transcript

Speaker 1:
[00:03] This is the sound of Worlds Beyond Number. And in this way, no era of the Forty Suns can be comprehensively understood to a florist absent the guiding vision of those half score familial factions. Just as the intrinsic intrepidness of human nature sent us among the stars, so does the significant other. Bozer's Histories. Scrum Captain Kier Aulin and his five Jemis Octavo Associates are escorting Zdavin Vyrex, Cheetanka, and Excelsiel to the Kenner, a lightweight lean ship headed back to the Lotus System to treat with Isolde Jemis as her faction takes Jenepar by force. Air it out. A single ominous message sent over Kongs. You have no idea how many people he spoke to. You have no idea the full nature and extent of the forces flooding Chi, your home, your project, your livelihood. But you are under guns that have no intention of firing on you yet. So what are you all going to do? Do you allow yourself to be escorted to the ship?

Speaker 2:
[01:53] I look to Zadavin and follow his lead.

Speaker 3:
[02:00] Zadavin, I think, having given his parting words to Ms. Tanka, has dressed and is, I think, very much like in line with Keir.

Speaker 1:
[02:10] Yeah.

Speaker 3:
[02:11] The poll is occurring. I am playing my role, which is to let myself be taken, and I have pretended to employ a robot who will seemingly be joining me.

Speaker 2:
[02:23] Can I use the auger ability?

Speaker 1:
[02:26] Oh, interesting. Why don't you go ahead and read that out for us?

Speaker 2:
[02:31] I burn an amount of grit equal to 10 minus a roll of my reason dice. It has to be a minimum of two grit and one health. So this is a very taxing endeavor. I ask any answerable short question at the end of the round after everyone else an initiative has acted, the nameless things whom you contacted reply with the answer. This answer may be vague depending on the question, but will not be malicious, a lie or incomplete.

Speaker 1:
[03:00] Okay. You spent a lot of grit today.

Speaker 2:
[03:04] I have spent a lot of grit. This might actually burn me out of grit.

Speaker 1:
[03:08] How fun. Consequences.

Speaker 2:
[03:10] Consequences. For folks listening, my grit and health are pools of points based on my stats. I think my grit comes from a combination of my reason stat and my will stat which are both very high, so I normally have 22 grit points. My health, which I think is just my combat and movement, is a meager 12. Okay. Let me augur. All right. Let's see how impact.

Speaker 1:
[03:37] Give me that roll, baby.

Speaker 2:
[03:39] I burn five grit and I have five grit left.

Speaker 1:
[03:42] Okay.

Speaker 2:
[03:43] I burn one health, so I'm at 11 health.

Speaker 1:
[03:46] All right. Before we get into the question and how that looks and sounds and what that is like, do we see anything externally as you tap into this power?

Speaker 2:
[03:59] I am standing up. My augury is the term error out is so ominous, and I can only assume that a mass casualty event is on the verge of happening, and those are bad. They're not only bad in the way that any thinking being would classify them as bad. I have a personal faith-based and religious aversion to what I suspect is about to occur. So I would like to reach out to the assembled intellectual and values-based memory of any electronic consciousnesses that I can reach out to from this point in time, in recording just memory states of other arena that have passed through this place. My augury is effectively crowdsourcing intuition from minor recorded memory files stowed away in the hidden compartments of all electronic interfaces that are run and have passed through before. And the augury that I would like to command in this moment is looking at Chi Tanka. I would like to ask that dispersed consciousness, will it be bad if I abandon this person to the fate that awaits her in this place?

Speaker 1:
[05:46] You lean out and ask a question in your mind, and of all of the electronics of this place, of which there are almost, it's almost beyond number, the amount of things needed for humans to exist anywhere they please. They require so much, and it's so electronic, it bristles. It's like trying to ask every particle of air a question. But you do so, but it takes a little time. So as you turn your eye and attention and world inward on your question, you fall in line behind Zdavin and begin to walk. So we're going to move to Chi, and then I'll give you the answer to your question.

Speaker 4:
[06:44] I'm not a combatant. I cannot fight my way out of this, or strong arm, or in any way brute force a solution here. I think I have to rely on the only thing that has kept myself and Jenna Parr and everything else alive and going, and that is to finesse it. And where can I get to... When one finesses something, you have to start at the top, otherwise you're spending all your time finessing all the way up there. So perhaps going along and finessing is the easiest way to deal with this. But that's very convenient since it's literally the only thing I could do right now.

Speaker 1:
[07:35] And you are moving yourself into that conclusion and moving yourself physically into the line as dictated by these assailants. You cannot help but think that there is something inside of the momentum of someone who has no allegiance to this place beyond his occasional enjoyment of it. And Excelsiel, who... What an interesting little blank of a personality. You are the only one that could, in this group, care about the phrase erred out, as far as you know. Maybe it's okay to finesse from the top. But I think even without a role, you know that whatever is about to happen is about to happen quickly. Is there anything, even as you scramble to figure out, like, what could I do? Like, brute forcing is nothing in this moment. What do your instincts wish you could do or have done as you are, like, leaving Jennifer?

Speaker 4:
[08:47] Contacting my people is off the table. That has been made very clear. But if I could minimize, if I could minimize the impact of what is happening.

Speaker 1:
[09:02] What do you think is happening? I think that's the question. What do you think Keir meant when he said air it out?

Speaker 4:
[09:09] Now, would I have context for what that actually means?

Speaker 1:
[09:14] No, it's clearly a like, it's a go, it's a go sign, but it's not a thing that's used so frequently. You're like, ah, it means this thing because everyone says it every time.

Speaker 4:
[09:23] Right, I assumed it was some sort of Space Marine Hoorahs sort of call sign. You know what? Sometimes the best thing is the direct thing. Mr. Keir, what precisely do you mean by air it out?

Speaker 1:
[09:45] Yeah, Keir is going to stop and kind of round on you. All of his tactical gear is back on, so again, very few visible features, voice distorted. But he turns back to you again. Giant black messy unnecessarily heavy rifle, still held at the ready, but again, not pointing at you. Miss. Tanka. Oh, Chitanka, we read your brief on the way in. I do know who you are. Eared out means what I think you think it means. We're going to. I don't know if you ever have to deal with being on world, the problems of bugs and rodents extermination. We need to take Jinnahpar as per our orders, and we need to make sure that there aren't any rats aboard the ship.

Speaker 4:
[10:49] If you'll pardon, how are you determining who are the passengers and crew and who are the rats?

Speaker 1:
[11:02] I have tried to be as civil as my orders have dictated, but I do know the importance in not giving potentially sensitive intel to someone with a vested interest in not allowing me to do my job.

Speaker 4:
[11:19] Oh, sir, I think you misunderstand. I have no interest in making sure you don't do your job. I have vested interest in ensuring the safety of these assets that you are sent to secure.

Speaker 1:
[11:35] Everyone we have on a manifest that works here will be sequestered, questioned. Those with disproportionate loyalties towards the former owners of this establishment will be sent off world, and all of the patrons will be given a voucher to return when this place re-opens under new management.

Speaker 4:
[12:04] Many of the proprietors are in fact part owners of this, so I believe it might be a bit difficult.

Speaker 1:
[12:10] Do you need me to tell you that we're going to shoot anyone that gives us a problem?

Speaker 4:
[12:16] With your permission, I'd like to...

Speaker 1:
[12:17] No.

Speaker 4:
[12:19] All right.

Speaker 1:
[12:20] What permission do you think I'm going to give you in this moment?

Speaker 4:
[12:23] To make it so that you have to shoot less people. Jinnah Par is no good to you for simply its land. It is its people that is valuable to the ecosystem.

Speaker 1:
[12:38] And what do you think you will do that thousands of years of the forces of power that I operate behind haven't figured out, miss?

Speaker 4:
[12:52] How to safely and civilly corral these people to better serve you?

Speaker 1:
[13:05] Go ahead and give me... Yeah, let's make it a will roll. We're going to say the difficulty is a nine.

Speaker 4:
[13:13] Six plus one for a seven.

Speaker 3:
[13:16] Can I help?

Speaker 1:
[13:17] Ooh, yeah. How would you go about doing that?

Speaker 3:
[13:21] I think it's perhaps not even from a deeply good place. I don't think I'm like... I think I'm very familiar with what is happening to Chi right now. In fact, I've likely ordered or been in rooms where takeovers like this have been approved or initiated. And I think that there is something that like... My poll is being interrupted by this conflict. And I think I'm interested in... I think I'm interested in helping Chi kind of get through for the selfish reason of getting myself on this ship and off to this world and to the place. Like this medium, this like transitory period is not... This is not comfortable. I'm eager to be back in a place of comfort. And I would like this... I would like to help get this over the hump.

Speaker 1:
[14:24] Okay. Yeah. Describe an action for me. And that's gonna add a plus one to your role, which will still put you one under. But then I want to come back around to this augur and see if we can get the full party's weight behind Chi's actions.

