A cry for help

[thespaceopera]

[a distress call has been tracked across the void, finally leading back to the source. a hulking crippled ship, teeming with hostile alien life, now lies before you.

what do you do? do you dive in or hang back? are you here to learn, play, build, or observe?

however you choose to proceed, your audience is out there somewhere, watching.]


ooc: here is a good ol' themed mingle to get you all started! and don't feel limited by the prompts and what they describe--they're just there as idea-starters, so feel free to go anywhere and do anything.

have fun!

info post→ here

Comments

[redactions]

[ He considers sitting for a moment, and ends up leaning against the wall next to Ray, arms loosely folded as he listens. ]

Yeah, I s'pose we don't speak bug. [ the ghost of a smile lights his face, at some private, forgotten-until-now memory ] What did you do, back home?

[poetontheinside]

[He looks up at Bucky when he settles himself against the wall, and then goes back to fiddling with the bit of machinery in front of him.]

Detective, Chicago P.D. You?

[redactions]

Cop, huh? I'm in the army.

[ Never could lie as easily as a SHIELD agent, but even if it's not the entire truth it's still enough of one that there's no tells. ]

[poetontheinside]

Oh, yeah? What branch?

[redactions]

Special Forces. Just got back from Iraq and now [ he gestures to their vicinity. ] Gotta say, this is a lot better than sand everywhere.

[poetontheinside]

A lot's gonna seem better'n than that. [He sits up a little, extends his hand]

Nice to meet you, man. Ray Kowalski.

[redactions]

[ He shakes Ray's hand, his grip firm but not crushing. ]

S'a pleasure. James Barnes. Most people call me Jim.

[poetontheinside]

Alright, Jim. Hey, where're you from? Sounds like you're from my kinda earth, anyway.

[redactions]

Brooklyn, New York. Grew up there. I live in DC now.

[poetontheinside]

Brooklyn, huh? Y'know, I never been to New York. Been to DC for a conference, once. Boring as fuck, no offense.

[redactions]

Yeah, Brooklyn. You want the dime tour, I'm your man.

[ The warmth disappears. ]

DC really ain't my place.

[poetontheinside]

Ain't my place, neither. I'm from Chicago, so, y'know-- DC's too clean, too nice. Think I could like Brooklyn?

[redactions]

I think you'd love Brooklyn, pal. Some a'the neighbourhood's changed since [ my day, he means, and quickly corrects himself to, ] I was there, but I don't think it'd be too different from what I've heard Chicago's like.

Say, what year is it, where you're from?

[poetontheinside]

[He grins at the thought of that-- Chicago, going to see Brooklyn. He's a city kid through and through, and all this space has been a little too grand for him, lately.

He reaches in with his right arm, starts disconnecting wires inside of the piece of machinery.]

1999. You?

[redactions]

2014.

[ Pensively said, as he watches Ray fiddle with the wiring. ]

Is there a company named Stark Industries around? Just wonderin' if we're from the same Earth.

[ He was going to ask about the Chitauri, but well. ]

[poetontheinside]

Nah, never heard of it. 's it big where you're from?

[redactions]

Yeah, real big. Fingers in every major pie, so to speak. Does all kinds a'work in clean energy.

[ Weapons, really. But Tony isn't about that anymore and Bucky respects it. ]

Seems like we ain't, but I think you'll still like Brooklyn. Can't be too different.

[poetontheinside]

Guess it's not the same, then. [He shrugs-- he's gotten used to it by now, but it's still a little weird to think about.]

I guess not, right? You ever been to Chicago?

[redactions]

No, it ain't.

[ Would've been nice, but that's not how the world works. ]

Never had the time. Heard about it from some of the other fellas — sounds like any other place you grow up in.

[ The deep attachment, partnered with the unique sensation of being trapped there. ]

[poetontheinside]

Yeah, [he mutters, moving back with a sigh.]

This thing's busted, man. Can't do nothing with that anymore.

[redactions]

[ He unfolds his arms, and listens for any approaching bugs for a moment, then, ]

Right. Move on t'the next room? I'll keep an eye out for ya if you want.

[poetontheinside]

Yeah. [He draws out the word, stretches and gets up with a groan.]

I like it, this engineering shit, but it's murder on my back. I'm no spring chicken anymore, y'know?

[redactions]

I hear ya.

[ He falls into step beside Ray. ]

Say, is this the first time the ships've all stopped at a place like this?

[poetontheinside]

I ain't been here long to answer that, pal. Last place we went was a bunch of casinos, clubs, that kinda thing. Oh, and there was the waystation with the Virtual Reality Dome, which was pretty sweet, but I was only there a week or something before we left there.

[redactions]

[ He nods at the list of available places, and then gives Ray a sideways glance. ]

A Virtual Reality Dome? What did it do?

[ nerd alert ]