3/18/99

Your ear receiver beeps, followed by Riley's voice, "Nick," Riley sounds understandably a bit zonked. "I am holding re-instatement papers with no date on them. Anytime you want them, they're yours. Although if you'd like a couple days off, those're yours too."

You communicated "*pause* From the sounds of it, now would be good. You sound beat, like you could use a hand or seven." to Riley.

Your ear receiver beeps, followed by Riley's voice, "Any time you like. It was just a long night is all. I have soda now, and a sandwich, and I am looking at how to set more failsafes into our system."

You communicated "Failsafes? Actually, I'm in Security, now, if you'd rather chat about this stuff without the radios. And I can sign things, if necessary." to Riley.

Your ear receiver beeps, followed by Riley's voice, "Feel free to come on in. Mind the paper balls on the floor. Failsafes, so one Chairman can't affect so much of Security, or one anybody."

You walk towards the Chief Addison's Office.

Chief Addison's Office

Contents:

Riley

Obvious exits:

Central

You walk here from the Security Central.

Riley is still wearing his dress uniform, although the collar and cuffs are unbuttoned and it looks exceedingly rumpled. He's at his desk, and as mentioned, paper balls are everywhere on the floor.

Niko scoops up a few of the paper balls along the way, lobbing them lightly into the bin for that purpose. Looks snazzy in the AFN uniform, doesn't he? "That sounds like a good plan--but couldn't it wait til you catch up on sleep? For that matter, there are other folks in Security with just as much interest in this; we can look into it as well."

"Can't sleep -quite- yet," Riley chuckles ruefully, looking in fact preternaturally awake, if snozzed. "See, as per Clara's suggestion, I got Jones to give me something to keep me up for that insane election. Wonderful idea then, I was getting incomprehensible. But now I have to wait for it to wear back -off-."

Niko perches lightly on the edge of one of those evil chairs. "Y'spoke with Clara again? Good, how's she doing? And, yeah, you do look pretty awake."

You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.

"Via the computer, yeah." Riley looks rather wistful a moment. "Bandwidth being at a premium out there, using audio's rare, and both sound and picture not even possible. She's okay, I think I confused her a bit, trying to tell the whole story in a brief break from the election. That was when I was really making no sense too."

Niko nods his understanding, a hint of sympathy crossing his face. "Ela suggested--well, she suggested a lot of things, she's got some great ideas. But the relevant one is about Clara--since Lexington's dead, could she maybe come back? He denied having anything to do with her transfer when we, uh, spoke, but I'd trust him about as far as I could throw him." He pauses. "Actually, a lot less than that."

"Especially considering there's not much of him left, he'd go a long way now." Okay, maybe that's uncalled for, but Riley's a little out of it. "I...I can see. Channels. I swear, if she'd just been Navy... All this over my head stuff by the Groundpounding Justice League or whatever they want to call themselves these days. Getting her back would be..." Long pause, as Riley looks a bit lost, "A goodness."

Niko doesn't say anything for a moment, and when he does, his voice is quiet. "Yeah. Yeah, it would. I'd think it'd have priority over failsafes--those can wait, or we can work on 'em, while you see about getting her back here where she belongs."

Riley shuffles papers off to one side, seemingly reluctant however. "She said... not..." He shakes his head, instead diving into typing on the terminal, typing at an insane rate. "Still failsafes would be good. I mean, last night, last night wasn't right."

Niko says lightly, "Clara's as much of a martyr as the rest of us, Riley. You know damn well she wants to come back here." He's quiet for a moment, the nods. "Last night wasn't right, failsafes are good, but you're not going to be able to get them done immediately. Maybe if you practise omnipotence a little harder..." Yes, that's a joke, even if it falls a bit flat.

Riley chokes back a snicker, although he does not look up from the terminal he's buried in. "Maybe I should get a book on how to be omnipotent. Omnipotence for Dummies, that kind of thing. With helpful tips and cheerful cartoons. That would help." He does pause from his clattering on the keyboard to haul a folder, crisp and shiny and with the AF seals on it, to offer to you. "Your paperwork."

Niko murmurs something about ideas for birthday gifts, then takes the folder with a nod and a decidedly relieved look. "Thank you. Have to admit, I was kind of at a loss as to what I was going to do."

"And we were at a loss at to what to do without you." Riley's tappity-tapping resumes. "Lexington wanted this place dismantled, and he almost had it. Too much chaos all at once. I still can't believe the election though, insane thing indeed. Hours and hours, as if they were -trying- to get another Interegnuum and be blameless for it."

Niko starts to page through the paperwork. "How late did it end up going?" he inquires, a bit vaguely as he's reading. "Ela woke me up at the end, but, well, I wasn't altogether there. Don't know much about this Burke guy, but he sounds pretty good--far sight better than Lexington, that's for sure."

Riley has to pause to consider this, "Half-past four? Then the swearing in was until nine or so, my knees will never forgive me for that twice in this short a period of time."

