video; offering courses in space familiarization: the action lady academy of 968 AE

[nukeit]

[ She's not a public speaker on her best days, and this wasn't one of those. Her talk with Fry has kept her thinking, enough that when she wakes up out of the nightmares covered in sweat, she pushes the ache in her chest away with thoughts of something to do, something to work toward.

Fry had relegated her to doing this anyway. Schedules in space were different than on a world generating its own night-day cycles and perpetuating natural circadian rhythms. She's freshly showered, hair starting to dry in a tight, curling mess. The camera comes on as she's right up close to the eye. Stepping back, she gives a little perspective. It's a vid-phone. A conference call to anyone out there listening. ]

For those I haven't met, I'm Ellen Ripley. Carolyn Fry and I are offering to help people acclimatize and familiarize with operating full-time here in space. What we've got working here isn't an exact match for what we're used to, but it's close enough to help show the ropes to people who don't know and who want to get an idea. Call it a crash course in space-readiness training, without the option to fail out and stay down on Terra Firma.

That said, what are some of the questions you have on your mind relating to surviving in space? Or about the technology we've seen here so far. Knowing what questions you'd like answered helps us all out in the long run.

[ She reaches out, pausing. ]

Anyone with experience willing to work with us on this, get in touch. We can use you.

[ Vid over. Time to see what bites back. ]

Comments

video

[amethysts]

Sure.

Do space demons come from space hell?

[nukeit]

[ This is your survival question, kid?

Ripley finds herself quirking up an eyebrow. People who look around this kid's age, she expects this from. It's par for the course. ]

Only if they fell from space heaven. Otherwise they're just run of the mill space horrors.

[ Sarcasm? Fairly dry, but yes, sarcastic indeed. ]

Anything else?

video;

[dirtyword]

[ There's another teenager staring at you. Doesn't say anything right away, but when he's good and ready he'll speak: ]

Gravity jumps.

[nukeit]

The theories on this ship's as related to the drive.

[ Question-statement: Ripley wants to be sure. ]

[video]

[whatatoolhewas]

[Joker sees that conversation with Libby, and worries, just a little.]

Just an FYI for those, uh, concerned about EVAC plans and all that:

The shuttles, without any supplies, would hold like, twelve really friendly people? Maybe more, if we crammed you in like sardines with on gear whatsoever. And there are only two of them, and one of them has never had it's flight test.

So, yeah. Nobody better be hoping for an EVAC off the shuttles, because it'd be women-and-children.

Actually, screw that. It'd be pilots and children because that's all we could fit on the thing. You'd get Kara, Me, as many kids and a supplies as we could pack, and the rest of you would probably be screwed.

This is a great time to suggest volunteering to help us get the rest of the shuttles up, if anybody's interested. I mean, we're working on them. People are doing that. But it's slow going.

[video] I hope you don't mind >>

[amethysts]

[Libby scowls. Interdepartmental politics ahoy!]

Maybe if flight crew wasn't so fucking touchy about who gets to even see the shuttles we'd be able to get shit done. You might know how to fly them, but Engineering knows how to fix them. I had to wait a day with Nathan Petrelli just to get in there. I get not letting any moron fuck with them, but we [Libby you are barely honorary yet calm down] aren't morons.

You know who doesn't want to die? Me. I don't want to die. I don't think anyone wants to die or they would have just powered down already. So put in a punch pass system for checking in and out and let me do my job.

Fuck. I was worried about all the lies on this ship, but apparently if we get hit with a fast chunk of rock our sole survivors are gonna be about twenty-four people. How is no one else freaked about this?

[nukeit]

Pending you can guarantee you'll get the airlocks open to leave ship in the first place, or have anywhere to end up before twelve friendly people before the supplies are thrown in turns into a dozen not so friendly, scared people on a countdown. No one's suggesting the shuttles could do any long term survival work. If we're near enough to a station, or another ship, they might hold together in ferrying people across. If we can refuel whatever drives them.

[ No one's suggesting an EVAC plan will go well, or end up being anything more than rerouting people to an area that can be sustained while cutting off portions of the ship unnecessary to survival. ]

The more willing hands down there, the better. Just as long as they're listening too.

video

[unsoldiered]

I could use some space-readiness. So far it's kinda' familiar, at least. But I do got a pretty big question, actually.

... Is there anywhere around here I can find ammo for a handgun?

[He's been out of the loop, mainly because for a while he was thinking about giving up on everything. But at least now he's not the equivalent of a spider with its legs curling up anymore. That's got to count for something.]

[nukeit]

Depends on the handgun. [ She figures. ] I don't know about stores outside of waiting for opportunity to knock and finding stock in your locker after a jump, but if you ask around after your model, you might get answers you like. Though I'll say right now I don't recommend shooting anything off when we don't know what's located where on-board. There''s more than enough that won't be forgiving of eager trigger fingers.

( audio. )

[raffish]

[ In his not-so-wonderful Swedish accent, Axel scoffs at the video entry. Survival, be it in space or in the desert, it's basically the same: surviving, or, better yet, outliving your threat. That's what he thinks, that is, not any universal truth because, let's face it, Axel isn't really the sort of guy that comes up with universal truths.

Most of the time, he just gets by.

But, he figures he should at least know why is this woman so adamant in teaching others. He has some kind of pet peeve with authority figures, even those that are self-claimed. ]

And how do you know about shit like this, anyway? Got any credentials or whatever?

[nukeit]

I've been licensed and operating on various spacecraft for over the last decade. Afraid I wasn't lucky enough to have any of said credentials crop up in my locker. Your choice to believe if I'm full of hot air or not. The same for Fry.

video, locked;

[suddenlycaptain]

See? You're fine.

