Common Area - Firefly Class Transport
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A few stairs lead into this space. It is spacious, containing a kitchen area, eating area, and place to lounge all in one. Cabinets and alcoves provide room for storage.
Two support beams have been given an opportunity to hold a flat plank of a table between them, thus serving as a primary staging area for both preperation and delivery of the food to the table. Behind this sits another counter top, this one with several cooled storage units above it. To the left lies the sink itself.
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[Cole goes to check the files from Alice, only to discover they've been deleted...]

- Cole rolls Computer Programming with a modifier of 0. Result: 14
- Rolled Computer Programming with modifier of 0. Result: 3+3+0+8=14

It takes hours, but fortunately, with a fractured leg, Cole has little else to do, and it becomes a personal quest to outsmart whatever brigand got into his system. Fingers flying away at the keyboard, years of bored tinkering with the shuttle's computer comes back to him as he tries one algorithm after another to retrieve the lost data, pausing only to sip his chocolate milk. After the third sip, he pushes the glass aside. "No," he murmurs to himself, "gotta stay sober for this."

Once the files are recovered, Cole takes no chances. He makes backup copies in three seperate locations, disguising one set as a self-destruct protocol file and another as a recipe for chicken cordon bleu. Then, he ponders examining them for a moment... but no, first the more important task. Trying to catch the thief. He accesses the ship logs, attempting to figure out who the culprit was...

- Cole rolls Hacking with a modifier of 0. Result: 19
- Rolled Hacking with modifier of 0. Result: 2+3+0+14=19

One name pops up as the likely culprit for the previously corrupted files.

UserName....DravisT
Terminal....Common Area Time.....1432:20Z

Mei Li arrives from Aft Passageway - Firefly Class Transport.
Mei Li has arrived.
Aubrey Martin has arrived.

Wearing her normal clothes again (and grateful for it), the doc steps into the common area. Aubrey and Cole are nodded to, their conversation not necessarily noted. Heading towards the cabinets, she sets about her afternoon ritual of tea preparation. "Coffee, Aubrey?" she offers as she begins pulling canisters down. "Tea for you, Cole?" she asks, probably not having actually seen whether the boy has food and drink or not.

Aubrey relaxes with a grin. "Thanks. Dexter made it pretty clear." Looking up, he raises his voice to call, "I think if I have another coffee, you might have to peel me off the ceiling. But thanks for the offer, I can never get mine brewed as good as you do."

Cole raises his glass from the side of the computer. "I've got chocolate milk, thanks," he announces to Mei Li. "Maistar made it for me this morning." His eyes linger longer on the doctor's attire. "My, that's a cute blouse."

Mei Li pauses in her getting of things, tilting her head slightly to study both males for a moment. "Compliments from both of you," she muses. "And in such quick order too..." Her gaze falls to the computer and then back to their faces. "I'm not even going to ask," she decides and then grabs the pot for water.

"Whaaaat?" Cole protests with a faux grin, winking at Mei Li. "We were just discussing how much crappier the trip would be without you girls to make life a little easier for us guys."

Grinning, Aubrey twirls the old, empty coffee mug he's wearing on one finger. "Only in the best of terms, of course. Thankfully and all that." He shifts and kicks the base of Cole's chair lightly.

"Uh huh," the doc replies, grinning anyway. Her eyes flicker to Aubrey. "If that boy is looking at pictures that he shouldn't be looking at, I'll have your hide," she teases Aubrey. Shaking her head, she continues with her preparations, a smile on her face as she tells them, "Keep your secrets. It isn't as though I don't keep mine."

"Ow!" Cole protests, though clearly not really hurt as he wrinkles his nose at Aubrey. "Watch my leg!" To Mei Li, he raises a curious brow. "Pictures?" he asks, feigning ignorance.

"Nature scenes, some birds, some bees," Aubrey jokes, giving Mei Li a wide-eyed look. "I have no idea what she's talking about," he admits dramatically to Cole, before strolling fore. "If anyone needs me, I'll be in my bunk."

"Uh huh," is all the woman replies again, watching Aubrey as he heads towards the crew quarters. The doctor's gaze turns back to the boy. "How is your knee feeling, dear?"

