1. Video

[psychicpsycho]

[He's sitting at his desk in his currently rather barren bedroom, wearing a fleece blanket around his shoulders like a cape.]

Did I do this right? Okay. Yeah.

Okay.

Hi. [A small, brisk wave at the camera.] I'm Austin and I wanna ask this for anyone who knows the answer. Swearing in. What's the catch?

So, like, I know we do assignments and we do work, I'm gonna train be some kind of shrink which is fucking hilarious-- but anyway, it completely does not add up. I have a radioactive tattoo on my wrist and you're telling me nobody's keeping any kind of tabs on me? I get free housing, free healthcare, a guaranteed job that I'm guaranteed to be shit at, and all they want is some elementary school pledge of allegiance and a few man-hours? No. Nuh-uh. I want the dirt.

[A pause as he picks up his e-cigarette and takes a drag.]

Tell me how you've been mistreated. Tell me if there've been experiments. Tell me what they're really after. Meet me in person if you're uncomfortable telling me over the network. I need to know.

[Another brief pause.]

Okay. That's it.

[He turns off the camera.]

((OOC: Hi! New kid on the block! This is Austin, this is his character info, and this is his permissions post.))

Comments

[psychicpsycho]

Huh. They sure are all about offering things. Weirds me out a little. It's like they wanna keep a close hold on us but by using the carrot instead of the stick. At least that's an improvement from my world.

[boobwindow]

They do love throwing out freebies. If not them, the locals love it.

[ She hesitates. ]

I'm afraid to ask, but...

[ Go on... ]

[psychicpsycho]

Well, let's just say they used the stick instead of the carrot. [A moment's pause.] They're just afraid of us, is what it comes down to. Us with powers, I mean. We used to be a tiny minority so they could keep us under control, but in the last century we've exploded. Nobody really knows why, but I can't wait for the day we outnumber them. The shit that's completely legal for them to do to us... they make everybody with powers register themselves just in case they cause trouble or whatever. You know, like Jews at the beginning of the Holocaust. Or Russians here, if things keep going the way they're going. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

oops default!

[boobwindow]

That's horrible. I'm sorry.

[ But she doesn't think outnumbering them is going to change anything. ]

I doubt this world is going the way of internment camps. They may have detained Russians here in local police stations, which is wrong, but if I'm remembering my Cold War history right, most imprisonment happened in other countries. It's something to worry about, but I think they like us too much to imprison us.

Us being different is what makes us practically a commodity.

It happens! :P

[psychicpsycho]

I was a commodity at home too. There were action figures of me. Never underestimate the lengths someone will go to manipulate you when they have something to gain from your compliance.

I just wanna go back home. There was so much more work to be done there than there is here. From what I understand, it's a goddamned cakewalk for imPorts. Meanwhile my universe fucking needs me. [Nope, no messiah complex here.]

[boobwindow]

[ There are posters, action figures, and probably comics about her like other heroes, but she refrains from bringing that up. Right now, she's just Karen Starr. ]

Hey. [ Her voice is soft. ] I understand. You're not the only one who wants to get back to their universe.

I don't know if this is a comfort or not, but while you're here time "stops" wherever you were pulled from. When you're sent back, it's as if you never left.

[psychicpsycho]

[A moment while he weighs being comforted against the urge to mope.]

Yeah. I guess I've heard that. But it's still a distraction. Who knows how long I'll be here.

How long do people usually stay here before they get to go home?

[boobwindow]

I'm not sure. The longest anyone has been here so far is since mid-January.

[psychicpsycho]

Oh, huh. They're gearing up for war, then. Hopefully they'll get it over with soon they run out of use for us.

[boobwindow]

Wouldn't that be a bad thing?

[psychicpsycho]

Depends. A short war is better than a long war.

[A pause.]

Unless it's short because everyone's dead.

[boobwindow]

I'd prefer no wars, personally.

[ An awkward pause. ]

Buddy, anyone ever tell you you worry a lot?

[ Which is nicely putting it as "paranoid". ]

[psychicpsycho]

The biggest bomb ever tested had 1,400 times the power of Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined. And that's just in my world. I'm willing to bet there's been further development here.

I'm pragmatic. It's a way of staying alive.

[boobwindow]

I think if the US or Russia wanted to do it already, they would have.

But they won't; it's mutually assured destruction.

[psychicpsycho]

Sure, I guess it's heartening that they even thought to bring people like us in. But if conflict starts, I can only see it escalating. If you could have the upper hand in a given situation, wouldn't you choose to?

...Come to think of it, you're right. I hope the war never starts.

[boobwindow]

Politics are not exactly my thing. I care about people and the environment.

[psychicpsycho]

Yeah, I used to say that too. Then I realized politics is the pile of shit standing in the way of all those noble goals.

[boobwindow]

There are plenty with noble intentions, but all I know is a lot of legal red tape makes it difficult to get things done.

[ Been there, done that. Never want to go back to it. ]

Anyway, the point is it's fine to stay alert. Don't register if it makes you uncomfortable.

But don't live in paranoia either.

[psychicpsycho]

I don't intend to. I'm actually leaning toward registration since the risks don't seem significant. Just wanna be informed. Alert, like you said.

You call it paranoia, I call it preparedness.

[boobwindow]

Wait, really? After everything you've said and how skeptical you are?

[ That's surprising. ]

[psychicpsycho]

Well yeah. It's not like the tattoo's leaving me either way. Plus from what I've heard, nobody mysteriously disappears from these free homes. So it sounds like if I've made it this far, this might be my best chance of remaining safe. Might as well enjoy the perks.

Even more than that, I'm living at the center of things. I had to stay far away from government buildings most of the time back home. It was a huge pain. There's a lot to say for being trusted, you know? [Mainly, you can conduct investigations.]

[boobwindow]

The homes are cozy and it's nice not to have to pay rent, but, personally, I like my independence.

[ She'll be moving out when she's saved up more. ]

[psychicpsycho]

Yeah, that's understandable. Guess I'm kinda used to living with people all the time, personally. And I left all my money in another universe. But peace and quiet kinda would be nice.

[boobwindow]

Family or friends?

[psychicpsycho]

Friends, and a bunch of other assholes. Used to live in a big underground complex that housed most everybody the government considered their property.