EPISODE 6: HIGH-FUNCTIONING FLESH (3) EPISODE 6: HOCHFUNKTIONALES FLEISCH (3) EPISODIO 6: CARNE DE ALTO FUNCIONAMIENTO (3) EPISODE 6 : LA CHAIR À HAUT RENDEMENT (3) EPISODIO 6: CARNE AD ALTO FUNZIONAMENTO (3) EPISODE 6: HOOGFUNCTIONEREND VLEES (3) EPISÓDIO 6: CARNE DE ALTA FUNCIONALIDADE (3) ЭПИЗОД 6: ВЫСОКОФУНКЦИОНАЛЬНАЯ ПЛОТЬ (3) EPİSODE 6: YÜKSEK İŞLEVLİ BEDEN (3) ЕПІЗОД 6: ВИСОКОФУНКЦІОНАЛЬНА ПЛОТЬ (3) 第 6 集：高機能肉身 (3)

Anyway, I told Kai that I'm working on Ra. Так или иначе, я сказал Каю, что работаю над Ра. But really, I've just been running some background tests while focusing on a couple of other things.

Uh. Don't listen for a second, okay, Kai?

**Kai:** Roger that. [[Begins to hum public-domain music]]

**X:** [[Lowers voice]] So… I figured out the password to that data pad I found in my mother's study. It wasn't hard, and you probably guessed it right away. Six alphanumeric characters plus Charlotte's otherwise unaccountable spaz attack? Шесть буквенно-цифровых символов плюс необъяснимая судорожная атака Шарлотты? Duh.

**Kai:** [[Humming fades out, subtly.]]

**X:*** Find me. *

Now, I don't know if that means that Charlotte knew I would find it... and that she wanted me to unlock it? Is that too much of a coincidence to be a coincidence?

I don't know. I still haven't seen Charlotte, so I can't ask her. Not that she'd give me a straight answer, anyway.

But I digress. The reason I'm not more jazzed about unlocking the data pad is that... all of the data inside is encoded. Причина, по которой я не в восторге от разблокировки панели данных, заключается в том, что... все данные внутри закодированы. I've tried a couple of simple substitution ciphers, but no dice -- it's not even written in an alphabet I'm familiar with. Я попробовал пару простых шифров подстановки, но без игральных костей — это даже не написано на знакомом мне алфавите. I'll keep working on it and report back when I know more. Я продолжу работу над этим и сообщу, когда узнаю больше.

Hey, Kai, you can listen again. I mean, if you want to. You don't have to, of course.

**Kai:** Roger that.

**X:** In cheese-related news, the new Daisy embryo is all set up in the incubator. Though I think she was potentially… affected by Ra's period of imbalance? Хотя я думаю, что она потенциально была… затронута периодом дисбаланса Ра? It's hard to tell at this juncture, though, so I just set up a couple of extra monitoring parameters and will keep an extra-close eye on her development. Однако на данном этапе трудно сказать, поэтому я только что установил пару дополнительных параметров мониторинга и буду очень внимательно следить за ее развитием.

What else…?

OH! Yeah. I swiped samples of both the vine and the glowing fungus from your pod and… turns out, they're both just boring old run-of-the-mill kudzu -- or, Pueraria montana -- and Panellus stipticus. It's just… weird, that they were growing so abundantly in what had previously been such an oxygen-poor atmosphere.

Though, relatively speaking, it's a lot less weird than most other things here on the Cavatica right now. Make of that what you will. Сделайте из этого что хочешь.

[[Brief pause.]]

Huh. I still feel like I'm forgetting something.

**Kai:** A discourse on your emotional state after having discovered the body of your mother?

**X:** Nope. That is not a thing I am dealing with right now.

**Kai:** Oh. Bemoaning the presence of the Caldwell Enterprises personnel aboard what you had previously thought of as ‘your' ship? Оплакивать присутствие персонала "Колдуэлл Энтерпрайзис" на борту того, что вы раньше считали "своим" кораблем?

**X:** Right. Thanks. So. Yeah! I've been thinking -- “nothing gold can stay,” right?

But... who's to say it was even gold to begin with? Но... кто сказал, что это вообще было золото? Or that there's nothing out there better than gold?

I'm not naive. I know there's no such thing as the “good old days”. The Cavatica was falling apart long before the Caldwell Enterprises fleet arrived, and life will always have its problems. And wishing for a misremembered, rose-tinted past is not only naive but dangerous. И желать забытого, окрашенного в розовые цвета прошлого не только наивно, но и опасно. I know the only way forward is forward. Я знаю, что единственный путь вперед — вперед.

