(backdated to pre-Pan plot -- also threadjack Miles in the comments!)

[vorbarra]

[There is a thin, angular man with dark neat hair and intensely focused hazel eyes on the screen. He clears his throat when the vid starts; he's had to swallow down his nerves and put on his calm political mask to speak. His accent is a gravelly, guttural sort of Russian, as if Russians went into space and were fast-forwarded a thousand years. Which they did.]

Hello. My name's Greg. I'm adding to your barrage of new arrivals. It's still very surreal to be here, if for no other reason than that I'm on pre-space travel Earth.

[He does look honestly bemused by that.]

I was wondering what the regulations are for obtaining jobs around here. They've assigned me one, but I was hoping for something... low key. Normal, menial work. [A quirk of his lips.] I have experience putting in lights, if that's relevant, and as a navigator.

I was also looking for confirmation that all of the, ah, abilities listed in our files are real. I'd prefer not to test something like this to find out.

Thank you.

Comments

video

[dendarii]

[ Miles hesitates. That ... is bizarre. Oh, the accent is different - not something Miles could do with any particular level of fluency - but otherwise, it sounds a bit like the recordings of himself he's played back at Dendarii meetings.

How bizarre. He shakes his head a bit, brushing it off. ]

What sorts of businesses? Any really big ones?

voice;

[mathemagier]

StarkTech is located in De Chima if you've any technical proficiencies. Mr. Stark tends to hire a broad spectrum of imPorts. There is also Starrware, run by Karen Starr, with a focus on energy efficiency, I believe? Also based in De Chima. There's also an imPort-run cafe in Heropa, established by an 'Aunt Cass'.

[A brief, thoughtful pause as he tries to recall any others. But they're escaping him at the moment; he's not exactly in the job market any longer]

I've heard of a mercenary organization recently, but I couldn't tell you much more about them. There are more, but I don't exactly have a catalogue in front of me, so you'll need to do your own research if none of that appeals.

[dendarii]

[ The longer he hears that voice, the weirder it feels on his ears. He's seized with the urge to mimic the accent just to see if it lines up the way he thinks it will. ]

No technical proficiencies, alas. I'm ... well, a mercenary myself. Admiral Miles Naismith, of the Dendarii Free Mercenary Fleet.

[mathemagier]

[There's a reason this conversation is discomfiting, he realizes. That face is far more familiar than it should be.]

I see. [And he looks so young] Well unfortunately I don't know where exactly to direct you. You'd have to sort through the archives or ask after them.

[dendarii]

[ Very young; thirty at the absolute most, but that swagger can't possibly belong to anyone over twenty-five. He keeps frowning more and more. ]

Quite all right. I'd planned to make my own way regardless, but Greg here - I think he'd prefer steadier employment.

[ Okay, he can't contain it any more. ]

Who are you?

[mathemagier]

D-Doctor Hermann Gottlieb, theoretical physicist.

[The usual niceties fail to follow in the wake of the strangeness of this discussion]

[dendarii]

[ Miles own bow is a bit strained as well. ]

Admiral Miles Naismith of the Dendarii Free Mercenary Fleet. [ A pause. ] You - sound remarkably familiar, doctor.

[mathemagier]

[He'd usually point out that he'd already introduced himself, but this is strange from both ends- less so on Miles' perhaps, as he only has voice to go on. But some of his manners do return]

..A pleasure to meet you, Admiral. I can't exactly say the same, but you do look oddly familiar.

[dendarii]

[ He had indeed - that's how distracted he is. He might just introduce himself a third time if this conversation goes on long enough. ]

And you sound ... [ A moment's hesitation. ] I'm sorry, but could you turn on your video function for a moment?

video;

[mathemagier]

[He doesn't really want to, though he can't deny he's thought of it several times now. Hermann hesitates, not sure what it might mean to have a 'twin' of sorts, particularly one that isn't even from the same world. Or if 'cloning' has anything to do with it. God he hopes not.

After another brief pause, he does indeed flip on the video function, more than a little self-conscious because he hasn't aged particularly well. At least he manages not to visibly fidget]

I don't believe 'strange' even begins to cover it.

video

[dendarii]

[ Miles' breath stops. They could be twins if Miles were older or Hermann were younger. He straightens, self consciously, trying to hid the curve of his spine. And feels intensely grateful that his diminutive stature is not easily seen over the comms. Does he have a clone in truth? Is that what's going on here? How?

In the end, he just blurts out: ]

How tall are you?

video

[mathemagier]

[Blinks, because out of every question he could think of, height was hardly relevant. Hermann's brow pinches, then gives something of a shrug]

Roughly 180 centimeters or 71 inches... converts to 5 foot 11, by american measurement standards.

