trans_9 | A fella named Book reading a book. Imagine that

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A fella named Book reading a book. Imagine that

The Serenity hadn't changed much. His old cabin was even much the same on board. Fine by him, it was as comfortable as anywhere else, and twice as familiar. There was so much to explore on the larger ship however. The city was immense, though he heeded the warnings to keep alert in the places he wandered. Still places like the Temples and Religion Row were peaceful, and reassuring that bastions of faith and belief had been preserved. He wasn't sure about what happened in the Vatican. Looked like it had been through some rough times and signs of repair were clear. Some time, he wanted to see about what to grow in the gardens. Nothing better than good fresh food from the soil for the body and soul.

But right now, he wanted to take a peek in the Media Library. There was a great deal from the Earth That Was in terms of books, videos, music. Also stories from other worlds. Right now he found a herbology book to glance at. He didn't know what planet had such plants, but it was informative.

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Zouichi was making his way through a file on old Earth wildlife preserves, cave formations, islands, and the like when he heard someone come in. A man he didn't recognize was there, looking at a book on... plants?

He gave the man a nod in acknowledgment; perhaps he was one of the newer crew members here.

Book nodded back, and remarked, "Quite a collection in here, isn't it?"

"It's quite extensive," said Zouichi, looking up. "On certain topics, anyway. Perhaps not quite so extensive when it comes to works that might directly affect our future course of action."

"Guess that's her way of saying we need to fashion our own future. Just need to have some faith."

Zouichi snorted. "In the ship? Right. Because it wants only the best for us."

"That isn't so?" He heard a few things from fellow Serenity crew, but not much.

"Not unless you count throwing us to the wolves as 'looking out for us'." Book, you should get out more often.

More like he was still discovering things on the ship. Some of that was just settling back in with his old crewmates, and there was so much ship to learn about.

"Now I know I haven't been around here as long as some, but can't say that I'm following your meaning."

"For starters, how about the ship's way of storing you in a slime pod for who knows how long until it releases you at its discretion, supposedly after your world has been destroyed, to take up a war on the side of an organization you know little to nothing about? How about the way it reaches into your thoughts, balances your fluids if you're not in equilibrium, monitors your movements and everything else that happens in its halls? How about those Reavers it was storing in a big hidden tank onboard? How about the shapeshifting interstellar criminal?

"Beyond that, how about the way it sends everyone on mandatory missions with little to no warning about what's waiting for them or what they're supposed to be doing? You want to know why you shouldn't trust the ship? I've yet to hear a good explanation of why I should."

Book's face frowned more at that. He had heard some things, like about the Reavers in passing. He hadn't heard that they were actually being stored on aboard however.

"Heard about the Reavers. I'm a man of God, but those beings got no business being stored or anywhere on this ship. I can see your point. Best we can do is trust in each other, much as we can."

"True." In fact, the other crew were about the only people Zouichi did trust. "It's important that we work together. Perhaps we'll be able to better understand the mystery of our presence here."

Erhart, for his purposes, was checking through the media library, searching for some texts from his own time, scowling with disgust at all the heretek methods of data-storage from beneath his helm. He looks down at Book, a quiet figure of menace, and thoroughly out of place in any sort of library, in his massive armor and battered tabard.

Menace perhaps, but looks were deceiving. The old shepherd knew that as much as anybody, and for double the reason.

"Not finding what you're seeking?" He remarked, observing and taking note of how the other figure was skulking through the area.

"No, I am not." He looks down at the human, and shifts slightly, obviously inclined to be somewhat less angry with another person nearby.

"I sought tales of my brothers, here, or of my gene-sire, Rogal Dorn."

Book nodded at that, and remarked, "Ought to be a way to do a search in here. She might have something."

"I will not ask the heretical Iron Man for help with anything. I must find it myself."

There is a growl to his augmitted tone, inhuman and almost feral.

His eyebrows quirked up at the comment, and he asked, "Sorry, not following?"

"I do not trust the entity that commands this ship. Machine Intelligences are an abomination, they have enslaved mankind in the past."

His fists clench even mentioning that fact.

"This happened back where you come from I take it?" The AI simply wasn't that intelligent where he used to be, even with the technological advances the Alliance has.

"Many years ago, yes, during the Dark Age of technology."

He touches his breastplate for a moment, making a dull clank. "But it is now the Age of the Imperium, and such worries are... done."

Jonas passed through the doors of the Media Library -- literally through them, not needing to open doors was a perk of the ability to become intangible at will. As his feet touched the floor and he resumed the solid state, he nodded a greeting to the older man already in the room. Hopefully, the man is not someone easily spooked by metallic skin and glowing eyes.

Not easily spooked no, but the emerging figure was exotic enough to raise eyebrows. Alliance had its share of technology, but nothing like this.

"Have to say, that's one of the most unusual entrances I've seen."

Jonas looked up when the man spoke, his mouth tugging into a small, self-depreciating smile.

"[I do have some flair for the dramatic,]" he said. "[I am afraid it runs rather rampant in my family. I apologize if I startled you, sir.]"

