[video] There's all the world, you know, just beyond the things we know

[coldhardy]

[Elsa looks and sounds much better than she did the last time she addressed the network. Her pale blue dress has a low neckline, and it sparkles. Her blonde braid trails over her shoulder. Her eyes are bright and not red-rimmed. She’s serene and seems relatively friendly, and her voice is low and crisp.]

Hello, everyone.

I never traveled much when I was a little girl. My father had a big library, and I liked books, so I would look at them and see the engravings of different places, but I never thought I’d be able to visit any of the places in the pictures. To tell the truth, I still haven’t.

I’ve heard that some people think we might not be here on this ship much longer. While we’re still here, I want to use the -- the holodecks, the rooms that change into different places, to see some of the things I haven’t seen before. I’ve gotten them to work, and they were new to me, so it’s not that they’re hard to use. It’s that I’m not sure what I should look at.

I was hoping some of you would be willing to give me some advice. What’s your home like, or your favorite place? Can you describe it, so I’ll know what it’s like if I find something like it in the holodeck? Or is there a place in the holodeck that you recommend... one of the choices they offer? Something I shouldn’t miss?

I want to see everything I can while I have the chance.

[A small smile breaks through: nervous, irrepressible, with the corners of her closed mouth pushing up.]

Thank you.

Comments

[invisibilitea]

Wait, what do you mean, we might not be on the ship much longer?

[bailedontheempire]

Alderaan is a beautiful planet. Vast wild grasslands, warm shallow seas and ancient mountain ranges. We build our cities with the intent to damage the natural environment as little as possible, so they're carved into cliff faces or sit on stilts in the sea.

There's nothing like the sea cities, but there's a program labelled meadow that isn't so different from some of our grasslands.

[voice]

[circumitus]

There's a place in the holodeck database -- some sort of arctic mountain terrain. Have become rather fond of it.

[Welp, some like it cold.]

[songburdened]

There are parts of Columbia that are beautiful, but...

[ Elizabeth fidgets briefly with the thimble on her finger. ]

I haven't seen much of the world, myself. Would you mind if I joined you?

video;

[uncurse]

Elsa? [ her head tilts just slightly. ] Who said anything about leaving?

[coldhardy]

Arctic mountain terrain! Well, that sounds interesting. Parts of the place I come from are like that, but there aren't usually too many people in them.

[Rey is one of the people who would understand the further reasons why it's interesting to Elsa -- why she might feel at home there.]

Do you remember what the exact name was?

[coldhardy]

I wouldn't mind at all. It might be nice to have some company.

What kind of place would you like to try first? A few of the places people have recommended sound like they're a little bit like my home. Maybe we can find some that are like yours, too.

[coldhardy]

Didn't someone from another ship contact everyone a while ago? Even if we didn't have that to worry about, any of us could always be sent home. I thought I should try to take advantage of the good things here while I can.

[coldhardy]

Emma!

[She looks pleased, although Emma really doesn't.]

Isn't that what that woman was suggesting?

[uncurse]

Which woman?

[ It's been a while—a year, to be precise. For Emma, anyway. A lot of it's still muddled and far away. ]

Sorry, I took a pitstop off the ship. We were ... back in Storybrooke. [ But it occurs to her, a moment later, ] You don't remember that, do you?

[invisibilitea]

Well.

I hardly think that's an indication of anything.

video;

[knackered]

[This is his first... ah, they call it video? Video communication. He's embarrassed at having to settle with holding the device at a steady angle.]

'Holodecks'... Rooms that use illusions, then? That sounds very fascinating-- Ah, sorry, I should introduce myself first. [Because striking up a conversation 'face to face', especially with a lady without introductions, would just feel wrong. It's easier to avoid that awkwardness via text. And well, if someone here wants to know more about the world, who better than the nation of England to share stories of his travels?]

I'm Kirkland. Arthur Kirkland. I reside in London, England--or did, before waking on this ship--but I've travelled to almost every corner of the earth. It's a pleasure to meet you.

[songburdened]

Paris? I've always wanted to go to Paris.

[ She's seen it dozens of times, but... it might be even better, this way. ]

How does it work? The holodeck.

[circumitus]

[She hmm's.]

