video; un: ratchet (post attack on palace)

[neveroutwrenched]

[It's midday a few days after the battle when the feed comes to life. Ratchet is settled in the forest on the outskirts of the city, blaster pistol laid in the grass by his feet. Behind him, the trees are covered in scorch marks from his target practice... though truthfully, Ratchet was more interested in blowing off steam than working on his aim.

The race for a cure, the political intrigue, organizing a breakout... it was a lot of hurry up and wait while plans were worked out by those Orbers who'd proven themselves essential. The energy inside the palace walls was the taut, nervous kind that made Ratchet want to disappear into the middle of nowhere and shoot stuff until he got his head on straight.

He was still riding that adrenaline when he begins to speak, tail swishing involuntarily. Addressing a crowd -- even an invisible one -- wasn't in his comfort zone.]

Hey. Hi. [He waves.] Everyone's got a lot on their plates right now, so let me just say right off the bat: that this doesn't have to do with any of that. I promise, this is like... negative important. So if you're looking for the latest news on what's going on at the palace or in Yuryeong or whatever, you can probably skip this one.

[ There goes his tail, swishing harder. Yep, he was nailing this. ]

Anyway... We're dealing with a multiverse spanning AI here, right? Like, I get that part. But... isn't it a little crazy how many people here can straight up do magic? Like, is that a condition of admission? Because if it is, I think there was some kind of mistake when it picked me up. [It's a joke, but maybe not as much of one as he tries to make it sound.] I'm a great mechanic, don't get me wrong. I guess you could say I'm a wizard with engines, but I don't think that really counts when there are... actual wizards around.

[That wasn't offensive, right? "Wizard"? Sitting up a little straighter, Ratchet figures it's time to get to the point.]

So, I guess I'm trying to figure that part out. What did everyone on this team do, back on your worlds? Doctor? Culinary auteur? Unpaid intern? What do you think made the AI pick you for this?

... And if there's anyone else out there feeling a little powerless right now, you're welcome to come fire off a few rounds with me. [He holds up the gun with a lopsided grin.] It's not a magic wand or anything, but y'know. Still fun.

Comments

( video | un: jaguar )

[scarcastically]

[ that sure is a talking . . . something. okay. ]

Well, they picked a bunch of useless superheroes from my place so I imagine they chose me because I have brains.

Where'd you get a gun?

[neveroutwrenched]

[It's something.]

The gun? It came with me.

[The superhero jab makes Ratchet smirk appreciatively.] So you're like a scientist? I've noticed there's a lot of those here too...

voice; un: WHEATLEY

[testgasm]

Oh, you know. Held down some odd jobs, here and there. Looked after humans, for a while. Then I, uh. Ran an entire facility! The whole place. That sort of thing.

[neveroutwrenched]

Looked after them? Like...a babysitter? [Or like...grown humans?]

I mean, that's pretty impressive, pal. But what kind of "facility" are we talking about here?

voice; un: qishan

[silverneedles]

[ so. talking... animals? that's a thing. this place is turning out to be even more surprising than she expected.

she's seen people send out energy projections before but they hadn't been able to talk. ]

I am a doctor and a cultivator, both of which have proven useful for this venture. What is an AI?

[neveroutwrenched]

[He raises his eyebrows, impressed. Mostly unaware of how strange he was to her, although in some smaller ways, he felt the same.]

Wow, yeah a doctor sounds really useful, I can definitely see why they'd want you along.

[He looks thoughtful, trying to think of the best way to answer her question.]

An AI is an artificial intelligence. Like a....computer or a robot? Viveca's an AI, I don't know if you've talked to her. [There's a beat where he realizes, that like many people here she might not even know what a computer is. Or maybe she knows all this and just has different language for it.] Maybe this isn't helpful...it's like, someone creating an intelligent mind or a personality that can act on it's own.

Do they have anything like that where you're from?

voice; un: kaspbrak

[respirations]

( Okay, yeah, alright so this is definitely a thing. Eddie feels like he should probably have some thoughts but fuck is he exhausted to think any of this is weird anymore. )

I'm a risk analyst, man. So unless they got investment portfolios laying around that need a look over then I very much doubt it was my career choice that won me this one way lottery ticket.

