'napped

Date/Timing: 19 January 2019
Setting: The Shed (Vaucluse) and metro Sydney, NSW, Australia
.
=== Morning and Max (One) ===
Chuck's inhaling breakfast at the kitchenette table when Pietr appears, showered and dressed for the outside world.
"'ere—" Chuck dumps his spoon. ::Where're you going?::
Pietr beams. ::Circular Quay. Chantell wants to go to the market.::
"You're gonna waste a free day /shopping?" sneers Chuck. "With /Chantell?"
Pietr huffs. ::Helping her out. Gifts for family, too.:: Puppy-dog eyes. ::/Sure you don't want to come along?::
"I'd rather visit the dentist."
::But that's next week, right?::
Chuck replies with an obscene gesture.
Pietr sticks out his tongue. ::Your loss.:: Waves and saunters out the door.
Chuck huffs and rolls his eyes, settles down with a crossword puzzle.
Max demands up.
Chuck scoops him onto his lap.
Max makes himself comfortable as Chuck returns to his crossword.
Stares at the grid.
Max woofs.
"Yea, this isn't working," Chuck sighs, fiddling with the pen. "Wha d'ye think, Handsome? Think someone needs their skull cracked?"
Max wags his tail.
"You sure you'll be fine by yourself?"
Max barks.
"If you say so." Sets him on the ground, kisses his forehead. "Be good while I'm gone."
Max licks his face, barks again, and waddles to his bed.
Chuck stands, stretches, and heads to the gym.
.
=== Harmless Nerd (One.Two) ===
Pietr presses the bell at the marshal's quarters.
After a minute, a PJ-clad Chantell opens it.
He waves.
"We're doing somethin' today, aren't we."
Displays his mobile: 
- Market -
"Oh, razzel fuckin' shit I completely forgot—oh, come in—"
Pietr bobs his head, enters—On the table!!!!
"This is why sleeping's good. Uh, ye mind if I-I'll be, like, ten minutes—"
DS!!!!!
"Of course." She laughs. "Have a seat, I'll be right back—" Wrinkles her nose. "Right-/ish back."
Thumbs up, plops down on the surprisingly comfortable sofa.
.
=== Morning People and Not Morning People (One.Three) ===
"Oi, sleepyheads!" greets Jamie, striding into Team Vulcan's quarters. "You've got mail!"
""Fuck off!"" shouts a muffled Logan.
A lump of blankets in Jack's room grunts.
"Aww, c'mon, Jack, it's your free day! Rise 'n—" Jamie breaks off with a chuckle.
Jack scowls.
"Gotta say, mate, that shiner of yours is lookin' /awfully sunny today."
"Fuck. Y—"
"Hey, Jamie," says Andrea, grabbing a piece of toast. "Jason's still asleep."
"Thanks for the heads up, not-sleepyhead." Picks out a couple letters. "Here you go."
"'anks." Glances at them, makes a happy sound, leaves them on the table. "'ee 'u!" And out the door she goes.
"Logan," Jamie calls, "looks like ye got cats."
/thump
"Don't do anything too dumb, you hear?"
Jack grunts.
And there's a Logan.
"Same to you."
"The fuck?"
"Stupid. Don't do. Gotta run. Bye."
Jack mumbles something akin to a reply.
Logan doesn't.
Jamie saunters to Andrea's room, grinning. "Anyone home?" 
Blankets lump.
"If you're still here in half an hour I'm siccing Logan on you." 
An arm—Jason's—pokes from the bedding, gives a thumbs up. 
"Awesome." 
And Jamie, out!
.
=== Deploy Chantell! (Two) ===
"You leveled up four Metapod with only a Hoothoot but you didn't take out the Gym leader." Chantell shakes her head. "Misplaced priorities, there."
'Pfft', says Pietr's hand as he leads her in the direction of the canteen.
"I don't care if it's cheating, I've been stuck there for weeks."
Pietr hands her his mobile.
"'Gripe gripe gripe'. Very funny."
'Keep going.'
"'Can Derek come?' Sure, the more the merrier!" Aha! "Which is why we're a turn from the canteen."
Pietr grins.
"Awesome." She gets the door. "After you."
Pietr bobs his head, makes a beeline for a certain brunet.
Who, right on cue, jumps and sends his spoon flying.
Pietr's making a good case for coming along.
Derek's hedging.
Enter Chantell! "C'm/on, Derek! You deserve a break after the last couple days." She smiles. "Sunshine, fresh air, fewer responsibilities ...."
Pietr smiles encouragingly.
"I-I /guess that would be okay—Ayf!"
Chantell rolls her eyes. "Pietr, I don't think he can breathe."
Pietr jumps back. ::Sorry!::
Derek wheezes.
"Now that you can, let's be off." She pulls him to his feet. "There's an open market off Circular Quay. Today only. If we get there soon, it may not be /totally swamped."
Pietr snaps a salute.
Derek smiles weakly.
"I'll let Security know you're coming~."
.
=== Cats (Three) ===
Jackson huddles around his cup.
