* Gerald enters the bar, idly.
* Alicia enters the bar a moment later, wearing a track suit and perspiring a bit. She makes a beeline to the replicator for some water.
* Gerald nods to her. "Good evening."
* Alicia gulps water, swallows, then smiles. "Evening. Sorry, had to replace fluids. I can talk politely now."
{Gerald} Waterdrinking, how annoying a need that is. {wry grin, ordering some tempura shrimp and fruit juice}
{Alicia} Isn't it? But we are slaves to our bodies, it seems. {she drinks some more}
{Gerald} Damnable things. {wry smile} Gerald Naismith.
{Alicia} Alicia. Nice to meet you, Gerald.
{Gerald} Pleasure, Alicia. I take large amounts of fluids is what brings you here?
{Alicia} And food in a moment.
{Gerald} Food is even better.
{Alicia} Food rocks.
{Gerald} It's kind of needed for that whole cellular metabolism thing, I've heard.
* Alicia dials up a plate of vegetarian lasagna and has a seat. "Not to mention it tastes good if you do it right."
{Gerald} That as well! {slight smile}
{Alicia} So what brings you here?
{Gerald} Curiosity, for the most part. There's some very...uh, interesting persons here.
{Alicia} True. Unlike me. *grin*
{Gerald} I haven't met you yet, so I have utterly *no* idea on that yet.
{somewhat bigger smile}
{Alicia} You've met me just now... *grin*
{Gerald} Well, not gotten to know.
{Alicia} That is true. Well, I'm no god or anything like that.
{Gerald} Haven't met many of them yet, if it's any consolation. {wry smile} Do they come in six-packs or something?
{Alicia} Something like that.
{Gerald} I've met at least two multiplanar beings, but they weren't gods per se.
{Alicia} Really? Now that's interesting... Well, you can add time-displaced crimefighter to your list of types you've met.
{Gerald} Now *that's* interesting.
{Alicia} Try living it. *wry smile*
{Gerald} No thanks, I have enough problems dealing with *one* clock. {wry chuckle}
{Alicia} It's not something I recommend. I'm coping, but it's weird.
{Gerald} I'll keep that firmly in mind.
{Alicia} So what type are you?
{Gerald} Security guard from space station type.
{Alicia} Yeah? Now that's interesting.
{Gerald} Orbiting Saturn?
{Alicia} Even moreso. What's a space station orbiting Saturn need a security guard for? Seems like it'd be hard enough to get to for the bad guy types.
{Gerald} Well, if there's a hull breach, one needs to have people to hit other people on the head about getting to sealed areas. And there's restricted areas, things *can* get stolen, fires....
{Alicia} So it's a reasonably big station. See a lot of those fires?
{Gerald} A few, a few. In closed environments, they're understandably bad.
{Alicia} Yes, fire control would be a priority. Don't want to accidentally ignite anything much.
{Gerald} Like, oh, pure oxygen. Or the wires that control vital bits of life support....
{Alicia} Little things like that. I wouldn't want your job.
{Gerald} I wouldn't want mi...wait, pity, I have it. Never mind.
* Alicia chuckles.
* Gerald makes a sketchy humorous shrug.
{Alicia} Do you enjoy it or are you thinking of jumping ship?
{Gerald} I like certain of my co-workers, so it makes it endurable. {small smile} And if I disappeared, it would cause notice. Which is a problem as nobody technically knows there's a Door there.
{Alicia} But a disappearance would cause a search and cause it to get found?
{Gerald} And would be bad, shading to much worse.
{Alicia} So if you jump ship, do it elsewhere.
{Gerald} Exactly.
* Alicia nods, finishing her dinner.
* Gerald nibbles some more tempura, calmly.
{Alicia} And seriously, glad you have friends to make it endurable.
{Gerald} So am I. I'm friends with a few other of the guards on board.
* Alicia nods.
{Gerald} Other than that...well. Not a whole lot.
{Alicia} You just have more contact with your co-workers?
{Gerald} I do have some with a few others from other departments on board, but yes.
* Alicia nods. "A pretty common tendancy."
{Gerald} What, isolation? {wry smile}
{Alicia} Tending to have friends in similar fields.
{Gerald} Think it tends to limit?
{Alicia} Oh, a bit, a bit... but I'm not one to talk. Most of my friends before I came here were crimefighters, too.
{Gerald} And since then?
{Alicia} About half and half.
{Gerald} "It got better."
{Alicia} It *did*.
* Gerald smiles a bit.
* Alicia returns the smile. "So you see, it can be done."
{Gerald} Always a reassurance, that.
{Alicia} Isn't it?
{Gerald} And how.
{Alicia} So, what do I want for dessert... {she gets up, heading to the replicator}
{Gerald} Judging from observation, probably something sweet, caloric, no redeeming nutritional value whatsoever...
{Alicia} I like the way you think. Hmmm...
{Gerald} Hmm?
{Alicia} Hmm. Something light, though. Chocolate cream pie.
{Gerald} Sounds good.
* Alicia dials one up. "Want anything while I'm here?"
{Gerald} Not particularly.
* Alicia nods and retakes her seat with her prize.
{Gerald} Sorry for being dull.
{Alicia} You're not dull. You just don't want dessert, marking you as unamerican, but you're from Saturn so that's okay.
{Gerald} I'm just staying there on a temp basis, really.
* Alicia nods. "Is the pay worth it?"
{Gerald} Yes. {slight smile}
{Alicia} Good. I'd hate to think you were getting shafted there.
{Gerald} If you're out several astronomical units from Earth, you make *sure* you're getting paid for it. {wry smile}
{Alicia} Right. *grin*
* Alicia finishes her dessert and gathers her dishes. "It was nice meeting you, Gerald."
* Alicia recycles her dishes and heads out.
* Gerald finishes up and heads outward himself.