[neveroutwrenched]

[The voice over the network sounded awful high strung for someone analyzing risk for a living.]

Risk analyst? Really? Tell me it's like...military risk analysis. Battlefield strategy. Building on dangerous foundations risk analysis.

[It can't seriously be STOCKS.]

audio; un: Sabriel.Abhorsen

[bindsthedead]

Well, I'm a Charter mage and the current Abhorsen, which might have played a role. It's certainly been useful so far.

It's also possible that I was selected because I got high marks in school.

[neveroutwrenched]

Well, I can't imagine test scores having much to do with it. [Otherwise some serious errors were made in the selection process.] But the mage thing does seem like it's been a big help.

What's an "Abhorsen", if you don't mind me asking?

video; un:silent

[callada]

[Judging by the background he's seated near one of the palace walls. After a while here, he's managed finally to assemble something that not only resembles local clothing but actually fits, finally. And what can he say, he loves the hat.

It's been scorched a couple times, though, clearly, and the culprit is probably that cigarette in his mouth. Oh well.]

Been wondering about this myself but I can't find anything obvious in common among any of us so far. I guess this is as good a way as any to try and put it all together.

My world's mostly ocean, which I guess is different from everyone else I've talked to so far. I traveled a lot. Odd jobs from one ship to another, mostly as hired crew for merchants who needed someone who could shoot back if pirates turned up.

What about you?

[neveroutwrenched]

[That's a man who is learning to fit right in. Even despite...not really fitting right in.]

Just a bunch of weirdos, I guess. [Ratchet smiles, shrugging.] Ah...my world isn't like most people here either. Opposite of yours though, mostly desert. But we have space travel, and a lot of different people and worlds. So I guess that part's kind of comfortable for me in all this, even if it's different people.

[Being at ease with travel and new places and things, did seem to be a helpful trait to have.]

And don't sell yourself short, bud. I've seen your magic powers.

Voice | UN: Syrlya

[chronosynthesis]

Being a mechanic is a valuable skill. I can think of quite a few times I would have been in a far worse situation without someone who knew what to do around a broken airship or an automated gate, where my knowledge and skill using magic is useless.

[Like, uh, when the ship just up and lost power last month. They could have died. Syr doesn't realize realize how much they could have died.]

Truthfully, I think everyone here was selected simply because when offered that chance, we said yes.

[neveroutwrenched]

We do have a good variety, there's no arguing that. [Ratchet nods to himself, thoughtfully. With more organization and coordination, they probably did have a pretty impressively skilled group of people. The lack of direction just made it a little hard to see that on the ground level.]

We...we did say yes. [Ratchet's tone takes a tone for the less certain at that. A little distracted.] Is that weird? A bunch of desperate people?

[It's not the kindest descriptor, and an assumptive one at that, colored heavily by subjective experience.]

video | un: sharpshooter

[buoys]

[ lance chuckles a little, feeling like this guy's words are hitting way too close to home to not have a laugh about it. ]

Honestly..? I was literally farming, before all this.

[ but, hm. he guesses that's selling himself a little short. ]

But uh. Before that, I was traveling around space, fending off an alien conquest trying to take over a whole universe. [ ... ] No magic, though. I don't think.

[neveroutwrenched]

[Ratchet shakes his head, grinning, kind of loving that. The absolute ideal life trajectory, if you asked him.]

Okay, well I've gotta know how you got from point a to point b. So, important question...what did you farm?

audio (un: major.yzak.jule)

[coordination]

[ Oh, it's this guy. TECHNOLOGY FRIEND. ]

Nobody would make a mistake in choosing me to help out with a mission. [ Because he is a leader! A brilliant fighter and beginning to prove his worth in the political sphere (by way of screaming at the idiot politicians there). ] And I'm not from somewhere like that, either. So you're probably fine.

—Actually. If you're as good with engines and the like as you claim you are, once we're back on the station that could be useful. After the trouble we had at the start, someone who could familiarize themself with exactly how things work could make it a lot easier if something fucks up again.

[neveroutwrenched]

[That's the infectious confidence we love to see! He tips his head to one side, frowning at the suggestion.]

"Again"? Did you guys have problems before?

voice, un: ellie

[thevalley]

Technically unemployed but... survival is sort of the way things are back home. So maybe that's why.

