This is Red Robin-

[the video clicks on to the sound of chaos. howling screeches of manticores overlaid with the whistling sound of batarangs and the thunderclap of a gun going off. whoever has the camera is moving, scaling something to get to higher ground. the video trembles and shakes, and at one point focuses outward from a higher vantage point.

underneath the flickering lights of the science lab and under where Red Robin stands are two figures fighting side by side. they have their backs to one another, but they can be recognized as the Red Hood and Batgirl. the former has both guns out, turning on a dime to fire two shots clean into the face of a manticore racing toward them. it skids, but it’s momentum can’t stop despite being dead on it’s feet and Jason turns it over his arm, sending it skidding into the corpse of another beast.]

The science lab is starting to lose power- [Off screen his head turns, a glance towards the exit behind them. They’re running out of time. Something he keeps trying to remind his counterparts, and something they keep. Ignoring.]

Come on you ugly fuckers! [Jason kicks off the ground into a back handspring to make Dick Grayson proud, landing next to Steph and turning to fire a round off into a manticore that had been making it’s way to her off her flank]

[She smiles at him, a bit breathless] Thanks for the save. You saw that thing through the bucket on your head?

This bucket is what keeps me beautiful, princess.

I think that one’s broken. Might need to trade it in for a newer model. [She so totally went there, Jason.]

Watch out!

[Steph flung her last batarang past Jason's head and into the neck of another oncoming manticore. She took up her bo staff in both hands and ran at the thing, pulling back and striking the pointed metal protruding from its neck to drive it in deeper before bringing the staff up and slamming it down into its skull.

Non-lethal was the way of the bat-kid, but sometimes there just isn't a choice. Typically, they aren't stuck fighting creepy monsters in an even creepier lab with creepy stuff going on! The lights flicker out for a few seconds before struggling back on.]

We’re running out of time! Tell them to get the hell out of here!

[Yeah, tell him something he doesn’t know, thanks Jason. Tim’s jaw clenches. He’s been doing this on his own for too long, and they’re plenty of things, the three of them, but a team isn’t one of them. He’s already moving and the camera swings with the descent, feet nearly soundless when they hit the floor.] Room’s clear, we’ve gotta go now.

[And it’s that moment that the weak hum of electricity fades and the lights power down entirely, swallowing the room in darkness. A shriek cuts through the black, but this one sounds human.]

St-

[Static.]



[ooc: Tim, Steph, Jason. every response will be met with a static feedback. none of them will be returning from the science lab, and no bodies will be recovered.]

Okay, so now that we've pretty well determined this whole feeling like crap thing is kind of a club a lot of us are gonna need the t-shirts for-

[ Robin doesn't look so hot. But then who does right now? There's tiny beads of sweat balling up where he's just recently wiped them away from his hairline, there's this darkening blue that's ebbing in patches at his mouth. He looks pale, which isn't so shocking when you consider what else his body's going through right now. Normally he wouldn't even post to the network like this, but all things considered, well. ]

[ He plants a hand onto the mattress underneath him, edging himself a bit more upright. His face twinges like he might wince, but he holds it in. ]

This isn't gonna make a lot of sense to a whole lot of you, so sorry about that, but for the people it does, [ and he leans in a little meaningfully, pressing his sunglasses firmly up his nose, ] we have gotta get a better way to communicate. Look, I can make a filter, but I have to know what numbers I'm dealing with here. It's a big ship. And I've got twenty bucks on me missing a person or two who might be here and I just haven't tripped over yet.

So. Assemble, or whatever.

[ attached to the top of this post is a sketch of hotspur, culled from one of his network posts. the real version is helpfully left in the oxygen gardens, somewhere high.

and visible. ]

Eternal Father, King of birth,
Who didst create the heaven and earth,
And bid the planets and the sun
Their own appointed orbits run;
O hear us when we seek thy grace
For those who soar through outer space.


" D O N ' T
B E L I E V E
E V E R Y T H I N G
T H E Y
T E L L
Y O U. "

He did. We saw what happened.

R A L L Y.

( ooc | SO NEAL IS DECENT AT HACKING BUT NOT FANTASTIC the higher level techheads can break this one. say, tony stark level awesome and above, hack away: if you're not sure whether your character would be better at this than neal, ping me on plurk and we can figure it out.

eta: also this post goes up say... two hours after the jump ends. )

[It takes a minute for the feed to pipe up, but when it does, it's the older voice that starts a short chat.]

Hey there, Tranquility, I know we're not looking at a full staff by any means, but I figured I'd put my own 'Help Wanted' sign out for everyone to see.

For anyone who doesn't know, the name's Isaac. I'm kind of one of the more vocal people still working over on the Engineering Deck. We've got about... half a dozen people here. Depending on the time of day. Now, if you can't exactly tell from the size of the ship.. that's not exactly "fully staffed".

