Confab at the Nexus

The Nexus - Library
	Taking up the entirety of one of the larger domes of the complex is the library. Bookshelves line the circular walls two stories high, accessible by sliding ladders mounted on bearing runs, with a secondary two rows of bookshelves in smaller circles further towards the center of the room. The books themselves cover a variety of topics, from the fancifully occult, to commentaries on the Kitab Al-Alacir, to an entire shelf of RPG systems, and one section of a bookshelf labeled 'adults only' under tinted glass. However given the card catalog sitting over to the side of the main entrance gives directions in the vein of 'Turn left at the European history section and ponder the meaning of your first crush.' finding exact tomes may be difficult.

	Further inwards along the plush burgandy carpet sits a variety of places to read, mahogany tables of various sizes, and deeply cushioned comfortable armchairs, with green glass shaded lamps set about on them for ease of light. But the very center of the room is free of both furniture and carpet, instead giving way to a patch of bare concrete large enough for almost any sort of needed magic circle.

	The roof of the dome itself also gives way to library itself, painted a deep midnight purple, and fueled by both hidden projectors, the night sky is cast upon it. Assisted by a complex mechanical orrery that slides its arms along the prohection when one stands in the proper spot, exacting measurements of the stars can be taken, no matter the time of day, or what the weather is like.
Contents:
Luke
The Code of Ananda
Obvious Exits:
  Computer Room <CR>   Gardens <GA>   Lounge <LO>   Courtyard <O>

Luke is doing research. Not with the capital R, mind you, but still; research. He can be found in the library of the Nexus, reading through some books. By some, in this case, is easily translated to a stack of 5-6 books on a table. One of them is open and it is from this that he is reading and taking notes in a notebook. Not the digital kind. The analog kind.

	Mo accompanies Arumi, the youth carrying a leather messenger bag with him, and looking all bright eyed and bushy tailed! "Man, if only the Captain were around to see me now! An official assistant to a Society member!"

Arumi looks up to Mogui, having driven him out in her bright red Tesla Model 3. "I'm sure he'd be very glad to see it. It means he taught you, and you listened, and you're loyal to what he stood for." she nods. But then arriving in. "Oh look, there's Dr. Luke Whateley. Doctor, meet Thomas Hu, or Mo. I work with the Doctor regularly, and Mo here is my new research assistant. With a specialty in adventures on Etheric ships."

Luke lifts his head up from his book and his notes, peering over to the two arriving. A nod is given to Arumi, "Doctor Hanada." he replies to her, his eyes then turning to the other man. He just regards him silently a few moments, "Mr Hu." he gives him a courteous nod.

	Mo looks over at Luke when Arumi makes the introduction, and then he offers the man a wushu baoquan li, or "kung fu salute" - making a fist with the right hand, placing the palm of the left hand over the right fist. His left thumb is bent, and the four fingers are pressed together & straight, arms forming a circle with the elbows bent. The hands are held between nose and chest height, showing an appropriate level of respect for a Sifu, and he accompanies it with a slight bow. "MoGui - but folks call me Mo. I was Captain Levinbolt's sidekick, back during both Great Wars."

Arumi smiles "Doctor, if this is a bad time we can go. I mean, it looks like you're busy." She then whirls to MoGui. "He does more pure research, than applied science of any kind, really. Since I'm primarily an engineer, I hope that means we have good synergies in the future."

Luke lets his eyes slowly move over to Arumi, "Oh, I am fine. I did not chose this library for my research for the sake of absolute privacy." he replies to her. His speech pattern, while it is America in accent, is an attempt at as close to a neutral and perfect accent as you can get. His eyes then slowly turn to MoGui, "Mr Hu." he nods once more to this, "Doctor Hanada is correct. I prefer pure research to applied Sciences. But that is not to say I do not get my hands dirty, now and again."

	Mo gives Arumi a nod. "The Captain assembled the Irregulars to maximize synergies, under Mr. Fu's guidance. The two of'em had a real eye for putting the puzzle together." Then he looks back to Luke and nods. "Dirty hands keep the machinery running," he offers.

Steele comes on down, phone in hand and he pauses. There's a huge raven on his shoulder who is trying to tuck something into his luscious locks and the bird ALSO pauses, beak buried within the dreds. He ponders turning and heading back up

Joel comes in from The Nexus - Courtyard
Joel has arrived.

