Newbie Meet n' Greet

[cityship]

For the newbies, there are people waiting for them in the Obs Deck. A whole gaggle of people. Behind them is the nasty statue, and the beautiful sight through the windows of the stars streaming past and the swirling vortex of collars that was interdimensional travel.

There are more questions than answers, but the crew is willing to help, especially the Command Staff and greeters.

Comments

[sgmitchell.livejournal.com]

Through the din of the observation deck (as he picked up someone calling it), he didn't really pick up the sound of the shouting as more than a dull, almost familiar echo. In fact, until there was a weapon pointing at him, it didn't even fully register that there was a mirror image of himself approaching him.

Of course, once his attention was caught, it was well and truly snared. His sidearm was drawn before the other's words were processed--years of training preceded things like thought--but he maintained a purely defensive stance.

Even accounting for the differing outfit, the man was not quite the same as he remembered him from years before, but there was no telling what that world might have gone through. He could think of no reason that any other duplicate of his would react so aggressively to his appearance.

"Understand my doubt that I would be here purely for your benefit."

[justdorothygale.livejournal.com]

John threw up his free hand, universal code for oy vey, I give up, whatever.

"And now I'm pointing a gun at myself! Again!"

[sgmitchell.livejournal.com]

Despite the man's apparent exasperation at the situation (which, honestly, was shared, because really...both of them were called?), he did not lower his weapon. He did relax a bit, though.

"You're the one who keeps making the first hostile move, here."

[anoldtrickster.livejournal.com]

"Can we avoid any shooting, please?" Wednesday says dryly, reaching an arm between the two identical-looking men. "I'm sure there's a perfectly-fine explanation for this, and even if there isn't someone else will probably shoot whichever of you pulls the trigger."

[justdorothygale.livejournal.com]

John frowned at the old man, more than a little tempted to let Winona work out some of his issues, but there were two of them and one of him and he wasn't about to play those odds, not alone. Slowly, he lowered the pulse pistol.

"Fine," he muttered, then glanced back at his twin. "But this time you're staying where I can see you. I don't give a damn if you're really me or I'm really you or whatever, I've already been cuckolded by my own clone once and I'm not gonna do it again."

[sgmitchell.livejournal.com]

The old man had a point. Of anything, he could accept that this was a neutral ground between their two homes--even if the other still might've set this whole thing up--and violence in the middle of the crowd would end badly for everyone. Fortunately, the other him recognized that as well.

That, unfortunately, was where it stopped making sense.

"...What?" That wasn't what he'd intended to say. He'd meant to ignore the wildly inappropriate term and correct the man's understanding of alternate universes...but really. Cuckolded? Even looking at the events surrounding their last encounter in the most generic, exaggerated way, that phrase didn't even make sense.

[justdorothygale.livejournal.com]

John's frown deepend. He tilted his head a little, looking the man up and down like he was searching for something. Surely the guy would remember --

He pointed at the man's weapon. "That's not a pulse pistol."

[sgmitchell.livejournal.com]

Cam frowned, and briefly regretted not having found a Zat. In review, it might have been a vastly superior option. Of course, given the advanced technology of the ship, bullets just might do more damage, if such a situation arose.

This all flashed through his mind quickly--more habit than conscious thought, and he belatedly hoped the AI did not keep constant contact with his mind.

Cam shrugged after a moment. "It's a Beretta." While the 'you should know that' was implied, it was really too obvious to bother saying. Unless this was another alternate version of himself. Maybe one who was on his side of the 'fence' regarding the multiversal hub event, but with higher tech. That was possible, wasn't it? Extremely unlikely, but according to Sam, possible. Thinking about that was going to give him a headache.