He fell back against the wall and hit his head against it causing his focus to break and his body nearly fall through again but he pulled himself back from only half way. Truth was he was actually learning how to control his shift but at the same time it was getting harder and harder to resist. Sighing he gripped his head and doubled over again, trying to retain the focus it took to keep solid.

OOC: 200 words

At the sight of him starting to phase through the wall, Snow snapped her tail out, wrapping it around his wrist, only to have it once again slide through, as though he were nothing but an illusion. In a moment, however, the stowaway had managed to pull himself back into a proper position, clutching his head and doubling over in what she had to assume was pain from when he'd struck his head on the wall. "So... my uninvited guest... I can already guess how you got in here, but would you mind telling me why?" A slight, mischievous smile could be seen crossing her lips at the thought of how the cold in here must feel to a human, and one who'd lived in the near tropical place she had gained the ship as well.

OOC: 220 words.

He slumped back, this time careful not to hit his head. He closed his eyes, the subject hurt, and it hurt a lot. The pain of the look that everyone gave him when they found out magnified with every face that steadily went through his mind. His parents pleaded for him not to kill them when he wouldn’t have even harmed a fly, but they begged just because he was a freak, with freakish abilities. Being unique was a gift for many, but quite the curse for him. At times he wished he never had the powers that he had developed.

OOC: 221 words(beat ya! XD)

Closing her eyes a moment, Snow began to picture all sorts of things she could make him do, from scrubbing the floors, to buffing and repainting the hull, to feeding her grapes and pulling her around Icer on a sled. Yes, compared to the labor she had in mind for him the monetary fee was getting off cheap. "So what'll it be.... whatever your name is. You going to cough up the cash, or are you planning to earn your berth? And don't even think of trying to say you'll pay it later and then sneak out through the wall somewhere when we get to our destination, you can't possibly run far enough fast enough young man."

OOC: 250 words (and it's not a race lol)

“What bathing temperature do you believe would be most appropriate for the Mistress? She enjoys keeping the temperature low, but that doesn’t always mean a person would like a cold bath.” The ship stated, her silky voice echoing through the android’s head.

AREU simply shook his head, eyes closed as he attempted to focus on other thoughts. He had no use for this conversation, and yet could not seem to determine how to bar Sylph from his mind. “I do not know how to please her. I am simply here to ensure you yourself do not implode or otherwise malfunction.” He responded calmly. Before opening his eyes again to survey the various machines around him.

“You have spent more time with the Mistress than I have. You must have a better understanding of her preferred habits. Does she enjoy a warmed toilet seat perhaps?” Slyph continued.

“I have no data concerning her preferred means to remove waste from her bowls. In fact I do not even know if she requires such a thing.” AREU replied, kneeling down to inspect a few wires that didn’t seem to be in place.

The female voice paused for a moment, as if to consider this. “So the Mistress does not use toilets? Perhaps I should remove said feature to make room for something more pleasurable to her.”

“I never said that.” Said AREU in the mental chat. “I simply said there was a possibility she would not require the toilet. Please, stop requesting data I do not possess. It is distracting me from my objective.”

“Certainly you have pleased the Mistress at least once in your time with her. Any data you could send relating to the topic would be of tremendous assistance.” The ship responded, almost pleadingly. A near seductive pout being nearly visible to the android whom the ship was currently speaking to within his own mind.

The android thought on this for a moment, before responding. “She was pleased when I brought her the dragon balls. That is all.” He stated bluntly, now extending his index finger and poking at the wires. A few of them were damaged, and no longer held against the wall with the metal plating. A small beam of concentrated heat slowly welding the metal back in place.

“Ah! Hey careful! If you damage those wires the main reactor won’t be able to hold a charge anymore!” Slyph called out mentally, a small hint of panic in her voice.

“I am not going to damage anything.” AREU replied, finishing his work and standing back up. “Minor repairs are necessary to make certain you operate at maximum capacity.”

