ic [IC] Diaspora: Tales of Terran Travellers

[olopi]

The Gooble, Ordon-Class Freighter
Somewhere in Space, travelling towards the Sharahazad Sector

 

The news of “the Sharahazard Crisis” had spread far. So far, in fact, that even on Earth, attentive people could hear about it. Of course, travelling across a large part of known space was no easy task, especially for inhabitants of a planet without any real galactic presence of its own. Still, people with the right connections had ways of getting into space, and from there finding a pilot who was flying towards the Sharahazad sector was as easy as it ever would be. Seemingly every other person had a reason to make the journey.   

 

Amongst them was Hugol, a small-scale merchant who had stopped at the largest commercial hub close to Sol. He’d picked up quite a few people who were travelling towards the Sharahazad sector, their reasons as different as their looks. Some of them clearly more experienced than others, some not even able to speak Galstandard. He wondered what they were seeking, but it had already been enough trouble to negotiate the journey, he didn’t feel like asking.

 

Some of them were terrans. Amongst them, Doctor Deoxy, who had heard that some of the refugees offered to trade scientific data, or even let people get data directly from their body, as an exchange for all sorts of goods.

 

Travelling to the same place, but for an entirely different reason, was Professor Peculiar. The news of large-scale refugee movements happening at a different corner of the galaxy had reached him too, and he had a good reason to get a first-hand impression of what was happening.

 

[Tipop]

Edward Peck, also known as Professor Peculiar, adjusted his blast goggles as he entered the merchant vessel, his fingers adjusting the arcane lenses the better to examine the spacecraft. He seemed most interested in the flooring, behind which he could detect the conduits that directed power to the engines. "Oh, how remarkable," he muttered to himself, "How clever of them to create such machines!" With a smile, he followed the invisible line of energy, not paying enough attention to where he was going.

[Exaccus]

Doctor Deoxy had spent most of his career looking inwards, seeking knowledge of the flora and fauna native to his home biosphere the beautiful blue bauble known to him as earth or Terra to the galaxy at large, he felt that one must understand ones own self before knowledge of anything else could be claimed; however he remained a scientist at heart and what was a scientist if not a explorer in search of ever greater frontiers.

 

It had been simple enough to boost the telepathic relay circuits of his suit to reach out to the galaxy at large, whilst the freedom league stood watch over the portal with understandable diligence he would not let anyone or thing keep him from greater understanding of the universe's myriad mysteries no matter how noble their intentions or dim their view of him.

 

He'd picked up the message of the sharashazads desperate plight and had been moved to aid them largely in part in Ernest and true empathy for a people who were suffering where he might be of some assistance but in equal measure the opportunities to gather once in a life time scientific data from an alien race from the fringes of the galaxy and attempt some of his more theoretical models on life, ecosystems and environments and perhaps a few experiments that would not be possible on earth.

 

He sat in silence for most of the trip, his chrysalis armour engaged and fully synced with his metabolism using its chameleon circuits to disguise it as an environment suit to avoid unnerving his fellow passengers with the strange techno-organic symbiont for whilst he knew the universe was a very large and diverse place he knew too that the scars from the incursion ran particularly deep and that the silvery substance of his armour may open old wounds with its mere appearance.

 

His attention was focused mainly on one of the other far more vocal and active humans in the transport a man in a customized lab coat  with some geometric characters Incorporated into the material, smart black rubber gloves and boots that shone in the light sources of the freighter as he talked aloud to himself and wandered across the cabin, eyes fixated on something that he personally couldn't see,  though it was somewhat foolish of him in a sentimental sort of way he'd decided against augmenting his eyes and senses, not even going so far as to cure his colour blindness, it was in its own way a memento from his past self to his present self, a reminder that the universe would always have mysteries for him if only he would look for them.

 

"Man of science i take it?"  his own voice sounded strange to him after such a long period of silence since he'd boarded "Always a pleasure to meet a like minded individual." conversation had never been his strong point, he admitted it freely  to himself any those who might mention it, but that was no excuse to be rude 

 

"I Go by Doctor Deoxy back on earth." he stated as he tried to dredge up more conversation from his mind , perhaps now was the lull in conversation that would allow his partner to talk back? "I must say that whilst i wish my first journey beyond my world was under better circumstances i can't help but be excited by the prospect of it." he felt his passion flaring in his chest as the prospects raced through his mind, veined with opportunity like precious ores through bedrock.

 

"How about yourself friend?"

[olopi]

 GM

 

The two terrans were not the only travellers on Hugol’s ship. There were at least 10 others that they’d seen multiple times, people who didn’t look like the ship’s (small) crew. Some of them seemed to have issues with each other, and at least four of them were travelling as a group, very noticeable due to a matching colour scheme, and the fact they always seemed to move as a unit.

 

Unfortunately, it was hard to understand what they were talking about. Both the humans only had a very basic knowledge of what was referred to as Galstandard, the common language of most of the galaxy. It was much like visiting a different country, except that some of the locals were 10 ft. tall creatures.

 

One of the travellers approached the two humans. About human-size, their body was covered in a yellow carapace, with clothing covering up a fair part of the body. They pushed something on their wrist, and then began to talk in Galstandard, a speaker on their wrist translating it to English.

 

“What brings Terrans to travel the distance? There are not many of you who leave the planet. “

[Tipop]

(OOC: Professor Peculiar can cast a spell to act as a Star Trek-style universal translator [Comprehend power], if he hears people speaking in a language he doesn't know.)

