Participants:
| Scene Title | Relics Reborn |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Asi enlists Captain Davignon and her crew to assist with a distant scavenging trip. It's a long shot, to bring fragile relics back for the Library at world's end. |
| Date | December 2-3, 2018 |
The Manhattan Archipelago
Rain drizzles down on the heads of those who haven’t taken refuge from the soft rains that pour over the remains of New York City. Most people have taken refuge in their buildings and shelters, opting to remain dry while they can — though plenty of folks are still out and about, a little bit of rain not enough to stop them from the day’s work.
Soleil Davignon is in the plenty of folks grouping. Despite the chill in the air that make the cold rains all the more uncomfortable, she is dedicated to her job, prepping the Sayonara for her next voyage, wherever it may take her. She sits straddling the main boom, quietly tying off some ropes; occasionally, she pauses in her rigging to pull a piece of orange from the pocket of her thick coat, popping it into her mouth and chewing as her hands busy themselves.
At least it’s not storming right now, the boat gently rocking as waves slap against it and the dock it is moored to.
The name of the ship amused Asi, which is what first drew her to look into hiring it. When she saw it was a smaller vessel with a motivated captain, there was no question she'd use their services for her adventure inland. The thick Carhartt coat pulled over her torso, as well as the sturdy grey work coveralls she wears keeps out the rain, a beanie pulled over her head keeping her hair from blocking her view in the wind.
"You Davignon?" she calls from the docks, her pronunciation of the French name impeccable for an American. But her accent, though it's taken on some American qualities, certainly isn't native to here. The Japanese woman stands beside the docked vessel with her hands in her pockets, a pack slung over one shoulder for the trip. A glance to the name on the side confirmed she was at the right place, she just needed to make sure she was treating with the Captain herself, and not an upstart.
Blue eyes squint slightly as she hears her last name called; she doesn’t initially respond, chewing on the piece of orange as she finishes up with a particularly detailed knot. However, her ability is certainly at work, skimming Asi’s surface thoughts as she finishes up.
The knot completed, the woman hoists one leg over the boom, dropping down onto the meticulously cleaned deck and dusting off her hands. “That’d be me, yes,” she replies in a distinctly European — there are traces of French in there, but she’s hammered her accent down to be as neutral as possible, for acting reasons.
She takes one look over Asi, hand snaking into her pocket to pull out another orange slice and popping it into her mouth. “How can I help you?”
"I'd like to hire you." she says at a more conversational tone as she approaches to be more at a conversational range, looking the Captain over in an appraisal of her own. In her mind dance coordinates, description of a particular piece of land, and a wariness for the woman before her that's not at all present in her external demeanor. Beyond that, her thoughts are foreign, snips of Japanese that pass in concise blocks.
"I have a salvage I'm looking to poke my head in on. An acquaintance let me know he'd seen something I might like, but failed to bring it back for me to see in person." Bastard. "Should be a half-day's voyage either direction. Several hours onshore. Payment upon return."
"Would you be interested," Ask asks with a note of amusement creeping into her voice, despite her deadpan expression. "Or should I be telling you 'Sayonara'?"
Japanese. She never got the chance to learn that one. Remi’s brows arch slightly, her hands sliding into her pockets. Money is good, and her ship is fast. “A few disclaimers. The Sayonara is a fast boat — we don’t do fighting too well.” She glances back to the boat, her expression softening — she clearly loves that boat about as much as some people love their pets, judging by how well it has been cared for. “We avoid fighting as much as possible, period.”
Then, she glances back to the woman, head tilting to one side. “Otherwise, yes — I would indeed be interested.” She steps off of the boat and onto the dock it is moored to. “Pending details, of course.” She already knows a good amount of those, but it’s good to keep up the facade of not being a telepath. Most people don’t like her kind.
"No trouble expected. And even if we did run into trouble, heading as swiftly as possible in the opposite direction is a plan." Asi doesn't smile, but she sounds pleased as she says, "So that works quite well for me."
A hand slides from her pocket to adjust the pack over her shoulder. "The site is roughly 300 kilometers south of here. Near the ruins of DC." Information delivered deadpan. As far as it went for ruins to scavenge, you were hard-pressed to find a more thoroughly-destroyed area to pick than DC. Which is perhaps, Asi thinks to herself, why her bounty has gone overlooked.
Or that perhaps this will be a wild goose chase with no bounty to find at all.