Speaker 3:
[14:40] I'm going to be forward. I'm going to put a hand on Kira's shoulder, very gently.

Speaker 1:
[14:47] Sir.

Speaker 3:
[14:48] She is very persuasive. And as far as I understand, helped build Jennifer. If there's someone who can make your life easier, she's in your capture right now.

Speaker 1:
[15:07] And I think that's just enough that you felt him stiffen with the soft hand on the shoulder, and he looks back over, and you hear that, again, that distorted growl and the little sucking of teeth. But he is re-evaluating you in this moment. One away. Let's go over to Excelsiel. You ask this question of everything around you, of everything that you've known, and all the electronics in this place, collective memory. But it always begins with your own, and your people, and the vestiges of a sort of memory mundi of all of the arena when you were one before. And humanity showed up and made of you from their fear, from their greed. A sacrifice, and you remember that in your history, and in your songs, and in your understanding, as a hymn to martyrdom. And you see it again. This place is an altar. And she, as you look at her now, she looks like what you think, or remember, or wonder. Those final few, the oldest of you, that remembered from the breaking of your world and your collective mind. The ones damned to remember what it was before. The ones who mourn the martyr. Air it out. This place is being offered up in the same way that your sun and your system were offered to humanity's growing ambitions. This place will be turned like Kima was turned into Schema, the Dyson swarm around your sun that is devouring it.

Speaker 2:
[17:47] It looks like Chi is being taken with us now. Yes.

Speaker 1:
[17:51] Great. And even as you think that, your mind can process both your inner world and the outer one. Even in that augury and the like cryptic, strange understanding of Chi's place in this world and what's about to happen to her and her home, you still heard all of that.

Speaker 2:
[18:12] Not a glimmer of that reaches my face or any outward expression of what I am perceiving or feeling. But I can sense that she is trying to save as many of her people as possible.

Speaker 1:
[18:26] 100%.

Speaker 2:
[18:27] And I can sense some factor of Irina valuation of Chi's memory of this place as being significant.

Speaker 1:
[18:37] Yes. And you've seen that Zadavin has also moved to interpose himself and use his position of power. You feel that like gravity well being turned in aid to her.

Speaker 2:
[18:51] I'm going to turn to Zadavin and speak. But I also, I don't want to interrupt if it feels like we're making progress out of here. I think that if there's no need for intercession, I don't think I want to engage.

Speaker 1:
[19:05] So here's the thing, in this specific moment we've got Erika one sort of help action away from being able to hit the difficulty. So if there's something you think as you see this like breaking out that you can do to help turn the tide and convince Kier, then Erika will hit the difficulty class and be able to move forward with.

Speaker 2:
[19:24] I'm going to turn to Zadavin and go, my lord of Eurex. Chitanka was present for the transmittance of proprietary of Eurex technology somewhere in Jinnapur. I've just become aware of an energy signature. Your family's belongings are present here in Jinnapur unaccounted for. Ms. Chitanka may be aware of some of the clues leading to the recovery of that stolen data.

Speaker 3:
[19:52] Zadavin receives that. Is that, I guess, how true is that? And how, like, what is, I think, in the communication of that?

Speaker 2:
[20:02] As I am speaking out loud where Kir can hear on your glasses, the text appears, with sincere apologies, making all this up, lol. Hope okay. Heart. A heart? A heart. A little, a little, less than three. Less than three.

Speaker 3:
[20:23] I think seeing that, Zadavin smiles and goes, seems like this could get messy. Let's keep it clean.

Speaker 1:
[20:33] And I think with that, there's just a little glance over at you. An almost imperceptible nod. And now Keir has like fully halted the group and looks at you.

Speaker 4:
[20:45] Thank you.

Speaker 1:
[20:46] What do you intend, Miss Tanka?

Speaker 4:
[20:50] Well, of course, asset retrieval is of the utmost importance. We want to make sure that all of the very delicate web around the Five Families remains intact. And furthermore, hopefully, I can do a lot to smooth the transition. This is not our first time being occupied, Mr. Keir.

Speaker 1:
[21:12] What do you suggest?

Speaker 4:
[21:15] I would suggest, if I may, that you allow Jennifer to continue on with its operations uninterrupted. The best turnover in management allows the things about the establishment to remain. It will simply be transferred in ownership to Gemma's Octavo. No need for any enforcement.

Speaker 1:
[21:42] And he's going to sit and consider this. I like that the original role was willed to resist like being escorted off this. But this is absolutely a charm role. I'm going to say that this will remain very difficult because this isn't you negotiating on behalf of your people to like engage in a peaceful transfer. This is a much bigger flex, but you can do it. It's going to be very difficult. So difficulty of nine, role charm. I'm going to have you roll with advantage. My first advantage roll.

Speaker 4:
[22:15] Nine.

Speaker 1:
[22:16] Perfect. Okay. The amount of time it takes for a little space marine to process massive negotiations and like this level of tactical switching. I think all of you can swear you can smell rubber burning. Like this man is grinding gears to see if there is something much above his can he can do to make this even easier for his people and potentially raise himself in his esteem within his cohort. So you all are standing here just in the middle of a hallway for seconds that drag on and feel like minutes. I think Chi you begin to feel that panic that he hasn't given a belay order yet. Something bad might be happening and him trapped in the reverie of having to make one big boy choice might be costing people's lives. I think is that anxiety like sort of hits a fever pitch. He reaches towards his calm and this one's going to be like garbled so you can't understand it again. But I think there's something in like the cadence of it and that it's very calm. A much longer order is given. Everyone that wants to go ahead and give me a will roll difficulty of five to see what you can see off of the other soldiers who are hearing that command also.

Speaker 3:
[23:52] Only a two.

Speaker 1:
[23:56] Four. All right. Gee, you are so locked in on this moment and what you couldn't understand from the captain, you intuit from his subordinates as they all seem to relax a little bit too. Everything gets a little calmer. And that fear you feel for the things beyond like your hewn walls just abates enough for you to feel like you can breathe all the way again.

Speaker 4:
[24:27] Okay. Relaxing body language. The placating smooth smile on my face still remains in a rictus.

Speaker 1:
[24:39] Um, we need to resolve the data missing. You can tell he is not a technical boy and is doing his best to understand whatever you two communicated about. We need to retrieve the data and-

Speaker 3:
[24:56] Oh, not at this time. I can have associates or someone-

Speaker 4:
[25:00] Data retrieval specialists.

Speaker 3:
[25:02] Easily. Take care of that.

Speaker 1:
[25:03] Okay. Uh, but we need to handle the transfer paperwork before you leave.

Speaker 3:
[25:09] Oh, my people will follow up with your people. Jesus, Keir.

Speaker 1:
[25:12] All due respect, sir. If we are not going to handle this the way that my mistress dictated, it has to happen now.

Speaker 3:
[25:22] All right. Okay. I'm going to pull out a datapad and I think just futz with it. Kind of write a half-draft of an email. What are you doing?

Speaker 1:
[25:31] Who are you talking to? What are you doing?

Speaker 3:
[25:32] What are you doing? One second. One second.

Speaker 1:
[25:34] You shouldn't do... I should stop him from doing that.

Speaker 2:
[25:37] Do you want the papers handled or not? You said it had to be handled right now.

Speaker 1:
[25:40] Yeah, but I don't... What?

Speaker 2:
[25:41] So it's being handled.

Speaker 1:
[25:42] Okay.

Speaker 2:
[25:43] I don't... You're getting your way.

Speaker 1:
[25:44] I feel like you're not handling it.

Speaker 2:
[25:44] You're getting your way. This is you winning.

Speaker 1:
[25:47] You're stressing.

Speaker 3:
[25:48] All right. Transfer is initiated. We should probably get on the flight. It'll be...

Speaker 2:
[25:52] Okay, and they said it's good.

Speaker 3:
[25:54] Oh, fantastic.

Speaker 4:
[25:55] Phenomenal.

Speaker 3:
[25:56] What?

Speaker 4:
[25:57] Data.

Speaker 2:
[25:59] Mm, take us to your leader.

Speaker 4:
[26:00] Okay.

Speaker 1:
[26:01] I don't... I...

Speaker 3:
[26:04] What don't you understand, Kier?

Speaker 1:
[26:07] What just happened, sir?

Speaker 3:
[26:09] The proprietary data of the Averix family that was being housed on Jinnapar has been transferred off.

Speaker 1:
[26:15] Oh, okay.

Speaker 3:
[26:16] So now we can initiate the change of ownership that was... has been coordinated by Chi-Tanka, all right? Okay.

Speaker 1:
[26:25] Thank you.

Speaker 3:
[26:25] Now, you will be lucky in my report to Isolde if I... if I even give a hint that you were on board and didn't resist at every turn. So, for the love of God, let's get on the goddamn ship, Kier.

Speaker 1:
[26:42] Okay. Oh, God. And you see, he's going to turn and whisper to a couple of his subordinates. I'm going to take them and put them on the ship, but I need you to escort Chi-Tanka. We need those paperwork. At least we have to hold the deeds. I don't know. I'm not a lawyer. Just fucking do it. He's yelling.