Alaska, perhaps? You can catch northern lights there if the skies are clear.

[Rey likes pretty lights. Actually she'd never admit it but she likes pretty things in general.]

video.

[trynotodie]

[make way for debbie downer.]

It's not going to be that place though. There's nothing real about the holodeck.

[coldhardy]

Does it matter?

[Her smile is gentle.]

I don't expect it to be real, but it's good enough for me for now. There's nothing like them where I came from. It may not be a real beach, but it's a real holodeck that makes me feel like I'm on a beach. That's something, isn't it?

[Logic!]

[coldhardy]

What do you think, then?

[coldhardy]

[She looks pleased by this response.]

That does sound beautiful. I'll be sure to look at the meadow program... if I'm right, there was something similar that reminded me a little of some of the places at home. My parents' memorial stones are in that kind of area.

Can you tell me more about the sea cities?

[The idea reminds her a little of her ice palace.]

[coldhardy]

You can also see northern lights where I'm from, sometimes... especially if you're up in the mountains.

[Especially on the North Mountain, especially if you build yourself a tower of ice.]

Have you been to any places like this before you came here?

[coldhardy]

Paris sounds wonderful!

[She's never seen it, but there was a French envoy at her coronation, and she's heard stories... it's one of the greatest cities in the world, isn't it? Her own little city is something completely different. The glamour of Paris appeals to her to an extent, but if she ever deserted Arendelle, it would be for something more private, not less.]

We'll see if we can find something like it. I'm not sure how it works, to be honest... we don't have computers where I come from. I know it isn't magic, but it seems like it, sometimes. If I wanted to talk to you, I'd have to write a letter on paper and have it brought to you, or you'd have to be in the room.

[coldhardy]

I'm Elsa. Of Arendelle. Likewise.

[She puts on her best state smile and nods her head: there's no one to do formal introductions for her here, and anyway, there wouldn't be much point in standing on ceremony even if there was.]

Mr. Kirkland, it's my understanding that the rooms do create illusions. What's your favorite place you've ever visited? What was it like?

[coldhardy]

The woman who -- wait, what should I remember? From Storybrooke?

[Her cool blue eyes widen, but she looks as curious as she is surprised. She'd never heard of Storybrooke before she came to the Tranquility -- it wasn't any more real to her than Alderaan or Asgard, except as the place Emma ostensibly comes from.]

[songburdened]

Really? [ Elizabeth brightens, clearly very excited about the prospect. ]

Oh, we don't have any, either. There is the radio, but otherwise it's still all papers and people in Columbia, as far as messages go.

[ And though the space is impressive, she is a little homesick for the way she's learned to do things over the past twenty years. ]

[circumitus]

Yes. Been to a lot of different places, actually. Traveled a lot with the military.

[Various military, of course -- while living separate lives. But she doesn't feel like complicating things any more than she has to.]

[trynotodie]

[tips his head, considering.] But what if you decide you'd much rather be there than here? Eventually you have to leave the holodeck, and then all you have is...

this.

[coldhardy]

Would anything stop you from going back to the holodeck when you wanted to? Anyway, it would be true either way. I want to enjoy what we have while I can.

What's the best thing you've ever seen?

[trynotodie]

[whelp. you've managed to surprise a smile out of him now. a soft, kind of wistful one.]

The first time I saw the sky from the ground.

[coldhardy]

[Her expression brightens in return.]

I like the sky, too.

Have you ever seen the Northern Lights? Sometimes they call it Aurora Borealis. It's like curtains of color in the sky.

[trynotodie]

[slow, hesitant shake of his head.]

I don't think so. I honestly don't even know which part of the Earth we managed to land on, but I don't remember anything like that.

[coldhardy]

I think you'd have to be pretty far north. It would be very cold there most of the time.

How long were you there before you ended up here?

[trynotodie]

We were in a forest. It wasn't that cold.

I'm not sure. I was hurt pretty badly and out of it for awhile in the beginning. A couple months, maybe?

[uncurse]

... You don't remember.

[ Luckily, amnesia is a common affliction amongst the Charming family, so she doesn't take it too personally. ]

You were there, Elsa. Hook and I found you in some ... urn, in Rumplestiltskin's vault. Long story, most of it starting with your aunt.