Journal 1/30/12

Went to a picnic at this little park on the BTA station. Cia and Cami were there, and a pilot from Gradient I hadn't met before, Erin. Eva and KJ dropped by too, and then hurried off - alliance business I'm sure.

It was nice, though. Grass and trees, and chatting with family and friends. Cami playing on the playgroud equipment and scraping up her knee. I felt a bit like I was on some Gallente sitcom. Not in a bad way, though.

Erin had mentioned she knew how to make ice cream, and everyone seemed to think it was a good idea. We stopped by this little shop where Erin had gotten strawberries for the picnic to get supplies: Chocolate, more strawberries, cream, milk, sugar, eggs... I think that was everything.

We went back to Erin's hangar - she has a sort of little living area aboard her Rifter, quite nice, and Cia and I chopped up the stuff, and they mixed it all together, and she poured in liquid nitrogen, and voila! Ice cream. It was delicious. I think I might like to try it sometime using a bigger bowl. Cia said she has some sort of giant mixer...

Anyway, it was a hell of a time. Also, Cia mentioned she visited Gottii's lodge on Matar somewhere. It sounds like she had fun. He seems like a nice guy.

Journal 1/28/12

They've come up with this plan. There are compelling reasons, so I guess I'll see how it goes. There are always contingency plans.

On another subject:

I finally told Cia about her family - that we found them. I've been putting it off - it never seemed the right time, and I think I would have ended up never finding a right time, so I just asked her to meet up for a bite to eat, and told her.

She took it well. She wasn't mad, or anything. Unsure, I guess. I can't blame her, I've no idea what it must be like. I made sure Tanith sent her the most up-to-date info, surveillance photos, all that.

I think they might be surprised by her, if she gets back in touch with them.

Journal 1/26/12

Well, I cooked dinner for Silver, Cia, and Cami yesterday. I think it went, well, ok. Cia even had two helpings. That's gotta be a good sign, right? Though Cami and Silver were less enthusiastic.

I think I'll stick to eating and leave the cooking to Cia when I can. Cia brought a cake, though, and what a fucking cake.

Looked like it was about 2 meters across, and about 2 tall. Can't imagine the work she musta put in - with Cami's help, of course. It was delicious. Real cherries and everything. Made sure the medical people, and Sara's people who helped, and everyone, got pieces too. They deserve it, for the job they did.

Saved a fair bit for myself, of course.

After we had finished eating, we got to talking about Cia's new officers, CMO, CTO, XO and so on - apparently three are Amarr, or at least from the empire - and Cami let slip, well...

I mean, I know she's spirits-damned sharp. That seed money Cia gave her has apparently become quite a lot, for example. Still I - we - underestimate her. Gave us a bit of a shock.

Oh, and Cia mentioned this rumor that Cami is Silver's daughter and Cia is her mother. Silver's face was priceless. I don't think I've ever seen him so mortified. It was even better than the statue incident.

Journal 1/24/12

Managed to sneak away to Eva and Cia's girls night. Cia sure knows how to throw a party. Champagne, food, and pretty waiters - plenty of all three. A little too pretty for my tastes, though nice to look at.

Had quite a good showing. Cia and Eva, CJ, Agnes, Mata, even Elsebeth Rhiannon. Quite a few I wasn't familiar with: Mary, who is KJ's assistant, of some sort? Taizu, Misla and Valatie who are more pilots in EM.

It was a great time. Dancing, cake, I even found a guy who wasn't too pretty to dance with. We got more than a little tipsy and the conversation went all sorts of places. I don't really know most of the leaders in EM outside their files, and clearly there are some areas of those files that could use elaboration. Particularly the male leaders.

There were other topics, of course. Security, and social matters - who's with who and what everyone likes, and all kinds of things. Eva asked us who was armed, and she had some impressive weapons herself.

The people in EM, and particularly in Re-Aw, are great. Mostly. I always say it's none of my business who Silver works for. I work for him, and I trust his judgment. Which is true, as far as it goes.

This time I think we're in the right place though.

Cake and panties!

Journal 1/17/12

Went to Mitch's memorial today, dragged Nerila along. Cia gave a speech, and then the engineering crew sang a rather entertaining song.

Met another Re-Aw pilot - Efrim. He seemed a bit nervous, or something. Nice enough, though.

Food was good.

I wish I'd had a chance to know Mitch better. He seemed like he was a good man. Ancestors guide and shelter him wherever he is now.

Journal 1/15/12

Cia and I had drinks at the Last Gate last night. Champagne, mostly. Celebrating, well, everything I guess.

CJ showed up too, and Math was there. Haven't seen him in a while. Got a chance to try out my down-graded liver - it worked as inefficiently as I coulda hoped.

It was nice, going to the Gate again. I don't know when I stopped going much, but it must be a few months now. Being back there, with Cia, makes it feel like things are getting back to normal.

Journal 1/12/12b

When I went to tell Cia about the new clone, the one that would be healthy, she could barely make it to the door when I knocked. I shoulda just gone in. I was a little worried she wouldn't even be able to make it to the jump cloning hub.

We did though, and she told me she wanted me there, when she woke up. So I went.

