tushanshu | video;

Entry tags:

video;

[Have a Marta, everyone. She's sitting at a cafe console for the first time since her initial arrival last week. After the last few days of recovering from being on the run, exploring the city, and keeping an eye on Aaron's wounds, she's finally ready to see just who's around.

Hair pulled back in a ponytail, and with a cup of tea not far from her hand, she starts a video feed.]

Good morning, everyone. My name is June. [Look at that, she didn't stumble on the fake name or anything!] I've been looking around the city and--it's quite incredible isn't it?

The level of technology is a great deal less advanced than where I'm from, however. Has anyone seen anything remotely resembling a laboratory or a hospital here?

[She pauses briefly, a moment of awkwardness, then summons a half-smile.]

Thank you for your time.

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I haven't. Most of the medical practice here seems to be limited to herbalists and healers, with the Water Sector seemingly the best for that.

The water sector?

[Marta pauses to consider this.]

Thanks, I'll have to take some time to visit there more thoroughly.

It's not a problem. I've had no medical problems myself, so all the information I have is hearsay, but it doesn't seem to be incorrect.

If I find something concrete I can let you know, if you'd like.

Hopefully there won't be a reason for any of us to make use of the medical facilities, but if there is, it would be best we're all informed, I imagine...

I'd appreciate that, thank you.

I certainly agree. But I'm not getting my hopes up. I do wonder who among the kidnapped might have medical experience. I imagine it'll be quite valuable, especially if it's more advanced that what's here.

[It's a general statement, but also a bit of a question, to see how June answers it]

[Marta might have been more hesitant to admit that she does have medical training, however with the potential for face doubles, there's no major way to prove that she isn't who she says she is.]

I do have medical experience, actually. I'm not a general practitioner, however I do have enough training that in a pinch I could be called upon to help, or assist someone with more qualified depending on the situation. I'd say that my knowledge is easily more advanced, though not as in-depth as I might like if I'm the only doctor here.

[She's a far cry from a surgeon or anyone trained to handle emergency situations.]

[Peggy nods] I see. That's still very useful. A lot more than most. Though I don't mean to put any sort of pressure on you, either. It's something to look into, I think -- who else.

Yes, I agree, it would be best to find other qualified people, especially considering the fact that there's no concrete way of telling who can be trusted among the kedan...

[She certainly wouldn't want to be under their ministrations at a vulnerable moment if it could be helped.]

I take it you're not a medical professional?

[Which is to say, she admitted what she is. Your turn, Peggy.]

My thoughts exactly.

[A pause. It's not really a secret] I'm not, though I can take care of things with rudimentary skill -- something to hold until I can reach an actual doctor or nurse. Basic first aid sort of comes with military training. At least mine did.

[Marta can't say that she's entirely surprised that Peggy's military. She certainly carries herself with a certain...something.]

Knowing the basics is better than nothing at all. The more of us who can be counted on to help, the better.

Do you mind if I ask where you're from?

Not at all. I'm from England, if you've heard of it. What about yourself?

[She assumes the United States -- but with different worlds, you can never be sure.]

[Marta smiles a bit.]

Of course I have. I'd say, who hasn't, but in this place I suppose that's not so much the case.

I'm from America myself. The east coast, more specifically.

[Peggy nods, smiling a little bit herself.]

I've spent a lot of time on the East Coast, mostly in New York.

Oh?

[Marta perks up slightly.]

I haven't spent much time there myself. I was further south, in Maryland.

Work related, to be honest. New York was usually spent going back and forth between upstate and the city.

A shame you didn't have a chance to enjoy what it had to offer then, even with its crowded population and traffic.

I'm sure I'll get back soon enough, with more free time. Assuming we ever manage to escape this place, of course.

Yes, there's always that hurdle to get past first.

[Sigh. She rubs a hand over her face.]

Any theories on how much of what they've told us is true, and which parts?

To the best of my knowledge, it really is a turtle's back we're living on. Unfortunately, it's a bit hard to confirm or deny anything, since we get our answers shoved off as "the Emperor's business."

So it's not just us who had that problem.

[Us as in she and Aaron.]

What about their whole thing about this being a place between life and death and dreaming?

It seems most people do.

That -- well, to be honest, I thought I'd died at first, but it may very well be some sort of in-between world, as strange as it sounds.

[Marta simply nods.]

I can't recall a recent instance that may have led to my death but this is all well out of my depth and experience so who's to say. An in-between world sounds strangely logical, if such things can be believed.

That was part of it, too. There weren't really any recent fatal incidents I could recall either, but it didn't strike me as impossible to be suddenly killed.

And with the amount of people from a fairly large variety of words, perhaps it's some kind of -- not gateway, exactly, but maybe a connection between them all.

That does seem reasonable, well, as much as it can considering the supernatural nature of this that we're discussing.

[And talking ~magic~ really isn't her thing. Science, science is dependable. This otherworldly stuff is not.]

[Peggy's never been a big believer in the supernatural either -- all the technology she's seen can be explained through science; even if some of it goes over her head, there's nothing fantastical about it]

The supernatural part is the hardest to grapple with, but I'm sure there's an actual explanation to be found. There must be.

Edited 2012-09-17 07:13 (UTC)