Niko looks up from his paperwork at that, with a small frown. "I know -somebody- has to be around for those things, but does it have to be -you-? Especially after the evil in the temple; you're running yourself ragged, here."

"In order for election procedures to commence, the base CO," Riley pauses, "That'd be me. Or the XO," There's another pause, "Which we don't have." He once again recommences, "Must kee watch over balloting procedures."

Niko turns back to his paperwork, rummaging until he finds whatever it was he wanted. "So get an XO--that was another of Ela's suggestions. That way you could spread out some of the work, and not end up wiped out."

Riley stifles a yawn and shakes his head. "I can't just yet, unless Pen wants the job, which admittedly would make elections pretty amusing. I've paperwork in the mill, but it requires a certain rank, and we've a lack of the higher grades, eh?"

Niko casts a look over his shoulder, presumably towards Security, where Pen is. "He'd do a good job, but probably wouldn't want it. Chasing a ball is so much more fun, after all." Looking back, he rubs lightly at the back of his neck. "Lack of higher grades... yeah. That does make it kind of problematic. Eventually we'll get someone there, though, right? Til then..." He frowns faintly, and shakes his head.

"Or rope somebody here into taking it," Riley agrees, stil tappity tap tapping away a mile a minute. "Til then let's avoid more elections. That would help."

Niko says cheerfully, finally closing that folder, "Rope is good, elections aren't, check." He pauses to listen to the typing, then adds, "I'll get out of your hair, now, make sure I'm on the schedule and all."

Riley glances up at that, looking a bit confused a moment, and then getting things to click. "Schedule, yeah. Good plan. Good to have you back, Nick."

Niko gets lightly to his feet, tucking the folder under one arm. "Good to be back. Don't forget to sleep when the drugs wear off, eh?" Lifting a hand, he heads back to Central.

You walk towards the Security Central.

Security Central

Contents:

Tally Board

Obvious exits:

Chief's Office Brig Elevator Lounge

You walk here from the Chief Addison's Office.

You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.

Kyara arrives from the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.

Kyara has arrived.

Niko is hard at work on something or other, a folder with a shiny AF logo on the desk next to him. He looks up briefly to murmur an absent greeting. He's not in the usual Security duds, either.

Kyara gives all a pleasant nod and a smile as she weaves toward her desk with a sheaf of folders in her arms. Niko gets a mildly curious look. "Well, don't you look spiffy today. Special occasion?"

Niko looks up once more with a faint grin. "Uh, rather. Got my job back, that's pretty special."

Kyara blinks as she sinks into her chair. "Got your...? Which job? When'd you lose a job?"

Niko nods absently, tapping a few keys on his keyboard. "This job, day after we got out of the temple. Lexington is--er, was--evil. But I'm back."

Kyara frowns slightly. "Almost glad I wasn't around when /that/ happened." She shakes her head with a faint smile. "Good to have you back. Speaking of Lexington," she gestures toward the tally board, "Ah, it occurs to me that perhaps that's not exactly an appropriate item anymore..."

Niko peers towards the tally in question, then nods. "Uh... yeah. Maybe. Maybe we can burn the card with Lexington's name on it or something." He offers a crooked grin, then turns back to the terminal.

Kyara's mouth quirks, but she's not about to admit the irony in that. Lifting from her seat, she reaches up on tiptoe to take the Riley-Lexington count cards down. "Do we know yet why the shuttle crashed?"

Niko shakes his head. "I don't, at least. I'm still working my way back to the loop, though."

Kyara mhmmms, ripping the cards in little tiny pieces before dropping them into the trash. Retaking her seat, she notes somberly, "Riley's not under suspicion for that, is he? I heard something rather disturbing last night."

Niko's brows lift as he looks back over. "What'd you hear? And he's not, not that I know of, no."

You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.

Kyara gestures vaguely downward. "You know Delegate Al-Saydun? Well, she said folks are saying Lexington's tragedy was to Riley's benefit. Now, you and I both know he didn't cause that crash, but to have folks talking like that..."

Niko shakes his head very slowly. "Lexington's tragedy was to everyone's benefit," he mutters. Lifting his voice, he adds, "Like Riley would even have the -time- to plot something like that."

Kyara shrugs her agreement with the mutter. "True enough, but what they're saying undermines the authority and trust placed in him." A short pause. "Lexington /is/ dead, right?"

Niko looks a bit puzzled. "Uh, the shuttle, Kya. You could maybe put what's left of him in an extra-small storage container. I don't think he -could- be alive."

Kyara shakes her head. "No, what I mean is, are we sure that was Lexington that died in the crash?"

Niko pauses a beat. "Well, Riley -said- it was." Trusting, isn't he?

Kyara cocks her head. "Did they do DNA tests?"

Niko taps at his terminal for a few moments, then nods. "DNA tests were done, came up as a positive match. Looks like that's that."

Kyara frowns, nodding slowly. "Yeah, I guess so... just seems too... too easy, I guess."

Niko glances over briefly from the terminal. "Easy... yeah, I guess, but he's -gone-. I'm not complaining."