Logan examines a photo—two white cats with brown splotches derping—one of the score or so photos of cats being dumb, occasionally scrawling his own captions alongside Feng's tidy script.
The colors seem ... less Shatterdome-y than usual.
"Morning," yawns Jason and thank god he's wearing clothes. 
Jackson grunts. 
Logan snickers at one of the white cats with brown splotches falling into a sink.
Cats.
"Drapes hasn't forgotten the Internet, ay?" asks Jackson.
"When I suggest it, he laughs."
"Huh."
Pets.
Jason sits with one of Andrea's energy bars. 
Logan returns to sorting.
"Please leave," says Jackson. 
Jason raises an eyebrow. 
Jackson certainly won't admit the Andrea part of his brain is making heart eyes so he says, "I don't want to think about having sex with you or Ray." 
Jason covers his mouth. "'ou're adorable." Pushes to his feet, saunters to the door, ruffling Jackson's hair on the way by.
His Andrea brain squees and Jackson will never admit the corner of his mouth twitches up. 
Jason stuffs his feet into his boots, smiles 'goodbye'—Andrea melts a little—and heads out.
Logan restacks a pile of photos. 
White pet with brown splotches.
Hm.
"Think you can get us into Chuckles' quarters?"
Logan raises an eyebrow.
"Have an idea."
"Should be a piece 'a cake. Whatcha thinkin'?"
Jackson's is an evil smile. "Well ...."
.
=== Car-Induced Sleeping (Three.One) ===
[Aguirre, following Security, steers their town car through] a turn with nary a hint of centrifugal force and yet Pietr, sleeping peacefully, still ends up on Derek's shoulder.
Who, right on cue, becomes a study in tension.
Chantell stifles a giggle, says, "One of us should check in with his people if this is normal."
Derek's nose twitches.
"Oh no!"
He sneezes, knocks off Pietr.
Who, thankfully, wakes up.
"Sorry!" squeaks Derek.
Pietr shakes his head. ::Sorry.::
"You okay?" asks Chantell.
He signs, yawns, shrugs, and passes out against the window.
"Ooookaaaaay," says Chantell. "/Definitely calling his people later."
.
=== Voilà (Four) ===
Logan leans in the suite door, grinning. "Got it~!"
"That was quick."
"I'm good at what I do." Bounces on his toes. "Ditch your mobile and we can get going."
Jackson drops his on the couch. "Why bother? They can track us without 'em."
"Yea, but this makes it a bit harder for GLaDOS to nag."
On cue, Jackson's mobile squawks.
Logan tilts his head, 'see?'
Jackson snorts. "Let's go."
They stroll along mostly empty corridors, scan the area in front of the target suite.
All clear.
Logan swipes a keycard through the lock.
The bolt /snackts back.
"Voilà." Logan pushes open the door, bows Jackson inside.
Max barks.
"You're actually kinda useful."
Logan closes the door behind. "I could trap you in here, ye know."
"But you won't."
Logan huffs.
"Whose card is that, anyway?"
/click click click click
Logan squints at the small print. "Would'ye look at that—" Flips it around, grinning. "—Officer Jones, Custodial."
"Niiiiice," chuckles Jackson, snagging the leash from beside the door. "Go grab what he needs for a little vacay."
"Yessir, Cap'n Jack!" A mocking salute—
Jackson rolls his eyes.
—and he ambles into Chuckles' room.
Max waddles right up to Jackson.
"'ey, Wrinkles. Let's go for a walk."
Max wags all the way to his hips.
Jackson clips leash to collar as Logan returns with a duffel of supplies.
Max woofs happily, follows them from the suite.
.
=== Lady Luck (Four.One) ===
Andrea stops by the /Vulcan Specter locker room, grabs her gear, shimmies into her harness, clips on her tool belt, and checks the assignment board.
The left thumb's not working? /Again?
Juliet's always one for company and won't mind if she gets a head start before the shift change.
Andrea hits the elevator.
Should just amputate the damn thing for all the trouble it causes.
Oh well.
She steps out onto the shoulder-level catwalk and scans for a supervisor.
"Good t' have ye," greets the Chief, enjoying what is probably coffee number three.
"Thanks," replies Andrea. "What's the thumb gotten to this time?"
"Bottom joint doesn't like movin', not sure why—"
The drop siren wails twice.
""All hands, prepare for launch; /Lucky Seven from Bay Three. All hands prepare for launch; /Lucky Seven from Bay Three,"" announces AGNIS.
Over the cacophony of titanic machinery coming to life, the Chief shouts, "We ran all the engines last night, couldn't find a problem. Johnson figures it might be a muscle strand. Can't tell ye much more, I'm afraid."
As the crawler inches forward, Andrea, the Chief, and every other tech in the room each wave a rag, turning the hangar into a study of fluttery color.
"I don't get why this's fun," yells Andrea, "but it is!"
The Chief grins.
"About the thumb, I'll keep that in mind!"
"Thanks, kid!"
