This logfile is imported from aitelogs2 and may contain errors or wrong timestamps.
#RedrockAgency – July 7, 2017
It's midday on November 17th. Due to the previous night's activities, a suitably hungover Jason has slept in most of the day (Still wearing a cap that he has no idea where it came from) and only recently managed to drag himself out of bed and head out to pick up some food, claiming that pizza is nature's answer to a hangover. He hasn't yet returned. It's about six hours until his uncle's expected arrival when the door to the agency slides
open and in Chris walks with a single dufflebag shouldered. He stands at about 5'10 and is of average build with small streaks of grey making their appearance along the sides of his short cropped hair. A smaller frame than Jason, but the resemblance in the face is uncanny. The same chiseled features. The same blue eyes. It wouldn't take a mention for someone to connect the dots if they were in the same room.
Christopher adjusts the strap on his dufflebag as he enters the building with the harsh Aite wind at his back. Once inside, he pauses momentarily, appraising the building from the inside before approaching the counter. Shoulders even, back straight, his posture and body language are representative of a man who has spent his whole life in the military.
Fergus materializes behind the reception desk when Chris enters the building, clad in fur-lined plate armor as he has been all winter. The hologram bows his head, hand on the hilt of his blade. "Welcome to Redrock, ser. I am Fergus. How can I help you?"
Christopher stares blankly at the VI for a moment before looking it up and down. He lets a deep breath out through his nose. "What are you doing, Jason..." he mutters to himself under his breath before regaining his composure. "Christopher Wolfe." he introduces himself, "Would you please inform Linda and Jason of my arrival?" He hoists his dufflebag up slightly, immediately losing interest
Fergus nods. "Of course, ser Wolfe. You are expected." The hologram disappears, a gesture to indicate the VI communicating elsewhere. Just a few moments later he's back. "You will find Lady Vasquez in the training room. 'Tis up the stairs and to the left." he says, gesturing at the corridor, with the stairs visible at the end of them.
Christopher gives a nod. Mostly to himself. He's already had more than enough novelty from the VI that has Jason's immature signature all over it. "Thank you." he says in a rush as he marches off. As he continues down the hall, he breathes a sigh of relief at discovering that the rest of the building isn't similarly themed. No suits of armor lining the hallway. No banners. No stone walls.
Maybe it's not a total disaster. Following the VI's instructions, he makes his way to the gym and taps the door's holographic interface.
The gym door slides open to the sound of Skyllian metal blasting through the room's speakers. Vasquez is repeatedly striking a punching bag, with Cynthia next to her yelling instructions. They're both dressed similarly - sweat-stained tanktops and shorts. The very bottom of the large scar that covers Vasquez' thigh is visible just above her knee. She doesn't notice the door opening, the thudding of fists hitting the bag continuing
until Cynthia taps her shoulder, gesturing towards Chris. Her shoulders rise and fall with strained breaths as she reaches for her omni-tool to turn the music down.
Christopher steps into the gym as the door opens. Always one to come prepared, it seems he did his research on Aite before his travels. He's dressed appropriately for the season. Winter boots, thick dark blue cargo pants and a heavy winter jacket. Knowing better than to interrupt a soldier's workout, he simply sets his bag aside and clasps one hand atop the other as he waits for Vasquez to
be finished. When Cynthia points him out, he puts on a small smile and gives a brief nod Vasquez' way. It's a kind smile, but it quickly fades away behind his formal nature. "Good afternoon, Linda." he greets, "It's good to see you again."
Vasquez looks surprised, obviously not having expected Chris' arrival to be so sudden. It takes her a moment to form a response, and she grabs a towel in the meanwhile, wiping her hands before extending one towards him with a small smile, a hint of discomfort hidden in her eyes. "Chris. I... didn't realize you were already here."
Cynthia looks Chris up and down as she walks up next to Vasquez. "You didn't tell me there was another one!" she says with a lopsided grin, giving him a nod. Her busted eyebrow still hasn't healed fully, but it's no longer covered in medigel.
