Game of Thrones Daily
Show & Tell
Kiana Khansmith
gracie abrams
tumblr dot com
titsay
2025 on Tumblr: Trends That Defined the Year
RMH
Discoholic 🪩
KIROKAZE
No title available
$LAYYYTER
blake kathryn
No title available
Game Changer & Make Some Noise
todays bird
Cosmic Funnies
let's talk about Bridgerton tea, my ask is open
tannertan36
occasionally subtle
seen from Croatia
seen from United States
seen from Ecuador
seen from Ecuador
seen from United States
seen from Germany
seen from Bangladesh
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Germany
seen from Brazil
seen from Mexico
seen from Egypt
seen from Canada
seen from Germany
seen from Ukraine
seen from United States
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Italy
seen from Canada
@asksimontheconvict
Is anyone out there?, can anyone read this? I dont know where this will go when i hit enter. But if anyone can hear me.
RESPOND DAMN IT
*update: simon is now in the hanger waiting to be cut out..hopefully.*
(Admin here!, im up for anything, ocs, ships, interactions, all of it.
Admin is 21, i work full time and activity may vary-)
[unknown voice comes through the speaker, mixed with static]
...whaaat the fuck is that??
--hear me? someone's..really there?
"Yeah, im here,..whos this?"
I'm Luuma....are you with the COI? I need help, get me out
"Im imprisoned by the c.o.i, hopefully theyll keep their promise and i wont be once they cut me outta this thing. Where are you?"
you too?...
I'm currently at another submarine...it says SM8
"I saw that wreck. Becareful theres a big Fucking Eel thing around there. Im stuck in the hanger waiting on these assholes to cut me out."
You're...another one? of their prisoners?
"Yeah..., you too huh?"
[unknown voice comes through the speaker, mixed with static]
...whaaat the fuck is that??
--hear me? someone's..really there?
"Yeah, im here,..whos this?"
I'm Luuma....are you with the COI? I need help, get me out
"Im imprisoned by the c.o.i, hopefully theyll keep their promise and i wont be once they cut me outta this thing. Where are you?"
you too?...
I'm currently at another submarine...it says SM8
"I saw that wreck. Becareful theres a big Fucking Eel thing around there. Im stuck in the hanger waiting on these assholes to cut me out."
[unknown voice comes through the speaker, mixed with static]
...whaaat the fuck is that??
--hear me? someone's..really there?
"Yeah, im here,..whos this?"
I'm Luuma....are you with the COI? I need help, get me out
"Im imprisoned by the c.o.i, hopefully theyll keep their promise and i wont be once they cut me outta this thing. Where are you?"
[unknown voice comes through the speaker, mixed with static]
...whaaat the fuck is that??
--hear me? someone's..really there?
"Yeah, im here,..whos this?"
[unknown voice comes through the speaker, mixed with static]
...whaaat the fuck is that??
Hailing all who receive this. This is the Captain of the Invincible II, but not the one you might know. This message is a multiversal digital communication, delivered by any possible means our system can find. If you are receiving this message, you may have some connection with a multiversal constant our system has identified. Please respond so we can establish a communication link from our universe to yours.
- @no1bestcaptain
(feel free to ignore this if it doesn't fit your blog!)
Uhh??...hello??
>LINK ESTABLISHED.
>...
>CONNECTION STABILISED.
Hello there. This is the Captain of the Invincible II speaking - do you have a version of me or the Invincible where you are? If you don't recognise the name, we have some explaining to do.
...Actually, on that note... where are you? Your signal is bouncing weirdly in our system...
"Uhhh... you..sound like me... are you another simon?, im currently being pulled out of a blood ocean.. ive...never heard of the invincible 2.."
Simon? No, I'm afraid not. I assume that's your name?
[The Captain sucks in a sharp breath at the mention of a blood ocean, and there's a pause.]
...That might explain some things. I'm glad you're being pulled out. That certainly doesn't sound like a good place to be.
As for an explanation, the Invincible II is the starship that I am Captain of. We've established contact with you because for one reason or another, our system has detected that you are directly connected to a multiversal constant, a sort of overlap, shared with our universe. Does that make sense to you?
"Vaugly?, maybe?, uh...what?" He asked more confused than he thought he was.
In simpler terms, a person, thing, entity, or event exists both in your universe and in ours, in a similar form, which is how we found you. And in some way, you're directly connected to one of those - the constant might even be you, but I can't say that for certain right now, because your signal is still a bit off. That's the best I can explain it... It doesn't make a lot of sense to me, either, I'll admit. My Head Engineer understands it better than I do, and he's run off to ADS again...
Are there any questions you have? We'd like to know more about your universe for research purposes, but I understand it might be daunting for a complete stranger to just start asking you things. So far, all the people who've responded to our message have known who I am already.
"Well uh, sorry, but i have absolutely no idea who you are or what youre talking about... uhm.. my universe is shit..you dont wanna be here.." he said. Still so confused.
Don't worry, I'm not there. I'm contacting you from somewhere else.
You... you mentioned you were being pulled out - will you have access to whatever device you're currently using afterwards? Perhaps it will be easier to communicate once you're not under however many leagues of blood...
[They sound genuinely concerned for Simon, if a little confused themself.]
It can't be a very enjoyable experience.
"Uh, yeah, probably..uhm...its really really not. And i wish this thing could go faster...but..it..uh..may break..if it does.."
Break? That's not exactly... reassuring. Isn't there safety regulations, or something? Your vessel shouldn't be breaking during retrieval, that's... Well, as long as you're getting out. Why... if you don't mind me asking, why are you down there in the first place?
"Well, this vessal wasnt meant to survive. Its a scrap ship not even meant to survive the journey. They never expected me to live. I just found something valuable enough they deemed worth it.
They sent me down to take pictures. Promised me my freedom if i did. Bad things happend.. and its believed to be my fualt..so..they didnt really care if i lived.. one..one of them at least cares now.. i..hope hes okay.." simon mutters. "..uh..where are you exactly?"
They sent you down to die, just for pictures? [They murmur, horrified, before registering Simon's question and leaning away from the microphone slightly to check.] We're currently, uh... right, yeah. We're currently about halfway between the Centaurus supercluster and the Coma supercluster. This is mostly uncharted space right now, but we're roughly 5 lightyears or so away from the planet we're aiming for.
"...planet?..." he mutters. "Youbhave planets? Do you have stars? All of thats gone.. theres..none of that..just moons full of blood..."
Yes, as... as far as I'm aware, all our stars are accounted for. I can, um. I can see some out the bulkhead window right now. Contact with mission control is limited because of the distance, but we received an update from the Mars base about.... two weeks ago local time, so our home planets are still around, too.
So you're... one of those blood moon universes, huh. I was hoping that he- that it was just a fluke, before, but... nothing but moons of blood, I- that's horrible. I'm... sorry. I'm sorry.
Ah... do you, um, have an ETA in regards to being pulled up?
"No.. no eta... ive uhm... been on my last oxygen light...for a while... they said...itd be a miracle if it...held though accent... the ships shaking. They said...it would take a while..due to...how fragile the ship is...and cause of how bad the leaks are.... did you say mars??, its...its around still in your world?"
Don't you have emergency ox- no, I... guess you wouldn't, would you.
[They sound like they're holding back on cursing out the shipbuilders, muttering quietly to themself for a moment before continuing.]
Um... yeah, yes, we still have Mars. I suppose yours is... gone. It's uh- a slight overcrowding problem, maybe, but otherwise a thriving colony. Mostly. What... what happened to your Mars? All I've heard so far about universes like yours is just that it's all... gone.
"Yeah no emergency systems. No food or water..., no lights really even. They wanted me dead. I am not kidding." He said. "And..it..catches on fire..from time to time.." he mumbles. Then sighed. "We ...dont know...in the blink of an eye..all the planets and stars..just vanished... i..was from mars. Before i went to eden when i was little. Eden was a mars station.. thats uhm.. at least its still there...in another world.." he whispers.
Fuck, that's...
They really just... disappeared? Ah, sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound like I disbelieve you. It's just a little difficult to... process.
But- they shouldn't be treating you so horribly, regardless of the shitty situation or whatever they thought was your fault. I wish I could do something...
"...itll ..itll be fine. Im being pulled up now..hopefully..wont be too much longer.." he mumbles. "And yeah, ...when i first saw...it all gone.. it ..was a lot." He whispers. He was young when that happend..but he still remembered it..
'A lot' seems like an understatement.
[They comment dryly, trying to lighten the mood slightly, though the guilt still lingering in their voice somewhat ruins the attempt.]
I still wish there was something I could do other than wish you the best of luck, but... just hang in there, alright? Do you at least have fire suppression systems and something to hold on to if something happens during the ascent? You said fires were breaking out...
"I have, one fire extinguisher. Thats it." He said. "So far only one fire but its really hot in here like..all the time..., im..gonna gusse thats not the normal for a ship? Youre..youre a captin right? You said?"
Captain and Head Navigator of the Invincible II, yes. So I can tell you for sure that no, it's absolutely not normal. All the rooms and hallways have automatic temperature regulation systems to keep the crew comfortable and our equipment functioning at full efficiency... admittedly, it did malfunction last week, but that was due to multiversal sabotage, she's usually quite robust, whereas your ship...
It... it just doesn't make any sense to me. If the thing they sent you down there for was so important that they're hauling you back up again, why the fuck aren't they at least trying to protect the asset they're treating you as? If the core still worked I'd be giving your Captain, or whoever's in charge over there, a damn good fist to the face. You don't just throw away human lives like that, you- you just don't.
"...yeah..they..dont care about me..well, the captin doesn't. She said 'there arent enough left of us to be throwing lives away. But im a calculated risk' or some shit.. it sure feels like im in a glorified trashcan."
This isn't calculated risk, this is... making you an example. [They pause for a moment to take a breath, inhaling and exhaling forcefully.] I'm sorry, I shouldn't get carried away. It's not your fault. But listen... when you get back up there, don't you let her convince you it was deserved or- or needed, okay? That... nothing is worth forcing someone into a blood ocean in a glorified metal box. Seriously, that's not a calculated risk, it's a deliberate execution.
"I am.. well aware its an execution.." he whispers. "And ..." he sighed. His tone indicates part of him thinks he might deserve this.
No-one deserves that. They should at least give you the dignity of a clean death. It's not right. A Captain who does something like that doesn't deserve to be captain of anything.
You... I'm sorry if this is too far, but... what did you do- or, what are they blaming you for that makes them think you deserve... this?
"....blowup one of the last remaining spacestations resulting in the deaths of 62 people.." he whispers. Voice raw at the mention it of it. "I..i..tried to stop it... i couldnt..i surrendered.. they..they never litsened..." it was a senstive topic.. hes talking fast...used to being cut off when it comes to this.
So it wasn't even your fault? They just wanted someone to blame?
[They're still relatively calm, but their upset sounds personal.]
I'm sorry. It doesn't matter if it's the end of the world, that doesn't mean they can act like maniacs. You deserve dignity, a chance to speak for yourself, at the very least. You...
[Their next words almost sound like they're quoting someone in an odd bout of deja vu.]
You deserve a choice.
...At least you're getting out of there. And you have someone waiting for you, right?
"Yeah,.. his names jack" he whispers. "...i..really hope the captin keeps her promise about my freedom..." he whispers. "They...they pulled me up once before this. After i got the pictures.. they sent me back down for more data. And not refill my oxygen before doing that..." he mumbles. "Nor..did they tell me the camera i had..was an Xray.." he mumbles. "But hopefully...hopefully itll all be over now.."
She better.
[They mutter darkly, before taking another deep breath. They sound almost like they're trying to convince themself as much as Simon.]
But I'm sure you're gonna be fine. You have Jack batting for you, and... I'll gladly help, however I can from here, if you need me.
"I really, reeally appreciate that" he said. He meant it. "....i just want out of here... i..just want to be free.." he whispers. Desprate.
...I understand the feeling.
[There's a somewhat muffled call of 'Captain!' behind them, quiet due to it's distance from the microphone, and they pause to listen, turning away with a sigh.]
No, Mark, you may not send them detailed notes on how to improve their shipbuilding. I think we've already established this was on purpose.
That's my Head Engineer, sorry about him. He uh, gets a little passionate about his work.
"Its fine..., im glad hes got something fo be passionate about.. in my world thats..hard to come by" he said
I suppose it's not exactly an environment conducive to hobbies...
[There's more murmuring from the background voice, and the Captain sighs in fond annoyance.]
He knows that already. Yes, alright.
Mark wants to ask what your engine system looks like... you don't have to tell him if you don't know, but he might be able to figure out why it set itself on fire.
"They uh.. didnt ...let me look at it .. before tossing me in here.. i went into the crawlspace before.. its i think just the one engine...looks pretty old... everything runs with just one lever that goes forward and back.. its..a sub rover so no floating.. just driving in the blood sea floor... i..didnt see anything...cooling related.. i figured that might have something to do...with the flames.." he mumbles. "But im no engineer so..uh..." he trails off.
[The Captain hums softly in thought, and there's a long pause as the background voice starts muttering again.]
...not even a cooling system... blood, it's hot, this... middle school biology... elementary engineering... I could do better, coolant recycling... process it, there's O2 in there...
Alright, okay. Why don't you get your datapad and get some of this stuff down for later?
[There's a slight rustling, and the Captain leans back into the microphone with a huff of laughter.]
That's plenty for him, don't worry. I think he's gonna go design his own sub specialised for that kind of environment now, just to prove he can... I told him they weren't trying very hard with yours, but like I said, he uh... he gets passionate.
"I can tell... its...weird..hesring my voice..with..passion for something beyond getting out of here..." he whispers. "Im happy for him though.., uh.. also maybe tell him some lights would be great.. all ive got is a single red light and the cancer camera." He mumbles. "I reeally hope you dont actually send anyone into a blood sea...i just..hope you dont encounter a blood sea.." he sighed.
I'll let him know. He'll probably install tube lights on principle, though, if I know him... he likes the aesthetic, even though they're more fragile if they're not embedded in the walls...
And no, don't worry, if we were ever put in a situation like that, I would never send a human being down there unless there was absolutely no other option and they volunteered. But... with all due respect, I hope we'd never get to that point either. The Invincible isn't built to house our 10,000 colonists for longer than our journey time, they wouldn't survive if we lost the planet we're supposed to be landing on.
"Yeeaah. The coi considers me a ...'volunteer' i was apart of this 'convict relization' program. All they said was go on a mission. Get some pictures. Come back. Be free. They didnt mention being ill prepared. Theu didn't mention the blood. They lied about them having never sent anyone down here before. I know for a fact at least 3 others died down here before me. But more likely...closer to 20 ish. The coi are assholes." He sighed then looks back to the screen. "Yeah. None of our stations where built for long term life sustaining either... when everything vanished in thr blink of an eye... things got dire fast. Eden came the closest to being built for long term life without resupply. But ...uh... anyway. Hopefully your world..doesnt come to this.." he whispers.
This 'COI' needs to be audited for human rights violations... but I guess there's no-one left to do it, huh.
And 'Eden'... you mentioned that name earlier... that was your station, right? Did, uh... is it... gone?
"I....im not..sure.." he whispers. "I..dont think so..but its...its been a few decades...since ive..been there.. ive been a prisoner in the coi..for a long...long time." He whispers.
You were imprisoned for decades? And not once anyone thought to ask you if you were-
[There's a rustle of fabric as Mark puts his hand on the Captain's arm, leaning close enough to be heard through the microphone as he murmurs in their ear.]
Please chill, Captain. You'll burst your stitches.
Sorry.
The more I hear about these people, the more I'm tempted to figure out a way to sock them in the face across dimensions. You can't play god like that and still be so ignorant of what being a leader is supposed to mean...
Ha, yeah. This is worse than locking us all in a cave, for sure.
...what?
Oops. Forgot you didn't remember that one...
I- you- we'll talk about that later.
"...cave?" Simon mumbles. Confused. Then sighed. "No one was really keen to litsen to someone known as 'the butcher of eden'.. even...if thats not someone i ever asked to be.." he whispers. "So yeah.. i was imprisoned for like...21 years ish.. time is...hard to track with no stars or planets.." he mumbles.
Assuming hes marks age...being another version of him.. that would of put him at like..15 ish when he was locked up. ...a kid
I, uh- don't worry about it. It's a... multiverse, wormhole, complicated thing... a long story, basically.
21 years is... fuck, that's...
Too long. For anyone, but especially... I'm sorry. You deserve a better life than that, no matter how much blood is on your hands.
...Butcher is a pretty sick nickname, though-
[There's a slight rustle, and a noise that sounds like someone being smacked (lightly!) upside the head.]
