Cruise Beautiful Lake Agloza (IC - SIGN UP FIRST)

[Glisandia]

At The Bar

Penny had waited her turn at the bar after some Lake gazing, "Aye, yae got tae double vodka oranges, playse" she says.

The Glisandian bartender stood stock still for a second, trying to process the thick Orcadian accent, but she finally locked onto the key part of the order: Double vodka oranges.
"Sorry, did you say two of them? The Double vodka oranges? Yes? Okay then."

Within a couple minutes, the drinks were ready.
"There you go. Thank you. Enjoy the rest of your evening."

The bartender was a pro and she was flying through the orders as much as she could. It was every type of accent and even various languages she wasn't familiar with, that people were shouting orders at her in. For a time, as most of the guests migrated to the dining room, things had slowed down enough that she and her fellow bartenders could clean up and reset, restocking some of the garnishes and mixes, and checking the taps. Then the wave hit again. These were the guests done with their meal, but not quite done with their drinking and wanting to move out of the dining room and move around the deck with a drink in hand.

Captain's Table
Dining Room

"True" replies Louise, "though what were you doing before joining this ship?" She asks, taking a sip of the complementarity wine.

Stan took a sip of his own drink before answering.
"Well, I was actually sailing three ships of the line for the Grand Empress cruise lines out of Gaul, rotating between them, but before that...I was in the Royal Glisandian Merchant Marine for many years. I still miss that job in many respects. Challenging, but very rewarding."

Stan shifted as he watched Chef Francis travel out to the table. He tried to catch Francis' eye to get him to walk over after his spiel, but he was all professional and kept talking to the guests. Some of them. Well, really he just focused on one. Apparently, she was a Cartoonian celebrity or politician of sorts.
“If there are any questions or concerns about tonight’s meal, please do not hesitate to ask me anything!”

Francis was already rushing back to the galley, as Stan mumbled,
"Yeah, why is it all Franco-cuisine? ...What about Aglozan cuisine? Dammit!"
He didn't yell it out in order to avoid getting attention from the rest of the table, but his annoyance might be obvious.

He smiled, hiding that annoyance with a layer of amused interest.
"Madame Raphtalia, you are a government official back in your home country? How wonderful! What do you do?"

[Port Ember]

Jolene Gudfrey & The Heirlichs
Main Dining Hall

Helene replied to Jolene's story which she had shared,
"Well, that is amazing! What a colorful, rich tradition! We just go to uni to get our ya-yas out, and some of us luckier folk in Neu Engollon..." She meant richer, "...might get to go a semester abroad or a little pre-college trip. I got to go to Taranima, and hit some parts in Northern Madurin before I started my freshman year. Where did you go for your Golden Road trip?"

Before Jolene could respond, Helene's husband, Jack, added to the conversation,
"Nothing like scouting out the market before plunging in. I am a bit of a business man myself. I'm in sales, both for Burgunden Breus and for Terembev. I get to go scout out new and unique beverages that we can pick up to distribute, or work on partnerships. But, speaking of Port Ember and Neu Engollon, aren't there some defense industry links happening right now between our two nations? I seem to recall that the new line of helicopters that are taking our civilian sector by storm, and revamping our military, are partially Port Emberian made? The, um...Bas-ihd Four?"

Jolene smiled warmly as she commenced her reply, thinking deep down that she had struck solid luck by being seated at this table. The Heirlich couple seemed to be intelligent and very interesting folk, which would make for great conversation. She locked eyes with Helen,

"Well, allow me to first share how one is to decide upon a destination during your journey… So, there I was at the airport, with nothing but a killer design on my person, and only a few sets of killer designs in my backpack, trembling with utmost excitement and nervousness. I walked towards a large electronic notice board, which displayed a list of all the day's scheduled flights, where I closed my eyes, spun around, and smashed my finger onto the board… My finger landed solidly on the next flight to a nation called Sturgia. So I bought my last-minute ticket, and off I went!

Sturgia was a wonderful experience, and I adapted fairly quickly. The nation of Sturgia was settled ages ago by the ancient Aquilonian peoples - the same folk who we Port Emberians call ancestors, thus it was easy to fit in with the local culture. It did not take me long to establish business ties there, before my journey led me to cross borders, and I ended up backpacking throughout the continent of Multania. By the end of my two year journey, I have visited all of the nations upon the continent.

If you would allow me to digress for a moment, I have not been to the lands which you have journeyed to, I beg you to share some 'Must See' locations and events later. Travelling to lands untravelled is quite the hobby for myself."

Jolene turned her body slightly within her seat, to squarely face Jack, before responding to his piece in the conversation,
"Indeed, Port Ember Megalopolis is quite abuzz with excitement concerning the new helicopter deal. A multi trillion, trans-national industrial deal tends to make these sorts of large waves. From my understanding, it's named the 'BASD' deal - an amalgamation of Blackstone Aviation, Schwyz Defence Systems and Neu Engollon Defence Industries. Four different models have been placed in production, I think. I am not completely up to date with the exact technical details of the deal, but I have some dear friends who have been involved with the planning and negotiations process. What is clear to me however, is that this deal is a game changer for the economy of both nations. Besides the obvious direct advantages for the companies involved, the indirect economy which has prospered, and is about to prosper, is on an unimaginable scale. Even for those companies not directly or indirectly profiting from this deal, grand opportunities have arisen. For example, latest market research has indicated that both business and consumers have indicated a growing interest and trust in the other nations involved, thus peaking demand in each other's goods and services, whether related to the helicopter market or not. That effect, we Port Emberians like to call 'The Mutual Gold Rush Effect'. In fact, it is this phenomenon which has led me to the decision to travel to Neu Engollon after this cruise, in order to strike the iron whilst it is sizzling, as the saying goes, I believe.

Speaking of seizing an opportunity, you mentioned that you work in procurement for Burgunden Breus and Terembev? I know of them! Quite famous, especially the Golden Cross beer stable - and according to my understanding, those are the two largest and most successful breweries where you are from, correct? Believe it or not, coincidently, I have recently acquired major shareholder status in a small, but rapidly expanding brewery back home, called 'Aleworks'. Two words for you, Mister Heirlich, Rose Beer…"

[Greater Orcadia]

Louise and Ryan waited for the captain to finish with other guests, listenning closely as they did so,
"sounds interesting, I met Ryan at a yacht club and during my maritime training was a member of the yacht racing club" Louise replies,

Ryan turns to the captain "tall ships sound fun, There's a tall ship museum in Western Orcadia with a three masted schooner and a pirate ship replica, its a place I want to visit", he then turns to Louise, "we should visit before you go back to sea", Louise smiles at the idea.

Martyne listens carefully, her contrast of styles with Louise is evident, a pair of tight leather pants and top with a tattoo over a large portion of her face against her sisters more professional style could not be more evident, she is also not wearing a bra under her leather top showing that she may be wearing some intimate jewellery.
"so what drew you to the sea? asks Martyne

[Cortexis]

Silence fell at Galvan's table - something that Galvan and Artifia were both very comfortable with. However, if they wanted to enjoy silence, preferably while reading, they could have stayed at home. Spend the day in their rather impressive library, perhaps. Of course, each reading a different book, but in the same room. On the same sofa, even, if they felt especially intimate.

