A prompt screen lit up, which activated the dormant android that was crammed into the box. Systems booted up, and it activated all servos, its limbs coming free of their restraints. The copy of Jaesa loaded into the android's cortex and after a moment, she came online, taking full control of the body.
Reaching up with its arms, it unlatched the inner catches of the crate before pushing the lid off. Carefully, Jaesa took hold of the lid, before carefully lifting it up and off, placing it on the ground outside the crate. She then sat up and surveyed her surroundings.
A brief scan told her she was in the hold of the Darkstrider, stacked up right where her other self ordered her to be placed. Jaesa then did a brief scan of the ship, using the sensors on board her new body, and detected no life signs on the ship. They must have stopped somewhere, as she couldn't sense the ship moving at all.
A more focused scan of her sensors showed there were Sentries active aboard the Darkstrider. Jaesa was happy that the crew had taken sensible precautions before leaving. She knew that she'd have to avoid the Sentries if she was going to leave. Seeing as there was no time to waste, she climbed out of the crate, landing quietly on her feet.
Before she left the hold, Jaesa reset the lid on the crate to make it look like no one had been there. The moment it was back in place, she climbed out of the hold and made her way to the crew's living quarters. Even though her android body would pass for a human's on sight, she still needed clothes. Sentient beings were a modest bunch and it wouldn't do to go strolling around naked. Especially since most of the android body was devoid of skin.
Deftly avoiding the Sentries movements, she found her way into Kasumi McKenzie's quarters. Closing the door behind her, Jaesa then looked around for the young Captain's clothing. She found it and decided on a black T-shirt, khaki pants and a sturdy pair of combat boots. She also selected a casual green jacket to complete her disguise and caught her reflection in the mirror.
Jaesa looked exactly as her holographic avatar did, slim, muscular and fit. The brown hair framed her pretty face, and luminous blue eyes complimented her appearance. To any casual observer, she was just a pretty girl, out for a stroll. Breaking her gaze from the mirror, she opened the door quietly and peered out. Seeing that the coast was clear, she stepped out and made her way carefully to the front of the ship.
Sneaking around the Sentries was no easy feat, even for Jaesa. The machines were designed and programmed to investigate everything regularly and thoroughly. They left nothing to chance, so Jaesa had to time it carefully to work her way around them. The moment she neared the exit, she groaned inwardly. Flanking the exit were two Sentries, looking back and forth between the door and the interior of the ship.
Jaesa growled at this development and knew that she'd have to use an alternate route if she was going to leave the Darkstrider. While the ship was being built, she'd overseen much of its construction with Commander Sunara's guidance. One thing she'd had done to the ship was the addition of a secret entrance and exit. It was one of the few things that the crew didn't know about on the Darkstrider and something she'd keep to herself. For now, at least.
The secret way out was a crawlspace, designed to be small and tight, so few people could get through. Jaesa fit into that category, but just barely. She made her way down to the lowest deck and after locating the panel; she lifted it and crawled in. She slid it back into place, as it wouldn't do for the Sentries to find it.
Jaesa made good time through the crawlspace, reaching the exit panel at the aft of the ship. When she created the exit, she had made sure that they reinforced this zone with additional armor and seals. There were also several panels, all of which had a unique signal that was required to open them. Jaesa already had those signals implanted in the android's cortex and vocalized them, allowing her to pass through them.
Once she was clear of the ship, she stayed close to it and scanned for any life signs. The only ones she detected were the six that were clustered by the fore of the ship. Two of which were Inari and Priya, whereas the others looked to be customs and station security.
Smirking to herself, Jaesa snuck around to the dock, blending into the crates and cargo that sat on the dock. Most of it hadn't gone through the customs or were waiting for pickup by their customers. She evaded the group by the Darkstrider and let herself into the station, with no one the wiser.
She walked into the main thoroughfare and was impressed with all the businesses and such that were on this station. There were clothing vendors, souvenir shops, street vendors selling wares from food to trinkets, an endless sea of commerce. Species of various sorts, from bipedal humanoids to skittering insects, meandered through the thoroughfare, minding their own business.
Now that she had the freedom to explore, Jaesa walked on into the crowd, intending to find any vendors for chemicals and organic compounds. She would need such materials to craft the synthetic skin that she desired her android to be outfitted with. Though the skin she had right now would pass for that of a human, a detailed scan would reveal otherwise.
The one thing she desired most was to make an android to become as close to an organic being as possible. With her goal set in her mind, Jaesa plowed on through, eager to see if she could find a vendor who would sell her what she was looking for. She hoped that a station this size would hold at least one, maybe more.
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After taking a brief tour through the market and the Bazaar, the crew of the Darkstrider headed to a local dance club. It was popular with both spacers and the club scene, as it was a good place to cut loose, let your hair down and have some fun. The bouncers there looked more than capable of handling any problems that would crop up. Their presence kept even the rowdiest of spacers and clubbers in line, which many there appreciated.
The ladies were on the floor dancing their hearts out, moving to the pulsing beat of the music. Alex was at a nearby table, nursing a beer while keeping the space reserved for the crew. He smiled as he watched Natalya and Kasumi shimmy and strut around without a care in the world. Taal'ani was up there too, moving gracefully and in ways that few sentient beings could match.
Luminia, Aesha and even Tahral were up there with them, dancing as best they could and managing quite well. He chuckled as he waited for the rest of the crew to arrive. Alex only had to wait for a few minutes, as Inari, Priya and Korsa walked through the doors. The bouncers sized Korsa up, and after a few words, let her pass without incident. The women spotted Alex at the table and made their way to him.
"Not up there dancing, Alex?" Inari teased.
"Not much of a dancer. Besides, someone has to hold the table," he replied.
"Well, I'm going to join the girls for some dancing. Fancy getting your groove on love?" Inari asked Priya, extending her hand. Pree smiled beautifully and placed her hand in Inari's, letting her lead her through the tangle and press of bodies on the floor.
"Not going out there?" Alex asked Korsa, before taking a pull of his beer.
"Not right now. Just the dance floor to clear a little first before I head on up there," Korsa told him with a look.
"I get you. Being as big as we are, it tends to have its disadvantages," he chuckled.
"You got that right!" she replied before taking a seat opposite him. Korsa then picked up a menu that sat on the table and read it over.
"They've got some good eats here!" she enthused, looking over the tablet.
"You can read that?" Alex asked, perplexed.
"Of course I can! I just switched it my native Khontaran language and gave it a read!" she told him with a laugh.
"Menus do that now?"
"Oh Alex, you have so much left to learn!" Korsa giggled as she handed him the menu. She then showed him how to activate the translator feature on it, which he then switched to English. The menu then rippled as it changed and displayed everything on it, so Alex could read it this time.
"Wow! This is... new!" he stated.
