(12:31:30 AM) Diana: With her ship airborn and back in space, Joka was in the control room making a note of which lights and wiring she needed to have replaced to get everything lit up and working the way it was supposed to. Half of the switches didn’t even -do- anything and the rest sure didn’t do what they were expected. At least she had the next three days of travel time to work out some sort of system plan before they hit the next planet. Her new crewmate was interesting company… he seemed to dive head first in to work, which was leaving her with painfully little to do herself. At first she was grateful, but now she was getting a bit antsy.
(12:35:07 AM) Ocha: Ferro, fed and as relaxed as he could be in such a strange situation went head first into his work. He wasn’t even aware that Joka might have been interested in doing some of the work herself. Instead he pretty much gathered up all the useful tools and dragged them to the most vital spot. Oh he was going to fix things and then when that was done he was going to improve them. All while singing to himself.
(12:42:29 AM) Diana: Joka had herself a good list going when the engines light suddenly started blipping. It was odd, considering the engine was still running and they weren’t dead in space. She pressed a dozen buttons trying to get the damn thing to go off until she finally realized that it was some sort of “nearby object” sensor. By the time she had those wires switched out so it connected to the appropriate screen, Joka found herself staring at the big open mouth of a much larger ship swallowing them up out of space. Several moments too late, the alarms in her ship went off. “…Uh, Ferro…! We have a problem!”
(12:46:12 AM) Ocha: “What? It’s not the oxygen relay is it?” He was going to replace some of the coils, but was sure that they would last for months yet. It was the only thing he could think of that was a true problem, everything else was easily workable. Well unless the was a cascade collapse of the engines. That would be a big problem. Which got him to realize the engines didn’t sound correct now!
(12:51:39 AM) Diana: Before she could respond, Joka was quickly trying to shut down the ship and land it. There was no way she could turn them around and fly them out before the larger ships’ hatch closed. They were just going to have to hope they weren’t being picked up by the worst in space. The ship landed rough, enough to jostle the entire frame. Joka went running out of the control room to retrieve her gun belt. “We’ve been swallowed up by a larger vessel! They didn’t hail first, so I’m figuring this isn’t going to be a polite visit!”
(12:57:18 AM) Ocha: Ferro cursed under his breath and grabbed his vest and the largest, heaviest hand tool near him. “Any ideas on what to do?” He pulled his vest on as he followed her.
(1:02:42 AM) Diana: “Hope they don’t shoot us first?” Joka knew all about ‘swallowing’, but it was the first time she ever had the first hand experience. Most of the time people didn’t have the best of endings to their stories. Someone usually ended up spaced, and it was too late for them to hop in a lifepod! They didn’t have long to wait and find out. The main door to their ship was forced open and the two were met with pretty large guns to the face by some grusome looking aliens. They had no language translation, so all that came out was their garbled speech and their motioning for the two to drop their weapons. The consequences were pretty obvious.
(1:05:34 AM) Ocha: Ferro dropped the tool, frowning ferociously. Didn’t he just escape something like this just the other day, well day for him, why did the universe keep trying to tie him down! They needed to escape, but with those nasty weapons pointed right at them he wasn’t sure how at the moment.
(1:17:22 AM) Diana: Joka wasn’t so quick to drop her weapon. She almost looked ready to go ahead and fight it out right there. Do or die. In fact, the only reason she didn’t was because he was standing right next to her. Joka was careless with her own life, but not someone elses’. She dropped her gun, which was the cue for those aliens to seize them up quick. They found themselves escort out of their ship and in to the large vessel. It was big enough to swallow -many- ships. In fact, there was a couple derelict ones already scavaneged, lying in scraps in the main bay. Soon they turned down a hall and was shoved in to a small holding room. There was nothing in it, not even a chair to sit in or chains on the walls. It didn’t smell or look used, so it must have been a temporary holding room.
(1:18:25 AM) Ocha: (resend)
(1:18:35 AM) Diana: Joka wasn’t so quick to drop her weapon. She almost looked ready to go ahead and fight it out right there. Do or die. In fact, the only reason she didn’t was because he was standing right next to her. Joka was careless with her own life, but not someone elses’. She dropped her gun, which was the cue for those aliens to seize them up quick. They found themselves escort out of their ship and in to the large vessel. It was big enough to swallow -many- ships. In fact, there was a couple derelict ones already scavaneged, lying in scraps in the main bay. Soon they turned down a hall and was shoved in to a small holding room. There was nothing in it, not even a chair to sit in or chains on the walls. It didn’t smell or look used, so it must have been a temporary holding room.
(1:19:26 AM) Ocha: (rage!)
