001. video; Public Service Announcement

[cargojet]

Guessing everyone's feeling a little closer to compos mentis now. Great, that's gonna make this a whole lot easier.

My name is Nathan Petrelli. I'm Senator for New York, elected representative of the people, and recently made Head of Homeland Security by the President himself. It's my job to do what's in the best interests of the people, and in this case I figure that's gonna be easier said than done.

I don't want any of you to worry. Once I get up to speed on the details of what's going on here, I intend to get to the bottom of how we got here, why we were brought here, and how to go about getting back. And I mean how and why, not the bullshit they've been feeding you about jumping and wormholes and the ship needing a crew. There's a malicious intent here I'm gonna address, and then I'm getting everyone back where we belong.

I realise we're not all Americans here, and maybe you think I have no jurisdiction, but I earned the right to intervene the moment I woke up with a tube shoved down my throat, just like everyone else. I want to speak to people who know the most about this place, or be directed toward them. Captain Kirk: you're on my list for starters, but I'd rather speak to the real Captain, rather than some washed up wannabe.

Oh, and before I wrap this up, there's one other thing. A few of you will have spoken to my brother, Peter; he got here during the 'jump' previous to this one, and as I understand it he's been pretty liberal with his imagination ever since. Some time ago my brother convinced himself that he could fly. He stood on top of a twelve story building one day, called me up and told me he was going to show me he could do it. He jumped, and he fell - fortunately only as far as the fire escape - and a couple days later woke up in the hospital with minor injuries. It wasn't long after my father's death, right in the middle of my run for Congress, and I guess he was desperate for attention.

What I'm trying to say is that he's had brushes with depression before - it runs in the family - and he's not exactly stable right now. All of this doesn't make it any easier. If everyone could please be delicate with him, take what he says with a grain of salt, and inform me if it sounds like he's planning to do something that might hurt himself or others. I appreciate it.

Comments

[statsraaden]

[Oh, dear, where to start. This young man is not the brightest light in the harbour. Cue Stats's Not Impressed face.]

Where I'm from, political leaders try to get a feel of a situation before starting their campaign, and they don't blabber about their relatives' psychiatric history to everyone either.

You might want to emulate them, young man.

[cargojet]

Do me a favor - you and everyone else - don't tell me how to do my job, and concentrate on doing whatever the hell you're good at. I'm a politician, and I'm forty, so don't condescend to me like I just got outta training pants.

You got me?

[statsraaden]

[Stats sighs and almost facepalms, but manages to restrain himself.]

If you're good at your job, I don't want to meet the bad ones. I've met enough of them.

Fine, I'll condescend to you about what I can do. See, at ninety-eight, I've had plenty of time to have a huge family. I have quite a lot of siblings, including a younger brother, two sons, nephews and nieces all over the place, a whole fleet of grandchildren, grandnephew and grandnieces, and so on. Not to mention the in-laws.

None of us would even think of blabbering about each other's medical histories to hundreds of strangers at a time even before meeting said strangers.

Oh, one more thing. A question. Are you running perchance for a right-wing party? Just curious.

ANONYMOUS TEXT

[consulting]

Moron.

text;

[cargojet]

At least I'm not a coward.

[ You people and your anonymous texting. ]

STILL ANON TO PISS HIM OFF | text

[consulting]

"Cowardice" > Egocentricity.
Do care to take some notes from the other megalomaniacs on this ship.
You could learn a thing or two.

audio;

[unruly]

I realize a lot of people come outta those grav couches real confused. So 'm gonna go ahead and give you the benefit of the doubt, 'cause otherwise? All I heard through that cute little network message of yours was: hey, I'm a massive douche.

[Ah, Nathan. You just insulted a bro and earned yourself a place on Dean's shitlist. Bravo.]

Let me give you a piece of advice. Free. No strings. This? This is just for you.

You got a nerve spoutin' crap like that and a lot of people around here ain't gonna tolerate your assumption that just 'cause you got elected back on Earth that you need to come in and try takin' over things you can't even begin to understand until you're a little less green around the edges. So instead of shootin' your mouth off about anyone already here? Take a look around. If you think that people haven't been workin' their asses off already tryin' to figure this out then you're more of a moron than I thought. And I gotta be honest... you're scorin' pretty high already, Mr. Politician.

Why don't you back off, take a second and remember that your status? Means nothin' here. You're just like the rest of us.

[Everything after that Dean's ignoring for now. He's got enough in the way of brother issues to last him a freaking lifetime.]

audio;

[cargojet]

I don't doubt people have been trying to figure things out. But you get tired, you get stuck, and there's nothing wrong with bringing new ideas to the table. And whether or not you believe my career has any kind of influence here let me ask you something? If Captain Kirk were Ensign Kirk, would you be letting him prat around pretending to know how a ship is run? No.

Now I'm a politician, and before that I was a lawyer, and before that I served in the military. I've got twenty plus years of dealing with the kind of things people sat at home watching the box wouldn't even have any idea how to handle. That's experience, not status. I'm not trying to pull rank, and I'm not trying to pretend I'm better than anyone else. What I do want? Is to get out of this tin box and go home.

audio;

[unruly]

Even if he was the damn Pope or the Queen of England I wouldn't be lettin' anybody do a goddamn thing unless they proved themselves first. He's done that. More than once.

