💣 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

[rathercommon]

I suppose there is.

[ She looks down at the table, and toys with her phone a moment, debating how honest to be. Then she decides that, well, it's not like she keeps many secrets. So: ]

Back home, I was a revolutionary. Retired, now. So secrecy and security matter rather a lot to me.

[devoutish]

[Alfie raises an eyebrow, just a fraction.]

A revolutionary against who?

[rathercommon]

[ A little wryly, she looks up and responds: ]

The British Empire.

[devoutish]

You'll admit that freely? You could be talking to Alfred Solomons, Prime Minister right now.

[There's a teasing edge to his voice.]

[rathercommon]

[ She grins. Because: fat chance, with that accent. ]

Yeah, right. Anyway, it's not your British government I was rebelling against, Your Excellency. Not unless you're one of my magicians.

[devoutish]

Your British Empire has magicians?

[This place is so weird.]

[rathercommon]

[ A nod. ]

That's how they separate the haves from the have-nots. They say we've got an equal society, a meritocracy, but they make it so all the good jobs only go to people who study magic. And people like me, poor people, we're not allowed to even read about magic. So the rich ones they've taught magic to, they get to have the good jobs.

[ A little shrug. ]

The same crap that goes on in every world. Just using different tools. Here, people are kept down by being born into the wrong families, or by getting sent to bad schools. Where I'm from, it's magic that divides all of us.

[devoutish]

[Alfie nods.]

I understand a bit about that sort of thing.

Right, you're a revolutionary at home. And here? What do you do here? Tried to overthrow this government yet?

[rathercommon]

[ She shakes her head, smiling a bit. Privately, she thinks that she expects he does know something about that - he seems like the type, doesn't he. ]

No. I'm afraid overthrowing this government would do rather more harm than good.

What is it they've told you to do here? As a job?

[devoutish]

Some sort of radio thing.

[He sounds a little dismissive about it.]

Do you like the government here, then, or do you just dislike their alternatives more?

[rathercommon]

[ She smiles, amused at how dismissive he sounds. ]

Dislike their alternatives more. They're really shit about a lot of things. But they're not so shit that an outright revolution is warranted, I think - reform is possible with them.

Probably.

[devoutish]

And you care about that, even though this isn't your world or your fight?

[rathercommon]

[ She nods. ]

Of course I do. These are still people, after all. All people deserve good things - even if they're not my people.

[devoutish]

But surely you'd still leave if you could, yeah?