Speaker 2:
[27:05] I don't want to be...

Speaker 1:
[27:08] And two people are going to splinter off and flank Yu-Chi, and the others will look both at Yu-Z and Excelsiel. Right this way to the ship. Thank you. I'm sorry. I hate that this has been inconvenient.

Speaker 3:
[27:23] Of course. Do you have bubbly water on the ship?

Speaker 1:
[27:25] Oh, yes, sir.

Speaker 3:
[27:26] Thank God.

Speaker 1:
[27:26] Yes. Sorry. Preferred flavors? Because maybe we should restock while we're here.

Speaker 3:
[27:30] No. Pure is fine.

Speaker 1:
[27:31] Okay. Okay. At this point, we're going to do just a minor split as you two are escorted towards this light ship. There are two soldiers who are at each of your shoulders, again, guns down but at the ready, who are just looking at each other over. How tall are you?

Speaker 4:
[27:52] I don't know how tall we decide. I believe I'm 5'9.

Speaker 1:
[27:56] Okay. They're sort of insanely tall, so they're looking at each other over your head, kind of trying to do the like, get paperwork, okay. And then look at you and go, we got to go to your office to get the deed. There's a deed. We need paperwork. We're not going to leave until there's paperwork. And if Keir gets yelled at, it's going to be a problem.

Speaker 4:
[28:22] I'm sorry, there's no actual paper.

Speaker 1:
[28:25] That can't be true.

Speaker 4:
[28:26] Physical papers. It's, this is something that should really be signed in person.

Speaker 1:
[28:32] Then you're going to, yeah, you're going to bring whatever documents and then you're going to handle them with this old.

Speaker 4:
[28:39] No, it's okay.

Speaker 1:
[28:39] Like, I think in this, like, they're just like, we're trying to figure this out too.

Speaker 4:
[28:45] Um, I can, if you need physical papers, we can, I'm sure we can print up a copy when we get there.

Speaker 1:
[28:51] Yeah, but no, we just want to bring whatever you've got now because of the transfer.

Speaker 4:
[28:58] Yes, um, sorry, above the table. This is, we're going to my office to retrieve the paper.

Speaker 1:
[29:04] Yeah, you've basically said, like, we're just going to transfer ownership.

Speaker 4:
[29:07] We're just going to transfer ownership.

Speaker 1:
[29:08] They need some sort of proof that that has happened and not just your word.

Speaker 4:
[29:12] OK, um, what, what do I have? There's no deed. I mean, I suppose is there a paper deed to the place?

Speaker 1:
[29:19] Hey, dog, that's on you. They're not that smart.

Speaker 4:
[29:23] Right.

Speaker 1:
[29:24] They come from, like, worlds where there's still deeds. Like, everything you know about, like, especially, like, the five families, the fact that they are able to trace their history longer, that's been a part of the thing they can do, there's sort of antiquities around, like, these families and their systems. So the idea that there's a deed at all is...

Speaker 4:
[29:43] I... I look... I have no idea what they are talking about. When I say, yes, let's go to my office and let's take the things that I need to go have this meeting.

Speaker 1:
[29:59] Great.

Speaker 4:
[30:00] Phenomenal. And so let's... We can head to my office. Get some things, sort of leave some notes for how things should go, letting people know where I am.

Speaker 1:
[30:12] Go ahead and give me... Let's make this a charm roll. And whatever you roll, there's not a difficulty here. That's just going to be how much time you are afforded, sort of unattended in your office, to write any... Like, leave any orders or notes, try to get any communications in, grab what you need to grab. You are leaving Jenapar for an indeterminate amount of time, and you don't know when you're going to be back.

Speaker 4:
[30:40] Okay, I'll take go bag B. I got a 10, so I think I have enough time to send out a couple of missives. No direct comms to anybody since they're being monitored, but just through various other analog methods, just leaving notes for my different lieutenants, for my heads of security, and informing everybody that they are to act as if nothing is amiss, and to smooth the way for our glorious conquerors.

Speaker 1:
[31:19] You explain the deal to everyone that's like in your executive.

Speaker 4:
[31:24] That's right.

Speaker 1:
[31:24] Great. Anything else you want to say or do or grab? Do you grab any paperwork?

Speaker 4:
[31:30] There's no paperwork. It's all on datapad now. But I make a show of shuffling in and out box papers.

Speaker 1:
[31:40] All right. Papers are shuffled. You grab go-bag B. You leave missives, and take a datapad and nothing else. Ten minutes goes by and you reemerge at the door of your office. Here in a nice little corner where the hallways are well-appointed, but the rooms themselves lack that overly labored decor, because they're just for you and the others from TeleGen that grouped together to buy this place. Yours is at the end of the hall. Not de facto, the leader deeply in fact, a majority stake owner. This is your home, and you are leaving now to defend it. You say goodbye, and you are escorted to the far end of your little spit of rock that you've put time and energy and blood and sweat, so much blood and years of your life into. When you're at this dock, it is bustling. It's a full parking lot of light ships, some with ORM capabilities, some that are just little jump boats that will get to the nearest planet that will allow them to access bigger and better ships to make much longer journeys across this big galaxy. You don't think you've ever been so far from the home before, even though home has been so many places to you, Chi. You spot it along the same row as the Kenner, I believe, he said, you spot the Arabesque, parked at frankly a disrespectful angle. You could get like three ships in.

Speaker 4:
[33:57] Oh my gosh, Ayasa, is she there? Can I see, is the light on? Is she in the ship?

Speaker 1:
[34:05] The light is not on in the ship. I think you know that it's been several hours since she docked, you were gonna meet up, but then had to deal with like the breakout fighting.

Speaker 4:
[34:14] Right, right, we were supposed to meet. All right, you know, I'm gonna, I'm gonna leave her a little message. It's a form of a parking ticket with a scroll on it of sort of an explanation of what's happening, how she might be able to help and find me, and to learn to goddamn park the ship.

Speaker 1:
[34:38] Yeah, I think your two escorts kind of watch you, and they're looking at, like this is the first time they've been over your shoulder enough to like watch the note that you're leaving. They were incredulous that you're trying to send off some like secret message, and they see that you have mildly cussed out this person that even they recognize did a terrible job parking across like three spots.

Speaker 4:
[35:00] Taron Pilots, am I right?

Speaker 1:
[35:02] You get it. You should see how Keir, that's, sorry, miss, yes. And then you see, interesting note, that this person says Keir, but the other person on the like on your left shoulder turns and reacts with the like, why are you talking about me like that? To imply that this is the same name. Just as a reminder that Keir is essentially John. Yeah. You have a second Keir in your group, so you know very little about any of the other people that were a part of this poll.

Speaker 4:
[35:36] Not all Keirs though, of course.

Speaker 1:
[35:40] They both give a little chuckle and they relax. And this is like, at this point, by the time you like rejoin the group who is like they are boarded on this like little scuttle of a ship, your two attendants are just sort of walking beside you. Their guns are like chilling at their side. They're not even really at attention or like ready. Just something about your countenance and the ability for you to make people feel easy in your proximity has lowered their guard significantly. Can we get you any...

Speaker 4:
[36:11] Some bubble water, please?

Speaker 1:
[36:12] Yes.

Speaker 4:
[36:12] I would love some of that.

Speaker 1:
[36:14] We've got, okay, so we've got pure and some...

Speaker 4:
[36:17] Pure is also fine.

Speaker 1:
[36:18] Is that fine?

Speaker 4:
[36:19] I'm not that picky.

Speaker 1:
[36:20] Yeah, I've got like a little kind of citrus one if you won't want to mind.

Speaker 4:
[36:24] Oh, I don't mind if I do.

Speaker 1:
[36:27] Yeah, okay. If you want, just go wait in there with them.

Speaker 4:
[36:29] Yes.

Speaker 1:
[36:30] Sorry about that. Do you have all the stuff you need?

Speaker 4:
[36:33] Yes. I'm all prepared. Thank you very much.

Speaker 1:
[36:35] Thank you so much, Ms. Tanka. You see the one that talks more runs off to the corner, and you have been presented with a bubble water. I don't know if Excelsiel has any need for refreshments, but a light fruit platter has been put out in front of you, some deli meats and crackers, things that can handle travel, a little charcuterie board, and then you are offered a little glass of vial of some lightly citrusy, bubbly water.

Speaker 4:
[37:06] This is nice.

Speaker 2:
[37:08] I'm helping myself to some of the charcuterie.

Speaker 1:
[37:11] Can you eat?

Speaker 2:
[37:12] No. And I think I close my mouth and you hear...

Speaker 3:
[37:22] Where does that go? Where does that go?

Speaker 2:
[37:25] I have a release valve in my throat.

Speaker 3:
[37:27] A release valve in your throat?

Speaker 2:
[37:29] Yeah. I'm going to open the front of my neck and pull a little sort of latex cylinder out. And it has a bunch of reduced, blanched crackers and fruit and charcuterie in it that I take out in a little compressed cube and deposit in a wastepaper basket and close my throat again.