-ow! Captaiiiin...
"...you wouldnt think its cool if its... all you've ever been allowed to be. Since...as far back as you can recall.." he whispers. Its a senstive topic...
I'm sorry, ignore him. Smartest man I know and he's still an idiot.
Aw, Capta- wait, hey!
If it means anything... I know what it's like to be given a label, a role you never wanted. It's not really the same thing, I know, but... sometimes we do things that others think are despicable, to survive. For what it's worth, I, uh. I'm glad you survived.
"Im glad you survived too... im not..out of the woods yet though i..gotta hope they cut me out of here before my oxgen runs out... oh did mention im welded into this thing? No..no exit.." he whispers.
Every time I learn something new, it gets worse. How does it keep getting worse? Of course they didn't expect to have to get you back out of the thing so they just didn't build a door. Of course!
[They mutter bitterly, and there's a rustle like they're throwing their hands up in exasperation, only to let out a quiet hiss of pain at the quick movement.]
Stitches!
I know, I know, alright. You're such a mother hen.
Sorry. I've really got to stop doing that. It's not your fault, I just...
[They take a breath, trying to lighten up a little, both for the sake of Simon's mood and their stab wound.]
How, uh... how's the ascent going? I assume nothing's gone horrifically wrong thanks to the lack of yelling, but... do you think you're close?
"I hope so. But ive got no way of knowing. I mean..the inky window is covered wirh a blast sheild and its small and would be blood covered if it werent.. otherwise just coordinates and a proximity sensor that dont tell me shit about elevation.." he mumbles. "But hey, the proximity sense is going off.. so that horrific blood eel isnt currently after me" he shrugs.
Blood eel...?!
[The Captain murmurs, but they're interrupted by Mark's distant scoff at Simon's description.]
Y'know, it's not hard to develop a transparent material strong enough to resist the pressure of space, let alone the ocean. Ugh, no-one ever appreciates the merits of windows anymore!
I appreciate your windows, Mark. But I am still trying to have a conversation...
Uh. Sorry Cap'n.
"Uh i would greatly appreciate windows... i would love to have some other way to navigate besides the cancer camera, coords, and an incomplete map.. thank FUCK im good at navigation and some ship work." He mumbles. Then sighed. "Yes. Blood eel. A massive fucked up creature that would greatly like to kill me. But i wont let it." He said.
Hailing all who receive this. This is the Captain of the Invincible II, but not the one you might know. This message is a multiversal digital communication, delivered by any possible means our system can find. If you are receiving this message, you may have some connection with a multiversal constant our system has identified. Please respond so we can establish a communication link from our universe to yours.
- @no1bestcaptain
(feel free to ignore this if it doesn't fit your blog!)
Uhh??...hello??
>LINK ESTABLISHED.
>...
>CONNECTION STABILISED.
Hello there. This is the Captain of the Invincible II speaking - do you have a version of me or the Invincible where you are? If you don't recognise the name, we have some explaining to do.
...Actually, on that note... where are you? Your signal is bouncing weirdly in our system...
"Uhhh... you..sound like me... are you another simon?, im currently being pulled out of a blood ocean.. ive...never heard of the invincible 2.."
Simon? No, I'm afraid not. I assume that's your name?
[The Captain sucks in a sharp breath at the mention of a blood ocean, and there's a pause.]
...That might explain some things. I'm glad you're being pulled out. That certainly doesn't sound like a good place to be.
As for an explanation, the Invincible II is the starship that I am Captain of. We've established contact with you because for one reason or another, our system has detected that you are directly connected to a multiversal constant, a sort of overlap, shared with our universe. Does that make sense to you?
"Vaugly?, maybe?, uh...what?" He asked more confused than he thought he was.
In simpler terms, a person, thing, entity, or event exists both in your universe and in ours, in a similar form, which is how we found you. And in some way, you're directly connected to one of those - the constant might even be you, but I can't say that for certain right now, because your signal is still a bit off. That's the best I can explain it... It doesn't make a lot of sense to me, either, I'll admit. My Head Engineer understands it better than I do, and he's run off to ADS again...
Are there any questions you have? We'd like to know more about your universe for research purposes, but I understand it might be daunting for a complete stranger to just start asking you things. So far, all the people who've responded to our message have known who I am already.
"Well uh, sorry, but i have absolutely no idea who you are or what youre talking about... uhm.. my universe is shit..you dont wanna be here.." he said. Still so confused.
Don't worry, I'm not there. I'm contacting you from somewhere else.
You... you mentioned you were being pulled out - will you have access to whatever device you're currently using afterwards? Perhaps it will be easier to communicate once you're not under however many leagues of blood...
[They sound genuinely concerned for Simon, if a little confused themself.]
It can't be a very enjoyable experience.
"Uh, yeah, probably..uhm...its really really not. And i wish this thing could go faster...but..it..uh..may break..if it does.."
Break? That's not exactly... reassuring. Isn't there safety regulations, or something? Your vessel shouldn't be breaking during retrieval, that's... Well, as long as you're getting out. Why... if you don't mind me asking, why are you down there in the first place?
"Well, this vessal wasnt meant to survive. Its a scrap ship not even meant to survive the journey. They never expected me to live. I just found something valuable enough they deemed worth it.
They sent me down to take pictures. Promised me my freedom if i did. Bad things happend.. and its believed to be my fualt..so..they didnt really care if i lived.. one..one of them at least cares now.. i..hope hes okay.." simon mutters. "..uh..where are you exactly?"
They sent you down to die, just for pictures? [They murmur, horrified, before registering Simon's question and leaning away from the microphone slightly to check.] We're currently, uh... right, yeah. We're currently about halfway between the Centaurus supercluster and the Coma supercluster. This is mostly uncharted space right now, but we're roughly 5 lightyears or so away from the planet we're aiming for.
"...planet?..." he mutters. "Youbhave planets? Do you have stars? All of thats gone.. theres..none of that..just moons full of blood..."
Yes, as... as far as I'm aware, all our stars are accounted for. I can, um. I can see some out the bulkhead window right now. Contact with mission control is limited because of the distance, but we received an update from the Mars base about.... two weeks ago local time, so our home planets are still around, too.
So you're... one of those blood moon universes, huh. I was hoping that he- that it was just a fluke, before, but... nothing but moons of blood, I- that's horrible. I'm... sorry. I'm sorry.
Ah... do you, um, have an ETA in regards to being pulled up?
"No.. no eta... ive uhm... been on my last oxygen light...for a while... they said...itd be a miracle if it...held though accent... the ships shaking. They said...it would take a while..due to...how fragile the ship is...and cause of how bad the leaks are.... did you say mars??, its...its around still in your world?"
Don't you have emergency ox- no, I... guess you wouldn't, would you.
[They sound like they're holding back on cursing out the shipbuilders, muttering quietly to themself for a moment before continuing.]
Um... yeah, yes, we still have Mars. I suppose yours is... gone. It's uh- a slight overcrowding problem, maybe, but otherwise a thriving colony. Mostly. What... what happened to your Mars? All I've heard so far about universes like yours is just that it's all... gone.
"Yeah no emergency systems. No food or water..., no lights really even. They wanted me dead. I am not kidding." He said. "And..it..catches on fire..from time to time.." he mumbles. Then sighed. "We ...dont know...in the blink of an eye..all the planets and stars..just vanished... i..was from mars. Before i went to eden when i was little. Eden was a mars station.. thats uhm.. at least its still there...in another world.." he whispers.
Fuck, that's...
They really just... disappeared? Ah, sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound like I disbelieve you. It's just a little difficult to... process.
But- they shouldn't be treating you so horribly, regardless of the shitty situation or whatever they thought was your fault. I wish I could do something...
"...itll ..itll be fine. Im being pulled up now..hopefully..wont be too much longer.." he mumbles. "And yeah, ...when i first saw...it all gone.. it ..was a lot." He whispers. He was young when that happend..but he still remembered it..
'A lot' seems like an understatement.
[They comment dryly, trying to lighten the mood slightly, though the guilt still lingering in their voice somewhat ruins the attempt.]
I still wish there was something I could do other than wish you the best of luck, but... just hang in there, alright? Do you at least have fire suppression systems and something to hold on to if something happens during the ascent? You said fires were breaking out...
"I have, one fire extinguisher. Thats it." He said. "So far only one fire but its really hot in here like..all the time..., im..gonna gusse thats not the normal for a ship? Youre..youre a captin right? You said?"
Captain and Head Navigator of the Invincible II, yes. So I can tell you for sure that no, it's absolutely not normal. All the rooms and hallways have automatic temperature regulation systems to keep the crew comfortable and our equipment functioning at full efficiency... admittedly, it did malfunction last week, but that was due to multiversal sabotage, she's usually quite robust, whereas your ship...
It... it just doesn't make any sense to me. If the thing they sent you down there for was so important that they're hauling you back up again, why the fuck aren't they at least trying to protect the asset they're treating you as? If the core still worked I'd be giving your Captain, or whoever's in charge over there, a damn good fist to the face. You don't just throw away human lives like that, you- you just don't.
"...yeah..they..dont care about me..well, the captin doesn't. She said 'there arent enough left of us to be throwing lives away. But im a calculated risk' or some shit.. it sure feels like im in a glorified trashcan."
This isn't calculated risk, this is... making you an example. [They pause for a moment to take a breath, inhaling and exhaling forcefully.] I'm sorry, I shouldn't get carried away. It's not your fault. But listen... when you get back up there, don't you let her convince you it was deserved or- or needed, okay? That... nothing is worth forcing someone into a blood ocean in a glorified metal box. Seriously, that's not a calculated risk, it's a deliberate execution.
"I am.. well aware its an execution.." he whispers. "And ..." he sighed. His tone indicates part of him thinks he might deserve this.
No-one deserves that. They should at least give you the dignity of a clean death. It's not right. A Captain who does something like that doesn't deserve to be captain of anything.
You... I'm sorry if this is too far, but... what did you do- or, what are they blaming you for that makes them think you deserve... this?
"....blowup one of the last remaining spacestations resulting in the deaths of 62 people.." he whispers. Voice raw at the mention it of it. "I..i..tried to stop it... i couldnt..i surrendered.. they..they never litsened..." it was a senstive topic.. hes talking fast...used to being cut off when it comes to this.
So it wasn't even your fault? They just wanted someone to blame?
[They're still relatively calm, but their upset sounds personal.]
I'm sorry. It doesn't matter if it's the end of the world, that doesn't mean they can act like maniacs. You deserve dignity, a chance to speak for yourself, at the very least. You...
[Their next words almost sound like they're quoting someone in an odd bout of deja vu.]
You deserve a choice.
...At least you're getting out of there. And you have someone waiting for you, right?
"Yeah,.. his names jack" he whispers. "...i..really hope the captin keeps her promise about my freedom..." he whispers. "They...they pulled me up once before this. After i got the pictures.. they sent me back down for more data. And not refill my oxygen before doing that..." he mumbles. "Nor..did they tell me the camera i had..was an Xray.." he mumbles. "But hopefully...hopefully itll all be over now.."
She better.
[They mutter darkly, before taking another deep breath. They sound almost like they're trying to convince themself as much as Simon.]
But I'm sure you're gonna be fine. You have Jack batting for you, and... I'll gladly help, however I can from here, if you need me.
"I really, reeally appreciate that" he said. He meant it. "....i just want out of here... i..just want to be free.." he whispers. Desprate.
...I understand the feeling.
[There's a somewhat muffled call of 'Captain!' behind them, quiet due to it's distance from the microphone, and they pause to listen, turning away with a sigh.]
No, Mark, you may not send them detailed notes on how to improve their shipbuilding. I think we've already established this was on purpose.
That's my Head Engineer, sorry about him. He uh, gets a little passionate about his work.
"Its fine..., im glad hes got something fo be passionate about.. in my world thats..hard to come by" he said
I suppose it's not exactly an environment conducive to hobbies...
[There's more murmuring from the background voice, and the Captain sighs in fond annoyance.]
He knows that already. Yes, alright.
Mark wants to ask what your engine system looks like... you don't have to tell him if you don't know, but he might be able to figure out why it set itself on fire.
"They uh.. didnt ...let me look at it .. before tossing me in here.. i went into the crawlspace before.. its i think just the one engine...looks pretty old... everything runs with just one lever that goes forward and back.. its..a sub rover so no floating.. just driving in the blood sea floor... i..didnt see anything...cooling related.. i figured that might have something to do...with the flames.." he mumbles. "But im no engineer so..uh..." he trails off.
[The Captain hums softly in thought, and there's a long pause as the background voice starts muttering again.]
...not even a cooling system... blood, it's hot, this... middle school biology... elementary engineering... I could do better, coolant recycling... process it, there's O2 in there...
Alright, okay. Why don't you get your datapad and get some of this stuff down for later?
[There's a slight rustling, and the Captain leans back into the microphone with a huff of laughter.]
That's plenty for him, don't worry. I think he's gonna go design his own sub specialised for that kind of environment now, just to prove he can... I told him they weren't trying very hard with yours, but like I said, he uh... he gets passionate.
"I can tell... its...weird..hesring my voice..with..passion for something beyond getting out of here..." he whispers. "Im happy for him though.., uh.. also maybe tell him some lights would be great.. all ive got is a single red light and the cancer camera." He mumbles. "I reeally hope you dont actually send anyone into a blood sea...i just..hope you dont encounter a blood sea.." he sighed.
I'll let him know. He'll probably install tube lights on principle, though, if I know him... he likes the aesthetic, even though they're more fragile if they're not embedded in the walls...
And no, don't worry, if we were ever put in a situation like that, I would never send a human being down there unless there was absolutely no other option and they volunteered. But... with all due respect, I hope we'd never get to that point either. The Invincible isn't built to house our 10,000 colonists for longer than our journey time, they wouldn't survive if we lost the planet we're supposed to be landing on.
"Yeeaah. The coi considers me a ...'volunteer' i was apart of this 'convict relization' program. All they said was go on a mission. Get some pictures. Come back. Be free. They didnt mention being ill prepared. Theu didn't mention the blood. They lied about them having never sent anyone down here before. I know for a fact at least 3 others died down here before me. But more likely...closer to 20 ish. The coi are assholes." He sighed then looks back to the screen. "Yeah. None of our stations where built for long term life sustaining either... when everything vanished in thr blink of an eye... things got dire fast. Eden came the closest to being built for long term life without resupply. But ...uh... anyway. Hopefully your world..doesnt come to this.." he whispers.
This 'COI' needs to be audited for human rights violations... but I guess there's no-one left to do it, huh.
And 'Eden'... you mentioned that name earlier... that was your station, right? Did, uh... is it... gone?
"I....im not..sure.." he whispers. "I..dont think so..but its...its been a few decades...since ive..been there.. ive been a prisoner in the coi..for a long...long time." He whispers.
You were imprisoned for decades? And not once anyone thought to ask you if you were-
[There's a rustle of fabric as Mark puts his hand on the Captain's arm, leaning close enough to be heard through the microphone as he murmurs in their ear.]
Please chill, Captain. You'll burst your stitches.
Sorry.
The more I hear about these people, the more I'm tempted to figure out a way to sock them in the face across dimensions. You can't play god like that and still be so ignorant of what being a leader is supposed to mean...
Ha, yeah. This is worse than locking us all in a cave, for sure.
...what?
Oops. Forgot you didn't remember that one...
I- you- we'll talk about that later.
"...cave?" Simon mumbles. Confused. Then sighed. "No one was really keen to litsen to someone known as 'the butcher of eden'.. even...if thats not someone i ever asked to be.." he whispers. "So yeah.. i was imprisoned for like...21 years ish.. time is...hard to track with no stars or planets.." he mumbles.
Assuming hes marks age...being another version of him.. that would of put him at like..15 ish when he was locked up. ...a kid
I, uh- don't worry about it. It's a... multiverse, wormhole, complicated thing... a long story, basically.
21 years is... fuck, that's...
Too long. For anyone, but especially... I'm sorry. You deserve a better life than that, no matter how much blood is on your hands.
...Butcher is a pretty sick nickname, though-
[There's a slight rustle, and a noise that sounds like someone being smacked (lightly!) upside the head.]
-ow! Captaiiiin...
"...you wouldnt think its cool if its... all you've ever been allowed to be. Since...as far back as you can recall.." he whispers. Its a senstive topic...
I'm sorry, ignore him. Smartest man I know and he's still an idiot.
Aw, Capta- wait, hey!
If it means anything... I know what it's like to be given a label, a role you never wanted. It's not really the same thing, I know, but... sometimes we do things that others think are despicable, to survive. For what it's worth, I, uh. I'm glad you survived.