Anyway, they were here to experience something new, so Galvan thought to break the silence. He tried to think something to say.
"All right... what to say... A nice conversation starter could be good... something non-intrusive... Maybe a joke... what good innoffensive jokes do I know?...All right, what group of science-deniers do I not mind offending?...Well, plenty of them are widely disliked anyway, so... Perhaps that joke about an anti-vaxxer and a fish tank in the pet shop, that's a great one... Or maybe..."
(OOC Note: this is just inner monologue, he is not thinking out loud. Just pointing it out to be safe.)
It took him some time, but eventually he decided. But before he could open his mouth and tell the joke about a flat-earther playing with LEGOs (that one also was a classic), it was actually Artifia who spoke up. Well, spoke up might be an exageration, but she spoke and it was audible and understandable.
"so, maurice... what do you do for a living?"
It was an easy question to think of. After all, Abel asked Galvan about his job. They might as well hear from the rest of the table.

[Greater Orcadia]

The bar
Taking their drinks, Penny and Evan, wearing formal evening wear made their way to their table by the window and took their seats, Evan casts a glance out through the window, takes hold of Penny's phone and snaps a few photos of the view of the lake as Penny's browses the menu.

Once the waiter comes over, she orders 2 cheese burgers before turning back to Evan, "with the past of the nations that surround this lake, not all of which get on with each other, it could be interesting. Glislandians in the YSR for example. I had to secure special visas to get into the YSR for us both as well as Lou, Rye and Marty. Could be very interesting though, and after the war there, just how much they have rebuilt" says Penny

Evan listens carefully
"Might they be opening up because their economy is trashed and they need the tourist cash?" He asks

"That's one possibility Evan"

[Cartoonia]

He smiled, hiding that annoyance with a layer of amused interest.
"Madame Raphtalia, you are a government official back in your home country? How wonderful! What do you do?"

She smiled at the captain, who was intrigued at the notion of a government official onboard.

“I’m humbled sir, thank you. This should be a fair time to properly introduce ourselves. My name is Raphtalia Iwatani, and I am a government official for the Democratic Republic of Cartoonia, well to be more specific the Secretary of Foreign Affairs. I mostly work in the department of foreign affairs. Keeping in touch with our allies and embassies across the world. Though, I am here now to just get a break from the hectic scene of the foreign office. You know, since the world seems to be exploding especially with adversaries popping up left and right, I just needed a vacation”. Raphtalia gestured at Riza to tell her a little bit about herself.

“Likewise,” Riza says, “my name is Riza Hawkeye. Lieutenant in the army. I have been assigned as the personal bodyguard for Mrs. Iwatani here. Though, I suppose I too am on vacation with her”.

[Greater Orcadia]

Captains table
Martyne listened carefully as did Louise and Ryan, nodding respectfully at the comment about the world exploding, then once a break came in the conversation as not to over talk a fellow guest, Ryan took a moment to reply

"Travelling with us in our group is the daughter of a diplomat, young Penny over there" he says, glancing across at Penny Snyder and Evan. "...so with the YSR situation recently before it started to quieten down, I bet your department was busy. Though I suspect its not that quiet and simmering below the surface, a bit like how lava flows below the surface in lava tubes" his analogy akin to a volcanic eruption where the surface appears to be quiet and still yet just a few feet down the fires of hell run fast and hot.

[Terre des Gaules]

As they continued to eat with a lull in the conversation, Maurice didn't find anything strange about it. He was enjoying the company, even if the Cortexian couple were quirky by conventional standards and Abel had a slightly loose filter from his brain to his mouth. He also did enjoy the meal, all reservations about lack of local cuisine aside. The chef, and the rest of the cooks in the galley were to be commended, especially coming from someone with a Franco background. What was listed on the menu, and what was expected on the plate were one and the same. They were accurate to the gourmet entrees with a bit of flare to spare. The whole table seemed to be enjoying it...

Well, he wasn't sure about the Cortexians. As Galvan had said, food was a much more perfunctory thing in their culture. One either ate or they didn't and it wasn't a matter of enjoying the energy, but just being sure to convert it. Who was Maurice to judge another culture on their more basic, animalistic view of food? Gauls (and other Franco-based cultures) didn't really have any superiority over other cultures just because they considered food preparation a more artistic and sensualistic affair. Every culture had their highpoints, and that was part of his job to discover them and what would appeal to clients. Now...if Galvan told him next that his nation purged the old, sick, and lame from the population, that would be quite a bit more alarming and make him judge their people. It wasn't a topic that should come up over dinner...but who knew?

Maurice looked over at his companion Abel, who had been quite silent since that awkwardness earlier. He shrugged internally.

While Galvan had been the more talkative of the couple up to this point, it was Artifia who spoke next.
"So, Maurice... what do you do for a living?"

Maurice had just been in the middle of washing down his palate with the glass of water at the table, then reaching for his more adult beverage to enjoy the taste. He put the glass down for the moment.
"Oh...Well, I am to put it simply: A travel agent. We have clients all the way from individuals on a budget to political VIPs, and large corporate event planners. That's actually why I'm out here, is to scout out the Cruise and the Lake Aglozian ports for future destinations for our clients. Sometimes I am assigned to a travel destination by my bosses, but such as this case, I picked this new cruise line myself, and they approved. I have never been to this part of Tavlyria, which is quite an oversight in my personal knowledge base. It's not like Tavlyria is halfway round the world from my own continent, Madurin, after all."

[Glisandia]

Raphtalia smiled and answered,
“I’m humbled, sir, thank you. This should be a fair time to properly introduce ourselves. My name is Raphtalia Iwatani, and I am a government official for the Democratic Republic of Cartoonia, well to be more specific, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs. I mostly work in the department of foreign affairs. Keeping in touch with our allies and embassies across the world. Though, I am here now to just get a break from the hectic scene of the foreign office. You know, since the world seems to be exploding especially with adversaries popping up left and right, I just needed a vacation.” Raphtalia gestured at Riza to tell her a little bit about herself.

“Likewise,” Riza says, “my name is Riza Hawkeye. Lieutenant in the army. I have been assigned as the personal bodyguard for Mrs. Iwatani here. Though, I suppose I too am on vacation with her.”

Captain Stan nodded.
"Well, I could understand that. While political VIPs aren't that rare on a cruise, one of your position and stature might be. I'm surprised my head office didn't pass along to our security the situation, but they may have talked to Mr. Ryker and he just didn't pass that along to me with everything else going on. Perhaps all of us at the table could keep Ms. Iwatani's actual position between ourselves, please? Might make Lieutenant Hawkeye's job a bit easier...

I understand breaking away from that kind of stress. I think you're right that new adversaries pop up all the time. That happens around here, although as far as nation-states go, it's more old adversaries rearing their heads again."

Adding to Riza and Raphtalia, Ryan said:
"Travelling with us in our group is the daughter of a diplomat, young Penny over there." He said, glancing across at Penny Snyder and Evan. "...so with the YSR situation recently before it started to quieten down, I bet your department was busy. Though I suspect its not that quiet and simmering below the surface, a bit like how lava flows below the surface in lava tubes."

Stan was a little confused, thinking that Ryan meant Cartoonia had dealings with the YSR, but perhaps he meant Stan's stint in the Merchant Marine. He went with that.
"You mean when I was a high ranking officer in the Merchant Marine? Yes, we were busy surviving. Trying to not be sunk by YSR subs or boarded by their capital ships and Osatanian ships. Keeping both the humanitarian and war supplies flowing into Glisandia. Then to northern Jumnia when the Yellowsians had succeeded in blockading off the Glisandian ports. It was a dark time in our nation. We Glisandians, as a people, probably talk about it too much, but it has deeply affected us to the point where it's a part of our daily existence. So I will try not to talk about it unsolicited. But you did ask...

