Scene #2451:

Owner	Pose
Starbound Flotilla	The Starbound Flotilla is, as ever, hungry for resources. Deposits, veins, reserves. It doesn't matter if it's an aquifer, an oil well, or a nickel mine, then scan the regions and start digging. Whether or not they pick up Vault 85 or any signs of it is probably irrelevant; nobody builds a giant underground facility too far from massive deposits of some valuable material, the only way you can get a good bunker built most times is piggybacking off a mining operation. What all that means to say is, the STARBOUND FLOTILLA wound up high in orbit above the mountains, and recently deposited a cluster of six energy signatures that weren't especially subtle. They have, of course, spread out a little, digging little tunnels through the mountains or climbing on over the mountainsides in search of valuable minerals, but primarily staying together. Which particular member of the Flotilla it is that comes upon Vault 85 itself, possibly accidentally climbing into the mountainside cave entrance, will be, essentially, luck of the draw. How they approach, of course, depends on whether they've found it by chance or by some detected sign, and the current state of the facility itself.
Cecily	WHo DOES have the info advantage? For the moment, perhaps neither. The Vault's entrance is in decent enough shape. Whomever discovered it is treated to.. blinking lights. The computer console is dormant, the door looks completely sealed, and for all intents and purposes. Yep. It's a Vault. Not ruined though. Looks pretty well intact, in fact. There's no distinguishing markings over than the '85', however. Cecily seems to not have even put up a proper mailbox or a doormat or anything. There are a lot of footprints on the cave's dusty floor, but they must be a few years old for the vast majority of them!
Starbound Flotilla	Biteblade is the fortunate soul who finds it first. Good thing too! She finds it while descending, and thus sort of just drops over the top of the mouth of the entrance cave, landing with a rustling "fwump" in a bush-like heap at the base of the mouth. Her head pops out and it swivels until it sees the door. "Metal friend!" She calls out, and up. "Floran find big metal underground place, like from Mojave. Look like not busssted!" She immediately scampers on up to it. She's wearing her Durasteel armor, a semi-powered set of plates covered in hunter-esque carved bone and wood ornaments. Seft, the aforementioned 'metal friend', makes her way down as well, via slowly descending on a grappling hook. She's wearing full-on medieval knight armor with a soft energized glow below the plates on her body, and especially around the eyes "Cheerful. Good work, I did not know they had these outside of the Mojave region. I may be able to deploy Irradiance ahead of schedule." The others are catching up, but for now, Biteblade and Seft are fussing with the computer console. They only have limited experience popping vaults, but at least they know better than to try to blast their Matter Manipulators at them now. Or, well, Seft's trying; Biteblade's looking at the footprints. It's possible they've not yet encountered Vaults that weren't just big loot dumps for them. Well, there was the one time, but then it was just full of quest-giving savages.
Cecily	The Vault is hopefully not full of quest-giving savages! And it may be full of loot. For right now, the tinkering at the console has it spring to life eventually. There's very clearly an artificial intelligence construct on the screen. It probably resembles a SAIL of some variety. It's a gentleman with a dapper moustache, a top hat, and a monocle. "Dear me, such noise," the English-accented fellow comments. "Unannounced visitors?" he asks. Obscured in the darkness of the ceiling must be a camera or two. The door, of course, remains firmly shut.
Starbound Flotilla	"Hey guys, what's goin' on in this thre-- Wow, that a Vault? They made those outside Mojave?" This one's George, descending over the cave entrance, slowing his descent with blue energy jets at his feet. For him, a set of futuristic EVA-combat and exploration armor in a suit that glows a gentle blue with his HUD at the faceplate. "Huh, Vault-Tec must'a had a ton of people it was really busy not saving at all, lucky find." Seft rolls her eyes at him -- very literally her eye icons rotate -- before she gets back to tinkering. But there's a few flickering blinks of her eye-visor at what she sees. "Confused. What." "Metal friend! Not be rude." Biteblade says, sniffing at a footprint "Sheepish. Right." She seems to focus on the console. "Cheerful. Hello, digital greeting agent or digital supervising agent. We of the Starbound Flotilla apologize for a lack of announcement, we were not aware of a Vault in this area." George chuckles. "Or of a Vault still having Clippy active. What's on the menu? Big bomb for the door, or a lot of really small ones?" Pavo's the next one to arrive. "Avast, take it easy boy." She says, swooping down in on her own jets and landing gracefully. This one wears a pirate-aesthetic set of mesoamerican-style armor, with bands of energized fabric linking the pieces and powering them. "Didn't work so well last time, aye? Try ringin' the doorbell." "Not like there's anyone in that hole." "Well, ye got a doorman, so ring." "Floran push button, not make bell noissse, jussst butler noissse." They bicker, but it seems to be in a friendly sort of way, a casual kind of team banter. It's very genuine and they seem to all be at work investigating the door regardless of it all.
Cecily	As everyone is talking, the image on the screen flickers and seems to wait patiently. "Please do not attempt to utilize heavy explosives in an attempt to breach the Vault. I would rather not perceive the group of you as a threat. You all seem quite... interesting. I am The Hatter, the third tier of the artificial intelligence triumvirate that oversees the Vault's automated systems, and acting steward for its residents." His voice doesn't come from the console directly, it more echoes throughout the cave. "If I may get your names so I can inform the Overseer that she has guests? Are you preferable to tea?"
Starbound Flotilla	"Yeah yeah, IBM, I'll--" George starts, in an exasperated tone. "Please do not deploy explosives. It's offering tea, you know." There's Moonfin now. He's gone the long way around, to take an actual path to the cave entrance, and so he arrives walking instead, arms folded elegantly behind his back. He's in elaborate full-body durasteel armor that looks like a powered cross between a diving suit and a samurai's armor. He bows at the screen, respectfully. "Greetings, Mr. Hatter. I am Moonfin of the Hylotl." Must be a title, that's not a real Hylotl name. "And diplomatic representitive of the Starbound Flotilla. Our members are Seft, George, and Pavo present; Albert will join us shortly, and I can assure you all we would certainly enjoy tea." "Floran actually want--" "All of the actual people here would enjoy tea." "Rude." Seft makes an intrigued beeping sort of noise. "Curious. This is the first Vault I have encountered a Vault that is not inhabited exclusively by invaders or corpses. I am extremely interested in seeing the inhabitants." Albert's clearly gonna be here soon. The others seem pretty interested in heading inside!
