Starfield:Companion - Barrett/Story SG01 Ervin

Quest:	Com_Companion_Barrett
Scene:	COM_Barrett_Story_SG01_Ervin

Barrett:

• [MQ+207?]

"A while ago you helped me out when I was captured by the Crimson Fleet, and I just wanted to say thanks for having my back."

• [MQ-105?]

"I just wanted to say thanks for the daring rescue back there."

"I had plans for Matsura, of course, but I appreciate the back up."

• [MQ+105?] & [MQ-207?]

"I've been meaning to thank you for helping me with the Crimson Fleet before... "

"I could handle it myself, of course, but it's good working with a team."

...	Player	Response
	[+Starborn?] It's so good to see you again, my old friend.	Hey now. Who're you calling old? Anyway, I'm glad to be back safe and sound too. Trust me.
	You're welcome. Glad to help out a fellow Constellation member.	It's good to be part of a team, isn't it? To be part of something so much bigger than any one of us.
	[MQ+207?] No big deal. That was a while ago, anyway.	Well, it left a lasting impression on me, I suppose.
	[MQ-207?] It wasn't a big deal, don't worry about it.	Well, I was impressed.
	What would you have done without me?	I would have given them an exhaustive series of lectures on aneutronic fusion until they were either delirious or they became my new students. Obviously.
▼	Why don't you thank me with some credits?	I could, but it doesn't feel right. You're part of the family now, and we take care of each other.
🗣︎	Refresh my memory... Matsura?	You know. That Crimson Fleet pirate who held me captive for a bit a while ago. I just appreciated how you rescued me, that's all.

"So many things can go wrong out there... working with people you can trust is important."

--

"And that's why I've been in Constellation so long... it's good to have people who will help out when you're in a jam."

[BQS:110]

...	Player	Response
▲	[+Starborn?] [QB111] I trust Constellation. [QE55]	[MQ-204?] A reasonable approach. I hope one day you can trust me as well, it's been a pleasure, you know. [MQ+204?] & [MQ-301?] I'd sure hope so. If that's not true, I'd be worried. I'll see what I can do to earn your trust. [MQ+301?] The way you say that gives me déjà vu. Though I have been having odd dreams lately. Mostly about the Artifacts and Constellation and ice spiders, of course. Always ice spiders. Ugh. Glad to say Constellation is normally spider-free.
	[+Introvert?] [QB112] I don't like to depend on others, personally.	You know, I doubt many people like that.
	[QB113] I'm glad to be part of a team.	Just wait 'til we get matching shirts and start having official cookie days.
	[QB114] I put my trust in people, not organizations.	That's smart. Trust in things that are capable of trusting you.
🗣︎	Exactly how often do you get into jams, Barrett?	Exactly as often as I need to. Jams are just sticky successes, right? At first it seems annoying but it eventually washes off.

[Q+112?]	[BQS:120]	Trust None [Introvert]
...	Player	Response
	It's hard to trust.	That's fair. I can respect that. I hope I can earn your trust, but if not, well, I can still work with that.
	Good thing humans aren't some sort of colonial plant.	We're not connected physically, but we are socially. As humans, we depend on each other to survive. The Universe is vast... and cold, and endlessly dangerous. Even if you found a planet to settle on your own... someone helped you get there.
🗣︎	What do you mean?	[QB50] One time Ervin and I were on a biology expedition where he took thousands of samples from plant growths all over some moon. Turns out it was one giant organism in an endless cycle of self-consumption and regrowth. In a way, it was entirely self-reliant, I guess. But outside of strange colonial life, we all had some sort of help. Sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. Maybe that amount changes, too. I just mean that I think everybody depends on someone, sometimes. No shame in that.
🗣︎ ▼	[Q+50?] Who's Ervin?	[QB51] (?) Ervin Madani was my husband. He was also a brilliant biologist who joined Constellation a couple years before me... He's gone now... I remember his bright smiles when I returned from my trips... more brilliant than any star. [QE52]

[Q+113?]	[BQS:120]	Trust Teams
...	Player	Response
	Charming... but no thanks.	I'm guessing Gourmet Chunks days are out of the question then... Don't worry. I'm just joking. Constellation is so much more than that.
	I do like cookies.	They're one of humanity's greatest achievements: modern medicine, space travel, and cookies. Constellation is quite pro-cookie. Because, you see, we value human accomplishments.
🗣︎ ▲	Cookie days?	Sounds amazing, right? Reminds me of a time when I got stranded on a ship carrying tons of frozen foods when its engine and gravity system died in the middle of nowhere... The Captain allowed everybody to only eat the cookies since the meats were so expensive... but with no gravity, the cookies baked into weird little spheres. So naturally we floated around eating cookie globs for days... I'd say we gained quite a lot of weight, but as we were in space... ...we factually did not.

[Q+114?]	[BQS:120]	Trust Individuals
...	Player	Response
	I trust everyone until they prove me wrong.	You know... I like to be optimistic too. Sometimes people take advantage of it, but that's on them. Not me. I guess that's a reason why I feel comfortable in Constellation. Trust is foundational.
▲	Mutual trust. That's the key.	We're on the same wavelength here. Humans are so fragile in space. If you can't trust your crew and they can't trust you... well, nobody's coming home. That's why I'm still with Constellation all these years later... I trust them as individuals, and I trust them as a team.
	I don't trust anyone until they earn it.	Hmm. Well. Fair enough... Seems kind of lonely... but you're less vulnerable. Safer. That's not my style, but I can respect it. We have all sorts of folks in Constellation, after all.

