Before Landing (-005): Quiet Speculations
Summary: Morgan, Devin and Silas discuss the new classes and what they could mean.
Date: 30 Apr 2016
Related: None
Devin Morgan Silas 


Spanning several stories 'up' toward the center of this spinning wheel, the SkyBox houses more than a hundred juvenile delinquents awaiting their eighteen birthday and their accompanying appeal hearing. Delinquents live in two-person cells, each with a simple bunkbed, sink, and toilet.

All other functions take place in the common area at the 'bottom' of the SkyBox. The common area is open, with tables and chairs, all with minimal padding. A few game boards and screens allow for some entertainment, and one area is set aside for exercise with a couple of treadmills and resistance machines.

5 Days Before Landing

Life in the Skybox isn't always easy, but it is the only life that Devin's known. Stepping out of his cell on the third tier, he moves down the row to the stairs leading down to the bottom floor and the common area. He offers nods and greetings to those that he knows, which is just about everyone since he's spent just about the most time in this place than anyone else. He moves towards one of the usual tables he sits at, offering another nod of greeting to those present as he sits. "What's the word?" He asks to no one in particular.

Morgan looks up and gives Devin a smile. "Same old shit." Which isn't quite true given the new classes they've been having. But today was no different from yesterday or the day before. Classes but no explanation.

Devin grins and nods at Morgan's words, chuckling softly. "Seems about right." He offers in return as he glances around the area, taking in everything he can before he looks back to Morgan. "Have you heard anything about why we're getting these classes all of a sudden? I mean, I'm not broken up about it. I get out of here and learn stuff about Earth, but why now?" Given his obsession with Earth, it's not surprising he's enjoying the classes that Carter has been giving.

Morgan shakes his head. "You think they'd tell us anything? I don't know why but I don't like it." Anything the Council thinks important starts off with two strikes as far as he's concerned. "I wouldn't worry about it. It's a change of pace and there's nothing we can do about it anyway."

Devin grins and snickers softly. "Hey, you never know. Sometimes guards can be chatty." He says as he looks at one of the nearest guards. "You're right, but I still can't think that something is up." Hanging out with Morgan seems to have put a bit of paranoia of the Council and their motives. "Plus side, though, I get to see more of the Ark than I have in a while."

"Of course something is up. You think they're doing this to be nice to us? 'Those murderers must be bored. Let's give them some new classes to make things interesting for them before we float them.'" Morgan says with a snort, though he too glances over at the guards. "We'll find out sooner or later. And not like the reason, I"m sure."

Devin laughs and nods. "Yeah, maybe they're going to let us all go and work in the bio bay." He says with an obviously joking tone in his voice. "We all get a pardon and get out of here so they can lock up another set of kids." He lets out another laugh before he looks back to Morgan. "Do you have your class today?" He asks, having had his own class the day prior.

"Yeah." Morgan answers, sounding bored. He doesn't pay much attention to them out of general principle of doing the opposite of what the Council wants. "The survival stuff is kinda interesting." Must be his science background coming into play. "Maybe they've started growing some new crops and need guinea pigs to test them out on. See if we can pick out what's safe to eat or something." Which makes no sense but there's no logical answer to it all.

Devin laughs as he leans forward and rests his elbow on the table, holding his head up with his hand. "Maybe. I wouldn't mind something new to eat. The shit they've got us eating now is already old." He picks up a deck of cards nearby and starts to idly shuffle them, keeping his hands busy. "At the very least, it gives us something new to talk about." He admits.

"I could show you something new." Morgan offers with a grin. "Time's running out though so…" He's 18 now so it's just a matter of time before they come for him. He's surprised they haven't already, all things considered. "Anyway, yeah. Something new."

Devin sits with Morgan at a table in the common area of the Skybox, talking amongst themselves about what appears to be the topic of the day: the new classes and what they could possibly mean for them. Devin lets out a soft laugh at something Morgan says and smirks. "I think things are getting worse out in the Ark. I hear they've arrested two more people in the last few days. Seems like people are getting restless or something."

