riverviewlogs | [ open ] call it your 2.0, your rebirth, whatever

Entry tags:

[ open ] call it your 2.0, your rebirth, whatever

who: cisco + anyone!
what: catch-all + tdm prompts + fajro prompts
when: february
where: various places!
warnings: will add as needed

I. DREAM A LITTLE DREAM

[ Cisco thought that the crystal caves sounded exactly like something from a fantasy series he had loved as a child, so of course, he dragged Eddie to go and see them with him. There had been nothing ominous about the place, at the time. It isn't until a few days later that Cisco's dreams start to show the sign of outside influence. They become vivid, surreal, and most importantly, he starts having guests. A few times he'll have a passing thought about a friend before falling asleep, only to run into them in his dream. He's no stranger to unusual dreams, and - after what had happened in October - not even a stranger to encountering other people in them.

But it's still pretty damn weird. ]

You see that, right? It's not just me?

[ Cisco asks the question to whoever is standing next to him, pointing down an empty city street at the looming figure of what is, unmistakably, a Godzilla-sized robotic panda. ]

II. CLEANING HOUSE

[ Cisco had rolled his eyes at first at the idea of a whole holiday based around cleaning. What could be less fun? He's always been somewhat inclined to keep stuff. After all, you never know what use it could be later. He spends plenty of his time scavenging the things other people left behind in the abandoned parts of the city, for materials and parts for his work.

But once he and Eddie decide to share the same room, he realizes he is going to have to get rid of at least some of his stuff, to make room. So he reluctantly starts, only to find himself getting more and more into the task. He can be seen either having a cute little yard sale to get rid of various items (clothing, books, etc.), or else taking what remains after the sale down to the bonfires by the river. ]

III. CLEARING THE AIR

[ Along with everyone else in the Quarantine, as the month progresses, he finds himself dwelling on resentments from his past. Unfortunately for Cisco, most of those resentments pertain to people who aren't even here. Once the 15th rolls around, he finds that his sense of taste has vanished completely. A few conversations with others tell him that this is probably something to do with the holiday, that he needs to clear the air.

But what is he supposed to do, when the people he's feeling resentful towards aren't even here?

So Cisco can be found all that week making his way around town, sitting in a park or perhaps at a bar, slump-shouldered and wan and uncomfortable, needing (but not knowing it) someone to talk to. A good heart-to-heart will put things right, but he's not aware of that yet.

He is also, despite his distraction, more than happy to listen to others' woes, or any resentments held against him. ]

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[ Cisco had heard Kirk's name, of course. It had come up when he'd agreed to come here for this job. He knows that Kirk's the guy in charge of this unit, and he'd been intending to track him down once he was done to explain how much functionality he'd been able to restore.

But in all those various times of hearing and thinking about his name, Cisco had never seen a picture. So when he hears footsteps approaching and a voice addressing him, he doesn't know what to expect when he looks up. But he most certainly wasn't expecting: ]

You're-

[ He knew that face. He'd seen that face, many times before. At first glance, the small differences aren't as apparent: Cisco is struck dumb by the similarity. He just gapes for a few seconds, before shutting his mouth and saying: ]

Hi. Yes. Sorry. I- I don't mean to be rude, you just. [ He shakes his head in wonder, eyes never leaving Kirk's face. ] You look a whole lot like somebody I used to know.

[ For a moment Jim actually looks behind himself, wondering if there's something terribly shocking there, or someone else just behind him. He quirks an eyebrow up when he looks back to the guy, though he seems more amused than he does concerned by that reaction.

Well, some people here have recognized his name, so... maybe it's one of these things, he thinks. That is, until Cisco actually goes on to explain, and it all becomes that much clearer to him. ]

Ah. Yes— Captain Trevor, right? I've been told about him before, by numerous people. [ He pauses, pulls a light, playful smile, tipping his head just enough that his fancy hair curl swooshes a little bit along the line of his forehead. ] I hear I've got better hair, though.

[ It's some relief that apparently Jim's heard already about the similarity between his appearance and Steve's, and that no further explanations are needed. It would be even more awkward if Cisco had to try to come up with an explanation of doppelgangers (or worse, some kind of proof of how alike they looked, just to make sure that Jim didn't think he was a complete weirdo). So when Jim mentions Steve's name, Cisco gives a brief nod.

Then, because he's already been fairly rude, and doesn't need to make it worse, Cisco gets to his feet and offers a hand for Jim to shake, trying and failing not to continue to stare at him a little. It really is uncanny. It had been uncanny enough the first time he'd met someone who had eyes that intense - to run into another version of them is too much. ]

Yes, anyway, hi. Cisco. That's me, and... it's nice to meet you, Mr. Kirk.

