13 | video | cats and cryo and crud, oh my~

[suddenlycaptain]

[ The video clicks on to show Carolyn in the shuttle bay (of course), standing in front of one of the windows showing the vast expanse of space. After letting the camera roll for a moment so that you, dear viewer, can come to terms with what you're looking at, she focuses it on her face and starts to speak. ]

This is overdue, but we're going to be having another information session on space, space travel, and the features we're aware of on board the Tranquility in a few hours. Make the time to attend. For those of you who want to get caught up on the previous lessons, I'll include a link to the recordings.

We're going to be going over everything, including evacuation protocols, but I'm going to be paying special attention to what I know about stasis. [ Which admittedly isn't much, as they use cryosleep, but it's more than most of the ship. ] It's been a popular topic lately, after all.

[ There's some fiddling with the buttons and after a pause, viewers will have a link to a sub-network with the videos embedded. ]

If any of you newcomers are interested in joining the flight crew, whether you have experience or not, we'd be glad to have you. Come on down and talk to myself, Hikaru Sulu, or John Casey.

[ Carolyn pauses, shifting a little uncomfortably. ]

For those of you that knew her, Kara Thrace has gone home.

[ Aaand: ]

The kittens are ready, if those who talked to me are still interested.

Comments

[doggedly]

People will kill rare animals being kept as pets? What awful world d'you come from!

[AND SPEAKING OF AWFUL THINGS of course he's just going to charge on--]

And why won't you be going home? This is the opportunity of a lifetime. Chance to make a little extra selling, weirdly, cats, which I don't think is very typical in all the how-I-became-minted stories. Got other holiday plans, d'you?

[suddenlycaptain]

I've said before that it's a harsh one.

[ Probably not to Sirius, but whatever. Still, the tension in her shoulders just increases, as he pushes on. ]

There's nothing left for me there. [ Including a body, seeing as she was eaten. ]

[doggedly]

[He's not the best at reading people--to say the least--but he glances at her sidelong for a second, trying to work out if there's something he's meant to be getting here.]

It's-- still there, isn't it?

[Insensitive? Maybe a bit. He winces a little, at himself, but doesn't take it back.]

[suddenlycaptain]

What?

[ Oh. Oh, he thinks-- oh. That's so off the mark it's actually funny, sort of. ]

Yes, it's still there. Riddick's from five years after I am, so it's all still there then, at least.

[doggedly]

Right.

[He nods. Good. Riddick, the name's been mentioned, but Sirius isn't familiar with him, beyond maybe-- tall? He's tall, isn't he? And a bit scary, or, well, lurky, perhaps is a better word for it--]

So what d'you mean, then?

[suddenlycaptain]

[ All of the above, Sirius. ]

Does it matter?

[doggedly]

[He looks around at her, his nose wrinkled a little.]

What a weird thing to say when someone's asking about you to get to know you better. Is it that awful, whatever the answer is going to be? Is this my cue to back off and hold back on the curiosity?

[suddenlycaptain]

Your cue was a while back, actually. But yes.

[ Just going to pet one of the cats. They don't ask nosy questions. ]

[doggedly]

So-ooorry.

[He's all sarcasm when he says it, even though he's simultaneously trying to suss out where 'a while back' was in their conversation, exactly--and, simultaneous to his simultaneousness, trying to see if he can suss out possibilities for why Captain Carolyn Fry hates home. So much of it probably depends on shit he doesn't know, but he's allowed his guesses at least.]

So you're saying forget about getting an answer to it, yeah?

[suddenlycaptain]

For now, at least.

[ Jones is scooped back up, her fingers tracing over his ears. ]

It's personal.

[doggedly]

[He studies her a moment longer, considering this response... and then he huffs a quiet little laugh, like yeah right, or else like we'll see how long that lasts. Because--unfortunately for Carolyn--he's interested now.]

Saying it the way you're saying it only makes people curious, y'know.

[suddenlycaptain]

People can fuck off.

[ In general, most days, but especially about this. ]

It's none of their business.

[doggedly]

[He whistles at that.]

Wow. So I ought to fuck off, then, is that what you're saying? Or can I be forgiven for my concern and curiosity.

[suddenlycaptain]

I'll forgive you, [ she says after a moment, studying him from over Jones' ears. ]

I just might not be as nice if you ask again.

[doggedly]

[The smile he gives her isn't tentative--it looks like the same sort of smile as always--but he feels a bit tentative with it.]

Sweet. I'll have to make it up to you.

[suddenlycaptain]

[ She laughs again, setting Jones down -- he curls up on top of her dresser this time, watching them both. ]

It'll certainly be interesting to see you try.