MD #237: That Smell
That Smell
Summary: The night before the major Airwing op on Golf-51, Ben Cross is visited by a pilot who's been dead for more than 40 years.
Date: 01/12/2017 (OOC Date)
Related Logs: Recent ghost logs with Kapali, Elias, and Kelsey.
Alejandro Ben 
Flight Simulators, Deck 2, Battlestar Orion
It looks about the same as last time.
Mon Jun 18 18:32:53 2049

Ben sits in the sim, running the final part of the Golf 51 mission. He is flying low and memorizing the way to the Rhino. The program indicates success and Ben sits back a moment as the replay starts up. He pulls off his helmet and steps out of the unit, walking over to the screen to watch. Sitting on a bench, he studies what he sees. He's only made it this far three times, and usually gets blown up in the city, so this half of the course is still newish to him.

The flight simulators at third shift is pretty quiet so Ben has the place to himself at the moment. A few people are moving around in the corridor outside now and then but there's a little while yet until the first duty shift comes online. Still, it's a little odd, the smell that begins to creep into the chamber. The hatch is closed and no one has come in. What /is/ that smell? Something vaguely sweet, and if Ben has ever smoked or been around anyone who's done weed, Fleat Wheat, or any of the half dozen names it's known by, he might know that smell.

There's the faint sound of a flight suit shifting against a chair or other seat material. If Ben turns his head, there's some fella seated in one of the viper sim frames wearing a flight suit but with no helmet on. The guy has dark tossled hair that's a bit long and unruly for regs and he's smoking … is that a joint?

Ben catches a glimps of someone out the corner of his eye. He's very intent on the final path of the mission, tilting his head to each side of each turn. He does smell something, and has smelled it before, but he's doesn't react to it as of yet. He leans forward when it's a strait away as if that would add more speed to what he already flew.

Alejandro is content to be in no hurry, man. The Captain is seated partly in the viper sim frame and shifts one leg to dangle out the side, his body canted at an angle. There is no urgency as he watches Ben watching the simulation playback. The former Lucky Strikes Squadron Leader exhales thin smoke into the room before he finally speaks - in a tenor flavoured with an odd mix of what may be Scorpia and Canceron by accent, "Looks like you have a tough nut to crack. Good you are studying up."

Ben nods his head, viewing the final part of the flight. "Been through it twenty times. Only got this far three times. I'm getting better." He looks back at the unfamilar voice with a slight smile. Then he notes who it is, and stands strait up at attention facing the Captain and saluting.

Captain Tightpants waves a hand lazily at Ben, "Oh, you don't need to do that. I never cared much for formality. Have a seat if you like." Nope, not getting much military discipline out of this one. Ale finishes his joint and then snubs it out and drops it in the sim cockpit. He shifts his position to sit up on the edge as if he were about to hop down to the deck, but doesn't. If Ben looks closely, he can almost sort of see right through this man he's never met before. As if he wasn't really there at all. Alejandro looks around, "Hasn't changed much in here." He looks back to Cross and hops on down to the deck, then dusts his hands off. "So, a lot of challenges ahead for all of you. Going to be some hard choices to make."

Ben does as asked and has a seat on the bench still facing the man. He nods his agreement and says, "Command believes it needs to be done. I think the team is up for the task." He looks back at the screen that starts the whole mission over again from atmo heading down to the ingress. He looks back at the man. "I've not seen you around her before. I'm Ben. Ben Cross, they call me Timber."

Alejandro smiles and comes closer, looking like he might offer Ben his hand to shake. But no, he thinks better of it and snags his thumbs into his flight suit belt. "I'm 'Chiron' … that is, I was called that after Blue Axe. Before that my handle was 'Hobo', but none of that matters anymore. I've been gone a while." Ale leans against one of the sim frames. "Anyway, I just came by to … sort of pass on a message. Savy? There's something coming ahead, and I don't mean this mission you are studying up for, Timber. A situation where you are going to need to pause and remember who you are. Where you come from. What's important to you to protect? What does all this mean to you? You get me?"