[ Flustered and looking for a conversational out, Cisco's eyes fall on the damaged sensor he's been repairing and he asks: ]

Um- what the hell happened to this thing, anyway?

[ It's funny to think that all in all, doppelgängers aren't the weirdest thing Jim has dealt with, here or even back in his own world. It's something he accepts fairly easily— hell, for all he knows, this Trevor guy is somehow related to him, who knows. Anything's possible in a place like this.

He takes Cisco's hand in a shake, smile a hint wider as he watches expectantly while Cisco just stares openly at him. It's fine, though, really. Jim doesn't mind people staring at him, in fact he is fairly used to it. ]

Captain Kirk, actually. [ Yes, he is aware that it's one hell of a coincidence, too. ] But I'd prefer Jim, if you don't mind.

[ Resting his hands on his hips, he lets out a little sigh as he looks over the damage. ]

There's a plant species out there, it spills a corrosive liquid. I try to keep an eye out but I was dropping part of the team off on a new site and I got distracted.

The damage is mostly superficial, and thankfully didn't affect any of the main systems, but— still. And this kind of repair is a little out of my scope of knowledge.

Shit, sorry. Okay. Captain Jim it is.

[ Not the world's most original joke, but he's feeling a little guilty for that social blunder - and a littler weirded out that this guy is a captain, too - and covering it up with humor. Fortunately, Jim seems happy to move on to talking business, which is a relief. Cisco can only stand embarrassing himself so much at any given time.

Jim mentions a plant that exudes corrosive liquid, and Cisco rolls his eyes, muttering a soft: ]

Figures.

[ This flora and fauna of this moon are really absurd, sometimes. It would be hard enough, making this place thrive, exploring and expanding, without an environment that seems so determined to kill them all. But even as he scoffs at the ridiculousness of it, the gears in Cisco's head are turning. He asks: ]

You got a sample of this liquid I could play with? 'Cause, I mean, chances are if there are a few of those plants, there's thousands of 'em, and you can't just avoid them indefinitely. You can try to, but there's going to be an emergency sooner or later, and it's not gonna be practical. Maybe I can develop some kind of shielding. Not gonna make any promises, but... it'd be easier than just doing repairs over and over.

[ It surprises Cisco a little, when Jim says it's beyond his understanding, as if he would naturally be the one doing repairs. He's the leader, after all. It's the sort of thing Cisco would expect to be delegated. Curiously, he asks: ]

You guys don't have a mechanic on staff?

[ It's not the greatest joke ever, but it still gets a laugh out of Jim, and a bright grin to match it. ] Oh, aren't you funny.

[ But he appreciates the humor, in all honesty. It eases that awkwardness a little, even if said awkwardness is mostly on Cisco's end. Jim can't blame him much for that, as he knows very well how strange and disorienting it can be to meet a stranger who just so happens to have a familiar face.

For now he's happy to talk shop. He's never been told a lot of details about this Captain Trevor anyway, and frankly he's fine with that. He might even prefer it that way. ]

I don't, but I can easily fix that. Once she's back to working order I can go out there and get you a sample. How does that sound?

[ At the question he shrugs a little, gesturing vaguely around. ]

There's Tony, but he's got his hands full of wall development stuff, plus his own projects. Besides, I'm kind of... protective. If I had my chief engineer here that'd be another story, but I don't, so.

[ He nods to the shuttle with a small smile. ] I put her back together myself, you know. Fixed her up, worked on the new paint job... I'm a captain but I'd say I didn't do so bad.

Sounds great. Just don't let it singe any of that good hair while you're at it.

[ There's nothing malicious about the teasing words - just a little good-humored banter. He figures that anyone who runs a squad particularly like this, where they fly around out there with the monsters, getting attacked by acid-spewing plants - and anyone who is a captain but insists on going by their first name - is probably someone who can take a little bit of ribbing.

When Jim mentions Tony, Cisco beams, interrupting to say: ]

Oh, hey, I know Tony! He's totally my dude! I get you though. I don't know when that guy gets the time to sleep.

[ Something about the way Jim says my chief engineer is interesting. As if he's used to working with the same one, consistently, enough that he sees him as an extension of himself. Probably part of the same military unit or something like that. It reminds Cisco of how he would probably say my doctor friend if he were talking about Caitlin - that kind of camaraderie from working together that just seeps into your very language. ]

Damn. That's pretty impressive, for anybody. You fly shuttles like that, before you came here?

Oh, don't worry. My hair will never not look amazing.