But what does “forward” mean? Do I even __have__ a forward?

[[Brief pause]]

Hmm. What's “forward” for you, Kai? I've been thinking about that whole “chain of command” thing that Chen told me about -- the pack structure that Caldwell Enterprises makes you follow to ensure your obedience and safety. Я думал обо всей этой «цепочке подчинения», о которой мне рассказал Чен, — о структуре стаи, которой «Колдуэлл Энтерпрайзис» заставляет вас следовать, чтобы обеспечить ваше послушание и безопасность.

**Kai:** [[Drily amused]] What about it?

**X:** Okay, so… Chen has a “forward” -- he could one day supplant the alpha figure -- the Councillor, who is all elderly and frail -- and also a stupid jerkface. But what about you? You're beneath Chen in the pack structure, but it seems like you're friends. Or at least you wouldn't want to tear out his throat and supplant him.

**Kai:** Correct.

**X:** Okay, so… for you, “forward” is with Chen, not against him. [[Excited]] See, I'm working on this idea of moving forward with, not against things. What do you think?

**Kai:** I think you've discovered politics. Кай: Я думаю, ты открыл для себя политику. [[Brief pause.]] So… you're going to give in and play ball with the Councillor?

**X:** Something like that, yeah. [[Pauses]] ...What?

**Kai:** Nothing.

**X:** You were looking at me weird.

**Kai:** I was not.

**X:** You were.

**Kai:** [[Exasperated]] You have no idea what I was looking at. In fact, you know that I don't even have eyes.

**X:** I felt it. [[Pause]] Oh my gosh, and now you're rolling your nonexistent eyes.

**Kai:** This is ridic --

[[SFX: Metallic banging sound, door opens. Approach of Charlotte's hydraulics.]]

**Charlotte:** FIND ME. FIND ME. FIND ME.

**X:** Oh my gosh. Charlotte! Where were you -- never mind.

**Charlotte:** [[Continued]] FIND ME. FIND ME. FIND ME.

**Kai:** [[Drily]] I think she wants us to find her.

**X:** Very astute. [[Impatiently]] Charlotte, where… where do we need to go? How can we find you?

**Charlotte:** [[SFX: Buzzing, rupturing sound. Then, clearly, as though from a recording:]] It's like I've been saying all along -- the children are the key. But we… I need your help. The station can't survive another incident. Please. I know you're out there. Find me.

[[Degenerates into digitally corrupted voice.]] Find me. Find me. Find me…

[[SFX: Digital distortion]]

[[SFX: Charlotte shuts down.]]

**X:** Oh my gosh.

**Kai:** That was… less than helpful. Hmm. And she's not rebooting.

**X:** No. I… Oh my gosh. This whole time… [[Snaps out of it.]] I know where to go!

**SCENE 3**

[[SFX: Cavatica, Parents' Cabin Pod]]

[[SFX: Footsteps halt]]

**X:** Uh. Where is she? Where's all the fungus? The bed is here, and that machine... but where is she? [[Turns, sounds mildly panicked]] Kai, I'm not insane, right?

Kai: No... I'm just as confused as you are.

**X:** [[Calls out]] Hello??? Dr. Keane?

**Fixer:** [[Brightly, emerging from a side room, stage right]] Can I help you?

**X:** Um. Is Dr. Keane around? She said I could come back and see my… um. Mother?

**Fixer:** [[Apologetically]] Oh, I'm sorry. I don't know a Dr. Keane. But is there something I can help you with?

**X:** Uh, yeah… where's my mother's body?

**Fixer:** Mmm. I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to release that information.

**X:** [[Increasingly upset]] What? Why?

**Fixer:** You don't have the appropriate clearance code.

**X:** Who says? !

**Fixer:** Check your wrist.

**Kai:** [[Interrupts, irritated]] Delta charlie six one eight nine four. There's your clearance code. Now, where is the body?

**X:** [[In the background.]] (And where's Dr. Keane?)

**Fixer:** Officer… Kai, is it? [[Patronizingly]] I'm sorry, but your clearance code has been revoked.

**Kai:** Excuse me?

**Fixer:** [[Raises volume of voice, speaks more slowly.]] __Your clearance code has been__ revoked. Now move along, please. This is a restricted area.

**Kai:** [[Takes a step closer]] I've been with Caldwell Enterprises longer than you've been alive. I am an Eckhart-level officer with two Medals of Honor and a Purple Heart. There's no possible way my clearance has been revoked… Here…

[[SFX: Brief burst of static.]]

**Kai:** [[Into comm]] Captain Chen?

[[SFX: Brief burst of static.]]

