video, backdated to pre-plots

[thebioticwoman]

[Shepard has settled into her quarters, and the background to her transmission is a thrilling expanse of undecorated wall with a little bit of couch cushion visible near the bottom of the frame. She herself is a red-haired, pale-skinned human woman with green eyes and a calm, no-nonsense demeanor, wearing what looks like it could be a military or merchant marine uniform, though it has no obvious insignia or rank.]

My name's Shepard. I just got here, obviously, and I have a question. The staff was polite about it, but considering one of them nearly dropped his datapad when I floated the idea, there's obviously something they're not telling me...why is "Spectre" a bad codename?

[She could just freakin' Space Google it, but this is a good icebreaker. Besides, she doesn't have her omni-tool and she finds the omnicomm interface unreasonably clunky and inflexible.]

Comments

[unrecovered]

There's currently a wrath-of-God entity running around the galaxy and dispensing whatever they consider to be justice in...interesting, creative ways. Not something you want to be associated with.

Also, Google still exists. So you know.

[AUDIO]

[kingtyrantranger]

Nice to meet you. I'm Jason.

[On to the question.]

Anyway, the Spectre's already around. They say he's the Wrath of God. Kills murderers and other criminals. Spooky powerful, too. I read that he destroyed an entire country because he figured they'd never stop their civil war.

All I really know for sure is that he let a teammate of ours die just to get a reason to kill someone.

[thebioticwoman]

[Oh, uh. That actually does kind of sound like her job. She's a merciful special agent with near-unlimited extrajudicial authority, at least.

Maybe best not to mention that just yet.]

"Google?" Like the number?

[Unspoken question: what does that have to do with what she asked?]

audio

[thebioticwoman]

[Shepard hisses softly between her teeth.]

That's...very legalistic.

[kingtyrantranger]

Yeah. He works out of the Bible, I guess. We've got files and video of him in action, if you want.

But, yeah. At this point it's kind of like calling yourself Jason Vorhees or something. Sorry.

[thebioticwoman]

[There's a delay before Shepard replies, because she's watching the anonmeme video.]

...I see.

[She's got no problem with killing, but the legal system exists for a reason.]

I'm gonna assume "Vorhees" isn't your last name?

[Shepard's familiarity with 200-year-old slasher flicks is minimal.]

[kingtyrantranger]

[He snorts.]

Nah. I'm Jason Lee Scott.

He's from this, uh. Horror series. Sorry. Like, nine movies about an unkillable zombie murderer in a hockey mask.

[thebioticwoman]

Okay, I won't wear a hockey mask, either.

[Her voice is dryly amused.

Sorry, Casey.]

[kingtyrantranger]

I think Casey called dibs on those already.

[Someone missed your implication, Shep.]

[thebioticwoman]

[That's not--]

I guess I'll just have to come up with my own style, then.

[So deadpan.]

[saltsweet]

Partly because someone already has it and he's kind of an asshole.

He also killed one of our own, so using that for a code name really wouldn't go over well around here.

[thebioticwoman]

Yeah, one of the Spectres before me back home was no prize, either.

text

[mylawn]

Call yourself what you want. What'd you end up running with?

text

[thebioticwoman]

Sentinel. It's a nickname for my combat specialization. Nobody cleared their throats awkwardly about that one, so I think I'm good.

[mylawn]

Military?

[It is an entirely obvious thing to say, because she screams military, but hey. 76 wants to know.]

[thebioticwoman]

[Jack Morrison, detective.]

Marine, special forces.

[mylawn]

[he's good at this.]

I had you figured.

[thebioticwoman]

How did you figure it out when I didn't use my rank?

[She thinks that's probably plainly enough a joke even in text. Shepard has to be forced out of her uniform even when she's on leave she knows she's obvious.]

What about you?

[mylawn]

[Oh, it reads. Maybe he's smirking a little behind the screen. You'll never know.]

Army, special forces.

[thebioticwoman]

[Shepard is unaware that this means they should have a rivalry, since the Alliance makes no formal distinction between ground and naval forces. As far as she's concerned, "marine" is just a career path, not a separate service.]

There a lot of us here?

[headinjuries]

Well, unless you wanna go for that "reclaim the name and make it good again" thing like Brainy is...

[thebioticwoman]

Not worth fighting over. I'm not attached enough to the title to insist on it.

[She's looking at Sam slightly dubiously. He looks a little young for this.]

[headinjuries]

Probably a good thing. People get kind of wacky about the religious stuff anyway.

[ He has noticed that dubiousness and is (with annoyance) trying to ignore it. He's good at this, okay. He knows stuff. ]

[thebioticwoman]

[If he's good now, he'll be better when he's 18. nottalking.gif]

Are humans here pushy about Earth religions?

[That would be awkward.]

[headinjuries]

It's not as bad here as it is back home, I guess.

There's like a religious sect that's into Superman or something though? Which seems kinda weird to me.