1st Match ♈ [Video]

[flamingshortshorts]

[Toro is a bit haggard from waking up from what he last remembered and finding himself in the grand hall of some other world—really, other dimensions? And here he had thought he’d never see one for himself—but not knowing how he had gotten there. The kedan had explained some to him, but they couldn’t tell him what had happened to Pappy. He sits in the chair in front of the console and works on figuring out how the computer works because it’s not like the ones he knows. Everything is just—too different. But if he’s here, maybe someone else he knows is, too. He's lucky he figured out how to work the radio-computer-camera-thing. Even if it took an hour...or two.]

Guess now I can check “traveling to another dimension” off my list of things to do before I retire. [Have a guy who looks like he’s barely into adulthood—just don’t judge the book by its cover. He runs his hand through his hair, his laugh is a bit awkward, tired.] “Get stuck on another world” wasn’t on there, but you learn to deal with the curveballs.

Torch, if you’re here, too, give me a yell, okay? [He really wants to make sure he’s okay. He doesn’t know what happened to him after they were both sprayed with that chemical. There was a fog, like he was seeing everything in a haze and couldn’t do anything about it. Torch—he doesn’t know what they did to him.]

To everyone else…Name’s Toro—not that probably means much to anybody here if we are all from a bunch of different worlds—and it’s a…really something to be here. I didn’t even know they could get computers this small and still make ‘em do anything worthwhile. Keep expecting to find a room that’s got the real one hidden somewhere and this one is just for show.

Comments

[action]

[beganwithamask]

[It's about an hour and a half after his transmission; it took Bucky that long to figure out where the hell he was going, and how to get there. He'd only spent a little bit of time checking the console after getting a brief lesson from a kedan, and when he saw Toro post something, well, even if this is a dream or a hallucination, he's got to go meet up with his best pal.

So he figures out where he's living, and he does what any sane person would do. He climbs the hell out of that tree and enters through a window. He doesn't exactly trust fancy video messages right now.]

Figures you'd be the one to show up when I'm in a drugged coma somewhere. Hey, pal.

[action]

[flamingshortshorts]

[Tom's been laying on the bed trying to get used to the fact he's trapped in a place he can't leave--can't even fly away from--and now he's somehow supposed to live in a tree. A big tree...but still a tree.

And then someone was coming in through his window and Toro jerks up, flying over the bed and a hand is already burning bright with a fireball to throw right at--]

...Bucky? [He's staring. Staring hard. His eyes are wide with disbelief because this can't be real. He sounds like Bucky. Not Fred pretending with the skill of a seasoned actor. Not a robot. It's...He'd almost forgotten what Bucky's voice really sounded like.]

Only here for a few hours and already the sick jokes are starting? [He doesn't mean to say it, but he knows it doesn't give anything away. Whoever this jerk is, they won't know about Bucky, but they'll know what happened to "Bucky." That Fred was shot and wouldn't be wearing that uniform.]

[action]

[beganwithamask]

[Bucky doesn't realize it. He doesn't know how long he's been gone to Toro, so when he sees him startle and come up with a fireball, he holds both hands out in a 'woah there' gesture, smiling that patented Bucky smile.] Easy there, gonna burn the whole tree down. Man, why'd they stick you in a tree? It's pretty funny though, gotta admit. [He's pacing around, acting like he owns the place, checking the windows and doors, entrances and exits, anywhere someone might be hiding.]

Yeah, well, you know. Figure if I'm layin' up in a VA hospital somewhere with half my face burned off or somethin', there's no sense in whining about it. This is one heckuva dream, y'know? Wait'll I wake up and tell you about you living in a tree.

[action]

[flamingshortshorts]

[Bucky is--moving--checking--doing Bucky things. The fireball in Toro's hand fades and shrinks as he tries to figure out what is even going on. Did he get knocked in the noggin? Is this some twisted hallucination from whatever the hell they sprayed him and Torch with? Are they making him see this? Are they trying to mess with his head?]

...Dream? Hospital? What are you playing at? [He's getting angry, really angry.] Who are you and why are you pretending to be Bucky? If I don't get some answers I'm going to start doing more than burning some firewood.

[Video]

[alpha_squad_leader]

[Victor offers a little smile.] "Get stuck on another world" seems to add itself to everyone's list. It's sneaky like that.

[He thinks for a moment.] By Torch...do you mean the Human Torch? And if so, which one?

[Video]

[flamingshortshorts]

[Wow, this kid sure does look like maybe he should be living with Namor. Did Fishstick get a new partner and not mention it? He didn't think Atlanteans came in anything except like...blue if you were arrogant princes with bad breath.

And did he just ask--]

Which? There aren't any other Torches. Just The Human Torch. Unless you mean me, but I'm pretty sure I'm not asking for myself. Does Jim Hammond ring any bells around here?

[Video]

[alpha_squad_leader]

[Funnily enough, Vic did actually live with Namor for awhile. Sort of.]

Jim Hammond does ring a bell. [Victor takes a breath.] He's the original Human Torch and a pretty intimidating guy. [Vic's met him.] Where I come from there's another guy using the codename.

