003.

[propulsion]

FORM: Crystal
SENDER: Tony Stark
RECIPIENT: All
NOTES: n/a

Listen up. Few items.

You see someone with a green glowy thing in their hand, they may be capable of more than just a sick rave party. Well documented abilities include offensive energy expulsions and flash-shields, and a couple shard-bearers able to close rifts at a time. New documented abilities include those things, but more, and the ability to close a rift on their lonesome.

And if you also notice a rifter capable of phasing through solid objects, distorting time, blasting green lightning, ask yourself: is that rifter extremely handsome, well groomed, articulate, witty, smells nice, killer biceps? If those things apply, don't freak out, it's on purpose, and not a demon.

Second thing — if you find a rift you weren't expecting, take out a little piece of paper, or write on the back of your hand, the day and time you discovered it, and the day and time it was closed. And the day and time it opened, if you catch that, but we'll settle for the license plate. Forward all notes to Wysteria Poppell.

[ Shuffle shuffle paper sounds. ]

Last thing, uh. Hey, the world is round. Like it's a giant sphere, floating in space. Okay, that's all. Bye now.

Comments

[propulsion]

I have the papier-mâché on standby, but I don't see my solar system becoming relevant.

[acreage]

I wouldn't mind getting a look at the local system.

[ maybe then he'd have a better idea of where in the universe they aRE ]

How much do you know about yours?

[ this man is, clearly, a fellow rifter. which leaves him curious if their worlds of origin are alike...especially technologically. especially relative to thedas. ]

[propulsion]

My Very Energetic Mother Just Served Us Nachos?

[acreage]

[ first thought: what?

second thought: oh. ]

Are you from Earth?

[ martians don't have this much of a sense of humor ]

[propulsion]

Was it my accent?

[acreage]

Something like that.

butts in

[technologist]

[ a moment of silence for Tony acting like his knowledge of the solar system stopped at primary school, but also: ]

Is Earth part of your local system?

!!!

[acreage]

I'm from my Earth, so I should think so. Sounds like we have all the same major planets, at least.

[ but he's been here long enough to not take more than that for granted ]

[technologist]

Sounds like it, yeah.

[ slightly exasperated, ]

We've landed on Venus and Mars on purpose, by the way. But we've — [ diplomatic pause. ] Encountered other systems.

[acreage]

[ doesn't entirely sound like their venus had an alien technology squid wormhole thing burst from its surface, hm ]

Landed on Mars. [ "on purpose" ] So you've got Earth, the MCR, and — what kind of encounter?

[technologist]

[ my... chemical romance..... ]

Sorry, the— what's the MCR?

chokes

[acreage]

Martian Congressional Republic. [ ... ] You haven't colonized Mars?

[technologist]

Not unless nine rovers counts as a colony.

[ A rover colony would be quite cute, actually. ]

2018. That's my year. You must be a ways ahead of us.

[acreage]

Jesus.

[ and since bobbie and alex would be upset if he didn't, he clarifies, ]

Mars was a UN colony, then got its independence more than a century ago.

[ so quite a ways into the future. ]

How have you encountered other systems if you've barely made it off earth?

[ was that a little judgy? oops ]

[technologist]

[ wow that wAS a little judgy

ignoring knee-jerk urge to defend the rovers' honor, ]

Alien tech. They got to us first.

[ would that be in history books? the attack on new york, definitely. everything else, doubtful. ]

Have you met the Kree?

[acreage]

[ shaPE UP, past earth!!! ]

No. [ intently, ] What kind of tech?

[propulsion]

[ He can hear Fitz's judgmental silence, feel it in his bones, and it gives him strength.

But continues without a beat skipped; ]

Have you guys left your system?

[acreage]

[ this edges right on a topic he's not sure he trusts anyone here with, which is the only reason there's a brief pause before he answers. ]

You're also talking to my ship's mechanic. [ amos ] We've flown out to extrasolar systems in the last year, one of which is beginning to see permanent human settlements.

[ more will come on its heels all too quickly, though. ]

Have you?

[propulsion]

Not personally.

[ Ugh, space. ]

Does that guy have a name, or?

[acreage]

[ well, before he answers that — ]

Who am I talking to?

[propulsion]

Tony Stark.

[acreage]

Research Division. I've heard you head a subdivision, something like that?

[ also a gifter of beard oil, apparently, so says john silver ]

Amos Burton. [ and, while we're at it, ] I'm James Holden.

[propulsion]

The Felandaris project. We study rifts, rift-adjacent phenomena. Sometimes elf things, if there's an elf thing.

[ The rumours are true. ]

What do you do? Besides exploring the known universe.

[acreage]

[ which explains why he'd been referred to tony, when asking about rifts. keeping that in mind. ]

We're a working-contract ship; we go where we're hired, can move goods, people, offer protection. [ as amos had said: the roci is a gunship. ] Or we did, before falling out a rift onto this planet.

[propulsion]

So you're a pilot? Navigator? Flight attendant in charge of the hot towels?