	Arumi and Mo are over by Luke, chatting. Luke is doing research. Arumi appears to be giving Mo an orientation and tour. Mo is fucking bright eyed and bushy tailed! Someone cut that guy off the espresso!

Arumi finds a chair, not far from Luke, but now crowding him. She starts to speak, but then Steele's arrival, with a bird, startles her to much. Mouth open, she gawks a moment. "Oh hi." she finally says. "Well, Mo, I hope we'll work great together. Later today I'll bring you by my lab in progress. No hangar yet, but I'll get there. And then it will be the proper Shatterdome."

Luke is sitting by a table, a stack of books by him. One of them is open, and he seems to be taking notes from it; writing with an actual pen on actual paper in a notebook! A nod is given to MoGui, "Perhaps. If one has machinery, Mr Hu." he agrees. He gives the man arriving with a black bird a moments look, "That does not look sanitary." he mutters.

	Mo settles into a seat next to Arumi, then gives Luke a nod and a smile. "Exactly!" The young Chinese man was irrepressibly hopeful. Perhaps that explained the single button pinned on his messenger bag - "Hopepunk AF". But then? More people! And a bird! SO that way his eye's go, wide with curiosity.

Loud, thudding noise from the typical riotously painted Prius announces Joel's presence, but mercifully he doesn't sit in the car for long, and the music shuts off. However, seconds later, the Adept imitates the squawk of a bird as he enters the library. "Ka-kaw!" he screeches aloud, grinning after his own joke. Is it a joke? He seems to think so, at least. "What's up, party people? I am beginning to hate lightning." A gesture down at his coat, which is a little bit singed, and he hasn't bothered to repair it. "Luke, you need a pet. Besides me."

"Polly wanna cracker," the perfectly normal, average raven croaks and Steele comes the rest of the way down. "Don't be an asshole, Kohne," Steele says, waving at people as he turns toward Joel. "I haven't been here in a long-ass time."
Luke watches Joel arrive as well, now. His hand never stops scribbling in the notebook, however. Short-hand. The sort you need to decipher to understand; probably would not take long though. His eyes just stares at Joel a few moments, "I do not need a pet, no. Pets make messes. They require food. They require attention. Thats three things I do not want to have to deal with." he glances to MoGui once more before letting his eyes settle on Arumi, "Just as long as you know what you are doing."

Arumi gives Joel a wave. "Hi!" Though again distracted by the bird... now talking, and talked back to. "I could see having a pet. But I spend long hours working, including in my lab. What would a cat, or whatever, do while I spent 2 days in the desert?" Then a smile to Luke. "I hope I know what I'm doing." She then grabs her phone and taps at it a few moments, glancing again at Luke.

"Sounds like me," Joel declares. "I'm told not to be an asshole a lot, like that crow," it's a raven, "and all three points check out. Although I make less messes than I pretend to. I just wind up having to clean up everyone else's, so I'm always in the shit." He waves a hand towards MoGui, tilting his head a little, his shoulders raising. "Okay, you're allowed in the coffeeshop, but what the shit are you doing here, man?" One hand tracks to his pocket as he speaks, and his gaze cuts to Arumi, brows raising mutely for an explanation.

"Polly. Want. A. Cracker." The bird eyes Joel. "Raven not a crow," the bird says in PERFECT English. "But you probably know that and you're just being an asshole." Blink. Blink. Okay. So maybe not a regular crow. Steele snorts and reaches into his fanny pack. YES, he's wearing a fanny pack. And he pulls out a ritz cracker, offering it to the bird, who chomps it down.

Luke glances to Joel, listening to what the man is saying. He scribbles some more in his notebook, looks to the open book before him to then slowly look to MoGui. Then to Arumi. Then back to Joel. Without having looked at Steele, he just goes, "That explains the presence of the bird.." he notes, as if it was a side-comment, "There was some talk about Mr Hu here being a research assistant." he looks to Arumi, "He is cleared to be in here, yes?"

Arumi nods to Luke, then turns to face Joel. "Joel, I see you two have met," she nods, gesturing toward Mo. "Mo here, he's my new research assistant. Formally. It turns out he has a long history of loyal service to the Electrodyne Engineers, and I value his help, especially since I'm going to be following in the footsteps of his late Captain Levinbolt, who led a crew of irregulars on interdimensional trips with an early Ethership. So he's here on my word, and my responsibility."

