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

[donkeyballs]

Almost two months, though it feels a hell of a lot longer than that. [ A lot had happened. A lot. ]

The Navoo missed, because Eros - Eros started movin' on it's own. But you dragged that last charged all the way into the heart of it, and somehow... [ He gave a helpless look. ] I ain't got a clue what you did in there, Miller, but it changed course from Earth and crashed into Venus, instead. With you on it.

[pampa]

[ the nauvoo missed. but fred and his crack team of nerds had-- wait. eros moved? that gets miller to take notice, sitting up and looking at alex properly in the eye now. ]

Well... that's good, right? [ not for him, maybe, but for earth? and the universe? he swallows, thinking of how it had felt right before his spacewalk. he knew, on some level, that he wasn't going to get to come back. ] That's good.

[ miller repeats it, as if to try to convince himself. then he pours another drink and clinks his glass against alex's neglected one. drink with him, asshole. ]

[donkeyballs]

[ The clink reminds him, and he finally picks up his glass in his good hand and takes a drink. ]

Yeah. It's good. [ His tone suggests that maybe it isn't, but that's only because so much shit had happened since. ] You saved thirty billion people, Miller. Think I'd say that's pretty damn good.

[ The 'but' hung heavy, and unspoken, in the air. ]

[pampa]

[ you saved 30 billion people. it doesn't sound like him, even in a hypothetical future, or present he has no recollection of. he grunts, noncommittal, and takes another drink. he knows he can't keep going like this but it seems like a shame to stop now when he's already catching a buzz. ]

What about the kid? [ he remembers suddenly, hoping he didn't resign diogo to his fate. ] I told him I'd look out for him.

[donkeyballs]

[ Kid... Oh, right, the kid that Miller had been laying the charges with. What was his name... ]

Diogo? Yeah, he's fine. [ Though a bit of persona-non-grata right now, but he wasn't about to mention that. ] You sent him back, and stayed yourself. Far as I know, he's on Ceres now.

cw: suicidal ideations what a surprise

[pampa]

[ he nods, even better. only he had to go down with that ship. he feels oddly satisfied with that result, it was better than jumping off his balcony at home anyway. a fantasy he'd had often enough it's no trouble to conjure now, thinking of that little girl seeing him go splat as his lips set in a grim line. he swirls the liquid in his glass, watching as a few bubbles slosh in midair, and for a moment he's back on eros with diogo, terrified out of his mind. isn't it awesome? the spacewalk. his first ever. it takes him another few seconds to remember alex is beside him. ]

At least nothing of value was lost. [ just 100,001 belters, right? the system wouldn't weep for them, so he won't either. ]

Re: cw: suicidal ideations what a surprise

[donkeyballs]

[ Alex looks grim, finishing his drink mostly so he can stall, not sure how to reply to something so clearly laced with self hatred. He definitely doesn't consider Eros as "just" anything, but... ]

I wish I could say it ended there. [ He reached out for the bottle, pouring himself a second drink and then placing it off to his side, out of Miller's reach. He'd have to ask, to get another. ]

But it ain't over. The protomolecule's still out there, an' people are still usin' it for shit they shouldn't. Earth and Mars - [He let out a hard breath, thinking of Ganymede.] It's a shooting war, now. You saved a lot of people, but we ain't out of the woods yet.

[pampa]

[ he nods at that, noticing instantly when alex moves the bottle. he doesn't move to correct it and he certainly doesn't say anything, taking a sip and making a face instead. it's much worse when you drink it slow enough to taste it. abort, abort. ]

I knew it wouldn't end there, it was never going to. But I played out my part.

[ what good is he in a war anyway. is he sorry they have to play cleanup? not really, it's what they seem intent on doing either way. ]

When men have weapons, they use 'em. Imagine that.

[donkeyballs]

Yeah. You did. [ And Alex believes that, completely. Miller gave his life for it. He's earned his rest.

Only apparently he wasn't resting. Alex took another long drink . ]

Anyway, the point is - [ He turned his head to catch Miller's eye, his expression grim but firm. ] I'm glad to see you. Don't know how in the hell you're alive, but I'll take it.

