Ghost Signals, Episode 4: Part 3.2
The good Doctor lets out a little chuckle for a few beats, but it fades when she notices Dez-Lei isn't laughing all along.
RAIVEN (Cont.) Come on! That couldn't have been the fyrst time someone's brought that up to you.
AC SECOND CLASS DEZ-LEI It isn't. I get that insult from elites and normos alike every time I get some R&E- drives me up a pole!
RAIVEN My sympathies to your emotional plight. But you can see how peeps who've been under your beloved Sky Force's boot can be a bit pink in the face when they see you tromping about in your dress uni.
AC SECOND CLASS DEZ-LEI What a shock! A criminal, a traitor to the kindness and largesse of the Tristellar Alliance- sympathizing with your moral kin.
RAIVEN The idea of a morally perfect species in this galaxy is absolute junk. We all have embarrasing junk in our past. We all go through a hells of a lotta mental gymnastics in order to excuse the shite we--
AC SECOND CLASS DEZ-LEI (interjecting, with certainty) The only people who believe such nonsense are those too cowardly to admit their own unworthiness.
Raiven scoffs and rolls her eyes at the statement, which proceeds to irk the AC Second Class.
AC SECOND CLASS DEZ-LEI (Cont.) Can you prove otherwise, Doctor?
RAIVEN (reaches into her pocket) Without a votbett'n doubt...
Just as she's about to pull something out, she's stopped by the crackle of the Brig's ceiling speaker.
STEGGY (from the speaker, to Raiven) Hey Doc, need you back in the Command Center. I got a hit on multiple minerals for the alt- fuel.
RAIVEN (sighs; glances up to the ceiling) I'll be there in a bit, Cap. (to AC Second Class Dez-Lei) We'll carry on this discussion at a later time... (turns around and leaves)
AC SECOND CLASS DEZ-LEI Perfectly fine.
Raiven takes a handful of steps out toward the doors before stopping upon hearing Mz. de Caar's comeback.
AC SECOND CLASS DEZ-LEI (Cont. Off-Screen, wittily) Hopefully you'll have come up with a more superior case by then.
The good Doctor grunts to herself, gritting through her teeth for a beat before returning on her way to the exit doors.
RAIVEN (V.O., to Steggy) That's all?
CUT TO:
INT. COMMAND CENTER, ATHENA-5- Minutes Later
Raiven and Steggy standing next to each other, looking over a readout on a tablet.
RAIVEN (Cont., pondering) It's not all that bounteous. But it's enough to work with, which is a great sign.
STEGGY (thinking out loud, to Raiven) The bigger question we should deal with is whether or not what we make is enough to get us to the Source.
RAIVEN What's your opinion on it?
STEGGY With a regen base tacked to the main solution...it's possible. But going through the ship's databanks, I'm not spying anything that'd get the job done.
RAIVEN (pause, then a sudden realization) What about Dez-Lei's CGAI? Did she spot something from her databanks that could work?
ARU (timidly from the speakers, to Raiven and Steggy) Umm, I--I believe I heard my name being spoken.
STEGGY (curious, to Aru) You did. Better question here is how- I wasn't aware you could hear chats independent of your ship.
ARU (explanatory, to Steggy) It's a function of Attacker- grade spacecraft whenever we latched on to another spacecraft. Primarily a deterrent used to combat espionage.
RAIVEN (chuckles, to herself) By the Goddess, the M.o.D. are paranoid as--! (to Aru) So, do you have something in your databanks that can help us with our fuel issue?
ARU I do not, Dr. O'Ozahl. My apologies... (remembers something suddenly) Actually, I might have misspoke just now. There is a piece of tech, experimental in nature, on our ship that could help.
RAIVEN (smiles) Great! What the hells does this tech look like?
STEGGY Is it small enough that we can bring it onboard and integrate it into the engines, or would we have to--[