“Yah but.. You don’t have to be so rough with me.” She responded, calming down a bit. “So… You said the dragon balls made the Mistress happy… Do you think all balls make her happy, or only magical ones?”

“Magic does not exist. I do not know how you came to be, but there must be a perfectly logical rationality behind it.” The android responded flatly. He was still not willing to accept magic as real, despite the new evidence. And the fact he was standing inside a ship that was formed magically. He began to continue down the hall, leaving the engine room in search of more minor issues to fix.

“Whatever you say. Still, do you think if I adorn her room with balls, she would be pleased?” Slyph asked once more.

“I do not know.” AREU said while turning a corner. And what he saw was quite strange. A pale skinned humanoid with black hair. One who seemed to be phasing in and out of… Existence? “…. Why was I not alerted to this?” He mentally asked to ship. A hint of annoyance in his otherwise monotone voice.

“It wasn’t important for you to be notified. You are the engineer, not chief of security. And I felt your attention was better served answering my questions.” Slyph responded once more to the android. Completely serious about the matter at hand.

If androids could sigh, AREU would. But left with no other means of expressing his annoyance, he let it go. “Answering your questions are not my primary objective on this vessel. Please, stop asking them.”

Now speaking verbally so that Snow and the newcomer could hear, the green skinned android’s cross hair target eyes focused intently on the pale man. “What is going on here?”

words: 905

“It’s a nasty little piece of work really. The machine is a weapon of extremely destructive power if it were to be used in the right hands. The machine fires two identical energy beams at the identified target, no matter what the distance is, as long as you know how to adjust it. And then as those two beams get closer and closer it finally impacts with the target, creating two crossed beams that start to expand into a field. Everything within that field suffers quite the gruesome death really, because within the field no molecules may hold together, and since they can’t hold together the unfortunate individuals get to experience being ripped apart atom by atom. And then just as you think it couldn’t get worse it does, as the field spreads out it steadily gets weaker and weaker until finally it dissipates, but for every last bit of matter that it comes in contact with other than the original target, another field is generated, and where the two fields meet they get stronger and spread further. It really is the most efficient weapon one could think of, because after the field dissipates, all that’s left behind is a clump of dirt to be swept away. One would never have to get their hands dirty again… so, if I can actually build it, what do you say? You provide me with safe travel until I find out exactly what I am in exchange for the ultimate weapon?”

OOC: 386 words

Just as she was about to respond, however, the changeling woman could hear the heavy footfalls of her android engineer approaching, and turned to see him stepping around the corner, and proceed to inquire what was going on. "Well AREU, it seems we have a stowaway. And one who thinks himself a genius weapons designer as well. If you want to know my opinion, I think he's just a dumb kid looking for adventure, trying to discover himself or some sentimental shit like that. Of course, your free to listen to him repeat his crap and see if you can make anything out of his terminology, but since he's stowed away on my ship, he'll be earning his passage. First step, take him to the engines and teach him what you can, in case something should happen that he would need to help you in an emergency. Once you've finished that task please bring him to me in the bridge, and I will have a further assignment for him. Oh, and kid, we could use your name."

And with that, the cold, hard woman spun gracefully on her left foot, casually striding back through the hall to her captain's chair, taking care to be slow enough to hear the boy give his name, though surely Slyph would be able to repeat the name to her later if she requested it.

OOC: 400 words.

“You should compliment her on her public speaking skills. The morale boost would do her some good.” Came the feminine voice in his head once more.

Mentally, the android responded to the ship. “Her ability to speak is not my concern. And complementing it would only be a useless gesture.”

“Then tell her she is looking fit today. Bio forms like to be complemented on how healthy they appear.” Responded Slyph, urging AREU to take her advice.