Speaker 3:
[37:52] Can you taste it?

Speaker 2:
[37:54] I have a database of sensory experiences that is based on a short chemical survey of what is available in the food. It's not dissimilar from the gustatory senses of a biological organism. Mm. Fundamentally, the taste buds in your tongue are able to detect the presence of chemical compounds in the food that are able to register if the food is well-prepared, if it is nutritious, if it is bland or otherwise uninteresting. And there's a informational recreation of that same sensibility within my processors.

Speaker 3:
[38:26] Got it. So for you, you like to eat the cracker or the charcuterie because you want to know about this cracker or this charcuterie versus if you were just to go, mm, taste charcuterie, which you can also do?

Speaker 2:
[38:41] My understanding is it's polite as a guest to have some of the spread.

Speaker 3:
[38:45] I mean, they kind of do it out of obligation. If they're going to kidnap you, the least they should do is feed you.

Speaker 2:
[38:50] Do you enjoy the spread or would you say, how many times have you been kidnapped?

Speaker 3:
[38:54] Um, I think this is four.

Speaker 2:
[38:58] Pfft, that's high.

Speaker 3:
[39:02] I mean, it's not bad.

Speaker 2:
[39:06] Relative across statistics for kidnapping across the galaxy, that is quite high. Most people that are kidnapped are kidnapped but a single time.

Speaker 3:
[39:14] Well, I mean, I've been kidnapped a solid amount of times, but I think, you know, as I get older, I mean, I'll continue to be quite an influential target, so.

Speaker 2:
[39:23] Is there prestige or status in being kidnapped?

Speaker 3:
[39:26] A little bit. I mean, it's not something to be proud of, but it does. It's a reminder of that I'm part of an important family. Yes. And that not only in that family that I'm important.

Speaker 2:
[39:38] This is my first intentional kidnapping. Oh, welcome.

Speaker 4:
[39:57] So, is the Septimality the arbiter of the taste?

Speaker 2:
[40:03] I'm sorry?

Speaker 4:
[40:03] For your taste buds.

Speaker 2:
[40:05] Oh, the Septimal Choir?

Speaker 4:
[40:06] Yes.

Speaker 2:
[40:08] I suppose our Gussitore sense is slightly more refined than several of our brethren choirs. Which is only to say that we are given to devote more processing to experiential information.

Speaker 4:
[40:25] Mm, I see. And savory or sweet?

Speaker 2:
[40:28] The cranberries were quite sweet.

Speaker 3:
[40:31] See? And that's a problem. I like my tart.

Speaker 2:
[40:33] Oh. Is that a personal taste? Or would you say that that's cultural to your family?

Speaker 3:
[40:39] Oh, both cultural, but I also think it's a... The lower the quality of the cranberry, the more likely they are using sugar because the tartness is imbalanced.

Speaker 2:
[40:49] Do you think we'll be killed today?

Speaker 3:
[40:51] No, no, no, no. This is a poll. You know, when you are of my status, generally two different types of kidnapping pulls calls, pulls family to family. Everything's good. It's kind of like going to visit your cousins.

Speaker 2:
[41:05] I'm going to look to Chi and go, I'm very sorry.

Speaker 4:
[41:12] Oh, thank you. I was not expecting that. We were having just small talk. That is, people are not usually... Thank you.

Speaker 2:
[41:29] I know you didn't do that stuff, I said. I'm assuming we're in private right now. So I'm going to go and say, I made up that lie because you seemed in jeopardy.

Speaker 4:
[41:42] Thank you. I don't know what you're... I assumed that you were speaking truthfully, and I...

Speaker 2:
[41:51] You thought I might be right about a crime you did?

Speaker 4:
[41:54] Uh, I wink at him.

Speaker 2:
[41:56] Did I get something right? Shooting into the dark? That's a metaphor.

Speaker 4:
[42:01] I wink at him, and I say, yes. Wait, no, I don't know if he knows winking.

Speaker 2:
[42:10] I close the iris of my eye.

Speaker 4:
[42:12] Oh, I get, I see, I see. Yes, it was a very convenient truth that you were telling. I wink again.

Speaker 2:
[42:21] Mm, gestural asterisks. I'm going to turn to Zee and say, I also lied about working for you. You don't have to associate with me if you don't like. I just wanted to get out of that room.

Speaker 3:
[42:35] No, it was, that was a cute play. Is it, is there a reason you stuck your neck out for me?

Speaker 2:
[42:42] I saw something when we were on that hallucinogenic experience together that I had never seen before. It indicated a depth of feeling that attracted me to your experience of this world. It was an indication of a depth of feeling that is often not present. Do you often see those things you saw when you experienced those hallucinogenic drugs?

Speaker 3:
[43:10] On the physics, I kind of have a rotation.

Speaker 4:
[43:15] Master Virix has quite a diversity of experiences, but I'm glad to hear that this one was especially compelling.

Speaker 3:
[43:22] Astrid is good when she's focused.

Speaker 1:
[43:26] Before we get back into you all chatting amongst yourselves, can I get... Just give me a reason role. We'll call the difficulty... We'll make it a basic difficulty. Difficulty six.

Speaker 4:
[43:38] Six.

Speaker 1:
[43:39] Let's go.

Speaker 4:
[43:40] Five.

Speaker 1:
[43:41] All right. Amazing. Was that the... On the D12?

Speaker 2:
[43:46] 11 plus one.

Speaker 1:
[43:47] Oh, great. Okay. The three of you sit in this little... Cabin is absolutely too specific of a word. You are in a little room. None of the other half-dozen that pulled you, Zee, are here with you. You know, two are flying the ship and the other four are making themselves busy in other parts of this small fleeter. Gee, I think you are beginning to spin on other things, but for Zee and Excelsiel, I think what you're able to glean, especially because you spent a little more time looking at the Kenner on the way in, this is not the kind of ship that does big Oram flights. And remembering that you were part of a pull that was a secondary objective to whatever the coup of Jinnah Parr was going to be, there had to have been more troops brought in some other way. This is going to be a little like, puddle jumper to get to the bigger ship for you to get back to Izzolt's home system. Here's a thing that I'll say is like the slight difference between you. Z, you were able to take a Orm capable ship directly into Jinnah Parr. Excelsiel, you probably had to do the pit stop at the closest planet that would allow you to like fly up to Jinnah Parr. It's about a four hour non FTL flight. The planet is called Karueda. And it's the seventh of a ten planet system around like a small nasty little red dwarf of a sun. So it's pretty dark and industrial. But it's the easiest stopping point for people who want to make that like last big trek out to Space Vegas. The barstow of this part of the galaxy, if you will. So, yeah, so you both know very well that you've got a short flight before you get transferred to a bigger ship.

Speaker 2:
[45:56] I'll look at that and I'll look at Zadavin and Chi as we're sort of seated here. I just had this moment of apology for what Chi is going through. And I think I understand what is happening here. And I'm waiting for the sound of gunfire or mass death that we maybe have averted or maybe not. I hope that many people are not killed here.

Speaker 4:
[46:22] That is also my sincere hope. And thank you to both of you for your quick thinking and calm demeanors and hopefully helping to avert that.

Speaker 2:
[46:35] It is a much more minor sorrow. But I found out today after believing that I had one that I actually don't have a job.

Speaker 3:
[46:45] You thought you had a job?

Speaker 2:
[46:46] Yes.

Speaker 3:
[46:47] On Jennifer?

Speaker 2:
[46:48] Yes.

Speaker 3:
[46:48] Doing?

Speaker 2:
[46:49] Menial tasks, cleaning, sorting, rearranging pleasure rooms after they had been used by patrons.

Speaker 4:
[46:55] Goodness. So you've been doing that for no charge then?

Speaker 2:
[47:02] I was being remunerated in terms of electrical recharging. And I also had the benefit of using the facilities to wash myself. But I don't have any monetary remuneration. But I also don't seek any, truth be told. My designation is one of service, which I'm happy to provide. But given that I am currently unemployed, I would love to, if either of you are hiring, make a pitch for myself and see if you have any openings or availabilities. Sure.

Speaker 3:
[47:38] Let's hear it.

Speaker 2:
[47:42] Hello. I am XLZL.

Speaker 3:
[47:45] Are you standing or sitting down?

Speaker 2:
[47:46] I'm sitting down right now. Okay. Should I stand?

Speaker 3:
[47:49] You're not going to stand?

Speaker 2:
[47:52] No. All right. Hold on. I have crumbs on me and I'm going to blow a fan out of my hand to blast the charcuterie crumbs off my face.

Speaker 4:
[48:02] I'm going to let you continue with your pitch, but already that's quite a lot of points for you.

Speaker 2:
[48:07] Blowing the crumbs off my face? Oh, good. Wait. Do you also think I should stand?

Speaker 4:
[48:15] Well, in my line of work, frequently you're asked to stand and do a little turn, so perhaps it would be beneficial for hiring purposes.