Cecily	"Moonfin. Seft. George. Pavo. And Albert?" Hatter inquires. "Tea for five then? Though it sounds as if one of your number wishes for a different beverage? We have quite a variety. The Overseer herself grows various teas but obtaining other foodstuffs is easy. Shall I tell her to come topside? Or do you wish to meet her in the Atrium?" the construct asks. He's impeccably polite, as one might expect a butler of sorts. "Such a colorful host, I'm sure she will be pleased to meet you all. George especially."
Starbound Flotilla	"Floran isss Biteblade. Fish isss just kind of jerk." Biteblade pipes up. "Floran isss plant, tea bad. Have dilute lemon or sssugar? Yesss. Need fluid for botanic biology." What, like you'd put in a flower vase? Weird. Albert just arrived. He's wearing elaborate dystopian commando armor reconstructed with a 'rebel spy' aesthetic. A sleeker faceplate, a slimmer form, and a more chaotic design that integrates thin, resilient plates of durasteel. Not for long, though. Moonfin is already disengaging his armor, swapping via his Matter Manipulator to a more friendly set of casual clothes. Albert marches on over, giving the AI a firm look and grunting. "Captain Albert Petrov of the Starbound Flotilla." He sounds like he ought to be saluting while he says it. "I'm told you will give us access to the Vault and a meeting with its owner." "Aye, windup soldier. Ye don't gotta get the guns out for this one. Take a load off, let's see who's still runnin' Vaults proper this day and age." Pavo says, squawking a laugh at the end. "Ye cap'n is gonna like George? Must be a real masochist, wantin' ta be 'round that bilgerat." "Oh, c'mon. I'm the lovable kind of hatable, take it easy tricorn. I'm sure it'll be fiiine." George says, chuckling. Moonfin nods, a bow-like gesture for him. "Whatever is her pleasure, but I would much like to meet her where the home's full nature might be put on proper display. We have seen many vaults, but my eyes never grow weary of the sights of such craftsmanship."
Cecily	Hatter parses the data given to him, the image of the gentleman nodding. "Botanical biology. A cup of warm water and diluted sugar with a squeeze of lemon. Will that suffice? And four cups of green tea for the rest? Honey, lemon, and cream will be provided, of course, for those with such tastes to indulge in them." The chipper fellow's image appears to bow at the introduction of Albert. "Greetings, good Captain. Miss Winters is simply fond of high explosives herself, among other things." Then there's a loud series of thuds echoing in the cave. They all come from the huge cog, as if some beast were pounding on it. It's the locks disengaging. The lights flicker and the massive gear pushes outwards slowly with the creak of metal. From the darkness, a mechanical arm reaches out to latch on to the back of the gear and roll it aside on the notches in the floor. This is clearly constructed differently than the Mojave Vaults. Inside the door, klaxons blare and a red light flashes. "Watch your step when entering," Hatter states once the noise has all wound down before the screen snaps off.
Starbound Flotilla	"Floran will like, yeah!" Biteblade says, encouragingly. "Five for ressst, probably." The sixth did just arrive! "Green tea, certainly. The tea offered by a host should always be accepted; it is the first expression of their identity." Moonfin says, smiling approvingly. "That or you don't know what human cultures make tea outta, fishface." George says, smirking, before focusing on the Hatter again. "A bomb enthusiast! We'll get along just fine, we make good hardware." Albert is the second to disengage his armor, returning to his military uniform and leading the others to do so as well. As the tactical leader of the group, they tend to follow his lead right up until the armor comes off. "Unusual construction." He notes. "Another branch. Alternate. I hope they had less disregard for their charges." He grunts heavily and heads on in, leading the way side by side with Moonfin. "Just like old times, eh Seft?" George says, nudging the princess-bot with an elbow after she's flashed briefly and emerged from her knight-like armor. "Bemused. It has been only half a year since our first Vault visit, George." She says, her eye-screen flickering to a '>_>' look at him. Biteblade looks cautiously at the threshold. "But how can watch ssstep if not take ssstep?" She says, curiously prodding it with one toe now that she's out of her armor. Looks like some idioms get lost in translation for Florans, but eventually she moves on as well! They intend to head on into the entry chamber and, as directed, past to where an Atrium traditionally is in a Vault. They seem to have visted many, so while their eyes won't linger too much on the architecture, they will linger on any unique elements thereof.
Cecily	Immediately, the internal structure of the Vault is completely different than a Mojava or even Capitol Wasteland Vault. The short introductory hallway features a second blast door and the utility locker. The infirmary hallway with the clean windows is brightly lit, appears well equipped, and looks as sterile as a fresh hospital room. And then there's the elevator. The elevator ride is not a short one, giving the Flotilla expedition team ample time to talk amongst themselves, ample time to discuss the nature of the Vault while the lonely car descends into the bowels of the mountain. And then it slows and stops, the long journey complete. At least there was some elevator music. The doors open to the Atrium, and it's like entering another world. Perhaps the huge chamber is part of a different underground cavern, or there's a portal shift involved in the elevator ride, what with the skylights functioning admirably. Unlike typical Vaults, it also looks like a home. Across the space, where the sitting area is placed, a tray sits on a table with five cups steaming. A sixth lies in the hands of a woman that stands near the tea and herb planters bisecting the Atrium. The vulpine ear-and-tailed woman in the spectacles, the bare feet and the well-worn pants and tank top stands with a warm, bright smile to greet her guests. "Welcome to Vault 85."
