Eclipse Phase: Glory

[Dog Pants]

I'll make the call.

[Joose]

I wont roleplay you asking Ming for the lift, him saying yes, or you all climbing on a transport and heading off into space. Ming had the transport organised for you already, so off you go.

Its a fairly brief journey, only a couple of days. Arrival at Locus, for those of you who have not been there before, is quite the thing. Its huge, bigger than any other cluster hab ever built. Approximately 11.5 km wide, it is roughly spherical, with a conical hole in one side going in to its core that is about 8.5 km wide at the edge. At its centre is a huge, glowing art piece known as the Amoeba, constantly changing shape and in the control of a pre-sentient AI. Around this is a hollow sphere, with a ten meter thick layer cut through where possible to give a view of the Amoeba. Around this structure (called the Shell) is a geodesic self healing glass sphere, around 50 meters out from the surface of the shell itself. This area has a maintained atmosphere and is populated by free-floating plants tended to by smart monkeys. Its a kind of park area, visited by Locus residents who want to go somewhere to relax and enjoy the view. Radiating out from the Shell are a huge number of Spars, kilometre long spikes that support the millions of clusters of individual habitats that form the bulk of Locus and the Rings that link the different Spars. As your transport ship approaches one of the docking areas on the end of a Spire you get a good view of some of the more recognisable locations: You can see Boister's Armory moored at the tip of the Azimuth Spire, the miles of glass that forms the Kanigawa Farms and even the strange, neo-avian owned rotating habitat known as Rooktown. When the airlock opens, giving you access to the purely functional microgravity environment of a loading bay, you are hit with a blast of noisy, oily air. You are disembarking into the space-future equivalent of a busy working dockyard.

Whats next?

[fabyak]

Apa jancok iki?

[Joose]

Something that looks a bit like a suitcase with arms and small directional jets floats past you, and a little digitised voice says...

Iki ngendi aku bisa. Njaluk metu saka cara.

...before vanishing into a small access tube.

[Dog Pants]

Since we've had a three day journey cooped up in a spaceship together I'm hoping we might have got to know each other a bit. For my part, DCOM is pretty friendly and polite, engaging in chit-chat without really saying very much. He shows no compulsion to initiate on any particular subject, but will respond non-committally and show a polite interest. Hopefully people do try to talk to him, and if not he'll make vague attempts to chat.

Now we're on Locus we should probably see about getting the shuttle, which hopefully happens where we are now. Maybe check out the egocast station and ask around about the Ghost morph if we have some time to kill, since it's a fairly rare and expensive piece. Joose, am I right in thinking that now we're among the local net we can start trawling the social media to see if our mark has been seen around? I seem to remember that in EP pretty much everything everyone does in public is recorded somewhere. If so I'll get Ignacio onto it.

As for me, assuming neither of the others step in with a better idea, I'm going to stroll off to look for some local staff to see if I can trade some words. On the subject of which, I don't speak Javanese but can Ignacio translate that exchange?

[FatherJack]

On the subject of which, I don't speak Javanese but can Ignacio translate that exchange?

Indeed, it's all going to be rather cumbersome if we can't understand languages, or is that the point? I gave my muse a linguistics skill assuming she could then feed a basic version of what's being said into me and vice-versa, such that even if I can't speak the language well enough to fool a native, it would be well enough to be understood. Usagi has technically been speaking Japanese thus far, which I don't think anyone else understands - should I retcon her for English?

If not a Universal translator, then I had thought our muses would at least have a more advanced version of Google translate, such that when that Javanese was spoken, the words in my own language would appear in my head - or is that something we need to switch on?

[Dog Pants]

Good point FJ. DCOM doesn't speak Japanese, his native language is English. If I can't understand what you're saying we could have some comms issues.

[Joose]

Languages in Eclipse Phase are a funny one. In most situations its kind of irrelevant. You all have Mesh implants (or the equivalent) so when you have Mesh access (which is most of the time, certainly when you are in big habs or cities) you do indeed have a kind of automatic Google translate going on that is fed directly into your brain. Theres only two downsides to this:

1) Just like Google translate, your auto-translators are not 100% perfect. You will get the basic information people are trying to communicate but might miss subtleties, or unusual phrases. Most of the time that doesn't matter, but you might have problems with diplomacy or communicating really complicated technical issues.
2) If you lose your Mesh access, you lose your translation. Not necessarily an issue, if you know you will need certain languages you can download them ahead of time. For ease I'm going to assume you all download the translation files so you can talk to each other, but if you went off into deep space and then met some people who can only speak Swahili, you are boned. You might lose mesh access because you are in deep space, or the power goes out, or you are on some uncharted planet, or you have intentionally turned off your mesh access so your brain cant be hacked by terrifying insane alien AI.

So yeah, you can all understand each other, and you can understand Javanese if you want. Whilst on Locus, you can understand any major language, to a point.

