Suzaku Kururugi (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
seveneleven) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
eyemind2020-10-13 08:04 pm
seveneleven) wrote in eyemind2020-10-13 08:04 pm
Entry tags:
Message in a Bottle
Late on the morning of the 13th, everyone's communicators broadcast the same message, repeating over and over with a blink and a quiet, androgynous voice:
"Incoming transmission. Please report to the Navigator's chambers. Incoming transmission. Please report to the Navigator's chambers."
Once everyone's assembled down by Navi (or announced they're not going), the following recording broadcasts on one of the main screens:
--incoming transmission--
[The video turns on with a faint click, revealing two young men standing next to one another in front of the camera. One might be familiar to those who were aboard (and conscious) when they completed the hyper-jump as the person who introduced himself as Tim; the other is a stranger, a little taller than Tim, with a wavy mess of brown hair, green eyes and a darker compexion. This one lifts his hand to wave a little awkwardly at the camera, a gesture that's echoed by Tim. The stranger speaks first, a small smile on his lips that looks like it's trying to be reassuring, but also like he doesn't really smile all that often.]
Hi, everyone. My name is Suzaku. Most of you probably remember my partner, Tim, from just after the crash. Tim's filled me in on what's happened, and while you were recuperating and Navi was repairing, we decided we should try and make this video to answer your questions. I tried to convince him we should use costumes and put on a play, but...
[There's a faint laugh as he looks over his shoulder towards the other young man, raising one shoulder in a shrug, which Tim returns with a shake of his head and a sigh that's belied by the smile he's trying to hide.]
...Well, this is what you get instead. So. Tim's gonna run you through the short version of how we ended up here again now that things aren't on fire over there, and how the people who showed up with us made it home, which will hopefully help some of you feel a little better about your situation, and then we're gonna go over the glyphs and links and some of the other things we've learned over the last few years to make your lives a little easier while you're with us.
[He offers another wave, and then glances to Tim, who steps up to begin.]
Right. I told some of you before, right after Navi crash landed and I restored our connection, but I see some more new faces there with you, and you've been here long enough you're probably not still in shock, so let's try this again.
You being here? It's an accident. That's the best we can figure so far, without more time to run some experiments and test my theories. Something has opened a bunch of rifts in space-time, and you guys were unlucky enough--or something--to fall through. When you came through, you ended up on the Navigator--Navi--instead of violently decompressing in space, which also is kind of a mystery, but I wouldn't look a gift paradox in the mouth if I were you.
Navi's part of a race of sentient spacecraft, the Navigators. They were created by an alien race known as the Zerentians, made to be slave labor and kept as property. Eventually the Navigators managed to break free and escape, and they've been on the run since then, scattered across the galaxy and hunted by their creators. Any Navigator the Zerentians manage to capture...
[Here he pauses for a moment, and there's a shadow that falls over his expression as well as Suzaku's, though on the other young man's face it looks more like anger. It should be clear to anyone who's experienced something similar that they've lost friends this way.]
...Any navigator they catch, they lobotomize. And since the Navigators are all telepathically linked, a kind of hive mind--what one of them feels, all of them feel. Every Navigator that's taken is like losing a limb. And the Navigators--they weren't meant to be soldiers in the first place. They don't really have anything in the way of natural weaponry, at least nothing you'd recognize. Running is the best option, as you all learned the hard way when you first arrived.
The same thing happened to me and around thirty other people, almost three years ago. We fell through rifts in our home worlds, we ended up on Navi with no idea where we were or what was happening. Eventually, we managed to figure out how to link up with each other, and how to find Navi's people, and evaded capture and death long enough to get to them. The Navigators have a device that can be used to create a doorway back to your home world. Once we reached them, everyone else went through, back to where they came from. Suzaku and I stayed. I couldn't just leave and let them fight alone. Not after seeing what the Zerentians could do--would do. And Suzaku...
[Here he glances over his shoulder again, as if looking for confirmation to something, and for a brief second there appears to be a non-verbal conversation happening, expressed only in the barest of expression shifts and shoulder lifts, the gesture of a single finger. Afterwards, he turns back, clearly having been given permission to tell this part, too.]
Suzaku was a soldier. He wanted to fight in a war where he could make a difference. Do some good. So we stayed to train the Navigators, help them find lost ships, help them learn how and when to fight. It's taken us two years to figure most of this out, and believe me, it has not been an easy experience.
[Here Suzaku chimes in:]
But unlike us two years ago, you have people who can fill you in. Us.
Right. Exactly. [Tim nods and continues.]
When you arrived, Navi was in danger. You helped them get enough power back to make a controlled crash, which was definitely better than the alternative, believe me. And now...well, now you're just gonna have to take the long way back. But if you help Navi out, form bonds, use the glyphlinks, look for other Navigators on the way, when you finally get back to the others we can use the gate and you'll be able to go home. If that's what you want to do. If you don't...well, we could always use more help.