Anyway, I think the Yellowsians are pretty tranquil these days. From what I hear they are no longer interested in our territory so much as our information and money, which they steal through the cyberwaves. Or...as in when we dock at Wjol, you will see, when they overcharge tourists for food and trinkets. Much less self-damaging behavior for them, after all. Old dogs can learn new tricks, and such nonsense as that..."

Ryan turns to the captain "Tall ships sound fun. There's a tall ship museum in Western Orcadia with a three-masted schooner and a pirate ship replica. It's a place I want to visit.", He then turns to Louise, "We should visit before you go back to sea.", Louise smiled at the idea.

Captain Stan blushed at his maritime mistake,
"Oh, yes, we did have one old-styled tall ship in the fleet, but I meant more modern terms for 'ships of the line'. As in like, ships of the fleet, or under the same banner. My mistake. Let's write if off to language differences..."

"So, what drew you to the sea?" Asks Martyne.

Stan smiled at a lighter topic. Somewhat lighter, anyway.
"Oh, I was born into it. My family has been seafaring folk from the Kajmur area back...oh, maybe more than a century? Decades at least. I grew up on the stories. I had the uncles and father to mentor me and take me out on a boat even before I could walk to get my sea legs. Interestingly, the more Nordic side of my family and the Polish side were quite opposed. Like a Capulet-Montague situation. Some marriage between some great-great grandparents settled all of that. No family gang warfare and poisonings necessary!" He chortled at his own literary based joke, aware that some might not get it.

[Neu Engollon]

Main Dining Area

Helene listened with rapt attention to Jolene. There were some references she didn't get like 'killer designs', and Sturgia, while a nation, reminded her of ancient fish, but she didn't dare interrupt a good story. At the end, she clapped.
"Oh ma gawd! That is amazing. Sheer fortitude to do that on your own as a young woman. I have goosebumps just listening..."

Jolene turned her attention to Jack's mention of the Port Emberian-Neu Engollian connections.
"Indeed, Port Ember Megalopolis is quite abuzz with excitement concerning the new helicopter deal. A multi trillion, trans-national industrial deal tends to make these sorts of large waves. From my understanding, it's named the 'BASD' deal - an amalgamation of Blackstone Aviation, Schwyz Defence Systems and Neu Engollon Defence Industries. Four different models have been placed in production, I think. I am not completely up to date with the exact technical details of the deal, but I have some dear friends who have been involved with the planning and negotiations process. What is clear to me however, is that this deal is a game changer for the economy of both nations. Besides the obvious direct advantages for the companies involved, the indirect economy which has prospered, and is about to prosper, is on an unimaginable scale. Even for those companies not directly or indirectly profiting from this deal, grand opportunities have arisen. For example, latest market research has indicated that both business and consumers have indicated a growing interest and trust in the other nations involved, thus peaking demand in each other's goods and services, whether related to the helicopter market or not. That effect, we Port Emberians like to call 'The Mutual Gold Rush Effect'. In fact, it is this phenomenon which has led me to the decision to travel to Neu Engollon after this cruise, in order to strike the iron whilst it is sizzling, as the saying goes, I believe.

Speaking of seizing an opportunity, you mentioned that you work in procurement for Burgunden Breus and Terembev? I know of them! Quite famous, especially the Golden Cross beer stable - and according to my understanding, those are the two largest and most successful breweries where you are from, correct? Believe it or not, coincidently, I have recently acquired major shareholder status in a small, but rapidly expanding brewery back home, called 'Aleworks'. Two words for you, Mister Heirlich, Rose Beer…"

Jack smiled, then laughed.
"Ah, rose beer. Yes...That was believed to be a myth for a long time in the brew industry in Teremara. Glad to hear it's a real thing as it intrigues me. Let's stick a pin in that for later. Anyway...Yes, Golden Cross is pretty globally known. Most of Terembev's contract breweries around the world are cranking out a large proportion of Golden Cross over any other brand associated with Terembev. Burgunden Breueries is probably the oldest and most successful, but they didn't have the mass appeal of Golden Cross, so when the family owners were ready to sell the brand, we were there waiting and insistent. We beat out Omholt's breuerie, another decent sized Neu Engollian breuerie, in acquiring it, and...well, that's another story. They are not very friendly towards BB or Terembev...

In any case, Terembev has grown exponentially and made the right acquisitions to ensure that. It's not a breuerie, or...forgive my Neu Engollian pronunciation, a brewery, but in fact a beverage conglomerate: wine, soda pop, water, sports drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks alike we specialize in any liquid you can easily move through your body. There are dozens of brands under our umbrella and we are adding more all the time. Some brands we buy outright and some are partnered brands. I think my personal appeal is that I can represent so many different cultural brands from not just Teremara, but around the world. It makes for exciting business meetings."
Jack punctuated that with a sip of his drink to signal he was done talking.

[Cortexis]

"An interesting job, to be sure. Always exposed to new things... that must be exciting." Galvan responded as Maurice described his job as a travel agent.
At this point, Galvan and Artifia were brought their dishes. Galvan suspected that it took longer than it should, but he didn't mind. He has waited for longer. Despite taking very different approaches to ordering, they ended up ordering the same dish - shrimp.
"And now, the moment of truth!" said Galvan, mostly to himself, as he tasted his food.
"Luck, today you ruled in my favour. Let's continue this trend, shall we?", he said after he was done chewing. Then, he chuckled a bit at the foolishness of adressing an inanimate cultural concept. Shrimp...crustaceans...invertebrates, just like insects... A conversation starter!
"What is your opinion on insects as ingredients in food?", he adressed the rest of the table, "Especially given the predictions that they will eventually replace other kinds of meat due to better sustainability. I never saw any issues with them, personally."
Artifia, feeling especially talkative, swallowed and joined the conversation.
"especially in case of "processed meat". structurally, paste is paste and flavour can be altered. if artificial flavour was added into the product, hypothetical "insect nuggets" could be undistinguishable from, for example, chicken ones."

[Port Ember]

Jolene Gudfrey & The Heirlichs
Main Dining Hall

Jolene flashed a warm smile at Helene as she clapped her hands from excitement, compliment of Jolene's tale, and Helene's kind response,

"Oh ma gawd! That is amazing. Sheer fortitude to do that on your own as a young woman. I have goosebumps just listening..."

Jolene responded whilst keeping her smile warm and her eyes fixed on those of Helene,

"Thank you dear, you are most gracious! Whilst I obviously enjoy the fruits of my heritage and those of my own success, the lessons learned from my initiation rite will always be held dear. During that journey, I could not rely on the safety net which is my family fortune or connections, but instead I was forced to discover myself - bare to the world my naked strengths and weaknesses, forge my own path, make and learn from my own mistakes. It is during such troubles where you can learn what you are really made of, and I will be forever grateful."

