░▒▓█VIDEO

[fugax]

[The video crackles into life, showing a dark section of what appears to be engineering. There's a young woman, haggard with exhaustion in her features, sweat and engine oil streaking on her face, leaning into the camera intently, naked hope in her expression.]

Tomas? Tommy?

[Silence, for a long moment. She's waiting for an answer, and the hope slowly fades out of her eyes the longer she doesn't receive one. Eventually, resigned, she shifts, the camera blurring before it settles again, showing her sitting, leant back against a railing on one of engineering's walkways.]

I made it to engineering, Tomas. I don't remember how, but... [She trails off, confused, and then simply seems to forget about that train of thought.] I know I should have visited you here more often, maybe I'd have more idea of what to do. Breaking everything I come across should do it, shouldn't it? It feels so wrong, smashing up everything you worked on.

But I think I'm close. It doesn't sound-- [She breaks off, a smile breaking through, fond, sad.] That sound you used to talk about, that happy sound? It doesn't sound happy anymore. I just need to find the drive.

[She looks upward, mouth pressing thin, as if she's attempting to hold back tears. After a moment, she seems to find her resolve again, nodding to herself.]

I just need to end this.

[The camera shifts and blurs again, and then clicks off.]

[[MOD NOTES: Feel free to tag! Charlotte believed this to be a single closed transmission, but she will respond. Any characters with the know-how to trace this feed will find it originating in engineering, from a comms device apparently not registered to any crew numbers. Engineering is still too hot for player characters to enter! This post directly feeds into February's modplot, and more explanation will come in the upcoming plot post. In the meantime, if you have any questions regarding this post, feel free to contact us directly.]]

Comments

[fugax]

Did you think you were signing up for a cruise?

[handelaar]

I didn't sign up for a damned thing 'til after I got here. What'd you think you were signin' up for.

[fugax]

Everyone signed up.

[handelaar]

[Huff.]

For what.

[fugax]

For the project. For the ship.

[handelaar]

Project?

[fugax]

I don't have time for stupid questions.

[handelaar]

Not stupid if I don't know the answer.

[fugax]

You do know the answer. You wouldn't be here if you didn't.

[handelaar]

Sound like fuckin' Smiley.

[Mumbled to himself, there. But in that case he'll just be skipping that entire subject now.]

So you're sayin' I signed up for something that I don't remember.

[fugax]

That's not-- If you don't think you remember, then that's something else.

[handelaar]

Don't think I don't remember. Definitely don't remember signing up for any of this shit, here.

[fugax]

You wouldn't be here if you hadn't.

[Frustrated, absolutely, and she shakes her head.]

I don't have time for this.

[She disconnects the feed.]

[suddenlycaptain]

We wouldn't be here if we hadn't signed up, but apparently I don't work flight crew.

[ so dry ]

[handelaar]

[Oh hey Carolyn, abrupt switch to video for you. +1 spectacular view of a grumpy, sweaty Dutchman wiping his forehead on his jumpsuit sleeve.]

She doesn't know what the hell she's talkin' about. [Huff.] Seein' hallucinations some of the time, maybe.

[shrug. hell if he knows what's going on either, he's not the theory guy]

[suddenlycaptain]

[ A+ ]

More people whose brains are being tampered with. Fantastic.

[handelaar]

Maybe. [...well.] Prob'ly. Unless we're the ones seein' shit.

[suddenlycaptain]

I think it's more likely both. Shadows in the hallways, memory shit -- the one thing we all have in common is that we know we're not supposed to be here, and she can't keep that straight.

[handelaar]

[He snorts and twists his mouth, darkly amused for a moment before sliding back into griping.]

Think she'd listen to twenty goddamn people sayin' the same thing. 'least pause, a minute. [Time for a cigarette, fuck all this.] Kinda weird. She wasn't thinkin' about reaching the the jump drive when she was in the halls - now she won't shut up about breakin' it.

[Brow raise - does that seem sketch to you because it sure seems sketch to him.]

[suddenlycaptain]

Something might have put the idea in her head.

[ Yeah, it seems sketch to her. ]

I didn't hear much about her, before now. She was what you dreamed about?

[handelaar]

Great.

[Muttered, bitter and sarcastic, as he blows smoke to the side of the screen - he blinks up at the question.]

Uh. Yeah. Her in the halls.

[worst summary ever]

[suddenlycaptain]

[ wow. ]

I figured that part out.

[handelaar]

I don't - [vague wavy smoking hand!!] - what do you wanna know.

[suddenlycaptain]

You said she wasn't thinking about the jump drive. What was she thinking about?

[handelaar]

[He shakes his head back and forth a few times in quick succession.]

She was, but - not like that. Her brother works on it. Uh. Worked. On it. Most of the time she was just trying to... [he licks his lips and knits his brows, working on the right word] - survive, I guess. Didn't have a - destination, or whatever.