[Not gonna get into the regrets.]

Also, you're a cat mechanic thing. Are you really gonna shit on magic?

[neveroutwrenched]

Ouch, alright that's probably fair. Except I'm not a "cat", and there's no humans where I'm from.

[The implication being that humans are just as much aliens here as him. Except for that little fact that the people of Gyeongje were decidedly human, or very near to it. So...maybe not.]

What kind of survival skills are we talking about? Like, building fires, catching your own food, living off the land...that kinda thing?

audio; un: username

[skelepun]

[ Hey check it out, it's his favorite space alien. And he's talking about magic? That's his whole deal, bud. Just try hanging up on him this time. ]

I run an illegal hot dog stand. Don't tell the cops.

[neveroutwrenched]

[Ratchet frowns.]

Does that hurt them? Being hot?

voice; un: clarke

[romancekiller]

[talking animals? yeah that sure is a thing... but you know what, she will roll with it considering most things here seem impossible to her]

The fact people can do magic is definitely strange for me to get used since it's not something people are capable of back where I'm from. We mostly just had to worry about survival but I did have medical training so I could have been selected for either of those things.

[neveroutwrenched]

[Talking animals, magic, undead "monsters" harassing the town...they really had it all here.]

Yeah, it...definitely takes some getting used to. [Especially when you are one of those things that people need to get used.] So you were a doctor?

video; un: oswin

[bossily]

I know, right? I thought everyone here but me could do some kind of magic. It was starting to give me a complex.

[There's even a little frown on her face to accompany that complex.]

[neveroutwrenched]

Tell me about it. We're going to have to start a whole support group at this rate. "Magically Inept Anonymous".

video; un: trashmouth

[longoverdue]

My best friend’s a risk analyst for some big finance thing, and I’m a comedian. The most magical thing either of us have seen is probably like, fuckin’—Little Mermaid. And that was a Disney movie, so.

[Pennywise doesn’t count. The clown was less magical and more utterly traumatic.]

I guess I just got picked ‘cause somebody needed to boost morale.

[neveroutwrenched]

Does your best friend happen to be here too? Real nervous guy? High strung? Little sarcastic?

text, un; dustywolf

[softmouth]

I'm not sure I have any qualifications. I can turn into a wolf, I grew up on a farm so I can grow things and take care of animals and wrangle a tractor into working. and I'm a decent cook? I can do some first aid? honestly I've never had an actual job, and like all the people around me can also turn into wolves, but also have had actual jobs and are better at fighting than me so I have no idea

definitely no magic or special tech knowledge. I mean, I guess I'm the only person in the house who knows how to make the wifi work when it cuts out and can hook up a printer but I don't think that counts

[Don't mind him, he's rambling because he's freaked out. Getting a second bite-transmitted transforming disease will do that to you.]

text, un; ratchet

[neveroutwrenched]

[Ratchet has to smile at the rambling text, although it's obvious there's some nervousness there.]

are you kidding? that's a pretty great resume. i know i sure don't know anything about cooking or first aid...and half the people here wouldn't even know what wifi IS.

but uh (sorry if this is ignorant)...how exactly is turning into a wolf NOT magic?

audio; un: renfri

[retributioning]

If you're looking for someone who can do magic, you can count me out. It's the opposite. Magic doesn't work on me — too bad for all the "actual wizards".

[ is it possible to make quotation marks audible in just a voice message? well, renfri sure seems to manage just fine. as well as sound somewhat derisive about the whole wizard part. clearly she's not too fond of the profession. ]

[neveroutwrenched]

Actually, it's a relief to talk to more non-magic types...

[Something about the hostility of her tone however, makes him pause. It's clear that she must come from a world with magic, which placed her in a somewhat strange place amongst those he'd talked to. Not someone with no familiarity, nor someone who spoke of magic highly.

Something else.]

Are you...concerned about them trying to use magic on you?

Audio. UN:Kirigan

[cruelyethuman]

[There are sounds of crying and rustling clothes in the background, and the Darkling's voice is strained.]

What are you?

[Before he answers the actual question.]

I'm a General, I lead an army.

[neveroutwrenched]

[Nothing weird or concerning about that...]

Me? A lombax. [At least that was a question he was used to, and took no real offense to it.]

Everything...okay over there?