Forums » Sci-Fi Roleplay » Travellers (Semi-Open RP between Tara and Catrin)

The AI seemed amused by her response, "Well, if not telling you about them stops you fom poking your nose in... I suppose the alteration do include such a restriction."

When she made it into the cockpit, Tara was sat in a rather comfy-looking seat at one of the consoles at the front, she didn't notice Catrin come in as she was examining a data read-out intently, "Hm..."

The AI din't bother forming another hologram, and instead simply spoke without one, "Mistress, the course you plotted will add an extra hour onto the trip back to the Jumpgate."

"It'll takes us three days already." She said, "An hour won't hurt, besides the gas giant in this system is simply beautiful, and I want to have one last look at it before we go."

"I could program a view of the gas giant into your window in your room, mistress." The AI offered.

"It's not the same as the real thing though is it? No! I'm afraid my mind's made up." Tara said.

The AI gave an exasperated sigh, "As you say mistress."

Catrin gave out a short laugh. “Ha. Not at all, I'll just find out about them from less trustworthy sources later on, or walk into unknown dangers by mistake. So feel free to uninclude the restriction if you want to have any idea about what sort of dangerous things I might do.”


When Catrin walked into the cockpit, Tara didn't notice her, so she looked around. It looked kinda high-tech – obviously – but she couldn't make out what all the things she was looking at were supposed to be doing, so she turned back to Tara when the AI was done speaking, and cleared her throat. “Hi. Thanks again for inviting me to stay here – I had a wonderful rest. Did you want me to come?”

Tara looked up, a genuinely pleased smile on her face, "Oh yes! Of course! Not only are you fascinating; all those worlds you must have seen! But you seem like good company. I don't get lonely, but sometimes... well, it's nice to have a new person to talk to, someone I'm not studying full-time or hiding what I am from."

"Thinking over what you said to me earlier, Miss Catrin... I believe I will reverse the restrictions I placed upon myself. I have no wish for you to go galavanting across the galaxy without foreknowledge of the dangers." The AI said, "Mistress would never forgive me if my inaction got you hurt."

Tara smiled again, "I'd be mad, but I'd forgive you... eventually. You might be incredibly intelligent, but I do realise you aren't omniscient."

"All the same, mistress, I think I'll play it safe and lift my self-imposed restrictions." TheAI said.

Tara nodded and then gestured to a seat next to her, "Here! Sit with me! I'm about to take off."

"Technically, I am. I'm the one actually piloting the ship after all." The AI said.

"I'm pushing the pretty buttons!" Tara said, "That helps, right?" Her eyes widened into such a child-like expression of innocence that you could almost miss her trying not to laugh.

"Quite." The AI said, "Very helpful indeed."

Catrin smiled at Tara. “Why, thank you. And yes, now that you mention it – you probably spend a lot of time pretending you're someone else, right? How do you manage?”

She turned away from Tara when the AI spoke, and smiled. “Thank you.”

She sat down next to Tara when invited to, and chuckled when Tara said 'pretty buttons,' then she laughed outright at the AI's response. “I think we're all about to 'take off' – the word does refer to the movement up from the surface, right? No mention of who will be doing all the work. And thank you for waiting for me with the take-off, I'd love to see what it looks like,” she said with a smile in her voice.

Tara nodded with a smile, "It's nothing too dramatic, but I thought you'd like to see all he same. As for how I managed... well, I've been doing this for almost a thousand years, and you get used to it after awhile. It kind of gets hard to switch of 'anthropologist' mode when I go back home. I find myself slipping into masks sometimes, observing, cataloging, picking apart my own culture!" She shook her head, "Still, despite some of the problems it brings up now and then, I wouldn't trade my job for all the worlds. It's too much fun and far too interesting!"

Tara pressed a few more holographic symbols on the display in front of her, "Right, pre-launch procedures completed. Sensors show no one in the area. Activate the cloaking field."

"Cloaking field active." The AI said, "Activating grav-pulse thrusters."

There was a light shudder that ran through th ship and Tara smiled, "Good, activate the exterior monitor."

"Active." The AI said.

The blank metal in front of them shimmered into what looked like windows - the same illusion trick as their 'windows'. Thanks to the illusory windows, it was easy to see as the ship slowly rose out of he clearing. The ship ascended for a few seconds until the treetops vanished and all they could see was a large sea of green below them, a faint brown ribbon running through it, denoting the path, and a few curls of smoke from near the forests' edge - one of the native villages.