(1:20:46 AM) Diana: Joka wasn’t so quick to drop her weapon. She almost looked ready to go ahead and fight it out right there. Do or die. In fact, the only reason she didn’t was because he was standing right next to her. Joka was careless with her own life, but not someone elses’. She dropped her gun, which was the cue for those aliens to seize them up quick. They found themselves escort out of their ship and in to the large vessel.
(1:20:48 AM) Diana: It was big enough to swallow -many- ships. In fact, there was a couple derelict ones already scavaneged, lying in scraps in the main bay. Soon they turned down a hall and was shoved in to a small holding room. There was nothing in it, not even a chair to sit in or chains on the walls. It didn’t smell or look used, so it must have been a temporary holding room.
(1:23:11 AM) Ocha: “Wow did you see those ships!” Ferro had been momentarily distracted but one look at Joka brought him back to reality. “Um, so step one escape. Right?”
(1:26:52 AM) Diana: Joka had her hands on her head, having glanced around the small room with no immediately escape present. She’d never admit it, but small inescapable places like that really freaked her out. In fact, had she not needed to keep up appearances she would have been screaming her head off. “They’re gonna have to open that door again soon. Maybe we can rush them.”
(1:29:28 AM) Ocha: “Why don’t we just open the door ourselves?” Ferro put a hand into one of his inner pockets of his vest and pulled out a small tool. “Listen at the door in case someone is walking by.” He walked to a small monitor by the door and yanked it out and looked at the wiring behind it.
(1:37:23 AM) Diana: “Seriously?” Joka watched him in curiosity. Instead of grabbing a decent weapon, he had his vest… which apparently had his tools hidden away in it. Now that she considered it, what better weapon for when shit got really bad, than a tool kit to help you get out of tiny little spaces? Joka moved to the door, laying her ear against it to listen. So far, no footsteps or sounds outside the natural echoes of the ship.
(1:41:14 AM) Ocha: “There,” and a moment later the door slid quietly open. “We need to get to a control panel or something to get a delayed opening of that huge hatch. Unless you want to attempt to remotely hack their system?” Ferro was already looking around and sneaking out. He really wined they had something invade they encountered more gun toting aliens.
(1:51:17 AM) Diana: “Hacking a live system isn’t on my skill list.” The hall was empty so far, but Joka knew it was only a matter of time before they came across someone. She pointed down the corridor towards the way they came in at and started walking. She really wished she had a gun on her…!
(1:55:10 AM) Ocha: “Alright then back to my first suggestion, we’re going to have to have a timed opening. I just wish I knew a way to keep them from fo-” Ferro wish he could say he was super observent, but he’d just lucked out looking to his left when the door started to open. He hit the panel to the door they were walking by and pretty much tackle rolled Joka into the room before whoever it we came into the hall, and hit the closing panel while the door was still half opened.
(2:08:52 AM) Ocha: (did I lose you?)
(2:10:09 AM) Diana: That was the moment Joka would have loved to crack a joke about his arms being around her. They were actually quite nice and she could feel that muscle definition few men seemed to have. Instead she had to keep her mouth shut, waiting for those footsteps to pass them down the hall and hoping they hadn’t been spotted. …he smelled a little bit like spice and grease. That was a nice mix.
(2:10:15 AM) Diana: (just a lil tired and slow!)
(2:16:33 AM) Ocha: After several long moments he whispered in her ear. “I think they’re gone.” Wether it was a protective act or he was really that absent minded, Ferro had one of his hands slightly on Joka’s waist as he peered out. They’re were safe for a bit longer. “I really need to hurry off this ship before we’re caught.”
(2:21:07 AM) Diana: Joka was grinning like a fool, then. The wisecracks she could make were numerous, and it quickly erased any unease she had been feeling about the situation. It was high time they got out of that business so she could give him a hard time. With no one in the hallway, Joka took the lead with gusto. “There’s usually a hatch panel somewhere in the back of the bay, I didn’t have a chance to see if it was on the floor or up higher.” She paused when they reached the bay doors. Unfortunetely the place wasn’t empty. There were a couple of the aliens out there getting ready to scrap their ship apart. “…gotta do something about them to.” she whispered to Ferro.
(2:25:19 AM) Ocha: Ferro looked out and frowned. They needed to take out the two mechanics, now, without any weapons. Fortunately the dismantling of the other ships left plenty of tools at their disposable. “Think you can get over there without being scene?” He only had half a plan, but it was something at least.
(2:29:18 AM) Diana: “Try not to die.” she replied. Joka waited until the aliens out there weren’t looking in their direction. Then she took off running for the back of the bay. It was lucky that there were so many scrap piles and crates laying around. It gave her plenty of cover to hide behind. Once she was near enough to the back she could see the hatch’s controls. It was in another room, shielding by a big glass wall with a single door. Taking a glance to see how Ferror was doing, she finally darted off for the door.