Starbound Flotilla	The Flotilla's core fleet captains spend some time looking attentively at the interior. Seft and George in particular, noticably seem attentive to the Vault's architecture. They're the ones most particularly experienced with Vaults of the Mojave region, and so they're the ones most aware of its unusual nature. On the elevator ride down, they speak. Pavo is the first one who speaks up. "This one ain't got a spot'a dust! Bet it's fulla loot." Seft cups her eye visor in her hands, displaying a frustrated '>_<' on the screen. "Exasperated. We are not going to plunder it if it has good people alive and occupying it." "Easy solu--" Albert grunts heavily. "We are not killing them either." Moonfin sounds a bit condescending. "You're trying to antagonize a robot, Pavo, this is perhaps a little unproductive." The Hylotl remains the one speaking when the doors ding open. He is their diplomatic representitive, and so the five other Flotilla members file in behind him in a motley mess of wandering aliens as he strides forward and stops near the table, bowing, though not too deeply. "Thank you for the welcome, ma'am. I am Moonfin of the Hylotl, diplomatic liason and one captain of the Starbound Flotilla Core Fleet. I present to you George, Seft, Pavo, Albert, and Biteblade, my fellow captains." They are all fidgeting a little, or waving, though Seft seems very distracted with the wonderous nature of the room, looking all around but mostly up at the skylights. "To whom do we owe the honor of such unprecedented hospitality? Never before in our numerous excursions into the Vaults have we found one that welcomed us so, or which was not, itself, a grim tomb that might offer only its ancient treasures."
Cecily	Whether or not the conversation in the elevator can be heard is likely moot, as the owner of the Vault seems perfectly happy to see and welcome her new guests. The elevator door slides shut neatly, though nothing ominous springs forth. "Hatter has appraised me briefly on all of you. I admit, with what I know of more... 'common' Vaults, at least in some of the worlds I have seen recorded, mine is somewhat of an anomaly?" she shrugs her bare shoulders, setting her tea down, offering her mug-warmed hand to Moonfin. "The particulars of which can be discussed later... I am Cecily Winters, and this Vault has been my home for many years, and has been the home of others, coming and going. At present, only my wife, Beli Klum, myself, and my AI steward inhabit this place." Should her hand be shaken, her grip is rather firm and strong for having such delicate and slender fingers. "Please, come partake of my tea. And sugar-lemon," she adds, nodding towards the Floran. "What brings you to the Vault?" she asks, turning to maneuver towards the chairs, her tails waving behind her.
Starbound Flotilla	"Avast, ye got some bits I ain't seen on a human, lass! Nice to meet ye either way. Yer cap'n 'round here? Bit of a ghost ship, from the sound of it, though, yarharhar!" Pavo says, laughing as she takes a seat. "Only one here, huh? How d'ya keep the place clean is the first thing I think of, heheh. Whatever, talk 'bout it later. Hey, sorry about the bomb thing, not used to a vault that's got people in it who aren't babbling about drugs or whatever. No hard feelin's?" George leans onto the table with a wide faux smile. Biteblade is gonna try to track down her own chosen drink. "Floran like to sssee vault isss different. Vault-Tec tribe, not good buildersss, Floran find out. Vault, not sssave people. Floran think, isss dumb! Vault sssupose to sssave." Seft's wide blue eye-dots flicker as she blinks, impressed, but then focuses on Cecily. "Polite. Hello, Mrs. Winters. It is a pleasure to meet you. I know your name now, but not precisely who you are. Could you help explain?" Moonfin takes the hand in his own webbed hands, but they're not slimy or gross, they're soft and clean. He responds to the strong grip with a strong one of his own. "My associate is correct; we are quite interested in hearing about our host. Perhaps you might provide us with some measure of your story?" He goes to take a seat only a short time before he realizes that Biteblade has moved his tea to someone else's seat. Albert grunts, and salutes a greeting. He remains silent and professional in a military way, marching his way to the table and taking a seat while straightening out his uniform. He seems to be assessing Cecily's behavior privately.
Cecily	"Hardly a ghost ship... though calling us a skeleton crew is certainly not inaccurate. Hatter handles most of the maintenance. Beli and I aren't exactly messy individuals, either. Though when the children lived here..." she laughs, taking up her tea. "Cleaning was a full time job... and it was just Hatter and I then, too.." she gives a pleasant smile. A smile she directs to George, sincere and kind. "No worries about the bombs, dear. I'm rather fond of high explosives and heavy artillery myself. Though I do thank you for not attempting to breach the Vault more... directly." Biteblade's beverage is certainly a different color, and different scent. Green tea versus what is mainly just lemon juice and sugar boiled in water. "Ah, yes..." the fox responds to the Floran, "...point of fact, the Vaults of my world never saw use at all. The nuclear holocaust didn't come and they were auctioned off to private parties... my father being one such. Of course, worse things than nuclear fire later ravaged my homeworld, but... that may be a story for another time." She bows her head politely to Seft and then Moonfin. "I am simply who I am. Officially, I am an unranked ally of the Union, where I have many treasured friends and I sometimes support the Union's actions directly or indirectly. Though truthfully, I have friends on the 'other side' as well..." she shrugs and sips her tea, eyes closing for a moment as she savors the honey-tinged beverage. The smile on her lips must be from having so many lively guests in her perhaps lonely sanctuary. As her eyes open, "I just like to help where I can, for those who need it. Be it food or supplies or a more... explosive sort of aid."
Starbound Flotilla	"Only fair we tell our host what we're all about if she's gonna be nice enough to tell us." George says, sipping on his drink. "Hey Albert, aren't you our Fleet poet, huh? Give her the lowdown." Albert grunts, and is the one who speaks up next, albeit tersely. "Mmph. We are the Starbound Flotilla. Mobile industrialists. Research and development, mining, refining, manufacturing, exploration, building, mercenary work. We Core Fleet captains are pledged to work together at all times in absolute loyalty to our group." He sips, as if declaring the explanation complete. Seft puts a hand on George's arm, and her eyes swap to a '<_<' emote. "Sheepish. No need to put Albert on the spot, George." She focuses back on Cecily. "Cheerful. We are unaffiliated, ourselves, but we have worked very well with the Union in the past. We have had our own differences in the past as well, a few altercations, but the Core Fleet focuses on making sure no grudges are held." She puts on a '^_^' face. "Warm. I personally share most of the Union's ethical stances. It is good to see someone supporting them, but not so zealously they lack allies among the opposition. An open and tolerant mind is important."