It's no secret that we still don't know even a good tenth of what we should down here, but considering we're all still trying to get used to the systems - well. You can see where this is going, we need some sort of help.

I've got some basic information and maps I've drawn up that I'm willing to share, and I figure everyone else can work from there, find areas they're comfortable in, and start poking around. And if you can't tell a mainframe motherboard from a terminal motherboard - that's fine too. I can show some basics to that, too.

Let me know if any of you are interested. Clarke out.

( [25% ENCRYPTION - OPR � 001 � 033: KIRK, JAMES T.] )

( [25% ENCRYPTION - CHIEF ENGINEER RESNIK] )

( [25% ENCRYPTION - MR. SMILES] )

[Alex has decided that until he found a better way to deal with this, he has to use video on this network. Otherwise, no one was going to be able to tell him and the other Alex apart. At least--for now.]

Look, I apologize in advance for the lack of filters on this message. The technology here is a bit more than I'm used to; still trying to get the hang of it.

[If someone wants to teach him, by all means.

Letting out a breath, he works his jaw slightly, again taking time to phrase out his words. Calling people out on the network is always a gamble, and as he hasn't learned how to sort through the system yet, he isn't even sure if these people are here. But hey--it's worth a shot.]

First off--if anyone knows a guy named Eames, Arthur, or a girl named Ariadne [He thinks that was her name] I'd appreciate if you or they got in touch with me. I got some information that might interest them.

[He shifts in his seat, leaning forward slightly.]

I was wondering if there are any sparring groups set up on board already? Working out by myself is fine, but I'd rather have someone to go up against if possible.

[And then the big question; the one that's been bothering him since he arrived here. He hates talking so much as it is (when half the people aren't really going to give a shit, at least), but this one was probably the most important.]

And... does anyone know if there is a secure bunker on board? Like 'survive a nuclear explosion' secure.

[He needed somewhere to practice his powers, damn it, without blowing a hole in the hull.]

So uh..that's it. Thanks, or whatever.

[And he shuts the feed down.]

Tranquility, this is Jim Kirk.

Anyone injured or still suffering side effects from the fear gas should check in with medical. Scans are showing the gas is out of the ship's circulation now, but we can never be too careful. For anyone wondering, we do have a suspect in custody, but he's currently recovering from a high dosage of the toxin.

[he pauses, a clear indication that he's changing topics.]

We all knew we were being watched. Despite this recent information, nothing's really changed. Nevertheless I encourage everyone to stay alert and try not to travel alone. This thing is trying to make us nervous, lets try not to give it what it wants.


( filtered message to: Enterprise Crew, Re-l, Chase, John, Sherlock, Natasha, Kasumi, Dean || eta 'Nick', Jack Harkness, Ianto, Magneto, Raven, Megamind, Roxanne, Tali, Hotspur, Isaac Clarke, Tony Stark, Aberdeen || flags to WARD and RESNIK  )

[A wild Sam Winchester appeared! He looks better off than last time, by far... currently, he's just a bit restless.]

Hey, uh-- Tranquility. [There's a weak smile, because it's bizarre addressing everyone on their space ship home. Space ship. Home.]

I was wondering what people usually end up doing in their free time here. Y'know, when they're not... dealing with hallucinations.

[He's referring to the fear gas, though he has quite enough delusions to deal with on his own, Thank You Very Much.]

Anyway, I was thinking more along the lines of jobs. Anything I can help out with, let me know.

[THE FOLLOWING IS PUBLIC... But locked AGAINST Saunders, because really, the last thing he needs is her screeching about his lack of morals and being biased when he is... legitimately trying to help. :( And hack-proof, because DAMN THOSE HACKING SKILLS OF HERS. :|]

Okay. I've held off on this long enough. Five months is a long time for a genius to just sit on his butt and do nothing but Frankenstein bits of tech into nothing I can actually use, because I don't have the parts I need without taking apart something we might actually use one day- you're welcome, BTW.

We all just suffered a massive dose of some frakked up neurotoxin. It sent a signal to the brain to release an OD of Norepinephrine and good old, reliable Epinephrine that triggered an acute stress response, so everyone affected? Already scared out of their gourd. You've got elevated heartrate, constriction of blood vessels, the shakes, and a really intense desire to get out of Dodge. The brain is primed for fear responses, so when you add an hallucinogen to that little cocktail? You get exactly what your brains don't want to see.

And how do I know all of this? I'm a neurologist. Brains are my thing. I am very good at working out the kinkies in the human brain. So if we all want to put the kibosh in this kinda chaos before it gets out of hand when the inevitable next time rolls around? You need me in the med bay with... I guess explicit permission from our fearless leaders for me to futz with whatever short bus neuroplastic equipment happens to be there. [He sounds so unsure.] I bet this ship doesn't even have an MRI. Why would it even need one? [A long-suffering sigh] Good thing I'm a genius. I can work with anything- just say the word.

Alright everyone calm the fuck down.

