And the station opens...

[sanctuaryrpgmods]

There were no flashing lights, no alarms. The doors to the quarantine chambers simply opened, the whoosh of seals breaking was the only fanfare.

Quarantine was on a quiet level of the station, a gently pulsing light set into the wall leading the chamber's temporary residents out into the station proper. Outside, station officials wandered by but paid no particular attention to the newcomers; new arrivals were nothing new to them, just a fact of life on Sanctuary. New people arrived in the chambers, station staff logged them, and the computers arranged everything else. So they went about their business, eyes glued to the screens they held.

Of course the newcomers weren't aware of any of this. Anyone who called out to the station staff was greeted with a wan smile and directed toward one of the many terminal screens lining the walls of the large open space between the central tower and the rest of the station.

The terminal screens asked for a fingerprint before offering any additional information. Their names flashed up with a map to their new home in the living quarters and some basic information on the currency contained in the chip in their hand and what it might buy them. A brief explanation of the silver communication unit followed, and then the news of the past twenty-four hours played. War on planets in a neighbouring system, the weather on a vacation world, sports scores for a game that seems a cross between lacrosse, hockey, and quidditch. Nothing of use, of course, nothing that could get them off the planet.

The quiet entrance to the living quarters was on one side of the atrium, and the sounds of a bustling marketplace that could not be contained came from a much wider opening on the other. People of all shapes, colours, and species walked through the space along with station officials and technicians using their tablet like screens, dark uniformed security officers chatting as they strolled their patrols.

The station carried on obliviously while the newcomers watched, each with only their credit chip, a place to live, and a basic outfit. Clearly that was all the welcome they were to expect; what happened next would be up to them.

[[Gathering post and opening of Sanctuary RPG. Put in your characters coming out their quarantine]]

Comments

[gshawk]

Hawk hated this part of the job, the glorified babysitting of the newbies. Which was probably why it was a punishment. Not that she'd ever change just to avoid the punishment but that didn't mean it sucked any less. Despite going through the same thing years ago she had zero sympathy for most of the people who showed up here. They were all in the same fucking boat at the faster they got used to things the better it was for everyone.

"Welcome to Sanctuary, fresh meat, I'm Detective Hawk, this weeks unfortunate liaison for new arrivals," she said, taking a drag on her cigarette before she continued, voice droning on without any sympathy without really paying attention to who she was talking to. "If you currently feel inclined to violence please restrain yourself from killing anyone so those of us in Homicide don't have to deal with your shit. If you do kill someone, please come see me and confess immediately, it saves on the leg work. Any questions?"

She always hoped they didn't have any questions but they always did.

[malachai]

"And hello to you, too, cher," Nick drawled, leaning casually against the wall next to the door to his quarantine unit. "Are you always this full of sunshine and roses or is it just me?"

He could sense the badass in the woman, but whether it was born or bred by circumstances, he couldn't tell. Yet.

[gshawk]

"What can I say, you've got me all wet so I'm all unicorn farts for you," she said. He was definitely handsome and had the sort of edge that she liked. Under ever-so-slightly different circumstances she might have tried to take him for a ride. Although... if she fucked a brand new arrival maybe they'd take her off this detail permanently.

"Any questions besides the obvious ones?"

[malachai]

"Thankfully, this isn't my first rodeo, so I'm pretty sure I know the answers to the usual questions. But you bring up a good point. What kind of trouble am I looking at if something tries to kill me first? Not that I intend to look for that kind of trouble, but it does have a way of finding me."

He wanted desperately to comment on the unicorn fart remark, but he was holding off on that for now.

[gshawk]

"Aw fuck, don't tell me that. Now I've got to watch out for you," she said, taking an especially long drag. People who said that trouble usually found them first were bullshitting either her or themselves. If trouble constantly found you then you were the fucking problem.

"Don't use excessive force when it's not necessary and if you think something is going to be an issue, contact the police. If you kill someone in self defense we'll investigate it to make sure that's what it was. If you make a habit of that I'll kill you myself just so you stop making more work for me."

[malachai]

"Noted," Nick replied with a grin and a nod. "Though you might find that killing me isn't as easy as you think. Been there twice, it sucked both times, and neither actually helped the situation but made things ten times worse."

His smirk only widened. "But I'll do my best to mind my manners, if that helps you sleep at night."

[gshawk]

"Let's clear something up. Whatever special snowflake you are? We've probably seen it before. If I have to take you down I will shoot you. If my gun doesn't work I call the station and then bring a bigger gun or the Sword of Righteous Anal Buggery or whatever and we try that," she said, shrugging. This wasn't their first rodeo with someone that was "special".

"We don't have something that kills you? Then we put your ass in a little box and fire you out into space or at the sun. Enjoy your new eternal life eternally burning at the center of the sun or endlessly drifting through space while I fall asleep at night in a tangle of nubile bodies."

[malachai]

Nick held up both hands, palms out. "Throttle back, cher. Point taken and I'm not out to start pulling shit just because I can or to push you into proving anything. I just thought forewarned is forearmed. I haven't lost control of my demon side for years, and I don't intend to here."

