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[intelligence]

WELCOME TO THE SALTBURNT NETWORK
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@qimir | text

[snaggleteeth]

Hello. You're the anthropologist.

I just learned what white people are. The concept doesn't exist where I come from. Does that sound impossible to you?

[intelligence]

Hello. I am. Xenoanthropologist, specifically.

And no, it doesn't sound impossible. By the time I was born, human society was largely considered post-racial, but in some ways racism was only superseded by prejudice between sentient species.

[snaggleteeth]

Ah. We have some of that, with nonhuman species. But most of our planets don't have the concept of race within humans to begin with. Some are 'monoracial.'

This mean you are from Earth? Just not from when Patrick Swayze and American media imperialism dominated the culture?

[intelligence]

I'm not familiar with Patrick Swayze. I was born on Earth but raised off-world. My primary cultural influence was Vulcan.

It's nice to speak to someone else from a spacefaring universe. There aren't many of us here.

[snaggleteeth]

You put it well. I feel the same.

I've been wondering if it's harder to tolerate being confined to this house, when you're used to traveling between planets. I take it Vulcan is one, fro your galaxy?

✉️ text — un: homelander.

[breeding]

[ He thinks about texting her a few times after they got locked in with each other — it's the third or fourth time when he actually pulls the trigger, shying away from the earnestness of I had a nice time and I'd like to see you again. ]

is "mike" the kinda thing you deck people for, or do you have any nicknames?

[intelligence]

[ Michael thought about reaching out too but never followed through. She's both glad and relieved when he takes it upon himself. ]

Mike was my dad.

I don't have a nickname but I do have a title. Commander.

[intelligence]

Yes. Vulcan is the name of both the planet and its dominant species.

I don't know if it's objectively harder. I wouldn't exactly call life in this house monotonous. But I do struggle with the persistent sameness of one environment. Confinement isn't easy when you're used to exploring the stars.

What is it like for you?

[snaggleteeth]

[oh well you know i fucking hate it, i'm supposed to be doing something else, something important, with someone important, and if i was supposed to be here, she would be too.]

Oh well, you know. I fucking hate it. I'm supposed to be doing something important with someone important. And if I was supposed to be here, she would be too.

[some truths are easy to tell.]

I also had more or less a whole planet to myself. So this is weird.

Wouldn't have said I was much of an explorer, though. If you have a curious character, that could take you far, in this place.

[breeding]

alright, hard no on mike, then.

commander, huh? navy, or some other branch?

[intelligence]

Not Navy, but we do have ships.

I'm Starfleet. It won't exist for another century in the present timeline.

[breeding]

you know, i'm kinda shocked it only takes 100 more years. wonder if i'll still be alive by then.

[ The thought actually starts sending him into a spiral, so he pivots: ]

you got your own ship?

[intelligence]

[ She wants to ask if increased longevity is one of his abilities but she is smoothly distracted by the ship question. ]

Yes. When I left my universe, I was operating a small freight ship with hardly enough space for me plus cargo. She always got me where I needed to go, though. I called her the Alice after a children's book my foster mother read to me.

Discovery is the ship I belong to as crew. It's larger than this house and the surrounding grounds and faster than light. That's home.

[breeding]

alice in wonderland?

don't know if i've ever seen a craft that big outside of a ... no, i think even most aircraft carriers wouldn't be quite that big.

do you miss it? home? or being in space?

[intelligence]

That's the one. I never anticipated how practically relevant it would be to my life.

I do. I miss exploring the galaxy. I miss my crew. I miss the thrill of flying. There's nothing like it.

[intelligence]

Wasn't that lonely? To be the only person on a whole entire planet?

[snaggleteeth]

Had a couple visitors, a lot of birds. Plenty of travel off planet.

What's the designation in this world. 'Extrovert.' That what you are?

[breeding]

[ He considers, first, that this is something he's offered to others more than once. And he considers, second, that it's a good fucking offer. ]

i can get you a close second, if you're interested.
i can fly, as far as this place lets anyone go anywhere.

[intelligence]

You can?

[ She knew about his strength — that's all over the network. Heat vision came up organically when they were snowed in together. But flight is something she immediately connects with. ]

I am. I'm very interested. [ Understatement. ] How far can you go without restrictions?

[breeding]

no boundary, no power cap, i can reach space.

[ Though that's a decidedly less friendly environment for any passengers than it is for him, and even then it's not exactly great. ]

[intelligence]

That's incredible. The closest I've come to something like that was piloting a flight suit.

[intelligence]

Definitely not. [ When she thinks extrovert, she thinks Tilly, and Michael couldn't be more different. ] Humans are social animals, though. Prolonged isolation has effects.

[snaggleteeth]

You're right.

[he's not surprised! not exactly. ]

I avoided being alone too long. Still do. Harder to be useful when you're actively hallucinating.

[breeding]

how far can one of those take you?

[intelligence]

Well. The last one I piloted was also a time machine, so... almost a thousand years.