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

[touchofrogue]

Huh.

[...yup. That's it. Such a talker, this girl.]

[pompous_today]

I do not see the appeal myself, but then, I was fortunate enough to be able to get the education I did, too.

[touchofrogue]

[...she's talking with someone posh, isn't she.]

...yeah. How great for you.

[pompous_today]

[Simon's expression falls a little at that. Ah, he recognizes that look. "Good for you, rich boy." Not that he wasn't asking for it a little, in retrospect.]

I at least tried to give back a little. I'm a doctor and went traveling to some of the border planets to offer my services.

[touchofrogue]

[...it was kind of strange, really. Just when Rogue was about to write off the conversation, Simon kept saying something that drew her back in.]

Yeah? [Pause a beat. Consider.] What'd ya find there? Was it worth it?

[pompous_today]

It was humbling, to say the least. My primary role was as a ship's medic and I am a trauma surgeon by trade, but we often traveled to planets that didn't have regular access to a doctor. They definitely challenged me a lot. The first thing that comes to mind was when I helped deliver a baby, which was nerve-wracking, but the woman might never have seen a doctor to help her through it otherwise. I wish I could have done more, seen more, before I was taken here.

[touchofrogue]

[She thought about that for a moment.]

So is that what you'd do, if ya were sent back? Go travelin' again?

[pompous_today]

I would. [Not like he had much of a choice, of course, but that's not something he'd share, either.] I became a doctor because I wanted to help people... and there are so many who could use it.

[touchofrogue]

[...huh.]

Do you have a doctorin' augment here too?

[pompous_today]

I do, yes... lab support, to be specific. I believe that's why my ship has a medbay.

[touchofrogue]

[...okay, that's it. She was never going to refer to it as 'lab support' to Simon.]

You rank that high on the chain of things, huh?

[It's a friendly drawl, at least.]

[pompous_today]

[Simon chuckled.]

Apparently I was special enough for the privilege, yes. I'm just glad I got something to complement my skill set.

[touchofrogue]

Lucky you.

[Still slightly 'bwah' at the whole cook thing.]

[pompous_today]

What about you?

[touchofrogue]

Guess.

[Yes, be careful. This is an invitation to get yourself in trouble.]

[pompous_today]

Hmmm- pilot? Or engineer? That seems to be fairly common.

[touchofrogue]

[Ha, she wishes. Except... not all the time. There are some distinct benefits here.]

Cook, actually.

[And a small smile.]

[pompous_today]

Really? [Simon seems genuinely interested.] Are you able to do much with our wonderful variety of protein?

[touchofrogue]

Some. Got a bit of an advantage, though. More ta work with... an' we're upgradin' the kitchen.

[In some ways, she doesn't mind being a cook at all. Food is important.]

[pompous_today]

Well, that's good. Nobody on my ship seems to be much of a cook, though at least I'm used to eating protein. At least this has some sort of flavor. Back home, most people who spent a lot of time in space tended to subsist on protein, as it was cheap and kept better than fresh food on long trips. I suppose the same logic is at play here.

[touchofrogue]

...ugh, really?

[It was one thing to feed unwilling prisoners this -- stuff. But to sign on to a ship and eat this stuff willingly? How depressing. At least in Star Trek they had replicators.]

[pompous_today]

Indeed. Some crews couldn't afford anything else- maybe the occasional crate of fruit or a real meal out if they were doing well. It kept you alive, at least.

[touchofrogue]

...that is really depressin'. What a future.

[pompous_today]

Indeed- it comes with wanting to stay on the outer reaches, I suppose. More freedom, but less affluence.

[touchofrogue]

Not sure I'd call 'more than one basic food group' affluence...

[Geeze. What a thing to look forward to.]