(Untitled)

[a_mere_child]

So. A handful of Sateré-Mawé tribesman opted to come with the Resistance when they left South America. One of them, Maripyaipok (he also answers to "Mari"), was what Shephard calls a "headcrab wrangler," catching and drugging black headcrabs for use in the tribe's coming-of-age rituals. Alyx tries to be understanding of other people's cultures, but

Comments

[stealth_bandage]

"You know, I'm trying, and I can't think of a single way that sentence could possibly end well," comments the blond fellow just down the Bar. "Centaur?"

[stealth_bandage]

"Ah. Yes, that would explain a few things," says Arcade. "Can't really blame them for sticking around given the circumstances."

[a_mere_child]

"Yeah, well... that's not really the issue right now." Alyx's smile fades. She's a lot more rested than she was the last time she arrived in Milliways, but the situation at home hasn't improved much.

[stealth_bandage]

Arcade winces. "I seem to have a knack for treading on less than optimal ground,," he says. "Or am I reading the situation wrong again?"

[a_mere_child]

"No, it's nothing to do with you," says Alyx. "We're in a tight spot back home and I'm not sure what to do about it."

[stealth_bandage]

"I see," Arcade says. "Can I ask what sort of tight spot?"

[a_mere_child]

"Being stranded in the middle of the Australian outback with no transportation, not enough food, and a hundred people who need medical attention?"

[stealth_bandage]

"Still?" Arcade shakes his head. "Sorry. Not a productive question on my part, I know. Look, I'm probably going to regret suggesting this, but... I'm qualified to practice medicine anywhere in the New California Republic. I don't normally do it because they need me in the lab more. But if you could use assistance from someone who's used to tending to medical emergencies with very little in the way of resources, I can lend a hand."

[a_mere_child]

Alyx is silent for a long moment, mulling this over.

"Okay. I accept your offer, but you can't tell anyone where you came from, okay? Most of the crew doesn't know about Milliways and we'd like to keep it that way."

[stealth_bandage]

"Fair enough. I'm used to not talking about where I come from anyway," Arcade says with a shrug. "Anything else I should be aware of?"

[a_mere_child]

"Yeah. There's a pet houndeye on board the ship," says Alyx. "Kinda looks like a three-legged dog with a giant compound eye where its head should be. She tends to startle people when they first run into her, but Shephard's got her well-trained, so she's harmless."

[stealth_bandage]

"... huh," says Arcade. "Mutant, or something else?"

[a_mere_child]

"Alien. I told you we had an alien invasion twenty years ago, didn't I?"

[stealth_bandage]

"Yes, you did. I thought I'd better be sure," says Arcade. "After you've treated one case of night stalker poisoning, you start looking for genetically engineered hybrids of things from completely different parts of the phylogenetic tree any time you hear about something really strange, that's all."

[a_mere_child]

"...do I want to know?"

[stealth_bandage]

"Coyotes and rattlesnakes. Don't ask me, I don't know who or why or how."