[video]

[godhooded]

[The screen shows a brief image of a teenage boy leaning in way too close as he reaches behind the console to mess with something he clearly has no place messing with. One hand is leaning on the keys, probably leaving a long line of gibberish in the text box and/or turning on the camera. His buck teeth are prominently displayed at this angle. After

Comments

[video]

[nohistory]

[Atton appears to be in navigational control room, and was poking around the systems here when John's little video popped up on one of the screens. Not what he was looking for, but...]

You sure you should be playing with that, kid?

[video]

[godhooded]

[John shrugs casually and smiles.]

Well, it's still working, right? I was trying to see if there was anything that looked like an internet cable, but I can't tell what anything is.

My friends are probably trying to talk to me, but... I guess they'll just go talk to me in the future if they need to.

[video]

[nohistory]

Internet cable...? [Atton has no idea what that might be, but at least one syllable in that mess (and context) lets him guess what John might be getting at. His head ducks for a moment as he starts tapping away at the computer console.]

As far as I can tell, this ship is on a closed system. If it's capable of outside communications, then that's either locked out or fried. Hard to tell with the amount of damage this thing's taken.

[He glances back up.] You have people you know here?

[video]

[godhooded]

Oh, okay. [John gives an exaggerated sigh of disappointment, but is ultimately more exasperated than truly frustrated. He does have stuff he needs to do and he would really like to get to it, but he doesn't see much point in being mad.]

But yeah, a few of them. I actually never met them in person before, and we didn't hink we'd get to see each other, uh, for quite a while. We all talked online. I don't know where the rest of them are, though, and one of them told me he was in trouble. But I guess didn't know anything before coming here either. [He shrugs.]

We were working on something really important, though.

[italia_di_pasta]

[WOAH look what just popped up there. Feli can't respond just yet, he's staring at the video.

Okay, he's done. The curl on the side of his head twists into a heart-shape.] Hi! You're not a scary alien! Or British! Do you know anything about where we are, ve?

[godhooded]

[... Did that guy's hair just move? That guy's hair just moved.

Because there's not much else to do when a guy with heart-shaped hair talks to you about scary aliens, John laughs.]

Yeah, you're right about both of those things. All I know is that we're on a space ship, and that space ship is broken. It's pretty much awful.

[italia_di_pasta]

[Oh look, he made John also be happy. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.]

Ve ve! Maybe if we find the aliens that took all of us, we can surrender to them and they'll send us back to Earth! [The best plan ever.]

[godhooded]

Huh, maybe, but I guess it depends on the kind of alien. If that's what's going on, then there can probably be no surrender! [John raises his hand to his chin thoughtfully. What would the trolls do if he surrendered to them anyway? They seemed to kill one another a lot, but the ones he talked to were his friends.]

It kind of seems like we're alone on this ship, though. I mean, us being the people who are stuck here. Anyway, my name's John.

[Text]

[smug_silence]

I can see you.

Hello.

[Text]

[godhooded]

oh cool!
who is this?

Re: [Text]

[smug_silence]

Chell.

Is this really a spaceship?

[Text]

[godhooded]

that's what everyone keeps saying.
and it would fit, with the whole goo chambers and these crazy computers.
these are definitely the kinds of things that belong on a space ship.

[video]

[notabattery]

[Have a curious and slightly-confused Virgil]

What's pesterchum? Is that some kind of computer game? Also, we're sort of in the middle of space...I don't think they HAVE internet out here and if they did it'd probably be pretty crappy service anyway.

[video]

[godhooded]

It's a chat client I use with my friends, but things have been weird lately. I've gone all kinds of places that definitely haven't had wireless, and they could still talk to me.

I guess I never really thought about it until now. [Sigh.]

[video]

[notabattery]

Huh. Guess I'm just not used to travel like this.

Sorry you can't contact your friends though, but you're in the same boat as the rest of us in that aspect.

[video]

[godhooded]

Yeah, I guess so. [He rubs his neck thoughtfully.]

At least some of them are here. Have you seen anyone you know from home?

video;

[dualn8ured]

[Vriska breaks out into a grin the minute the feed comes on. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? You decide.]

John Egbert. What are the odds of that? It's going to be soooooooo good to meet you in person.

[A pause.]

Wait. I realize I haven't actually seen you when I've talked to you, because Trollian only uses text! It's Vriska.

[video]

[godhooded]

[John gasps audibly when he sees the video. The confusion lasts only a couple seconds before it becomes very clear who this is, even without the introduction. (Well, maybe it could have been Terezi, but.) He's not sure what he expected Vriska to look like. Maybe in the back of his mind he had pictured something more alien, or more spidery, and although she's definitely both alien and spidery, she's also a girl. A girl with horns and gray skin and wow look at all those teeth!

Anything but deterred, John is returning the grin broadly and leaning in towards the camera in his excitement.]

Vriska! Wow, hi! You're here too?

That's... actually pretty bad since I'm basically lost. But I mean, this situation just got a lot better. Gosh, I can't believe you're here. I guess you were right that we'd end up meeting soon. [He laughs a little.]

[video]

[dualn8ured]

[Vriska actually looks happy for once, and with no ulterior motive behind it. She leans in towards the camera, her eyes - and their rather different pupils - becoming visible.]

It does seem that way. Though, to be honest, I'd figured on meeting you after taking care of that problem I was talking about, but I'll take sooner rather than later.

The ship doesn't look that huge, either. You're probably not even that far from me! Room 21, in what looked to be the C quadrant. Or I could go over there?

[video]

[godhooded]

[Whoa, he didn't notice her eyes at first. He automatically finds himself counting, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven and... yeah. He probably could have guessed that one. Trolls look so cool.]

So you didn't go off to fight Jack? What happened? [A pause.]

Or maybe I should ask you all this when I see you for real. I'm just across the hall in the lounge room. You should come check it out! They have a huge T.V. screen.

[He's already starting to turn off the console, and as he does so Vriska can hear him continuing to murmur cheerfully:] Oh man, we'll need to see what movies they have!