008 [Video]

[attainment]

[A young blond man addresses the network today, his usual polite smile fixed into place, an expression so well-practiced that it exudes the natural ease of someone who wears public speaking like a second skin. He's conventionally attractive with a soft face that could be described as feminine, with a sculpted body of someone with a rigorous training regimen.

ImPorts who keep up with media trends or watch any amount of television will likely have seen him before, perhaps in a photoshoot or one of the many commercials he's filmed over the past couple of years. ]

Hi, everyone. For those who don't know me, my name is Barnaby Brooks Jr. I'm a registered imPort who works as both a hero and a spokesman for the energy drink Powerthirst, a brand some of you may be familiar with. I've got a few questions for you today.

First of all, what are people's experiences with being temporarily ported out? Have you noticed any patterns in the timing or duration? In my case, I'm always ported out at the same time as a certain imPort. Whether there's some special meaning behind it, or whether it's just a strange coincidence, though...I can't say, which is why I'm asking you about your experiences.

Secondly, I've gained access to my motorcycle from home, and I need help with maintenance. [Look, he's attached a handy picture and everything. That sure is a fancy pink motorcycle with his name on it!]

If anyone wants to make some extra money, I'm looking for two kinds of people: someone in any of the main imPort cities who's experienced enough with sophisticated technology that they're able to take care of the mechanical side of things by keeping it in tip-top shape, and also someone in Heropa who'd be willing to wash it for me on weekends.

In the former case, a background in robotic engineering is a huge plus, but is negotiable if you can convince me you have what it takes to properly maintain such an advanced piece of equipment.

Third, we're looking for some extras for a commercial my company is filming later this month. Anyone who's interested should contact me, preferably with a resume of some of the work you've done since the Porter brought you to this world. Prior acting experience is preferable, but not required.

Thank you. I look forward to hearing your responses, and would especially appreciate any insight regarding my first question.

[With one last pleasant smile, the feed ends.]

Comments

Text

[dirtyredneck]

[Daryl could offer to take care of it himself, but he had no real desire to become a mechanic for a bike he couldn't ride. Instead, he decided to suggest someone else.]

Neo Tokyo. Garage in De Chima.

[One he'd just been to for the first time, even!]

You're looking for Tetsuo and Kaneda.

Text

[attainment]

[Hello, Daryl. Barnaby hasn't forgotten your assistance in catching Bucky Barnes. Sometimes he stubbornly sticks to video even when receiving a text message, but this time Barnaby easily switches over to text.]

Have you used their services before?

Text

[dirtyredneck]

Bought some new shocks from 'em today. Saw one of their personal bikes.

[Which is not to say he's had them work on his before, but that he'd trusted what he did see and wouldn't balk at one of them fixing his bike if he was having trouble himself.]

They do good work.

Text

[attainment]

My bike is pretty advanced compared to what you might normally see on the streets. I read they don't like to work with hover technology. It gave me the impression that maybe they're not comfortable with tech they might not have had in their own world.

Would you say that's not the case?

voice; network id: dr. h. gottlieb

[mathemagier]

You're always ported out alongside another imPort? How many times has this happened?

I don't know that anyone's discovered any notable patterns to them, but it's a project I've decided to take on myself. It will likely take years to sort out anything concrete but I am determined to sort out the porter's internal algorithm behind disappearances and such. I suspect the research may outlive my stay here.

voice;

[attainment]

About three times over the past two years. We disappear and come back at the same time. There usually isn't much rhyme or reason behind people being Ported home, at least at first glance, but my case seems like a particularly strange coincidence.

I'm glad to hear you've decided to investigate the matter further, Dr. Gottlieb. If your research helps discover some sort of pattern, it would change everything, and could potentially offer clues of how to voluntarily send people back home.

voice;

[mathemagier]

What sort of relation do you share with this imPort? I assume you're from the same world at least.

voice;

[attainment]

We worked in the same office back home. Some might say we functioned as partners.

video;

[insinerate]

The only thing resembling any kind of pattern with regards to my own coming and going was a period of nine months; that is to say, nine months spent in this world, and then nine months gone.

[Hilariously, he was nine months returned as of this past July, and in prison just like before, but at least this time he wasn't dePorted.]

video;

[attainment]

[Oh, lovely. It's you. Barnaby will respond politely enough, though, since his video was technically addressed to everyone.]

I see. Your sudden demise preceded your last departure, though, am I correct?

video;

[insinerate]

Quite correct.