Jack chimed in as response to her tale of business, accompanied by a brief smile and chuckle,

"Ah, rose beer. Yes...That was believed to be a myth for a long time in the brew industry in Teremara. Glad to hear it's a real thing as it intrigues me. Let's stick a pin in that for later. Anyway...Yes, Golden Cross is pretty globally known. Most of Terembev's contract breweries around the world are cranking out a large proportion of Golden Cross over any other brand associated with Terembev. Burgunden Breueries is probably the oldest and most successful, but they didn't have the mass appeal of Golden Cross, so when the family owners were ready to sell the brand, we were there waiting and insistent. We beat out Omholt's breuerie, another decent sized Neu Engollian breuerie, in acquiring it, and...well, that's another story. They are not very friendly towards BB or Terembev...

In any case, Terembev has grown exponentially and made the right acquisitions to ensure that. It's not a breuerie, or...forgive my Neu Engollian pronunciation, a brewery, but in fact a beverage conglomerate: wine, soda pop, water, sports drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks alike we specialize in any liquid you can easily move through your body. There are dozens of brands under our umbrella and we are adding more all the time. Some brands we buy outright and some are partnered brands. I think my personal appeal is that I can represent so many different cultural brands from not just Teremara, but around the world. It makes for exciting business meetings."

Jolene turned to face Jack once more whilst listening attentively, and took his gesture of taking a sip of his drink as signal that he was done speaking for now. Jolene imitated Jack by also taking a deep sip of her drink before flashing a soft smile and a small nod, before responding,

"Indeed Mister Heirlich, I have paid some attention to the dealings of Terembev, as the story of how they have come to dominate their market is quite intriguing. In fact, if memory recall, I might have overheard a professor of the Gold Coast University of Economics mention that they were considering including a case-study of Terembev within their curriculum for next year."

Jolene took another quick sip of her drink before continuing,

"I am also quite surprised concerning the fact that Terembev has not made any serious attempts of establishing markets within Port Ember, as we have one of the largest beverage consumer markets on the planet, being a multi billion market.

Well, as a side note, I would like to hint at the fact that I actually have a few bottles of Rose Beer on board, just in case some would still believe it's but a myth…"

Jolene flashed a sly wink as she climbed into her drink once more.

[Greater Orcadia]

Ryan turns to the captain "Tall ships sound fun. There's a tall ship museum in Western Orcadia with a three-masted schooner and a pirate ship replica. It's a place I want to visit.", He then turns to Louise, "We should visit before you go back to sea.", Louise smiled at the idea.

Captain Stan blushed at his maritime mistake,
"Oh, yes, we did have one old-styled tall ship in the fleet, but I meant more modern terms for 'ships of the line'. As in like, ships of the fleet, or under the same banner. My mistake. Let's write if off to language differences..."

"So, what drew you to the sea?" Asks Martyne.

Stan smiled at a lighter topic. Somewhat lighter, anyway.
"Oh, I was born into it. My family has been seafaring folk from the Kajmur area back...oh, maybe more than a century? Decades at least. I grew up on the stories. I had the uncles and father to mentor me and take me out on a boat even before I could walk to get my sea legs. Interestingly, the more Nordic side of my family and the Polish side were quite opposed. Like a Capulet-Montague situation. Some marriage between some great-great grandparents settled all of that. No family gang warfare and poisonings necessary!" He chortled at his own literary based joke, aware that some might not get it.

"aah I get yae now" relies Ryan, "now with the situation over over in the Eastern part of the lake seems like we might be on the road to an interesting future, though i wander. Where's the most interesting place you have had shore leave?"

Martyne takes a sip of her wine, "a bit like how Louise and Myself came to be, spending our earlier years on a large yacht as Nikki cruised the world whilst Ocean Concepts made money building boats for Meridian and others, I think, less so with me but certainly with Lou, there is salt water in the veins rather than blood, though If i could have things again I probably wouldnt change things", she glances at Louise for a moment.
"Lou, how did that lost yachtie do?"

"oh him, Coastie's were looking for ages for him but he had drifted off the main area, turns out he wasn't that far off where we might be sailing so I made the call to divert, He was transfered off My ship to a cutter and flown home, his boat was mostly sunken and he was clinging to the railings on the bow and had been there for a couple of days, drifting slowly north-east away from land"

[Terre des Gaules]

"What is your opinion on insects as ingredients in food?", Galvan addressed the rest of the table, "Especially given the predictions that they will eventually replace other kinds of meat due to better sustainability. I never saw any issues with them, personally."
Artifia, feeling especially talkative, swallowed and joined the conversation.
"Especially in case of "processed meat". Structurally, paste is paste and flavour can be altered. If artificial flavour was added into the product, hypothetical "insect nuggets" could be undistinguishable from, for example, chicken ones."

Maurice glanced at Abel, who seemed to be off in space again. He was beginning to be a bit of a dud of a companion. After this dinner they would likely part ways, unless something drastically changed.

He focused back on the Cortexian couple. His stomach didn't turn at the topic,
"I have eaten insects in my travels, as there are many places that do believe in incorporating them into their cuisine. You kind of have to have a strong stomach in my business. I suppose you can alter the taste, yes, but that is kind of the point. Not many I know would want to eat straight insects unless they are in a survivability situation. It's more out of necessity than preference there, isn't it?" He recalled that they had said dining was more functional than form in their culture, but he charged on,
"I mean...in several generations maybe many cultures' taste buds will change, and as you say, the sustainability factor...We can't farm large livestock indefinitely on this fragile planet. Perhaps, then...it will become more accepted and the natural taste won't be so reprehensible to the masses. Or will they always need to bury the taste of insects in spice and sauce?"

He took a sip of wine, which he had switched to and ordered once his cocktail had run dry, while they were busy talking about eating sea creatures.
"In any case, I can only speak for myself that it is under pressure to be a good guest of exotic culture that I eat insects, but not preference. As for being buried in processed food, well...what I don't know won't necessarily kill me as long as some health agency gave it their stamp of approval, right? How much roach and rat parts and waste do some Westerners ingest now that filter into mass produced, processed meats in plants? There are 'acceptable' levels in industrial food processing now that would make many folks' toes curl. Hehe. Maybe we're already being primed for such eventualities through slow introduction..."

[Glisandia]

"Aah, I get yae now" replied Ryan, "Now with the situation over over in the Eastern part of the lake, seems like we might be on the road to an interesting future, though i wander. Where's the most interesting place you have had shore leave?"

Stan was warming up to the conversation now, but still felt sorry for the others who might feel left out. He hoped they could spark up conversations with and entertain each other. The Doctor was no help and seemed intent on ripping through her dinner and getting away from the table as soon as possible.
The Captain turned back to Ryan,
"Yes, it will be interesting with how interactions go from here with the YSR. We have a long history of animosity, but we are feuding cousins that somehow need to learn how to get along if we're both to survive." He took a sip of a refreshed drink brought by one of the servers.
"Most interesting place to have shore leave? Well...that's a tough one. I find interesting things about every port. Some of the port calls to Reino do Brazil were nice. We even got to Nueva Vista in San Rosito, once. That was beautiful. White sand, gorgeous women. Arkyatan is quite interesting. Fierce peoples and lots of rugged territory. I might have to say the most interesting, and not because it was totally enjoyable was Kenega City, down in Wishtonia. Never did I see more contrasts in one short trip. Again, beautiful beaches and people, but juxtaposed with violent crime, organized and not; casinos; hyper-capitalism in general. Everybody selling everything, above board, and under the table; missionaries in the mix trying to save souls; very innocent tourists trying to find their way; not so innocent visitors knowing exactly what they wanted and what they could get...It was overwhelming and fascinating."
He took another sip.
"I will say that I had my issues with my old company on that. We should have had a moral obligation to tell our passengers what was in store for them instead of us just unleashing them onto the shore with 'Have fun. Don't miss your re-board!' We lost two passengers who were never heard from again. Against company orders, I sent out a search party as the local gendarmerie were no damn help at all...Turns out with one of them that they had meant to disappear themselves, but that's a story for another time..."