"It's just me, no other crew for this. If it's a waste of time, it'll only be a waste of mine." She nods her head lightly toward the woman before her as she ventures, "Less of a waste than it would be otherwise, seeing as you have a fast ship."
“My crew is off on shore leave, but they should return by the afternoon,” comes Remi’s response, turning her head toward the south. “I hope you find what you’re looking for down there,” she adds, leaning gently against the ship and slapping its side. “The Sayonara will get you there and back faster than most.”
She glances back to Asi, quietly scanning her mind to see if she can glean whatever it is the other woman is looking for. “Bring your own food and provisions, I only have enough stocked for my crew.”
A wry smirk plays out on Asi as she inclines her head to acknowledge the stipulations given. She finally offers her hand out, meaning to shake. "Call me Asi, Captain Davignon. Pleasure to be working with you."
Her thoughts around what she seeks aren't whispered in English, but secured in cautious hope. Fragments of images form for what she thinks she might be looking for, but it seems even she isn't entirely sure what will be waiting for her. Office equipment is what it appears to be. Each image as it springs up seems to have a screen — some flashing with a crack as she tempers her hope for the best with solemn realism.
Those shockingly blue eyes turn down toward Asi’s hand, then back up to her face. After a moment, her hand frees itself from her pocket, pressing her palm against Asi’s. Most people don’t notice when Remi’s using her ability on them — it likely won’t be much different for Asi, in this case, the telepath dipping below the surface of the woman’s thoughts to the much easier to understand mental mindscape, which relies more on imaginings than words.
All the while, she has her eyes on Asi’s face. “A pleasure, Asi. May I ask what it is you’re seeking out?” It doesn’t matter much what Asi’s answer is outwardly — Remi will certainly find it out through the handshake, while it lasts.
Asi's thoughts don't linger on what she's seeking, the fragmented images of her quarry already in the process of being washed away as another sweep of thought breaks over it. Still, the office equipment is visible there for just a moment before she smiles politely. Her deeper thoughts are an ocean, coming to break against the hillside of conscious thought. No shore, crashing straight upon a sea of grass. The skies above are gray, covered in sluggish clouds, lacking rays of sunlight.
By the time the brief handshake is broken, Remi is left with the impression Asi is a person who feels hauntingly alone, and is well-aware of it. In her mindscape, there was nothing, no one, save for errant thoughts that crashed against the surface at their own pace. Buoys of vague purpose floated close to shore, occasional flashes of light that serve as reminders for reason, and keep the world from losing all color entirely. 'Don't forget,' they sing. She may receive the impression that deep beneath the surface of that ocean, there hide stronger thoughts and emotions. But none are close to the surface today. Not then. Not in the breadth of that touch.
"Relics, if I'm lucky enough to find them."
Off the shore of Maryland
The first thing Asi may have noticed about Remi and her three-man crew is that they are largely silent — one of them, a large muscular fellow, is deaf, so much of the communication done between the four crew mates is done in sign language. A bit less perceptibly, a lot more communication is done through Remi’s ability, a link formed between her and her crew that serves much better for adequate communication.
Even so, when not busy tending to the needs of the Sayonara, the crew is rather lively, with Remi occasionally breaking the monotony with a song, usually something sung in her native French tongue. Other times, they gather and regale each other of stories of their lives before. Jasper, the deaf one, was an actor along with Remi, the pair working on a movie together. One gets the feeling that their relationship is much closer than just captain and first mate. Mike, the other fellow, was an accountant before; he used to have his own ship, but it was taken by pirates. Huck was a computer programmer who didn’t have a lick of sailing experience before Remi took him in.
The voyage has taken a good day of sailing, with the crew sleeping in shifts. Below deck, there is a nice lounge area, with a table and seats that fold out into two beds for comfort. All told, the Sayonara is a good ship that sails quite smoothly, and despite the general silence of her crew, the trip is a rather pleasant one.
Remi, standing at the bow with one hand on the boom to steady herself, holds a telescope to her eye. After a moment, she slides it shut and turns, slipping cat-like over the deck to where Asi sits. “Get ready. We’re about five minutes from shore.”
