couched as a request but it was, of course, an order.

[Andes Maley]

"Sure thing boss." He pushed away from the table and excused himself from the group. He hoped that he hadnt made things too awkward there but it was too late to worry about it now. He hit the catwalks and bounded down the stairs to meet Ms Marx.

"Welcome back! Seems like a year since we did this before. At least this time you didnt find me nappin' on the job." Throwing a thumb over his shoulder indicating the way, "The crew were just in the middle of a meetin' in the mess. The boss asks that you join us and say a few words." He waved her over before stopping. "Beg your pardon. I forgot about your bag. Mind if I help you?" Pointing to the old duffel.

[Tara Marx]

Tara waited patiently at the foot of the ramp, her duffel dropped at her feet. She could hear someone working their way down through the ship, the sound of boots on metal planking echoing was easy to hear.

"Welcome back! Seems like a year since we did this before. At least this time you didnt find me nappin' on the job." Throwing a thumb over his shoulder indicating the way, "The crew were just in the middle of a meetin' in the mess. The boss asks that you join us and say a few words." He waved her over before stopping. "Beg your pardon. I forgot about your bag. Mind if I help you?" Pointing to the old duffel.

"Ah yes Mister Maley, good to see you awake." She flashed him a wink. "It has been a long couple of days for sure but I think we've made some good progress." Andes mentioned speaking with the crew and that Tara was expected to chime in. Well the sooner the better... she thought. "Okay then, lead the way Mister Malay." She was about to grab the duffel when he offered to help. Tara snatched it up and slung the strap over her shoulder. "Thanks but I have it....lead on."

[Andes Maley]

"Right this way then." Andes motioned for her to follow him. "I'm sure you remember Mischief from your last visit. I really don't know how things work on the boat but I am happy to make a story if you want one." He lead her up the catwalks and into the mess where the crew was waiting. "And here we are."