Trygve Karlsson, the Assistant Entertainment Director, broke in,
"Ahem...Yes, I think all of this might be a story for another time, Captain. Might be a tad much for our guests, and not very reassuring for..."

Stan silenced him.
"Shut it. Listen..."
The booze was starting to catch up with him a little bit.
"...I have a point. Also, we don't need to shield people from knowing that bad things can happen at any port, especially when we're docking tomorrow in the YSR and later in Osatana. Hell, even Falkasia runs some risks. People need to be cautious, not oblivious." He looked around the table, gaining the eyes of everyone.
"Yellow Star Republic is a very austere, stark nation. Make no mistake about it. There are those there who will do anything to get by another day and you need to know that. To some of them there in Wjol, you will be giant walking wallets. If you don't open up and exhale money, they might feel inclined to make you do so. Government agents would love to catch you doing anything in violation of their rules so they can embarrass your nation and knock it down a peg, proving how superior their brand of socialism is. Stick with your tour groups. Don't be tempted to step out of line, no matter what some of these port rats say...
So please, be on your guard. Mr. Karlsson here will make an announcement to that affect in the morning. Won't you?"

"Eh...Yes, I suppose so. Maybe not so detailed and ominous, but a general 'be on your guard' type of bit."
Karlsson looked relieved that Stan had wound down.
"Um, now that dessert is upon us, we should be wrapping things up here. As referenced, we have a big day tomorrow. Also, some of our guests might want to get in a little more revelry before turning in."

[Greater Orcadia]

Ryan listened carefully, "well hopefully if we stay in our groups we should be good, I have experience of some of the neighbouring nations but the recent times there was little container work over land, even this lake itself was a no go zone if I recall" he says, "...however our friends over there, Penny had to get a diplomatic permit to go to the YSR, her father being the ambassador to Port Ember"

The permit Ryan is talking of is supplied by the Orcadian home office

[Greater Orcadia]

At their table, Penny and Evan, carefully eating their meal as they watched waves break against the bow wave made from the ship as it moved through the water, along with seabirds skimming the water as they hunted for fish and anything else that was edible floating close to the surface found their attention was drawn to the words of the captain just a few tables away.

"Now, Evan, you see why I had to apply for a visa to go to the YSR, as the daughter of a diplomat I may be a surveillance subject so we will have to stay with organised groups, and no wandering. We may have to be a bit careful where we take pictures as it would cause a big scene. Unfortunately diplomatic immunity doesn't apply here, sir Nick isn't the ambassador," says Penny.

[Cortexis]

"As for being buried in processed food, well...what I don't know won't necessarily kill me as long as some health agency gave it their stamp of approval, right? How much roach and rat parts and waste do some Westerners ingest [i]now that filter into mass produced, processed meats in plants? There are 'acceptable' levels in industrial food processing now that would make many folks' toes curl. Hehe. Maybe we're already being primed for such eventualities through slow introduction..."

Galvan thought that his insect topic was a good idea. It seemed to start a decent conversation. Abel didn't join, but over the dinner, Galvan started to expect that from him. Abel reminded him of his son whether he got a new exciting idea. At that point, every activity not related to the idea simply stopped. Vektorins were used to this.

"Exactly! As my wife said, at certain point, you can just disquise this "paste" as anything, really. When coupled with competent oversight, I do not really mind... If it's been properly tested and supervised, it's good for consumption. Maybe it's just the science enthusiast in me, but I don't understand the panic nowadays with "chemicals" in food. I know what those people mean by it, but to anybody familiar with the terminology, they sound a bit silly. Air is a chemical compound. So is water. So is basically any substance... I used to know a really good joke about this... How did it go exactly... I remember the basic structure, but it will not be as funny if I do not quote it verbatim...Hang on... ... ...Nevertheless, it's their money to spend on alternatives, not mine. Plus, not even those are sure to be "safe", according to their standards. For example, with the polution of the oceans... who knows what might have contaminated these?" Galvan gestured towards the shrimp as he had another bite.
Artifia thought for a bit, and then spoke up.
"Dihydrogen monoxide is a major component of acid rains, may cause severe burns and is used as an industrial solvent and coolant. Still, it is frequently used as an additive in food and drinks." she said, struggling to keep a straight face.
Galvan started to laugh and turned to Maurice.
"Yes! That was the one! Do you get it? Dihydrogen monoxide, it's ... it's" Galvan struggled to talk through fits of laughter, before finally giving up. "Ahh, you surely understand it."
He eventually calmed down and continued speaking.
"Anyway...The possibility of being "slowly primed through slow introduction" you raise is interesting. Yes, I could see that happening in case of emerging necessity, because a large ammount of the world population does not share this table's opinion... It would probably not be that much necessary in Cortexis. We already mentioned our traditional approach to cuisine, and protein is protein after all."

[Neu Engollon]

Main Dining Hall

Helene remained quiet, listening to Jolene. All she had to say was "Mhm." as she sipped her wine.

Jolene turned to face Jack once more whilst listening attentively, and took his gesture of taking a sip of his drink as signal that he was done speaking for now. Jolene imitated Jack by also taking a deep sip of her drink before flashing a soft smile and a small nod, before responding,
"Indeed Mister Heirlich, I have paid some attention to the dealings of Terembev, as the story of how they have come to dominate their market is quite intriguing. In fact, if memory recall, I might have overheard a professor of the Gold Coast University of Economics mention that they were considering including a case-study of Terembev within their curriculum for next year."

"Ha! I am not sure that the Terembev rise in power is all that mysterious or miraculous, Ms. Gudfrey. It was all about building on tried and true economic models and growing exponentially while keeping dedicated to the goal. Terembev is going to just keep networking and adding brands as quick as they can, but moving too quickly can turn the market against you, sometimes. Growth has to be logical and sustainable."

Jolene took another quick sip of her drink before continuing,

"I am also quite surprised concerning the fact that Terembev has not made any serious attempts of establishing markets within Port Ember, as we have one of the largest beverage consumer markets on the planet, being a multi billion market.

Well, as a side note, I would like to hint at the fact that I actually have a few bottles of Rose Beer on board, just in case some would still believe it's but a myth…"
Jolene flashed a sly wink as she climbed into her drink once more.

Jack finished his drink. He looked around the dining room, then fixed his focus back on Jolene.
"Ms. Gudrey, I think that you should be patient, and see what unfolds in just the next few months. It's not that they shied away from Port Ember, but rather that the steamroller hasn't made its way there...yet. I know that the market of your Republic is in the target hairs as we speak. Who knows? You may go home from this trip and find Burgunden Breus, Attico's, and Gertner's Cider on the shelves, and not just in specialty exporter stores. I guarantee you, knowing our market research division, nobody is ignoring Port Ember. Likely they're just planning a very solid and steady breach into that market. As for the rose beer, I will certainly take you up on that this trip. I'm just not sure about tonight."