**Fixer:** Unfortunately, Captain Chen has been relieved of his position on the Ra Initiative Taskforce.

**Kai:** [[Shocked]] What?

**Fixer:** [[Dismissively]] You may take up any grievances with Human Resources.

**X:** This is insane. [[SFX: Moves toward woman, threateningly.]] Where is she? !

**Kai:** Wait, X, don't --

**X:** Tell me!

[[SFX: Gun cocking, stage right.]]

**Fixer:** [[Calmly]] Freeze. You are hereby under arrest for attempting to harm an operative of Caldwell Enterprises. Настоящим вы арестованы за попытку причинить вред сотруднику Caldwell Enterprises. And as the physical and intellectual property of said organization, any and all rights you may otherwise be privy to are forfeit. И поскольку это является физической и интеллектуальной собственностью указанной организации, любые и все права, которыми вы могли бы обладать в противном случае, утрачиваются.

**X:** [[Hands up, takes a step back.]] Wait --

**Fixer:** Officer Kai, stun and cuff her.

[[SFX: Gun charging, center stage.]]

**Kai:** It's not set for stun.

[[SFX: Gun fires, center stage. Body thumps to the ground.]]

**X:** ...Holy __crap__, Kai! What happened to “no murdering”? !

**Kai:** She is not dead, only debilitated.

**X:** ...Her leg is on the other side of the room! X: ...Ее нога в другом конце комнаты!

**Kai:** As I said -- she is only debilitated. She may go into shock when she regains consciousness, but the wound is more or less cauterized. Come on.

**X:** Jeez. All right.

[[SFX: Footsteps leading out into the hallway, quick pace.]]

**X:** Who was she? [[Quickly amends]] Is she, I mean. Who is she?

**Kai:** [[Grimly]] A fixer. From corporate.

**X:** I don't know what that means, but I can guess. Um. Are you going to get in trouble for… debilitating her?

**Kai:** The fact that she's here means we're already in trouble.

**X:** Ah. Good. Well. Where do you think they're holding my mother's body?

**Kai:** On board the Enforcer One, most likely.

**X:** Think Chen is there, too?

**Kai:** Yes.

**X:** Are we going to save him?

**Kai:** Yes.

**X:** Yay! Do I get a gun?

**Kai:** No.

**X:** Oh, come on. I'll keep it set for ‘stun.'

**Kai:** No.

**X:** But what if we run into danger?

**Kai:** That is what I am for.

**X:** ...For ...danger?

**Kai:** Correct.

**X:** Cool. Well, I'm here for reason, and I say we need a plan that's more carefully thought out than “let's rush blindly aboard the enemy ship!”

...Or maybe not “enemy”, since you work there. Worked there. I'm assuming your employment is just as terminated as Chen's. But assuming is bad, so. Но предполагать плохо, так что. Also, what do you think happened with Chen? Actually, never mind. Planning! Now is for planning. Теперь дело за планированием.

How many total people are in the fleet out there? Like, are we dealing with hundreds or thousands or…?

**Kai:** Eighteen.

[[SFX: Footsteps jog to a halt.]]

**X:** Really? Eighteen… eighteen people? That's it?

**Kai:** Yes. The fighters are all A.I., and most systems are optimized for a skeleton crew.

**X:** Huh. Wow. Okay. The "chain of command" is a lot shorter than I thought. So… I'm not sure how to go about officially asking this, but… wanna mutiny with me?

**Kai:** [[Amused]] What do you think we've been doing?

[[SFX: Short static burst]]

**Thor:** [[Voice distorted over radio]] Kai! You there?

**Kai:** I'm here, Thor. Go ahead.

**Thor:** [[Disbelieving, perhaps slightly panicked.]] Uh. What's going on?! We just got a notification that Chen has stepped down as commanding officer, and we're supposed to report to the Enforcer One for debriefing and reassignment? !

**Kai:** I heard the same thing. Is Chance with you?

**Thor:** Yeah.

**Kai:** Good. Meet me at the Cavatica's cockpit pod before heading to the debrief. Okay?

**Thor:** Yeah, okay. ...And Kai? Keep an eye out for Experiment Girl. They said she went crazy and escaped custody or something. There's an order to shoot on sight.

**Kai:** Copy that. See you soon.

[[SFX: Short static burst]]

**Kai:** All right. So before Thor and Chance arrive, how did you know Charlotte wanted you to find your mother's body?

**X:** Because when I heard her voice like that… Kai, that was my mother's voice. Charlotte's been using my mother's voice this entire time.

[[SFX: Stinger]]

[[SFX: OUTRO MUSIC]]

-Fin-