SynTECC SynTECC was once a modest company that started out in the United States on Earth. It started its business developing simple prosthetics for humans designed to simulate the appearance of natural body parts. Its name was a not-so-subtle reference to their specialty in synthetic human body parts and their goal was "to create a symbiotic relationship between man and machine." If a veteran lost his leg to a land mine, SynTECC sought to replace the lost leg with a prosthetic that not only looked natural, but felt natural. SynTECC Synthetic Prosthetics [SynPro] SynTECC's early prosthetics were pure white in color, but were designed to mimic the exact shape of a normal human body part. In this case, the missing leg. These prosthetics are custom-made. This right leg model, designed after a military veteran's, was created from a 3D model based on 3D scans of the veteran's opposite leg. These prosthetics were recreated to fit the exact shape and 3D Printed using a series of microfibers weaved in the same pattern as human muscle fibers, fat, and flesh. This allowed the prosthetic body parts to look, feel, and function identically to real ones. Early models struggled with the inability to grow like real body parts, however, leading to problems where, as a client gains weight, the prosthetic may become damaged or no longer function as intended. Consequently, all prosthetics came with an expiration date by which the client was expected to return to SynTECC in order to have the leg re-evaluated and cleaned or replaced. Over time, SynTECC improved the prosthetic's ability to bond with the human body. They could now receive nutritional value the same way a real leg would, allowing them to store and burn real fat at the same rate as the rest of the client's body. Routine cleanings were still necessary, but by this point, the prosthetics were near-indistinguishable from real limbs. As R&D continued, SynTECC began bonding the limbs with even more of the human body, allowing the limbs to be attached to the blood stream in order to create an organic pulse and warmth. They were even able to connect to the nervous system in order to allow the prosthetic's user to feel with them. They also began releasing in flesh tones as opposed to the standard white they previously appeared in. These factors started to become appealing to people outside of those looking for prosthetic limbs. Many saw promise in the ability to make adjustments to their body. Perfect skin, slimmer or thicker builds, more muscle, some even inquired about purely aesthetic aspects of the human body such as hair and facial features. SynTECC Aesthetic Prosthetics [SynAP] Eventually, SynTECC began to took into these requests and started to provide services allowing clients to replace their perfectly-healthy body parts with their synthetic counterparts. This decision was not met without heavy legal scrutiny, however, and for many years, it was exceedingly difficult to qualify for this program. The process was incredibly expensive as it involved not only the needless amputation of healthy limbs, but also development of the prosthetic to the desired specifications as well. Needless to say, this process wasn't very appealing to most at the time of its initial release. However, there were still particularly wealthy individuals, especially women, who sought the service to beautify themselves, but this interest wasn't enough to maintain production. Years later, however, as technology improved and the procedure became easier to complete, celebrities' began to utilize the service in order to restore their youthful figures from years prior. This was primarily done for films but soon caught on in other forms of pop culture such as pop idols and commercial models who sought to immortalize their youthful beauty. These aesthetics offered the promise that anyone could have the body type they desired without the requirement of working out or dieting. As technology continued to improve and prices began to decrease, popularity in these procedures continued to skyrocket, drawing the attention of not only thousands of new clients, but also thousands more critics who heavily criticized the company for objectifying women and discouraging body positivity. Many impoverished people were shamed for not being able to afford the prosthetics, and minors who were not old enough to receive the prosthetics also struggled with much harsher bullying, as they now had even more unfair beauty standards to compete with. SynTECC's marketing frequently targeted young adult women with the promise of being able to obtain their ideal body which was presented most often as a slim build with large breasts. They were frequently accused of preying on women's insecurities about their bodies and pressuring them into getting prosthetic surgery to transform their body into the stereotypical "ideal woman" as opposed to inspiring uniqueness and diversity in body types. SynTECC's statement against these criticisms was that their prosthetics could be custom-made to fit any body type and skin tone desired by the client, and even applied to men as well. But the body types requested were most often the types of measurements depicted in commercial marketing. Other critics questioned the ethics of making a business out of amputating limbs purely for aesthetic. The field was still relatively new and many were concerned about the potential ramifications and health issues. SynTECC wasn't able to provide much in response to this other than assuring the public that, as with any procedure, these operations do assume some level of risk, but that there has never been a single incident in the process. They advise that their synthetics only be used if one genuinely needed an amputation first, though they continued to operate on thousands of clients who only wanted to look more attractive. As diversity continued to expand through genetic experimentation and space exploration, SynTECC also proceeded to expand their options of aesthetics to appeal to other species outside of humans. Once again calling ethics into question as now people could theoretically imitate the appearance of other species entirely! On the flipside, it was also now possible for humans to have access to features like natural cat ears and tails without the need of dangerous genetic experimentation. Beyond that, people were no longer limited to what was possible by DNA manipulation and the imagination was the limit. Independent artists could even design their own body parts to be attached to their bodies wherever they pleased. By this point, SynTECC's aesthetics no longer required amputation but could be extensions to the body as well. This helped to lighten up many of the company's criticisms, though the majority of critics continued to hold fast on their arguments about the ethics of the company as a whole. SynTECC Synthetic Intelligence [SynTel] As criticisms grew heavier over SynTECC's aesthetic division, the company decided to branch out into a new industry in order to improve public relations. This time, they saw a future in robotics and created a division focused on R&D in the robotics department. This department originally focused on creating robots capable of processing information using near-identical problem-solving behaviors observed in humans. These machines were capable of operating with the endurance and precision of a computer, but were carefully programmed to avoid becoming stuck in logic-loops. However, early models were restricted to very simple tasks. Consequently, they were primarily only used in factory industries. As expected, however, technology improved overtime and the precision of these robotics became appealing for other industries such as in hospitals, forensic science, and even the military! As the robotics division began to grow and branch out into these industries, SynTECC once again drew the ire of the public which was now beginning to fear that SynTECC was getting too comfortable with creating robots for so many situations. Many feared this would be the sign of an android takeover as these robots edged closer and closer to sentience. The US Government was quick to pass the laws of robotics which all artificial intelligence would be required to comply with. These laws are typical with those of science fiction: A robot must never cause harm, or, by inaction, allow harm to be caused, to a human being. SynTECC Synthetic Commercial Assistant [SynCA] Perhaps SynTECC's greatest leap toward success, and greatest source of public fear, criticism, and scrutiny, was the culmination of everything the company had accomplished: The Synthetic Commercial Assistant. These were fully humanoid androids which combined the technology from SynTECC's prosthetic limbs with the artificial intelligence of their Robotics division. The intention behind the SCA was to help build planet Earth toward a utopia in which humans no longer had to do work and could delegate all of their tasks toward these androids. The androids themselves were designed to be capable of doing anything and everything a human was capable of doing. Though they still struggled with complex logic, allowing them, for now, only to be used in professional environments and surrounded by human experts, the intention was that these SCAs would evolve one day into machines capable of entirely automating the world's work force. Finally allowing all of humankind to relax and live in luxury. While the first models of SCA were incredible feats of technology, they generated about as much blowback as one might expect. The elderly feared impending doom for humanity while the youthful were far more accepting of the new direction SynTECC was trying to bring humanity. They often accused those who were reluctant to accept the new direction as being stuck in the past and refusing to accept that a solution has been found to requiring humanity to work like slaves to pay off debt after debt. Still, there was no sign of government structure changing anytime soon, so many feared that these machines would, at the very least and in the forseeable future, begin to take over the workforce and eliminate job positions left and right. Aside from shape, these robots were intentionally designed to avoid any semblance of personality or unique traits that might make them sympathetic for humans. This was done so that people wouldn't grow concerned with lumping all of their tasks onto the robots. The SCA were purely marketed as machines designed to do jobs no human wanted to. They began being used for commercial purposes in limited numbers and primarily in high-cost industries such as hospitals. As time went on, complaints rolled in that the blank faces of the SCAs scared children and left many patients feeling uncomfortable, so SynTECC began making efforts to reverse their decision to make the SCA appear less human-like and started to give the SCA more human-like features so that they would be easier to trust. Children were especially easy to scare, so efforts were made to create models catered specifically for children that emulated the appearance and personalities of popular cartoon characters, but this only further amplified the uncanny valley and the licensing required proved too cost inefficient, so the concept was scrapped. Instead, they opted to program newer models of SCA that simulated empathy by constantly reading the face and body language of their clients. Their behavior would be adjusted accordingly in order to ensure the client is most at ease. Still, SynTECC insisted that the SCA continue to remain pale white as opposed to reflecting human flesh colors like their prosthetics in order to avoid any sort of racial connotation. SynTECC Synthetic Personal Assistant [SynPA] As SCAs became more commonplace, demand among the wealthy began to rise for SCAs to be created for private use. Thus, development on the Synthetic Personal Assistant began. The design of initial models for the SPA were incredibly divisive. As this was a variation of the SCA for private use, many more safety measures would have to be put in place to prevent misuse and liability issues down the line. SynTECC also knew their critics would not appreciate the creation of a new type of robot removing even housework as a potential source of income. The SPAs were initially given extremely plain-looking designs not unlike the ones used for their SCAs to once again avoid any sort of racial connotation. Also, in order to save face with the anticipated blowback, they also promised a male variant would be in the works shortly after the release of the female design. The SPA was designed with the intention of being a personal assistant capable of helping its client around the house. It's capable of performing routine behaviors and now has a variety of new behaviors designed to make them appear more lifelike with the intention of seamlessly blending in with human life. The initial model, known as Model Zero, was pretty heavily panned by consumers who complained the robot wasn't capable of performing the basic tasks advertised. Furthermore, the SPA's design was also frequently made fun of for looking too much like a mannequin and not at all humanlike. Going back to the drawing board, SynTECC improved the SPA's artificial intelligence further for their next model. Implementing a system in which the SPA would respond to commands and criticisms and respond accordingly. It was also designed to utilize the empathy system of the SCA in order to create a profile for their owner to be stored and recalled for easier recollection of the user's desires and interests. This would help the SPA to suggest more efficient alternatives that are more likely to be approved and thus gain more customer satisfaction. The SPA was also given a drastic redesign. This time, the machine's design was directly modeled after a real-world supermodel. The SPA was also given a name to make it more appealing to speak with. The name they settled on was "Synthia". Thus, this would be known as the "Synthia Model". Of course, criticism for the Synthia model once again ran rampant across the public. Many once again complained about the objectification and oversexualization of female houseservants and raised concerns that most people buying these machines were really only after the concept of being able to "own" a life-like woman. Despite the criticism, however, SynTECC was still making billions of dollars in profits across their many industries, and this one was proving especially marketable. As promised, SynTECC also soon followed with a design modeled after a real-world male model. This model of SPA was known as "Robert." Functionally, Robert was identical to Synthia though with a masculine voice as opposed to Synthia's feminine one. In spite of the constant criticism, the Synthia model began to sell rapidly and the popularity of SPAs grew wildly. Over time, they quickly became a household item. The SPA began to go over many optimizations over the years and was given further updates to security in order to protect user information as well as offering more diversity in designs. Now, customers can customize their own SPA with various skin tones, hairstyles, body types, etc. Female models would all go by the name "Synthia" while male models would go by the name "Robert". All SPAs, even earlier models, could be renamed to anything the user wants. ----------------------- As communications with other cultures beyond the limits of Earth were established, slowly but surely SPAs were introduced to alien cultures as well, with many complications. Many alien cultures had difficulty differentiating between SPAs and real humans and often stereotyped the appearance of human beings as mere obedient slaves to be bought and sold. Of course, there are also cultural boundaries which had to be taken into account. Concerns with intergalactic relations have also barred SynTECC from creating SPAs resembling any race besides humans and humans with attachments. However, there is nothing stopping homebrewers from modifying an existing SPA to resemble an alien race. An unfortuante consequence of the realism that SPAs have acquired is that it has led to an increase in sex trafficking, as many real men and women are bought and sold under the guise of being an "SPA." Traditional postal service has ways to verify a real SPA from a human using a verification chip weaved into the skin of an SPA, but this cannot be applied to direct, in-person shipping. All SCAs and SPAs have a hidden control panel that can be directly accessed by SynTECC employees. The control panel is also accessible more directly in SCAs so that company management can adjust settings, but out of concerns for abuse in private locations, the SPA must be taken to a SynTECC store to be adjusted. This control panel allows the SCA or SPA to be completely reset or to have their data directly tweaked or modified to remove undesirable memories or behaviors. In order to access this control panel, a tiny key must be inserted into a near-invisible hole hidden in various locations depending on the model. In addition to adjusting an SPA's settings, an SPA's owner can also send their SPA in for re-customization if they desire a new aesthetic. Naturally, there is a rapidly rising controversy surrounding SynTECC and their more recent products for a variety of reasons. From security and privacy concerns to concerns of ethics and social justice, it's just all par for the course for the direction SynTECC has chosen to take their company. The success they've been able to reach with their goal of creating a Utopia where humanity can live while SCAs do all the work is questionable. In fact, SCAs seem to have only forced many humans away from Earth to seek work elsewhere in places SCAs aren't so openly tolerated. In addition, in an effort to amplify SPA's appeal to the public, they've all been given the ability to develop emulated personalities and emotions. Seeing these androids respond dynamically to their surroundings has led many to question the ethics of forcing these androids to do so much work. They've exhibited a desires to live, have fun, and explore new places. Many consider it cruel to leave them confined to a home. Many others, however, just view them as household appliances no different than a smart phone or computer and often taunt those who express concerns over ethics by accusing them of developing feelings for a computer. All in all, it's no secret that many believe SynTECC to be responsible for much more harm than good, but they don't seem too terribly likely to be stopped anytime soon. At the very least, their variety of products are certainly enjoyed by many regardless of any controversy surrounding them.