Christopher takes Vasquez' hand and gives it a firm shake before withdrawing. "My ship arrived earlier than initially expected. It's not exactly easy booking a flight to these parts, so I can't complain too much. I didn't want to inconvenience you or Jason, so I figured I would find my own way over. It gave me a chance to get a lay of the land." He pauses, reminding himself to smile. He has
the telltale signs of a man who has lived his entire life for his career. And, much like other military lifers, has adapted to a certain way of interacting. A way that isn't particularly suitable to civilian life. Chris, however, is quite well adapted. He pantomimes normal social cues quite well. It's in stark contrast to Jason who seems to handle everything so casually. Chris gives off
the impression that he's a man you'd want to call 'Sir' even while having a beer with him. He looks to Cynthia, extending his hand her way in turn. "Christopher Wolfe." he introduces, fighting the impulse to preface it with his Alliance rank.
Cynthia leans over and gives Chris' hand a firm shake. "Cynthia Spunkmeyer." she replies with a nod, before raising an eyebrow as she studies him for a moment longer. "Alliance?"
Vasquez wipes the sweat from her face after withdrawing from the handshake. She grabs her water bottle and takes a long swig as Cynthia speaks to Chris.
Christopher allows another smile to cross his face as Cynthia questions him. "Is it that obvious?" he asks with a brief chuckle followed by a nod, "Nearly thirty years now." He seems to realize something as he passes a glance Vasquez' way, "I apologize. I interrupted your routine-..." he says with a look towards the punching bag, "Don't let me hold you up if you're busy."
Cynthia 's posture straightens a bit as she realizes he almost certainly outranks her. "Had that look about ya." As he apologizes to Vasquez she snickers. "Nah, she needed a break. Right, Chief?"
Vasquez rolls her eyes, not bothering to respond to the comment. She shifts the bottle back and forth between her hands as she studies Chris. "Well, welcome to Aite. Glad you could make it out here. I... wasn't in the best of states last time we met. Not the first impression I'd have liked to make, if it'd been my choice."
Christopher cuts Vasquez short with a shake of his head. "I'm just happy to see your recovery went well and you're back at it. It's a damn shame when a soldier is kept from doing what they're good at." Realizing that may have come out a bit more formal than intended, he clears his throat. Vasquez isn't just another soldier. She's soon to be family. "That is to say... I'm glad you're doing
well." he reiterates with a brief smile that quickly turns to discomfort, "...Speaking of recoveries. How is he doing? I know the process can be... difficult with prosthetics. Rejection and-..." he trails off. The brief glance towards the door implies that these aren't things he has felt particularly comfortable talking with Jason about directly.
Vasquez is unable to keep a rather dark frown from crossing her face for a moment, and she lowers her gaze in an attempt to hide it. "I-... he's doing well." she says, her voice catching a little. "It's... been difficult, but he's grown accustomed to them. It's quality tech, and we're fortunate to have a skilled doctor in the company." she says, meeting Chris' gaze again. "I'm pretty sure Jason wouldn't even bother with
maintenance if it wasn't for her insistance." she adds with a half-hearted attempt at a small smirk.
Christopher gives a sigh at Vasquez' comment about Jason, but is unable to suppress a brief smile. "Yeah, that sounds about right." he adds with a deep breath. Vasquez' troubled expression doesn't go unnoticed. Though, not knowing the whole situation, Chris attributes it to general worry than guilt which makes him feel a little uneasy for having brought it up. "I'm sure he'll be fine." he
says, a very flat attempt at being reassuring, though obviously sincere, "He's always been good at adapting to difficult situations."
Vasquez takes a deep breath and nods. "Yes. Yes, he is." she agrees, going silent for a moment before changing the subject. "Jason's out right now. I don't know if-... have you talked about where you're staying?"