[-Starborn?]

• [MQ-201?]

"I'm glad you joined Constellation."

• [MQ+201?] & [MQ-207?]

"Your work with Constellation has been impressive. Truly impressive."

• [MQ+207?] & [MQ-301?]

"Constellation has its ups and downs. It can be hard... Trust me, I know."

"When times are tough, sometimes it's important to reflect on our accomplishments."

"What you're doing here with us is remarkable. Truly. Constellation is brighter because of you."

• [MQ+301?]

"Captain, I cannot even begin to fathom what Constellation would be like without you."

--

[+Starborn?]

• [MQ-301?] & [Unity < 3?]

"Sometimes it feels like you've always been a part of Constellation. I can't explain why."

• [MQ-301?] & [Unity ≥ 3?]

"It's hard to imagine Constellation without you anymore."

• [MQ+301?] & [Unity < 3?]

"I don't know how any of this could have happened here with Constellation without you."

• [MQ+301?] & [Unity ≥ 3?]

"Watching you turn Constellation into what it is today has been... truly stunning."

"You walked into our little organization like you've been here forever..."

"And now... look at us."

...	Player	Response
	Thank you, Barrett.	Just figured I'd mention it since we haven't had much time to chat before.
	I don't know what to say.	Neither do I. Yet I muster forth.
	[Flirt] You've certainly made my time in Constellation very enjoyable.	Well, I try to be welcoming to everybody who joins--Oh. Oh, um... exactly how enjoyable? Wait, no! Don't tell me. Not right now anyway... just. Let me keep going.
🗣︎	[QB56] How long have you been in Constellation anyway?	A long time. We should talk about it someday. I'd need to get some tea going for that chat, though.

"You know, being a member of Constellation has given me a lot of opportunities and a fair bit of stress, I'll admit."

--

"It's hard to imagine just who I'd be had I never joined up."

--

"I would have never done so many things, met so many people. It's mind boggling how different I would be."

"And I never would have met Ervin or lost him, I suppose...."

...	Player	Response
	[+Starborn?] Maybe things turned out differently in another universe.	[MQ+204?] Yeah... I've thought about it. It's kind of comforting but it doesn't seem real, either. It's a nice thought, though. [MQ-204?] Sure, sure. I've heard the theories. It just doesn't really provide comfort to me.
	It's impossible to know what could have happened.	That's right. We can't know the consequences of the choices we never made and anything beyond that is imagination alone. But for the choices we made... it feels just a bit closer, doesn't it?
	Everybody's lost somebody. It's part of life.	Statistically that's certainly accurate, so it's not that much of a comfort.
	I hope I'm not stirring up any bad memories for you, Barrett.	It's not you, Captain. It's just been on my mind... I can't say why.
🗣︎ ▼	[Q-50?] Who's Ervin?	[QB50] Ervin Madani was my husband. He was also a brilliant biologist who joined Constellation a couple years before me... He's gone now... I remember his bright smiles when I returned from my trips... more brilliant than any star.
🗣︎ ▼	[Q+50?] & [Q-51?] What happened to Ervin?	[QB51] The war happened. He was caught in the cross-fire between the UC and the Freestar Collective. It was right after he finished a job on Gagarin... some terrible job, I don't remember...
🗣︎ ▼ (?)	[Q+50?] & [Q-52?] What was Ervin like?	[QB52] That's kind of you to ask. People used to say that we were polar opposites. He was quiet and shy, they said. But that wasn't true. He was just that way around everyone else.

"Ervin's been gone for over twenty years. Strange how memories can pop up when you least expect it."

[QE51]

...	Player	Response
▲	[Q+52?] [QB121] I'd love to hear you tell me a good memory of Ervin.	Hmm. All right... let's see. He was a biologist, specialized in botany. He loved plants. For years he carried one with us on trips like it was our pet. He even named it. Heh. I haven't thought about that in a while...
	[QB122] Sorry, Barrett. I don't know what to say.	Yeah, don't worry. Logically I know I should be over it, but I'm not. And it's gotten worse lately. I've ignored my feelings about Ervin's death since it happened. It's time for me to confront it.
▲	[QB121] If you want to talk about it, I'm here for you.	I've been giving myself nothing but space -- and time -- for years! But maybe it's time for me to really think about it.
🗣︎	Why do you think it's suddenly back in your thoughts?	Well, I'm enjoying my time adventuring with you and it reminds me of Ervin in a way. We has so many adventures together and then it suddenly stopped. Maybe part of my mind is trying to remind me of that.

[BQS:130]

• [Q+121?]

"Maybe I'll take you up on that offer later on, Captain... I need some time to think about things."

--

"I'm just fortunate that Constellation has been a supporting home for me since Ervin died."

"I mean, where else would I get to dodge space pirates and discover new planets?"

--

[_END]

"On that note... I think I'd do well to distract myself with a little adventure for a bit."

[QE190]