Day 19 | Video | Incoming missive

[voidtreckernpcs]

[Towards the evening of day nineteen of the month of Quicksand there is an announcement.]

Voidtreckers and Passengers of the Voidtrecker Express. We are receiving a communication attempt from the Void Ministry. Please stand by.

[The ICP screens crackle for a few moments, before it settles and a picture emerges, of a young woman sat at a desk. She looks a little bit nervous behind her professional smile.]

Greetings crew of the Voidtrecker Express. My name is Lia Nine, I am a junior minister under Commander Orlaith and she asked me to follow up on the reports that you submitted following your mission on system #5739. Thank you for those who filled them out, I know paperwork can be tedious but it does help us monitor situations.

[She moves her hands on the desk, as if she is using a computer or tablet device on her desk.]

I hope this isn't a bad time but I have around an hour if any of your crew are available to talk. There were a couple of queries your crew had so I'll go through those first.

I've got a report from a Yondu Udonta of the blue team asking about the bio fusions and what causes them. It's basically the void itself. Organic matter is not made to move through the void, that's why we have voidcraft and why anchoring takes so much mental energy. I can elaborate if anyone wants the science in more depth.

He also asked about setting your SCAs up to register Blutz waves. I've looked in my databases but can't find any energy waves called Blutz. Are they system specific?

I filled an equipment request form out on your behalf but can't promise anything. Elidibus I have also filled a book request for you for the information you seek.

Bruno Madrigal of the Blue team and Thanatos of the Red team I will happily speak to you about your requests.

Tidus I've passed your request about a communication line to the ministry on. Faux I am not sure there is anything to be concerned about regarding the alphabetical nature of the months. Most voidcraft have a simple time monitoring system that is based on what would be natural to their crew.

Faux also mentioned your craft was in need of maintenance. Do you have any details on that?

[She looked up from her tablet.] I think that's all the questions but I've got an hour if anyone has any more for me. While we're at it I wanted to ask for a report on the experiment with your tethers. We have some data from the site but I don't think anyone has actually asked you what happened yet.

[OOC: If you were planning for your character to have filled out a report for the mission and hadn't yet it is not too late. Even though Lia only has an hour IC there is no such thing as too late to this post OOCly! If you don't have time or don't wish to do an NPC thread but feel your character would say something feel free to give us a quick summary in the top level below!]

Comments

[wewillwewill]

[ Elidibus can answer this one. ]

The Voidtrecker Express is a craft not in the records of the Void Ministry. There have been others here longer than I, so you may wish to ask them for the story that Lia Nine can't provide.

[ Though he would be interested in hearing whether there are standard builds and the like so he won't add more at this time. ]

[voidtreckernpcs]

There are many standard builds. Most systems only have one or two different builds of voidcraft. Some systems standard builds are very similar to one another but I would not consider there being one standard for uniform voidcraft.

It is true that your Voidtrecker Express was not in our records until very recently.

[unrecovered]

[The response from Elidibus gets a brief Look - thanks, but that's not actually what he asked!]

So the standard is different from system to system. Are there any other voidcraft shaped like trains running around out there, or are we entirely unique as far as your records are concerned? Is the technology standardized at all, or does every system start fresh and work differently?

[Is there a common denominator anywhere that they can work with, or is accessing the engine room a functionally useless plan to pursue?]

[wewillwewill]

[ Elidibus holds an impartial expression against the Look. There may be more reasons why he answered like that, but in the end it's not like he implied Lia Nine wouldn't be able to give the answer Wash was looking for. Just that there might be more to learn from his fellow crewmates than what the Ministry could give.

Or should know.

Anyway Wash is given the lead again with questions. Though once he gets the answer from Lia Nine about the one that's presented, the Ascian will add something of his own that he seems to be interested in.]

With the systems having different cultures and history I can see where their acceptance or use of void travel may have many different restrictions. I didn't think to ask specifically before in my report, but is there any literature about prohibitions and taboos against certain discoveries? Both what the Void Ministry or independent systems and worlds may use.

[voidtreckernpcs]

There are other train shaped voidcraft yes. Trains are quite a popular shape for mission craft actually because it allows the craft to fit in with more systems. More places have a vehicle such as a train than a space cruiser.