It was a pretty quick trip, so I managed to get there before she jumped. The clone - the new, healthy body for her - just lay there, empty. I was worried something might have gone wrong, some last minute glitch or something, but then it twitched, and opened its eyes and it was Cia all of a sudden.

She said she felt different. Better.

It worked.

And Cia was crying, and hugging me, and I felt like- It was- Cia's better.

She raced me, to Silver's hangar. Raced me, and I could hardly keep up. I got there just in time to see her run right into Silver. They both went down in a pile, which is still making me smile as I write this.

I owe CJ, and Ulf, and KJ, and Ken, and Eva. All the people who helped save her. More than I can probably ever repay.

Anyway, she said she is going to make a cake, and have us over for dinner, soon. Unfortunately I promised her I'd cook a dinner too, soon. I'll have to find something - maybe some sort of instant noodles?

Well, it's not a bad problem to have, what to cook.

Journal 1/12/12

Evanda Char came to the Ideal, to give blood, to help Cia. I made sure Nari was the one to do it, himself. I don't think he was thrilled about it.

We chatted, Eva and I, while she was getting the blood drawn. I asked about the nanites, and she talked about how she used to trick Amarrians and trap them, though not so much, anymore.

She asked about my prosthetics, so I explained I'd had an accident. That it wasn't Sansha tech, mostly Zainou. She's had a little experience with Zainou too.

She still isn't quite what I expected. She seems more like a regular person than some CEO, or VIP.

The doctors say they got what they needed, the new clone is ready now. I've gotta go tell Cia.

Journal 1/11/12

I talked with Eva, and Silver was right. She isn't quite what I expected, from a CEO. I guess you never stop being Caldari, though.

She said she considered the corporation like family. That Cia was important to her. She didn't hesitate to volunteer her blood, if we need it. The nanites only last a couple hours in someone else's body, so the doctors might need a lot of them to transfuse over several hours. Keep the concentration up as long as needed.

A CEO who is literally willing to bleed for her employees. I can think of some people who could learn a thing or two from her.


She showed me what the nanites could do, too. I mean, I knew, kinda,but I hadn't seen them in action. She cut her hand, and it scabbed over fast. It was a matter of maybe a minute, and it was just a fresh looking scar, when she peeled the scab off.

She said there shouldn't be any serious side effects. There was some kind of rumor that there might be something wrong with her nanites - things happening to people around her, I guess. They checked and didn't find anything, though. Just unlucky, maybe.

From what the doctors say, they might be ready to prep a clone any time now.

Journal 1/10/12

Silver went to the Patriot's Locker Room, to catch the tail end of the celebration.

EM managed to help kick the Mary outta the Republic, and now they are going back to their regular jobs, anti-piracy work and such. It feels good to be part of an alliance that accomplished something like that.

Morar was there, apparently. Silver seemed concerned that he might be holding a grudge.

And KJ and Evanda Char are an item, now apparently. Silver was, of course, a little scandalized that they were quite so public about it.

I asked him about talking to Dr Char for me, maybe. He said he could, but I could do it myself. He said she is very approachable. He was making an effort to call her 'Eva'. And this is Silver, who doesn't take a trip to the head without considering what's 'appropriate' corporate procedure.

He said Cia was there, too, not doing so great. Short of breath, stuff like that.

The eggheads have been testing the nanites, and from what they are reporting, the little guys might be just the thing to make their treatment work. Something about the the transplant/clone interface or something. The point is the nanites seem to make it work. The labcoats have some questions, though. And they might need a lot more nanites, faster than they can culture them, soon.

So I'll send a message to see if Eva will talk with me.

Journal 1/8/12

I got a message from Evanda Char, the CEO of Re-Awakened. She said her family has a sort of nanite they use, it's in their blood. Boost the immune systems, helps with small injuries, helps filter toxins, that sort of thing. She sent along a cheek-swab, too.

The doctors seemed very excited about it. They want me to ask her some questions. I don't know if that'd be appropriate, or not. She's the CEO, after all. Still, she sent the sample. From her message, she seems more than willing to help, too.

Journal 1/7/12

Went to see Cia earlier. I was planning on waiting, until she was better, to talk to her about what Nualla said. About the possibility we could give her back a chance to have Fortune's blessing. It seemed like she was doing so much better, though, at least for a little while now, since she clone jumped. And it seemed right, that maybe the body she can finally be healthy in again would be... whole.

I told her about how Nualla changes sometimes, and how the other parieurs lied, and Nualla caught them. Cia still thought it was wrong, at first. I think she was afraid she was just lying to herself if she wanted those other parieurs to be wrong. I kept pressing, though. Too much, spirits help me. Cia started having trouble catching her breath, and the med techs had to come in.

After, I kept talking to her. More carefully. She said it was ok, that I should talk to her.

Said she didn't know. I asked her to trust me. Maybe Nualla is just crazy, or an epileptic, or whatever. That doesn't mean she isn't right.

Cia trusts me to do what's right, and I will. Up to me to let the coin drop, Nualla said.

