01 ✪ video

[billybadass]

[ The feed clicks on to show a man with blond hair and sharp blue eyes, expression calm - maybe even a bit unimpressed. When he speaks there's a similar nonchalance, emphasized by the slight southern drawl. He's wearing something that looks a lot like a bullet proof vest, and there's a gold badge prominently displayed on the chest. ]

Greetings, good people of the Tranquility. [ An edge of sarcasm, mocking the formality. ] My name is William Johns, and I've got a bit of a problem - I was transporting a dangerous criminal when things went a little haywire. Needless to say, this was not my intended destination.

[ There's a pause to consider the unresponsive screen and the futility of acting like there's anything familiar to be found here, but he goes ahead anyway. It's clear by his tone that he's going through the motions, isn't expecting anything useful to come out of it. ]

If the name Richard B. Riddick rings a bell, it's in your best interests to let me know.

[ And, with that out of the way: ]

Failing that, let me know if you've heard of the Tangiers or Helion systems. I'd also suggest having an engineer look at your cryo-chambers, see if they can't swap them out for models that don't make such a damn mess. [ That's a joke. Mostly. ]

Comments

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[suddenlycaptain]

[ For a moment, it feels like her heart stops.

He's not supposed to be here. He's supposed to be dead. (Of course, so is she, and yet here she sits.) He's wearing that fucking badge, doesn't look half as crazed as he'd seemed out in the dark -- but then, he's had some time to collect himself.

She swallows, staring at the comm in her hands before stepping into a shuttle, closing the door behind her. Staying in the back seems best; her hands rub against the legs of her jumpsuit, Hunter-Gratzner blue thanks to the jump. ]

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[suddenlycaptain]

[ When she turns the video on, she's composed herself as much as she can, though her eyes are still a bit wide. ]

Johns.

[northerner]

[ WELL. ]

I'd know more of you, before I answered such questions.

[billybadass]

[ Nice clothes, kid. Johns takes a second to eye him idly. ]

You've already got my name. Maybe you should return the favor before you tip the scale.

text;

[leaps]

[ YOU MEAN THAT GUY WHO LURKS ON THE CEILING... ]

Our best interests?

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[billybadass]

[ YES THAT ONE also he doesn't like text, it's not particularly informative, rude. Also did he fucking stutter? What's with these people. ]

Sorry, guess I wasn't clear.

It's in your best interests not to give a dangerous criminal free reign of your ship. You know him?

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[blunted]

Richard.

[ text really doesn't capture his glee ]

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[billybadass]

Is this boat full of parrots or do any of you have something useful to add.

[ Text doesn't really capture how annoyed he is at the useless feedback, thanks. ]

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[heltersskelter]

[oh boy johns............]

what, are you his parole officer?
because he hasn't been a problem so far

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[billybadass]

[ He hates text already. But thank you, actual confirmation that he's here. ]

Something like that.

What, the two of you close?

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[goldshirt]

[WELL. this is a whole lot of something, isn't it.

Kirk focuses on something more concrete and will let the others fight out Riddick's guilt or innocence.]

I'll make sure to put a word in at the next docking station we show up at.

That was a joke, by the way. I'm pretty sure those stasis chambers are as advanced as they're going to get for the time being.

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[billybadass]

[ Well, it's definitely not answering the important question, but at least it's slightly less mind-numbing than some of the replies. ]

Guess I can't argue with that. Pulling people from the back-end of the universe without them noticing qualifies as fairly advanced in my book.

[ He's still not actually thrilled about that, by the way, as evidenced by the sarcastic edge. ]

NOT HERE.

[altercate]

[ creeping on this post. ]

NOT HERE

[billybadass]

[ NO CREEPING THE CREEP MOTHERFUCKER ]

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[puppydogeyes]

How dangerous?

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[billybadass]

[ SHOW HIM YOUR FACES you assholes ]

Dangerous enough to get shipped off to the ass end of nowhere to rot in a triple-max.

[ That probably sounds like a hamburger, actually. Just to clarify: ] A prison.

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[became]

Richard.

[ neal loves today, it's the best day ]

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[billybadass]

[ FUCKING PARROTS ALL OF YOU ]

Guessing he didn't do a big introduction.

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[20mentholkools]

[There's part of Riddick that's been waiting for this day. The first time he'd spoken to a girl that had been murdered back in her home, he'd started clocking a list of the dead in his head. The ones he'd watched die. The ones he'd killed. Carolyn had come first, and that had been something different, a second chance on a life that shouldn't have been wasted. But this, this is what Riddick's known has been coming since the start.

And it's funny, if Johns had come first, it'd still be that no one would know his name.]

Johns.

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[billybadass]

[ Johns can count on one hand the people he's known as long as he's known Riddick, and the familiarity of the routine is one of very few constants. Speaking with Carolyn here - it was unexpected, as much an annoyance as it was a relief. He'd be happier without the baggage. But Riddick being here, that's something else, ridiculous and unlikely and somehow inevitable. He'd sort out what he thinks of this whole hot mess later - for now, the routine's easy to resume, as close to home as he's going to get on this ship.

He notes the switch to voice, makes a point of sticking with video. ]

Dick.

[ Said with a grin, mostly mocking, partly to make it clear he's been talking to the other passengers (and they've been talking, if not half as much as Johns would like). ]

How's the old saying go? Something about running and hiding.

[voice]

[jurisimpudent]

Good day, Johns. Adjusting all right?

[voice]

[billybadass]

Well enough. The passenger quarters are nicer than the last transport I was on, I'll give it that.

Helps when the ship's full of such helpful and accommodating individuals.

[ False, they are evasive and obnoxious. He'd rather be traveling with that annoying kid he ditched on the planet. ]

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[coffeeking]

...His name is Richard?

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[billybadass]

The fact that this is bigger news than the "dangerous criminal" part is making me question your priorities.

[ Your as in the whole damn ship. He's starting to think his original strategy is going to be bust with you fools. ]

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[astrogate]

He does sort of look like a Dick, doesn't he?

[ SO NOT HELPFUL, KARA ]

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[billybadass]

More than sort of.

[ And, because this is getting vaguely old: ]

Is the mean age of this ship in the 5 to 10 range, or am I just getting the wrong impression. You know text, it's hard to tell.

[killarevolution]

So you and Carolyn and the other one are all acquainted, are you? [It's hard to say what his actual emotion is about that, but hey, at least he's not part of Riddick's fan club... Well, he is, but not in the "let me wave a banner for him" kind of way.]

[billybadass]

Yeah, me and Carolyn and the other one. [ He finds that phrasing amusing, both because of the 'other one' and - well, they aren't exactly a unified group. ]

You know them both, I take it?