[gshawk]

"Too bad, the Sword of Righteous Anal Buggery is always fun to use," she said, though Hawk was glad that the guy seemed willing to at least pretend to play by the rules for the moment. Still, she automatically filed away what kind of special person he was. "But if I used it without real need they'd probably make me do this shit again for punishment."

[malachai]

"Something tells me that the fun part is mostly for the user and not the usee," Nick commented, "save for a few special snowflakes that are into that sort of thing. Since I'm not one, I'm going to do my level best to make sure it doesn't happen and wish you the best of luck at finding someone who does."

[gshawk]

"It's a very big sword," she admitted with a wicked smile. At least the guy was going to play nice for a bit, or pretend to place nice.

"Your species have any special dietary or medical needs? Food here is based on carbon based lifeforms but the replicators should be able to get you just about anything you need," she told him.

[malachai]

"Is this were I comment that it's not the size of the sword but the slice of the blade, or something?" Nick asked, answering her smile for smile. "That's a negative on the diet. Humans are pretty easy going that for the most part, unless this is an all vegetable type of station, in which case we're going to have a problem because andouille, shrimp, and hamburgers are staples in a Cajun diet."

[gshawk]

"Only if you feel the need to defend the size of your sword," she said, arching an eyebrow at the comment. No one ever seemed to point out that you could have a big sword AND know how to use it.

"What problem do you think we'd have? It's a fucking space station sunshine, you can't hop on out to the farm to get what you want if we don't have it. But like I said, you can replicate most anything you want."

[malachai]

"No idea, cher. You're the one that asked me about dietary concerns, next thing I know, you're crawling down my back like a hell-monkey on acid."

Nick was starting to get some serious Artemis vibes from the woman and if she started mixing idioms, he was going to have a few words with the goddess for fucking with him.

[gshawk]

"Hey, you're the one letting me know I might have a problem if you don't have your favorite food here, I'm just slapping you with the dick of reality, but I'm flattered at the hell-monkey on acid comparison. Whatever the fuck a monkey is," she said. It was nice that he wasn't getting all offended or pissed off though, just calmly stating that she was being kind of a bitch.

"Just saying, there's no point in crying about milk spilt between a rock and a hard place. This place is what it is."

[malachai]

Nick rubbed at a spot between his eyes and wished, not for the first time, that he could drink. A good shot of bourbon would be glorious right about now. Instead, it was just him and his sarcasm and the screaming headache blooming behind his eyes.

"A monkey is a small primate, non verbal, but quite dexterous and prone for getting in to trouble, but a hell-monkey would be less the primate and more a demon bent on nothing more than wreaking havoc or ripping out spines. Fun bunch, great at parties."

[gshawk]

"Sounds like you're coming on to me with that comparison, fresh meat," she said. Not that she would have minded if he was, he seemed an alright sort. Probably good for at least one fuck at some point.

"We've got things like that though. Can probably pick yourself up one in the lower levels."

[malachai]

"I'm actually pretty happy to not have any contact with hell monkeys as long as I can manage it. A nice, quiet life, that's what I'm after," Nick said, then laughed at his own stupidity. "Not that I expect it, but it's what I'd like."

[gshawk]

"Well, I suppose if you're going to be a pussy that makes my life easier," Hawk said. Not that she really wanted the guy to be trouble but it sounded like he wanted his life to be as boring and fucking possible. It sounded miserable to her, but then again it wasn't her life.

[malachai]

"Oh yeah, that's totally me. A complete pussy about life," Nick laughed in response, far from giving a shit what she thought of him. "So we're set then. I won't kill anyone, you won't be allowed to assault my backside, and I'll go about my boring, wuss existence here in peace. That sum it up?"

[gshawk]

"It's okay, you're still got your looks," she said, reaching up to pat him on the cheek. He was handsome and had a bad boy vibe but not the dumb-as-shit vibe that usually came with it. Maybe he wasn't entirely blowing smoke up her ass about not looking for trouble.

"So, quarantine says you're safe, you've been acquainted with my sunny personality. Anything else you curious about?"

[malachai]

"As safe as I get, anyway," Nick replied with a casual shrug before looking around the station. "Nothing I can think of off the top of my head. Going to have to get used to working again, so I don't suppose you know anyone hiring?"

[gshawk]

"Clinic almost always needs orderlies. If you can fight or at least look like it you can beat the shit out of someone you can probably do security work other places. If you can pour a drink you could probably make decent money bar tending," she said with a shrug. It usually took fresh meat a while to find their footing but they rarely suffered if they wanted to work.

[malachai]

Nick discounted anything that involved fighting or apprehending people that didn't want to be apprehended. Not that he was afraid of it, or thought he couldn't do it; but anything that even came close to tempting the demon inside him was probably best avoided. Bartending, though. He could definitely handle that.

"Perfect. I can toss beer at people with the best of them," he commented, cracking his knuckles for good measure.

[gshawk]

"Yeah, well, my advice is to get a job as a bar back first. You've got people here from all kinds of worlds and we probably have drinks and types of alcohol and weird shit you've never heard of," she said. It was that way with a lot of things. Food, clothing, weapons, and more. It was a big shock to people. "That said, you've got a signature drink no one's seen, then you become a big fucking deal."