video/action » un:millerlite

[pampa]

[ miller got with the program... quick. he wakes up near the observation deck and snaps up the communicator that won't stop chirping at him and julie's necklace that's also within his grasp - he rubs his fingers over the beads before pocketing it. jumpsuit... magboots. back to square one. god, he hates space. in his fugue at first he thinks it's julie's voice, but it's not. and just as quickly he pieces together that this isn't eros. he sneers at the foreign insignia on the wall and starts scrolling through menus until the stupid recording stops. he logs in after a few different username kickbacks and pulls up a video feed. no time like the present to figure this shit out, right?

a surly-looking man with a (fake) mohawk appears on the network, the giant window of space his backdrop. he hasn't actually looked through said window yet though. ]

You tried to save the world? Yeah, okay. I was just risking my neck to save the whole goddamn Solar System, but I guess. You know, fine, that's great, I can always take a detour. [ he does not look like it's fine OR great okay. ] So what is this? Dusters, Earthers... I know this is an Inner operation. No way Belters are in the kidnapping people business. Unless it's profitable. And let me tell you right now, I'm about as useless a pickup as they come.

[ miller scrubs a hand over his mouth and turns, finally, to the bay window. concern flickers over his face, maybe fear too. but when he turns back to the video his expression is clear. he can't let this distract him, he has a job to finish. ]

Can I get a headcount at least? I'm sure I'm the only Belter on this rust-bucket too. [ he smooths two fingers along the seam of the window, making a little huffing sound when it comes back dirty. ] Well, here's something that might interest you Earthers: Eros is on a collision course for your precious blue globe, so hook me up with an escape pod. A frickin' catapult, I don't care. I was busy, you don't get to just take grand gestures like that away from a guy. [ okay this is edging towards counterproductive so he just groans and shakes his head, ending the feed after a terse: ] Miller out.

[ if anyone comes by the deck, he'll be just as grumpy, looking over the stars and wondering why he doesn't recognize a single one. miller rubs at his eyes, his free hand reaching into his pocket to touch the necklace - oddly the only thing they didn't take from him. and yet it was the only thing of value he was carrying other than a vac suit and a goddamn nuke. when you get close enough, you'll probably hear him muttering nonsense to himself but the gist of it is: ] I hate space.

Comments

action;

[donkeyballs]

[The first time he watches the video he thinks the system is playing tricks on him - dead voices playing back. But this isn't some stranger, some old citizen of the station with cryptic messages. This is someone he knows.

This is a ghost.

He doesn't reply, and instead makes his way as fast as he can to the observation deck. He's wearing the same jumpsuit that miller is, only one arm is done up tight in a sling, braced against his chest, and his eyes are wide when he catches sight of the man and makes a bee-line for him.]

Holy blazin' hells, Miller, it is you!

action

[subplot]

[Karen's been hanging out alone in the observation deck a lot lately. The newness of space has worn out and she's just left feeling lost and insignificantly small. Staring out at the stars doesn't help the feeling, but the general sense of apathy that's settled in makes her not particularly care about going somewhere else. Nearby, a man is recording a message to the network and she watches him with mild interest. He must be new here.

Feeling obligated to try and help him, she pushes herself to stand and makes her way over.]

I'm not sure I like it very much either.

[Her eyes glance down to her magboots. She's starting to hate them more than anything. They're uglier than the jumpsuits.]

How long have you been here?

action;

[tekimetexeng]

[ Naomi keeps careful track of the network, just to know what people are up to on the station. So she catches Miller's post almost as soon as it goes up, and proceeds to watch it through twice as the first time she was too utterly shocked by the existence of the man speaking to process anything he was actually saying. There are a lot of things about their current situation that she'd say weren't really possible, but Miller being here? That's just. How?! Theorizing about secret wormholes and abductions from the Roci are one thing, getting Miller from Eros' wreck on Venus is quite another. And he doesn't seem to remember that -- the outcome of it. His fate. How is that possible?

After several aborted attempts at a reply, she decides to just head up to the observation deck where he sent the video from, fast as she can. And she does catch him still up there, muttering to himself about how much he hates space, which is. Very Miller of him. Her lips quirk despite it all, even as she looks him over for any sign of protomolecule before approaching.