Cole shrugs. "I think I'm ready for the crutches part," he says with a grin.

Aubrey Martin heads through Forward Passageway (FP) into Forward Passageway - Firefly Class Transport.
Aubrey Martin has left.

"I'll have a look at it a little later and we'll decide. It's going to hurt, you know," she tells him soberly. "Have they gotten you all set for a place to sleep and everything?"

Cole takes another sip from his chocolate milk, putting the glass down. "That Aubrey fellow came in to try to get me set up with something, but we couldn't decide on anything."

Mei Li smiles warmly as she waits for the tea to brew, her expression softening. "We just want you comfortable," she assures. "Have you ever been to Three Hills, Cole?"

Cole shakes his head. "Never," he admits. "It's a trading moon, right?"

"Right," Mei Li agrees. "It's a horrible dreadful place and before you go out limping about in it, you're going to take a bath in insect repellent. The diseases one can pick up from this place.." She gives a mock shudder.

"We have a bath on board?" Cole asks incredulously. "I've been taking scrubs for nothing?"

Mei Li laughs at that. "Don't I wish," she murmurs. "You'd never get me out of it if there were. That was one of the best parts of the luxury cruiser. A real bathtub in the room. Oh.. It was.." The doc seems to be having a personal moment. A flush touches her cheeks and she smiles softly. "Just know that there are mosquitoes that are big enough to carry you away."

Cole glances at his terminal and then back at Mei Li. "Well, how long are we going to stay there anyway? Maybe I can just stay shipboard for it."

"If I have anything to say about it," the woman tells him, wrinkling her nose. "No longer than we absolutely have to. Hopefully not more than a day or two. And I fully intend on staying aboard as long as I can."

"I don't think I could make it down to the cargo hold on crutches anyway," Cole admits sheepishly. "At least with them I can go to Engineering and the Bridge, though. Maybe help out a bit. See something other than these walls."

Nathan Roman arrives from Forward Passageway - Firefly Class Transport.
Nathan Roman has arrived.

Mei Li pours the boiling water over the leaves, nodding as she listens. "I know it's hard for you. I can't tell you how much I hate that. We'll see what we can do. I promise, Cole." The boy is seated at the table, reading something on his computer.

Nathan Roman walks in fron the forward passage way, boots loud on the deck plates. He's shrugging on his jacket as he goes.

Mei Li glances up from her tea making, arching a brow as Nathan pulls on his jacket. "Heading out, Captain?" she asks. "You recall where we are.. Are you sure that jacket's thick enough to repel the bugs?"

Cole turns his head to take note of the Captain's arrival as well, and suddenly, he glances around to make sure the three of them are alone. "Captain, I need to see you for a moment before you go, if you've got a chance."

"I was thinking about scouting around." Nathan says easily. "But I don't think anything 'll keep those bugs off." He looks at Cole, "Sure enough, Cole. What's on your mind?"

Cole glances momentarily at Mei Li, looking forlorn, before he turns to the computer and brings up a data log of some kind. "Captain," he says, lowering his voice to make sure only the three of them can hear, "I believe Mister Dravis deliberately deleted files from my account to keep me from researching Alice."

Mei Li arches a brow as Cole speaks his concerns, her hazel eyes shifting towards Nathan. "It's possible it was done to help protect you, Cole," she murmurs softly, taking up her tea and nearing the table.

"What proof do you have?" Nathan asks, "If it is deleted files, that he did it specifically? Which files were deleted, anyway?"

Cole gestures towards the screen. "This log shows it was his login that did it," he says to the Captain, ignoring Mei Li's patronistic statement. "The files were the transmissions Alice sent, Aubrey transferred them to me a week or so ago to study. You remember, you were there. I recovered them, though."

"The ones that were his." Nathan says slowly, "That's interesting." He exhales, "I'll talk to him about it. But, Cole. If they were his messages in the beginning? He's got a right to delete them out. Its the why that's the hook."

Mei Li takes a sip of her tea, not saying a word as the boys chat. She's staying out of it and unconcerned for the most part. Her gaze shifts from the boy to Nathan.

