[A nod!! He'd been intending to get a read on all of them anyway, so he won't pass up that chance.]
Oh--sure, if you don't mind. Thank you. [He will take the seat, then, only because looming over people generally doesn't make them comfortable. He folds his hands in his lap, turning over her words in his head.]
Both of these incidents happened shortly before a spacejump, right? Would it be possible to run a scan during the next one? They might be functioning normally the rest of the time, but something about the jump is causing problems.
[ She really does not mind towering or anything. She just would prefer her guest to be comfortable. The blurry figure is still sitting across from Luke, but...
They disappear, as if willed away by Amalthea herself. She'll pour Luke a cup of dream tea. ]
To be clearer, both incidents happened during a diagnostic lockdown. We only had a space jump this week. [ She does stroke her chin, though. ] I'll pass on the message to the rest. We have to rule out any possibility...
Oh, I see. [He was fuckin dead so he just remembers the announcement mentioning the space jump. He nods his thanks, taking the cup, though he doesn't drink from it, just watches and listens.
...But the longer we're all here, the more people will continue to die.
[Eunhyuk proved that. Viktor's description made it clear that it wasn't just a malfunction in a non-human, wasn't just the overconfidence of a dying man catching up with him. With Eunhyuk's condition, it's still possible that there's something innate being targeted--but Luke has built his entire career on seeing links and tracking malice, and he isn't so inclined to be gracious with his doubt.]
If a planet offered us refuge without enacting intergalactic travel laws to lock us in our ship for overstaying, then that would be ideal... But not many wish for extra trouble of intergalactic matters happening on their soil.
[ She really is trying her best to calmly think of a way out of this. But all of it adds up to time. ]
... There are so many rules, even outside of this ship.
[The way I'm so tired but I want to at least do a few npc tags today]
Emergencies should constitute exceptions to the rules.
[Which is, logically, out of her hands--but at the same time, people are actively dying, and there's nothing he can currently do to stop it. It's hard to be merciful.]
... You would think so. We remain tethered to this ship... And our stations mean little to hard programmed systems beyond our access. It really seems to be the Eudora is cursed.
[ She smiles. ]
Sometimes I wonder if there is kindness in the galaxy, even though I know the answer to it.
[He wishes he could say "there's always a way," or something equally confident. He does, truthfully, find it difficult to believe that they don't have the tools to break through--but at the same time, this technology is so far beyond what he's used to. For all his experience and intelligence, his frame of reference is too dated for the systems they're working with--systems he no longer has access to anyway, not without painstakingly trying to recreate some old-school back door. Imagine if he built a wifi hotspot and was able to text only Todomatsu's cell phone.]
[ Luke is right to remember that his knowledge is too dated... Amalthea has only been employed allegedly for three months, so that is most of her studying.
That would be INCREDIBLY funny, though. ]
... As long as there are kind people, kindness will always persist, no matter the tragedy.
[Submits this as a location change (no) (unless?)]
I'd like to think so too. [A beat.] While you're working on solving this problem--can you try to remind the rest of that? It's hard to watch people die around you.
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Oh--sure, if you don't mind. Thank you. [He will take the seat, then, only because looming over people generally doesn't make them comfortable. He folds his hands in his lap, turning over her words in his head.]
Both of these incidents happened shortly before a spacejump, right? Would it be possible to run a scan during the next one? They might be functioning normally the rest of the time, but something about the jump is causing problems.
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They disappear, as if willed away by Amalthea herself. She'll pour Luke a cup of dream tea. ]
To be clearer, both incidents happened during a diagnostic lockdown. We only had a space jump this week. [ She does stroke her chin, though. ] I'll pass on the message to the rest. We have to rule out any possibility...
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He's sure he knows the answer, but:]
And you haven't heard anything from Nut & Bolt?
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Not yet, but we are expecting a response early next week. [ She goes quiet for moment. ] I'm bracing myself for no immediate action to be taken.
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Why's that?
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[ She taps her chin and looks off to the side as she thinks on it. ]
If we were close to a Nut & Bolt hub, we would have already emergency docked... Then taken the teleporters to send you all where you need to be.
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What's stopping you from jumping to the nearest one? [If they have spacejump... why not do the jump space]
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[ Just by deduction. ]
Each jump we do need to dock to refuel. Travel... Means time.
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[So there's no easy shortcut, no matter what.]
...But the longer we're all here, the more people will continue to die.
[Eunhyuk proved that. Viktor's description made it clear that it wasn't just a malfunction in a non-human, wasn't just the overconfidence of a dying man catching up with him. With Eunhyuk's condition, it's still possible that there's something innate being targeted--but Luke has built his entire career on seeing links and tracking malice, and he isn't so inclined to be gracious with his doubt.]
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[ She really is trying her best to calmly think of a way out of this. But all of it adds up to time. ]
... There are so many rules, even outside of this ship.
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Emergencies should constitute exceptions to the rules.
[Which is, logically, out of her hands--but at the same time, people are actively dying, and there's nothing he can currently do to stop it. It's hard to be merciful.]
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[ She smiles. ]
Sometimes I wonder if there is kindness in the galaxy, even though I know the answer to it.
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And what's your answer?
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That would be INCREDIBLY funny, though. ]
... As long as there are kind people, kindness will always persist, no matter the tragedy.
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I'd like to think so too. [A beat.] While you're working on solving this problem--can you try to remind the rest of that? It's hard to watch people die around you.
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[ People may be dying, but her vibes are doing all right. ]
Hope shines brightest in the darkest night, after all.
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[He appreciates that. As much as he's been insisting that he wants to ghost the living, it doesn't mean he intends to stop looking out for them.
Also it has been a week and I plan to come back for you next week SO even though he said he has more questions, he will save them for another trip--]
I'll come visit you again, is that okay?
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[ YEAH!!!!!!!! ]