(2:34:47 AM) Ocha: This was perhaps the stupidest thing he had ever done. On the other hand he didn’t see many options. The flame retardant canister didn’t have a long range, and it was heavy, but the resulting foam was going to make walking, talking or anything else impossible. It would have been nice if he could have approached them without being scene, but instead he had to draw them to him. “You guys work too slow!” He called out. They surprise wasn’t easy to read on the alien faces, but their pause and chasing after him at least proved they were only half competent to dealing with ingenuity, so he knew they were really surprised when he pointed the hose at them. “Thanks!” and he shot the foam at the both of them.
(2:40:52 AM) Diana: Joka slid in to the glassed room and near ran in to the hatch panel. She laughed out loud, almost too loud when seeing Ferro’s plan across the bay. The aliens getting so covered in hardening foam that they could only tumble over stuck by their own weight. She focused on her own task, though. The alien panel was in a language she couldn’t understand, but luckily most technology tended to work in similar ways. She keyed in a decent delay. Something to give them enough enough to get her ship started and moving and ready to go the moment there was enough space. Then she was dashing out to meet Ferror with only a lingering glance at the fallen aliens. “They aren’t ever going to live that down!”
(2:41:56 AM) Ocha: (oh come on you piece of crap! *sigh* resend)
(2:42:57 AM) Diana: Joka slid in to the glassed room and near ran in to the hatch panel. She laughed out loud, almost too loud when seeing Ferro’s plan across the bay. The aliens getting so covered in hardening foam that they could only tumble over stuck by their own weight. She focused on her own task, though. The alien panel was in a language she couldn’t understand, but luckily most technology tended to work in similar ways. She keyed in a decent delay. Something to give them enough enough to get her ship started and moving and ready to go the moment there was enough space. Then she was dashing out to meet Ferror with only a lingering glance at the fallen aliens. “They aren’t ever going to live that down!”
(2:46:06 AM) Ocha: “I highly doubt it,” Ferro agreed with a grin as they ran up to the ship and got in. “I’ll secure the entrance and make sure it’s pressurized.” The last thing they needed was to get out into space with a leak. He would think about how lucky they were later.
(2:47:51 AM) Diana: Luck, they definitely had luck on their side today! But Joka wasn’t going to count their blessings until they were good and gone. She just prayed the ship had enough oomph in it to blast away from the Swallower before they realized their latest catch was gone and tried to give chase. She dropped in to the captain’s chair and fired up her engines. The hatch was going to open in less than a minute!
(2:50:46 AM) Ocha: Door was closed and secured. Ferro wanted to actually see themselves back in open space and made his way up front in time to see the hatch start to open from the view screen. He was surprised to find himself holding his breath.
(3:02:16 AM) Diana: Joka, waited, waited… then had the ship moving so fast, so instantly that it nearly sent Ferror stumbling backwards and Joka slamming against her own seat. She also jumped the gun a bit and scraped the hull of the ship as they squeezed their way out. “MY BAD!” She exclaimed, twisting the ship to make a sharp turn around the Swallower. Then she was punching the hyper drive!
(3:05:05 AM) Ocha: And there were stars and they were beautiful. Ferro allowed himself to stay against the wall that was holding him up until the hyperdrive was activated, then with a sigh of relief he stood upon his own two feet once more. “Let’s not have that happen again, shall we?”
(3:13:23 AM) Diana: “Agreed.” she chimed in. Man, that was too close. There was no way they could repeat that and only escape with scratches on the hull. Joka reset the coordinates real quick. Then she slid out of her chair with her hands on her head again. “…so I’m going to drink and pretend like all that shit didn’t just happen! I like gambling, but not like that…”
(3:15:25 AM) Ocha: Ferro had been ready to head back to his repair tasks, anything to keep himself busy and not thinking. However, “You wouldn’t want some company would you?”
(11:47:37 PM) Diana: There was a very large bottle of booze sitting on the table before her and a couple of shot glasses. She had six red dice that she scooped in to a little cup and shook up. Then it was slamming it down on the table. But she hadn’t taken a peek yet. “Alright then! Taking bets. Gimmie your bet and your numbers! I’ll take cash only, valuable items and clothes.”
(11:50:35 PM) Ocha: Ferro really hadn’t been ready for her wanting to start off with gambling. “I feel I’m at a slight disadvantage. This IS a friendly game, right?” It wasn’t like he had a lot on him worth a lot.
(11:54:29 PM) Diana: “I am not going to take everything you own and leave you walking around naked on my ship. …Though the idea IS pretty appealing.” Joka cast him a wicked grin. Allowing him to decide how he was going to bet, if anything, she pulled the cork on her bottle and pour the contents in to the two shit glasses. “Drink up, get your courage. No game was ever won by being chicken.”