Either I'm overdue for another accident—and you'll understand my hoping that isn't the case—or, at least for me, the theory of patterns doesn't hold true.

Loath as I am to believe in coincidence, there doesn't appear to be any other way to explain the nature of my coming and going. Yours, however...that is quite interesting.

How many times have you both found yourselves Ported out?

video;

[attainment]

[...Getting burned alive isn't an experience he'd expect Petrov to want to repeat, no.]

Three times in total.

video;

[shutterbugged]

I've been an imPort for five, going on six years now--three in the City, two and a half in this universe--and I've never been ported "out," just forwards. It's happened a few times, never for less than two or three weeks.

Since I don't go home it's--I don't know how to describe it--like being on pause while everyone else got fast-forwarded, I guess? One second I'm getting out of the shower, the next I'm at the Porter in nothing but a towel and it's the middle of winter. Which was a lot more of a problem back in the City than in Heropa, let me tell you.

video;

[attainment]

[Dryly:]...I'm from this world's equivalent of Manhattan, so I can imagine.

[It's not often he gets the perspective of an imPort who's been around since the days of the City, though, and he appreciates it.]

I did go home once, for just a few moments, but other times I've more or less blacked out and found myself at the Porter a month later. I still use the term "Ported out", though, because I've still vanished from the world from everyone else's perspective. [A beat.] ...I'd certainly come back to a lot less paperwork if my job paused too, at any rate.

video;

[shutterbugged]

Hey, a fellow New Yorker! [ Spidey's Queens accent sure just got a lot Queens-ier. ] What neighborhood?

Sent home for a few moments? Tough break, that's almost worse then never getting sent home at all. if there were any justice in the multiverse we'd get at least enough time to binge watch on a season or two of the shows that we missed out on here.

video;

[attainment]

Not quite a New Yorker. I'm from the year 1978, in a different timeline where a place called Sternbild City exists in place of New York. My neighborhood is located in Gold Stage, which probably means little to you.

[Interdimensional travel. It's fascinating and also kind of a headache all at once.

He gives a quiet, amused noise at that last comment.]

In some ways, I'd say it was a blessing to come back here. There wasn't as much work for me to do. In this world, I can at least put my skills to good use.

[darwinatrix]

Brooks. Where are you right now?

[Yeah, she's just not going to really address any of the things he's said.]

[attainment]

I'm currently finishing up at work, General Armstrong. How can I be of assistance? [It's a genuine question. If this is about the investigation, he's certainly willing to discuss it. If it's about something else, then he'll do his best to be of use.]

[darwinatrix]

I have something I need you to do, pertaining to the results of that civilian "investigation."

I'll need you to stop by my office in Helix Station sometime this week. When can you spare the time?

[video]

[sentielemental]

[A lot of people have been asking about being ported out lately. Toro is wondering if there was a higher influx of returns, like himself.]

From what I've heard from other people who came and went, there's no pattern. I know someone who was gone for months and came back like they never left. I was out of here for a lot longer and remember what happened back home. [Half a century.]

It can happen at any time, for any length of time, and sometimes you come back a lot different.

[video]

[attainment]

Fortunately, I haven't had any major disruptions like going home for a long period of time. I can only imagine how jarring that must have been for you.

That there's typically no pattern is the impression I've been under, but Porting out simultaneously with another imPort no less than three times...it's hard to believe that it's a coincidence.

[video]

[sentielemental]

That's one way of looking at it. Getting the memories back sure was an experience.

[But his brow furrows a bit.] But if people are getting ported out at the same time, every time, then maybe they have to do it that way.

[ Video ]

[dualismum]

Well, I was- [ a pause. Maybe he should say that "Kaneki was" instead? Well, nevermind that...... ]

I was ported out three times. The first time was during the Hornets attack after... uhm- being neutralized. [ killed, he means killed ] The second time was rather random, no event involving it, and the third time was back in April when I was attacked by Mr. Petrov.

[ yeah. ]

Two out of three times, I was ported out when I was involved in a violent situation. But never with another imPort.

[ Video ]

[attainment]

I see...

[Whether he says "Kaneki" or not, Barnaby understands what he means.]

You aren't the first person I know who was Ported out under those sorts of circumstances.

[It's one good reason to avoid it in his mind, even if he knows the nanites are capable of bringing them back.]

In either of those two cases, did you require medical attention after you returned?

[ Video ]

[dualismum]

Yes, I know some in the same situation as well.



And no, not during those times. Only the second time. [ when he was randomly ported out ]