[ Locked because no one needs to know there was any anxiety about this -- and in the meantime, Carolyn will be keeping her eye on all of this. ]

video, locked;

[nukeit]

Didn't take too long to find a gun enthusiast.

[ Yeah, yeah, words are words; watching follow through is pretty important. ]

[ video ]

[hostage]

Okay, yeah. What's the best way to kill an alien if I see one? Like just in case.

[jack, because i can]

[cutsofftheirlimbs]

Cut off their limbs.

[Whoops he isn't a teacher.]

[voice]

[jurisimpudent]

What would the curriculum consist of?

[nukeit]

Planning to audit the course?

[counselling]

I'll do what I can.

[nukeit]

[ There's a nod from Ripley, and then a few of the more straightforward questions: ]

Glad to hear it. Fill me in on who you are?

[andblockbuster]

[ELLEN RIPLEY IS ON THIS SHIP.

STAY CALM.]

What's considered generally useless as far as the tech is concerned? Things that were obviously put there for show or don't really matter anymore- like that stuff from the science department. We might not be able to get every system operational, but we can improve on what's here- and by we... I mean me, the science department, engineering- whoever's interested in building tech.

All we'd have to do is find out what we need to build, what we can salvage to build it, and voila.

Also, if we know what's useful to not rip apart and what's not, we can keep idiots from breaking something just 'cause it had shiny moving parts.

[nukeit]

[ You sing the right kind of song for now, little bird. Roll with me here. ]

Good list of things to cover, and a good time to keep asking for interested parties to get involved where they think they can. Any idea what projects the tech-heads and science-people have been working on so far in regards to this situation?

[ She might, might have smiled a little sardonically at his last statement. Yeah. They could try. No guarantees they'd be able to make idiots stop breaking things for the shiny factor. ]

video

[maredementis]

I'd like to sign up.

[That way even if no one else does, she can teach the other Victors. She thinks.]

I'm Annie Cresta.

[nukeit]

Good meeting you, Cresta. Any questions you have in particular? If not, Fry and I will be sure to let everyone know when the first class sessions are going.

text;

[astrogate]

You taught this stuff before?

text;

[nukeit]

I've had to give run-downs before, but I'm no teacher. Anyone who's had to actively break things down for people starting fresh is welcome to come in and help make everything accessible.

[video]

[fuckinghysterical]

[It was almost funny how a woman could be so competent in battle, but then feel so completely out of her element when thrown into space. However, as a proclaimed master of stealth, she had to acclimatize - even if the idea from actually learning from someone (as opposed to VR training) was a weird idea for her.]

Heehee... I suppose you know more about this kind of thing than most of us do, huh? [Her lips form into a small smile.] It would be rather stupid of me to pass up the chance to see what you know about all of this.

[nukeit]

It's been a career choice.

[ An almost smile in return. ]

Look forward to seeing you there, once we iron out a time and place. How've you been settling in?

[agent_k]

I'd be interested in looking in on it. [He's still being pretty quiet about what he knows. It's hard getting him to come out of his "life of horrible wierd things" shell here.

It would be worth it if he learned anything new, he assumes.]

[nukeit]

What's your name?

( VIDEO )

[archaeologize]

I've been planetside before, one previous expedition. Familiar with jump drives and general explorational precautions. [ not that he listens to them. but whatever. ]

Can I be of any help? I'd rather not be deadweight.

[nukeit]

With all you've said, and the likelihood that Weyland pushed you through basic Space 101 before they sent you off on the Prometheus?

[ There's a hint of a smile. ]

We're happy to have you.

voice; with light intermittant static

[pizzalord]

Miss Fry mentioned I should come talk to you. I'm going to need this space training.

[nukeit]

What's your name?

textforever; Fourth-walling with permission!

[insufferableprick]

did you know that in my world
you are played by sigourney weaver
and are the main character of the alien franchise??

ok a little more serious now
ive actually spent the last year living on a meteor and have no fucking clue how to not die in space
though im a kind of a special case
ie i can survive in a vacuum without protective gear
still would be cool to take a class taught by ellen fucking ripley

[nukeit]

I take it that's a yes to showing up, and a -- you can survive in a vacuum without protective gear? Right. Okay. You've tested that here?

video

[birdhousesoul]

I just wanted to say ... thank you. For doing this. Where I come from, the Void isn't much more than a theological concept.

[nukeit]

[ Anders. Really, this is what talking with Fry gives her as background. ]

Ancient civilizations on Earth felt the same way. Must be a shock to the system to end up where you weren't expecting anyone could go.

We're doing what we can. From what I hear, we should be pre-emptively thanking you as well.

[ She quirks up an eyebrow. ]

You're Anders?

[video]

[galacticheroine]

It's been a while since I went through basic, but that's not exactly the kind of training you forget and expect to live long. If there's anything I can do to help, I'd be happy to lend a hand.

I've already spoken with Carolyn, but I'm Commander Shepard, Alliance Navy.

[nukeit]

Nice meeting you, Commander Shepard. I can't say the Alliance Navy means anything to me. By now, I'm almost more shocked when I realize I know exactly what the hell anyone's talking about.

[ A brief, wan smile. ]

Please, all help you can give us is appreciated. With people operating in shifts, the more hands we have helping out and showing people what to do, the better chance of getting to everyone who wants to learn.

Video

[bottlearum]

And how be space different from a ship, eh?

[And by "ship" he clearly means sails-on-water ship. So says the pirate.]

Y'see monsters, y'kill them. Ship goin' down, you bail out.

[This is all common sense stuff, come on Ripley.]

[nukeit]

What'll you bail out into if you try and go overboard here?