Log Date:
	1/14/97, 1/15/97

Log Cast:
	Tance, Kesya

Log Intro:
	Settling into the still intoxicatingly new state of being duo
cutting partners, Tance and Kesya have hit the Ranges again, and have found
yet another black claim. While out this time, they've also come to realize
that it wasn't just the morning song on Kesya's last black that attracted
them to one another; the two have danced into flirting with one another
and back again, and even kissed. Tance has confided in Kesya that his
memories have begun to be stirred up by his delvings into his old
datapad files -- and that something about his dead mother is niggling at
him to be remembered, though he can't get at it. Thinking that she needs
to protect his fragilely healing memory, Kesya has advised Tance not to
cut green crystal, and, scared of losing what progress he's made even
as he longs for the crystal his symbiont's adapted to, Tance has
agreed.
	After verifying the coordinates of the black claim, the
two return to the JPF, for Kesya's resonance is too high for her to
safely cut....

----------
Tance rouses sleepily in his seat, as the sled lands. "Hrmm?"

Kesya reaches over to ruffle your hair fondly, unstrapping herself from her 
  harness. "We're here."

Tance gives you a drowsy smile, and moves to follow suit.
 
Kesya's sled
The singer that flies this sled could almost be considered fastidious, as 
  singers go. While the interior isn't smeared with an inch-thick layer of mud 
  and goo, it is liberally decorated with discarded food containers, smaller 
  bits of mud, and assorted debris. The bedding is well-used and smells of 
  long-unwashed human. The pilot's seat is heavily stained with dried sweat 
  and dust, the result of long hours of fruitless searching for workable 
  claimsites. The catering unit is well-depleted, and the sanitary facility 
  needs attention desperately. All in all, this sled appears to belong to one 
  unhappy singer you'd do well to avoid.
To clean up the sled, simply type, 'clean <words>/<new words>' or, if you want 
  to completely redesc the sled from scratch, type, 'clean/all <words>'.  When 
  you are done cleaning the sled type, 'sled cleaned by <name(s)>'.
This is a 2 person capacity sled.  There is room in this sled for 8 cartons, 2 
  have been checked out.  One of the special new engines has been installed, 
  allowing for greater speeds.  The console is on.   The speaker is off.  The 
  auto-scanner is on.  A small metal plate is fastened to the upper left 
  corner, you can just make out "Twilight's Ambition" scratched into the 
  surface.
The weather is fine. A good day for flying.
  ( Type 'sled help' to see available commands. )
Contents:
Kesya
Carton 1 - Kesya
Carton 6 - Kesya

Tance fetches his gear, and, just as you do so too, reaches for one of the 
  cartons of crystal. As his hand brushes yours he gives you a soft lopsided 
  grin, then moves to get the other carton.

Kesya checks on the cartons in the back. "We can get Tamber to sort these... 
  he'll get good prices for 'em. Take the second one?"
Carton 6 - Kesya has left.
Kesya picks up the carton, holding it securely to her chest.

Carton 1 - Kesya is unloaded from the airsled.
You pick up the carton. Feeling the weight of the carton, you hold onto it 
  securely, protecting the precious cargo. 
Tance says around the carton he picks up, "Don't remember a Tamber..."

You step out from the cramped interior of the sled "Twilight's Ambition."
Hangar Floor
The immense cavern that serves the guild faces the eastern sky. The blue sky 
  merges with the harsh browns of the long plain of the Joslin Plataeu far to 
  the east. The smoothly tiled floor is scarred by myriad gashes and scratches 
  caused by wind-tossed sleds. The northern and southern walls contain 
  over-large double doors while the western wall is set with observation 
  windows. Looking around (+view), you notice several signs posted. The hangar 
  is bathed in red light so as not to disturb the night vision of the pilots 
  or personnel. Outside the hangar, Shilmore rises honey-colored and 
  Shanganagh follows closely as they trek across the starry sky. 
Contents:
  Tance, over by the wall.
  Kesya's sled 
  Delvan's sled 
  Rylle's sled 
  Repair Bay 
  Sled Tech Desk 
  Radar 
  Corbin 
  Hangar Terminal 
  A large map, for instructional purposes 
  Sled rack
Obvious Commands ("." for list):
  .wait  .sleds  .desk  .radar  .map  .hangar door  .floor
Obvious Exits:
  Processing  WWSF Transport  Met Transport  Equipment Room  Simulators  
  Catwalk  Sorting  Ready Room
You are standing next to the sled rack.