Cecily	"So you do a little bit of everything, then. That sounds fantastic. And quite fun, too. Adventure abounds in the stars then? And there are a great, great many in the Multiverse..." Cecily says with a warm smile. She looks to Seft, nodding, "I do prefer to keep an open mind. Though I aid the Union with the war effort on occasion, I.. suppose for the most part I just help out where I'm needed otherwise... though I do believe I already stated that..." the fox laughs, taking a slow drink of her tea. "Which leads me to wonder if there is anything I can do for you, good captains? If I'm not mistaken, you had come seeking treasure, or resources. I do live under a mountain, after all.." she grins. "Though as you can see, it's certainly home-y."
Starbound Flotilla	Moonfin glances to Seft. She glances back to him, and her eye-screen displays that '<_<' emote again. "Curious. Should I display it all, or do you believe it would be best to withhold?" "Ahhh, Seft, I believe a host so gracious as to provide us such safe passage should have her faith rewarded. Please, show her what we have wrought and what we may yet." Seft's eye screen ceases displaying eyes, now simply showing 'OUTPUT' in bold text. A holoprojector somewhere on her lights up, showing something strange... It looks like a variety of designs of high-scale energy-focused armor designed to function like a mobile power plant. There even appear to be some sort of psionic amplification tools and armor systems linked to the energy focus. The designs that are displayed in glowing wireframe are clearly incomplete, lacking certain necessary design elements required to regulate power or store it in specific ways, but it's an extensive and solid foundation. Accompanying it are a variety of energy weapons, everything from sidearms to demolishing heavy weapons, but that's only one part of the wide array of industrial tools and similar mechanisms they intend to connect. "The Irradiance Project." Pavo says, lazily pointing to it with one feathered finger, then takes a quick sip. "Avast, lass, it be exactly what ye think it is. Make yerself into a walkin', psionically-regulated power plant. All kinda things ye can do with all the spare energy. We been divin' around the Mojave, learnin', understandin' things about the Old World. Gotta fill in a few blanks, ye know, but we get this finished up, we'll have a whole new line of tech to role out." Albert grunts once, heavily, but is currently mostly unmoving, keeping that professional stance. "The results of the Spellsword Project have been a boon for us. We expect the Irradiance Project to be much the same. We're scavenging anything related to Vaults to discover as much as we can. The only other world we've found that has them seems to have advanced energy development, which we have been learning from."
Cecily	Cecily cradles her mug in both hands, eyes focused on the hologram. She looks over the blueprint quite intently, studying it, perhaps even storing the specs for later perusal and assistance. But she watches, examines, and above all, listens. "So it's a suit of power armor? But far more capable than a normal suit. I see it relies more on attachment points rather than relying on the wearer to carry their own? Modular even?" she asks, leaning closer to it out of sheer habit. "Though, I'm afraid that all I have to offer are old, leftover prototype designs... at least related to Vault-Tec and the old power armor of that era. Micro-fusion cells and miniature nuclear power plants, and all..." she gives a lopsided smile. "...when my father acquired Vault 85, the primary power core had been stripped out for something a little more mundane, just to keep the lights and doors working... The power plant within is something entirely different now and I'm afraid a number of its secrets are locked out to me as well, now. The Chaos Engine is... still highly experimental. I know some of how it works, but... I think it would be far too volatile to utilize in your power suit. And incompatible with typical Vault power sources besides, at least without a great amount of work..." she considers, still staring at the blueprints. "That isn't to say I'm against helping you with the project, however... it looks delightful!"
Starbound Flotilla	"Quite modular, we hope." Moonfin says, agreeably. "While I admit, we're foregoing a bit of our usual protective strength of power armor, we expect the benefit to quite outweigh the cost." As always, he has a bit of smugness to his tone, no matter what he's saying. "Please, Miss Winters, I entirely understand the nature of proprietary technologies. I would not think to pry." The holoprojector quietly flickers off, and George is the one leaning through it as it does, past Seft. He seems more familiar with her than the others. "Well, sure, don't got a nice fancy reactor, but it sounds like everything else might have made the cut. Power regulators, stuff like that. Hell," He chuckles, grinning widely. "Can't have taken out too much of the libraries I'm guessin' places like this keep, huh? Wouldn't want to spend five generations in a hole without some nice reading material." Moonfin puts a hand to his mouth to suppress a laugh. While he's indisposed, Bitebalde's the one who speaks up. "You say, can help? Floran know booksss, artifactsss, very help. But expert, real perssson who know thing, alwaysss better!" Moonfin's the one who starts being a little antagonistic now, in his usual smug way, to Biteblade. "Really? I suppose it must be especially difficult sssounding out every word as you read it, hmmm?" George interjects here on the side. "Take the casual racism back from a seven to maybe a two, huh finface? Attaboy."
Cecily	Cecily nods, eyes still on the hologram up until it winks out. She blinks at George now, especially since her eyes were on him by proxy if he was leaning into the picture. She sits up, looking sheepish. "Ah... the library is... extremely non-standard. Like the Atrium here, it has been... overhauled. Perhaps dramatically so. I think the only things that are still fully stock are the lights and wall panels in the upper levels.. the elevator, auto-docs, and entrance corridor. There's still some flares in the emergency locker..." she says with a quiet laugh. A laugh that gets a touch louder when the group bickers a touch. "So I'm afraid there's no more original consoles to pull regulators from. I could see if there are more blueprints, either here, or help you excavate in the Mojave. My expertise for engineering is primarily in firearms and explosives, however..." she gives a little shrug, almost apologetic. "But as far as reading material.. I have that in.. abundance. I could invite you in to see the library, if you wish? It's...not likely what you're expecting, however."
Starbound Flotilla	"Whatcha got? Holobooks? Psionic prints? 3.5 inch floppy disks? Hey, Seft, you got a slot to copy some floppies?" "Irritated. No, George, I do not have a floppy disk slot." "Alright! Nice! Hope they're not on floppies." "Floran think, can help with heavy weaponsss. Core Fleet technologiesss, limited in firearmsss production! No expert for that. Maybe you help? We figure Irradiance energy thingsss out eventually, you help usss make big energy gunsss!" Biteblade says, chipperly happy about this. "I believe it would be a pleasure to see the library, regardless of whether or not it holds anything that could be of use in furthering Irradiance." He finishes off his tea in a sip. "Please, Mrs. Winters, if you would be so kind, we would be quite happy to see your collection of literature." As usual, a soft bow-like nod punctuates that.