"Im glad you survived too... im not..out of the woods yet though i..gotta hope they cut me out of here before my oxgen runs out... oh did mention im welded into this thing? No..no exit.." he whispers.
Every time I learn something new, it gets worse. How does it keep getting worse? Of course they didn't expect to have to get you back out of the thing so they just didn't build a door. Of course!
[They mutter bitterly, and there's a rustle like they're throwing their hands up in exasperation, only to let out a quiet hiss of pain at the quick movement.]
Stitches!
I know, I know, alright. You're such a mother hen.
Sorry. I've really got to stop doing that. It's not your fault, I just...
[They take a breath, trying to lighten up a little, both for the sake of Simon's mood and their stab wound.]
How, uh... how's the ascent going? I assume nothing's gone horrifically wrong thanks to the lack of yelling, but... do you think you're close?
"I hope so. But ive got no way of knowing. I mean..the inky window is covered wirh a blast sheild and its small and would be blood covered if it werent.. otherwise just coordinates and a proximity sensor that dont tell me shit about elevation.." he mumbles. "But hey, the proximity sense is going off.. so that horrific blood eel isnt currently after me" he shrugs.
Hailing all who receive this. This is the Captain of the Invincible II, but not the one you might know. This message is a multiversal digital communication, delivered by any possible means our system can find. If you are receiving this message, you may have some connection with a multiversal constant our system has identified. Please respond so we can establish a communication link from our universe to yours.
- @no1bestcaptain
(feel free to ignore this if it doesn't fit your blog!)
Uhh??...hello??
>LINK ESTABLISHED.
>...
>CONNECTION STABILISED.
Hello there. This is the Captain of the Invincible II speaking - do you have a version of me or the Invincible where you are? If you don't recognise the name, we have some explaining to do.
...Actually, on that note... where are you? Your signal is bouncing weirdly in our system...
"Uhhh... you..sound like me... are you another simon?, im currently being pulled out of a blood ocean.. ive...never heard of the invincible 2.."
Simon? No, I'm afraid not. I assume that's your name?
[The Captain sucks in a sharp breath at the mention of a blood ocean, and there's a pause.]
...That might explain some things. I'm glad you're being pulled out. That certainly doesn't sound like a good place to be.
As for an explanation, the Invincible II is the starship that I am Captain of. We've established contact with you because for one reason or another, our system has detected that you are directly connected to a multiversal constant, a sort of overlap, shared with our universe. Does that make sense to you?
"Vaugly?, maybe?, uh...what?" He asked more confused than he thought he was.
In simpler terms, a person, thing, entity, or event exists both in your universe and in ours, in a similar form, which is how we found you. And in some way, you're directly connected to one of those - the constant might even be you, but I can't say that for certain right now, because your signal is still a bit off. That's the best I can explain it... It doesn't make a lot of sense to me, either, I'll admit. My Head Engineer understands it better than I do, and he's run off to ADS again...
Are there any questions you have? We'd like to know more about your universe for research purposes, but I understand it might be daunting for a complete stranger to just start asking you things. So far, all the people who've responded to our message have known who I am already.
"Well uh, sorry, but i have absolutely no idea who you are or what youre talking about... uhm.. my universe is shit..you dont wanna be here.." he said. Still so confused.
Don't worry, I'm not there. I'm contacting you from somewhere else.
You... you mentioned you were being pulled out - will you have access to whatever device you're currently using afterwards? Perhaps it will be easier to communicate once you're not under however many leagues of blood...
[They sound genuinely concerned for Simon, if a little confused themself.]
It can't be a very enjoyable experience.
"Uh, yeah, probably..uhm...its really really not. And i wish this thing could go faster...but..it..uh..may break..if it does.."
Break? That's not exactly... reassuring. Isn't there safety regulations, or something? Your vessel shouldn't be breaking during retrieval, that's... Well, as long as you're getting out. Why... if you don't mind me asking, why are you down there in the first place?
"Well, this vessal wasnt meant to survive. Its a scrap ship not even meant to survive the journey. They never expected me to live. I just found something valuable enough they deemed worth it.
They sent me down to take pictures. Promised me my freedom if i did. Bad things happend.. and its believed to be my fualt..so..they didnt really care if i lived.. one..one of them at least cares now.. i..hope hes okay.." simon mutters. "..uh..where are you exactly?"
They sent you down to die, just for pictures? [They murmur, horrified, before registering Simon's question and leaning away from the microphone slightly to check.] We're currently, uh... right, yeah. We're currently about halfway between the Centaurus supercluster and the Coma supercluster. This is mostly uncharted space right now, but we're roughly 5 lightyears or so away from the planet we're aiming for.
"...planet?..." he mutters. "Youbhave planets? Do you have stars? All of thats gone.. theres..none of that..just moons full of blood..."
Yes, as... as far as I'm aware, all our stars are accounted for. I can, um. I can see some out the bulkhead window right now. Contact with mission control is limited because of the distance, but we received an update from the Mars base about.... two weeks ago local time, so our home planets are still around, too.
So you're... one of those blood moon universes, huh. I was hoping that he- that it was just a fluke, before, but... nothing but moons of blood, I- that's horrible. I'm... sorry. I'm sorry.
Ah... do you, um, have an ETA in regards to being pulled up?
"No.. no eta... ive uhm... been on my last oxygen light...for a while... they said...itd be a miracle if it...held though accent... the ships shaking. They said...it would take a while..due to...how fragile the ship is...and cause of how bad the leaks are.... did you say mars??, its...its around still in your world?"
Don't you have emergency ox- no, I... guess you wouldn't, would you.
[They sound like they're holding back on cursing out the shipbuilders, muttering quietly to themself for a moment before continuing.]
Um... yeah, yes, we still have Mars. I suppose yours is... gone. It's uh- a slight overcrowding problem, maybe, but otherwise a thriving colony. Mostly. What... what happened to your Mars? All I've heard so far about universes like yours is just that it's all... gone.
"Yeah no emergency systems. No food or water..., no lights really even. They wanted me dead. I am not kidding." He said. "And..it..catches on fire..from time to time.." he mumbles. Then sighed. "We ...dont know...in the blink of an eye..all the planets and stars..just vanished... i..was from mars. Before i went to eden when i was little. Eden was a mars station.. thats uhm.. at least its still there...in another world.." he whispers.
Fuck, that's...
They really just... disappeared? Ah, sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound like I disbelieve you. It's just a little difficult to... process.
But- they shouldn't be treating you so horribly, regardless of the shitty situation or whatever they thought was your fault. I wish I could do something...
"...itll ..itll be fine. Im being pulled up now..hopefully..wont be too much longer.." he mumbles. "And yeah, ...when i first saw...it all gone.. it ..was a lot." He whispers. He was young when that happend..but he still remembered it..
'A lot' seems like an understatement.
[They comment dryly, trying to lighten the mood slightly, though the guilt still lingering in their voice somewhat ruins the attempt.]
I still wish there was something I could do other than wish you the best of luck, but... just hang in there, alright? Do you at least have fire suppression systems and something to hold on to if something happens during the ascent? You said fires were breaking out...
"I have, one fire extinguisher. Thats it." He said. "So far only one fire but its really hot in here like..all the time..., im..gonna gusse thats not the normal for a ship? Youre..youre a captin right? You said?"
Captain and Head Navigator of the Invincible II, yes. So I can tell you for sure that no, it's absolutely not normal. All the rooms and hallways have automatic temperature regulation systems to keep the crew comfortable and our equipment functioning at full efficiency... admittedly, it did malfunction last week, but that was due to multiversal sabotage, she's usually quite robust, whereas your ship...
It... it just doesn't make any sense to me. If the thing they sent you down there for was so important that they're hauling you back up again, why the fuck aren't they at least trying to protect the asset they're treating you as? If the core still worked I'd be giving your Captain, or whoever's in charge over there, a damn good fist to the face. You don't just throw away human lives like that, you- you just don't.
"...yeah..they..dont care about me..well, the captin doesn't. She said 'there arent enough left of us to be throwing lives away. But im a calculated risk' or some shit.. it sure feels like im in a glorified trashcan."
This isn't calculated risk, this is... making you an example. [They pause for a moment to take a breath, inhaling and exhaling forcefully.] I'm sorry, I shouldn't get carried away. It's not your fault. But listen... when you get back up there, don't you let her convince you it was deserved or- or needed, okay? That... nothing is worth forcing someone into a blood ocean in a glorified metal box. Seriously, that's not a calculated risk, it's a deliberate execution.
"I am.. well aware its an execution.." he whispers. "And ..." he sighed. His tone indicates part of him thinks he might deserve this.
No-one deserves that. They should at least give you the dignity of a clean death. It's not right. A Captain who does something like that doesn't deserve to be captain of anything.
You... I'm sorry if this is too far, but... what did you do- or, what are they blaming you for that makes them think you deserve... this?
"....blowup one of the last remaining spacestations resulting in the deaths of 62 people.." he whispers. Voice raw at the mention it of it. "I..i..tried to stop it... i couldnt..i surrendered.. they..they never litsened..." it was a senstive topic.. hes talking fast...used to being cut off when it comes to this.
So it wasn't even your fault? They just wanted someone to blame?
[They're still relatively calm, but their upset sounds personal.]
I'm sorry. It doesn't matter if it's the end of the world, that doesn't mean they can act like maniacs. You deserve dignity, a chance to speak for yourself, at the very least. You...
[Their next words almost sound like they're quoting someone in an odd bout of deja vu.]
You deserve a choice.
...At least you're getting out of there. And you have someone waiting for you, right?
"Yeah,.. his names jack" he whispers. "...i..really hope the captin keeps her promise about my freedom..." he whispers. "They...they pulled me up once before this. After i got the pictures.. they sent me back down for more data. And not refill my oxygen before doing that..." he mumbles. "Nor..did they tell me the camera i had..was an Xray.." he mumbles. "But hopefully...hopefully itll all be over now.."
She better.
[They mutter darkly, before taking another deep breath. They sound almost like they're trying to convince themself as much as Simon.]
But I'm sure you're gonna be fine. You have Jack batting for you, and... I'll gladly help, however I can from here, if you need me.
"I really, reeally appreciate that" he said. He meant it. "....i just want out of here... i..just want to be free.." he whispers. Desprate.
...I understand the feeling.
[There's a somewhat muffled call of 'Captain!' behind them, quiet due to it's distance from the microphone, and they pause to listen, turning away with a sigh.]
No, Mark, you may not send them detailed notes on how to improve their shipbuilding. I think we've already established this was on purpose.
That's my Head Engineer, sorry about him. He uh, gets a little passionate about his work.
"Its fine..., im glad hes got something fo be passionate about.. in my world thats..hard to come by" he said
I suppose it's not exactly an environment conducive to hobbies...
[There's more murmuring from the background voice, and the Captain sighs in fond annoyance.]
He knows that already. Yes, alright.
Mark wants to ask what your engine system looks like... you don't have to tell him if you don't know, but he might be able to figure out why it set itself on fire.
"They uh.. didnt ...let me look at it .. before tossing me in here.. i went into the crawlspace before.. its i think just the one engine...looks pretty old... everything runs with just one lever that goes forward and back.. its..a sub rover so no floating.. just driving in the blood sea floor... i..didnt see anything...cooling related.. i figured that might have something to do...with the flames.." he mumbles. "But im no engineer so..uh..." he trails off.
[The Captain hums softly in thought, and there's a long pause as the background voice starts muttering again.]
...not even a cooling system... blood, it's hot, this... middle school biology... elementary engineering... I could do better, coolant recycling... process it, there's O2 in there...
Alright, okay. Why don't you get your datapad and get some of this stuff down for later?
[There's a slight rustling, and the Captain leans back into the microphone with a huff of laughter.]
That's plenty for him, don't worry. I think he's gonna go design his own sub specialised for that kind of environment now, just to prove he can... I told him they weren't trying very hard with yours, but like I said, he uh... he gets passionate.
"I can tell... its...weird..hesring my voice..with..passion for something beyond getting out of here..." he whispers. "Im happy for him though.., uh.. also maybe tell him some lights would be great.. all ive got is a single red light and the cancer camera." He mumbles. "I reeally hope you dont actually send anyone into a blood sea...i just..hope you dont encounter a blood sea.." he sighed.
I'll let him know. He'll probably install tube lights on principle, though, if I know him... he likes the aesthetic, even though they're more fragile if they're not embedded in the walls...
And no, don't worry, if we were ever put in a situation like that, I would never send a human being down there unless there was absolutely no other option and they volunteered. But... with all due respect, I hope we'd never get to that point either. The Invincible isn't built to house our 10,000 colonists for longer than our journey time, they wouldn't survive if we lost the planet we're supposed to be landing on.
"Yeeaah. The coi considers me a ...'volunteer' i was apart of this 'convict relization' program. All they said was go on a mission. Get some pictures. Come back. Be free. They didnt mention being ill prepared. Theu didn't mention the blood. They lied about them having never sent anyone down here before. I know for a fact at least 3 others died down here before me. But more likely...closer to 20 ish. The coi are assholes." He sighed then looks back to the screen. "Yeah. None of our stations where built for long term life sustaining either... when everything vanished in thr blink of an eye... things got dire fast. Eden came the closest to being built for long term life without resupply. But ...uh... anyway. Hopefully your world..doesnt come to this.." he whispers.
This 'COI' needs to be audited for human rights violations... but I guess there's no-one left to do it, huh.
And 'Eden'... you mentioned that name earlier... that was your station, right? Did, uh... is it... gone?
"I....im not..sure.." he whispers. "I..dont think so..but its...its been a few decades...since ive..been there.. ive been a prisoner in the coi..for a long...long time." He whispers.
You were imprisoned for decades? And not once anyone thought to ask you if you were-
[There's a rustle of fabric as Mark puts his hand on the Captain's arm, leaning close enough to be heard through the microphone as he murmurs in their ear.]
Please chill, Captain. You'll burst your stitches.
Sorry.
The more I hear about these people, the more I'm tempted to figure out a way to sock them in the face across dimensions. You can't play god like that and still be so ignorant of what being a leader is supposed to mean...
Ha, yeah. This is worse than locking us all in a cave, for sure.
...what?
Oops. Forgot you didn't remember that one...
I- you- we'll talk about that later.
"...cave?" Simon mumbles. Confused. Then sighed. "No one was really keen to litsen to someone known as 'the butcher of eden'.. even...if thats not someone i ever asked to be.." he whispers. "So yeah.. i was imprisoned for like...21 years ish.. time is...hard to track with no stars or planets.." he mumbles.
Assuming hes marks age...being another version of him.. that would of put him at like..15 ish when he was locked up. ...a kid
I, uh- don't worry about it. It's a... multiverse, wormhole, complicated thing... a long story, basically.
21 years is... fuck, that's...
Too long. For anyone, but especially... I'm sorry. You deserve a better life than that, no matter how much blood is on your hands.
...Butcher is a pretty sick nickname, though-
[There's a slight rustle, and a noise that sounds like someone being smacked (lightly!) upside the head.]
-ow! Captaiiiin...
"...you wouldnt think its cool if its... all you've ever been allowed to be. Since...as far back as you can recall.." he whispers. Its a senstive topic...
I'm sorry, ignore him. Smartest man I know and he's still an idiot.
Aw, Capta- wait, hey!
If it means anything... I know what it's like to be given a label, a role you never wanted. It's not really the same thing, I know, but... sometimes we do things that others think are despicable, to survive. For what it's worth, I, uh. I'm glad you survived.
"Im glad you survived too... im not..out of the woods yet though i..gotta hope they cut me out of here before my oxgen runs out... oh did mention im welded into this thing? No..no exit.." he whispers.
Hailing all who receive this. This is the Captain of the Invincible II, but not the one you might know. This message is a multiversal digital communication, delivered by any possible means our system can find. If you are receiving this message, you may have some connection with a multiversal constant our system has identified. Please respond so we can establish a communication link from our universe to yours.
- @no1bestcaptain
(feel free to ignore this if it doesn't fit your blog!)
Uhh??...hello??
>LINK ESTABLISHED.
>...
>CONNECTION STABILISED.
Hello there. This is the Captain of the Invincible II speaking - do you have a version of me or the Invincible where you are? If you don't recognise the name, we have some explaining to do.
...Actually, on that note... where are you? Your signal is bouncing weirdly in our system...
"Uhhh... you..sound like me... are you another simon?, im currently being pulled out of a blood ocean.. ive...never heard of the invincible 2.."
Simon? No, I'm afraid not. I assume that's your name?
[The Captain sucks in a sharp breath at the mention of a blood ocean, and there's a pause.]
