The Lucky Penny, IC flashback thread

[Moral Wiz]

Lucius

The "Capitan" laughed, perhaps a little too loudly

Oh no. Nothing of the sort.

She understands nothing that doesn't have a military connotation

He tries very quickly to think of a way to put this.

No, Stories are... well, you understand the concept of AARs, yes?

Spoiler

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AAR; After Action Report. Basically a report of exactly what went on in a battle, as filled in by individual soldiers. BIANCA probably would still fill one out, or at least know how to do so, though hers would go straight to her trainers. Filling out AARs is a major way to make sure you know exactly what happened on the battlefield

Whipped this from the Cain novels, but it fits for a Sci-fi military

[Sicarius]

BIANCA

"You mean a debriefing?" BIANCA asked with wide, curious eyes. "I know about debriefings...I get asked lots of questions and I'm supposed to answer them. Sometimes they're hard."

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BIANCA's psychological limitations would prevent her from filling out an AAR in written form. She would likely do it orally, in the form of a debrief.

[Moral Wiz]

Spoiler

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Hmm... Ok. That's harder, but let's roll with that

Lucius

Yes, that'd be it.

Well, people don't usually relax in a cryo-tube. And now, you won't be either, at least not as a rule. So I'm going to show you something to do that's not a test, or laying back in a tube. You might find it fun.

Stories are sort of ... made up debriefings, told to you. Some are real ones, some are just made up to be interesting. But instead of you answering questions, people are just going to be telling things to you. You can just sit back, and hear about what happened.

You understand me?

He wasn't that optimistic, but they had to start somewhere.

[Sicarius]

BIANCA

"So...I'm the mission officer?" BIANCA equated it the only way she could. "I'm the mission officer, but I don't ask questions? Is that right?"

[Moral Wiz]

Lucius

Spoiler

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That's actually what he was aiming at.

Yes. And you don't need to write anything down. It's just something for you to do.

Ok. Books might be a problem, but till then let's see what I can do.

He strode forward into the war room. There were paper pined onto every surface. Some are maps, some are writing.

Taking up most of a large table is a massive Holoboard that gives off the small, twinkling lights representing progress. There's a larger thing beneath the table, out of immediate sight.

This is Jamie. Say hello to Bianca, Jamie?

A human woman's head flickers into existence, with black hair in a ponytail, and eyes of the blue hololight.

Greetings, Miss BIANCA

Lucius winced at the pronunciation, but kept his smile.

What do you think of her, Bianca?

[Sicarius]

BIANCA

BIANCA looked up at Jamie with confusion. Startled by the sudden appearance of someone new, she did what came naturally to curious minds confronted with something like that: try to associate it with someone else. In this case, Jamie looked like a person so she had to be a person. But she showed up out of nowhere, and that was weird.

"Hi Jamie!" BIANCA waved and smiled. She wasn't a captain so she didn't need to salute. However, when she tried to touch the strange appearing person, to her utter surprise, her hand went right through her.

"Hey...That's not supposed to happen." BIANCA looks for guidance from Lucius as she moves her hand back and forth through Jamie's spectral head.

[Moral Wiz]

Lucius

Don't worry.

Lucius can't help but laugh at Bianca's reaction to the hologram.

Jamie's a computer. A very good one. And she's going to help.

He turns to look Jamie in the eyes. This isn't nessecary, the receptors will pick up his voice from anywhere in the room, but Lucius does it anyway.

Jamie, prepare to screen a holovid from this projector. High quality.

Confirm termination of...

Lucius interrupts quickly, before Jamie said anything about the decryption.

No no. Switch to background. The holo takes priority

Confirmed. What holo do you wish to view?

Hmm...

Best to start on something military related

Go with "Starstorm"

He sticks around in the doorway to ensure that Bianca was watching, before heading out to both change into more.... informal clothes (He is still in the guard's uniform), and to check on the cooking

Spoiler

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Starstorm's a "Based on a true story" kind of film. Set in the Man-Kzin wars, it's the tale of a single cruiser, the Aetherligh, and a series of battles both with the Kzin, and another human fleet, who let old grudges get the better of them. Neither names homeworlds. Story ends with a major offensive, and the Aetherlight charging into the thick of a space battle. The result isn't shown.