Joose, am I right in thinking that now we're among the local net we can start trawling the social media to see if our mark has been seen around? I seem to remember that in EP pretty much everything everyone does in public is recorded somewhere. If so I'll get Ignacio onto it.

Correct indeed. That'll be a Research roll.

As for me, assuming neither of the others step in with a better idea, I'm going to stroll off to look for some local staff to see if I can trade some words.

Anyone specific? Locus is, as previously mentioned, a bit large.

[Dog Pants]

Research:

1, 6 + 30 = 37

Fuck, I used the SLA roller. That's a 16 under 30 and a pass isn't it? I didn't want to reroll with the EP roller because I'll probably fail. Feel free to insist though if you like.

Sorry, I didn't specify about the staff. I was going to be looking in the immediate area of the bays to ask about a shuttle to the Greeks.

[FatherJack]

I'm guessing a rep check would give the same results as before, as it's the same people I know on the same mesh? I'll tag along and see if there's anything different I might be able to query contacts about that comes up, and wait for DP's research results before possibly attempting one.

edit:

On the journey Usagi would have chatted away to anyone curious about the sort of stuff she lectures about (wierd xeno-bio nasties, grisly crime scenes), perhaps being rather difficult to stop once started, but not revealing anything sensitive about her current employer or mission. She probably even had a bit of a chinwag with Unlabelled, thinking him a great listener and mistaking his silence for concentration. Unless given any clear indication, she would have assumed everyone she spoke to was as interested in her field as she is, not quite noting noncommital polite replies or nonresponses as anything other than shared enthuasism.

[fabyak]

Usagi is indeed a great listener having said nothing at all for the duration at the journey at staring slightly quizzically at anyone who talked at him although when Usagi started talking about the nasties and crime scenes there was a minute change in his body language. Almost as if he was listening with interest but not wanting to show it

[fabyak]

Something that looks a bit like a suitcase with arms and small directional jets floats past you, and a little digitised voice says...

Iki ngendi aku bisa. Njaluk metu saka cara.

...before vanishing into a small access tube.

touche mr suitcase!

[Joose]

Research:

1, 6 + 30 = 37

Fuck, I used the SLA roller. That's a 16 under 30 and a pass isn't it? I didn't want to reroll with the EP roller because I'll probably fail. Feel free to insist though if you like.

Nah, that's fine. The format might be different, but the right dice were rolled. Your muse manages to rustle up a bit more detail from the local mesh about Yu's activity whilst she was on Locus, helped by the fact that her unusual morph gathered a bit more attention than your average Splicer (ironic, considering its a stealth morph). Amongst a bunch of probably irrelevant detail ("I just saw a very cool Ghost morph getting a soy latte in GeeGees Coffee Shack!") a couple of things stand out. She visited a nearby hab owned by a mildly famous AI researcher/artist called Mason Wang, and the rumour is that he did some contract work for her as a favour. She also paid a visit to a place called the Barrows, a small "beehive" settlement dug in to one of the large asteroids that orbit Locus. The Barrows is a criminal run shithole, and no one knows why she went there. Finally, she made a visit to Xiu’s Greenhouse, to talk to a guy called Morteza Bey. Your muse flags up an associated report on discovering this: a couple of weeks ago the Greenhouse Hab was hit by some Exhuman terrorists. Exhumans are a bunch of psycho nutters who like to sleeve into animalistic morphs and hunt regular people for shits and giggles. Think Reavers from Firefly. They normally prey on out of the way people like ships in transit or habs out on the rim though. Hitting a hab in Locus is bloody ballsy, even for them.

Sorry, I didn't specify about the staff. I was going to be looking in the immediate area of the bays to ask about a shuttle to the Greeks.

You know, there are extensive rules in the book to cover all sorts of social media interactions, but I cant find a damn thing to cover just going up and talking to people. Doesn't really matter though, there's a bunch of people going to Casa Arturo. Its the hub of a local(ish) spacecraft racing scene, and most of the traffic to and from it goes via Locus. There are a few craft in that could take you, but you are told the only one big enough to comfortably shift the three of you at once is owned by an eccentric traveller and racing fan called Rex Marksley.

[Dog Pants]

Aha! Leads. Okay, well lets start from the beginning. I'll plot a route to Wang's house and pay him a visit. You guys coming with me or do you have your own avenues?

Incidentally Joose, lack of game stuff on talking to people doesn't bode well for me with my face skills. Which were accidental as it happens, I wasn't really planning on making another Al. Never mind.

[Joose]

Aha! Leads. Okay, well lets start from the beginning. I'll plot a route to Wang's house and pay him a visit. You guys coming with me or do you have your own avenues?

Wangs hab is extremely close to, but not actually part of Locus. Its a Matryoshka Hab, lots of spheres one inside the other. Its not big, but a bit overly swanky, kind of the equivalent of commuting to work in a supercar. You'll probably want to give him a shout over the mesh before just turning up on his doorstep.

Incidentally Joose, lack of game stuff on talking to people doesn't bode well for me with my face skills. Which were accidental as it happens, I wasn't really planning on making another Al. Never mind.