It seemed like things were winding down in the Dining Room. Passengers were getting up from their finished meals, thanking their serving staff, and heading out onto the deck to enjoy the stars and a little cool weather. The casino was still running, but only a few diehards were keeping at it. The deck was partially open and it was a bit cooler than some might have expected, so not many had brought warmer coats up with them to put over their dinner suits and dresses.

Still, some were staying strong and toughing it out. They were loving the vast amount of stars visible, and how the low mountains of the YSR coast glowed in the moonlight. They were definitely nearing the coast now, and some could even seeing the fishing boat fleets at dock for the evening in a number of small marinas stretching both ways from Wjol along the coast.

Jack, Helene, and Jolene continued to chat for a few more minutes, but wound down.
Helene said, "Jolene, it has been a pleasure and I hope we can visit again. This was so much fun! I think Jack and I are probably going to take a walk around the deck before heading to the cabin. We're going to do the town tour, so we need to rest a little bit. Are you heading ashore tomorrow?"

[Greater Orcadia]

With the meal finished, and guests beginning to leave, Ryan looks at the captain,
"The meal was most excellent, I will leave you with the company of my wife for I have some things I need to attend to" he says before rising from his seat and making his way to the room.

Some time later he returns to the aft deck with some bagpipes, and taking a look at the people gathered he begins to play a soft, gentle melody

[Glisandia]

The two bartenders still on duty saw a slight uptick in business as people got after dinner drinks, either for their table, or to walk around the deck with in hand. The servers and stewards started to settle up with their tables. While the meals were included in the cost, the alcoholic drinks from the bar were not. Also, some people insisted on gratuity for the staff, even though they were decently taken care of through their regular pay. It was an insistent custom that was prevalent, especially in the tourist and hospitality industries, although not native to Glisandia or much of the region in general.

To some serving, it was a relief to get that extra bonus as some guests seemed to think it gave them some license to be a bit rude, which was also not customary in Glisandia. Although, there were times when a server, Glisandian in origin or not, were pushed to their limits and were not afraid to draw the line, but such instances had been very rare for the evening and usually it was a passenger that had imbibed far too much to monitor their speech.
Overall, the bonds being formed between the staff and passengers were quite good.

Captain Stan observed this transition into the next phase of the evening. He himself had switched to simple seltzer water with a twist, knowing his limits and wanting to still be alert. Their first port call was also one of their most...not risky, but certainly one that needed heightened vigilance. The Yellowsian ships out there were not all civilian, as he seen and also given an updated report during dinner by one of the bridge staff. They had gone to fairly empty corner of the Dining Room while Stan had heard the report.

Perhaps that is what prompted him to be more alert. It wasn't certainly wasn't all in his head, as the communications report bore out. He knew that all the passengers who were going ashore tomorrow were adequately warned and had filled out the proper paperwork, so that was the best that could be expected right now.

Stan turned his attention back to the present, and the table and to Ryan, who was speaking to him.
"It was most excellent. Well enough, then. Thank you all for making it out tonight, both guests and staff. It was a pleasure meeting you all. I shall see you around the boat."

Later, as Ryan began to play, he got accompaniment from the ship's band, who also had begun to warm up to play a short set for the guests. They kept it subdued and acoustical, but when he finished playing, they went into full mode, playing some popular tunes from around the world. The guests seemed to enjoy it as they strolled around taking in the night sky. Some stayed in the casino; some brought out their own decks of cards to play with family and new friends; one group even set up a board game in the corner of the Dining Room, which also doubled as a lounge between meal services.

[Terre des Gaules]

"Exactly! As my wife said, at certain point, you can just disquise this "paste" as anything, really. When coupled with competent oversight, I do not really mind... If it's been properly tested and supervised, it's good for consumption. Maybe it's just the science enthusiast in me, but I don't understand the panic nowadays with "[i]chemicals" in food. I know what those people mean by it, but to anybody familiar with the terminology, they sound a bit silly. Air is a chemical compound. So is water. So is basically any substance... I used to know a really good joke about this... How did it go exactly... I remember the basic structure, but it will not be as funny if I do not quote it verbatim...Hang on...Nevertheless, it's their money to spend on alternatives, not mine. Plus, not even those are sure to be "safe", according to their standards. For example, with the pollution of the oceans... who knows what might have contaminated these?"[/i] Galvan gestured towards the shrimp as he had another bite.

Artifia thought for a bit, and then spoke up.
"Dihydrogen monoxide is a major component of acid rains, may cause severe burns and is used as an industrial solvent and coolant. Still, it is frequently used as an additive in food and drinks."
She said, struggling to keep a straight face.

Galvan started to laugh and turned to Maurice.
"Yes! That was the one! Do you get it? Dihydrogen monoxide, it's ... it's..." Galvan struggled to talk through fits of laughter, before finally giving up. "Ahh, you surely understand it."
He eventually calmed down and continued speaking.
"Anyway...The possibility of being 'slowly primed through slow introduction' you raise is interesting. Yes, I could see that happening in case of emerging necessity, because a large amount of the world population does not share this table's opinion... It would probably not be that much necessary in Cortexis. We already mentioned our traditional approach to cuisine, and protein is protein after all."

Maurice watched the two Cortexians crack each other up. He was both slightly put off and fascinated by them. A different person from Gaul might find them creepy, but he just found their cultural differences that much more interesting due to his job and what had drawn him to it. He was at a loss for words for a few moments, then recovered.
"Right. It is a matter of emerging necessity. Insects as protein are sustainable, while large livestock husbandry is not in this current climate. I think my homeland has a ways to come around to paste is food and protein is protein, but given time, they might need to. Some parts of our region are already getting on board with such a culinary philosophy. I'm sure in Wishtonia they are. I guess I wasn't such a good student of chemistry, as I don't get that joke..."

He put his drink down and looked at his empty desert plate.
"Galvan. Artifia. It has been a pleasure. We shall have to chat again...and Abel..." He looked over to his fellow Francophone companion who had been checked out most of the conversation. "I guess I will see you around." He wouldn't be seeking him out. He settled his drink bill with their server and was prepared to grab another directly from the bar. He didn't like to be one of the last patrons in the dining room, so he was trying to make an earlier exit.
"I'm not sure about you all and which activities you have planned, but I have a long day tomorrow in Wjol. So I bid you adieu and bonne nuit."
He wasn't heading directly back to his room, but they didn't need to know that.

[Cortexis]

"Yes, I'm afraid that our ways will now part for the rest of the day. Goodbye for now. You were an interesting company, by the way, Mr. Lessame. I enjoyed our conversation very much", Galvan replied as Maurice was leaving. He and Artifia didn't have much left on their plates themselves, and it didn't take them long to finish eating.
"Are you thinking about something interesting, Mr. Dupont?", Galvan smiled at Abel. He didn't expect a response, and his expectations were correct.
"Very well, the food is eaten, so we'll say goodbye." He offered a parting handshake, which was ignored. Both Vektorins then proceeded to leave the dining room.
"You're surprisingly talkative today, dear. I quite like that... but don't take this as pressure. I am just pointing out observations."
"there were things to say..."
"Yes, there certainly were. Anyway, thank you for reminding me of that water joke. I can't believe that I forgot it."

[The Chuck]

The Radio Room

He lifted the cover off his to go dinner from the galley. It was very appetizing smelling, and he needed to know that it tasted as good as it smelled. He dug in with a provided disposable fork and he was not disappointed. Mark another one for Chef Bonnefoy. Órale!