What was that he'd said? The only Belter on this rust bucket? Not by a long shot. He'll hear her mag boots coming up behind him, but also clears her throat a little to announce her presence. ]

Not alone after all, Beltalowda.

[pampa]

[ miller hears the boots, but doesn't think much of it. there seem to be quite a few... abductees aboard this station. it's strange, and he can't work out the motive, but it's not so different being swept up in some bullshit scheme. what's fucked up is the... everything else. he spins, a little too quick, when he hears her clear her throat, eyes perpetually cast downward climbing up, and up, only resting on hers when that familiar phrase passes her lips. well, shit. that's interesting. ]

Naomi. [ she's kind of a sight for sore eyes, honestly. he taps two fingers on his chest, a shallow smile slipping across his features despite how shit he feels. ] Guess I was off by one.

[pampa]

[ he notices her, but also completely disregards her. he has IMPORTANT STUFF to do. but once his message is sent to... whoever will listen, he feels the wind go out of his sails a bit. as she gets closer, she might also notice his sickly pallor. might not want to stand too close, karen. she's not sure...? maybe she's a newbie to space, like him. definitely an earther though. he stands a little hunched, doesn't seem to look her in the eye when he talks. but it's just because his orientation is different, he holds himself like a belter. it's as obvious to him as it probably won't be to her. ]

About... [ he narrows an eye while he thinks, then brings the comm on his wrist up so he can read the time. ] Fifteen minutes? How about you, Earther?

[pampa]

[ that's a voice he could never mistake. roci's pilot is sauntering up to him, and if he isn't mistaken he looks... happy?? to see him??? whatever, he has bigger fish to fry. ]

The one and only. What the hell happened? [ because surely alex would know, right? if he's here all the crew must be. but where's the roci? and where the fuck are they? ]

un: burton

[tumang]

[ Of course Miller would be all over the place, the second he woke up, cursing the station up a storm. The guy hates being stuck in tin cans, he made that very clear - the complete opposite of Amos, who preferred this environment to any of the asteroid stations. ]

Naomi's here, too.

[ So, another Belter. He almost says, and so am I, because he knows and understand the plight of Belters better than any Earther he's ever met - speaks the language fluently, lives and moves and breathes with them just like one of them, even if he knows he'll never be. It's the kind of things he talks about with Naomi, and no one else.

So he doesn't say it. ]

[pampa]

[ amos. his expression softens despite himself, especially at the mention of naomi. but it doesn't make any sense - he brings the feed closer to his face even though the other man could already see him fine. ]

Guess I was off by one, then. [ old habits die hard, but he knows how amos feels. had almost said or two himself, but he doesn't. nationalism dictates he can't. ] So tell me: how fucked are we? [ because if there's one thing he can trust from amos, it's that he won't mince words. ]

[donkeyballs]

[He is, in face, happy to see him. In about the same measure as he is absolutely baffled to see him. But the pure pleasure is what wins out, over everything, because there's been a fuck ton of strange shit in this place, since Alex got here, but this definitely tops the list as part of the Best of them.

He strode right over, reaching out to grasp Miller's arm with his good one (right over the cancer med implant, sorry Miller), squeezing as if to ensure that Miller was actually there.]

Damned if I know, but hell, it's good to see you. [His arm fell back to his side.]

You - Damn, I can't get over this--

[pampa]

[ you're making him uncomfortable!!! why are you touching him, also. miller grimaces at the squeeze to his arm as it causes an unpleasant tug to his port. but he doesn't try to shrug alex off, it isn't like it's bad to see him either. anyone from the roci is good people, in his mind. once he was excited to start calling them family -- but he ruined all that. or so he thought. ]

You feeling okay, pilot?

[tumang]

[ Amos makes a face, looking away from the terminal for a moment as he thinks through his answer. ]

Pretty fucked. No idea how good for the life support systems are. No idea where we are. No ships docked to the station according to Apollo. No way to tell if this barge is mobile in any way, but even if it is, and even if it has an Epstein drive, nothing right now tells us we're not too far out to get anywhere on whatever fuel we do or don't have.