"Not that badly, it's all right. Have to say you're one of the most unusual sights I've seen since waking up here."

"[Really?]" Jonas looked a little surprised at that. "[I...am not entirely sure what to say to that, sir. I hope that the ship at rates higher on that list than I do, at least?]"

Howard's back in the media library, hitting that driver's education pamphlet again. Because it's totally possible to learn how to drive from the pages of a book and not from actually getting behind the wheel of a car again.

He raises his head and gives Book a skeptical look when he enters. It's not disrespectful, per se, but there's a touch of hostility to it. Pre-emptive defensiveness, an expectation that Book might make him explain himself. "Hey, Shepard."

Book would beg to differ on the importance of hands on experience. Still books have much knowledge.

Still he glanced up from the passage he was perusing to bestow a smile of greeting, "Howard. Good to see you again."

Howard isn't exactly sure he can say the same regarding Book, but Howard does feel like indulging a little curiosity. "Whatcha reading?"

"just looking over this guide on plants, and thinking about what to grow. Noticed some folks have a garden on board."

"Yeah, most of them in Hydroponics. You thinking about growing food?" Howard perks up a bit, interest gained. "Because that's always something we can use more of on the ship."

Book nodded, pleased to have his interest.

"I do indeed. Not a bad cook either if I do say so myself." After all, he was very familiar with how hard supplies can be when you're traveling through space.

"I probably wouldn't be able to tell." And he's serious about that - the concept of 'good' and 'bad' food has long since left Howard's head. He's just glad there is food.

He tilts his head a bit, considering whether or not he'll tell Book about the fruit trees in Hydroponics, then decides that that shall stay his little secret. "So word on the street says this isn't the first spaceship you been crew on, Shepherd."

"Well when I get some crops going, you're welcome to stop by for dinner."

Book closed the book for a moment. He can always finish looking at it later. It'll be a good reference.

"No it certainly isn't. She's a mite bigger than most of the ones I've been on though. Last ship I was on was the Serenity in the hangar here."

"Don't think I won't." And if you give him half a chance he'll ~~rob~~ eat you out of house and home, Book.

Howard flicks his eyes upwards as he thinks about which ships he's seen while scavenging broken bits of ships in the hangars. "I think I know that one. Does it have the rotatey engine thingies?"

This is clearly Howard's commanding grasp of the English language poking through.

Book will just make up extra. He's used to dealing with appetites like the Captain and Jayne's on board. Hopefully Howard wasn't scavenging too close to the Serenity or her crew would likely come after him.

"That's actually the rotating drive pod on her, but the engines are located there as well. Common feature to the Firefly class ships. Ever talked to Kaylee about the ship? She knows the ship best as anyone."

"You're speaking Greek to me." Howard has very little interest in the finer workings of the spaceship. It's not something he can steal or toy with for his own entertainment, so why bother?

"No, I don't know her. She works at the tavern, right? I see her around but she seems kind of, I don't know...annoyingly peppy."

"I'd imagine haven't seen too many ships yourself then."

Book chuckled at that, "That's her. She has a bright soul. Wish more of us could share her kind of optimism." Speaking as he wasn't always one of them himself. Seen too much to think so, though he hadn't been as bitter as Howard was in some years.

"Nah. Just had rockets and all back on my Earth, and nowhere near where I lived. Stacy's the first time I even left California."

Howard rolls his eyes with all the sass a teenager who thinks they've seen the world can muster. "You call it optimism if you want. I'm guessing she's a friend of yours, so I'm not gonna say anything else about it."

"The Earth That Was, think a good number on here are from that time."

Book then remarked as he gave him a pointed look, "Better you do that. She has many friends on board, not just our group on the Serenity as I've heard either." He wasn't surprised really. Kaylee was just one of those very likable people, awfully plain spoken on some matters, but still good.

"...Wait, what happened to Earth in your timeline?"

Howard shrugs. Howard's been, in his opinion, fairly polite on the subject of Kaylee. He agreed to not say anything else mean, didn't he? "Good for her. Friends are kind of hard to make."

"Hard to say, one too many natural disasters, not enough resources, too many people. But the fact remained, humans had to leave it behind. Settle out on terraformed planets elsewhere in the nearby systems."

He nodded with approval at his next comment, "That they are. Especially real friends, not just allies. Can't really trust an ally too much."

"Oh." Howard's expressions darkens a little. "Yeah, I know how that goes. Sounds like my Earth except we couldn't go to space or anything."

He nods. "Allies are good for doing what's useful to them. If you know what that is, you'll be fine. But you only get loyalty from friends, and sometimes not even then."

"Not that far enough along yet?" He must have been a few centuries back at least.

"If you don't get loyalty from friends, they're not really friends. Believe me, I've seen enough of both kinds to know the difference."

"Never going to get that far. You know how most populations grow exponentially? We're reversing that trend."

He shakes his head and folds his arms across his torso, leaning back in his seat. "Nuh uh. You're wrong. A friend's what you think of them, not what they think of you."

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A fella named Book reading a book. Imagine that

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