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: Scott, Montgomery
Recipient: Spock, [Data Error]
CC: Chekov, Pavel

Eh, why? Is there a problem? Is he all right?

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Spock, [Data Error]
Recipient: Scott, Montgomery
CC: Chekov, Pavel

He will be perfectly all right in time.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Scott, Montgomery
Recipient: Rand, Janice

???

Att. recentmessages.PADD

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Rand, Janice
Recipient: Scott, Montgomery

The captain thinks we have a spy on the ship. He's been speaking to anyone he finds suspicious. Something in Chekov's file must have seemed a bit off.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Lowther, George
Recipient: Pike, Christopher

Spock looks so intense. This is a little scary.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Pike, Christopher
Recipient: Lowther, George

Melds are supposed to be intense. It'll be alright.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Lowther, George
Recipient: Pike, Christopher

Have you see this before? And do you think Chekov knew what he was?

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Pike, Christopher
Recipient: Lowther, George

The meld or the sleeper shit? Seen a meld once or twice and this is the first instance of an actual sleeper and not just rumors that I've run into. I highly doubt it, whole point is that the kid has no idea. Perfect cover, until you trigger.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Scott, Montgomery
Recipient: Rand, Janice

But...but Spock's his boyfriend.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Lowther, George
Recipient: Pike, Christopher

Any of it, I guess. I've never seen a meld before.

Why would anyone do that? He's just a kid.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Rand, Janice
Recipient: Scott, Montgomery

I don't see what that has to do with anything.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Pike, Christopher
Recipient: Lowther, George

And you probably won't see it often. It's always a bit voyeuristic. Sleepers are rare, more of a ghost story than anything, but the fleet's capable of it so it's a real and unnerving concern.

Fleet doesn't care. Makes it easier to slip in places. Who thinks 'fleet spy' and then looks to the kid barely past puberty?

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Scott, Montgomery
Recipient: Rand, Janice

Well, Chekov must not be a spy then, yeh? Or he wouldn't be so calm about it. That's good. I'd hate to lose the lad before I'd even met him.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Rand, Janice
Recipient: Scott, Montgomery

Maybe he's just a really good spy.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Lowther, George
Recipient: Pike, Christopher

Good, I feel pretty dirty about it. They look intense. How can we spot them in the future? There's no way, is there?

Man, fuck that. Do you think. If Saint Geroge had let them have me, do you think I'd be like Chekov?

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Scott, Montgomery
Recipient: Rand, Janice

Nay, I can't believe that. He's intimate with the Vulcan and they're mindreaders and the captain and Mr Pike wouldn't just hire anybody on as second lieutenant.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Rand, Janice
Recipient: Scott, Montgomery

Maybe Mr Spock is in on it too.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Scott, Montgomery
Recipient: Rand, Janice

Nay, I can't see that, not with Mr Pike checking him out as his second.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Pike, Christopher
Recipient: Lowther, George

It's intimate so no surprise there. Not that anyone's found. You can't tell unless they're triggered. Only consistency is they tend to be highly intelligent.

I, I honestly don't know, it's...possible. I mean it's rare, really rare, but you would have been a very appealing choice.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Rand, Janice
Recipient: Scott, Montgomery

I suppose you're right.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Scott, Montgomery
Recipient: Rand, Janice

I've got to trust my captain, Janny. I don't have anythin' to do with politics or people shooting at us or spies, or anything. I just keep the lady flying as best she can, and I have to trust the bridge to do right by me and mine with the rest of it.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Lowther, George
Recipient: Pike, Christopher

I think I wanna fuck a Vulcan. Is that weird? That's gotta be weird. So it's hire stupid people or trigger them? Fuck.

I think I might be glad for him dying for the first time.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Rand, Janice
Recipient: Scott, Montgomery

Where do you get your faith from? How do you know you can trust him? Or any of them?

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Pike, Christopher
Recipient: Lowther, George

You haven't yet? It is weird. There's a reason why we like to pretend sleepers don't exist. It's rare, it's only a worry if something's severe enough. Which we apparently are.

We'll find a way to fix the kid.

[(Anonymous)]

Sender: Scott, Montgomery
Recipient: Rand, Janice

I cannae say, lass. From the engines, maybe. A machine only works if each part does its job and lets the other parts get on with theirs. I've been under bad captains, but I trust an engine and an engineer to recognise them and Enterprise and her old chief both trust Lowther. So I'll trust him to do his bit and I'll do mine.