001; video

[wingedman]

Who: Sam Wilson
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Marsiva
When: Today!

Well, now, this is real nice, isn't it? [Judging by the dry tone of Sam's voice, it isn't.] Not that I was doing anything important back home, but it sure as hell beats being scooped up and used to boost ratings on some sort of intergalactic Big Brother. [And, muttered to himself:] I don't even wanna know what happens if you get voted off.

[Back in a normal voice:] So, I'm Sam. Earth, twenty-first century. Guess I'm stuck here for a few days, huh? On the totally not creepy uninhabited giant spaceship. Yeah, I can see the ratings skyrocketing already. This sure better not be some kinda horror show, 'cause I know the black guy's always the first person to get killed by the out of control robots.

-nah, just kidding, they never even have black guys in space to begin with, I'm safe.

[sam what r u even on about]

Also, this food sucks big-time. Come on, can't they feed TV stars better than this? Why couldn't I get trapped on Food Network?

Comments

[wingedman]

'Your' security officer. Does that mean you're the captain of a ship?

[Honestly, he's not surprised. From what he knows about Peggy Carter, it's more surprising that she isn't running the entire fleet.]

[mucked]

I am. Although I'll be the first to admit the title might as well be arbitrary. [ at least, that's how it feels at some moments. even so, she's fiercely devoted to her assignment. ] Mine is the Starstruck.

[ and because the might as well get it out of the way now, suspecting he already knows: ] Peggy Carter, by the way. It's a pleasure.

[wingedman]

Nice promotion from Agent, though.

[And not least because it means her rank is equal with the other captain they know, something Sam finds amusing.]

A pleasure indeed, to finally meet the Peggy Carter I've heard so much about. We'll have to get together and swap stories sometime.

[mucked]

[ and then, because she likes a good twist: ]

'So much'? Good Lord. You shouldn't believe everything you hear. [ ... ] Although, Sam Wilson, I might have already heard a thing or two about you. I rather trust my source, however.

[wingedman]

[And his deadpan offering is:] Must be Natasha, then. 'Cause I know you aren't implying that Steve's a trustworthy source. He probably blames everything on me, when all I do is follow him around saving his dumb ass.

[mucked]

[ oh, hell. peggy offers a snort of laughter. ]

Heaven knows he needs a great deal of it. [ having his dumb ass saved. reckless plonker. except -- except -- she'd certainly trust him with just about any intel he dare spare her, these days. ]

I swear I've only heard fond things. Hand to God.

[wingedman]

Yeah, tell me about it. [His tone is exasperated, but clearly fond.] Guy never found a fight he didn't want to run headlong into without stopping to think for ten seconds first.

Can't say I've heard anything bad about you, either. [But that's probably a given, considering that it's Steve talking about Peggy.] And he wasn't exaggerating about your looks, either.

[Which he knows, having seen pictures. But pictures and the real thing - even on a small video screen - are different.]

[mucked]

[ kudos, mister wilson. peggy had entered this conversation under the assumption she wouldn't end up staggered quite so quickly but -- god damn. she puffs a breath through her cheeks, but doesn't break eye contact with the viewing screen. ]

Quite the claim. Considering just moments earlier you implied he wasn't such a trustworthy source. [ ... ] Now I simply don't know what to believe.

[ dry, dry, dry. ]

[wingedman]

Oh, never listen what a guy says about his best friend. But girls- Steve doesn't talk enough about girls for him to make anything up about the ones he does talk about.

[mucked]

[ girls plural. she catches it; that said, she meets it with an almost-smile. jealousy might have once been her colour, but it's hard to get too worked up over it now. now, things are different. ]

Dare I ask more about what's been said?

[ nosy, prying, curious. she wonders how candid steve's friend will be. ]

[wingedman]

[Sam just grins at her like the Cheshire Cat.]

Not in public, Peggy.

[mucked]

We're under surveillance. I'm afraid it's always public.

[ oh, heaven help them all. ]

[wingedman]

Always public?

I hope they don't air everything during prime time.

[Who knows? Maybe whoever's in charge is using this as a cheap way to release porn, too. Sam wouldn't be surprised.]

[mucked]

Unfortunately, recent circumstances have impressed upon all of us the likelihood that every exchange is monitored.

[ -- sorry, dear sam, she probably shouldn't launch so abruptly into the restrictions of this place. ]

But we can lock our conversations from our fellow passengers. Certain someones need never see what intel you decide to share with me.

[ she says this only to keep the tone light. ]

[wingedman]

You know he's probably watching this right now, right?

[And probably freaking out about it. Which is almost as entertaining as the prospect of gossip itself. Sorry, Steve, your fiancee girlfriend lady friend and your non-Bucky best friend are terrible.]

[mucked]

Oh, I've no doubt. [ hello, darling. ] I suspect he'll be glad to see you after so long. And, as I mentioned, he'll be more than happy to lend you a blaster.

[ ahem. yes. her security officer. ]

[wingedman]

[Her security officer, indeed. Check out that knowing look, Peggy.]

You mentioned getting assigned to a ship. How's that work? Do we pick one, or-?

[mucked]

Initially, it'll be picked for you. But there's freedom to transfer to another, if you'd prefer.

[ she won't invite him. let that be steve's prerogative. although she does hope he'll consider it. once upon a time, when steve arrived, peggy had poached him almost immediately from the pathstone only to have sam arrive not long after and be assigned that ship as well. the guilt for splitting them up had never sat well with her -- not least of all because, at the time, sam had been left with howard's son as a captain. ]

[wingedman]

[Invite him. Like he isn't about to invite himself, Peggy. To wit:]

I don't suppose there's room on your ship?

[Yes, he knows it's brazen. But he also knows that Peggy knows that it's where he'll want to be, so there's no need to tiptoe around.]

Assuming, of course, that you want me there.

[She's the captain; it's her choice, as far as Sam's concerned. Not that she can really say no in a public place like this, so it's a little awkward.]

[mucked]

Not until we suss out your augment. I don't want any bloody duplicates -- the Starstruck is run rather efficiently.

[ -- the humour is almost gentle, except for when it isn't. peggy buys some time to make certain steve wants him aboard. she can't imagine he won't, but she's spoken enough for him today.

and better yet, it deflects the whole conversation onto something else: the augments. and, to that end: ] Touch the back of your head. You'll find the implant quick enough, if you haven't already.

[wingedman]

[Hold on a moment, and-]

Jesus Christ, what the-

[Sam at least manages to bite the last expletive off. Not that she won't hear enough of him swearing eventually.]

That's just weird.

[To say the least.]

[mucked]

Downright uncanny, yes. [ and if she sounds a little unperturbed, it's because she's lived with hers for nearly two years. but it hasn't been so long that she doesn't remember how jarring it had been to first realize that hardware had been installed into her head. ]

It provides nominal information on the ships themselves. And, on top of that, specialized intel for specific jobs. [ peggy can be seen reaching below a cascade of curls, thumbing her own augment. ] Mine is valid for communications. I can work the comms, recognize fleet frequencies, and so on. Steve's security. Everyone gets an assigned something, Sam. It may take a little while for you to figure yours out.

[wingedman]

Great, yeah, I'm all about people hacking into my brain.

[Note the sarcasm. He's seen enough movies where this sort of thing goes horribly wrong and people are used to kill other people.]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not wild about people from the twenty-first century flying spaceships blind, either, but you'd think there would be a middle ground that didn't involve, you know, non-consensual brain surgery or something.

[mucked]

Apparently, there isn't. [ bone dry. ] But do think twice before you try and remove it. Such efforts tend to end badly.