Kesya steps out from the cramped interior of the airsled "Twilight's Ambition" 
  carrying a carton of crystal.
Kesya has arrived.
Kesya walks into the sorting area.
Kesya has left.

[Tance follows Kesya to...]

The automatic door opens before you as you walk into the activity of the 
  processing room.
Processing
This small room contains a collection of cartons that are to be processed by 
  Heptite Crystal Tuners. Groups of cartons are scattered about the floor, 
  deposited haphazardly by weary singers and frazzled sorters. One exit leads 
  northwest into the bedlam of the hangar, the other west into the relative 
  quiet of the cargo storage room. There is a sign on the wall that says, 
  "+LHELP available." 
Contents:
Kesya
Sign - Singers and Recruits please read!
Repacking Table
Obvious exits:
Hangar  Recutting Conveyer  Tuning Conveyer  Cargo Storage  

Kesya sets the carton down with care.

You set the carton down with care.

Kesya opens Carton 6 - Kesya and looks inside.
Kesya carefully lifts each of the 5 crystals out. She arranges them reverently 
  on the repacking table.
Kesya opens Carton 1 - Kesya and looks inside.

Tance blinks, as the computer squawks at reading his ident strip over yours. 
  "Lemme get that...." A moment of effort and the computer is satisfied.

Kesya grins up at you, "Thanks." She busies herself with the long blocks of 
  black, handling them carefully as she lays them on the table.
Kesya opens Carton 1 - Kesya and looks inside.
Kesya carefully lifts each of the 5 crystals out. She arranges them reverently 
  on the repacking table.

Tance watches you work, and blinks a bit, dazzled, as the blacks are arranged.

Kesya sighs as she punches up a screen on the computer. "Rectangles have 
  fallen again... but vs is still not bad." Her fingers linger over the 
  crystals, the opaque surface turning matte where she touches them.

Tance murmurs, "Every little bit to get me out of my hole..."

Kesya's brow arches. "Oh, this'll help all right. Not to mention that claim we 
  just found." She takes down a bigger storage carton, and begins to revrently 
  re-stow the crystals. "Oh, how I hate selling them though."

Tance nods slowly, actually gentle of expression. "Closest thing we get to 
  kids...."

Kesya carefully repacks 10 crystal(s) into a storage carton to be repacked at 
  another time.
Kesya grins up at you as she kneels to inspect her packing job. "Um hmm, sure 
  feels that way. Too bad the vein got cloudy near the end... some of these 
  won't be much good for anything."

"Hells, I'm just stunned I'm cutting black." He chuckles a little as he 
  watches you kneel, eyes still tender of regard.

Kesya hefts the carton, a husky chuckle sounding from her throat. "You cut 
  less flaw than I did on these," she observes. "I'll just dump them in cargo."
Kesya heads into the relative quiet of cargo storage.
Kesya has left.

[The two proceed back to the storage bay....]

You head into the quiet of cargo storage with a feeling of relief.
Storage
This area houses the crystal brought in from the ranges by the Singers. Right 
  now it looks fairly filled, and activity might imply that sorting is going 
  on. Singers unceremoniously grab handlers from this area and drag them back 
  to their sleds to unload cargo. Sorting assistants enter every few minutes 
  to grab a stack of cartons and return to the Sorting floor.
There is a small, but clearly posted sign with the words 'Only Crystal that is 
  ready to be sorted should be stored in this room'.
Obvious exits:
Processing  Main Sorting  
There are now some new commands on this room. See +lhelp for details.

Kesya comes in from the processing room.
Kesya has arrived.
Kesya sets the carton down with care.

Evidently taking that as high praise, Tance grins at you broadly.

Kesya sets the carton down carefully... a fair distance from the others, and 
  stamps it for Tamber's attention. She then takes your hand, and smiles. "I 
  guess we should figure out when we're leaving, huh?"

A slight *zap* leaps between your fingers and Tance's, and he grins a trifle 
  less broadly but no less brightly. "Yeah...."