Kyara nods quickly at that. "Oh, yes, I'm certainly not complaining. Just... uneasy."

Niko says vaguely, "Situation's too easy, you're uneasy... yeah. I guess I can see that. I guess I'm just taking things at face value. Maybe not the best thing to do, but hey."

Kyara glances over to peer at you. "You seem awfully easy-going about the whole thing," she observes. "Don't get me wrong- if the situation's as it seems, I'm very relieved. I'll end up doing penance for that remark, but it's true."

Niko's brows lift. "Penance? Have you gone over to one of those confession-penance-everything's okay religions?"

Kyara shakes her head. "No, it's not a religious thing, it's..." Okay, speech-formulating time. "When one of us has dishonorable thoughts, it's required to take some time out and... convince oneself that such thoughts were illogical in the first place. Essentially, you bring yourself over to the other side of the argument, at least enough to feel ashamed for having those thoughts in the first place."

Niko seems not to be listening, as he pauses a moment to type before responding. Apparently he was, though, for he says, "Us? And theological discussions aren't really my strong point, but... well, who decides what's dishonorable?"

Kyara gestures upwards. "Ultimately? The Emperor. But it's something we should know innately."

Niko inquires, still a bit absently, "Do only thoughts count, or do actions, too?"

Kyara chuckles. "Since the thoughts cause the action, that's a moot question." Somewhat more seriously, she notes, "Actual actions require far more serious consequences than self-reflection."

Niko mmhmms vaguely. "That makes sense, I guess. Actions speak louder than thoughts. Words. However that goes."

Kyara nods, shuffling papers. "Exactly. And actions... especially dishonorable ones... affect others whereas thoughts might not."

Niko looks over at that with a crooked little smile. "Y'know, I've noticed that." After a pause, he murmurs thoughtfully, "Wonder if Lexington subscribed to this particular belief system." Y'know, like it's a magazine. People come knocking on doors to sell subscriptions.

Kyara shrugs, scowling slightly. "He's /supposed/ to. I've wondered many a time whether he simply managed to pull the wool over the Emperor's eyes, or if he blackmailed him. Lexington should've been reamed long ago."

Niko says lightly, half a brain still on the terminal--leaving him a quarter of a brain for the conversation, "People don't always do what they're supposed to do. At least he's dead."

Kyara winces slightly. "Yes. Not the best solution, but an effective one."

Niko looks over and inquires, "Realistically, what solution would you have proposed?"

Kyara gestures in the direction of Stilvan. "Letting the Emperor know of Lexington's abuses of power in such a way that he couldn't ignore the infractions. He'd be forced to recall Lexington to face charges back on Stilvan."

Niko nods thoughtfully. "If that would've been possible, sure, it would've worked. Personally, I don't mind the situation as it is." With a faint grin, he turns back to the terminal.

Kyara smiles wanly. "To each their own," she responds lightly.

Niko mmhmms quietly. "Well, of course."

Kyara yeahs, finally getting around to typing. After a few moments, she questions curiously, "How's /he/ doing today? And how come you got all dressed up just for getting your job back? And what job did you have the entire 24 hours you were gone?"

Niko gets up to rummage for a beverage. "If by he y'mean Riley, he's doing all right--working too hard, as always, but he'll crash later, if he's not asleep already. And I got 'all dressed up' because I was downstairs in the AF offices, and thought that civvies weren't quite appropriate--just didn't get time to change. As for what other job, I didn't have one." He offers a thin smile. "Wouldn't have had quarters, too, if I'd not been staying with Ela."

Kyara blinks a few times, looking up. "Could you grab me an orange can while you're in there? Um, you mean they threw you out?"

Niko snags an orange and pads over to offer it. "No, they didn't throw me out--good thing, too, otherwise I would've been even less thrilled. I was just detached from Security without being given another assignment."

Kyara takes the can with a murmur of thanks, popping it open. "Yeesh. No wonder you're so happy about Lexington's death."

Niko heads back to his seat. "I don't know that -happy- is the right word--I'm just not UNhappy. He was not a good person, I'm not going to mourn his death."

Kyara nods slightly, wondering softly as she bends to her work again, "I wonder if anybody will."

Niko considers that for a moment. "Somebody will. Parents or somebody, I don't know."

Kyara shakes her head slightly. "I was talking about people here."

Niko turns back to his monitor. "That I couldn't say. Maybe -somebody- will. Toadies, or... well, maybe he had friends."

Kyara yeahs quietly. "I think," she says hesitantly, "There should at least be a memorial service here."

Niko suggests, "Maybe that's for the new Chairman to decide?"

Kyara shrugs. "Maybe. Or maybe it's something Riley could suggest, maybe get people talking a little nicer about him?"

Niko murmurs something about hypocrisy, but shrugs agreeably enough. "If you'd like to suggest that to him..."

Kyara blanches. "Me? Oh, no, it's not my place to make suggestions to him."

Niko has another of those agreeable shrugs. "Maybe people would think that he was just trying to cover his--uh, himself, if he did something like that. I mean, it's not like the rivalry between them wasn't known to just about the entire Complex."

