[video]

[arfvader]

Who: Ravi Chakrabarti and YOU
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: HS Marsiva
When: Pre-shuffle!

[When Ravi wakes up in a completely unfamiliar bunk, his first thought is that he's been whisked back to the zombie camp with the unmentionable name and is about to have a bevy of overenthusiastic, purple gorilla nurses descend upon him. But as the minutes tick by uneventfully, he decides to brave the unknown to explore his surroundings and - despite the perplexities of his current situation - is visibly delighted by everything he sees. When he finally gets the hang of the communicator, his hands are actually shaking from the excitement of it all, making his image a little blurry onscreen.]

Apparently I'm in space! Which is actually pretty bloody brilliant! It's a definite upgrade from my previous zombie camp escapade, let me tell you, but I have so many questions!

[He looks like he's about to start rambling for hours on end, but manages to visibly reel himself in first. It's probably best to start with the basics.]

I'm Dr. Ravi Chakrabarti and I suppose this makes me a new member of this fleet, if there is a fleet. Which I'm pretty sure there is since I'm just about one hundred percent certain I could see other ships from the viewing area.

[A huge grin breaks out over his face as he mentally processes this again.]

I'm part of a fleet and I'm broadcasting in space! I mean, look, I'm obviously not thrilled about being displaced from home again, but if it has to happen, at least I'm on an actual, honest-to-God spaceship! And if anyone can provide some information on why exactly I'm in space, I'd be much obliged. Don't get me wrong, I could only have ever dreamed about all this robotic medical equipment in the last place, but at least the gorilla nursing staff was a bit more communicative.

Comments

[video]

[arfvader]

Okay, but that's different! It's the fulfillment of a childhood dream, for one!

[video]

[passingthrough]

Why didn't you go for it back home?

[video]

[arfvader]

Because one of my other childhood dreams was being a doctor. And a magician. And a Power Ranger.

[video]

[passingthrough]

[Could be a hobby flyer? Okay, not the point.] Well, you'll definitely be able to fly a shuttle even if you don't get the pilot augment. How are the other two dreams working out for you and what's a Power Ranger?

[video]

[arfvader]

The Power Rangers? The uniformed team of teenagers called to protect the Earth from all sorts of unholy monsters with their wicked martial arts skills?

[video]

[passingthrough]

I don't think I've ever met any of them. [Perfectly serious. When society collapses it really does a number on pop culture references. Especially when that canon is from 1995 even if she isn't necessarily from then because comics!]

[video]

[arfvader]

Oh, well technically neither have I, since they were characters on a TV series that aired in the good ol' U.S. of A. when I was a kid.

[Although reason would have it that he could absolutely meet a Power Ranger here.]

[video]

[passingthrough]

Oh, right. Makes sense. [A team of uniformed teenage ninjas made perfect sense to her as a reality. Go figure.]

So what was home like? The one before the zombie camp.

[video]

[arfvader]

Pretty average, I'd say. Nothing seems particularly out of the ordinary, although I guess "ordinary" is going to vary from place to place.

[Sure, they've got zombies, but it's not exactly public knowledge nor is it his secret to tell.]

I mostly live out my existence as a medical examiner by day, and badass gamer by night!

[video]

[passingthrough]

You know we all have a different barometer for average, right? [As if she hadn't just asked him the vaguest most open-ended question ever. You get what you get!]

[video]

[arfvader]

Yeah, but we don't have anyone with special powers, for one thing. So that automatically makes my world more ordinary than yours, in my opinion.

[video]

[passingthrough]

What about talking ponies? Do you have that?

[video]

[arfvader]

In cartoon form, sure.

[video] omg we summoned a power ranger with our thread

[passingthrough]

Oh, you have so much to look forward to here.

[video] yyyeeeessss

[arfvader]

... there's a talking pony out there in the fleet, isn't there.

[video] hehe, what shall we summon next?

[passingthrough]

Not just one. [Smiiiiiiling.] Deal with this insanity that she deals with, Ravi.]

[video] castmates for meeee, obvs :D

[arfvader]

Can I just point out the fact that I'm not all that excited about this is a testament of my excellent moral character?

[video] hehe

[passingthrough]

It's being recorded for the official record, but I can't promise how it will stack up against everything else.

[video]

[arfvader]

I help solve murders! I feel like that automatically qualifies me for the "good person" column!

[video]

[passingthrough]

Yeah? I always just try to stop murders, but I guess that's nice too. [She was going for playfully snarky. She hopes it didn't strike a mean cord. So far she's putting him in the "person she enjoys" column.]

[video]

[arfvader]

Low blow, my friend, low blow. Not all of us can be superheroes, you know! Us common-folk have to achieve our good deeds in other ways!

[video]

[passingthrough]

Sorry.

People really like that term here. ["Superheroes" makes her uncomfortable. Super, sure. Hero? It feels like a term she can't live up to anymore. Not after some of the things she's done even if they were to save lives. The greater good.]

[video]

[arfvader]

[He can sense the shift in mood.]

If it's a term you don't like, I can drop it from my vocabulary immediately. I didn't mean to offend.

[video]

[passingthrough]

You really aim to please, don't you? [She smiles softly.] Don't worry about it. [It doesn't offend her. It just makes her a little uncomfortable like she doesn't deserve the praise.]

[video]

[arfvader]

I could try and deny it, but I doubt you'd buy it.

[He's relieved to see her smiling again though.]