lastvoyages IC Inbox

[neverjoinyou]

Leave a message. I will hear you.

Comments

[tetractys]

WOW, WHEN DID YOU GUYS GET ALL BUDDY BUDDY, HUH?

[He told you to do one thing, and that was not talk to each other. Not the time to complain, though. He'll take the advantage.]

[neverjoinyou]

When no one else would sit with me at lunch.

[Hi, you remember Wormie.]

I think you're both looking at this far too darkly. Or maybe it's just me who doesn't automatically trust overly-powerful overlords?

How do we know he's not right?

[mothmansplaining]

Come on, you saw his transmission! This isn't courageous against-the-odds freedom fighter behavior, Luke. You and I both know that! We told his bosses the truth, and now he's running from the consequences.

[You can hear the eyeroll.]

[tetractys]

WHAT, LAST WEEK? HAHAHAH.

YOU KNOW SPEAKING OF COURAGEOUS AGAINST-THE-ODDS FREEDOM FIGHTERS, YOU GUYS HAVE A LOT IN COMMON NOW THAT I'M THINKING ABOUT IT.

[I mean, bonding over how unpopular you are is still kinda sad, Wings, but let's keep it positive!]

LISTEN, IT'S HARD TO EXPLAIN WHAT I KNOW ABOUT THESE GUYS. I WENT IN THERE AND ASKED THEM IF I WAS RIGHT ABOUT THEM, AND I GOT AN ANSWER THAT MAKES ME THINK I'M NOT JUST CLOSE, I'M TOO CLOSE.

ALL I CAN SAY IS, I'M PRETTY SURE THE ADMIRAL'S LESS IMPORTANT THAN WE ARE AND HE KNOWS IT, BUT HE DOESN'T WANT US TO KNOW WE HAVE THAT KIND OF LEVERAGE.

[neverjoinyou]

And if we leave, we're running from consequences. We're running from the people who have stood by us. People, Bill, you've experienced relationships with. If we have leverage, let's use it--but together. As a large group.

[mothmansplaining]

[Oh man literally any other time Ford would be delighted by the comparison but there are so many bigger things to worry about.

...there is still a tiny moment of really? c: before he refocuses though, and...it's kind of sobering.

He's gonna let Bill reply first, here. The silence might be a little telling. Should he really leave the others there? Yara? Shiro? Surely they can't all be convinced to come along. They'll have people they're unwilling to leave behind, too.

Then again...Yara and Shiro lost him once, and they were fine. Everyone else...Ford gives them a month at most. They'll forget he was ever there, or at least, they won't have any feelings about it that matter long.]

[tetractys]

[Out of sight from the audio transmission, Bill absently pats Ford on whatever part is closest to hand. There there. Don't navel-gaze about loneliness right now, we're working.]

SURE! TELL 'EM ALL TO COME WITH US, I DON'T CARE!

[neverjoinyou]

You know that's not what I mean.

[mothmansplaining]

[Whoa hey wtf why is a tiny hand patting his ribs, you stop that.]

The ideal solution would be to bring them with us, yes. Unfortunately, even if we could talk them into it, the odds of finding a Barge that would take us and all our friends is even less likely.

I don't like leaving them behind either, but it's not our fault! I mean, besides the fact that I did the things I did to land me on the Barge in the first place, and that we told the Authority about everything he's handled terribly, and...did anyone else get the feeling they were having their minds read, or was that just me?

[tetractys]

WELL, I DON'T HAVE FRIENDS, BUT IF THE SITUATION'S BAD, WHY IS IT BETTER FOR ALL OF US TO GO DOWN WITH THE SHIP - LITERALLY, I'LL ADD! - INSTEAD OF GETTING AT LEAST SOME OUT?

THEY CAN'T READ MY MIND!

[they totally read his mind.]

[neverjoinyou]

Look, all I'm saying is that the idea of throwing ourselves on the mercy of even more powerful beings doesn't seem like an ideal solution. At least we outnumber the Admiral. We have no idea who or what the Authority is.

Why do you trust them?

[mothmansplaining]

It's not that I trust the Authority more. It's that I mistrust them less.

...wait a minute. Luke, are you saying your solution is to overpower the Admiral?

[He's surprised, but also...impressed? Like dang, Luke, that's also a viable solution and not one he expected to hear. It doesn't sound like Ford objects to the idea.]

[tetractys]

I KNOW WHAT THEY ARE, IT'S JUST HARD TO EXPLAIN WITHOUT UN-EXPLAINING EVERYONE'S ENTIRE EXISTENCE AND THE WAY THE FABRIC OF REALITY AND THE COMPLETELY FICTIONAL CONCEPT OF FREE WILL ARE COMMONLY ASSUMED TO OPERATE!

OOOH, I'D DO A MUTINY. WHAT DO YOU THINK GUYS, A GOOD OL' MUTINY?

[neverjoinyou]

No. I'm not advocating a mutiny now. I'm saying it's an option, if we need it. It's a solution to a particular problem, not one I currently see as viable.

But it's not a solution if we find ourselves at the mercy of something even more powerful and possibly worse.

[mothmansplaining]

Then the three of us have a choice. Do we leap bravely into the great unknown, leaving everyone we've met behind, to find a new Admiral who might be able to give us what we need, or do we go back to one that has proven himself a real moron and hope that by banding together we can influence him enough to prevent our own destruction?

[He knows which one he prefers. Leaping into the unknown is kind of his thing.]

[tetractys]

YOU REALLY THINK IF WE GO WITH OUR ADMIRAL THEY'RE NOT GOING TO CATCH UP WITH US?

WE GO WITH HIM, WE'LL JUST BE IN THE SAME POSITION SIX MONTHS FROM NOW WITH WORSE OPTIONS, THAT'S WHAT I THINK.

[neverjoinyou]

What does your warden have to say about this, Ford?