ataraxion | 006. voice.

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006. voice.

[ Erik’s voice is low and rough, raw tension metered in the effort he makes to keep himself in check. ]

There is no force in this universe that has our best interests at heart.

We’re stowaways on a stolen warship. Van Rijn is hunting for us.

From what little we know of him, we may deduce that he is not a man celebrated for his mercy. If we are taken on Van Rijn’s terms, we will be subject to his rule -- not as people, but as scientific curiosities. Collateral damage. Pirates. Witnesses. He has no obligation to follow through on any promise his men make.

We are not citizens of this world. We don’t have rights.

Be discreet. Keep communications apprised of any contact you have with his crew. If we are to engage with him, it must be on our terms. If his forces breach this vessel, be prepared to fight for your lives.

[ There’s a pause, as if he’s checking notes. ]

For those of you unfamiliar with the basic operation of Tranquility-issue space suits and armaments, now is the time to learn.

[ ...And a moment of silence for his self-control buckling under the strain of formal address. ]

As of this moment, if I discover that any one of you has taken it upon yourselves to pander away further intelligence on this ship or your fellow passengers in exchange for safe passage -- hope that Van Rijn finds you before I do.

[ He ends that sentence, and so the transmission, with a bristling quiver at the tail of his diction and an abrupt punch of his forefinger. Magneto out. ]

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I'm pretty sure whatever I decide it'll only affect me, especially considering I'm basically a nobody on this ship.

And Lee Harvey Oswald was nobody until he shot Kennedy. If you're looking to give away information that could lead to us all getting captured and dissected, that's not your choice to make. And if you're not planning on that? Then he's not threatening you, and you can unbunch your panties.

Hey. That isn't necessary. She has a right to an opinion on board, as much as anyone else.

Did you miss the part where I told her she can believe whatever she wants to believe? I'm not saying she doesn't have the right to an opinion. I'm saying that this is a situation that affects everyone here, and no one person has the right to put us all in danger by shooting their mouth off. You might not like the way he said it, but he's not wrong.

Now you're just being rude about it. She never said she'd shoot her mouth off. She said she doesn't like threats. I don't like them much, either. There's no call for it to keep people in line.

Deep breaths, dude, that's not even close to rude where I come from. She asked if Magneto is threatening people and I like to think I know him well enough to know the kinds of questions he's not gonna bother with, so I offered some clarification.

What tactic would you use to make sure people don't spill the beans when a few of them have already proved they can't be relied on not to? Hope and goodwill? That's real nice for you, but I'm not trusting my son's life to that.

So you'd rather we all threatened each other to get what we want? This may be the greater good, but who gets to decide that? One person? That's not how it should work.

Honestly? I'd prefer threats to blind trust, yes. I mean, ideally we could have had, like, a fu-

[wait no if he didn't like panties in a bunch he's probably gonna have a stroke over that right]

um, a meeting to decide the best course of action and go from there, but we didn't get the chance. And my vote woulda been for serious repercussions for anyone who gave away any info that wasn't agreed to anyway, so maybe I don't care that he's looking to cut out the middleman.

Well it seems some of us disagree with that. We should have a meeting and discuss it. And not cut out the middleman.

Okay, I agree that a meeting would be the way to go, but - I swear I'm not tryna snap your bra strap here, I'm seriously curious - you disagree with the idea that people should be prevented from giving out information to people who couldn't be more suspicious if they rocked up in fake mustaches and capes?

[What is it with these people? Don't they know how to listen?]

Interesting you think I disagree with that, as I didn't say anything like it. I disagree with any tactic that involves threatening and bullying to get your way, not matter what your way is.

[Her thoughts exactly.]

I'm sorry, maybe I didn't say that with an appropriate level of incredulity. My point is that you don't disagree. You and your little friend there are freaking out because he said it like a big meanie, not because he's wrong. And I'm not wasting any more time with people who want to argue about manners when we're being hunted.

[and disconnect I am so ooc-ly sorry]

Let me know what you conclude.

Not interested in participating?

I've made my position clear.

[voice]

priceoffreedom - 2015-01-17 04:10 (UTC) - Expand

I don't know anything more than what's already been told to these people, and I really doubt anyone else does, either. So maybe you should unbunch your panties and back out of a conversation that you weren't invited to in the first place.

That's your response, really? "Nobody asked you"?

We are so lucky you don't know anything.

Well, it's true, isn't it? No one asked you, least of all me.

[Is there a way to ask "are you new here" that sounds like a genuine inquiry rather than just mockery?

Okay, maybe a little mockery.]

There's a neat private function on the communicators if you don't want other people chiming in. Otherwise, people are gonna pretty much consider stuff fair game, yeah. I wouldn't want you to hold your breath waiting for him to respond to that though.

So he needs you to make his case for him?

[For the record

this is not mean girl, scornful laughter. That is genuinely funny.]

Oh, man. No. Definitely not.

Then why are you bothering?

[ Seriously, explain this one to her, because she doesn't get why a grown ass man can't fight his own battles. ]

[Oh god never ask Heather to explain things she'll go on forever]

Because I agree with him, and when I agree with someone I don't feel right letting people treat them like they're a lone conspiracy theorist. I mean sure, he said it in kind of a jerk way, but in the time I've been here we've had multiple assholes showing up and thinking they can get home by threatening to damage the ship, a crazy chick sabotaging the engines, a couple boneheads who tried to steal shuttles instead of just demanding them on the network and a pair of freaks actually kidnapping a bunch of people to sell for slaves or food to try and buy their freedom.

I don't trust the people here to value other people's lives without knowing there'll be consequences otherwise. Why wouldn't I stand behind that opinion?

I never said he was a conspiracy theorist. I called him out for threatening people.

Listen, though -

[Some fumbling as Heather dicks around with her communicator, plays back a snippet of the broadcast]

- As of this moment, if I discover that any one of you has taken it upon yourselves to pander away further intelligence on this ship or your fellow passengers in exchange for safe passage -

It's not a general threat. He's specifically saying he'll act against people who plan to put everyone in danger in an effort to get themselves a sweet deal. Not anyone who fucked up before in the original contact, not everyone on the ship, people who've had a chance to see how suspicious these guys are and choose to risk everyone's lives anyway. Why would you want to protect people who'd do that?

(no subject)

overdraws - 2015-01-15 03:07 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

sweetmotherofgod - 2015-01-15 03:49 (UTC) - Expand

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