revenance_comms | (no subject)

Okay, is this thing worki--yeah, it's... I'm in the frame? I... yeah. Right.

[The cowboy straightens, clears his throat, hooks his thumb in his belt, and gives the communicator his most calm and collected scowl. All a matter of looking like none of this bothers you, even when it's a hideous mess. Which this is looking like it is. Business as usual.]

All right, folks, this is Marshall Sparks Nevada, representative of the Mars-Earth coalition. I know this place likely ain't on either planet, but this whole business jumped up to the top of my priority list. Mostly on account've all my other business is in another dimension, so you know, whatever.

Point is, here, I'm gonna hafta ask all've you to provide a list of your name, your home planet... the planet you were last on, if'n those two ain't the same... what space-year you're from, and your dimensional zip code.

Reckon I may have a ways afore we're gettin' out of here proper, but more I can know about how far-spread a problem this is, the more appropriate charges can be put on the culprits for this nonsense once I wrap it all up.

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[Annnd that's why Emile sticks to audio.]

Oh, hell. I ain't no alien. Hundred percent human, just like everyone else in the UN. Well, everyone other than AIs, anyway. Which means I'm guessin' you ain't from my own timeline.

[If he had to defend that he was from Earth but serving on Mars, well, that's a good sign. The only ones who did that were Earth supremicists, and they were a hell of an annoying bunch.]

I would so not--

...no... no you're right, I would. [He cannot rule anything out, in terms of his life.]

Still. People been here longer'n I have, looks like, so pretty sure this ain't me. Probably. Sixty percentish.

Figures. You'd think dreams'd be your one time off from work, just how it goes, ain't it.

[These two can relate in a lot more ways than anticipated.]

[What can he say, he's got a lot of hometown pride. Homeplanet pride. Whatever.]

Huh. Seems like. Pretty much all human in the USSA too, but pretty sure we weren't settled that far out by the two-fivers. 'S weird.

Sixty percent ish is not a confirmation.

[But it is likely as close as he will ever get.]

Stay where you are. I will join you shortly.

[Seems to be pretty common with people from Earth. Oh well, not like he really remembers Eridanus anyway. His childhood memories are almost all of Onyx.]

Yeah? No FTL travel, or what? We got out to the Colonies in the twenty-third century. Colonized everything in range. No other sapient life 'till 2525, though.

Yeah, pretty much. I mean, it saves having to rescue them and all, but still.

Of course it is! She's my ship. And it's a better name than the alternative.

If'n I didn't, you'd track me anyway.

[Whether or not it's intended, Sparks can't help but get a little defensive at the implication that his Earth would be less advanced than another.]

Well. Sounds like my timeline's a mite more, y'know, dangerous than yours, you know, got all the tech, just keep it to government vessels and all. Dangerous aliens and the like, out in space, known about 'em since the two thousands I reckon. The average settler risks getting murdermanned or manmurdered and all sorts besides.

Well, don't count it out yet, there. Looks like there's more'n enough trouble in these parts to get people caught up. Good to have backup, but all the more backs to watch.

Well, it's you science-types that get the whole weird naming done, not me, so. All overly complex if you ask me, but. Point is, mindnapping in a temporally sealed ship mid-transport ain't an easy feat.

[Grif considers his options. Sarge. Donut. Wash. Well, thank God Caboose isn't here.]

Think I'll stick to avoiding trouble.

Not... the most inspiring words I've heard out of a soldier.

[Seriously, these armored guys need to get their lives together or something.]

Well, have a good time of it.

Yeah? Got to be shit for trade, if the government keeps everything for itself. Biggest problem our colonists ever had was wantin' freedom and no goin' through diplomacy to get it. Terrorism ain't no way to prove you're responsible enough to run a damn colony on your own.

[Well, until that alien encounte he talked about. Then the problems were a whole lot worse.]

It's most certainly not complex! It's a perfectly functional name!

Sorry. Didn't realize that was what you were looking for.

Not looking for, so much, as anticipating. Don't worry, I've... gotten used to it.

Look, all I'm saying is, I get a time machine, I'm gonna name it a time machine, it's not like... you know, this ain't the point of the conversation at hand.

And you'd be free to. But mine isn't, and it's a name that works. Even if it wasn't me who came up with it.

Yeah, seems just about every treaty we get is... pretty darn tenuous. Though I'm thinkin' the murderous tendencies of the aliens puts more a strain on trade than the privatized tech, but who knows. Possible that if we didn't have all these outward distractions, humans'd find a way to stir up a ruckus, but... well, there's always another problem to fix.

That's great, Doc. Which temporal direction were you headed when you dropped in here, do you know?

Probably both.

Now that one I can guarantee for you, based on my timeline. We got nothin' to unite for--or against--, we start tearin' each other apart. Bunch of bullshit if you ask me, humans fightin' humans.

For the record, if you mean anyone like me in red or blue armour, don't anticipate anything from us.

You can't just measure time like that! It's always relative, you see. But I suppose you'd say it was into the past.

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