001 // voice.

[scopedrop.livejournal.com]

-- On the off chance that anyone on board the Normandy is receiving this signal? This is Garrus Vakarian.

[ The voice that flickers on in a burst of static sounds like it has some kind of effect added to it -- like there are two tones, speaking at once, a lower-pitched hum barely audible underneath a more normal sounding voice. To anyone in the know, that's a Turian voice. To anyone else, that probably just sounds weird as fuck. ]

Be advised that the channel is insecure. Requesting coordinates, as well as immediate pickup. We just got done saving the galaxy, and I could honestly do with a bit of a vacation.

But failing that. [ With a small sigh, because that shit is a long shot, focusing back on everyone else on the network. ] Has anyone taken a look around the ship, yet? It's -- not anything I recognize so far, but I'm no expert.

Comments

[ audio ]

[scopedrop.livejournal.com]

[ the galaxy is bigger than the solar system and garrus clearly had the harder time!! ]

Doesn't look like any vessel I know, Alliance or not. Nothing else is familiar, either, and I can't say I care for what they've said about jumping.

[ audio ]

[antifroze.livejournal.com]

[ SAME DIFFERENCE ]

Looks like it's not any vessel anybody knows. [ Which puts them all at a severe disadvantage but details, because it's not like they weren't disadvantaged already. ]

Alliance? That some kind of government where you're from?

[ audio ]

[scopedrop.livejournal.com]

[ look you saved half a solar system. there are many of those in a galaxy ]

Yes, but not mine. Human Systems Alliance.

I take it's different, where you're from.

[ audio ]

[antifroze.livejournal.com]

[ Technically he hasn't saved it yet... but hey, whatever, you win. ]

You could say that. [ Explanations would be pretty useless, but yeah, no, it's different. ]

[ audio ]

[scopedrop.livejournal.com]

My knowledge of human history is limited, but I know the formation of a species-wide Alliance took a while, here.

[ just sharin' information and makin' conversation ]

[ audio ]

[antifroze.livejournal.com]

[ Mace's conversational skills are so, so lacking. Sorry you have to deal with such a non-communicative dude, Garrus. Well, most of the time. ]

That's— [ not what happened. Hold the hell on a minute. ]

You're talking like you weren't a part of human history.

[ audio ] 1/2

[scopedrop.livejournal.com]

-- Ah.

[ It's not that he's offended or anything, Mace, it's just that he's not used to having to having people not recognize that he's turian and such. ]

Give me a moment.

[ video!!! ]

[scopedrop.livejournal.com]

[ There. Have a visual aid. Garrus looks friendly enough -- you know, for a turian -- and just nods in acknowledgement at the camera. ]

I take it this is new to you?

[ HE SOUNDS PERFECTLY FRIENDLY REALLY but yeah, alien ]

[ video ] OH GOD HI GARRUS

[antifroze.livejournal.com]

[ Okay.

So you're an alien.

Mace is taking this remarkably well for someone who's made jokes at your expense before, but it's not like he'd ruled out the idea completely. Capa could tell you percentages, but... alien life. Sure, whatever. Statistically really likely, if not even remotely close to Earth.

Not like he'd expected to ever see this kind of shit in his lifetime, but there's a first for everything. ]

You could say that. [ BUT IT WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT...

He stares for a second longer. Pauses. And then his face actually twists into something like actual amusement. He barks out a laugh—like he can't believe this is actually happening—and rubs a hand across his skull, grinning. You have broken the SRSFACE mask, SHUT. DOWN. EVERYTHING. ]

This is great. I'm talking to a fucking alien. Onboard a foreign spaceship in the middle of nowhere in a completely different universe. No, really—it's great. Good to know where things stand.

[ He switches his own video feed on. And because pfft, tact: ]

What are you, anyway?

[ video ] sup bro.

[scopedrop.livejournal.com]

[ Garrus has received his fair share of wait-a-fucking-minute, what-are-you question sand looks over the past few days on board the Tranquility, but he still doesn't know quite how to deal with them. He's always polite and friendly, yeah, but it's strange, being regarded as this foreign and unknown.

The turians have been on the Council for -- a very, very long time. Humans are the newcomers to the galaxy, back home.

He understands the laugh, the smile, everything -- it does surprise him a little, since the other's voice had sounded so serious and curt before this, but he supposes seeing alien life for the first time might do that to you. Garrus nods again, with as much of a friendly expression as a turian can manage. ]

I'm about as lost as you are, regarding the foreign spaceship, different universe, thing.

I'm a turian. As long as you aren't going to take me as a representative of my entire species or decide to declare war [ his tone implies that something of this sort did happen, back home ], it's nice to meet you.

[ video ] namuch, bromeslice. B)

[antifroze.livejournal.com]

[ It's a coping mechanism. Humans usually laugh when they don't know what to make of a situation, and he's not exempt from that—but now that the weird Garrus-shaped alien shocker has had its moment of glory, Mace's amusement begins to simmer down back to his usual emotive level of lineface.

He snorts at the war declaration comment. Yeah, America might, but he's not his country. ]

Likewise. I'm Mace. You said your name was... [ he squints, recalling the sounds. ] Vakarian?

[ video ] hope you don't mind the birdface /mandibles at

[scopedrop.livejournal.com]

[ How quickly Mace goes back to lineface actually kind of surprises him. Not the most emotive person in the world, are you.

And shhh, it was the turians that kind of attacked the humans without asking first. He's as much his species as Mace is America, though. He's a fucking terrible turian. ]

Garrus Vakarian. But Garrus, will do.

You said Earth had space agencies, where you come from?

[ video ] O LAWD NOT THE MANDIBehehehe funky

[antifroze.livejournal.com]

[ He's good at being angry? That counts, right?