Journal 1/5/12

We found Nerila. Nabbed her in the terminal at Jita. S&S flagged it when she used her real name to book a shuttle ticket. Took her to a place we rented off the hub, she didn't give us too much trouble.

I wasn't sure what I was going to do with her. Killing her, for running like that when Cia needed her, that would have been simplest. I almost did. Cia won't have Mitch's funeral without Nerila there, though. I think the crew needs it, Cia needs it. I think Mitch deserves as much, too.

So, she's going to that funeral. After that, she can go back to running away, for all I care.

In the mean time, I tossed her in the brig after confiscating what she had on her. Sarakai's keeping an eye on her. She should be sobered up and through withdraws well before she's needed in public. I'm not gonna kill her, but she is at least going to face up to everything without taking any shit to pad the impact.

Journal 1/4/12

Went with Ulf to see Cia, to ask her not to fly until she's better. When we arrived, the Fortune's Fist was under lockdown, under Luisa's orders. Ulf managed to get us aboard, along with Helmi. Said he was there to investigate Cia for a friendly fire incident. We found Luisa just standing outside the pod chamber, with Cia on the other side not responding to the intercom.

At first Luisa wanted us to leave. So she could stand there scared to put a toe over some imaginary line for a little longer, no doubt. We - Ulf, Helmi and I - convinced her to open the door after Cia still wasn't responding to the intercom. Good thing she agreed, too. I thought Helmi might start blasting her way through obstacles, and I don't know that I wouldn't have been right there with her.

Cia was inside, on the floor. Conscious but delirious. Trying to get her jacket on, and she thought someone had stolen her real jacket and replaced it with one that 'didn't work'. Ulf called a stretcher, I think, and we managed to get her onto it. Even with both of us, I could tell it hurt her, the pressure on her skin.

And her skin was... It wasn't pleasant.

She got to medical, and I think it was touch and go for a while. They ended up frying her bone marrow with radiation - solved the delirium and all that, but you can't live long without functional bone marrow. They jumped her into another clone. The transfer went ok. She won't have much time in this one either, though. I've been dropping in, and it's deceptive. She looks so much better now, but it won't last.

Agiani needs to come up with results.

Journal 1/3/12

Talked to Luisa, not sure how much good it did. She's spirits-damned stubborn and stuck in her way of doing things. A way that's gonna leave Cia with a wreck of a crew.

Speaking of Cia, Silver and I got messages from Agnes. Well, the same message. I told Agnes I didn't think there was anything I could do, but... Well, Silver showed me the AAR Cia wrote, and she's really losing it. CJ even made her dock up during the op. CJ sent Silver a message too. Silver's worried - I hadn't told him quite how serious the situation is, though I'm sure he has some idea, in a textbook kind of way.

Agnes is right. I'm going to go talk to her, and maybe bring someone with rank in the corporation. Someone who'll give a shit. And make sure she has the immediate medical support she needs. I'm bringing Nari to check on her too. I think I've been too focused on finding a cure, and not paid enough attention. Been too much there instead of here, Cia might say.

Journal 1/2/12

Saw Cia and CJ at the EM get-together. Guess everyone else must have been off at the war still. It was good to see CJ though. I owe her, for her help.

When I got back to the Ideal, I went to check on the progress of the eggheads. They have a cure, they say. It should work theoretically, they say. The geneticist CJ got us, Agiani, he seemed a little reluctant. I told him I don't care if they have to throw orphans in a giant blender - he was going to do it or I was going to fucking rearrange his internal organs with my bare hands.

I might have gotten a little heated, but I'm not going to let some intellectual's weak stomach get in the way of what needs to be done. They said maybe a few weeks, for proper testing and everything. I gave them 1 week.

On the way out, I saw Nualla of all people. She was getting tested, for the fits she has. Epilepsy, the med-tech said. I guess it's cigarettes, the medtech had me smoke right there, and sure enough, Nualla started spouting prophesies. About fortune's blessing - that's what they call getting pregnant - and the coin being in my hand.

This thing they're doing for Cia, these clones, embryos or fetuses or whatever. Real clones, not made out of biomass. Grown. Something like that, well. They could probably make eggs, too. After Cia's better. I can tell her then.

Journal 1/1/12

Saw Hiri in the Bazaar. She always seems to have apples. Reminds me of home. She already knew about Jemadar, kinda. He missed a filing date, so some case he had pending against her was dismissed. I hope it's a weight off her shoulders. She needs to be 100%, for Cia's sake.

She said the crew's not doing great - Cia's crew, I mean. With Mitch dead, Fisk off to be a pilot, and Nerila doing a runner, that's most of the original senior staff that's gone. Mitch particularly must have been tough. Apparently his spirit's even been seen around the ship. Morale's gotta be low. I'm going to have a talk with Luisa, XO to XO, maybe I can help.

We chatted about being in burn wards too - cheery shit. I told her about the time I broke my arm in Fit to Fly too. Fucking shrinks, you know? Nosy. End up saying things you didn't mean to say, and then they know, and ask you some other time, and put things together, and you end up saying more.

No big deal, I guess, as long as it's nothing really important.

If Mitch's spirit is out there, I hope he looks in on Cia. Whatever help can be had, these days.