While Pedro Fortunado missed his home San Rositan cuisine dearly, or really any Latin/Eastern Madurinite food, he couldn’t deny that this was well crafted gourmet food that would satisfy even some of the most finicky palates. He put the fork down, and concentrated on the radio unit once more.

It had been giving him some trouble, with odd interference and garbled transmissions when he tried to listen to the Lake Agloza weather channel, broadcast out of their home port of Hjamokjim in this area, and then Kärde, Falkasia, and Port Scaig, Greater Orcadia as they progressed further around the Lake.

He tuned the dial, sliding it ever so softly with practice, but all he heard now was white noise. He clicked the channels over with the other dial, but got nothing but the same. On the last channel he clicked to, a high pitched squealing hit his ears and he immediately whipped off the ear cans, which bounced off the top of the radio and hit the wall.

To confirm his suspicions, he turned to an open laptop, disengaging the screen saver and trying to pull up a browser window. He could see the red ‘X’ over the wi-fi icon. He went into the settings, playing with it, testing the connection, and finally resetting it, then finally rebooting the computer, all with no avail to bring up any connections.

He eyed his supper again, but found that he had no appetite at the moment. His mind was whirling. He clicked on the two way radio that was on the frequency for the ship. Luckily no squealing or white noise there.
“Ivor, I need you down here now!”

“Uh, Pedro, I kind of…”

“Now!”

“Yes, sir!”

In a few minutes, Ivor finally ducked his tall, gangly head into the radio room. It was a lot quicker than Pedro was expecting. As for the young Glisandian, he had never heard such an exasperated, urgent tone from Comms Officer Fortunado, and wasn’t ready to push his luck on keeping such a tone focused on himself.
“I am here, Officer Fortunado.”

“Bueno...Good. I’d like you to take over early in monitoring the comms. They aren’t working right now, but I’d like you to keep testing them until you get a voice on the other end. I have so far not been able to do so.”

“Nothing? That’s...odd.”

“Exactly. I need to go talk to Mr. Ryker in Security. Keep trying, be careful with having the ear cans on, I have gotten blasted by some feedback...squealing. It can be quite deafening and debilitating.”

Ivor eyed the headphones, the name he knew them by, and nodded.
“Alright…”

“That’s it. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Yes, alright, Mr. Fortunado.”
The journey from the radio room to security was not that far on the lower deck. Pedro hurried, passing a few lost or inebriated, or both, passengers along the way. He ignored their queries. It seemed to be a habit lately that he visited Mr. Ryker, but this time it was much more than professional courtesy or curiosity. He knocked on the wall near the empty front security desk.
“Knock. Knock! Hello? Mr. Ryker, are you around?”

Markus was standing over his desk with his dinner in one hand and various charts and blueprints of the Upplausn spread out before him when he heard a knock at his door. Following the knock was the familiar voice of Officer Fortunado. Putting down his meal, Marcus flipped some of the papers and swept the rest off his desk.

"Hello Officer Fortunado, come on in! I was about to head up to the comms center to let you know that I did my rounds of the security team earlier and Ms. Armansdottir agreed to help you out if you need her."

Pedro nodded, bypassing the front desk to stride up to Mr. Ryker’s desk in the back.
“Thank you, Mr. Ryker. I am appreciative of your help with that. I am certain now, more than ever, that we will need the assistance. That wasn’t exactly why I am dropping in to visit you at the moment, however.”

Looking up at Pedro, Marcus raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
“Oh? What do you need to talk about Pedro?”

“Mr. Ryker, all of our systems... our connections to land stations...are being blocked or jammed. It could be some weird weather interference, but I doubt it. I feel that someone doesn’t want us talking to home, or....anywhere. I have spent many years at my job and I am certain that something more than weather is at play here.”

Looking up at Pedro with a stern gaze, Marcus swiftly stepped from behind the desk and closed the door. Nodding, he walked back over and sat down.

“I do believe you are right, Pedro. I don’t have the full picture right now but with your seasoned expertise, if you think we are being jammed, then we are… Do you have any equipment in the comms center that we could use to figure out where the source of the jamming signal is coming from?”

Pedro looked at the door, then back at Marcus. He should have closed the door himself. That was stupid of him. He certainly didn’t want to be overheard by a passenger wandering into the Security Office who might repeat what they heard and subsequently cause a panic. At least Ryker had thought to do it and that’s why he had his position. Pedro brought himself back to focus, thinking on Ryker’s question.
“Hmmm...Si. Yes, well, not to a very precise degree, but I think I might be able to close in on the general area that the interference is coming from. This is a civilian ship, after all. We don’t have that kind of precise equipment, or the means to really stop serious intentional interference...jamming. But I believe I could work on some settings and maybe borrow the bridge radar to tell us where it originates from.”

Nodding, Marcus grinned,

“You know Pedro, if this were a freighter in the naval militia of my homeland, we would have already slung some ordnance down range in the direction of the jamming signal. Alas, we do not have that kind of equipment on this vessel…”

Joking aside, he grabbed the remnants of his meal and made small talk while he finished eating.

“I must say, Chef Bonnefoy has done an excellent job…”

Pedro waited, just a little impatiently, but he understood the importance of a good meal to keep one’s energy up. He longed for the dinner he’d left behind in the comms room. He might sneak a bite or two once they got back there.
“Chef Francis is definitely a quality chef. One could eat worse on a sea vessel, especially a naval one, which for that bit anyway, I am thankful we are not on one. I do miss the cuisine of my home, but having spent this much time in Glisandia already, I have gotten used to the fact that no one in this area knows how to prepare Latin cuisine.”
This was partly true. The closest San Rositan/Southeast Madurin style restaurant was a four hour drive NE to the capital, Rikijdrottin. The only one in the Grand Duchy. He’d made the drive just once, and almost immediately regretted it. While the owner was a native San Rositan, he obviously tailored the menu to cater to Glisandian customers, not San Rositans, Brazilians, or other Southeastern Madurinite tastes. It could barely be called authentic, and had been a big disappointment. So, the owner likely knew how to prepare authentic San Rositan food, at least at one time, but was unwilling to scare off the local business with Latin fire.

Finishing his meal, Markus left his tray on his desk and got up to follow Pedro to the comms center.

“Is there anything else we need to discuss about the comms center or the current situation, Pedro?”

“Uh, no, Mr. Ryker. I do not think so...er, well...Forgive my confusion, but you don’t seem very concerned or surprised about this situation. We might not be able to call for help. That seems rather serious to me.”

Looking up with a rather stern grin, Markus couldn’t help but chuckle as they walked along. Lowering his voice so that no passengers could overhear, he leaned close to Pedro.

“My job is to remain cool under pressure and ensure the safety of the passengers. If we are indeed having our communications jammed, then it is my duty to remedy the situation as best as I can. However, I seem to be working with one of the best comms officers this side of the Prime Meridian. We will figure this out come hell or high water…”

Pedro nodded to some satisfaction, appreciating the compliment but not sure if he should acknowledge it. As they neared the comms room and the corridor was empty he finally spoke, also in a fairly low tone.
“Yes, that makes more sense. However, figuring it out might not be enough to stop it, Senor. We are not a warship in the end. We will be at the mercy of the Yel-...whoever it is. Whether we are fully aware of who and what is doing this to us, or not.”

