video, 01

[unbridles]

Who: John Laurens
Broadcast: Fleetwide video
Action: Aboard the Marsiva
When: Right the heck now.

[He wasn't expecting a bed. More to the point, he wasn't expecting to wake up at all; did someone wake up when they were dead? He's not sure. Well. At least he doesn't hurt after dying, though John can't remember it hurting much before, either. He sits up anyway, still clad in his continental uniform, now with a mysterious lack of bulletholes. In doing so, he jars the communicator nearby, and it falls to the floor with a clatter.]

Shit, what -- [Oh. Okay. There's a thing on the floor, he's surrounded by mysterious silvery walls, and he's trying not to panic. This is great. Maybe the thing will have some answers. So he picks up the comm and pokes at it, tentatively. That manages to activate the video, and behold, there's one seriously perplexed lieutenant colonel onscreen.]

--Um. Can anyone maybe tell me what the hell is goin' on? Is anyone there?

Comments

[norwaysown]

[ He doesn't have the engineered perfection of a Unioner -- doesn't act like one either -- but that doesn't mean Signy's about to lower her guard around him. He's not one of her crew, that's a certainty. If he's a potential ally, better to keep him close, and all the more so if he's a potential threat. ]

Then we should start there. I recommend we stick together.

I'm Signy Mallory. [ She pauses for a second, long enough to see if there's any flicker of recognition. Nearly everyone has heard of her, but the construction of this place, whether ship or station, doesn't look like anything she recognizes. ] Captain of the Norway.

[unbridles]

[Alright, he hasn't gotten yelled at for the 'ma'am' yet, so clearly his instincts are leading him in the right direction. Women in the military is weird, but he figures if he treats her the same as any other officer he should be alright. There is, obviously, no flicker of recognition whatsoever.]

John Laurens, ma'am. Lieutenant colonel in the continental army.

[norwaysown]

[ Nor is there recognition from Signy's own side. Which is worrying, considering he calls himself part of an army. ]

Who is the continental army affiliated with?

[unbridles]

[With some pride:] Well, the United States of America, of course.

[norwaysown]

[ Signy regards him in silence for a moment. Her eyes look older than the rest of her -- other than her silver-gray hair.

She knows America, or at least of it. That ship is one of the many Earth Company ships that have been lost, and lost for many years now. She doesn't know the Continental Army, and America wasn't a ship she ever worked with before it was lost. It's possible that's what they called her troops. Certainly the man in front of her isn't crew of any sort.]

What year do you think it is?

[ Out in space time gets complicated, and if he's been travelling sub-light he might not even know of America's loss. ]

[unbridles]

[Well, this is likely gonna get real complicated real fast.]

It's 1782, last I knew, ma'am.

[norwaysown]

[ She stares at him, because that doesn't make sense at all. ]

It's 2353.

You are human, right?

[ Is it possible another calendar system is to blame? ]

[unbridles]

[What a weird question. He shoots her a look of disbelief, but nods.]

Yeah. Born an' bred in South Carolina.

[norwaysown]

And have you been on any spaceships recently? Before this one, I mean.

[ This is ridiculous. ]

[unbridles]

I haven't ever even heard of 'em until a few minutes ago.

[norwaysown]

Then how did you get here?

[ Perhaps it's not fair to be irritated with him for it, but he has to be lying. ]

[unbridles]

Same as you, ma'am, I woke up here.

[norwaysown]

But you're from the past.

[ You know what? This isn't her problem. ]

I'm going to look around more.

[unbridles]

Yeah, well, I dunno what's goin' on either. Last thing I knew I was dead, an' then I was here.

[norwaysown]

[ Signy is going to go with the false memories theory at this point. ]

We both have to deal with the situation as it is now. Does this place remind you of anything you know?

[unbridles]

[There's a slightly annoyed sigh. This isn't the afterlife he was looking for, okay.]

I just told you I've never even heard 'a one of these, so no, it doesn't.

[norwaysown]

[ She just looks at him. ]

Spaceships built by humans tend to look a lot like other human dwellings.

I'm not sure this one was, though.

[unbridles]

Okay, but I've never been on one before, so I'm not gonna be much help around here.

[norwaysown]

Looks like you have a learning to bring yourself up to speed.

[unbridles]

Looks like I do, but there ain't exactly a library on here, from what people say. So it's gonna have to wait.

[norwaysown]

[ She lifts her eyebrows at him, but if he thinks he needs a library and he's starting from so far off, then he's not going to be of that much use to her. She can go back to poking at things on her own. ]

Good luck then.

[unbridles]

[Sorry, he's not used to tablets or anything of that nature. He can at least take point if she wants to explore, or something, though it does little good without any weaponry.]

Same to you, ma'am.