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(no subject)

Who: Aaron
Broadcast: Network - OTA
Action: Anywhere aboard the SS Bloodsport
When: Saturday

ACTION » SS BLOODSPORT

[The new arrival on the bridge makes a quick getaway, out of the lights and the sounds of the area and into the corridor, slipping as best he can with his 6'1" frame into the shadows just on the other side of the doorway (but not before pocketing a couple of those pudding cups, one can never be too greedy when it comes to sources of food).]

This can't be real.

[The words are uttered just above a whisper before he reaches to his belt, where an empty knife case hangs, and his slightly uneasy disbelief is quickly replaced with panic as he pats his pockets (however unlikely it is that he absentmindedly slipped a big knife into a pocket instead of his holster). He takes a steadying breath, eyes darting about before heading forward warily, slipping into the kitchen/galley area. Seeing no one else around after checking several hiding places, anyone who investigates the sounds of opening drawers will find a man with curly, dirty blood hair rifling through the utensil drawers looking for...something.

Once he's found a steak knife (which is better than nothing, thanks), he's going to continue exploring every door he can open on this ship, so the odds of him stumbling upon another crew member are pretty high. No matter what state he finds them in, he raises his hands to show he means no harm.]

I don't want any trouble. I just need some answers. My name is Aaron.

NETWORK BROADCAST » AUDIO

[Later, once he's gotten his bearings more he makes the following broadcast, careful and diplomatic in his wording. He still doesn't know what to make of this place or the people in it, and he doesn't blindly trust people the way he used to.]

Hello. I've only just arrived recently, and I'm under the impression many of you have been here for much longer. If you can offer me any sort of insight into this setup, I'd really appreciate it. To start things off slow and hopefully on the right foot, my name's Aaron, and I've been assigned as a Communications Officer on the SS Bloodsport.

Also, if the following names sound familiar, or you happen to own any of them, I'd be happy to hear from you:

Rick Grimes. Daryl Dixon. Glenn Rhee. Maggie Greene. Abraham Ford. Rosita Espinosa. Michonne. Carl Grimes. Sasha Williams.

[He lets a moment pass before ending his broadcast.]

Thank you for time and any help you can offer.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Not too much, but close. I think I'm cutting myself off for now. [He smiles at his self-deprecating joke before moving on. The topic if the Atroma, and the fact that they apparently have representatives, was finite, something he could focus on without adding more and more variables that would, he was sure of it, quickly overwhelm him.]

Those are...some surprisingly normal names? [He'd expected something really...strange and out of this world like 'Zandoor' or 'Trixina'. 'Carmen' and 'Chase' sounded...like they were from Earth. Weird.]

...what do you mean by 'getting rid of them'? [He has a sneaking suspicion she doesn't mean sending them on perpetual hiatus.]

We could always switch to favorite color type questions. [But he asks more, so she answers more—too much or not.]

Probably by design. Our captors at the last place I was at would present a false image and name to make us more "comfortable." [Doing the air quotes.] But who knows? It could all be genuine too. [Doubting everything is fun.]

We heard it, but we really only saw shadows. It sounded super murder-y though. [She stops short of offering that it might have just been for show too. He can draw his own conclusions. She certainly doesn't know if hers are right. She just has plenty of reasons to doubt what they display to them since her last stay was at a virtual reality prison. Nothing turned out to be as real as she originally thought.]

[Considering he was taken from that moment, when he'd closed his eyes for a second, he could understand intimately what she was describing and he swallowed, frowning and nodding before continuing.]

So, they pretend to be friendly, but they use intimidation tactics to keep us in line? Something like that?

I think that was really the only time I can remember them doing something like that. They usually just use their overwhelming power over us. They implanted us all with an unremovable augment while we were out. It seems to do the trick.

[He stares at the video feed for a moment before finding the words to ask the next question.]

They...put tracking chips in us?

Oh, Aaron, [you sweet summer child, too precious for this conversation] they do more than just track us.

That's...painfully ominous.

I could turn out the lights and shine a flashlight under my chin and use a spooky voice for an even more ominous take if you want. [Kidding. Trying to lighten the mood. Is it working? Not so much since she's talking about being implanted with a device without their consent that can remove their bodily autonomy at any time?]

