ataraxion | [video] 01. Public to Tranquility.

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[video] 01. Public to Tranquility.

[ M is seated at a table in one of the data libraries, her comm propped in front of her so that the video records her from chest upward. She's dressed in one of her suits, neat as a pin, and has a mug from one of the kitchens close at hand. She looks very comfortable addressing an audience she can't see. ]

As it has become apparent that our communications network is in proper working order again, and that I will in fact not be making the trip back to where I should be, I suppose an introduction is in order. I do apologize for my reclusive habits. I'm afraid I am rather of the sort that doesn't socialize.

My name is Maud Astor, and I come from London, in the early twenty-first century. I should very much like to know if there is anyone else here who might be from that general time frame.

I should also like to request further information on exactly what sort of governance exists aboard this ship.

TEXT. Private to Q, 007. MI6 Encryption Protocol.

Status reports from the both of you, please. In text or in person.

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[He's in the medbay as always. Most work consists of offering bandages and organizing an already organized area, so taking a moment to chat with someone with more than a passing knowledge of home isn't a hardship]

Leadworth, 2010 originally.

Sorry, not sure about who runs things, but I only got here during this last, uh, jump.

[ She doesn't smile, precisely, but her expression relaxes. She'd been rather concerned that there might not be a soul on the ship, aside from her own people, with whom she had anything in common. ]

Then you can hardly be expected to have all the answers. [ She takes note of the man's surroundings, recognizes them as Medbay. ] Are you part of the medical profession?

[There's some relaxation in his body as well, not that he was overly tense when he opened conversation with her, but on a strange ship surrounded by strangers one could never be too careful.]

Nurse. Oh, um, I'm Rory Williams.

Mister Williams. [ She nods, acknowledgment and greeting. ] I expect there's a good bit for you to do here.

Not really. Surprisingly to tell you the truth. I mean, we get the usual scraps and breaks, maybe a burn or something, but for the most part people on board tend to take care of themselves pretty well, which is good I suppose. Well, considering.

Twenty-first century could be a lot of years, ma'am. Not any I'm from.

[ Because M has a goodly store of self-control, she stares at the man before actually responding. When she does speak, it isn't until after slamming an encryption on the conversation, and even then her tone is hushed. Angry, but hushed. ]

Bond, what the bloody hell are you wearing?

[ ... sigh. Of course he found another one. ]

I'm not Bond, ma'am, though we've met. [ He's American, for one. Reaching up, Jake takes off his hat, the metal band around his wrist obvious. ] Name's Jake Lonergan. I'm from the Arizona and New Mexico territories in America, 'round 1863.

[ Because everyone asks that eventually with him. ]

[ Not Bond. Which means she's let slip information that she shouldn't have, although if the two men have already met... ]

I'm surprised the ship is still in one piece.

[ The band on his wrist is utterly incongruous to the rest of his outfit, and very much so to the date he claims. ]

Can't say I ever been to that part of your country, Mister Lonergan. Although I know enough to imagine this must not be a terribly familiar kind of place.

We get on all right.

[ Everybody run. ]

Not particularly, no. Too shiny. [ There's a shift before he continues. ] 'course, I can't say I've been to London or will be around in the year you're from, either.

[ That's exactly what M is afraid of. ]

Then I suppose we must consider this an unexpected opportunity to meet people we would never have known otherwise.

What do you do for a living in the Arizona and New Mexico territories?

Good way of looking at it.

[ And maybe he'll remember all this in place of everything he's forgotten. He doesn't know. ]

Whatever needs doin'. [ He was an outlaw. But he can't remember it, not entirely... and he doesn't feel bad about lying about it, has done it before. ] I was working with a group of people, tracking down a group who'd attacked their town before here.

[ A group of aliens, but Jake still finds that hard to believe himself. ]

[ It's so strange to hear such an unfamiliar manner of speech come from such a very familiar face. M restrains her natural tendency to verbally tweak certain men at every opportunity, seeing as how the resemblance isn't in any way Lonergan's fault.

She'll probably find something sufficiently insufferable about him eventually anyway. ]

I see. Gun for hire, then? I hope you caught them.

He has a horse, mum.

[threadjacking with this very important bit of information because it amuses him]

Why would I care about a bloody horse, Bond?

[ She doesn't, but all the same, it's an odd bit of information that just makes her wonder even more what kind of mess they've found themselves in. ]

I see you've managed to keep hold of your communicator for a change.

Because it further accentuates the distinction between us. He can handle animals. I handle animals of a more human variety.

[shrugging, it's no big deal.]

I am perfectly capable of recognizing that you are two different people, 007. Although if the most palpable distinction between the pair of you is that you don't own a horse, I rather think you may be underestimating the similarities.

[ but I just started laughing so hard I scared the cat ]

[ these little things are noted - how this Maud Astor is dressed, clean and crisp and in clothes from home, how she seems at ease, brisk and professional. it speaks of adaptability, at the very least, and Zelda respects that. for her part, her silken gown has been replaced with the simple black of the ship's uniform. ]

I am not familiar with these devices - at least, it has been some time since I last used one. I was not aware that they could... falter, in such a way. [ she remembers, the last time, that sometimes they could be temperamental, full of rough static, but they were never without them entirely. ] Were they unusable, my lady?

Between individuals, no. But the mass communication portion of it seemed rather bollocksed.

[ Despite the language, which she isn't going to apologize for, M's attitude is nicely softened by the girl's formal way of addressing her. ]

Just arrived? Or were you one of the unfortunates who slept through the last four weeks?

