On the Heart of Gold

[antarianmax]

The ship's been cleaned. Insanely. Every bit of it's shining brightly, even whiter than it normally is, and all is pristine and perfect for a trip that guarantees, considering time and the personages involved, that by the time they land, it'll be a mess

Comments

[i_spoiled_it]

Steph looks around curiously, and tries to resist the urge to poke about too much.

[onehoopyprefect]

Ford walks over to greet the new arrival.

"I don't believe we've met. I'm Ford."

[i_spoiled_it]

"Steph," Steph says, holding her hand out. "This place is totally cool, isn't it?"

[onehoopyprefect]

Ford shakes her hand, grinning. "Yeah, it's a pretty nice ship. Me and this ship go way back."

He pats a control panel gently, causing a series of alarms to sound for a couple of seconds, followed by the voice of Eddie, the shipboard computer. He sounds nervous.

"Please don't touch that panel, guys, okay? Thanks a heap!"

[i_spoiled_it]

Steph jumps at the voice. "Dude, the ship talks! It's like a giant Bat-Plane, only it's a ship! Wow." She beams around. "I'm gonna like this."

[onehoopyprefect]

Ford nods. "Yeah, the ship talks. It's getting him to shut up that's the trick!"

He punctuates the sentence by smacking a bulkhead with the side of his fist.

"Hey, ow," responds the computer.

[i_spoiled_it]

Steph laughs, and pats the bulkhead gently. "There, there. Poor ship." She looks over at Arthur. "So ... how do you two know each other?" she enquires, gesturing at the ship.

[ooc: slowtime? (again, I guess. :D) I'm off to bed. Damn timezones.]

[onehoopyprefect]

Eddie grins. Which is to say that a very contented smiley face appears on the nearest display monitor. "At least someone here has some appreciation," he replies.

Ford rolls his eyes, then returns his attention to Steph. "Me and the ship, you mean? Belongs to Zaphod Beeblebrox -- the guy over there with the two heads. He's my semi-cousin; shares three of the same mothers as me. He picked me up along with Arthur over there after his planet blew up."

((ooc: sure, no hurry.))

[i_spoiled_it]

"...three ... of the same ... mothers?" Steph blinks. "After a planet blew up? Two heads?"

[onehoopyprefect]

Ford flashes her a charming smile. "A bit too much to take in all at once, eh? Helps if you have a bit of a nip to go with it."

He rummages in his satchel, lifts up three flasks in turn, shaking each one, and then deciding on the second. He unscrews the cap and offers it to her.

[i_spoiled_it]

"Ooh. Thanks, but no," Steph says, putting her hand up to block it. "I'm very tempted, but if we're heading off to a war, I really don't want a hangover." She smiles. "I think everything that's happened since I died is a bit too much to take in all at once. But, er, how do you have three mothers?"

[onehoopyprefect]

"Eddie can whip up a hangover cure for you in the morning," he says temptingly.

"No?" he shrugs, then takes a drink himself, then replaces the cap and slips it back into his satchel.

"Actually, I have five mothers; I just share three of them with Zaphod. As to the how... that's a subject best covered in your educational system's Life, the Universe, and Everything course. They'll have pictures."

[empath_wiggin]

Val looks up from her the pile of papers and books on the couch, wrinkling her nose, but smiling. That's Dick's sister, isn't it? She tries to catch the girl's eye, as she's a bit stuck in the pile of papers at that exact moment.

[i_spoiled_it]

Steph's looking around, fascinated, and after some time her looking takes in the area with Val in it. She waves, grinning, and wanders over. "Hi!"