[ He grins cheekily and winks at Cisco, evidently all too used to this kind of teasing and banter. Besides, he'd still look amazing even if he had to shave it all off. Which he seriously hopes he won't have to do. (He'll cry if he does. Probably.) ]

Sometimes I wonder if he even sleeps at all. [ Tony looks strung out, on edge and borderline paranoid more often than not, and Jim's never once seen him while he wasn't working. So it is a definite possibility that he actually doesn't get any rest. Point is, he's got a lot on his plate already as it is, and Jim tries not to add to that, not unless he absolutely has no other options. ]

Some. I didn't do it as often back home as I do here. I was in command of a ship considerably bigger than this shuttle, and with a crew of about four hundred people. There's a lot of delegating, as you can imagine. As much as I do like getting my hands on some hard work sometimes, getting more involved on some away missions... it didn't happen very often.

[ Cisco laughs, amused by Jim's self confidence and the easy way he takes being teased; it's always nice, to be working with someone who has a sense of humor. It makes him feel like he can be more himself, that he doesn't have to watch what he says quite so carefully. A lot of the folks he does work for, at the police department in particular, can be rather dour and humorless. That's clearly not the case here. ]

Oh, shit, for real? That's awesome!

[ FOUR HUNDRED PEOPLE?! That's a lot of people to be responsible, and there's definitely a new kind of respect in Cisco's expression as he looks at Jim, now. He thinks, but does not say, that Jim seems awfully young to have a position of that much authority. After all, maybe people age differently in his world - Cisco's got no clue, this guy could be 500 years old for all he knows. And besides, he'd always hated it, when he was in college, and then first working at S.T.A.R. Labs, when people told him he seemed way too young to be there. ]

Guess that's one of the perks of getting stuck here, then, huh? Little less paperwork, little more action?

[ Now that it seems Jim is in no rush to get anywhere, or ask him a particular question about the work he's doing, Cisco turns his eyes back to the sensor, but continues to talk even as he gets back to the repairs, clearly comfortable with multitasking. ]

What kind of ship was it? I mean... are we talking an airship? Spaceship? Some kind of interdimensional deal? A timeship maybe? What sort of work was it?

[ Cisco's aware of the many possibilities, and he's curious to learn more. ]

[ God, wouldn't it be boring if he took himself too seriously all the time? He rather likes teasing and joking around, even at his own expense, and he has enough situations when he has to stay too serious as it is already. Here in the Quarantine he likes to keep things especially light and fun, unless he's out on a mission or something serious is going on.

Which isn't the case right now. Sure they're talking about work, but it's nothing grave or anything. ]

Yeah— I get that a lot. But thank you anyway.

[ It is kind of awesome. But then anything that relates to space is incredibly awesome to Jim, so. ]

Sometimes, yes. Although things are much more peaceful around here. We do get pretty long and boring periods of time in-between planets, just navigating through space, but when something goes down, it's usually pretty crazy.

[ Jim finds himself a spot to take a seat on, close enough to see what Cisco's doing but not so close that he'll get in his way. ]

Constitution-class airship. They're Federation Class I Heavy Cruisers, and they're designed for missions of longer durations while relying on minimal outside support. The USS Enterprise, designation NCC-1701, was about halfway through a five-year mission just before I ended up here.

[ Cisco listens, making small and wordless noises now and then to indicate interest, curiosity, understanding, so that Jim will know he is paying attention and fascinated by what he's saying, despite the fact that he is looking at the sensor he is repairing. But as soon as he mentions a Federation class ship, Cisco's hands go still. He doesn't interrupt, waiting until Jim is finished before he says: ]

But, that's- isn't that Beverly's ship? Beverly Crusher?

[ The designation number might not be the same, but Cisco definitely remembers that the ship Beverly served on was called the Enterprise. But he hadn't seen Jim there, when he'd witnessed that memory of hers. And her captain had been a different man - someone with another name, a different face. Perhaps they were from parallel universes...? ]

[ Jim smiles a little at the mention of Beverly, though not particularly surprised. She's been here a while and the Quarantine is small, so it's actually more probable than not that Cisco would know her. ]

Yes— and no. [ He clears his throat, pondering on how to best explain it. Alright then— easiest part first. ] I'm from mid-23rd century, Beverly's from the 24th century. My ship was the first generation. While they do share a name and class, hers is technically NCC-1701-D, or Enterprise-D, so— fifth generation of the ship.

[ A small pause, then he goes on to add. ] And also, I come from a slightly different timeline. Our universe of origin is the same, but mine has diverged from the original reality due to a time traveling mishap. There is— or there was a James T. Kirk in her universe, but we're not strictly the same.

