(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

[beathach]

Really? That's . . . simple. [he thinks about it for a moment, head tilting]

[takingkarabusiness]

Yet somehow unintuitive.

So, any inkling?

[beathach]

It kind of feels like cheating.

[another moment, and a wry look] Are there labs?

[takingkarabusiness]

There will be, when you get assigned to a ship. Some of the augments come with extra rooms that just kind of show up.

I got an entire office, complete with couch.

[beathach]

Wow, that's pretty handy. [he looks amsued] Is it a nice couch?

[takingkarabusiness]

It's a little on the loveseat side, but it's nice to have it to offer to people. My friend Winn showed up and he's having a hard time with the whole space thing—he's not a fan of heights and this is like the ultimate height— Anyway, I offered it to him when he got here, to help ease the transition.

[beathach]

Ah - geez, I can imagine what it's like for him. [he winces a little, sympathetic] That was nice of you, though - and - good that you have somewhere here that you know?

Is - personnel something you did where you're from?

[takingkarabusiness]

Pretty similar! I'm a personal assistant to the head of a worldwide media conglomerate.

Mostly, I answer the phone, get her lattes, order her lunches. But it's really empowering to work for such a powerful woman, and personal connections can really get you somewhere in the business world.

What do you do?

[beathach]

[he grins a little, nodding]

It's sounds like a good job.

Me? I'm a scientist. Or - was, technically, although I still work in a lab during my free time, but - [he clears his throat to stop himself from rambling] I was about to be a teacher.

[takingkarabusiness]

My sister's a bio-engineer! Though she doesn't do lab stuff as much anymore.

A teacher? At the school Charles wants to start? I was just telling him it sounds like a great place.

[beathach]

A bio-engineer? That's pretty impressive. [he knows how much work goes into those fields] I mostly worked with genetics, but I did a lot of other things when I was working.

But - right, Charles' institute. [that makes him smile] We hope it will be. We've been cleaning the place up in preparation, but - well, now we're here.

[takingkarabusiness]

All signs point to it being exactly as you left it when you leave here.

Do you have an area of interest in genetics?

[beathach]

Here's hoping.

Mutant genetics. I'm one myself, so . . . it was both an academic interest and a personal interest.

[takingkarabusiness]

It makes sense. I'm not scientifically inclined, or else I might have done something similar.

Well, except I'm not a mutant. I don't think. Not in the way that you are, probably? Actually, I don't really know that much about what defines a mutant besides powers... but not everyone with powers is a mutant?

[beathach]

All mutants carry a certain gene - er, one that others don't carry. That's . . . pretty much what defines it, at least to me. But I've met plenty of people with powers who don't . . . er, wouldn't be considered a mutant.

[he tilts his head, though, curious] You have powers as well, then?

video > private video

[takingkarabusiness]

[ she switches the feed to private. she's being more casual about telling people, but she doesn't want to tell EVERYONE ]

Actually, I'm an alien.

private;

[beathach]

[it's clear on his face that he wants to be excited - because he's a nerd - but he's also keeping himself in check]

That's - wow, just like that. [he does laugh a little, though] Where are you from originally, then?

[takingkarabusiness]

Yeah. I'm still kind of focus-testing telling people? It doesn't come naturally to me but there's so much here... I'm not totally sure I want to keep hiding.

A planet called Krypton which... doesn't exist anymore. My parents sent me and my cousin to Earth when I was 12 because it was dying.

[beathach]

Yeah, I - can understand that. Really well, actually.

[and that would explain the earlier conversation . . . ] Oh - I'm - I'm sorry to hear that.

[takingkarabusiness]

Thank you.

Luckily, we're pretty similar to humans, so my cousin and I only had to make a few adjustments to fit in. The weirdest thing though—Krypton had a red sun, but Earth's yellow sun gives me my powers. Like a solar panel, kind of? Except all the energy comes out in different ways.

[beathach]

The sun gives you powers? [he says it like it's one of the coolest things he's ever heard. And lbr, it is] That's amazing . . . what do you mean, "different ways"?

[takingkarabusiness]

Are you ready for the list? Because it's a long one, and everyone makes fun of it.

[ she prepares herself and then rattles off the list ]

Flight, invulnerability, x-ray vision, heat vision, freezing breath? Super speed... really, really good hearing...

[beathach]

[that's one hell of a list]

Whoa . . . that's - why would anyone make fun of you for it? That's one hell of an impressive list.

[takingkarabusiness]

Because it's kind of ridiculous when I say it out loud?

[beathach]

I don't think it's ridiculous. [but Hank is Hank, so he doesn't count]