01 VIDEO »

[dow]

Greetings. I am Commander Spock of the USS Enterprise, a Starfleet contingent of the United Federation of Planets. I understand that we are temporally isolated as well as spatially displaced and that this is not a subdivision of any one possible multiverse, neither a pocket dimension of any one universe, but a unique quantum singularity linking many and each possible variation thereof. If others here have scientific findings of this nature, I pre-emptively extend my gratitude in the event of any information being divulged.

[ AKA pls share ur theories. He's not human, in case anyone with eyes and ears missed the blatant memo staring them in the face, the approximation of what would happen were a dollop of raw science and a great jawline to get mixed with an elf in a blender. Spock pauses thoughtfully, glancing away, and a single slender brow arches when he looks back; there are likely a great deal of customs to be observed from numerous new species and races, none of which he seeks to offend. ]

It has been brought to my attention that this is not my first foray into Keeliai. While I would request that you exert a measure of patience with my ... freshly acquired outlook, you will find me amenable to revisiting former acquaintances. [ Again he hesitates, though this time it comes across as more of an amendment. If you've been hanging out with his BFF, prepare to explain why, how and to what end. ] Similarly, I wish to meet with any and all allies of Captain James T. Kirk at their earliest convenience.

All remaining Starfleet personnel are to submit a fully comprehensive report effective immediately regarding their time here. Audio will suffice, given the circumstances.

[ And off goes the feed. ]

Comments

[angermanaging]

Yeah. That always sounds nice in theory, doesn't it?

[He really can't help the dryness there.]

Fire sector, Stark Industries. Third floor.

[dow]

It is a way of life. [ Rising, he leans forward. ] I will be there shortly.

[ Cutting the feed, Spock follows the directions and finds himself quietly pacing the third floor of the specified building, hands cupped behind his back. ]

Doctor Banner?

[angermanaging]

[He'd tried it as a way of life for years, but it never worked out the way he wanted it to. Maybe the fact that he lived surrounded by very emotional people made it impossible-- or maybe it was just a fact of humanity. Whatever it was, Bruce wished it were that simple for him.

He's not about to discuss it, though. There's one door left open for Spock to find, and inside is a spacious lab with neat work stations. Bruce is the only one occupying it currently, a tall, thin man in bland clothes. He looks up and slips off his glasses, tucking them into his shirt pocket habitually as he turns to face his visitor.]

Hey. What have you been told so far? [So he doesn't repeat anything. But he might as well get right into it.]

[dow]

[ Studying him, he comes to stand nearby. ]

The kedan gave me what I believe to be a standardized "crash course" in how I was pulled from my dimension, there has been mention of a turtle and I am evidently a fictional character in two separate universes.

[ It's been a long day, doc. ]

[angermanaging]

[He looks utterly calm and unflappable, with maybe a hint of open humor about him. Bruce is good at seeming unremarkable.]

That happens. I haven't gotten the... fictional, but I've been recognized. Sometimes there's multiple versions of someone here, though it seems to be most common for my universe.

[That's a bit of a diversion, though. He clears his throat briefly before asking,] Has anyone mentioned the cloning yet? [Might as well dive right into it, taking Spock at his word that he won't be unnerved.]

[dow]

They have not. [ And now Bruce has a Vulcan at full attention. ] Please elaborate.

[angermanaging]

[Well then.]

We're clones, [he says shortly.] We've had our consciousness transferred from our... home dimension into a body here. I don't know what's going on back home. I don't think anyone does except the Emperor, and she isn't telling.

[dow]

[ If he has a reaction, it is internalized. ]

How many other individuals know of this and where did you come upon proof to support the theory?

[angermanaging]

[Bruce folds his arms and leans back against a work bench, presenting his evidence levelly.]

It's common knowledge at this point. Months ago, before my time, someone discovered the cloning facilities, but they were destroyed shortly thereafter. Once I heard the theory, I... actually, this is what we worked on. Me and the-- previous Spock. He let me use his tricorder to sequence my genome. I've memorized a portion of my genetic code [the site of his mutation] and, based on the comparison to what it is here, it's undeniable that we're clones.

It's not very well done, [he adds.] There's a high rate of silent mutations. Since then, the Emperor's acknowledged it publicly in a network broadcast. You can see it in the backlog.

[dow]

[ That frown definitely comes to embed itself with a purpose. It is illogical to be upset that he's a clone when there is, evidently, the real Spock out there and his own reactions in this nexus are unimportant, but it's easier to apply as a front than to accept at heart. If they are all clones, then he is irrefutably the Spock that belongs to this world, created here as an echo of the reality that his (already) Beta counterpart lives.

But he is a Starfleet officer, and he is himself; Vulcan, half-human, his captain's friend. That allegiance does not waver for an instant. ]

I did not arrive with anything of consequence. I was present on the bridge of my vessel, some time ahead in the future compared to my crew-mates here. I will be using Captain Kirk's tricorder until I am able to build my own, but you are welcome to access any information you feel pertinent to our cause.

[ The more tentative files, he'll move to Jim's PADD. ]

[angermanaging]

[Whether there's another version of themselves out there, the 'original', is something that's still up in the air. Bruce doesn't know which way he'd place his bets. Initially, he'd been more than a little distraught about finding out he's a clone himself-- it touched too sharply on the long held fear that the Hulk could be replicated. It should be impossible that he has been replicated. The forces at work here are beyond his current comprehension, but they're not beyond his potential comprehension, and he's relentlessly determined to close the gap.

That's what had led him to asking for Spock's help the last time, among all the other people he's very uncharacteristically reached out to in an attempt to combine efforts and find answers. Bruce's need to understand, to control, is even stronger than his not inconsiderable need to be self-sufficient.

So here he nods, tacitly forming an agreement to share resources.] I appreciate it, [he says honestly.] I've been a little stalled lately. Things have been... hectic. But I'm willing to share what I've found out so far.

[He hesitates a moment before adding,] I've been sharing things with Jim pretty freely and I've never regretted it. [It's as close as he'll come to an outright I trust him at least somewhat, and I'll extend that to you.]

[dow]

The captain is a worthwhile individual to engage in your confidences.

[ Yes, very trustworthy, more so than most that Spock has come into contact with. ]

If I may ask, have you experienced the equivalent of subspace fractures here? I intend to attempt to cut through the dimensional wall with the use of one and relay a message back to our ship.

[ Nothing if not determined. ]