Log Date: 1/3/99 Log Cast: Neva, Tance Log Intro: It's been a restful interlude on board the _Alexi Styvesant_... but although Singer credits could let Neva and Tance stay on the luxury liner for a while longer, the reviving of their hibernating symbionts is more than enough signal to tell them that they should be getting back to Ballybran... at least, enough signal to Neva. Tance isn't at all sure he wants to leave, not when his mind and body have gotten a sorely needed rest, and his intellect has gotten a sorely needed boost... ---------- "Tance?" The bedroom door swings open, and Neva steps into the doorway. "We really ought to think about heading back to Ballybran. Passover's over, and all that... and I'm starting to miss crystal." Just a little, but this is the first time Neva's ever been like that at all. "How long'll it take you to get packed, you think?" The trip thus far, it would seem, has been fairly good for Tance Vokrim. Taken out into the luxury liner with his young companion to purchase new clothing, he's settled for fairly simple garb, favoring blue and white and black in his choice of colors, nothing at all extravagant, the clothes of a working man who expects a tight budget. He's willingly availed himself of the exercise facilities on the liner as well as the radiant tanks; indeed, the only times he's seemed to falter have been when the quite well-meaning staff have shown their eagerness to cater to the every whim of the distinguished Singer who has joined his younger colleague. Such overtures have only served to turn Tance gruff and non-communicative, and the one attempt at a discreet hint about the romantic view of the expanse of stars on the main observation deck has turned him such a dire shade of scarlet that there hasn't been a whisper of any suggestions like it since. All in all Tance has seemed most comfortable in the suite, devouring the large collection of books. Now, lacking only a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles to make him the very picture of a seasoned scholar or researcher, holding a big leatherbound volume of short stories in his hands, he turns round from the shelves to the sound of Neva's arrival. Her question seems to catch him a bit offguard. "Oh... leave," he blurts. _Well, makes sense we have to go home again sooner or later..." "Uh... not too long, girlie..." "Wish you'd call me Neva. I'm afraid that when we get back, you'll forget my name entirely." The younger singer steps into the main room, leaving the door to the bedroom open behind her--bed newly made, floor spotlessly clean. Apparently, Neva's done her packing already. "I'm sure you could get a copy back on Bally," she suggests, then, a little kinder at the notice of the book. "Of most of them, even. We're supposed to be able to get anything in the galaxy, after all." "Sorry," mutters Tance sheepishly. "I keep forgetting... Neva." He glances down at the book, and makes a face at her suggestion about getting his own copy as he claps it shut and slips it back to its appointed place on the shelves. Nodding, Neva moves further in... and takes a look out the port, at that supposedly romantic view. "They don't twinkle, out here," she observes. "I'll be glad to be back planetside, where stars look like they ought to. I wasn't meant to be a spacer." You can hear crystal resonance rushing between your ears. "Lemme get my stuff together," is Tance's gruff reply. He strides off away from the bookshelves, checking the carisak he'd acquired to carry what articles of clothing he's got with him; packing his possessions is fairly easy when he's been sleeping on the couch and hasn't distributed his belongings across more space than that. His initial reply about the appearance of stars is a grunt, but as he ducks into the bathroom to fetch his share of the belongings in there, he calls out, "Stars're stars, gi... Neva. What's the difference?" "Oh, I dunno. I think they're pretty. Although they were a lot prettier when I hadn't been up /in/ them yet." A little dismissive shrug, as Neva heads into her room, and lugs suitcase out.... then two shopping bags besides. Hey, so she didn't exactly pack light... or shop light... or... "People used to make pictures out of them. Constellations. Not much use when you see 'em from a different angle every day..." She trails off, with another shrug. Indeed, in the course of about five minutes, Tance's carisak is full and he's shrugged on the form-fitting blue jacket he's picked up to wear over his rumpled white shirts. He pauses, though, as he watches Neva lugging out the suitcases, and in the midst of this operation he offers, "You, uh, need any help with that...?" "I'm fine!" Indeed, Neva is, suitcase in one hand, shopping bags in the other. Then, as if just realizing how defensive she sounded, suggests: "It'd be helpful if you'd get the door, though." Tance's lined brow furrows more visibly at this, and although he does step towards the door, aiming for the controls and intending to set the door to remain open, he points out, "Don't they got... uh..." A hand waves at the air, unconsciously. "People to come carry this stuff?" "You were the one who started scowling when they offered to bring us /dinner/, and now you want a porter?" asks Neva, turning head a bit in an attempt to hide the bemused tug at her lips. "No, we'll be fine... sure you've got everything? Don't want to forget anything." "That was different," is Tance's brusque reply. The door set on open, he sweeps his brown gaze around the room, looking for anything that looks like it belongs to him. He glances uncertainly down at his own bag, and says after a moment, "Yeah, uh, I think I got it all..." "Okay, then." Neva takes one last look around, herself. "Will miss the place. I will." Then, she steps out the door, pausing in the hallway to wait for Tance. Neva steps out into the hallway. Neva has left. [And out through the passenger deck the two of them go...] You step out of the hallway, and into the alcove containing the front desk. Passenger Deck