Well, I was going to try and finally get around to filling out Sheila's character profile, but now I'm at a bit of a loss as to which direction I want to write for her... I'm not sure if I want to explore the direction of her as an SPA who simply cannot fight her programming that requires her to obey the commands of her rightful owner, or if I want to write her as an abandoned old model that's been picked up by homebrew programmers for more screwed up sexual fantasy exploration since, y'know, traumatizing a robot isn't against the law. I want this character to represent the disparity between the way people treat technology and people by essentially personifying technology so that it's a person being treated the way technology would be treated. That could go two directions: One, a perfectly lawful person just utilizing the service in possibly unintended but not necessarily wrong ways, or two, a clear villain who just sees her as easy money on the black market by throwing a bunch of modifications onto her to turn her into a broken sex slave. If the latter, I'm also back and forth as to whether she should be more of a one-and-done bought and sold deal, or if she should be a prostitute gathering money for a singular master. Perhaps a part of a brothel full of SPAs just like her... In all honesty, I could probably make other SPA characters that are more default and make Sheila a special case. I think that'll probably be the direction I go with this now that I've put it into words, but I've gotta give it some more thought for a bit.

Anwyn winched as the shuttle trembled around them, as if it was about to shake itself apart. That thought was likely to stop anyone from ever stepping foot in a shuttle ever again. But Anwyn was not someone that allowed herself to be frightened so easily. Even so, the shriek of protesting metal was unnerving and seemed to go straight through her. Her hands clenched on the hand bars as her jaw tightened, trying not to flinch at the grumbling sounds that the ship was giving off. She had never been on a ship like this before, but then with the amount of cargo that they were carrying it was not surprising that the ship was being rebellious. The kind of weight that was now pressing down was screwing everything up. She looked up when she heard the voice of her new ‘Master’, the professor that had accepted her on this exhibition. She couldn’t help but to grin slightly at his comment about rim pilots. Her chuckle was lost in the sound of another metallic shriek, and when it died down she said, “Every time.” She pressed herself back into her seat, allowing the straps to keep her firmly in place which was a good thing, as the deeper they penetrated the atmosphere of the planet, the more the ship shook and grumbled. She kept her gaze fixed on the professor, which helped keep her grounded as she felt even her seat vibrating. She was glad that she was not a heavy eater, and glad that she did not get motion sick. Otherwise that would be deeply embarrassing. The last thing she wanted was to embarrass herself in front of the professor. She was very excited to being on this exhibition. It seemed to grab at her interest the moment she read it and she had worked hard to be the one that accompanied the professor.

He wanted to vomit. Red lights circled and cyclically illuminated the brave face Harry tried to put on. Tight lips and a scrunched face gave him away, though. He hated shuttles. The craft yawed and the restraints holding his precious crates and equipment audibly strained against the force pressuring them. His hand shot to the side in the cramped quarters, trying to steady his gear. His head would roll through a bureaucratic guillotine if he lost a single piece of equipment on this expedition. The shuttle shook and rumbled in a disquieting display of piloting as it descended through the atmosphere. He regretted not listening to the quartermaster on the station. He told had told him it would be an iffy way down and that he should get a second trip for the gear. Grant money only goes so far, though. He thought he could be stingy. That, and that the guy might be hustling him. A heave bubbled up from his gut and he willed it back down as the ship yawed again. He hated shuttles. He almost regretted calling in nearly every favor he had to get this expedition approved. He smirked through the unease. Almost. This was going to make his career. He'd managed to keep the prospectors story a secret, even from the committees and board of directors. It had taken him a fair chunk of his savings, but he'd managed to keep the old survey pilots tales of a monolith in the middle of the Highwoods of Territh Beta under wraps with an incentivizing bribe. He hadn't bought eternal silence, of course, but a head start was all he needed. The ship rolled again and his breakfast poked at his throat. Damn station vendors. Why did streetfood have to be so good? He gripped the hand bars and sighed. It wouldn't be too much longer, only a few minutes they said. He looked up to his grad student. He almost envied them. He missed living under the illusion everyone above him knew what the hell they were doing. They probably had a rough idea this operation wasn't all it seemed to be, but that's why he picked them. He smiled reassuringly to them. "Rim pilots. Gotta love em, right?"

Location: The Wet Holes, Down Below, Andromeda One, Churchill's Legacy, Andromeda Galaxy. Kalnarr watched as the woman looked down, averting her gaze. Rex glanced from the Zeta to the woman again who seemed to almost deflate at Kalnarr’s words. He looked over at the bartender and accused, “Always making the pretty ladies cry.” Kalnarr shrugged, although his eyes had not left the young women. He could almost hear the cogs turning in her head before she looked back up and into his eyes. People very rarely looked him in the eye like that, and he admired her for it. His movements stilled as her hand came down and slammed on the table. Rex himself jumped, not expecting how loud it had been, “Bloody hell!” He exclaimed as other patrons in the bar turned their heads to see what the noise was about but Kalnarr ignored them as he listened to her offer. When she turned back to Rex, he was staring at her with open admiration, “Alright then… Let’s see how you do…” He looked over at Kalnarr, “You got a holodeck free? I’ll pay for her to use it.” “Aye. We’ve got some holodecks free.” Kalnarr said, accepting the credit chit that was practically thrown over the counter. He pressed it against the register before handing it back before he turned to look at a member of minor bar staff, “Jen’starr should be back soon. Man the bar until I get back.” The person nodded as the Zeta turned back to the woman, “Alright, you’ve got the horns for it. I’ll let you prove yourself. My name is Kalnarr, or Kal’taour as would be more fitting. What’s your name?” He asked. Rex lifted his glass and downed its contents, as he wasn’t going to miss this entertainment just for making his drink last longer. He then turned his eyes towards the woman, curious to know who this woman was to have the balls to stand up to a Zeta after he had stripped her down. He knew it was something that Kalnarr, and most Zeta’s for that matter, respected in people.

Locations: The Wet Holes, Down Below, Andromeda One, Churchill's Legacy, Andromeda Galaxy. Kalnarr's words brought down the usual crushing feeling when she is grossly underestimated. Big aliens particularly did so dismiss her the most often, so she doesn't often get along with them. Her eyes dropped below the bar, unable to speak. Esther's situation did dictate she lay low, but she knew an event like this was too big to pass up. How would she get into the fight? Without a reputation or someone to speak for her, she might only get janitorial jobs on this station. Would she challenge the bartender to a fight? This she did consider, but no, she thought, that was certainly uncivilized... civilized, reasonable people. That statement she had just heard reminded her about the scoundrels she just beat up, and one mentioned holodecks. That kind of technology was not easily accessible where she came from, but a punk like him made it sound like he had used one before. Finally, Esther looked up right into Kalnarr's eye and said, "I'll prove I can take down one of these aliens! There's a holodeck on this station right?" she slapped her hand on the counter so hard it could be heard two doors down, "Put me in and I'll take down a five hundred pound Gorilla-- no weapons." This had to be an offer she could get him with; a holodeck has safety protocols so at least it doesn't sound like suicide. She turned towards Rex, "You're a gambling man aren't you? I'll show you why I'm your best bet."

Location: The Wet Holes, Down Below, Andromeda One, Churchill's Legacy, Andromeda Galaxy. Rex almost dropped his drink when a female voice spoke next to him. Her jerked slightly before snapping his head towards the source of the voice where he found a rather attractive young-looking woman next to him. However, what he noticed more than her attractiveness, was her rather nervous demeanor. She kept constantly glancing around the room, as if expecting bad company to show up. That made him quite curious. If she was trying to lay low and avoid trouble with the locals, she was going about it the wrong way. Her nervousness made her stand out like a sore thumb. Instead of calling her out on it, though, he lowered his glass to the table which clicked softly. He then looked her up and down, noting her rather slender frame. “I’m not sure you’re the type to actually do any fighting. That’s not for humans like us. We’ll get crushed like little bugs. But I’ve betted on a fair few of these fights, so I could likely let you know which are the best fighters to bet on.” Rex said, picking up his glass again. He then paused before actually sipping it before adding, “Either way, you’ll have to ask the big salamander here.” He then indicated Kalnarr with his drink before he sipped the smokey amber liquid. Kalnarr turned back around, “That’s lizard, ya damn monkey.” He rumbled in amusement. He then switched his gaze over to the female, and his gaze sharpened as he took note of her, noticing that she didn’t seem like a typical human. “Gecko, right.” Rex said, deliberately mis-hearing him as it was common for the two to joke like this. In an aside to the strange female, he whispered, “Just don’t call him a newt. That’s below the belt even for Zeta humour.” Kalnarr stopped his observation of the woman and looked back at Rex, “You Tau’ri are all the same. Chimping out like there’s no tomorrow.” He grinned as Rex chuckled, before the huge Zeta looked back at the woman, “But he’s right. Humans don’t fight in my ring. Physically, they’re just not up for the task. Especially a human female. These fights are filled with aliens that could tip your head off with their little finger. Getting involved in that shit is the quickest way to get yourself killed.” He didn’t care if she took offense to what he said, as it was the harsh truth. He wasn’t the type to sugar coat things, and would say things exactly as he saw them and right now he was seeing a young woman trying to jump into an end so deep it would swallow her whole in the deep, dark abyss.

