[the face on the screen is.. mannish, as can adequately be said. dark hair, light brown eyes, black crew uniform. his skin is not so light to be sickly pale in contrast. some might say healthy and olive in colour.]

I have never much liked the stars. [congenial, and firm. he's sure of what he's saying, and he's sure he wishes to say. this is not someone struggling to find words to fill in the gaps. he speaks with a purpose, even if his tone is soft and pensieve, his gaze distant and nostalgic.] But I loved their maker, and I loved the darkness they dwelt in. It is a pity to no longer have them within sight.

[loved. past tense. once upon a time. it was all once upon a time. he fixes his gaze on the screen again, raises a bare hand and touches his forehead in a gesture of greeting.]

Mára yomentië, Tranquility. [spoken with the slightest trill and sharp t's. trrahn-quility.] Hail, and well-met. I am named Mairon, one of those who arrived this jump.

I would like to ask.. [shifting from mild courtesy to genuine curiosity.] In my world, we have Eru, our God, the Creator. There are those of my world who worship other, minor gods, and I have become curious to how it is in other worlds. If there are those who would speak of it, I would hear and speak of my own in turn.

[an unexpected pause here, but he continues on shortly, carefully.] I would ask also if there is a smithy of sorts aboard this vessel. I was a metalworker, for a time, and it would be good to pick up the trade again if such skill is needed here.

[he offers a flicker of a smile and dips his head in a gesture of farewell before reaching out to turn off the feed.]

[ close on stiles stilinski, wearing a party hat with the elastic under his chin and looking more keyed up and happy than he has in at least a month. ]

Check it out. For those of you who haven’t met him, I’m pleased to introduce my bestest of best bros... Scott McCall!

[ come on down! he turns the communicator around to film scott, who’s seated on the bed and reading (in theory). he’s got a matching party hat on, and he flashes a broad smile in greeting. ]

Go team Jacob.

[ which is as much of a hello as he’s giving, apparently, but it might clarify exactly what book he’s got. stiles is still doing voice-over: ]

He’s totally brand spanking new, fresh off the production line, so if you think you’ve met him before? Bzzt, nope, you’re wrong, keep it to yourself.

[ with shakycam to rival cloverfield, the camera swings back around to stiles, whose general hyperactivity slips, for a moment, into a no-i’m-serious-do-not-fuck-with-me face. judgmental eyebrows and everything. it’s intense. ]

It’s this whole alternate universe schtick. Crazy, huh? I know, way too sci-fi. We’re on a spaceship, deal with it. Uh, so...

[ he’s interrupted by scott jumping off the bed to hijack the communicator. once he’s got it, he holds it slightly too close to his face while declaring in a very solemn, very official (except for the part where he’s almost laughing) voice: ]

May the Force be wi—

[ stiles’ hand slaps abruptly over his mouth because that isn't a funny joke when there are actual jedi on board, scott, and the communicator, after a brief staticky scramble, goes dead. that’s all folks! ]

[Taylor is looking better than she has in a while, less agitated and more steady, but there's still a frown pinching her brow for the announcement she has to make.]

Genetics lab is to be considered hostile territory. The place is fucking infested with those rats and attempts to clear and secure the area aren't putting a dent in their population.

[And she wasn't wasting any more ammo on trying it.]

You really want to head down there, you let me and SEC know. Don't go alone or unarmed. You want to do a proper run and need a security detail with you, we can provide one. Otherwise stay the fuck away.

[ Wichita is not. a happy. camper. and it's very obvious by her tone, the fact that this is a voice transmission instead of a video and the fact that she hasn't left the bar since she got there earlier today.

in fact, a note to all you Space Babylon regulars, the doors to the bar have been locked ( by her ) and there's no music coming from inside it either. just normal, boring silence. on the transmission, you can probably hear the slosh of booze inside of a near empty bottle ( it was nearly empty when she got here, mind. some of the bottles stopped refilling themselves each jump. isn't that great? ) and the smack of her lips once she finishes her sip before she starts talking ]

To everyone that was fr- that knew Brian Kinney, crew member 006 » 033, I've got some bad news. Or good news, if you're an optimist, which I'm not. He went home last jump. Went to sleep here, woke up not-here.

Which I guess puts me in charge of the bar.

[ hence the doors being locked and the general 'fuck off' vibe of the place ]

Are there any bartenders on board that wouldn't mind working for free? 'Work' is a loose term, I mostly just sit around drinking with people whenever I'm here. Or if anybody wants to.. be here regularly and help make sure it doesn't turn into a crapfest, let me know. Assholes need not apply. [ because nobody will ever be a better asshole than Brian. ..wait, ew. she takes another sip, and only cuts herself off when she hears the tell-tale 'whoa whoa whoa!' of her mini Wall-E bumping into something in the near-dark. ]

Did your light go out again, bud? [ the one she fashioned onto his front in case the power went ut again. or, in the case, when Wichita decides she can't deal with colored strobe lights guiding the little cleaning bot's path ] Here, c'mere- [ aaaand the feed cuts ]

[ And on the end of this feed: Moran in all his muttonchopped glory, looking exceptionally grumpy. That is, grumpier than he normally looks. ]

My name is Sebastian Moran, number 008-155.