Asi nods, not looking up from retying her boots. Across her back is slung a sword, in case of trouble she doesn't expect, but prepares for nonetheless. Her thicker coat has been exchanged out for something that moves more with her, helping keep the wind off of her more than the cold. Her thoughts, while not in English, are clearly ticking down some sort of list. Does she have everything? Is she ready? Rajio wa… tumbles around in her head, until her hand pats down the small walkie-talkie that's clipped to her coveralls, tucked away inside her jacket. That seems to be the last of it. "Junbi kanryou." she reports as she adjusts the knife sheathed inside her boot, then comes to her feet.
For the trip down, she'd kept to herself. Sign language wasn't a language she knew, and sharing about herself wasn't something she planned to do. Asi had demonstrated an interest in Huck in particular when he brought up his past life, but the interest hadn't extended into interaction.
"I figure… five hours. I'll be in touch with updates regardless. If something happens here and you have to leave, I'd appreciate the same courtesy of an update." She turns to look out over the shore hat comes up to meet them.
They were up the Silver Spring peninsula now, slower going the further up they went, but there would be less ground to cover and more time to scavenge thanks to that generosity. And so far, no signs of other life on either side of the flood-made inlet. A paper map, her destination circled, is also shoved into her jacket and remembered in her mind's eye. Almost three miles of walking ahead of her — one direction. With a click of her tongue at remembering that particular detail, she bends slightly to swipe up her mostly-empty pack and sling that across her shoulders as well. A long way to be walking any kind of weight. But worth it if there’s something useable even out there.
The telepath tilts her head to one side, watching the woman thoughtfully, the boat pulling up close to the shore. Jasper comes up, holding a folded up canvas; approaching the edge, he promptly throws it overboard, pulling a tab as he does so. The small package sits, floating atop the water for a moment, before it rather suddenly inflates, becoming a working inflatable raft in seconds. Silently, the deaf man pulls a rope, the raft coming up alongside of the ship; a pair of oars are tossed into the waiting raft, then the man ties it to the side of the boat, waiting to be boarded by Asi.
At the very least, if something goes wrong, Asi won’t be completely stranded out here — she’ll have a boat that might be able to slowly get her back up to the Pelago. “I’m sending Huck out with you.” He should make for good conversation, and Remi won’t feel so bad for sending Asi out on her own. Plus, he can probably find some salvage of some kind.
Huck, meanwhile, has prepared himself similarly, armed to the teeth and ready for whatever might be thrown at him. He has a few empty packs, presumably for whatever he might find — and perhaps to help Asi if she needs it. He and Remi briefly clasp hands, exchanging glances; then, Remi is holding her hand out to Asi to help her into the raft.
"Oh?" Asi looks toward the former programmer, a sour thought sweeping quietly over her. She sets a hand on her waist, considering the idea of company. Mochiron. she thinks to herself, quietly judging the change in situation with other mental mutterings that sound just as choice. Her deadpan expression doesn't break in the while, and she finally nods. "Then so he is."
She looks at the offered hand and shakes her head in a polite decline, adjusting her gloves before swinging herself over the side of the ship and into the inflated raft on her own, pawing at the sides of it to test its integrity before sweeping the oars out of the way. This is nice. she thinks absently, inclining her head to wait for Huck to jump overboard as well. "I'll keep an eye on him for you." she remarks, adjusting the strap of the sword so it rests at a better angle behind her.
That impartial look is offered in response to Asi’s reaction, before her blue-eyed gaze slips over to Huck. Then, she’s looking back over to Asi, tipping her head in her direction. “He will stay well out of your way. We need more of those,” she points to the raft, “and if you need help, you are free to treat him as your pack mule.”
Huck looks amused, but says nothing as he hops off of the edge of the boat and into the raft. After making sure everything is in its place, he scoops up the oars; once he’s sure Asi is good and ready, he unties the raft from its mooring on the side of the boat, and promptly sets about rowing the woman to the shore.
Asi tips her head to the side as she judges the possibility of finding another inflatable raft. The odds are low, but who knows. Once they're out of perceived earshot of the boat and about break the shoreline, she remarks to her companion, "Pack mule, huh? Can't decide if that is a downgrade." He huffs and shrugs with a lopsided grin. "Hey, different things each day. The way I like it." She lets out a quiet note of agreement as they clamber out and square away the raft.
Then they're off, navigating down streets unrecognizable from how they used to be. Grass tears through concrete and asphalt, weeds snare their way around objects left behind. At one intersection, Asi has to pause to get her bearings because the stoplight has fallen down entirely at some point, making it hard to determine if this was the street they needed to turn at. Once they walk the onramp to a former highway, there's mostly abandoned vehicles as obstacles.
