[video; open]

[51stcentury]

[Viewers are greeted by a charmingly dashing white smile, easy and confident without being cocky, shining blue eyes and the face of a 1950's matinee idol. He's dressed in his customary outfit of braces and greatcoat, his very presence commanding your attention]

Hey there, kids. So it's come to my attention that there are some of us a little more used to this whole traveling in space thing, am I right? I mean. There are some of us on here who have literally never even heard of the idea, which. Is charming, really it is. But that means that this whole Tranquility thing has gotta be more than a bit of a shock. So here's where I'm going to be taking a poll.

How many of you are familiar with travel in space? How many of you have heard of it, but never dreamed you'd do it yourself? How many of haven't even dreamed of traveling the stars?

I figure if we cover that much at least, we'll be able to determine how many of us need a bit more explanation than the fact that we seem to be on some sort of large passenger vessel traveling through some undetermined part of some unknown galaxy. Vague, I know, but I haven't exactly found a viewing screen yet, have you? That's where the rest of us come in. Maybe, with your help, we can figure this all out.

[He goes to reach forward to turn off the video feed, before a thought comes to him and he stops, a more mysterious look in his eyes as he does] I don't suppose that any of you are familiar with time travel...?

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[gofortheoptics]

[She dips her helmet just a little.]

Tali'zorah vas Normandy. I was also born on a ship, but one significantly older and smaller than this one. A pleasure to meet you, Captain Harkness.

[Pause. She's talked to Kasumi.]

Our ships travel using Mass Effect fields. It's a bit different than the way this ship moves, as far as I can tell.

[51stcentury]

And what's that, then? A Mass Effect field. [a pause] Don't worry about stumping me with the technicalities. [wink] I'm smarter than I look.

[gofortheoptics]

Mass effect fields are created using element zero -- it can increase or decrease the mass content of space-time when it's subjected to an electrical current via dark energy.

They have -- a multitude of uses, one of which is allowing ships to travel faster than light. They're also used in Mass Effect relays, which create mass-free corridors between space-time.

So -- similar, but not the exact same concept.

[51stcentury]

Kind of like you're warping space and time around yourself. We've got some technology like that. Won't be invented for another...well. Ten, fifteen thousand years, though. That kind of technology is complicated, especially in practice.

[gofortheoptics]

Yes. The relays weren't invented by any race that's still around, but they're still in use.

[This is going to get complicated fast, isn't it?]

So you're from most peoples' relative futures as well, then. Possibly even mine.

[51stcentury]

Pirated technology, gotta love it.

And could be. Depends on what time you're from, really. [What time are you from, anyway? The question hangs in the air]

[gofortheoptics]

It turns out that it was actually part of a way for giant synthetic/organic space aliens to purge the galaxy of all living creatures.

[Y e p]

It was 2185 CE when I last checked.

[51stcentury]

Huh. So they have those sorts of creatures in more universes than one? Good to know. [Ugh]

2156. Not too shabby. Definitely different from the way things went in ours if you've got that sort of tech in the twenty-second century, though.

[gofortheoptics]

Well, that depends on what race you are.

[She holds up one three-fingered hand.]

[51stcentury]

Huh. No kidding. [Jack seems to be utterly not phased by this fact] What race are you, then? If you don't mind me asking, that is. I know some people can get a little offended about these things.

[gofortheoptics]

Nobody here seems familiar with people from other universes, so I think being offended would be silly.

[She tips her helmet to the side.]

Quarian. If you've heard any rumors about us, I can assure you they're likely untrue.

[51stcentury]

Can't say that I have heard any, no. [He gestures to himself] 51st century human. I could say the same of myself.

If I'm allowed to ask questions, then, why the helmet?

[gofortheoptics]

Quarians have an extremely depressed immune system, so being exposed to airborne pathogens that are normally harmless to others is often enough to cause a massive allergic reaction that can lead to hospitalization or death.

[51stcentury]

Mmm, yeah, alright. Good reason to wear a helmet. I'm guessing you've got some sort of air filtration system going on with that, then? Inside the helmet, that is.

[gofortheoptics]

That would be correct, yes.

[51stcentury]

Fascinating.

I'll stop asking the questions, I'm sure they can get tiresome. I take it that you're dealing well with this whole space travel on the Tranquility thing, then, given the circumstances.

[gofortheoptics]

Yes, it's something that I've been doing all my life -- space travel, I mean.

[She shakes her head.]

Nothing so sturdy as this for most of that time, though.

[51stcentury]

How d'you mean?

[gofortheoptics]

Most of the ships from the flotilla were things we purchased because they were -- junkers. We fixed them up, of course, but they don't run the greatest.

[51stcentury]

I suppose that we do have some things going for us, then, yeah. I mean. This ship's gorgeous, perfect for what it is. Which is good, considering how little crew there is and how few people on here know the slightest thing about ship maintenance.

[gofortheoptics]

[She laughs.]

Yes, it's a blessing that we haven't had any major engine malfunctions. There's always the risk of that during jumps.

[51stcentury]

Oh, I know, it's perfect. The time when we're all the least prepared to help out should something go wrong is the most risk-prone time of all.

[gofortheoptics]

Funny how that seems to happen.

[51stcentury]

Hillarious.

So. Tali'zorah, huh? D'you usually go by that, or d'you have some sort of nickname? Awful lot of syllables for me to butcher. [Like he may or may not have just done]

[gofortheoptics]

Tali is just fine if you'd rather.

[She's surprisingly used to humans butchering the name anyway, Jack. Don't worry.]