[ Charles is all dressed up, for all that a three-piece suit sans tie is standard wardrobe -- nevertheless, he's visibly put together, with a kind of contained, low-key excitement that puts a hint of energy in delivery.

The backdrop is hard to make out. Vaguely shadowed. Industrial lines. A light source of an indefinite nature. ]

Hello, Tranquility. I wanted to draw your attention to a project currently in the making. Some of you may know that we once had a genetics and xenobiology department. While this has since closed its final chapter, it's now begun anew.

I'm looking for individuals with experience in both practical science as well as, or alternatively, study classed in the realms of magic. Our aim is to create a research division that focuses on the exploration of the physical and metaphysical environment within this new realm, and our place in it. We've all been thrown together in a space we don't understand, affected by it uniquely, with no record or formalised effort made into understanding the interactions of so many disparate worlds and rules, and the laws of nature that now govern us all.

To talk very briefly about myself -- if you don't already know, my name is Professor Charles Xavier. In my home world, I studied genetics, and the development of extraordinary talents gifted to a new minority. Where I left off and came here, I was in the process of forming an institution that would allow fellow mutants to explore their powers with an aim to provide an educated perspective, both on the mechanics of their unique talent as well as the scientific commonalities between themselves and those like them. I come, now, bearing these experiences, but I know that it isn't enough.

None of us, on our own, are enough -- no matter how educated or informed we may be.

However, I think I can provide a useful perspective, with the help of other useful perspectives. It's my belief that aside from the original crew [ and the corner of his mouth ticks up ] we're all eligible for being classed under xenobiology. I will see to it that this division will, eventually, offer physical or psychic therapy to anyone who may require it, be they witch, mutant, or something else. Additionally, there are several of us who find our natures have changed since arriving on the Tranquility, and if you would like to know why, perhaps we can discover that answer together.

Joining me is Professor Severus Snape, who I'll defer to in all matters of an explicitly magical nature. If you'd like to be a part of this division, then please reply with what you would like to contribute, as well as what you'd like to get out of it yourself. Or any questions you might have, of course, if you're not sure of either. We will also need a filing clerk, eventually, and anyone with a good grasp on hardware, you know, those things I'm at a personal deficit with.

We're also the only division that doesn't currently provide critical functionality to the ship, so you can count on casual Fridays and drinks after five.

[ His hands tap flat against the edge of the desk, pushing himself away from it slightly. Pleased with himself. That was some xavier.txt teal deer. I apologise. ]

But no, thank you for listening, I'll stop rambling on now.

[ when the feed opens, it's on a desk with a media pad sitting a bit askew on it. there's a bit of shuffling heard in the background and what looks like a male torso in just a t-shirt passes over through the recording before finally the person who is attached to that torso sits down in a chair and manages to make it so that his face is seen. he looks tired and before he speaks, he yawns. ]

Sorry about that, didn't mean to greet all of you with a yawn. Anyway, for those of you who haven't met me— which might be a fair amount, the name's Peter Burke. [ he pauses. ] I know a number of us or at least those of us who were asleep had to deal with— something not too unlike that memory sharing we all dealt with two jumps back or three depending on how you're counting. And looking back on what I missed when I was stuck in my pod dreaming about the past here I can see the shadows were here last jump too and the heat which would be the same, but you'd be surprised how the temperature shifts when you're on patrol in some areas.

In any case, I know some of us aren't fans of thinking about the whys of this ship and we prefer to write it off as just the ship being the ship and some of us get a little overzealous when it comes to theorizing. [ topher. ] But if there's one thing I've learned in my time at the FBI, it's that sometimes working together to think things through can provide answers that might get lost in the shuffle of your mind. And I just like it myself because I love a good sounding board when I'm reading a mystery. [ solving a case, same difference. ] I'm not asking any of you to do something you don't want to, since I know some of us would rather keep our focus on the day to day. But, for those of you who've thought about it— anything you wouldn't mind sharing?

[Marty is intensely reading up as fast as he can on everything going on, because it looks like the whole ship is buzzing with bits and pieces of broken-up intel. Making it all fit is kind of tough, though. Carolyn gave a chunk, then Edgeworth — Marty's got his coma thing, and then there was this ship-wide snapshot with Matine and Schue... Weird shit, man. Just weird.] 

Sooo... Uh.