Speaker 2:
[48:26] All right. I've changed my mind. I'm going to stand.

Speaker 3:
[48:29] All right.

Speaker 2:
[48:30] I'm going to stand up and walk away from the table and turn back around and go, is here good?

Speaker 3:
[48:35] Do you think it's good?

Speaker 2:
[48:36] I'll go farther and I'll go walk towards the doorway. Does this feel appropriate?

Speaker 3:
[48:40] Do you think it feels appropriate?

Speaker 2:
[48:43] No. I've entered a state of dramatic unease and tension.

Speaker 4:
[48:52] That's fine over there.

Speaker 2:
[48:54] Thank you. I feel as though a set of boundaries and obstacles has been created in psychic space past what I can perceive, and that more failure options have been present than I previously predicted. I'm engaged in a state of panic, anxiety, and fear.

Speaker 4:
[49:10] Oh, there's no need for that, to be honest with you. I think a lot of the Five Houses have quite a lot of those psychic rules and barriers and hoops.

Speaker 2:
[49:20] I am a Septimality, one of the Irina, member of the Septimal Choir. I am engaged in all manner of communications and positive physician work. I am able to heal and apply medicine, both to biological and technological organisms. I also have a suite of abilities that make me an effective communicator, and I'm possessed of electronic intuition. I am able to piece together through ambient missives, and can even take data from encrypted messages without actually bypassing the encrypted nature of those messages, but merely intuit based on a diffused consciousness, what might be the best course of action at any given point in time. I also am a good listener.

Speaker 4:
[50:06] Master of Erics, of course, it is only right and proper that I give you first right of refusal, but I would like to make use of these services of our compatriot here.

Speaker 3:
[50:18] Of course, of course. Beautiful, sweet, well presented. Would you like one space mallow now, or two space mallows in one hour?

Speaker 2:
[50:32] I do not require space mallows. I will gift my space mallows to those that need it more.

Speaker 3:
[50:37] I'm so sorry, Chi. You're hired.

Speaker 2:
[50:40] Oh. Oh, wow. Oh, wow. Hooray.

Speaker 3:
[50:44] I mean, you were already hired via a lie, but let's make it truth. I'm going to pull out my datapad and forward you a one-year contract.

Speaker 2:
[50:53] Great. I'll look at the contract and scan it against a database of approved contract terms for my choir to see if it lines up with a broad template of a range of possible accepted offers.

Speaker 1:
[51:08] I think this is a real fun moment where the sort of like knowledge of these alliances becomes important because, yeah, a standard boilerplate one-year contract for people that you're bringing in as consultants into your service is easy. It's an afterthought. You're ready to go. But you know that pairing with an arena usually comes with a lot of extra to do. It's not just an expense thing. This becomes like a companion. They want and expect land to be offered on their behalf by use by any one of the arena. You're essentially bringing someone into the fold, or you can try to get away with just hiring him as a contractor. But the normal pairing off of an arena offering their service to someone in the five families is usually a much bigger, that's like booing someone up. So this could be a-

Speaker 3:
[52:08] I've offered him something much more casual.

Speaker 1:
[52:11] Yeah, 100 percent.

Speaker 2:
[52:13] Great. So it's an extremely casual offer, and there's no like the arena will be allowed to erect like a techno shrine somewhere.

Speaker 1:
[52:21] 100 percent.

Speaker 2:
[52:21] All right.

Speaker 1:
[52:22] You are offered the most basic like consultant.

Speaker 2:
[52:26] I noticed that we have a mutual option to terminate with 30 minutes notice.

Speaker 3:
[52:30] That's correct.

Speaker 2:
[52:31] Okay. I accept. Thank you.

Speaker 3:
[52:34] Well, you know, I think I found a good one.

Speaker 4:
[52:37] Did you know that the study with the Space Mallows was actually a problem of sample size? They used a culture from a planet where Space Mallows were actually toxic to them?

Speaker 3:
[52:47] No.

Speaker 4:
[52:48] Oh.

Speaker 3:
[52:48] I didn't. I mean, it's just a fun question, and he gave me a fun answer. Seems like a fun guy.

Speaker 1:
[52:56] Excelsial, did you counter-sign the document that was given to you, or is this just a verbal agreement at this point?

Speaker 2:
[53:01] If it seems super, I know it is not a deeply rewarding one in terms of the ideal contract of an arena, as long as it doesn't break any of our internal codes, because the whole thing is it seems pretty casual. It seems like it's basically some paperwork saying, let's see. I think for that, I don't think that would contradict any of our arrangements. It's like it's an open door to maybe get a better agreement later. So I will look at it and go, I accept. Would some celebration be in order?

Speaker 3:
[53:34] I mean, why not?

Speaker 2:
[53:35] Lasers erupt from lights on my body as I begin to really gyrate. They're all for show. They're not hot lasers. They're just and I begin to sort of be jealous.

Speaker 3:
[53:49] Are you jealous?

Speaker 1:
[53:50] Is there music or is it just lights?

Speaker 2:
[53:52] Oh, there's music. It's awesome. Awesome music playing. My pelvis is going crazy. The amount of gears and joints that the hip chassis, as this dance begins to move throughout this space, I have found gainful employment. I have found gainful employment.

Speaker 4:
[54:12] Without breaking eye contact with this wildly gyrating robot, I lean over to Zee and I say, well, while I did give you first right over refusal, would you allow me to perhaps make an offer that he could choose between?

Speaker 3:
[54:36] Gee, what kind of businessman would I be if I did allow you to do that? I just successfully employed this incredible, and what do we call it?

Speaker 2:
[54:48] Robot's good.

Speaker 3:
[54:48] Robot's good? I just successfully employed this incredible robot, and now you're trying to go in, you're trying to split Zee's with me?

Speaker 4:
[54:57] Well, I think he would be the kind of businessman that relied a lot on the largesse of those who consider his name, but you know, you're right. Fair's fair.

Speaker 3:
[55:09] I mean, hey, you want to make me an offer, make me an offer.

Speaker 2:
[55:12] I turn to Chi as my sort of dancing light show stops and I go, a compelling offer would always be considered. After all, we have a mutual option with 30 minutes notice to terminate the agreement.

Speaker 4:
[55:24] That's true. Well, I think that my offer would be, one, a little more bespoke to you and to what Settlmo Choir might desire in a contract. But again, I don't want to step on Master Iverix's toes here.

Speaker 3:
[55:44] Hey, the robot is his own robot.

Speaker 4:
[55:47] How about you get to erect a techno shrine in the town square of Genipar. Should we rest it back from control of the Jemez Octavo?

Speaker 2:
[55:59] Can I calculate the odds of... Can I calculate the odds of she successfully resting back control of Genipar from Jemez Octavo?

Speaker 1:
[56:11] Just give me... Yeah, 100%. Give me a reason role. I'm not going to set the difficulty. The accuracy will be determined by your role.

Speaker 2:
[56:19] Okay. That is a 11.

Speaker 1:
[56:25] Okay. You are reaching for as many variables as you can to try to make this calculation as accurate as it can be. This is a complex set of variables to consider. I think there is maybe a 20% chance of that happening in the next year with things as they are. There are some pretty big signs around with what army and what's the proposed timeline for any of this? How long will it take us to even have an initial conversation? The 20% comes from how charming you've actually seen Chi is in a room, but you have no data on Izzolt or Jemez Okhtov or writ large.

Speaker 2:
[57:12] I actually am going to take this very, I think you see that Excelsior takes this very seriously. Knowing that the paperwork he just got from Z is like getting the business version of getting a text being like, yeah, we can hang out. You know, like it's very, it's very, very low key.

Speaker 4:
[57:28] This is we can get married and have a great prenup for 20% probably.

Speaker 2:
[57:35] I'm gonna look at Chi very seriously and say, you are an extremely gifted orator and leader, a short experience with you has confirmed that for me. There is a possibility of your success in this endeavor even without my aid, but it is an improbability for you to be successful in this endeavor. I do not say that because I wish that to be true. I say it based on an analysis of the factors that are within my view. What I can say is it is not an appropriate remuneration for the level of risk involved in taking the side of someone who has come into the crosshairs, a metaphor of the large families, for the septum required to only receive a shrine in the town square. For a larger endowment and the ability to render future services, specifically to manage some of the data and electronic defenses of Agenipar under your control in the future, I would be more than happy to dedicate myself to you and your cause.

Speaker 4:
[58:39] How about a parlor that is dedicated to your choir and their data gathering of experiences that may come through those doors on Agenipar?

Speaker 2:
[58:51] Oh, access to the experiences of those on Agenipar is an extremely worthy remuneration. I think I'll forward a little technical contract to Chi to observe, which would basically be if this can be non-exclusive to my arrangement with Zadavin. It is literally an offer of me sacrificing my life on behalf of your cause. It is like a full ride thing. I think what is being offered in that is if we have access to the experiential memory logs of your internal systems on Agenipar for the pleasure rooms and people that come in through here and have the ability to set up a dedicated shrine on Agenipar that would be central and that we would have the ability to administer ourselves, you have my full service guaranteed.

