(no subject)

[outstandingbalance]

Who: Natasha Romanoff & You
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Marsiva
When: 6/24

Video

[Transmission starts at the same moment the woman laying in fram shifts from unconsciousness to tense stillness—her eyes open, darting, and she goes tense, but otherwise there's no movement from her for the first four or five seconds. That seems to be how long it takes her to process that she's in an unfamiliar space with no memory of how she came to be lying there. Then one hand balls consciously into a fist. Her eyes flutter. Jaw tightens.

Natasha takes a deep breath and forces her body to relax muscle by muscle.

Seems like spies don't make for great entertainment when they first wake up. Not unless you find tension and veiled suspicious looks riveting. The first minute or two isn't much more than that. She wakes up. She sits up. She swings her legs over the edge of her cot and stretches her back, trying to flex the adrenaline out of her muscles.

She looks directly into the camera at one point, her expression flat, lips tightening in a frown. She taps the edge of the lens experimentally.]

You know, if you're gonna kidnap a girl you could at least buy her dinner first.

[Her voice is just a touch to defiant to be neutral as she speaks.

Then she hauls herself to her feet. The last thing caught on camera before the broadcast ends is a shot of her catsuited figure walking away.]

Comments

[ video ]

[universal_charm]

I'm not the one who did the kidnapping, but I'll buy you the dinner, if you like - once you get off the Marsiva.

_{[ He's trying to be funny, lighten the mood, because he knows how much this sucks Natasha. ]}

[outstandingbalance]

[His offer gets a sort of semi-automatic smile, reflexive and not especially sincere. She appreciates the effort though.]

Is that so? I'm not going to wake up in a strange bed afterward, am I? 'Cause I've had enough of that for a little while.

[universal_charm]

No, thankfully they usually do that when you're awake. Though the ship you will be on is a surprise. As I'm sure you've guess, Atroma is not very big on consulting us about decisions concerning us.

[outstandingbalance]

I am quickly getting that impression.

[The fake smile fades into something more neutral and somewhat resigned.]

I take it that's going to be a continuing theme with them? Can't say I'm a fan.

[universal_charm]

I wish I could tell you different - but I'm not a fan of sugar coating things like that. The other important thing to know is they've also added an Augment to you - a little piece of tech put into the back of your head. And before you try, removing it doesn't go well, so as much as it pains me to say it, it's best to leave it where it is for now.

[outstandingbalance]

The welcome just gets better and better, doesn't it?

[The info is worth having, though. At this point, Natasha can use all the intel she can get.]

Good to know.

You mentioned a ship before. Should I ask how that works first, or should I get your name?

Probably the name is the friendlier way to go.

[universal_charm]

Heh, and the easier. My name is Jim Kirk, current captain of the Tourist, and formerly of the Enterprise in my own world.

If it hasn't been said or you haven't seen - you're on a space ship right now. We all are - when we're not down on the current planet we make harbor at.

[outstandingbalance]

Well, Jim. It's as nice to meet you as it can be under the circumstances.

[Which, unfortunately, isn't saying a whole lot.]

I noticed the windows. A little hard to me.

I guess that's real, then.

[universal_charm]

Very. So no opening any doors to the outside. The other ships are a lot smaller, and you'll find yourself put up with a crew - and no, I can't tell you wish. It's seemingly random according to Atroma's whims. Once that happens, you can come down and start exploring the planet, if you want.

[outstandingbalance]

That shouldn't be too hard since I haven't seen any doors going outside so far.

[She's looked.]

I take it the smaller ships are different on that count too.

[universal_charm]

They aren't as nice, so just brace yourself for that. They're not terrible, but they definitely don't have as much room. The Iskaulit is the only ship no one permanently resides on. It's more of less the entertainment ship - library, gardens, bar, etcera.

[outstandingbalance]

I can handle roughing it a little. [And higher priorities than how comfortable the spaceships are. Like processing how to handle the fact she's on a spaceship in the first place.]

Thanks for the warning. At this point, I can use all the information I can get.

[universal_charm]

You're welcome. I know it's a lot to take in, especially if you're not from a world that's big on space travel.

If it helps, just remember there's a lot of us stuck in these boats together.

[outstandingbalance]

[She saw where he was going with that, but Natasha doesn't find that comforting. She'd rather not see more people being held captive—and sometimes it would be easier to work alone.

One of her shoulders lifts in a shrug. It wouldn't do much good to voice that.]

So what you're saying is we're all in this together.

[universal_charm]

More or less. None of us are here by choice, and I would say the vast majority are not staying by choice. I'm certainly not.

[outstandingbalance]

So it's no use asking how you get out.

[She figured as much, still bears saying.]

Are there people staying by choice?

[universal_charm]

Not as of yet. Atroma may not seemingly practice much oversight, but that is one thing it does take notice of. There's really just not enough data to form a real escape plan, in my opinion. I've never even heard of these sections of space before, and considering the different worlds we've all be pulled from I'm of the idea we're in a different dimension entirely.

_{[ He shrugged. ]}

I can't say for sure, but I don't think it's an unreasonable assertion. Not every world is a pleasant one, after all, and it would be... insurance, for Atroma, that even if we did find a way home, some people might not choose to go.

_{[ Like Westeros. It just sounded like a hot mess, to be honest, from what he's learned from Tyrion. ]}

[outstandingbalance]

I wouldn't call it unreasonable. Just another complication if it's something that's actually happened.

[She rolls his suspicions around a bit, but in the end, she doesn't know enough at this point to call one way or the other whether they fit the data. At the moment, it tells her more about him than it does about the fleet or the Atroma.]

So the score so far is no say in when we show up, no say where we're assigned, no idea how we leave one way or another, and no idea if we have a say in whether or not we stay.

[universal_charm]

Bluntly? Yes, that about sums it up.

[outstandingbalance]

At least I'm more or less up to speed.

[She's not. She's sure she's not. It's going to be quite a while before she's satisfied she's actually up to speed on what's going on here.

But it's a start.]

[universal_charm]

_{[ Sadly, Kirk would argue that you never feel quite up to speed. It's made worse by the fact they learn so little about the Fleet, it anything. Atroma guards such information jealously. ]}

I would give you more information, but I simply don't know it.

_{[ There's an implied sorry at the end. ]}

[outstandingbalance]

Mind if I ask how long you've been here? Just to get an idea what I'm in for.

[universal_charm]

I've been here for... three or four months now, but I'm still considered fairly new. Others had been here much longer than I have.

[outstandingbalance]

How much longer than you?

[The questions keep coming. She's not sorry for it, either.]

Just how long has this been going on? Has anyone been here since the beginning?

[universal_charm]

_{[ He doesn't seem to mind. He had asked a lot of questions too. ]}

I don't know about since the beginning, but I do know some people have been here over a year.