[Tim smiles, and Suzaku steps up next to him for the next part, seamlessly taking over.]
You're all probably wondering what we're talking about when we say form bonds and use the glyphlinks. The glyphs you already know. [He and Tim raise their hands in unison, showing the symbol everyone has on the back, only theirs is glowing a steady bright green instead of the flickering or solid blue of the others.] This is the glyph. It's your link to Navi, and to each other. You and your crewmates, you're part of something bigger, now. And this, this is the thing that'll get you home. The Navigators are incredibly unique: they gain power through the emotional bonds of their crew. That power will help you to travel, and it'll help keep Navi functioning at peak performance, but it can also be a powerful defense. The Zerentians are weak to the feedback the link can produce; if you can form strong bonds, learn to trust each other, learn to cooperate and build something stronger than yourselves, then you've got a viable weapon if you're ever backed into a corner and unable to jump.
You've all already gone through the first pairing, and you've found yourself linked with another person. That means you're connected. It means you can communicate in a way that doesn't require words at all. It does not mean that the other person suddenly knows your entire history and all your deepest darkest secrets and every single thought that pops into your head, so don't worry about that, at least. Think of it like...having a roommate who mostly keeps to themselves. If you want to talk to them, you just go to their door and knock. If you're busy and your partner knocks, you don't have to open your door, you can keep it locked. At least, that's the way I look at it. But locked doors...they're not really good for friendship, or partnership, so try not to keep it locked too often, if you can.
[He looks a little more hesitant as he continues, more self-conscious about his words, but there's a slight increase in the glowing of his glyph as he lifts a hand to rub at the back of his neck, and he seems to straighten just a little, his confidence returning.]
It's hard. Opening up to people, especially to strangers. When I first got here--I'd been on the front lines of a war that wasn't even mine, not really. I was 18. I was an orphan. I'd been a soldier since 16. I'd been fighting for longer than that. And I'd just lost the two people that were most important to me through betrayal. One died in my arms. And the other...[He doesn't finish that sentence, at least.] I'm telling you all this so you know where I was coming from. I didn't want to open up, I didn't want to need anybody, I was perfectly capable of doing things alone. And honestly, I was: I could do plenty of things on my own. I still can. But what I didn't realize was, the glyphlink--it wasn't about me. It was about us, about Navi, about the Navigators, about all the stranded people from a dozen worlds who were stuck out here with me. I could stay closed off, or I could open up to help all those other people. I might not have had a reason to keep living, but they did. And I couldn't let them die, or be lost forever. Not if I could stop it.
Maybe you are that kind of person who doesn't care about others. And honestly that's fine, I'm not here to tell you about the magic of friendship or altruism or anything. But even if you're selfish, it's in your best interests to form those bonds, too. Because every bond that grows stronger puts you one step closer to home--or at least to somewhere that isn't here. Who knows? Maybe you'll meet someone from another world that's even better for you.
Sometimes the pairings will reconfigure themselves. So if you really, really hate your partner, don't worry, they probably won't be your partner for too long. But...try and make at least a little bit of an effort. You might be surprised.
[He seems to be done, and Tim again smoothly picks up; even if the topic is different, it's clear they've done this sort of thing before, and that they've been partners for a while. They're a good team.]
A couple more things to note, before we let you guys get back to it. First, the glyphs can change color. You noticed them lighting up blue when you paired with each other, and that's the way they always start. When you're working really well with your partner and have formed a strong bond, the glyph turns green, like ours. If your partner is in danger, your glyph will turn red and start blinking as a warning. And all of you are linked to Navi, so you can reach out to them in the same way.
[Suzaku briefly interjects here.]
Which, speaking of--remember that the entire ship is Navi. Not the tables or food or anything, but the walls and the floors and--well, you get the idea. Try not to do anything that would hurt them. And they'll say they don't need anything, or anyone to visit, but...well, do it anyway, for us. I miss them.
[His bit said, he stops and looks at Tim, who nods in agreement and takes over again.]
Yeah, exactly. Same goes for the drones you'll see around sometimes: they're part of Navi, so don't screw around with them. It's rude, and they really don't like it. You don't want to end up being involuntarily stuffed in cryosleep for a week. Same goes for your personal communicators: don't try and take them apart, trust me. Bad idea.
[He pauses then thinks for a moment.]
Okay, that's pretty much it, at least for now. We're pretty far away, and things aren't always smooth sailing over here, either, but if you have questions, you can send us a message and we'll answer when we can.
Good luck, everyone, and we hope we see you soon.
[Both of them wave, and the transmission ends.]