"Good. Maybe they'll rise up and float the Council." Morgan says, loudly enough that the nearest guards can hear and give him a look. "Then we can all get out of here." Not that he thinks there's the slightest chance in hell of that happening. Certainly not soon enough to save him. After a moment, he asks "Worse how? Heard any specifics?"

Devin smiles at the comment about the Council, laughing a bit. "Yeah. That would be nice. To be able to get out of here and get a second chance with a new regime." He says with a grin. He shakes his head at the last question. "I haven't heard anything really, just seems like more and more people are getting arrested for something. Seems like the kids are getting restless."

The talk of floating the Council earns a glance from a nearby passing by Silas, whom quietly stops before he glances back, staring at the two as he listens to their exchange of words before he turns on his heels and moves to step over towards their table. "I heard this is the meeting area of the Council Floating Committee." he says somewhat dryly, his gaze drifting over towards Devin and then back to Morgan, "Are people out there finally realizing how shitty the old senile asses at the top are?" he asks, no doubt prodding at the use of worse he heard from Morgan and the word restless he heard from Devin. As he lets out his question, without invitation he goes to take a seat at the table- a fair distance from the two but within comfortable speaking distance. Beats wandering around aimlessly.

"Yeah, I noticed more newcomers than usual lately." Morgan agrees and the looks over to Silas he speaks up. "Sure is. We still need a treasurer. You want in? And wouldn't that be nice if they finally did. Doubt it though. Most of them don't care enough about anything to rock the boat. So long as they're taken care of, they'll just let themselves be herded."

Devin looks towards Silas as he approaches and speaks, offering a smirk and a nod. "Welcome to the first annual meeting." He offers after Morgan speaks to the new arrival. "I don't know what's going on out there, but I know that there's more of us coming in than there are going out. Either they're cracking down on everything or people are getting restless and doing more to get arrested."

Silas lets the corners of his mouth rise somewhat. "Sure, if you don't mind some money going missing here and there then I wouldn't mind takin' the job." he says, though only half-jokingly. He offers a quiet shrug of his shoulders and a slow sigh, "Sucks." he says in reply to Morgans 'doubt it', his lips slumping back down to a slight frown. "Guess it's more folks to Fuhrer Carters classes, then… Even though he's just going over basic stuff. Who knows, though? Maybe he'll smuggle sticks on here so we can put that fire starting practice to use." he suggests with a healthy bit of sarcasm, though his attention is eventually caught by Devin as he speaks. "They're probably just cracking down, to be honest." says Silas with a lazy slump of his shoulders. Silas brings his right hand over, offering a finger pointed in Morgans direction. "Like he said, folks out there are more sheep than anything."

"I don't mind at all." Morgan tells Silas. "Since we don't actually have any money, you can take as much of it as you want." He shrugs. "So do you have any ideas why they're teaching us all this shit now? Gotta be some reason."

Devin frowns a bit at the thought, thinking about Silas' words, nodding slightly as he does. "Yeah, that means the Council is tightening their grip on things if they're doing some crack downs. "Someone messed up somewhere." He offers with a slight shrug of his shoulders. His attention turns to Morgan as he asks the question about the classes. "Probably just to keep us busy and to keep our minds from getting bored with the same information and classes."

Offering not much beyond a shrug for a few moments, Silas eventually speaks up after a second or two of silence. "No useful ideas, at least. While I don't mind, because earth stuff interests me, I don't see any way it's even useful. Starting fires, making weapons… We can't do any of that up here." he looks up and over towards Devin as he offers his stance on the question, nodding. "That seems like the most likely case, to be honest. And if that is the case, I guess it's working to some degree. But still, I suppose it's food for thought." he says, tilting his head to the side somewhat with pursed lips. "I wouldn't mind making one of those spears, though."

Devin grins and raises an eyebrow at the mention of making weapons." He shrugs his shoulders slightly. "I don't know. That weapons making could have some use in here. I've made my share of shivs in my time in here. You eventually make one for protection or boredom or to see if you can." He looks around to see where the guards are positioned at the moment before he looks back to Silas. "Yeah. A spear would be nice. I don't think the guards would let you keep it and it'd be really hard to hide it in your cell."