Kyara nods slowly. "Perhaps. I just hate to see /anybody/ go unmourned."

Niko offers, admittedly without a lot of sympathy, "Sorry. But Lexington wasn't a very good person. Nothing you can do will change that, or make folks be sorry he's gone."

You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.

Kyara nods, fidgeting somewhat. "I suppose you're correct," she says quietly.

Niko inquires, looking over briefly, "What, did you have ideas of something to do?"

Kyara shakes her head. "Aside from the memorial thing? Not really. I just... I mean, the war is over. Yeah, the winners write history, but they could be /gracious/ winners."

Niko offers a faint grin at that, though it's still somewhat absent. "Sometimes they are. Just not this time, I guess."

Kyara nods. "Yeah. Ah well, nothing I can do about it, I suppose." Shaking her head slightly, she bends over her keyboard again.

Niko shakes his head. "Not really," he agrees, before focusing more on his work. Type type. Pause. Paper shuffle. Type.

Kyara nods slightly. "You working over tonight to get caught up?"

Niko mmhmms vaguely. "Got some other stuff to look into, too, but yeah. I'm not here all -that- much longer, though."

Kyara nods absently. "Okay. Y'know, you should take Riley and go out and celebrate your triumphant return."

Niko glances up from his work. "I'd rather he got caught up on sleep. He was up all last night with the election and all. Time enough to celebrate later."

Kyara hmmms. "You've got a point there. Assuming he /is/ sleeping."

Niko offers a faint grin. "I hope he is. If he's not, he will be. Don't want to check, though, as that might wake him up, if he -is- sleeping."

Kyara nods slightly. "That's a pickle."

Niko nods as well, casting a thoughtful glance towards Riley's office. "He -said- he'd rest," he murmurs. "Or at least he implied it."

Kyara glances toward the office as well. "He probably will then. Probably."

Niko nods his agreement, with another quick glance towards that door. It's probably getting self-conscious. He murmurs something about Riley being an adult, turning back to his work. Again.

Kyara mumbles something about Riley being /too/ adult, and she too goes back to work.

Niko, catching fragments of the mumbling, inquires curiously, "Huh?"

Kyara glances up, and shakes her head. "Oh, he just takes too much upon himself, is all."

Niko nods firmly to that. "That he does. Last night, at least, he didn't have a choice, though."

You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.

Kyara yeahs. "At least he ate. I mean, he /knows/ he could order in food or something, but does he? Noooooo. We gotta make sure he eats."

Niko offers a quick grin. "And he's too adult?" he jests.

Kyara chuckles, shifting papers. "Well, yes, that's part of it, see. He gets so busy doing all that work he ignores stuff like eating."

Niko nods his agreement to that. "Needs an XO, Ela was right."

Kyara blinks a few times. "Yeah, I agree, but he said the circumstances won't allow it."

Niko looks a bit puzzled. "When did y'all talk about this?"

Kyara fingers flick in graceful gesture. "Last night, kinda late. I brought him something to eat."

Niko ahs quietly. "Looks like that idea's occuring to all kinds of folks. Too bad it can't happen. Yet."

Kyara yeahs, glancing toward Anya's desk. "Yet? You think the circumstances'll change?"

Niko mmhmms quietly. "Sure they will. Circumstances change all the time. Might take a while, though."

Kyara ohs, "I thought maybe you'd heard something."

Niko shakes his head. "Not about that, no. Sorry, wish I had."

Kyara nods slightly. "I don't quite understand why the regs are so stiff about the whole thing."

Niko looks up, expression a bit puzzled. "What, exactly, did he tell you?"

Kyara frowns slightly, trying to remember /exactly/ what he said. "He said Anya refused to take the job. Way he said it implied she was the only option available to him."

Niko ahs quietly. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense," he says thoughtfully. He sips at his beverage for a moment, then sets it aside, as he's not very good at typing while holding a drink. Imagine that.

Kyara shrugs apologetically. "My impression could have been wrong, however."

Niko nods agreeably. "Could've been. Could've been right." Helpful, isn't he? "In any event, there'll eventually be someone who can take the job who -will- take the job."

Kyara nods, then looks up, tilting her head curiously. "Would you?"

Niko considers for a moment. "Sure, I guess. He really does -need- the help and all."

Kyara nods approvingly. "Even though it'd involve all that paperwork and all?"

Niko grins rather crookedly. "Paperwork isn't that bad. After all, you're a lot less likely to get shot or have a massive temple collapse on you when you're doing paperwork."

Kyara chuckles. "Granted. That's what he's worried about, y'know. People don't wanna deal with the paperwork."

You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.

Niko nods at that, with a faint grin. "And it's not surprising that he's worried about that. Paperwork isn't exciting or thrilling or anything, but it does have to be done."

Kyara nods, sitting back to gaze at you thoughtfully, the tip of her pen tapping against her desktop.

Niko, gradually becoming aware of your gaze, looks over with a blink. "What?" (Rileeeeey, Kya's looking at me! Make her keep her eyes on -her- side of the room!)

