001 - Inara Serra

[notanambassador]

[The feed turns on completely on purpose, a poised, lovely woman gazing at the camera.]

If anyone is receiving this wave, I’m Inara Serra. I believe I’ve been taken hostage and I require assistance. I can provide compensation for your efforts.

If my captors can hear this, there is nothing to be gained from silence. Make your demands known, I am

Comments

[flytey]

I'm afraid they're not interested in compensation, as near as I can tell, and probably won't speak to you, either.

[notanambassador]

So much for hoping for reason. What are they interested in, then? Are you also being held prisoner?

[flytey]

Indeed. We're all prisoners here. They do experiments on us. It's as dreadful as it sounds.

[notanambassador]

Experiments? Is this an Alliance facility?

[flytey]

I've never heard it called anything like that before. There's something called the Consortium, and there's Val, who is a computer. I wasn't familiar with computers before I arrived here -- are you?

[notanambassador]

Yes, very familiar. Navigation would be difficult without them, unless you don't mind running into the occasional moon or star.

I apologize for my manners, I'm a bit out of sorts. May I ask your name?

[flytey]

Oh, you're from the future then? My future, I mean. There are people from all different years and worlds here.

I'm Sebastian Flyte. Pleased to make your acquaintance, though under the circumstances, I'm sure you're less than happy to be meeting me.

[notanambassador]

The future? The year is 2517, if that helps. [She got a crazy one.]

A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Flyte. The circumstances are far less than ideal, but that does not mean I'm less than happy to meet you.

[flytey]

I think there are others from around the same time as yourself. It's 1923 where I'm from, so it's been a bit of an adjustment.

[notanambassador]

1923 . . .

[But that's impossible . . . ]

You would be from Earth-that-was.

[flytey]

Isn't it Earth anymore?

[He doesn't sound entirely surprised]

I suppose I could have predicted it would cease to be, with all the dreadful wars we seem to get ourselves into.

[notanambassador]

It was used up, hundreds of years ago. We had to move to a new system with new planets.

How is it possible that you are from over five hundred years in the past? You must forgive me, but that sounds insane.

[flytey]

Believe me, I'm well aware of how insane it sounds. When I first arrived, I was convinced everyone was mad. The technologies I'd never heard of, the different worlds... it's difficult to come to terms with.

[A smile]

I assure you, I'm not mad. At least, not in that regard.

[notanambassador]

[There's a quiet laugh.]

Yes, I will admit, I currently think that everyone I've spoken with is mad. It seems a more logical explanation than believing that I have been kidnapped, am in a secret torture facility, and am speaking with people from the distant past.

[flytey]

I don't blame you. It's easier to believe that, and perhaps you should go on believing it, at least this week. There won't be any experiments until next week, in any case.

[notanambassador]

There's no point in believing in a lie, but if what I'm being told is the truth . . .

It will take some time to wrap my mind around that idea.