Scene #1614: The Dead Man's Hand ft Johnny and Seft

Owner	Pose
Courier Six	It's actually not hard for the Courier to make his way out to the rest of the Flotilla at this point. He's got training from SAIL and some prior experience piloting skiffs and stuff to wrestle the ship to the right spot alongside the rest of the folks. A moment to park, and Johnny throws on 'the brake' or whatever to hold course with Seft's Castleship. A twittering bleepbloop from the back of the ship, where ED-E seems to be doing an inventory of the ship's digital locker, and disgorging crap that Johnny's foisted on him at some point into the device.
Starbound Flotilla	Seft is in her 'casual' outfit, which as always looks like some kind of strange anachronistic princess. Seriously, this is some Disney nonsense. Anyway, she's beamed aboard in a quick flash of red light, suddenly freshly existing at the telepad. "Cheerful. Hello Johnny." The monotone voice speaks up immediately, the eye-lights taking a rather pleasant expression to them. "Impressed. This is certainly a stylish renovation, you are keeping the spirit of your home alive on the road." She's at least disconnected enough from the hivemind that she's not going full medieval on him, curtseying and all that. There's just a little greeting nod, and an attentive visual scan of the posters. She'll take a seat, of course, where and when invitd. "Pleased. It is good to see this full of life again." She gives a polite wave to ED-E, and a few friendly handshakes over assorted wireless protocols, in greeting to the eyebot as well, Seft herself beeping briefly as she does.
Courier Six	ED-E perks up at Seft's arrival, and initiates communications protocols. He discusses local atmospheric conditions in the mojave, his learnings about star charts and flight from SAIL, ideas about future plans of robot domination of the galaxy. That last one might be in jest though, as the robot's antennae wiggle. "On the road, that's an... interesting way to put it, I suppose. Though... Biteblade is right, this is sort of like a road." He waves Seft over towards a scavenged kitchenette table, and shuffles over to the Locker to get breakfast. "Also I did some testing on the weirdo food that was in here. I'm guessing some of this is Glitch food, because it's made out of living metal bits." He comes back with... scrambled eggs with automato relish and a cup of coffee for Seft, and a grilled boneboo sandwich for himself. "Hope this is... something similar. I'm getting used to Space Food."
Starbound Flotilla	Seft makes brief, friendly wireless conversation with ED-E and they share robot humor while she sits down. But it'd be impolite for Seft to visit and then converse with robot friends wirelessly while Johnny can't see it! So she makes sure to focus on him. "Cheerful. We are a Flotilla. We travel. Whatever metaphor is selected for it, traveling is our home." She gratefully accepts the meal. "Grateful. Thank you, Johnny. It has been some time since I last consumed automato, you were accurate in your assessment." She seems unspokenly positively reacting to the preparation of the food itself, but there doesn't seem to much be a way to say "it looks good" robotically, so she's not. Then she continues. "Whimsical. The Floran has some wisdom, but is extremely inarticulate. Define as the road, or the sea, or simply space. It is a home you make in the parts of the world that divide people." Oddly philosophical! Then she seems to remember something. "Realizing. Ah, Johnny, I am being terribly negligent. I am in charge of Flotilla manufacturing facilities, is there anything you required to assist in mobile manufacturing?"
Courier Six	Johnny snorts and shakes his head. "Well, She had me pegged as a courier, after all, and that is my life. New Vegas has been... odd for me. I think. I still don't remember much before showing up in the Mojave. Bits and pieces, but most of it is still a blur." Again, he mimicks getting shot in the head where that bullet scar sits over his eye. He takes a bite of his Not Sloppy Joe, and looks thoughtfully over at Seft. "Hmmmm." A swallow. "I didn't even think of pulling some of my work benches up here, now that I think about it. I mean, sure, I'd be happy to see what you guys work with, but that's the pint of trading tech, isn't it?"
Starbound Flotilla	"Comforting. A courier does not need know know where they came from to know where they are going. That is not to say you should abandon your past. But you already seem like a man who focuses on his future. That is best." Seft says, nodding somberly. "Cheerful. I will be happy to help you move it in and maintain it. I handle maintenance for the manufacturing equipment for the Flotilla. It would be a more than favorable exchange for me if I repaid the technology we have acquired with some exchanges with you. Our own workstations could be of good practical use to you." She does look very cheerful about that, seeming like she was just waiting for an excuse to properly help Johnny out as repayment for all the help he's given her.