Cynthia has moved over to the digital shooting range, training gun in hand as she hones her aim against the targest on the 3D screen.
Christopher seems relieved at the change of subject. He's not exactly comfortable with the whole... comforting thing. "No need to worry about that. Jason told me I was welcome to stay here, but the last thing I want to do is impose." he explains, "I took care of it before my departure. I'll be staying at a place nearby."
Jason's unmistakable voice belts out from the hallway. "I'm back with pizza! The next time I decide to drink that much I need you to-..." he cuts himself short as he enters the doorway and his eyes snap to his uncle. He's dressed in his typical attire of black pants, boots, and a long-sleeved white shirt. "Oh." He licks at his dry lips, gripping a pizza box between his synthetic hands. "You're... early." he
Vasquez raises an eyebrow. "Oh. Alright, that's... good to know. J-..." she turns towards the doorway as she hears Jason's voice. "Hey." she says with a small smile. "Chris just got here." she says, before gesturing towards the door. "Why don't we move to the rec room. I'm starving."
Christopher rolls his eyes at the mention of drinking but, not wanting to potentially sour the reunion, decides better than to immediately begin criticising his nephew. "Jason." he instead greets simply with a nod of his head. His eyes move to the prosthetics, but he quickly averts his gaze.
Jason gives a couple of nods to Vasquez. "Yeah, sure..." he says, eager to escape the awkward situation. "Uhh-... This way." he says to his uncle, giving a nod towards the rec room as he turns on his heels and leads the way.
Vasquez wipes more sweat away with the towel and tosses it onto a bench before following after Jason, her hunger apparently overriding the need for a shower. "We'll make sure to show you the rest of the building soon. This is Redrock's headquarters... and our home." she says before another swig of water.
Christopher lifts his dufflebag up and hoists it back over his shoulder before following behind Vasquez. "It's.... impressive." he says as he steps out into the hallway, looking around as if appraising the building. "I have to admit, I didn't expect it to be so large." Cocking his head a bit to look past Vasquez and towards his nephew, a small smile crosses his lips, "I am curious as to why
Jason shrugs his shoulders. "What're you talking about? He's a knight!" Jason explains, "You know. Like-..."
Christopher cuts Jason's explanation off, giving a shake of his head, "Yes, yes. I'm aware of what a knight is, Jason. I'm asking why."
Jason balances the pizza in one hand as he taps the rec rooms interface. He gives a dismissive shrug as he steps inside. "Because it's fucking awesome?" he says, as if it should go without saying.
Christopher is unable to suppress a small snicker. "Right. Right. Of course. I take it that was one of your employees? Spunkmeyer?" he asks. He instinctively directs the question towards Vasquez, looking to her as he speaks. As if already assuming she's the one in charge around here.
Vasquez smirks slightly as she listens to the exchange between Jason and his uncle. As they step into the rec room she shakes her head. "No. Cynthia is an old friend of mine, actually. We served together during the Blitz. She's... here for the wedding, same as you." she explains, heading over to the kitchenette and grabbing three glasses from a cabinet. She fills her own with water from the faucet. "We've got beer,
Jason seems to assume Vasquez is talking to him as he sets the pizza box down on the table and flips the lid open. "Beer me." he says as he takes a deep whiff of the garbage pizza. It has numerous local meats and veggies on it.
Christopher remains near the table as Vasquez crosses the room. "Alliance then?" he says with a nod as he makes idle conversation. "Water will be fine." he responds to the offer before looking over the unfamiliar toppings on the pizza.
Jason looks to his uncle now that his hands are free and offers a big, lopsided smirk as he extends his hand towards the man.