Cecily	Cecily laughs as George rattles off mixed media options and just shakes her head. She stands up, gesturing to the doorway that's marked for the library. "I can help with firearms, most certainly. That is my forte, really... that and cooking. Oh I love cooking as much as I love tea and guns..." she sighs happily, ears perked, tails waving behind her in a clear expression of a good mood. "But I digress... please come along..." she returns the bow of her head towards her and opens the doors. "Mind that first step~" she cautions sweetly.
Starbound Flotilla	The group follows along in their own ways. George swaggers casually, almost goofily. Seft moves robotically, as you'd expect a machine to. Pavo walks while looking around all the time, as if constantly on the lookout for loot to swipe while nobody's looking. Albert moves in a strictly militaristic walk, almost a march. Moonfin strides in a way that's as elegant as possible. And Biteblade... Biteblade is fascinated by those tails. Every so often, she attempts to gently gather some up in her arms and cuddle them. She's a little bit weird, and may not have the same cultural understanding of things like personal space or appropriate times for affection. Well, anyway, the group comes along, urged on by Moonfin. "Certainly, Mrs. Winters, thank you. And any expertise you can lend to us with the development of our heavier firearms will be quite appreciated. We find ourselves somewhat at a loss these days, when it comes to contending with vehicles or heavy armor on foot. The fauna of our home universe has its own challenges as well."
Cecily	Perhaps it's due to her nature, but Cecily doesn't at all seem to mind Biteblade being in such close proximity. She slows her steps as needed for those tails to be captured and hugged. They're fluffy and warm, silky soft. Her own manner of walking is simply casual and relaxed, though she certainly does take note of everyone's personalities even shining through their movements. "Heavy weapons are one of my favorites. Though my favored artillery comes from an era long past on my world, the effectiveness of explosive shells and field guns are still not lost even for more technologically developed armies... they're just far less... eloquent? Polite?" She shrugs, and leads the way into the darkness of the library. It's huge. Massive. It could totally be as big as one imagines the inside of an Xbox to be. Shelves as far as the eye can see, though with their height, that might not be too far indeed. The gateway to the universe in the ceiling windows currently shows a cluster of gas clouds and a greenish star fairly close with a backdrop of blues and purples amidst the endless starfield. "This is my library," she states, "and the core of the Chaos Engine."
Starbound Flotilla	"Good! Fox friend can make biggessst gun, we figure out all thingsss. Share with fox friend for help!" Biteblade says, cheerfully, clearly quite enamored with a simplified exchange here. Albert grunts heavily, with an appreciative nod. "Old munitions. They have their value to an organization like ours. Guerilla tactical use. Materials they can be disassembled into or produced from. Ease of trade with other groups. I understand their value. The only point to eloquence and politeness on the battlefield is achieving a victory at lesser cost." Moonfin, for his own part, is the one who seems to appreciate the library most. "Tremendous." He says, simply. "I assume the nuances of spatial behaviors and intersections allow it to function as both roles? It is a marvelous construction, as though pulling information in a state of utmost tranquility and hospitality from the very heart of chaos itself." Seft is also looking around, albeit with her robotic sorts of ways, her head scanning back and forth. George whistles quietly, keeping up his goofy facade but still clearly impressed. "Yeah, I get whatcha mean now. This seems like one of those things where I'm only seein' the mortal interpretation or however that goes? Nice. Hey Seft, you got a slot for--" "Exasperated. No, I do not have a slot for that, George." George laughs, then continues poking around the aisles. "Hey, just asking. Anyway, hey Cec, think there's anything around here about the energy systems development that went on around these parts?"
Cecily	"Oh yes. Powder, steel, cobalt... those shouldn't be difficult for a spacefaring group to acquire, especially with the size and vastness of the Multiverse..." Cecily smiles cheerfully at Albert, nodding. "A makeshift shrapnel grenade fired from a metal tube can do the same job a plasma cannon can in a pinch, without all the messy magnetic fields and containment protocols needed for it..." she says with a shrug. "Though the warm glow of a plasma induction coil really is quite soothing.." she lists to the side a bit, eyes closing as she imagines for a moment. Then back to Reality (or so) as George starts to hunt around. "There may be. There's books on any and every subject here... you might get lucky and find what you're looking for. Or you may simply find a shelf with the collected works of Dr. Seuss. In Portugese. Though if you -do- plan on hunting around, at least allow me to pack you a bag lunch. Visitors can get... terribly lost in here... the exit isn't always.." She looks over her shoulder, the door into the library is gone. It's just another tall shelf. "...where you came in..."
Starbound Flotilla	Albert remains surrounded by the fantastical, but he keeps his statements down-to-earth. "Mmh. Correct. Simpler munitions work in more varied uses. I use whatever achieves victory for me. If that means energy weapons, I will use them. If that means gunpowder shells, I will use them." But then, when he realizes that the exit has disappeared, he turns around very abruptly! By his own paranoid nature, he's already drawing a hefty grenade launcher, and--! George had his fingers held up at Albert's eye level and, while making no movements at all, they jab the man's eyes lightly while he gets into a paranoid rush. Albert does an apelike screechy grunt, while George says, "Take it back a few notches, it's all cool bro. Just a little accident, don't get all tinfoil hat on us." While Albert grunts and bickers with George, Pavo laughs and comes forward to chuckle at Cecily. "Know the type o' place when it comes to things like this. Ye got any skeletons hangin' around here from ol' visitors, lass, or do we just gotta go for a pleasant li'l walk?" She picks up the grenade launcher Albert dropped and slings it over her shoulder casually. The others seem to be following George's example and taking this mostly lightly.