Like. This VIP chick. Okay, back up, Marty: I had a dream while I was passed out — coma'd out. There was this chick named Malone, and she was talking to this other guy about guarding some prisoner they called a VIP; Very Important Prisoner, you know? Legit what they said, so don't laugh at me on that one. The Malone lady, she was talking about how creepy this VIP was and how she was like talkin' to a wall.

And then they said that she was married to someone. Someone big. Think they said it was a captain; you think maybe the captain? Because that's what they made it sound like to me. Apparently this VIP killed someone super nasty and brutal, too. Manslaughter case.

[He breathes out, but is surprisingly missing a joint this time around. Shocking, I know.]

I wonder where all this crap falls in line. Everyone's talking around here now. We've got this Matine and Schue duo and they're talking about this VIP and how Ward's chillin' on guard patrol, but then they talk about how the captain's all nice with her, no handcuffs on her or anything... sounds like they kinda planned on not letting Manslaughter Lady go to trial. Or whatever. 

And then shit goes wild and Matine — what? Flips her lid and shoots a guy 'cus she's hallucinating or something? Am I hearing this all right?

God, I hate this ship sometimes. If you're gonna go sci-fi horror movie on me, at least make it straight-forward.

... Especially if I'm in it.

[please don't kill me first i'm too charming to get shot in the face by pretty women]


((OOC: Marty's actually got a little piece of his intel from a coma dream he had, in case you're wondering what the hell he's blabbing about))

[Q looks completely wrecked. The lack of sleep that the Tranquility has so kindly blessed him with has left him looking almost on death's door, bags under his eyes and his clothes and hair dishevelled. Apparently, however, insomnia prompts either genius or madness and around him are a plethora of papers and diagrams, repeatedly scribbled out and redrawn with blue and red pen. Q rubs his bloodshot eyes and smiles slightly up at his audience.]

Hello, there. So these past few months have been rather hectic and it got me thinking. [That and more cups of tea than he would care to count.]

So the universe is endless, yes? A giant mass of endless stars. As our telescopes get stronger and stronger and we look out into the void of space, we keep finding more to look at. We cannot find its horizon.

[He rocks on the balls of his feet and begins to rifle through his papers.]

Yet a recent theory suggested that while it's endless, it isn't some vast, infinite mass. Instead, it loops back on itself. Time and space is...a doughnut.

[He holds up a complex diagram filled with numbers and various intersecting circles up to the camera.]

If we look far enough into the distance, we can see ourselves and it is my belief that the people, the things which we are witnessing on The Tranquility are either ourselves or the ship's past or future catching up on us. The jumps, in my opinion, are literal, as we dot from place to place, picking up fragments of time.

[He lets out a sigh and scratches his head.]

Fuck me if I know who Smiley is though.

[Video is new for her. She prefers to opt for audio, but there's a book she needs to show you, Tranquility. A very important book. She's holding a hefty book with the title Bunkers and Badasses embossed on the front and she flips through some of the pages while she talks to show off what's inside. Some contain stats for monsters and classes and other such rules and figures you need to hold a fine roleplaying game.]

So, I got this book the last jump. It's a game I used to play a lot when I was younger. You make a character and play them out in a story that the Bunker Master leads you and other players through. So, you're given a setting and quest and get to decide what you want to do with it.

[Yeah, she knows how nerdy this sounds, but dammit, she wants to play. She sets the book down, so her face isn't obstructed by it anymore as she makes her request.]

I'm working on a campaign for it, but I need players, dice, and paper to make this work. Who's in or willing to share?

[ The video clicks on to show Carolyn in the shuttle bay (of course), standing in front of one of the windows showing the vast expanse of space. After letting the camera roll for a moment so that you, dear viewer, can come to terms with what you're looking at, she focuses it on her face and starts to speak. ]

This is overdue, but we're going to be having another information session on space, space travel, and the features we're aware of on board the Tranquility in a few hours. Make the time to attend. For those of you who want to get caught up on the previous lessons, I'll include a link to the recordings.

We're going to be going over everything, including evacuation protocols, but I'm going to be paying special attention to what I know about stasis. [ Which admittedly isn't much, as they use cryosleep, but it's more than most of the ship. ] It's been a popular topic lately, after all.

[ There's some fiddling with the buttons and after a pause, viewers will have a link to a sub-network with the videos embedded. ]

If any of you newcomers are interested in joining the flight crew, whether you have experience or not, we'd be glad to have you. Come on down and talk to myself, Hikaru Sulu, or John Casey.

