Heavy was the weaponry that dangled at her hip and it was loosely bound through two links in her tactical harness--the very model of efficiency. Lt. Rorq poured through technical specifications of the sample site whilst optimizing the laser drill's targeting array. As officer in the navy she was cleared to carry standard issue firearms, and though she hadn't used one in a long time, it was just like riding a bike. Well, in that riding a bike for the first time in a long time is also often filled with awkwardness as one's body reacclimates to the sensation. 

"What do you think you're doing?" Lt. Leandra called over to Lt. Rorq when she entered the maintenance bay of the Nyx, which had already been in flight for some time. "That's work for the [i]engineering[/i] staff. As I recall, you're here as a [i]geologist[/i]." 

Lt. Rorq sighed as she put down the tools and backed away from the drill. It ate at her that she wasn't the highest link in the chain on [i]this[/i] boat even if she was on the Vitae, and seemed to be something Lt. Leandra relished. "Permission to speak freely," Lt. Rorq stated.

"Permission denied," Lt. Leandra responded.

[hr]

It had been a long day and the Chief of Engineering was happy to see it come to a close. Unlike his highly ordered CPC counterpart Xaith discarded his tools the moment he walked into his quarters. Tools which bounced off the ground like spent shell casings as he slipped out of his clothes and walked to the shower. All save for one as he rest his EEGARD carefully on the nightstand and pulled from his scalp a plethora of RFID tags that were attached with adhesive. Each numbered not only by an order of application but also with cranial application coordinates. 

He had been shadowed all afternoon by Sasha, and nearly forgot to wave her off when he entered the water closet. 

[color=cyan]"Should I continue strategizing for the case?"[/color] she asked through the open door. 

A long drawn out pause was followed by a dejected sigh. "No," he said over the sound of hot water splattering across the tile floor and winding its way down the drain. "Disengage all ancillary databases and resume alpha protocol."

[color=cyan]"Acknowledged."[/color] The statement was followed by databanks physically being ejected from the base station her avatar was designed to incorporate into. [color=cyan]"Databanks disengaged. Memory has been wiped and default settings restored. Directives?"[/color] 

The process of wiping all traces of secondary systems found in the modular databanks took some time, as to be thorough, and Xaith had finished his shower in the interim. He collected the drives and stored them in a cabinet next to the conical-base of the cylindrical station and retrieved a different set of older modules. Another was produced and placed into a unique interface slot designed explicitly for it. 

Despite being older in appearance that final one was nearly mystical in design as it did not follow any of the conventions of man-made computer technology. It's icoshaedronic shape was perfectly cut into a strange translucent composite-polymer that he doubted even Lt. Rorq could readily identify. Pockets of geometric shapes, made of special alloys, belied its nature as a data device but it was more crystal than drive. It was something sufficiently alien that it might easily be mistaken for Devastator technology, had humans ever captured a sample, but was itself distinct and unique from even their technological signature echoes seen on their sensors.

"Resume construct: XYI-001."