(11:56:46 PM) Ocha: Taking one of the shot glasses Ferro gave her a small salute with the same hand before downing the shot. “Not bad, fine, let’s see what I’ve got.” Ferro dug around in his pockets for a bit, then pulled out a small spindle of metal wires.
(11:58:09 PM) Diana: Joka down her own shot. Pausing to fill the glasses up a second time. She raised an eyebrow at the spindle of metal wires. Tapping her fingers on the table. “..Okay, I’ll bite. What’s that stuff and why is it going to be valuable to me when I win it?”
(12:00:36 AM) Ocha: “Ah, it’s a bit dusty isn’t it.” Instead of just telling her he pulled out a thumbs length and polished it of. It caught the light and it glittered gold. “I sorta like it myself.” His eyes were slightly crinkled in a hidden smile.
(12:13:09 AM) Diana: “Shiny, then!” So, Joka was still not one hundred percent about the whole gold metal thread thing. But she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. His eyes looked mighty fine with that expression of his. Joka leaned forward on the table. “Okay then, place your bet. I’m betting there’s at least three 4s and wagering whatever change I can dig out of my pocket.”
(12:28:52 AM) Ocha: Ferro leaned back thoughtfully. “I’ll say, hmmm two pair. Duces and,” he strummed his fingers on the table for a moment. “And fives.”
(12:29:09 AM) Ocha: (shit forgot to press send!)
(12:29:17 AM) Diana: (That explains it!)
(12:30:43 AM) Diana: “All bets in! Shot for for luck.” Joka drank her second shot and slammed the glass down. She finally pulled the cup off the dice and took a look. Hers sure wasn’t right but his… “Huh. Lucky, lucky…”
(12:34:03 AM) Ocha: Ferro looked over at his shot. There were indeed two pairs, and one of them were twos, and there was even a five. The other pair was sixes though. “I get to keep my gold wiring, good. How much change did I pick up?” Figuring he might as well relax, Ferro put his vest on the back of his chair.
(12:40:19 AM) Diana: “Right, right.” Joka stood, digging in to her pockets. The things she pulled out were quite random. Screws, coins, paper, a crayon, what looked like a dead toy mouse, and some various other adds and ends. She had quite a few pockets. “Looks like you get…hmm… 65 orens!”
(12:43:36 AM) Ocha: “If I remember the conversation right… You’re putting down your bet first next time.” Ferro left the toy mouse but took the change. “Nother shot if you please?” He grabbed the dice and put them in the cup and started to rattle.
(12:53:50 AM) Diana: Joka poured a couple more shots and set the bottle aside. She dropped back in to her seat, resting her elbows on the table as she grinned wide at him. “Yeeeep. Three sixes, two fours, and one one.”
(12:55:31 AM) Ocha: He slammed the cup down hiding the dice. “Sound pretty confident about that. What are you willing to bet?” He took ahold of his shot but waited for her answer.
(1:14:44 AM) Diana: “uum, hmm.” Joka had to think about it. She sifted around in the contents of her now empty pockets lying on the table. Nothing of worth was standing out. “How about I just give you the shirt off my back”
(1:19:01 AM) Ocha: Ferro smirked. “Fine, I’ll match you mine. And I’ll say no matches.” There were worse things then losing his shirt, and if he won, well there were worse things. “Salute!” He took his shot and pulled the cup off the dice.
(1:30:43 AM) Diana: Down the shot went, and Joka was leaning forward expecting something a lot better than… well… losing her shirt! And she was -really- hoping to get her hand on him. …his. His shirt. “Bah! I’m starting to wonder if you’re cheating…”
(1:33:37 AM) Ocha: “It’s two roles and you did the first one,” he reminded her as he held out his hand. “Or would you like to go double or nothing?”
(1:53:06 AM) Ocha: (I kill you?)
(1:53:28 AM) Diana: (almost dead!)
(2:04:21 AM) Diana: Joka pulled off her shirt, tossing it at his head instead of dropping it in to his hand. This was where her addiction to risks must have really been kicking in, because she rubbed her hands together as she gathered the dice and pushed them in to the cup. “You’ve got it! Double or nothing. And it’s your call, mister stranger.”
(2:13:42 AM) Ocha: Ferro poured a shot for both of them. “Stranger? I’m hurt Joka.” He then held up his shot glass. “I do hope you at least have a spare set of cloths. After all, we want to keep this friendly.” Ferro was really enjoying the view however. “Triple threes, and a pair of sixes.” he grinned at her, the type of grin that said he already won, not in arrogance, but because he was enjoying himself.