Whenever I'm looking for a dramatic retelling of the Hook-hand ghost story, I know exactly who to call.

[He chuckles, slightly uneasy.]

It's that bad, huh?

I'm your girl.

[She gives her head a little shake.] I mean it is, and worse, but also, not really part of the day to day, you know? Kind of like being a prisoner here where you can still explore a planet or move ship to ship. You know your freedom has been stripped away, but you have enough leash that eventually you make the best of it.

I'll keep an eye out for marshmallows, because ghost stories just aren't the same without campfires.

[Because he's still working with the idea that something like that would have to be scavenged from somewhere.]

That...doesn't make things any better, but...I can appreciate the effort.

[Well, maybe not scavenged, but it is space and finding specific things can be tricky. Have your credits ready though, Aaron!]

No, that doesn't make things better. Marshmallows make things better though. And chocolate.

Tell me something about you.

[Kitty, you have no idea how much he's going to enjoy just paying for something.]

Only if you include graham crackers. Then it's a party.

[He pauses, looking thoughtful.]

Uh...okay. I...enjoy hiking.

I would never leave out the graham crackers when s'mores are on the line. [She smiles a little and then cocks her head.]

Aaron who hikes. I feel so deeply invested and bonded to you now. [Not that she expected him to open up his soul, but it seemed like he could barely come up with the hiking.] You should be able to get some of that on some of the places we visit at least. It takes on a different vibe on the ships.

[He chuckles awkwardly and nods.]

I'd like that, and...I'm sorry. I've never really been very good at talking about myself. I also enjoy photography, tinkering around with things to figure out how they work, uh...exploring new places and collecting things.

[He smiles.]

Was that better?

Those hobbies sound like the things I do for recon and maintenance. [But she can't say she doesn't enjoy them.] But, yes, much better. Practically a well rounded person without being so deeply sharing that I'm worried about you. [That's usually her job.]

Well, they're the reasons I was a recruiter for our community. Maybe we have something in common, Kitty.

[He laughs.]

Oh, if you let me keep talking, I'm sure we'll get around to it.

Could be. How did the recruitment process work? Did you have a post zombie apocalypse football team?

[He grins, offering her a shake of his head.]

Dance troop. They were some pretty serious auditions, too.

[She raises and eyebrow, half wondering if he had somehow done his research on her mid-conversation. Dancing is her thing. Well, fighting and walking through walls are also her thing, but dancing is in there too!]

Don't tease a girl about dancing, Aaron. It's not nice.

[He chuckles.] I would never.

[He takes a breath, before continuing.] But honestly, the way it worked was simple. In Alexandria, we understood that in order to keep the Community strong, people were needed. I'm a pretty good judge of character, I have a background in politics and negotiation, plus my partner and I have weapons training, so we were natural choices to scout out survivors and bring them home. After that, Deanna, she was our leader, would talk to them, see what skills they possessed, and help them get integrated, if it seemed like they could be team players. That's...why I say "audition". There really isn't a better word for it.

[He puts a hand on his chest.] My job was to present the idea of Alexandria to those I found, convince them to come back with us. I...guess I was sort of a real estate salesman of the apocalypse.

[She listens with interest. It's a little different than some of the other things she's heard from people of that world. Certainly more community based.] Did you turn away people with skill sets you didn't need? And what was the idea of Alexandria?

No, not based on skill sets. [And he shook his head.] I never turned anybody away, not after I got them back. Alexandria was meant to be a place where we could rebuild together. Some people didn't want to work with those of us already there, others...tried and didn't work out. Deanna had...to exile a few who endangered the community once. It's harsh, I know.

[And he frowns.]

But...sometimes things are necessary to assure the survival of the community, right? We understand people are necessary to survive, but that only works if we work together. If we take more than our share from the pantry, or we hide resources that the community at large could benefit from, that works against that.

I'm not usually in the judging business. [Okay, sometimes she is. She can give a pretty impassioned lecture too when she's motivated. But usually she's pretty understanding of, "shit was shit and we had choices and they were all bad." She hasn't appreciated outside judging for her sins. She's hard enough on herself and she gets a feeling maybe Aaron is too.]

Things were bad at home too. You had to be able to trust people with rations. If you can't trust then what's left?

Nothing...sadly. We're trying to rebuild the world. That doesn't work if we don't work together.

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