Silas lets out a quiet, short lived chuckle. "It'd be a bit more than really hard, I think." he says, his right hand coming over to rub his fingers against his chin. His hand quietly slips back to rest on the back of his neck with a slow breath. His eyes trailing over to eye Devin. "But the fact they're training us to make weapons in the first place…" he begins, before shutting his eyes and shrugging, slipping his hands away to rest at his sides. "Maybe they wanna start some sort of fight club among us?" jests Silas with a quiet smirk and a short snicker.

Devin can't help but laugh at the prospect of making the imprisoned kids fight. "Hey, you never know. Maybe they want us to be able to fight. Stop floating us and make us fight for survival while they make bets. Then they have a new form of entertainment." He grins. "Maybe they'll broadcast it all over the Ark and we can become stars if we keep winning."

"Or maybe one of the stations is about to revolt." Morgan guesses. "And they're going to try to use us to get it back. Want a pardon? Here's a spear. Go kill the rebels. They lose nothing, not even ammunition for the guns. And if we join the rebels? We're already criminals so who cares really. They'll just kill us toom."

"Sounds like it could be pretty fun. But hell, who knows how long I'd even be able to manage…" mutters Silas concerning the potential not-exactly underground juvenile delinquent gladiatorial fighting ring. He looks over towards Morgan with a quirk of his right brow and a faint grin. "A station revolt, huh? And we're gonna go in there swinging spears and sticks around? Maybe, but I kinda doubt it. Either way I'd join the rebels, cause they'd probably just throw me in here for murder or something afterwards."

Devin raises an eyebrow slightly at the thought Morgan gives him, his lips forming into a frown as he nods his head slowly. "That could be possible, I don't think it would ever happen, but it could. "But if that were the case, I don't which side I'd join. Not like I have anything to make me go with either side." He takes a deep breath and leans backwards a bit as he stretches out his chest and arms, letting out a groan. "I just wish they'd get it over and tell us what's going on or why they are teaching us this stuff. Stop with the mystery and let us know so we can stop speculating."

Morgan already is in for murder so it's not like he has anything to lose. He shrugs. "Maybe not. Who knows. But if enough of us were willing to kill for them in exchange for pardons? They wouldn't lose any guards that are loyal to them." He looks around the room then indicates one guy on the far end. "Like him. He keeps saying it was an accident. That he shouldn't be here. You think he'd turn them down if it meant not getting floated?"

With a shake of his head, Silas offers an over-exaggerated shrug and a pronounced "Tsk, tsk tsk…" he quietly looks over to Devin with a nice and full shit-eating grin. "If they start telling us stuff now it'd ruin the tradition." he jokingly points out, though only slightly jokingly. He lowers an arm to rest on the table. "But I agree. The more I don't get an answer, the more questions there are floating around." he says before he looks over to Morgan, listening to him speak. When he looks over and points out the guy in the far end, he cranes his head over to look him over- staring for a second. "Yeah, I think I've heard that guy go on about that a few times." he says, his lips forming a thin line. "Though I take it with a healthy few grains of salt." he says, looking back to Morgan. "But I don't think anyone would pass up something like that. Or at least, they would think about it real hard."

Devin smirks and looks towards the two as they speak, taking in their words and thinking about it. As the other kid is pointed out, he looks towards the kid as well, nodding his head. "Yeah. I've heard him say that he's innocent too. Shit, I'm innocent. I didn't do anything other than being born and I'm the one in here." He says, a look of anger starting to appear in his eyes as he knows his sister is out there free because she was born first. The resentment is strong. "I know I'd take any opportunity to get out of here. I've never seen outside of this place except for the workshop and my parent's old quarters. I'd take any chance to get out and see it that came up."

"There you go." Morgan says. "Here's a pointy stick. Go kill the people we tell you to and you'll get a pardon. And if you join the rebels? You've got a pointy stick and the guards have guns. We know who wins there. I'd say yes if they asked me." he declares. "And join the rebels anyway. Least it'll be a fighting chance."