[dendarii]

[ In other words, exactly the height Miles would have been - should have been without the soltoxin incident. His own father is six feet tall - 5'11" seems precisely right.

It's not fair. Miles fights down an irrational spike of anger, seeing a stranger with his face and what he assumes is an uncrippled body. Somewhat bitterly: ]

Ah. I suppose one of us ought to make full use of our genes.

[mathemagier]

[There's bitterness there Hermann doesn't fully grasp, because his genes are definitely flawed in actuality. Or rather, his nervous system is, but there are more pressing concerns]

If you'd like, my.. [He can't say it, not to Miles] Lab partner is a biologist, and he could determine the extent of those similarities.

[dendarii]

[ Does Miles want to know? ... Should he want to know? How much cover can he really blow getting a genetic scan? It's not as though they have anyone to compare his DNA to.

It would be interesting, he decides. Hell, maybe he'll make a few allies like this. ]

... Why not?

[mathemagier]

[For Miles' sake, he hopes he doesn't share the same propensity for his disease. It's enough justification to offer at least, even if it won't mean much if he does.]

Good. Alright, then. [He feels better for having a plan of action] We will need to schedule that for another time, however. Dr. Geiszler and I will be absent all of next week, so we'll touch base upon our return and set up an appointment, if that would be suitable?

[dendarii]

[ That will give him some time to recover mentally. And to back out if he and Gregor convene and decide otherwise. ]

Yes, that will be perfectly fine. Greg and I need to settle in anyway.

[mathemagier]

[He nods, relaxing a bit.]

Fair enough. I wish you well with settling in and finding more appropriate employment for your skill sets. I'll be in touch.

[dendarii]

Thank you, Dr. Gottlieb. I appreciate this.

[ And he quietly turns his side of the communicator off. For once Gregor's going to end up being the more talkative of the two - Miles can scarcely bear to look at this mirror of himself. ]

Video

[driftsintobuffetline]

[Miles may have turned off the comm, but if he turns it on, he'll have a message from a very excited Newt who is practically bouncing in his seat.]

--HOLY SHIT HERMANN. HOLY Fucking SHIT, I GO ON A COFFEE RUN AND YOU ACQUIRE A TWIN FROM ANOTHER DIMENSION--WHAT ARE THE ODDS, ok, not literally, I don't literally want you to tell me what the odds are but WHAT ARE THE ODDS. Of all the dumb faces, this place chooses to bring two of you!

[He runs a hand through his hair, not to smooth it, but in an excited, nervous, manic gesture.]

But yes! Hi! The name's Newton Geiszler--the Doctor Geiszler that Hermann, uh, Dr. Gottlieb mentioned--his biologist--but, uh, call me Newt!!

Only Hermann gets away with calling me Newton here.

[Breathless.] Wow.

He's--you're so ...young. (I swear to god, Hermann, he looks almost like you did when we met. Dude, this is fantastic. You'd have told me if you were a clone, right?) How did-- Do I--Not to parrot your buddy's question, but do I look familiar to you? Is there a Newt Geiszler equivalent in your world and have you met him?

This is bizarre. This is just, I mean, it's fantastic, but ...two Hermann.

video

[mathemagier]

You're late, Newton, and we may look alike, but that does not mean he is anything like me.

Video

[driftsintobuffetline]

I am not late!! You started without me! You could have WAITED.

And yeah! No, I don't think he's like you. Hey. Hey! WHAT? I said he looked like when we met, I wasn't--stop the death glare.

Video

[mathemagier]

[Calms down just a little, but he's still fairly miffed]

Just so long as you get it through your head that there are not in fact, two of me.

video

[dendarii]

[ Really, Newt. Really. Fortunately by now Miles has had his outburst with Gregor and is much, much calmer on this topic, or this could have gone rather uglier. There's still a slight gap between receiving the message and Miles responding to it.

Talk about role reversal. The scientist who looks like Miles is the taciturn one, and the one that more closely resembles Gregor (albeit without anywhere near the same level of similarity) seems to have Miles' manic energy. Dear god. Is that what it's like dealing with him all the time? No wonder Ivan complains so much.

It's charming by the time Miles gets to the end of the message, so he manages to smile genuinely. ]

How are you so sure there aren't two Miles? Because that's what I see here. [ Joking, really. ]

... Regardless, it's good to make your acquaintance, Newt. Dr. Gottlieb had mentioned the possibility of coming up to run a few tests next week? See how similar we really are.

video

[driftsintobuffetline]

Ha ha, very funny. [ Still, he's dealt with clones. Monster clones, but still. He eyes Hermann suspiciously, then laughs. ]

The fact that you're willing to let me run a test on you at all basically tells me you two have little in common other than that face.