Talking to people specifically is covered, its just lacking in rules on getting info through mingling in the real world. It seems to assume that the first step you take will always be to trudge through social media, then move on to communication with real people once you have identified them. Dont worry, your face skills will become useful.

[Dog Pants]

Time to turn on the charm then. First I'll get Ignacio to go out and find me the pertinent points about Wang, enough for me to quote a wiki page's worth of waffle about him.

Research (I'm going to pump so much XP into this bloody skill)
0, 3: 3 Success!

Fuck. Way to waste the good roll, Ignacio.

Then I'm going to try to get hold of Wang. I assume it'll be in a text format, like an email.

Hi Mr Wang! I can't believe I'm in Locus, it's so incredible! Sorry, my name is Yun, I've egocast from Mars to meet you. Well, I'm seeing the sights too but I really want to meet you. Your art is fascinating. You don't get anything like an AI on Mars. It's so stale! Sorry, I'm waffling. Could I pleeease come and meet you and maybe see a little of your work? It would make me so happy! Oh you're going to love my morph. Sorry sorry, please let me know.

Yun xx

[Joose]

Time to turn on the charm then. First I'll get Ignacio to go out and find me the pertinent points about Wang, enough for me to quote a wiki page's worth of waffle about him.

Research (I'm going to pump so much XP into this bloody skill)
0, 3: 3 Success!

Fuck. Way to waste the good roll, Ignacio.

Ignacio googles like a motherfucker.

There is a lot of information on Wang publicly available. Wang is a Martian who did graduate work as a programmer-archaeologist at TAU, where he was briefly a student of both Ming and Yu. After taking a doctorate, Wang returned to Mars where he founded a software company and spent five years on typical corp AI projects. He sold this business to finance construction of a private habitat (his Matryoshka Hab) in the neighbourhood of Locus. He’s been living there for the last two years, participating in projects with a number of Locus research pods, which has netted him a fair amount of positive reputation. His major motives are profit, self-promotion, and sex.
Wang is part of Blue Pod, a Locus-based affinity group interested in the intersection of art and AI/AGI research. The group has a large module on Locus in which they regularly throw @-list parties and art events. Right around the time Yu disappeared, Wang uncharacteristically dropped out of sight for a month, only recently emerging again. He cited a problem with a programming project: “Deep issues with the code base that required utmost concentration.”

Then I'm going to try to get hold of Wang. I assume it'll be in a text format, like an email.

Hi Mr Wang! I can't believe I'm in Locus, it's so incredible! Sorry, my name is Yun, I've egocast from Mars to meet you. Well, I'm seeing the sights too but I really want to meet you. Your art is fascinating. You don't get anything like an AI on Mars. It's so stale! Sorry, I'm waffling. Could I pleeease come and meet you and maybe see a little of your work? It would make me so happy! Oh you're going to love my morph. Sorry sorry, please let me know.

Yun xx

He replies:

Hey! Its always nice to meet a fan, especially a fellow redneck! I'm gonna be up in the Blue Pod later today, if you want to come hang I could introduce you to my crew. Barrows going to be there, she has some new suicide piece almost ready to go. I could maybe show you some of my private pieces, if you want. Heres the address, I'll be getting there in an hour or two. I'll be there all night.

The address he attaches to the message is for a hab on one of the other Spars, less than an hour away by Locus' internal public transport system.

[Dog Pants]

Ah fuck, I had to pick Mars didn't I? I managed to critical fail myself without even rolling. Lets hope he doesn't ask too many questions. Do I know what his sexual preference is? I'm going to pick up a tacky looking bag from somewhere, big enough for my gun. I'll pass the info to the others too.

[Joose]

As near as you can tell he is straight. Sexuality in Eclipse Phase is far from straight forward, but he appears to tend towards roughly human looking female morphs.

As for the bag, do you mean your pistol or your rifle? The pistol is easy enough, you could fit that in the future equivalent of a satchel. The rifle would need something like a sports bag though. Having said that, Locus is kind of lawless, so as long as you are not waving around something capable of punching holes in hab bulkheads you wont raise too many eyebrows just wandering about with it strapped on your back. Being decked out like you are about to go to war would cause upset. Merely owning and travelling with a weapon is just seen as being cautious.

Its a whole other matter if you want to enter the Blue Pod armed without them knowing though.

Once you have your gunbag situation sorted, are you heading straight there or are you/the others doing anything else first?

[Dog Pants]

I'm not expecting my ruse to get me far so I was going to take my pistol in as a plan C if he doesn't want to cooperate. I didn't want to go in with it on my hip because this current alter-ego is that of a camp eccentric who's delighted by his rough synthmorph. Also, if this is dodgy I don't want to be unarmed. Other than that and anything the others might want to contribute I'm pretty much done. Would one of you two mind keeping hold of my railgun and ammo? Or I can try to find a public locker to stick them in if not.