...That might explain some things. I'm glad you're being pulled out. That certainly doesn't sound like a good place to be.
As for an explanation, the Invincible II is the starship that I am Captain of. We've established contact with you because for one reason or another, our system has detected that you are directly connected to a multiversal constant, a sort of overlap, shared with our universe. Does that make sense to you?
"Vaugly?, maybe?, uh...what?" He asked more confused than he thought he was.
In simpler terms, a person, thing, entity, or event exists both in your universe and in ours, in a similar form, which is how we found you. And in some way, you're directly connected to one of those - the constant might even be you, but I can't say that for certain right now, because your signal is still a bit off. That's the best I can explain it... It doesn't make a lot of sense to me, either, I'll admit. My Head Engineer understands it better than I do, and he's run off to ADS again...
Are there any questions you have? We'd like to know more about your universe for research purposes, but I understand it might be daunting for a complete stranger to just start asking you things. So far, all the people who've responded to our message have known who I am already.
"Well uh, sorry, but i have absolutely no idea who you are or what youre talking about... uhm.. my universe is shit..you dont wanna be here.." he said. Still so confused.
Don't worry, I'm not there. I'm contacting you from somewhere else.
You... you mentioned you were being pulled out - will you have access to whatever device you're currently using afterwards? Perhaps it will be easier to communicate once you're not under however many leagues of blood...
[They sound genuinely concerned for Simon, if a little confused themself.]
It can't be a very enjoyable experience.
"Uh, yeah, probably..uhm...its really really not. And i wish this thing could go faster...but..it..uh..may break..if it does.."
Break? That's not exactly... reassuring. Isn't there safety regulations, or something? Your vessel shouldn't be breaking during retrieval, that's... Well, as long as you're getting out. Why... if you don't mind me asking, why are you down there in the first place?
"Well, this vessal wasnt meant to survive. Its a scrap ship not even meant to survive the journey. They never expected me to live. I just found something valuable enough they deemed worth it.
They sent me down to take pictures. Promised me my freedom if i did. Bad things happend.. and its believed to be my fualt..so..they didnt really care if i lived.. one..one of them at least cares now.. i..hope hes okay.." simon mutters. "..uh..where are you exactly?"
They sent you down to die, just for pictures? [They murmur, horrified, before registering Simon's question and leaning away from the microphone slightly to check.] We're currently, uh... right, yeah. We're currently about halfway between the Centaurus supercluster and the Coma supercluster. This is mostly uncharted space right now, but we're roughly 5 lightyears or so away from the planet we're aiming for.
"...planet?..." he mutters. "Youbhave planets? Do you have stars? All of thats gone.. theres..none of that..just moons full of blood..."
Yes, as... as far as I'm aware, all our stars are accounted for. I can, um. I can see some out the bulkhead window right now. Contact with mission control is limited because of the distance, but we received an update from the Mars base about.... two weeks ago local time, so our home planets are still around, too.
So you're... one of those blood moon universes, huh. I was hoping that he- that it was just a fluke, before, but... nothing but moons of blood, I- that's horrible. I'm... sorry. I'm sorry.
Ah... do you, um, have an ETA in regards to being pulled up?
"No.. no eta... ive uhm... been on my last oxygen light...for a while... they said...itd be a miracle if it...held though accent... the ships shaking. They said...it would take a while..due to...how fragile the ship is...and cause of how bad the leaks are.... did you say mars??, its...its around still in your world?"
Don't you have emergency ox- no, I... guess you wouldn't, would you.
[They sound like they're holding back on cursing out the shipbuilders, muttering quietly to themself for a moment before continuing.]
Um... yeah, yes, we still have Mars. I suppose yours is... gone. It's uh- a slight overcrowding problem, maybe, but otherwise a thriving colony. Mostly. What... what happened to your Mars? All I've heard so far about universes like yours is just that it's all... gone.
"Yeah no emergency systems. No food or water..., no lights really even. They wanted me dead. I am not kidding." He said. "And..it..catches on fire..from time to time.." he mumbles. Then sighed. "We ...dont know...in the blink of an eye..all the planets and stars..just vanished... i..was from mars. Before i went to eden when i was little. Eden was a mars station.. thats uhm.. at least its still there...in another world.." he whispers.
Fuck, that's...
They really just... disappeared? Ah, sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound like I disbelieve you. It's just a little difficult to... process.
But- they shouldn't be treating you so horribly, regardless of the shitty situation or whatever they thought was your fault. I wish I could do something...
"...itll ..itll be fine. Im being pulled up now..hopefully..wont be too much longer.." he mumbles. "And yeah, ...when i first saw...it all gone.. it ..was a lot." He whispers. He was young when that happend..but he still remembered it..
'A lot' seems like an understatement.
[They comment dryly, trying to lighten the mood slightly, though the guilt still lingering in their voice somewhat ruins the attempt.]
I still wish there was something I could do other than wish you the best of luck, but... just hang in there, alright? Do you at least have fire suppression systems and something to hold on to if something happens during the ascent? You said fires were breaking out...
"I have, one fire extinguisher. Thats it." He said. "So far only one fire but its really hot in here like..all the time..., im..gonna gusse thats not the normal for a ship? Youre..youre a captin right? You said?"
Captain and Head Navigator of the Invincible II, yes. So I can tell you for sure that no, it's absolutely not normal. All the rooms and hallways have automatic temperature regulation systems to keep the crew comfortable and our equipment functioning at full efficiency... admittedly, it did malfunction last week, but that was due to multiversal sabotage, she's usually quite robust, whereas your ship...
It... it just doesn't make any sense to me. If the thing they sent you down there for was so important that they're hauling you back up again, why the fuck aren't they at least trying to protect the asset they're treating you as? If the core still worked I'd be giving your Captain, or whoever's in charge over there, a damn good fist to the face. You don't just throw away human lives like that, you- you just don't.
"...yeah..they..dont care about me..well, the captin doesn't. She said 'there arent enough left of us to be throwing lives away. But im a calculated risk' or some shit.. it sure feels like im in a glorified trashcan."
This isn't calculated risk, this is... making you an example. [They pause for a moment to take a breath, inhaling and exhaling forcefully.] I'm sorry, I shouldn't get carried away. It's not your fault. But listen... when you get back up there, don't you let her convince you it was deserved or- or needed, okay? That... nothing is worth forcing someone into a blood ocean in a glorified metal box. Seriously, that's not a calculated risk, it's a deliberate execution.
"I am.. well aware its an execution.." he whispers. "And ..." he sighed. His tone indicates part of him thinks he might deserve this.
No-one deserves that. They should at least give you the dignity of a clean death. It's not right. A Captain who does something like that doesn't deserve to be captain of anything.
You... I'm sorry if this is too far, but... what did you do- or, what are they blaming you for that makes them think you deserve... this?
"....blowup one of the last remaining spacestations resulting in the deaths of 62 people.." he whispers. Voice raw at the mention it of it. "I..i..tried to stop it... i couldnt..i surrendered.. they..they never litsened..." it was a senstive topic.. hes talking fast...used to being cut off when it comes to this.
So it wasn't even your fault? They just wanted someone to blame?
[They're still relatively calm, but their upset sounds personal.]
I'm sorry. It doesn't matter if it's the end of the world, that doesn't mean they can act like maniacs. You deserve dignity, a chance to speak for yourself, at the very least. You...
[Their next words almost sound like they're quoting someone in an odd bout of deja vu.]
You deserve a choice.
...At least you're getting out of there. And you have someone waiting for you, right?
"Yeah,.. his names jack" he whispers. "...i..really hope the captin keeps her promise about my freedom..." he whispers. "They...they pulled me up once before this. After i got the pictures.. they sent me back down for more data. And not refill my oxygen before doing that..." he mumbles. "Nor..did they tell me the camera i had..was an Xray.." he mumbles. "But hopefully...hopefully itll all be over now.."
She better.
[They mutter darkly, before taking another deep breath. They sound almost like they're trying to convince themself as much as Simon.]
But I'm sure you're gonna be fine. You have Jack batting for you, and... I'll gladly help, however I can from here, if you need me.
"I really, reeally appreciate that" he said. He meant it. "....i just want out of here... i..just want to be free.." he whispers. Desprate.
...I understand the feeling.
[There's a somewhat muffled call of 'Captain!' behind them, quiet due to it's distance from the microphone, and they pause to listen, turning away with a sigh.]
No, Mark, you may not send them detailed notes on how to improve their shipbuilding. I think we've already established this was on purpose.
That's my Head Engineer, sorry about him. He uh, gets a little passionate about his work.
"Its fine..., im glad hes got something fo be passionate about.. in my world thats..hard to come by" he said
I suppose it's not exactly an environment conducive to hobbies...
[There's more murmuring from the background voice, and the Captain sighs in fond annoyance.]
He knows that already. Yes, alright.
Mark wants to ask what your engine system looks like... you don't have to tell him if you don't know, but he might be able to figure out why it set itself on fire.
"They uh.. didnt ...let me look at it .. before tossing me in here.. i went into the crawlspace before.. its i think just the one engine...looks pretty old... everything runs with just one lever that goes forward and back.. its..a sub rover so no floating.. just driving in the blood sea floor... i..didnt see anything...cooling related.. i figured that might have something to do...with the flames.." he mumbles. "But im no engineer so..uh..." he trails off.
[The Captain hums softly in thought, and there's a long pause as the background voice starts muttering again.]
...not even a cooling system... blood, it's hot, this... middle school biology... elementary engineering... I could do better, coolant recycling... process it, there's O2 in there...
Alright, okay. Why don't you get your datapad and get some of this stuff down for later?
[There's a slight rustling, and the Captain leans back into the microphone with a huff of laughter.]
That's plenty for him, don't worry. I think he's gonna go design his own sub specialised for that kind of environment now, just to prove he can... I told him they weren't trying very hard with yours, but like I said, he uh... he gets passionate.
"I can tell... its...weird..hesring my voice..with..passion for something beyond getting out of here..." he whispers. "Im happy for him though.., uh.. also maybe tell him some lights would be great.. all ive got is a single red light and the cancer camera." He mumbles. "I reeally hope you dont actually send anyone into a blood sea...i just..hope you dont encounter a blood sea.." he sighed.
I'll let him know. He'll probably install tube lights on principle, though, if I know him... he likes the aesthetic, even though they're more fragile if they're not embedded in the walls...
And no, don't worry, if we were ever put in a situation like that, I would never send a human being down there unless there was absolutely no other option and they volunteered. But... with all due respect, I hope we'd never get to that point either. The Invincible isn't built to house our 10,000 colonists for longer than our journey time, they wouldn't survive if we lost the planet we're supposed to be landing on.
"Yeeaah. The coi considers me a ...'volunteer' i was apart of this 'convict relization' program. All they said was go on a mission. Get some pictures. Come back. Be free. They didnt mention being ill prepared. Theu didn't mention the blood. They lied about them having never sent anyone down here before. I know for a fact at least 3 others died down here before me. But more likely...closer to 20 ish. The coi are assholes." He sighed then looks back to the screen. "Yeah. None of our stations where built for long term life sustaining either... when everything vanished in thr blink of an eye... things got dire fast. Eden came the closest to being built for long term life without resupply. But ...uh... anyway. Hopefully your world..doesnt come to this.." he whispers.
This 'COI' needs to be audited for human rights violations... but I guess there's no-one left to do it, huh.
And 'Eden'... you mentioned that name earlier... that was your station, right? Did, uh... is it... gone?
"I....im not..sure.." he whispers. "I..dont think so..but its...its been a few decades...since ive..been there.. ive been a prisoner in the coi..for a long...long time." He whispers.
You were imprisoned for decades? And not once anyone thought to ask you if you were-
[There's a rustle of fabric as Mark puts his hand on the Captain's arm, leaning close enough to be heard through the microphone as he murmurs in their ear.]
Please chill, Captain. You'll burst your stitches.
Sorry.
The more I hear about these people, the more I'm tempted to figure out a way to sock them in the face across dimensions. You can't play god like that and still be so ignorant of what being a leader is supposed to mean...
Ha, yeah. This is worse than locking us all in a cave, for sure.
...what?
Oops. Forgot you didn't remember that one...
I- you- we'll talk about that later.
"...cave?" Simon mumbles. Confused. Then sighed. "No one was really keen to litsen to someone known as 'the butcher of eden'.. even...if thats not someone i ever asked to be.." he whispers. "So yeah.. i was imprisoned for like...21 years ish.. time is...hard to track with no stars or planets.." he mumbles.
Assuming hes marks age...being another version of him.. that would of put him at like..15 ish when he was locked up. ...a kid
I, uh- don't worry about it. It's a... multiverse, wormhole, complicated thing... a long story, basically.
21 years is... fuck, that's...
Too long. For anyone, but especially... I'm sorry. You deserve a better life than that, no matter how much blood is on your hands.
...Butcher is a pretty sick nickname, though-
[There's a slight rustle, and a noise that sounds like someone being smacked (lightly!) upside the head.]
-ow! Captaiiiin...
"...you wouldnt think its cool if its... all you've ever been allowed to be. Since...as far back as you can recall.." he whispers. Its a senstive topic...
Hailing all who receive this. This is the Captain of the Invincible II, but not the one you might know. This message is a multiversal digital communication, delivered by any possible means our system can find. If you are receiving this message, you may have some connection with a multiversal constant our system has identified. Please respond so we can establish a communication link from our universe to yours.
- @no1bestcaptain
(feel free to ignore this if it doesn't fit your blog!)
Uhh??...hello??
>LINK ESTABLISHED.
>...
>CONNECTION STABILISED.
Hello there. This is the Captain of the Invincible II speaking - do you have a version of me or the Invincible where you are? If you don't recognise the name, we have some explaining to do.
...Actually, on that note... where are you? Your signal is bouncing weirdly in our system...
"Uhhh... you..sound like me... are you another simon?, im currently being pulled out of a blood ocean.. ive...never heard of the invincible 2.."
Simon? No, I'm afraid not. I assume that's your name?
[The Captain sucks in a sharp breath at the mention of a blood ocean, and there's a pause.]
...That might explain some things. I'm glad you're being pulled out. That certainly doesn't sound like a good place to be.
As for an explanation, the Invincible II is the starship that I am Captain of. We've established contact with you because for one reason or another, our system has detected that you are directly connected to a multiversal constant, a sort of overlap, shared with our universe. Does that make sense to you?
"Vaugly?, maybe?, uh...what?" He asked more confused than he thought he was.
In simpler terms, a person, thing, entity, or event exists both in your universe and in ours, in a similar form, which is how we found you. And in some way, you're directly connected to one of those - the constant might even be you, but I can't say that for certain right now, because your signal is still a bit off. That's the best I can explain it... It doesn't make a lot of sense to me, either, I'll admit. My Head Engineer understands it better than I do, and he's run off to ADS again...
Are there any questions you have? We'd like to know more about your universe for research purposes, but I understand it might be daunting for a complete stranger to just start asking you things. So far, all the people who've responded to our message have known who I am already.
"Well uh, sorry, but i have absolutely no idea who you are or what youre talking about... uhm.. my universe is shit..you dont wanna be here.." he said. Still so confused.
Don't worry, I'm not there. I'm contacting you from somewhere else.
You... you mentioned you were being pulled out - will you have access to whatever device you're currently using afterwards? Perhaps it will be easier to communicate once you're not under however many leagues of blood...
[They sound genuinely concerned for Simon, if a little confused themself.]
It can't be a very enjoyable experience.
"Uh, yeah, probably..uhm...its really really not. And i wish this thing could go faster...but..it..uh..may break..if it does.."
Break? That's not exactly... reassuring. Isn't there safety regulations, or something? Your vessel shouldn't be breaking during retrieval, that's... Well, as long as you're getting out. Why... if you don't mind me asking, why are you down there in the first place?
"Well, this vessal wasnt meant to survive. Its a scrap ship not even meant to survive the journey. They never expected me to live. I just found something valuable enough they deemed worth it.
They sent me down to take pictures. Promised me my freedom if i did. Bad things happend.. and its believed to be my fualt..so..they didnt really care if i lived.. one..one of them at least cares now.. i..hope hes okay.." simon mutters. "..uh..where are you exactly?"
They sent you down to die, just for pictures? [They murmur, horrified, before registering Simon's question and leaning away from the microphone slightly to check.] We're currently, uh... right, yeah. We're currently about halfway between the Centaurus supercluster and the Coma supercluster. This is mostly uncharted space right now, but we're roughly 5 lightyears or so away from the planet we're aiming for.
"...planet?..." he mutters. "Youbhave planets? Do you have stars? All of thats gone.. theres..none of that..just moons full of blood..."
