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Post by ebonyviper on Sept 19, 2008 16:43:59 GMT -5
Following the submersible bubble to the trench, Delfina picked up on the forklift's thoughts and smiled slyly. This was going to be fun.
'Oh, I bet it does suck, doesn't it?' she sent as she swam toward the trench, 'I bet you just wanna be back onboard that ship up there on the surface or back home with your family, don't you? Oh, by the way, you'd better keep a stronger barrier on your thoughts. They are so easy to pick up.'
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 19, 2008 17:03:57 GMT -5
The forklift froze for an instant, having a cold, prickly YOU-ARE-BEING-WATCHED sensation. It wasn't the feeling he got from over-inquisitive jet-wolves, but the awareness of being under the scrutiny of something with real intelligence, something he didn't know, and the reasons for the expedition did nothing to ameliorate that paranoia. His eyes went all over the place as he moved levers to turn thrusters and maneuver his bubble to see where the hell that feeling was coming from...
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Post by ebonyviper on Sept 19, 2008 17:17:10 GMT -5
Delfina watched the submersible manuever about, knowing that the forklift looked for where her sendings were coming from. She swam over to the little machine, avoiding the arms, and settled on top of it. She leaned over to view the forklift from above.
'I'm up here,' she sent.
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 19, 2008 18:21:08 GMT -5
The forklift looked up... slowly. His eyes grew huge and he stuttered something unintelligible. Then, he started frantically calling into his radio link while trying to shake off Delfina with repeated thrusts to either side. There was another worker in an identical rig, but he was on the other side of the ship and limited by his umbilical. There were frantic inquiries from the other bubble and the ship, but the stuttering, cursing forklift was too frightened to answer either.
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Post by ebonyviper on Sept 19, 2008 18:32:12 GMT -5
Delfina had pushed herself off even before the forklift started shaking his bubble to get her off and floated some distance away, watching with an amused expression on her face. Then she waved good-bye and swam down into the trench, disappearing in the darkness.
A couple of minutes later, and with the help of an invisibility spell she had cast, Delfina appeared near the diving platform of Freda.
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 19, 2008 18:56:57 GMT -5
Randy squinted, bringing his long-distance vision into play. He could make out the bubble being brought aboard, and the ship's support crew seemed quite frantic about it. "Hey Freda, you seeing this? I'm lovin' it!"
Dawn and Manuel were bringing up binoculars. "Oh God, what did Delfina do to them?" It was about that point that the woman's head broke the surface near Freda's stern. "Delfina!" Dawn called out, "just what did you pull over there?"
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Post by ebonyviper on Sept 19, 2008 19:09:28 GMT -5
Freda took a glance toward the other ship and chuckled at what she was seeing. "It looks like something under the water scared them."
Delfina took a moment to shift back to airbreathing before replying. "Oh, not that much. I just swam up and said hello. He panicked and I left. Oh, that and I can easily pick up thoughts of his along the lines that what he was doing at that moment sucks."
She swam over and pulled herself up on the platform.
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 19, 2008 20:42:22 GMT -5
"Well, I imagine it'd be far more dangerous for them if something went really wrong." Dawn observed. "Humans can abandon such a rig and swim free, at least. A forklift would never have a chance." She frowned. "Says something about whoever they work for, doesn't it?"
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Post by ebonyviper on Sept 19, 2008 21:00:39 GMT -5
"It does..." Delfina nodded as she sat down to rest, going into deep thinking mode, "but who hired them... and what are they doing all the way here...?"
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 19, 2008 22:11:39 GMT -5
"Ship's flagged Panamanian." Randy observed, "But a lot of people use that for a flag of convenience, because just about any doofus with the money can get one. They don't ask questions."
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Post by ebonyviper on Sept 19, 2008 22:18:40 GMT -5
"Okay, so that's one mystery noted," said Delfina, "What's his name?"
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 19, 2008 22:37:01 GMT -5
"Too far to make that out." Randy said. "But he's a heavy cruiser type, definitely a guy from the bulk of him, and I s'pose you can search the registry for ships in his type and size range. Unless he wants to come closer."
"He doesn't look like the sociable type." Dawn lowered her binoculars. "In fact, every time he looks our way, he's staring daggers at us. Makes me twitchy."
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Post by ebonyviper on Sept 19, 2008 22:44:18 GMT -5
"Ugh, that'll take too long," sighed Delfina, "There must be alot of others like him in the registry. And I'm not sure why he keeps glaring at us, like we're the invaders or something."
"I can call him up on the radio and ask," offered Freda.
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 19, 2008 22:53:11 GMT -5
"Guess he can't really get snotty without calling too much attention to himself." Dawn sat back. "I'm sure he knows that."
"Probably one of those guys who hates sharing the site with anyone else." Manuel stood up, viewing the stranger with narrowed eyes.
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Post by ebonyviper on Sept 19, 2008 23:09:13 GMT -5
Freda got on the radio, calling out to the other ship, "Unknown ship, this is Research Vessel Freda Nightshade of the Wood's Hole Oceanographic Institute. What is your name and why are you here?"
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