💣 001 | audio

[devoutish]

[There's the sound of fumbling and a little bit of unintelligible muttering before any real words are spoken - the communicator isn't hard to figure out, but it still takes some practice to get the hang of.]

-- this button here, and then-- oh, there we go. Have I got it? Hello.

[Alfie's voice is deep and rumbly, and very Cockney. He switches on the video next. It's zoomed in too close on him to give any real clues to his surroundings - there's just the back of a couch and a blank wall visible behind him - but his clothes are clearly old-fashioned.]

Fucking fantastic, these things. Looking at your little images on the screen, it's like you're really there. Yeah, wonderful picture quality. I'm very impressed. But I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, should I - bigger and bolder seems like something of a trend here. I discovered one of your supermarkets earlier this morning. Fucking hell, the size of that place. Entire aisles set aside for nothing but ketchup; for ice cream. Hats off to the future, eh?

[And since he's actually wearing a top hat, he goes ahead and tips it.

But despite his conversational tone, his eyes are deadly serious. He narrows them a little, as he peers closer at the screen. He seems calm and affable, sure - but if you look behind that front, it's clear that he is very much not happy with how his day is going.]

Right. How many people am I speaking to, right now? Is it just those who've been brought here like me, or do I also have the pleasure of the army's company?

[Because he would like to have words.]

Comments

audio;

[socialactivillain]

This is meant to be an imPort network, but I would imagine the government is more than capable of monitoring it.

[ He does not sound overly pleased about that fact. ]

audio;

[devoutish]

Well. If I'm very lucky, maybe they'll drop by and say hello.

[He doubts it, but he's going to bait them a little anyway.]

[socialactivillain]

Sorry, but I've been here a few months and I don't think I've ever seen any government officials interacting on the network, aside from the imPorts who hold public office.

video;

[redshoerevenge]

I have not been here long enough to know much, but [Mako shrugs and pushes up the sleeves of her cardigan.] anything is possible from what I've seen. It could be that the army monitors everything. It seems like they have a great deal of control at the moment.

[Sometimes, that is a good thing, sometimes, not so much.]

But, I am listening.

video;

[devoutish]

And who would you be?

[The display gives him a name, but that's not much to go on.]

video;

[redshoerevenge]

I am called Mako Mori. Where I am from, I am a Ranger in the Pan Pacific Defense Corps, charged in protecting Hong Kong from kaiju, monsters. Here? [she looks thoughtful] I design and assemble mecha figurines, for the moment.

[She tilts her head forward.]

It has been surprisingly fun as far as occupations go. [Mako holds up a little mecha figurine based on Eureka Striker's design, presses a button disguised as a piece of armor, and it gently begins to hover mid-air before letting out a miniature fog horn sound.] It is just a prototype, I haven't programed it to do much, but I will.

video

[thepalinpaladin]

Future nothing, this place is the past. Space program here is old and busted. I guess they can't really support that stuff here when they're importing people and giving them super powers though.

Dunno how many of us there are, probably a couple hundred? Less than a thousand. That's just ballparking it.

video

[devoutish]

It's all relative, innit. What year are you from?

[thepalinpaladin]

Nootttt this one. I'll tell you that much. Way less alien threats.

[i dont actually know canon is vague about that THANKS VOLTRON]

So, I'm Lance. Who are you?

voice

[rathercommon]

[ Kitty's voice isn't quite full Cockney, but it's within shouting distance - she grew up in a shitty part of South London, but her parents had thought themselves upwardly mobile. So not quite like him, but she sounds like a neighborhood girl. ]

Oh, the army doesn't listen to this. Or - well. They pretend they don't.

voice

[devoutish]

[In a sea of unfamiliarity, her accent is honestly a very welcome sound.]

They keep up appearances, eh? I'll say hello to them anyway. Hello!

video;

[wizzardly]

[chalk up another with a British accent, although not in any style of dress Alfie's likely to be familiar with, unless wizard hats and robes have come back in style in England.

(Although, on that note, Rincewind is quite impressed with Alfie's look. Excellent beard, sir. The hat's not half bad either.)]

It was the ice cream that really got me. Refrigeration. Honestly, it's a bloody marvel.

Microwaves too, can't forget those. You can have a hot potato in front of you in less than a minute.

video;

[devoutish]

We've got refrigeration in my time.

[Microwaves, though... definitely not.]

Microwave - is that the little box on the counter?

[airshow]

We have supermarkets and entire walls of ice cream when I'm from, too, but it never really gets any less awe-inspiring, if you ask me.

[ A cheerful, casual grin. ]

Anywho, it's their network, so it's safe to assume they can listen in, but I don't know how often they do. God, imagine being the poor government employee who thinks he's gonna make a difference and ends up stuck monitoring this band of gossiping lunatics. Career goals!

[devoutish]

Poor him.

[Alfie doesn't sound very sympathetic.]

Supermarkets, though, yeah - do you go in with a list, or do you spend hours browsing?

( voice. )

[aberth]

Just wait until you see your first mall.

It's like fifty stores all in one.

( voice. )

[devoutish]

In one building?

voice;

[slightlyoffchilt]

No one inform him about the imPort fan communities.

[Which is, in of itself, informing Alfie.]

voice;

[devoutish]

They don't think we actually came here by choice, do they?

[acclimatized]

[ ah, john recognizes the cockney twang of a fellow londoner anywhere. ]

They're pretty good aren't they? These supermarkets. Just wait until you get a load of Tescos... well, Walmart since we're in America. It's pretty much the same thing, minus the ammunition aisle.

[devoutish]

[And since an ammunition aisle is actually relevant to him...]

Which one has the ammunition aisle, Tescos or Walmart?

( voice )

[drizzle]

Isn't it amazing!? The supermarkets are bigger than any palace I have ever seen, and it is all under a comfortable closed space, so you'll never get hot while going out to do your shopping. They even make already made meals too!

[Why, yes, she is excited about the idea of talking about the greatness of super markets with someone who hasn't had any in their world neither.]

The future is definitely amazing! I am...overwhelm by everything being extremely convenient. I don't know how many of us can live back to the old ways. I guess it kinda is a good thing we'll forget all about it once we do. [Even if the idea is still a sore topic for her, but.]

( voice )

[devoutish]

What do you mean, we forget? We lose our memories if we get sent back through the Porter?

Late video

[foreshadower]

You're talking to more than you realize -- not everyone replies.

[ A pause, he leaned forward. His tone and accent are oddly neutral, but he could almost match in clothes. ]

When are you from, then? Capitalism and excess have been the gold standard for quite some time, by now.

Late video

[devoutish]

Once you figure out it's more like a radio broadcast than a telephone, that becomes something to be assumed, mate. There are always people who keep quiet.

Nineteen twenty-two.