Christopher returns the smirk with a smile of his own and takes the hand, doing his best not to stare at the prosthetic. He gives it a firm shake and leans in for an awkward half-hug-half-shoulder-pat that Jason returns in kind before they both retreat from the engagement. "I tried to be here in time for your birthday." he says with a sigh, "But, as I was telling Linda, chartering a ship out this way is a
Vasquez fills Chris' glass with water as well and puts all three on the table before turning towards the fridge and grabbing a bottle of beer for Jason. "Yeah. She's in the reserves right now." The mention of Jason's birthday causes a brief look of guilt to cross her face and she lingers a bit by him as she puts down the bottle, her hand stroking his neck. "We're just glad you could make it. I know it's a big ask to come
Christopher gives a dismissive shake of his head, still standing beside the table. "I could use some time off anyway. Besides, I should have visited the two of you long ago." he says with his own flash of guilt, "It's just-..." he shakes his head with a sigh before putting up a smile, "Work. Always work to be done." The excuse obviously isn't good enough for him, but it's the truth. Just like Jason's
father, career first. "Speaking of birthdays-.." he continues, a rather stilted change of subject as he shifts the strap of his dufflebag to pull it in front of him and work the zipper, "...I got this." From the bag, he produces a fluffy, 100% Earth-made teddy bear.
Jason gives Vasquez an appreciative smirk and takes a sip from his beer. Apparently the hangover from last night isn't enough to dissuade him. As Chris pulls the plush bear from his bag, Jason's expression turns to confusion. "Uhh.... You do know I turned 30, right...?"
Christopher deadpans Jason before setting the stuffed animal on the table and sliding it towards Vasquez. "I believe 'congratulations' are in order." he adds, his tone every bit as formal as everything else he says.
Vasquez raises an eyebrow as she sees the teddy bear, but her expression quickly grows into a warm smile. She takes the stuffed animal, studying it in her hands. "I-... I didn't realize you knew." she says with a small chuckle, looking up to meet Chris' gaze and giving him a nod. "Thank you." she says, squeezing what's left of Jason's shoulder before sitting down next to him. "Have a seat." she urges.
Jason's smirk returns as he realizes who the bear is for. He brings a hand up, stroking it across Vasquez' hand on his opposite shoulder.
Christopher gives a nod and slides the bag off his shoulder, setting it next to the seat he takes. "Jason never was very good at keeping secrets." he says with a glance his nephews way. Perhaps not universally true anymore, but it certainly applied in the current context. "How far along are you?" he asks as he takes a drink from his glass of water. "If you don't mind me asking, of course."
Jason gives the finger in response to his uncle's teasing. But it gets little reaction from Chris. He has long grown immune to Jason's bullshit.
Vasquez ' smile lingers, and she snickers quietly in response to Chris's comment, glancing Jason's way. "About a month." she says once she turns back to Chris. She brushes a loose strand of hair from her face and sips her water.
Christopher gives a couple of nods. "So... July, August birthday." he decides aloud. "I'll make sure to put in for some time off as soon as I get home." he says flatly. He returns to studying the pizza for a few moments before taking a slice of his own. It's not like he hasn't eaten his fair share of 'exotic foods'. He takes a small bite at first to make sure the taste agrees with him.
Jason continues scarfing his own slice down. Mouth full, he reaches for a napkin to wipe at his lips. "So.... Nothing for me?" he asks while chewing as the lopsided smirk returns to his face, "I mean, it was my birthday."
sits up a bit in his seat, his grin growing as he reaches across the table to scoop the bottle up. "Whooo. The good stuff!" he cheers as he studies the label for a moment and sets the bottle back down, "Used to sneak this stuff out of your cabinet when you weren't home."
Christopher cocks an eyebrow as he studies Jason before giving in and letting out a sigh. He sets his slice of pizza down on the corner of the box and leans to his side to rummage through his bag for a moment. Eventually he sets a large, expensive-looking bottle of rum on the table.
gives a humorless snort. "Yeah. I know." He looks to Vasquez while cocking a thumb towards Jason, "He would try replacing it by filling it back with water. Thought I wouldn't notice."