Cecily	"Bit of a hair trigger, Captain? You're safe here in my home, so long as I'm here with you. Please don't fret so much, dears," Cecily says kindly to Albert, then looks towards Pavo. The fox's tails do keep waving enticingly at Biteblade, however. They must like affection as much as the woman they're tethered to does. She smiles kindly at the Avian, nodding at the second thing. "No skeletons. I make sure any wayward travellers that get lost in here are well fed, also. Hence my mention of a bag lunch. But come on, the door's moved but it's not gone altogether. We'll head to the center first, and go from there. It's a lot more open, too.." she says kindly, moving through the stacks slowly, ensuring her companions stay close behind. Should any peek around a corner once, and then look again, it would seem like the shelves have moved. But only when nobody is looking. Peculiar place. To her credit, the center of the library IS big, and IS open. And it's also the only truly static area of the massive structure. It's a little dusty, though, making it seem like Cecily really does rarely get any visitors. Even the odd lab equipment looks to be fairly untouched in any recent time. "Though you might be able to use one of the computers here to check references on power supplies. There may even be something digitial in the database."
Starbound Flotilla	"Please excuse my friend, he's hunted by a brutal galactic conspiracy. It has him a little paranoid." Moonfin says, with a slightly condescending tone. "He'll be quite fine." "Aye aye, cap'n." Pavo says, grinning through her beak and clearly pleased to see her suspicion validated. "The monkey aside, we're some easygoin' sailors, don't ye worry." "Cheerful. After a while, we start to understand a little bit of serendipity to things. I am sure that if you give us some time to research among the library, we will find what we need. Spreading out would be a little foolish for now, perhaps..." Seft starts, walking and looking around, and then beeping briefly as they approach the center. "Curious. Are you still in contact with the Hatter intelligence while here? If they have some access to kitchen facilities, you could simply begin preparing any form of meat." "Would get leafy here to the door pretty quick." George says, laughing and nudging Seft with an elbow. "Look at you, making an actual joke, I'm proud. Yeah, you get some food going and Biteblade will track it down quick." The whole group wanders on towards the center. George is still doing some banter with Albert, but overall, they just have the intense feeling of a group of close teammates. Not exactly friends, but people who know each other very well, and who feel a certain measure of safety as a result of that.
Cecily	Cecily laughs, "While Hatter can, theoretically, set something to cooking, the Library IS cut off from the Vault in its own way... no, no, we'll be able to step out once I get my bearings..." That sounds promising. Reassuring. Something. Maybe. Lost in her own library? Or maybe she's just absent minded. "Now, aside from engineering help... I'd also be quite happy to aid your ground teams with direct fire and/or close air support if need be. I feel most at home when I'm helping people out. Almost as much at home as I feel here, surrounded by my books..." The fox bows her head politely, looking between everyone again, clasping her hands together. "Ah, speaking of food, I CAN set to cooking once we step out of here, if you are all hungry? Since a meal was brought up, I imagine that to be the case. Though I have to wonder what myriad tastes you all must have when it comes to cuisine, especially without making assumptions based solely on appearances."
Starbound Flotilla	Albert's recovered from his paranoia shock. "Mh. You know your home better than we do. We will let you guide." He gives a firm nod. "Our armor and arms production are not scaled to arm large groups on our level. We have to deploy directly to the field. Any assistance in the field is appreciated. Our squad benefits from backup very often." Seft tilts her head and her eyescreen goes back to that '^_^' emote. "Warm. I understand completely, Mrs. Winters. I am glad that there are people like you, who enjoy aiding people so much." Pavo makes a snorting noise, but doesn't comment. Seft gives her a quick '<_<' look, but swiftly focuses back on Cecily with her '^_^'. "Cheerful. I hope we can work together much in the future, collaborating with someone who has a strong ethical posture and enjoys that sort of work is always a pleasure for me." "Floran want to eat, yeah!" Biteblade speaks up, eagerly. "Only if fox friend want to cook, Floran underssstand human hossspitality. Floran read all the etiquette booksss! Floran know what Flotilla friendsss want too! Floran like meat. Blue Rare!" She looks like she'd prefer it just raw, honestly. "Bird friend likesss sssed type mixesss, ssstewsss, breadsss! Monkey friend likesss fruitsss, all kindsss! Metal friend likesss vegetarian ssstewsss; you have Boltbulb? Currentcorn? Maybe no. Human friend, you get anything made by hand. Eatsss assstronaut passte! Blech!" "That's toothpaste, Biteblade." "Shut! Lasst one isss fish. You jussst feed him dirt. Shovel in ssstupid fish face." "Ahem. Your human cultures' closest approximation to superior Hylotl cuisine are traditional eastern dishes, su--" "Jussst shovel dirt in dumb fish face, everything all good." Well that was a little more of an answer than anyone would want, but it certainly did get things lively.
Cecily	"Then I'll do what I can when the situation dictates. I don't have any craft capable of exitting the atmosphere, however. But for close air support, if you have hangar space, I could always park one of my birds with you. Temporarily," Cecily says with a smile. She doesn't look to Pavo when she says 'birds'. "Well, aiding people is what I do! ...and if aiding people involves gunfire and demolitions, all the better.." she smiles sheepishly. Then the fox listens to Biteblade's explanation of food, one of her tails curling around the Floran's middle. "Meat... Hmmm... does Pavo like meat in the stew, or should I make something vegetarian? I've never heard of boltbulb and currentcorn, sadly..." she considers. "I'll have to make a few different dishes... perhaps a vegetarian stir-fry? I think.. two or three different dishes..." she bobs her head side to side in thought. "You're all so friendly to each other..." she giggles quietly, clapping her hands together.
