ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ's ɴᴏ ᴇxᴘʟᴏsɪᴏɴs ʜᴇʀᴇ ( ᴏᴘᴇɴ )

[perfecting]

Who: Nancy Wheeler + you!
Broadcast: no
Action: heron, iskaulit
When: all through march.



( A; Heron - Arrival )

[ The new arrival can't be more than seventeen-years old. Carrying a school bag, pins in her hair, wearing a pale pair of jeans and red jacket above her sweater. Nancy looks like a high-school girl on the way to her locker.

She had given those who had seen her arrival a little tight smile before slinking off. She never really had the new-school jitters. In Hawkins, everyone knew everyone since they were children. Nancy knew the kids in her high school since pre-school. She never really had to deal with so many strangers before.

She finds a room and places her bag, takes out her books an pencil-box. It's far from her room but it's still better than the Marsiva.

If you pass by her room, you might notice the door is open. If she sees you, she'll get up and call out, a hesitant and yet certain, 'hey'. ]

( B; Heron - nights )

[ the new security officer doesn't really sleep. She tries, however. Nancy lies in the dark and closes her eyes and manages a little sleep but in the end, it's always the same. She hears a terrible growl, sees a dark, cold world and a faceless monster and wakes up gasping.

You might find her wandering at odd hours, making herself tea in the kitchen, going to sit in the shuttle bay or in the armory, reading one of her study books, writing names of people and worlds and terms in a notebook she names FLEET. ]

( C; iskaulit )

[ when she learns the truth of her destined job, she accepts it without a fuss.

It gives her easy access to what she wanted since her arrival, weapons. She places the broken piece of glass she armed herself with on the Marsiva beneath her pillow and goes to the armory.

Instinct leads her to a handgun and she takes it with her, hidden in her jacket pocket. She knows better than to try and use it inside the ship. She goes through the network, reading files and messages until she finds what she's looking for.

She knows nothing about this world but she had seen enough to let herself think she might not need to use one again. It's harder on her own, harder without Jonathan and their conversations but she pushes nerves aside. This isn't any different than shooting cans and it is certainly easier than shooting -

the thing. the monster.

It's the monster she thinks about when she enters the firing range. No beast that she has ever heard of is one of its kind. If there is one, there is another. if there is another than this time, Nancy Wheeler is going to be prepared for it when it comes.

She looks up at the lights, draws a breath when they remain steady, not a single flicker.

It's just me, she thinks, it doesn't like the light.

She thinks about the monster, she thinks about what it had done to Barb ( there is a scream in her head, dead, dead! ) and pulls the trigger once and then again and again and once more.

The noise doesn't startle her, her hand remains steady. Some people are fine dancers or singers. Nancy Wheeler is a good shot. Sixteen years old in jeans and a sweater, she loads more bullets and tries again. ]

Comments

[perfecting]

Wow.

[ she has to smile a bit an add ]

There was only one school in my town. It's not bad but, yours is probably very special.

[ she looks own at her notebook and markers. ]

It was sort of important. I guess it still is. I've already started but my notes got left at home so I'm sort of starting over. Maybe I can still finish it by Monday.

[ meeting deadlines seem to be important, even in space. ]

[axiomed]

Oh, it's one of a kind.

[ Charles starts the kettle. ]

In my day, it was rather crucial to learn. But we were barely came out of World War II in one piece. Learning our history was vital.

[perfecting]

I guess it still is.

[ in a way. there are things books and facts and flashcards can't help with. there was the monster and barb and a dark world inside a tree. it needed a different sort of preparation. however, nancy always appreciated school, the chances it provided, a way out of Hawkins and the known course in the life of a suburbian girl. ]

I mean. Maybe it'll always be, right?

[ eager to do something, help - she reaches for a cup and offers it to him. ]

Here.

[axiomed]

I think it always will be. I haven't seen anything that says otherwise.

[ No matter how many alien worlds are out there, gods and monsters, Charles will always believe there's more to life than the next fight and survival. That building a future should start with the self.