Yes, as... as far as I'm aware, all our stars are accounted for. I can, um. I can see some out the bulkhead window right now. Contact with mission control is limited because of the distance, but we received an update from the Mars base about.... two weeks ago local time, so our home planets are still around, too.
So you're... one of those blood moon universes, huh. I was hoping that he- that it was just a fluke, before, but... nothing but moons of blood, I- that's horrible. I'm... sorry. I'm sorry.
Ah... do you, um, have an ETA in regards to being pulled up?
"No.. no eta... ive uhm... been on my last oxygen light...for a while... they said...itd be a miracle if it...held though accent... the ships shaking. They said...it would take a while..due to...how fragile the ship is...and cause of how bad the leaks are.... did you say mars??, its...its around still in your world?"
Don't you have emergency ox- no, I... guess you wouldn't, would you.
[They sound like they're holding back on cursing out the shipbuilders, muttering quietly to themself for a moment before continuing.]
Um... yeah, yes, we still have Mars. I suppose yours is... gone. It's uh- a slight overcrowding problem, maybe, but otherwise a thriving colony. Mostly. What... what happened to your Mars? All I've heard so far about universes like yours is just that it's all... gone.
"Yeah no emergency systems. No food or water..., no lights really even. They wanted me dead. I am not kidding." He said. "And..it..catches on fire..from time to time.." he mumbles. Then sighed. "We ...dont know...in the blink of an eye..all the planets and stars..just vanished... i..was from mars. Before i went to eden when i was little. Eden was a mars station.. thats uhm.. at least its still there...in another world.." he whispers.
Fuck, that's...
They really just... disappeared? Ah, sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound like I disbelieve you. It's just a little difficult to... process.
But- they shouldn't be treating you so horribly, regardless of the shitty situation or whatever they thought was your fault. I wish I could do something...
"...itll ..itll be fine. Im being pulled up now..hopefully..wont be too much longer.." he mumbles. "And yeah, ...when i first saw...it all gone.. it ..was a lot." He whispers. He was young when that happend..but he still remembered it..
'A lot' seems like an understatement.
[They comment dryly, trying to lighten the mood slightly, though the guilt still lingering in their voice somewhat ruins the attempt.]
I still wish there was something I could do other than wish you the best of luck, but... just hang in there, alright? Do you at least have fire suppression systems and something to hold on to if something happens during the ascent? You said fires were breaking out...
"I have, one fire extinguisher. Thats it." He said. "So far only one fire but its really hot in here like..all the time..., im..gonna gusse thats not the normal for a ship? Youre..youre a captin right? You said?"
Captain and Head Navigator of the Invincible II, yes. So I can tell you for sure that no, it's absolutely not normal. All the rooms and hallways have automatic temperature regulation systems to keep the crew comfortable and our equipment functioning at full efficiency... admittedly, it did malfunction last week, but that was due to multiversal sabotage, she's usually quite robust, whereas your ship...
It... it just doesn't make any sense to me. If the thing they sent you down there for was so important that they're hauling you back up again, why the fuck aren't they at least trying to protect the asset they're treating you as? If the core still worked I'd be giving your Captain, or whoever's in charge over there, a damn good fist to the face. You don't just throw away human lives like that, you- you just don't.
"...yeah..they..dont care about me..well, the captin doesn't. She said 'there arent enough left of us to be throwing lives away. But im a calculated risk' or some shit.. it sure feels like im in a glorified trashcan."
This isn't calculated risk, this is... making you an example. [They pause for a moment to take a breath, inhaling and exhaling forcefully.] I'm sorry, I shouldn't get carried away. It's not your fault. But listen... when you get back up there, don't you let her convince you it was deserved or- or needed, okay? That... nothing is worth forcing someone into a blood ocean in a glorified metal box. Seriously, that's not a calculated risk, it's a deliberate execution.
"I am.. well aware its an execution.." he whispers. "And ..." he sighed. His tone indicates part of him thinks he might deserve this.
No-one deserves that. They should at least give you the dignity of a clean death. It's not right. A Captain who does something like that doesn't deserve to be captain of anything.
You... I'm sorry if this is too far, but... what did you do- or, what are they blaming you for that makes them think you deserve... this?
"....blowup one of the last remaining spacestations resulting in the deaths of 62 people.." he whispers. Voice raw at the mention it of it. "I..i..tried to stop it... i couldnt..i surrendered.. they..they never litsened..." it was a senstive topic.. hes talking fast...used to being cut off when it comes to this.
So it wasn't even your fault? They just wanted someone to blame?
[They're still relatively calm, but their upset sounds personal.]
I'm sorry. It doesn't matter if it's the end of the world, that doesn't mean they can act like maniacs. You deserve dignity, a chance to speak for yourself, at the very least. You...
[Their next words almost sound like they're quoting someone in an odd bout of deja vu.]
You deserve a choice.
...At least you're getting out of there. And you have someone waiting for you, right?
"Yeah,.. his names jack" he whispers. "...i..really hope the captin keeps her promise about my freedom..." he whispers. "They...they pulled me up once before this. After i got the pictures.. they sent me back down for more data. And not refill my oxygen before doing that..." he mumbles. "Nor..did they tell me the camera i had..was an Xray.." he mumbles. "But hopefully...hopefully itll all be over now.."
She better.
[They mutter darkly, before taking another deep breath. They sound almost like they're trying to convince themself as much as Simon.]
But I'm sure you're gonna be fine. You have Jack batting for you, and... I'll gladly help, however I can from here, if you need me.
"I really, reeally appreciate that" he said. He meant it. "....i just want out of here... i..just want to be free.." he whispers. Desprate.
...I understand the feeling.
[There's a somewhat muffled call of 'Captain!' behind them, quiet due to it's distance from the microphone, and they pause to listen, turning away with a sigh.]
No, Mark, you may not send them detailed notes on how to improve their shipbuilding. I think we've already established this was on purpose.
That's my Head Engineer, sorry about him. He uh, gets a little passionate about his work.
"Its fine..., im glad hes got something fo be passionate about.. in my world thats..hard to come by" he said
I suppose it's not exactly an environment conducive to hobbies...
[There's more murmuring from the background voice, and the Captain sighs in fond annoyance.]
He knows that already. Yes, alright.
Mark wants to ask what your engine system looks like... you don't have to tell him if you don't know, but he might be able to figure out why it set itself on fire.
"They uh.. didnt ...let me look at it .. before tossing me in here.. i went into the crawlspace before.. its i think just the one engine...looks pretty old... everything runs with just one lever that goes forward and back.. its..a sub rover so no floating.. just driving in the blood sea floor... i..didnt see anything...cooling related.. i figured that might have something to do...with the flames.." he mumbles. "But im no engineer so..uh..." he trails off.
[The Captain hums softly in thought, and there's a long pause as the background voice starts muttering again.]
...not even a cooling system... blood, it's hot, this... middle school biology... elementary engineering... I could do better, coolant recycling... process it, there's O2 in there...
Alright, okay. Why don't you get your datapad and get some of this stuff down for later?
[There's a slight rustling, and the Captain leans back into the microphone with a huff of laughter.]
That's plenty for him, don't worry. I think he's gonna go design his own sub specialised for that kind of environment now, just to prove he can... I told him they weren't trying very hard with yours, but like I said, he uh... he gets passionate.
"I can tell... its...weird..hesring my voice..with..passion for something beyond getting out of here..." he whispers. "Im happy for him though.., uh.. also maybe tell him some lights would be great.. all ive got is a single red light and the cancer camera." He mumbles. "I reeally hope you dont actually send anyone into a blood sea...i just..hope you dont encounter a blood sea.." he sighed.
I'll let him know. He'll probably install tube lights on principle, though, if I know him... he likes the aesthetic, even though they're more fragile if they're not embedded in the walls...
And no, don't worry, if we were ever put in a situation like that, I would never send a human being down there unless there was absolutely no other option and they volunteered. But... with all due respect, I hope we'd never get to that point either. The Invincible isn't built to house our 10,000 colonists for longer than our journey time, they wouldn't survive if we lost the planet we're supposed to be landing on.
"Yeeaah. The coi considers me a ...'volunteer' i was apart of this 'convict relization' program. All they said was go on a mission. Get some pictures. Come back. Be free. They didnt mention being ill prepared. Theu didn't mention the blood. They lied about them having never sent anyone down here before. I know for a fact at least 3 others died down here before me. But more likely...closer to 20 ish. The coi are assholes." He sighed then looks back to the screen. "Yeah. None of our stations where built for long term life sustaining either... when everything vanished in thr blink of an eye... things got dire fast. Eden came the closest to being built for long term life without resupply. But ...uh... anyway. Hopefully your world..doesnt come to this.." he whispers.
This 'COI' needs to be audited for human rights violations... but I guess there's no-one left to do it, huh.
And 'Eden'... you mentioned that name earlier... that was your station, right? Did, uh... is it... gone?
"I....im not..sure.." he whispers. "I..dont think so..but its...its been a few decades...since ive..been there.. ive been a prisoner in the coi..for a long...long time." He whispers.
You were imprisoned for decades? And not once anyone thought to ask you if you were-
[There's a rustle of fabric as Mark puts his hand on the Captain's arm, leaning close enough to be heard through the microphone as he murmurs in their ear.]
Please chill, Captain. You'll burst your stitches.
Sorry.
The more I hear about these people, the more I'm tempted to figure out a way to sock them in the face across dimensions. You can't play god like that and still be so ignorant of what being a leader is supposed to mean...
Ha, yeah. This is worse than locking us all in a cave, for sure.
...what?
Oops. Forgot you didn't remember that one...
I- you- we'll talk about that later.
"...cave?" Simon mumbles. Confused. Then sighed. "No one was really keen to litsen to someone known as 'the butcher of eden'.. even...if thats not someone i ever asked to be.." he whispers. "So yeah.. i was imprisoned for like...21 years ish.. time is...hard to track with no stars or planets.." he mumbles.
Assuming hes marks age...being another version of him.. that would of put him at like..15 ish when he was locked up. ...a kid
Hailing all who receive this. This is the Captain of the Invincible II, but not the one you might know. This message is a multiversal digital communication, delivered by any possible means our system can find. If you are receiving this message, you may have some connection with a multiversal constant our system has identified. Please respond so we can establish a communication link from our universe to yours.
- @no1bestcaptain
(feel free to ignore this if it doesn't fit your blog!)
Uhh??...hello??
>LINK ESTABLISHED.
>...
>CONNECTION STABILISED.
Hello there. This is the Captain of the Invincible II speaking - do you have a version of me or the Invincible where you are? If you don't recognise the name, we have some explaining to do.
...Actually, on that note... where are you? Your signal is bouncing weirdly in our system...
"Uhhh... you..sound like me... are you another simon?, im currently being pulled out of a blood ocean.. ive...never heard of the invincible 2.."
Simon? No, I'm afraid not. I assume that's your name?
[The Captain sucks in a sharp breath at the mention of a blood ocean, and there's a pause.]
...That might explain some things. I'm glad you're being pulled out. That certainly doesn't sound like a good place to be.
As for an explanation, the Invincible II is the starship that I am Captain of. We've established contact with you because for one reason or another, our system has detected that you are directly connected to a multiversal constant, a sort of overlap, shared with our universe. Does that make sense to you?
"Vaugly?, maybe?, uh...what?" He asked more confused than he thought he was.
In simpler terms, a person, thing, entity, or event exists both in your universe and in ours, in a similar form, which is how we found you. And in some way, you're directly connected to one of those - the constant might even be you, but I can't say that for certain right now, because your signal is still a bit off. That's the best I can explain it... It doesn't make a lot of sense to me, either, I'll admit. My Head Engineer understands it better than I do, and he's run off to ADS again...
Are there any questions you have? We'd like to know more about your universe for research purposes, but I understand it might be daunting for a complete stranger to just start asking you things. So far, all the people who've responded to our message have known who I am already.
"Well uh, sorry, but i have absolutely no idea who you are or what youre talking about... uhm.. my universe is shit..you dont wanna be here.." he said. Still so confused.
Don't worry, I'm not there. I'm contacting you from somewhere else.
You... you mentioned you were being pulled out - will you have access to whatever device you're currently using afterwards? Perhaps it will be easier to communicate once you're not under however many leagues of blood...
[They sound genuinely concerned for Simon, if a little confused themself.]
It can't be a very enjoyable experience.
"Uh, yeah, probably..uhm...its really really not. And i wish this thing could go faster...but..it..uh..may break..if it does.."
Break? That's not exactly... reassuring. Isn't there safety regulations, or something? Your vessel shouldn't be breaking during retrieval, that's... Well, as long as you're getting out. Why... if you don't mind me asking, why are you down there in the first place?
"Well, this vessal wasnt meant to survive. Its a scrap ship not even meant to survive the journey. They never expected me to live. I just found something valuable enough they deemed worth it.
They sent me down to take pictures. Promised me my freedom if i did. Bad things happend.. and its believed to be my fualt..so..they didnt really care if i lived.. one..one of them at least cares now.. i..hope hes okay.." simon mutters. "..uh..where are you exactly?"
They sent you down to die, just for pictures? [They murmur, horrified, before registering Simon's question and leaning away from the microphone slightly to check.] We're currently, uh... right, yeah. We're currently about halfway between the Centaurus supercluster and the Coma supercluster. This is mostly uncharted space right now, but we're roughly 5 lightyears or so away from the planet we're aiming for.
"...planet?..." he mutters. "Youbhave planets? Do you have stars? All of thats gone.. theres..none of that..just moons full of blood..."
Yes, as... as far as I'm aware, all our stars are accounted for. I can, um. I can see some out the bulkhead window right now. Contact with mission control is limited because of the distance, but we received an update from the Mars base about.... two weeks ago local time, so our home planets are still around, too.
So you're... one of those blood moon universes, huh. I was hoping that he- that it was just a fluke, before, but... nothing but moons of blood, I- that's horrible. I'm... sorry. I'm sorry.
Ah... do you, um, have an ETA in regards to being pulled up?
"No.. no eta... ive uhm... been on my last oxygen light...for a while... they said...itd be a miracle if it...held though accent... the ships shaking. They said...it would take a while..due to...how fragile the ship is...and cause of how bad the leaks are.... did you say mars??, its...its around still in your world?"
Don't you have emergency ox- no, I... guess you wouldn't, would you.
[They sound like they're holding back on cursing out the shipbuilders, muttering quietly to themself for a moment before continuing.]
Um... yeah, yes, we still have Mars. I suppose yours is... gone. It's uh- a slight overcrowding problem, maybe, but otherwise a thriving colony. Mostly. What... what happened to your Mars? All I've heard so far about universes like yours is just that it's all... gone.
"Yeah no emergency systems. No food or water..., no lights really even. They wanted me dead. I am not kidding." He said. "And..it..catches on fire..from time to time.." he mumbles. Then sighed. "We ...dont know...in the blink of an eye..all the planets and stars..just vanished... i..was from mars. Before i went to eden when i was little. Eden was a mars station.. thats uhm.. at least its still there...in another world.." he whispers.
Fuck, that's...
They really just... disappeared? Ah, sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound like I disbelieve you. It's just a little difficult to... process.
But- they shouldn't be treating you so horribly, regardless of the shitty situation or whatever they thought was your fault. I wish I could do something...
"...itll ..itll be fine. Im being pulled up now..hopefully..wont be too much longer.." he mumbles. "And yeah, ...when i first saw...it all gone.. it ..was a lot." He whispers. He was young when that happend..but he still remembered it..
'A lot' seems like an understatement.
[They comment dryly, trying to lighten the mood slightly, though the guilt still lingering in their voice somewhat ruins the attempt.]
I still wish there was something I could do other than wish you the best of luck, but... just hang in there, alright? Do you at least have fire suppression systems and something to hold on to if something happens during the ascent? You said fires were breaking out...
"I have, one fire extinguisher. Thats it." He said. "So far only one fire but its really hot in here like..all the time..., im..gonna gusse thats not the normal for a ship? Youre..youre a captin right? You said?"
Captain and Head Navigator of the Invincible II, yes. So I can tell you for sure that no, it's absolutely not normal. All the rooms and hallways have automatic temperature regulation systems to keep the crew comfortable and our equipment functioning at full efficiency... admittedly, it did malfunction last week, but that was due to multiversal sabotage, she's usually quite robust, whereas your ship...
It... it just doesn't make any sense to me. If the thing they sent you down there for was so important that they're hauling you back up again, why the fuck aren't they at least trying to protect the asset they're treating you as? If the core still worked I'd be giving your Captain, or whoever's in charge over there, a damn good fist to the face. You don't just throw away human lives like that, you- you just don't.