The crawler hits Scramble Alley and /Lucky steps out into Shark Bay.
""/Lucky Seven launch successful—""
""Transport Three returning to bay.""
""—at ease. /Lucky Seven launch successful. All hands, at ease.""
"Main line's already in place," says the Chief.
"Thanks."
"Good luck," punctuated with a clap on her back.
"Won't need it, hopefully." Clips on her carabiner and rappels down.
.
=== Walkies (Four.Two) ===
Jackson and Logan plod along one of the less pleasant stretches of 'Dome perimeter, and, just as they'd expected, not a whole lot of other people do the same. 
Max beelines to another sniff. 
Jackson squints, scrubs his face. 
Logan rocks on his heels. 
"You, uh, caught up with /Sunshiney Rainbow Friends?" 
"You fucking kidding?" 
Jackson makes an 'I dunno' sound. 
Max trundles off. 
Jackson and Logan plod. 
. 
=== Trouble (Four.Three) ===
Andrea glances up at the sound of a harness zinging along a line.
"Does it seem to you that every time this thing breaks, it's on the two of us to fix it?" asks Juliet, wet hair tied back in two short braids.
"And it hasn't even been two weeks!"
Juliet switches her carabiner to /Vulcan's wrist. "The hell's Logan doing to it?"
"Couldn't tell you," Andrea sighs. "Nice shower?"
"Yup." Juliet pulls up the maintenance report on her loaner tablet. "Gotta love jumping ship."
"Yea, didn't think you'd be on hand for a bit."
Juliet's unimpressed. "Anyway, Lil'est Hansen showed up unexpectedly, not unlike a certain someone—why aren't you out shopping with Chantell?"
"Wanna get this thumb to stop sticking. Besides—" Andrea peers into a joint. "—think it's best if I stay close in case Jackson or Logan get into something."
"Aw, they can stay outta trouble for a couple hours."
Andrea raises an eyebrow.
"Forgive me for being optimistic. Figure I'd take a page from Chantell's book 'n give it a shot."
Andrea snorts.
"I'll have you know she's a great role model."
"I know, Jules, you're not the only one [who thinks so]."
"Pfft, you're already perfect."
Shoulder bump. "Flatterer."
"Guilty," she grins. "Also of messing with you about the boys."
"'was worried for a minute there."
"Heh. You got enough on your plate, don't need me adding to it."
"Whoever said free days were fun, ay?"
"You got that, sister."
.
=== Happy Critter (Five) ===
Logan springs open the door to an unused crew room.
"After you," mutters Jackson.
Max obliges, plunks down beside the floor mat and watches them happily.
Logan puts together a nest on one of the beds and sizes up Max.
Jackson scratches Max's ears. "Good boy."
Logan pulls a drawer from under the bed, flips it over, slots it back on track, and leaves it open a couple feet.
"Up ye go, Waddles," urges Jackson.
Max clambers onto the drawer and from there onto the bed and settles himself in his blanket.
"Think he'll be alright?"
Logan nods, arranging the dishes. "Food, water, his blankie, and an extra walk. Be a happy critter 'til evening."
"Cool." Jackson steps out into the hall. "Never figured you for a dog person."
"I'm not." Logan checks the door's locked. "Just treating him like I would you."
"Asshole." Jackson shoves Logan's head. 
He rolls with it. "Never claim otherwise."
"Not gonna take a swipe at me for that?"
Logan shrugs.
Jackson checks his Logan brain, finds a whirlpool instead of the usual glass-smooth ice.
"Fuck off, Jack."
"What?"
"You're poking around and I don't appreciate it."
Jackson scoffs.
Logan sniffs, picks up his pace back to their quarters.
.
=== Blueberry (Five.One) ===
Andrea swings around the hand and bumps her knee to Juliet's.
"Think I've almost got this."
"So, remember what I said about Other Chuck?"
"That she was floating?" Juliet's wrench stutters to a halt. "Oh my god, was it—"
Andrea scoffs.
"'course not." Juliet sighs, returns to the rather stubborn bolt. "He's moping."
"He moped right through a visit from Nate."
"Ouch. How was Wednesday?"
"Doc has him reading teenage girl stories and wants to see him next week."
"Like, YA stuff?"
"Says he needs to 'augment his psychological vocabulary'."
"That's how they're treating the 'emotional maturity of a blueberry scone', ay?"
"The doc's hoping he might graduate into cake territory."
"That'll be something." The bolt finally comes free. "How much're you gonna make?"
"Couple hundred bucks, at least."
"Nice!" Juliet hands off the panel. "Light?"
Andrea passes over a torch.
Juliet peers into the digit. "Let's see if we can't get this thing working again."
.
=== Dinosaur (Six) ===
The town car pulls up to the curb.
Pietr sleeps on.
Derek shifts uncomfortably. "Umm ...."
Chantell shrugs, boops Pietr's nose.
He snorts awake, smiles drowsily.
"You okay?"
Pietr yawns, thumbs up.
"Then let's get going!" she cheers.
They pile out.