((OOC note: If your character wants to ICly ask Tim or Suzaku a question, they can comment here either with a message or a request for a call! It might take them a while to get back to the character, since they're halfway across the galaxy and pretty busy, but they'll respond eventually!))
"Incoming transmission. Please report to the Navigator's chambers. Incoming transmission. Please report to the Navigator's chambers."
Once everyone's assembled down by Navi (or announced they're not going), the following recording broadcasts on one of the main screens:
--incoming transmission--
[The video turns on with a faint click, revealing two young men standing next to one another in front of the camera. One might be familiar to those who were aboard (and conscious) when they completed the hyper-jump as the person who introduced himself as Tim; the other is a stranger, a little taller than Tim, with a wavy mess of brown hair, green eyes and a darker compexion. This one lifts his hand to wave a little awkwardly at the camera, a gesture that's echoed by Tim. The stranger speaks first, a small smile on his lips that looks like it's trying to be reassuring, but also like he doesn't really smile all that often.]
Hi, everyone. My name is Suzaku. Most of you probably remember my partner, Tim, from just after the crash. Tim's filled me in on what's happened, and while you were recuperating and Navi was repairing, we decided we should try and make this video to answer your questions. I tried to convince him we should use costumes and put on a play, but...
[There's a faint laugh as he looks over his shoulder towards the other young man, raising one shoulder in a shrug, which Tim returns with a shake of his head and a sigh that's belied by the smile he's trying to hide.]
...Well, this is what you get instead. So. Tim's gonna run you through the short version of how we ended up here again now that things aren't on fire over there, and how the people who showed up with us made it home, which will hopefully help some of you feel a little better about your situation, and then we're gonna go over the glyphs and links and some of the other things we've learned over the last few years to make your lives a little easier while you're with us.
[He offers another wave, and then glances to Tim, who steps up to begin.]
Right. I told some of you before, right after Navi crash landed and I restored our connection, but I see some more new faces there with you, and you've been here long enough you're probably not still in shock, so let's try this again.
You being here? It's an accident. That's the best we can figure so far, without more time to run some experiments and test my theories. Something has opened a bunch of rifts in space-time, and you guys were unlucky enough--or something--to fall through. When you came through, you ended up on the Navigator--Navi--instead of violently decompressing in space, which also is kind of a mystery, but I wouldn't look a gift paradox in the mouth if I were you.
Navi's part of a race of sentient spacecraft, the Navigators. They were created by an alien race known as the Zerentians, made to be slave labor and kept as property. Eventually the Navigators managed to break free and escape, and they've been on the run since then, scattered across the galaxy and hunted by their creators. Any Navigator the Zerentians manage to capture...
[Here he pauses for a moment, and there's a shadow that falls over his expression as well as Suzaku's, though on the other young man's face it looks more like anger. It should be clear to anyone who's experienced something similar that they've lost friends this way.]
...Any navigator they catch, they lobotomize. And since the Navigators are all telepathically linked, a kind of hive mind--what one of them feels, all of them feel. Every Navigator that's taken is like losing a limb. And the Navigators--they weren't meant to be soldiers in the first place. They don't really have anything in the way of natural weaponry, at least nothing you'd recognize. Running is the best option, as you all learned the hard way when you first arrived.
The same thing happened to me and around thirty other people, almost three years ago. We fell through rifts in our home worlds, we ended up on Navi with no idea where we were or what was happening. Eventually, we managed to figure out how to link up with each other, and how to find Navi's people, and evaded capture and death long enough to get to them. The Navigators have a device that can be used to create a doorway back to your home world. Once we reached them, everyone else went through, back to where they came from. Suzaku and I stayed. I couldn't just leave and let them fight alone. Not after seeing what the Zerentians could do--would do. And Suzaku...
[Here he glances over his shoulder again, as if looking for confirmation to something, and for a brief second there appears to be a non-verbal conversation happening, expressed only in the barest of expression shifts and shoulder lifts, the gesture of a single finger. Afterwards, he turns back, clearly having been given permission to tell this part, too.]
Suzaku was a soldier. He wanted to fight in a war where he could make a difference. Do some good. So we stayed to train the Navigators, help them find lost ships, help them learn how and when to fight. It's taken us two years to figure most of this out, and believe me, it has not been an easy experience.
[Here Suzaku chimes in:]
But unlike us two years ago, you have people who can fill you in. Us.
Right. Exactly. [Tim nods and continues.]
When you arrived, Navi was in danger. You helped them get enough power back to make a controlled crash, which was definitely better than the alternative, believe me. And now...well, now you're just gonna have to take the long way back. But if you help Navi out, form bonds, use the glyphlinks, look for other Navigators on the way, when you finally get back to the others we can use the gate and you'll be able to go home. If that's what you want to do. If you don't...well, we could always use more help.
