Session 4:The Road to Rodia

Hailey raised her eyebrows as all the monsters fade and a holographic PLAYER 2 WINS! appears.

"Guys?" Hailey projects her voice to attract Tali and Boris. "Either something's gone horribly wrong with the Dejarik board, or one or both of us is going crazy."

Hailey probably has experience with people after her, maybe she might have some advice.

*sighs*

I don't suppose you ever made a desperate escape move and wondered if you covered your tracks well enough?

He gives her half the time she needs to respond then adds,

or if there even was anyone left to follow them if you didn't?

When Jowmum went to look for W9 earlier, he finds him in a lively argument with J9B8.

"Well, I certainly have no intention of wandering into a swamp and getting dismantled by Rodian savages, or eaten by a ghest."

Beeping in Binary: [<W9 think J9B8=Silly. Ghests =/= eat metal. Droids = safe> W9 think J98B8 coward w/o any sense. J9B8 =/= adventurous>]

"I am too adventurous, you bothersome bucket of bolts... We have a whole galaxy to explore as free droids. What in the galaxy possessed you to buy passage to Rodia is utterly beyond my comprehension."

[<Rude 'blaat>]

"I hear they are stopping at Bothawui... Now that is a much more civilized planet..."

"Oh, hello, JM" (Accustomed to using designations, J9B8 automatically shortens your name)

[W9=happy to see friend...]

"Oh, never mind me. Didn't mean to interrupt. Go back to your discussion..." Jowmum excuses himself and goes to find Boris...

[Back to the present]

Thought for after incident earlier Is everyone busy right now or something?

After finishing with the hull Boris comes inside and makes sure everything is ready for transit.While doing so he hears Jowmums unspoken complaint.
"That is what planets are for. The void is for talking."

"That's a tough thought, JM. Of course I've been there, and ironically I tend to find it a relief somewhat when the guy that is following me finally does show up. That way there's no longer a question."

She turns off the Dejarik table.

"Why? Do you think someone's following you?"

Jowmum makes his way to the cockpit and uploads his meticulously crafted astrogation calculations.

I suppose I might as well get started on the next set?

Boris takes the game as they take off.
"You been bothered since I told you what progenitor meant. What is wrong?"

Jowmum comes back down from the cockpit to the lounge where Boris is bellowing across the ship and finds a place to get "comfortable."

The virus came packed with an AI. This AI told me it was from my progenitor. It kept listening in on my thoughts and responding to them. I started messing with it. It must have been pretty deep, as it was able to access my language database. I encoded my thoughts in Shiriwook but it responded fluently. I tried to keep it busy so it wouldn't spy on me, but it apologized and started killing itself. I drove it to suicide. Even worse, it was a possible link to who I was and I killed it. I tried saving it, but even that failed. On later thoughts, it may be from some unknown associate of my late master.

"Ahh..."
Boris nods
"So your worried that you lost your only link to your past? Have you considered where we are headed? We might find out more about it on Bothawui the information capital."

Jowmum's mood seems to brighten considerably.

Say, the AI did say it had been searching for me for a while. What are the chances the same thing will happen again. I would like to get ready for it, by, for example, setting up a sandbox in my head where it can send all the spy messages it wants without it ever leaving my brain.

Talik follows JM and Boris to the cockpit, and pouts a bit when Boris gives an order to prepare for take off, that's my line.

Hailey joins everyone in the cockpit. "I just checked on our passengers. Everyone's doing well, more or less. Godon is still sulking somewhat, but Zukata has stopped making him feel worse. The professor is engrossed in some sort of dull, archaeological adventure novel; Indian Jones and the Temple of Gloom, or something like that. Oh, and the droids are having some sort of argument."

Jowmum signals all systems go.

Tali starts the anti-grav pulse drive, and the ship starts to hover.
Prepare for take-off!
Gives anyone still standing a couple seconds to sit as she clears the port walls, then hits the throttle. Tali then proceeds to cheer herself up doing her best shuttle pilot droid impression.
Thanks to the astromech on our crew, the hyperspace course has already been prepared. We'll be arriving in Bothawui space within the hour. Please wait until we make the jump to hyperspace before moving about the spacecraft. And DO keep arms, legs, tentacles, and various other appendages inside the vehicle at all times.

"What about abstract thought?" Hailey whispers after the intercom is turned off. "Must I really keep my theoretically intangible hands indoors? Because I love catching star dust."

After Tali has cleared the atmosphere, Jowmum brings up an incident he witnessed earlier.

*To Tali*

Just a heads up, but earlier I saw W9 and J9 arguing about where they wanted to be let off. They may want off before we get to Rodia. I would let them approach you about it, though.

Jowmum turns forward as the stars blur into a solid blue tunnel.

Ladies, gentlemen, and others, you are now free to move about the cabin.
Boris' slight thoroughly forgotten in humor, she leans back and stares at the hyperspace tunnel. When the others start leaving for more entertaining seating, she calls Jowmum back.
You wanted to talk earlier?

"Intangible hands where would I get a pair of those?"
Boris grins.

Jowmum pauses for a while, then remembers. His demeanor goes down a little, but not so low as it was before.

You know about the whole slave thing? What about driving something to suicide? When that virus came, it came packaged with an AI. I tried keeping it busy so it wouldn't actively spy on me and it deleted itself.