Kyara smiles slightly, shaking her head, and leans forward again to put pen to paper and fingers to keyboard. "Nothing. Just considering the situation."

Niko's brows lift slowly. "Should I be afraid?"

Kyara laughs softly. "Of course not. I'd never do you wrong, Nick. Not on purpose, at any rate."

Niko nods agreeably, turning back to his work. "Course not, Kya. But I can still fear groundlessly and all. General paranoia, that sort of thing."

Kyara shakes her head, amused, as she too returns to what she's supposed to be doing. "Yep, definitely a SecOff."

Niko chuckles quietly. "Uh, thank you?"

Kyara snickers. "You're welcome? Honestly, paranoia's not out of line around here, as much as chaos rears its head unexpectedly."

Niko nods his agreement to that. "Oh, yeah. I didn't really know what the job was going to be like before I got here, but I don't know that I -ever- would've imagined some of the stuff that's happened."

Kyara nods fervently. "What was it like at your last posting?"

Niko glances over with a brief grin. "It was school," he says succinctly.

Kyara blinks. "You came here straight out of the Academy?"

Niko shakes his head. "I didn't go to the Academy," he says absently, puzzling over a form. "Evinast University."

Kyara frowns in slight confusion. "ROTC?"

Niko mmhmms quietly. "Thought it'd be an easy way to finance school." His grin is audible in his voice.

yara ahs, "That explains a lot."

Niko looks up from his monitor. "Really? What does it explain?" He sounds mildly interested.

Kyara smiles. "I remember the day I met you. Even then you seemed so /young/."

Someone mutters to themself, "Hello pot? Come in pot, this is kettle. You're black. Kettle out."

Niko blinks at that. "Uh, I'm older than you are, I think."

Kyara shakes her head, tapping a fingertip against her temple. "It's a mindset." She glances around for the peanut gallery kettle, snickering.

Niko inquires, with a faint smile that broadens briefly for the peanut gallery, "Age is a state of mind?"

Kyara nods firmly. "Exactly. When I came here, I was feeling old. Then youth kicked in. And now we're somewhere in the middle."

Niko's expression is a bit quizzical. "What, is there a button you can push or something?" Like Shan's coherency button on his shoulder, maybe?

Kyara laughs, shaking her head. "I wish! No, circumstances dictate, I'm afraid."

Niko whistles a fragment of a certain song sung by the guys at the Fruvous. "Guess I can see that, yeah. You change in response to your environment, that sort of thing."

Kyara nods, for the third time getting back to typing. "Exactly. I don't know if it's that I've changed or that you have that makes you seem a bit older than you used to."

Niko quips, "Well birthdays have happened and all. Maybe that was it."

Kyara glances up with a slight frown. "Birthdays... yes, I suppose so."

Niko adds vaguely, "Though the weird things around here could account for some of that, too." With a faint frown, he gets to his feet, rummaging for a form.

Kyara shrugs, nodding to that as well. "I imagine so. Maybe that's why Ri..." She cuts herself off with a shake of her head. "So has there been any news on getting Clara back?"

Niko inquires, returning to his seat, "Why Riley...? And I think he's working on that, yeah."

Kyara shakes her head to the inquiry. "Yes, I kind of figured. I'm trying to decide whether it'd be worth it at this point to write to her. She might be back before she got the letter."

Niko pauses a beat at the evasion, then shrugs, not pushing the issue. "That'd be really great, yeah, having her back here."

Kyara smiles slightly without looking up. "Really great? That's an understatement. It's just not the same around here without her."

Niko chuckles quietly. "Sorry, it's hard to wax enthusiastic when dealing with these figures. You're right, though, it's definitely not the same."

Kyara nods fervently. "We've just /got/ to get her back. Poor Riley..."

Niko points out, "There's not really anything either of us can do about it, though, much as I wish we could."

Kyara yeahs, looking disgusted about that truth. "That's the worst part."

Niko nods his agreement, fingers clattering briefly on the keyboard. "Very frustrating. But as long as she gets -back-, I guess it doesn't much matter how."

Kyara nods her agreement with that. "Y'know, I think I will go ahead and write her. Work off some of that frustration."

You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.

Niko nods agreeably. "I'm sure she'll be glad to hear from you."

Kyara chuckles. "Of course she will. Who wouldn't be?"

Niko blinks at that. "Well, a total stranger might find it a little weird," he suggests. "Like my mom. Especially as she doesn't speak Standard or Stilvani."

Kyara chuckles, looking rather pleased as she sets a stack of papers aside. "Well, now, if I took it into my head to write your mother, I'd have it translated to Hellanic, and it'd be all about you anyhow."

Niko pauses a beat. The ominous music has started. "You're not going to, uh, take it into your head to write to her, are you?"

Kyara glances up, her expression innocent. "I wasn't planning on it. But I /can/..."

Niko shakes his head quickly, then attempts to be casual. It doesn't matter. Really. Here, you can buy some desert-land in Appalachia. "Nah, that's okay, thanks."