Silas quietly lets his eyes slip over and fall upon Devin, eyeing him as he speaks and watching his expression change to that of an angered one. He quietly stares at him for a second, opening his mouth as if he's about to say something before Morgan begins- and he looks over, listening. He offers a lopsided smirk, "As good of an option as any. I'm in here for assault- if I could get a pointy stick, maybe I could prod the asshole who was so much of an ass to make me hit him in the first place." he says, before looking over to Devin, "And maybe put one in whoever came up with the idea for one kid only." he offers, with a slight shrug, before looking between the two a few times. "I'm Silas, by the way."

Devin looks up at Morgan as he declares his allegiance, the anger disappearing from his face as his thoughts change to a different subject. "Maybe we get out and make our own station. Start a new station that we run." He says with a chuckle. The idea of killing whoever came up with the one kid rule causes him to nod in agreement. "I'll take that chance if I got the opportunity." He says with a nod of his head. "Gladly." As Silas offers an introduction, he nods his head slightly. "You came in about a month ago, right?" He asks before he introduces himself. "I'm Devin. You said you were in for assault? What happened?"

"Morgan. Seen you around once or twice." Just never really crossed paths to talk. Not that he really goes out of his way to talk to strangers. Since Devin asked, he falls silent to listen for the answer.

"A month or… Whatever. I don't really pay attention to the dates." Silas says, his right hand coming back over to scratch behind an ear. "It was more or less me having had enough of cunts, I guess." he says. He figures for a second or two, that's as much of an explanation he'd need to give- but lets out a quiet breath and continues in a bit more detail. "Basically some assholes from another little roving group came 'round and decided they'd wanna pass some of their bullshit my way… I guess that day I didn't really wanna have it. I had enough bullshit as it is- or was, I guess." Silas quietly shifts in his seat- getting a bit more comfortable as he rest his chin in his right palm. "I'd have probably given the dick and his friends a bit more than what I did, but guards figured they'd rear their ugly head my way. They ended up doing a good bit of the beating." he says with a bit of a snicker. "Guess it was nothing more than snapping." he concludes with a lopsided shrug. "'Side from you," he says, the you pointed towards Devin, "What're you in for, Morgan?" he asks, his gaze shifting on the young man in question. He has an idea or two, but Morgan is a fairly common name, he'd think. Has to be at least more than this one running around.

Devin listens quietly to the story given by Silas as to why he's here. He nods his head slightly as he follows along the details. As Morgan is asked what his story is, he chuckles and leans back to let Morgan tell the story that he's already heard before. It's not a bad story as far as stories go. There are worse ones.

Morgan was expecting the question. Still, it takes him a moment to decide how much he wants to say about what is still, and likely always will be, a sore subject. "They killed my parents." he ends up saying. "I got to kill one of them before they caught me trying for a second."

Silas quietly blinks, having expected a bit more from Morgan with a bit of pursed lips. But, he doesn't press. Instead he offers a shrug, "Whoever they are.." he begins, quietly glancing to the guards with a quirk of his right brow before looking back, "They fuckin' deserve it." he says with a nod of approval- not that he needs it. "Anyone tries to touch my fuckin' parents and I'd sure as hell kill 'em. Sure I fought with them a few times, but fuck- parents are parents." he says, leaving it at that with yet another quiet shrug.

Devin isn't sure how much Silas is going to get from Morgan, but that is answered by the short cliff notes version of the story. "Don't mind him." He tells Silas. "He'll open up once you get to know him." He says with a smirk. "Then he won't shut up." He offers with a playful chuckle. "He's a good guy at any rate." He finally stops with the shuffling of the cards and sets them down on the table off to the side.

"The Council." Morgan expands. He was caught trying to kill one of the Councilors. "So yeah, they definitely do deserve it." He glances over at Devin and snorts but can't help smiling a bit anyway. Then he stands. "Gotta get to a class. I'll see you later."

Silas quietly offers a nod over towards Morgan, "More the reason to gank 'em, I say." he says. He looks over to Devin, offering a quiet smirk with a quirk of his right brow, "Not many people can shut up around here. I've already gotten used to it, though." he says, his hands coming down to rest on the table. He looks up for a moment when Morgan mentions classes. "Shit.." he grumbles under his breath before he looks to Devin and Morgan, "Yeah, me too. Nice talkin' to you guys." he says, rising before rather abruptly walking off.