She walks past them without giving them a second look for scavengable parts, not even for their wiring. She's after a bigger prize.
Their destination is easy enough to see, even though they're walking down the wrong side of the highway. "There." Asi announces, pointing to a neatly-downed portion of chain link fence. It's a gap in the overgrowth that's hard to ignore. "That's where they exited from."
She pauses to drink and report in that they're on site, then heads for the corporate park on the other side of the fence. A beeline is made for the doors, ignoring Huck's slowing and turning about to peer about the abandoned lot. A glass door used to keep the elements and intruders out, but it's since been smashed in. Asi's shoulders slump at the sight of it. Hopefully, hopefully the second floor would have been shielded enough from the elements. She rubs her hand down her face and pulls out a tiny but bright flashlight once done, checking inside.
It didn't seem like there was an 'other' of any kind around, animal or otherwise. She steps over the shattered threshold. "Hey, hey, wait up," Huck exclaims after her, rushing to catch up.
The door to the second floor is nudged open slowly, the magnetic locks on it long-failed. Hanging a left, heading to a barren-looking end of the hall where a single, similar door remains, she finds another such dead lock, and stares at it for some time. "Okay? We heading in?" Huck asks, and Asi nods reluctantly. This was it.
"Oh, shit." He says as he steps inside with her, eyes widened. "Wow. This is…"
"A fucking dangerous place to linger. Watch the door. If you see anyone out there, close it and bar it."
Asi's heart is pounding as she looks over the server racks, her flashlight bouncing quickly around the room. Two had fallen, and she writes them off immediately, but three were still standing. A maintenance computer sits nearby, covered in dust, but no visibly worse for wear. No cracks on its screen.
Approaching the racks, she runs her fingers up and down the tower, looking for signs of damage. Looks at the ceiling to judge if there's been any leaks. They're on the second of four levels, and by all appearances, it's worked in this room's favor. She swings around to the other side, pulling cords free, bag yanked open as she slides the first server from its rack, judging the weight as she slides it into her pack. "Pack mule, how much can you carry safely?"
He looks back, a little uncertain for a moment before shrugging. "I don't know, like a hundred pounds?" Huck ventures with a shrug, and Asi glances sidelong at him. So maybe 50. Tops. And this would be guesstimating the weight of each one. She pulls off several more, fingers running over them as she tries to figure which might work and which won't. Her look is one of intense focus, her judgement of the stack causing her to replace one in favor of another before she sets the pack down and fishes out the food she'd brought with her. "Eat." she tells the stranger, and he reluctantly leaves the doorest, shutting it behind him to keep noise from carrying. The flashlight he carries with him is larger, and can be pulled partially apart so it serves as a lantern.
"Why do you want all this? What good is it anymore?" He asks incredulously as he takes what Asi offers him.
She shakes her head determinedly in response. "It means now more than ever. The flood destroyed so much. Anything we can do to preserve the before and remember the present is worth trying." Asi glances back at the server stacks. "The Library will benefit from these." She pauses in between bites to ask offhandedly, "You were a programmer? What'd you do exactly?"
He's still in the process of trying to rationalize taking what could be a very dangerous trip inland to salvage wholesale what most people would cannibalize, so it takes him a second. "I— uh, was a .NET developer. The place I worked at had a couple of mainframes, but I got tired of COBOL, and…" he trails off awkwardly, not expecting any of this to be a conversation-starter.
Asi just nods. "I was an engineer." she offers deadpan. "I used to work with cybernetics, on enhancing them and making them better. I designed drones and … other machines. Sold them to the government."
After another bite, she adds with a reserved smile, "On the side, I hacked. Them. Others. Anyone."
Huck's stopped chewing, wondering just what else she's going to say next. She doesn't go on, at least not in the same vein. Asi stands, wiping her hands off. "Help me get as many of these cables as we can to take with us. And then grab whatever else you want on the way downstairs, or from the highway. We'll head back."
Aboard the Sayonara
Their packs were overflowing by the time they returned to shore, a delicate balance struck between what could be carried easily and what drove home the most value. They did not, unfortunately, find a supplemental raft. Once back aboard, Asi keeps to herself even more than before, a dragon sitting on her hoard below-deck. Perhaps unsurprisingly, she's requested to be dropped off at the Library At The End Of The World once they return, and said very little since.
