5. [video]

[pompous_today]

Who: Simon Tam and you
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: N/A
When: August 13th

I have a rather strange question. Twice now, people have arrived here who look nearly identical to people I knew back home- and yet, they are clearly not those people. They are close in looks, but in personality... not so much.

Has this happened to anyone else? Is it just something I should chalk up to alternate universes and time travel? It's rather unsettling, to tell the truth...

Comments

[goldenglasses]

Huh, that is really strange. So you know this Dr. Keller here, but you also know someone just like her back home? Or well, someone who looks just like her. Right?

[pompous_today]

Yes- my girlfriend looks almost exactly like Dr. Keller, to be specific. They are very different in personality, though, and Kaylee is a mechanic, not a doctor. I think that's part of why I'm so fascinated, that they could have walked such different paths in life.

[goldenglasses]

And their names even start with K! But I guess I have wondered if I had made even tiny decisions how it would change things... But being from different planets? That's extra strange.

[pompous_today]

And that is the biggest puzzle to me. Separated by years, by distance... it's possible their similar looks were simply random chance, however astronomical the odds.

[goldenglasses]

You never know. I mean, a one in a million chance is still a chance.

[pompous_today]

And then they ended up here. I sometimes doubt how much influence Atroma has in choosing the subjects for this little reality experiment, but things like this do make me wonder.

[goldenglasses]

I dunno. If they really care about their "ratings" I have a feeling they have perfect choice when they want to.

[pompous_today]

Or they have a limited choice, and maximize that potential. Like... some of the abductions are random, but when they do have control over it, they like playing games.

[goldenglasses]

I'd believe that too. I just can't believe they don't have at least a little bit of control.

[pompous_today]

True- because the ramifications of that are scary to think about. There's also our augments. As far as I know, nobody has arrived without one.

[goldenglasses]

I haven't heard of one either, I would also be interested in knowing how it allows us to know some of the things we do. I mean, I've never driven anything bigger than a car back home, but I can pilot this ship around with ease.

[pompous_today]

And I can manage most lab equipment just fine, even if it is... somewhat more primitive than what I am used to. So at the very least, we know they are capable of tampering with us before we are released into the general population.

[goldenglasses]

Yeah, but honestly I don't like thinking about it too much. [Vash reaches back to rub at his argument.]

[pompous_today]

Me either. It seems like they do not want us to do so, either... I would think people would try to examine the augments, but it's like there is a mental block that stops us.

[goldenglasses]

Huh, good point. I mean, I haven't tried messing with my own as I was worried about hurting myself, but I guess not to many others have been experimenting with them either.

[pompous_today]

I admit to being curious about them, but when I have tried to examine one, I get filled with this sense of dread. Like it's hurting my brain to even try.

[goldenglasses]

Well, considering it is putting thoughts and ideas into our heads I wouldn't be surprised that if tampering it in the wrong way could cause problems.

[pompous_today]

Mmm, that does make sense. Meddling with someone's mind is a dangerous prospect, after all. So much can go wrong.

[goldenglasses]

Yeah, I mean, I'm no doctor, but I don't want anyone messing with MY head. Just thinking about it gives me the heebiejeebies!

[pompous_today]

I AM a doctor and I wouldn't even try it, myself. So I suppose we are stuck with the augments for now.

[goldenglasses]

Yeah, I'm not ready to volunteer as a guinea pig either. And I suppose it could be worse, it's kinda fun suddenly knowing how to fly a spaceship!

[pompous_today]

Indeed- at least we are not left lacking skills we might need as part of a ship's crew. That could be disastrous.

[goldenglasses]

Oh yeah. I mean, what if the oxygen breaks down and there was no one to fix it!?

[pompous_today]

Or we had no weapons, or nobody who knew how to operate them- which, frankly, could be more dangerous than having none at all.

[goldenglasses]

Yeah, I suppose. Not every ship is friendly out here as we've learned.