| Haste Hysteria | |
| Summary: | Jan’s ordered to work on his problems, and completely loses it |
| Cast: | Jantine Rathenhope Volouscheur Ruin Leodhais |
| Air Date: | 2007.01.29 |
Landing Pad <Ulbahno Subcity: G'ahnlo>
- Both the size of Ulbahno Subcity's landing pad, raised ten meters out of the water on thick metal poles, and the amount of traffic arriving and departing it suggest that it is one of G'ahnlo's major trade hubs. One section of the massive tarmac contains a number of small hangars and facilities for maintaining, launching, and recovering suborbital aircraft for transport between the planet's many subcities, and not a single half-hour passes when one of the twenty-meter vessels doesn't power into the sky and rapidly climb out of sight.
- The majority of the pad, however, contains facilities for servicing, loading, unloading, and fueling interstellar vessels. Upwards of sixty freighters and dropships are arranged chaotically, covering almost every inch of available landing space. Dockworkers, cargo transporters, and technicians scurry around beneath the ships in a carefully choreographed dance, unloading or loading cargo and attaching fueling hoses in an efficient effort to get ships turned around and back to the trade routes as quickly as possible. From the pad's eastern edge, a tunnel dips beneath the waves and heads towards the subcity.
Rathenhope nods slowly. "It sounded good to me," he says with a smile. "But, I'm not the most musical person in the world." He and Scheur are sitting on the ramp of the Haste, Scheur with violin in hand.
There's a faint magenta blush on the Vollistan's cheeks, ~Thank you anyways, though; I'm never quite sure if it actually sounds as good as I think it does.~
Jantine walks up from the city, somewhat slowly. He's apparently got a slight itch on the back of his neck, since he's scratching there. He's also got a smallish frown plastered on his face, and appears to be in deep thought.
Rathenhope smiles slightly, and then stands to his feet. "Well, I don't know what you think it sounds like," he says with a grin. "Anyway, tired now, need to sleep, hope you get hold of the Seek-ers," he says quietly before heading up the ramp. As he goes, he notices Jan and waves.
Volouscheur nods quietly and waves to Rath, ~I'll go over and check again in a moment. Night.~
Jantine gives Rath a /really/ absent minded wave, continuing towards the Haste in the same manner.
Volouscheur offers a feeling of greeting to Jantine, starting to pack up her violin.
Jantine gives another, similar wave to Scheur. He reaches the ramp, and begins to move up it slowly.
Volouscheur is sitting on the Haste's ramp, packing up her violin. Jantine is just starting to walk up the ramp slowly.
Longwhisker comes padding down the ramp slowly, looking about with a slightly annoyed expression, his tail flicking behind him.
Jantine just continues slowly up the ramp, reaching the airlock and continuing inside.
Corridor <IND Saviour's Haste>
- The short corridor runs along the portside of the ship, lit from a set of recessed fourescent fixtures hidden withing recessed ceiling coves. The corridor ends in two hatchways for and aft, and halfway along the inboard wall there is a third, more elegant, doorway. Last, outboard, a heavy pressure door accesses the ship's small airlock.
Jantine boards through the ship's airlock.
Leodhais remains riiiight next to Ruin, following him closely, every step. "I'm not going anywhere," he says in a soft voice. To Rathenhope, he shakes his head. "Please," he says simply.
Rathenhope nods slightly, seeming to deflate a little. "Okay," he says quietly, changing course and heading for the main cabin.
Jantine walks in from the airlock, a small frown plastered on his face. He also seems to have a slight itch on the back of his neck, since he's scratching it. He doesn't seem to really notice anyone, and looks to be deep in thought.
"...Take care of Rath," says Ruin to Leodhais in a quiet, flat tone, and turns to Jantine. "Just who I wanted to see. Cockpit?"
Leodhais blinks several times rapidly, swallowing and then nods, as he heads to the main cabin to see about Rathenhope.
"Where I'm going" Jan replies distractedly, slowly plodding towards the cockpit, still itching and frowning a bit.
