Side Game: Dystopia

[http://users.livejournal.com/_samalander/]

In the world you are entering, there is a Federation. There is an Enterprise. There is even a Captain Kirk.

But in this world, they are not as you know them.

George Lowther, 27, is the captain of the pirate ship known throughout the galaxy as the Enterprise. Of course, he's not the real George Lowther, and neither was the man before him, a fellow called Chris Pike. They're in the process of trading the identity, so Pike can retire, having made his fortune. The new Lowther, real name James T. Kirk, has hired on a crew, and they're off on their first voyage, affiliated with the Federation of Interstellar Pirates.

So. How's the crew doing? And, of course, who's fucking?

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Lowther, George
Recipient: Pike, Christopher

My father thought he was saving me from the Fleet, too. He was sick of running, too. And he made the selfish choice, like you are. You think your kid is going to care about the Fleet if he doesn't have you? This isn't fucking Harry Potter and you're not a werewolf. Raise your damn kid.

You can't leave me, that's all. If you don't tell me where you are I will leave this ship in the center of the nearest singularity, hunt you down and punch you in the face. That's a promise.

I don't care what it is. But you should have a son. Chris Jr.

NARRATOR SAYS

[http://users.livejournal.com/_samalander/]

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Rand, Janice
Recipient: Lowther, George

So you're sending your second to do your dirty work now? Can't be bothered to do any of it yourself?

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Lowther, George
Recipient: Rand, Janice

What'd I do?

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Rand, Janice
Recipient: Lowther, George

I want to know why the hell you had Pike interrogate me last night.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Lowther, George
Recipient: Rand, Janice

I didn't.

I had Pike have a friendly conversation with you so we could know why your official record doesn't match the story you gave us.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Rand, Janice
Recipient: Lowther, George

You're pirates. Why the hell do you care what's on my official record?

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Lowther, George
Recipient: Rand, Janice

Because we're pirates, Rand. Because this is a wanted ship and we are wanted men. And liars could be Fleet plants. Pike has good intuition. I had him check. You know, if you're going to fight every move I make because you don't think it's "piratey" enough, this is going to be a long trip.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Rand, Janice
Recipient: Lowther, George

Really? Because I think it's pretty stupid to just blindly accept whatever you tell me simply because you're captain. Because this is a wanted ship and we are wanted men. What's stopping you from deciding you only actually need half of who you hired on and turning the rest of us over to a bounty hunter to collect some easy money?

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Lowther, George
Recipient: Rand, Janice

This is my ship. I wake up tomorrow and decide everyone has to wear a skirt, then dammit, everyone wears a fucking skirt. Get used to it, because I AM captain, and you work for me.

And you wouldn't have signed on if you thought I was the kind of man who would do that. There are the rules of the FIP, there are the contracts that I signed, and there is my reputation. You're paranoid.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Rand, Janice
Recipient: Lowther, George

What happened to all of your talk of family? I thought family worked together.

Maybe I didn't have a choice. We're all running from something. And I'd run out of road.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Lowther, George
Recipient: Rand, Janice

We are a family, and we do work together. But when we're staring down the barrel of a Fleet ship, I'm not going to stop and poll the masses to see what I should do. You think George Kirk stopped and asked him family before he made his call? They still let him go. You do what you have to do. And I need to know that my crew is going to support me in my Kirk moments.

There were other ships. Other captains. You could have been a passenger. You wanted to be a pirate, and you want to be here, or you would have said "fuck it" and left yesterday despite my turning the ship around.

Honestly, is there anything I can do to get you to feel more comfortable here?

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Rand, Janice
Recipient: Lowther, George

Except you're not George Kirk. Hell, not even his son is George Kirk. Your reputation doesn't impress me and it's going to take more than just a name for me to fall at your feet and worship.

I don't have to justify my choices to you.

No. There really isn't. I don't trust anyone. And if you were smart, neither would you.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Lowther, George
Recipient: Rand, Janice

Okay you want to know what I'm running from? Would that make you feel better? I'm running from who I really am, a person you got dangerously close to in your last comm. Figure it out.

You don't have to justify to me, but I have to justify to you? Why should I fall and worship at the almighty altar of RAND if you're not going to even respect my authority?

Well, figure it out, Rand. Figure it out.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Rand, Janice
Recipient: Lowther, George

What the hell do you mean oh my god you're Ji

MESSAGE ERASED UNSENT

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Rand, Janice
Recipient: Lowther, George

Never mind. Forget I said anything.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Lowther, George
Recipient: Rand, Janice

So a name does impress you.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Lowther, George
Recipient: Pike, Christopher

Well, I hope to hell that Rand isn't the spy.

ATT: Recentmessages.PADD

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Pike, Christopher
Recipient: Lowther, George

Someone was going to figure it out eventually. She's not a spy though and she's probably too used to being scared to spread it around at least. She's too raw to be fleet.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Lowther, George
Recipient: Pike, Christopher

Yeah.

Listen, I still mean most of what I said last night. I slept on it, and I still think you're being dumb.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Rand, Janice
Recipient: Lowther, George

It's not me being impressed. It's me having nothing more to say to you. You must be pretty damn stupid to trust something like that to someone like me.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Pike, Christopher
Recipient: Lowther, George

And what, you have a monopoly on being dumb around here? I know what the risks are. And I think this is more than worth it.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Lowther, George
Recipient: Rand, Janice

Yup. Stupid. Like my dad. He always said that if we put a little trust in other people, we'd make the universe that much better. Pike told me that a long time ago, and it's something we live by. He was on my parent's ship, Pike. He was my dad's yeoman. So maybe- just maybe- I'm putting the same trust in you that my dad put in Pike.

Work it out.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Lowther, George
Recipient: Pike, Christopher

Captain's prerogative. I get to make the poor choices.

I know you do. But it's not. Nothing is worth what you're risking. And I don't know if I can do it with you.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Rand, Janice
Recipient: Lowther, George

Except I'm not Pike. You really have a lot of trouble telling the different people in your life apart.

There's nothing to work out. I've run out of places to run and now I'm stuck here with Captain Deranged and his happy crew.