video; un: kirk

[winscenario]

[ Yet another new face to greet the network, and likely not for the first time, it's the face of someone who's clearly bent over backwards to try and figure out where he is and how he got here. To no avail, evidently. He's stranded, pretty much, he's managed to figure that much out.

But that's not even what's the most puzzling about all this. You see, traveling across the galaxy has made him more prone to accept that he can get snatched up, either on purpose or by accident, or even that he might trip over some dimension-breaking wormhole and end up in an alternate reality.

At least this one doesn't have another version of him (so far), so there's that.

But anyway. Onto trying to figure some things out, at least. ]

This is Captain James T. Kirk, of the USS Enterprise. I understand that likely means nothing to most of you, if not everyone, but I'll make it quick: the Enterprise is the flagship of the United Federation of Planets, operated by Starfleet, from the 23rd century, year 2263.

[ He'll skip on explaining the Federation or Starfleet for now. If anyone asks then he'll get into more detail. More pressing matters, though. ]

My ship is here, but my crew is not. Not unless I'm missing something, and if anyone can tell me where should I go to look for them, then I'd appreciate it. I... welcome the help of the Eluvio crew being on board to help me run my ship, [ No he doesn't. ] but I'd much rather have my crew, as you can likely imagine.

[ He sighs quietly, a show of frustration more than anything else. ]

On an unrelated note, would anyone mind taking a couple of hours to explain to me how currency works? I'm not... used to handling it. I'm crap at it too, if we're being completely honest. [ Seriously, does he really have to have a job? Ugh. ]

Other than that... well, I guess we're all stuck here, so I'd like to get to know everyone to some degree. So hit me up and let's chat sometime.

[ There, harmless and vague enough. And with a friendly smile, he leans in to end the feed. ]

Comments

[shabby]

Do you want to handle some? I think I have some.

[ Someone who hasn't handled money is more bizarre to Vaas than being in space. ]

It's like pieces of metal and paper.

[winscenario]

Coins and banknotes, yes. I am aware.

[ Although to be fair, even when currency was a thing, people mostly used digital means and credits. Using actual physical money is an even more archaic concept to Jim. ]

I just want to know what are the going rates around here, if I really need to use money to survive.

[shabby]

[ To be fair, this question stems from a logical progression in Vaas' mind. They're talking about money and surviving and purchasing stuff. And Vaas recently tried trading a mango for a lighter. But outside of his messed up head, it sounds like... ]

Do you have any mangoes?

[winscenario]

[ Okay, now Jim's confused. He wonders if he missed some part of the conversation or if there's just another meaning to the word mangoes that he's unaware of. ]

Sorry— you've lost me. You mean the fruit?

[shabby]

Yeah. You know, grows on trees, kind of round. Like a coconut only not hard.

[ A beat. ]

Let me guess. They don't have mangoes where you come from either. Sucks to be you, hermano. Where're you from?

[winscenario]

We do have mangoes. Why would you think we don't? [ What is even going on with this conversation anymore. ]

Iowa, actually. United States, Earth. Assuming you're familiar with the planet.

[shabby]

[ Welcome to the Vaas Montenegro experience. No one ever enjoys it. ]

Oh. American.

[ His tone is both understanding and also kind of disapproving. ]

Americans come to my island a lot. They like to vacation there. I'm not sure why, but they never leave. [ Because Vaas kills them. ] Have you been to California?

[winscenario]

[ Wow excuse you, what do you have against Americans. It's a pretty great and perfectly peaceful country where (and when) he comes from. ]

Yeah. Starfleet Headquarters are in San Francisco. Lived there while I was at the Academy, so I'm familiar. Where are you from?

[shabby]

Rook Island. It's in the Pacific Ocean. We're like neighbors.

[ Don't visit though. ]

Are you an actor?

[ Vaas knows three kinds of Californians: tourists, actors, and whiny bitches like Jason Brody. It might be weird, but this is a compliment. Sort of. ]

[winscenario]

Never heard of it.

[ So not like he could visit anyway. ]

... no, I'm a starship Captain. [ Like he said. Did this guy even listen to the broadcast. ] Why an actor of all things?

[shabby]

I had a friend once. He was an actor. Very famous.

[ And he's dead because Vaas killed him by accident. Whoops. ]

Starship like this? I thought you were American. You working with the aliens?

[winscenario]

Okay... good to know, I guess?

[ This guy has to be one of the weirdest people Jim's ever met. And considering the kind of people he's known throughout his life so far, that's saying a lot. ]

Well, I do work with aliens, just not the aliens in this place. [ Since he literally just got here. ] And I am American. Anyone can be a starship Captain back in my world, doesn't matter if you're American or human or some other species. Starfleet welcomes anyone who wants to join.

[shabby]

I don't think this Starfleet exists in my time.

[ Technically, it could, because Vaas' understanding of places not his island isn't the best. But he vaguely recalls something about the twenty-third century being mentioned. ]

It's twenty-twelve when I'm from.

[winscenario]

No, it definitely didn't exist back then. Starfleet was founded in the early 22nd century so you're not anywhere near it.

[ And that's if they're even from the same universe. This guy's Earth might never come to see Starfleet or the Federation becoming a reality. ]

[shabby]

What's the future like? Do you have flying cars? Time machines? Genetically engineered dinosaurs?

[ Because what is the future without such wonderful things??? ]

[winscenario]

We have hover cars, actually. No time machines. [ Well not normally. Kinda hard to explain that though, so Jim skips on it. ] And dinosaurs continue to be extinct, so no, we don't have any of those running around. We've got teleportation, though, if that's something you'd find cool.

[ Jim sure does. ]

[shabby]

Teleportation?

[ Vaas very much finds it cool. ]

How does it work? How far can you go?

[winscenario]

[ You bet it's cool. ]

In simple terms, it takes you apart in one place, then puts you back together in another. The reach depends on the transporter, but they can get you pretty far. We often beam down from the ship and onto whatever planet we're orbiting, for instance, and that can be hundreds of kilometers.