[Dean here is part of the Security team on board the ship, so he knows his way around and knows who to keep an eye on. Nathan is triggering certain alarms that make Dean think he's a douche, but past that he's not worried the guy's about to try and spark the ship's second mutiny. Not yet, anyway.]

I don't give a rat's ass what your "real world" experience is. You want a shot at bein' taken seriously? Prove yourself. Just freakin' do it and stop talkin' about doin' it. Most people around here aren't dumb enough to fall for a politician's promises. And the people who are? Yeah. Good luck with 'em.

video;

[firstofficer]

[ the longest. assessing pause. in the world. ]

To declare yourself singularly responsible for returning all passengers to their native continuums while your person has similarly been abducted and lacks both experience and knowledge gained by individuals aboard the Tranquility several months your senior- you must perceive yourself as uncommonly capable.

video;

[cargojet]

[ I'm only sorry I don't have more icons, because there would be an icon spam I can't even tell you how long. ]

That's clever. The haircut, the eyebrows--who are you even trying to fool? I just spoke to you, Sylar, and to be quite honest I'm not in the mood to do it again.

video;

[firstofficer]

[ it isn't the first time he's heard himself called by an unfamiliar name. individuals with similar, if not identical attributes have long since been established as regularities. as have passengers existing from varying realities and fractions of space-time- a duplicity that has been accepted as a less frequent, but no less possible occurrence.

in the grand scheme of things, Spock has certainly had his share of brow raising experiences in his time aboard the Tranquility. comparatively, this is does little to unnerve him. ]

You, are mistaken.

I am Spock, First Officer to Captain Kirk of the Starship Enterprise, and at present, tactician of the Operations unit aboard the Tranquility.

Allow me to rephrase my initial observation- for what reason do you believe yourself single-handedly capable of returning these passengers- the majority of whom you have not yet met, to their native points of origin within the fabric of space-time?

AUDIO;

[widowing]

[ w o w. ]

You're quite the charmer, aren't you?

AUDIO;

[cargojet]

On my better days, actually, yes.

text; preemptively i apologize.

[starked]

The only thing I got out of this is "I have a very tiny dick and I feel the need to wave around so you can see it".

By the way, Homeland Security is actually bullshit. That's where you put people to make them happy because yay they're in the government. It's actually a very useless position in the grand scheme of things, because, you're not that good at doing your job.

Oh, and your bro made a much better impression. At least if he's depressed and all, which I doubt, because he hasn't tried to toss himself out of airlock. Tossing you out might happen though. I can feel it with how many AWESOME FRIENDS you've made.

text; no apologies necessary~

[cargojet]

Homeland Security may be a joke wherever the hell you come from, but I take the post seriously, and if I don't do my job right there's gonna be shapeshifters in the Oval Office and nuclear men camping out in sweet little places off the Costa Del Sol just one argument with a neighbour away from blowing the whole damn thing to smitherines.

You don't know anything about me, so don't tell me how I'm doing my job.

NOT HERE

[widowing]

[ but this is the one of those rare times that natasha approves of your shenanigans. ]

video;

[agtcarter]

You won't win much support with that attitude. [Peggy manages to quell her anger, keeping a cool tone.]

I've met Peter and he's perfectly all right to me. You're the one who we need to be wary about.

video;

[cargojet]

He's very good at putting that across, yes. Nice guy, seems socially adjusted, absolutely nothing wrong with him. Makes it difficult to believe, doesn't it? You know, I'm well past trying to convince anyone otherwise, cause I've gone over it enough times already. But if you really care about him? And I mean really care? Then try not to blind yourself to the truth outta some kind of kneejerk reaction that I'm the bad guy here. He's self-destructive, and one of these days he's gonna show it, so whether he lives or dies is gonna depend on us.

Think what you like about me for saying it, but I've only got his best interests at heart. He's my kid brother.

video;

[onsilksheets]

Look at you, all fired up and ready to go. [She's faintly amused, noticing the reactions to him.]

Getting everyone's attention.

video;

[cargojet]

Seems so, don't it?

Really shoulda found a glass of water or something before I started. [ He didn't expect this vehement a response, honestly, and his throat is like gravel by now. ]

Video;

[gofortheoptics]

[If her mask could betray amusement, it would. As it is, though, she just shakes her head and laughs.]

I do not think you should be making demands without knowing more about the situation.

Too rash, too risky.

[All talk and requests and no action.]

Video;

[cargojet]

Uh huh. It's real risky trying to get information outta people. Really gonna hurt 'em to speak up, isn't it?

Only ones they're hurting are themselves.

[megamind]

Exhibiting a take charge attitude all while currently calling what passes as the current authority 'wannabes', dirty family laundry, and a heaping dose of arrogance all in your first post.

You must be a villain. We should get along famously.

Tell me, Congress-- running as Republican? I mean, we know no matter what color you vote it's all 'lesser evil' but seriously, you've got 'vote red' written all over you with that 'ignore my attention seeking baby brother he's got mental illness issues' right there.

[cargojet]

Yeah, I'm Republican, and you know what? At least we don't sit on her hands and apologise for everything. You go liberal, you spread yourself too thin, start trying to appeal too hard to every conflicting thing your voters want out of you when you should be unifying the country and having the balls to get things done.

I'm damn proud of who I am, but being a politician and having issues with my kid brother doesn't make me a villain, no matter what you think.

[ And what is that goatie? Goaties are guaranteed to make you look evil. ]