001 | video

[fractious]

[The feed crackles on to show a man leaning in close to the camera over some kind of console. Everything about him seems dry and harsh, from the lines of his features to the colour of his eyes, like too much sun and dust has sapped all the softness out of him. And his voice — when he finally speaks after a long moment of simply looking silently at the camera — is a light, husky tone, rough-edged.]

Tranquility. [A pause.] I am Felix Laurens, I am captain of the Scylla. My crew and I are boarding this vessel. We will take what we want from it, and then we will leave.

[A very long pause, where he seems to be considering something, looking at the camera silently.]

Keep out of our way and you won't be harmed.

[And with that, he's done with the message. He turns and walks away from the camera, revealing a view of the room behind him — though much smaller and less well-kept, it's a clear match to the shuttle bay. Part of a blonde head ducks into view after Laurens finishes speaking, clearly trying to find the 'off' switch for the console.]

Did he just—every time. Every fucking time.

[That remark garners him a bony elbow to the ribs, sneaking in from just out of sight to jab hard at his exposed side, voice quiet but still impatient.] Shut up. [Extending her arm out a little more to jab at the console, Hayes severs the transmission.]

Comments

voice; private

[yardbird]

...

["Hey Heather, I think your filter is broken."]

Got a gun? [Just in case, because he's not even going to entertain that question she's asking.]

voice; private

[sweetmotherofgod]

[Murphy pls it's like you don't even know her]

Yeah I've got a gun. And a backup.

...

Wait, you've got one, right?

voice; private

[yardbird]

[HE'S JUST BEING A WORRYWART SPACEDAD OKAY?]

Good.

[Fft, are you serious.] Uh, yeah I got one. Think I've learned my lesson by now.

voice; private (because she can't be fucked taking it off)

[sweetmotherofgod]

Just checking! Who knows, you could be having a senior moment.

[This is a completely appropriate time to tease her spacedad right]

voice; private (damn the man)

[yardbird]

Well, rest assured my head's still screwed on straight... even after after all of this.

[No Heather, this is so inappropriate stop that.]

[sweetmotherofgod]

[But spacedaaaaaaad! If we're not being ridiculously overly casual about things how will we convince these dirty eavesdroppers they're way outmatched? 'cause if they're not, she SO doesn't want to find out when her ammo runs dry.]

Right, my bad. You know where Alex or Anne are right now?

[voice] oh hello

[unsoldiered]

I was taking a nap, is what.

The hell did I do to deserve this waking up?

[He sounds more annoyed than anything tbqh.]

[voice] heeeyyyy

[sweetmotherofgod]

Wait, wait.

You were sleeping. You. Were sleeping. Not unconscious, not in a coma, but taking a nap. And now you're awake.

I am taking these fuckers down.

[voice] SEC don't pay me enough for this shit

[unsoldiered]

I know, I know. Really surprising, right?

They don't seem all that intimidating, though. For a group going for intimidation. Think maybe we're kinda' ruined from past experience?

[voice] SEC pay you?!? Ned and I are going to have A Talk >:c

[sweetmotherofgod]

Definitely ruined. And they're overconfident.

[said the pot]

Sounds like they think we're some kind of - [aaand her brain kicks in just before she says prissy spoiled rich kids and gives away that they aren't, which might be a handy surprise later] pushovers.

[voice] and then Alex was pleased with himself

[unsoldiered]

Sounds like it. Too bad it probably won't be just us who show 'em otherwise.

...

Kinda weird for them to bitch about this not being ours when it's not theirs to begin with either.

[voice] homewrecker

[sweetmotherofgod]

[There's a really unpleasant chuckle from her end, because Alex if you're talking about the manticores that's not too bad at all, that's hilarious. Reap what ye sow, ya buttholes.]

Prob'ly helps them sleep at night. Is it really stealing if they're taking it from people who don't own it in the first place?

...and if any of you are still listening to this, the answer is yes. Douchebags.

[voice] NO U

[unsoldiered]

[god, creeper laugh]

Makes me wonder how many people they've left high and dry out in the middle of deep space.

It'd be a pretty shitty way to go.

[sweetmotherofgod]

[Yeah, no comment. That's pretty much how she thinks they're all going to die anyway. Is just down to whether that happens because the systems fail and they run out of food or air, or whether something else gets them first.

But there's not point being all depressing about it, so she keeps that to herself.]

So we politely but firmly decline their offer to help us find out first-hand. Hey, you got a gun? I wanna hang on to my handgun but I've got a shotgun you can borrow if you want.

[Yes, that is her idea of politely but firmly.]

[unsoldiered]

...

I can borrow the shotgun?

[what

what

its been forever since he got to hold a shotgun]

Aren't you two married or something?

[sweetmotherofgod]

Yeah. But if this is what it takes to keep my baby happy, then I'm willing to let her expand her horizons.

[Can you hear her rolling her eyes Alex because she so is.]

Thing's not as important to me as you are, you schmuck. Just make sure you both come back to me in one piece.

[unsoldiered]

Surprised you haven't named it yet--but thanks for the heart warming. Being called schmuck really makes me feel loved. [oh space sister, you're so sweet] If anything, I can come back with a broken shotgun. Give you something to hold over my head.

[sweetmotherofgod]

Better the gun than any part of you.

[zero humor in that, Shepherd. She's going to look forty by the end of the year with the amount of worrying over you she's been doing.]

You still in your room? I can bring it by.

[unsoldiered]

[Awww, Heather, he's touched. But hey--on the bright side, he's been doing better than he has in... a very long time. So there's always that. He scratches his forehead with a forfeiting sigh.]

Sure am. I'll stay put for you.

Careful in the halls, huh?

[sweetmotherofgod]

[Alex, she couldn't be more concerned for your happiness if you were her own kid. except she wouldn't hork you up and try to stamp on you. She just wants the Doing Better to keep happening and not involve any bullets in you, okay?]

As a virgin on her wedding night. I'll see you in about ten.

[And she disconnects, radio silence until she's knocking on his door.]

[unsoldiered]

[He answers the door with a significant case of bedhead, but overall, he looks--better? At least he's not looking like death warmed over. But then, it's easy to look better and better when you're last horrible image was being stuck in a medical bed with part of your body fucked up to hell.

Recovery has a lot of faucets, and he's using more than one.

He still needs to eat more burgers, but whatever. Small details.]

Haven't been forced to walk the plank or anything stupid yet?

[sweetmotherofgod]

Not so much as a rude sea chantey. Disappointing as hell.

[Cute hair, Alex. And she's been spending a little too much time with a certain someone, maybe, because she's rocking forward to kiss his cheek before she remembers whoa hey they don't do that, and tries to cover for it by throwing the arm that isn't holding a shotgun around him for a one-armed awkward sibling hug. Pat pat.]

You're looking unusually okay. You should try this sleeping thing more, it's nice on you.

[yardbird]

[Good point.]

Right now? Er, no. Anne's probably... doin' her security thing -- whatever that is -- last time I checked.

[And hopefully Alex is somewhere not being crazy.]

[sweetmotherofgod]

Hn. Well, at least I can keep my jealousy of anyone on security to a dull roar for now. I'm gonna head in to - [careful] work, but I'll have this thing on me if you need me.

Don't leave yours behind again, okay?

[yardbird]

[Pff, Heather pls.]

Yeah, uh. Think I might've learned my lesson not to by now...