SENJO<br/><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">"So its veggie flavored chocolate. Just what I need. Could help better if the stuff had a proper name."<br/><br/>"Good afternoon to you too, Senjo. I slept alright, I guess."</blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><strong>"I like the label 'chocolate goop'. It is as satisfactory a descriptor as any other. Sugars are good for my system. It is my favourite."</strong><br/><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">"How bout you? Uh, sorry. Silly question for me to ask. Cryo must have slowed my brain."</blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div>I made over my features what passes for a wide smile. The man would sometimes fall into that category in my database that had the heading 'cute'.<strong>"It is fine. In my parlance I slept perfectly. Thank you for asking."</strong>I noted the marginal lack of eye contact and the mildly hesitant body posture. I had detected a measure of reticence and awkwardness before in Private Law when he interacted with me. It was not an uncommon response to my presence in many individuals. I logged the incident and made a note to attempt a social resolution of the issue at a convenient moment soon.<br/><br/>I detected a slight air pressure wave behind me, calculating that it was being propelled by a human sized object of more than average bulk. Only two people in the squad matched the probable data and one of those had departed for the officer's briefing. I momentarily considered if what the humans called their 'sixth sense' was equivalent to my skin sensors detecting nearby objects by means of their small air pressure waves and minuscule sounds.<br/><br/>This would be Lance Corporal Beneke.<br/><br/><em>Smakk!</em>My body hardly shifted from the blow. It has considerable mass. An instantaneous run-by check detected no damage to surface covering or underlying tissue and structure.<br/><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">“Mornin’ sweet cheeks. Why don’t you pull them shorts down and bend over that table over there and I'll give you some REAL chocolate. You know you want some, don’t you Senjo?”</blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><strong>"Good afternoon, Lance Corporal."</strong>I processed the offer he was presenting and while I understood the semantics, proceeding with such an act now would result in a situation leading to a possible raised level of indiscipline in the unit.<strong>"Now would not be an appropriate time. I shall log your offer and consider it again when our mission is complete."</strong>I had turned to face him and put my lips over the end of the straw in my 'chocolate goop'. I drew up a thick taste of the sweet material and a tiny droplet drizzled out onto my chin. The act was deliberate. I had a full database of sexual imagery and innuendo. While the act had little significance for me it may help unit morale if Lance Corporal Beneke drew some entertainment value from it.<br/><br/>I looked down at his tattoo; a device of ancient Rome from Earth's far past.<strong>"I see you are all prepared to give succour to the upstanding citizens of our far flung colonies and wield mighty retribution down upon any barbarian hordes at the gates."</strong>At times I am able to draw upon linguistic tools and devices in my library and grammatical database to useful effect.<br/><br/>The Lance Corporal laughed though I have known him to laugh with equal volume and intensity at situations where he receives no response at all, I thus concluded his outburst was not as a result of my response.<br/><br/>Private Law had moved on ahead down the line of marines, Lance Corporal Beneke following. Still drinking my drink I went after them and took a seat opposite Private Law and near Lance Corporal Mitchell. I quietly observed Law while remaining discreet.<br/><br/>Observing the mess deck around me I noted I was the only individual not clothed in combat fatigues and boots. I should take more recognition of the differences already existing between myself and the others and make attempts to close the gaps. After eating I resolved to return to the cryo chamber and dress appropriately.<br/><br/>Next task: be available to Leftenant Mengsk post-debriefing if required.<br/><br/>Next task: check scan and comms data again. Eight minutes and forty-five seconds had elapsed since I had opened the universal communication broadcast from the ship. The lack of a response by now was already significant.<br/><br/>Next task: unpack, dry-deploy and run systems tests on the UA-571C's ...<br/><br/>Next task: ....<br/><br/>(http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk137/HaibaneR/KiloPlatoon_06.jpg)