rest with hyperions

[23:15] <Ikiryo> (10:48:30 AM) Ikiryo: She sighs "Not really...I can't even hate her for doing it but..." She shivers.
[23:15] <Ikiryo> (10:52:55 AM) ***Claire nods in sympathy. "I can't pretend to understand what it was like, but...I hope you do realize that if there's anything you'd like me to do, you can just ask..."
[23:15] <Ikiryo> (10:54:27 AM) Ikiryo: She nods "Right. I doubt I'll think of much...but thanks."
[23:20] <Claire> "Eh heh. If I had an idea, I'd suggest it too." She gives an embarrassed little smile.
[23:21] <Ikiryo> "Anyway, Pana is either in the Gym or the Cafeteria. Probebly the latter."
[23:22] <Ikiryo> 81 is barely average in Americanland? Huh. I'm used to '50 is a pass'
[23:22] <Claire> "Right. She going to come back any time soon?" She pats Atalanta on the back.
[23:27] <Ikiryo> She shrugs "No clue. She's been on her own a lot...and a bit mopey."
[23:27] <Ikiryo> Atalanta nods.
[23:28] <Claire> "I can kind of understand that, I guess. Should I...leave her alone?"
[23:28] <Claire> "I mean, you two know her."
[23:29] <Ikiryo> Eris shrugs "I don't honestly know. She's hard to read right now." Atalanta nods again "If you see her, I'll go with."
[23:31] <Claire> "Thanks, Atalanta. That might help a lot."
[23:32] <Ikiryo> Eris nods "I'd offer to go with but..." She gestures to her leg. "It's still tender to walk on."
[23:34] <Claire> She nods. "You could lean on me, if you wanted?"
[23:35] <Ikiryo> "That and I'm lazy." She smiles "Don't worry. She's jumpy but Pana's not a bad person."
[23:36] <Claire> She chuckles. "Alright. Shall we, then, Atalanta?"
[23:36] <Ikiryo> Atalanta nods, standing up.
[23:37] * Claire gives Eris a wave before leaving their rooms. "Alright, now...if I were the cafeteria, where would I be?"
[23:40] <Ikiryo> Atalanta hugs onto Claire as they go. "Left, then left, then second right." She smiles.
[23:42] <Claire> She ruffles the blonde's hair again, smiling. "Thanks." Following the directions finds her in the center's cafeteria before long, scanning the crowd before she realizes something. "...You know, I'm not actually sure what she looks like," she admits to Atalanta.
[23:43] <Ikiryo> Crowd is an overstatement. There is aproximately one person here dressed as a prisoner. She's got pale, almost plasticy skin and purple hair. Atalanta giggles "Guess~"
[23:49] <Claire> "Uuuuhhhhhhh..." She sticks her tongue out at Atalanta...then approaches the room's lone occupant. "Panakeia, I presume?"
[23:50] <Ikiryo> Panakeia jolts slightly, looking up at Claire. "Yes?" Her purple eyes are red-rimmed as if from heavy crying and her voice is dull.
[23:51] <Claire> "Hi...I'm Claire. I just wanted to come meet you in person."
[23:53] <Ikiryo> She nods. "Hello Claire." She sighs "Would you like to sit down?" Atalanta smiles warmly at Panakeia "Don't worry Pana, she's nice."
[23:53] <Ikiryo> Panakeia looks at Atalanta and then to Claire. "Well, so far she's not waving anyone's limbs at me...so that's a step up."
[23:59] <Claire> "I try not to scare people I'd like to be friends with, yes." She takes a seat as offered...and makes room for Atalanta on her lap, as that seems to have become her preferred perch.
[00:00] <Ikiryo> Atalanta happily sits down. Panakeia looks at Claire. "I'll tell you what I told that creepy Tazzari girl. I don't want to be friends with any of you..." She stares at the table.
[00:10] <Claire> "..." She stares at Pana for a moment, then sighs. "...Okay. I won't force anything on you...buuuuut let me tell you this." She leans forward, elbows on the table...sort of. She does have to reach over Atalanta, after all. "If...and I stress, IF...you ever change your mind, I'll be waiting, okay?"
[00:12] <Ikiryo> "Why would I want to?" She keeps staring at the table.
