comm 001

[scanninggaydis]

Who: Felix Gaeta
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Marsiva
When: Now

video:
[In the first few moments of consciousness, Felix just blinks, apparently staring up at the ceiling. After another few seconds, his eyes narrow, his gaze moves around, and then he sits bolt upright.]

What the fr- Al?

[His voice isn't exactly panicked, but it's worried, and a tiny bit lost. After a little bit longer, he clearly comes to the conclusion that whoever he's looking for...isn't here. His posture relaxes so he's slumping a bit, and he rakes both hands through his hair. Aaaand you can pretty much tell the moment he finds the augment, because that's when his spine goes completely rigid, and something that is really mostly intense anger but also probably a little bit of fear very visibly manifests itself in his expression.

Then, apparently, he finally notices the camera on him. His eyes narrow, he leans forward to stare at it, and then once he figures out how to turn off, it clicks off.]


voice: (roughly half an hour later)
[Even though everyone has seen his face, Felix finds comfort in distancing himself a little, especially when he's already as on-guard as he is now. That's why his next broadcast to the network is voice. (Text is the ultimate distancing, but what he's hoping is that any replies coming back in will also be voice, so that he can better judge the tone of whatever he gets back. After all, it's so easy to misunderstand people over the internet.) His voice is...controlled. Almost too controlled, none of that anger from before. He's fine, everything's fine. It's fine. He's not freaking out at all.]

So these...things. This tech. Whatever they've put in us. They can alter memories, I know things I can't possibly know about spacecraft I've never seen before. What else can they do? Have there ever been negative side effects?

[Okay, so it's controlled but clipped. He's cool, promise.]

Comments

Voice

[passingthrough]

They can trigger fear and anxiety if you try to remove the device they installed. And yes, there are negative side effects.

You sure you want to hear about this first thing?

[scanninggaydis]

I'm sure. I need to know.

[Okay, so now he sounds a little angrier.]

[passingthrough]

Mmm.

I can't be completely sure it was the augment, but some strange, temporary changes have happened in people since I've been here. General consensus is that it's an augment glitch. Things like regressing in age or spontaneously floating as if the gravity wasn't working.

[scanninggaydis]

Biological changes.

[Is it weird that he doesn't sound like he doesn't believe her? Especially on the regressing in age thing. And he doesn't sound more angry, though he still sounds firm.]

What about observed changes in mental state?

[passingthrough]

[New arrival, she'll let him have his reactions—angry, firm or otherwise. It's a rough time.] I only observed them when we tried to remove the thing, but I've only been here a few months.

[scanninggaydis]

Has anyone else collected data on that sort of thing?

[passingthrough]

Possibly. Not someone I can direct you to.

[scanninggaydis]

Alright. Thanks anyway.

[passingthrough]

Done with me already? [She sounds lightly amused.]

What's your name?

[scanninggaydis]

[Nah he's just upset and therefore not the most chatty. But, okay, pleasantries.]

Felix Gaeta. What about you?

[passingthrough]

Kitty Pryde. I've been here since the beginning of February. It's the beginning of June now if you're keeping score.

What kind of place were you in before? In as much as one can describe something like that.

[scanninggaydis]

It was...basically an interdimensional prison camp. Masquerading as a summer camp.

[That sounds weird, and his voice is wry, but also he gets the distinct feeling that this is a little bit like Camp. Less barrier, though, more...spaceship.]

Before that, though, I was part of a different space fleet.

[passingthrough]

[Weird, but not entirely unexpected. Less strange to her than the cuddling to save the universe world.]

Mine was an interdimensional prison experimenting on us masquerading as a prison that was trying to rehabilitate us. [At least that's her takeaway from it all.]

The summer camp theme seems interesting.

[scanninggaydis]

A prison masquerading as a prison? Novel. I kind of got the impression that we were being experimented on too.

[Nothing else explains all the weird circumstances. Except absolute pointlessness, but that's a pretty grim conclusion to come to. Too grim.]

It was kind of okay, if you didn't include the zombies. Or the attempts at emotional trauma.

[passingthrough]

I used to think they were being dishonest with us, but then I came here and looking back the prison theme was sort of refreshingly honest.

I had a zombie roommate for awhile back there. I'm guessing yours were more the "braaaaaaaains" kind though. How long were you there?

[scanninggaydis]

Definitely the, uh, "braaaains" kind. Not as dangerous as they could be, though. Apparently. And....three years. What about you?

[passingthrough]

Just under a year. Though, recently, I've been wondering if time was different there. It felt so much longer. Makes time here feel fast to me. [7:1 games, lol]

[scanninggaydis]

I wouldn't be entirely surprised. Where we were, time worked differently inside the barrier versus outside it.

[passingthrough]

How so? [Curious.]

[scanninggaydis]

It was as if it didn't pass in the outside world. I had a collegue who arrived about two and a half years after I did, and he was completely surprised when I told him how long I'd been there. It was absolutely impossible, from his perspective.

That's not how it worked for you? That's not how it works here?

[A tiny bit of worry creeps into his voice. He has a young girl who is going to be very let down, if time moves normally everywhere. She's going to think he's dead or he got stuck...this isn't good.]