Pietr tips an imaginary hat to [Aguirre.
He grins, bows, folds] back inside.
Pietr attends Chantell while Derek resettles his satchel.
"We should stick together so Security has an easier time keeping track of us," she says.
Pietr raises an eyebrow.
"Rangers, top-level staff, and a few others get escorts when they leave the 'Dome," Chantell continues. "You get used to it. Right, Derek?"
Pietr looks to Derek, queries.
"Because I look so much like L—" Swallows, rubs his neck. "I ...."
"We're afraid someone who wants to mess with Logan'll grab him by mistake."
Derek hunches.
Pietr eases a little closer.
- Cult? -
"M-mostly."
"Logan's not the most popular guy," drawls Chantell.
'Of course not,' huffs Pietr.
"Well, I'm here to see what there is to see. You guys looking for anything in particular?"
Pietr bounces on his toes.
- Toys -
- Candy! -
- Hair thngies -
"Cool!" Chantell heads for the first stalls. "What about you, Derek?"
"Uh ... CDs? Music?"
Chantell's eyebrows climb. "You buy CDs?"
Derek cringes. "I l-like keepin', um, physical backups. 'n they're so cheap nowadays ...."
Pietr thumbs up, grins, pats the wallet in his pocket.
"You and your pictures," giggles Chantell. "So you're both dinosaur collectors, ay?"
Pietr puts on an affronted look.
"Uh, Pietr?" ventures Derek.
"Ooo!" Chantell squeals and paws through a display of reproduction maps. "Lookit these beauties!" 
'Yes?'
"Do you ever, um, 'listen' t' music? Like, feel the vibrations or something?"
Pietr shakes his head.
- Loud enuf 4 me 2 feel hurts u -
"Oh. O-okay." Derek shuffles his feet. Looks up into the camera on Pietr's mobile at a tap on his arm.
Pietr grins, points to the screen.
"Huh? Oh! You take pictures instead."
Happy nod. 
- Colours!!! - 
He lights up, hares off into the crowd.
Derek blinks. "Uh? Chantell?"
She looks over, clutching several charts to her chest.
"I think we just lost Pietr."
.
=== A Lack of Max: Disturbing (Seven) ===
"That was a waste 'a time," mumbles Chuck as he unlocks the door. Tromps through the common area to his room, pulls on a clean(er) t-shirt.
He pauses.
Something's wrong.
Pokes his head in Scott's room. 
"Max?"
Nothing.
His old man's room. 
"Max?"
Nothing.
Pietr's room.
"Hey! Max!"
Nothing.
Washroom. 
"Max! Walk!"
Nothing.
Common area again. 
"/Max!"
Leash's gone.
Scott and the old man are on patrol. The Squire's off. So where—
"/AGNIS!"
""No need to shout, Mister Han—""
"/Cadet."
""I am sighing. You see, I can't actually—""
"Where's Max?!"
""You didn't say—""
"/Please!"
""Your wrinkly companion is currently in room thirty-eight-twenty of the /Triton Tasmania staff block and, to judge by the activity detected by local microphones, snoring.""
Chuck's out the door in a sprint.
.
=== Colours (Eight) ===
Pietr bounds back a minute later, beaming.
"Saw something you couldn't resist?" Chantell grins.
He flashes a picture of a group of cosplayers in wild, bright outfits.
"Whoa. Don't see /that often."
"Oh wow," breathes Derek. "I didn't even … how'd you spot them?"
'I dunno.' 
"Maybe you're not, um, distracted by all the noise like we are."
Pietr shrugs.
"So colours jump out more to him? Good theory, there."
"I was, uh—hope it's okay, Pietr—reading up on deafness and they say the brain, um, gets wired differently without sound. Like, the parts normally used to hear are sorta taken over by another sense."
"His brain cells cannibalized each other?"
"Kinda? Maybe?"
"That's so cool!" Chantell giggles—"Rawr!"—noms Derek's shoulder
He squeaks, jumps away, and turns a brilliant scarlet.
Pietr gives Chantell a Look.
"Sorry," she says contritely. 
"'s'okay," murmurs Derek. "I jump at, well, everything. 's the anxiety." He sighs.
"It's really neat that Pietr might see colours differently than either of us." Chantell cocks her head. "I wonder what they look like."
- Colours -
Chantell punches Pietr on the arm. "Smartarse."
He rubs the spot, pouts.
"We could, maybe, ask Cadet Hansen if he's ... umm, noticed anything weird when they've Drifted?"
"He's /still making you call him that?"
"Umm, well ...."
Chantell sighs. "Pietr, you need to talk to your copilot."
'Tell me about it,' he sighs.
.
=== Rescue (Eight.One) ===
"AGNIS!" 
Max barks from the other side of the locked door.
""There is still no need to shout, Mister Ha—""
"/Cadet!"
""Sigh. /Cadet Hansen, there is no need to—""
"Open this door!"
""Say the magic words.""
"/Please!"
""The other magic words.""
"If you don't open this door right /fucking now I'm gonna take a hammer to your motherboard!"
