[so guess which department is still notoriously and relentlessly the most understaffed of all of them? that's right, it's physical sciences. and it's time for another probably not all that successful recruiting campaign featuring everyone's not so favorite demolitionist, jasper.]

It's been awhile since I did one of these, and we just got a new batch of people in about a week ago so I thought I'd introduce myself again. My name is Jasper and I run the Physical Sciences department and we're always looking for new recruits.

Physical sciences covers, well, just about anything you can think of that isn't biological or genetic [what's up xenogen] but personally my expertise tends to run more along the lines of chemistry. And then there's Lydia of course who's expertise is, uh. Basically everything.

What that means for you guys though, is that I'm currently offering to teach any new recruits to physical sciences how to make their own fireworks-- and don't worry guys they're small ones and completely safe. [heading that conversation off at the pass right now.]

Let me know if you're interested in signing up. Or if you just want to talk combustion, I'm honestly not that picky. You don't have to be experienced, you just have to be interested!

Hello, fellow residents on the Tranquility. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Leia Organa.

[She's not even bothering to waste any time here.]

I don't have anything majorly important to say, but if anyone here knew Han Solo before he left or is inclined towards engineering projects, I have a lot of his abandoned and half-finished projects in my room. I will be putting them into boxes and leaving them in Media Room on the first floor of the residences. If you're interested in them, they are free to take.

I'm not sure what half of the things are, but I'm more than happy to give them to someone who can actually use them.

[And so they aren't taking up valuable space in her room for...anything else.]

Also, Lúthien, if you want to start those lessons we discussed a few months ago, I'm ready to do so.

[ Guess who doesn't have time for a friendly-faced update on the ship's status: engineering. The following message shows up on the network without any preamble, and probably at an odd hour. They've kind of lost track. ]

PSA FROM ENGINEERING:

Several weeks ago, the ship's engines powered down. Flight crew has confirmed that we're currently parked in an interstellar cloud.

The cloud's atmosphere has caused minor damage to the hull and several non-essential systems. Repairs are ongoing, but the ship's primary systems are running without issue, and passengers are not in immediate danger.

Although the ship is at a standstill, it should be assumed that the jump will proceed as normal. Please be prepared to follow routine jump procedure.

Anyone with mechanical or tech experience, we'd appreciate extra hands on repairs. Volunteers, please apply here.

( OOC: Replies will come from Fitz, Raven, and anyone else with the Engineering department who'd like to hop in. Other departments are welcome to threadjack questions/convos in order to further spread the info provided in this post! )

[Dean's been around a while now, long enough to get settled in and learn how to work the stove, so he figures it's about the right time to give the Tranquility a formal greeting. Video feed opens up to Dean clearly trying to keep himself in frame, chin ducking once he's sure everything's set up and running.]

For anyone I haven't met yet, which... I'm sure is probably most of you, my name's Dean Winchester.

[It sounds a little rehearsed. He's run it through his head a few times, and it drags on a little as the words spill out.]

I'm, uh... well, apparently I'm not exactly new here, but for all intents and purposes, let's just go with that. If I knew you any more than, say, a month ago, I hate to break it to you, but all that's pretty much gone now. Blank slate. Sorry.

[He doesn't seem all that perturbed by it, but he's been through it too often to really put a lot of heart in the sentiment. He does offer up a tight sort of grimace in apology, but a second later he plows on. His eyes duck down for a second, and then they're back on the camera.]

I've got a couple of questions for anyone who thinks they can answer them. First of all- has anyone ever been anywhere before this? I'm not talking about back home on Earth, or... wherever it is you're from originally. I mean, has anyone ever been bounced to another dimension, or universe, or... something like this ship, but different? Possibly 80% less Star Trek?

[There's a sort of awkward pause there, and it looks like he wants to extrapolate on that. His lips twitch, and then he shakes his head, evidently changing his mind.]

Second off, does anyone know anything about tech crap? See, I got this...

[The camera jiggles a little as his head ducks, he searches through his pockets to find another phone. It isn't a ship-designated communicator, but it looks similar. He holds it up irreverently, flipping it back and forth to display it.]

This other thing, but it's... [He gives it a floppy shake] dead as a doornail, and I can't exactly pick up a charger from the nearest Apple store, so. If anyone has any ideas on how to give it some juice, I'd appreciate it. I'd like to get some crap off of it.

[It's shoved absently back into his jacket pocket.]

Oh, and uh- one last thing. Any word on why some people aren't popping out of the space womb tube things? Is there an ETA on that, or is it step one to getting shipped back home? What's the deal with that?

[It's asked with a sort of consternated, displeased expression. Obviously his phone isn't going to answer him, so after a weird second, he shrugs it off. Scratches awkwardly at his cheek.]

That's pretty much it. Anything you got for me would just be... awesome. Over and out.

[The camera gets a lovely second of vertigo wherein he shifts the view from his face to his boots before he can finally cut the feed.]

Raven Reyes here.

To the departments (any) - What's protocol when your boss goes MIA? MIA as in disappeared at jump. As far as I know, she never did name a second.

To Flight & Comms - How's our chain of command looking? Still got Wash and Ryuuzaki? Did we lose anyone else?

To Engineering - What now? I'm doing everything I can but we can only go like this for so long.

To anyone who can tell me what the hell this thing is - [ she's attaching a picture of what looks like a rubik's-cube-sized square of skin and flesh?? it's sitting alone on a table. ] I'm all ears.

