004: video

[sugarbear]

[ It's been almost a year since Casey last posted to the network. He works, keeps to himself, occasionally slides in to add an acerbic commentary to something someone says--that sort of thing. People who know Jayne will recognize him as a red faced version of the same; he's the one without the dodgy beard, is precious about Star Wars, dislikes animals, and despite that has a young ginger cat swinging its tail as it clambers up his chest to perch on his shoulder, furry bottom pressed against his ear. ]

Get the hell down from there, m'busy.

[ His voice is gravely, his face is a little red, eyes a little bloodshot. Casey scowls when a meow is his only response, and shifts forward and backward in quick little movements, attempting to dislodge the cat, but all that happens is that it digs its claws in. Grimacing, Casey decides to just get on with it. The feed clicks off and is replaced by an attached video file, featuring about a minute of prerecorded material from one of the Tranquility's shuttles. It shows the sparkling pinprick stars of space, the Cyllene coming into view, and a long panning view of the station as they circle it.  ]

Doesn't look like a deathtrap, does it? The real good ones usually don't. Got damn near frozen to death for a goddamned pair of sneakers. [ That explains why he looks ill, at least. ] Any of you lot get stuck on board that last day, I suggest you get yourselves checked up by the doctor. We have sensitive gear in the shuttle bay picking up trace radiation, and that means anyone could have been zapped by it, and getting cooked to death from the inside isn't a real nice way to go. Same goes for things you took that day. Might not be as safe as they look, especially if we're talking edibles.

[ Look at that, he's practically being caring. And realizing that he quickly turns off the video feed. But not before a tiny bit of blushing and another furious scowl. ]

Shut up.

Comments

video;

[suddenlycaptain]

[ She doesn't comment on the cat, or his concern -- she knows about both, even if neither have been shown quite so directly to the public. Instead- ]

"Sneakers"?

video;

[sugarbear]

[ She has every right to see through him considering all the time they spend together. ]

You don't have sneakers in the futuristic space desert? Now you're just pulling my leg.

video;

[suddenlycaptain]

It's not all desert.

[ A shrug. ]

Most people wear boots.

video;

[sugarbear]

Boots are good for most things, but they're not much good in the gym.

[ Casey leans over, picking up the pair of white shoes to show her. His prize. ]

Got frostbite and a bad case of the sniffles, but I'll live.

video;

[suddenlycaptain]

Why get used to training in shoes you wouldn't have in most situations?

[ Actual question, she's curious. ]

Frostbite?

video;

[sugarbear]

Safer, more flexible. Hard to learn to move when you're already dragging your feet.

[ He scowls for a second. ]

Yeah, my toes. Could have been much worse. I'll take it over getting shot, though.

video;

[suddenlycaptain]

You went to medical, right?

video;

[bribed]

Nice cat.

video;

[sugarbear]

You wouldn't think so after it fish farted in your face.

[ Cat ownership clearly agrees with him...not. ]

video;

[bribed]

[ Hold on, he's laughing at you, face-twin. ]

Didn't say I wanted one.

video;

[sugarbear]

You better not be a dog person.

[ Squinty paranoid look. Jayne, don't betray the Baldtwin. ]

video;

[bribed]

[ A shrug. ]

Ain't really had pets, truth be told. Folks had livestock, an' some farm dogs an' cats, but that's different.

video;

[sugarbear]

Livestock? [ Squinting. ] I never took you for a corn bred farm boy.

voice;

[therangerking]

[ Tightly: ]

What is radiation, and how might it harm the body or mind?

[ Elrond is still in medbay, oops. ]

voice;

[sugarbear]

[ Casey spends most of his time hanging around people from the future. He's a little unsure how to explain radiation in layman's terms, but he'll have a go. ]

Radioactive materials bombard the body with invisible particles that sort of rip holes through your body. Problem is they deform and kill what they leave behind, so you get burns, cells dying, and then longer term effects like cancer down the road. Too much exposure and it'll kill you. Slowly and painfully. Best thing is to treat it quick.

Earliest signs to look out for are tasting metal--or smelling of it.

voice;

[therangerking]

[ Those are strong words, and Aragorn takes a long moment of silence to consider them. ]

Has there been many reports of such harm coming to those who ventured to the Cyllene? [ Because Aragorn doesn't remember metal, and Elrond can't tell him that right now, so he better check this way. ]

voice;

[sugarbear]

Wouldn't know, but the way that place was falling apart, I wouldn't be surprised. All I know is that the trace is setting off our instruments--we use them to make sure when we work on the shuttles we're not getting exposed. Thought it'd be worth warning people who maybe might not have come in contact with it before.

voice;

[therangerking]

Do you know how much harm might such a [ beat ] trace of radiation cause upon the body?

voice;

[sugarbear]

Neglible. You'd have to be close to the source. Or I guess, in the case of someone who'd been exposed, you'd want to avoid touching their--you know. Bodily fluids.

[leaps]

You look like hell.

[ pot, kettle, carry on. ]

[sugarbear]

Oh yeah? You and me we could start a looking-like-hell-a-lympics. What do you say?

[leaps]

What's the winner get?

[sugarbear]

A makeover. They're gonna need it.

[leaps]

Sad thing is I bet there's at least a couple people on board who'd get a kick out of that.

[sugarbear]

Reckon you're probably right.