"We're clear." The AI said, "Aligning the ship, activating in-atmo thrusters." The view tilted so that all that could bee seen was blue sky, then there was another shudder as the ship as propelled upwards, then the AI spoke again, "Activating heat shield, exiting atmosphere." The view in front of them changed, the blue was tinged yellow, then a burnt orange and then red, then it suddenly faded to a deep purple and then black inter-spaced by little pinpricks of light, "We are beyond the majority of the atmosphere, accelerating."

There was a third shudder and then the ship tilted again slightly, the silver disc of the world's moon appeared at the edge of the screen, it started to grow larger as they watched as the ship sped away from the planet.

Catrin tilted her head and thought for a moment. “Well, considering cultures are made up of rather arbitrary rules, I can see how it would be difficult not to start taking apart one's own when one learns to see through all that. It sounds like a lot of fun,” she said, smiling.

After the exterior monitor was activated, Catrin leaned forward, watching all the stages of their take-off with quiet fascination. By the time they were leaving the atmosphere, she looked truly happy.

Tara shrugged, "Yes, but then, I've never tried to tease apart a culture so old and complex as mine. It might be interesting, but it would take far too much time."

The AI spoke again, "We've left the last part of the atmosphere. I'll swing us by the moon and use it to slingshot the ship into the outersystem."

"Good." Tara said, "And we get to see the gas giant again?"

"Yes mistress." The AI said in a resigned tone, "We get to see the gas giant again."

Tara clapped her hand, or paws, eagerly, "How long will it take?"

"Two hours to reach the gas giant and half an hour to reach the edge of the stellar gravity well so we can activate the FTL drive." The AI said.

"And then on to the Jumpgate in the Alaeia System?" She asked.

"Yes. Once we reach the Alaeia System we can chart our route to our next destination." The AI informed her, "Which you still need to decide."

Tara nodded, "Hm... yes. I suppose once we get into Senate space you'll want to leave, right Catrin? You wanted to be inserted into galactic society so you could explore it on your own." The thought seemed to sadden her for a second, but then she smiled, "Well, if you do go, remember to look me up on Aerin sometime and tell me all about your adventures."

Catrin smiled when they started speaking about the gas giant and then she turned to face Tara when addressed, smiling. “I don't even know what the Senate space is yet. And yes, I wanted to gain an identity, money and so on, but I was counting on a long time trying to set myself up, and it's not like I'm on a schedule. So if you think you'll have fun having me around, I could stay here and study the customs of whatever cultures I'll get interested in and otherwise prepare myself. After all, I don't even know what sort of currency is used in the galaxy, what is valuable and what is not. And don't tell me you can be found on Aerin sometimes!” She chuckled. “I bet I'd have to spend years waiting for you to come back if I ever tried visiting.”

Tara giggled, "Well, okay, maybe if you set up an appointment in advance?" She shrugged, "I'm a busy girl!"

"Oh yes, with a roaring social life as well." The AI said sarcastically.

Tara shot a dirty look at the nearest wall, since the AI hadn't activated his hologram, "Well, I have a lot of work to do." She shook her head, "Anyway, Senate space is the region of the galaxy affiliated with the Galactic Senate. It encompasses most of this galactic arm at this point, but not all species or nations in Senate space are actually part of the Senate. My people, for instance, were around long before the Senate was formed and we never bothered joining up. Still, we're considered a Senate Race purely because we live in this region and we conform to most of what the Senate says."

"Yes, the Senate is a governing body made up of representatives of all aligned nations, they created a single galactic currency to unify the economy of the various nations, which we call Sens or Credits. Most species have their own forms of currency, but Credits are accepted payment throughout Senate Space." The AI said, "So it would be most useful for you to set up your financial resources with Credits. The Senate also created numerous Trade Languages to ease trade and diplomacy, these were artificial languages designed for specific forms of communication, one language is easiest spoken by mammals like Tara or yourself, others are easier for insectoid or aquatic creatures, etc." The AI paused, "Though I am unsure if that will pose a problem to your apparent ability to understand most languages and scripts."