[ Cisco, in part because he's been in this place nearly a year, and in part because he'd already been accustomed to mis-matched centuries and timelines, merely nods, unsurprised at the explanation. Jim might be a century before Beverly, but he still had two on Cisco. Still captained a space ship, ]

Heyyyy, that's crazy, I come from one of those kinds of timelines, too! Mishap and everything!

[ Barry hadn't meant to go back in time; he'd only been trying to create a barrier that would stop an incoming tsunami from hitting the city. But since he had managed it, he'd changed several key things, to separate that version of events from the original - and some of those small changes had added up to Cisco not being murdered. ]

But she probably didn't know the other you, right? I mean, half a century's still a long time. Unless y'all have got the tech to make it so people live three hundred years or whatever?

[ Cisco gets envious sometimes, thinking about all of the technological and social advancements that people like Jim and Beverly probably take for granted. Sure, there are probably new things to complicate life, to worry about, but he can't help wondering how right Eobard had been, calling his own time a 'barbaric' one. Everything Beverly had told him about her world had made it sound so... utopian. ]

So what was this five-year mission of yours?

Yeah? [ Jim raises both eyebrows, admittedly surprised. ] Weird stuff, isn't it? That friend of mine, or his prime version anyway, ended up stuck in our universe, and my point in time. So for a while there, we had two of them. Luckily they weren't the kind to hang around each other much. The one from the prime reality, who was an Ambassador by then, settled on a colony somewhere with a few of his own people. Didn't see him all that often, myself.

[ Besides— well, he's biased but he likes his Spock better. A little less predictable, and less restrained too. Figures Jim would appreciate the more human qualities in him, of course. ]

No, she never met the other me, I don't think. She did know of me, but from what I understand, my name lives on for a long while.

[ So yeah, you know. Not to brag or anything but he is sort of famous. ]

Deep space mission. Exploring new areas of uncharted space, finding new worlds and civilizations, that sort of thing. A longterm mission like that usually involves months of travel in-between stops, and we don't really go back to Earth until it's done. There are a number of colonies and starbases we dock at every once in a while, but the Enterprise is designed for optimal efficiency, so we require as little resupplying as possible.

[ Cisco listens quietly; in a way, what this other version of Jim's friend had done - going back in time, changing things resulting in a new timeline, getting stuck in it - wasn't dissimilar to what Eobard Thawne had. Sure, he'd gone back far enough that he was a couple centuries before his own birth, but otherwise, a similar situation. And it's interesting, hearing what a better man had done, in that situation. Gone off, become an ambassador, made a new life for himself in the place he'd been stranded. How much different would Jim's life be, if that man had tried to move heaven and earth to get home? ]

Can't really blame 'em. I wouldn't want to hang out with a version of me from another timeline. That's just an awkward sitcom waiting to happen, and not one I want any piece of, thanks.

[ When he mentions that Beverly's heard of him, Cisco raises his eyebrows slightly, just a touch of friendly sarcasm coming into his voice as he comments: ]

Big legacy, huh? Wow, no pressure there.

[ He tosses out that joke lightly, but it really says something about who Cisco is as a person that his first response isn't awe, or congratulation, but rather an assumption that knowing about that will be, to a certain degree, anxiety-inducing for Jim. ]

Wow. That sounds awesome. Not the months of travel bit. I'd probably go totally stir-crazy. But the finding new worlds, charting the uncharted, doing the whole great big explorer thing....

[ Luckily for him, and for everyone else in his galaxy most likely, Vulcans value and rely on logic above all else, and don't give into their emotions or act on sentiment alone. Spock knew back then it would have been pointless to try to go back, that he wouldn't find a way. Jim had a feeling he didn't really have anything worth going back to either, no one waiting for him. He had, quite literally, outlived everyone he'd ever cared for. ]

Right? I mean— it's not a bad thing having someone who thinks like you, or close enough anyway. But it'd be too weird, like... have someone inside my head. Can't even imagine how awkward it would be.

[ Luckily it's not something he's ever had to deal with, so there's that. He purses his lips at the teasing remark, shrugging it off. ]

I've got practice handling pressure, so I can deal with it.

[ Well, at least Cisco isn't rolling his eyes at Jim over it— though to be fair, he doesn't brag about it anymore, not as much as he used to anyway. He's not gonna lie, he does like people knowing about him, but his fame doesn't govern his life, his choices and actions. ]

You get used to it, mostly. Sometimes it gets very quiet and... humdrum, in a way. But the good bits are definitely more than worth it. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

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[ open ] call it your 2.0, your rebirth, whatever

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