Balem Abrasax
- In the Duggins -
Space Douche On The Loose
Posts: 73
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Post by Balem Abrasax on Feb 17, 2015 23:13:10 GMT -5
Before even making it back shipside, Balem had his lieutenant raking over records of sector activity, anything in the mere neighborhood of Gantag V -- not only physical visitations and cloaked traffic but signals and FTL transmissions, data chatter, anything that might betray the identity and location of their saboteur. The bulk of the results were fragmentary, but taken together showed proof positive -- their interloper was a ship on the move. The set task was of isolating that ping and scraping up a communications tag, something to get a grasp on. From the first cry that the ship's ID frequency had been isolated, the staff had been flung into a new flurry of activity. The interloper was confirmed to be from outside the industrial sector -- not an Aegis ship, and not flying the colors of any known private militia. It was a pity -- there could be no clearer motivation than industrial sabotage, and a security vessel might open fire with impunity on another corporation's hostile vessel; to tamper with an active harvesting site was to publicly declare a death wish, and they'd have been well within their rights. Now the task presented itself of putting both name and face to an austere set of data points, rather than gunning them down.
"We're locked in, prepping to transmit --" A woman's voice sounded out over the clatter, more than a little strained.
The communications array was swarming with sims, elbow-to-elbow with their human counterparts; one ferrety-looking splice was seated at his master's elbow, trying to look comfortable with the whole mess. The call itself was all set, first to hail and second to override the receiver's audio in the event of no response. This wasn't an uncommon protocol for urgent FTL communications between vessels that had already established a rapport, but as a means of commanding the attention of an unfamiliar ship by forcing frequency access, it was hardly a sign of friendship. This ship was about to become personally acquainted with the face of Abrasax Industries, whether it wanted to be or not.
"Hailing, my lord."
Balem scratched at the controls with a jeweled hand, bent low over the console, and braced himself for the display to flicker into life.
"Excellent."
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Ronan
- Masterful Virgin -
[navysealcopypasta.txt]
Posts: 21
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Post by Ronan on Feb 17, 2015 23:25:24 GMT -5
Immediately, the screen filled with something that had the approximate shape of a human, but the face was swathed entirely in what appeared to be dirty bandages except for one gap to the side that revealed a cluster of red pinprick eyes set into dark, scantily hairy flesh.
It leaned closer to the camera in silence save for a wet clicking sound, which was accompanied by an unpleasant shifting of the covering over its face.
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Balem Abrasax
- In the Duggins -
Space Douche On The Loose
Posts: 73
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Post by Balem Abrasax on Feb 17, 2015 23:55:57 GMT -5
HOLY SHIT
"Whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?" Balem asked curtly, without missing a beat, though a few of the organic crew members looked a little queasy. If they had to recalibrate entirely for language, the delay could be significant.
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Ronan
- Masterful Virgin -
[navysealcopypasta.txt]
Posts: 21
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Post by Ronan on Feb 18, 2015 0:01:27 GMT -5
The clicking hastened, and then a thin hiss of a voice retorted "We could ask you the same thing, human."
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Balem Abrasax
- In the Duggins -
Space Douche On The Loose
Posts: 73
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Post by Balem Abrasax on Feb 18, 2015 0:22:53 GMT -5
In the screen-light, his eyes shone chitinously. He drew himself up to his full height, gesturing for Mr. Night to stay put.
"Balem, primary of the house of Abrasax. Where is your master?"
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Ronan
- Masterful Virgin -
[navysealcopypasta.txt]
Posts: 21
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Post by Ronan on Feb 18, 2015 0:27:39 GMT -5
"He will not appreciate the interruption," the thing hissed, but it reached forward with a clumsy gloved hand toward something below the screen.
It went to static.
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Balem Abrasax
- In the Duggins -
Space Douche On The Loose
Posts: 73
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Post by Balem Abrasax on Feb 18, 2015 0:38:32 GMT -5
This robbed Balem of the opportunity to scoff something about this endeavor wasting his own time as well, but it nevertheless hung in the air, unsaid. His complexion had begun to go a little pink.
