ataraxion | 001. video; Public Service Announcement

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.

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[ Oh no you don't, Remus. He does not need a voice of reason right now. ]

What's there to regret, Lupin? He's made his views quite apparent.

The rest of the ship's opinion of you, for starters. I don't agree with him either, but threatening him is not going to help your reputation right now. Or do I have to remind you Alayne is still recovering?

[ Damn it. ]

I know she's recovering. [ He says after a while taking a breath to calm himself down for the sole purpose of speaking to him; Erik is still angry, he won't deny that, but for the sake of someone he trusts, Erik holds back just a slight bit. ]

But I have never once cared what others think of me. I'm not here to make friends, [ Nevermind the fact that he has. ] but to return home.

There's a difference between having friends and making enemies.

[He sighs.]

I'm not asking you to back down. Simply to watch what you say. Please, Magneto.

[ All things considered, he should. Remus is offering him sound advice and reckless as Erik can be from time to time, it's enough of an indication that maybe he needs to be aware; as imposing and aggressive as Erik is, he's not foolish enough to earn the wrath of everyone on board a ship of this magnitude. ]

And what if I only tell the truth?

In a calm tone of voice. Please. There's nothing wrong with being honest, or taking people to task, but to make yourself seem an enemy--

Remus, where I come from, I am the enemy.

[ There's a slight shake of his head at that; it's complicated to say the least. ]

It's no different now, unfortunately.

But you don't have to be! If these people can accept my lycanthropy, they most certainly can accept someone with an extraordinary talent like yours!

You heard Petrelli, do you really think men like him are accepting of our kind? At the end of the day, it still comes down to us versus them.

But surely we can reconcile the two. Opinions change, as do people.

Not where I'm from. [ There's the hint of sadness at that, because Erik really doesn't believe in what Remus said. ] The obsessive ones don't change anything.

But they aren't always in control. I know it seems hopeless, Erik, but believe me. Things change. I know they do.

Do they? Or is it just a momentary reprieve before they’re back against us?

A hundred years ago civil rights was unheard of.

[ That much gets Erik to shut up for the time being. He doesn't know how far they got, only that the riots had just begun. ]

But they haven't been successful yet.

They are in my time.

[Not a hundred percent the truth, but things are far better than they once were.]

A hundred years ago, magical children not born to magical families were shunned and condemned. Now they're welcomed with open arms. Things change, Erik.

001. video; Public Service Announcement

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