network video from red fish bridge;

[aberrant_type]

Who: Zoe Hange
Broadcast: Video
Action: for Red Fish crewmates
When: Tuesday... October 7... midday...?

[Someone is experimenting with shipwide broadcast. The screen shows Hange sitting with her hands folded in front of her, grinning amiably at the camera.]

Hmm. Is this thing working? I think so... [She pauses for a couple seconds and then laughs.] Well, I guess I'll find out! Hello, everyone, this is Captain Hange of the SS Red Fish speaking. [She winks.] I just got the paperwork turned in. Sorry to surprise you, Nunnally and Skull, but I decided I'd be up for it and thought it was better to get it done!

Now, I'm addressing everyone today to mention the tiny thing that's been embedded in our skulls! I'm guessing everyone has noticed that they have something in the back of their head that's difficult to even touch. It feels maybe bottle-cap sized! I hope that's familiar-sounding to all of you? I'm a little reluctant to actually open up someone's head but I wonder if anyone has tried that yet! Have you removed someone else's implant? Have you removed your own? If so, amazing! How did you do that? Nunnally let me experiment with hers a little, noninvasively of course, and reported discomfort that seemed unnaturally strong even when another person was just touching it! Thanks for your contributions, brave girl.

Also, as I told some of you, I didn't know anything about space before arriving here, but suddenly upon arriving I do! Also, we have a little room on this ship where I know how to use everything! That's unusual, given my home doesn't have anything close to this level of technology. I'm still exploring that equipment, but I wonder what others have noticed! I certainly don't understand everything on the ship, but I'm guessing if I mysteriously understand this one room, others will understand some other parts! What do you know now that you didn't know before? If you feel up to it, please let me know!

[holy talking, batman. She takes a moment to breathe, grinning at the screen still in an I know I know many words fashion.]

Great to meet you all, by the way! Let's get along and work productively together!

Comments

[amarant]

What do they have to fear?

[ She tilts her head, and the skull straightens out more. Nice and a bit more even. ]

You always try to give the gods the soul of a human. Being angry with humans, being ashamed, feeling anything. Maybe they don't speak because of that.

[aberrant_type]

"You"?

[amarant]

[ Oh, whoops.

Maybe she'll...let that one slide. Distractions work, right? ]

...I saw a god, twice. The first one was far away, but the next was dead. There was only some of it left, anything that couldn't be eaten.

[aberrant_type]

[Ah, nope, not in this case.]

Are you a human, Emblica?

[amarant]

--I didn't mean it like that.

[ It's probably one of the first things she's said in a while that actually suited a fourteen-year-old.

Partly because, well, it's pretty obviously a lie. ]

1/2

[aberrant_type]

There's no danger in saying that, you know... at least not to me.

[aberrant_type]

Unless you're an enemy of humanity.

[amarant]

[ To be honest, she isn't fully certain of that. ]

...the god that died, it's because it was eaten by another god. I think that's how they're made, they start growing inside another and then when it's time, they can come out. This one came out too early, when it wasn't supposed to.

Maybe they are like humans, after all. Selfish, impulsive. Maybe it wasn't that they turned their backs on everyone, but that they don't notice anyone else. That's like humans too.

[ This is some piss-poor evasion. Sorry, Hange. ]

[aberrant_type]

[Ha. Well, she doesn't have to rip everything out of her right now.]

That sounds quite frightening! Tell me, do the gods from your home eat humans? Or do they ignore them?

[amarant]

[ Breathes out, quietly. ]

They ignore them. No one wants to believe that, they think the gods are always listening, to help them.

They aren't, they always sleep.

[aberrant_type]

I think I'd be fine with higher powers that slept over ones that despised us.

[amarant]

It isn't always bad.

[ Well, except for the whole god cannibalism thing.

She doesn't sound quite as unhappy right now, though. ]

[aberrant_type]

Being despised by a god? [She laughs! Just kidding around really.]

[amarant]

When they're asleep.

...it must be nice, to sleep for so long.

[aberrant_type]

You're young to sound so tired.

[amarant]

How old should I be?

[aberrant_type]

Perhaps older than fourteen. What did your world do to you to make you want to sleep through it?

[amarant]

It's tiring, all of it

You said it was brave of me, but it isn't at all.

[aberrant_type]

Hasn't anyone carried you forward?

[amarant]

It's been a while.

[ Not bitter, though. Just...well, kind of tired-sounding. ]

[aberrant_type]

I feel like you're dancing around a secret, Emblica.

[amarant]

I don't dance.

[aberrant_type]

Shall we say tiptoeing, then?

It's all right, but difficult to have a relevant conversation when you won't say what you mean.

[amarant]

...yes, it must be. I'm sorry.

I don't think this is the right way to talk about important things.

[ She's in that kind of position of...really wanting to talk to people about it and wishing she could, but also knowing it should be a secret, for good reason. ]

[aberrant_type]

Well, if eventually you feel like talking about it the right way, I'll be happy to listen.