driftfleet | 04

Who: Winn and you!
Broadcast: y!
Action: on the Tourist!
When: August 2nd

[ some of you may have noticed that winn has been uncharacteristically quiet for the past...16 days. he's not really sure how to address the elephant in the room - he knows these two weeks and change have been hard on the people he loves but for him it's like no time has passed and the dissonance is hard to bridge.

it's a good thing he has a not at all unhealthy coping mechanism set in place. ]

You know, if we're entertainment on a reality show, the least they can do is give us like a recap - you know your basic [ in a tv announcer impression ] here's what you missed on the Fleet - or - last week, on the young and the Drifting - [ he rubs the back of his head before shaking it ] Well, maybe talking about the 'least they can do' isn't such a great plan...first order of business - what'd I miss? Second order of business - if you or anyone you know has ever fallen into an unexplained sleep here or at any other kidnappy world - I'd appreciate it if you'd answer a couple questions, they're a text attachment at the bottom. Sorry if it's been done before, I'll gladly take a link to any previous research as well as fresh data. Third order of business -- hi. [ he gives the camera a little wave and a nervous chuckle ] Um. Yeah, I'm, I'm fine, I should've opened with that but if you know me the order isn't really gonna surprise you that much and if you don't you're probably really confused right now and looking for the off button - it's to your right, right on top, there you go.

That's it, I guess....good morning, Drifters - don't forget to drink your coffee! Winn out -

[ except he's not all the way out. hank and cisco each get the following message to their personal numbers ]

I need to discuss something in person. My place? [ he can't really leave kitty yet ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ there's instant relief and a grateful smile ]

Not me, that's for sure - something's been bugging me since I first woke up on the Marsiva and somehow I've managed not to figure it out til now but - they messed with my pop culture knowledge I'm like - 99% sure of it.

[ and that's personal. ]

We gotta keep this in house, though, I'm thinking just - you, me and Hank, at least til we have something substantial. No point putting anyone else at risk, right?

--- dude, that's harsh.

[ those jackasses. it's one thing to throw them all here and take away good food and movies but to hurt their pop culture knowledge? what the hell? ]

Nerd Squad Secret Operation - I am digging it!

I knew I could count on you, man.

[ a smiling high five ]

Thank you. Alright so -- wanna see what I've been thinking?

[ he picks up one of his notebooks, and opens it up to a page full of scribbles ]

-- we have got to remember to get you out, dude.

[ he takes a peek at those scribbles which ok, really cool on the one hand but on the other, far too much work boarding on being far too much invested. Barry could get like it too; Cisco still remembers the happy days that were trying to find out who was the man in the yellow suit. ]

before we get to the part where you grow a beard and start scribbling on walls.

Tried the beard thing in the coma thing, it itches.

[ he's not even gonna try to deny that cisco is right - he's completely obsessed and he knows it. he works all the time, at all hours, but it's not his social life that's the main victim here - it's his sleep. ]

I think they're all connected - all he kidnapping pocket dimensions or whatever you wanna call them. And I think...it could be none of them are real. Think about it, what's easier? Trapping us all in a very vivid virtual reality or suppressing so many different powers in just the right ways that none of them can escape, making an augment that has the same influence on your brain chemistry no matter what species you are? It doesn't add up, I know the Atroma are powerful but all power has its limits and that's not how science works I don't care what corner of the multiverse they crawled out of...

[ it's something that people in Cisco's life have a tendency to do when they are bothered. Caitlin lost herself in work after Ronnie, Barry slept little when the man in the yellow suit reappeared and Harry - well. Harry is the biggest workaholic Cisco ever met. ]

I don't know man, I mean even that would require an immense amount of power and their setbacks can still be a thing. I mean, I was talking about that to some people the other day, they think they send people back because they can only have so many of us here at the same time, power-wise.

[ he frowns a little ]

I think my - vibe would go nuts if we were trapped in another reality.

That's just it - no it wouldn't. How do you suppress such a range of abilities? You go in people's heads and convince them they're not working. If you go in people's heads and do that - why can't you go in there and make them live and experience a whole other reality? It's a hell of a lot easier than inventing devices to cross the inter dimensional barrier that many times, pull out exact people, exact things, at the exact times. Physically controlling this many different abilities - what the hell kind of chip functions the same on humans, meta humans, mutants, ponies, aliens and whatever else they got here? How can they just physically transform your body overnight? Doesn't it make so much more sense that they just make you think your body's different? That sounds like it takes a lot less power to me -

You can drain someone's superpower, well, speed-force, anyway, Caitlin said Zoom managed it somehow. Never asked her about the details.

[ she seemed too traumatized to tell ]

they might have a way but if they do, it's one hell of a machine.

But drain all different superpowers just enough to keep them from messing with your containment machinery? It's way too convoluted, man. Occam's razor.

I don't know, man. Things are not really constant here. I mean, for other people, this is their second trip in a world that isn't theirs. I mean, for Hermione, she lived for a long time in a world she was taken to even before the Atroma happened.

[ which Cisco thinks is not human. hermione granger without magic is never something that should happen. ]

I mean, obviously the Atroma aren't the only ones out there doing the thing. I think that in order to solve this one we might have to analyze the experiences of everyone on the fleet.

Or they are - that's exactly my theory. All these worlds -- could be connected. An infinite multiverse to pluck victims from, and the Atroma chooses to take people from other impenetrable pocket dimensions? Nah, man. I don't buy it.

[ there are too many commonalities here for it to be a coincidence. ]

Totally on it - [ digging around his mountain of notes, he finally finds the one he's looking for ] check it - I got all the information of everyone I talked to about those other kidnapping worlds. You got duration, experiences, the works.

-- I got the goggles from the tree. Vibe's that is. which, ok, they're mine but still.

[ it's not overly anxious to use them though if it gives Winn some peace of mind ]

I could try and experiment. See what I can vibe here. I'm not sure it'll give me anything but it's worth a shot.

Yeah -- yeah it is.

[ he pats cisco's shoulder and gives it a squeeze, he appreciates what cisco being willing to do that means. he's so proud of his nerdbro right now. ]

It may not work, but even that's a clue.

Right.

[ why does it always, always get down to the vibes? why couldn't he be a speedster? :( ]

I'll need to clear my brain and try not to be too terrified.

[ he's not really sure he's ready to witness what the Atroma has planned. ]

Anything I can do? [ knowing is better than not knowing, being caught by surprise. ]

-- Yeah. Work out a day and time and get me a large beer and about twenty bags of chips.

[ firm nod ]

Can do!

[ he nods ]

I can even get you cake.

I think I'll need every comfort food this fleet has if it does succeed. if he doesn't - well. I'll just have twenty bags of chips, a beer and - cake.

[ he really sort of hopes it'll work but it's also the scariest of the options ]

I got you covered, I'm very good hero support, just ask Kara.

[ he's not a fan of having to put his friend through this, but what other choice do they have? ]

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