April System Mingle

[thespaceopera]

Who: Everyone!
Broadcast: Possibly!
Action: April System
When: Month of April!


[Welcome to the Belt, a huge asteroid belt that's been terraformed for life. Here you can explore the different asteroids, become a rock star, race on some ATVs, enjoy not being underwater.

In other words, it's a mingle! Get in everyone!

> System Info ]

Comments

[notanoptimist]

I've heard of something like it. The technology's still in its infancy where I'm from, but I've heard that it's pretty commonplace in the near future. [He knows what a replicator is, thanks.]

Maybe you should. The gel is awful.

[directed]

Hn, yeah. By 2166 in the universe I'm from, at any rate.

[Look Captain, Rip isn't going to assume. He's gotten used to having to explain quite a few things to people from the past.]

Oh, I've got no doubt it is. What I fail to understand is how it's supposed to be improved by "cooking." [He shakes his head.] Although I did see things resembling actual food when I poked around the cabinets a bit, which is mildly reassuring.

[notanoptimist]

Yeah, those of us who aren't a fan of that damn gel, cooked or not, try to keep us stocked with actual food. It gets a little lean sometimes, if we're drifting awhile.

[He shrugs.] Then occasionally we end up picking up a bunch of stuff none of us can stand the taste of.

[directed]

--I can't imagine anyone actually liking the stuff. [Which is good, he reasons. The more people adding to the pile, the less likely they are to have to resort to the painfully artificial stuff.]

It's only to be expected, I suppose. We are in outer space. [And subjected to the whims of whatever those in charge might think is entertaining. Rip frowns as he considers it (again).

What else can he do?]

I suppose I should ask what you're expecting in terms of me fulfilling my--duties, as they are. [It's hard not to wince as he says that. Really, Rip will get over his assignment one day.

Maybe.]

[notanoptimist]

If anyone liked that damn stuff, I'd start wondering about 'em. [And likely insult them more than a few times, come to think of it.

He waves a hand then, almost dismissing the not-quite question.] I don't. You wanna cook for us -- or attempt to, I guess -- go for it. You don't, then don't. All I ask is that you pitch in when we need you. I don't run a tight ship.

[directed]

Undoubtedly--although in all the timelines in all the universes in existence, it is entirely possible that there's one being who might.

[And what an odd creature they would prove to be.]

Easy enough to abide by, I suppose. [So, don't be a jerk when it comes to being part of the crew. Hopefully his tenure with his former team would allow Rip to manage as much.]

[notanoptimist]

[Yeah, 'don't be a jerk' is pretty much the only rule McCoy has and he doesn't even always abide by it.]

Besides not cooking, what do you do?

[directed]

[This should go smashingly then, considering Rip so often fails at it.

The question of what else he does, however, isn't necessarily a simple one. He's revealed certain details already, and over a broadcast transmission at that. But for however meaningless the title is supposedly, or how reportedly lax Leonard has claimed to be--

There's still that sense of obligation to the title if nothing else.]

I was a captain, actually. Of a ship capable of traveling through space. [For now, he starts with those facts Leonard could find out just by looking at Rip's first transmission.] Although it was--quite different from this one.

[So much better, he means to say, but he's at least trying to be somewhat polite.]