Starbound Flotilla	"The Galactian Project is still in its formative stages, but we have enough development to fit our craft with deployment bays." Albert says. "Small. It will suffice." Another heavy grunt. He sounds like a man who's not using all of his ship space. "Bird friend like meat fine. Hasss bit of hawk in there! Caw caw! Dangerousss!" Biteblade says, eagerly squeezing that tail closer to her affectionately. "Floran think, will be good!" She tilts her head, almost uncomprehending when Cecily notes their closeness as a group. "Heh, no better way of making friends than all of you needin' each other to survive, you know." George says, laughing and shrugging. "Our Flotilla's only been kicking around whole a little while, maybe half a year or so. We've all known one or two other Core Fleet captains a while longer. Way long stories, could keep you up for hours tellin' you about 'em. Honestly, when some guy comes through for you and you'd die if he didn't, you do the same for them, do that enough, you kinda just figure them out, you know?" Seft scratches the back of her head in robotic motions, going to that '<_<' face again and saying, "Sheepish. I suppose we are friends. Mostly friends, at least, it always seems as though each of us have another member we do not quite like." Her eyes flicker back to those round, pleasant dots. "Firm. But foremost, I think of each of them as a reliable team. Even if I have my differences with some of them, they are unshakably reliable. It is why we have this sort of familiarity."
Cecily	"I seem to have made a friend already, myself..." Cecily says with a chuckle, looking to the Floran that's decided her tail is the best thing ever. She smiles at Biteblade, though, and starts walking. "That's the best way to make friends... rely on each other, expect to help and be helped, and don't take it for granted. I think the Union tries to be like that? But..." The fox sighs, shaking her head, "It's too big to... reliably be that. Or perhaps I've spent too long hiding out here at the Vault lately. I like... smaller gatherings...if that makes sense..." A little shrug and she begins to lead the Floran with her tail(s) and hopes the rest follow, as she seems to be making her way to a door that's inexplicably a part of a nearby bookcase. "I dare say, I think I'd like to spend more time with the lot of you. If you don't mind the company?" she offers. "Tell me some about the Galactian Project. If it has something to do with the assembly of your Flotilla, or its expansion. We'll talk more over dinner!" she claps her hands together.
Starbound Flotilla	Moonfin nods several times. "Ahhhh, the virtues of solitude and of groups small enough to be easily understood. I understand, Mrs. Winters. There are times and personalities for which company provides such a substantial drain upon the spirit. But you are correct. A group must be small to truly assure reliability, to not drain, and to otherwise fill the roles we needed filled in our times of need. For us now, perhaps those times of need are still here. Rest easy knowing that while our Flotilla may contain many members, our Core Fleet is quite a bit less confusing." "The Galactian Project." Albert says, grunting briefly again to punctuate it. "Like the Spellsword Project and the Irradiance Project. Branches of technological research and manufacturing. Galactian is focused on developing our vehicular deployment and operations. Developed after conflict with the Galactic Empire." He is following, and giving the doors here a wary look, as if disapproving of their flighty mobility. Pavo smirks wide. "Aye, lass, yer not gettin' driven off by the tin can's stench? Well, yer welcome around, if ye want. Ain't got ourselves a shortage of accommodations, ye know, and we got business with yer library another time if ye mean to let us take a look." She laughs, ruffling Biteblade's leaves while she gives Cecily's tail one last snuggle. "'Sides, how could I make the li'l plant sad an' keep ye away? I'm greedy, I ain't completely heartless! Yarharharhar!" She laughs a bit on her way to follow Cecily while Seft spends a little time making unpleasant synthetic noises at Pavo.
Cecily	Cecily nods, "It's part of why I simply turn my radio off and retreat into my sanctum... though it's, again, something I've been doing far, far too often lately. I do hope our meeting will break me out of my Vault a bit more, so to speak..." she says with a warm smile. The tails wiggle a bit, even as there's that last squeeze and she moves for the door. "Ah... I might be able to help with some small-scale vehicle engineer projects as well.. though my resources are finite. But all the more reason to help you strike out for barren planets rich with resources, yes?" The fox then laughs, shaking her head, "...you all smell rather similar, to me... perhaps it's due to you all being in close proximity with one another for such an extended period of time? And thank you quite kindly for making me feel welome." She nods to Pavo, moving for the doors. They open, and it looks just like the one they'd come through, leading out into the Atrium. Simple simple. What awaits them is an odd sight, however. There's two more Cecilies. The three put together have nine tails, though they all have 3 each. The other two? Working away in the kitchen!
Starbound Flotilla	Seft's the one who speaks up. "Upbeat. There is a wonderfully adventurous feeling inherent to making excursions to uncharted planets and finding what prizes may be found below their surface. Materials are no issue. Mining is one of our more pleasantly low-excitement activities." That face goes to a ^_^ again, brushing off Pavo's recent insult of her. George breaks a laugh there. "Yeah, you get a Floran getting all huggy all the time, you start smelling weird no matter whaaaaaaaaat am I looking at here?" George's voice swiftly transitions to confusion. "Are we in a... Time warp?" He seems pretty confused! Albert makes an agitated ape-noise. He seems to be averse to the idea of a strange temporal events. "Winters. Please explain." He says, in his usual official-sounding military tone. George pipes up, eager to poke fun of him. "Which one?" "Quiet. Any of the Winters here." "What, you don't care which Cecily we--" "Rrrrrrrrrr."
Cecily	"Explain what?" comes the voice of the Cecily nearest the group. "Oh. Me, myself, and I?" she asks. "...one mind, multiple bodies... I can... split and shift, to put it simply. I figured I could get a head start on cooking while we were traversing the library... especially since bread, fruit salad, and stir fry take some time to prepare... Please, feel free to address my sisters as you would me... I'll try not to split talk." One of the foxes in the kitchen is working out some dough and she nods, "No time warp. Just some extra hands in the kitchen," she says with a wink. "Please, make yourselves at home and let one of us know if you'd like a refill of your drinks. I hope I didn't put you off at all with this little surprise."
Starbound Flotilla	Seft seems to take on a look of concern. "Troubled. A hivemind." And then she shakes her head. "Correcting. No, no. No. It is a singular intelligence, you said?" She makes a soft, sigh-like noise. "Relieved. Thank goodness, I was somewhat frightened." "Not at all. Mrs. Winters, we are not put off in the least. It seems quite a remarkable ability. How many of you are there, I wonder?" Moonfin says, his interest clearly piqued heavily. "I imagine the confusion we had of the vault's good condition is easily resolved with such a solution." Albert grunts, heavily. "One mind. Perfect coordination between multiple units. Hmmm." There's a long pause. "Good." They seem to head further on into the Atrium, all quite willing to continue their explorations or sit down, whichever Cecily prefers.