[ For the first time, he doesn't introduce himself as Colonel. As a matter of fact, almost none of what follows sounds like your typical Moran. It's terribly obvious that he's being puppetted through this, and if his Christopher Walken-esque performance prompts anything, there may, in fact, even be cue cards helping him along. ]

Prior to this jump, I made the absolutely idiotic mistake of firing a shot at one of them bleeding cleaning dev-- [ He shoots a doubtful look just off camera. ] A Roomba. I made the absolutely idiotic mistake of firing a shoot at a Roomba.

I've been punished for this with time in the brig, of course, but this is me issuing a much-needed public apology. I apologize for this violent act, and I apologize for being a moron in general. Moron is, after all, nearly my name. Chums.

[ Just before the feed flickers to black, there's a brief shot of him essentially facepalming. What is his poor life? ]

Back home, I told someone that we're all going to Hell and that we might as well enjoy the ride. It made me think about a few things.

[There's the sound of a drink being poured. God only knew how many she had already but her words are a little slurred.]

Anyone who thinks that being here will end up with anything good in the end is deluded. People have died, others gone missing in the depths of this hellhole and came out a few pennies short of a pound afterwards.

[A pause follows while she sips from her glass.]

You'll either die on board or go crazy. There's nothing in-between.

Make the most of the time you have here. Get pissed, have sex, get high if you're into that sort of thing. Gorge yourself stupid. Whatever gets your rocks off.

More importantly? Enjoy it.

[The feed ends there.]

[The feed clicks on to show Miles Edgeworth, James Kirk and Tyke gathered around the head of the table in the Security office. Kirk is standing between the two, Tyke leaning far back in her seat, while the rigidity of Edgeworth’s posture seems to be trying to make up enough formality for all of them.]

Good day. This is Miles Edgeworth of the Security Department, speaking to you alongside Tyke, the head of Security, and James Kirk of the Gunnery crew. What we bring before you today is the new formation of the Exploratory Team.

[Tyke cuts in, there, expression tense and harshly annoyed.]

Before any of you start getting excited over that name, we’re doing this for those of you who think two deaths and one maiming still makes the dark parts of the ship look like a fun fucking time. You might wanna ignore common sense and us, but our job is to keep you safe, which means we can’t ignore you.

[Edgeworth glances over slightly at the profanity, but doesn’t react any more than that.] There may be some among you who will want to turn off this broadcast right now; you may think that you’re already qualified to simply go out there by yourselves. However, there are a few very good reasons why you’d not wish to do that.

First: the entire purpose of this initiative is indeed to keep you alive. “Highly qualified people” have already gone out there, and they have perished, as shall you if you decide that you, a highly qualified person, can act alone. Second, going through the teams means that you’ll not only have other trained people to watch your back, but you’ll also have access to critical supplies. Food, for instance. And weaponry, from the Gunnery crew.

[Kirk bumps in here, both palms flat on the table, and when he leans toward the camera the light catches in the silver at his temple.]

We know we can’t stop any of you going out there, and we aren’t going to try. We’re offering you the option of going out in teams to let us know when and where you’re going. This is both so we can keep track of everyone and so we know the general direction to head in if you get in trouble. That, and there’s a safety in numbers. Those things hunt in packs and they’re smart. If you get ambushed, you may come out less than fortunate.

[see, Erik Lensherr]

Anyone going out should first check into Security with your group. You’ll be required to have at least one person that knows first aid and to have a weapon. As Edgeworth said, if you’re unarmed and you’re going into the ship, contact the Gunnery and we can discuss letting you borrow a firearm. If you don’t have a group, talk to us and we can form one for you.

[Tyke leans in from her seat, finally. And it’s probably a deliberate choice that she’s only wearing a tank top rather than a hoodie or her jump suit, her own encounter with the manticores clearly evident in the large bite scarred around her right shoulder.]

Gonna say again, this isn’t for everyone to get to head out there. This is us making it so anyone who is really gonna insist on it does it as safe as we can manage. You don’t have the people, we’ll get you in with some. You don’t have the skills, we’ll get you training. We don’t need more people dying if there’s shit we can be doing to prevent it.

[Edgeworth nods once.]

I’ll be handling the administrative side of this. Contact me if you want to register for being formed into a group, or if you have a pre-formed group but wish training or supplies. The smartest thing you can do, if you’re considering heading out there, is sitting down and considering whether your life truly is worth so little on-board this ship. The smartest thing you can do is consider: will people truly miss me so little that I can throw away my life by going out there?