Ben quirks a brow, his polite smile lessens and he questioning eye's look the man over a bit more closely, "You're asking a lot of question Sir. Somethings coming? You come from CIC and see something? I'm not sure what you mean Sir." His back straitens, his feet plant. He looks like he's ready for anything, ready to jump if needed. He doesn't know the history of this ship, but now he thinks he wants to look it up. "Can you be more specific Chiron?"

The scraggly pilot just smiles, "It's all right if you don't quite understand." Alejandro pats himself down and pulls a flip lighter out of one pocket of his flight suit. It has a scorpian etched into the side of it. "You are a Colonial, and a human. A pilot assigned to the Orion. All I'm saying is that things ahead? You are going to need to think about this. Who /is/ Ben Cross?" Idly he flips the lighter a few times. "Things get dark, or strange, and it starts to tear you between two directions? Choices, decisions… you look around at these bulkheads, the people you live and die with here, your fellow pilots and crew of the Orion. It's good to remember these things. What makes you who you are."

Ben tilts his head and says with a slight smirk, "I do know who I am Sir. Been pushing to make myself better almost every day. I know where I came from, I know where I am. I know this ship is my home, and the crew is my family." He once again studies this man, "And I've met most every member of this family in the short time I've been here, in one way or another. But you Sir, why is it I've not met you till now?" He looks puzzled. Change tactics, "Somethings coming. Something dark. The Haters are pretty strange to us and we still don't know who they are. Is that what your talking about?" It's worth a try, if this guy has some insight at all into what it is.

Alejandro digs out another joint. He fingers it in the hand that doesn't hold his lighter. "I really can't be more specific than that, I'm afraid." He gives an easy, loose shouldered shrug, "You haven't met me before because you haven't." Smart ass smirk. This 'old guy' doesn't really look any much older than Ben himself. Probably no older than about 30 maybe. His hair has the barest hint of a few silvery threads but is otherwise thick and black. His dark eyes refocus on Cross rather than what he's holding. "That is for you to find out. What this is all about. It's a whole lot more than what's /out/ there. Sometimes it's about what's inside of us, what we believe in, and what we do, that matters more than what we come up against. Only that we don't quit, don't give up. Don't stop believing." 'Chiron's mouth quirks, then he lights up the second joint and draws a slow puff or two. The lighter goes back into his flight suit and he turns to head back to the sim viper frame, which he climbs back into. "You remember what I said, you think about it, all right? And know, you aren't alone."

Ben tilts his head to the other side, still confused as to all this mystery of self awareness and why it's coming out of this man. He smiles a little bit and a soft laugh comes from him, "I'll …" He pulls a breath, "I'll remember. Turns out I get a long time to think about a lot of things on this up coming trip." He thinks of the woman he made love to the other night and the weight of the Predator in atmo flight, everything really. He repeats his words, "I'll remember Chiron." Still not sure what it's all about, "I will." He nods.

"You do that. And good luck on your mission, Timber." Alejandro looks like he starts moving his hands around to prep for preflight with checks, as if he were about to do a sim run himself. Without his helmet on, and still smoking - though he looks kind of faded, smokey. Or is there really anybody in there at all? Because now it looks empty and unoccupied. But darned if the faint smell of a joint doesn't yet linger in the chamber.

Ben's eye's widen, leaning back away from the sight. Back far enough he falls backwards and lands on his back. Timber once again, but this time he's not drunk. He quickly get to his feet, estonished to not see anyone in the viper frame. He steps forward to it, smelling the pot in the air. As he looks towards the seat of the sim frame, his eye's scan the area for that joint roach left behind. He can't find it. He walks around the frame. Nothing, just the faint lingering smell. The hairs on the back of his neck stand up and goosepimples run up and down his arms. "I know what I smell." He says, having been around it as a boy to adulthood. "Rowan must of snuck in here." Trying to explain it away. Still, he knows what he saw. He knows what he heard. He wont soon forget. The Captain told him to remember. He conciders it an order and wont forget.

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