[pampa]

[ there it is again. alex is relieved, he's glad. miller can't quite wrap his head around it. ]

Why? [ why does alex give a fuck if he's alive or dead? especially in a place like this, where he can already glean he'll be about as good as useless. ]

[donkeyballs]

[ The question makes his brow furrow a little bit, like he doesn't quite understand it. Why wouldn't he be glad? Despite everything that happened, did he really think Alex would rather see him dead?

Still frowning, he shifted the glass across the bar a little bit. ]

'nough people are dead. [ His voice dropped a bit. ]

We couldn't save you. Would have, if we could. We ain't had enough wins to disregard this one.

[pampa]

Ehhhh. [ he groans and makes a face, swatting a hand through the air like he really doesn't want to hear it. because he doesn't. ] Didn't ask you to save me.

But I guess since I'm alive and all that frees me up to drink myself to death. [ he takes another swig, this one triggering a shiver up the entire length of his spine. ]

[donkeyballs]

Yeah, you made it pretty damn hard to even try. [ Mildly. Don't think he doesn't know you have a bit of a death wish, Miller. But he sighs. ]

Look. I know this ain't where anyone wants to be, but we're all gonna need each other to be able to find a way off this damn thing. So maybe settle for drinkin' yourself into a stupor, huh?

[pampa]

[ that inspires a shallow grin. ] Sounds like me. [ but fine, he'll play ball. miller holds out his hand for the liquor bottle, plying alex with a truly pathetic expression. ]

Oh, I'll show you a stupor alright.

[donkeyballs]

[ Alex sighed, and didn't hand Miller the bottle, but he did fill his glass. ]

Look, Miller. I ain't gonna pretend to understand. The shit you've been through - what you remember and what you don't - I know that ain't somethin' I'm ever really gonna get. But I'm serious. We're gonna need you, same as you're gonna need us. So try an' keep it together, huh?

[pampa]

[ they're going to need him, huh? he's not as surprised by the sentiment as he is about alex admitting it. and he gives a grateful nod when the other man tops up his glass, leaving his hand wrapped around it for the moment. ]

What do you think this place really is? [ he can't promise to keep it together and drink himself stupid okay so he leaves that one alone for now. alex has been here for weeks. surely he must have a theory. ]

[donkeyballs]

[ The question at least means Miller is thinking, which is a good sign. So Alex tops off his own glass. ]

Ain't got the faintest. Far as I can tell, a space station, and it's gotta be connected to earth, somehow. Someone found a copy of Moby Dick, so it ain't alien. But this system - we're so damn far out that I couldn't even start to figure out where we are. Thousands of light years, at least, since none of the damn stars line up.

[pampa]

Moby Dick. [ he snorts, humorless. ] Is that the one about the whale?

[donkeyballs]

The white whale, tha's right. [ Not that Alex had ever read it - books about oceans and whales were almost impossible to visualize. He'd never seen so much as a lake.

It also isn't what they're talkin' about, but:]

Don Quixote would have been a little too on the nose, I reckon.

[pampa]

Don't think I know that one, but I'll take your word for it, Duster.

Belters aren't big Readers.

[donkeyballs]

Can't say I've read it either, but I got the highlights from the Cap.

[ It was, after all, where the name for the Roci had come from. He'd been curious. ]

My point is - the station's definitely got some connection to Earth, somehow. But it ain't look like any Earth tech I'm used to, and far as I know, no UNN ship can melt its doors, either.

[pampa]

Yeah... there do seem to be a disproportionate amount of Earthers on this float. Weird, that.

[ to say nothing of the lot of them having no idea what anyone from the roci is talking about 100% of the time ]

[donkeyballs]

Far as I know, only Martians on this station are Bobbie and myself, and the only Belters are you and Naomi.

[ He doesn't sound very enthused about this concept. ]

Nearly everyone I've met claims to be from before we even colonized Mars.

[pampa]

Claims to be? You don't believe 'em?

[donkeyballs]

Honestly, I don't know what the hell t' think. We've been on Mars for two hundred years. That ain't something that just - doesn't happen.

But they ain't got a reason to lie.