"...yeah..they..dont care about me..well, the captin doesn't. She said 'there arent enough left of us to be throwing lives away. But im a calculated risk' or some shit.. it sure feels like im in a glorified trashcan."
This isn't calculated risk, this is... making you an example. [They pause for a moment to take a breath, inhaling and exhaling forcefully.] I'm sorry, I shouldn't get carried away. It's not your fault. But listen... when you get back up there, don't you let her convince you it was deserved or- or needed, okay? That... nothing is worth forcing someone into a blood ocean in a glorified metal box. Seriously, that's not a calculated risk, it's a deliberate execution.
"I am.. well aware its an execution.." he whispers. "And ..." he sighed. His tone indicates part of him thinks he might deserve this.
No-one deserves that. They should at least give you the dignity of a clean death. It's not right. A Captain who does something like that doesn't deserve to be captain of anything.
You... I'm sorry if this is too far, but... what did you do- or, what are they blaming you for that makes them think you deserve... this?
"....blowup one of the last remaining spacestations resulting in the deaths of 62 people.." he whispers. Voice raw at the mention it of it. "I..i..tried to stop it... i couldnt..i surrendered.. they..they never litsened..." it was a senstive topic.. hes talking fast...used to being cut off when it comes to this.
So it wasn't even your fault? They just wanted someone to blame?
[They're still relatively calm, but their upset sounds personal.]
I'm sorry. It doesn't matter if it's the end of the world, that doesn't mean they can act like maniacs. You deserve dignity, a chance to speak for yourself, at the very least. You...
[Their next words almost sound like they're quoting someone in an odd bout of deja vu.]
You deserve a choice.
...At least you're getting out of there. And you have someone waiting for you, right?
"Yeah,.. his names jack" he whispers. "...i..really hope the captin keeps her promise about my freedom..." he whispers. "They...they pulled me up once before this. After i got the pictures.. they sent me back down for more data. And not refill my oxygen before doing that..." he mumbles. "Nor..did they tell me the camera i had..was an Xray.." he mumbles. "But hopefully...hopefully itll all be over now.."
She better.
[They mutter darkly, before taking another deep breath. They sound almost like they're trying to convince themself as much as Simon.]
But I'm sure you're gonna be fine. You have Jack batting for you, and... I'll gladly help, however I can from here, if you need me.
"I really, reeally appreciate that" he said. He meant it. "....i just want out of here... i..just want to be free.." he whispers. Desprate.
...I understand the feeling.
[There's a somewhat muffled call of 'Captain!' behind them, quiet due to it's distance from the microphone, and they pause to listen, turning away with a sigh.]
No, Mark, you may not send them detailed notes on how to improve their shipbuilding. I think we've already established this was on purpose.
That's my Head Engineer, sorry about him. He uh, gets a little passionate about his work.
"Its fine..., im glad hes got something fo be passionate about.. in my world thats..hard to come by" he said
I suppose it's not exactly an environment conducive to hobbies...
[There's more murmuring from the background voice, and the Captain sighs in fond annoyance.]
He knows that already. Yes, alright.
Mark wants to ask what your engine system looks like... you don't have to tell him if you don't know, but he might be able to figure out why it set itself on fire.
"They uh.. didnt ...let me look at it .. before tossing me in here.. i went into the crawlspace before.. its i think just the one engine...looks pretty old... everything runs with just one lever that goes forward and back.. its..a sub rover so no floating.. just driving in the blood sea floor... i..didnt see anything...cooling related.. i figured that might have something to do...with the flames.." he mumbles. "But im no engineer so..uh..." he trails off.
[The Captain hums softly in thought, and there's a long pause as the background voice starts muttering again.]
...not even a cooling system... blood, it's hot, this... middle school biology... elementary engineering... I could do better, coolant recycling... process it, there's O2 in there...
Alright, okay. Why don't you get your datapad and get some of this stuff down for later?
[There's a slight rustling, and the Captain leans back into the microphone with a huff of laughter.]
That's plenty for him, don't worry. I think he's gonna go design his own sub specialised for that kind of environment now, just to prove he can... I told him they weren't trying very hard with yours, but like I said, he uh... he gets passionate.
"I can tell... its...weird..hesring my voice..with..passion for something beyond getting out of here..." he whispers. "Im happy for him though.., uh.. also maybe tell him some lights would be great.. all ive got is a single red light and the cancer camera." He mumbles. "I reeally hope you dont actually send anyone into a blood sea...i just..hope you dont encounter a blood sea.." he sighed.
I'll let him know. He'll probably install tube lights on principle, though, if I know him... he likes the aesthetic, even though they're more fragile if they're not embedded in the walls...
And no, don't worry, if we were ever put in a situation like that, I would never send a human being down there unless there was absolutely no other option and they volunteered. But... with all due respect, I hope we'd never get to that point either. The Invincible isn't built to house our 10,000 colonists for longer than our journey time, they wouldn't survive if we lost the planet we're supposed to be landing on.
"Yeeaah. The coi considers me a ...'volunteer' i was apart of this 'convict relization' program. All they said was go on a mission. Get some pictures. Come back. Be free. They didnt mention being ill prepared. Theu didn't mention the blood. They lied about them having never sent anyone down here before. I know for a fact at least 3 others died down here before me. But more likely...closer to 20 ish. The coi are assholes." He sighed then looks back to the screen. "Yeah. None of our stations where built for long term life sustaining either... when everything vanished in thr blink of an eye... things got dire fast. Eden came the closest to being built for long term life without resupply. But ...uh... anyway. Hopefully your world..doesnt come to this.." he whispers.
This 'COI' needs to be audited for human rights violations... but I guess there's no-one left to do it, huh.
And 'Eden'... you mentioned that name earlier... that was your station, right? Did, uh... is it... gone?
"I....im not..sure.." he whispers. "I..dont think so..but its...its been a few decades...since ive..been there.. ive been a prisoner in the coi..for a long...long time." He whispers.
Hailing all who receive this. This is the Captain of the Invincible II, but not the one you might know. This message is a multiversal digital communication, delivered by any possible means our system can find. If you are receiving this message, you may have some connection with a multiversal constant our system has identified. Please respond so we can establish a communication link from our universe to yours.
- @no1bestcaptain
(feel free to ignore this if it doesn't fit your blog!)
Uhh??...hello??
>LINK ESTABLISHED.
>...
>CONNECTION STABILISED.
Hello there. This is the Captain of the Invincible II speaking - do you have a version of me or the Invincible where you are? If you don't recognise the name, we have some explaining to do.
...Actually, on that note... where are you? Your signal is bouncing weirdly in our system...
"Uhhh... you..sound like me... are you another simon?, im currently being pulled out of a blood ocean.. ive...never heard of the invincible 2.."
Simon? No, I'm afraid not. I assume that's your name?
[The Captain sucks in a sharp breath at the mention of a blood ocean, and there's a pause.]
...That might explain some things. I'm glad you're being pulled out. That certainly doesn't sound like a good place to be.
As for an explanation, the Invincible II is the starship that I am Captain of. We've established contact with you because for one reason or another, our system has detected that you are directly connected to a multiversal constant, a sort of overlap, shared with our universe. Does that make sense to you?
"Vaugly?, maybe?, uh...what?" He asked more confused than he thought he was.
In simpler terms, a person, thing, entity, or event exists both in your universe and in ours, in a similar form, which is how we found you. And in some way, you're directly connected to one of those - the constant might even be you, but I can't say that for certain right now, because your signal is still a bit off. That's the best I can explain it... It doesn't make a lot of sense to me, either, I'll admit. My Head Engineer understands it better than I do, and he's run off to ADS again...
Are there any questions you have? We'd like to know more about your universe for research purposes, but I understand it might be daunting for a complete stranger to just start asking you things. So far, all the people who've responded to our message have known who I am already.
"Well uh, sorry, but i have absolutely no idea who you are or what youre talking about... uhm.. my universe is shit..you dont wanna be here.." he said. Still so confused.
Don't worry, I'm not there. I'm contacting you from somewhere else.
You... you mentioned you were being pulled out - will you have access to whatever device you're currently using afterwards? Perhaps it will be easier to communicate once you're not under however many leagues of blood...
[They sound genuinely concerned for Simon, if a little confused themself.]
It can't be a very enjoyable experience.
"Uh, yeah, probably..uhm...its really really not. And i wish this thing could go faster...but..it..uh..may break..if it does.."
Break? That's not exactly... reassuring. Isn't there safety regulations, or something? Your vessel shouldn't be breaking during retrieval, that's... Well, as long as you're getting out. Why... if you don't mind me asking, why are you down there in the first place?
"Well, this vessal wasnt meant to survive. Its a scrap ship not even meant to survive the journey. They never expected me to live. I just found something valuable enough they deemed worth it.
They sent me down to take pictures. Promised me my freedom if i did. Bad things happend.. and its believed to be my fualt..so..they didnt really care if i lived.. one..one of them at least cares now.. i..hope hes okay.." simon mutters. "..uh..where are you exactly?"
They sent you down to die, just for pictures? [They murmur, horrified, before registering Simon's question and leaning away from the microphone slightly to check.] We're currently, uh... right, yeah. We're currently about halfway between the Centaurus supercluster and the Coma supercluster. This is mostly uncharted space right now, but we're roughly 5 lightyears or so away from the planet we're aiming for.
"...planet?..." he mutters. "Youbhave planets? Do you have stars? All of thats gone.. theres..none of that..just moons full of blood..."
Yes, as... as far as I'm aware, all our stars are accounted for. I can, um. I can see some out the bulkhead window right now. Contact with mission control is limited because of the distance, but we received an update from the Mars base about.... two weeks ago local time, so our home planets are still around, too.
So you're... one of those blood moon universes, huh. I was hoping that he- that it was just a fluke, before, but... nothing but moons of blood, I- that's horrible. I'm... sorry. I'm sorry.
Ah... do you, um, have an ETA in regards to being pulled up?
"No.. no eta... ive uhm... been on my last oxygen light...for a while... they said...itd be a miracle if it...held though accent... the ships shaking. They said...it would take a while..due to...how fragile the ship is...and cause of how bad the leaks are.... did you say mars??, its...its around still in your world?"
Don't you have emergency ox- no, I... guess you wouldn't, would you.
[They sound like they're holding back on cursing out the shipbuilders, muttering quietly to themself for a moment before continuing.]
Um... yeah, yes, we still have Mars. I suppose yours is... gone. It's uh- a slight overcrowding problem, maybe, but otherwise a thriving colony. Mostly. What... what happened to your Mars? All I've heard so far about universes like yours is just that it's all... gone.
"Yeah no emergency systems. No food or water..., no lights really even. They wanted me dead. I am not kidding." He said. "And..it..catches on fire..from time to time.." he mumbles. Then sighed. "We ...dont know...in the blink of an eye..all the planets and stars..just vanished... i..was from mars. Before i went to eden when i was little. Eden was a mars station.. thats uhm.. at least its still there...in another world.." he whispers.
Fuck, that's...
They really just... disappeared? Ah, sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound like I disbelieve you. It's just a little difficult to... process.
But- they shouldn't be treating you so horribly, regardless of the shitty situation or whatever they thought was your fault. I wish I could do something...
"...itll ..itll be fine. Im being pulled up now..hopefully..wont be too much longer.." he mumbles. "And yeah, ...when i first saw...it all gone.. it ..was a lot." He whispers. He was young when that happend..but he still remembered it..
'A lot' seems like an understatement.
[They comment dryly, trying to lighten the mood slightly, though the guilt still lingering in their voice somewhat ruins the attempt.]
I still wish there was something I could do other than wish you the best of luck, but... just hang in there, alright? Do you at least have fire suppression systems and something to hold on to if something happens during the ascent? You said fires were breaking out...
"I have, one fire extinguisher. Thats it." He said. "So far only one fire but its really hot in here like..all the time..., im..gonna gusse thats not the normal for a ship? Youre..youre a captin right? You said?"
Captain and Head Navigator of the Invincible II, yes. So I can tell you for sure that no, it's absolutely not normal. All the rooms and hallways have automatic temperature regulation systems to keep the crew comfortable and our equipment functioning at full efficiency... admittedly, it did malfunction last week, but that was due to multiversal sabotage, she's usually quite robust, whereas your ship...
It... it just doesn't make any sense to me. If the thing they sent you down there for was so important that they're hauling you back up again, why the fuck aren't they at least trying to protect the asset they're treating you as? If the core still worked I'd be giving your Captain, or whoever's in charge over there, a damn good fist to the face. You don't just throw away human lives like that, you- you just don't.
"...yeah..they..dont care about me..well, the captin doesn't. She said 'there arent enough left of us to be throwing lives away. But im a calculated risk' or some shit.. it sure feels like im in a glorified trashcan."
This isn't calculated risk, this is... making you an example. [They pause for a moment to take a breath, inhaling and exhaling forcefully.] I'm sorry, I shouldn't get carried away. It's not your fault. But listen... when you get back up there, don't you let her convince you it was deserved or- or needed, okay? That... nothing is worth forcing someone into a blood ocean in a glorified metal box. Seriously, that's not a calculated risk, it's a deliberate execution.
"I am.. well aware its an execution.." he whispers. "And ..." he sighed. His tone indicates part of him thinks he might deserve this.
No-one deserves that. They should at least give you the dignity of a clean death. It's not right. A Captain who does something like that doesn't deserve to be captain of anything.
You... I'm sorry if this is too far, but... what did you do- or, what are they blaming you for that makes them think you deserve... this?
"....blowup one of the last remaining spacestations resulting in the deaths of 62 people.." he whispers. Voice raw at the mention it of it. "I..i..tried to stop it... i couldnt..i surrendered.. they..they never litsened..." it was a senstive topic.. hes talking fast...used to being cut off when it comes to this.
So it wasn't even your fault? They just wanted someone to blame?
[They're still relatively calm, but their upset sounds personal.]
I'm sorry. It doesn't matter if it's the end of the world, that doesn't mean they can act like maniacs. You deserve dignity, a chance to speak for yourself, at the very least. You...
[Their next words almost sound like they're quoting someone in an odd bout of deja vu.]
You deserve a choice.
...At least you're getting out of there. And you have someone waiting for you, right?
"Yeah,.. his names jack" he whispers. "...i..really hope the captin keeps her promise about my freedom..." he whispers. "They...they pulled me up once before this. After i got the pictures.. they sent me back down for more data. And not refill my oxygen before doing that..." he mumbles. "Nor..did they tell me the camera i had..was an Xray.." he mumbles. "But hopefully...hopefully itll all be over now.."
She better.
[They mutter darkly, before taking another deep breath. They sound almost like they're trying to convince themself as much as Simon.]
But I'm sure you're gonna be fine. You have Jack batting for you, and... I'll gladly help, however I can from here, if you need me.
"I really, reeally appreciate that" he said. He meant it. "....i just want out of here... i..just want to be free.." he whispers. Desprate.
...I understand the feeling.
[There's a somewhat muffled call of 'Captain!' behind them, quiet due to it's distance from the microphone, and they pause to listen, turning away with a sigh.]
No, Mark, you may not send them detailed notes on how to improve their shipbuilding. I think we've already established this was on purpose.
That's my Head Engineer, sorry about him. He uh, gets a little passionate about his work.
"Its fine..., im glad hes got something fo be passionate about.. in my world thats..hard to come by" he said
I suppose it's not exactly an environment conducive to hobbies...
[There's more murmuring from the background voice, and the Captain sighs in fond annoyance.]
He knows that already. Yes, alright.
Mark wants to ask what your engine system looks like... you don't have to tell him if you don't know, but he might be able to figure out why it set itself on fire.
"They uh.. didnt ...let me look at it .. before tossing me in here.. i went into the crawlspace before.. its i think just the one engine...looks pretty old... everything runs with just one lever that goes forward and back.. its..a sub rover so no floating.. just driving in the blood sea floor... i..didnt see anything...cooling related.. i figured that might have something to do...with the flames.." he mumbles. "But im no engineer so..uh..." he trails off.
[The Captain hums softly in thought, and there's a long pause as the background voice starts muttering again.]
...not even a cooling system... blood, it's hot, this... middle school biology... elementary engineering... I could do better, coolant recycling... process it, there's O2 in there...
Alright, okay. Why don't you get your datapad and get some of this stuff down for later?
[There's a slight rustling, and the Captain leans back into the microphone with a huff of laughter.]
That's plenty for him, don't worry. I think he's gonna go design his own sub specialised for that kind of environment now, just to prove he can... I told him they weren't trying very hard with yours, but like I said, he uh... he gets passionate.