"Oh, please--"
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Ronan
- Masterful Virgin -
[navysealcopypasta.txt]
Posts: 21
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Post by Ronan on Feb 18, 2015 0:51:46 GMT -5
The screen cleared again, and was now showing a wide vista of a life-size throne room facing Balem's own, dark and spare enough to function as a kind of inverse. The throne itself was bathed in greyish light and made of nothing more than a few huge, closely fitted black slabs. They were still not large enough to allow the heavily black-armored figure to sit on it in comfort; his legs splayed out from his hips too stiffly to signal a deliberate slouch.
At first, it was hard to tell that the face under the mail hood was there at all; most of it was covered in something thick and black, and the rest was blue save a few deep crevices of dark reddish-purple striking across the flesh.
"Who summons me?" he demanded, in a low, contemptuous tone.
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Balem Abrasax
- In the Duggins -
Space Douche On The Loose
Posts: 73
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Post by Balem Abrasax on Feb 18, 2015 1:23:12 GMT -5
Balem raised his head, adjusting his bearing to be all the more straight and correct; his hands were folded in front of him in a graceful downward v.
"You have been summoned by the chairman of Abrasax Industries, to answer for an act of trespass. By what name are you called?"
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Ronan
- Masterful Virgin -
[navysealcopypasta.txt]
Posts: 21
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Post by Ronan on Feb 18, 2015 1:43:27 GMT -5
The intruder's lip curled up almost invisibly from black-stained teeth.
"I know of no such act," he snarled. "Nor do I know of you, or your company."
He rose from the throne. Standing, he was enormous, broad-shouldered and long-legged with a military gait as he came closer to the screen- which, of course, gave the virtual impression of his crossing toward where Balem still sat enthroned.
After a moment, he made a 'hmm' sound.
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Balem Abrasax
- In the Duggins -
Space Douche On The Loose
Posts: 73
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Post by Balem Abrasax on Feb 18, 2015 13:07:25 GMT -5
How distasteful. The offense against aesthetics would have been bad enough, even if this didn't herald the start of some serious posturing. Balem sneered back; his own teeth were eerily white, and just a little pointed.
"Ignorance of the law excuses no one. Your current vessel is under suspicion of interference with a privately-owned planet. Explain yourself."
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Ronan
- Masterful Virgin -
[navysealcopypasta.txt]
Posts: 21
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Post by Ronan on Feb 18, 2015 13:13:48 GMT -5
"Do not speak to me of law."
He leaned back again.
"I thought, with your presumption, that your face might remind me of who you are, but I am still unable to place you. I advise you to not pursue this line of questioning any further."
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Balem Abrasax
- In the Duggins -
Space Douche On The Loose
Posts: 73
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Post by Balem Abrasax on Feb 18, 2015 13:46:23 GMT -5
"Such a shame -- I'd hoped to find you someone worthy of my notice. As ruler of this corporation, I'll pursue what I like. Did you or your representatives contact the residents of Gantag V or its neighboring planets, whether by speech, presence, FTL transmission, or psychic interference?"
This was hardly an exhaustive list, but it was clear they were dealing with a musclebound imbecile.
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Ronan
- Masterful Virgin -
[navysealcopypasta.txt]
Posts: 21
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Post by Ronan on Feb 18, 2015 13:49:29 GMT -5
"No."
He pulled his shoulders back.
"I do not even know of the world of which you speak."
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Balem Abrasax
- In the Duggins -
Space Douche On The Loose
Posts: 73
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Post by Balem Abrasax on Feb 18, 2015 14:05:31 GMT -5
"Did you undertake anything that might cause such a communication to be made, such as a chemical leak, radioactive contamination, geological disturbance...?"
Balem was prepared to stare him down, though the experience of even brief eye contact was skin-crawling. He began to drum his fingers on the console, fingernails clicking sharply.
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