...'neath the vault of the heavens, 'ere we depart....

[Dracos]

"Uh... More like sixteen.  It's not fourty there and fourty back.  Sixteen there, Eight on the research, and Sixteen back."  Kelly chipped in, correcting Albert.

Dracos

[Ebiris]

"Oh, you're right," Albert replies slowly to Kelly, obviously having to think it over.

"I suppose I'm just used to thinking in terms of how long till we come home," he offers by way of explanation.

[Dracos]

"Well, uh...  if your that set on when you get back, what's the point of the journey?"

Dracos

[Bjorn]

Cocking an eyebrow, Finn adds, "Not even on board an' yer already countin' the days 'til we get back?  Good fing you'll be iced, cuz I ain't up fer dealing wif yer homesickness."

[Ebiris]

"To tell people what we've found," Albert comments, looking at Kelly oddly. "Not much point if no one else gets any benefit from our discoveries."

[Dracos]

"Or...just to see it for ourselves." Kelly shrugged, not really much for arguing the point.

Dracos

[Ebiris]

"We're not just thrillseekers out on a joyride," Albert reprimands everyone, waving his finger in a rather wobbly manner as he fails to focus on any one target. "We're representing the whole Congress out there, and need to bring something worthwhile back to justify the investment of this mission."

[Bjorn]

"Mebbe you are," Finn says, rollin' her eyes.  "Me?  I'm a space monkey.  I don't need to bring back nuffin' but my own skin.  The fun's in the ship, and the prize is the money."  She leans back, crossing her arms behind her head, before remembering that she is, in fact, wearing a cocktail dress rather than a pair of overalls.  Hastily, she sits back upright in her seat, tugging her dress back into place.

[Brian]

Eric chuckles at that.  "We each have our own reasons for being on this mission," he says, shaking his head.  "But for now, I need to be going back to my room.  I have a message to send my family before we leave."  Rising from his seat, he looks apologetic, and nods his head at everyone.

[Ebiris]

Albert nods as Eric leaves, content to go back to hitting the booze.

[Dracos]

Kelly went back to being backstream, having gotten his 'do before departure' list done a few days ago.

Dracos

[Bjorn]

"I'm gonna get sleepin', too," Finn says, rising to her feet.  "Don't drink too much," she advises Albert.  "You remember wot they said 'bout yer blood alcohol an' the cryo, right?  'Less you wanna blow somefin' in yer brain, or get chucked offa the crew at last second..."

With a nod and a wave, she makes her way out of the ballroom.  Once her back is safely turned, she grins to herself, and whistles a little tune.  Wonder if he's sober enuff to catch the joke?

[Ebiris]

"Of course I knew that!" Albert asserts confidently.

Until Finn turns her back, at which point his eyes turn very wide and he backs away from the wine almost fearfully.

"Waiter?" he asks after the spacer leaves, "Can I get some coffee?"

[Brian]

The waiters bring over coffee, and on request, also provide detox tablets.  They tend to run all the alcohol from a system, but dehydrate whoever takes them rather severely as a result, thus providing a nearly simultaneous combination of sobriety and hangover.

Ah, the marvels of modern medicine.

[Ebiris]

Albert swiftly consumes the coffee and tablets, promptly feeling about a billion times worse.

"I think I'll turn in," he says a bit groggily, getting up to leave.