driftfleet | Chapter Twelve [Video]

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Chapter Twelve [Video]

Who: Richard Castle and you
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Windrose, if desired
When: February 11th

[When Castle flicks on the video, he's projecting a veneer of calm... very badly, because one can hear an edge of panic in his voice.]

Ha, ha, ha! I don't mean to alarm anybody, but I bought myself one of those spiffy augment upgrades. I picked fire, because who doesn't want to be red hot, am I right? But, enhh... [He holds up his left palm, which has a small but persistent flame on the center.] I can't seem to turn it off. Does anybody here have experience with fire powers? And should it really be this powerful when I've only bought the first level...?

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[Castle crossed his arms.]

... I'm not sure that would suit me, to be honest with you. Like we've demonstrated, I'm not a big combatant, and I feel like that would place some responsibility on me I'm not sure I'm fit to handle.

Just a thought, but I understand that. Wouldn't be comfortable switching to something where I felt like my natural skills wouldn't compliment it like........cooking. [The others all kind of fit actually.]

Exactly. I'm a man of the pen and not the sword. But it was a good thought nonetheless. And I know getting the extra knowledge would help, but it couldn't replace experience.

No. [But it would strap massive guns to the outside of the ship where they need them in case someone else attacks from space. Boarding parties they can deal with, but that? They're sitting ducks with no shields and no weapons. But the augment is a personal choice and there are some she wouldn't want even if she were inclined toward them. She hates the thing as it is anyway.]

I can work with you on the flame too. I used to teach other mutants with powers different from mine too. I don't know if it will work the same, but adapting was what we did.

I'd appreciate that. Because I wouldn't want to burn the ship down until I have more control... even though it's been localized to my palm for the time being, thankfully.

Definitely. Save burning the ship down for when you're fully controlling it.

Do you know how you triggered it?

Well, I'd been trying to heat a cup of water, you know, just to see how hot I could get it. Then the flames burst. So it was normal usage, I suppose I'd call it.

Hmm. Hazards of a new power I guess. [She doesn't know what's normal for the augment powers.] I used to fall through the floor a lot.

... oh, jeez. Oh, JEEZ. I'd be scared out of my wits if something like that happened to me.

But fire is totally fear free?

Touche. I think I'd take fire over sinking into the floor, though. Not a fan of that "stuck in a confined space" feeling.

So, you must love spaceships.

I actually think of my power the opposite way though. Nothing confines me. I can walk through any lock or door or barricade. I might see an obstacle with my eyes, but I just move right through it like it's not there. Which makes it more annoying if I can't for some reason. [Not a fear exactly, but certainly a deep and powerful frustration.]

It's not too bad on here- all the windows help. But sinking through the ground, ugh.

[He then nods.]

That's a pretty good outlook to have about it, though. Once you get the hang of using it... no door's an actual door. Unless, of course, you live on the Drift Fleet, since I can imagine they've found some way to restrict your powers here, right?

Mmm...I don't short out the Atroma electronics by passing through them. Otherwise it's been pretty much the same. Which is almost a good thing. I can phase on the ship more freely without accidentally knocking out navigation or life support.

And we're all grateful for that. Wish there was a way for you to disrupt them, though- or at least knock out these stupid augments.

If it helps...I tried knocking out the augments and removing the augments. It went...very badly.

So I've heard- people have tried and it's always ended badly. Guess they go to great lengths to make sure they can keep the leash on us, so to speak.

Seems like it. They make it bad enough it's hard to want to try a second time.

Maybe that's a reason to keep trying, but... I also have a lot more to lose now.

... yeah, now that you mention it, all of us who've been here for a while do. Even if we've been separated from home for a long time, we've made connections here. [He can take a wild guess that she's referring to Winn in particular.] Some that are deep.

[Definitely Winn. Others too. Kurt. Her crew. The Tourist crew. Other mutants. Other friends.] Yeah. I don't mind the separated part so much for me. It's the losing this that gets scary. [And considering the things she's faced in life for this to scare her is saying something.]

And if we do find a way to escape Atroma, well... it makes the question of whether or not we'd go home a bit less clear-cut, too. I'm not the same person I was when I left... if I'm even still alive, which is still up in the air.

[She nods, remembering that discussion.] I wish I knew how it all worked and how to cheat the system. I spent so long in MarinaNova trying to figure that out and never getting anywhere unless it was to more questions. Saying "anything is possible" feels true and extremely unhelpful.

And that's the problem, isn't it? Even now, with the... [He hesitates, never knowing who might be listening in, and says carefully:] Even if we have some glimmer of hope for escape, we have to be discreet, which is hard when we're allegedly being watched. It's like they've planned for every possible contingency.

The augment is a killer trump card. But even the most impenetrable places get broken into and even the mightiest fall eventually.

Mmhmm. If they really have been going at this for a while, I doubt that nobody has ever found a way to outsmart them. And they're not perfect. They'll show a crack we can exploit. Some sort of loophole we can pull on.