Location: Down Under, The Wet Hole The sounds of metal plates warping heavily alarmed some denizens of the down under that something big approached from the seldom used emergency exit they lived next to. Step by step the mechanical stress descended upon them until a door opened to reveal one grand surprise. A lone slender girl appeared in the doorway and strolled past eyes that searching beyond her small figure. They would find none but her-- Esther. There were whispers around her, "something's not right," / "where's the big one?" / "Bait. Don't take it." She heard them all, each an every hushed voice, even long after she turned the corner. "There's no follow?! Get up, she's getting away!" / "signal the others. We got ourselves a sleeping beauty!" Heinous laughter and scuffling pipes could be heard loud and clear from where she just came. The girl picked up pace, finding it fitting to break into a run when she saw the length of the corridor unbroken by turns and doors. There was just a gradual bend, beyond which a few ragged men leaned against the inner wall, bearing makeshift weapons and knives. She stopped running with no shortage of breath, "what have I gotten myself into?" She said to herself. The numbers in front of her were doubled from behind, and the murmur of obscenities were hard to screen out. The best dressed man to her front speaks out, "such a simple mistake you made, wandering down here alone. Truuust me, you're getting off easy girl! Eh, am I right guys? These other scoundrels down 'ere, see they won't think twice about rockin' your dead meat. We don't get into the holodecks you know, but we're still civilized, reasonable-" / "ENOUGH!" She shouted. Esther rolled back the sleeves of her hoodie carefully, one by one, "You're ganged up on me and your going to talk about being civilized? What's the point? There's nothing civilized about what's gonna happen here." With that she took a fighting stance; something close to a runner's start with a boxer's defence. "Sheesh fine, have it your way. Usually I just say that cuz' I like to see the shivers, but you don't got em anyway. Alright boys! No cuts, no broken bones, we need her alive… buuuut a few bruises won't matter!" Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom! Her footsteps carried the weight of a giant with explosive speed and power that was delivered by the face of her knuckles. The ring leader was thrown back several feet by the blow to his stomach, and the following spray of blood from his mouth came just too late to hit her. Esther was onto the next, and the next, then back to the last-- to and fro. Three at once. She whittled them down with reserve to her strength, disposing of each without breaking their bones through practiced movements and agility. She downed the four who were standing to her front by knocking them unconscious; even though it took the extra hits to do so. By then, the rest had ran away; possibly since the moment they heard her footsteps for the second time, they knew they could not approach her. She stood there, clean of any blood or wounds, and she thought about perusing the other vile four. What would she do with them? She waited for the answer, but she couldn't justify attacking them, and she lacked any evidence of their attempted assault. As for the other four, she would have to leave them be. This wasn't the time or place to get on official records for beating up four armed thugs; for now, she needed to lay low. However, she still fished through the pockets of the cocky big mouth and pulled most of his credits… not all, but it would still cover her bunk fee the next two nights. Esther stood over the bloodied man, "you got off easy, pal. Look, I didn't even break your bones! But those bruises … nah," she said as she stated to walk away, "it's fine." -- a bit later, at The Wet Hole -- Esther had finally found what looked like the main establishment in the Down Under. She groaned at the sight of the map outside which indicates a far more convenient passage from the upper deck. The sign caught her attention, 'The Wet Hole,' is it? Ofcourse. Why wouldn't it be suggestive? She sat down at a table alone, and ordered a basket of sweet potato fries. She picked through them slowly so she could draw out the time she had to gather information. She listened in on whatever she could hear, tuning in on more interesting or newer conversations. Everything she heard in the Pleasure Bar said this was the place to find jobs with some action, but for a while she didn't hear anything… it was pretty quiet. Perhaps people couldn't afford to eat here, she thought, but actually the food here was the cheapest she had ever seen. Was there something else going on? Finally, she heard something, not far away too. The bartender was talking to a man who just came in, some gambling type, and they mentioned a fight? It sounds like a way to make money… maybe even a lot of money? If she is to buy herself better equipment for this line of work, she's gonna need some big payments. Still, even if it's not, it just might lead somewhere better. Esther got up from her table and threw away the short supply of fries before going to join them at the bar. The alien bartender seemed… less approachable to her, and he seemed busy now, so she tried the blonde man. "Hey, excuse me, um, did you say there was a fight going on? Sorry, I- I overheard your conversation. Thing is I'm looking for an opportunity like this, could you tell me how to get in on this?" She smiled and stood between the empty barstools next to him. Aside the elbow fixed on the table, the rest of her body swayed, and she kept alternating between facing the table and the man.

Colab Post: This post was a collaboration between myself and @Temaelrin who did the Tahurin and Hanshaerin. We did this over at Google Docs before transferring it to here on EcchiDreams. Location: The Wet Holes, Down Below, Andromeda One, Churchill's Legacy, Andromeda Galaxy. “Yes!” Kellina cheered quietly, her blue eyes sparkling with enthusiasm when Jake confirmed that she could indeed fly his beautiful new ship. She couldn’t wait to do it. The only thing stopping her from just getting up and running to his ship was the fact that he was unlikely to allow her to fly it now that she had, had a few drinks. While she would risk inebriated flying with her own ship, she wasn’t so willing to risk his. She liked him, and thought of him as the closest thing to a friend she had, so she wasn’t willing to compromise their relationship like that. She was pulled from her thoughts when Jen’starr called out which caused her to snicker. No matter how many times she had seen this interaction between the two, it always amused her. She turned her attention back to Jake, leaning forwards and resting her elbows on the table as her hands cradled her cheeks, eagerly listening as he explained the specifications for the Clipper. Her eyes widened in delight when he said that it had torpedos. She couldn’t wait to see them blow up an asteroid or two! Her eyebrows then raised when he said that it had an Aymar Cloaking Device, which would allow him to easily evade or sneak up on targets with ease. Moira would absolutely kill to get her hands on it, just to study how it worked. They would do so much better on their contracts if they could simply disappear like that however the chances of them being allowed access to that kind of technology were practically zero. When he trailed off, she let out a soft groan. She rolled her eyes slightly and sat back with a pout on her lips, “Alright, calm down before you make me have an orgasm or something.” Her pouty expression disappeared as her eyes once again twinkled with amusement as she once again sat forward with a slight grin, “I think you’ve got the best best here on the station. I bet you’re going to have every contractor knocking on your door wanting you to do jobs for them.” Daniella snorted in amusement at this, almost choking on his drink as he had been mid-sip. He coughed a little, his cheeks going a little red. He put his glass down as Kellina laughed, “Alright, Danni, calm down. Wait until later before choking on Jake’s cock!” She jokingly said. “I’ll try!” Daniella said in a strained voice before coughing again, patting his chest to calm the coughing. When it stopped, he blinked the tears from his eyes before saying, “Sorry about that.” Kellina flickered his fingers, dismissing the need for an apology. She then glanced over to where Jen’starr and Chris had disappeared, “They’re taking a while. I wonder what kind of fun they’re having.” She then looked at the two of them and said, “I tried to get fucked by him once. Wouldn’t go for it. I’ve always pictured him to be kinda vigorous in bed.” “Really?” Daniella asked, raising his eyebrows. Kellina nodded, “Mhm. Although he strikes me as the monogamous type. Maybe that’s why he wasn’t interested.” At the entrance, a blond haired human male stepped into the bar, glancing around. He had just finished up his business, and how had a completely empty cargo hold. He still needed to find business to take him in the direction he was heading, but he would do that in the morning. He now had some extra cash in his pocket, and he wanted to get himself something to drink and to relax for the night. With any luck, he’ll get some more money at the card table. The more the better, as he was trying to save up for a better ship that would carry more cargo and, if possible, better defensive capabilities. Pirates were a damn problem, and help was not always in range. If they pulled you out of hyperspace, you were pretty much screwed. Shaking those thoughts from his mind, he stepped up to the bar where the huge, almost nine-foot tall Zeta was stood putting some glasses away in movements that were surprisingly gentle for someone his size and bulk. The Zeta turned around and grinned down at Rex, “Well hello, Rex. Long time, no see.” He greeted in a deep, rumbling voice. “Hello, Kal’taour. Double Whiskey, if you please.” Rex greeted as he slipped onto one of the stools in front of the bar. “Right you are!” Kal’taour said, picking up a sparkling whiskey glass from underneath the bar before turning around and pulling down a whiskey bottle. He poured in some of the amber coloured liquid into the glass before turning around and putting it down in front of Rex before saying, “There’s a fight on tonight, if you’re interested.” He then grinned down at the human. Rex paused before picking up the glass of alcohol, “I think I might be. I have some money I was going to spend on some cards but… I might have changed my mind.” He then smiled slightly as the Zeta chuckled. “I’ll see you there.” Kalnarr told him before turning away and allowing Rex to enjoy his drink in peace. Location: Command Centre (Bridge), Andromeda One, Churchill's Legacy, Andromeda Galaxy. Once she had received permission from Alexander that the large Epsian ship was welcomed, and even expected, Karla initiated contact with them to inform them that if they wished to send people to the station, to either send a smaller ship or beam people directly to the customs bay so that they could