Speaker 1:
[59:48] The moment this pops up in front of you, Chi, we're just gonna really push in on you here because I don't know if you have ever known someone that wasn't a high-end client, that has had a dedicated arena with them and for them. This is something that is so wildly outside of the class that even you with all of your monetary wealth, like this is punching way above your weight. And it's right there. I think there's that moment in you that sees a good thing and would run at it, but you want to make sure you check all the angles. This is what has kept you alive for so very, very long. Give me. I'll let you decide if you want it to be reason or will. Difficulty of seven.

Speaker 4:
[60:40] I'll do a will roll. Otherwise, I will sign this immediately.

Speaker 2:
[60:46] Also, can I make a reason roll to see what happens to her odds of getting Jennifer back under her control the next year with my help?

Speaker 1:
[60:54] Yeah, 100 percent.

Speaker 2:
[60:56] Nine.

Speaker 1:
[60:56] Okay. I need you to roll one more time for your quibble consequence.

Speaker 2:
[61:02] The exact same.

Speaker 4:
[61:04] Ten.

Speaker 1:
[61:05] Okay. What you have been asked for in return, Chi, that's nothing to you. It's just data. It is just information loose in the world. He would find it fascinating. It's not useful to you, but he is part of a larger collective and then you think back to what you know of the arena. A hive mind forcibly shattered apart with specific directives to not rebuild that level of unity again. With a 10? Correct. I think there's a little flag at the back of your mind that offering up that much data from your patrons of all walks of life might put you on the radar not of the arena, but those around you in power whose interests are vested in making sure the arena never are able to rebuild their former glory. I don't say this to stop you. His enthusiasm for that is just enough to give you a little bit of pause. But you make your own choices. And who would find out?

Speaker 2:
[62:40] On a 10, what happens to cheese odds if I'm helping?

Speaker 1:
[62:45] If you lend yourself to cheese service, and you are able to maintain your access to the information and potentially resources of one of the five families through Zdavin Virex, cheese odds go to about 67 percent.

Speaker 2:
[63:09] On your datapad, you just get a comment on the legal document that says, by way of good practice, such an acquire never includes odds of satisfactory result within its legal documents. The only thing after all we can promise is our honest effort. I will say, casually, if someone were to ask me to place odds in a betting book, a practice that I know is offered on the wonderful asteroid of Jennifer, I'd put the increased odds of a successful return of ownership at about two and three with my services.

Speaker 1:
[63:49] Chi, you know the head of your game rooms, Tull and Set, would take those odds every day and twice on Sunday.

Speaker 4:
[63:58] I do like knowing the odds. I make some notes on my own datapad, sort of asterisking in a sort of NDA, because it's all right if the choir has that data and it's not necessarily attached to any specific names. Should it get into the hands of truly any other political faction, it would not be good for Jennifer and it would not be worth it.

Speaker 2:
[64:28] Clause comes back faster than the speed of light as a mutual NDA to not disclose our administrative services.

Speaker 1:
[64:38] I think as this back and forth is happening, lightning fast though it is, I am very curious, Zadavid, where's your attention?

Speaker 3:
[64:47] I think Zadavid has laid back and closed his eyes.

Speaker 2:
[64:50] Oh, you don't even care.

Speaker 3:
[64:53] It's a robot and a woman who I guess, it's Space Vegas or runs this. I think Zadavid truly lays back and is like, I think now just like waiting for the hours to pass as they banter back and forth. I think from the place of having heard a thousand times about how the little people will rise up and take back what's theirs, and push off each, you know, push off their masters. And I know Chi has done it before and that's very impressive. But I think this, even this discussion of, of I think there's almost like a, like there's a soft smile on Zadavid's face. I think knowing Isolde and knowing Jemis Octavo, and knowing that they don't fuck around. And if when they air it out, they air it out. But this, I, you know, I like the robot. And when he scribbles on my sunglasses, that's helpful to me. And I think, and I don't know if I'm gonna lose that, but if I do, yeah. So I think there's just kind of a blind hand reaching for the charcuterie plate as I'm laying back and trying to do that thing where you drink water while you're laying down. As soon as like the tone and the candor of Chi taking back, like when Jenna Parr came up, I think it was kind of a like, let's not get in the middle of this one.

Speaker 1:
[66:18] Amazing. Noted.

Speaker 4:
[66:20] And as annotations are going back and forth, you know, at the speed of light, little amused chuckles come from me. Oh. Oh. Very good. All right.

Speaker 1:
[66:33] The important question here is, is a contract like signed and counter-signed before long?

Speaker 4:
[66:39] Yes.

Speaker 2:
[66:40] Yes.

Speaker 1:
[66:41] Okay. And there is no signed and counter-signed document between Excelsi and Ellen.

Speaker 2:
[66:45] The offer was so light that I think I affirmed to it. And I asked for non-exclusivity in the arrangement.

Speaker 4:
[66:50] Right. I'm not in the business of exclusivity specifically when it's something so casual on the side.

Speaker 1:
[66:57] Then confirm. Counter-signed?

Speaker 2:
[66:58] Sure.

Speaker 1:
[66:58] Perfect. I just have to decide who knows what little bit about what as documents get signed. Perfect.

Speaker 3:
[67:05] I think it is a consulting agreement as an outside informant. I don't think there is the idea that there is like a mutual. This is you work for Averix Enterprise. We will tap you when we meet you. Yeah.

Speaker 2:
[67:17] Perfect.

Speaker 3:
[67:18] That's it.

Speaker 2:
[67:19] Great.

Speaker 3:
[67:20] I think there is no world in which you working for somebody else is like, oh no, no, no.

Speaker 2:
[67:25] Yeah. Incredible. As the other agreements get counter-signed, I immediately put out an encrypted missive to the Septimal Choir to let them just know that these arrangements should be archived in the event of my destruction. As soon as I have a moment where I clasp my hands together, my irises glow very white as a direct anti-satellite, a pure missive across the stars, shoots out and then to job day. It's a two job day, double job day, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1:
[68:02] It's a testament to how much trust there is for Zee specifically, that whatever room you're in is so soundproofed that the laser disco show of two job day and the previous banger, I Got a Job, did not bleed through and cause anyone to come in and check on you.

Speaker 2:
[68:22] I think I go into a three-point push up, one hand, two legs, and I'm just gyrating, lasers on the ground, two job day, nothing better than a job.

Speaker 4:
[68:31] This is quite catchy.

Speaker 1:
[68:35] G, as you throw it back along, Zee, you get a quick little notification on your datapad that a signing bonus, something to the order of $40,000 has been offered to you for making a connection with an arena. It's signed from your mother. That's just well done, sweetie. Hope you're having a good time.

Speaker 3:
[69:00] I turn off my phone.

Speaker 1:
[69:05] So yeah, that idea that you are always monitored, even in your most casual of agreements.

Speaker 3:
[69:11] Of course. I mean, it's all in the family business.

Speaker 1:
[69:15] 100%. You have a few hours left before you reach Karueda. Is there anything that holds your attention, or are you just resting?

Speaker 2:
[69:27] I think once that's signed and I see that Z is lying back, I'll look at you and say, my lord, might I fan you?

Speaker 3:
[69:35] Can we change the dynamic?

Speaker 2:
[69:37] Yes.

Speaker 3:
[69:38] Can we bring it down to like, friends, partners?

Speaker 2:
[69:42] Sure. My man, you want to get fanned or you good?

Speaker 3:
[69:47] My man, I'm good on fan.

Speaker 2:
[69:49] You got it. I'll turn and sit next to Chi and I'll put my hands on my knees.

Speaker 1:
[69:56] Sorry, I'm losing my mind. It's okay. I'm so neutral. I'm the most neutral GM there's ever been.

Speaker 2:
[70:03] I will. I'll turn to Chi and I'll sit, put my hands on my knees. Everything's right angles, except for my neck, which kind of does this little curve of like a Mr. Rodgers-y like check-in. As I go like, Ms. Tanka, I would love to know as much information as you would be willing to share about the nature of Jennifer, its history, its needs, its wants, its struggles, and the benefit of its people to which you are their primary caretaker and leader. Everything that you tell me will be kept in strictest confidence, but will be information I can use in the execution of my tasks and responsibilities to your service. I want to know your fight and how we might win it.

Speaker 4:
[70:49] Especially in front of Zidane, I give him all of the basic things that you might be able to find on any public forum about Jennifer, about its population, about the primary exports, sin, about the exciting and thrilling tale of its inception in Telegen Park and of the glorious uprising of the people.

Speaker 2:
[71:17] As you are giving me public information, I think after a while I'm able to put an algorithm together that I'm being given what is obvious. But I will say, do you make the joke to me specifically that your export is sin?

Speaker 4:
[71:32] Yes.

Speaker 2:
[71:32] I go, ha ha ha ha ha. Of course, we know that's not true.

