02: Video

[itstopped]

[Felix is sitting for this one, his lower body hidden, but the sharp-eyed might notice that his crutch is nowhere in sight. His uniform is also gone for good (for now). He's at the long metal table in his barracks, and the surface is absolutely covered with wires, cables, microchips... It looks like he's dismantled an entire fleet's worth of communicators.

He seems a little annoyed about it.]

Does anyone have a spare computer they could lend me? Or even just a motherboard and a serial port connector cable.

[Private to Dr. McCoy]

I think I'm starting to get the hang of it now, Doc. I... thank you, really. It's a big improvement.

[Private to Sarah Connor]

You said you're Gaius's Warden, didn't you? We should talk sometime.

Comments

:D

[itstopped]

I guess I should be grateful mine at least has wiring, then.

[itstopped]

I'm just trying to understand how this place is supposed to work.

[itstopped]

Mine, too, as you can probably tell. But I haven't been home in eight years, and... [And it's not like he has a home to go to. Even this, living on Galactica, it's sort of farcical at best, given that he got the most dishonorable discharge he could have.]

...Do you know if there's a way to change it, actually? Would they do that for me?

[truth_is_cold]

When you get a warden they can put in a request on your behalf. I don't know if they would honor the requests of other wardens toward an inmate that's not their own, but if the warden has requested temporary representation they may.

In any case, the answer is probably yes. I requested that much of my possessions be returned when I graduated.

[ourlastbesthope]

You won't find it that way.

[itstopped]

Incentive to get a warden, then. [This is mostly said to himself, and he looks a little distracted by the idea. The more he can shed military life, like an old skin -- albeit one that was ripped away from him -- the better, right?]

I don't... necessarily have an alternative, though. I'd just like out of here.

[resultofwar]

Not here. I can honestly say I've never heard of anyone discovering something useful to explain how this place works.

[truth_is_cold]

Understandable. The moments of mockery make the nature of this place a phenomenal cosmic joke. I'm planning on leaving eventually when the conditions are appropriate.

The Admiral will eventually see to obtaining you a warden, though they're not necessary to graduate. They can be helpful.

[inhistorybooks]

Probably. I don't know if these things even operate on a conventional battery system.

[itstopped]

But...

[But things aren't supposed to work that way, godsdammit. Even when their plans were being halfway decided by religious texts, and he's not saying that wasn't crazy, but even that had a logic that could be followed and analyzed.

He sighs and runs his hands through his hair, looking increasingly frazzled.]

Fantastic.

[ Video ]

[surfaceshine]

No, but wow. That is impressive. Glad you saved me the trouble.

[Dean does look and sound impressed; he's no engineer, military or otherwise, but he has done his fair share of electronic tinkering and some of it has even been successful. He hadn't thought to take apart the communicator yet, though, and he's moving his head around the video screen like it's a window, like a change in angle will give him a different view of Felix's work table.

You spoke to him, Felix. Now he's yours forever. Congratulations, you're infested.]

[itstopped]

Well, yeah, that too. I mostly just meant these quarters, for now. I don't... belong here.

You're a warden? I thought you were all given incentives to stay.

[itstopped]

I found a battery-- [He holds it up.] But gods know if that has anything to do with the actual mechanics. I also found five sound cards, ten graphics cards of varying origin, four hard drives... and no networking system.

[truth_is_cold]

My incentive are my close associates here I made while an inmate. The deal is mostly there in the event I do aid my inmate in her graduation.

You don't belong in those quarters or aboard this ship?

[itstopped]

Do you have another suggestion?

[ Video ]

[itstopped]

[Luckily, Dean and his weird head bobs are just the thing to cheer a very irritated Felix up, even if the smile he gives him is very confused.]

It'd be more impressive if it had actually worked... Are you looking for something, Dean?

[itstopped]

I don't think anyone belongs on this ship, but I'm told my opinion on that doesn't count for much. So for now, I mean these quarters.

You're staying for your friends? [He says it skeptically, but as soon as he does, he realizes how silly that is. Wouldn't he feel better about being here if Dee or Louis were here, or... frak, just about anyone but Gaius?] Fair enough.

[truth_is_cold]

Generally, I'm in agreement. But I do like being alive and having a choice over my destination.

...Closer than friends. But yes. [It's a little easier when you don't have a life to go back to.] Your accommodations will be limited and you won't have a bathroom. But what would you prefer your room to look like?

[itstopped]

[This just earns a weary shrug from Felix.] Life for basic freedoms. Sure. Why not?

[He almost laughs. Limited accommodations, no bathroom... he hardly knows anyone who hasn't been in that position for the last four years.] That's fine. I don't give a frak what it looks like, just... not here.

[SPAM]

[timesbureaucrat]

[Narvin nods instead of offering a hand to shake as he finds the human custom rather distasteful.]

A fair number of them, yes. I specialized in computer engineering and temporal mechanics.

[He cocks his head at Felix's odd tone.]

You have...mixed feelings about scientists?

[SPAM]

[itstopped]

No. Of course not. [Slightly. But he doesn't want to talk about that. He's more interested in...]

I'm sorry, did you say temporal mechanics?

[SPAM]

[timesbureaucrat]

My people are called Time Lords. And I assure you it's not simply an honorific. There are six of us on the Barge at this time. Or five if you count the two Doctors as the same person.

[ Video ]

[surfaceshine]

What? Oh. No - I doubt you've got a beer snuggled down in there anywhere, so no. [Dean has a sixth sense for when something he's doing is amusing someone, even if he isn't entirely aware of it. The young hunter leaves his head cocked at an angle so he has to peer almost down his nose into the camera to be addressing the screen. The result is when he starts talking again, he is nearly cross-eyed.]

"A" for effort though. They must be made in Japan - everything outta Japan is packed up tight and shoved into the smallest possible package. Don't even get me started on their cars.

[SPAM]

[itstopped]

Your... people. I don't understand. You're not human?

[WELL, FRAK.]

/handwaved after asking the mods

[truth_is_cold]

[And after a brief moment.]

I attempted to put through the request but received no response. Unsurprisingly. [He may live here, but he doesn't have a lot of faith in the Admiral and it shows in his tone.] When you receive a personal warden they'll have more authority.