be checked into the ships logs as visitors. However she was startled to see Talrin’s face appear on the screen, a figure she knew well from the political information given to them by Axel. Despite being the King of one of the member states, he was dressed in an EPSIFleet uniform, the colours being Epsian purple with a golden trim with a bar on each side of the collar. Each plate roughly an inch long. It had a purple gold border, with four pips inside with a black background. It marked him as the Grand Minister of Health, which spoke at how seriously they were taking this situation. As Karla froze for a moment, Talrin was the first to speak as he pressed his right hand over his left heart and bowed his head slightly, “Greetings, Andromeda One. We have arrived to assist Doctor Daniel Tucker with your current situation.” Gathering herself, Karla nodded and said, “Yes, sir. We have just been appraised of your ships arrival by Ambassador Axel. But he said nothing about her Captain though. Welcome to Andromeda One, your Majesty. If you wish to come aboard, you will need to send a smaller ship, or beam into customs.” “You know Axel; he doesn’t like to make a fuss. Just Doctor will be fine, Commander. I am here on behalf of the Hael’aar Grand Council, not the Eldyrannthian Star Empire. I would prefer to have Daniel come here, so that he might benefit from the medical services this ship has. Please let him know that we are here, and whether he would prefer to beam onboard, or if he would prefer us to send a ship for him.” Talrin said. “Alright, Doctor. I’ll let him know.” Karla said, before putting him on hold. She glanced around, seeing several wide eyed faces staring at her. But as her hard gaze swept over the bridge staff, they immediately turned back around and pretended to be busy. Location: Medical Centre, Andromeda One, Churchill's Legacy, Andromeda Galaxy, then the Medical Centre, EPSI Haelycia Daniel had been in the middle of reading the report that had been delivered to him by Christopher when his comm unit chirped to let him know that someone was contacting him. Absently, he pressed the button, “Yes?” He asked in a distracted tone. Karla’s voice came through, “Doc, we have an EPSIFleet ship here, the EPSI Haelycia. They’ve come to help us with the Dust situation. They want you to go onboard as they’ve got better medical facilities.” “Mmm…” Daniel hummed, the words not quite registering at first as he was so focused on the report in front of him. There was silence for several moments before Karla prompted, “Doc?” It was then that Daniel’s brain put together what she said. He sat up straighter, blinking in shock, “Haelycia? Ah… what?” He asked. He could hear amusement in Karla’s voice as she replied, “The flagship for the Hael’aar Grand Council has arrived, with the Grand Minister of Health. They want you to go onboard. They want to know if you want to be beamed over, or if you want them to send a ship over.” Daniel blinked, turning that over in his mind. He then frowned a little, “A ship might be better. I know they have better medical technology than we do, and I have a couple of Dust related patients here. One user, and the person they delved into the mind of.” He said, privately admitting to himself that the thought of being transported made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. “Alright. I’ll let him know, so make sure you have your patients ready. I’ll be sending them to M-six.” Karla said. “I will. Thank you.” Daniel said, before pressing the button to cut the communication. He then looked up at his second in command, “Rebecca, please get the Dust patients ready for transportation and take them to Docking Pad M-six.” He ordered, referring to a special docking pad that was reserved for medical transports, just in case there was an emergency where medical ships needed to dock and the normal docking bay was full. “Yes, Doctor.” Rebecca said, nodded before she moved off and began issuing orders. Daniel turned to his work station, where he began to transfer the patient files over to the datapad that he had been reading the Hael’aar report on. He needed to gather all the relevant material to take with him. Location: A little while later, on Haelycia. When Daniel stepped off of the Courier that had ferried him and his patients to the large ship that was now in orbit around the planet, he was greeted by Talrin who touched his chest with his right hand and bowed his head, “It is good to meet you, Doctor Tucker.” He greeted. His voice was quiet deep and smooth, his words well enunciated. His accent was what Daniel expected; quite aristocratic, a little similar to a very posh English Accent but with several vocal differences. Feeling more than a little nervous about the prestigious company, Daniel found himself nodding almost foolishly, “Ah-j-just Daniel will be fine.” He said before clearing his throat in an attempt to get a hold of himself. He had to tilt his head just to look up at Talrin, who was a giant compared to himself at eight and a half feet tall. It made him feel very small, like a child. Talrin smiled slightly, and Daniel found himself smiling in return as it was the most infectious smile he had ever seen. It was so genuine and full of life that it caused him to feel almost giddy with happiness, a feeling he couldn’t quite explain. Before he could orient himself, Talrin was speaking, “Allow me to introduce you to those working with you. These are my sons, Doctors Tahurin and Hanshaerin, and my Grandson, Ukerin.” Daniel looked to the other three, and saw two men that looked so much alike that they had to be identical twins. The only difference between the two was that one had black hair and the other had a startling white hair colour. They both had pink eyes, but their relation to Talrin was clear in the shape of their face as well as the intensity of the eyebrows. The last person was much smaller than the others, with black hair and a single blond highlight, similar to how Talrin had blond streaks through his hair. Daniel idly wondered if that was something they added in themselves, or was natural, but decided it would have been rather rude to ask. Either way, the main thing he noted about them was that they were very physically attractive, with feminine qualities that enhanced their features. Ukerin looked like what he would expect a trap to be like; very feminine with a hint of masculinity. The one he wasn’t able to figure out was Talrin. He found himself unable to put a pin into their actual gender. He seemed perfectly balanced between the two and, similar to the optical illusion of the spinning dancer, it was easy to see them as female, or male. It was something that Daniel found a little confusing, and he had to keep in mind that the ‘rin’ suffix of their name indicated a male, or Kae. “Hello.” Tahurin greeted politely. Like his father, he had a rather aristocratic accent and his words were well pronounced, “Hello.” Daniel greeted back. His twin brother, however, was not the same. Instead, he spoke in Russian, with a very thick Russian accent, “Привет.” At Daniel’s confused look, Talrin said, “He said ‘Greetings’.” “Ah.” Daniel said, before nodding back at Hanshaerin to acknowledge the greeting, “Greetings.” He responded. “Hai~!” Ukerin said in an exuberant tone as he waved his hand enthusiastically. His voice, like his appearance, was quite feminine and light. His whole face lit up with enthusiasm that caused Daniel to smile, “Hello.” He said. “My staff will transfer the patients to the main medical lab. Please, come this way.” Talrin said, indicating for Daniel to walk beside him as they left the docking bay. Having to walk quickly to keep up with the mans significantly longer stride. Once he had found his stride, he said, “I was actually in the middle of the Medical Report that you had done on the small quantity of Dust you obtained.” “We’re hoping that a larger amount will be found so that Hanshaerin can study it. His speciality is Pharmaceuticals.” Talrin responded to which Hanshaerin muttered, “Это хороший способ сказать «Эксперт по наркотикам»...” Talrin glanced at Hanshaerin and replied, “It’s still Pharmaceuticals. Drugs are drugs, no matter their effect.” “I’m sure Christopher will find something. He’s very resourceful and he knows his way around the underparts of the station that I don’t even want to know about.” Daniel replied, looking back at Hanshaerin as he was completely unsure as to what the man had said to get that response from Talrin. “Undoubtedly.” Talrin said, sounding amused. It astounded Daniel just how expressive the man's voice could be. It was unlike any voice he had encountered before, and he found himself rather charmed by it. Talrin then went on to say, “Our Neurologist, Tahurin, will study your patients and hopefully come up with a way that allow the victims of the mind-rape to recover physically.” “Yes, I’m quite concerned about Sandra.” Daniel said, referring to the patient that had been assaulted by the Dust user, “She has yet to respond to any treatments we’ve attempted.” “If I can find out what the damage is, I should be able to figure out a way to combat, or mitigate it.” Tahurin said. “I hope so. This drug has been a bit of a nightmare for doctors back on Earth. And that does seem to be the origin of the stuff. Ashaea is completely clear of the stuff.” Daniel said. “You’re Ashaean, aren’t you? You certainly have the accent of someone that’s been living there.” Talrin said. “I am, yes. From the Capital City. I’ve known Alexander for a long time.” Daniel replied. Talrin nodded, a sharp gesture, before saying, “Yes. Roughly Snowden Town, one of the towns that make up Blackberry Capital City.” Daniel’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, “Ah-yes. Yes… how did you know? Read my personnel file?” He asked. “No. I recognised your accent, despite the influence of the accent that has become more prevalent on the more permanent members of Andromeda Station. A mix between Ashaean and some of the Earth accents.” Talrin replied. “Really? I didn’t know that.” Daniel commented. “Linguistics is a hobby of Grandpapa’s.” Ukerin said with a grin, adding, “He’s like a walking, talking universal translator.” Before Daniel could respond to that, the group came to a stop in front of a set of double doors that opened up with a faint, barely perceptible hiss to reveal a small round-like room that vaguely looked like a lift. Talrin motioned for Daniel to enter first and when he had, the others followed him. No one said anything, but Daniel saw the lights in four areas of the room flash as if to simulate movement. “Are we in a lift?” He asked, looking up at the slightly domed ceiling. “A turbolift, yes.” Talrin confirmed. “We’re moving?” Daniel asked, sounding a little uncertain and causing Ukerin to giggle as Hanshaerin muttered, “Идиот человек.” Daniel glanced at Hanshaerin but was unsure as to what the man said, and Talrin didn’t offer up a translation. Instead, the monstrously tall man said, “Yes, we are. We’re going down several decks to the medical lab where your patients are so we can start by having a look at them.”