[ Carolyn pauses, shifting a little uncomfortably. ]

For those of you that knew her, Kara Thrace has gone home.

[ Aaand: ]

The kittens are ready, if those who talked to me are still interested.

[The broadcast begins mid-sentence, the video at a funny angle, as though the comm device has been physically tossed aside. Please ignore the dusting of something over the image. There's a slightly scruffy blonde man standing there, near a bowl, and his head is bent over something...]

--got a damn eggshell in there, hold on.

[Beside him is a brunette with slight bed-hair and pursed lips.]

Don't take it out with your fingers. Use a spoon.

You're acting like I was going to use my hand. So now I am.

[He slowly starts to put his hand in the bowl...]

I don't know where those fingers have been. [Except she has. And she's keeping it to herself.]

You do it, then.

[It's about that time that he knocks into the device again. Hawkward.]

Did you turn the thing on?

[A look of confusion crosses her face before she realises what he meant.]

No, I didn't. At least I don't think I did. [A pause.]

...

[He picks it up and looks directly into the device's camera.]

She can't cook.

You'll pay for this later, Barton.

[With an indignant huff, she cuts the feed.]


[ooc; Clint is red, Bela is green. Feel free to see them in the galley-type-area or give them a little hell.]

[It's taken a few months but Q has finally run out of things to toy and tinker with. He's attempted to hack his communicator to no end, he's wiped his laptop twice already and tetris can only keep him occupied for so long. As such, he needs some more hardware, particularly if he wants to make any discoveries about the ship, and he's forced to make a public post to ask for it. Armed with social shyness under the pretence of security, he's decided to write a text post. At least that way he has enough time to carefully consider what he says before he submits it to the world.

Hello everyone. My name's Charlie and I work in communications. I'm a bit of a hobbyist in regards to technology, though on the Tranquility I'm a little short on supplies. I feel a tad uncomfortable attempting to pull the ship apart. [That and he's already tried.] So I was wondering if anyone had any spare communicators or technology from back home which they don't need which they might be able to lend me. I don't mind if it's broken or functioning incorrectly. If it had a battery or wires in it at some point, I probably want it.

Although it's not much, in return I can offer one of these which I have made:

[He inserts a clip of a handmade version of a piggy cook, though it's definitely more of a robot than a pig. It's crafted out of odd bits of metal and cutlery, with a shirt made out of a bedsheet. Presentation has never quite been Q's forte.]

They aren't particularly beautiful, though the mechanics are good and I thought they might provide some form of novelty.

-- Hi. [ she's still so not used to using this thing.. ] So I have noticed there are a fair amount of passengers offering different services for trade as of late, and seeing as I've been really meaning to offer for some time now- [ especially after they were boarded by pirates, but she doesn't want to mention it since it's obviously a sensitive subject. ]

First thing, in the simplest terms, I'm a witch. In my world, magic is very real, and while only a small number of the world's population has magic in their blood, it's very powerful, and rather useful. I'm still only a student of magic, but there are certain spells I can cast that I feel could be used here for any number of things, so.. right now, I would like to offer my assistance with protection spells. They're used to guard things as small as a deck of cards, to a whole room, if you'd like. They're non-lethal, more like a barrier than anything else, but strong against most disruptions, and they can be layered with different types of wards. I'm not limited to protection spells, but considering recent events.. I thought some of you might like the comfort of knowing your things are a little better guarded. I can't promise they'll work long-term, because magic is a little different here than it is at home, but I'd be willing to refresh the charms as needed.

As I said, there are actually spells for a wide range of normal, everyday needs, so the trade is up for negotiation. Which sounds so formal, Godric. [ her nose scrunches up a little bit, but then she waves it off ] I just mean I'm willing to use different spells to help you with whatever you need.

If you have any interest in that sort of thing, I was actually hoping to trade it for a few lessons in how to better use these communicators, and some of the other technology found around the ship. I can't use magic to protect the conversations on here, for instance, and I'd like to learn how to do that. The wizarding world is very, very far behind on technological advances in the world- [ plus she's from the 1970s... ] -so I would be extremely grateful to anyone that would be willing to help me fill in the gaps there, so to speak. Thank you!

-- Oh, and just- a small note. If anyone catches sight of James Potter, Sirius Black, or Remus Lupin, tell them to send a text my way, please.