[00:16] <Claire> "Loneliness?" She shrugs. "Maybe someday you'll see that we're not actually all creepy limb-waving nightmare fuel, just like we're finding out not everybody from Hyperion is a mass-weapon-toting ultraviolent terror maniac?"
[00:26] <Ikiryo> She shakes her head silently.
[00:32] <Claire> Another shrug. "Maybe you'll find a reason in time. Maybe not. I just want you to know...the offer is there."
[00:32] <Ikiryo> "...why?"
[08:52] <CelestialDoggie> [00:12] <Ikiryo> "Why would I want to?" She keeps staring at the table.
[08:52] <CelestialDoggie> [00:16] <Claire> "Loneliness?" She shrugs. "Maybe someday you'll see that we're not actually all creepy limb-waving nightmare fuel, just like we're finding out not everybody from Hyperion is a mass-weapon-toting ultraviolent terror maniac?"
[08:52] <CelestialDoggie> [00:26] <Ikiryo> She shakes her head silently.
[08:52] <CelestialDoggie> [00:32] <Claire> Another shrug. "Maybe you'll find a reason in time. Maybe not. I just want you to know...the offer is there."
[08:52] <CelestialDoggie> [00:32] <Ikiryo> "...why?"
[08:57] <Ikiryo> She sighs. "...why?"
[08:58] <Claire> "Why not?" is the witty, clever response. "Is there some rule that says I can't, or shouldn't want to? Some mystical force that says I have to be afraid of you always?" She gives Pana a half-smile. "I know there are...issues. I can't wave my hand and make them go away. But I'm willing to give it a chance."
[08:59] <Ikiryo> "...no...why would you want to...why not isn't a logical answer..."
[09:03] <Claire> "Hah, logic. Alright. Let's try this: One can never have enough friends. And sometimes you need a friend willing to tell you straight up you're being an idiot about something, without blinders."
[09:05] <Ikiryo> "Why me then? I tried to KILL one of your friends."
[09:05] <Ikiryo> Atalanta pauses "...you did what? But the Strategos..."
[09:06] <Ikiryo> Panakeia sighs. "...I panicked. I'm an engineer and doctor, not a Myrmidon."
[09:06] <Claire> "She tangled with Altea, Atalanta. Altea...would probably laugh in the face of whatever armaments your warships could throw out."
[09:07] <Ikiryo> "...I didn't know that though."
[09:07] <Claire> "And if Altea noticed you were trying to kill her--which I seriously doubt, by the way--obviously she doesn't hold it against you. None of us do. At the time...well, nobody really knew what was happening at the time."
[09:08] <Claire> "Atalanta tried to take down me and Circe Alpha." She pats the blonde on the back again. "You can tell how angry at her I am for it."
[09:10] <Ikiryo> "...Omega. She's a singular project." She corrects Claire without paying much attention. "...I'm just as much a monster as that Tazzari girl."
[09:11] <Claire> "Sorry, Omega, right. My point is...it's in the past. Worse things have happened since then. I would much rather we be all in this together, rather than have us all try to beat ourselves up for possible mistakes made. Maybe if I hadn't distracted the Strategos from his anger he wouldn't have been betrayed."
[09:12] <Ikiryo> "...I'm just as...no...I'm worse." She puts her head in her hands. "I tried to kill your friend...and then I DID help kill Indra. I took her shield arm off with the charges..."
[09:12] * Claire sighs.
[09:12] <Claire> "We can go over what-ifs all day long...but they can't be changed. I don't think you're a monster, Panakeia. None of your squadmates do, I doubt the Strategos will after he wakes up, and none of my squadmates do either. You didn't help kill Indra; whatever made her body explode would have happened with our without that shield."
[09:13] <Claire> "And hopefully, she's not dead."
[09:13] <Ikiryo> "It's not a what if. I DID try to kill her...and intent means a lot."
[09:15] <Claire> "Do you want me to bring Altea to visit so you can explain that? I can tell you what she'll do, guaranteed."
[09:15] <Ikiryo> "And what's that?"
[09:16] <Claire> "She'll say, 'Oh, really? Well, that wasn't very nice. Are you going to try it again?' And when you say no, that'll be the end of that."
[09:18] <Ikiryo> "...I...I'm not sure I wouldn't. I...I paniced. I've never been on the front lines before...never gotten into a fight..."