Colab Post: This post was a collaboration between myself and @Neptune who did the Christopher, Kal'taour, and Alexander. We did this over at Google Docs before transferring it to here on EcchiDreams. Location: The Wet Holes, Down Below, Andromeda One, Churchill's Legacy, Andromeda Galaxy. Whilst Daniella and Kellina coversed with each other briefly, Jake took a sip of his own drink and continued trying to picture Kelina in a nursing home, all old with crooked hair, perhaps naked with a bottle of booze in one hand, a spliff between her fingers in the other hand and a lampshade on her head, partying an infinite percent more than the others around her. He could also picture the nursing home in an absolute state, as well as a wheelchair which had clearly been modified with some kind of jets on the back of it, as if a frat house had been through there. He drunk more of his whiskey. When she looked at him again, and asked if she could fly it at some point and made a reference about paying followed by a wink, he grinned back at her for a moment. “I don’t see why not, you’ve flown my Vulture before and it’s pretty much the same kind of controls, although I will need to take it out to the edge of the system, and I’ll give the command deck a heads up, for weapons testing. You know, blast the crap outta some asteroids or something.” Jake replied however Jen’starr called out “Not under the influence you’re fucking not. You’ll fucking sobre up first.” “Alright Mother!” Jake called back in a sarcastic tone however Jen’starr just replied, “Damn straight boy.” Leaving Jake giving Kellina a look he had given her a thousand times. Jake then looked back at Kellina and said, “Right, well… As for specs. It’s a Eldyrannthian variant of the Imperial Clipper, and it’s the small one because that’s the smallest one that will even fit on the station’s largest landing pad that and the next size up would require eight crew members. It’s kind of like a mashup of the Taru’zenarian version so it has an Eldyrannthian style power core, it has transwarp drives because the ship is too small for quantum slipstream drives, and it has impulse engines rather than frameshift technology like my Vulture started out with. The weapons is pretty much awesome, by default it should have four beam weapons or missile launchers in the two large hardpoints and the two medium sized hard points, but instead it has torpedo launchers in the large hardpoints and pulsed phaser cannons in the medium hardpoints. In addition it has two wide arc phaser arrays along the top of the ship and the bottom. It’s got an Aymar style cloaking device, and Eldyrannthian Shield Generators that are strong against energy weapons, although Anti-Exotic shit might be a problem… Thankfully the only people we know of with Anti-Exotic shit is the Daedra. It’s pretty damn good. Oh and it’s a Talium-Neutronium-Negatium alloy mix hull. I also have a holosuite in there as well as some replicators. Although I need to get some credit for it. However the downsize of all of this, because of the limited space is that I can only carry about seventy units of cargo. That might be a hard one to explain though...” Jen’starr saw the look and would have said something, however the entrance of Christopher drew her attention. When he neared her, she said, “Twice in one hour. I would say you have a problem, Chris. Another orange juice?” “Nah. I’ve come for the company.” Christopher said back with a tang of sarcasm. Jen’starr chuckled and said “I’ll get you a glass of water. On the house… I insist.” She then walked off to get Christopher a small glass which she put some ice cubes in and filled with water, this didn’t take her very long, and she came back with the glass and put it down in front of Chrisopher, before saying “Now you’re a customer again. Just like that.” “Best water on the station.” Christopher said, picking up his glass and sipping it. “Not sure that’s got anything to do with the water, it’s more like the company you keep.” Jen’starr replied before smiling at him, as she winked once. “Probably.” Christopher admitted with a slightly nervous laugh as that comment made what he was about to ask even more awkward, and yet to anyone listening to it was a naturally flowering conversation of a different meaning, “Speaking off… I would like to have a chat with you in private.” Jen’starrs smile melted into a smirk and said “Oh finally, Christopher. I bet you do. Well then, big boy, why don’t you step into my office, and you can take me over the desk, like I know you’ve always secretly wanted to do.” Christopher let out another nervous laugh, “Aha… yeah…” He said as he heard a few snickers around them. “Kal'taour; I’m going to leave you with the bar for a little bit… I’m goin’ on break.” Jen’starr called out to her Zeta’mulurian assistant who gave her a thumbs up and called back “Have fun, boss!” Jen’starr then jerked her head over to the section of the bar against the wall, and walked down to it, where she opened up the gate to allow Christopher in behind the bar. Once he was behind the bar, she lead him through the back of the bar as Kal’taour closed the gate. She then walked in through the door into a corridor and lead Christopher to her office which was through the door on the far end. Her office was clean and minimal, there was a strange green cactus that seemed to be glowing purple in the corner of the room next to a sofa and her desk against one of the walls with another door. She sat down on the sofa and patted the space next to her for Chrisopher. Along her wall behind her desk was what looked like a schedule with coded language and on the opposite site was pictures of banned patrons, including several ambassadors who were in the ‘Temporarily Banned’ section, and several shady characters known by Chrisopher in the ‘Permanently Banned’ section. Christopher looked around the office for a few moments before saying, “You’ve got a nice office here…” He sat down next to her on the sofa before adding, “I hope you didn’t misread me out there, by the way.” Jen’starr smiled and replied, “It’s quaint, modest. But I like it. The walls are actually smart walls, and I can change whats on them from my computer, and er… No. No I didn’t. But if this is a quick five minute thing, you might not want to leave the same way you came in. People will be thinking you’re a quick silver or something. Luckily there’s a door there that goes up to the Pleasure Bar, and another set of stairs there that go up to the Stuffed Holes, where you can sneak out from the staff room and quickly duck out onto the top floor of the promenade.” “Ah, that’s good, because I don’t have the time for that anyway.” Christopher said, before realising that what he said could be taken that, even though he had no time for that today, he wasn’t averse to the idea. He cleared his throat a little before asking, “Either way… are you aware of a drug called Dust?” Jen’starr blinked at him and asked, “Dust? Daedra Dust, Ice Dust, Glitter Dust, Daedra Dust Mark Two, Iso Dust, Kassa Dust, Kraeeg’s Dus-” She started listing off all of the drugs she knew called ‘Dust’ to which she was interrupted by Chrispoher shaking his head. “No, it’s just called Dust.” Christopher replied, pulling out a picture and showing her a picture of a sealy bag with white dust in it, causing her to ask, “Cocaine?” “If I was asking about Cocaine, I would call it Cocaine. No, this is a new drug that’s been floating around the Earth Alliance. It stimulates the telepathic gene in humans, but it’s highly unstable.” Christopher explained. “Oh~! Yes that was going to be my next one. The EPSI Federation designated it: Teletropic Dust, because of the telepathic effects as well as the psychotropic effects; to some degree. I don’t usually approve of mashing two names up together but in this case it is mashed up, Telepathy and Psychotropics, it’s a telepathic psychotropic. Man I love that word… But yes, I came across a sample of it down here actually, I saw that was being sold, bought a sample and had it shipped off to Hanshaerin Eldyrannth in a medical samples container.” She explained. “Okay… I’m going to let that pass. Because it’s beginning to turn up in larger amounts on the station. We’ve already had several victims in the infirmary who’s been… well, mind-raped for a lack of a better term.” Christopher said. “You know me, I want to make sure I know what’s going on under my nose. I got a very detailed report back from Doctor Talrin Eldyrannth and Doctor Hanshaerin Eldyrannth who ran it through toxicology and a battery of tests. The nearest that they could tell, was that it was synthesised from the ground up in a lab, a very well funded lab, possibly Government or rouge agency type, it was created on purpose to latch onto the genes involving telepathy to enhance it and let people take a … I think Hanshaerin described it as a Universal Rights violating joyride in people’s minds, living out their entire lives in minutes or something. It’s effective on Taru’zenari individuals, not at all effective in Zeta’s. Very interesting stuff… It’s also fucking banned from my bar.” Jen’starr replied, before asking “Would you like a copy of the report? We’re allies so… I can share it, it’s not classified either.” “Yes, please. Daniel would love to get his hands on it. Especially if it has any information that can help him treat the victims of these Universal Rights Violations.” Christopher said. “Yeah… Unfortunately, I only had a small sample which isn’t, or rather wasn’t enough for them to do a battery of tests involving treatments. There are a few things that I think they crossed off the list, but other than that, they never found a treatment. They want more, but I told them to get it themselves, because I won’t allow it in my fuckin’ bar… But if you happen to intercept a shipment of them, let me know, and I will let them know, so that they can send a medical ship…” She replied earnestly. “Well that’s the thing. It’s only recently reared its head on the station. I was hoping you might be able to point me towards potential smugglers?” Christopher asked to which Jen’starr replied, “I only know the dealers I’m afraid, and I ain’t going to be snitchin’. I’m sorry, but I have a business to run, and if they ain’t bringing it into my bar anymore, then I don’t have a problem. But I’ll tell you what, if they do, and you just happen to be here when they do, then it ain’t snitching is it? It’s fair game.” “I didn’t think you would snitch, but can’t blame a guy for trying. But I’ll take the fair game.” Christopher replied. “Speak to Axel. He might be able to convince EPSIMedical to send a medical ship out this way to give you a hand if you need it. They will also use their technology to help your doctors come up with a neutralisation agent or treatment, if it is indeed possible. I really don’t think they’d object… But I’ll get you that report. Do you have a datapad?” She then asked. “I’ll keep that in mind, thanks Jen’starr… and yes, I do.” Christopher replied, pulling out a datapad that he usually kept on his person, to help record notes of evidence and conversations with people. She took it from him and went over to her computer and put it down on her wireless interface. She then typed away at her computer on the console to locate the document that was required. Of course her pad was automatically making a copy of everything on Chrisopher’s datapad, but she didn’t pay any attention to it, she copied over to the document and said “You’re still working on the byte scale, aren’t you? This document is about two gigabytes big, and the accompanying raw data is about twelve gigabytes… Plenty of space on this…” “Copying my files off of there again, are you?” Christopher asked with a slight tilt of his head as his eyebrow arched up. Jen’starr chuckled lightly and said “Guilty~! Nah, it does it automatically… I’ll delete it, you can watch me do it if you want.” “I think I will. I like you Jen’starr, but I don’t think it’s wise to really trust you.” Christopher told her as he got up and came over to her computer, which of course was entirely in Epsian which he didn’t understand, so he asked “Can I see this stuff in English?” “Sure.” She replied before picking up a visor, which looked like a set of glasses and handed them to him, which he looked at before putting them on, to see that everything was translated instantly. He had to lower the glasses and look around the lenses and look back through them repeatedly to see it change depending on if he was looking through the lense or not, “Okay, that’s genuinely impressive… Can I keep these?” “...No. You can buy them though, they’re like dirt cheap on the Unity One station… Or I can buy you a pair a gift from one friend to another… Or buy them for you, so you give me the credits. They’re universal translator visors. Neat, I know.” Jen’starr said as Chrisopher read the screen which indicated that the data on his datapad was encrypted, but easily broken by her machine, and he knew this because his password was on the screen itself ‘!~L0on3yToOns~!’ And he made a mental note to change that password later, “God damnit Jennaea…” “Sorry. It is automatic.” She replied indifferently, “Just like in real life you should watch where you stick your peripherals… Or in this case, who’s going to put your peripherals into their ports.” Christopher paused for a moment, frowning a little before he said in realisation, “Ah.. sex joke.” To which she grinned and said “And a computer joke.” She then looked at the screen as it said ‘Transfer Complete’ and she reached over for the datapad and gave it to Christopher, who took it and said “But for you, it’s a sex joke first.” “Yes, it is.” She replied before looking at the now decrypted files which seemed to be automatically scanned by her computer, and read ‘No incriminating evidence against you, found’ To which she said “Then I’m not interested. Delete!” She then deleted all the stuff it had copied off of the datapad as Christopher said, “Like I’d give you a datapad that has information on current investigations on to you, to you.” “Well… I would think less of you if you did. One of your men, didn’t. He came by here last month with a datapad. That’s how I knew you were looking into my - well how we say, comm logs, and allowed me to nuke my tracks.” She told him with a chuckle. “I did wonder how you knew. I always keep my datapads nice and light when I come to see you.” Christopher said. “Yeah, and feed me with false information, no doubt, eh, Chris~?” Jen’starr asked with a big grin. “Of course, Jennaea~!” Christopher said with false glee. “Yeah. I learnt not to trust that kind of information from you, you cheeky git. I’m like a Kaine Coda all up in this shit. I don’t make the same mistake twice.” She replied with a flutterance of her eyelashes. “I would be disappointed if you did.” Christopher told her. “Good. Now that should have the information you need… And er… I had it translated it into English for you. Rather… Doctor Talrin did, fucking language nerd. He said that you should be able to understand it… Well… At least as it’s written, I’d understand if you didn’t understand the medical jargon.” She said pointing at the datapad. “That’s what Doc Dan is for. He would understand it. Medical jargon is not my thing. I know basic first aid, but that’s about it.” Christopher replied. “I’m glad to help… But if I do hear anything, like big shipments coming in… I’ll make use of dead drop Tango-Alpha Four Six One-Delta.” “Alright, thanks Jannaea. I really appreciate it.” Christopher said with a smile before saying “Right, I’d better get this to Doctor Dan.” He turned to walk off so that he could take the back entrance. “Visor…” Jen’starr said holding out her hand for the visor that he was wearing. He stopped, looking at her blankly for a moment before he realised what she was talking, “Oh, shit, sorry. I didn’t realise I was still wearing it.” He said, taking them off and handing them back. She chuckled in response and said “Talium and Negatium, makes them incredibly light, so that you forget that you’re wearing them… So it’s cool.” She took the visor back and put it down on her desk. “Take care, babes~!” She called out after him as he crossed the doorway to the spiral staircase. Although he didn’t respond as the door closed behind him. She sat in her chair and said “Fuck I love that man.” Location: Ambassadorial Quarters, Suite of Epsus (Axel's Room). The moment Axel got back into the zone of his meditations his door chime sounded off, to which irked him a little, but he ignored it. However shortly after the chirpy little chime sounded off in the room again as Axel said “For crying out… Tali we need to have a little chat about what ‘Do not disturb’ means.” “When would you like to schedule this conversation?” Tali asked. Axel opened his eyes and looked deeply unimpressed, for a moment he didn’t say anything, but when he did speak he said, “Don’t get snippy with me.” “I shall file it away as an unspecified appointment.” Tali replied to which Axel said “Remind me also to get an engineer from the EPSI Federation to take a look at your files.” “When would you like to schedule my maintenance appointment?” Tali asked. Axel frowned and looked even more unimpressed, before the door chimed again. He then sighed loudly before saying “Come in…” The door opened to reveal one of the ambassadors for the Andromeda Galaxy, as usual he smelt like he had a little bit too much to drink, and was indeed acting as if he had been hitting the bottle too hard, he usually spoke with such a courtly tone, and an oddly Czechoslovakian accent, despite not being from Earth, let alone Czech Republic, “Ah! Axel my man. Just the Epsian I wanted to see!” “Well you did buzz my door three times. So I’d imagine so… Unless you’ve lost your way to your Unic’s quarters again.” Axel replied. “Unic?!” The other ambassador said indignantly before laughing, “He’s not a Unic. A bit spineless maybe… Not er- quite right in the head, perhaps but I assure you I’ve not cut off his… Well. Ehm.” He coughed nervously. Axel looked up at him and said, “Hollan. What is that you want? I hate to sound rude, but I’m trying to meditate.” Hollan then seemed to put on an act, like he cared that he was disturbing Axel, and yet Axel didn’t need to be telepathic to know that it was an act, he could see right through it, “Ah, that’s a pity. Hopefully I can get an answer from you quickly so I don’t take up more than necessary of your… valuable time, Ambassador Coda’zotoxi.” Axel sighed again and stood up gracefully before looking at Ambassador Hollan and asked, “Well then more to point, what’s the matter?” Ambassador Hollan stepped in so that the door closed behind him and asked “Is your damn computer recording everything I’m saying?” “Always.” Axel replied. “Well can it not? I don’t consent, or whatever it is to make you stop. I want this strictly off the record.” Ambassador Hollan replied to which Axel said “Yeah-no, that’s not going to happen. What is it? I mean if you’re just after some questions being answered then there’s really no need, it’s just administration and mainly note taking.” The Ambassador looked around before saying “Gah. Very well then. Does your Government take part in… How do we say? Making people disappear?” He then asked. Axel blinked at him and asked “Disappear as in..? What? Cloak them? Hide them in a cupboard?” “More like make them disappear in space. Assassination’s. You know… ‘Make them disappear’, although I wouldn’t mind cloaking technology. That could come in handy if I want to watch the ladies-...” He chuckled before seeing Axel’s stern expression which soon killed that. “No.” Axel replied. Hollan then said “Okay, maybe you call it something different, like ‘Extra Judicial Killings’ then?” Axel then folded his arms and frowned, “Absolutely not. The EPSI Federation Government does not take part in such activities. Even if it did, it would not take part in actions for other states like this. We have a bounty board of which all criminals are wanted ‘Alive’ to face justice, not ‘Dead or Alive’ and certainly not ‘Dead’. We’ve actually been down that road before and it’s not something we’re keen on revisiting, to be perfectly honest with you, Hollan.” “Pah! Your people shoot and kill other people all the time!” Hollan replied in an exuberant tone. To which Axel asked, “What are you talking about?” “Well if someone starts you know - shooting at one of your ships, you don’t exactly hold back.” Hollan replied. “Okay, stop you right there.” Axel replied before saying, “That is in the name of Arcaedian Rights; what you’d call self defence, or against those that we’re at war with, such as the E’Cothri for example… Although they don’t really exist anymore… At least not in our neck of the woods.” Before Hollan could ask what he meant by that Axel said “Idiom, I know. It means our region of space, our areas, etcetera. In a case where someone starts shooting at one of our ships, we actually try to disable them, at least that’s EPSIFleet Policy. Whether or not civilians live up to that or not, I don’t know, but they should, as they have to justify any killings that they do. Look - Our forces try to Police our own areas and come to the defence of allies where it’s appropriate. We don’t take part in killing people just for your state’s benefit. If you’re looking for mercenary work, go elsewhere. My Government is not the Universe Police.” “Gah!” Hollan grunted out in irritated dimission, “Bunch of Goody-Two-Shoes.” “Uh-huh… I think this conversation has rather quickly met its end. Please leave.” Axel then said in a neutral tone of voice. “Everyone has a price-” Hollan started as Axel then interrupted “Ah! No-no-no! Stop you right there, before you say something that’s a felony, as you are on Epsian ground right now. I will not take bribes, nor will I assist you in going down this highly illegal route. This conversation is over. Leave, immediately. And er… Speak to Jen’starr. She might be able to put you in touch with someone.” “She’s banned me from her bar! Me! Of all people!” Hollan replied to which Axel snorted, “That’s, so - not my problem. Bye, Ambassador Hollan.” “Gah!” Hollan grunted again before waving his hand dismissively, he then turned around and left the room with the doors automatically opening to let him pass, and closing behind him when he left. Tali then asked “Do you want me to inform Station Security of what just transpired here?” “Er… In case this comes back later and bites us in the arse, yes… Please let them know, that this is what he was looking for, knowing him, he’s going to drag the station into something eventually… He usually does.” Axel replied before going back over to his mediation spot, where he sat himself down and got comfortable before closing his eyes once again to go back to mediation. However… Tali informed him, “Your reminder to see Alexander is now.” “Oh go eat a bag of dicks.” Axel replied before opening his eyes, he stood up again and went off to his wardrobe to pick out a suitable cloak to dress in, as Tali said “I will file that away for later.” “Oh har-har…” Axel replied, before muttering under his breath, “Why did I go for a version of Tali with a simulated personality?” A little later… Location: Captain Alexander's Office, Command Deck. Alexander’s door chime sounded off as Axel stood outside, waiting to be let in. When Alexander warmly called out, “Please come in, Axel.” The door opened revealing Axel in full EPSIFleet Uniform, signifying his ambassadorial rank, but this was masked by an EPSI Federation cloak, that was Epsian Purple in colour and signified the EPSI Federation Emblem on the back, his shoulders and the the front over one of his hearts, he bowed his head and walked in. Once inside he took off his cloak and hung it up on a cloak hanger before walking over to his desk where he stood behind a chair. “Please, sit.” Alexander then invited, having stood when Axel had entered the room and now indicated the chair in front of the desk. “Thank you, sir.” Axel replied before bowing at him again, respectfully. The two of them sat down as Axel asked “Forgive me if I get straight to it, but what is it that you need my help with?” Not for being one to beat around the bush, Alexander got straight to the point, “For the last few years there’s been a new drug going around that we call Dust. It creates unstable telepaths that go for a joyride in peoples minds. The Dust has made a recent appearance on the station.” “Interesting… That is exactly the phrasing that Doctor Hanshaerin Eldyrannth used too. The EPSI Federation have been made recently aware of this narcotic, they call it Teletropic Dust, because of it’s telepathic based psychotropic effects. We agree that this is a problem. I’m uncertain as of this time who tipped off Doctor’s Hanshaerin and Talrin Eldyrannth but I have a pretty shrewd idea who it was. I don’t think Jen’starr Epsi’rikixi will put up with this narcotic being traded in her bar. If I know; she most certainly knows. We’re allies and it’s not classified, so I can give you the research that we’ve done on it, including the limited, although ineffective treatments that our Doctor’s have tried.” Axel replied. “Yes… Christopher has already spoken to her and she gave him the paper that the two Doctors put together. He’s already given it to Daniel and hopefully it can help those already in the infirmary.” Alexander replied. “Huh.” Axel replied with his left eyebrow raising, “Jennaea and I on the same page again. That’s pretty rare, considering the difference between us is as expansive as the difference between a virgin and a sodomite.” He replied. Alexander raised his eyebrow at the graphic analogy, but let it pass, “I’m a little ignorant on how your particular telepathy works, but is there any way that you could actually help us here?” He then asked. “Yes. As an Eldyrannth, I can actually protect other people’s minds, and even trap those that are trying to ‘go for a joyride’ in other people’s minds. But you have a bit of a bigger problem here. PsyCorp is here; I passed an officer on my way here, he was trying to hide in the shadows, but I cannot mistake the usual probing of my mind. After some vague threat about breaking eighteen of his bones in one punch, he backed off. I can call for Special Agents Raelarvana Eldyrannth and Dez’rarzii Xenovityr’ra if you need me too, with the hidden Eldyrannth already on this station we can throw up a protective telepathic blocking shield around you, and others, as well as to point out any users of the drug… Although this is likely to be conditional.” Axel then said in a neutral tone of voice. “Of that I have no doubt, but any help would be welcome. At least from you. I’m not happy to hear that PsyCorp are already here. They didn’t tell me that they were coming, and they weren’t flagged when they came on board. It must be an undercover agent.” Alexander said, frowning. “The thing is; they’re not stupid… Most of the time. If they know that I have sensed them, which is unmistakable, they’re going to know that I will tell you. So they know that their cover isn’t so secure for much longer.” Axel replied before looking off to one side, and slightly downwards as he spoke briefly, telepathically to Raelarvana. In just a few seconds, he had fully briefed her of what was going on, and what Alexander had asked of them and got a response. He then looked up at Alexander again and said “The condition is, is that whilst we’re going after the users, we would like to see you offer them every possible chance to help you locate who dealt it to them. So that you can go after the drug dealers and suppliers rather than the impoverished poor, which is most likely the group that is actively taking the drug. If this is compatible, we will be happy to help.” “It’s very compatible, because that’s how Ashaean law works anyway. We much prefer going after the dealers, smugglers and producers, or the suppliers and manufacturers of drugs. The users are usually people down on their luck, and stuck in an addiction cycle that they can’t help. The only time when we will punish them, is if they do other illegals activities while under the influence such as assault.” Alexander replied. “Indeed. There might be some cause for concern; I’ve taken