Kyara giggles. "No worries, Nick. I've no intention to write to your mother. No reason to do so."

Niko passes a hand across his forehead in a show of relief that is a trifle overdone. "Good. That would kind of confuse her, I think."

Kyara hmmms. "That would depend on what I told her."

Niko shakes his head. "But you have no intention to write to my mother."

Kyara nods. "That's correct. But if I did, I'm sure I could tell her something that would seem perfectly logical."

Niko nods his agreement. "Yeah. Yeah, sure you could. Logical. It'd still be kind of weird, though, least I think so."

Kyara hmmms. "Oh, I dunno. Congratulating her on impending grandmotherhood wouldn't be all that wierd." Kya keeps her eyes fastened hard on her work, trying not to grin.

Kyara hmmms. "Oh, I dunno. Congratulating her on impending grandmotherhood wouldn't be all that wierd." Kya keeps her eyes fastened hard on her work, trying not to grin.

Kyara chuckles, half bowing from her seated position. "Yes, extremely evil. Which is why I wouldn't do it." She glances up curiously. "Why would she be furious? Doesn't she want grandchildren?"

Niko shakes his head. "She loves grandchildren. My sister's having another baby, and she's thrilled. But Ela and I aren't married, yet, see, and my family's got certain, uh, ideas of how things should be done."

Kyara's mouth goes round in surprise. "Well, we wouldn't want to thwart tradition. Speaking of which, when /are/ you and Ela getting married?"

Niko doesn't mind thwarting tradition, he just doesn't want the folks to find out about said thwarting. "Uh... whenever we set a date, I guess. Have to say, though, running off somewhere and eloping is getting tempting. Though that would mean some annoyed parents, too."

Kyara wags a finger. "Don't you dare! They wouldn't be the only ones annoyed. I think Riley's really really looking forward to the marriage."

Niko shakes his head. "I don't think we -really- would elope. It's just a nice thought--simpler, that sort of thing."

Kyara chuckles. "So make it a simple ceremony. Surely /that/ wouldn't be thwarting tradition... would it?"

Niko shakes his head. "'course not. But, see, it's complicated no matter how simple the ceremony is. Most of my family won't travel, but there are also people here that I know would like to see the wedding. If we elope, at least -everybody- will be slighted." His tone holds a hint of wry humor.

Kyara chuckles. "Well... okay, I really am not sure what to say to /that/. Film it and send 'em the holo?"

Niko shakes his head. "Holo's only in the school, and I don't know that they'd be able to get access." After a brief pause, he adds, "Mathraki is... low-tech, very much."

Kyara perks up. "Really? Sounds idyllic."

Niko shrugs agreeably. "Depends on your definition, but, yeah. It was a wonderful place to grow up. I just didn't really realize that til I left."

Kyara smiles. "Amazing what it takes to learn something like that, huh?"

Niko nods his agreement to that, pausing a beat. "Yeah. Well, now I appreciate going back all the more, when I get the chance."

Kyara glances up curiously at the pause, gazing at you for a moment before nodding. "Yeah. Well. Do you suppose you'll get to go back and visit soon?"

Niko shakes his head. "Probably not. The transit time is a little much unless I got one of those new FTL ships, and that's not likely."

Kyara frowns slightly. "That's a pain," she comments bluntly.

You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.

Niko nods his agreement, with a small smile. "Yeah. It is. Maybe I can swing it when the baby's born.." He shakes his head, then, kicking the wistfulness from his tone. "Well. If it happens, it happens."

Kyara yeahs softly, gaze on her keyboard. She's still typing, but it's slow going. "What about Ela? What's her family like?"

Niko's shoulders lift in a brief shrug. "Never met them. She's got two younger sisters, parents. Don't think she's as close to her extended family as I am, but that's okay, too."

Kyara blinks a few times behind her terminal. "Oh... I thought you two had practically grown up together."

Niko nods, with a quick smile. "Yeah, we did, but it was at school. I generally got antisocial on parents' days."

Kyara peeks out from behind the computer. "How come?"

Niko's shoulders lift in a very small shrug. "Didn't want to get snarly. My family generally didn't come, see."

Kyara frowns slightly. "Why not?"

Niko says lightly, "Took too long to travel by the methods available to them."

Kyara looks a bit confused, but feels the ice starting too thin. "That's too bad," she notes softly, typing again.

Niko mmhmms quietly. "That's what I thought, yeah." He rummages through some paperwork, then, apparently finding the form he wanted, starts to type once more.

[Pose deleted. Kya asked something about picking names.]

Niko blinks a few times. "Names?"

Kyara mhmmms. "For when you have babies."

Niko's typing stops. "Uh, that'd be -really- premature, seeing as how we're not even married yet."

Kyara chuckles. "Sorry. I didn't realize. Enthusiastic."

Niko shakes his head. "No worries, no need to apologize." The typing resumes. "Though Valentine said something about kids, too, in the temple of doom. Riley's already planning on getting loud toys."

Kyara's typing pauses for a full two seconds before resuming. "Nice of him. What'd she say?"