He takes the cup gratefully. ]

Thank you.

[perfecting]

That's comforting. I mean. Some things are true even here.

[ so few things make sense to her about this situation. ]

Of course.

[ she smiles and looks down at her book. ]

So. A first mate. What's that like?

[axiomed]

A lot of work.

[ Which Charles is used to. Work makes it easier to cope, to distract himself. ]

I'm also one of the communications officers so I manage that as well as take care of the lab in my spare time.

[perfecting]

That must fill the time.

[ without school and without - chasing the thing, she is left with her thoughts and her fears. She can appreciate the need to fill the hours, distract the mind. ]

What does a communication officer do?

[axiomed]

I try to.

[ He rubs his chin thoughtfully. ]

Mostly I monitor and encrypt communications if necessary, which makes it easier to talk to the rest of the Fleet.

[perfecting]

The other ships.

[ her smile is wry when she confesses, ]

The armory appeared when I did so I guess I'm in charge of that.

[axiomed]

[ She seems young for security, but age means little on the Fleet. ]

Are you all right with that? Being security.

[perfecting]

I don't mind. They're just guns.

[ but she seems to realize how it sounds and she hurries off to explain, adopts Jonathan's story as her own. ]

My dad would take us hunting twice a year.

[ even if it were true, Nancy assumes he would only take Mike. A woman handling a weapon - she almost smiles when she thinks how Hawkins would take to that. ]

[axiomed]

[ He nods. ]

There are certainly people your age who are proficient in fire arms. I'm sorry if that came off as condescending.

[perfecting]

It didn't. It's -

[ she shakes her head. is it all going to be a mixture of lies and truth from now on? she chooses to stick to the more truthful side of the story. ]

Where I come from it's mostly a thing for boys, hunting, weapons.

[axiomed]

[ It takes him a few minutes to parse that. Mostly because 99% of the women Charles seem to know are the ones handling firearms. ]

I keep forgetting that.

[perfecting]

I guess it means I would have liked being a girl in your world.

[ she doesn't bite back the smile, not this time. ]

[axiomed]

That or I was always fortunate enough to know extraordinary women.

[ He smiles back, pleased to see she's settling. ]

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.

[perfecting]

There are many of them, only - not all of them give that impression, at first.

[ she thinks about Eleven, about her shaved hair and how she wore nancy's old dress and the things she could do. ]

I - I wasn't sure if we have a schedule or?

[ it feels silly, a question a child might ask an adult. ]

I mean, are we expected to get up early or - is there a curfew? How do we know when to work and when to get out? do...we know, any of that?

[axiomed]

[ Rubbing his chin, Charles deliberates on that. On a team, there would be schedules, though nothing fixed or exacting. ]

As far as I know, we don't. The Heron has always had fairly responsible members involved so the ship has always run smoothly.

[ Barring the few exceptions, of course. ]

You're welcome to interpret as you like. Certainly neither the Captain or myself expect you to be guarding the ship all the time.

[perfecting]

Who - will I be guarding it from?

[ she tries, tries very, very hard not to sound nervous as she asks this. mike would have thought this was all very brilliant but nancy has done her fair share of monster hunting. if she can avoid that, all the better.

if not, then at the very least, she's experienced. ]

[axiomed]

[ The thread of fear easily slips into Charles' mind. He absorbs this quietly, giving a measured response. ]

Most likely? Nothing in particular. We had an attack from pirates a month ago, but I don't foresee that happening again.

[perfecting]

Pirates?

[ she arches an eyebrow, testing if he's joking.

he's not. ]

What were they going to steal?

[axiomed]

Anything they could get their hands on.

Unfortunately, they couldn't get their hands on much.

[perfecting]

You fought them off?

[ oh but does she look charmed by the idea. pirates > monsters, right? ]

[axiomed]

[ He smiles. ]

No. I merely suggested they rethink their position on stealing.

[ And Charles' suggestions tend to take. ]

[perfecting]

[ she narrows her eyes, half amused, half suspicious. ]

That's the whole story?