( open )

[retrorsum]

» WHO? river song + open
» WHEN? september 1
» WHERE? observation deck, bar, medical
» WHAT? arrival + investigation
» WARNINGS? tbd

observation deck

( stars could tell you a great many things. stars gave you locations, they gave you time. stars told a story.

to river these stars were silent. it wasn't just that they were unfamiliar, a part of space or time that she hadn't visited, but that she can't tell anything about them. her sense for that sort of thing wasn't as refined as the doctor's, a man that could sniff the air and tell you everything around you. river could to an extent but here-- it was strange, an almost repulsive feeling. a fixed point in time?

it didn't stop her lingering, fighting against the feeling to try and find out something. there was always some way of finding out where you were )

the bar

( there was one thing that seemed to be certain wherever river went -- bars were a good source of information. people drank, people talked, sometimes they traded information but always there was something to get... or overhear.

she'd taken a seat at the bar, left hand by the drink that she'd gotten, right resting lightly on her legs. she was starting to feel the pain from the break even more now and whilst river was good at putting it off, focusing on something else, it was distracting. working with one hand, trying not to jostle the other was difficult.

but her mask was solid. to anyone that passes she'll ask, with perhaps a hint of flirtation ) So, how long have you been here?

( she'd gotten a lot of good information from clara. now it was time to find out her own )

medical

( she'd been putting it off for as long as she could. the pain was bearable (it wasn't but she was very good at lying to herself) and river felt like she had more important things to do -- like escaping. but it was a hindrance. only having the use of one hand was slowing her investigating down which was not going to help anyone.

she'd seen the location of medical when she'd been looking at the map, begrudgingly making her way there.

the lab looked a little impressive, fairly modern for the century that she'd noted though how long ago that century was river didn't have an answer for. though it would be just her luck that the place would appear to be empty. she didn't know which of the equipment would be useful to her or how to use it, though it didn't stop river from looking around just in case something happened to be labelled )

Comments

[retrorsum]

Now wouldn't that be exciting if I did?

( she offers him a slightly wicked smile. it hadn't been what river had planned, though she hadn't actually been planning on making a device at all, but it wasn't outside of the realm of possibility )

But no. I was thinking of something a little more proactive to our situation.

[resleeves]

Are you gonna elaborate or am I going to stand here till I die of old age?

( that was prompting in the oh so special kovacs way. )

[retrorsum]

( she pauses for a moment, considering his request, considering how much exactly to tell him. to lie about, considering this was a plan that river was making up on the spot. it would be a very good plan, something she could absolutely do with the right components (or something jerry-rigged, it wouldn't be the first time). but also a complete lie.

instead, she asks )

How long have you been here?

[resleeves]

Too fucking long.

( kovacs can't even recall how long that is. months. maybe half a year by now? if he's not there yet, he's getting close. )

Long enough to hate this fucking place.

[retrorsum]

With what I've heard I don't believe it would take very long for that to happen.

( something that could alter perceptions, beliefs, kill you and bring you back. a place of impossibilities and she'd stepped right into it )

We don't have access to many of the functions of the station. Why not create our own?

[resleeves]

Because there are some people here who're afraid that taking risks will ultimately result in the station going to shit.

( or exploding or something like that. who the fuck knows. people were fucking boring and they were the reason everyone was going to be stuck here for fucking years if they weren't careful. )

[retrorsum]

It sounds like it already has.

( maybe not quite so drastically but things certainly werent going smoothly, enough so that had this been optional the doctor might have turned up to sort things out alone )

Though risks may be our best way of getting out.

[resleeves]

Yeah, try convincing everyone else of that. Good luck.

( there were so many do gooders in this place that it made kovacs sick. people who didn't want to set this fucking station on fire for what it had done. )

You still haven't answered the question. What specifically are you looking to make?

[retrorsum]

A communication device.

( in the simplest of terms. river knows that there's already a method, at least across the station, and whilst it could possibly contact elsewhere it's inaccessible to them. plus it could be monitored. making her own-- well, she could do anything with it. communicate, scan, send distress beacons. she knew a good frequency )

[resleeves]

[ interest appears briefly in kovacs' eyes but it dies quickly enough because she can't be the first one to try to fucking build what amounts to a fucking ONI. ]

You got someone on speed dial you wanna fucking call, then? Who's going to be able to find us when we don't know where we are?

[retrorsum]

( river actually did though she never called them, not in the strictest sense of it. leaving messages through time, graffitting cliffs. her communication methods were far more unusual )

A strong enough signal can easily be tracked. We don't need to know where we are.

( she'd managed to be able to get him to lock on once with just a word, something to boost and cut through, though it had helped that he'd known when she was. he'd found her other times with less )

[resleeves]

Let's entertain the possibility that you can both build something and get it working, who the fuck's going to come?

[ what good was a signal if everyone fucking ignored it? no one else had rolled through this part of space since he'd been here why the fuck would that change now? ]

[retrorsum]

My husband.

( and she's certain about all three of those things. it wouldn't be the first time that she'd built something ridiculous out of nothing and gotten it working, or sent him an obscure signal that he'd answered. this wasn't outside of the realm of possibility )

It wouldn't be the first time.

[resleeves]

Your husband.

[ still fucking dubious. ]

You certain he wouldn't just see the message and decide it was too out of his fucking way?

[retrorsum]

He'd probably come out of how ridiculous this place was.

( though he'd answered her call at far less. she'd graffiti'd the oldest cliff in the universe with simply hello sweetie and temporal coordinates and he'd shown up. she loved him )

He's crossed time and space for less than this. And something full of inexplicable things?

( river just smiles. it was his thing )

[resleeves]

Gross.

[ the whole cute married thing, not the fact that he'd come out to help them. kovacs would be grateful if any fucking one helped them at this point. ]

What is he, some sort of fucking superhero?

[retrorsum]

He's just a man.

( an alien and very impossible but he was just a man. he didn't try to be a hero, he never stayed to be thanked, he just did what felt right )

Just one that is very familiar with situations like this.

[resleeves]

Uh huh.

[ yeah, he still wasn't going to believe that some man would sail out of nowhere and save their asses. too good to be true. ]

And what happens if you can't make this magical machine? Gonna open the airlock and scream for him?

[retrorsum]

No.

( she wasn't needy, gosh )

I've gotten out of stranger situations without him. There's never just one way out.

[resleeves]

Gross.

[ yes, still. ]

You plan on taking other people with you when you miraculously get everyone out or just yourself?

[retrorsum]

( oh, this man was so young )

My method of travel is usually a little more solitary. ( maybe the odd tag along if she really wished it. vortex manipulators weren't meant for groups ) But if you find me a ship--

( maybe )

[resleeves]

There are ships in the hangar.

[ he knew something you didn't know! ]

Don't know if they work though. No one's really fired them up yet.

[retrorsum]

Then I know where I'm going.

( river, no, you need to fix your wrist first. you'll do better work if you do )

Whether or not they work isn't the only concern with them.

[resleeves]

Oh, have fun.

[ he even nods oh so seriously at her. ]

Pretty sure you're going to get very far ripping apart the ships. No one's going to be there to stop you. And I certainly won't spread it around.

[retrorsum]

Oh, if they work I'm not going to be taking them apart.

( adding to them maybe. could she botch together some form of time travel in it if it wasn't already present? they'd find out )

Taking one maybe.