002. text.

[regulatingpressure]

Got two things to ask and one thing to offer. I'll try to make it short and sweet.


QUESTION 1: What destroyed or depopulated your version of Earth? Nukes, asteroids, zombies? If nothing did yet, what took the closest shot so far?

Same question if you're not from Earth - just swap out Earth for wherever you came from.

I'm not compiling a spreadsheet or anything. I guess it's just something I've wondered.


QUESTION 2: What are we even doing here? What's our destination? The purpose of the voyage? Who sent us, and why us? Maybe I missed something and by all means point me there if I did, but in less than a day, this ship sucks up more resources than the Ark could spare for a month.

I've been here for over a month now and I'm the first person I've seen ask anything like this so far. I want to think it's because we were up to our airholes in highly invasive nanotechnology. Or - like I said, maybe I missed the big 'who, what, where, and why' memo.


OFFER: I'm bored off my rocks, if you haven't picked up on that yet. I was a zero-G mech back on the Ark, and if that's not enough, I helped fix the thing that saved your asses pre-Jump. I can repair, rebuild, or build from scrap just about anything you can think of. So somebody give me a job before I start opening panels and improving whatever the hell's inside.

[ is she serious? she very well could be, so throw her a bone here, yeah? ]

Comments

[kneaded]

I'm sorry you're back in space.

Nukes. The people who have them have been in an uneasy truce with the Capitol for the last few quarters of a century. The truce just ended.

[ And not so sure about prying, so there's a slight delay. That "pretty sure" didn't go unnoticed. ]

Why did you return to Earth if it wasn't safe?

[regulatingpressure]

We didn't have a choice.

[kneaded]

Because someone made you? Or because there was something wrong with the Ark.

[ Both logical options, though frankly the former rings truer in his experience. ]

[regulatingpressure]

Both.

The guy I

Someone I cared about was in lock-up. The Ark was running out of air - everyone in lock-up got sent planetside, all 100 of them, to see if the ground was livable or if they'd fry on contact.

So I built a shuttle out of scrap and I followed them down.

[ the full story's a lot more complicated and political and, in parts, depressing - but this'll do for now. ]

[kneaded]

Without knowing whether or not the ground was safe?

[ Not judging, just interested. He's made similar calls himself, so while others might consider it stupid, he mostly considers it brave. ]

[regulatingpressure]

If you were in lock-up, you were set to die either way. At least this way they had a shot.

[kneaded]

But you weren't set to die. Nobody went with you?

[regulatingpressure]

It was an unauthorized launch.

[ that is to say, super covert. ]

Someone was supposed to. Abby. Her daughter was sent down on the drop ship.

[kneaded]

Supposed to. Something went wrong?

[ It's prying. He wouldn't have been so obvious about it, before, but now the interest is there minus all of the tact; or maybe he just assumes Raven can handle it. ]

[regulatingpressure]

[ it's fine. if it weren't, she'd brush him off. ]

We ran out of time. She stayed behind as a diversion.

[kneaded]

Then I'm sorry you're stuck here.

[ All that effort, seems like a waste. ]

I'm guessing the person you were trying to save isn't.

[regulatingpressure]

Wasn't trying to save him. He's always saved himself just fine.

[ except for the times clarke's done it, anyway.

...that didn't answer his question. ]

You're right though - he's not here.

[kneaded]

Then I'm sorry about that, too.

But you shouldn't worry about it too much. He'll be waiting when you get there. If the ship decides to send you home, you won't miss a beat.

[regulatingpressure]

Not so much, actually. He's got other plans these days.

Not that it's a big deal or anything. Happened before I even hit the ground, I guess I'm kind of over it.

[kneaded]

[ He knows the feeling. ]

In that case, I'm sorry you might have to go back to him.

And that's the last sorry, I promise. It's pretty easy to forget people here. Even if you weren't over it yet, you would be in a few months.

[regulatingpressure]

Sounds like you're speaking from experience.

[ now she's prying a little right back. it's only fair, right? ]

[kneaded]

Sort of.

I may not be the best example to go by.

[regulatingpressure]

Why not?

[kneaded]

My memory's kind of unreliable. And the person I'd like to forget is here, anyway.

[regulatingpressure]

Ouch.

[ to both. ]

Hey - what's your name anyway? I'm Raven.

[kneaded]

Thanks.

[ A little sarcastic, but seriously, thanks for the sympathy. ]

Peeta. And in case nobody's said it, welcome back to space, Raven.

[regulatingpressure]

[ what, did you expect a half-dozen sorries right back? that's not how raven plays. ]

People have said it, sure. This is the first time it wasn't smart-assed though.

[kneaded]

[ It's ok, he'll live. ]

Who said that wasn't smart-assed? Text is hard to read.

[regulatingpressure]

Wow, I see how it is.