It wasn't often she opened up in any way about herself, and she's uncomfortable by it. As far as she's concerned, or so her thoughts radiate, the sooner they reach the Pelago, the better.
Just what were you thinking, ON-1?
After Jasper and Mike deflate and repack the inflatable raft and the loot is sorted through (with Huck’s spare bounty being stashed in the storage at the front of the boat), the crew sets about turning the ship around. The going is a bit more difficult this time around, with the wind going against the boat at times.
Once on her course, however, the Sayonara steadily makes its way back toward New York. And once her crew has gotten settled in, the captain slips down below the decks. A few disposable hand warmers that the woman has stashed are pulled out, one passed to Asi. Below decks is certainly warmer than above, but there’s still an obnoxious chill. Then, she’s pulling eggs from the freezer box — a rare treat. Fresh water is poured into a pot, which is then set to boil on the camp stove that she has set up, with five eggs placed within.
“So,” she murmurs, sitting in one of the seats near the camp stove to wait for the eggs to boil. “While I pride myself in secrecy, I must wonder why you were willing to charter this ship for a bunch of computer servers.” Blue eyes land upon Asi. “If you don’t wish to answer, that is fine.” She’ll get her answer no matter what, but it’s always preferable to get information willingly.
Asi catches the warmer between both hands before going back to leaning forward on her chair, elbows on her thighs. It's rolled between her fingers, and she broods that way until Remi speaks. "So." she echoes back, the ocean in her own eyes stilling as she watches her sit down. Her mouth hardens into a line at the question, half-formed answers welling in her mind and not coming to completion. It takes looking away again to settle her thoughts, head shaking slightly to herself. "I did not want to get anyone's hopes up in case it was nothing."
Aces, you're crazy. Silas had told her, in more words than that. It was a hell of a trip to have made, after all. She herself still can't believe her luck, and they weren't even able to get all of them. A second trip, for a better-equipped crew sponsored by the Library to figure out.
"I did not lie to you — I went in search of relics. I did not know what to expect. I should be relieved we found what we did, in the condition it's in … but I won't be satisfied until I know they work." She starts to shake her head again, looking across the quarters. "I was expecting maybe some components at best. They said 'a room full of computer junk,' I never dreamed that it'd be all it was."
Something that becomes apparent, even through word alone, is that she did this herself. She wasn't strictly hired.
The telepath inclines her head toward Asi, watching her with thoughtful blue eyes. “I never thought you were lying.” She’s being quite truthful there — she tends to be able to determine the truth, or at least when someone is lying to her. “I was simply curious about those.” She gestures toward Asi’s bounty. “What do you do with them?” They’re mostly obsolete in this day and age.
She raises from her seat briefly, checking on the eggs. As the water begins to boil, she turns off the heat, then winds up an egg timer and sets it next to the pot, while she pours a bit more fresh water into a bowl.
“Huck tells me that you didn’t get it all. If you need to charter another trip, please consider hiring me again.” A larger crew might be a little cramped on the boat, but there’s sleeping space for at least six inside, if people don’t mind sharing beds. She knows the route now, and one can only assume that the going will be faster now that she’s familiar with this particular journey.
"The Library," Asi explains evenly, not openly acknowledging the depth of her own involvement, "Has a collection of books stored in digital format. They survived the end of the world, and at the Library, they find life again. More servers, more books. More servers, more computers, perhaps someday a Library intranet can be formed." she shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly enough, but within, she's excited at the prospect growing a nest of technology affords her. She can use her skills to help make the vision of Stef and the other librarians a reality, giving Asi herself a sense of purpose and peace. With each new bit installed, she finds joy … until the project is done, leaving her feeling adrift again.
She's aware chasing down moments of purpose this recklessly isn't smart. But… neither does she have an anchor to keep her tied to a safer position. No, she'd forgone tying herself down anywhere, no matter how much of a boon her presence to the places she frequents most. She lies and tells herself it means she's not invested one way or the other, when an action like this self-imposed trip says otherwise.
Her mouth hardens into a line at the acknowledgement there was still more out there, and looks back to Remi appraisingly. Asi had been concerned about what Huck had seen, worried they might decide to take it for themselves. His reaction of confusion instead of seeing a treasure trove of components had done a lot to ease it, but it's hard to shake the suspicion off entirely. She nods gratefully nonetheless. "I'll recommend you. You and your crew were … pleasant to do business with." And didn't shoot me and leave me on shore. "I would have only half of what we brought back today, otherwise."