This room is one of the smaller ones in the passenger area, and for that reason it is kept quite simple. Housing only a desk set in an alcove, the only other use for space in this room is to allow other people to pass on by those waiting to register at the desk. The desk is a heavy looking thing, done in oak and walnut. Behind this desk a man sits, waiting silently for someone to approach him. On the desk in front of him is an old fashion registry, upon which is written the names of those that have requested rooms in the past. The room itself is done in hardwoods, with a wooden floor and thick wooden railings that circle the entire room save the alcove with the desk. Leaded glass lights hang overhead, casting a soft glow upon the contents of the room and bringing out the depth and the richness of the wood. With your enhanced senses not only can you see the grain of the wood, you can also make out the faint scents of beeswax and the odor of the wood itself. Contents: Neva Front Desk Obvious exits: Rooms Garden Main Vault Scutter steps through the doorway leading to the rooms for guests. Trundling with his single bag in the wake of Neva and her own little flotilla of luggage, Tance makes his way through the hallways with a set sort of look upon his lined visage. Perhaps he expects to be waylain by overeager cruiser personnel. "C'mon," says Neva, after she's checked out. "Gotta hurry if we want to get there on time." With that, she picks up her bags, and heads on again. Neva climbs up the stairs leading to the main vault of the ship. Neva has left. [Through the ship's main vault, through customs, onto the shuttle for Shankill Moonbase, and at last....] You step through the portal and onto the debarkation area on Shankill. Shuttle Area on Shankill A huge area filled with bustling people and noise. Periodically a shuttle launches from its bay with a whine of its crystaline drive into space. The area is kept scrupulously clean. Towards the north is the large, opaque force screen of the debarkation arch, a panel to the left of it blinking a small red light. Contents: Neva Shuttle arriving from Alexi Styvesant Rules -n- Regulations for Shankill Shuttle Control Officer Obvious exits: Cargo Area Debarkation arch A shuttle launches from its bay. A shuttlecraft has left. Home again, such as it is. Tance has grown grimmer of expression the closer the shuttle's gotten to Shankill Moonbase, and by the time it lands, the man's looking distinctly uneasy. "What's wrong?" asks Neva as she steps out of the shuttle, and retrieves her bags. "Nothin'," Tance immediately replies, plastering on a small lopsided grin that doesn't quite reach his eyes as he falls into step towards the station's baggage retrieval bays, moving with the ease of long familiarity despite the erratic condition of his memory. "You still look like something's wrong," Neva points out, now making the reservations to Ballybran. Tance makes another little grunt, plucking his tote bag off from the baggage claim and then rejoining his companion. "How's 'somethin' wrong' supposed to look then?" he asks archly, but he also avoids Neva's gaze. "Like you look now," Neva points out vaguely... and then heads over to the shuttle bound for Ballybran. Tance follows the younger Singer, and after a moment admits, "Back to the Ranges. Back to work. That..." "I suppose I agree," Neva replies. "Vacation's over, and we return... as lambs to the slaughter?" She chuckles. The crystal resonance is zinging through your body. [And down the pair of lambs go, to the planet where the Ranges await...] Shuttle Area by Joslin Plateau Facility The shuttle area has black coated runways for arriving and departing shuttles to land on. The material is such to withstand the Mach storms of Ballybran. Maintenance personnel have access to the facility through a shuttle-sized lift. The scream of shuttles fill the air reminding you of the sweet, sorrowful sound of crystal shear. Scoria's rays flash off the distant sea resulting in a glorious display of color as Scoria slowly sinks below the horizon. Blazing fire-colors paint the scenery, and fallen, brittle leaves whirl around in the occasional breeze. The air is dry, the weather crisp and cooling. The western White Sea throws the tang of salt into the breeze. The northern green-purple hills of the Mansord Upthrust soothes your eyes as they wander from the sharp lines of the Joslin Discontinuity to the south, and on the southern horizon, the Brerrerton Ranges. The ramp to the east leads up to the massive blocks of the Joslin Plateau Facility. Above the entrance is the impressive Guild Shield. Contents: Neva Waiting Area Obvious exits: Path North Around Complex Ramp Back to the Ranges; back to work; back to... being alone. The thought troubles Tance deeply, but all he allows himself to say in reply to Neva's guess is "Yeah... somethin' like that." He keeps quiet through the shuttle trip down to the planet, and quiet as he emerges from the shuttle with the younger Singer. Given a passing hard, searching look by the shuttle pilot, Tance can be seen to uncomfortably blush once he steps out into Ballybran's air. Far be it from Neva to bring up something like that, after all. She retrieves her bags yet again, and then glances all around... a deep breath. "Fresh air. Fresh, unrecycled air," she murmurs softly. Tance, by contrast, just pauses, casting an uneasy glance out towards the distant peaks of the Ranges. Then, at Neva's murmur, he turns back to her. "Uh, gi... Neva," he begins awkwardly, "I wanna say..." Turning, Neva looks at him, head tilted slightly--expectantly. "What?" she interjects, gently, coaxing. "Thanks," the older Singer barks out. Seemingly a bit startled to hear that word--or is it just to hear that word said like that?--Neva smiles a little. "You're welcome," she replies, politely. "For, well, y'know... the trip," Tance goes on, looking down towards the ramp that leads into the JPF, now. A nod. "And you're still welcome," repeats Neva--with which, she heads into JPF. [End log.]