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[It's not unusual for transmissions to start en route to whatever they'll eventually show; this one follows the floor for a moment, spins its focus past a wall, shows a glimpse of common room.
Shows a partial view of a possibly familiar face, frowning in concentration, muttering more or less to himself.]
Number of things nowhere near as simple as they should be: two so far. Well done, Admiral. Catch up to the twenty-first century, huh?
[A few more small adjustments, and Alec is fully on screen, standing mid-corridor on one of the hallways. He beams, pleased with himself.]
There. Now. Floor numbers go up or down? Is this thing actually on? Hello?
[ Spam : Open ]
[Once his presence is successfully announced, it frees Alec up to investigate his new environment more thoroughly - and explore it he does, once he confirms what his research alone in his cabin has already told him: this place is nothing like Manticore. They seem to pride themselves on it, even. Additionally they're recovering from some kind of unusual crisis, and that leaves him a unique opportunity he doesn't intend to waste, especially not with what else his reading of the network has shown him.
He covers his barcode with the collar of his jacket, and separates the Barge as he understands it into a grid, sets out to fill in the blank spots. He can be found poking around in the dining hall, the infirmary, the gym, the greenhouse, the art room, and lingering outside the pub, the maintenance office, the engine room. He even wanders down near Zero just to make sure he's left no corner uninvestigated.
It's simple: act like he belongs here, see who takes the bait; he's friendly to everyone he sees, smiling easily, often waving in greeting if anyone looks at him. Evaluate, adjust, advance. As long as he has new surroundings to investigate, as long as he has new rules and social angles to learn, he doesn't have to think about why he's here, what it means, or what he means to do once he's sure of himself.]
[ Private : Dillon Cole : A few days later, after this ]
[No fumbling this time. He wants to be taken seriously and he expects this Dillon person is already familiar with X5s, too - enough to know that a few days is more than enough time for him to become competent with the communicator anyway, if nothing else.
His speech is a little more formal, too, although he doesn't bother with being as starched and rigid as he's seen his clone on the network; he can, but he only needs the vague connection in this case.]
Good afternoon, sir. I was told to contact with you a possible employment inquiry.
[It's not unusual for transmissions to start en route to whatever they'll eventually show; this one follows the floor for a moment, spins its focus past a wall, shows a glimpse of common room.
Shows a partial view of a possibly familiar face, frowning in concentration, muttering more or less to himself.]
Number of things nowhere near as simple as they should be: two so far. Well done, Admiral. Catch up to the twenty-first century, huh?
[A few more small adjustments, and Alec is fully on screen, standing mid-corridor on one of the hallways. He beams, pleased with himself.]
There. Now. Floor numbers go up or down? Is this thing actually on? Hello?
[ Spam : Open ]
[Once his presence is successfully announced, it frees Alec up to investigate his new environment more thoroughly - and explore it he does, once he confirms what his research alone in his cabin has already told him: this place is nothing like Manticore. They seem to pride themselves on it, even. Additionally they're recovering from some kind of unusual crisis, and that leaves him a unique opportunity he doesn't intend to waste, especially not with what else his reading of the network has shown him.
He covers his barcode with the collar of his jacket, and separates the Barge as he understands it into a grid, sets out to fill in the blank spots. He can be found poking around in the dining hall, the infirmary, the gym, the greenhouse, the art room, and lingering outside the pub, the maintenance office, the engine room. He even wanders down near Zero just to make sure he's left no corner uninvestigated.
It's simple: act like he belongs here, see who takes the bait; he's friendly to everyone he sees, smiling easily, often waving in greeting if anyone looks at him. Evaluate, adjust, advance. As long as he has new surroundings to investigate, as long as he has new rules and social angles to learn, he doesn't have to think about why he's here, what it means, or what he means to do once he's sure of himself.]
[ Private : Dillon Cole : A few days later, after this ]
[No fumbling this time. He wants to be taken seriously and he expects this Dillon person is already familiar with X5s, too - enough to know that a few days is more than enough time for him to become competent with the communicator anyway, if nothing else.
His speech is a little more formal, too, although he doesn't bother with being as starched and rigid as he's seen his clone on the network; he can, but he only needs the vague connection in this case.]
Good afternoon, sir. I was told to contact with you a possible employment inquiry.
no subject
Date: 2015-06-27 02:55 am (UTC)From:[He accepts the laughter as gracefully as he thinks a new person should, but doesn't give his own ground. He does, however, make a move to take control of the conversation again.]
Look, you're not the first person to look at me and think you know anything about me, so let me start over. I'm Alec.
no subject
Date: 2015-06-27 03:08 am (UTC)From:[But some of his amusement seems to quiet, his expression going deliberately neutral. He remembers Alec from the network - not that any of their conversations really went anywhere, because Alec did what seems to be his MO and talked stupid shit the entire time.]
[That's okay. Cassel knows how to talk shit, too.]
