oo1. audio.

[stoirme]

I want a transport arranged for me back to Earth.

[ It's just a voice, but it's a distinct voice -- female, with a thickly Scottishish brogue and cadence, if still a little left off centre from that. She sounds like calmness is a thing she is gripping onto.

Keeping as much fear as there is anger at bay. ]

Not saying I'm going to hurt anyone, but a ship this class, you'll got coolant systems, a waste and water supply system, purification. A delicate ecosystem on which depends things like pressurisation, temperature, oxygen. I can compromise all of that and force your mission objective a turn around, but I'd rather just keep it simple. I want a shuttle and a pilot and I want it as soon as physically fucking possible.

If you're listening, you'll remember we had a deal. You can arrest me again when I'm on solid ground.

Comments

audio;

[peckish4action]

[ The responding voice is that of a teenager, and early teens, at that. ]

One, if you disrupt the system, you'd just be killing, like, two hundred people kidnapped the same as you were. And probably won't get to whoever's responsible.

Two, it's not sure the shuttles can get far enough from the ship to get anywhere near Earth, provided it actually still exists, here.

Three, whatever year it is for you, chances are it's not the same year here.

I don't speak for the people in charge of shuttles, but these are things that you can use thinking about.

audio;

[stoirme]

One, I know what I'm doing, little man. Two and three can hold on a minute 'til you tell me who is in charge're the shuttles.

[ Her voice hasn't softened a lot, but nor has it sharpened. Kids. ]

audio;

[peckish4action]

Yeah, well. Threatening life support isn't exactly trust-inspiring.

And I'm actually not sure if there aren't any changes in the department there after the jump. Sometimes people don't wake up for a jump, and some are sent back home and disappear altogether.

But you can take one of the elevators to the shuttle bay, people there'll know who exactly is in charge.

[ He's not lying, either. He's with Communications, and he knows how somebody's disappearance can get things muddied for a bit. He'd rather not give imprecise information. ]

audio;

[stoirme]

The only trust I need inspire is trust I'll do what I say if I don't get what I want.

[ Little point in threatening life support only to assuage those fears, even if talking to a teenager. A chatty teenager. ]

I'm looking to get their attention before I go anywhere. [ But-- she sounds irritated for having been diverted off her course, but she has to ask; ] What do you mean, they disappear home?

voice

[alsohawkeye]

[ Kate keeps her sigh off the feed, but there's a hint of dry exasperation in her tone that really isn't fair. It's not this person's fault they don't know what's going on. The shades of terrorism and hints at water-related powers are actually pretty novel, if not at all endearing. So it's just a hint, and it fades as she gets going, subsumed beneath a matter-of-fact firmness. ]

Okay, first of all, everyone that you're talking to is a prisoner here just as much as you are. We're not piloting the ship, we didn't bring you here, we don't know who did or how. We can't send you back to Earth or anywhere else, it doesn't matter what you threaten us with since nobody knows the way. You've been kidnapped to another universe, just like the rest of us. Welcome.

Second of all, threatening to pretty much shut down life support isn't going to get you anywhere or make you any friends [ that's probably a lie, it just won't make her friends with anybody nice ] so I'd quit that right about now if I were you.

voice

[stoirme]

Bullshit.

[ There's almost a laugh in her voice, even if it's a bit dire, bleak, and suppressed. ]

You've been fed bullshit. Of a particularly creative sort, mind.

[alsohawkeye]

[ If there's a laugh in Kate's it's the mean kind. ] You've been here for a day. How the hell would you know?

Audio

[dino_zarf]

'Fraid it's not that simple. The shuttles are landing craft, nothing long range.

[Also a real pain to get working again so he doesn't just give them to people]

Besides, we don't have a right clue which way Earth or any planet anyone's ever heard of even is from here. We're pretty stuck for now and have enoguh to worry about without someone taking out life support on us.

So that's a no on the shuttle.

Audio

[stoirme]

Enough to worry about.

[ Repetition requests information. Flatly. ]

Audio

[dino_zarf]

Ship periodically tries to kill us all.

audio.