Vasquez seems a little surprised as Chris mentions getting time off for the birth, but it leaves her smiling once more. She grabs a slice of her own, eager for some food, but she narrowly avoids choking as Chris' words elicit a laugh. "Somehow I'm not surprised." she says, patting Jason's knee with a sideways glance.
Christopher returns his attention to the slice of pizza. "Expensive taste is more like it." he corrects before taking a bite. Unlike Jason, he makes sure his food is fully down the gullet before speaking once again. "So, tell me about this operation of yours." he says, looking to Vasquez to make small talk as they eat, "How do the two of you manage to keep it profitable from way out here?"
Vasquez swallows her food, leaning her slice against the box as she looks Chris' way. "Honestly, we're still figuring things out... but there's no shortage of work out here. No Alliance means lots of people need help with the kind of things we provide. Security, rescue, recovery... we keep busy enough. Hasn't always been easy, but we're building something stable."
Jason finishes up his slice, swallowing hard before setting the crust back on the box. "People out here don't have a lot of options." he chimes in with a shrug, "We give them one."
Christopher gives a few nods as he listens. "Makes sense. I just-..." he glances to Jason, almost apologetically, before looking back to Vasquez, "...I know you've had a few close calls. I hope you're taking the proper measures to be safe. With the little one on the way, have the two of you considered maybe... moving the operation?" He glances back down at his slice of pizza. A practiced move to try and
give the appearance of a casual conversation he has little invested in, but there's no doubt that this was a planned question, "Perhaps somewhere a bit more stable?"
Vasquez lowers her gaze to the table, focusing on her slice of pizza. Although Jason doesn't know it, it's not the first time she's gotten that question recently. She opens her mouth as if to say something, but when no words escape she closes it again and shoots Jason a look.
Jason bites his lower lip as the question comes up, shooting his uncle a glare. As Vasquez' attention shifts his way, he returns her look. It certainly isn't something he needed prompting to consider. Their lives and the dangers it presents to raising a child is all he's been able to think about since Vasquez broke the news to him. "This is our home." he says, continuing to look Vasquez' way as he addresses
his uncle, as if searching her expression to make sure she agrees with what he's saying. "We-.... We have friends here. People we care about. I mean, the fact that it's not 'stable' is exactly why it needs people like us. We're helping people out here." He gives Vasquez a pat on the leg as he searches for validation, "....Right?"
Vasquez doesn't respond right away. In fact she remains silent for several moments, eyebrows furrowing as her gaze returns to the pizza. "Yeah..." she eventually offers, obviously conflicted despite the nod that follows. She draws in a deep breath. "We've built something here. This is our home. I don't take lightly to abandoning that." she says, sounding considerably more convincing as she looks up at Chris.
Christopher allows a few moments to pass in silence as he chews his food and swallows it. "I completely understand." he finally says as he looks between the two. His gaze settles on Jason, "It sounds like you two are doing a good thing out here." he continues. He's never been the most touchy-feely person. Perhaps a small contribution to why Jason seems to struggle so much with laying his own worries and
fears out in the open and would rather joke (And drink) them away than address them directly. But, outside of rare instances, this is just about the closest he gets to saying 'I'm proud of you'. "I hope I'm not being too preachy. I don't mean to. I'm just trying to say: Be safe. It's about more than just the two of you now."
Jason gives a few distant, silent nods, unwilling to openly admit just how much the topic bothers him.
Vasquez nods. "Yeah... we know. Trust me... we know. And... we still have a lot of things to figure out. This is still new to both of us." she says with a faint smile. "But we look out for each other here. We won't be the first parents in Redrock."
Jason nods once more at Vasquez' statement. "Just means less field work. And, if I'm being honest?" He leans forward a bit and lowers his voice, as if preparing to share a secret, "I'm getting a little tired of people trying to shoot me. So that's fine with me." he jokes, lopsided smirk returning to his face as he sits back in his seat once more. "We'll figure it out. We've got good people to lean on."