[Tim smiles, and Suzaku steps up next to him for the next part, seamlessly taking over.]
You're all probably wondering what we're talking about when we say form bonds and use the glyphlinks. The glyphs you already know. [He and Tim raise their hands in unison, showing the symbol everyone has on the back, only theirs is glowing a steady bright green instead of the flickering or solid blue of the others.] This is the glyph. It's your link to Navi, and to each other. You and your crewmates, you're part of something bigger, now. And this, this is the thing that'll get you home. The Navigators are incredibly unique: they gain power through the emotional bonds of their crew. That power will help you to travel, and it'll help keep Navi functioning at peak performance, but it can also be a powerful defense. The Zerentians are weak to the feedback the link can produce; if you can form strong bonds, learn to trust each other, learn to cooperate and build something stronger than yourselves, then you've got a viable weapon if you're ever backed into a corner and unable to jump.
You've all already gone through the first pairing, and you've found yourself linked with another person. That means you're connected. It means you can communicate in a way that doesn't require words at all. It does not mean that the other person suddenly knows your entire history and all your deepest darkest secrets and every single thought that pops into your head, so don't worry about that, at least. Think of it like...having a roommate who mostly keeps to themselves. If you want to talk to them, you just go to their door and knock. If you're busy and your partner knocks, you don't have to open your door, you can keep it locked. At least, that's the way I look at it. But locked doors...they're not really good for friendship, or partnership, so try not to keep it locked too often, if you can.
[He looks a little more hesitant as he continues, more self-conscious about his words, but there's a slight increase in the glowing of his glyph as he lifts a hand to rub at the back of his neck, and he seems to straighten just a little, his confidence returning.]
It's hard. Opening up to people, especially to strangers. When I first got here--I'd been on the front lines of a war that wasn't even mine, not really. I was 18. I was an orphan. I'd been a soldier since 16. I'd been fighting for longer than that. And I'd just lost the two people that were most important to me through betrayal. One died in my arms. And the other...[He doesn't finish that sentence, at least.] I'm telling you all this so you know where I was coming from. I didn't want to open up, I didn't want to need anybody, I was perfectly capable of doing things alone. And honestly, I was: I could do plenty of things on my own. I still can. But what I didn't realize was, the glyphlink--it wasn't about me. It was about us, about Navi, about the Navigators, about all the stranded people from a dozen worlds who were stuck out here with me. I could stay closed off, or I could open up to help all those other people. I might not have had a reason to keep living, but they did. And I couldn't let them die, or be lost forever. Not if I could stop it.
Maybe you are that kind of person who doesn't care about others. And honestly that's fine, I'm not here to tell you about the magic of friendship or altruism or anything. But even if you're selfish, it's in your best interests to form those bonds, too. Because every bond that grows stronger puts you one step closer to home--or at least to somewhere that isn't here. Who knows? Maybe you'll meet someone from another world that's even better for you.
Sometimes the pairings will reconfigure themselves. So if you really, really hate your partner, don't worry, they probably won't be your partner for too long. But...try and make at least a little bit of an effort. You might be surprised.
[He seems to be done, and Tim again smoothly picks up; even if the topic is different, it's clear they've done this sort of thing before, and that they've been partners for a while. They're a good team.]
A couple more things to note, before we let you guys get back to it. First, the glyphs can change color. You noticed them lighting up blue when you paired with each other, and that's the way they always start. When you're working really well with your partner and have formed a strong bond, the glyph turns green, like ours. If your partner is in danger, your glyph will turn red and start blinking as a warning. And all of you are linked to Navi, so you can reach out to them in the same way.
[Suzaku briefly interjects here.]
Which, speaking of--remember that the entire ship is Navi. Not the tables or food or anything, but the walls and the floors and--well, you get the idea. Try not to do anything that would hurt them. And they'll say they don't need anything, or anyone to visit, but...well, do it anyway, for us. I miss them.
[His bit said, he stops and looks at Tim, who nods in agreement and takes over again.]
Yeah, exactly. Same goes for the drones you'll see around sometimes: they're part of Navi, so don't screw around with them. It's rude, and they really don't like it. You don't want to end up being involuntarily stuffed in cryosleep for a week. Same goes for your personal communicators: don't try and take them apart, trust me. Bad idea.
[He pauses then thinks for a moment.]
Okay, that's pretty much it, at least for now. We're pretty far away, and things aren't always smooth sailing over here, either, but if you have questions, you can send us a message and we'll answer when we can.
Good luck, everyone, and we hope we see you soon.
[Both of them wave, and the transmission ends.]
((OOC note: If your character wants to ICly ask Tim or Suzaku a question, they can comment here either with a message or a request for a call! It might take them a while to get back to the character, since they're halfway across the galaxy and pretty busy, but they'll respond eventually!))