[Sicarius]

BIANCA

BIANCA sits down and patiently watches the debriefing, as she was told to. Notably, however, once the Kzin show up, she gets nervous. "Aaah!" she yells as she draws the large blade sheathed on her back and in one fluid motion, brings the blade to bear with lightning speed. It started to hum with a high-pitched sound, not dissimilar to rubbing a wet finger on the rim of a glass. The enemy didn't react, but continued along it's path, so BIANCA assumed it to be a hostile response and as she was trained to do, swung her blade in a horizontal arc, which went through the hologram as if it wasn't even there and instead sliced through the nearest piece of furniture cleanly, the vibroblade tearing through the material as if it were no more solid than paper.

"Oops...it was a computer too."

[Moral Wiz]

Lucius

Lucius is still absent, checking on the cooking, now in a relaxed light blue t-shirt, and is blissfully unaware of BIANCA's further attempts to leave him without furniture.

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He hums happily to himself as he activates the hologauntlet

Maintain Holo-vid projection in central unit, but show me progress stats on the decoding

[Sicarius]

BIANCA

Ashamed, BIANCA realizes that attack was not the required option. She sits and tries to watch it as if it were a debriefing, but her questions frequently go unanswered.

[Moral Wiz]

Lucius

The navigator tuts at the decrypting stats.

Oh well. Once the movie's down, get me something Jamie. Anything.

After a few minuets of checking all the cooking was almost ready, he headed back into the War Room, casual clothes and all.

Hay Bianca?

He comes in and stands next to her, watching the vid, just at the point where they're preparing for the final battle.

How do you like it?

[Sicarius]

BIANCA

"It's boring. All I can do is sit and watch. I'm not supposed to be this inactive."

[Moral Wiz]

Lucius

Hmm.... Ok. But since you won't be getting into a cryo-tube soon, you're going to have to be a bit inactive. Otherwise, you'll burn out.

Perhaps some kind of game....

Still, let's forget it. Terminate vid, Jamie.

The fleet of ships vanished in the blink of an eye, and Lucius smiled.

Now then. Do you want something to eat?

[Sicarius]

BIANCA

"Yes! I'm very hungry!" BIANCA exclaimed exuberantly, clapping her hands together.

[Moral Wiz]

Lucius

Well then. Let's go.

He smiles as they head off. The dining room is small, just enough for a square table, and at best 5 people to sit down and eat their fill. There are five chairs, but only two sets of cutlery.

Sit wherever you want. I'll just bring the food through

Spoiler

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Space, because I suspect BIANCA will end up doing... something. Call it intuition

[Sicarius]

BIANCA

BIANCA sits and waits for her meal. While waiting, she starts to fiddle with her biomonitor, looking as if she is preparing an entry into the computer.

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You gave her an order to sit down and wait for food. That means she won't make any silly mistakes. Come on, she's not going to break all of your stuff.

[Moral Wiz]

Lucius

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Just checking.

After a few minuets, Lucius comes back in, carrying two steaming plates, smiling.

Dinner's up.

He sets down two plates on the table. Each had two beef fillets, a pile of peas, and a large number of chips. Not really artistic, or abnormally tasty all he's done is stick them in the cooker, but it's passable, nourishing food.

Lucius tucks in immediately, and with ghusto, clearly somewhat hungry himself. The day's events had been something of a strain for him. He focuses more on his food to start with than BIANCA.

[Sicarius]

BIANCA

BIANCA waits a second before eating, by punching in a few buttons on her biomonitor, like an obedient child eating medicine before a meal. Afterward, she grabbed the food and ate incredibly quickly, similar to the way a soldier eats an MRE. She gets many peas and chips on the floor, but tries her best not to make a mess.

"The computer says I need my medicines now." BIANCA looked at the Captain and opened her hand.

[Moral Wiz]

Lucius

In....deed

He gets up

Be right back.

And with that he stride, quickly and confidently out of the room

[Sicarius]

BIANCA

Do I follow? He said he would be right back, but I didn't get an order. Food! BIANCA busies herself by picking up and eating all the food she got on the floor. Terribly unhygenic, but her enthusiasm wasn't dulled in the slightest for her activity.

Once finished, she sat down, and as usual, she started to fidget.

Behave, no breaking things...Be good and you might get a treat. BIANCA's last 'treat' was very sweet-tasting food, as a reward for sucessfully completing the Extreme Conditions Mobility Training. Even though her diet was to be regular, Dr. Clark said because she performed SO well, she got to get a treat. And it motivated her to do her best, every time.