To anyone I've ever talked to - Be nice to know if you're still around.

I can't say I know very much about space, or how this spaceship works, but I have a few questions.

What does it run on, and who's piloting?

And is there a reason that we can stop by at the nearest planet and get off this thing? Anything has to be better than this, right?

[There's a pause.]

If these are stupid questions, I'd rather you just explain why, and spare me the sarcasm.

[ For all that Emma tries not to brood, she missed space Christmas and news of Pan's curse has her feeling particularly sentimental. Reflective, even. And the prospect of losing her memories, losing her loved ones, only serves to remind her that sooner or later, they're all trying, in some capacity, to lose the people they've grown to care about aboard the Tranquility. ]

A friend of mine pointed out a while back that not everyone has a home to go back to at this point. Or one worse than what's here, whether that means they're dead or just some other kind of screwed.

[ Strangely, with Dean back now, she has to wonder if he'd say the same again. That staying on the ship, even as it is now, is better than the alternative for some. Getting a read on him is tougher now. It feels like she's missing pieces. ]

What about you? What's your best case scenario for whenever we figure out what the hell's going on here? Do you go home, forget all about it? Backtrack to Arima and set up shop?

[Elsa is in her cabin, and she looks different than she has on the network in the past. Her hair is still in a braid over her shoulder, but her dress is high-necked and mostly black, and it makes her face look very pale, even in comparison to her everyday appearance. The fact that her eyes are noticeably red-rimmed and puffy doesn't help. Her demeanor is circumspect now, but it's obvious that she's been crying.

She also wears a pair of fine teal leather gloves.]

Hello, everyone. I -- I have two things to say.

[She pulls a plant into the picture. It has pretty yellow blossoms, but it's beginning to droop: maybe her cabin isn't the right environment for it. It's in a glass jar of water for the time being.]

The first is... this plant was in my locker after the most recent jump. I don't know what it is, or how to care for it. I'd be grateful for anything you can tell me.

[She doesn't promise a reward, because what does she have to give?]

The other thing is...

[She hesitates, then swallows, pressing her lips together, visibly determined to soldier on regardless of how subdued and defeated she feels. She should probably apologize for what she did to the eighth floor, but that would mean publicly admitting to the exact nature of her powers, so for now, she decides to stick to the plan she's already made.]

Does anyone have any gloves that they're not using? I only have this one pair, so I'd like to borrow some for a while, if that would be all right.

[ Skye's mostly watched the network, sending a few texts, but otherwise avoided people in any form since she woke up here. She's getting a little tired of ducking behind doors, though. It's like being back in her van and after being on the bus for so long, she's actually feeling lonely and claustrophobic at the idea. There has to be someone here with useful answers. ]

So is everyone here from Earth or what?

Anyone heard of SHIELD? Or HYDRA? I know someone who's really into Captain America. Is that a thing here? Is it too much of a leap to assume that you've heard of America at all?

[rikku is lying in her bunk, the comm propped up on some scrap of metal beside her because she's too busy playing with her garment grid to hold it herself. she looks thoughtful, and gently runs the pads of her fingers over the spheres locked into the grid. the five of them, each a different color (lighter shades of red, blue, yellow, etc.), seem to glow with some sort of inner light. it's a very, very faint glow, but it's still there.]

How many of y'all have magic in your worlds? Like, not that hocus pocus "pick a card, let me saw you in half, i've got a dove up my butt" sort of magic. I'm pretty sure almost everywhere has that kind of magic. But I mean real, true magic.

[a beat]

Well I guess "real" is kinda relative, considering how many different kinds of magic there could be, but I think you get the gist. And if you've got magic--is it something everyone can do? Or do they need training or some kinda help to use it?

[Simon had been pondering addressing the network for a few days. He had no reason to distrust Wash's statement that he, Simon, had been here before, and if this was an Alliance trick... well, it was a very elaborate, very real-seeming one.

He didn't want to give them that much credit.

And so, he finally called up a video feed, clearing his throat.]

Hello to everyone on the Tranquility. I suppose I should be blunt right off the bat- I am aware that I have apparently been here before, but I wanted to spare everyone who knew me back then and mention that I do not remember anything of this place. ... I feel as though I should apologize for that fact, but truthfully, I am still having trouble wrapping my head around that idea.

So... if you would like to introduce yourselves again... or get to know me for the first time... I would not mind that.

For those who do not know me, I am Simon Tam. I was a trauma surgeon where I came from, and I intend on joining the medical department here and offering my services.

[And with that, he awaits replies.]

I'm missing a Dwarf. [ The introduction's abrupt and distracted. It's also noticeably Scottish, and there's the sound of a locker banging shut before he continues. ] Not a dwarf-dwarf, it's a— it's a drone, and it's a very, very delicate piece of technology.

He's not responding to remote commands, so either he's been damaged or someone's— [ Someone's disabled it or shut it away somehow, which isn't a very charitable accusation. Fitz corrects himself for the sake of diplomacy. ] He's gotten himself stuck somewhere. About the size of a golf ball, black, blue lights. I've attached a picture. If you've seen it, please give me a call.

[ Losing important robots, great start. The feed ends as abruptly as it started, but Fitz picks it up again about half a second later to add a quick: ]

And if you've stolen one of the roombas, I'll be needing them as well.

[ Diplomacy!! As for the promised picture, he completely forgets it until a few minutes later. So, somewhat belatedly: grumpy.jpg. ]