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From:

inthebiblicalsense

[Abel is feeling much better than he's had in a while despite everything. Who knew a strange week of believing you were an otter for all your life could just help reset some of that mounting anxiety? And yet, because of it, he feels like he's got the energy and fresh mind to start working on himself again without any reminders.]

The breach threw off the schedule, but if you're not busy, I wouldn't mind having that drink, Malcolm.

From:

abrightboy

[He’s caught off guard. He was sure Abel wouldn’t actually call him. That he was just being polite.]

Oh! I’m not busy, actually. Do you want to come by my cabin or would you rather somewhere more…neutral?

From:

inthebiblicalsense

[He wasn't lying when he said he didn't start anything he wouldn't finish, Malcolm.]

If your space is bigger than mine and it's private, I don't have any problem with that. What number? [He really needed to ask for some changes to his space, but that's still on hold until he feels like it's necessary.]

From:

abrightboy

Level three, cabin seven. I’ll start the coffee.

[When Abel arrives, his knock will be answered by a call to enter, the door left unlocked for him. On entering, there is a staircase going up into… darkness. But if he turns towards the open concept loft that makes up the main floor, then straight ahead is a kitchen with a large kitchen island where Malcolm is pouring hot water into a french press. There are four prescription pill bottles on the counter in a tidy row next to a business card holder of affirmation cards. To the right is a space with a large half circle window featuring a view from the second floor of Manhattan’s SoHo district on a sunny day. In front of the window is a neatly made bed with leather headboard restraints laying on top of the covers. To Abel’s left is a living room dominated by two large gothic paintings, a carved stone fireplace and floor to ceiling oak bookcases with lit showcases inset containing an assortment of antique weapons. The wall behind him as he moves past the staircase has more large windows looking out at SoHo, two easels and various art supplies in front of it.]

Hi Abel. Come have a seat. [There’s a row of stools across from him at the breakfast bar.]

From:

inthebiblicalsense

[Abel's on room is rather small, and he's only been in a few cabins thus far, trying not to snoop too much as he makes his way to the offered stool.

The space has far more personality than his ever did even before when Darwins enclosure sat above his computer, and it's quite a bit to take in. He doesnt quite sit yet, looking out the window to see a city he doesn't recognize in a time that he can try and vaguely place as probably twenty-first century if he stares at cars long enough.

Giving up on attempting to place them somewhere when the world he knows is probably hundreds of years in the future, he pulls out the stool, resting an elbow on the counter.]

Where is this supposed to be?

From:

abrightboy

It's New York City, in 2021.
[Malcolm pushes the plunger down on the coffee. Now that Abel's farther into the apartment, he may notice dog beds scattered around, though no dogs are present. There's also a terrarium along the end of the kitchen island that faces the living room. If he stepped around the counter, he'd see two colourful snakes inside it. Behind him, near the stairs, a parakeet in a cage chirps and flutters from one perch to another.]

Were you born on Earth?

From:

inthebiblicalsense

New York... I don't think it looks quite like this in my time, but I've always wanted to go. America certainly has a lot of cities with potential.

[He does definitely notice the terrarium, his interest piqued, but he'll stay sitting for now. He's rather impressed with the amount of animals it seems that Malcolm keeps in here, and with his own cat he thinks that's just enough responsibility holding him to his room. Having to ask someone to take care of more than just a single pet if something were to happen to him made him feel uncomfortable, but perhaps he would change his mind in the future.]

I was. My family can trace their roots back to France, but I've never been. We were rather tied to my father's career and didn't get to travel much.

From:

abrightboy

And then you went to space.

From:

inthebiblicalsense

[That gets him to smile a little bit, nodding.]

Well, I went to the Academy, and then I went to space.

From:

abrightboy

Does the Academy do non-space stuff?

From:

inthebiblicalsense

I finished my Navigator certification there which is done through sim hours. Waste of resources to actually fly a real one until you've graduated. Once you're through, you get shipped off planet for the rest of your career.

[Through death, medical discharge or dishonorable discharge.] I was stationed on central command for a few years, which is about 9.3 trillion miles out.

From:

abrightboy

What assignment was your favourite?

From:

inthebiblicalsense

I... When I was transferred to the Sleipnir, actually. It was a battleship from Earth. I volunteered the Reliant to be reassigned for a mission into enemy space.

Central command was nice, but I felt like I wasn't making the impact I could be elsewhere.

From:

abrightboy

You thought you could be more effective on the front lines?

From:

inthebiblicalsense

Not front line, deep into enemy space. They were building a shipyard out there that would have tilted the scale in their favor enough that it was a top priority.

If we failed and they finished building it, we might have lasted a few more years, but the swarm would have pushed through eventually.

From:

abrightboy

So you succeeded?

From:

inthebiblicalsense

[Abel shifts in his seat a little uncomfortably at the question.]

The fleet did, yes. I didn't get to see the mission through to the end, Cain and I deserted.

From:

abrightboy

Oh. Why did you do that? I thought the organization was important to you. What changed?

From:

inthebiblicalsense

[Important is a little bit of an understatement. He'd known he would enlist, what he wanted to do from quite a young age but isn't sure how to correct him without it being too much.]

I mentioned Project Thebes before, but Cook was going to kill me when he learned I'd found out. If we stayed we would have died, and I had damning information that this hadn't just happened to Cain and I. Other teams across the entire organization were part if the project as well. It was...corruption that I couldn't overlook.

[He sucks in a breath and let's it out slow, trying to figure how to approach the rest of this.]

Malcolm, this is...not specifically what I wanted to talk about, but. Do you mind if I...I'm not sure what to call it, set some boundaries? That's not right...talk about things that bother me so this might be easier to navigate?

I don't want to keep hitting a wall just because I can't handle if you- [He hesitates a moment before shaking his head. He's fine. He can do this, it's important.] Call me a slut, or go too heavy on labeling what happened.

From:

abrightboy

...Why would I call you that? That's awful.

From:

inthebiblicalsense

[Abel blinks at him a moment, wondering exactly how his mind works that he has some disconnect between-]

I don't think you would personally, or at least I hope you wouldn't.

But you did say it in reference to what Cain said about me over the network. I can't... that's a little more of a deep seated issue than I can stay present for, if that makes sense.

From:

abrightboy

Oh. You don't want to talk about what Cain said or what that means. No. That's fine. Um. So you wanted to end the corruption.

From:

inthebiblicalsense

[He isn't sure that's exactly right, he was trying to get specific, but...he'll sort it out later.]

Anyways, yes. I mean, we deserted because we would have died if we hadn't, but I managed to get us to Mars, crash landed there. When I finally woke up from the crash, I found out the fleet had mutinied against Cook and Bering and were heading back home to face court martial.

I would probably be figuring out how to attend the trial right about now if I hadn't gotten my offer about an hour after I'd woken up.

From:

abrightboy

I understand why the Admiral's offer would be tempting in that moment.

From:

inthebiblicalsense

It would have been tempting at any point during my career or before it, having the power to instantly end a war that's been going on as long as I've been alive.

I probably would have been happier if it had happened before I'd known about Project Thebes, but it seems to me that the Admiral likes his staff just as troubled as his prisoners, so. Here I am, as I am. Talking with you.