Kesya giggles as we both send sparks off each other, and she smugly comments, 
  "It's a good thing we didn't stay to cut that black. I hope you didn't mind 
  how long it took to get back... I try to keep the hoarde at bay." She heads 
  out to the hangar, one arm linked through yours.
Kesya walks out toward the hangar area.
Kesya has left.

You walk through the swinging door and into a different kind of chaos.
Hangar Floor
Contents:
  Tance, over by the wall. 
  Kesya, over by the wall.
  Kesya's sled 
  Delvan's sled 
  Rylle's sled 
  Repair Bay 
  Sled Tech Desk 
  Radar 
  Corbin 
  Hangar Terminal 
  A large map, for instructional purposes 
  Sled rack
Obvious Commands ("." for list):
  .wait  .sleds  .desk  .radar  .map  .hangar door  .floor
Obvious Exits:
  Processing  WWSF Transport  Met Transport  Equipment Room  Simulators  
  Catwalk  Sorting  Ready Room
The noise of too many conversations is suddenly replaced by the whipping sound 
  of the wind.

Kesya glances back at you, and gestures downwards. "My suite to make plans?"

Tance looks a bit startled, then smiles. "If I can come in...?"

Kesya again stiffles a laugh. "Tance, you can always just walk in. Don't worry 
  about it." She heads off into the ready room, fingers clasped in yours.
Kesya ducks into the ready room, escaping from the swirling wind.
Kesya has left.

You escape the swirling wind of the hangar.
Hangar Observation Area
The hangar ready room functions as an observation area for the hangar 
  activities. Several ergonomic chairs ring a display console which debriefs 
  the pilots before they leave the Joslin Plateau Facility.
The muted red light of the hangar suffuses through the crystalline windows to 
  bathe this area in deep red tinged shadows. The hangar is quiet during the 
  night.
You may view the activity of the hangar floor by asking the computer to relay 
  the activity to you. Type <on> or <off>.
Contents:
Kesya
Obvious exits:
Hangar Floor  Lifts  

Tance hangs onto your hand quite happily as he ambles along beside you.

Kesya seems a little fidgety, as resonance in her body has now climbed to a 
  level that non-singers might be surprised at. She rubs one hand across the 
  back of her neck, and leads you to the lifts.
Kesya turns from the window and strides to the lifts.
Kesya has left.

[And off the two Singers head down into the JPF, to....]

The door slides open, and you step inside.
Kesya's Suite
Plush carpeting cushions your feet, the doorway leaving you in a short hallway 
  and closet area before leading into the main suite down shallow hardwood 
  steps. The whole area is done in multi-levels, brilliantly polished hardwood 
  mixing with a thick ash-grey carpeting. The lights are currently are fairly 
  bright, though dim enough that shadows obscure the corners and crannies in 
  the room.
     Several doorways lead off from this large living room, leading to dining 
  area, office, sleeping area and den. Simply decorated, the huge suite 
  nonetheless exemplifies Kesya's success as a Crystal Singer.
     You notice the entire left wall is covered with semi-qpaque screens that 
  hide the bathing room. These display calmly shifting scenes of Taal'en 
  terrain. The screens display a starry night sky above a small lake, a small 
  campfire flickering to the right of dark forest trees. Every now and then, 
  if you pause to watch, you can spot a shooting star flash across the 
  screens. 
Contents:
Kesya
Radiant Bath
Obvious exits:
Out  

Tance comes in after you, pausing to take in the sight of your rooms.

Kesya turns, smiling as you look about. "Oh, I'd forgotten you hadn't been 
  here in a while."
Kesya slides her boots off her feet, padding to the catering unit. She orders 
  up a whole slew of different dishes, and treads down the shallow steps to 
  the dining area. "What say we eat while we chat? I'm so hungry I feel like 
  it's almost Passover. Almost."

Tance bobs his head consideringly. "Doesn't... feel like most of the rest of 
  the JPF," he tells you. Then, at the mention of food, he beams. "Yeah. 
  Hungry. Me too!"

Kesya glances over her shoulder at you, grinning as you step over to help 
  carry dishes. "What do you mean? What's JPF 'feel' like?"

You say "Like... somebody I ain't been to before."