[ ah yes, she'd almost forgotten what it was to hear such words. ]

The former, my lady. You have not been here for long, yourself?

[ gosh, what a confident looking lady! have a slightly quaint looking feller peering curiously into the camera. ]

An honor to make your acquaintance, m'lady! I'm afraid I'm not quite of the time frame you seem to have in mind, unless a miss of fifty years or so is tolerable.

[ a bit of an apologetic little smile and nod before he adds: ]

Though the ship does have a rough chain of command and security, I believe any complicated system of government hasn't been established.

[ As with the young woman above, referring to M as m'lady has a positive effect on her response. It isn't friendly, but it isn't unfriendly either. ]

Fifty years forward or back? I assure you that my memory spans rather more than just a half century. [ The allusion to her age is made with a hint of wry acceptance. ]

I suppose a rough chain of command is all one can expect from such a disparate group. Although there are always leaders, in personality if not in title.

COMPLETED:
Accessed communicator mainframe. The devices all seem to be routed to one central hub.
Took note of a communications centre. This could be the location of the aforementioned hub. It is currently looking for volunteer staff.

IN PROGRESS:
Hacking into devices and finding the origin of specific messages. Am receiving more resistance than had originally anticipated. There's some particularly unusual code here, some which might take quite a bit more time to crack.

TO-DO:
Join the communications centre? They appear to be taking volunteers. It might be easier to hack from the inside.

In short, I'm working on cracking everything but I'll need more time. Once I can solve the mainframe, I'll be able fan out from there and find out more information.

Do be careful not to get caught, Q. We can afford to be compromised, not without a network of allies in place. And we don't yet know precisely what quarter any threat may come from.

Keep me posted on what you learn, however. Particularly I want to know about anyone you feel ought to be flagged as being of interest.

Yes, m'am. I'll keep my head down and try not to raise any red flags.

It's not normally my place but, considering there are so few of us, might I ask how you're faring?

Debra Morgan from Miami, Florida, 2012.

As far as I've been able to figure out, ma'am [ pronounced in the American style, "maaam" instead of "mum" ] government's kind of a mess. There's the supposed captain and chief engineer, but it seems like nobody trusts them. Then there's all the different departments, who work mostly separately? Security's the closest thing to law enforcement, but they're really kind of ... not, despite being good people mostly. The main problem being, there aren't any actual laws. I guess there's been some talk about civilians getting together and setting up some kind of government? But mostly it's a fucking free-for-all.

Edited 2013-01-16 07:10 (UTC)

Miss Morgan. [ A small nod in greeting. ] Same year, different continent, apparently.

That is the sense I've been getting about the 'official' crew. I suppose I'm not surprised there's been reluctance to formulate a system of laws, or rules at the very least. Our number appears to include a rather high percentage of people with tendencies toward anarchy. I take it that isn't how you'd prefer to see things operate?

Lieutenant Morgan, actually. Miami Metro Homicide. So no, not all that crazy about anarchy. Don't get me wrong, I could give a dead rat's ass about whether teenagers are drinking or somebody's got a grow-op in the Oxygen Gardens or people are, I don't know, jaywalking in the Shuttle Bay. But if people are dying, and we never know what the fuck to expect from day to day - that's the kind of thing people have governments for.

But that's just my opinion. Ma'am.

Lieutenant. [ That's the closest to an actual apology that M's going to offer, for the lack of proper address. She will remember it for next time, however. ]

Well, it does appear we're of the same opinion in that regard. I hardly think teen drinking and jaywalking should top the list of concerns when we've been abducted to an unfamiliar, murderous ship in the middle of outer space.

[ Not that those concerns ever topped M's list of concerns anyway. ] It is my understanding that the unofficial security force has been attempting to enforce at least some semblance of investigatory procedure, at least?

Depends on what you mean by investigation, ma'am, and procedure. And they're the official Security team, as I understand it. Under the command of the captain.

They seem like good people, and mostly pretty smart ones. [ The but... is heavy in her voice here. ]

About fifty years my future, then. I'm from New York, 1962. [ He paused. ] You'll be in good company, though. Not necessarily when it comes to people from England, but - definitely the twenty-first century.

I remember the sixties quite well. It was a rather different time. [ Not necessarily better or worse, but certainly unlike the world M lives in now. ]

You don't sound as though you're from New York.

I'd imagine. Things change quite a lot in fifty years.

I live there, currently, and have most of my life. [ Chuckles. ] No, I suppose I don't sound too American. I'm originally from England, of course.

Edited 2013-01-17 04:04 (UTC)

Yeah. I'm from the year 2012.

My name's Ryan.

Pleasure, Mister Ryan. I don't suppose you would be interested in sharing just a bit more detail about the world as you left it? I'd like to know for certain whether or not it's the same one.

Nice meeting you too.

Well, umm...taxes are a little higher? I don't really watch the news. I'm from Los Angeles if it helps.

Hoping to find some familiarity?

I rather imagine that expecting very much familiarity in a place like this would be futile. Context, however, would be useful.

Context of the ship, or the ragtag society they've been attempting to build? They're two very different things, you'll find.

It's a pleasure to see someone else from England. I'm from 1975, myself. My name is Remus Lupin.

I daresay I remember 1975. Although I was a bit older than you are when I experienced it. Pleasure, Mister Lupin. Have you been here long?

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[video] 01. Public to Tranquility.

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