""That is a bit of an extreme measure.""
The lock /chacks.
Chuck flings it open, dives inside.
Max woofs from his nest on the bed.
Chuck kneels on the mattress, throws his arms around Max.
He licks the side of Chuck's head.
"It's so good see you again." Kisses his forehead.
Max pants happily.
"AGNIS?"
Max woofs, chomps on his squeaky frog.
""How may I assist you, /Cadet Hansen?""
"Who locked Handsome in here?" Scratches Max's ears.
Max continues frog-chomping.
""Security cameras show Handler Hansen arriving with two people who strongly resemble the Rangers Jones.""
"Those /fuckers," snarls Chuck. "Thanks, AGNIS."
""I live—if an existence such as mine can be considered 'living'—to serve, /Cadet Hansen.""
Chuck takes a deep breath. "Okay, boy, let's get you home." Gathers up Max's things, clips leash to collar, shtumps out.
Max trots at Chuck's heels.
.
=== High Literature (Eight.Two) ===
Jackson flips the page.
"Who reads this junk?"
Next page.
"I thought we were past all this gender-stereotype crap."
Next.
"Fuck, girl, get some self-esteem."
Next.
"This is ridiculous."
Next.
"Who even acts this way?"
He makes a frustrated sound, jams the book under his pillow, and heaves himself off the bed and out the door.
.
=== Confrontation (Nine) ===
Chuck explodes into the Rec, yelling, "/You kidnapped Max, you dirty fucker!"
Max barks.
Scarface doesn't bother leaving the couch, smirks. "What makes you think /I did it?"
"Security cameras, asswipe!"
Crosses his arms. "Aww, was the widdle Cadet lost wi'out his puppy?"
"Fuck! You!"
Scarface rolls his eyes. "So eloquent! You—"
Chuck launches himself across the room.
"—truly have a way with—"
Scarface's breath goes out with a /whoosh as Chuck hits him square in the chest, hands clawing for his neck and the couch toppling backwards—
—there's a sickening greenstick /crack and the rest of the crowd starts moving—
—Scarface kicks Chuck halfway across the room and rolls to his feet, hissing, left arm tucked to his chest—
—Chuck lunges, punching hard and fast, but Scarface blocks most of them—
Longjohns forces himself between them, shoves Chuck into the middle of a bunch of techs, and hauls Scarface towards the door—
Chuck tries to push his way through, fails, settles for glaring—
"You better start running, Shortstack," calls Scarface as he and Longjohns leave for Medical.
.
=== Disturbance (Nine.One) ===
"Everything checks out down here," says Andrea. "Looks like I'm going in."
Juliet snaps open a shower cap, and, once Andrea's pulled it on, boosts her into /Vulcan's wrist.
""We're gonna need some cleaner in here.""
"Bad enough to lock a thumb?"
""Not that I can see. Muscle strands look good, too, barring the gunk. I'm moving up.""
"Roger." Juliet clips herself to the arm line and follows the banging.
""Ow!""
"You okay?"
""Yep. Just slipped. Oil and grips don't mix.""
"Cool."
More banging—
""Found it!""
"Nice! What's up?"
""You ever seen a hairball?""
"Nope."
""Blockage in a river after a storm?""
"Mess of twigs 'n mud 'n stuff?"
""Exactly that. I'd say those Kiwi twins were here except I don't think they have clearance.""
"Can you break it out?"
No reply.
"Andrea?"
""Oh, sorry. You were saying?""
"What's up?"
""I think I feel a great disturbance in the Drift.""
"Then for god's sake, Kenobi, get outta there and check it out!"
""Uh, coming.""
Scuffling.
Andrea wiggles out, drops to the catwalk, and pulls off the cap. "Here you are—"
"Tatooine's potentially in danger! Go!"
"You mean Alderaan."
"Fine, whatever, the nerd is strong with this one, correct me later."
Andrea fidgets with her belt. "But—"
"Forget about the tools," urges Juliet, clipping her to the main line. "If I need a thing, I'll steal it from someone else. Now," Both hands on the harness, lifts with her knees. "Off with you!" 
And over the railing Andrea goes.
.
=== Pressing Buttons (Nine.Two) ===
Jackson winces—
Logan's /hurting.
Where—?!
He fumbles out his mobile—
""Considering your current troubles with coordination, it may be best to ask for my assistance,"" it drawls.
"Where's Logan?" Breath. "Please." 
""Your brother is currently being escorted—willingly it seems—to Medical by Officer Riley.""
Logan whimpers.
Jackson swallows. "Wha—Th' fuck happened?" 
[Logan settles into a steady throb.] 
""There was an altercation involving /Cadet Hansen—""
"Where. Is. He," spits Jackson.
""Your query is too ambiguous. Please [clarify].""
"Chuck Fucking Hansen!"
""No one by that name is listed—""
"AGNIS!"
""Given the sudden rise in your blood pressure, I'm not sure I should tell you.""
