Move 19 Recap

We consider evolving team dynamics amidst revelations of station surveillance.

Inside Medical: Iawa and Istradez; messages involving Ashari and Sasha

Iawa asks Istradez whether he still has his lokwor. Istradez says, "Found it!" but communicates through gestures that something is wrong. Iawa examines the lokwor and finds an attached surveillance device which appears to be similar to a miniature microphone Iawa's grandparent Ton once demonstrated inside a stuffed, talking toy. Iawa messages Sasha, attempting to warn her by asking whether lokwors could be made speech-activated. Sasha replies, "Many lokwor configurations are possible. Do you require on-site technical assistance?" She messages Ashari to ask for permission to bring Ankat to the station if Iawa needs her. Ashari approves the plan. Meanwhile, Iawa replies, "Yes please, if you're not too busy." Iawa asks Istradez about the marker drawings on his neck, in an effort to find a conversation topic that's appropriate for any listeners.

Near Medical: Alaric, Crowned-With-Eyes, Fluffy, Mikodez, and Sulen; messages from Ashari, Iawa, and Sasha

Sulen receives lokwor messages from Ashari, telling them to return to the Wasp and prepare to confront the magistrate, from Iawa, asking them to hold on to Avrayen (Mikodez) while Iawa waits for a float chair for Imsayed (Istradez), and from Sasha, warning that Mikodez had access to the 3D printer on the station. However, they are not able to read their messages because they are holding the backpack containing the mothling Crowned-With-Eyes. As Mikodez leaves Medical, where he has been harassing a nurse for news of Istradez' condition, Sulen adjusts their grip on the bag, snags Mikodez' sleeve, and instructs him to clean up the spilled drink. Mikodez stumbles into Sulen, attempting to free Crowned-With-Eyes; instead, Sulen grabs him by the neck. Mikodez admits that Security has been called.

Alaric asks a grumpy nurse to provide a float chair so the group can move Istradez to the ship. He then joins Mikodez and Sulen, saying he promised the nurse they would leave as soon as the float chair is located, and that he hopes there won't be any more fuss. Mikodez points at the backpack. Alaric peers inside and discovers that, in addition to Crowned-With-Eyes, Mikodez' backpack contains a gun. Mikodez states that Sasha gave him the pattern. He also asks how Imsayed (Istradez) is doing; Alaric says, "He is fine and will stay that way if we can just get him back to the ship without you causing a scene." Though Mikodez doesn't want to admit it, he's relieved; he tells Alaric that he is sure Sasha can dispose of the gun.

On the Wasp: Ashari, Gerae, the moth, Sasha, and Virmad; messages involving Iawa, Kaliyan, and Yehan

Sasha and the moth agree, using a logarithmic scale, that they will sing more loudly once the ship has left the station. Sasha notices that the moth is quieter when contemplating mathematical notation, and asks Yehan whether giving it puzzles is a good idea; Yehan approves. Sasha sends the moth a problem set that guides the student through an introduction to magic squares and coding theory. It becomes silent. While communicating with the moth, Sasha reports to Kaliyan that she has finished re-seating the Wasp's air filters. Kaliyan asks whether Sasha has slept; Sasha promises to do so in 10.5 hours, once her anticipated second dose of stimulants wears off. Sasha hopes she will be able to fulfill her promises to Kaliyan and to the moth.

Meanwhile, Virmad is visiting Gerae in the room where the magistrate has been confined. Virmad observes that being the only Rahal on the station must have been lonely; Gerae agrees, eyes shimmering due to a cosmetic modification. Virmad squeezes his shoulder reassuringly and promises to try to persuade the other team members to give Gerae more freedom once the ship leaves the station. He then asks how Gerae ended up as a Rahal in the first place; Gerae says he was good at memorization, the Nirai thought he was too attached to Fluffy, and one of his parents thought having a Rahal in the family would be more "respectable". Virmad says he was surprised to find someone with a Wolf Wandering signifier in a position of authority; he is sad for a moment, remembering an acquaintance named Rahal Wihel who will die at Candle Arc, but recovers and tells Gerae, "Part of me is impressed you made it to this point in the first place, even if you did end up getting caught." Through the grid, Sasha asks Virmad whether he'd like to prepare for his meeting (with the station administrator), and offers to find food for Gerae. Gerae is unnerved by her voice. Virmad leaves, telling Gerae, "I'll come by again when I can. In the meantime, hang in there, friend."