The technology itself is partially standardised. For the most part when a world is at the early stages of understanding void travel a representative will travel there to offer assistance. This way the early disastrous experiments are not repeated every time a new system enters the void.

The main standardisation is the use of void metal. I can try and find some literature for you, though there is not much that is taboo on a void-wide scale considering the vast differences in systems that we represent. Certain systems may have their own restrictions of course.

[unrecovered]

So a captain or an engineer with experience on train-shaped voidcraft might be able to troubleshoot ours, if the basics are the same.

[Confirmation is good. Elidibus can worry about taboos and materials; Wash is going to move ahead with his inquiry.]

When we talked with the Voidtrecker Express earlier, it agreed to let a temporary captain on board to take a look at its engine room. Can you recommend a captain with train-shaped voidcraft experience who'd be sympathetic to [he gestures widely to the train] all of this?

[Wait.]

With the understanding that it would be a temporary visit, for troubleshooting only, and they would not be the train's new captain.

[wewillwewill]

Any information on the subject will be appreciated. Even if it needs to be something that needs to be sent later.

[ Obviously this isn't the time for a complete rundown of taboos and illegal void practices.

For the moment, it's time to focus on what Wash has revealed and mull over the possible outcomes of the chance a captain will be sent to check the engine room. ]

[voidtreckernpcs]

That's an interesting request. [She frowned and tapped at her tablet some more.] I can pass it on and see what the ministry say.

[She's a junior minister, she does not have the authorisation power for this.]

[unrecovered]

Thanks.

[Bureaucracy. It's an evil he understands, at least.]

Also, is there a way to contact you directly? Are you our assigned point of contact, or do we even have one?

[wewillwewill]

[ Queue silent but somewhat sidelong look that might be a sympathetic glance toward Lia Nine. Well Elidibus seems to have picked up what this poor girl is going through; hence his requests which mostly could be forwarded to people with better knowledge.

So while the sympathy might be a bit calculated more than genuine, the Ascian's at least recognizing Lia Nine's current difficulties. Of course he is also being discreet so unless Wash looks over at the quiet and apparently listening man it might be missed.

...To be honest it's probably a little bit genuine. He has had to live with the crew after all. ]

[voidtreckernpcs]

If you contact commander Orlaith's offices it will be sent through to me. Commander Orlaith is part of the team that is assigned to helping you. Many of your crew have met minister Ten Nank also.

[unrecovered]

[He'd be ticked at Elidibus if he could see him, but honestly, he's not paying attention to the guy. He has more pressing matters at hand.]

Okay, but how? We have no access to the engine room, and our comms are all internal - we can't exactly dial nine to call out.

[wewillwewill]

[ Elidibus is innocent! And he's schooled his expression quickly. Besides, the matter of communication is important. ]

Yes, the train is willing to send our messages on. I believe someone had a personal method to send an emergency communication. What would our options be to obtain something that can be universally reached in case the one or two that have a means are incapacitated?

[voidtreckernpcs]

Ah. [She looks flustered.]

I will give a recommendation that you should be given a way to communicate with us. Even if it's just getting you an emergency radio or something.

[Typing, typing.] I think the Inspectors gave one of your crew an emergency signal, but something more comprehensive is probably in order.

[unrecovered]

[He looks at Elidibus - that would've been good to know - then looks back at the screen and Lia Nine.]

Given how frequently we lose people, that'd probably be a good idea.

[But he's put a lot on her, and he can't be the only one doing that right now. Might as well try the give part of give and take.]

What do you need from us?

[wewillwewill]

[ Wash's question is still valid though. Even if the train has shown itself to be willing to send messages on, there are times when it can't be contacted. Hence the need to have a secondary method. ]

Yes. And if we can't communicate with the train because of some emergency, it's best to have a secondary form of communication that isn't tied to any one person.

[ In a way that's as much a response to Wash's look as it is to the ministry official. ]

[voidtreckernpcs]

Just try and keep us up to date as much as possible. We will try and get a communications device to you. Just work with us as you're doing, you've all been very cooperative.

[And they had many reasons not to be.]