personal log stardate -310231.3593212407

[universaltranslator]

[video]
[Uhura stands against a wall in a dark section of the Underground. She hasn't seen any people yet, and she had quickly discovered that her communicator wasn't working. There was a device at her feet, though, that seemed to do the same thing. It took her a few moments to figure out how to record with it.]

My name is Lieutenant Uhura of the USS Enterprise. If you can hear this message, please respond.

[Of course, there's no guarantee that the people here speak Standard. If this was a Federation device, it would automatically translate her message into every known language. But it's not, so she's just going to have to do that herself. She starts with Swahili.]

Jina langu ni Luteni Uhura ya Enterprise USS. Kama unaweza kusikia ujumbe huu, tafadhali kujibu.

[Switching to Romulan]
Taeth 'nhqh 'hh Lt. Uhura --

[A man comes up behind her. Leering, he grabs her shoulder and whispers something in her ear. When she yanks her shoulder free of him, his expression turns ugly.]

You little--

[He tries to attack, but she easily flips him to the ground, knocking him unconcious. She looks annoyed but unafraid.]

Guess it's Standard.


[ooc: Action for Chekov, audio/video for everyone else!]

Comments

action!

[candothat]

[As soon as Chekov sees Uhura's video, he's off to find her--not because he doesn't think she's more than capable of taking care of any underground threats, of course.

It takes him far longer to locate her than he would like; the Underground is relatively unfamiliar territory and he hasn't fully recovered from the incident with the sewer-creature. The dermal regenerator took care of most superficial injuries and the bone fracture has more or less been mended with magic and a couple of days of rest, but he's by no means up for a sprint. Howl would be very unhappy if Chekov did anything stupid like that.

Once he does find her, he greets her with an enthusiastic hug. McCoy has been gone for some time and he has been hoping that someone from home would show up.]

Uhura! Zdravstvujte!

[...And then he remembers that Uhura hasn't had 216 days away from Starfleet to slip into habitual informality. Chekov retreats, straightens his civilian clothes, and clasps his hands behind his back in an appropriately respectful manner. Uhura is, after all, his superior, and they didn't know each other well enough at home to warrant familiarity here.]

Ah--Lieutenant Uhura. Ensign Chekov reporting.

action!

[universaltranslator]

[OOOF OKAY THAT WAS UNEXPECTED. Uhura's self-defense reflexes are no match for Chekov's speed and enthusiasm. And then before she can figure out the proper response to said unexpected embrace, the young ensign backs off and is appropriately formal.

She'd rip a hole into any other guy who tried that, but Chekov is clearly an excitable puppy and not a horny teenager trying to cop a feel. And it's damn good to see a familiar face. So she flashes him a quick smile before getting down to business.]

Where are Captain Kirk and the others?

[What she really wants to know is where Spock is, but knowing her reckless captain, if there's trouble, he's likely to be somewhere in the thick of it.]

action!

[candothat]

[Being quick has its advantages.]

They are not here, sir. This is... a strange situation, and it is not easy to explain.

action!

[universaltranslator]

Try.

action!

[candothat]

You are in a place called the City. The City is like twenty-first century Earth, although there are many here from other times and universes. The popular theory is that this is a pocket universe, but I have come to believe that that is improbable, since-- [Chekov pauses; he can't remember the rest of it. How many times has he explained all of this? Why--

Oh, right.]

Ay, sorry. There are deities, also, and they have considerable power. They can alter minds, bring people back to life... they may also be responsible for causing anomalies that are called curses, but no one has proved that. Escaping is impossible, there is a very loud clock underground...

[That thought trails off into an embarrassed silence.]

action!

[universaltranslator]

[Okay, that's unbelievable but it's not impossible, as Spock frequently admonished her. Uhura is more concerned with Chekov's uncharacteristic behavior. She doesn't know the young ensign that well, but she's never seen him at a loss for words.]

Are you all right?

action!

[candothat]

Fine, yes, thank you. There are certain... areas of knowledge that I am missing, because of a trade with the deities.

[BUT THAT DOESN'T MATTER.]

I am pleased to see you here.

audio;

[whitetwoguns]

I can hear you.

audio;

[universaltranslator]

[under her breath] Oh thank god.

Where am I? What is this place?

audio;

[whitetwoguns]

[Aw man. Does he have to deliver a pretty face the bad news? Yep. Yep he does.]

This is the City. And from what I gather it takes people from their home world.

Re: audio;

[universaltranslator]

What planet are we on?

[helsmaiden]

[ Have a severe-looking girl in a green dress. ]

Everyone here speaks the same tongue. It is like the Allspeak, but not.

[universaltranslator]

Is it a function of this device?

[helsmaiden]

It appears to be a function of the City itself.

[universaltranslator]

[Uhura finds this unsettling.]

When I spoke earlier, did it all sound the same to you?

[helsmaiden]

I comprehend all tongues, so I am likely not the best person to ask. They each sounded different, however. I believe whichever language you use as default is translated into the City's common tongue, for all intents and purposes.

[universaltranslator]

[That kind of capability meant this civilization had to be fairly advanced.]

What star system are we in?

[helsmaiden]

I have been told that this City is a realm of its own, separate from any other and yet connected, in ways, to all.

voice;

[undercut]

Message received. Thought it seems as if you've got the situation under control.

voice;

[universaltranslator]

[He talks like a military man. He may not be Starfleet, but she still finds it reassuring.]

I don't know about control. Are you a representative of this place?

voice;

[undercut]

Not so esteemed, I'm afraid, but I am a member of the police force here. Unfortunately, the majority of us have found ourselves in your position at one point or another.

voice;

[universaltranslator]

Even you?

voice;

[undercut]

Correct. Even the Captain of the police force - and countless others who have received these devices.

voice;

[universaltranslator]

So who is actually in charge here?

voice;

[undercut]

It's difficult to say. There is a group of so-called deities who seem the obvious choice in name.