Network: Video

[dr_riley]

[ The video opens with a fairly standard head and shoulders shot of Drake, who seems to have made himself comfortable at a desk or counter of some sort in the research building. The lighting is much dimmer than the bright flourescent of a regular lab setting, but workable and almost pleasantly ambient. He has a few small desk lamps and behind him are various machines and computers - or at least they look like computers, a few of which seem to be on, as they blink out different colored patterns in the background. There are screens and dials and big, boxy looking equipment scattered around, and who knows if any of it works or what they're meant to do.

He looks annoyed, as per usual.]

Hello! If I could have your attention for just a moment. I don't mean to interrupt everyone's happy fun times, but -

A beach party?!

Really? Right now? That's the response that a threat of this magnitude gets? Did you all miss how insidiously pervasive that complete memory stamp was? Or how it went on for a month, and would have gone on longer if the Agrii hadn't broken through?

Miss Starling wasn't too happy with me for expressing an admittedly prematurely low opinion of you all when I suggested that the ship might be too full of finger paints and coloured pipe cleaners to fit necessary equipment I wanted to bring back from Coruscant.

Well, friends, this idiocy is exactly what I meant. Thank you for confirming that I may as well be on a planet inhabited by talking ficus plants. This is-is-it's...I have never seen this level of incompetence and irresponsibility after such a direct, powerful, multifaceted attack.

I'm trying to find out what caused it and how to prevent it from happening again. And I expected the same or better of everyone else.

Mr. Kaplan provided a list of names of some people who were here during the time a race called the Atroma were present. He thinks they might have had a hand in amplifying the effects of his abilities. So if anyone knows a...

[ He looks down and a scrap of paper comes into view]

...Wanda, a...Soldier? Lance, and Keith? please send them my way, I need to have a chat. Or if you're listening, feel free to get back to me here or leave a message.

If any of you have even the barest hint of a sense of self-preservation, I would appreciate some help. I would ask elsewhere, trust me, but apparantly everyone's lost their minds and there's no one left who isn't a sudden hippy with the memory of a goldfish.

And by the way. The mobile analytic laboratory probe is ready for field work. You're welcome.

Comments

Video

[kree_soldieress]

[Ah, the hateful little angry human who doesn't deserve to open his mouth.]

The Kree know far more of war and trauma than you, and we are aware that it is needful, after a time of stress, for soldiers to be given shore leave in a safe location to re-energize. If you begrudge them a single day for this, then you are no military man as you might claim.

What caused what happened was the torture of one of our number by sinister forces. You would begrudge him a means by which to rest and recover? What happened was the override of many lives here, and you would begrudge them their relief?

[She tilts her head and sneers.]

I know what you are. In the Kree military you would be one of those so certain of their knowledge that we put them safely behind desks to 'analyze' information so their bad ideas may not poison valuable soldiers.

Re: Video

[dr_riley]

Oh, it's you! [ He snaps his fingers a couple of time. ] What was your name again...doesn't matter.

Yes, yes, I'm sure you're very well-versed in being a big brute war dog and all, but here's the trouble, What's-Your-Face: that wasn't the 'time of stress.' This is. That was a memory wipe and reprogramming where almost no one was the wiser, and now...now comes the stress. The middle of a crisis is not the time for [ snort ] "shore leave." Besides which, shore leave happens in rotation; no military in the world would let everyone take a vaycay all at once.

And I've never claimed to be military. I'm a contractor who works with the military. But do keep telling me all about myself and how I don't know anythng about war. Could you also tell me exactly how many times you've saved the planet? Seems I might need some pointers.

[kree_soldieress]

Your claim of not remembering is one I do not believe, given all conversations with these devices inherently include our names. Do you think you are witty to pretend you cannot read?

This is not a time of stress. This is the need to destress. This is no 'crisis' that is ongoing. AH, but you are too unintelligent to realize that. It is a shame, that someone so unwise is trusted with science in your world.

This is no military. Therefore you even further could not expect everyone to subscribe to your standard of abusing their bodies and minds to your pleasure.

Contractor. That is your term for foolish child who sits at a desk. I shall remember it. And you have not saved this planet, therefore your implications that you have are equally unintelligent to make.

[She tilts her head and offers a dark look.]

You are a sad little man, I see. You only seem able to spew negativity when you are not in control over the circumstances of your little life.

[Text]

[wearingthestars]

When do you need me?

[text] (guess who temporarily got comms JUST FOR THIS)

[doubled_speed]

OH FUCKING HELL NO YOU ARE NOT GOING NEAR ANY FUCKING SANCTIMONIOUS SCIENCE ASSHOLES!!!!!!

[text] (<3 nerd)

[wearingthestars]

We need to understand what happened, Tommy.

[text]

[kree_soldieress]

You will not be in his presence without my presence to guard you, your Highness.

[text]

[wearingthestars]

Do I actually have a say in any of this?

[text]

[ezra_of_lothal]

OK, good. I was about to offer to be there with Billy if he wants anything to do with whatever these testd are.

