shipmaster | (no subject)

We'll need to.. too valuable to pass up.

[For now they drop their hand and double step to catch up with Miles. A few doors ahead... and a small maze of turns. They try scratching an arrow into one of the walls, for now.]

Mm. We don't have many water rations left, save whatever moisture we get from the Queen.

[ That's a good idea. Miles will mark the next one, then. ]

How large do you suppose this thing is?

It dwarfs the Triumph, at least. [The flagship of the Dendarii Fleet was no small vessel, but...]

What was the Barrayaran one? The Prince Surt?

The Prince Serg. [ The correction comes to his lips automatically. ] And it might be even larger than that. Given we're still in hallways here ...

[ But he's coming up on a door that looks like it goes somewhere. Cautiously, he moves to paw at its handle. ]

Freighter class? [The door wooshes open, courtesy of whatever power still gave them enough to see and walk by.]

Oh god! [The smell that pours out of the room is horrifically pungent, reeking of rot and some greenery foreign to both of them.]

Just -

[ Oh god is right. Miles covers up his mouth to keep from retching on the spot. Ugh. ]

What the hell is that? And why is it on a space ship?

I don't- [They pause, hiccoughing in an effort not to gag.] -don't know.

Let's not-

Another room? Please?

Yes, agreed.

[ He slams the panel shut again. Odds are good he would have been allergic to something in there anyway. ]

No chance of comms being in there, I hope.

[Bel marks the door with a large, slashing X.]

No...

If it IS, we'll try again.

Last.

A plan I heartily agree with.

[ He gladly moves forward down the hallway. A little ways on, he comes to a door that's terribly cold to the touch. ]

What about this one?

[The cover their nose, and then,]

Worth a try.

Onwards, then ...

[ He tugs it open with a supreme effort. It's freezing in here, but at least there's no plants. And Miles thinks he recognizes this sort of layout. Having been in many, many variations of it. ]

... This looks like a medical area.

Ah...

This? This is worth coming back to. [As they are scratching a checkmark next to the door, Miles' suit beeps. A moment after, Bel's follows suit.]

[ Miles glances down at his ... and frowns. ]

Weren't we full on power when we came down? Why are we at 75% already?

[They stare down... The only time they'd seen a drop was after power usage and attacks. Neither of THEM had any special powers.]

Are we being injured?

I could see my cascade having had an impact, but ... yours is the same as mine.

[They beep again: 70%]

Or they're sensitive to cold...

... Come on, then. Let's get away from this place before they tick down any further.

[ He leads the way down the next hallway. ]

[Bel only stops to close the door to the medbay. The nice thing about Miles' stature is that it doesn't take more than a few longer strides to catch back up.

At the next door, Bel glances at Miles, and pulls open the door to....

well. THIS has potential. The room is filled to the brim with miscellany. Odds, ends, bits of hardware, tech and less identifiable things are strewn all over the open chambers.]

Jack~pot~

[ Miles' eyes instantly brighten as well. ]

Now we're talking. I bet we can get something going with this.

[ He immediately strides in to sort through trash. ]

[Bel follows, crouching by the first likely piles. They have no idea what ANY of this crap is, but they CAN sort out anything mechanic-

And that SURE IS A WEAPON. Who knows what kind of charges it took. If any were available. Or would ever be available.

BUT IT IS THEIRS NOW.]

HA! It's like I'd been naked, honestly. [Is it out of place to hug an alien weapon? Oh probably. They're doing it anyway.]

[ Miles ain't gonna shame them for it, okay. He's already digging through his pile for something useful. He's finding quite a lot of wire here. And - most importantly, some kind of broken communications device. ]

Bravo. Maybe we can wire it up to our suits and power it that way.

[ He says, holding up the rat's nest of wires. ]

Oh! Brilliant.

I'll be willing to try anything.

[They set the gun down, carefully, pointed away from both of them. and amble over to look at their new prize.

The suits beep, first Miles, then Bel's. 50%]

Ah.

[ Miles goes still for a moment, staring at the readout. So it wasn't the cold, was it. In fact, it seems a lot like... ]

Captain? I think we should leave. Now.

[Bel's heart skips in that frozen second.

They dip only to scoop up their new spoils and pull the door open wide for Miles.]

Go.