"Tell me where the little fucker is, you overgrown iPhone, or I'll—"
""Sticks and stones will—""
"Really fuck up your circuits."
""Everyone is so /touchy today. /Cadet Hansen is currently moving along a direct route from the /Vulcan Specter team recreation room to your current location.""
"Thanks." Jackson throws the mobile aside—
""You're welcome.""
—and's out the door in a sprint.
.
=== Treats (Ten) ===
Pietr scowls at the display of colourful packets full of sugary goodness.
A tap on his arm.
Derek!
"What's wrong?"
Mobile out.
- Candy = $$$ -
Realizes.
Grins, hops on the spot.
"Wha ...?"
- New job = new bdjgt!!! -
- MOAR CANDY!!!! -
Hugs Derek.
Derek pat-pats.
Releases Derek.
"O-okaaaaay?"
Spins to the vendor.
"What can I get you?"
Makes a sweeping motion with his arm.
"All of it?"
Pietr beams.
"Okay, then!"
Derek taps his shoulder.
Pietr sparkles back around.
"How're you going to carry all this?"
Pietr's mobile appears—
Pietr blinks.
[Blake] melts from the background. "You can have it sent to the Shatterdome."
Pietr becomes a being of pure joy and [Blake] speaks with the vendor.
.
=== Armour (Ten.One) ===
Jason stretches back in his chair in LOCCENT, feels a tickle of alarm. 
He sits properly. 
Tickle's still there. 
""Officer Egan?"" calls McCready. 
Jason spins around. "Present and accounted for!"
"This isn't kindy," grumbles Kyle. 
"Ranger Hill would like a moment. Says it's urgent."
The tickle tickles. 
"I'm there!" Jason pulls himself to his feet, saunters to Reception. 
Bacon hands him his mobile.
ray_a_drop_of_sun: Situation 
ray_a_drop_of_sun: JJLL
Jason leans back into LOCCENT. "I'm taking my fifteen minutes!" 
""Sounds good!"" calls Orenstein.
Jason heads for the lift. 
jason_goldilocks: Roger, looking for jack now
L_M_Riley: Got logan
L_M_Riley: We're in medbay
ray_a_drop_of_sun: Joining Jason
jason_goldilocks: Ohshit
L_M_Riley: Roger 
L_M_Riley: Noshit 
The lift dings and Jason sets off at the fastest clip he can manage which, as it turns out, is just fast enough to nearly collide with Andrea. 
She zips along. ""Sorry!""
"S'okay!" Jason jogs after, catches up at the next corner. "Seen Jackson?" 
"Not yet. Drift itch." Resumes running. 
"Then I'll just follow the leader." 
"Heh—" Doubles back to the last intersection, takes a left, and jogs to a maintenance closet. She unlocks—misses. "Asked AGNIS?" Centers herself.
"Fuck! No." Jason face-palms. "I'm an idiot. Thanks!"
Andrea smiles, unlocks the closet, digs around.
"Ey, AGNIS," he greets—
""You are looking for Ranger Jackson Jones.""
"Yea, how'd you—"
""He just asked for the most direct path to /Cadet Chuck Hansen.""
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"
""Because that's no moon, it's a space station?""
"In a different context, yes. Where's Jackson?"
Andrea preens, emerges with a pink drawstring bag, queries.
""Which one? This station employs thirty-three Ja—""
Jason shakes his head. "Where is Ranger Jackson Jones, please."
Andrea nods, starts on one of her boots.
""Ranger Jones is moving. I cannot pinpoint his location.""
"Could you offer an intercept course?"
Andrea shoves that foot through a knee pad, unlaces her other boot.
""I can offer a number of intercept courses based on your speed. At this moment, you may intercept Ranger Jones sometime tomorrow evening when his pattern from last week brings him past this point.""
"What if I'm moving at a fast jog—ye know what, where's the Hansen?"
""Which one?""
"Youngest, please."
""Searching.""
Andrea yanks on her other kneepad.
"Most direct route without freezers?"
""Recalculating."" 
Andrea fits her mouthguard. 
"Check in upon arrival?" asks Jason. 
Andrea nods. 
They fistbump and Andrea sets herself back on the path to the itch. A twitch and she detours to the library, snags a dictionary, then hurries on.
.
=== Uh Oh (Eleven) ===
Something in the depths of Chantell's purse chirps.
"Now where did that /stupid thing go I know it was /right here last time … AHA!" She opens the text, stops short.
Derek plows into her back, squeaks, "Oh my god 'm sorry!"
Chantell waves him off. "That was Jamie. We need to get back to the 'Dome. Now."
Pietr raises an eyebrow.
Derek swallows.
.
=== Confrontation II (Twelve) ===
Max waddles to a stop, attends a side corridor.
Chuck follows his attention. "What's up, Handsome?"
Max wags his tail, whuffs .
"/YOU!!!" roars Klingon, flying into view.
Max scrabbles from his path.
"/You! You took Ma—!"
Chuck hits the corridor wall face-first.
"What the /fuck were you /thinking?!"