[09:20] <Claire> She smiles gently. "Do you know what happened the first time I was in a real, non-training scenario? I kind of panicked, too. Caused something on the order of a million and a half credits' worth of property damage...and nearly wrecked the bottom floors of a couple of buildings that people were still inside."
[09:20] <Claire> "All to stop a couple of renegade robots."
[09:21] <Ikiryo> "...I've been in real scenario's before. I've been part of a fire rescue team." She holds up her oddly plasticy arm. "I'm largely synthetic on the outside, I can take high temperatures and damage thanks to that."
[09:26] <Claire> "Fire rescue is dangerous in its own way, but the fire can't shoot back." She shakes her head. "Listen. I let loose a spirit with a grudge that's lasted for a zillion years...on purpose. Of course, I didn't KNOW he was at the time, but..."
[09:27] <Claire> "My point is, you aren't the only person in this room with major mistakes weighing on their conscience. If you want...let me help share yours. It helps a lot, having someone you can trust to share the burden."
[09:28] <Ikiryo> She nods "I'm...I'm part of a Panakeia Sophotect line. We are designed to be support troops and we do a lot as rescue services, due to dual training in medicine and engineering. I...I don't want to hurt people."
[09:32] * Claire moves the hand on her shoulder to a sort of one-armed hug. "I don't blame you. Honestly I don't think many people in the Bureau WANT to hurt others...but we understand that sometimes it's a necessity. And, of course, there will always be the bad apples that do want it, but...well, did you know the Bureau has a Special Rescue Subsection?"
[09:36] <Ikiryo> "No?"
[09:38] <Claire> She nods. "If everything works out at the academy...it sounds like it'd be right up your alley. Everything they do is right in the name--they're the ones who respond to disasters and stuff. Floods, crashes, fires...I used to want to go into it myself. My dad is an emergency medical tech, so this would be like what he does, but bigger."
[09:39] <Ikiryo> She nods "...they disabled my Nanoforge. I hope I get access to it again..."
[09:41] <Claire> "I think they will in time. As far as I'm aware, Atalanta Delta has her full suite of equipment, except maybe something got switched out for a similar device. Like, I think her monofilament sword is still original."
[09:43] <Ikiryo> "...it can make...well...anything. I can see why they disabled it." She sighs "But it's part of me and I feel naked without it."
[09:43] <Claire> She nods. "...I don't have my device. I kinda-sorta know how you feel."
[09:44] <Claire> "Only kinda, because it was just a training device, but..."
[09:44] <Ikiryo> "It's what I was trained to use. I can make any tool I need for...well...any treatments or repairs." She sighs "Or I can make the demo charges."
[09:45] <Claire> "Which is really what the worry is, yes. Or probably that you could use some sort of medical instrument as a weapon, too. But I'm still confident you'll get it back."
[09:46] <Ikiryo> "...Sophotech training involves basic CQC and Firearms training but I wasn't very good at the latter." She pauses. "...I was at the former. It's how I got assigned here."
[09:51] <Claire> She nods. "If you want, I can see if there will be an answer to when it will be turned back on? It might be classified, though, I don't know."
[09:53] <Ikiryo> She nods "...that would be good." She sighs "I heard that it was Mneme who did this. Is that true?"
[09:55] * Claire makes something of a face. "...We heard her voice come from Indra's body, right before the Strategos got stabbed. I...don't know if that means it was her, or someone impersonating her, but in either case it would have had to have taken a damn good hacker."
[09:55] <Claire> "And I know Mneme is good at that sort of thing..."
[09:56] <Claire> "But I really don't want to point fingers right away, with such flimsy 'evidence,' if you know what I mean."
[09:56] <Ikiryo> "She's the Muse of Memory. She's the best hacker...ever."
[09:57] * Claire nods, rubbing Panakeia's back with one hand, and Atalanta's with the other. "I just...don't understand what there would be to gain by doing what was done."
[09:58] <Ikiryo> "...I'm not an idiot. It's a smart move." She nods, tracing something only she can see on the table.
[09:59] <Claire> "Why? What benefit is there to Hyperion? I've been told a lot of times that Mneme's ambition is for Hyperion, not herself...and that the Strategos wasn't exactly thinking of being allies with us, but not at war either."