	Mo offers up a smile, and a salute to all and sundry. "What the Doc said," he chirps. "I'm an S.o.E. - sidekick of (a)Ether."

"You got it in one," Joel tells the bird. "Ain't got any crackers, man. But there's probably something in the lounge's vending mach -- oh." There Steele is feeding the bird, and Joel nods. He looks towards Luke, letting out a dubious noise about the whole thing, although he doesn't put it into actual words. And that same doubt hovers on his face as he listens to Arumi. "Uh-huh." He's audibly not convinced. "Your mess to clean up, if it explodes, then. 'Cause last I saw this guy to pay any attention to him, he was chitchatting with Emrick about some shit that doesn't involve us. Don't cross the streams. That goes to both of you." His gaze includes Arumi then, although his hand flicks away from his pocket.

Luke remains silent a few moments, "So.." he puts the pen down, his eyes landing on MoGui, "This .. expedition. Judging by what has been said so far.. took place not recently, so when exactly?" he asks.

Steele goes silent and so does the raven. Nope. He feeds the bird, then grabs a cracker for himself and offers one to Joel. To be fair, they aren't just laying loose in his pack. He's got a little tupperware container

	Mo looks over to Luke, "Which? Emrick and I just only recently salvaged the Captain's zeppelin, with the help of some pals. We're working on repairs an' stuff."

Arumi looks at MoGui, and at Joel. "First thing I told Mo here was, don't make me regret it. I believe his love for his Captain is genuine, and if nothing else, he'll never let Captain Levinbolt down." She then looks to Luke again. "Since you don't have your phone... If you have any concerns for the council, please let me know."

Luke makes a dismissive little hand gesture at something, "You were mentioned being the sidekick of some Captain Levinbolt. And .. 'back during both great wars'." he pauses, "I am assuming you are speaking of World War one and two?" he pauses, looking at MoGui up and down, "So.. you are a .. Master of Etheric Biology? Causality?" he wonders.

Joel lets out a sharp little bark of laughter. "Yeah. Cool. Except Emrick's not in the Traditions, so don't dick around sharing anything with him that shouldn't be shared, now that you are. Hang on a sec; I need a drink." He disappears into the lounge, emerging a few minutes later with a bottle of Orbitz. Yes, that. He found it in the wacky vending machine. He looks back at Luke, letting him handle the questions, strolling over to Steele and holding out his hand for a cracker. " 'Council'," he repeats the single word skeptically. "I thought Mikaela was in like Flynn. Huh." Sip.

	Mo ohs! Then nods to Luke, "Yeah, the Captain found me and took me in as his ward after Mr. Fu read the stars and sussed out my location and importance in the coming convergence. After my mum passed, he saved me from, well, a /harder/ life than I might have had otherwise on the streets of Hong Kong." A pause as his brow furrows. Then he looks up. "Yeah, between the wars. The Irregulars did their best to try and head stuff off, but." A shrug, "The stars around stuff like that are hard to wrangle." Then he shakes his head, "I'm not a Scientist, I'm a helper. My magic doesn't work like most of the Captain's, tho he had a great head and feel for chi and joss." A pause, "Um, are you asking my age? I progress at a slower rate than mundies."

Steele doesn't know any of the people they're talking about, so he stays quiet.He hands Joel his cracker and then wanders around a little bit, looking at things down here. He shrugs about Mikaela. "She backed down because Adora freaked out. That's what I heard."

Arumi nods to Mo. "That's right. Things you see or hear here, or related to Traditions work in general, you must not share outside of people who are members, or assistants like you. Err on the side of keeping secrets, please. Oh, you want a coffee?" Once she gets his answer, she'll go get a bottled coffee or two, and return. "Ms. Steele was elected with me, as equals. I assumed she and Dr. Goldhart would be elected 1 and 2, in some order. But instead... Dr. Goldhart either backed out, or didn't have enough support, I'm not sure yet which."


"..mundies." Luke mouths, "Age slower?" he echoes, "I would think that is an understatement." he falls silent a few moments, scribbling a bit more in his notebook, to then look at Arumi, "It took me years to even be told half a truth." he says then, before he looks to MoGui, "Mr Hu, you should consider yourself quite lucky. You're offered a lot of trust. Do not break it." he looks to Arumi, "If I have any concerns to bring up with the Council, then I now know who to go to."