The second-smartest thing you can do is at least go out there prepared. And that’s what we’re ensuring.

[Kirk glances to Edgeworth with that little bit of advice, but doesn’t let the curious frown come through in his expression. he looks back to the camera.]

We’ll be here to answer any questions you have.

[and he reaches forward to end the transmission]


[ooc: And thank you for your collective attention, Tranquility! Use this post to ask questions and to form groups if you’d like. Jump each other! Go wild! Meanwhile, if you’d like to have your characters sign up to join groups, hit up this ooc post here.
LOVELY MAGENTA is for Edgeworth, blue is for Tyke, gold is for Kirk.]

[ hello, tranquility. you remember dean, right? yes? no? either way, today finds him planning something stupid. at least act surprised. ]

I don't know about the rest of you guys, but I'm not looking forward to climbing back into that pod-thing for another jump. [ nope, not one bit. not if it means there's a chance he won't wake up for another month again. ]

Does anyone know what would happen if I skipped out on that? I mean, I guess turnin' into space dust's worse than pullin' another act of Sleeping Beauty, but if there's any way 'round that… Or if you have some gruesome tale 'bout how your buddy Joe tried it and got eaten by a space dinosaur, let's hear 'bout it.

[ let him know. or something.

a beat later, and on an entirely different subject; ] Also. Who the hell does a guy have to get cozy with 'round here to get somethin' more... fun in his locker? [ do yourself a solid and don't ask what's fun is. the smirk on his face should speak for him. it's gone with the next bit though; ] ...'cause not for nothing, but aside from people dyin' and monsters lurking in the dark, not a lot seems to happen 'round here. Almost like home, y'know, except for this bein' some sci-fi nerd's wet dream.

[ okay, maybe that's a little unfair considering he has to physically stop himself from losing his shit every time some iconic pop culture character decides to show up. ]

( ( PRIVATE TO SAM WINCHESTER ; ENCRYPTION 50% ) )

Just in case anyone was wondering, I didn't grow a beard and I didn't acquire an alarming amount of sass.

[ That's a good way to start, Ned. ]

Face-alikes are as common as common can get around here, but I'm not one for big jokes. If the beard isn't a reliable tell, let it be his jokes. Here's a joke: Why did the chicken cross the road? [ Wait for it, wait for itttt... ] Not sure, I don't eat chicken.

PSA done, Pie Maker out.

[Hey guys, Paceface here to chat! How's the weather aboard? Bloody and depressing? Right... sounds on par.]

I've only been here for a little over a month, and things have progressed this much? 

[He won't say 'finally, about time', because that's just rude as hell. People are dead, and he's not so heartless to ignore that.]

Once a creature is killed, don't assume others won't take its place; monsters like them? They're greedy and stubborn. And they're like rats. How long have they been grouping in those halls after you'd cleared out that single department? How long have they known about that incident? If they're capable of reproducing, we're in even more trouble. There could be a ring of them around us and we'd never even know it, possibly just waiting for our pods to malfunction again... or for our doors and lights to stop working.

[Scaring people? Yes, I like to scare people. But it's for good intentions, at least. He'd like to at least put those thoughts out there.]

I think it'd be in everyone's best interests to not wander into the dark abyss of hallways alone from this point. [don't listen to him, he's a hypocrite] Though... if anyone's planning to regroup and send out a hunting team, I would be more than happy to join one. I've nothing to lose, and death doesn't particularly scare me like it used to. I don't think I'm the only one out there that would agree to that, especially with the things so many have seen and suffered through.

... Death just isn't as scary as it used to be.

[... Speaking of 'death'. He pauses, thoughtful.]

I hope the kid finds peace in hers. She was a brave girl... and considering what I've seen of her on the network, I imagine she's no ordinary child; does anyone see anything familiar about the map she'd drawn on the walls? Her own little mural, so to speak. What did she see in that little head of hers that prompted an art session? Where does this floor plan lead? If it's truly one at all.

... Let us know on the network if anyone finds out more.

[ Yes that's Nickelback don't judge me.

Up in the Oxygen Garden once again, Jaye's leaning on a tree near the pen for the larger animals. They're just out of sight, but the sound of the cow chewing cud can be heard if you really listen. ]

Well now that this piece of crap is back up [ she gives the comm a shake, making the image go blurry for a moment until she stops ] it's time for me to share what Mordecai, Lilith, and I found last month. [ Pause. ] We went wandering around the ship.

There are a bunch of super deep holes and a creepy painting with hands that follows you around. We took pictures, if you all want to go nuts.

And I guess this is the part where you can yell at me for going looking, too, but all of you people who were comatose -- if you don't remember the network being down and aren't new you were in a coma, by the way, or maybe just really stupid -- should know that I was trying to help you all. And I didn't go alone, like some people.

Anyway, pictures.

[ And now linked are several pictures of this and this. Enjoy! ]