What other misconceptions do you want to clear up?
no subject
Date: 2015-06-27 03:51 am (UTC)From:[Which is, in its way, a kind of question. He is curious as to what the consequences will be of not telling what is actually a kind of truth: Alec didn't know Ben. He knows what Cassel was getting at, but that's it.
That's what he's not going to admit to on pain of death.]
How the hell do you manage to stay in this place for two and a half years.
no subject
Date: 2015-06-27 03:56 am (UTC)From:[No, he's not going to answer the actual question. Three strikes will get Cassel even more interested, though, which is a threat that Alec should take seriously if he's got any sense. Once Cassel knows what he wants, he digs in - he's learned to - and he doesn't let go.]
[Flicking an imaginary piece of dust off of his sleeve, he shrugs.]
I like it here.
no subject
Date: 2015-06-27 04:08 am (UTC)From:[With all the air of a batter staring a pitcher in the face and taking a deliberate, whiffing swing, he raises both eyebrows and shakes his head.]
No one likes it here. Strike one.
no subject
Date: 2015-06-27 04:15 am (UTC)From:I do.
But if that's not good enough for you.
[He hums, leaning back precariously against the weight stand.]
I have a duty to my inmate. [But he's still smirking, because that is a bullshit lie.]
no subject
Date: 2015-06-27 04:18 am (UTC)From:[He does not actually mean as in "another warden such as myself" so much as "another warden talking to me" but of course, the possible confusion is deliberate.
That information might be pulled from him eventually, but he's not letting it go for nothing.]
Strike two, though. This should be a drinking game.
no subject
Date: 2015-06-27 04:29 am (UTC)From:[He does brighten at the suggestion, though.]
It totally should! Next time. I'll take you to the pub.
Okay, try this one: I don't have anywhere else to go.
no subject
Date: 2015-06-27 03:15 pm (UTC)From:[He knows there's a pub.]
Then you're also unimaginative. A prison barge traveling through time and space, and you able to leave it at will, and you don't have anywhere else to go?
Bullshit. Strike three for bullshit even if it's the truth. Especially if it's the truth.
no subject
Date: 2015-06-28 11:31 pm (UTC)From:[How else would everyone on this boat address their alcoholic tendencies?]
Fine. I don't have anywhere else I want to go. My family's on this boat.
no subject
Date: 2015-06-30 12:08 am (UTC)From:[Alec doesn't have any alcoholic tendencies, wonder of wonders, although he won't turn down the chance to sure as shit try; what he does have instead is a deliberate misunderstanding of the question.]
Doesn't that get awkward, like. Trying to be taken seriously when there are all these people around that know what haircut you had when you were a kid?
You know, last year?
no subject
Date: 2015-07-01 09:35 pm (UTC)From:[Ha ha ha. He rolls his eyes and turns back to the weights.]
You know what I mean. Or else you don't and you're a fucking dumbass, I don't know.
no subject
Date: 2015-07-05 07:02 pm (UTC)From:[Mysteriously, of course, in tone and the vague hand motion he makes when he wanders a little bit further away to investigate a new piece of equipment. Apparently he's bored with the weights now.
Yeah, like he's actually stupid enough to admit he has no idea what family is supposed to be like, chosen or given. No thank you.]
You're a terrible welcome wagon, by the way. No wonder new recruits are few and far between.
no subject
Date: 2015-07-07 08:07 pm (UTC)From:[He glances at Alec in the mirror and wrinkles his nose. Doesn't know what he thinks about that. It's definitely possible, he guesses. They've had assholes as wardens before. Please see: himself.]
Anyway, I'm not the welcome wagon. Find Iris for that. I'm the one who throws food at your head in the dining hall.
no subject
Date: 2015-07-10 11:37 pm (UTC)From:Why not?
[Because he hasn't committed to confirming anything either way, and while he knows this line of questioning could back him into being unable to prove that he's a warden - because he knows he's not - it could also help him be more convincing to other people.
Until he gets announced over the goddamn loudspeakers, anyway.]
Already did. Very charming woman, but also seems fairly likely to chuck something at someone else's face.
no subject
Date: 2015-07-14 05:24 pm (UTC)From:[Which doesn't seem to Cassel to be a place that breeds healthy psyches, but whatever.]
She doesn't start as many food fights as I do. She's more likely to get drunk and cuss you out.
no subject
Date: 2015-07-17 08:26 pm (UTC)From:[He isn't prickly about it. It's a resigned line, as though he's said it so many times before, and he has in different variations. The concept is the same and has been throughout his life. The execution differs.
Different tools for different jobs. Maybe he's not healthy but at least he can function, can adapt, and at least he knows himself.]
Then between the two of you it should be a real party, shouldn't it?
no subject
Date: 2015-07-24 03:29 am (UTC)From:[Never mind the fact that Cassel is also a douchebag and is a warden. Just never mind that at all.]
[He waves a hand.]
Between the two of us we could rule this ship if we wanted to. You better watch your ass.