(no subject)

[beathach]

Who: two nerds and you
Broadcast: fleetwide
Action: Marsiva
When: now!

[ The audio comes on sharply, but everything is still dark as two people discuss their situation.]

Is that the camera? Can you get it to work?

I - think so? Here, push this --

I am pushing it, Hank. I thought you knew about these from that show you keep watching. Space Trek?

It's Star Trek and that isn't exactly - you know, the same thing as this.

Right. . . . Wait, I think I see something on the side.

[ And the video flickers on, the red light glowing softly. It focuses on two men. One in a wheelchair and the other right next to him, peering curiously at the camera before they step back satisfied. ]

Well, that’s over and done with. Hello to anyone who might be out there. My name is Charles Xavier and this is Hank McCoy. Apparently we’ve been kidnapped again, by an unknown force again for some mysterious reason.

[muttered:] Again. [and louder] So if anyone would be kind enough to explain exactly what's going on, we'd appreciate it. You have our thanks in advance.

But do keep it pertinent.

Comments

Video

[grandstanding]

[Erik was in a cafeteria on the moon when their broadcast appears. He had just finished his very overpriced, sincerely underwhelming salad. It was hardly worth it, but he was sick of protein gels and wanted to eat something else. So he was in the process of scrolling through his communicator and then-- he sees this. Nearly dropping the thing on his plate in shock, he grabs hold of it again and opens up a video response.]

--You're here.

[Yes well done, Erik, that's enlightening for all parties. Give him a moment to get over his surprise.]

[axiomed]

[ Charles stares for a bit, torn between relief and surprise. ]

Erik. How -- What are you doing here?

[grandstanding]

[The feeling's mutual. As Erik's more adjusted to the situation, he recovers faster, though he can still feel the relief and tension vibrating through his bones.]

The same thing as you, only-- I've been here for a while now.

[axiomed]

[ He's quiet. He gets that time can be different. ]

How long?

[grandstanding]

[That response actually removes one of the biggest questions Erik's had since getting here. Was he obviously missing at home? And the second, Does he think I left? follows naturally after. So while he doesn't relax, as such, it takes a load off him that he'd only half-acknowledged was there.]

A bit over a month. ...it's good to see you.

[axiomed]

[ A month. That was longer than he expected . . . but probably not as bad as he imagined. Looking at Erik now . . . Charles can read between the lines. ]

Sorry I took so long.

Private

[grandstanding]

[He shakes his head briefly, then switches the feed to private. He doesn't need this all over the airwaves.]

Don't be. Ideally you wouldn't be stuck here as well. [He won't say he'd rather be alone, because that's a lie. But this is a double-edged sword they know well.]

Re: Private

[axiomed]

Then we'll make the most of it, as we have before.

[ Quietly. ] Are you all right?

Re: Private

[grandstanding]

Yes. [No. Well, better now. He can deal with that later.] But there's a lot going on here that I need to tell you about. Myself and Nightingale are not the only people who will recognise you both.

Re: Private

[axiomed]

More time travelers?

[ Logan is the only other kind of person who knew Charles without Charles ever knowing him. ]

Re: Private

[grandstanding]

In a sense. There are different universes out there, as you know. But there are multiple mutants here from different versions of our universe.

Re: Private

[axiomed]

I don't understand.

[ How does that work? ] How many versions could there even be?

Re: Private

[grandstanding]

I don't know. [He rubs at his face. He's not the best person to explain this, given his lack of contact with many of the X-Men here.]

But there is at least one reality where I started the X-Men.

[beathach]

[yes thank you Erik that was very useful. Hank finds himself staring too, then his brows furrow]

Yes, well - hello, Erik. Where exactly is "here"?

[grandstanding]

[Both of them at once... of all the things he wasn't expecting today, this ranks up there. Erik recovers himself, getting to the point.]

You're in space. More specifically, you're on a ship called the Marsiva, part of the Drift Fleet.

[beathach]

[he opens his mouth to respond, but pauses to let that sink in. Space?!]

Ah. And . . . why are we in space, exactly?

[grandstanding]

[He... sighs, at the story he's about to deliver.]

The given reason is that beings called the Atroma have selected us all to star in their reality television show. [A pause.] "Reality television" is apparently just putting people somewhere and filming their lives. It sounds stupid, but others have said it exists in their worlds, so it's not entirely made up for this alone.

[beathach]

[if it was anyone else, Hank would have questions to confirm all of this were true. But it's Erik, and . . . well, he wouldn't lie]

Isn't that essentially a documentary? It does sound stupid. [and it makes him uncomfortable; he doesn't want anyone watching his life] What are the Atroma? They're not - uh, they're not like Echoes, are they?

[grandstanding]

Unless there's a narrator somewhere, I don't think so. This is the only reason we've been given.

And we don't know. They never show themselves in person, and apparently only rarely make voice announcements. I've certainly not heard from them at all, and I've been here for over a month. [Which will probably come as news to Hank.]

[beathach]

That's . . . both a relief and worrying. [but if he can think of them less like Echoes, that's a plus] I'd really rather not—. . .

[wait]

A month?

Private

[grandstanding]

That's right.

[He pauses, and flips the feed to private. The rest of this is going to get personal.]

I take it I wasn't obviously missing at home. [He'd gathered this from Charles, but Hank he'll actually ask.]

private;

[beathach]

No, you weren't. [he confirms it immediately, shaking his head] Hell, if - I don't know how long we've been, er, here, but it's only been a few hours aside from that.

private;

[grandstanding]

Okay. [Confirmed.] That is what I thought might be the case, but it's good to know.

In any case, you two will be moved off that ship at some point, but until then you can't leave, and no one can get onto it.

private;

[beathach]

[he sighs] That should be more surprising . . .

I wasn't planning on trying to leave, so that's . . . good, I guess. [he isn't going anywhere without Charles, at least until he's forced to] How long will be stuck here?

private;

[grandstanding]

It's usually not longer than a week... in fact, they're about due to move people soon. You'll be randomly assigned to one of the other eighteen ships. Mine's the Heron.