[Open]

[padadin]

Who: Shiro and you
Broadcast: Yes
Action: If you want, he's on the Blameless
When: Saturday evening

[Text closed to Keith - Friday night]

We've arrived to the new system. How are you feeling?

[He doesn't know about the planet bringing back the sensations of the dreams yet, but he worries.]

-----

[Video - Saturday evening]

[When the feed starts, an armor wearing Shiro is sitting down and taking off his helmet as the light blue lights of his suit go off.]

This is Shiro, co-captain of S.S. Blameless.

[His face is serious, and his tone of voice means business.]

Last month, certain members of the fleet had visions about the planet we were visiting and the incident that happened after. But there are certain dreams that didn't find their match there, and it seems this new system has brought those sensations back. So early today, I went down with a teammate that had those dreams to investigate. [He frowns a bit, obviously not pleased with the result.] There are some small towns, inhabited by the orange-skinned people we usually encounter. They're heavily armed, too, because of a group called the Vieziri. They're dangerous, deadly hunters that have made the locals live in constant fear.

[His hold on his helmet tightens - it's frustrating, not having his lion, being limited in what he can help with. But he continues, the natural leader in him shining through.]

I know we can't stay in our ships forever. So if you go down there, please, don't do it alone. The bigger the group, the better. Bring a weapon with you, if you aren't the powered or magical kind. The locals are willing to sell theirs, too. Keep your communicators safe and close at all times, check the GPS function that our fellow fleet members were offering some time ago. Captains, it would be wise of you to know where your crew is at all times.

[He pauses. There isn't much more he can say other than be careful. So how to end such a feed?]

If a situation like Lyuku's must happen again, I can only hope we're better prepared this time. [ #famouslastwords ]

Comments

[padadin]

Your last abduction? [Shiro can speak of abductions too, but the way she words it, that's not what's being talked about here.] You mean you were kidnapped to another universe before this one?

[passingthrough]

That's right. Underwater prison themed. But not like any prison you've ever heard of. Probably. Unless prisons on your world have beaches and bowling alleys and AI wardens who occasionally fill the place with rubber ducks just because.

[padadin]

[He pulls a face - yeah, he gets what she means.] So it was a prison the same way the Fleet is - trapped in a fake sense of luxury.

[passingthrough]

Exactly that. I will say the food was a lot better in Marina though. I mean it was all technically virtual reality, but it was delicious virtual reality. I never wants had to eat a protein gel or wheat solid. Although the food here is better than the food back home. [At least since the fall of society. Not before.]

[padadin]

It's not hard to be better than astronaut food. [He seems to be speaking from experience.] So the food in your world must've been truly awful - no offense. [Just... stating a fact.]

[passingthrough]

None taken. It wasn't...readily available or being produced much anymore. Quality varied.

[padadin]

[He pauses, a thought occurring to him that he wants to word without sounding nosy or rude.] Your world sounds like... a difficult place. [To put it nicely.] Do you prefer it here?

[passingthrough]

[She laughs lightly.] Difficult is such an understatement.

As for where I prefer to be... I'm never going to say it's okay to be someone else's prisoner, but I can't go home again, so technically, yes. [Before Winn disappeared you probably would have gotten a more enthusiastic endorsement of being here.]

[padadin]

Sorry those are your only options. You're right, being someone else's prisoner should never be the preferred choice.

[No judging, only sympathy. He may have personal issues with imprisonment and being entertainment for aliens, but he understands how some worlds may be worse than this.]

[passingthrough]

[She nods. She has plenty of issues with it, but when the options are that or death, well, you have to figure out some new options where you stay alive.]

No worries. I make the best of it. Besides, even if they're assholes some of us are pretty okay.