“Then it is good work that you are doing,” she replies, smiling faintly. “I wonder if someone could find an old printing press — the kinds used long before electricity or automation replaced them. I saw them in an old museum in Massachusetts once when I was younger. I thought it silly back then, but it would be amazing if one could recreate those books in paper form.” The woman turns, peering at the light of the sky outside of the quarters. “Perhaps I will revisit the museum again, if it is still above water. If I find anything, I will be sure to bring it to the library.”
“Jasper tells me that I am far too kind for my own good,” Remi says, a small smirk playing over her features. “I try to be a hardass, but it rarely works out for me. I always end up turning around and extending kindness.” Unless she has to stab or shoot someone for whatever reason, then it’s on. She doesn’t mention that the reason she can’t be a hardass is because of her ability. One can’t help a small amount of empathy when one can hear the thoughts of others.
The egg timer dings, and the telepath stands, quietly removing the eggs from the hot water and placing them in the bowl of cold water. Again, she sets the egg timer. “Does your library have any use for film? I have many reels of the classics — as well as a copy of all of the films I was in.” Sure, it would be a library mostly consisting of her, but it would also be a safe place for her own history.
It's a thought that causes her to sit up a little straighter, elbows still on knees. Asi furrows her brow pensively, voicing her thoughts out loud for once. "I'm not certain there's a collection currently, given the conditions they need to be stored under to avoid damage." She reaches up, rubbing her chin before she pushes herself to her feet. "That would be a project all its own… but a proposal worth asking after." she decides.
Something like a smile finds its way to her as she looks back, advising, "The Library has a unique printing process, to help with keeping the books sturdy over time. Much more plastic than paper."
“Plastic is good,” Remi replies, a slightly warmer smile gracing her features. “Much less likely to be destroyed in these conditions,” she adds, gesturing up toward the door out to the deck. “What you are doing is a good thing. Preserving our history wherever possible.” The egg timer dings again, and Remi reaches in, pulling out two of the still-warm boiled eggs.
One is offered out to Asi. Then, she’s setting about peeling hers, letting the shell fall back into the bowl of cold water. Once it’s clean, she settles into the seat across from Asi, taking a bite of the hardboiled egg. “If I can do anything to help out, I would like to. I would certainly love to share my films, at least.”
Asi pulls off her gloves before she accepts the offering, letting out a note to acknowledge she's thinking. None of it is in English for the time being. "You'll have to talk with the librarians." she deflects. "I just help, occasionally. The Library is their vision. Find Stef Winters, and speak with her." The peeling takes a while for her. Cooking or anything like it was never something she'd been good at, for all the other delicate things she could accomplish with her hands.
She sighs when she's finally scraped enough away to thumb a piece of the eggwhite off properly, and pop it into her mouth. "What they're doing is a good thing." Asi agrees quietly. "Rebuilding, instead of just surviving. It's a noble thing. It's why I stayed in the Pelago — there's people dedicated to a better future there."
“The people in the Pelago are good,” the woman replies, nodding slowly. “They take care of each other. It’s nice to see a community, especially in times like these.” Soleil herself is rather removed from the community, preferring to work with those who live there, but staying mostly separate.
She takes a bite of her egg, chewing it with a contemplative expression on her face. She’ll certainly check out the leads on the library. “So Huck tells me you were an engineer before the floods,” she murmurs. She doesn’t make much small talk normally, but she’s a bit curious about her passenger.
"Yes." is Asi's tacit reply, becoming more interested in her peeling. Visions of complicated bots march past in rapid succession, thoughts being quashed out almost as soon as they come up. They bring with them a pang she's uninterested in dwelling on.
“Interesting,” is Remi’s short response; she pops the last of her egg into her mouth, then stands, placing one foot on the ladder up, pausing to grab the three remaining eggs for the other three crew members.
She then turns, thoughtfully peering at Asi. She doesn’t want to talk, and Remi intends to respect that. “Get some rest while you can,” she adds, “The journey back will take a bit longer — we have to sail somewhat against the wind, and it likely won’t be as smooth as the trip down here was.”
Then, the captain disappears out of the hatch up to the deck to bring her crew their well-deserved treat.