Sasha is increasingly worried about surveillance due to Iawa's messages. She inspects Virmad's lokwor and finds that it is bugged with a tiny device that will transmit lokwor audio. She asks the grid to tell team members on the Wasp to refrain from making lokwor voice calls until further notice. She then wipes Virmad's lokwor and resets the number, to prevent other team members from calling it. She accuses Virmad of lying about the physical security of his device. Virmad, embarrassed, says that he doesn't sleep deeply when sharing a bed and is confident Teo did not touch the lokwor. He adds, "Who makes lokwor voice calls, anyway? Or, more to the point, who that's engaged in any kind of subversive activities do they expect to make lokwor voice calls?" Sasha looks more closely at the bug and discovers that it is mobile. She secures the lokwor and its passenger in a transparent box from the galley, and gives Virmad a list of reasons people might make voice calls, ending with "hack the teenager's lokwor to find out where the fuck he is." Virmad inquires about the location of Avrayen (Mikodez) and Fluffy, adding that retrieving Fluffy is the best way to entertain Gerae and ensure his cooperation. Sasha says that Avrayen (Mikodez) has Fluffy, but she doesn't know what he has been doing or why he didn't report that Imsayed (Istradez) was hurt. She then asks whether Virmad would like to keep the bugged lokwor, in case it's useful in providing disinformation to station authorities. Virmad tells her to give it to Ashari.

Sasha prints various items, including a new lokwor for Virmad, and provides Gerae with a tray of food and some instant coffee. She sets up a brief meeting with Ashari, gives them Virmad's bugged lokwor, and explains how the device works: it is powered by the lokwor signal. Ashari says, "I always did want a pet," and strokes the box containing the lokwor and the bug. They then warn Sasha, "You seem to have certain...ideas about my relationship with Sulen. I advise you to stick to your job," pretending to tuck a strand of hair behind their ear. Sasha is furious at the implied threat but chooses to reply with ostentatious formality, rather than confronting Ashari immediately.

Sasha messages Iawa to say she will be leaving for the station shortly.

Conscious and Unconscious Attachments

Despite ongoing interpersonal conflicts, the team members on the station are finally organizing themselves to return to the ship. Summoning Ankat and Sasha to the station is in this sense counterproductive, but Mikodez is correct that Sasha can arrange safe disposal of the weapon he printed, even if he mentions her in part to cause strife and distract from his own behavior. Mikodez' erratic behavior is spurred, in part, by his mixed feelings about his alternate-universe sibling Istradez, whom he cares for more than he wishes to admit.

Meanwhile, on the Wasp, Virmad successfully fosters an emotional connection with Gerae. Whether this is an advantage or a liability remains to be seen: Virmad's offer to seek greater freedom for Gerae suggests he might prioritize his fellow Rahal above the security concerns of the team, but he may also succeed in recruiting Gerae to the rebellion. Sasha's communication with the moth, though seemingly frivolous, may ultimately prove more problematic: Sasha takes her promises very seriously, and if a conflict arises between the interests of the rebellion and Sasha's growing friendship with the moth, it's not at all clear what choice she will make. On the other hand, a pragmatic superior might be able to use Sasha's attachment to the moth as a motivational tool. Ashari's concern about this sort of manipulation has led them to conceal their own attachment to Sulen; unfortunately, their warning to Sasha has probably increased rather than decreased the chances that she will make further inquiries.