Chuck forces his head around, growls, "Was thinking you and your dumbass brother kidnapped Max!"
Klingon tightens his grip on Chuck's neck, twists his arm farther up his back—
Chuck goes up on tiptoes, squirms.
"You broke his collarbone, asswipe!" snarls Klingon.
"He shouldn't 've messed with Max!"
"You think this's a /game, Chuckles? You wiped out a /Ranger. Your old man's got second-rate backup n—"
"Knew Logan fought your battles—"
Chuck's pulled against his spine by the hair, smashed back into the wall. He sees stars.
.
=== Crackle (Twelve.One) ===
Derek chews his thumbnail as the car creeps along with traffic.
"Isn't there another route we could take?"
"Sorry, Officer," says [Aguirre]. "Unless AGNIS is toying with us—"
Chantell scoffs.
"—this is the fastest way back to the 'Dome."
Derek checks Pietr.
Asleep, chin on chest.
Chantell makes a frustrated noise.
Derek swallows. "Umm ... Chantell?"
"/What."
Derek flinches, murmurs, "N-never mind."
Chantell twists around, smiles weakly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't 've snapped at you."
"'s'okay." Deep breath. "Jamie s-says it's bad?"
"If Jamie's calling me on my free day, it's /really bad. In fact, it's apparently 'Logan's-in-Medical' bad." Makes a face. "Hopefully, he looks worse than the other person."
Derek cringes.
Pietr, though, sleeps on.
.
=== Confrontation II.I (Twelve.Two) ===
Chuck gets the arm Klingon /doesn't have in a vise grip braced between himself and the wall—waits—
Klingon's ranting right behind his head—
—vision's getting bloody red around the edges—still waiting—
Max's barking from ... somewhere.
—eases his hold on Chuck's hair a /fraction—
—/shoves off, throws his head back—
—loses his hold on Chuck's arm, stumbles—
—whirls, punches for Klingon's face—
—dodges (blood dripping from his nose), swings for Chuck's temple—
—ducks, drives his forearm (all his weight behind it) into Klingon's chest—
—tips backward, lands a hard kick to Chuck's thigh—
—goes to his knees, shakes off some static—
—crashes down against some stairs, flails upright—
—heaves himself to his feet—
—hits the ground again when someone comes flying outta nowhere and clobbers him with—is that a /dictionary?—he connects with their cheek (more blood flies), yells, "Th' /fuck, Hill?!"
She keeps whacking at him.
Chuck grins nastily, steps—
A pair of yelps!
Chuck looks left.
There's Shorties laid out on the floor; Max licking his face with concern.
Chuck turns back to the fight, wobbles a little.
Klingon blocks his way to his feet, shoves—
Shrimp reels across the hall, trips over Shorties and goes down.
Chuck lurches for Klingon—hallway tilts—staggers into a Vulcan grey jumpsuit—
And another—and another— 
Some've latched onto Klingon, too. 
—and another—he's still throwing elbows and kicking and that /may be fabric between his teeth— 
The sixth jumpsuit's enough and Chuck gives up, lets them take him to Medical.
"C'mon, Max." he calls. 
Max woofs, trots after the crowd.
.
=== Specs (Twelve.Three) ===
Andrea stares vacantly as the techs haul Jackson and Chuck toward Medical down different hallways, then spits out her mouthguard, dabs at her bloody lip with a handkerchief.
Jason takes a deep breath, rolls onto his back. "Well, I'm having déjà vu."
She queries.
"I tripped over Max, I'm preeeeetty sure I messed up my knee, and it's just you and me here." Pushes to sitting, winces. "Fuckin' kn—oh my god, did that asshole /hit you?!"
"I hit him harder."
Beams. "That's my girl."
Andrea melts a little.
Jason glowers at his leg.
Andrea snaps herself out of it. "Think you can stand?" she asks, getting to her feet.
"Probably, if you help m—" Jason squeaks at her leg—"You got blood on Specs!"
Andrea twists, peers down at her jumpsuit and the chibi /Vulcan Specter not in grey but burgundy and red—bristles, eyes darkening with murder.
"You're gonna hit him even harder yet, ay?"
"Yep."
.
=== Bedlam (Thirteen) ===
"Welcome to Bedlam," Jamie calls as they arrive in Medical.
Andrea, shirt bloody, quirks a smile despite the ice pack pressed to the side of her face. 
Jason, foot propped up on Andrea's lap and gel-pack on his knee, waves.
"Lemme guess," Chantell says tersely, "Logan opened his mouth, Chuck hit him, and then Jackson hit Chuck." 
"Weeell—" Jamie makes a face. "—apparently the opposite."
"They're changing it up. Great." Chantell smiles. "Just great. Why do they have to change it up. I mean, was that formula not satisfactory on every single count?" 
"I can answer the 'how'," offers Jamie.
"Good as any. Go."
"As I reconstruct events—" Jamie leans back, hands behind head, crosses his ankles. "—one or both of my boys abducted Lil'est Hansen's dog, so Junior lit into Logan, broke his collarbone—"
Pietr winces.
