“?”
The lone question mark appears on the cracked service terminal, stark against its blue diagnostic glow. For a moment, nothing answers but the hum of cooling fans.
kiro
The terminal is still receiving input.
A status line refreshes beneath it, translating the symbol into a basic assistance request. No alarm sounds, and no lockout engages.
The interface offers three quiet options: ship systems, local navigation, and available contracts. Each icon pulses once, waiting.
Beyond the terminal, conduits tick as they cool. The air smells faintly of lubricant and recycled dust, but the machinery continues running.
The question mark remains accepted as an input, leaving the system open and ready for whatever instruction follows.
✓ Quest Accepted
Vent his frustration
“"HOLY SHIT, WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 'QUESTION MARK'?!" he bellows into the room, nyx giving kiro a look of subtle exhasperation”
SUCCESS (Superb Willpower, rolled +2)
kiro
HOLY SHIT, WHAT DO YOU MEAN, “QUESTION MARK”?!
Kiro’s shout rolls through the service bay, rattling a loose panel. Nyx, a young adult woman with a slim build, warm brown skin, short silver hair, a sharp chin, and a dark teal utility jacket over black trousers, gives him a look of subtle exasperation as the terminal calmly continues its diagnostic hum.
Nyx
I mean the system received a question-mark character from your input and classified it as a request for assistance.
The blue display expands the translated message: ASSISTANCE REQUEST ACCEPTED. No lockout countdown appears, and the ship’s access systems remain responsive.
Nyx
It is not an alarm, a command, or a security challenge. It is asking which support function you want.
kiro
The terminal is treating punctuation as a valid request.
Three icons pulse in sequence: ship systems, local navigation, and available contracts. The interface waits without changing the ship’s current access state.
Quest Complete
Vent his frustration