Kesya nods, wrinkling her nose. "It is rather anonymous looking, isn't it? All 
  the same, plain walls with one coloured stripe." She filches a chicken wing 
  off one plate, leaning back as she sets her datapad on the table. "Okay. 
  Let's figure out what we need to bring. I think we've got... about a month 
  and a half before I have to be back for the next class."

Tance gingerly settles down on a chair, and offers, "Damned if I can remember 
  the last time I actually went somewhere..." before munching at chicken.

Kesya's finger prods at keys on the datapad. "So guessing on about a week or 
  so in travel, that gives us three or four weeks on the planet." She grins up 
  at you, coyly. "Sounds like plenty of time to see the local sights and dig 
  up your past."

Tance swallows his food, then lets out a breath. "My past," he echoes, as if 
  the concept flabbergasts him. "I, I guess so...."

Kesya mutters to herself, making a list of things to bring. "Warm clothes, 
  something dressy..." She looks up, her hand reaching for yours across the 
  table. "Feeling a little nervous about it?"

Tance's fingers clasp yours tightly, automatically, and he gives you a shaky 
  nod. "I... I-I have no idea how much I've lost..."

Kesya's other hand covers yours, her fingers tightening. "Don't think about 
  that, Tance... think about what you've gained. When you go, we'll be totally 
  anonymous, at least with respect to Syrene. You haven't travelled in a 
  while... but when Crystal Singers hit a planet, that's all they see." She 
  straightens, acting the part of royalty. "Crystal Singers, of the infamous 
  and mysterious Heptite Guild. You'll be able to do whatever you like and not 
  worry about what your past was... you can just have fun exploring it."

Tance smiles halfheartedly at your coaxing. "You're gonna hafta lead me on 
  this, too," he says sheepishly.

Kesya's mischievous smile brightens her features, and she leans across the 
  table to take your hands. "It'll come easily... just remember that you're a 
  Crystal Singer, something that most people have never seen, and have only 
  heard fantastical stories about. It's fun." She adds frankly, "But boring, 
  if you travel alone. I went alone on my last vacation... and it did get 
  boring. It's nice when there's someone there who knows who you are, for you."

"Can't exactly see myself as the stuff of legend," Tance confesses, but he's 
  still grinning a little. Resonance crackles between your hand and the one of 
  his you're holding. "Have enough trouble reminding myself I'm not supposed 
  to be a crazy old karker."

Kesya's free hand rubs distractedly at the back of her neck, and she smiles 
  lopsidedly. "I'm glad we're heading off-planet though. It'll help with the 
  buzz in my head." She winks at you, coyly. "Shouldn't be too hard... being 
  I'm constantly reminding you you aren't a crazy old karker too."

If you pay attention to it, the crystal resonance can be heard coursing 
  through your body at all times.

Tance chuckles a bit, then peers at your hand, and then peers at you. 
  "Maybe... you better soak?"

Kesya nods a bit, then shrugs. "It's not so bad.. just pretty distracting. And 
  the moment I soak I know I'll fall asleep, so we wouldn't be able to plan 
  stuff."

Tance nods slowly, assured enough. "'Kay... if you need the nap, though, you 
  just say so.... so. Um. We need... clothes?"

Kesya chuckles dryly, and stands to tread to the computer. "I've no idea 
  what's usually worn on Syrine... though when we first get there, we might 
  /want/ to stick out a bit." She asks the computer for a listing of Syrine 
  culture and background, and frowns at the screen. "I think we should bring a 
  few outfits... but we can buy stuff there too." She grins over her shoulder 
  at you, "Things we can't find here."

Tance turns in his chair to watch you, and his face crinkles. "You're gonna 
  buy me stuff again, aren't you."

Kesya blinks, turning to you with an amused expression. "Well... just a 
  little. Why, does that bother you?"

Tance says bashfully, "Still, um, gettin' used to havin' stuff again." And he 
  offers a smile. "Still in my hole. Pretty karkin' big hole, too."

Kesya smiles gently, heading back across the carpeting to you. "I know. I 
  ended up being almost twenty thousand in the hole after I adapted, believe 
  it or not." She arches a brow, winking. "But I got out of it in a few weeks, 
  and so will you."

You can detect some crystal resonance in your bones.

Tance murmurs, his gaze warming, "Starting to think I can do anything with your
  help."

[End log.]