VIDEO ▒ OPEN BROADCAST ▒ FORWARD DATED JULY 30 ░▒▓█▛▟▛▙▚▞▗ ▘

[eripui]

[ The feed begins with a single tone, low, as if testing the audio capabilities of the devices. On the screen is an older man, white haired with bright blue eyes, standing in front of a deep blue banner emblazoned in gold with a circular symbol containing three five-pointed stars. Though his face now is solemn, there are laughter lines soft at corners of his eyes, the set of his mouth one clearly used to the curve of a smile. He only waits a moment before beginning to speak, voice level, carrying an assured authority, a confidence borne from experience. ]

Residents of the Tranquility, I greet you today after many, many years of waiting. My name is Hendrik van Rijn, Prime Minister of the Miraxian Triad, the people who built and launched the ship you've been trapped on. You may not have heard of me, but I have heard of you, and all the terrible events you've been forced to endure as a result of the unprecedented malfunction which took the Tranquility so far from her intended path. I offer you the deepest sympathies of my people, and myself. Mistakes have been made, and I give you every assurance that now, with your return to us, we will find the cause of this tragedy and set things right.

I know you may have heard promises before, and met with the unfortunate souls in our society who prefer to cheat and steal than offer a helping hand. I know you have no reason to trust me; if I'd been through as much as you have, I wouldn't trust me either. But we have someone else here to speak to you, and I hope hearing from her will help to show the truth of our intentions, and allow us to begin the forging of a strong partnership as we move into the future.

[ With a last look to the camera, he steps back, turning his attention to the side and holding out a hand to greet and guide the woman joining him to take center. The woman's face is one known to many aboard the ship. She's gracious as she steps into view, appearing to squeeze the man's hand before she lets go and takes her place.

Odessa Knutson. ]

Thank you, Prime Minister.

[ Her attention turns to the camera then, head tilting to one side as a wide smile spreads across her familiar features. She has a look of health to her. A better diet, some proper sunlight, and time will do that. ]

Hello, Tranquility. [ Spoken in the same way one might ask, did you miss me? ] It's been a long time. Too long. For all of us. [ That smile turns a little sad. They've been through some horrors, haven't they? Time and distance has allowed much of it to become a distant memory. ]

The time has come to stop running. When I left the ship, I didn't know what to expect. We received so many conflicting stories, didn't we? I expected all the worst ones to be true, but it was a risk I was willing to take. I'm sure many of you can understand why. Still, I was afraid that I would find monsters. That I would be thrown in a dark cell and never see the light of day again. Now, I don't say this often, but... [ Her hands spread out to her sides, palms up in a gesture that says just look at me. ] I was wrong. After my escape two years ago, Prime Minister van Rijn's people found me. They gave me food, clothing, shelter, a new life and a new purpose...

To find all of you, and help you to be rescued as I had been rescued. I know most of you aren't like me; I'm starting over here, and I'm happier than I've ever been, but many of you have lives you want to return to. [ The delight she has in sharing this good news seems genuine enough, especially (or even) to those who know her well. She clasps her hands in front of her, a light in her eyes. ] I've seen what the Miraxians have been working on myself. There's hope, so much hope.

Pack your bags, my friends. We're coming to take you home.

[[ OOC: van Rijn exited stage left once off camera, and responses will come from Odessa Knutson only. ]]

Comments

[fullmoon]

[ Funny how that works. ]

Every one of their people who survived long enough for us to recover them— [ excluding a few shh ] —is alive. We've kept them safe. You can tell them that.

[yardbird]

[And that's exactly why he's trying to figure out if there's a way to get you the fuck out of there, Odessa. Even if his efforts end in a great big fat failure.]

Yeah? They even gave you a place of your own to stay?

[How conveniently nice of them.]

[treasonista]

[ That smile of hers is a little less shaky now, more genuine and less masking. ]

I even have a garden. I grow datura. Well, something that looks like datura. [ Some things don't change. ] They gave me training. I practice medicine. I really am happy here.

[ Just... also very afraid of what will become of her if she doesn't succeed in convincing the passengers to give up the ship. There's always limits to generosity. ]

[treasonista]

I'm glad to hear that. I'm sure the people here will be too.

Thank you.

[kutte]

Safety. What fucking safety? You think you're gonna sell anyone here on safety after all the shit we've seen?

