Video

[tearmeanewone]

[When the feed starts, Elizabeth is right in the center of the frame, dressed in her uniform, giving off a very formal but pleasant attitude. She practiced this. Several times.]

Good morning, everyone. For those of you who I haven't met yet, my name is Elizabeth DeWitt, head librarian. Recently, I was promoted by our captains to the position of First Mate, meaning I have taken on additional responsibilities to the crew aside from encouraging everyone to visit the library and make use of the collection. [Little plug there, forgive her.]

As First Mate, I'll be acting as a liaison between the crew and the captains, should anyone have an issue they would feel more comfortable speaking to me about, or if the captains are off ship. Once I've moved in, my quarters will be located in Section M and I encourage anyone to find me there or at the library if you need me.

...I realize not all of us are happy to find ourselves here, however I am one of the potentially few who very easily call this ship my home. Whatever can be done to make things more efficient, safe, or comfortable, I want to discuss it. But, at the same time, if you just want a reading recommendation and some hot chocolate, I can provide that as well.

[She nods, clearly satisfied with the message and smiles, looking a little relieved that she got through the spiel without embarrassing herself.] I think that about wraps it up, but if there's anything else please feel free to message me. Thank you!

Comments

[tearmeanewone]

Ah, before, then. 1959. [Just over a hundred years ago, no big deal.]

[...if they're only counting the year she came from and not where she started-- which would be 1912.]

Hm. So the Manhattan Project finally had it's big day. Dozens of pocketbooks rejoice.

[ersatzeverything]

Yeah, while they were building the bombs maybe. Then they actually used them and the banks burned, civilization collapsed, and Old World money became kind of obsolete.

It was a lot of nukes.

[tearmeanewone]

...how ironic. [Yes, there's a flat little chuckle in there.] So what do you use for money now?

[ersatzeverything]

Bottlecaps.

[He takes one out of his pocket to show her. Just an ordinary red bottlecap with the words "Nuka-Cola" in white letters.]

People will kill for these.

[tearmeanewone]

...bottlecaps. [Huh.]

Well, I guess it doesn't really matter what it is, as long as people recognize it as currency. That's helped us a lot trading with other planets-- can you imagine trying to get your currency exchanged every month?

[ersatzeverything]

It's definitely easier trading in caps than trying to trade in, like, brahmin cows. Can you imagine trying to keep brahmin in your pocket? You wouldn't be able to fit very fucking many in there, that's for sure.

A lot of times people skip the currency altogether and just trade goods directly. I'm guessing that that's what you get a lot of around here, too, us all travelling around all the time and everyone from different universes. It's a pain in the ass sometimes, haggling over how many cans of beans a pack of ammo is worth, but hey, commerce. Nothing keeps it down.

[tearmeanewone]

[She laughs at the image of trying to keep cows in her pocket.] Yeah I'm sure I could only keep two, maybe two and a half cows in my pocket.

That's true, everybody needs something. Though you should have been in the place I grew up-- people threw away ammunition into trash cans.

[Believe it or not.]

[ersatzeverything]

Jesus, have they got ammo growing on trees there?

[Ammunition is a rare and precious commodity where he comes from. You might trade it if the ammo you found doesn't fit the gun you prefer, but like hell would you just toss it.]

And God help you if someone throws a lit cigarette away.

[tearmeanewone]

And in every desk drawer and baby carriage.

[Yes, ammunition and weaponry is probably Columbia's second or third industry behind food and propaganda, if the amount of things that were just laying around was any indication.]

I would think that if any industry would rebound after the end of the world, it would be the vices first-- alcohol and tobacco. But no such luck?

[ersatzeverything]

Alcohol, totally. People sell booze all over, both Old World leftovers and freshly brewed. The world ending made everyone totally in need of a drink or ten. And cigarettes are pretty easy to scavenge. But the real big vice industries are more hard core than that. Drugs like Jet, Psycho, Buffout. And the oldest profession in the world is still going strong.

[tearmeanewone]

Dare I ask what "Jet", "Psycho", and "Buffout" do?

[Because they sound suspiciously like vigors.]

[ersatzeverything]

When you're on Jet, it's like your brain and body are in overdrive. Time seems to slow down, or you feel like you move faster, or something, like you can do so much more than you usually can. Super dangerous, super addictive. Buffout does...pretty much what it says on the jar. Steroids, makes you buff, can also make your heart stop. And Psycho, fuck, Psycho makes you feel powerful, invincible, like nothing in the wasteland can touch you, like you aren't just some pathetic and weak person in a fucked up world. It also makes you feel like murdering everything in sight. And it makes you agitated and makes your gums bleeds, so, you know, that's attractive.

[tearmeanewone]

Huh. Interesting. I'm familiar with something that sounds similar, which also coincidentally can lead to adverse psychological and physical side-effects. Though nothing that makes you stronger... Jet sounds a little like a vigor called Charge, though it's just a single burst of speed. And I suppose used correctly, Return to Sender could make you feel invincible until it runs out and all those bullets come sailing right into you.

But, real-life cases have shown that vigor and plasmid abuse do lead to psychosis and facial-distortion. I try to keep clean, myself.

[ersatzeverything]

Totally. Me too. [Now.]

I can't believe the idiots who use that stuff. It's bad news.

[tearmeanewone]

Well I imagine people start using it out of necessity or someone tells them it's completely safe... reasons like that. I know that plasmids are addictive, and I swear to God every time Booker drank one of those vigors he would scream afterwards and look at his hands like they were about to fall off. No thank you.

[...yeah, she wouldn't drink another plasmid now, obviously.]