comm 004

[scanninggaydis]

Who: Felix Gaeta
Broadcast: Yes!
Action: The Vanquish
When: Morning/Afternoon of the 11th


Action
[Somewhere in the late morning today, there's a new face roaming the Vanquish. Or...a new-ish face? In any event, there's a teenage boy where there was not previously a teenage boy. No fanfare, no pudding, just a new body. It's not the right time for new crew-mates anyway, so that's strange too.

Felix is definitely cautious as he wanders around. He's not...look, he's not going to cry, he's too old to do that. Even if he is suddenly in a spaceship with no memory of how he got here. The signs definitely point to something not good happening. His posture is tight. Ready to defend himself or probably....probably just run. Not really the scrappiest of fighters, Felix.

When he comes across his first person, his posture gets even tenser. Maybe he just passed into a new room, maybe someone walked into the room he's currently in. He freezes for a long moment, barely breathing.

Assuming they don't immediately attack him - because why would you?? - he lets out a deep breath. Still tense, still scared. But gods, he needs to figure out what's happened to him.]

...Are you... [He really doesn't know what he wants to ask, this situation is weird.] ...I'm not supposed to be here.

[So. Not a question, then. But pretty much the best he can do under the circumstances.]


[Later, when he's at least had things explained to him, he's a little less cautious and a little more curious. He'll definitely be poking around all the areas of the ship with determination. He's been on ships before, but not like this! Not a ship designed for long-term habitation. Not ships where he's gotten to be on the bridge or in the engine room. It's the small silver lining to being...here. Suddenly. If he sees anyone else, he smiles politely, if somewhat awkwardly.]

Hi! I'm, um. I'm Felix. [The way he says it makes it clear that he already knows how weird this is.] What's your role on the ship?


Video
[When the video feed turns on for this particular broadcast, the face on the screen belongs to a young man. Or at least, a kid who looks to be roughly in the latter half of his teen years.

He holds himself with a certain amount of nervous poise, his back a little bit too straight. His hands are clasped in front of him on the table. Public speaking is not...his best talent. But he has some questions! Or, a question, really.]

Uh...hi. My name is Felix. Gaeta. I guess some people here might...already know me? But as an adult. [He strays from that nervous posture just a little, enough to rub the back of his neck, looking off camera for a couple of seconds.] Which is really weird. I mean, it's kind of cool, too. In a way. Because I have no idea how someone would pull this off. Like, did they mess with my DNA somehow? I know that it shouldn't be possible for them to reverse aging this much...but then again I know how to fly an entire spaceship right now, I shouldn't really know how to do that. And the part where I don't remember being here, that's not a DNA thing at all....

[...He's getting distracted, this wasn't what he actually meant to say when he decided to address the Fleet. Right! His question!]

But, um, anyway. Back home, we definitely have the ability to travel in space, but as far as I know, no one has ever come across another populated system. Not even way back before the Colonies were founded. It's really cool that this fleet passes through so many different systems. I was wondering if people could tell me about the most interesting things or people they've encountered.

[He loosens up marginally as he keeps talking, getting into the idea of space and exploration. By the end, Felix is leaning forward a little, curious and engaged.]

Thanks. In advance.

Comments

video

[candothat]

[There's something eerily familiar about much-younger-than-yesterday-Felix's too-formal posture and not-quite-concealed nervousness. That's how Chekov delivered ship-wide announcements for the better part of his first year in Starfleet. It's how he still acts when he's talking to someone who intimidate him or when he's unsure of himself and hides behind formalities.

This is also similar to the very first broadcast he had made when, at the age of seventeen, he found himself in a foreign place called the City. How can he not reply?]

Felix Gaeta, hello. I'm Pavel Andreievich Chekov. We have met before--twice before, actually--but you were somewhat older both of those times.

No one knows yet how the Atroma--our captors--are able to bring us to this universe, manipulate our bodies and memories, or give us knowledge that we did not already have. Or... no, we do know that the augments are responsible for skills that we inexplicably possess when we find ourselves here, but how or why they work is a mystery. Their technology is far beyond anything that we have in my universe. Beyond what we can theorize, even.

[scanninggaydis]

[It...takes him a second to really parse Chekov's accent, to be honest. But it's interesting.

The way Chekov responds, though, is...it's nice? It makes him feel like he's being taken seriously - unlike certain other people kitty he's looking at you - even if it doesn't necessarily cause him to relax.

He nods his head to say hello. There's a faint, self-conscious smile on his face.]

It's nice to meet you.

It's amazing that they can do these things. It's just a little, um, questionable how they're using the technology.

[...He says that, and then he ends up looking over his shoulder for a second as if criticizing the Atroma - even mildly - where they can hear him might bring down their wrath. You never know.]

[candothat]

[Chekov spent too much time not being taken seriously because he was young and cute to inflict that on someone else, especially in this instance. Felix might be younger and less knowledgeable than he was the last time they talked, but intelligence isn't something that can be aged away.

He smiles back. It is a little like talking to who he was.]

You as well, always.

[Really. This is by far the most polite of the three meetings, which probably says a good deal about Felix's life.]