Catrin smiled. “That would probably be best. I suppose a sort of a communication system exists for reaching people regardless of where they are?” She chuckled at the AI's sarcasm, then nodded when Tara explained about the Senate space, and then throughout the AI's explanation as well, seeming slightly guilty when he mentioned her ability to understand languages and scripts. “Well, all of them, really. Including written languages whose speakers have all died out. Although I certainly don't like boasting about that, for obvious reasons.”

She thought for a moment about the currency and nodded. “Yes, Credits do sound best. How does one go about acquiring them?”

Tara's eyes brightened, "Even dead languages? Oh! If only you'd come to my people twenty thousand years ago! Such an ability would have made you a hero for all times!"

"Quite." The AI said, "Given that it would allow you to read Ancient Terelain, you could have translated the surviving Archive crystals of the Ancients to them in those days. It would have shaved off five thousand years of strife and struggle for the Terelains of the Second Kingdom seeking to rediscover their heritage."

"But as for credits, the best way to get them is n honest day's work." Tara said.

"If that doesn't appeal, you could always try doing Tara's job." The computer said.

"Hey!" Tara exclaimed indignantly, "I studied for a hundred years to be able to do this!"

The AI ignored her and said, "In any case, your surmise would becorrect, Miss Catrin. Multiple methods of communication exist, from the SenNet, a network of interlinked information networks that stretches across Senate Space, to direct Tachyon Emission Burst Communications, TEBCs for short. Itallows you to send videos between starsystems near-instantaneously. Though such technologies are not so wide-spread. For instance, TEBC communication is common in the Star Kingdom, but limited to government or military ue in many other nations due to the cost involved."

Catrin laughed. “Why, yes, that's exactly the reason why I don't boast that ability. It's highly improbable that I'd ever want to do anything like that, and that would make me the instant... well, opposite of hero, in this case, for not obliging.” She smiled, rather wryly. “But imagine the consequences of actually doing that. Other species having less time to develop and less space to expand in comparison to the Terelains, completely different course of history; what if the cultural changes necessary for the successful use of magic took thousands of years to develop? What if it was the effort put into solving the mystery that produced the wisdom to use the powers with care?” She raised her eyebrows and looked at Tara, hoping that she, a xenoanthropologist, would understand.


She chuckled at Tara's answer to how to get credits, and nodded when the AI explained communication systems. Then she gave Tara a smile. “Let's say I'm not a big fan of doing honest day's work – takes too much time to accumulate any notable amount of wealth.” She paused for a moment. “Plus I am wealthy elsewhere. What sort of objects are valuable? Or metals? Are there any valuable elements? Is it possible to sell those things without restriction, if they exist?”

Tara nodded, a sad smile on her face, "Yes, I understand your reasoning. But then, history may have been better. With some of our magitechnology restored, perhaps my ancestors would have been able to drive off the Gillorians during the First Great War, perhaps they would not have been enslaved for three centuries and suffered so greatly, leaving scars that remain with us even today, so many thousands of years later. Terelains have long memories, Catrin, and that made us cautious - too cautious - when it came to magitechnology. It almost cost us everything. Some of my people, some of the oldest Revered Elders, were living during that time... they never forgot, and so neither did the rest of us... and perhaps it would not have led to such resentment of the Gillorians in later years, to their exclusion from power, perhaps their hatred and resentment would not have grown so vast and the Second Great War would not have begun and devastated so much."

"As for valuable materials." The AI interjected, "There are many. Gold never really went out of fashion, neither did most gemstones, though the mining of many carbon planets pretty much devalued diamonds. I can compile a list of materials and elements that are valued on the open market, though I would suggest selling them in small amounts to prevent suspicion, or destroying the galactic economy."

Catrin tilted her head. “Yes, but what of the Gillorians? I don't really take sides, you know. It could be seen as bad, preventing their attack – at least from their point of view. Also, if I was inclined to play God, why stop at helping people, hmm? Why not take all the power? Also, suffering isn't so bad, you know,” she smiled wryly again. “People learn a lot from it.” She shrugged. “Also, where do the 'good' deeds end?” she said 'good' with noticeable irony. “Either way, it could actually throw your whole universe off balance, it could start affecting the other ones, too, and trust me, the consequences would not be nice. Much worse than spending a mere several hundreds years enslaved, in fact, and you can trust me there,” she finished in a rather chilling tone, then she cleared her throat and gave Tara a mirthless smile.