[ He pokes his cheek with his tongue. ]

So, overall. Pretty fucked. At least we're not getting blasted by radiation. As far as we're aware, anyway.

[donkeyballs]

Feelin' pretty damn good at the moment, hoss. How did you-- Where did you--

How the hell did you get off Eros? There's no way-- how did you even manage to survive it?

[If he sounds in awe, it's because he is. He had been 200% sure that Miller was dead. There was no way anything could have survived that blast. And yet, the protomolecule did somehow, and here Miller was in the flesh--

Oh, shit. He backed up suddenly, quickly, glancing over him with a worried look, before relaxing.]

You don't look like your blue 'n glowin'....

[pampa]

[ how did he... get off eros? his eyes widen a little, really considering what alex is saying. how did you survive - uh... when alex backs off though that's a good distraction, and miller just barely holds back an eyeroll. ]

That's because I'm not, asshole. I didn't even get inside the station. What the fuck? [ he was planting the charges with diogo when he arrived here ]

[pampa]

[ it's somehow a relief, hearing it from amos. oh, but one thing: ] Who the fuck is Apollo?

[ the radiation comment gets a snort. ]

Been there, done that. Got the lifetime of cancer drugs. [ he scratches at his port wearily before shrugging a shoulder. ] Is it fucked up if I say it could be worse?

[donkeyballs]

[ Alex's face flickers with confusion, his brows furrowing and his head tilting to the side. ]

Uh- you alright there, Miller? Maybe you lost a few pieces in there, on the way down? But you were on Eros weeks ago. Hell, we all thought you were dead this whole time--

text » id: mag

[spinals]

why do you hate space?

[pampa]

Whats to like? Stale recycled air, imposed gravity, jumpsuits. That nauseous feeling I get every time I pass a window... though that's less of a problem on this barge I'll admit.

[pampa]

Am I alright? You're looking at me like I might catch fire any secon-- [ damnit. damnit. why is this happening to him?! ] What the fuck is this place.

[spinals]

i don't mind the jumpsuits or the gravity
and i like the way the stars look
so it's not so bad i think

[donkeyballs]

[Alex went to raise his hands, moved his broken arm, winced, and did the intelligent thing and only held up one. Look, he forgot sometimes.]

Alrigh', alrigh' calm down. We'll start from the top. We have no idea what this place is, where it is, or how we got here. But Amos has been here two weeks, me about ten days, and Naomi a little less than that.

Still haven't been able to find Holden and Prax - wait, shit, you would have no idea who Prax is...

[ His face fell. ]

Or Ganymede...

[pampa]

[ miller grimaces when alex raises his broken arm, but doesn't say anything about it, trying to process the words he's being given instead. ]

What happened to Ganymede? [ no holden... who the hell is prax? WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING??? oh my god. one thing at a time. he needs a paper bag to breathe into at this rate. ] ...If I heave right now don't take it personal. [ he's feeling a wave of space sickness coming on and this conversation? really isn't helping. ]

[pampa]

Let me guess
Earther?

[donkeyballs]

[ Alex grimaced in return. ]

Look, uh - there's a bar. Down on the third floor. Maybe we should head there, you can sit down, and I can fill you in.

[tumang]

[ Shrug. ] This guy, he's here too. He can go out into space without a vac suit, but not protomolecule style. I helped him get an airlock open and he went to check shit out.

[ Well, duh, that's exactly why he said that, Miller. Get on with the program. ]

It could be worse. [ It's the goddamn truth. ] We could be stuck in here with the protomolecule.

[tekimetexeng]

[ That earns Miller a faint smile back, and she mirrors his tapping fingers fondly. As much of a disaster as she knows he is... she sort of liked him anyway, and maybe not just because he sacrificed himself to save Earth. How does he not remember?! Okay, one thing at a time. ]

Just one Belter, but Amos and Alex are here. We think Holden and Prax must be in one of the sealed areas, no sense just taking a few of us.

[ Not that anything makes sense, but. She needs to believe they came along. ]

I'm more than a little surprised to see you, though.