Speaker 4:
[71:40] Really?

Speaker 2:
[71:41] No. Nothing that is offered on Jennifer is sinful.

Speaker 4:
[71:47] Right. Well, here's a little something between you and me, is that if everything is allowed, then it's not as fun.

Speaker 3:
[71:56] I heard that.

Speaker 2:
[72:00] I don't share that perspective, but I can glean through cultural information why that would be so. Regressive and reactionary human forces have often sought to impede those urges which are healthy and primal. And in so doing, a transgressive adaptive response might blossom in those who understand how best to satisfy their own needs. That being said, whenever I have engaged in activities of a pleasurable nature, it has been my heart's greatest desire to know that somewhere, far distant, I am doing what I should and something knows it.

Speaker 4:
[72:44] Something? The rest of your choir?

Speaker 2:
[72:48] Yes.

Speaker 4:
[72:49] Hmm. That's nice.

Speaker 2:
[72:51] I think so. Put plainly, I think it is part of a divine plan to get off.

Speaker 4:
[73:01] I would like to explore any pamphlets you might have about the choir and their teachings.

Speaker 2:
[73:08] No. We are not an evangelical or a proselytory organization. There is no need for you to feel that there is any persuasion coming from me. I merely meant to grow closer by sharing some of my internal life with you. I only meant to react to you saying that your export was sin, to say that I think the only sinful thing in this world is extremity, by which I mean distance, moving away from others.

Speaker 4:
[73:37] You know, that was a bit tongue-in-cheek, my expression there. Nothing really is forbidden. You know, it's on a long enough timeline what is transgressive changes. But yes, I think that everything that we do in Jennifer does its best to bring everyone closer together, closer to one another, closer to some sort of a spiritual feeling that I think others get from other activities.

Speaker 2:
[74:16] I feel the exact same way and would be delighted to be as close as you'd like. And may I say, by way of compliment, I found the people of Jennifer to be very adept at putting tongues in cheeks.

Speaker 4:
[74:31] Thank you. Another subset of our export.

Speaker 1:
[74:35] You continue along. You have a few more hours of flight. Is there anything beyond getting to know each other?

Speaker 3:
[74:42] I think I would roll over and I'll ask you first.

Speaker 1:
[74:46] Yeah.

Speaker 3:
[74:47] You spoke about Isolde as being like a cousin or someone I see at parties and such. What's my overall vibe on her?

Speaker 1:
[74:55] Yes. No role required. Isolde is less of a cousin situation and more of a, again, at this scale of caste system, you are one of thousands that carry your last name. You are one of only a couple hundred trints within your family. There is something about the very specialness of you and your importance within your family. That makes you important to all five families. And within that cohort, everyone that is of an age, which is again, maybe a high school's worth of people in any given time that are within plus or minus two or three years of everyone's age, that maybe you will be used down the line for like political alliances and the joining and bridging of families. In the same way that you are pulled constantly for political gain, the fact that you were sort of forced into this cohort means that like all of the nastiness and maybe you'll date and like this is just part of the group of you that will be leadership of these five families in the next couple decades. So you're all meant to know each other quite well. And Isolde specifically, and this was from such a young age that you cannot imagine that like she was too conniving as a younger child, that she just took a shine to you early. And you guys were like sort of fast like play friends. So whenever there was like a big party and you were all dropped off in like the kids wing of this like a great manner, she would be the first one to like find you, grab you, start a game that would rally everyone else. So I think she's got like older sister, older cousin vibes in that way. But the actual placement of you all is neither going to be enemies or really close. Like all of our political machinations will be smoothed by your pre-existing relationship. So she's just one of the closest inside of like your age cohort across these five families.

Speaker 3:
[77:14] Okay, got it. Personality wise, in our most recent interactions, where is she on the spectrum of like conniving to like, you know, no one's soft, but I think a little bit more straightforward. Where does she land?

Speaker 1:
[77:31] There's definitely like soft and kind and like, she's blunt to everyone, but goes out of her way to like preserve when enough doors are closed, like still kind of treats you like her little brother and like the person that rallies people. But you know that her personality outside of those doors is increasingly cold and sharp, that she is grooming herself for like heavy leadership and in doing so is beginning to isolate herself away from your like couple thousand people cohort as you're going to follow me, we're not all peers anymore.

Speaker 3:
[78:10] Got it.

Speaker 1:
[78:11] And you're beginning like to see that pull away. But the idea that she would be a part of pulling off this kind of coup and go out of her way to go like, go get my boy out.

Speaker 3:
[78:20] Yes. I think I'm going to while laying back, I think just kind of roll over on my stomach, look over at Chi. Have you met Isolde?

Speaker 4:
[78:29] I have never had the pleasure, no.

Speaker 3:
[78:31] Yeah, she doesn't really do the fun stuff.

Speaker 4:
[78:35] That's a shame.

Speaker 3:
[78:36] Hey, I've tried. I've invited her. She just doesn't want to come.

Speaker 4:
[78:42] Well, then what interest does she have in Jennifer if she's not interested in our lifestyle?

Speaker 3:
[78:48] Oh, I mean, if I had to guess, it's probably for what's to come. It's about moving things around, what she could get for Jennifer. I mean, I speak very highly of it. So I'm sure she sees it as valuable.

Speaker 4:
[79:04] Ah, yes.

Speaker 3:
[79:07] But I don't know, just word to the wise, be straight with her. She doesn't like the dance. Oh.

Speaker 4:
[79:15] Well, that's somewhat refreshing.

Speaker 3:
[79:18] Yeah.

Speaker 4:
[79:19] Is that why you two get on?

Speaker 3:
[79:21] Uh, no, we just kind of grew up together. And I don't know, I think we were just fast friends. She was my first kiss.

Speaker 4:
[79:30] Oh.

Speaker 2:
[79:32] Congratulations.

Speaker 3:
[79:33] Oh, I mean, a while ago. Oh. Yeah.

Speaker 2:
[79:37] Congratulations belatedly.

Speaker 3:
[79:38] Oh, well, still thanks.

Speaker 4:
[79:40] One's first kiss is always worth celebrating. You also strike me as someone who is not fond of the dance.

Speaker 3:
[79:48] No, I actually, I like it a lot. I mean, even this part, in getting pulled, like, I don't know, I'm looking forward to a few days. I mean, Jennifer was a blast and I was having a good time, but it'll be nice to be kind of around people again.

Speaker 2:
[80:04] You have an instinct that Jennifer is likely being taken by the Gemma Soctavo, not for their own edification, but for being flipped, used as currency.

Speaker 3:
[80:13] Probably.

Speaker 2:
[80:14] Fascinating. I wonder if they're aware of a buyer.

Speaker 3:
[80:16] I would know about the Dorale.

Speaker 2:
[80:17] Yes.

Speaker 3:
[80:19] This whole Dorale thing has got people really, I think, starting to set their pieces up on the board.

Speaker 2:
[80:27] It's interesting. I wonder if the Gemma Soctavo are interested in Jennifer as a currency because they have a buyer or not.

Speaker 3:
[80:37] Good question.

Speaker 2:
[80:38] Is there anything that I can research wise to see? Because it's an interesting point, right? Of basically all the little fish are getting gobbled up by big fish because a new stage of the great dance of galactic politics is opening up. So I'm wondering because seizing an asset is something you either do because you know immediately how you're going to put it into play or because it's like a loose pond hanging on a board and somebody should grab it and maybe it's easy for you to grab it. Can I make some kind of intuitive check to see if this play or even reaching out to a broader arena network to be like, does this feel like a bigger-

Speaker 4:
[81:24] Have you seen a listing for Jennifer lately?

Speaker 2:
[81:28] Yeah. Or like, is there something where Jemma Saktawa is going to grab it because something they are interested in is being held by a faction that would like a pleasure asteroid?

Speaker 1:
[81:38] Yeah. Let's make it a will roll instead of reason. I think this isn't like a fact to know, but something to intuit from political moves that have been happening. We'll say the difficulty is a seven.

Speaker 2:
[81:50] Great. Seven.

Speaker 1:
[81:52] Perfect. Yeah. In the sort of setting up of The Great Game, everyone is beginning to move to a table that's being set. It's called the DiRali. It's made of a Dyson swarm around your star specifically.

Speaker 2:
[82:12] Yeah.

Speaker 1:
[82:12] Everyone's about to come to the table to declare that peace and the maintenance of boundaries is of what most import for peace and prosperity across the galaxy. That means you have to walk in with your bag full already, so you don't fight once the meeting starts. JenaParr is a pawn in a corner that's hanging at the edge of the board because it was to be a little thing at the edge of the board that no one would bother with. But it's just important enough, just lucrative enough, just fun enough, that it would make a lovely little gem in the diadem of one of the five families to have it under their control. So when they walk into that meeting, anyone-

Speaker 2:
[83:00] And also, if you want, I can do sex stuff at your pleasure house.

Speaker 4:
[83:04] Delightful.

Speaker 2:
[83:06] Yes.

