Ask Some Questions, Get Some Answers (?)

[airlockedmods]

[The Stardust Nebula is a large cloud, sprawling pink and purple across the dark void of space as you approach. There are no planets here, not even a planetoid, but that hardly means it’s devoid of life. Kip will easily be able to navigate to the place in question, a small collection of interconnected spaceports orbiting near the edge of one of the nebula’s hazy, rose-tinted tendrils. Floating signs hooked to these advertise “AIRLOCKED! Q&A”, with arrows leading towards what appears to be a convention center. A dome encloses the area, much like the one around the Fantasy Sweet, but there does not appear to be any kind of security restrictions on the port; it will open as soon as any ship pulls up to it.

Inside, there aren’t too many inconspicuous places to park your weird flotilla of offensively-shaped ships. You may just have to settle for the back of the docks, behind a large news van or something like that, and consider not sticking around the entire time. Getting inside was a quick process, so you shouldn’t have any trouble doing it again, especially with a military navigator staying with the ship. A line has already formed in front of the entrance, at least partially due to the scanners flanking the door. A large weirdly baby-faced alien in some type of uniform is standing there, apparently manning the machine, checking peoples’ belongings, and generally directing them. There’s an unfamiliar symbol on their uniform, clearly not the InterGal 7 logo. Despite being alone, they seem to be handling the line fairly efficiently - even if they occasionally appear to intentionally loom over some of the smaller aliens attempting to enter. There are a few cosplayers among the crowd, of course, but this time the majority are in plainclothes.

Some people are skipping this line and walking around to the back of the building. They’re all wearing or carrying badges, which do have the InterGal 7 logo on them.

For the moment, no one seems to have taken notice of your arrival.]

Comments

[stitch_in_time]

Careful Church, looks like your girlfriend's still here.

[Nodding in the direction of the blonde coffee intern, before attempting to sidle up to the monitor to get a look at that alien with the tablet.]

[There's no spare clipboards or anything he might grab nearby, are there? No one questions a clipboard.]

[airlockedmods]

[There are always random clipboards lying around backstage.

The alien glances up for a second at the proximity - and then again to look at the Doctor a second longer, dark eyes narrowing. But then they shake their head slightly, as if to themself, and go back to what they were doing.

How is your memory, Doctor?]

[stitch_in_time]

[Okay, so he's got a clipboard now, hopefully one that won't be missed. See? Totally official intern type, absolutely should be here.]

[And his memory's good enough that he presumably recognizes the IG7 booth-runner from the last convention they crashed. He pretends to check some things on that handy clipboard against what's being shown on the monitor, trying to get a look at that tablet.]

Everything running all right, so far?

[ratherdoweddings]

[Yurika adjusts her hair and sunglasses before nodding, books in hand like she's doing something important.]

We're just making sure this goes well, It's a pretty big event, isn't it?

[airlockedmods]

[...that's kinda close, but this is not the IG7 booth-runner from before. That was probably an intern, and judging from his suit, tablet, and the nice galaxy-patterned bow tie, this is someone that the interns fetch drinks for.]

Yes... [The alien looks askance.] I'm sorry, do you need something?

[stitch_in_time]

Oh, just makin' sure the video and audio feeds are working properly, that kind of thing.

[He is an innocent intern, sir.]

That's what we're bein' paid in experience for.

[ratherdoweddings]

Right, and keeping ourselves busy! We're done all the filing and I know this kind of event takes a lot of work♡

[thesciencemind]

...experience. Right.

[He smiles tightly, the expression not really reaching his eyes. FOR THE DOCTOR'S SAKE, he looks older than he did in those Yl'lb Ein the Science Mind episodes being advertised way back then - it seems they were reruns that were being aired again, probably because of the recent debut of Yl'lb Ein Saves the Galaxy. Dude's got a new show!

He doesn't seem even remotely as enthusiastic about this now as he was on camera.]

I'm a little busy right now, so if you don't mind?

[stitch_in_time]

Oh, absolutely, just let us know if you need anything.

[Still trying to see if he can get a look at that tablet screen.]

[And, because the Doctor totally recognized him and his mun isn't operating on about four hours of sleep-]

Bit surprising to see you here anyway, honestly. Figured you'd be busier saving the galaxy and all. You a fan of the show?

[ratherdoweddings]

[While the Doctor's trying to distract the Science Mind, Yurika's going to move past him, checking out the monitor and anything else that might be lying around.]

[airlockedmods]

[The monitor is just showing the Q&A panel. You see dead people! They're walking around like they don't even know they're dead!]

