001

[flickerflash]

Who: Katie and anyone!
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Marsiva
When: 1st December

[Oh. Well, this is new.

The bunks are comfy enough, and it's not exactly the first time Katie has found herself in an unfamiliar place. (Is it Thursday?) But it is the first time she's woken up in one for a long time, and so she squints at the door for a long moment trying to remember what she was last doing.

Then she peels off the bunk, blanket and all, and shuffles her way out to explore. She's not particularly worried, and most confusion goes right out the window when she see the giant windows that let her see out into space because seriously. She rockets over, face smooshed against the glass. That's probably where anyone on the Marsiva can find her for a long time, because space. Spaaace. This is the best accidental visit ever.

Much later, she'll actually think to check the comms, and only when she goes looking for the one she's meant to have. She turns up on the feed still with the sheet half draped over her curls and her nose still a little red from her mushed space-watching, and addresses the network cheerfully in a British accent.]

I think I took a left turn. Are we really in space? That's not just a clever painting or something, is it? Does that mean there are spacesuits? Can I go out in it? Is anyone here that I know? And what buttons do I push to leave again? Not that I didn't turn up here on purpose, because I've always wanted to see space and I really can't jump that far. Oh, but I should probably make sure, so if you could help I'd be much obliged.

...oh, I need a sword, too. Mine ran away.

[Hello, I am nine and full of questions and lies. But genuinely, she is curious. Something is afoot.

(But space.)]

Comments

[huaaaaagh]

[Wow, she sure has a lot of questions. And swords are apparently getting popular on the network these days.

Eh, he's not going to complain.]

I haven't seen anybody go out in a space suit, but it would be pretty cool. You can't get very far from the ship, though.

[flickerflash]

[What, really? She makes a face.]

Why not? I could just swim away, couldn't I?

[I watch Star Trek and this is how space works.]

[huaaaaagh]

You'd run out of air pretty quickly if you did that.

[Unless she doesn't breathe air. The fleet is full of weird people, apparently.]

[flickerflash]

Don't suits come with air tanks?

[She may be greatly overestimating how long those last for.]

[huaaaaagh]

Small ones, sure. If I were to guess, they'd only get a couple hours out, at most.

[flickerflash]

Oh.

I suppose I couldn't get anywhere else in just a couple of hours. Not unless I was terribly lucky.

[huaaaaagh]

It's also possible that even if you were lucky, the people who brought us here could just teleport you back to the ship.

[flickerflash]

They can do that? How rude. [Clearly the Atroma don't know anything about fun, god.

Oh, but--] I suppose that means I could also go out in space just for fun if they're just going to bring me back here anyway. [Who needs safety precautions, amirite.]

[huaaaaagh]

[What a precocious and terrifying child.]

Would you at least take someone with you, just in case?

[flickerflash]

If I must.

[Have a brilliant smile.] Would you like to come?

[huaaaaagh]

[SHIT]

I... if the alternative is you going alone, then...

[flickerflash]

[She can't help giggling.]

It's all right! If you don't want to go, it's okay. I won't go on my own, either. It's no fun on my own.

[huaaaaagh]

[Oh, phew. He's not exactly afraid of space - as long as it's, you know, over there - but he's definitely someone who likes his feet on solid ground.]

I can't imagine it would be. Space is mostly just big and empty. It would be really lonely out there.

[flickerflash]

[...hm. She hadn't considered that. Even Katie isn't young enough to believe there are aliens or interesting things just out of sight from the window.

...okay shelving that idea for now but she does want to at least go out in it.]

You've very smart. What's your name?

[huaaaaagh]

[Man, it's a rare day that someone says he's anything but an idiot.]

Kirito. And you?

[flickerflash]

[Enjoy it while it lasts!]

Dorothy! [May as well run with a theme here.] Like in the Wizard of Oz.

[huaaaaagh]

...Wizard of...

[...ah!]

That's the story about the girl and the witch, right? With the flying house.

[flickerflash]

And the monkey and the tornados and the yellow brick road.

[Well, this guy's from earth, then.]

It's my favourite story.

[huaaaaagh]

I don't really know it that well, to be honest. I think I might have read it years ago as a kid, but not since then.

[flickerflash]

You should read it again!

...oh, but I suppose that might be a little hard here. [OH well.] What books do you like, then?

[huaaaaagh]

Ah... you'd probably find them pretty boring. I don't read much fiction, so the books I read are usually mechanics textbooks or manuals...

[Oh come on, throw the kid a bone.]

I like fantasy stories, though.

[flickerflash]

[Yeah her eyes legit start to glaze the second he mentions textbooks-- oh good.]

What kind of fantasy stories?

[huaaaaagh]

Anything with swords, fight scenes, monsters, good versus evil... I guess the cliche stuff, then.

[flickerflash]

But that's the best kind! Do you like any stuff with with dragons in it?

[huaaaaagh]

Oh, sure. Dragons are great. And quests involving dragons always nets the best treasure.