(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.

video;

[unbearablynaive]

[For once, the Vision looks unreservedly happy. Yes, he's aware it's most likely not the same version of her that had been here before, and that there's an equally likely chance she doesn't even know who he is from back home - and yet it's good to see her nonetheless.]

You're welcome to dinner aboard my ship any time you should desire it, Agent Romanoff. Though I'm certainly not claiming responsibility.

[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]

Vision.

[In one word, she confirms that she does know him, but that she didn't expect to see him—she doesn't know anything about his time here. Or her own.]

I'll keep that in mind. Not exactly the point, but I'll keep it in mind...

What are you doing here?

[unbearablynaive]

[He relaxes minutely enough that most others wouldn't catch it, but this is Natasha after all.]

Believe it or not, I've been here approximately a year, playing along with their "reality show". Wanda's been here slightly longer, but other relatively new arrivals include Captain Rogers, Mr. Stark, and Sam Wilson.

We're quite popular, it seems.

[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]

[Natasha catches the change, subtle as it is. She notes it, but doesn't ask about it just now.]

That changes a lot.

[She frowns, working through these new pieces, trying to fit them together in her head.]

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't glad to have you at my back, but I don't see how that's possible.

[unbearablynaive]

[His brow quirks up.]

Because I've not been missing for a year? There's something of a time differential in play. They're certainly capable of pulling us from different points in time, as well as different timelines altogether.

For example, Agent Peggy Carter is also here, from the year 1947.

text

[theboogieman]

[he doesn't respond with video--even though she would recognize him faster that way, he doesn't like flashing his skull-face all over the network if he doesn't have to. text it is, and the message comes in a little later than the initial reactions.]

do you remember being here before?

[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]

[There's a long pause before Natasha responds—for a moment, she considers not responding at all. What was she even supposed to say to that?

How did she respond without tipping her hand and revealing that she's missing something in the context here? The longer she waited, the less it seemed like she could ignore it entirely though.

Finally the answer:]

I think you have the wrong person

[outstandingbalance]

[His explanation... well, it doesn't exactly make sense. It's internally consistent? It would explain how he could have been here for a year when by her timeline he shouldn't have been alive that long.

That doesn't make it less to wrap her head around.]

This sounds like it's getting a little above my pay grade.

[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. ]}