054 ☣ save our ship

[fridgetothefire]

[Warden Filter]

I have a proposal I'd like everyone to listen to.

I know the Admiral is being an unbearably condescending inscrutable prick about this. But I honestly believe him when he says he doesn't have the strength to fix our ship and chase down that other one. He's too proud to claim that kind of incompetence if it weren't true, and you can hear how aggravated he is. It's why he's being extra dickish at the moment.

So we need to hold it together, if we ever want to see our friends again, if we want not to be siphoned away until the floors start going dark and airless like they were over there a few months ago. I need to hold it together. And I need help.

Volunteers are welcome, of course, and anyone who has any experience in carpentry or plastering to help with training others would be even more appreciated. But frankly we also need you all doing your own jobs and watching out for the inmates, and they could stand to have a little less free time to cause mischief in.

So. I'd like to formally request that upper-deck privileges be restricted. No pub, no CES, no CTS, and no firing range access for any inmates who don't complete, let's say, fourteen hours of maintenance service a week, to my satisfaction, or that of a deputy, with no sabotage or dawdling. Fewer hours for inmates already performing other work details, I'm open to numerical suggestions.

All of those locations are privileges, and always have been despite how casual we are about them, and the chapel and greenhouse are still available to inmates who are unwilling or unable to work but who need some mental respite. I'll make an announcement to the inmates soon and maintain a list of everyone in good standing if you all agree.

I realize this is probably hopeless. I need unanimous cooperation. Even one of you with an item can scuttle it. If you have doubts about whether we should do this, or how, or why, please talk to me.

For those of you who were inmates on the other ship, who are wardens here, listening to this - I know it sounds like I'm asking you to help us take you back to hell, but I swear I'm not. Iris - you don't know her, but she's a version of Bianca who never went cruel or possessive. She's exuberant and dauntless and compassionate and amazing, and she's over there right now suborning that ship with nanites that can affect the barge substance on a fundamental level, that transformed this one almost completely. There's hope for unmaking that place, without abandoning the innocents there, yours or ours. But not if we disintegrate and give that place all our strength to fight her assault.

You can hear this because you're all good people, whatever you've done, however you've struggled. Please help me.

...and if you could all respond, at least in acknowledgement, that will let us know if we have anyone posing as a warden now who isn't one.

Comments

[twin_guns]

I don't have an inmate to look after - 'cept my brother, but I'm all green lights for keeping the peace. I'll help ya where I can.

[fridgetothefire]

[She almost wants to launch into something, advice about family sometimes being too close, too personal - but she has enough on her plate, she really does.]

No family favors?

[A little wry, but the question is dead serious.]

Thank you.

[twin_guns]

[His expression fell flat at the suggestion.... and normally, she would have total rights to worry except-]

He's not the brother that belongs here and there isn't enough boot lickin' in the world to convince me to help him out like that. Not here.

[fridgetothefire]

I've had some - complicated family come through, too. It gets weird.

But that's good to know.

[twin_guns]

He wants something bad enough, he'll work for it.

Family seems to always be complicated. My name's Dante.

[fridgetothefire]

If he doesn't - that's okay. I like my people at least a little bit motivated.

Anya. Good to meet you.

[twin_guns]

Wish it was under better circumstances. The pleasure's all mine.

You sound like you've been here a while.. Or at least been at this a while. You don't haveta do this pow wow crap a lot, do you?

[fridgetothefire]

About two years. This is the first time. I did a big volunteer push a little while ago, but that was only for a few days. And it was for this same issue, just - not as bad yet.

[twin_guns]

I heard riots have happened here before - how likely do you think the chances are that it'll happen again?

[fridgetothefire]

We haven't had a riot proper in a long time. It's a numbers game - we don't really gather everybody in large groups except at meals, and there are more wardens than inmates. There are fights, of course, and sometimes takeover attempts, but it's always smaller groups. The last real riot involved magic aggression-inducing hallucinogens released in the cafeteria.

So really it depends on whether some asshole decides to get clever.

[twin_guns]

That sounds nasty. Seems to be a lot of flying by the ass of the pants then. Good, just my style.