poly_chromatic | [video]

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[video]

— iece of crap. [ There's grumbling as the viewscreen jostles, bright blue (bloodshot) eyes squinting into it curiously. The would-be handsome face glances away a moment later, eyebrows pulled together; he's sick or was prior to arriving, more worn out from the exertion of walking than any young man ought to be. ] Alright, good. You'll do for the time being.

This is Captain Kirk of the starship Enterprise ordering any and all Federation crewmen to report back with the location of the nearest Starfleet outpost. I'm off-world when I shouldn't be. This "computer" — [ you can practically see the airquotes around his sour tone ] — isn't responding as it should or giving me the information I need. I'm getting nothing but interference when I try and open a standard sub-space channel, the frequency's all off ... damn, this thing's gonna fry if I keep messing with it.

[ Opening his mouth to continue, a hurk noise clogs his throat and hastily, the video clatters to the ground as Jim reels around to vomit into the fountain. Classy. ]

[ Of course, where a sick Jim is, a wild, angry Bones appears. ]

Goddammit, Jim! [ He's there all of a sudden, a hand on jim's shoulder holding him for support and a - somewhat crazy expression on his face. ] Jesus Christ, why are you out of the medbay if you're sick?! Don't move or I'll hypo your ass!

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Can't deny I'm that.

[ He glances around with a nod. ]

Looks like something went down here. I've heard the usurpers are called Anonymous, is that the official name of the new big cheeses or isn't there anyone specific I can talk to?

There's four of them that I've seen, two I've spoken to. Never caught their names so I expect Anonymous is all we've got right now.

[She pushes a hand through her hair, not comfortable with that even though she supported them.]

They've said they're working on opening up the City to get us home, fiddling with the barriers. Last time someone did that, we had bloody harpies attacking the place so even if they mean well, even though I fought on their side, I'm keeping an eye out. Best thing to do here. Seems like straight answers'll always be impossible to come by.

[Aaand eyebrow.]

Are you done interrogating me?

[ Taking all that in (harpies, really?) he glances over when she starts to bitch and moan again. ]

Yeah, for now. You're annoyed because we were friends, I'm guessing, since you called me Jim. [ Something a grand total of maybe three people do back home, all of them deep in his confidences. ] Can you tell me a little more about that?

... Please.

[Something in her expression softens and for a beat, she does look apologetic, then she has the good grace to blush, a wry grin tugging at her lips.]

You introduced yourself to me as Jim, the first time. Acting captain, though, so it sounds like you've grown up.

Huh. I've been the actual captain for a while now, growing up was a necessity. [ And a belated homage to someone who never got to see him do it. ] All the same, I'd prefer to keep things formal, I've got no idea who you people are. No offense.

Oh, please.

[Waving it off with a smile because that's the way of it here, even if it sucks (always sucks) to have one-sided memories. Sometimes it's like the time never happened.]

If I got in a strop every time the City did its little City thing, I'd have set half the place on fire by now. [Said so cheerfully, too.] Captain Kirk it is. But I'd rather you stick with Ginny, none of this ancient ma'am rubbish.

I was trying to be polite with that.

[ Give him points!! :( ]

[And cue broad, infuriatingly Weasleyish grin.]

I know. What, I can't give a bloke a hard time? At least I didn't mention the vomit.

There wasn't that much, the fountain's still mostly ... un-green.

You're sure you're alright?

[Sorry, still concerned, even under the attitude. Can't stop won't stop.]

Bones is with me, if I wasn't alright I'd be jammed full of medicine and own brand of healing pain right now. [ He has to ask, since she's so concerned. ] Were we good friends before?

You weren't here that long.

[But they'd clicked. Maybe things were less dire. (He was in the middle of saving the world last time, Ginny, remember?) Maybe she just - stupidly - gets attached too quickly because people leave as suddenly as they arrive. That had been the case before.]

I didn't think people had to be best mates to ask a simple question like that.

I'm the captain, Ginny, it's not every day my crew asks me for personal updates.

I'm not your crew.

And yet, that's how it's been.

I suppose with curses happening left and right, routine's all most people have.

What's with those things, anyway? The 'curses'.

You might not have to worry about them if the curses are really done with, just like the deities. But sometimes I think the City's got a mind of its own and it wasn't really the deities at all.

[And wouldn't that mean they're all in trouble now?]

But the curses are—were?—these random things that would hit random people on random days. Some are harmless like... I don't know, making your skin taste like cinnamon or something. [Been there, done that.] Or annoying, like when a friend of mine had to sing everything he said. Or you'll turn into the opposite gender or old injuries will open up and you'll bleed everywhere.

[Check, check, check.]

They like putting our memories up on the network for people to see, sometimes, too. That's always charming and wildly invasive.

Sounds like I just walked into a messed up Twilight Zone. There's absolutely no way of avoiding the effects of an assault like that, staving them off? [ A frustrated noise lodges in his throat. ] If the technology here wasn't so backward, it wouldn't be half as difficult to stay on top of things.

[Pop culture reference goes flying over the witch's head. BUT SHE'S USED TO THAT. So she rolls along.]

No, not that anyone's found out. I do have this token thing, though, from when the deities were rewarding us for writing some awful essays—supposedly you could use it to rid yourself of a curse if you were affected. I never used it, though.

[Then she laughs, ducking her head, murmuring,]

Merlin, "backward" technology. [Louder, looking at him again,] You know when I got here, all of this was new to me? I mean, I'd heard of most of it. But using it was completely foreign. Different worlds, I suppose. You're from well ahead of the rest of us, aren't you?

Twenty-third century, all of this is twenty-first at best.

[ Look how pained he is, Ginny. Just look at that sour pout. ]

These things we're using? Would be in museums back home. Adding insult to injury, all our own tech is deadwood in the water.

[Poor baby, she feels all the sympathy for you. Really. :( ]

You might be able to get it work. I've seen people manage it. Though I reckon Pavel would be the best person, same world and all.

[Grinning,]

If I ever turned up in your world, I'm not sure what I'd do. I've got horror stories about the microwave.

He's my navigator back on the Enterprise, best in the whole fleet.

[ Give him a second to wrinkle his nose. ]

The microwave? I ... don't think I've ever used one of those. We mainly use food replicators.

[OH MY GOD LET HER SHOW YOU HOW TO USE ONE.]

No idea what those are. You've never used a microwave and you're from the future?

They're old, I told you the technology here is dated!

[ jfhgkl he doesn't need a microwave! Even if he really wants to master one on sheer principle, now. ]

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