Not so Hostile After All

[myimmunesystem]

[Video]

--Oh! Oh is THAT how it works! It has an actual "on" button... That's kind of cute.

[The voice is light, female, accented in a way that can only be described as "Ukraine by way of Mars," and sounds as though it's run through some kind of filter... Though the last part makes perfect sense when one looks at the face--or rather, mask--accompanying it. Said mask peers into the camera curiously, two eyes JUST barely visible though the refractive glass.]

Those... scientists at the Lab told me that I should call the others and introduce myself. My name is Tali... aaand I don't know much more than that.

If you're wondering about the suit, it seems I can't take it off. The environment here is "hostile" for me... though I don't remember all the details of what they told me, exactly. That was a lot of information to take in when you're running a high fever. It's not as though it's uncomfortable I guess; in fact it feels like I've always worn it.

[She lets out a small breath, respirator lighting up.] I'm rambling. They've given me room 408 of Ermis Suites... wherever that is. I'm sure I'll be getting to know a few of you very soon.

[Action]

[The top floor of Ermis Suites has rooms mostly uninhabited... with one of the empty ones now being paced about on the inside by the same blue-swathed girl as before. The strange articulation of her legs and two fingers to each tailored suit glove make it obvious that she isn't human, though other characteristics affirm that whatever she is, she's definitely female. The door is open, and she looks a little... overwhelmed.]

All this space, for just one person...?

Comments

[action]

[halfgod_allego]

Oh Hello! New arrival?

[Hector waves, calling out as he stopped by the door to his room]

[myimmunesystem]

[She turns quickly, folding her hands awkwardly.] Erm, yes, that most recent transmission was mine. It's kind of hard to confuse me with anyone else around here, after all.

[Now she actually moves out into the hallway to meet him.]

I'd already mentioned it before to the whole town, but... my name is Tali. What's yours?

[halfgod_allego]

Name's Hector. I saw your message earlier, but couldn't reply right at the moment.

[he puts a hand out to shake]

Anyways, it's very nice to meet you. Still relatively new here myself, but I could answer questions if you got 'em.

[myimmunesystem]

Huh? Oh right-- [She seems to realize what the outstretched hand is for after a beat, and takes it to shake lightly.]

How long have you been here, Hector? [Interesting pronunciation of his name, there.]

[halfgod_allego]

About two... three months maybe?

[he is gentle with his handshake and lets go]

But it's been a crazy time.

[very_model_of]

Yes, very primitive. Surprisingly workable, though.

[myimmunesystem]

[Wow. Someone else who isn't human!]

You mean the communicator? Well, yes! It's funny, I can't even remember my last name, but I can still tell...

Tier-built operating systems with applications just floating on top are nice and modular, but unstable. This hard plastic? Clunky, easy to lose and easy to break. Lithium-ion batteries? Haven't they heard of spin-potential charge yet? And an actual power converter built into it? All that does is take up space and dump heat! If they could just make up their mind on the method and frequencies for power transmission, it would save them trillions of power units a day.

[She'd been walking during the whole tirade, and now she stops, suddenly realizing something.] ...But ah, maybe I should focus less on changing the world right now, and more on not getting lost in it.

[very_model_of]

Yes, have migrated most functions to personal device. Don't like dealing with hardware. Distracting from real problems.

Mordin. Local doctor. Have no treatment for retrograde amnesia, unfortunately.

[myimmunesystem]

That's a shame, but I could have guessed anyway. If there were a treatment then there wouldn't be hundreds of people still with anmesia. The only thing they mentioned to me were these things, these... anemoi? How do they work? Do you know?

[very_model_of]

Anemoi still a mystery. Not a drug treatment, not actually encoded with individual memories.

Everything here frustratingly imprecise.

[video]

[theheirofbreath]

Hey Tali! I'm John!

Don't worry, everyone's confused when they first show up.

Re: [video]

[myimmunesystem]

It's a little overwhelming, isn't it? Coming around in the labs, poked and prodded by scientists, read from a script about a nice new life here and then unceremoniously shoved out the door!

...by the way, where ARE "Ermis Suites?" the communicator's map doesn't have it listed yet...

Re: [video]

[theheirofbreath]

Seriously? That still isn't in there? Lame!

Where are you? Still by the labs?

[myimmunesystem]

I think they were more interested in studying ME than making sure I was pointed in the right direction...

[The camera shows an upshot as she cranes her neck to look around.]

I haven't gone far but I went shoreward. "Prince Street" is what the sign reads.

[theheirofbreath]

That's not too far. Hang on, I'll come get you.

[Video]

[healeveryone]

Hi, Tali! Are you okay, if you've got a fever? That doesn't sound too good.

[myimmunesystem]

It's okay. It took a few days to recover, but I spent that in the Labs.

[And fortunately far away from the Bosh'tet that tried to get her out of her suit. "Lab protocol species identification" indeed.]

I'm perfectly fine now! It will take a while to settle in, but it shouldn't be too hard.

[healeveryone]

Oh, I'm glad to hear that! My name's Rosalia, and I live on the third floor - if you need anything, I can try and help you out.

[myimmunesystem]

Hi, Rosalia. That's nice of you, but I don't think I'll be needing all that much...?

I think I'm used to living with less. I feel like I could get lost in my own apartment, with how spacious it feels!

[healeveryone]

Really? It's bigger than the room I had at home with my dad, but I'm not sure I'd say that. Maybe you grew up somewhere different, though - people come from all sorts of different places here.

video

[nomen_est_numen]

They never do tell one much, do they?

[It's a bird. A GIANT TALKING BIRD.]

[myimmunesystem]

[Really, the feathers and beak don't surprise her as much as the fact that he's one of the few around that isn't human... like her.]

It depends on the topic. On what's "wrong" with my immune system they would gladly come up with reams of data as soon as they discovered it, but they become a little more hesitant when I ask about how the anemoi work or who's in charge of the facility.

[Come to think of it... who IS in charge of the facility?]

[nomen_est_numen]

From what I've heard, no-one really knows how they work. Sometimes I worry about what would happen when they found the answer, though.

[myimmunesystem]

They have to know something about it! Or else what are they doing up in the Labs all day?

[When they're not trying to talk her out of her suit, that is...]

I don't think you've told me your name yet...

[nomen_est_numen]

Actually, they spend a lot of their time trying to figure them out. They've learnt a few things, but I'm no physicist, so I can't really tell you anything about it.

[Oh. That's right, he hasn't introduced himself. Rude.]

Terribly sorry, where are my manners? My name's Shen, originally of Gongmen City.