"I can tell... its...weird..hesring my voice..with..passion for something beyond getting out of here..." he whispers. "Im happy for him though.., uh.. also maybe tell him some lights would be great.. all ive got is a single red light and the cancer camera." He mumbles. "I reeally hope you dont actually send anyone into a blood sea...i just..hope you dont encounter a blood sea.." he sighed.
I'll let him know. He'll probably install tube lights on principle, though, if I know him... he likes the aesthetic, even though they're more fragile if they're not embedded in the walls...
And no, don't worry, if we were ever put in a situation like that, I would never send a human being down there unless there was absolutely no other option and they volunteered. But... with all due respect, I hope we'd never get to that point either. The Invincible isn't built to house our 10,000 colonists for longer than our journey time, they wouldn't survive if we lost the planet we're supposed to be landing on.
"Yeeaah. The coi considers me a ...'volunteer' i was apart of this 'convict relization' program. All they said was go on a mission. Get some pictures. Come back. Be free. They didnt mention being ill prepared. Theu didn't mention the blood. They lied about them having never sent anyone down here before. I know for a fact at least 3 others died down here before me. But more likely...closer to 20 ish. The coi are assholes." He sighed then looks back to the screen. "Yeah. None of our stations where built for long term life sustaining either... when everything vanished in thr blink of an eye... things got dire fast. Eden came the closest to being built for long term life without resupply. But ...uh... anyway. Hopefully your world..doesnt come to this.." he whispers.
Hailing all who receive this. This is the Captain of the Invincible II, but not the one you might know. This message is a multiversal digital communication, delivered by any possible means our system can find. If you are receiving this message, you may have some connection with a multiversal constant our system has identified. Please respond so we can establish a communication link from our universe to yours.
- @no1bestcaptain
(feel free to ignore this if it doesn't fit your blog!)
Uhh??...hello??
>LINK ESTABLISHED.
>...
>CONNECTION STABILISED.
Hello there. This is the Captain of the Invincible II speaking - do you have a version of me or the Invincible where you are? If you don't recognise the name, we have some explaining to do.
...Actually, on that note... where are you? Your signal is bouncing weirdly in our system...
"Uhhh... you..sound like me... are you another simon?, im currently being pulled out of a blood ocean.. ive...never heard of the invincible 2.."
Simon? No, I'm afraid not. I assume that's your name?
[The Captain sucks in a sharp breath at the mention of a blood ocean, and there's a pause.]
...That might explain some things. I'm glad you're being pulled out. That certainly doesn't sound like a good place to be.
As for an explanation, the Invincible II is the starship that I am Captain of. We've established contact with you because for one reason or another, our system has detected that you are directly connected to a multiversal constant, a sort of overlap, shared with our universe. Does that make sense to you?
"Vaugly?, maybe?, uh...what?" He asked more confused than he thought he was.
In simpler terms, a person, thing, entity, or event exists both in your universe and in ours, in a similar form, which is how we found you. And in some way, you're directly connected to one of those - the constant might even be you, but I can't say that for certain right now, because your signal is still a bit off. That's the best I can explain it... It doesn't make a lot of sense to me, either, I'll admit. My Head Engineer understands it better than I do, and he's run off to ADS again...
Are there any questions you have? We'd like to know more about your universe for research purposes, but I understand it might be daunting for a complete stranger to just start asking you things. So far, all the people who've responded to our message have known who I am already.
"Well uh, sorry, but i have absolutely no idea who you are or what youre talking about... uhm.. my universe is shit..you dont wanna be here.." he said. Still so confused.
Don't worry, I'm not there. I'm contacting you from somewhere else.
You... you mentioned you were being pulled out - will you have access to whatever device you're currently using afterwards? Perhaps it will be easier to communicate once you're not under however many leagues of blood...
[They sound genuinely concerned for Simon, if a little confused themself.]
It can't be a very enjoyable experience.
"Uh, yeah, probably..uhm...its really really not. And i wish this thing could go faster...but..it..uh..may break..if it does.."
Break? That's not exactly... reassuring. Isn't there safety regulations, or something? Your vessel shouldn't be breaking during retrieval, that's... Well, as long as you're getting out. Why... if you don't mind me asking, why are you down there in the first place?
"Well, this vessal wasnt meant to survive. Its a scrap ship not even meant to survive the journey. They never expected me to live. I just found something valuable enough they deemed worth it.
They sent me down to take pictures. Promised me my freedom if i did. Bad things happend.. and its believed to be my fualt..so..they didnt really care if i lived.. one..one of them at least cares now.. i..hope hes okay.." simon mutters. "..uh..where are you exactly?"
They sent you down to die, just for pictures? [They murmur, horrified, before registering Simon's question and leaning away from the microphone slightly to check.] We're currently, uh... right, yeah. We're currently about halfway between the Centaurus supercluster and the Coma supercluster. This is mostly uncharted space right now, but we're roughly 5 lightyears or so away from the planet we're aiming for.
"...planet?..." he mutters. "Youbhave planets? Do you have stars? All of thats gone.. theres..none of that..just moons full of blood..."
Yes, as... as far as I'm aware, all our stars are accounted for. I can, um. I can see some out the bulkhead window right now. Contact with mission control is limited because of the distance, but we received an update from the Mars base about.... two weeks ago local time, so our home planets are still around, too.
So you're... one of those blood moon universes, huh. I was hoping that he- that it was just a fluke, before, but... nothing but moons of blood, I- that's horrible. I'm... sorry. I'm sorry.
Ah... do you, um, have an ETA in regards to being pulled up?
"No.. no eta... ive uhm... been on my last oxygen light...for a while... they said...itd be a miracle if it...held though accent... the ships shaking. They said...it would take a while..due to...how fragile the ship is...and cause of how bad the leaks are.... did you say mars??, its...its around still in your world?"
Don't you have emergency ox- no, I... guess you wouldn't, would you.
[They sound like they're holding back on cursing out the shipbuilders, muttering quietly to themself for a moment before continuing.]
Um... yeah, yes, we still have Mars. I suppose yours is... gone. It's uh- a slight overcrowding problem, maybe, but otherwise a thriving colony. Mostly. What... what happened to your Mars? All I've heard so far about universes like yours is just that it's all... gone.
"Yeah no emergency systems. No food or water..., no lights really even. They wanted me dead. I am not kidding." He said. "And..it..catches on fire..from time to time.." he mumbles. Then sighed. "We ...dont know...in the blink of an eye..all the planets and stars..just vanished... i..was from mars. Before i went to eden when i was little. Eden was a mars station.. thats uhm.. at least its still there...in another world.." he whispers.
Fuck, that's...
They really just... disappeared? Ah, sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound like I disbelieve you. It's just a little difficult to... process.
But- they shouldn't be treating you so horribly, regardless of the shitty situation or whatever they thought was your fault. I wish I could do something...
"...itll ..itll be fine. Im being pulled up now..hopefully..wont be too much longer.." he mumbles. "And yeah, ...when i first saw...it all gone.. it ..was a lot." He whispers. He was young when that happend..but he still remembered it..
'A lot' seems like an understatement.
[They comment dryly, trying to lighten the mood slightly, though the guilt still lingering in their voice somewhat ruins the attempt.]
I still wish there was something I could do other than wish you the best of luck, but... just hang in there, alright? Do you at least have fire suppression systems and something to hold on to if something happens during the ascent? You said fires were breaking out...
"I have, one fire extinguisher. Thats it." He said. "So far only one fire but its really hot in here like..all the time..., im..gonna gusse thats not the normal for a ship? Youre..youre a captin right? You said?"
Captain and Head Navigator of the Invincible II, yes. So I can tell you for sure that no, it's absolutely not normal. All the rooms and hallways have automatic temperature regulation systems to keep the crew comfortable and our equipment functioning at full efficiency... admittedly, it did malfunction last week, but that was due to multiversal sabotage, she's usually quite robust, whereas your ship...
It... it just doesn't make any sense to me. If the thing they sent you down there for was so important that they're hauling you back up again, why the fuck aren't they at least trying to protect the asset they're treating you as? If the core still worked I'd be giving your Captain, or whoever's in charge over there, a damn good fist to the face. You don't just throw away human lives like that, you- you just don't.
"...yeah..they..dont care about me..well, the captin doesn't. She said 'there arent enough left of us to be throwing lives away. But im a calculated risk' or some shit.. it sure feels like im in a glorified trashcan."
This isn't calculated risk, this is... making you an example. [They pause for a moment to take a breath, inhaling and exhaling forcefully.] I'm sorry, I shouldn't get carried away. It's not your fault. But listen... when you get back up there, don't you let her convince you it was deserved or- or needed, okay? That... nothing is worth forcing someone into a blood ocean in a glorified metal box. Seriously, that's not a calculated risk, it's a deliberate execution.
"I am.. well aware its an execution.." he whispers. "And ..." he sighed. His tone indicates part of him thinks he might deserve this.
No-one deserves that. They should at least give you the dignity of a clean death. It's not right. A Captain who does something like that doesn't deserve to be captain of anything.
You... I'm sorry if this is too far, but... what did you do- or, what are they blaming you for that makes them think you deserve... this?
"....blowup one of the last remaining spacestations resulting in the deaths of 62 people.." he whispers. Voice raw at the mention it of it. "I..i..tried to stop it... i couldnt..i surrendered.. they..they never litsened..." it was a senstive topic.. hes talking fast...used to being cut off when it comes to this.
So it wasn't even your fault? They just wanted someone to blame?
[They're still relatively calm, but their upset sounds personal.]
I'm sorry. It doesn't matter if it's the end of the world, that doesn't mean they can act like maniacs. You deserve dignity, a chance to speak for yourself, at the very least. You...
[Their next words almost sound like they're quoting someone in an odd bout of deja vu.]
You deserve a choice.
...At least you're getting out of there. And you have someone waiting for you, right?
"Yeah,.. his names jack" he whispers. "...i..really hope the captin keeps her promise about my freedom..." he whispers. "They...they pulled me up once before this. After i got the pictures.. they sent me back down for more data. And not refill my oxygen before doing that..." he mumbles. "Nor..did they tell me the camera i had..was an Xray.." he mumbles. "But hopefully...hopefully itll all be over now.."
She better.
[They mutter darkly, before taking another deep breath. They sound almost like they're trying to convince themself as much as Simon.]
But I'm sure you're gonna be fine. You have Jack batting for you, and... I'll gladly help, however I can from here, if you need me.
"I really, reeally appreciate that" he said. He meant it. "....i just want out of here... i..just want to be free.." he whispers. Desprate.
...I understand the feeling.
[There's a somewhat muffled call of 'Captain!' behind them, quiet due to it's distance from the microphone, and they pause to listen, turning away with a sigh.]
No, Mark, you may not send them detailed notes on how to improve their shipbuilding. I think we've already established this was on purpose.
That's my Head Engineer, sorry about him. He uh, gets a little passionate about his work.
"Its fine..., im glad hes got something fo be passionate about.. in my world thats..hard to come by" he said
I suppose it's not exactly an environment conducive to hobbies...
[There's more murmuring from the background voice, and the Captain sighs in fond annoyance.]
He knows that already. Yes, alright.
Mark wants to ask what your engine system looks like... you don't have to tell him if you don't know, but he might be able to figure out why it set itself on fire.
"They uh.. didnt ...let me look at it .. before tossing me in here.. i went into the crawlspace before.. its i think just the one engine...looks pretty old... everything runs with just one lever that goes forward and back.. its..a sub rover so no floating.. just driving in the blood sea floor... i..didnt see anything...cooling related.. i figured that might have something to do...with the flames.." he mumbles. "But im no engineer so..uh..." he trails off.
[The Captain hums softly in thought, and there's a long pause as the background voice starts muttering again.]
...not even a cooling system... blood, it's hot, this... middle school biology... elementary engineering... I could do better, coolant recycling... process it, there's O2 in there...
Alright, okay. Why don't you get your datapad and get some of this stuff down for later?
[There's a slight rustling, and the Captain leans back into the microphone with a huff of laughter.]
That's plenty for him, don't worry. I think he's gonna go design his own sub specialised for that kind of environment now, just to prove he can... I told him they weren't trying very hard with yours, but like I said, he uh... he gets passionate.
"I can tell... its...weird..hesring my voice..with..passion for something beyond getting out of here..." he whispers. "Im happy for him though.., uh.. also maybe tell him some lights would be great.. all ive got is a single red light and the cancer camera." He mumbles. "I reeally hope you dont actually send anyone into a blood sea...i just..hope you dont encounter a blood sea.." he sighed.
Hailing all who receive this. This is the Captain of the Invincible II, but not the one you might know. This message is a multiversal digital communication, delivered by any possible means our system can find. If you are receiving this message, you may have some connection with a multiversal constant our system has identified. Please respond so we can establish a communication link from our universe to yours.
- @no1bestcaptain
(feel free to ignore this if it doesn't fit your blog!)
Uhh??...hello??
>LINK ESTABLISHED.
>...
>CONNECTION STABILISED.
Hello there. This is the Captain of the Invincible II speaking - do you have a version of me or the Invincible where you are? If you don't recognise the name, we have some explaining to do.
...Actually, on that note... where are you? Your signal is bouncing weirdly in our system...
"Uhhh... you..sound like me... are you another simon?, im currently being pulled out of a blood ocean.. ive...never heard of the invincible 2.."
Simon? No, I'm afraid not. I assume that's your name?
[The Captain sucks in a sharp breath at the mention of a blood ocean, and there's a pause.]
...That might explain some things. I'm glad you're being pulled out. That certainly doesn't sound like a good place to be.
As for an explanation, the Invincible II is the starship that I am Captain of. We've established contact with you because for one reason or another, our system has detected that you are directly connected to a multiversal constant, a sort of overlap, shared with our universe. Does that make sense to you?
"Vaugly?, maybe?, uh...what?" He asked more confused than he thought he was.
In simpler terms, a person, thing, entity, or event exists both in your universe and in ours, in a similar form, which is how we found you. And in some way, you're directly connected to one of those - the constant might even be you, but I can't say that for certain right now, because your signal is still a bit off. That's the best I can explain it... It doesn't make a lot of sense to me, either, I'll admit. My Head Engineer understands it better than I do, and he's run off to ADS again...
Are there any questions you have? We'd like to know more about your universe for research purposes, but I understand it might be daunting for a complete stranger to just start asking you things. So far, all the people who've responded to our message have known who I am already.
"Well uh, sorry, but i have absolutely no idea who you are or what youre talking about... uhm.. my universe is shit..you dont wanna be here.." he said. Still so confused.
Don't worry, I'm not there. I'm contacting you from somewhere else.
You... you mentioned you were being pulled out - will you have access to whatever device you're currently using afterwards? Perhaps it will be easier to communicate once you're not under however many leagues of blood...
[They sound genuinely concerned for Simon, if a little confused themself.]
It can't be a very enjoyable experience.
"Uh, yeah, probably..uhm...its really really not. And i wish this thing could go faster...but..it..uh..may break..if it does.."
Break? That's not exactly... reassuring. Isn't there safety regulations, or something? Your vessel shouldn't be breaking during retrieval, that's... Well, as long as you're getting out. Why... if you don't mind me asking, why are you down there in the first place?
"Well, this vessal wasnt meant to survive. Its a scrap ship not even meant to survive the journey. They never expected me to live. I just found something valuable enough they deemed worth it.
They sent me down to take pictures. Promised me my freedom if i did. Bad things happend.. and its believed to be my fualt..so..they didnt really care if i lived.. one..one of them at least cares now.. i..hope hes okay.." simon mutters. "..uh..where are you exactly?"
They sent you down to die, just for pictures? [They murmur, horrified, before registering Simon's question and leaning away from the microphone slightly to check.] We're currently, uh... right, yeah. We're currently about halfway between the Centaurus supercluster and the Coma supercluster. This is mostly uncharted space right now, but we're roughly 5 lightyears or so away from the planet we're aiming for.
"...planet?..." he mutters. "Youbhave planets? Do you have stars? All of thats gone.. theres..none of that..just moons full of blood..."
Yes, as... as far as I'm aware, all our stars are accounted for. I can, um. I can see some out the bulkhead window right now. Contact with mission control is limited because of the distance, but we received an update from the Mars base about.... two weeks ago local time, so our home planets are still around, too.
So you're... one of those blood moon universes, huh. I was hoping that he- that it was just a fluke, before, but... nothing but moons of blood, I- that's horrible. I'm... sorry. I'm sorry.
Ah... do you, um, have an ETA in regards to being pulled up?