She paused to listen to the AI's explanation, then she gave the nearest wall a polite smile and nodded. “That would be very kind of you. I do have some gold with me, palladium, things like that, as well as gemstones. And of course – I'm rather used to setting myself up like that. Wouldn't want to create suspicious ripples,” she said with a smirk.

Then she turned to Tara. “I have a basically unlimited supply, so I can either pay you for your help, or, if your culture finds that unacceptable, perhaps you'd like some improvements to your ship, for instance, as a gift? After I manage to convert some of it to Credits.”

Tara's sad smile grew sadder, "Perhaps you are right, but tell that to the children they slaughtered, tell that to those who lost loved ones, entire families in that time... the near-extinction of your species tends to bias your view of such things... and as for the Gillorians... well... they always thirsted for more land, more power, and in the end it destroyed them. The Second Great War lasted for seven centuries and it was terrible. They refused to surrender, refused to stop fighting, refused peace. In the end... they were destroyed, utterly. The Gillorians are little more than a memory now, a bad one, filled with anger and pain and grief and guilt. I tell you this so that if yu ever visit Aerin, that you never mention them to any of my kind. There is too much pain invoked by that name now... too much shame."

"It is ancient history now, Catrin, to most Races, but to the Terelains a thousand years means little. Old hatreds, old pains, old shames, linger still. The Burning of Gilau and the Genocide of the Gillorians that resulted is a memory of both shame and pain, shame for destroying another Race, and pain for the suffering that same Race caused to the Terelains over the Ages. It is a fact that more Terelains perished by Gillorian hands than by the hands of every other species combined." The AI trailed off, "But such things are too grim to be spoken of for long."

"Indeed." Tara said in a quiet voice, "In any case, your company is all the recompense I need, Catrin. I have no wish to impose myself upon you in such a way, and in any event I'm not certain what improvements could be made to my ship."

"How about fixing that damned heating unit in the shower?" The AI said rather tetchily.

Catrin shook her head, slightly sad and slightly annoyed. “No offence meant, Tara, and I do realize your nation has suffered greatly... but such meddling always does more harm than good.” She shrugged. “The debate is purely academic, anyway. I'm sorry your initial excitement lead to such an unpleasant topic. On the other hand, you can console yourself with the knowledge that I won't be using any... eh, superpowers, to make major alterations to the universe.”

She smiled when the AI mentioned the heating unit. “Your shower is a lovely place. Improving it would be a worthwhile deed,” she told Tara, smiling, but still a little wryly, her mind on certain unpleasant memories.

Tara nodded, "Yes... I suppose I can count my blessings on that at least."

The AI spoke again, "Well I for one am very happy she's not interfering. I have enough problems looking after you, mistress, without babysitting a universe-hopping thirty-something thousand year old. I have enough on my plate worrying about Tara without wondering if the universe might accidentally implode."

Tara shook her head, smiling slightly, "Yes, well.. improving the shower would be nice."

Catrin shot a nearby wall an entertained smile. “Well, at least someone appreciates it.” She smiled at Tara, too. “Thankfully, you can keep your babysitter. I sort of have my own. So I wouldn't actually be able to do that. I'm not as unfettered as I seem, although I certainly like to pretend otherwise. And,” she added, smiling more brightly, “the shower it is, then!”

Tara had an amused look, "You like the shower then? It was a custom job. Cost me three decades' worth of salary, but worthy ever Satari."

"Satari is the least valuable coin in the native Terelain currency." The AI said, "And I can attest to the fact that that shower cost enough money that it is damned annoying that the heating unit started to malfunction after only a century of use!"

Tara chuckled, "My people make things to last, but I think I've been using the shower a tad too much since I got it... playing with the settings is so much fun!"

"Hmph... Sometimes I wish it were true, that old stereotype about Terelains hating water." The AI said.

"Vicious rumours spread by jealous people." Tara said.

Catrin smiled some more. “Oh yes, I do like the shower. And I really can't see how much would be 'too much,' with a shower like that.” She winked at Tara.

She smiled at the AI's joke, and then she turned to Tara. “Actually, would you like to tell me more about yourself? All I know is that you're a xenoanthropologist who loves knowledge, showers and who doesn't want to lock herself up in a classroom. And you have no regard for personal safety,” she finished, with an entertained smirk.