[ratherdoweddings]

[Hmm. And anything lying around that can be casually read, weird machines?]

[thesciencemind]

[Yl'lb Ein sighs. He doesn't bother to angle the tablet screen away, though - looks like some kind of readings? There's four separate displays running.]

Yes, it's a great show. Please don't tell anyone I'm back here, I'm just trying to do my work right now. We don't want to make a fuss. [He casts a rather sharp glance over the two of you.] Speaking of which. Don't I recognize you two?

[stitch_in_time]

[Would those readings in any way resemble the brainscans they found during their escape?]

Oh, yeah, I get you. The studio wants the focus on that lot, anyway.

[Nodding towards the stage area.]

...You were around for setup, yeah? Must be from that, they've had us running all over the galaxy, feels like.

[thesciencemind]

[Not at all, really.]

Oh, I see. I must have forgotten seeing you in the past hour. How absent-minded! [That's not a happy smile at all.] Is the Temerity outside right now?

[stitch_in_time]

[Shit.]

[Okay, carefully...]

Sorry, not sure what you mean. If any of the other actors are showing up, they haven't told US, that'd be a bloody brilliant surprise, though-

[Shit shit shit shit shit.]




[Feces.]

[ratherdoweddings]

[Oh, no, oh, no. Yurika's hand goes to the baton she isn't wearing on her belt and one phrase crosses her mind.]

"Consciousness in the Digital World..."

[motherfucking_ghost]

[Yeah, yeah, intern's still flitting about delivering coffees. So long as he stays out of her direct sight or she's too busy, he should be good, right? Just keep his back turned to her and half-hide himself behind the Doctor, and then they can just wander around and...fuck things up, or whatever. Right?

He's listening for Finn at the panel, because boy howdy does he want to just grab him and go. But some other asshole he doesn't know is speaking, and--

Church stops dead, turning toward the monitor.] Simmons...?

[...Shit, wait, don't get distracted, he should be...doing something, he should be doing something that isn't 'try to kidnap the important looking person' because that would be bad. Maybe he didn't entirely think this part of the plan through. He takes a good look at the room while he goes toward one of the wings, ostensibly to look like just another ogling intern with nothing better to do.

Everyone needs a good lookout in case trouble comes rolling up, right?]

[airlockedmods]

[The intern does seem busy for the moment, off talking to someone else. You're good.

There's a bit of a press in the wings, but from here, you can see Simmons! Maybe. He's sitting in a chair, resting his elbows on the table, posture relaxed. There's definitely no visible means of restraint.]

[motherfucking_ghost]

[Man, that can't actually be Simmons, he doesn't look Dutch-Irish at all!

So nobody's here by force. Brainwashing? Amnesia? Hardlight projectors? For once, his kingdom for an EMP wave just to find out. How about bodyguards, anyone look beefy and security-ish, nubs in ears, shades, more Raxacoricofallapatorians? Fuck you guys I can spell it from memory still.]

[airlockedmods]

[Okay first of all fuck you

There is indeed security! There's a set of stairs on either side of the stage leading down into the house, and there's a guard stationed by both of these. They're down at the bottom, facing outward as if to keep people off the stage, rather than keeping anyone on.

Neither of them is the Raxifpoijdf from before, for the record.]

[motherfucking_ghost]

[So can't pull a Michael and Gavin try and be sneaky with the security beef, damn. Can't do anything on stage without, y'know, a massive fucking incident. Maybe he could try and leave one of them a note, as if someone backstage needed them to know something, but that's still unusual, and he wouldn't know what to say. Emergency call? In the middle of a panel? No, if he was going to pull something like that, it'd definitely have to wait for the autograph session.

But since he's a lot closer to Simmons "Max" if that is his real name than the audience crew, is there anything at all off that sticks out? Anything to suggest someone is pulling strings, or that these people might not be who they say they are?]

[airlockedmods]

[Max looks relaxed and happy.

Not that Church probably knows what to make of that, huh?]

[motherfucking_ghost]

[He would not at all know that that's weird and unusual as shit, no. Someone should convince him to at least watch deadland stuff if nothing else someday.

Obviously he'll have to go to the other wings to try and get a peek at Finn, but he puts on a put-out look, like he hoped to have a better angle, and comes wandering back to look at the broadcast of the panel again as he goes by. Are their outfits )relatively) normal, or are they wearing what the "characters" would have been?]

[airlockedmods]

[They're dressed in what seems like ordinary street clothes. It's pretty much what Max and Bolton might have worn, but doesn't seem like it would have existed in Lightning and Finn's worlds.]