Cecily	"Hardly a hive mind. It's just me..." Cecily laughs softly. One of them anyway. "There's usually only one of me... unless I have things that need doing. Or shooting..." she adds, tapping her chin. She gestures down at her backside, her three tails waving slowly. "I can split into as many of me as I have tails... so nine at maximum? I do try to keep to similar tasks. It gets more difficult if I try to do a whole bunch of things..." she says with a small shrug. "And we have to stay relatively close together, else we lose cohesion with the primary... though with tails all equalized, we have an equal level of strength..." one of the cooks says. The other nods, "...the fewer the tails, the less powerful we are individually... though it doesn't affect our accuracy too much." The first fox laughs quietly, "...the Vault has always been in fairly good condition, since it never did meet with a nuclear event..." Then she claps her hands together, "Though there isn't much else for the tour. I think all that remains is dinner and business, yes?" she suggests. The Atrium, though fairly cavernous, is open and everything is pretty much on display when one enters. There is, of course, the door to the Overseer's Quarters, but it seems that the fox is content to let it stay unmentioned, likely a private space.
Starbound Flotilla	The Flotilla isn't opposed to leaving some things uninvestigated. With a series of pleasant nods, upbeat noises, and good-natured assenting phrases, they agree to follow along for dinner, and take a seat wherever they're directed. Moonfin is the most coherent of the six. "Ah, two activities that do so often mix perfectly. It would be our pleasure, Mrs. Winters." Pavo makes a few agreeable chirpy noises. "Aye, think I figure what ye mean. Many hands make light work, aye? Logic makes sense! Ye got yer own whole crew there, lass, that's somethin' I gotta envy." "Probably makes bein' alone down here a bit easier, but hey, let's see if we can't get you outdoors a little more, huh?" George says, doing his best to be unfazed by this. "I wanna see how that works in the field, y'know, seems pretty useful."
Cecily	Cecily smiles, "Would you like new drinks, or is the tea and sugar-lemon-water sufficient for now?" she asks. Though there is a table and chairs for dining, it's rather small. The kitsune doesn't seem to be bothered by leading the group over to the couches and pillows instead, rag-tag crew and guests don't seem to be a problem. She nods at George. "Bounding advances, suppressive fire, force recon, piloting and crewing a gunship... Or in non-combat situations, it makes setting up camp a breeze, especially when the weather is hostile.." The fox smiles brightly, "I'm not always alone down here... there is my wife, after all, but she does have her business and her own world she tends to..." there's a polite nod towards the Overseer's room. "As far as getting me in the field, and perhaps off-world, I am certainly not terribly concerned with temperature fluctuations and conditions many species would find hazardous..." she suggests. The smell of freshly baking bread begins to drift over, as does something with a little spice, Earthside oriental hints to it. And maybe just a bit of grilling meat.
Starbound Flotilla	"Floran think, that'ssss perfect! Keep drink like that." Biteblade says, cheerfully hissing. Then she speaks up again. "Camp! Floran make camp fassst! Whoosh! Ussse Matter Manipulator. Flotilla friend, isss all good at ssset up! You go camp with Flotilla sssometime. Isss cozyiessst you ever sssee, promissse." It seems to be something she's intent on! She gives Cecily an insistant hug if she can. Moonfin sits first with elegant motions, quite content to wait some time. "Ahhh, such unity. I see it only in the Glitch of the Hivemind, and in such unity they have inflexibility. Remarkable, Mrs. Winters. If we might collaborate, I believe you could bring great contributions to us, and we could help you a great deal in turn. You have the spirit of one who brings their home in travel; home should not be left in the house, it should be brought to the road, where it may evolve itself and return. Ahhh, perhaps if you assist us well, we might even be able to get a Starling-class vessel prepared for you, such a thing seems fitting to your nature."
Cecily	Cecily blinks, hugging Biteblade right back. She even curls her tails affectionately around the Floran. "Well, when you put it that way and punctuate it with a hug... how could I refuse?" she laughs. "I'd be interested in this Matter Manipulator you speak of also..." she considers, one of her three tails coming up to tap herself on the chin. "Mmm, I try to remain flexible, in mind and action. Adaptability is very important." Then she tilts her head, "A ship? I'd be happy to provide my services to pay for it, being that I do lack a spacefaring vessel of my own..." she considers, smiling. "How large is a Starling-class? I'd want to be able to carry a vehicle for ground operations if necessary..." there's a nod. "If not, I could always try to prove my worth for something bigger... Why, with enough mineral wealth, you could easily expand your fleet..." she says with a twinkle in her eye. Then her ears twitch and it's almost as if she's getting a call on the other line. "Oh!" The source of her surprise is the movement behind her, a table being tugged over from the kitchen. It's got a stack of plates and silverware, and what looks to be a big bowl of noodles and vegetables. And another bowl full of cut fruit with whipped cream. There's a plate with some fairly lightly-cooked cuts of beef and strips of bacon along with it, as well. And of course, that bread, a basket overflowing with what smells like honey-wheat rolls. There's three foxes in addition to the 'main' now, though the other group have 2 tails apiece this time.
Starbound Flotilla	"You want to know? Floran teach!" Biteblade says, bounding over to the table. "Core isss technology made by Ancientsss. We find core, build Matter Manipulator for ussse. Ssstore thing in compressss ssspace! Dig, build, weld, cut, sssolder, do everything you need, but in tiny package! Floran have metal friend, resssearch Matter Manipulator. Maybe find more thingsss out, sssoon!" Biteblade is, of course, immediately after the meat, and... Really just the meat, it seems like Biteblade might be at least mostly carnivorous. Pavo's beak twists into a wide grin. "Aye, a ship ye want, lass? Well, Starlings are a li'l small, but if ye don't mind yer bedroom bein' yer garage, ye can get somethin' that'll suit ye! We do a bit o'... piracy? Ye okay with that?" "Eyerolling. Yes, please tell the Unionite about our piracy." "Ehhh, tin can, they mostly be bad people. Eighty... Eighty percent awful bilgerats?" She's already getting into some of those fruits, politely getting into bird-like pecking.