[10:00] <Ikiryo> "He was arguing for peace. Not for intergration...but for trade and cultural exchanges. He's the one who talked his brothers into avoiding war initially."
[10:03] <Claire> She nods. "And...now they will actively want a war. Because that faked video shows Atalanta Delta being the one to backstab him...and she's known to be with us. Which means our statements that he's alive will be dismissed as propaganda."
[10:06] <Ikiryo> "Right...but even more...Pterarchos Días will want to show off what the Hisarlik can do. He's always believed that if we show enough force, the TSAB will back down."
[10:08] * Claire groans quietly. "Did...you ever meet the Red-Haired Officer face to face?"
[10:10] <Ikiryo> She shakes her head. "Just her messanger. We only know she was red-haired because Mneme spent a lot of time glowering at Nike and Eris heard her swearing about her in her office."
[10:13] <Claire> "Okay...I have my own suspicions about who she is, but...no proof. And if I'm right...she'll have worked to set it up so that the Bureau tries to slap down Hyperion and *forces* it to be an integrated member...or something. I don't even know. It's such a huge mess..."
[10:16] <Ikiryo> "...Mneme wouldn't want that. She's very much a supporter of Antistratigos Ares and Navarchos Poteidas, who want outright war with the TSAB. Pterarchos Días doesn't want war...but he's also argued we need to establish ourselves as an equal power..." She frowns. "...that doesn't make sense..."
[10:20] <Claire> "No, it doesn't...that's why I called it a mess. I don't understand what the purpose was of any of this...except for getting the Strategos out of the way, and framing a magic-using 'rogue' Hyperion agent known to be part of the Bureau."
[10:21] <Claire> She sighs. "I just hope that...we derailed plans enough for now that cooler heads can prevail. I don't want a war."
[10:25] <Ikiryo> She nods. "His removal would put two out of the three of the branches wanting outright war...with only Pterarchos Días and Archon Athena opposing it...and even then, Dias wants a show of force and the Archon's role in military matters is advisory..."
[10:27] <Claire> "And this Antistrategos has to wait how long before he can step up and steal the title?"
[10:28] <Ikiryo> "I...don't know." She pauses. "It would be put to a vote if the Strategos was thought MIA..."
[10:30] <Claire> "Which he probably is, since I'm sure nobody believes us that he lives." She sighs again. "...I think we're going to NEED to be friends. All of us. Because I don't like what's on the horizon very much."
[10:31] <Ikiryo> She sighs in turn "Still, the Hisarlik can't be used for force projection...it's a space station. So unless a TSAB ship ends up in System...they can't try to use it to scare the TSAB."
[10:36] <Claire> "Here's to hoping we don't." She squeezes Panakeia's shoulders in a hug again. "Anyway...I'm a selfish person. I want to have as many friends as I can. I'm including you in that...so if you need me for anything, just ask."
[10:37] <Ikiryo> "...right...right..." She's lost in thought. "...did you say that the Red-Haired Officer was a TSAB person?"
[10:38] <Claire> "...I know of one that I don't trust that would fit that role, yes."
[10:39] <Ikiryo> "Could she order ship movements? Like, say...into the Hyperion system?"
[10:39] <Claire> "But it might be that I'm thinking too hard *because* I don't trust her."
[10:40] <Claire> "I...uh, actually, I don't know. Maybe? She's part of this shadowy secret service thing..."
[10:42] <Ikiryo> "...because if she ordered a TSAB ship in, while Ares, Poteidas and Dias want to show off what the Hisarlik can do..."
[10:42] <Claire> "...Then there are going to be a lot of dead people...and probably a lot of panic. I'll...keep an eye on the news for the next few days. I haven't seen anything yet, but..."
[10:44] <Ikiryo> "The Hisarlik...it's..." She bites her lip. "...it was designed with the idea of being able to stop a full-fledged Belkan assault. It's more weapon platform than space station."
[10:45] <Claire> "A laudable goal, given the subject, but...yeah." She's gone almost as pale as Panakeia is naturally. "That...doesn't leave a lot of confidence. Especially because as far as I know, most Bureau ships are designed to incapacitate, not kill. Except for the main cannon...and I'm pretty sure the captains are trained not to use it against living targets unless there's some major crisis..."