 

To Exaccus:

 

Peculiar look up from his investigation of the ship's power conduits, his eyes looming large behind their lenses. "Eh? Oh, a man of science... I suppose so, depending on your point of view. What I think of as science is generally regarded as sorcery in this dimension, but I feel the underlying principles remain sufficiently similar that the nomenclature applies nonetheless." He extends a hand to the other Terran, saying "How do you do, Deoxy? I am known as Professor Peculiar, though you may feel free to call me Edward if you prefer."

 

"Do you know much about where we're going? By which I mean, what might be causing the mass exodus?"

 

To olopi:

 

"While I cannot speak for the good doctor here, I am heading to find out about the diaspora, to see if I may be of assistance to the refugees. I have some experience in these matters. Do you know anything about what's going on?"

[Exaccus]

"They are fleeing something, something that can chase them, they wouldn't need to keep moving if it couldn't. follow" he had previously reasoned that such was so whilst listening to the various terrifie4d surface thoughts of the minds he'd touched in his psychic observatory back on earth who or what it was however he couldn't say however, unable and unwilling to push deeper into other sentient being's thoughts, such a violation of privacy into the very essence of a being was too far, even for him.

 

He watched in stoic curiosity as the carapaced alien approached and put the device onto his wrist and galstandard changed in his ears to english "Ahh, intresting machine...im guessing it has a database for such accurate and quick translations as opposed to my own telepathic intuition systems...." he mumbled more to himself than anyone else "And my are you a fascinating being! i'd be very intrested in talking to you about your people if you have time?" he asked, his brain having been utterly distracted from the being's question by its device.

 

"Oh forgive me, I am quite excitable when it comes to new experiences, that is in part why i have journeyed here, but I too have come to render aid where i can, on earth I am considered a leading expert on life sciences, my suit is techno-organic in nature with an artificially accelerated evolutionary process." he explains as his appearance ripples through to its true form, his silvery attire and titanium plates.

 

"I am also qualified to serve as a doctor and though we are not yet a space faring people by and large due to the vast amount of genetic variation amongst those whom call earth home, mutants, Mutates, visitors from other planets and dimensions and hybrids I am experienced and used to catering to extremely different biologies in all fields."

Edited September 19, 2017 by Exaccus

[olopi]

GM

 

The alien nodded, as some others turned their heads. Some were interested in listening in, others probably just wanted to gather information on the two. Which, all things considered, wasn’t a bad idea, in a place like this. They still were in the same spaceship together for some time, and apparently Terrans had a reputation. What exactly that reputation was neither of the two had managed to figure out, though.

 

“I have some knowledge. Many fleeing are of my Native , including my split-mate, what you refer to as a parent. I have collected all the information, no matter how sparse it is, and believe to have some idea. The broadcasts are correct, we are at the beginning of what will be a crisis of historical levels. If large parts of the Asshui and Oog’ol populations are fleeing, it means that the sector we are headed to will be unable to handle the pressure for more than a short time. “

 

“I have heard some talk, of the Nobles. I do not believe it, I doubt they would be able to mount anything like what is being described. I travel to offer my services as a translator, and to help my split-brood, if any of them have made it this far. It is good to have doctors, but I assume we will primarily need people who can transport groups.”

 

“I can offer you some information, as I believe there still is some time until our arrival.”

 

The statement the two of them were, essentially, scientists, meanwhile got them some odd looks from some of the more muscular and gruff looking individuals in their vicinity, one of them looking somewhat suspicious all of the sudden.

[Tipop]

 

Professor Peculiar remains unaware of the suspicious-looking individual nearby (unless Aero, his sentient lab coat, warns him of danger — Danger Sense) and continues to listen to listen to the helpful fellow.

 

"Yes, any information could be invaluable. One cannot make bricks without clay, after all."

[Exaccus]

"Any information you are willing to share, my friend, im sure we can put to good use; though if i might ask, what or whom are these nobles?" rumor though it may be there was always a sprinkle of truth in everything, the best lies were composed almost entirely of fact and twisted though omitted details to serve the teller's ends this he'd learned from his studies in behavioral sciences and the mind of his fellow men, a handy bit of knowledge he'd plied personally in the past.

 

Catching the aliens suspicious look he stares back "Hello, Can i help you?" he asks in an even tone "Please if you have something to say feel free my friend, maybe i can answer some of your questions too." 

he offers evenly, there was no point in letting hostility fester away.

 

[olopi]

GM

 

 

“The Nobles are a small and mostly uninteresting species who control a small amount of systems. They are only notable for their isolationism, they hardly ever leave their area of control, and do not tolerate anybody else inside. They are no expansionists, I do not believe they would go through the necessary lengths. “

 

“My understanding is that a majority of Asshui and Oog’ol have already fled. Whatever it is that is causing it, I imagine the Toroton to follow soon. Wherever their fleets appear will have to deal with a major issue, I imagine there is already some preparation. “

 

“The Oog’ol are nomadic, I imagine they will be the least affected. They do not stay in one place for a long time, a tribe is always moving. Whatever pressure their arrival puts onto a system will hopefully be temporary, as they move on towards greener pastures. In their case, those are mineral rich systems. “

 

“For the Asshui, I see more issues. There are many of us, travelling in all kinds of groups and organizations. Some will want to stay, others will want to leave. Some may go back and fight, if the rumours are true. The longer it lasts, the more difficult it will get. “

 

Deoxy, meanwhile, got a pretty simple response. A stare directly into his eyes, and a message delivered through a gruff voice. “Mind your own business. You’re not prepared. “