Speaker 1:
[83:08] In the middle of you thinking about chess boards.

Speaker 2:
[83:10] As I'm going like galactic politics. Oh, one more thing. I can do sex stuff. Oh, wonderful.

Speaker 4:
[83:15] Oh, yes. Absolutely.

Speaker 2:
[83:16] But that's on the table. And if you like, on the table. Hello.

Speaker 4:
[83:22] Please use that when you're pitching yourself.

Speaker 2:
[83:26] Humor is part of my service.

Speaker 1:
[83:29] So yeah, you are aware of the idea that Jennifer is easy to be snapped up and everyone with the resources to do a bit of light imperialism on the way to the meeting is doing so.

Speaker 2:
[83:43] I will fold my arms and look over at Chi and say of benefit and utility is the information that given the movements across public broadcast of various military actions taken by the five families in the lead up to the opening of the Durali, I do believe that Jinnapar has been caught up in, metaphorically speaking, a deep ocean trawler rather than spearfishing.

Speaker 4:
[84:14] The trick is to become successful enough that you have agency and freedom and no more because then you can get caught up in the net. As we're discussing this, I think Go Bag B has everything that might be needed for the diplomatic meetings that I've been having lately.

Speaker 1:
[84:40] A suit.

Speaker 4:
[84:41] A suit, yes, my power suit.

Speaker 1:
[84:43] A sensible heel.

Speaker 4:
[84:44] A sensible heel, everything that would be proper. I think that there are capsules with a different outfit that would be appropriate for each family, should it come to that.

Speaker 1:
[84:58] Fascinating, I love that. Amazing. As you're sort of mentally going over your go-bag and figuring out what you want to do and say and how best to.

Speaker 4:
[85:08] Right, I think I am popping open the capsule with the Gemma Soctavo capsule set. And starting to put it on.

Speaker 1:
[85:16] Oh yeah, I guess if you were not aware that you're not on your way specifically to Azult right now, the jumper. So you are changing. I think by the time you finish changing, you notice something that everyone has noticed. It's been close to five hours. And though there was never a lot of system noise for the ship, you are all aware that the hum under your feet has stopped. You're no longer in motion. But no one comes to the door. Also, did you just change in front of everyone? Yeah.

Speaker 3:
[85:51] It's fine. We've been in space Vegas for the last couple of days.

Speaker 1:
[85:57] Fair.

Speaker 2:
[85:58] I'm naked all the time. But if you want to dress me, you can.

Speaker 1:
[86:04] I hate that Erika and I made the same face at the same fucking time. Look at my butt. It was on the little robot.

Speaker 4:
[86:10] I love you. I love you.

Speaker 1:
[86:11] You can play anything on the robot, okay?

Speaker 3:
[86:15] I'm going to notice that the system's geared down an appropriate amount of time for us to have arrived.

Speaker 1:
[86:22] Actually, maybe a little long now that you think about it.

Speaker 4:
[86:25] Hmm.

Speaker 3:
[86:27] I'm going to take a deep pull on some kind of vape, vaporizing device, blood, a massive cloud. Oh, I think we should be there. I'm going to bang on the door. Can I come and go freely from this space or can I, or is it more appropriate to knock?

Speaker 1:
[86:50] I don't think you have any sense of you were not, like you were offered a room, you were not stuck in a room.

Speaker 3:
[86:56] Great.

Speaker 1:
[86:56] I'll even say though, as you like release that cloud from your vape, the air circulation system is off. This ship is off. Oh.

Speaker 3:
[87:07] I'm going to pop open the door. Stick a head out.

Speaker 1:
[87:15] You stick your head out and see. It's a little, you have a better like straight shot into the like pilot, like the cockpit and you see blood splattered across the window.

Speaker 3:
[87:26] I'm going to close the door again.

Speaker 1:
[87:30] Are we here?

Speaker 2:
[87:34] Oh, something's gone horribly wrong. Oh, great. I would like to look at different vents or other areas of egress from this room other than the door that was just opened.

Speaker 1:
[87:44] Okay. Go ahead and give me a reason role. We'll call the difficulty six.

Speaker 2:
[87:51] Quibble.

Speaker 1:
[87:55] Yeah, there are like, this is not a particularly like customized ship. There are vents over and around that can get you like back towards storage areas where you would maybe be able to like pry open where they would load in the, yeah, you don't have to, you don't have to interact with the like main doors if you don't want to. It will be uncomfortable and moderately physically difficult.

Speaker 2:
[88:23] I am going to look around, look up at one of those vents that has now kind of gone quiet. And I'm going to look up, by the way, I realized in an earlier episode, I said I had metal bottoms of my feet. That's crazy, I have rubber. They're rubber, they're like built-in sneakers. Yeah. They're crazy to have metal bottoms of your feet. I'm going to look around and go like producing alternative egress options and leap up, grab the air vent and produce a wrench. I have advantage on rolls for like, I'm a wrench, which is my hustle. So like making or repairing things. And I would just like to screwdriver off the air vent. A great opening for us to be able to make an egress from this place.

Speaker 4:
[89:04] While he's doing that, I sigh and start changing out of my sensible heel and back into my utility clothes. Are you all right, Master of Eurex?

Speaker 3:
[89:16] Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. It's just, you know, have to reset and reframe. We supposed to climb in there?

Speaker 2:
[89:25] I'm producing egress options.

Speaker 4:
[89:28] Is that motive? Is the door not open to us?

Speaker 3:
[89:32] There's just blood all over the cockpit.

Speaker 2:
[89:36] I'm going to look around. Do we have a shower in this little, like, waiting room in here?

Speaker 1:
[89:40] Not in here, but you would know that wherever, like, if there was a little shower area or a cleanup area, this might not be a ship that, like, has a bunch of, like, overnight capabilities, but there's probably one farther back.

Speaker 2:
[89:52] Okay, so I'm going to say no shower, so we can't escape through plumbing, but we can get through this air vent, or I can go out there and sacrifice my life for you to make a run for it.

Speaker 4:
[90:05] I don't, did you see what caused the blood?

Speaker 2:
[90:08] No.

Speaker 4:
[90:08] Then I don't know that either of those will be necessary. I pop up in the door and I poke my head out again.

Speaker 2:
[90:15] I'm going to, as you do that, I'm going to grab your shoulder and say, I want to raise a possible risk profile for popping our head out. In general, popping one's head out. Let me pop my head out. It's very important that you survive and I'm going to give you a pat on the shoulder.

Speaker 4:
[90:32] Oh, thank you.

Speaker 2:
[90:33] I'm going to pop my head out.

Speaker 1:
[90:34] You pop your head out. You see what Zee saw, which is no movement in the cockpit. It is covered in blood.

Speaker 3:
[90:42] I'm going to pop my head out as well. See, blood everywhere.

Speaker 2:
[90:45] My man, please don't pop your head out. My head can be blown off and everything will be okay.

Speaker 3:
[90:51] You don't tell me what to do. I'm going to walk out. I'm going to walk towards the cockpit.

Speaker 1:
[90:55] Yeah, you walk towards the cockpit.

Speaker 2:
[90:56] My man, your head.

Speaker 4:
[90:58] I also pop my head out.

Speaker 1:
[91:00] Yeah, okay. There are three beautiful little heads popping out of this room all stacked.

Speaker 4:
[91:07] Master of Eurex.

Speaker 3:
[91:08] I'm going just to establish the pecking order. The robot said I couldn't leave the room. I'm leaving the goddamn room. I'm going to walk up and look at the bodies.

Speaker 1:
[91:18] 100%. You walk up and again, head on a swivel, you look down the corridor.

Speaker 3:
[91:23] Yeah. I'm not dumb.

Speaker 1:
[91:24] You're not dumb. There's more blood that way. You haven't heard a sound other than you all quibbling about the robot allowing people to go in and out.

Speaker 3:
[91:32] I don't think the robot is quibbling. All right.

Speaker 1:
[91:34] Fair enough. You get to the cockpit. Two dead bodies shot cleanly in the head and chest. Professional double tap.

Speaker 4:
[91:47] From behind, from through the view screen.

Speaker 1:
[91:51] Are you like right up there with Z?

Speaker 4:
[91:53] I'm following behind him and I can see at least into the cockpit. I'm not examining them.

Speaker 1:
[92:00] Well, before, it takes a little bit of CSI ability to figure out trajectories and the lining up of a kill shot. Right now, what you see is two dead soldiers. And what's maybe taking a little more of your mental bandwidth instead of putting together the death of these two, is that written in finger across blood on the window is, lean in, there's a fucking mole. Good luck.

Speaker 3:
[92:37] That was Erika Ishii as Chi-Tanka, Brennan Lee Mulligan as Excelsiel, Lou Wilson as Zedava Navirix, and Aabria Iyengar as Everyone and Everything Else. Solari is produced by Worlds Beyond Number, edited and sound designed by Big Giant Head Productions, and scored by Will Savino. For even more stories like this, join us on our Patreon. We'll see you by the fireside.