Text for all!

[no_fastolfe]

[A text comes across the network from the planet: It's just this, over and over]

q;;;qq;; q;;qq;q; q;;qq;q; q;;q;q;; q;;q;qq; q;;q;;;q q;;qq;;; qq;qqqqq q;;qqq;; q;;q;;;; q;;q;;;q q;;;q;qq q;;qqqq; q;;qqq;; q;;;q;qq qq;qqqqq q;;;qq;q q;;qq;q; q;;;qq;; q;;;qqqq q;;q;;;; q;;q;;;q q;;qq;qq

[It looks plenty like weird static, but if anyone decodes it to ASCII text via binary numerals, depending on which character they choose as 1 and 0, they will either get complete gibberish or:

seeking contact respond

Somebody's communicator is pretty broken, guys.]

[OOC: Do not get too attached to this goldfish.]

Comments

[unweeping_willow]

[And that somebody gets back - in that same language - hello?

...It feels like forever ago that Willow was doing work with computer's and programming; but she hasn't forgotten; just shoved it deep inside. She recognizes the coding.]

[no_fastolfe]

captive, am ill location unknown

[unweeping_willow]

On the barge; we're working on it.

[If she could express how frantic she is through code, she would.]

[no_fastolfe]

�laN? tineline?

[unweeping_willow]

[That... takes a little extra translating, before she manages.] Soon.

[timesbureaucrat]

[Narvin responds in kind.]

contact received what is your location

[no_fastolfe]

unknown can receive but communicator broken

am ill

[timesbureaucrat]

what are your symptoms

[no_fastolfe]

fever dehydrat�o~ hearu rate oncreased

[timesbureaucrat]

[Damn. He knows only a little about humans, but those symptoms aren't a good sign in any species. And no medical care available.]

remain calm we are working on retrieval

["We" being "heroic Barge folks," not Narvin who is lost and tucked away in hiding. And without knowing where she is, he's not sure how they can retrieve her even if they could get past the aliens. But part of his job as Coordinator was to try to prevent the spread of panic during a crisis (even if he himself is panicking). So he automatically slips into statement of reassurance.]

[no_fastolfe]

acknowleged little choice

[Do not get attached to the goldfish. Sepsis comes fast for someone who is without their immunoboosters.]

[substandard_parts]

It sounds like a party down there.

[Especially if you're shouting in binary. Dear heavens, woman.]

[no_fastolfe]

can receive but mïst keys not fenctyon

loca|iof wnknogn

[Some ones and zeroes got away there]

[substandard_parts]

You're almost speaking Klingon there if you add a couple of pause marks. Local what?

[no_fastolfe]

locqtion un[own

location unkmown

[substandard_parts]

Understood. [He stops short of saying impending demise isn't a good feeling, is it? He doesn't really know why he holds back. He'll for now blame it on the fact that she can't really do more than keyboard smash in return.]

What is your current condition?

[no_fastolfe]

incapaóitated
deqrssed immune/system ill

[Surprise, Lore! If you didn't make it that far in Asimov, you got the delicate tropical fish of wardens, and someone didn't change her water today]

[substandard_parts]

[Oh, that dick. Dropped people down but couldn't even supe one up? That's harsh.]

They're probably going to kill you instead of treat you.

[Emotionally unstable android makes unrestricted obvious and unnecessary observations.]

[no_fastolfe]

agreed but indirecô no food tonigot

[ladyofgotham]

[After a few tries, Barbara deciphers the message and responds in kind.]

contact received

were you captured

are you hurt

[no_fastolfe]

caðtive
no injvry
ill: immunodepòessed

[She's not feeling well and not sure how much time she should waste pecking out an explanation of the medicines she stays on aboard the barge to keep her lamentably bad immune system in shape, so she hits the key points.]

[technophilic]

[ Oh hello there, second language mine. Satsuki adjusts her own binary into q and ; to respond in kind. ]

contact established

[no_fastolfe]

waRden v aliena c½ptive
timeline to baRge repa�r?

[She's not feeling very well and keeps stuttering her ones, and her messages come out a bit garbled. It's all very awkward.]

[technophilic]

[ Satsuki has parsed human communications before, so she's rather skilled at figuring out what's purposeful code and what's merely garbled attempted speech. Lucky. ]

uncertain, ≤72 hours

death toll viable escape route

[no_fastolfe]

death toll will "etWrn to barge?

[technophilic]

yes

not yet tested

[no_fastolfe]

undfrstood

[text/coded]

[aggravating]

[Now this isn't something Tony's seen. Not in years. Decades, even.

Humans don't usually get this smart, out here. Or if they are, they learn to keep it off the air.]

Ooooh that's fun.
Do it again.

[no_fastolfe]

dnn't understa~d

[Her binary is degrading, the fever making it difficult to keep well-regimented ones and zeroes in order.]

comLunicat.r brnken

[aggravating]

[He's seen this before. Broken communicators, messing up words, spelling. Eventually, the signal will stop all together.

Out here, it's only a matter of time, but still...]

You're not gonna be fun for long huh?
Assuming you're from that ship, meaning injury or capture is probably something you're dealing with.

Location?

[no_fastolfe]

unkown

maintenance d`tail $ntil ill

l%rge compound

north?

name?

[aggravating]

North can mean a lot of things.

Stark.

So are you playing footsie with aliens or curled up under a rock?

[no_fastolfe]

stopped feding me when ill

but left amlne alnne alone

tony st&rj? barge

[aggravating]

[... Okay, what the hell.]

Location. As specific as possible. Landmarks, sun position, whatever you can give me.

How the hell do you know my name?

[no_fastolfe]

[Blink. He must have gone overboard. That's going to make everything more difficult. She types very very carefully, gives the angle of the sun when it rises through her window and the local landmarks. Then:]

barge
long story