But she had no mission, so the only way to get a treat was to not make Captain Lucius mad. And his smell was notably elevated when she broke things, so she tried not to break anything. Which meant no touching the plates or the table. Then she remembered what one of the scientists did when she sat at her desk.

"♪Have the snows fallen in spring this year♪" She began to sing a classic tune from 30 years ago, oblivious to the words' meaning.

[Moral Wiz]

Lucius

'Captian' Lucius ducked quickly into the study

Jamie? Please tell me you got something on Bianca's medicen? Clark's note files, lightly encoded standerd, anything!

Yes sir. Three possible files.

Let's see 'em. One at a time.

[Sicarius]

The first appears to be a standard nutritional supplement, with natural energy boosters, vitamins, minerals, all the things that a body needs for perfect nutrition. It appears heavy on water-soluble materials. The accompanied file states quite specifically that an implant in her liver increases catabolic activity in both frequency and spectrum, and that her kidneys have a nephritic implant deisgned to improve filtration in order to promote internal cleanliness and to improve function in chemical warfare scenarios. This however, has caused catabolic processes to work too well, and sometimes normal nutrients are broken down and filtered out as waste, which leads to the pill being used to supplement to ensure proper nutrition of the prototype.

The second are anticoagulents, designed due to her bone marrow implants being stimulated to produce more platlets than normal, increasing the ability to blood to clot and lessening the trauma received from injuries. Unlike her thalamus implants designed to release more endorphins to the response of physical trauma, this actually has a wound-lessening effect rather than simply a pain-lessening effect. However, due to the risk of thromboembolism, BIANCA takes internal anticoagulents that lessen the effects of the platlets. The effects are minor, but noticeable in internal measures without significantly hampering the ability for thrombosis due to external injury.

The third and final appears to be a hormonal suppressant, specifically designed to prevent much of her reproductive system from working. The associated file states that the process was 'unnecessary' and that the 'ramifications of the prototype breeding have yet to be determined and are not intended to be studied at this model.' This completely aborts her menustral cycle, renders her unable to bear children, and suppresses much of her psychological and hormonal impulses related to such acts. The results of which must be deterimental to the prototype's endocrine and hormonal systems. Currently, the prototype under this specific medication has stopped growing at a noticeable rate.

[Moral Wiz]

Lucius

O...K

Put those nutrient supplements into the auto cook. And see if you can get those Anticoagulents.

I don't suppose we can get hormonal suppressants?

Negative. Outside the list of cooking substances.

Hmm... and putting her in an autodoc, or taking her to a doctor, are both out of the question. At least they're non-essential

He quickly ducked out, and came back into the room, looking ever so slightly out of breath.

Medicine's just coming. Supplies are a bit low, so I'm fabbing 'em now.

[Sicarius]

BIANCA

♫Will we return to the way things were?♫ BIANCA continues singing, but immediately stops. "Affirmative, Captain Lucius."

[Moral Wiz]

Lucius

Hmm..

Lucius didn't immediately notice Bianca's singing, but as he sat down, it became more noticeable

What was that, Bianca?

His voice is gentle, and it is obvious that he's not angry. Simply curious.

[Sicarius]

BIANCA

"Dr. Dentali says she likes to sing to calm herself down, and since I had to sit still for a long time during sniper missions, she taught me how to sing. This is the only song I remember most of the words to. I didn't want to break anything so I thought if I sang I could sit still like in the sniper missions."

[Moral Wiz]

Lucius

Very good thinking.

Lucius smiles gently at her, trying to put her at ease.

I don't have much music, but you wanna see if Jamie can get you some? Perhaps you'd like that better than a Holo Vid? Then you could learn some new songs.

[Sicarius]

BIANCA

"Learning the songs is hard...Dr. Clark said I haven't received the memory implants yet." BIANCA looks sad. "But I'll try if that is my new mission, Captain Lucius." She perks back up again, saluting.

[Moral Wiz]

Lucius

Ok. One. Last Try. For now at least

Lucius does his best to conceal his slight exhasperation.

Bianca, if you could chose your own mission, what would you like to do?

[Sicarius]

BIANCA

"I do all the missions really well! One-hundred-and-ten-percent, Captain Lucius." She salutes him again, clearly missing the point entirely. "Whatever the mission, I will do it! Even if it's hard like learning songs!"

Spoiler

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BIANCA isn't good on the old hypothetical reasoning.