Courier Six	There's a quirk of Johnny's eyebrow at Seft's faux-enthusiastic statement, but he just smiles, hearing her gush a little bit. "And here I thought I was just bein' a procurer of goods. I mean, you all have been pretty accomidatin', you know but..." A bite of his sandwich, before he coughs, and gets up, heading for the locker. "Almost forgot the drinks." He comes back with several bottles of water and then sits again. "And on the other point... I dunno. Something about this... growth. Fostering the Wastes, it feels right somehow, Like... I've done it before. Maybe that's why it comes easily." A shrug. "The past was shit, I'm workin' to make the future less so. Ain't more than anyone can reasonably ask people."
Starbound Flotilla	Seft's visor blinks several times and then she takes a deep drink of the water. "Contrary. You helped me at my worst moment. This suffices for me to hold you in high esteem. You are free to assess it yourself as whatever you like. Regardless, I will seek to provide what I can in exchange. Furnaces, workshops, metallwork apparatuses, whatever you would like, I will hope to provide." There's another long bit of a pause at that second part "Approving. Whatever your history is that caused it, I approve of the motive and the means you bear now because of it. It could have been the brain injury and I still would approve of your choice to do this. Fostering a better life in that wasteland is a good goal." She gestures with a bit of emphasis, but still rather robotically. This is that thing she feels strongly about! Or, well, 'feels', anyway.
Courier Six	Johnny nods his head, and leans back in his chair. "Well. Then I'll accept your offers of help. I'f also still got to see how this thing reacts to the radiation back home so when I do bring it back, we'll have to have you and Moonfin along to make sure the internal computer systems aren't scrambling." Then he leans forward and grins. "So how are the rest of you taing the influx of jerks with spaceships? I suppose most of the ones who've picked one up are at least pretty tolerable. And space is big enough that a few more ships won't be crowdign others out."
Starbound Flotilla	"Educating. Starling Class vessels are rated to remain in orbit around radioactive planets. Atmospheric maneuvers may be more damaging without specialist equipment. It is advised you make use of the teleporter. The beacon is nearly impossible to destroy." Seft says, with an assuring sort of posture. Then, the question about the ships. "Listing. Pavo believes some are competition and the rest should be ignored. Result, focusing more on work. Biteblade is utilizing it as a chance to make friends. Moonfin is currecntly dedicating attention to business matters and is otherwise using it as an opportunity to build power. Albert remains hopeful for having them act against Big Ape. George is impossible to assess." She rubs her face with her palms. "Exasperated. You would be surprised how little space there is in space, at times."
Courier Six	Johnny sniffs at all of that and shuffles over to his Thinking Couch to slump in. A hand moves to rub at his nascent beard, and he sighs. "I'm guessing Pavo didn't miss my little trick with the door and that nifty lock opener I brought with me." A look over to Seft and he sighs. "Well. You can rest assured I'm not about to resort to bein' a road agent. Uh, space agent. Highwayman, whatever you call em in space. I suppose bandits still works." Moonfin's antics get a grin from the Courier, though. "I heard him chatting up Murasame. I'm not surprised. I mean, the kid's got a good business acumen and he's sharp as a tack. Even if he could do with'a bit a loosenin' up."
Courier Six	As to the others... "I'm not sure how much traction Albert's gonna get just yet. People are still bein' awful carefree about new ships and stuff and while we got a taste of Big Ape to get those ships..." He leans forward and rubs his face. "I think the science stuff is too close to Staren and Rory than not. I mean, I know they understand what's goin' on, but... hnn. I dunno. I've been on the wrong end of Bad Science, so."
Starbound Flotilla	Seft actually looks like she's bristling a bit, for once. "Affirming. It is very bad science." She makes a seething sort of buzzing noise. "Clarification. Albert has simple priorities. His priorities are not to save the Apex. He seeks to kill the Miniknog. He would not care, if that meant employing irresponsible soldiers and tactics against them" She fusses with her water. "Resentful. Traction has not been achieved. Friction has." Apparently there's a bit of a social division between Seft and Albert! Unexpected. "Seguing. I know you have your priorities oriented correctly, Johnny. Your acquisition and use of this ship, at least, does not worry any of us, to my knowledge."
Courier Six	The courier's eyes soften at the outburst and he sips his water a bit more... "While I was just startin' out my job as House's Troubleshooter, I accidentily activated a piece of Old World tech that flung me deep up into the Rockies and to a place known as the Big MT. Old World science lab. Massive complex. But it was still in operation. Sort of." He swishes his water and then leans forward. "The place is still being run, 200 years later, by a group of the original scientists. They decanted themselves into giant floating hoverbots, so it would be them and their brains and science forever. Only... They're..." A sigh. "They went the wrong way, at some point. Maybe even before the War. So now you've got a group of eggheads locked away in a facility, beaming random people to the facility as lobotomized test subjects, locked in some sort of battle for Scientific Dominance over an enemy that doesn't exist anymore."