"No.. no eta... ive uhm... been on my last oxygen light...for a while... they said...itd be a miracle if it...held though accent... the ships shaking. They said...it would take a while..due to...how fragile the ship is...and cause of how bad the leaks are.... did you say mars??, its...its around still in your world?"
Don't you have emergency ox- no, I... guess you wouldn't, would you.
[They sound like they're holding back on cursing out the shipbuilders, muttering quietly to themself for a moment before continuing.]
Um... yeah, yes, we still have Mars. I suppose yours is... gone. It's uh- a slight overcrowding problem, maybe, but otherwise a thriving colony. Mostly. What... what happened to your Mars? All I've heard so far about universes like yours is just that it's all... gone.
"Yeah no emergency systems. No food or water..., no lights really even. They wanted me dead. I am not kidding." He said. "And..it..catches on fire..from time to time.." he mumbles. Then sighed. "We ...dont know...in the blink of an eye..all the planets and stars..just vanished... i..was from mars. Before i went to eden when i was little. Eden was a mars station.. thats uhm.. at least its still there...in another world.." he whispers.
Fuck, that's...
They really just... disappeared? Ah, sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound like I disbelieve you. It's just a little difficult to... process.
But- they shouldn't be treating you so horribly, regardless of the shitty situation or whatever they thought was your fault. I wish I could do something...
"...itll ..itll be fine. Im being pulled up now..hopefully..wont be too much longer.." he mumbles. "And yeah, ...when i first saw...it all gone.. it ..was a lot." He whispers. He was young when that happend..but he still remembered it..
'A lot' seems like an understatement.
[They comment dryly, trying to lighten the mood slightly, though the guilt still lingering in their voice somewhat ruins the attempt.]
I still wish there was something I could do other than wish you the best of luck, but... just hang in there, alright? Do you at least have fire suppression systems and something to hold on to if something happens during the ascent? You said fires were breaking out...
"I have, one fire extinguisher. Thats it." He said. "So far only one fire but its really hot in here like..all the time..., im..gonna gusse thats not the normal for a ship? Youre..youre a captin right? You said?"
Captain and Head Navigator of the Invincible II, yes. So I can tell you for sure that no, it's absolutely not normal. All the rooms and hallways have automatic temperature regulation systems to keep the crew comfortable and our equipment functioning at full efficiency... admittedly, it did malfunction last week, but that was due to multiversal sabotage, she's usually quite robust, whereas your ship...
It... it just doesn't make any sense to me. If the thing they sent you down there for was so important that they're hauling you back up again, why the fuck aren't they at least trying to protect the asset they're treating you as? If the core still worked I'd be giving your Captain, or whoever's in charge over there, a damn good fist to the face. You don't just throw away human lives like that, you- you just don't.
"...yeah..they..dont care about me..well, the captin doesn't. She said 'there arent enough left of us to be throwing lives away. But im a calculated risk' or some shit.. it sure feels like im in a glorified trashcan."
This isn't calculated risk, this is... making you an example. [They pause for a moment to take a breath, inhaling and exhaling forcefully.] I'm sorry, I shouldn't get carried away. It's not your fault. But listen... when you get back up there, don't you let her convince you it was deserved or- or needed, okay? That... nothing is worth forcing someone into a blood ocean in a glorified metal box. Seriously, that's not a calculated risk, it's a deliberate execution.
"I am.. well aware its an execution.." he whispers. "And ..." he sighed. His tone indicates part of him thinks he might deserve this.
No-one deserves that. They should at least give you the dignity of a clean death. It's not right. A Captain who does something like that doesn't deserve to be captain of anything.
You... I'm sorry if this is too far, but... what did you do- or, what are they blaming you for that makes them think you deserve... this?
"....blowup one of the last remaining spacestations resulting in the deaths of 62 people.." he whispers. Voice raw at the mention it of it. "I..i..tried to stop it... i couldnt..i surrendered.. they..they never litsened..." it was a senstive topic.. hes talking fast...used to being cut off when it comes to this.
So it wasn't even your fault? They just wanted someone to blame?
[They're still relatively calm, but their upset sounds personal.]
I'm sorry. It doesn't matter if it's the end of the world, that doesn't mean they can act like maniacs. You deserve dignity, a chance to speak for yourself, at the very least. You...
[Their next words almost sound like they're quoting someone in an odd bout of deja vu.]
You deserve a choice.
...At least you're getting out of there. And you have someone waiting for you, right?
"Yeah,.. his names jack" he whispers. "...i..really hope the captin keeps her promise about my freedom..." he whispers. "They...they pulled me up once before this. After i got the pictures.. they sent me back down for more data. And not refill my oxygen before doing that..." he mumbles. "Nor..did they tell me the camera i had..was an Xray.." he mumbles. "But hopefully...hopefully itll all be over now.."
She better.
[They mutter darkly, before taking another deep breath. They sound almost like they're trying to convince themself as much as Simon.]
But I'm sure you're gonna be fine. You have Jack batting for you, and... I'll gladly help, however I can from here, if you need me.
"I really, reeally appreciate that" he said. He meant it. "....i just want out of here... i..just want to be free.." he whispers. Desprate.
...I understand the feeling.
[There's a somewhat muffled call of 'Captain!' behind them, quiet due to it's distance from the microphone, and they pause to listen, turning away with a sigh.]
No, Mark, you may not send them detailed notes on how to improve their shipbuilding. I think we've already established this was on purpose.
That's my Head Engineer, sorry about him. He uh, gets a little passionate about his work.
"Its fine..., im glad hes got something fo be passionate about.. in my world thats..hard to come by" he said
I suppose it's not exactly an environment conducive to hobbies...
[There's more murmuring from the background voice, and the Captain sighs in fond annoyance.]
He knows that already. Yes, alright.
Mark wants to ask what your engine system looks like... you don't have to tell him if you don't know, but he might be able to figure out why it set itself on fire.
"They uh.. didnt ...let me look at it .. before tossing me in here.. i went into the crawlspace before.. its i think just the one engine...looks pretty old... everything runs with just one lever that goes forward and back.. its..a sub rover so no floating.. just driving in the blood sea floor... i..didnt see anything...cooling related.. i figured that might have something to do...with the flames.." he mumbles. "But im no engineer so..uh..." he trails off.
Hailing all who receive this. This is the Captain of the Invincible II, but not the one you might know. This message is a multiversal digital communication, delivered by any possible means our system can find. If you are receiving this message, you may have some connection with a multiversal constant our system has identified. Please respond so we can establish a communication link from our universe to yours.
- @no1bestcaptain
(feel free to ignore this if it doesn't fit your blog!)
Uhh??...hello??
>LINK ESTABLISHED.
>...
>CONNECTION STABILISED.
Hello there. This is the Captain of the Invincible II speaking - do you have a version of me or the Invincible where you are? If you don't recognise the name, we have some explaining to do.
...Actually, on that note... where are you? Your signal is bouncing weirdly in our system...
"Uhhh... you..sound like me... are you another simon?, im currently being pulled out of a blood ocean.. ive...never heard of the invincible 2.."
Simon? No, I'm afraid not. I assume that's your name?
[The Captain sucks in a sharp breath at the mention of a blood ocean, and there's a pause.]
...That might explain some things. I'm glad you're being pulled out. That certainly doesn't sound like a good place to be.
As for an explanation, the Invincible II is the starship that I am Captain of. We've established contact with you because for one reason or another, our system has detected that you are directly connected to a multiversal constant, a sort of overlap, shared with our universe. Does that make sense to you?
"Vaugly?, maybe?, uh...what?" He asked more confused than he thought he was.
In simpler terms, a person, thing, entity, or event exists both in your universe and in ours, in a similar form, which is how we found you. And in some way, you're directly connected to one of those - the constant might even be you, but I can't say that for certain right now, because your signal is still a bit off. That's the best I can explain it... It doesn't make a lot of sense to me, either, I'll admit. My Head Engineer understands it better than I do, and he's run off to ADS again...
Are there any questions you have? We'd like to know more about your universe for research purposes, but I understand it might be daunting for a complete stranger to just start asking you things. So far, all the people who've responded to our message have known who I am already.
"Well uh, sorry, but i have absolutely no idea who you are or what youre talking about... uhm.. my universe is shit..you dont wanna be here.." he said. Still so confused.
Don't worry, I'm not there. I'm contacting you from somewhere else.
You... you mentioned you were being pulled out - will you have access to whatever device you're currently using afterwards? Perhaps it will be easier to communicate once you're not under however many leagues of blood...
[They sound genuinely concerned for Simon, if a little confused themself.]
It can't be a very enjoyable experience.
"Uh, yeah, probably..uhm...its really really not. And i wish this thing could go faster...but..it..uh..may break..if it does.."
Break? That's not exactly... reassuring. Isn't there safety regulations, or something? Your vessel shouldn't be breaking during retrieval, that's... Well, as long as you're getting out. Why... if you don't mind me asking, why are you down there in the first place?
"Well, this vessal wasnt meant to survive. Its a scrap ship not even meant to survive the journey. They never expected me to live. I just found something valuable enough they deemed worth it.
They sent me down to take pictures. Promised me my freedom if i did. Bad things happend.. and its believed to be my fualt..so..they didnt really care if i lived.. one..one of them at least cares now.. i..hope hes okay.." simon mutters. "..uh..where are you exactly?"
They sent you down to die, just for pictures? [They murmur, horrified, before registering Simon's question and leaning away from the microphone slightly to check.] We're currently, uh... right, yeah. We're currently about halfway between the Centaurus supercluster and the Coma supercluster. This is mostly uncharted space right now, but we're roughly 5 lightyears or so away from the planet we're aiming for.
"...planet?..." he mutters. "Youbhave planets? Do you have stars? All of thats gone.. theres..none of that..just moons full of blood..."
Yes, as... as far as I'm aware, all our stars are accounted for. I can, um. I can see some out the bulkhead window right now. Contact with mission control is limited because of the distance, but we received an update from the Mars base about.... two weeks ago local time, so our home planets are still around, too.
So you're... one of those blood moon universes, huh. I was hoping that he- that it was just a fluke, before, but... nothing but moons of blood, I- that's horrible. I'm... sorry. I'm sorry.
Ah... do you, um, have an ETA in regards to being pulled up?
"No.. no eta... ive uhm... been on my last oxygen light...for a while... they said...itd be a miracle if it...held though accent... the ships shaking. They said...it would take a while..due to...how fragile the ship is...and cause of how bad the leaks are.... did you say mars??, its...its around still in your world?"
Don't you have emergency ox- no, I... guess you wouldn't, would you.
[They sound like they're holding back on cursing out the shipbuilders, muttering quietly to themself for a moment before continuing.]
Um... yeah, yes, we still have Mars. I suppose yours is... gone. It's uh- a slight overcrowding problem, maybe, but otherwise a thriving colony. Mostly. What... what happened to your Mars? All I've heard so far about universes like yours is just that it's all... gone.
"Yeah no emergency systems. No food or water..., no lights really even. They wanted me dead. I am not kidding." He said. "And..it..catches on fire..from time to time.." he mumbles. Then sighed. "We ...dont know...in the blink of an eye..all the planets and stars..just vanished... i..was from mars. Before i went to eden when i was little. Eden was a mars station.. thats uhm.. at least its still there...in another world.." he whispers.
Fuck, that's...
They really just... disappeared? Ah, sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound like I disbelieve you. It's just a little difficult to... process.
But- they shouldn't be treating you so horribly, regardless of the shitty situation or whatever they thought was your fault. I wish I could do something...
"...itll ..itll be fine. Im being pulled up now..hopefully..wont be too much longer.." he mumbles. "And yeah, ...when i first saw...it all gone.. it ..was a lot." He whispers. He was young when that happend..but he still remembered it..
'A lot' seems like an understatement.
[They comment dryly, trying to lighten the mood slightly, though the guilt still lingering in their voice somewhat ruins the attempt.]
I still wish there was something I could do other than wish you the best of luck, but... just hang in there, alright? Do you at least have fire suppression systems and something to hold on to if something happens during the ascent? You said fires were breaking out...
"I have, one fire extinguisher. Thats it." He said. "So far only one fire but its really hot in here like..all the time..., im..gonna gusse thats not the normal for a ship? Youre..youre a captin right? You said?"
Captain and Head Navigator of the Invincible II, yes. So I can tell you for sure that no, it's absolutely not normal. All the rooms and hallways have automatic temperature regulation systems to keep the crew comfortable and our equipment functioning at full efficiency... admittedly, it did malfunction last week, but that was due to multiversal sabotage, she's usually quite robust, whereas your ship...
It... it just doesn't make any sense to me. If the thing they sent you down there for was so important that they're hauling you back up again, why the fuck aren't they at least trying to protect the asset they're treating you as? If the core still worked I'd be giving your Captain, or whoever's in charge over there, a damn good fist to the face. You don't just throw away human lives like that, you- you just don't.
"...yeah..they..dont care about me..well, the captin doesn't. She said 'there arent enough left of us to be throwing lives away. But im a calculated risk' or some shit.. it sure feels like im in a glorified trashcan."
This isn't calculated risk, this is... making you an example. [They pause for a moment to take a breath, inhaling and exhaling forcefully.] I'm sorry, I shouldn't get carried away. It's not your fault. But listen... when you get back up there, don't you let her convince you it was deserved or- or needed, okay? That... nothing is worth forcing someone into a blood ocean in a glorified metal box. Seriously, that's not a calculated risk, it's a deliberate execution.
"I am.. well aware its an execution.." he whispers. "And ..." he sighed. His tone indicates part of him thinks he might deserve this.
No-one deserves that. They should at least give you the dignity of a clean death. It's not right. A Captain who does something like that doesn't deserve to be captain of anything.
You... I'm sorry if this is too far, but... what did you do- or, what are they blaming you for that makes them think you deserve... this?
"....blowup one of the last remaining spacestations resulting in the deaths of 62 people.." he whispers. Voice raw at the mention it of it. "I..i..tried to stop it... i couldnt..i surrendered.. they..they never litsened..." it was a senstive topic.. hes talking fast...used to being cut off when it comes to this.
So it wasn't even your fault? They just wanted someone to blame?
[They're still relatively calm, but their upset sounds personal.]
I'm sorry. It doesn't matter if it's the end of the world, that doesn't mean they can act like maniacs. You deserve dignity, a chance to speak for yourself, at the very least. You...
[Their next words almost sound like they're quoting someone in an odd bout of deja vu.]
You deserve a choice.
...At least you're getting out of there. And you have someone waiting for you, right?
"Yeah,.. his names jack" he whispers. "...i..really hope the captin keeps her promise about my freedom..." he whispers. "They...they pulled me up once before this. After i got the pictures.. they sent me back down for more data. And not refill my oxygen before doing that..." he mumbles. "Nor..did they tell me the camera i had..was an Xray.." he mumbles. "But hopefully...hopefully itll all be over now.."
She better.
[They mutter darkly, before taking another deep breath. They sound almost like they're trying to convince themself as much as Simon.]
But I'm sure you're gonna be fine. You have Jack batting for you, and... I'll gladly help, however I can from here, if you need me.
"I really, reeally appreciate that" he said. He meant it. "....i just want out of here... i..just want to be free.." he whispers. Desprate.
...I understand the feeling.
[There's a somewhat muffled call of 'Captain!' behind them, quiet due to it's distance from the microphone, and they pause to listen, turning away with a sigh.]
No, Mark, you may not send them detailed notes on how to improve their shipbuilding. I think we've already established this was on purpose.
That's my Head Engineer, sorry about him. He uh, gets a little passionate about his work.
"Its fine..., im glad hes got something fo be passionate about.. in my world thats..hard to come by" he said
Oh! @asksimontheconvict s ship also has a giant radiation gun attached wirh no internal sheilding to protect him from it! And they LIED about the ship protecting him!
Oh, I- I mean, yeesh, wh-who would, make a giant radiation machine and, and not give it the recommended industry standard shielding? That's craaaazy....
[There's a short, awkward silence, as Mark looks everywhere to avoid making eye contact with the monitor, and the Captain slowly rolls into view next to him on their chair.]
...Mark. You literally invented a new composite material to use as shielding on the reactor and we have the medical tech necessary to cure radiation sickness. This is so not the same thing.
With the link still open, simon could still hear. "Uh... i...im uh not sure who that is..that sounds like me back there" he said. Since mark hadnt spoken to simon yet. "But unless you locked someone in a rust box and ....didnt mention the radiation AT ALL.. and LIED about sheilding when they found out... then. Totally not the same rhing. All ive got down here resembling medical care is bandages... the first aid kit was...very rudimentary.." he mumbles. "But at least i had one.." he sighed. "Anyway. So not the same thing. From the sound of it.."