a look at this drug and I think that there is a perhaps small chance that people given this drug, at least the first time around, may not have been aware of what it was in the first place. We saw the very same thing on Xantal’lar with a drug called Azafenide Pitoxetine Acycrudin - otherwise known as Slo-mo or Jet depending on if you're a fan of Judge Dredd and Fallout, and again here with a Xantal’lar based drug called Daedra Dust. It’s sad, but it is possible. I’m glad we have come to an agreement.” “So am I. I’m hoping that we’ll be able to bring a stop to this. If we can find out who’s smuggling it onto the station, we might be able to trace it back to its origins.” Alexander said. “Indeed. The EPSI Federation’s Grand Council of Hael’aar, which deals with Medical Related nonsense, has agreed to send a medical ship out to you in full cooperation of your investigations, and to render whatever medical supplies, and medical help they can to your Doctors. They will also have a science lab on board, so if you find more of the drug, they can be tested under laboratory conditions, fully contained away from the station. Your medical staff would be allowed on board, if they’re allowed to come to your medical centre too, under the EPSI Federation and Ashaean Common Interests Treaty.” Alexander nodded and said, “I will make sure to let Daniel know. I imagine he would be quite happy to have the assistance.” Axel then nodded and said “Both sides can learn something, so it’s mutually beneficial, and also - try and stop Doctors from saving lives, am I right?” He then asked with a soft smile before telepathically giving EPSIMedical the green light to come. “Oh yes.” Alexander said with a returning smile, “Daniel has been known to do pretty much anything to save the lives of others.” Axel nodded and in agreement, he then wanted to relay the information onto Alexander, so he knew what to expect, “Indeed. EPSIMedical is sending the EPSI Haelycia out of which Doctor Talrin, Hanshaerin, Tahurin and Ukerin are on board. Talrin is a very good Doctor, all round with a speciality in Genetics. Hanshaerin specialises in pharmaceuticals and biochemistry, Tahurin - in Neurology, and Dietary, but that’s a hobby, and then there’s Ukerin - an all round research medical scientist. That’s pretty much the A-Team right there. So we’re sending the best. We’re also sending a Prime Queen along, she’ll er… Let’s call her ‘Plan B’. Prime Queen Eldyrannth are omnipaths. Exceptionally dangerous to be on the wrong side of one of them. Other than that, it’s filled with Doctors and researchers from all the species in the Federation - it’s a nice diverse mix, with different ideas, and different ways of looking at problems. Crew complement of around two thousand, a Lyravana Class Ship. Reasonably well armed, but obviously it’s a medical ship.” “You have well armed medical ships?” Alexander asked. “Oh yes.” Axel replied with a nod before saying “We had an incident a decade ago where we were dealing with a medical outbreak on Targonra Four, where we had to beam the population of an alien settlement onto the ships. Turns out their neighbours believed in the only way of curing a plague is to sterilise the infected… Started opening fire on the medical ships. Ever since they’ve been well armed. The Aymar have had problems with it too, from a very old and wayward faction of the United Families Federation - not to be confused with the United Federation of Families… They lost a ship with all hands.” Alexander frowned a little, “I don’t approve of doing that; attacking medical ships. And yes, I know about the United Families Federation, and the difference between the two. Ashaea had some problems with them before they changed their tune.” He said. “Well, we don’t anticipate any problems, given that there is a major starbase just nine light years from here. But it’s a just incase. I’m aware of the problems Ashaea has had, I don’t think anyone has been unmolested from either the Neko Resistance Space Alliance, or the Syndicate. Hell even we’ve had problems with them… Bastards.” Axel then muttered the last part under his breath. Alexander smiled a little before saying, “They are quite the thorn. It’s why I have my own intelligence network keeping an eye on their activities. I’ve passed along a lot of intel to the EPSI Federation.” “Oh yes, speaking of which. I have a Taru’zenari who wants to join the Rangers at some point. I will pass his file onto you. He used to work for the OIA back on Vorserend. He was a very good field agent.” Axel then said, as it seemed as good of a time to bring it up with him. “Mm. I will certainly have a look at it.” Alexander said with a slight nod before saying “I know you’ve been trying to mediate, so thank you for your help… If I need you can I contact you?” “Absolutely, and I pretty much gave up when that strange ambassador with the weird hair came to my quarters asking for my Government to off someone for him.” Axel replied. “Ah, Ambassador Hollan?” Alexander asked with a raised eyebrow. “Indeed.” Axel replied courtly and in his accent, as if mocking him. “Yes, I’m well aware of him. You’re not the first ambassador he’s approached. I’ve already told his Government that if they don’t send a replacement for him, then their Government will not have an ambassador on the Station.” Alexander told him. “Oh, I don’t think he’s going anywhere. He usually pulls something out of his arse, to save said arse at the last minute. I have counted fifty-seven times in the last decade that I know of alone. So I won’t hold my breath, Captain.” Axel replied with a smile brought about by frustration. “Oh, I really hope you’re not correct there, Ambassador. He’s become quite the nuisance.” Alexander said with a resigned sigh as even he could see the truth of Axel’s words. “Well… We shall see… The medical ship should be here… Now.” Axel then said as Karla intercommed into the office, “An EPSI Federation ship just appeared not far from the station. They’re coming up as a heavy hael’aar cruiser, the EPSI Haelycia.” “Right on time.” Axel then added. “Yes, they were expected, Commander. Under the EPSI Federation and Ashaean Common Interests Treaty. They’re going to be helping Doctor Daniel Tucker with our Dust problem.” Alexander pressed the comm on his hand to reply to which she said “Very well, sir. I’ll let them know shall I?” “Please do, Commander.” Alexander replied before pressing the comm link again to close the connection. Axel then said “I think I will get out of your hair… I am feeling mildly hungry. So I might take a trip over to the Stuffed Holes. Please do feel that you can contact me whenever you like, Captain. Despite me telling Tali that I don’t want to be disturbed, you’re always an exception.” “I’m flattered, Ambassador. Please, enjoy your meal.” Alexander replied with a smile. “Eh. Not all of us are dickheads.” Axel replied with a smile, he then stood up and bowed his head “Thank you, Captain. Please take care and I hope you find whomever is responsible for all of this.” Axel then walked over to his cloak and took it back down off of the hanger before putting it back on, he then said “Until next time.” “Yes, until next time.” Alexander replied as Axel gave him a slow bow of his head once more. He then lifted the hood over his head and walked out of the door, heading back to the promenade.

Location: The Wet Holes, Down Below, Andromeda One, Churchill's Legacy, Andromeda Galaxy. “I would turn that retirement home into a damn party house, that’s what I could do!” Kellina said with a fierce grin, glad that Jake was able to see just how unsuited she was to a place like that. She then shook her head and said, “In all honesty, I think I will be flying ships until I drop dead of old age. I’ve got too much of a rebellious spirit to be put down so easily. I would rather stay active into my declining years rather than rot away in a home for the decrepit. That would be a really horrible way to die. To just waste away.” Her body seemed to convulse as a shudder ran up her spine, and she pulled a face. This topic had turned a rather depressive turn, and she groped for a way to change it. This wasn’t exactly how she wanted to spend her time celebrating. “Well, that sounds like a rather dull place to be. I don’t think I would want to visit one of these retirement homes.” Daniella commented as he took a sip of his own drink. Kellina tilted her head up a little before she tilted it slightly as she looked down at Daniella, “Nah, you really don’t. Most are miserable as all fuck. Just old people just sitting and waiting to die. I mean, some aren’t bad, but most are pretty bad. I would rather retire to Ashaea… if they would even let me in.” Kellina said, before grinning, “I kinda doubt it, though. I am a bit of a trouble maker, and I make no fucking apologies for that.” “Then I think I like you.” Daniella said with a grin, “But you never know unless you try and ask them. You never know, they might.” “Ha! I doubt it!” Kellina snorted, picking up her drink and taking a gulp of it before deciding to move away from the conversation relating to retirement homes, “So what kind of specs does this Imperial Clipper have?” She asked, before leaning forwards with a twinkle in her eye, “Although I suppose the next question might be; can I fly with it at some point? You know I’m good for paying.” She then winked at Jake to indicate that the payment might not necessarily be credits. Location: Command Centre (Bridge), Andromeda One, Churchill's Legacy, Andromeda Galaxy. Alexander had been busy reading a report on the power usage of the station, and the engineers plans to help cut down on power consumption while affecting the station as little as possible when his console beeped, informing that he had a reply regarding his request. He opened up the messaged, pleased to note that he had a confirmation on the meeting. He smiled before closing the message and putting it into the archive before he turned back to his report. It was a good way to wait out the hour, while appearing to be busy so that no one bothered him unless there was something important that needed his attention. He glanced up at Karla, who was dealing with a rude pilot in her usual brisk and no-nonsense manner. He smiled slightly before looking back at the report to the sound of her sarcastic voice. By the time he had finished the report, he glanced at time to see that an hour had almost elapsed. He knew that Axel would be very prompt and would likely appear right on the hour dot. That was one thing he liked about Axel; the man was always conspicuous about his timekeeping. When Alexander set a time for a meeting, he could expect Axel to turn up on time. So he stood up, looking over at Karla who looked back at him, “I will be in my office for a meeting.” She nodded in acknowledgement before she turned back to the command console. Alexander left the main command deck, almost bumping into one of the technicians who seemed to be hurrying and not paying attention to where they were going. They let out a mumbled apology before stepping around Alexander and walking off. Alexander shook his head a little before he made his way to his office which was dimly lit. The lights brightened when he entered the room, revealing his slightly curved desk with the comfortable desk chair behind it. In front of it were two chairs facing the desk. Opposite the desk, was a small seating area with a sofa, coffee table and two comfortable arm chairs. The desk itself was quite clean, with a computer terminal and a pen holder that held a pen that his old commanding officer had gifted him as a congratulations present for getting this command. He sat down in his chair, relaxing with a soft sigh as he waited for Axel to make an appearance. Location: Promenade, Commercial District, Andromeda One, Churchill's Legacy, Andromeda Galaxy. Aimi hummed softly to herself as she sidestepped a couple of merchants that were having a heated arguments about the pricing of table cloths. Her ear twitched towards the two of them, as they couldn’t seem to decide if the patterned cloths should be priced higher than the plain ones. It amused her that they were arguing over something so mundane. She shook her head a little as she continued walking through the Promenade, looking at the shops that lined the corridor, where merchants were cajoraling passersby to come and buy their wares. She came to a stop by one stall, which had a number of interesting of cups of varying designs. The merchant was a rather young looking Tau’ri gave her what he thought was a charming smile and waved a hand over the items, “Hello, young lady! I have many curious items from all across the galaxy!” He picked up a cup made from a silvery metal. It reminded her of a champagne flute glass, with an ornate flower pattern wrapping around the stem, “This is from the planet Berahla! The people are long extinct, and only a few examples of their workmanship exist!” He claimed. Aimi tilted her head as she studied the cup for a few moments before nodding her head a little, “Really? I didn’t realise the Berahlarian people were extinct. Last week I had heard that they settled a new colony and were thriving.” The man looked a little startled, clearly not anticipating that she knew that. He then looked a little more nervous as he picked up what looked like a shallow bowl, “How about this Santrelian drinking bowl? It’s used for their sacred ceremonies to celebrate the celebration of Hyrndhrll.” He sounded almost pleading and Aimi had to resist the urge to smile at him. “Celebration of Jynt’hall, actually. It’s their equivalent of Fyaemuraí… or Christmas for you. But you’re close, although it’s not really sacred.” Aimi said, causing the man to look quite annoyed that his potential customer was clearly more informed than he is. He put the bowl down with a frown before picking up a wooden cup, “How about this Tic Tic cup? It’s rare and quite valuabl-” He didn’t even finish his sentence when Aimi interrupted him, “That cup is mass produced and you can buy a hundred for a credit.” She then shook her head, “I think you need to rethink your strategy, dear