Lt. JG. Gnai - Can I Get Back To Doing Science Please?
Lich
((Security Area, Deck 2 - USS Eagle-A))
The chaos in the brig was grating on Gnai. Frankly, dealing with the Alomians in general was a bit grating to Gnai, but it wasn’t going to say that aloud. At the very least, all of the ones on the ship had been contained in the brig, so when it could escape the din of this room, there would (hopefully, very hopefully) be no further surprises waiting for it.
Gnai: ::to Lt. Cmdr. Drex:: Perhaps this one ::pointing to Octil:: should be removed from the others. Their presence might be influencing what she wants to say.
Maybe this would go more smoothly without an audience (well, it would at least be easier to communicate). Gnai had no idea if she'd be more open to talking, but they might as well try, it thought.
Drex: Removing her could be interpreted as coercion. And I won’t have her thinking we’re isolating her to force compliance.
That was a fair point, Gnai hadn’t considered that… They were truly stuck between a rock and a hard place, or however that saying went.
Octil: Response
Drex: We came because you asked for help. We will not impose it on you.
Well, she hadn’t specifically asked for help, it had been the larger Alomian government… and Gnai wasn’t certain that she was the sort of person to identify with the government and their tactics all too well, given the impression that Mister Zebba had gifted them of her and her sect.
Stendhal: ::Karen lets out a sharp, weary breath, her arms crossed tight against the chill of the brig:: Choice is a heavy thing. If you'd rather burn for your 'gods' than live for your people, that’s your prerogative. We’re just the ones holding the fire extinguisher.
Octil: Response
Drex: I can argue.::A short beat:: I can present options.::Another beat:: I can show you projections of what will happen if nothing is done. But I will not cross the line into forcing your hand.
There wasn’t much that Gnai wanted to add, or really could add here. It wasn’t a very skilled diplomat, even if Mister Zebba had seemingly taken a liking to it before. But that might have just been whatever drugs security had dosed him with (which Gnai, again, was fairly certain was a massive breach of Federation ethics to some extent). Scratch that, given the general mood of the other, undosed Alomians stuck in the brig towards it, it was definitely the drugs that had given it such a good first impression with Mister Zebba.
Stendhal: ::Karen shifts her weight against the bulkhead, her expression tight with the effort of filtering the psychic noise in the room:: He’s giving you the only thing we have left to offer: the truth. If you’re so sure of your 'gods,' then the data shouldn't frighten you. Unless, deep down, you already know what it says.
Octil: Response
Drex: My responsibility is the safety of my ship and my crew. If your government refuse our assistance, we will respect that decision... and we will depart.
That didn’t seem wise at all to Gnai, and it flashed in various hues of concern and worry across its tendrils. Leaving the planet and the moon (and all the people in the system) to the mercy of whatever busted Genesis-y device seemed like a horrible idea. Lives mattered more than beliefs, at least in Gnai’s perception, and it wasn’t convinced that everyone on Alomia agreed with them anyhow (even Galadorans, who strived to be such a monoculture, had their eccentrics who fought against the tides of societal norms). Should they just be left to suffer the consequences of their fellow Alomians’ beliefs?
Stendhal: ::She lets out a long, ragged breath, rubbing the bridge of her nose:: It’s a big galaxy, Darling. There are plenty of people out there who actually want to survive the week. If you’re determined to be a martyr for a biological glitch, that’s your business. Personally, I’ve had enough of this 'holy' static for one day.
Octil: Response
Whatever was happening, it didn’t feel at all useful in the room, standing around as another interrogation started up. Especially as it disagreed with what the proposed solution might be… and that it couldn’t really speak up about that disagreement at this exact moment. They needed to provide a united front to the saboteur and her colleagues…
It sat itself down with the various lower decker security officers that were still milling around this part of the brig, mostly confident that Lt. Cmdr. Drex and Lt. Stendhal had this covered for the time being. New orders would come soon enough, and hopefully it would be far less of… this, with all the politicking and grey areas and interrogation and diplomacy (and sabotage), and more in the realm of discoverable answers and solvable problems.
TAGS/End Act 2 for Gnai
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