“We may not be a warship but we are a Glisandian passenger vessel with a number of foreigner high profile individuals… From a political point of view, it would be a sore misjudgement for foreign powers to intercept or intervene with this cruise… Wait… What makes you say the communication issues are coming from the Yellow Star Republic?”

Looking over at Pedro, Markus eyed him cautiously. Sure he was a fellow officer of the cruise, but was he privy to the information Captain Stan had sent Markus’ way earlier?

“Um...well, I guess just plain physics and location, Señor. It’s the most logical place as we are right off their coast. Also, these two countries, Glisandia and YSR have had many differences, si? It just seems the most logical choice. Not to say that it couldn’t be another bad actor in the mix, but I think the odds are against that...I suppose, unless someone is trying to frame the Yellowsians and cause an incident. Oh, it makes my head spin, Señor. This politics. It is not my area of expertise, you see?”

“You and I both, Pedro… Prior to serving with Captain Stan and Sunrise Tours, I did maritime private security work… It was so simple back then… The company heads would inform you of who the hostile factions were and what force you were authorized to use… But now here we are Pedro…”

Shaking his head with amusement, Markus patted Pedro on the back.

“Though, you did a very good job breaking down your analyzation of the situation… It is very likely that it is the Yellow Star Republic interfering with the comms but I am not quite so quick as to rule out a hostile third party trying to frame a well known political difference…”


“Yes, this is possible. Do you want me to tell the Captain, or do you want to?”

“If you want to, please let Captain Stan know… Though… On a more discreet note… If, and this is a major if, this vessel is boarded… Do you have any thoughts of fortifiable positions around the vessel? It never hurts to be prepared for all unlikely situations…”

“Oh, uh...I don’t really know, Señor Ryker. I suppose the lower decks are more fortifiable because they are less open. I know that we could barricade the radio room if needed, and if we got enough advanced warning.”
Pedro was slightly worried at that. It was Ryker’s job to know these things, even though Pedro was former San Rositan naval personnel, Ryker was security and had been in that field for some time. Also, Ryker had done specific maritime security work prior to Sunrise Tours, as he had mentioned. Surely he had strategies based on those experiences?

“I’ve already drafted a plan for barricading the lower decks if need be… What materials do you think you and the other radio and communications operators would need to keep the equipment operational…?

“For now, it is just me and my assistant, Ivor, as comms personnel...Plus the person you assigned to us from your crew.” His mind drew a blank on who Ryker had mentioned for that capacity.
“Really, I don’t know that we need much in the way of materials. There is a built in locking bar that falls down into place on the main Communications room door. That should be enough, although there is the issue that whoever puts the bar down and sets the lock is also locked into the room. I think that I will make sure that we have some water and non-perishable food items in there, should it come down to a siege. Oh, but also...not all of our equipment is in that room, although the most vital backup radios and servers are. Some equipment is in another room, and some is on the bridge, of course. The bridge communications equipment is the most vulnerable.”

Nodding, Markus listened as Pedro rattled off the necessary supplies. Unclipping his radio, he keyed the mic.

“Alda, when you head up to Officer Fortunado’s domain, please bring non-perishables and water too. Ryker out.”

“I hope that takes care of your worries, Pedro.”

“Well, some of my worries, si. That we have to deal with this situation at all and someone can actively target us and think that they can get away with it...Well, that does not sit right with me, Sir.”

“Same… Though in my homeland, there is a saying… ‘Prepare for the worst of times… Live through the best of times…’ It pretty much means we all should be prepared for the absolute worst possible outcome but if it doesn’t happen… Well, we’re doing alright.”

“Yes, this is sound logic, Señor Ryker.”

They had arrived at the Communications Room. Pedro punched in a code into the keypad next to the door. They heard a high pitched beep and he shoved on the door. Everything was pretty much as he left it. The lad hopefully had been working the dials.
“Ivor, thank you for covering. I need to speak with Mr. Ryker in private here, so you can go take a break now. Report back for your regular shift.”

“Understood, Mr. Fortunado.” And with that, the lad was quickly gathering up his items from the desk and off and out the door before the two crew officers could barely register it.

“Here we are, Se…Mister Ryker.” He half mumbled to himself. “I need to improve on my English.”
He tapped and pointed to the other side of the door as they went through. When one watched the energy it took Pedro to open the door, it was evident only then that one realized it was not like the other doors on that deck. There was indeed a metal plate over the inner side that was not evident from the outer, nice wooden facade. There was a locking mechanism with ports for the dual bars to slide into at opposing corners, all controlled by a large lever in the middle that would need to be worked with both hands. It was very much like what one would find on a naval vessel.

“This is our security. This system is as ancient as my abuelo, but some things never need improvement, si?”

Nodding with approval, Markus cracked a grin.

“Nothing quite like a few inches of metal to make you feel nice and secure. Good to see that you and your assistant have this security measure in place.”

Pedro smiled and shrugged.
“I couldn’t claim credit. The Glisandians built this into the design. Perhaps it has to do with that angry history they have with their neighbors and the general Lake Agloza climate?”

Looking towards Pedro’s desk, Markus spotted the communication officer’s meal cooling off.

“Please don’t feel obligated to wait for us to finish this conversation Pedro. Eat you meal before it gets cold. It’s quite good!”

Sitting down, Markus looked around a bit before piping up again.

“Say… How many people do you think could comfortably fit in here if need be?”

Pedro shook his head.
“I guess I am too agitated to eat right now. It can wait until after I talk to the Captain. Um, hmm...‘Comfortably’?... I suppose maybe seven or eight people. That’s with the equipment still in here. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“I would.”

Taking out a small notebook from his pocket, Markus jotted down a note before slipping it back where it belonged.

“Was there anything else you wanted to discuss besides Ms. Armansdottir assisting you and Ivor and the current security situation?”

“Yes...That she do her best to resist Ivor’s advances. But seriously, no. Thank you, Mr. Ryker. I think that will be all. I should speak with the Captain now. Unless you wanted to do that together?”

Cracking a wry smile, Markus chuckled...

“She might end up becoming your only assistant if he tries anything… Though regarding discussing this with the Captain, I am not against the idea of both of us speaking with him.”

They headed off to find the Captain, hoping he would be done with his special table hosted dinner and available to chat.

Credit to San Rosito for RP

[Greater Orcadia]

Penny and Evan
With the lights on the horizon beginning to light up the sky as the cruise ship begins to approach the YSR, (still a few hours away at this point), Penny rises from her seat, nods at the captain sat a few tables away and makes her way to the bar to adopt another beer glass so it can be given a loving home get another drink.
"Evan, meet you in our cabin" she says, kissing Evan before making her way to the bar.

Her cyberwear is however glinting in the lights of the bar which given her chrome hand does mean she can play with the lights by using her hand like a mirror, back home her cat, Tiswas, loves to do chase the spot of light.

Once in the cabin, Penny settles down, plugs in her amp for the elctric guitar but keeps the volume down to an acceptable level, before practicing on said guitar resulting in the neighbouring cabins being gently soothed by soft guitar music, which when combined with the low rumble from the ships propulsion plant and the sound of the waves breaking gives quite a relaxing sound. its volume is however low enough to not disturb anyone or for that matter be heard from where the band are playing,

---

FAO The chuck
The transmission from the Orcadian meteorological station at Port Scaig:
"Scarraig Westerly or southwesterly, backing southerly later, 1 to 2, decreasing 0 by morning
Moderate
showers, then rain later.
Visibility Good, occasionally poor."