001;

[privateeyed]

Who: Ben and you folks
Broadcast: Yes
Action: SS Huntress
When: now

action; SS Huntress

[Ben doesn't take teleportation well. In fact, if the confetti and the music didn't tip the ship off, the loud cursing probably does - there you go, Huntress, your security officer is here]

What the fuck—give a guy some fuckin' warning next time, geez! God damn teleporting bullshit.

[once he's calmed down, though - and picked up some of the pudding because far be it from him to turn down free food - he's wandering the ship, peeking his head into rooms to see what's what]


broadcast;

[once he's somewhat settled in and found a place to sit and digest everything going on, Ben decides to set up a broadcast to get some Shit Done]

Anyone here good with cybernetics? Or - I don't know, computers? Advanced stuff, can give you the specfics if you're interested. Don't need you right now, I'm just covering my ass just in case.

[he pauses, and maybe realizes he should . . . introduce himself. Like a normal person would. You know, instead of just getting down to business]

Uh - anyway, name's Ben; if you don't know shit about cybernetics . . . I don't know, come tell me about the weird crap going on here. Or stuff I should know. I like being informed.

Comments

Re: video

[passingthrough]

Oh, it's the worst. Especially if you were wrong first to get to sorry.

The name's Kitty and medium well? Maybe well done depending on what it is. I don't have a lot of direct experience with cybernetics, but some, and I'm good with tech.

[privateeyed]

Yeah, exactly. That's the worst of the worst.

I'm getting the feeling that not a lot of people know about it, that's why I mentioned the computer stuff. [he shrugs] If you know how that shit works and know how to use a soldering iron, then you're about as qualified as anyone. I know some stuff too, but - it's a real bitch trying to work on your own arm when it's attached, you know?

[passingthrough]

I would imagine so. I could probably figure it out. I helped a friend with various cybernetic parts back at the last place that abducted me a couple of times. [Though the tech could be completely different. Still, repairing unfamiliar systems is something she's done plenty of times.]

I take it you're feeling fine now though? Other than the part where you just got abducted?

[privateeyed]

. . . you've been abducted before? What the hell. [why was that even a thing, he'll never stop wondering that] Uh - it's not hard stuff, at least. I try to keep it from getting damaged, but shit happens.

Yeah, I'm good. Nothing broken, just a few malfunctions - normal, everyday thing. [a snort] Other than that, of course. Fuck getting abducted.

[passingthrough]

It's happened at least three times for some people. And it almost happened once back at home for me. But it's your first I take it.

Which ship did they put you on?

[privateeyed]

Three? That's some shitty luck. Yeah, uh - this is the first time.

I'm on the Huntress.

[passingthrough]

It is. Or good luck if you get an upgrade out of it. There are worse places to be. Not that you ever want to be somewhere without any control over you life, but hey...

The Huntress. That's... That's a ship I don't actually know much about. [She knows a few of people on that crew, but none of them that well and most of them are more recent to the fleet.] So, no help there.

[privateeyed]

No control, but a free upgrade? Wow, that's tempting. [it comes out deadpanned, it isn't tempting at all]

There's something we've got in common. How many ships are there?

[passingthrough]

Life in a cage version 2.0. [She smiles like it's a joke, but also...this is prison too just without the bars and walls. Not that her actual prison had bars or walls. Just a big dome in an otherwise pleasant setting.]

Seventeen if you count the Marsiva and the Iskaulit and don't count the shuttles. I'm captain of the Twin Roses. I didn't name it.

[privateeyed]

Sounds like it'd be some old rock band name. [a thoughtful pause] Or a metal song name. Can't decide which is better.

[seventeen. That's a lot of people] Could be worse - could be named after dead general no one knows shit about outside of history class.

[passingthrough]

I'm seeing a hair band with it for sure. And I can almost picture the logo and since they have a logo it should probably be the band's name. [It just follows a logical track you see.]

Or General Twin of the Rose family. He probably had a crazy mustache.

[privateeyed]

Hair band? [give him a minute] Like those bands from way back in the 1980s? [.......] Yeah, I can see it.

Bet he liked to wear red, too.

[passingthrough]

Oh, for sure. Bandanas tied around random parts of himself. Fringe. Leather. Random metal spikes. Just a lot of really mixed fashion messages.

[But she heard that pause.]

So, kind of a future guy? [Not that she's from the 80s, but she wouldn't act like they were a distant memory either. AND DON'T ASK WHEN SHE'S FROM! I CAN FEEL YOU THINKING ABOUT IT! ALL OF YOU! EVERYONE READING THIS!]

[privateeyed]

Probably fit the times. I don't know, that's a bit out of my wheelhouse. [he likes vintage stuff but even his knowledge only goes so far]

Uh - it's 2123 where I'm from, so. Maybe? [BUT IT'S SO TEMPTING NOW KITTY, THE NATURAL PROGRESSION OF CONVERSATION CALLS FOR IT]

[passingthrough]

[It might just fits her occasionally mistmatched sense of style.

IT'S TRUE, BUT SHE WILL FIGHT IT! SHE WILL BURY IT IN ALL THIS OTHER CONFUSING INFORMATION!]

That counts. At least to the median timeline of fleet residents.

People are brought here from [counting on fingers for greater effect] any planet, any reality from the multiverse, and any timeline. Mix, match, and repeat until you get a rag tag gang of misfits to fill your reality show. Hilarity and drama ensue.

[privateeyed]

[listen he can't talk, he wears a leather jacket almost religiously. He enjoys older styles more than the new hotness or whatever it is people wear in his time]

The - medium timeline. [she elaborates, answering his next question] See that just sounds like a shitty made-for-TV Disney movie. If only this place would get that same rating.

[passingthrough]

Depending on how much they show I'd say we're R to NC-17. [Does that make it better?]

[privateeyed]

I don't think I've seen a single movie higher than an R. What, they watching people have sex and shit?

[passingthrough]

No idea where the cameras are, so it's hard to say if they are always or ever actually filming or not. If they can then they probably are? It's not like they're interested in our consent.

[privateeyed]

That's breaking so many laws. [christ almighty] Yeah, yeah, space, I know.

[he glances over his shoulder, as if there may be a camera in the corner - then he flips it off and yells] I'm taking a vow of celibacy, you voyeuristic fuckheads! Enjoy that.

[passingthrough]

Yeah, I think after the multidimensional kidnapping they gave up worrying about laws.

[Kitty looks amused at the outburst.] You're probably only hurting yourself, but good luck with that.

[privateeyed]

I'm offended, deeply. [deadpan] I'm legally required to be.

[he scoffs and settles back] Not hurting a thing.

[passingthrough]

People are very law abiding and pure in the future.

[privateeyed]

If only. [he snorts] It sure as hell would make my job easier.

[passingthrough]

Curiosity achieved. What's your job, Ben from the future?