[easier said than done, but the command (military, a bellow without being a bellow) with which Jason says it over the network might (he hopes) be enough to get the attention of at least a couple of people.]

The ship has been hit with a batch of Fear Toxin. [he drawls it, irritation, and a very clear I'm looking at you Scarecrow.] Don't ask how it got there because we don't know yet, but it's concentrated around the Oxygen Garden. Basically this means we've got people hallucinating and attacking each other because they're scared out of their minds and if we don't get control of it sooner rather than later someone's gonna die. If you've got a gas mask or a rebreather, you might wanna put that baby on.


So- [you can practically hear the gesticulation in his voice, despite there being no video] Titans Assemble or whatever.

[Claire appears on the screen, relatively calm though focused. She's sitting, busying herself with something before looking up.]

So what is our purpose here? What are we supposed to do here? I'm interested in what people have done here so far. What sort of lives are to be led? Are their jobs, duties, how does survival work in space -- if that is to be believed.

I'm assuming I have no handler, and if this is some bizarre Dollhouse, then it's something I haven't seen. [And if it's the Attic, she doesn't care that she just outed the existence of Dollhouses.]

I do better with routines. I am a doctor. Sort of. It's what I know how to do at least.

[The white, grinning mask filled the entire screen. It might be pretty recognizable to some. The voice was female, slightly metallic-sounding with a very subtle echo that was likely due to the mask. She still manages to sound quite playful in a dark way.]

Interesting location. Looks like I'm a long way from home... I could use some company.

Let's cut to the chase.

Anyone willing to strike up a bargain benefiting both parties during our stay here had best get back to me soon~. I have quite a few things to offer the right person, should I deem you worthy of my time. It would be foolish to think there aren't advantages to working together.

[At least until she could land on her feet.]

It's all hilarious, watching you all scurry about to divest yourselves of your secrets and sins. I mean, really. It's better than comedy. 'Oh, I'm a werewolf'. 'Oh, I come from another ship that eats people and makes zombies!' 'Oh, my toenails contain the lost secrets of Atlantis!' or-- whatever ingenious [not said 'in-jenny-yus no matter how much you want it to be, Megamind] things you've come up with. This place sees more confessionals than the Prison Chapel, I swear. And we had genuine things to confess, let me tell you. [He laughs, a little nostalgic for prison. Who knew you could be nostalgic for prison.]

Alas, along with Skulduggery, I labor under the burden of obviously not being human and being too fantastic for words. Since I've never been the type to hide my light under the proverbial bushel, well, you already know that. Yes, yes, you're all going to jump to snap at the heels of the failed mutiny, or maybe you want to have a good laugh at my expense due to Miss Ritchi spilling all my secrets, but let's be honest: the mistakes before your great success are merely stepping stones leading you there!

So, while you go on about the useless past, I'm going to remind you that I know more about the ship then any of you lot and I am no longer parked in the brig. Isn't that something? I mean, all you people crowing for my blood earlier? Seriously, do you kill the prize sheep that gives you the best wool? No, fools! You utilize it.

Not that any of you're utilizing the brains in your own skulls, let alone my fantastic cranium. Well. Not that most of you are. Most of you have more in common with the sheep than the man that holds the shears! Some of you-- well, thankfully, you're not all soft-headed imbeciles.

[Pausing in his diatribe about he considers briefly, only the sound of his breath, so faint on the line; is he listening to something? Thinking? Steeling himself, perhaps, for his next words-- or simply admitting that not everybody on the ship is a dribbling idiot.]

Since I've no desire to be lynched I want to offer something, in good faith: anyone who wants to learn what I've learned, can. I will teach you what I know about the systems. I will show you how I did what I did. I will teach you my skills if you're capable of learning them. Then, maybe together we can figure out why the jump systems-- that shouldn't be working, by the way, at all -- are doing what they're doing. And that might be our ticket home, which remains my priority. If you can give something to me for my time? Fantastic. If you can't-- well, that's the sacrifices we must make in the spirit of [sigh - it's so hard to say these-- these noble words, because oh God it's borderline heroic and it's certainly goody two-shoes] cooperation, and all that.

So-- your move, passengers good ship Tranqulity. I'll be at the Fight Club this week to watch you make fools of yourselves, so you may feel to address any interest in learning what I found out about the ship from there.

[ BATLOCKED 100% TO TIM AND JASON ]

[ Crap. CRAP. He's been practicing and gearing up for this forever. He was all but practicing in the mirror. Steph had vouched for them and- Hey, he liked Steph. He felt practically predisposed to liking Steph. So why was this being mega hard? ]

Hey! So- [ He holds up a hand for a moment, hesitating, and then speaks in one fell swoop. ] Look, if I know that you're here, you've gotta know that I'm here, so. Red Robin, right? And Red Hood.

[ This is nerve-wracking. He pushes his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose. ]

It's Dick Grayson.