voice.

[vdova]

[ Natasha sounds, well. Agitated is probably the best term for it. She's working her jaw, a bit, before she speaks, trying to find the right words to say without revealing too much but also not enough. ]

Out of curisosity, did anyone else get ambushed by a bunch of papparazzi near the theatre in Nonah? Apparently there was a movie premiere going on — one geared towards the stories and adventures of imPorts, and all of us were invited, whether or not we wanted to be.

[ She tsks, clearly one of the people who did not want to be invited and were anyway. ]

I have to say, if this is the welcome we're recieving here, I'm not sure how to take it. The spotlight isn't really my style.

[ She pauses, as if she's about to hang up — but thinks better of it at the last second. ] I give the movie two stars, by the way. Absolutely unrealistic, everyone knows there are no trees in the Midwest.

Comments

[drivesadesk]

I didn't, but that sort of thing happens a lot.

And...no trees in the Midwest? Is that a joke? Because I didn't get it.

[vdova]

It's not a very good joke. And does it?

[ Someone doesn't sound pleased to hear that. ]

[drivesadesk]

Oh, yeah. There are three things you get for free as an imPort. Housing, a job, and a fan club. I think it's kind of fun, actually.

[vdova]

Well. At least something will be like home, then.

[drivesadesk]

Oh? Were you famous back home?

[vdova]

More or less.

[drivesadesk]

I was kind of well known. Since I was a CEO. Sort of.

[vdova]

Sort of?

[drivesadesk]

Yeah, I was part of the reptilian invasion, so my role was a CEO, but all my decisions were pretty much made from the higher up reptilians. Then when I decided to try and stop the invasion, they sort of pinned all the embezzling on me. Which I did do, but it was on their orders so...

But they gave me huge amounts of Earth money while I was going along with their plans, so that was awesome. They locked my bank accounts when I turned on them, though, so I don't have it anymore.

[vdova]

[ You'll have to give her a few seconds to process the term 'reptilian invasion'. ]

Is that all they did?

[ Because when you're faced with what is apparently a talking lizard, you just roll with it. ]

[drivesadesk]

Oh, no. Definitely not. There have been several attempts to kill me, but I keep managing to survive.

[vdova]

Too bad. Sounds like you almost got off easy.

[drivesadesk]

Really? How is having them try to kill me getting off easy?

[vdova]

I meant freezing your assets.

[drivesadesk]

Oh! Right! Yeah, I mean, being broke on Earth is not fun, but I could definitely deal. There's no way they'd let me off that easily, though. They need me dead. I'm a threat to their plans.

[vdova]

But you're here now. So there's nothing to worry about, right?

[drivesadesk]

Yeah, you're right. I mean, not unless I get sent back.

[vdova]

Do people get sent back?

[drivesadesk]

Yeah. They do. I was, for a few months my time, but just a few days here.

[vdova]

[ Interesting. ]

And what's the pre-requisite for going home?

[drivesadesk]

I don't know. It just happens sometimes when you least expect it.

[vdova]

[ Damn. ]

There's no pattern? Nothing?

[drivesadesk]

None that anyone's picked up on yet.