Christopher cocks an eyebrow, not finding much humor in Jason's joke, but sees no need to further question their decision. That's not what he's here for. It's just a bit of familial concern. "Of course." he says, looking back to Vasquez, "I'm sure the two of you have enough to worry about with the wedding right around the corner, the last thing I want to do is give you more to concern yourselves with." He
sets the small amount of his slice left back down on the box and cleans his hands with a napkin as he shifts in his seat, "So will we be seeing any of your family at the wedding, Linda?" he asks.
Vasquez takes another bite of pizza, which delays her response somewhat. The question causes her to shift a bit in her seat, but she nods. "Yes. My brother, Markus. He's Alliance too, actually. Navy officer. He's already here, so I'm sure you'll meet soon."
Christopher gives a nod and a small smile returns to his face. "I'm looking forward to it." he says, continuing to clean off his hands, "Seems there's a surprising number of us out here. I wasn't expecting it. From my experience, the Alliance isn't particularly well regarded out this way."
Jason takes another swig from his beer and sets the bottle back down. "We've got a few ex-Alliance on the payroll, too. Doesn't seem like many people give two shits. Maybe we're just lucky, but-..." he shrugs his shoulders, "I haven't had any trouble."
Vasquez nods in agreement. "It's been fine, for the most part. And I think most people know there's no substitute for military training when it comes to security work." She takes a bite of the crust of her slice, chewing in silence for a moment before speaking up again. "Where are you serving now, anyway?"
Christopher finishes cleaning his hands just in time for his omni-tool to emit a beep. "I've served onboard the SSV Manila for the past few years now, but I'm currently helping to oversee a new marksman training program on Arcturus Station." he says, not wanting to be rude and interrupt the conversation by checking his omni-tool, "Just a temporary assignment. As soon as everything is up and running smoothly
I'm expecting to be sent back to the Manila." He retrieves the omni-tool from his pocket, but simply sets it on the table in front of him rather than checking it for now. "How are you adapting to all of this? Groundside all the time?" he asks with a glance Jason's way.
Jason's smirk returns and he gives a nod. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss it sometimes." he says, though he glances Vasquez' way, "But I'm happy right where I am."
Vasquez shoots Jason a glance and smirks slightly. "I'd sure hope so..." she muses under her breath before finishing the last of her pizza slice. "I think setting down roots here has been an adjustment for both of us. It's a different life, but Aite's a hell of a planet. Wait until you see the night sky."
Christopher allows a genuine, sincere smile to show through as he observes the two of them together. "It's certainly an interesting choice." he says. He looks to Jason and bites back for a moment before saying, "It's nice to see you happy." His gaze moves to Vasquez as well, "Both of you." It's a flat statement, but given Jason's reaction, it seems to be a rare show of affection. Not comfortable with
allowing that to linger for too long, he reaches for his omni-tool and activates it. After a moment of looking over the display, he gives a small sigh and forces a polite smile back into place. "Unfortunately, I should be getting back to my room. I dropped my luggage off and came right over so I should probably get things in order before it gets too late."
Jason looks a little surprised by his uncle's sudden need to leave. "Uhh-... Yeah, sure." he says, sitting up a bit. "Do you need a ride?"
Christopher shuts down his omni-tool and slips it back into his pocket. "No, no I couldn't ask that. I'll-..." he trails off, a sudden realization that this just isn't how he wants to be interacting with family. They're not his co-workers. "Yeah, you know what? That would be nice. Maybe give us a chance to catch up." he decides.
Vasquez ' smile returns and she nods in response to Chris' comment. As the two of them prepare to leave she leans over and gives Jason a quick kiss, her hand on his arm. "I'm just gonna finish this pizza while you two are gone..." she says with a smirk, her good mood obvious despite a few uncomfortable questions being raised earlier.
Jason stands from his seat, giving a point to Vasquez as he prepares to depart. "Don't you dare!" he snaps back through a grin, "I'm staking my claim on at least two more of those slices!" he continues, his pointed finger moving towards the pizza.