Very questionable, but they have shown no interest in listening to our opinions on the matter... or our opinions on them. [So on the bright side, their overlords aren't going to smite them for badmouthing them.] This has been documented more than once in my universe: a sentient race becomes more advanced than others, and it forgets that technologically inferior races are not so different from them in the ways that they think and feel.

[scanninggaydis]

[You as well, always makes that smile just a little bit wider. Maybe a little less self-conscious by a hair.

His ears metaphorically prick up when Chekov mentions what sounds like contact with multiple species in his home universe. Once again he leans forwards towards the camera, eyes bright.]

You've made contact with other lifeforms? Back home?

[candothat]

[While Pavel is always happy to talk about his work at home and the things that he has seen and learned, Felix's obvious interest prompts a little extra enthusiasm.]

Many of them, yes, and we are always meeting new sentient beings... or observing them, anyway. Starfleet has a number of rules against interacting too much with races that are less technologically developed. Universes like this where so many civilizations in different stages of advancement are represented would be horrible for them.

[scanninggaydis]

Felix is so interested. Please, more info.]

It sounds like Starfleet is...some sort of exploratory force? Or maybe military. [It doesn't sound that military-like, but that also depends on how crowded their galaxy is. They might not even have to go looking. It's still a little strange to Felix, given how barren his own galaxy seems to be.] And you're part of it?

[Educated guess.]

[candothat]

Exploratory, mostly. Diplomatic and defensive when necessary, but exploration and discovery are Starfleet's primary goals. [Chekov's galaxy is a crowded one! You can't warp anywhere without stumbling across some new form of life that may or may not want to make friends.]

Yes, I am. [With a little pride (because honestly, most of his friends are either the same rank or higher or just don't care about ranks at all and it's nice to feel impressive once in a while):] I'm a lieutenant.

[scanninggaydis]

[Well, if he wants someone to be impressed about his rank, he's come to the right place. Nothing like a young boy who wants to be in the military to be impressed by a rank he some day wants to achieve.]

That's cool. [Oh no, that sounds way too undignified. Let's try that again.] I mean, you just seem very young, to be lieutenant already.

[That's worse! That's insulting!! He's been on the end of that statement enough that he knows it probably doesn't feel great. Try again Felix. He's...blushing at this point, ducking his head.]

What I mean is, um, it's impressive.

[...Nailed it?]

[candothat]

[SOMEONE THINKS THAT SOMETHING ABOUT CHEKOV IS COOL. He thought that this day would never come. That's it, he should quit life now while he's ahead. Small Felix, you can deliver the eulogy.]

Thank you. I have worked very hard to be where I am at home. [He's entirely pleased to have that work acknowledged and not at all insulted. Insulting is having your hair ruffled on duty.]

Is that your goal? To serve in space? [Subject change! Please stop being embarrassed!]

[scanninggaydis]

[It definitely doesn't sound like Chekov is annoyed with him, so Felix ends up raising his gaze to look at the camera again.

Asked about his own intentions, he nods with a sort of reserved enthusiasm.]

Yeah. I want to be an officer in the Colonial Fleet.

[candothat]

[Chekov absolutely does not look the slightest bit annoyed. He's enjoying this--this thing where he gets to be cool and older than someone with similar interests.]

You will be a good officer. Or--yes, no, I believe that's true, but I don't know it. I do know that your knowledge of physics and technology is very impressive.

[scanninggaydis]

[Felix smiles.]

That's...good. [A little awkward, but only because it's a little weird to hear about himself in the future.] I do really like science.

[candothat]

[It's kind of weird talking about him in the future, but life is bizarre here.]

Are you studying the sciences? I will admit that I have no concept of what education your fleet requires where you are from.

[scanninggaydis]

Well, I'm still in high school, so I'm studying...everything. [Not everyone joins Starfleet at 17, Chekov. Felix is smart, but not as much of a prodigy.]

I...think I really like biology, but that's not very useful in the military. Or at least, not for an officer serving on a ship.

[candothat]

Ah, of course. [He really has no idea what happens in high school or what people study there, so he'll trust Felix on this one.]

Your ships have medical personnel, yes? Or maybe even hydroponic gardens? I have a good friend at home who is a pilot and a horticulturalist. [And a fine fencer. Starfleet officers tend to be well-rounded individuals.] Both of his positions are equally important to those of us on the ship who like not having the ship flown into things and sometimes eating food that isn't replicated.

[scanninggaydis]

...I don't know about gardens. I don't think so. But definitely medical personnel.

[Felix considers all of this for a long moment.]

I'll probably do something with computer science.

[The biology can be a side thing.]

[candothat]

That would be a useful specialty.

[He tries (unsuccessfully) not to think about how relevant that particular skill would be, given what Felix recently told him about the world he came from.]

But that is all in another universe. What do you intend to do while you're in this universe?

[scanninggaydis]

Go down to the planet, definitely. [He smiles, and it looks enthused. A real alien world.] And just...talk to people, I guess.

[candothat]

You should do both of those! ...Although some of the planets that the fleet has visited in the very recent past were dangerous.

Talking to people in the fleet, however, is not at all perilous.

[scanninggaydis]

[Okay, now Felix's brows furrow a little. That...doesn't sound great?]

Dangerous? What happened?

[candothat]

Er. One was destroyed by an asteroid, another was populated by hostile beings who evidently practiced cannibalism.

But most of them are relatively safe.