maskormenace | 💣 001

[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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

This doesn't take nearly so long. It's not a proper sea - just a little spit of it, between us and France.

How long does it usually take you to get to France from wherever you're from? Does it take you a few hours to get there? Since you don't have a sea in between the country you're from.

I'm guessing your period of time doesn't have a flying vehicle known as an airplane, right?

We do, yeah. They're a bit new. Twenty years old, I think? Yeah, something like that.

You really are ahead. It's amazing. Are the planes as big as the ones we have now? I mean, if the camera has a long history of advancement, then it should be the same for an airplane, right?

The only planes I've seen here have been high in the sky. Show me a photo of on on the ground, and I'll tell you.

There are all kinds of planes, but...

[She's send him a link of one regardless.]

These are the ones I see all the time. Are they as big as these?

[Alfie leans forward, using his little pince-nez glasses to see better, and-- damn.]

No. They're much, much smaller.

How much smaller? I almost want to see if the planes from twenty years ago in this timeline look different to the ones you're used to.

[Actually, she'll begin to do another search which will have her sending him another link.]

Are they about the same size as this one?

Where are you finding these photographs? Are you taking them yourself?

No. I'm using a search engine on the internet to find them. I wish I had the skill to take good pictures as the ones I just showed you.

[Now it makes her wonder.]

The internet doesn't exist in your time, huh?

We've got nothing like it. A search engine - what does that do?

[He's picturing a literal engine, of course.]

I don't really know the specifics, but it's a place where a lot of information is stored where you can easily find it. I mean, I always use it to search for pictures and all types of information. It's like a library, but on the internet!

You could access it on your communicator!

Mm, yeah. I haven't gotten that far with it yet. Is this here, this "network" thing - is this part of the internet?

I like to think it is. Maybe a special part of the internet though, where only imPorts like us can use it and all. I know anyone can use the internet. It's only this network that's restricted to just us.

I'm not really much of an expert though. I still have a lot to learn on how to properly use it.

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