merchant. Lying to your customers isn’t going to win you many hearts.” She then politely bowed her head slightly, “Good day to you, sir. Procedamus in pace.” She ignored his outraged sputterings as she moved off to look at anything else that was on sale. She had hardly moved on, when someone bumped into her. The man gave a mumbled apology and went to move on however her hand snapped out and gripped his wrist in a tight hold. The man turned back to her, a flash of annoyance crossing his features before he asked, “What?” “I would like my credit chit back, thank you.” She said politely, as she turned his wrist over to reveal that he had her credit chit clenched tightly in his hand. She pried it out of his finger as she said in a calm tone, “It is pointless to steal it, unless your goal was simply to cause me annoyance. It is isomorphic technology, meaning that only I can use it. Now, begone, before I call security.” She let go of him and watched as he scurried off to be lost in the milling crowds. She shook her head with a sigh before turning around and moving on. She soon came across a stall that was selling various pieces of cloth in various types, and patterns. Aimi stepped up to the stall and looked at what they had to offer. She reached out and picked up one piece of cloth that was a deep red in colour. It felt like silk and seemed to glide over her fingers. She quite liked it, even though she didn’t wear red very often. It would make a lovely Coda’zotoxian robe. It would require an underlayer though, perhaps of a cotton-like material, so that it would be comfortable. But she figured she would make something that would work. Sewing was something she liked doing in her spare time, even if she never wore the resulting clothing. “See something you like?” A voice asked, drawing her from her thoughts and she looked up at the stall owner who gave her a smile. She smiled back and held up the red silk material, “I would like six metres of this, please. Do you have a more cotton-like material… black in colour?” She asked. “I most certainly do.” The stall over said with an easy grin as he moved around the stall before returning a moment later with a roll of black material. Aimi fingered it for a few moments, feeling the high quality of the material, “That’s perfect. I’ll have six metres of this as well.” She said. “Sure thing, ma’am.” The stall over said, taking both rolls in hand and moving away slightly to cut off what she needed. She pulled out her credit chit, and when the man returned with the cloth rolled up in a bag for her, she pressed the credit chit into the payment slot of the machine he held out to her. She then took the bag, thanking the man before she moved on to see if there was anything else she could buy this day. She passed a couple of Tic Tics who were talking in excited tones as they quickly passed her by, one of them making wild gestures. She smiled a little as she moved past them before turning her head towards the stalls once again before she stopped by a jewelry stall to see what there was available. The man at the stall came closer with a smile and asked, “Is there anything that takes your fancy? You’re clearly a woman of good taste-” His eyes lingered on the tree necklace around her throat, “- and I have a lot here that I think you might like. Such as this bracelet. It’s twenty-four carat gold and the design is just beautiful.” He picked up an open box, presenting it with a flourish showing a bracelet that had a flower design etched into it. Aimi observed the bracelet and let out a non committal, “Mm, that’s quite nice.” The man put it back, before picking up a medallion that had a bird design, with a red stone in the middle, “This has come all the way from the Milky Way Galaxy, from the Gravftel system. Quite common there, but rare on this side of the wormhole. Perhaps this is more to your liking?” He asked, tilting an eyebrow up in a questioning manner. Aimi smiled at him before shaking her head, “No, not really. It’s pretty, but not really my thing.” The man put the piece of jewelry back and asked, “Perhaps you’re after to sell?” He asked, looking once again at her necklace. Aimi laughed softly and shook her head, reaching up to brush her fingers against the purple gold. It caused the pulsating lights to brighten for a moment as she felt the thrum of energy through it, “You couldn’t afford this. Besides, I would never part with it. Not for all the money you could offer me. It was given to me by someone very precious. It’s value is more than the materials that make it up. No… I was just browsing. I don’t think there’s anything that I like here. It’s all a bit showy. I prefer my jewelry to be meaningful, or simple.” “That’s a shame. A beautiful woman like yourself deserves only the best.” The man said, laying it on thick with the flattery. “That’s not going to work on me.” Aimi told him with a smile. “It was worth a try.” He said with a rueful grin as he stepped back away from her, “Well then, please have a good day.” “And you, Procedamus in pace my friend.” Aimi said, bowing her head slightly before she moved off. She had seen all she wanted to see for the moment, and there was nothing she really needed that badly. But she was now feeling a little hungry, so she decided to head towards the food court to see if there was anything that took her fancy.

Location: The Wet Holes, Down Below, Andromeda One, Churchill's Legacy, Andromeda Galaxy. Jake listened as Kellina answered the question of where Moira was. It made sense that she was tinkering away at something on board their ship, rather can coming out to party. It was a shame that she didn’t even come out for a drink at least, given the fact that he had found a birthday present for her, in place of the one he got for her for her birthday just gone, that she didn’t like. Jake had mistakenly thought that Moira would have approved of a case of self-sealing stem bolts, but she did not. So he had offered to do better, and now that he could go to and from the Federation without fear of being apprehended by the Police of FCI he was able to gain access to one of their internal markets. This is where he found a two for one sale on sonic probes - which was a type of multi-tool commonly referred to as a sonic screwdriver. He was wanting to give this to her, but it looked as if it was going to have to wait. With this on his mind, he continued to listen to Kellina as he took a sip of his alcoholic beverage. His eyes widened a little as she went on about cleaning a ship with a toothbrush, although it took him a moment to realise that not all Tau’ri had access to sonic tooth cleaners, which was so prevalent in the EPSI Federation, so much so that even he used one on his ship. He vaguely knew what a Tau’ri toothbrush was, and from what she was talking about, it was antiquated technology, even by their standards. Jake wasn’t sure what a ‘retirement home’ was, as no one in the EPSI Federation aged to that extent due to the nanites. The golden age of nano-technology they called it, changing what it means to be alive. However he took a well educated guess and pictured a home where old wrinkly people shuffled about in their pyjamas and slippers. At this particularly potent mental image, he chuckled and said “I can’t imagine you in a retirement home assuming you mean a kind of residential unit where old folks live… We don’t have that in the Federation. I think you’d be kicked out very quickly for being a ‘Disruptive Influence’ on the other residents… Nah- I have a mental image of you drinking the other residents under the table. That’s even if you get in their in the first place.” Location: Axel’s Quarters As Axel continued his mediation with the smells and combustive ingredients of his incenses carried him down his path of relaxed awareness a computer he linked into the Andromeda Station’s systems, in his quarters bleeped at him. All EPSI Federation computers spoke with a voice very similar to the current president; Talivana Eldyrannth, as a default setting. It was just a coincidence however that the computer interface was called ‘T.A.L.I’ which meant Technologically Adaptive Live Interface. It was something that was able to understand just like a person, and talk like a person, when in fact it wasn’t. People often called the voice ‘Tali’ because of the person it was modeled off of. Tali informed Axel, “You have received a text message.” “Ignore.” Axel replied. “It is from Captain Alexander.” She didn’t need to say that it was marked as urgent, as she knew from experience that Axel would be inclined to listen to it at that point. And like she predicted, “Very well, what does it say?” Axel asked. “Message reads:” Tali said before playing it in Alexander’s voice, “Axel, please meet me in my office in one hour. It is important. Kind regards, Captain Alexander Churchill, Commander of Andromeda One.” Tali then said back in her own voice, “The rest of the message includes his standard footer. I’m sure that you don’t need to be told that it’s for the intended recipient only.” “Ah-no er, Tali. We need to have a little chat about you being able to use other people's voices like that." Axel replied before commenting in a sarcastic voice, "That isn't dystopic in anyway shape or form and certainly couldn't be abused in the wrong hands..." Before asking, "How about we stop doing that eh? Can you - like disable that feature?" Tali then replied, "SimuVoice is a standard feature to read text messages in the voice of the sender if said patterns are on file. I collect samples when new contacts talk to you, which is encrypted on my internal database. It is not intended for use in anything other than that, Axel. My voice is after all based on Talivana's and you seem to have no problem with that. However I have disabled SimuVoice, which means I will no longer collect voice patterns. If you'd like I can delete all the SimuVoice patterns that I have on file." Axel smiled and his head dropped down as he shook it before saying, "Please copy the message into my archive, and logs. Thank you Tali.” before adding, "And yes. Please delete them, the Tau'ri have different standards when it comes to privacy. Hell. We have standards too, and it could be seen as a breach of them. Talivana consented to have her voice pattern as the default, Alexander did not consent... I appreciate what you're doing, and sure - in the EPSI Federation, that's rather innocuous, to most people, but not me." “Done. Would you like to enable do not disturb mode for the rest of your mediation, Axel?” Tali asked. “Yes please, only urgent requests from those on the can always disturb list may contact me, thank you.” Axel replied, as he tried to get back into his mediation. “Very well. Setting set. I will alert you ten minutes before the meeting to see Alexander.” Tali replied back to him to which Axel replied, “Thank you. Oh and let Alexander know that I received the message, and I will be there.” Tali then gave a soft bleep of acknowledgement before going back to being absolutely silent. Axel found himself being able to relax once again. Whilst he was relaxing back into his mediation Tali sent a message back to Alexander,

Welcome to the Red Velvet Club (Unknown Artist) The Red Velvet club is an exclusive club on the Andromeda Space Station, a place where roleplayers can gather and discuss about our characters and any plots that we have. If you are new to the vast expanse of the Andromeda Galaxy, then this is the perfect place to come and introduce your characters to the other roleplayers to discuss possible plot lines. Please remember that plots and characters posted about in this thread may not be known to characters within the roleplay that had never encountered them before, so please do not have them somehow knowing what they couldn’t possibly. Please enjoy your time at the Red Velvet Club, the best club in Andromeda Relevant links: Andromeda Station Roleplay Extra Information Character ID

Andromeda One Station (NASA Ames/SETI Institute/JPL-Caltech) In a neutral zone on the edge of the Andromeda Galaxy, in the darkness of space, lies a Space Station. This is the Andromeda One Station, in the system of Churchill's Legacy. Within the same solar system as the station is a jump gate that links to the Milky Way Galaxy, and Earth. On the station, Merchants come from all over both Galaxies for a chance to trade with other races. This station is run by humans, but is home to hundreds of alien species that are there for trade. Not only does it serve as a place of commerce, it is also a platform for Diplomatic parties of various species to come and speak to one another in a neutral part of space, as fighting and wars are not allowed to occur. The station is heavily armed to oppose any violent ships intent on war. Here you can create your own race, with their own culture and rules. Have them come to the station to trade or negotiate with others. How could it ever go bad? Skill level: Expert Relevant links: Extra Information (A must read) Character ID Out of Character Rules: EcchiDreams Standard Roleplay Rules, plus: Posts must be at least one paragraph long, with a good amount of detail, and with good grammar and spelling (barring mistakes). Anything less than a paragraph, such as a one line post, will be removed and the member in question requested to not do that again. If you consistently post less than a paragraph, then your posts will be removed and you will be asked to leave the roleplay. No one can make a character that is of one of the Epsian/UFF species without my strict permission. Also, non-Epsian/UFF species will not be allowed to wander onto the property/territory of Epsian/UFF species without permission. If a character attempts to trespass, they will be met with potentially lethal hostility. The exceptions being The Wet Hole, and Jen’starrs Bar and Restaurant, as these serve customers on the Andromeda Station. Anyone is able to create their own species, and have them have their own planet/territory in space as well as an ambassador. However it will require a very detailed extra information before it can be added to the list of related extra information.