I mean, I still am happy to do that, if we need guard shifts.

[Video]

[ezra_of_lothal]

What Lauri-Ell said. And I've been fighting as an insurgent against a fascist government since I was 14.

I know about risk assessment.

Re: [Video]

[dr_riley]

You agree with her? Ughh, just as I was starting to like you. Well I'll tell you the same thing I told her: this isn't the end of the crisis, this is the middle of it, and that's a damned poor time to be lounging around in your skivvies. And even if it were a good time for a break, it's insane for everyone to be taking it at once.

D'you think that whatever was pulling the strings meant for the spell to be broken? What if they'd been at a momentary disadvantage right after? But hey, who cares. Let's have a party.

[Video]

[heeeyadora]

'A threat of this magnitude'?

[She laughs]

Last month was a walk in the park compared to all the other stuff that happens here.

Re: [Video]

[dr_riley]

So glad you aren't at all concerned about having your identity reassigned. Some of us are, but you go enjoy your kabobs right up until something worse, by your own admission, happens.

[Video]

[itsamysterio]

Well, you're not wrong.

But your people skills could definitely use some work.

Re: [Video]

[dr_riley]

I'm aware. My team usually handles diplomatic relations.

[demjiin]

[ And you've now been officially labeled as a loud and very irritating idiot for Kaz. ]

Setting aside your opinion - and yes I think it was a screwy reaction to a month of brain-scrambling - do you actually know anything at all about human behavior? You're also an idiot for even mentioning the Atroma on the Network but now you've gone ahead and done that, and three times an idiot for actually saying you wanted to use the powers of anyone by name. Everyone that is friendly with them will want a piece of your hide whether you damage them or not.

[dr_riley]

Well perhaps it would've been helpful to make it public knowledge. No one's said anything to me about Network censorship. Also, who the hell are you and what're you on about? You're babbling, mate. I never said anything about using someone's powers, and I'm getting awfully tired of words being put in my mouth, friendly with whom, and damage what?

text;

[sinistral]

No.

Re: text;

[dr_riley]

Alright. And...sorry, don't know who you are.

video;

[kyley_b]

[Kyle stares back through the video feed like he might be able to go all Videodrome and reach through it to punch Riley in the face. His arms are folded across his chest and his eyebrows are drawn together.]

One: how much experience have you, personally, had with world ending situations?

Two: your overestimation of your intelligence and your bloated sense of self importance do not give you license to imply that the rest of us are idiots.

Three: I believe we all have the same clues as to the source of the trauma inflicted on Billy, and I think a few of us were avoiding bringing it up on public channels.

Four: not that you advertised your science experiment, but I'll say it anyway: thanks. That sounds very useful.

And finally: people process trauma in different ways. You shouldn't make people feel badly about that. I'm gonna assume you have the emotionsl intelligence of a ficus plant, so I'm not gonna make a big deal about it... but if you EVER shit on my friends like that again? I'll knock your fucking teeth in.

And don't think I don't know where to find you, you little weasel, we're on the same ship.

Re: video;

[dr_riley]

Oh, a list, that's delightful, I do love itemisation.

One: Quite a lot, most of which is very very classified, but I've been directly responsible for saving the planet - Earth, I mean, not this one - four times, and involved in saving it fourteen times.

Two: They do when everyone's gone spontaneously stupid.

Three: Now we're getting somewhere: WHAT. CLUES. And WHY the CENSORSHIP?

Four: Yes, hopefully.

Five: Seems from here like people all process it the same way: avoiding the problem by partying.

[Action]

[doubled_speed]

[Not long after this there was a loud book of sound, because sometimes you just need to make sure the sonic boom of your righteous fury is heard. And milliseconds after that Riley's office might well be a mess, because the wake caused by Tommy's speed of entry would through anything not heavy and with good sail area into the air from the wind that followed him. Not that Riley should have a chance to react because he was slammed up against the wall. His shirt was pulling tightly because Tommy had the man by the collar.

He's only five foot eight and runner thin, but Tommy's holding the man up above the level of his own head with no issue at all.]

You and I are going to talk.

I LOVE THIS

[dr_riley]

[ Drake was right in the middle of skimming through data recordings on his tablet when Tommy arrived like a freight train. His notes flew into the air like thousands of upset birds and his thankfully rugged design tablet landed several feet away. Most concerning was the bone jarring body slam followed by suddenly finding himself a lot higher up than he was used to and unable to properly breathe.

On sheer, wide eyed instinct, he patted his hip, looking for a sidearm that wsan't there, and then scrabbled at the wall or the desk or anything nearby enough to grab.

With a thin gasp, his hand found one of the desk lamps and he swung it at his assailant's head. ]

[thesepreciousthings]

[After a long day of foraging, Clarice comes back and looks over this - ALL OF IT - then decides she has a headache already]

Christ, Dr. Riley, this is exactly what I was talking about NOT doing.

[dr_riley]

No it's not, you said not to judge prematurely. This judgement was based entirely on observation.