[Video 01, Action 02] Somewhere Out There, Someone Knows

[kirktastic]

[Kirk works hard into the night despite his promise to Bones to sleep, and soon, he thinks he understands. He believes the video is locked to only those who are alien to the town, those like himself, Bones, Flynn, and the others he's met in such a short time. He's never one to take anything lying down, including his own capture and more importantly

Comments

[kirktastic]

[He can only hope she doesn't mean what comes up in his mind, but he knows that's probably a very small hope indeed.] Take a few steps back, Yeoman.

What sieges? What battles?

[sfgirlfriday]

Occasionally, our captors get bored and decide that we should entertain them. We're like toys to them. They do things to the city or to us to see how we'll react. Sometimes people are turned into the opposite sex or de-aged. I guess it could be called mischief since it's rare that anyone gets hurt.

[Twisting her cup between her hands, she considers how to simplify over a year of living in Ruby City. Basic facts now, then elaborate later.] When I first arrived here, we were being attacked by monsters. It still happens occasionally, though it doesn't happen as much anymore. But that time, the clinic was under siege. I was one of the ones coordinating the defenses and...Someone decided that I needed to be put on leave until the fight was over.

[kirktastic]

[Kirk nodded, understanding. These weren't people with completely omnipotent power, Rand's words told him. Not completely. Otherwise, they would have just let the seige continue as it was and changed whatever they needed to without taking someone away. Either they wanted to psychologically harm their captives, or the captives had been doing something right and the captors were not at all happy. It was something important to keep in mind. Still, the ability to change people's gender or age wasn't a complete unknown. There were records of such things happening in Starfleet's past, either by alien culture or unusual phenomenon.]

[Equally noting the movements of her hands, Kirk said,] I know it can't be easy, but let's start off small. What did your captor look like?

[sfgirlfriday]

[Flipping through her folder of notes, Jan pulls out a sketch she had done of Vale and offers it to Jim.] This is Temper Vale. I met him a few times before I was abducted. He isn't one of the beings who brought us here. He's one of the ones who watches things play out.

And...strange as it might seem, he has an interest in how destructive things become during the events. Even after everything that happened, I still communicate with him to get necessary information. He doesn't seem to want us to be seriously harmed by what is thrown at us.

[kirktastic]

[Kirk studied the sketch for some time, trying to gain what he could from it. Those dark eyes seemed arrogant, knowing much or believing he knew much. A suit and tie...] Seriously harmed, but he doesn't mind everyone being harmed a little. Thank you for this.

[He carefully added the sketch to the small, growing pile on the table.] How do you know he isn't one of those that brought us here? What do you, and what does he, consider the difference between capturing us and watching things play out?

[sfgirlfriday]

[She laughs softly, shaking her head before taking another sip of her coffee.] A little harm is just part of the game. Serious harm, death... Mr. Vale doesn't seem to appreciate it when events escalate to that degree. He'll usually contact us, contact me, if things cross a certain line. He's not human, even if he looks that way. So I try not to put his motives into human context.

When I first arrived there were two beings who seemed to be in charge. The Watcher and the Interloper. I spoke to them rarely, but my friends had more contact with them. [Another search through her notes and she pulls out a set of notes on them.] According to every record we found and what we observed, they were the ones that controlled this place. The others just enjoy the entertainment.

[kirktastic]

[Kirk took note of Rand's words carefully. If she had spent significant time among the enemy, enough to keep contacting him for information, either she was a valuable source of information, a possible leak of information, or both. Right now, she is definitely the former most.]

The Watcher and the Interloper. [He wrote fast in Standard on the pad of paper in front of him.] When you first arrived? Has that changed since then?

[sfgirlfriday]

They used to make their presence known regularly, but recently I haven't heard anything from them. No one being threatened by Interloper. No communications over the Network.

They seemed to have disappeared and Mr. Vale and the others took over. [Even if she didn't like what Vale had done, he's the devil she knew. The others were still unknown variables, which she hated.] I think it's the others we need to concern ourselves with. They seem disorganized. Dangerous.

[kirktastic]

The others. What kind of 'others'? Names, descriptions, anything. [Kirk's pen tip hovered over the paper, ready to write.]

[sfgirlfriday]

[More notes and a few rough sketches since she'd only seen the others a few times on the network. Vale she'd met enough times to be able to draw properly.]

I know someone else has had contact with them but... [She looks at her cup, feeling like she's betraying a confidence even if it's for the greater good.] He may not want to speak with anyone else about them.