[OPEN LOG] Come on in, We Haven't Slept in Weeks

[serialskiller]

Who: Murderbot and You
When: Back end of January
Where: The Serena Eterna
Summary: Someone's actually feeling alright, right now
Warnings: None yet

1. But five minutes looking in his eyes [Drones]
As January progresses, those around the public areas of the ship may note two things about the drones that constantly patrol all decks:

1. They now each have at least two, but in some cases up to five, tiny googly eyes that rattle quietly as the drones move about the decks.

2. They're a little bit more intrusive now. Rather than hiding up near the ceiling, the drones bob about near eye level, and seem to come close to 'check in' on people, especially those who know the SecUnit already. It seems someone's concerned about everyone's well-being after the trial and making a point to make its presence known.

Perhaps you're familiar enough to wave or say hi. Or maybe you're newer on the ship and these little flying orbs, no larger than a centimeter in diameter, are confusing to you.


2. And we all knew he was broken pretty bad, so we gave him what we had [Promenade, Hoodie Library]
Murderbot has an absolute fucking abundance of cute sweatshirts, but at some point it's a.) more than a single individual really needs and b.) more than will easily fit in a closet in one of the ship's cabins. So it decides to hang out near (not in, but near) the Tommy Bahama with some of its extra Modokawa hooded sweatshirts, to see if anyone would like to borrow one. Of course, they're all cutely oversized on MB, so they'll kinda engulf most people.

But is that really a bad thing?


3. We cleared a space for him to sleep in [Adult Pool, 2am]
The number of people who Just Don't Sleep at night on this ship is a bit of a thing. It's impossible not to notice. So it spreads word that it's going to be at the adult pool projector, playing something for those who are awake at 2am and need something to do.

It's not a movie. Or rather...it's not a proper movie, not with plot and themes and characters. It's drone shots from the previous excursions, the peaceful ones. The desert at night under the stars. The forests of summer camp. The snow-covered mountains of the resort. The island and the ocean surrounding it, full of life. Clips thoughtfully edited, and paired with music it's received as a sundries gift, mostly instrumental electronica like Jean Michel Jarre or Tycho.


4. And we let the silence, that's our trademark, make its presence felt [Wildcard]
darkersolstice or Discord to talk.

Comments

1

[pineapplesalmon]

César blinks at the little drone at eye level, makes eye contact with the googly eyes, and then starts laughing. "Eye see something has changed?"

He needs a bit of this silliness.

[serialskiller]

"You know how some Sundries gifts feel more like pranks being pulled on you? Yeah." The drone bobs in the little lemniscate pattern that Murderbot uses to communicate a shrug.

[pineapplesalmon]

"They're delightful." César tries to cover more laugh with a fist. "Honestly, helps people know not to fear them. Googly eyes are a very powerful social signal."

[serialskiller]

“Delightful.” It repeats that word in an uncertain tone. “Just call me Jesterbot, I guess. But I’m glad they amuse you.”

[pineapplesalmon]

A warm, rumbling chuckle. "They will bring comfort to those who need it and make those against us underestimate what they're up against. Googly eyes have a very long social history on Earth."

[serialskiller]

“Against us? What do you mean by that?” Some of the humor has drained out of its tone. It is doing bot-voice, so carefully neutral.

[pineapplesalmon]

César blinks, then shifts his eyes to be apologetic. "... purely a hypothetical situation. I'm sorry. I should've made that more clear."

[serialskiller]

“There are divisions being drawn on this ship. I wasn’t sure if that was what you meant.” Look, after December, it isn’t an unfair assumption.

[pineapplesalmon]

"Divisions?" It is César's eternal state of being to be the sweet summer child in regards to the social happenings around the ship.

To be fair, he has heard of some rumblings about how people are responding to what happened, but nothing concrete.

[serialskiller]

"You need to talk to more people. There's tension in the air, and at some point it's likely to become open conflict. You and your family need to be aware of what's going on."

The drone buzzes right up to César's face.

"Don't isolate yourself."

[pineapplesalmon]

César looks stunned. He had been licking his wounds and spending more time with his family. Then, he grows pale.

"What do you know?" He asks quietly.

Knowledge is power. Running away caused his current problems. César won't let that happen again. This time, he wants to protect his family.

[serialskiller]

“Skulduggery has been accosted by multiple people blaming him for what’s happened and criticizing his choice to remain close to the Captain. He’s removed the black binder from the library, though some passengers never believed the contents of it to begin with. Information is being passed with a lot of bias attached. Lots of people are acting on paranoia, on both ends.”

[pineapplesalmon]

César rubs a slightly trembling hand over his beard. He quietly processes that information. Rolls it around in his head.

"... This is very, very bad." César concludes. "I noticed the binder was gone. And I'm not sure what to think of Skulduggery or the captain myself... but the idea of conflict—"

He goes quieter, maybe even a bit paler. "My God, expecting people to be reasonable is what killed my parents and...."

He shakes his head. "It's bad, isn't it? If you're telling me this."

[serialskiller]

“It’s worse than it had been. The expedition eroded trust that had been building. It’s not a crisis yet, but it feels like the crisis to come has become inevitable. You missed the trial, there were some lines drawn there which felt like…”

The drone hesitates.

“Look. I’m telling you because you need to know. You’re smart, but if you’ve missed this, you’re not paying enough attention to the whole instead of the parts. I like you. I don’t want you to be blindsided. I don’t want you to be surprised when someone someday asks you which side you’re on.”

[pineapplesalmon]

"It's—It's not surprising I've missed it. I've been... preoccupied." He laughs weakly. "Johnny said I'm in my head too much. Shit. He's right."

He starts to pace, filled with dread and excess energy. "I need to talk to my husbands. But I need more information, first. Skulduggery, at least, if he's been getting the brunt of this. Who else? Can you—would—you mind sharing a transcript of the trial?"

This is on the verge of a potential disaster. It's enough to get him past the hump of fear. Everyone's existence on the ship was at stake if the captain fully turned against them.

[serialskiller]

“I recommend talking to Cassandra de Rolo, for an alternate perspective. And Erin, who the Captain hates, but who truly wants to build a community here. I will send a transcript of the trial to your tablet. There’s a few thing I said during it that I can expand on for you, if you’d like.”

The part about rules.

“Don’t panic. Don’t start acting rash. You’re a scientist. Gather information first. Analyze it.”

[pineapplesalmon]

"Thank you. I'll read the transcript. Then go from there. Talk to them. Talk to you afain, likely. God. I should've stayed....."

He shakes his head. "I won't lose myself to panic. But you're right that I'm panicking a little. It'd be weird if I didn't. I-I need a moment."

[serialskiller]

"Your nearest husband is in Tauva right now."

Joys of being everywhere, it can offer that information.

[pineapplesalmon]

César pauses for a moment in his pacing, considers, and then swallows. "I... thank you. I might go to him. ... would you be able to send that transcript up my old cell phone instead when ready?"

He's not entirely sure he'll go for a large amount of comfort yet. But... asking to vibe near him while he reads up on the trial isn't too much of an ask.