[passingthrough]

People can come before or after your time without knowing you've been missing. I'm not sure if it's more time slowing or more nearly identical parallel worlds or memory adjustments or [She waves her hand dismissively.] who knows.

In the last place I was at we were told dopplegangers of us would go live a less criminal life in our place and that's why no on would be aware we were missing. [Which made the least sense to her.]

action;

[angelherding]

[she's bored, so she's lurking around, in between responses to her own broadcast. When she spots Felix and overhears what he's saying, well -

What else is she supposed to do?]

Find out anything interesting yet? Inquiring minds wish to know.

[scanninggaydis]

[He's been aware that there are a few other people in here with him, but honestly the augment's been taking up most of his concentration. Even now, he's got one hand on his neck, fingers pressed up against it.

Now he looks up, eyes slightly narrowed...but he just shrugs.]

We might turn back into kids.

[angelherding]

I was never a kid.

[maybe years and years ago, when she was human, sure - but that was so long ago she doesn't remember a damn thing about it. Nor does she care to remember] But you enjoy your childhood if that happens. Kids like space.

[scanninggaydis]

Unless the kids are used to space.

[Okay no that's a lie, he liked space even as a kid who semi-regularly traveled through it. He's just being difficult because he's unhappy. Misery loves company.

The first part doesn't make him suspicious exactly, though he does file it away. That could be metaphorical or it could be something else. He's really been trying not to jump to conclusions lately.]

[angelherding]

Well, then if that's the case you're just shit out of luck, aren't you.

[whyever would you be suspicious she's just a Normal Girl]

[scanninggaydis]

[He's just gesturing to the Hospitality Deck around them.]

I think that's kind of obvious. We all are.

[angelherding]

I've never been in space, I don't count myself out of luck yet.

[that and she was incredibly dead before she woke up here. She feels super lucky]

[scanninggaydis]

[How lucky for you, wanting not to be dead....

(Okay no he's like....40% okay with being alive. Except that the small child who finally made him decide to be kind of okay with it isn't here right now so!!)

Felix just...looks at her, critically.]

I wouldn't say that a space adventure via kidnapping was ideal, but whatever makes you happy.

[angelherding]

It's better than rotting on some abandoned warehouse property.

[she says it with a smirk and her usual sass, so surely she's joking.

. . . right??]

[scanninggaydis]

[Absolutely.

Except he pauses, and a little bit of his pessimism drains away. He's still eyeing her, but it's less critical somehow.]

...Yeah. I mean, probably.

[It could be hellish, u don't know.]

[angelherding]

[she arches an eyebrow, as if challenging him to say anything further on the matter]

Oh no, definitely. And now we're on a reality show. All my dreams are coming true.

[scanninggaydis]

[Nah, it cool, he withheld the fact that he's dead from everyone he knew for like...half a year. It is not a matter he's pushing.

A reality show. Right. He hasn't gotten that explanation yet so...he frowns a little. Of course. Then his expression goes back to wry.]

Yeah? Well, congratulations then. Definitely an exciting way for it to happen.

[angelherding]

I can look past the kidnapping if it means Real World in space.

[and I mean, she's alive now, and there's no reason to look a gift horse in the mouth. She was rather attached to living]

[scanninggaydis]

You're a bigger person than I am, then.

[Mmm okay, they've probably been talking long enough that some sort of basic social niceties are in order. He stands up, and drops his hand from his neck to hold it out to her.]

Felix Gaeta.

[angelherding]

Or I just have my priorities out of order.

[hahaha being a bigger person, being a person, etc. But she steps closer to take the offered hand, shaking it]

Meg Masters.

[scanninggaydis]

I was trying to be generous.

[He says that with a smirk, but it's not necessarily a mean smirk. It just is what it is.]

Nice to meet you. Well. Relatively.

[angelherding]

So I noticed.

And the pleasure's all mine, Felix. [she says it as if it's both true and she's being sarcastic]

[scanninggaydis]

Well, I'm flattered you think that.

So, what's your first impression of space?

[angelherding]

I don't see any sexy aliens, and I'm incredibly disappointed.

[you asked]

[scanninggaydis]

I hate to break it to you, but we didn't have sexy aliens where I'm from either.

[He regrets asking.]

[angelherding]

[as he should.

She mock-gasps and puts a hand over her heart]

Don't tell me the television lied to me about sexy aliens. I don't know if my heart can take it.

[universal_charm]

_{[ It's cool, bro, no one should be particularly calm in this situation, but he gives you points for not outwardly panicking or freaking out. He knows how much that takes. ]}

It's not so much altering memories as it is force feeding you information. But as I'm sure you've heard, it can cause other... effects. We've been having a rash of things called 'glitches' recently, with some interesting side-effects.

this is so laaaate i'm sorry

[scanninggaydis]

I've heard about regressing in age and loss of gravity, do you have any other examples?

[He can't imagine that these implants can't be used to mess with who a person is, it's just down to seeing whether it's happened yet.]

it's all good

[universal_charm]

Well, I think there's one guy that's had a... personality adjustment, maybe? He went from talking about diving into the network to suddenly being like a crazy infomercial. It was weird, and I assume to do with the augments.

Other than that, I don't have to many more examples. I've only been here about three or four months myself, so my experiences are a bit more limited as of yet.