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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">Mission: Prelude</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">Day: 2</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">Stardate: 2446.03.24</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">(USS Illuminar - Deck 1 - Bridge - CSec/Tac - Lt. Commander T’Mur - 1303)</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">Even with her fullest concentration and a talent for linguistics, T’Mur had trouble keeping up with what the
Iotian was saying. Some of the vocabulary just did not match her experience. And by the time he had finished talking he was already off the bridge leaving her with his weapons. </span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">She touched the command chair and closed her eyes. ::Luma, would you be so kind as to transport these weapons
to my private locker and secure them::</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">Luma, who had been overly positive and chatty recently, as if she were compensating for something, responded
very quickly, but she could sense the pleasure in her presence. </span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">::Of course, my Sienna’s T’Mur. It would be my pleasure.:: </span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">At that, her presence disappeared as well as the weapons. Luma’s behavioral change was so slight it might get
missed by most, but since T’Mur sees the patterns of behavior she noted the change. </span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">Then her mind turned back to the conversation with Vermyx. She picked up her PADD and pulled up the playback
of the last part of the conversation. </span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">“Playback the conversation,” she said to the device. “Pause at each break and translate using old Earth slang
terms.”</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">[Y'r joshin', ain'tcha?]</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">[</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-style:italic">You are
telling a joke</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">.]</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">[ 'S'okay. We'll get along fine once I getcha up to speed.]</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">[</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-style:italic">We will
get along as soon as you understand what I am saying</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">.]</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400"> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">[Any-who, gotta get a wiggle on.]</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">[</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-style:italic">Translation
uncertain. Closest approximation is I must leave.</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">]</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">[Cap's orders. Gotta find my billet then bop down t'Engineering. Lotsa engineerin' t'do.]</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">[I have to find my billet and head down to Engineering. There is a great deal of engineering to do.]</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">[Catch ya on the flip side!]</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">[</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-style:italic">Translation
uncertain. Closest approximation, touch your backside!</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">]</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">T’Mur looked at the device with a furrowing of her brow. “He most certainly will NOT be touching my backside,”
she said, instinctively looking down at her posterior.</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">::Luma, I will need a copy of the book
</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;font-style:italic">Chicago Mobs of the Twenties</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">.::</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">::That book is not in our current library. I’ll have to interface with the Mars Complex. This might take some
time.::</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400">::Whenever you can. Thank you Luma.::</span></p>
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<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400">(reply none)</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#201f1e;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400">(posted by Al Muir)</span></p>
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