Cole shakes his head vehemently. "He went into my allocated space to do it," he complains. "That's not right, he should've asked. Aubrey asked me just today whether I'd found anything out yet, and I promised him I'd get around to looking at them tonight."

"I'll talk to him, Cole." Nathan repeats. "You are right. He shouldn't have been in your files, no matter what."

Mei Li continues to remain quiet, just sipping her tea like a good little not-getting-involved girl.

Cole nods gratefully. "Thank you, Captain."

"You are welcome, Cole." Nathan says, and then adds, "Have you? Found anything new that is?"

Mei Li smooths a hand over her skirts, still quiet, content to just drink her tea and to watch the males.

Cole shakes his head. "Not yet, but I haven't really looked at them." He picks up his chocolate milk and takes a sip.

Nathan Roman nods, then offers a faint smile, nodding at Cole's leg, "How's it feeling would be a dumb question. But are you needing anything from out in town?" He looks to Mei Li, "Can he come out in town?"

Mei Li says, "He'll need help down the stairs but if he's up for trying it, I don't see why I can't get the crutches for you. We'll test them out and see how everything's coming along. You'll need to take it easy though," she warns Cole, rising to her feet and flashing a small smile at Nathan."

Cole looks back and forth between the two of them, gratitude mixing with concern in his eyes, as well as his voice. "Are you sure I wouldn't be slowing you guys down out there?"

"Of course you would be." Nathan says dryly, "But, really. What do we have to be all that quick about out there just walking around?"

"Aside from escape from the giant insects? Nothing that I can think of," Mei Li returns. She flashes a wink at Cole and then smooths over her skirts. "I will be right back." The woman heads towards the aft, presumably to get the crutches.

Cole smirks at Nathan's poke at him, appreciating it somehow even more than Mei Li's concern. Experimentally, he slides the bum leg off the chair and tries to stand on his good leg, pulling himself up by gripping the underside of the computer counter.

Nathan Roman reaches into his jacket to pull out the cigarette case. He stops mid-motion, "You know, they say that these things will kill you." he notes.

Amery arrives from Aft Passageway - Firefly Class Transport.
Amery has arrived.

Cole is coming steadily but slowly to his feet as Mei Li gets crutches for him, looking at Nathan, who is waiting patiently, holding a pack of cigarettes. "Better live good than long," he suggests in response to something said, parroting old wisdom.

Mei Li steps into the room once again, holding a pair of crutches. "They'll have to be adjusted," she tells Nathan soberly. "But they should do the trick. And you'll not be walking too much, Cole, if the mule is going to be used for delivery. I think you can ride on the back if you want."

"That's one way of looking at it." But whether Nathan agrees or not, he doesn't say. Regardless, he puts the case away. "Well, let's get them adjusted and get going. Got cargo to deliver, after all."

Stepping into the room from the aft passageway, Amery holds a crumpled paper in one hand. She seems to be aiming for the crew cabins ahead, but pauses as the tableau before her comes clear. Stuffing the paper into her pocket, she smiles at the group, "G'day, captain. Doc. Hey, Cole." She glances at the crutches, and lifts a quick grin to Mei Li, "That's a right good idea, Doc..."

Mei Li moves closer to the boy and crouches, her fingers working over the small screws and pins as she adjusts the height. "He's been asking about them. It's most like been long enough that it will do him no harm. Though.." Her eyes lift from her work, regarding the boy evenly. "You will have to take it easy." She hands them over and then straightens, looking to Nathan. "And you'll need to make certain he does. I've.. some things I must do, I'm afraid."

"I will." Nathan says, "My honor as a boyscout." He offers a faint wave to Amery, "Want in on delivering some cargo, Amery?"

Amery says, "Sure, Captain... I'd be glad to." She watches Mei Li with Cole, the smile fading. Turning to Nathan, she nods, "When d'you want to leave?" Her gaze drifts to Cole again and she winks once, then turns back again. "I'm ready whenever you are, sir."

Mei Li turns to head towards the aft, giving Amery her space and then some. Pausing at the exit, she turns. "Oh.. Nathan.. If you see the Gal out there, will you let me know?