[She sounds like every word is said with thought, intentionally, carefully. She still isn't sure everyone can hear her, that's all.]

Hello. My name is Annie, and I'm new onboard from the last Jump and I'd like to-

[Okay now she feels self-conscious]

Tea! I have tea! If anyone would like a cuppa, I have an extra mug as well, if you'd like to meet!

Are these conversations on this device usually this terrible to start?

[ Lucrezia is at the Space Bar, a glass of wine in hand. Pensive, she sips from it once and then again, quiet for a moment. She has been planning this for a time and yet.

And yet. ]

The Borgia family came from Spain to Rome. The father of the family, known as Rodrigo Borgia, has become Pope Alexander Sextus, elected to carry God's will and rule over Rome and the Papal States. He has a wife, beautiful and clever, Vanozza, whom the ladies of Rome, in their foolishness, dislike. Four children he has and all he brought to Rome, Juan Borgia who commands the armies of Rome, Cesare Borgia who took the red robes of the cardinal, Lucrezia Borgia who became Lucrezia Sforza of Pesaro and Gioffre Borgia, the youngest, who married Sancia of Naples. Their crest is the Borgia Bull.

[ and why is she telling all of this, well. ]

Yet there are some on this ship who knows more of me and mine than I do. The history remembers the Borgias, parents and children alike.

I would hear from those who know of my family. I would hear what their books tell.

[ a heavy burden, she asks to carry and yet. ]

I know that those tales might not be accurate to my own Rome and my own family and yet I wish to hear them still, if you would humor me.

[ Guess who is in a terrible mood? ]

you're welcome. sweet dreams.

[ It's vague. It's supposed to be vague. Any of you sleeping nicely lately? This is a place of nightmares, of course. But are they suddenly gone? Suddenly vacuumed away like the work of a dream catcher? It's this guy. He's been feasting on them all.

( And gosh, some of you have problems. )

He can't be too specific, but you can say it makes his cranky heart feel a little better. This isn't PostSecret, but let him have this. ]

[ M is seated at a table in one of the data libraries, her comm propped in front of her so that the video records her from chest upward. She's dressed in one of her suits, neat as a pin, and has a mug from one of the kitchens close at hand. She looks very comfortable addressing an audience she can't see. ]

As it has become apparent that our communications network is in proper working order again, and that I will in fact not be making the trip back to where I should be, I suppose an introduction is in order. I do apologize for my reclusive habits. I'm afraid I am rather of the sort that doesn't socialize.

My name is Maud Astor, and I come from London, in the early twenty-first century. I should very much like to know if there is anyone else here who might be from that general time frame.

I should also like to request further information on exactly what sort of governance exists aboard this ship.


TEXT. Private to Q, 007. MI6 Encryption Protocol.

Status reports from the both of you, please. In text or in person.

Good afternoon, unwilling citizens of the Tranquility. Ianto Jones here. As it turns out, the ship has seen fit to gift me with all the necessary materials for making professional signage. As a General Support officer, I figured I might as well branch further into public service and put these materials to use.

[He pans his communicator around to show a neat-looking sign he's set up in the Oxygen Gardens. Myfanwy is in the background, perched on the branch of a large tree and tilting her head inquisitively.]

Anyone who feels the need for any official signage is welcome to ask. Anyone who feels the need for less official signage is also welcome to ask, but as it's for personal and not public use, I'll be taking advantage of the bartering system and asking for something in return. I would have made this offer sooner, but I seem to have been out of commission for a month. Sorry about that.

[Locked to Hayley Stark; encrypted 100%]
As if embarrassing myself in front of Obi-Wan Kenobi weren't enough, I've now made the world's most humiliating first impression on James Bond, and Anakin Skywalker just showed up with R2D2. Please save me from myself and come have more drinks with me. I'm trying to rope Jenna in too, so feel free to bring a friend.

[Locked to Ariadne; encrypted 100%]
I haven't seen you about yet. How are you?

[Locked to Jenna; encrypted 100%]
I know we need to talk business, but I don't feel like it at the moment. Come have drinks with me and let me tell you about my most recent humiliation.

[Locked to Tony Stark; encrypted 100%]
How's the eye socket? Have you gotten a cool eyepatch and started hiding things in there? Or are you going for something more bionic?

[Cambitas encryption; locked to Cambitas members]
We have a new recruit. Thought I should let you lot know.