[ he's not directly mentioning the manticores, but he probably means the manticores. ]

But we're finding some initiative now, it looks like. Maybe we just didn't have the motivation before.

[wiped]

What was it destined to be?

private.

[kutte]

[ momentarily pacified though-- ]

You think giving them an invitation is gonna make anyone other than Mason happy?

[treasonista]

[ And that's what makes him the perfect target for her frustration. Everything seems to roll off his shoulders. She takes a breath, regains some of her composure. ]

I've warned them what the ship is capable of. [ Though she's beginning to believe that it's capable of more than she knows, given some of the responses she's received. ] The ship can't be allowed to continue jumping around the galaxy unchecked. The people here have the best chance of reining her in.

[treasonista]

People get reincarnated to better lives, or something. I don't know. It's a comforting lie we tell ourselves.

[ryuuzaki]

[No, they have the best chance of being wiped out of existence, he thinks.]

If we were to leave the ship, it should be destroyed. I'm assuming they would know how to do that, too.

Even that might not ensure their safety: the anomalies are more serious than you understand, maybe more than any of us understand. I know you're aware that it's difficult for us to deal with, that we've been tested, but up to this point, I don't think it's really wanted us dead. [That red figure looking into his pod, though... that leaves him with some doubts.] It should never be taken anywhere near the populace, and boarding it should be considered a suicide mission.

I doubt that any of us wants the ship, and if we could believe that this offer was made in good faith, a number of us would be likely to take it. I'd certainly be interested in assisting the government in certain capacities. [He's lying, but it doesn't sound like it; maybe he'd consider assisting them to the point where he could subtly undermine them, if he ever had the chance.] But even if we could... even if the potential cost of an error in judgment wasn't so high... there would still be the fact that any attempt to get further utility out of the Tranquility is likely to be a disaster.

[tongueamok]

Much like the one where someone would be so altruistic as to help all of us without getting something in return, aside from access to a cursed vessel that ought to be sent to the depths.

[You know, if space had depths like the ocean. This is all beyond him.]

text

[betrayed]

[The offer sounds familiar. To the point where Ward almost hears Garrett laced in between the pauses for breath. Offering up a chance for freedom, playing the card as if they were victims. The offer of a new purpose...]

I don't think it was a mistake that you didn't specify to which home.

private.

[altercate]

Careful.

[ remus what are you doin' ]

private.

[fullmoon]

[ Gimme a G. Gimme an R. Gimme a Y. ]

A few of them on foot can't hurt us. [ Some of us. Sorry about your vanilla humanity, Derek, but everyone else will protect you. ] And if there's something she isn't telling us, we need to get her out of their earshot. Or closer to Charles.

private.

[altercate]

[ GRY???? ]

You don't know that for sure.

[ don't be overconfident remus!!! ]

Can we get Charles closer to her without inviting her and her bodyguards onto the ship?

private.

[fullmoon]

[ Are you really going to make me do the whole thing. ]

I like the odds for a few of them coming to us a lot better than the odds for a few of us going to them.

private.

[altercate]

[ LMFAO OH GRYFFINDOR ]

Maybe.

[ SO BEGRUDGING. ]

If they don't bring everyone else on board after the fact.

private.

[fullmoon]

[ 8D ]

We'll meet them at the door.

private.

[altercate]

Don't do anything stupid if you do.

[ weird attempts at concern??? ]

private.

[fullmoon]

[ Awww bro. ]

Of course not. I fought a war, you know, between last time and this time. I learned a thing or two. [ A pause. ] Two. Definitely at least two things.

private.

[altercate]

I know.

[ not that it's really doing much to reduce derek's level of concern. ]

But this is a different kind of fight.

[rhyfelgri]

That looks like it's gone smashingly for her.

( enfys' ex-husband often told her that sarcasm was the lowest form of wit, but also engaged in it constantly, so you know, the lesson never stuck. )

text;

[anybodies]

[Mystique is not early.

You might consider her response late.]

Odessa.

private.

[fullmoon]

Yeah. [ He sobers up, a little. ] If it goes wrong, do you—

[ have someone less squishy looking out for you, the rest of that question would go, but he realises how condescending it sounds in time to shift gears ]

—know how to shoot?

private.

[altercate]

good call there, remus. ]

I don't like guns.