KES
Kes frowned at the scope in her hands, legs crossed, gaze intense with focus. She knew that the problem with the machine sheâd taken apart was to be found within it, but she couldnât place exactly what it was. An examination of the lens failed to produce the likely culprit, with the glass still entirely intact, but the subtleties of whatever was causing the laser to malfunction â she assumed there was a piece of sand or something jamming a gear up â were clearly extremely tiny, at least to the human eye. It frustrated her, and so, too, did the fact that a magnifying glass was no where to be found in the engineering tools Vodin had sent with them. Something which, in turn, meant sheâd have to go see if one of the others on the mission did have one, or at least had something she could use to take a closer look. With a sigh, she uncurled her legs, stretching as she rose, carefully bagging the scope and sticking it in a pocket before setting off in search of any of the other people who called Arcadia home.
The first person she found upon exiting her tent was vaguely familiar, in appearance if not in name, and she hesitated, uncertain if interrupting whatever they were doing was the right course of action. But she did need that scope repaired, and doing it without some sort of aid would be an absolute pain in the ass⊠She had to talk to them.
âHey! Uh, I hope Iâm not interrupting somethinâ important, but do you maybe have something I could use to magnify? Thereâs supposed to be a tool in engineering but I think someone borrowed it or something.â Her tone was cheery, but Kes was more than a little aware of the way her accent dropped the last letter of words, of how that signaled exactly what little education sheâd received to anyone with an ear for such things. Not the best first impression, but sheâd tried to stifle the hint of a drawl in her voice before, to little effect.
The equipment here was more advanced than she had ever used before. If the scope she used at home had three settings, then this one had three hundred. It was exciting...It was also terrifying. Rin had always been sure of herself, of her ability but this has thrown her off balance slightly. Quite literally. She was still somewhat uneven on her feet after that long in Cryo.
Itâs comforting, despite the unfamiliar equipment, to be back in her element. Surrounded by reports that sheâs been pinning to walls, and the lab gear sheâs slowly moving into a formation that she can work with. Rin was so picky back home, no one touched her things or they would hear about it. Here she was to share with another researcher, the thought alone spent a spike of annoyance through her, already anticipating having to ask them not to move things around.
Sheâs ducked under a work station, stacking boxes and ensuring everything is labeled when she hears the entrance to her tent open. Narrowly avoiding hitting her head as she stands up, Rin regards this newcomer with raised eyebrows. They soon furrow, however, at the thought of if she had something to help.âYes. Luckily I do.â
There was a large magnifying lense meant to be clamped onto her desk, but surely Vodin would have sent two, one for each Xenologist? They could share for now. âSure. Just keep an eye on it, yeah? Not like we can easily replace anything around here.â Despite the warning, the magnifier is unclamped from her desk and passed over with a small smile. This wasnât back home. These people werenât her friends, but they would have to trust each other to some degree to survive. This piece of equipment could be the first branch of trust. âWhat dâyou need it for anyway?â