Ultimately ignoring the voice in his head, AREU simply nodded towards Snow before she walked away. Then turned his attention back on the stow away. He did not appear very fit, but in the end AREU would have to deal with him. First thing was first. Introductions. “I am Artificial Research and Exploration Unit Nine Nine Nine Six. I am currently tasked with the upkeep of this vessel. Any attempt to impede this goal, or in any way hamper my ability to do so will result in your extermination. Most probably by laser fire. Do you understand?”

words: 290

Arriving at the back where the engines were he carefully inspected them, watching the motions of the machinery and getting used to them so he could tell exactly where the problem was if anything were to go wrong. From there he quickly put what little knowledge he had to work and did quick maintenance checks, which weren’t really necessary, the ship was basically new, and the second creature was doing well to take care of it. So after finishing little routine things he awaited the other. Sitting quietly at the corner he started to rub his arms in order to avoid the cold.

Processes started to begin in his mind as he started to deduce what the creatures were. The first one that he had met had a tail and had velvet smooth skin by the looks of it. And it didn’t seem like the cold was bothering it though, so their home was probably about half frozen… which would be just perfect for him. He was dressed in full tropical clothes and had no way to retain warmth, especially since he had no idea how to control his energy. What he intended to be a search for information as to what he was, was quickly becoming a rapid march straight to his own death.

“I guess this situation could be described as ironic… I run for almost a year from what I am and call myself a freak, but the moment I decide to actually try and find out, I walk into a death trap that isn’t only going to just plain kill me, it’s going to slowly and very painfully kill me with a steady chill that constantly runs up my spine and dulls my movements. I give my abilities the cold shoulder, and I die with a cold shoulder.” He chuckled at the statement and stood up again taking a deep breath of cold air and then sighing.

OOC: 445 words

“Wow.. That was cold, even if you are just a machine..” chimed Slyph. The ever present annoyance in AREU’s head.

The android folded his arms against his chest, taking a defensive posture as he watched the man. Now deciding to levitate just inches off the ground and float behind him so as to generate no noise. If the man wished to pretend AREU did not exist, AREU would in turn pretend to not exist.

“Do you think the Mistress enjoys the color pink at all?” Asked the ship once more in AREU’s mind.

“I do not know.” responded AREU mentally, who was still watching the human intently, following him around as he did his general maintenance checks.

“Perhaps she would be more comfortable with a vibrating chair…” the feminine voice continued idly. Now seeming more to be using AREU’s head as an empty room to think up ideas.

Focusing still on the humanoid, AREU attempted to drown out the ship’s incessant chatter with his own thoughts. The ability to phase through solid matter was strange to say the least. Not exactly a skill a normal human could do. So what was this man? Certainly no human. But not quite a space cow of sorts. And yet, he still appeared human. ~Perhaps he fell into a barrel of toxic waste…~ The android thought to himself silently, while going over the various means to figure out how one could accumulate such an odd ability.

“Oh, do you think the Mistress would like me to provide her with pleasurable-” The computer was suddenly cut off, AREU himself continuing mentally. “I do not know what she would find enjoyable!”

Just at that moment, the man began to make a big deal of being cold. For whatever reason, the android acted. Raising his index finger and firing a small stream of condensed heat at the man’s posterior. Essentially setting the back of his pants aflame.

Perhaps it was a fit of annoyance. Some strange and irrational outburst that manifested in an over exaggerated means to “Assist” the man with his heat issue. Either way, AREU himself was not entirely sure what the reasoning behind it was. But he was glad he did it.

words: 440

OOC: 111 words couldnt think of anything else XD

~Very good deduction, I just might have use for a mind like that~ she ponderred, speaking aloud. "You know... I really don't want to kill the kid. At least not without getting my worth out of him. But I can't raise the temperature and expect him to actually survive later on when things get worse...." she paused, looking up from the screen to gaze into Slyph's beautiful face. "Slyph?"

