001 ⌥ VOICE

[femshep]

My name's Commander Shepard, of the SSV Normandy, and if anyone's ready to give higher brain function a shot, I think I can keep us all alive.

[There's a pause as she pulls together what to say next, but not a long one. She pulls speeches out of her ass for a living. ...Well, that's part of her job, anyway.]

Now that you've all had your asses handed to you on a silver platter, we're starting to see what kind of enemy we're up against. Hell, we still don't know--don't you think for a second that they weren't holding back. And the only reason we fought back even as well as we did was because a few of us know how to handle a gun.

So here's what I'm thinking: I'm thinking we should organize. We'd all do a hell of a lot better if we established some sort of order here. If we knew who needed protection and who could be the ones to protect them. If we knew who the hell was guarding the damn ship instead of pairing off with the first idiot who shows a ounce of interest and taking off on some half-assed adventure. Because at this point I'm thinking it's pretty obvious that ship's what the enemy wants, and it's something we need to keep in one piece until we figure out why.

On top of that, I'm thinking the people with some sort of artillery and training should be the ones who start throwing themselves in the line of fire--exploration teams, search parties, even raids if that's what it comes to--and the people who've spent their lives at a desk or in some sort of lab should stay the hell in the city until they know which end of the gun to point. Shit, it doesn't even have to take long. I'll teach you, if I have to.

[There's a pause, and when she continues, her voice is a little quieter, a little less authoritative.]

I don't have any of the big answers. I don't know why we're here, and I don't know for how long. But I know how to survive, and how to make sure everyone else does to. So if you've got suggestions, I'm all ears. If you want to learn how to shoot, how to fight, I've got time for that too. [There's another pause, and she she exhales something between a laugh and a sigh.] And in the meantime, where am I looking to go to get some sort of drink?

Comments

[femshep]

Appreciated. [She sounds like she means it, too. He's turning out to be... well, she can't say 'a valuable ally' yet, that kind of thing comes with time, but he's got a level head and a steady aim and that's damn sure good enough for her. Military rank earned him a little respect, too.

Which reminds her:]

Had a talk with a woman named Kara Thrace a minute ago, and it made me realize how useful it'd be if we had some sort of meeting. Hell, I don't even have to run it--I sure as hell pissed off enough people today. But we need to put our heads together somewhere--[Somewhere where the enemy can't listen in.] Somewhere in-person.

[femshep]

What's your name?

[cametohissenses]

Yeah? Sure didn't piss me off. Yet. [There's an amused half-smile there, because he knows what it's like to be Mr. Unpopular.

There is a pause and then he nods.]

Sounds like a plan. Meet you outside?

[He gets what she's hinting at so deciding on that somewhere in-person place over the network would be just as much besides the point.]

[femshep]

Doesn't seem like people take it too well when you tell them to sit their ass down unless they know how to shoot. [She sounds amused now, too.

At his suggestion, she nods once in return.] Roger.

[And she'll be heading outside. Where even is he? Are they both in the Flop area, or what?]

[breakablegirl]

Claire Bennet. I've shot guns before but I wouldn't say I'm practiced.

[femshep]

Any chance you know where to get your hands on one?

If you don't, I'll train you with mine, but it'd be a damn good idea to find one you can keep on you.

[breakablegirl]

I'll try Edmund. Guy seems really skeevy but I'll bet he has guns or knows where to find them.

Thanks.

[femshep]

Don't thank me yet. We've got a whole lot of work ahead of us.

[breakablegirl]

You're giving me the chance. It's a thank you thing, believe me.

[Almost everyone in Claire's canon: NO CLAIRE DON'T LEARN HOW TO DEFEND YOURSELF. DON'T DO IT.]

[femshep]

I'll take your word for it.

Just get in touch when you're ready to learn.

[video]

[waspromisedcake]

Ok.

[A pause.]

Yes.

[voice]

[radars]

I've had experience with the difficult process towards peace.

[ Also a lot of experience with failure. ]

[video;]

[tailless]

[It's probably because of his giant ego and temper.]

I do.

[breakablegirl]

I will.

[relativistic]

i'm also very handsome and cool and i'm super awesome with guns.

[femshep]

Now you've got my attention.

[relativistic]

see, i told you i'm cool.

[video]

[femshep]

[She's not used to people who... talk this little. Having traveled amongst the galaxy's races, she's eventually come to stereotype humans too, albeit by accident. They talk less than salarians, but significantly more than this girl. Shepard doesn't entirely know what to make of it.

Either way, she's asking:] You said you can shoot. Are you armed right now?

[femshep]

I said you've got my attention. That's completely different.

[video;]

[femshep]

Excellent. Glad to hear it.

[That's one more for Shepard's Power-Team the 'people who aren't dead weight' list.]

[video]

[waspromisedcake]

[Chell is coming to understand that her to the point, no frills manner of talking isn't the norm among her fellow humans, but adjusting to them is still a slow process.]

No.

[She would have just ended it there, but she deems more information necessary.]

Where do I get a gun?

[video;]

[tailless]

[There's a pause, and when he speaks, it's strained, like he's not used to saying this.]

I'll be standing by.

[action shift?]

[cametohissenses]

Makes you wonder what it is they're waiting for. A miracle?

[He probably camps out at the ship a lot these days but Flop area is where he is headed now.]

[video]

[femshep]

I don't know yet. There has to be a weapons stockpile of some kind in the Old City, but I haven't found it and I haven't talked to anyone else who has, either.

[She thinks on it for a second, then shakes her head.]

Ask around. I'll do the same. One of us is bound to find something.

[video]

[waspromisedcake]

Ok.

[She would have to be smart about it, she reasoned to herself. Others might be suspicious of her wanting a weapon. She guessed the only thing to do was to ask the people who looked like they would carry a weapon.]

And you can train me?