Cockpit <IND Saviour's Haste>
- The cramped cockit barely has enough room for the pilot's bench and second officer's station behind, every square of space inch filled with monitors, switches and system telltales. The glassteel canopy provides minimal headroom, the long slender bubble providing an excellent view of the surrounding space. A holographic heads up display provides navigational information while the console signals add faint rainbow reflections.
Ruin takes a seatin the pilot's chair, waving Jan at the copilot's. "Haven't had much chance to talk to you."
Jantine looks...slightly disappointed when Ruin takes the pilots seat, but shrugs and moves over towards the copilots "Yea" he replies, turning the station on distractedly.
Ruin shakes his head. "We're not flying, Jan, just talking. Or I'd have you sitting here. How're you settling in?"
"I know, I need to sim" Jan says distractedly, but doesn't call one up yet "I think I'm doing alright" he says after a moment.
"I'm not so sure," says Ruin quietly. "You tend to latch on to anything that makes you feel better temporarily, leaving the underlying instability intact. I want to know what you've done about that, if anything."
"What do you mean?" Jan asks, still distractedly. With no objections, he turns to the console, bringing up a sim.
Ruin sighs. "No sim," he says. "That's one of your distractions, flying. Jan, pay attention."
Jantine sighs, shutting down the sim and turning to Ruin, silent.
"How do you feel," says Ruin quietly, "Without flying, without Alandra."
Jantine blinks, a few times "I haven't really...thought about that" Jan says simply, after a brief pause.
"I'm asking you to think about it now," says Ruin, tone very level. "You're on my crew, and I look after my crew."
Jantine is quiet for some time "Without...either..." it sounds like he's pained even considering the possibility, there's a heavy sigh "I'd be a total mess" Jan replies softly.
Ruin nods. "You're not in the Militia anymore," he replies. "And we don't need to fly anywhere for the time being. I want you, Jan, to consider sorting out that 'mess' your first and highest priority. If it means you're too shaky to fly for a while, we can survive that. If it means you're *flat* for a while - we can handle that, and keep you safe." He tilts his head. "Still with me?"
Jantine just nods quietly, looking disapointed saddened, confused, and jsut generally down trodden. "I won't have you doing this alone," says Ruin quietly. "Most of this crew can help you. And most of this crew *will*."
"Voliast and Volouscheur can help you, of course," says Ruin quietly. "Tell them you need their help - or I will, and I think that would bother you more. If you can't find either of them, Leodhais is skilled in meditative and defensive martial arts. And Rathenhope and I do meditative yoga. All day, every day, Jan. No more running. No sims, no flying, no hiding behind Alandra. It's time to deal."
Jan's response? Breaking into tears. He curls up into a ball in the copilots seat and just sobs.
Leodhais peers into the cockpit with two steaming mugs. "...hot cocoa?" he offers. "Thought maybe everyone could use some tonight-" he pauses as he sees Jantine burst into tears, blinking. for action
Ruin simply nods, as if this were something expected, and reaches forward to lightly rub Jan's back. To Leodhais, not looking over, he says, "Spread the word. Jantine is not to be in the cockpit. He is not to distract Alandra from her work with the Seek, either. When you're not working on your projects, Leodhais, you're to find a quiet place with Jan and run him through kata - no sparring, just the forms. When Rath's not doing his own learning courses, he's to introduce Jan to yoga. Iast and Scheur are to test their psychic healing skills and advise the rest of us on the best course of action."
"No..." Jan says through the sobs "You want me to do it, I'll do it myself" it's difficult for him to speak, he chokes on almost every word as the tears just keep coming.
"I will," Leodhais says, nodding to Ruin. He switches both mugs to one hand for a moment, and then pulls a clean, unused handkerchief out of his pocket, and offers it. "We'll help, Jan."
"I want it done *right*, Jan," says Ruin gently. "I want you healed, Jan, I'm not doing this to torture you. It'll be easier for us all if we help you."