Aliana arrives from the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.

Aliana has arrived.

Aliana pads in, the expression very thoughtful on her face as she asks the SecOff on duty, "Is the Chief available?"

Niko considers for a moment. "Don't really remember. Something about having kids before it's too late, though I still think it's not really fair to have a kid you're not able to take care of properly." He glances over at Aliana's words, then shakes his head. "Sorry, he's not. Maybe I could help you?"

Kyara nods at Niko's response, her face impassive for a moment before she comes out of her reverie to offfer Ali a smile.

The kids comments elicits a raises eyebrow from Ali and a quick headshake before she considers Niko a moment, "That depends." She murmers softly.

Niko nods very slowly. "Okay," he says slowly. "Well, will you let me know when you've decided?" His tone is pleasant.

Kyara's gaze on Ali turns curious.

"That depends on what you know of an altar that was built by dragons?" Ali asks in a carefully measured tone. Her gaze is rather intent on the security officer.

Niko says slowly, "Well, I saw it and all. I think they should be opening up the temple soon, so you'll be able to see it for yourself, if you like."

Kyara listens in, apparently, from the way her eyes flick back to Ali occasionally, but she seems to be concentrating on her work.

Aliana arches an eyebrow, a bit of the colour draining from her face. 'Temple?' Bonded looks at a complete loss, "On Linnae?"

Niko nods an affirmative. "Below the Underground. That boom the other day? That was the temple." He pauses a beat, with a faint frown. "Actually, there were dragons inside right before it started to collapse. Do you know if anybody's contacted your guild about that? I'd be interested to know which dragons were there."

Kyara blinks at her paperwork a few times. She hadn't heard about the dragons.

Aliana shakes her head as she says very quietly, 'No...Noone has contacted the Guild.' A pause as if she were trying to think this through, 'At least that I know of.'

Niko nods thoughtfully. "I'll have to check on that, and talk to some folks if nobody has. Could be that somebody has, but neither of us know about it."

Kyara mumbles something about blueberries.

Aliana takes a deep breath as if to steady herself, fingers reaching to close around her necklace. "There was another reason I came to see the Chief." Her expression clearly illustrating her conflicting emotions.

Niko nods agreeably enough. "Can I help you with that other reason?" he inquires smoothly.

Aliana pauses for a moment before she looks almost wistfully at Riley's door, then her gaze focuses back on Niko and then to Kyara. For once all trace of mischief is gone from her features, her expression very sombre. "Islien trusts you" She comments softly.

Kyara looks up to blink, then nods slowly.

Niko nods as well, looking just a bit puzzled. "Thank you. I'm honored."

"Okay...First, how much do you know about the dragons of Linnae? Specifically the bonded and the unbonded ones?'

Kyara shakes her head. "Not very much..."

Niko makes a vague little gesture. "What she said, yeah."

You faintly hear a chime mark the hour.

Aliana considers for a moment, "Well, spending the entire evening on draconic history. I can put it briefly. They tend to keep their distance from each other. They neither understand each other nor do they wish to be a part of the other's cultures. Most of the time they are rather amaiable and may on occassion even hunt together. However...they do not trust each other."

Kyara glances toward Niko. "I wasn't even aware there /are/ unBonded dragons."

Aliana nods her head to Kyara, "They are native to Linnae...Humans came later."

Niko nods very slowly. "Um, okay, not that this isn't fascinating and all--" But he's been awake for seventeen hours on not quite enough sleep and thus is not quite as tactful as he could be. "--but why are you telling us this?"

Kyara nods, her face reflecting a bit of Niko's confusion.

Aliana looks skyward for a brief moment, muttering under her breath. "I told you they wouldn't listen" A wince as a hand moves to her temple then a slow nod. "Why am I telling you this? Well...Right before the complex sunk. A large number of /unbonded/ dragons came into the area of the complex."

Niko inquires, with just a hint of exasperation, "Wouldn't asking for clarification suggest that we -are- listening?" He snags his now-lukewarm soda, and drinks. "Okay... unbonded dragons. Well, the ones that were in the temple didn't have any people with them. Maybe they were unbonded."

Kyara tilts her head slightly. "How do you know? If they're the same ones who showed up in the temple... well, I can't see 'em announcing their presence."

Riley walks here from the Chief Addison's Office.

Riley has arrived.

Aliana mumbles a soft, 'Sorry.' before shaking her head, 'You couldn't tell an unbonded dragon just by looking at them, unless you has spent along time among them....But they were intent on something...and the rumours were far to bizarre to be believed.'

Niko looks up with a blink as Riley emerges, but he waits until Aliana has finished speaking. "What were the rumors?"

Kyara glances toward Riley with a brief smile of greeting before turning back to listen to Ali curiously.

You communicated "Hey, thought you were supposed to be asleep. Though talking with Aliana--I swear, it's like pulling teeth." to Riley.