I'm Victor, by the way. Nice to meet you.

[Video]

[flamingshortshorts]

Another guy? Then...What happened to Pa--Jim? Is he all right? Why would he give that name to anybody else?

[Someone who isn't Toro anyway. How could this guy live in a world where Jim wasn't the Human Torch anymore?] Your world sounds strange enough already.

[video]

[withoutaworld]

[ Rikki's lips quirk into a brief smile as the video opens. ] I used to have a friend called Toro. Two, actually...

Sort of.

Anyway, uh... welcome to Keeliai? It's not bad as being trapped in other universes goes.

[video]

[flamingshortshorts]

[Wow, how many kids are stuck here? Did he miss a memo? He gives a kind of awkward smile in return.]

Toro's turning into a popular name or something, then. And uh...thanks. I could have gone for a place that wasn't made out of wood, but so far they haven't tried to dissect me, it could be a lot worse.

[video]

[withoutaworld]

Maybe you can work out a trade with someone in one of the other sectors. I don't think the kedan care that much where we're actually staying.

[video]

[flamingshortshorts]

Maybe I'll do that. Sticking someone like me in a tree is really not the best idea anyone's ever had.

[Since you know, Torch.] What's your name?

video;

[zerotoawesome]

Dude, aren't you the guy that punched Hitler?

video;

[flamingshortshorts]

[Toro is just going to stare right there because...] ...What?

video;

[zerotoawesome]

It... I'm pretty sure it was a straightforward question?

video;

[flamingshortshorts]

Uh...have you been reading the comic books, because you shouldn't believe everything you read in them. They like to get all...well. [He doesn't want to right out call them lies, he can already imagine the kind of publicity nightmare that would be.] If I had punched Hitler, he wouldn't have been getting back up. Torch got the honors, there.

video;

[trainwrecked]

[Bucky watches through what happens here, too. 'Torch' and 'Toro' aren't exactly familiar names, but. 'Punched Hitler'?]

If you need help with the consoles, I can try to catch you up? Came here kinda clueless about 'em, too, so it might be easier to help you get the hang of 'em?

video;

[flamingshortshorts]

[Oh, hey at least the guy is being nice and offering some help.]

The kedan told me a little about them, but really I just wanted to know how you got the stations on it. What's the point of having something like this if you can't even hear the radio?

video;

[trainwrecked]

Mostly, the kedan ain't got no radio. Though one of the people brought here, Clark Kent, is workin' on setting up one. For news. He put up a message recently asking if anybody's willing and able to help.

Apparently, most people here come from times when this, [he gestures at the console in front him] is old tech. Radio, even more so, it's just complicated here. Not that much metal left to work with.

video; anonymous location

[andaway]

[There sure are a lot of teenagers appearing on the turtle lately. Superteens specifically- Kal isn't sure he likes that. At least most of them accept the 'alternate world' idea easily enough and he doesn't have to actually convince them of that.]

Nice to meet you, Toro. I'm Superman. If you have any questions I can try to help?

video; anonymous location

[flamingshortshorts]

[Don't judge a book by its covers Superman. Toro's not as young as he looks. He can't help but laugh a bit though at the same.]

Wow you sure didn't hold back any modesty, did you? Was "Superheroman" taken?

video; anonymous location

[andaway]

[He wrinkles his nose, he should really get used to people taking his name like that and yet...] I didn't choose it myself, it just kind of stuck.

[fotia]

[Hi have some kid who looks like he took one too many coffee's grinning at you]

Hey there, Culture-Shocked Bull, welcome to the back of the giant turtle! I'm guessing you're not from the 21st Century, which really sucks, because you're missing out on a lot of cool stuff, and I don't mean just the tiny computers.

[flamingshortshorts]

Culture-what? [That didn't make much sense to him, but sure, okay?]

The 21st Century's about fifty years too late for me. Mind throwing a bit of context my way? Traveling to other dimensions and time-traveling at the same time can leave a guy a little on the outs.

[fotia]

Sure thing! Leo Valdez, at your service. If you're fifty years too late then that would make you from the 1950's or so. Post-World War II. Oh man, where do I start? I guess with the computers, since we're already talking about that stuff!

[He talks really animatedly, hands waving around, eyes bright with excitement, as he explains all about computers] So the first commercial computer appeared at around 1951, called the Ferranti Mark 1, which uses random access Williams tubes for primary storage and a magnetic drum for secondary storage. It could compute things, basically, but that's about it, plus it's just really huge and you wouldn't even want to know. A few more computers were released after that, including the first IBM mainframe computer and the first ever disk storage unit, also by IBM. It could store like five megabytes of data which is laughable in our century but I guess it's a super huge deal back then. Anyway all those things were the first generation computers, but they were replaced by second-generation computers that used way less power when transistors replaced the vacuum tubes, and the most popular of these was the—surprise!—IBM 1401. Now the disk data storage units of these second generation computers could store like millions of letters and digits so that was another pretty big deal back in the 60's—

[Oops, Leo is rambling! What will Toro do?

> Let him keep going?
> Interrupt?
> Disconnect?]