"No!" Jan cries, almost like a child told to do something they /do not/ want to do by a parent, before he stands up and runs for the door, still bawling, with a cry of "I need to be alone!" unless someone stops him, of course.
Leodhais quickly sets the mugs down and snags Jan by the arm before he can dash - and he has a better grip than most people would think. "No," he says quietly.
Ruin reaches out to snag Jan, too. "No more running," he repeats firmly. "It's time to deal, Jan."
"No!" Jan cries again, flailing uselessly against their grip "I need to be alone!" There's spit coming out when he cries now, and he's still bawling. Jan's caught between Leodh and Ruin, both have grabbed him, and he's bawling, competely lost it.
Leodhais looks at him calmly, still holding him by the arm. "No, Jantine," he says in a firm voice.
Rathenhope comes through almost at a run, stopping as he gets to the cockpit door. He's without boots, flak jacket and holster, but his stun gun is already charged and already in his hand, but held down by his side, pointing at the ground. He has a hard, set expression on his face as he walks through the door, taking in the scene quickly. Saying nothing, he waits.
"Tom, Jan is distraught," says Ruin, very calmly. "I want him kept out of the cockpit. He is not to interfere with Alandra's work. He has work of his own to do now." He reaches over to liberate the mugs of cocoa from chance spillage. "Meditation work - you and Leodhais. The Vollistans are to help as well. Jantine has cost himself enough chances at a good life; it's time he deals." He nods. "Please see him to bed."
"No..." Jan tries one more time, absolutely defeated, he slumps down in their grip, trying to get the floor, tears still pouring down his cheeks.
Leodhais doesn't let go of Jantine until Rathenhope has him, and nods in agreement, his expression serene.
Rathenhope nods, his expression softening instantly. He puts his gun on a console. "..Someone get that back to me in a minute please?" he asks quietly, flicking it off before some how taking Jantine and attempting to lead him /out/.
Ruin nods, juggling the mugs to pick up the stun gun. "Main cabin, please," he says. "I'd hate to have to repair this console."
Jantine just allows himself to be taken where ever, still limp and sobbing. He tries another, feeble "No" however.
Leodhais relieves Ruin of the mugs, and nods to himself, waiting for Rathenhope to take Jan out before trying to squeeze out himself.
Rathenhope does indeed lead Jan out, speaking quietly. "...Yes. Don't even think about arguing with me tonight."
Main Cabin <IND Saviour's Haste>
- The main cabin is finely sculpted from reinforced plastics and trimmed with insets of ebony and mohagany. Twenty four coach passengers, twelve portside and twelve starboard, can be comfortably berthed in each tall leather padded seat, each placement outfitted with a minimonitor, commlink and dataport. At the bow, near the forward corridor, is a tall storage locker and emergency aid station. The central aisle leads aft, where a service niche houses a small galley and wet bar. Opposite the galley is the executive transport's hygiene unit. Light sifts down from linear fixtures hidden above the overhead cabinets and each seat has a private reading light.
- A hatchway leads forward, while beyond the service niche is a second hatch leading further aft.
Ruin takes the mugs into the main cabin, setting them down in the galley, but holds on to the stun gun. "When Alandra gets back, let her stay with him," he says quietly. "Her work will be done then." He indicates Jan's bunk. "No to what, Jan?"
Jantine glares at Ruin "Leave me alone." he says through sobs, with the slightest hint of defiance left in it.
Leodhais goes over to the galley to tend to the mugs, and shakes his head a bit.
Rathenhope continues to lead Jantine to his bunk, grip firm and guiding.
"Or what?" asks Ruin, very mildly. "Or you'll run away? As you've run away from everyone who's tried to help you so far? Or you'll hate me?" He walks over to Jantine, gaze level and direct, entire bearing completely calm. "Hate me or fear me - I am your friend. And I am tired, very tired, of watching you sabotage your own life. No true friend would let you keep doing it."
Jantine just breaks into fresh sobs, wracking his body, cutting off any words that might have been spoken, his head drops, eyes not looking at Ruin.