Riley pads out of his office, still in dress togs, but looking like he got hit with a rumple factory. Despite his obvious state of alkerxonked tiredness, he looks wryly amused and has several thick sheets of plasfilm in one hand. Realizing a conference is going on, he drops into his normal chair across from Anya's desk like a sack of flour into a chair. Which is not a normal place for a sack of flour admittedly.

Not to mention how pissed off Anya will be if any of the white stuff gets on her desk.

Your ear receiver beeps, followed by Riley's voice, "I was for a bit. Then I decided the desk prints on my face were less than a fashion statement and figured I'd head upstairs. So I figured I'd finish up the daily stuff and head out."

You communicated "Ahh, sounds like a good thought." to Riley.

Aliana seems very much relieved as Riley appears, her gaze moving between the three. "Something obscure about a blight on draconic history" A long pause as if she is consulting with something, "And destroy...must destroy the thing of shame. But when Islien tried to get more information...then offered vague answers...and now nothing'

Niko purses his lips. "Well, the temple-crunching started right after the dragons were there. Would the dragons be able to do something like that, make the place collapse?"

Aliana pauses for a moment, then shrugs, 'I do not know...Maybe if I could see in side...but even then I would need to rely on Islien

Aliana pauses for a moment, then shrugs, 'I do not know...Maybe if I could see in side...but even then I would need to rely on Islien's knowledge"

Kyara mumbles, "If they did it, they had bad timing."

Riley supplies quietly from his cross-armed slump, "They're going to release small groups in tomorrow. Structural supports had to be replaced. They were gone." The plasfilm gets another wry look.

Niko starts to say something, then grins as Riley beats him to the punch. The plasfilm gets a curious look from him, and a quiet inquiry, "Something interesting, there?" Kyara gets a wry grin. "Thought it was kind of rude, m'self."

Aliana nods her head then turns to Riley, "When they start allowing people in, May I be allowed to go. I am, understandably, curious"

Riley offers Niko the sheet of plasfilm, "Uh, interesting's the word. Here, forewarned is forearmed." He nods to Aliana, "Fine with me, shouldn't be too hard to tuck you in. Specially not if there's hope at real information."

Kyara's attention is diverted as she lifts from her seat slightly to try and get a gander at the plasfilm.

Aliana just shakes her head in total and complete disbelief. "My family has been dragonbonded for over 800 years..stories, legends, tales passed down. But never once was there a mention of a temple."

Niko skims the plasfilm, then makes an odd noise somewhere between a choke and a laugh. He murmurs something in Hellenic, then shifts his gaze back to Riley. "This is a joke, right?"

"Well, we've got one." Riley replies amicably, stifling a yawn. "And I'd lay any odds you want it predates colonization on this planet." He shakes his head at Niko, "I triple checked. No joke."

Aliana glances curiously at the plasfilm, then between the two men.

Niko shakes his head very slowly, offering the plasfilm back to Riley. "Very small universe," he mutters, before adding, "Dad would have a duck if he knew. He's still angry with him--understandably."

Kyara exchanges a look with ALi, then gives Niko a smile. "Share the not-a-joke?"

Riley accepts the sheet of film, folding it into the pocket of his possibly wrinkled beyond hope jacket. "A lot older than 800 certainly..."

Niko shakes his head. "Blast from the past, that's all. Our--well, Terrence is coming here, apparently." He doesn't look especially thrilled by this, either. With a shake of his head, he adds, "It's getting on towards quitting time for me, I think--you, too, neh, Riley?" He offers Aliana a vaguely tired smile, adding, "Thanks for the information. It's appreciated."

Kyara looks vaguely confused. "Terrence?"

"I went illegal several hours back it's so far past quitting time," Riley agrees quietly. There's a pause, "We need to invent matter transmission." He nods, "Terrence Veruzac."

Aliana nods her head, her smile growing, 'We're flying home tonight...I want to talk to my father about this...Him and Sirgar at least. I'll let you know anything.'

Kyara does not look especially enlightened.

Niko nods to Riley's words, tacking on, "Our biological father." He murmurs something uncomplimentary in Hellenic, the nods to Aliana. "We'd appreciate anything else you might find out, yeah. This whole situation is... well, bizarre. But that's the Complex."

Aliana offers them a sweeping bow and a wave before slipping out

Aliana heads towards the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.

Aliana has left.

Kyara blinks, then brightens. "Family visiting? Well, that's wonderful news!"

Riley clambers to his feet, using the wall. "Never met him before. Night folks, sleep's good."

Kyara goes back to blinking.

Niko says quietly, as he stands as well, "He's not family, and it's not especially wonderful." Just to give Kya another reason to blink.

Kyara frowns for a moment,then comprehension dawns. "That's right... Riley's sha'vendi. Sorry, I'd forgotten." She offers a wave "Have a good evening, gentlemen."

Riley offers a vague wave, moving towards the door. He pauses by the desk, exchanging quiet words with Shan about getting called if certain envelopes show up.

Niko trails after Riley, calling a farewell over his shoulder. "Have a good evening, folks," he adds.

Riley heads towards the Second Floor Elevator Lounge.

Riley has left.


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