[trynotodie]

[you get another teenager responding, lucky you.]

If any of us were capable of that, there wouldn't be anyone here for you to threaten.

audio.

[stoirme]

I was talking to the people that are.

audio.

[trynotodie]

Capable of what exactly? Capabilities that they can actually use in this place? To any sort of effect?

Because enough of us can handle the shuttles but the shuttles can't get to Earth.

( audio )

[pushfall]

I'm not sure how many people it'll take for you to actually believe that there's no easy way of getting back to where you come from once you're here, but I can keep adding to the tally if you want.

[ More importantly - ]

Please don't do anything to any water, waste, or eco systems.

( audio )

[stoirme]

You didnae say pretty please.

( audio )

[pushfall]

Is a cherry on top also required?

video »

[skjalf]

( oh, well. it's nice to meet you, too, robyn. and she knows one thing: informing her that what she is doing is not only stupid but also dangerous and cruel will not get her anywhere.

so, she refrains from adding to the chorus and instead zeroes in upon the one thing this woman has in common with everyone else: their captivity. )

Yes, it is quite frightening and infuriating to be imprisoned in such an accursed place as this. A fact we all know quite well, madam. Which is why many of us are seeking a method to quit ourselves of it as soon as might be possible.

Now either you may act on your own, and kill us all, and likely damn yourself to live and die while remaining trapped here alone. Or you may seek out like-minded souls upon this ship and ally yourself with them, so as perhaps your aid may hasten the time required to locate a suitable method to release ourselves from our bonds, invisible as they were.

Which is it to be?

audio »

[stoirme]

[ Somewhere, Robyn watches this message with narrow eyes and observant silence, the light of the screen playing shadows along stern expression, huddled in her hiding place. The walls are running with moisture and inky hair sticks to her forehead.

Elizabeth will not know any of this as Robyn sticks to voice when she finally responds. ]

Why is it you talk that way?

[ Give her a minute. ]

video »

[skjalf]

( meanwhile, elizabeth sticks with video. this scotswoman if afraid, and that is the reason for her threats. as she is able to read tone as well as body language, she can tell plainly enough what is going on here. and she understands such sentiment, because she has been here nigh upon a year and is still frightened by this ship.

thus, now that she has her attention, she softens her tone, demonstrating compassion as well as wisdom. )

Because we are all afraid and angry here, despite what we may say to the contrary. And the more of us there are whom cooperate together, the better the chances are that we will succeed in our endeavour to be free. Which is all we wish, much as you do.

To if not return home, then have the freedom to choose where we venture from here. Cooperation can achieve many things, madam. Even the impossible.

[hedoniste]

Well, maybe an attempted shuttle theft might bring Carolyn back just to lose her temper. It's worth a try.

( philosophically. )

[stoirme]

I'll let it go back. Who's Carolyn?

[hedoniste]

Sure you will.

She used to run the shuttle bay. We lost her a couple of jumps ago.

[dogbane]

Robyn?

[William looks pretty shitty in a bug-eyed, tired but reasonably intact, his whole face filling the camera, which he must be holding too close to his head.] What the f--

--are you Oakes?

[You never know, aboard the Tranquility. Nor had he been himself as he is now when he was on the lunar base, either.]

audio.

[stoirme]

[ A few feelings happen at once. The first is immediate irritation at her name being delivered (baselessly particular though this may be), and the second is a confused staticky half-second pause that registers as surprise and relief and confusion and something more anxious.

So her voice does a shrill thing-- ] William!!

[ And then another second, before her manner folds into a hoarse laugh. ]

I thought-- I dunno. I didn't know anyone I saw.

[dogbane]

There's a lot of blue-gooed arses muddled into the pod corridor every jump, and mine ain't that conspicuously flat, [William replies, already wry, despite the surfeit incredulity permeating the whole situation.] Um. Welcome.

Yeah, it ain't Blackstone or the overlords. Dunno if they caught you up, the rest of the network. Please don't fuck us harder than the ship's already done. Appreciate it.