002; video

[beathach]

Who: Hank McCoy and Erik Lehnsherr
Broadcast: fleetwide
Action: crashed ship
When: today!

[when the feed opens, the network is gifted with the bickering of two men]

I don't see why you can't do this.

[Erik is the one visible on screen, and he doesn’t look pleased about it at all. He jerks his chin towards the wall next to him, irritated.]

Because it’s your idea, and I don’t want to.

[the huff that follows is a little on the growly side]

I’m here to open paths, not send out messages. [As if to punctuate this point, Erik turns away from the camera and swipes his hand through the air. The metal wall crumples to the side with a shriek, curling up on itself like a ringpull.

The camera shifts off of Erik with a muttered "show off" to the plant life spilling out of the side of the hull, and a clawed, blue foot comes into frame to poke at a nearby pumpkin]

In any case - Erik and I are at the crashed ship, if anyone would like us to bring some of these back. If you're interested, feel free to message one of us.

As for the ship - if anyone else is planning to come out here, be careful. There's ways into the ship, but it has been here a while, so it's falling apart. We'll try to get some information about the signal while we're here, though so far we haven't had much luck.

[the camera moves back to Erik]

Do you have anything you want to add?

[Erik’s mostly occupied with pointing his flashlight into the gloom of the area beyond the wall. He does give a curt response.]

No requests for pumpkins bigger than the usual Earth-size.

Comments

[exothermia]

You wanted me to speak to the Fleet on your behalf.

[beathach]

That isn't outlandish, Erik.

[exothermia]

It is because of why you don't want to do it yourself, Hank.

[He gets his knife out and sets to work cutting one of the vines looping around the floor.]

[beathach]

[he frowns and leans back, glancing over. Ah, yes, this argument]

It isn't as bad as it used to be. [at least, Erik knows that much. When the mansion was destroyed, he was stuck like this until he could make more of the serum. But it was different at the school]

I would've spoken up regardless.

[exothermia]

[Erik knows that, hence his lack of fire on the subject. Being asked to pose a question on video to the network though rankled him; he had come to enjoy being out in the forest with only Hank around, only to be asked to put himself out there when he had no intention of doing so.]

You could have done it as a voice call.

[beathach]

[the first comment to comes to mind would only add fire to the non-argument they're having. And maybe ten years ago he would've done that, but now it's different. There's no point, and Erik's right.

So instead he makes an agreeing noise, and turns his attention back to the hole]

Mm, I could have. I apologize.

[exothermia]

[Spending years in hiding himself has dulled his arguments, somewhat. It isn't that he feels any different - just that he has a more personal understanding of the other side now. His own reasons for lying low weren't so much related to what he was, as who he was.

Erik sets aside one of the vines, which has flowers budding on it.]

Well, it's too late now.

[beathach]

[a little dryly] I'm still apologizing.

[he decides to leave the inside of the ship for later, since Erik seems a bit preoccupied with the plants. He heads for one of the larger pumpkins]

I can't even take a guess at how long all of this has been here.

[exothermia]

It takes years for this kind of reclamation by forest to happen. [Erik's seen buildings overtaken by vines and grass, long abandoned by those who had lived there. For it to happen to a ship, all metal, means an even longer period.]

A lot of it is corroded.

[beathach]

[he hums a little in agreement. It didn't help that the plants didn't grow normally, either, so he couldn't take a guess that way, either]

Can you tell what kind of metal it is?

[exothermia]

Not really. It's all alloys, and too degraded to get much from. The ships have never been that easy to work out.

[beathach]

[carefully, he lays a hand on one of the larger pumpkins, rolling it to the side some to look it over. But he pauses at what Erik says and lets out a snort]

I guess I can't be too surprised. I think you mentioned something like that once, about the ships.

[exothermia]

There are parts of them I can't sense. It's either not made of metal, or I'm blocked from it. This ship... feels the same, to some extent, but so much of it has rusted and broken that it's difficult to say.

[beathach]

Mmm. It could be both - that it isn't metal and you're blocked, considering. [neither of them were strangers to trying to break in on the Marsiva, after all] I'll take a sample back and test it, for curiosity's sake.

[exothermia]

There's no shortage of that. [Sheathing his knife, Erik gets back to his feet.] I'm interested to know what else could be left here. Anything that could be useful; parts, gadgets.

[beathach]

[setting the pumpkin back down carefully, he nods and steps back over to the hole]

I doubt we'll find anything intact, but I'd be interested to see what could find, too.

[exothermia]

[Erik wraps the vine up in the carry bag he brought with him, before joining Hank at the wall.]

It's worth looking. Isn't that why you wanted to come out here in the first place?

[beathach]

Mm, that and the signal itself.

[he reaches into the hole again to grab a piece of metal hanging low enough, and pulls himself through, careful not to step on the plant life spilling out]

[exothermia]

The signal could just be a ploy. After all, it's clear no one's been here in a long time.

[Erik steps over the threshold himself, getting his flashlight out again. He switches it on and lights up the path to the left, then the right. Both ways are choked with moss and vines, and Erik can sense the ragged walls along side. Some of them would crumble at a touch.]

[beathach]

I know.

[he pulls out his own flashlight, then goes still, head tilted as he listened. The people who owned the ship are long gone, he knows. But that didn't mean something else didn't take up residence. After a moment, he glances over to Erik]

Which way, do you think?

[exothermia]

[Erik tilts his head and expands his magnetic sense, feeling the resonance of dozens upon dozens of metal pieces all around. After a moment, he looks to the right, nodding in that direction.]

This way leads more towards the centre. Further down.

[beathach]

[nodding, Hank flicks his flashlight on] All right.

[he starts off first, stepping carefully. Half because of Erik's comments about how deteriorated the ship is, half because he's technically barefoot. The last thing he needs is a piece of metal through his foot]

Not a lot of people want a pumpkin, so far. [is the idle comment he makes to fill the silence]

[exothermia]

Good. [Erik picks his way through the undergrowth behind Hank, keeping his flashlight on the walls.] There are better things to harvest from that pile, in any case.

[beathach]

It's the season, Erik. [is his dry response. He keeps his light forward, but glances over his shoulder briefly] Like what?

[exothermia]

Do I seem like someone who's ever celebrated Halloween? [Don't be so American. Erik lifts a hand and removes a cross beam that had fallen across the path ahead.] Smaller vegetables and fruits. Even a normal pumpkin takes up a lot of space - I'd rather try to take something we could grow in the ship.