	Mo murmurs a "thank you" to Arumi and offers a bow of his head when she returns with caffeinated beverage! Not that he needed any! But he did seem to enjoy the stuff. "Got it, Doc. Operational security. The Cap'n was real big on that. I understand. I'm happy to protect you and your work, and that of our crew - the other two docs." He gives Luke a warm smile, "Yessir, I was born lucky, sir. Mostly. And I don't once ever forget or fail to be thankful for it, even when the joss runs sideways. I will do my best to honor my mentor and the Society, on his memory and my own honor."

"Goldhart's a long-winded yacker who thinks she's a lot more important than anyone else on the scene, even though I only met her once. Take anyone over her," Joel declares. "But how'd you get equal weight?" He jiggles the little colorful bubbles in the soda straight out of 1997, looking to Luke too as if the man can offer some form of explanation, and then he adds, shaking his head. "Chi and joss and happy clappy spiritual stuff ain't gonna work with Science. Good fucking luck getting the two of you to see eye to eye." He types out something on his phone, grinning a little, hitting 'send.' "Other two docs? Goldhart and... who else?"

Arumi smiles around. "I don't know what any of that stuff is, either. Things were different in the 19th century, when the Captain started his work. "I assume we're talking about Ms. Steele and Dr. Whateley. I believe Mikaela doesn't want to be addressed as Doctor until she defends a thesis. I've been talking with them a lot. Anyway. So who else is on the Council? Have I met everyone, I wonder?"

Luke slowly lifts his hand up to scratch at the side of his neck. He then puts the pencil down and closes his little notebook. He pockets that before he closes the large book he was reading from. He stands up to then begin to slowly put books back on the shelves, "Chi and.. hoss, was it? No, they are usually not things that factor into my view of things." he comments, off-handedly, "I would be curious to hear what made you live so long, though. If you were not a target of Etheric Biology or Causality.. then you are something I've never heard of before." he pauses, "Unless you were in some sort of suspended animation?" he asks of MoGui, sounding perhaps hopeful.

	Mo looks to Joel, and gives a small nod. "The Cap'n said that my methods were well off the beaten path, but they could be incorporated into Ether Science with a bit of open-mindedness and know-how. He was great at field science and intuitive technique with the novel and enigmatic." A shrug, "Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid, he would say, so I also got real handy with the iron, if you know what I mean. Not like his omni-gun, but regular ones. I'm a natural." Then he looks to Luke, "Joss. Fortune. Luck. The fault in our stars. Its a force that can be mapped, mathed out, according to the Cap'n. And once you can do that, you can use Science to nudge it to and fro. 'cept I do it on instinct somehow. And no, I wish I had done the deep sleep after the Irregulars disbanded. I just sorta wandered around with Mr. Fu. My aging stuff is a byproduct of my birth."

"Was his name Han Solo?" Joel asks flatly of MoGui. His smile is thin, and then he shakes his head. "Cool," he repeats, giving Luke a quick look. " 'Cept my question's still out there, Doc H. Sure, you got elected as second. Whatever. I know Mr. Whateley here didn't want it. But what was the dick-swinging that got you equal weight as her?" He looks to see where Steele got to, drawing a breath, eyes widening for a second in vague exasperation.

Arumi shakes her head slowly to Joel. Wide-eyed a moment. "I don't even know. All I know is, somehow, Mikaela and I tied. We tied for the most votes." She shrugs broadly. "I just moved here. I'm not swinging anything."

"I feel as if there is a certain .. obfuscation .. here." Luke says, "I will be blunt. To have our newly elected Councilor march in with a man that looks about as old as I do, claiming that he was assistant to an Electrodyne Engineer Captain of the Irregulars some odd hundred years ago with the only explanation being that he ages 'slower than mundies', that rather peaked my interest. Had you been someone she had introduced before, perhaps someone who had done studies with the Society before, then I might not have been asking all these questions. But the way you were introduced? It is highly irregular.." he pauses, "..not a pun." he adds, "I would prefer a certain level of opacity, if I am to be honest." he puts the last book away, "Especially considering the fact that you are .. here." he motions around, "You do not get much further in than this." he nods then once, "Well, I must be off. I have more research and more studies to complete. If you would all excuse me?"


	Mo looks to Joel, "Captain al-Mirzam, of the aethership Nashira." Then he looks to Luke and unsure of what to say or do, just offers a polite and almost apologetic smile, then nods. "Be well and safe," he murmurs before going quiet.