poly_chromatic | [video / action]

[There's little light to see by when the video feed begins. The sky's just now turning pale with the approaching sunrise, the stars are still bright overhead, and the City Square--this is a fine video of that most central of locations--is dimly lit and far quieter than it was the day before.

This peaceful, near-silent recording is interrupted by a burst of inaudible off-screen mumbling, immediately followed by the buzz of static and a flickering video. It only lasts for a moment. Image and sound quality are restored and a very awake Chekov, looking immensely pleased with himself, prevents the morning's peace and quiet from making a comeback. What's he doing out in the Square at this ungodly hour? What "improvement" did he make to his network device this time?

Don't ask. He'll happily tell you far more than you want to know.]

There! If that works...

[A hand obscures the video momentarily.]

Nonono--yes, good! That should cover all bandwidths, I think.

[And, as if wholly oblivious to this prelude, Chekov comes back into view and addresses the network.]

Is there anyone at all from the Enterprise here today? Who was not here before, is what I mean. The Academy? Moscow University? If you are here, I would like to talk with you, please. The City is very nice, for a time, but I would give away everything I own here for a decent conversation about transporter theory. Astrophysics, any kind. Rudimentary stellar cartography, anything.

Sulu, Uhura, Mr. Scott--have you been sent to visit?

[Politely, as an addendum:]

Or, if you are not from when I am from, I would not mind meeting you, either.

[ooc: Fourth wall post! Anything is lovely--castmates, face doubles (although I think that I may play all of those...), other Treks, any character ever, what have you. Tell him he's fictional or that he doesn't look a bit like Walter Koenig if you like; anything too brain-breaking can be conveniently forgotten, I'm sure! Sorry for any delays, as well; I just remembered that sleep is a thing.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Kumiko is fairly certain this isn't Tokyo. Where are all te Japanese people?

More to the point, where are all the people?

She finds one young man talking into some kind of strange device, and hesitantly taps him on the shoulder.]

Ah, excuse me? Do you... [Tch, her english isn't good enough for this! She gestures around, trying to indicate the area around them.] here? Tokyo ja nai desshou? [This isn't Tokyo, right?]

[Chekov is more than happy to set the device aside and play the broken language game with her. It's one of his favorites!]

City, not Tokyo. [Japanese would be a language he only knows in the smallest of fragments, but that, at least, wasn't so hard to muddle out. He gestures towards his network device.] Do you have one of these? There is a translator equipped with most, I think--oh! No, wait--chotto matte kudasai.

[He proceeds to mess around with his own device before holding it out to her.]

Kataru... eh, gomenasai. Talk at this--kore--and it will translate into English.

Eh? Doushite?

[She has no idea why he's holding that computer out to her, but she takes it.]

What am I supposed to do with this?

[She doesn't realize it's now translating for her.]

[This particular translator works more like the universal translators that Chekov is familiar with than more twenty-first century friendly versions. The speakers sounds the same to themselves and they hear others in the language they are best equipped to understand regardless of what language they're actually speaking.

For some reason, Chekov's accent manages to make it through to Kumiko in spite of the fact that he's speaking English and she's hearing Japanese. There may still be some kinks to iron out...]

You only need to speak at it. Provided you are within a meter or so of it and I am, as well, it will make it so we can understand each other. Hai?

[Needless to say, the translation program makes no attempt to do anything with Chekov's continued attempts at Japanese. He's just pleased to have an opportunity to call on the very little he knows.]

Oooooh! You're speaking Japanese now!

Only to you I am, and to me, you are speaking English.

[And the translation program is working, which is always gratifying when testing something that has been done for some time but has never been through a trial run. Now that the language barrier is out of the way--]

I am Pavel Chekov and you are in the City, which is not near Tokyo, or in the same dimension as Tokyo, or even operating within the same temporal restraints as your home, but try not to worry. For you, this should be temporary.

Eh?

[Your translation program may be working, but Kumiko didn't understand a single word you said.]

[Chekov brings his hand to his forehead in an overwrought gesture of embarrassment.]

Ai, sorry! Let me try again? My name is Pavel, this is the City, and you do not need to worry. You will get back to Tokyo.

OH GOOD. I'm going to my first teacher's conference. [She is the most excited anyone's ever been for such a thing.]

[Her excitement clearly marks her as a fellow spirit and, even though Chekov can't imagine why teachers would need to have a conference, he returns her smile readily.]

Then you are a teacher, miss? You will make your conference, don't worry.

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