... DAMMIT, turians, y u do. But hey, a non-violent turian is o-kay by him, not that he knows anything about your people or that he's keen to find out. ]

All right. Garrus. [ Life on Icarus had him calling people by last names first until requested otherwise. It's kind of a habit. ]

Yeah. NASA, CNSA, ESA, JAXA, more. Earth isn't exactly short on them.

About this Human Systems Alliance—you said that wasn't your government. What is?

[ video ] they're vibrating in a friendly and not at all ominous way

[scopedrop.livejournal.com]

[ SETI would have a field day with this guy.

LOOK THE HUMANS WERE POKING AROUND WHERE THEY WEREN'T WANTED AND IT WAS ILLEGAL they had their reasons okay. He pauses a moment to consider, because from what he understands of human government, human ideals and systems are different, from turians. ]

None of them ever made contact with alien life, I take it.

We -- It's different, from how humans work. At least, from what I know of the Alliance government. We have a Hierachy.

[ video ] o_o vibrandibles...

[antifroze.livejournal.com]

First Contact isn't exactly top of humanity's to-do list when I'm from.

[ He pauses, leaning back. It's been a while since he made conversation for conversation's sake. ]

So do we, but it's country-specific. Every government has its pecking order. What kind of Hierarchy are you talking? Religion-based? Command-based? What?

[ video ] they'rebeckoningyoucloser

[scopedrop.livejournal.com]

There are factions of humans that are less than enthusiastic about mankind's involvement with galactic civilization.

[ uhhh how does he explain ]

From what I understand the Alliance operates on a kind of a -- parliament. On Palaven we have ranks -- fifteen different ranks, twenty-seven different tiers, beginning from birth. You enter the second tier on enlisting with the military. [ Pause. Yeah, the turians like their military. ] Formal citizenship isn't granted until mandatory military service is completed. You're promoted through the ranks depending on your capabilities, and the highest ranked are the Primarchs, each of which are in charge of their own colonization cluster.

We don't have laws the same way humans do. [ THIS IS ALL SO STRANGE TO EXPLAIN. ] The turian mentality varies greatly from what I've seen of most humans, at least back where I came from.

[ video ] CANNOT... RESIST...

[antifroze.livejournal.com]

Huh. [ Yeah, non-human laws? He's getting that. Not like he expected alien culture to even come close to what he's used to as a human being, but honestly, from what he's seen some humans get up to... it's not that hard to imagine. Being from the military himself, he's got more of an in where understanding is concerned. ]

So your whole species is just one big army. Are there any civilians at all?

[ video ] man they just have 27 different ranks i have no idea where i thought of 15 from...

[scopedrop.livejournal.com]

[ AND THEN I FORGOT TO DELETE THE WRONG NUMBER no it's okay /handwaves quietly . . .

Garrus pauses, for a second, before shaking his head. ]

Military enlistment is necessary for citizenship, even if you choose to do something else on completing your service -- though most continue to serve in some capacity. The only civilian ranks we have are for children and for the those unable to enter training because of some kind of illness.

So in a sense, yes. Our military is kind of an "all hands" sort of thing.

[ video ] /HANDWAVES it's okay you should have seen my epic derpfail last night D8

[antifroze.livejournal.com]

I can see how some people would have a problem with that. [ Combat-oriented alien species and human beings in general meeting across a plain of high tension? YEP, sounds like a recipe for disaster. Moving on... ]

And you mentioned the Normandy—I'm assuming that's your ship.

[ video ] sob we all have our derp moments

[scopedrop.livejournal.com]

The Normandy SR-2. Has a -- complicated story behind it, but it was based off the SSV Normandy SR-1, and I served on board her as well.

She's a combination of turian and human engineering. One of the steps made towards bridging the tensions between our species, and proof of what we could do if we worked togther.

[ video ] w;A;w

[antifroze.livejournal.com]

[ What a touching story. And he actually almost wishes he could take a look at her, but they've got bigger space fish to fry. Like this fat tank they're on right now. ]

You have a speciality outside of being military?

[ video ] i see these two getting along pretty damn well

[scopedrop.livejournal.com]

[ Fat is an understatement. ]

I've had an extensive career, but I left the turian military early in favor of -- something of a police force. And then I left that, and the rest is a long story.

But I'm a tech specialist, in and outside of combat. Tinkering with engines and machinery, modifications, you name it. [ AND BECAUSE HE'S BEEN TALKING ABOUT HIMSELF AN AWFUL LOT; ] Yourself?

[ video ] yessss i kind of love this?

[antifroze.livejournal.com]

Engineer and trained astronaut. [ Former AF, but that's pretty much secondary to the space thing. But more common ground! All these people who know their shit, man. It's heartwarming. ]

[ video ] mace's first alien bro.

[scopedrop.livejournal.com]

You seem a bit military.

[ Turians know their military. And a little hopefully, since the Tranquility is apparently a human construct; ]

Anything about the ship seem familiar to you?

[ video ] sob BABY'S FIRST "FRIEND" good job mace well done

[antifroze.livejournal.com]

[ He nods. You're sharp. ] I've got background in the United States Air Force—the aerial warfare branch of the American uniformed services. Joined NASA after serving my term, went into space a couple years after that. Astronauts are usually military.

[ He'll keep the details of his mission under wraps until somebody pries. Doesn't seem like information that's important to anyone but his crew, even if Capa's been going and spreading it around anyway. :| ]

The technology... [ He rubs his head. Exhales. ] I'm looking at what I can, but it's not like anything I've seen before. Not even a little bit. Won't be hard to learn the ropes, especially with the ship's engineer around to point us in the right direction, but it would've been nice to start off with some kind of advantage.