[10:47] <Ikiryo> "And there is a full compiment of Ekdromoi...like Theia...space assault teams and fighters on board it at all times. If what you say is right and they won't go for it...then..." She sighs. "...I still don't like you and this is probebly a secret I shouldn't be telling but if this is right I might need to..."
[10:49] <Claire> "I trust you. If you don't think you can tell me, I believe it's for a good reason."
[10:50] <Ikiryo> "It's railguns are armed with K-1 slugs. They are anti-magic rounds. We found a material that seemed to repel magic energy. TSAB ships rely heavily on barriers, don't they?"
[10:52] <Claire> She nods. "Yeah, pretty much exclusively, aside from regular armor."
[10:53] <Ikiryo> "How do you think the TSAB would respond if they lost a ship to mass-based weapons that just ignored barriers?"
[10:53] * Claire looks sick.
[10:54] <Ikiryo> She nods. "...I hope we are wrong."
[10:55] <Claire> She swallows heavily. "...Me too."
[10:56] <Ikiryo> "...I don't understand the end goal though...I can sort of see how you could force a war...but I'm not stupid enough to think that either side would like the result." She puts her hands to her temples, leaning her elbows on the table. "...it just doesn't make sense."
[10:58] <Claire> "No, it doesn't...the person who I'm thinking of as the Red-Haired Officer...if it IS her, well...she made a big deal, once, about protecting the Bureau from threats that 'stupid little snotnose cadets' like us could only dream of...but what's her goal in PROVOKING this? It's just...maybe there's some...extra bit we aren't seeing."
[10:59] <Claire> "Or maybe it's not her."
[10:59] <Ikiryo> She nods "It could be." She sighs...and freezes. "...I'm doing a terrible job of not cooperating with you."
[11:00] * Claire giggles. It's a sorry sound, given the previous subject matter. "Sorry. Do you want to get in a fight instead? Name-calling and maybe some hair-pulling?"
[11:01] <Ikiryo> "...hair pulling?" She looks a bit confused.
[11:01] <Ikiryo> Atalanta is hugging onto Claire tight, white faced and silent.
[11:01] <Claire> "Yeah. Haven't you ever been in a catfight before?"
[11:03] <Ikiryo> "No?" She shakes her head. "That's not part of Hyperion CQC..."
[11:05] <Claire> "Oh. Well, um...it works like this. Usually it starts out with petty insults. You make fun of my clothes, I make fun of your looks, you make fun of my intelligence and upbringing, and so on. Then it gets to scratching with fingernails and pulling each other's hair...neither bad enough to cause damage, just to hurt. And you have to keep spilling insults the whole time."
[11:06] <Ikiryo> "...why?"
[11:07] <Claire> "I dunno, it's just a thing girls do. Like a fight for dominance but without teeth and kicking each other in the balls like guys would."
[11:08] <Ikiryo> "Why not use ranks instead?" She shrugs. "The TSAB is strange."
[11:09] * Claire smiles. "No ranks when you're a civilian~"
[11:11] <Ikiryo> "Right." She nods "It still seems stupid." She sighs. "...thank you for offering friendship. I should at least be polite at turning it down."
[11:12] <Claire> The smile turns a little sad. "Of course. I hope you don't mind if I hold out hope for you changing your mind. And the other offer is still open. If there's ever anything I can do for you, don't hesitate." She pats Atalanta again and makes to stand up.
[11:13] <Ikiryo> She nods. "Alright...I'll at least contact you if I have any ideas about that problem. It means more than just you or I." Atalanta hugs tight to Claire, white faced and scared looking.
[11:15] <Claire> "Sure. See you around." She leads Atalanta back out of the cafeteria, mirroring the directions to get back to their holding cell, keeping the blonde in a hug the whole way.
[11:15] <Ikiryo> Atalanta starts speaking as they move "That's...that's not going to happen, is it?" Her voice is very quiet.
[11:19] <Claire> "Of course it's not going to happen," she says, putting every ounce of confidence she doesn't actually feel into her voice. "The whole scenario is just stupid and doesn't gain anything for anyone...and if there's one thing to know about some people, it's that they act for themselves."
[11:20] <Ikiryo> She nods "...I hope it doesn't." Colour is starting to return to her cheeks. "But if you say it won't, it won't."
[11:20] <Claire> She smiles gently and ruffles the top of her head again.