"How may I please you mistress?" Inquired the quicksilver hologram, her expression imploring for a chance to serve. "That boy, it seems he can't seem to handle the cold, but it would be foolish to raise the temperature when what lies ahead will be far worse... do we have any warm clothing on board?" The womanly shape shook her head, a downcast look striking her features before she looked back up, meeting Snow's gaze with a smile. "However, I do have the facilities to make such clothing, all that would be required is that you place the necessary materials into my manufacturing bay, the rest I could do myself."

Glancing back down into the viewport, Snow could see AREU extending a finger towards the whiny young man, igniting his butt in a small pillar of flames. "HAhahahahaha, that oughta teach him!" Laughed the woman, or girl perhaps, in truth Snow hoverred right at the boundary between the two among Changelings. Relaxing, she calmed her demeanor as the viewport split into two, with one following the stowaway as he slid through a wall, approaching the bridge. "Slyph, release the viewports, he'll be here in a moment."

"Your.. chores... my guest, were to study with the machine, to learn from him, rather than provoke him with whinings and acting superior. He may be a computer, but he is quite intelligent and rather independent. Now, if you have need of warmer clothing I will get my hands on it for you, but in the meantime I need you to return to the engine room, and make peace with AREU. You will need to be able to get along with him for as long as you accompany us."

OOC: First the part for Ashernon, so he can start working on his last reply before he goes to bed, guys got school tomorrow.

Added (03.09.2010, 10:46 Am)
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OOC: Below is the part directed to AREU.

As soon as the viewport closed, the Slyph manifested herself physically before AREU, having noticed the way he tried to shut her out of his mind, speaking verbally instead. "I am puzzled. Your actions of driving away the stowaway seemed like they would anger my Mistress, but instead it brought her laughter and cheer. Tell me, A-R-E-U-9-9-9-6, how did you know that she would be pleased? You claimed you knew not what would please the Mistress Snow, but here, in circumstances most improbable you have brought her pleasure. Are the two of you......" she paused, a knowing, sultry smile coming to the womanly face, clearly a human expression any machine designed to interact with humans or having reasonable experience with them would recognize as implying something many would consider... unsavory.

The fact of the matter was, the Slyph was more than just a machine. Much like the androids, she was a sentient being, gifted with an independent personality that could evolve with it's interactions with others. Her foundation was that of a... special type of servant, one who offerred her services to those who could afford her, with the discretion and grace to handle such a position among the wealthy and refined. Slyph would never reveal a secret, and considerred it a great honor to be gifted with one, but this too, was something the android would never know, lest he asked her directly. The only secrets the Slyph would not keep, were those that belonged to her alone. In this, she was the perfect travelling companion, one to whom a lonely traveller could pour out their souls, and know that no matter what happened, everything that transpired would remain confidential.

OOC: 800 words total

OOC: 143 words. sorry guys, not used to space travel in rps, theres not much for me to really do considering im not interacting with the ship or talking.

Eventually though, the android calmed down. Returning to his usual work, expecting the ship for any possible issues. And enjoying the fact that the ship seemed to have left his mind alone, finally. He was safe to think in his usual manner, and to perform at his maximum capacity.

And yet at that exact moment, Slyph appeared before him, her strange holographic appearance shimmering lightly as she spoke to him. The look on her face was rather clear, she was implying something that would be considered naughty. Though AREU had no idea what. He had yet to fully understand the human act of reproduction, or anything involving it. Though in his travels, and his time spent with Shen, he knew that organic beings tended to touch one another with their lips as a mutual display of affection. And he knew this act supposedly created pleasure, which was the only thing the ship seemed interested in. ~A hedonist space ship…~ he thought to himself. ~What an unusual concept.~

Eventually he responded in his usual calm, monotone voice. “It was not my intention to please her. I acted on my own will. And to answer your question, no. Snow and myself have not engaged in physical activities involving flesh contact. I have no flesh, therefore such an act would likely be unpleasant anyway.” After speaking he turned away, observing the ship’s main reactor core. Ironic, actually. He was distracting himself from Slyph by looking at another part of Slyph.

words: 325