"—then went looking for Jack, except Jack found him first; bruised his ribs and concussed him a little—" 
Chantell clenches her jaw.
"—but Junior knocked Jack into something and now he has six stitches in his arm—" 
Derek turns rather green.
"—Andrea separated 'em, got good and bloodied—"
Chantell almost convinces herself to impart a thumbs up.
So Andrea does.
"—Jason tripped over the dog, sprained his knee—"
Chantell rolls her eyes. "You and that dog, Egan."
Jason shrugs helplessly.
"—and Max came out /completely unscathed."
Derek exhales.
"—and, before you ask, yea, they're all outta commission—except the dog, of course—for a bit. But—" He nudges Andrea's arm. "—you and Jack could jockey in a emergency, ay?"
"I get a copilot in my head who I wanna murder, Logan gets stuck on reserve." She swallows. "I'm already fucked; might as well get a robot out of it."
"This is fantastic," snaps Chantell. "Absolutely fantastic. Where're your idiots so I can tell them just how wonderfully fantastic they are?"
"Second door on the right," replies Jamie. "The one with a guard."
"You're wonderful."
"I know." Jamie looks to Pietr and Derek. "Better make yourselves comfy, boys."
They sigh into chairs.
.
=== Victims (Fourteen) ===
The door slams against the wall. 
Jackson and Logan, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder on the exam table, jump a fraction. 
"The hell were you two thinking?"
Logan huffs, crosses his good arm over the one in the sling.
Jackson glowers.
"Which of you came up with this /brilliant dognapping plan?"
Logan and Jackson glare.
So does Chantell. 
Jackson sighs, looks away. "Me." Grumbles, "Was just a harmless prank."
"Because all 'harmless pranks' have body counts," snaps Chantell. "Have you /seen the waiting room?"
"There was no reason for them to stick themselves in."
"Other than Rangers beating each other stupid." Hands on hips. "Stupid/er. You're all getting written up for this."
Logan sits up straighter. "All I did was open doors! I'm the innocent victim of an unprovoked attack!"
Chantell and Jackson roll their eyes.
.
=== Ponder (Fourteen.One) ===
Juliet watches a bloodied tech report to the Chief. They discuss, then the tech leaves and the Chief heads off.
Her radio crackles. 
""Are you going to stare for another hour,"" says the Chief, ""or are you going to tell me what's up?""
Juliet grins, leans back in her harness. "But it's so much easier to avoid problems than deal with them!"
The Chief laughs, says, ""I'll see you tomorrow at eight sharp, Tam.""
"Thanks, Chief."
.
=== Lecture (Fifteen) ===
Pietr pokes his head in the last door on the left, waves.
Max stands up from Chuck's lap, wags his tail.
Chuck blinks groggily.
Pietr turns the chair to face him, settles in.
"You hear what those assholes did?"
Nods. ::Jamie told us.::
Chuck scratches Max's ears.
Max becomes a whuffling puddle on Chuck's lap.
.::They didn't hurt him.::
"They shouldn't 've messed with him."
.::No, they shouldn't, but you shouldn't have attacked him.::
Chuck's eyes spark. "What about them? They started it and I'm the one with a fuckin' concussion!"
.::You all acted stupid.::
Chuck glares. "You gonna lecture them, too?"
.::Chantell's taking care of it.:: Pulls a package of colourful things from his pocket, offers it.
"Jelly beans?"
Pietr grins, pops a few green ones in his mouth.
Chuck rolls his eyes, fishes for pinks.
.
=== Aftermath: Jandreon (Sixteen.One) ===
"Nurse Riley has arrived!" announces Lachlan with a tray, pushing open the door to his and Jason's suite with his hip. 
"But you're not even wearing garters," pouts Jason. 
Andrea gives him what may be a dirty look. 
"Really, Egan?" says Lachlan. "You're bedridden for two days and that's all you can think about?" 
"What else'm I supposed to do for two days?" 
Andrea takes up his gel pack and sorta stuffs it down his shirt. 
"That's cold, Ray."
"Oh for the love of god," sighs Lachlan.
=== Aftermath: Nguyens (Sixteen.Two) ===
The anteroom phone rings. 
""Marshal's office, Officer Nguyen speaking. How may I help you?""
Thomas draws a cup of water from the cooler, eases himself (Marshals do not /flop) into the chair beside her desk.
"He did /what?"
Thomas raises an eyebrow.
Telly asks for moment. "No, no, it's totally fine, I'll—"
Thomas sips. 
"You've already sent the car around? That's great—"
Thomas settles his eyes on the deep red sunbeams coming through the window. 
"That's your job, right, just making sure I wasn't on the hook for the pickup. Thanks for the letting me know; I'll talk to him."
Thomas sips. 
"K, thanks a bunch." She disconnects, sits down. "Seems I'll be signing Pietr up for 'so you suddenly have more income than you know what to do with' lectures."
Thomas queries.
"He bought up an entire candy store."
Thomas chokes water from his nose.
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