thisavrou | ( video )

[ Bruce greets the camera with a cordial smile, there and gone, replaced with a somewhat tired and worried look. ]

Hi, Moira. Bruce Banner, for those of you who don't know me, and I'm the Chief Science Officer on board. In light of our current situation, I've been working on a number of devices to be placed on the surface of the planet, that once activated will link together and create a barrier around the planet. It will work as a kind of shield that would effectively make it impossible for any ship to dock on the planet, or for anyone to go down to the surface.

I've talked to the captains about this, and we're going ahead with the project. Needless to say that this is incredibly time-sensitive, and while so far everything's going smoothly and the results are promising, I could use as many people with the necessary knowledge involved in this as possible. Science officers on board are working exclusively on this right now, and I'm contacting a few people that I know have the knowledge necessary to help, but if anyone else thinks they have what it takes to join in, drop me a line.

This is a serious request. Don't waste my or anyone else's time, please.

[ Not that he thinks anyone would, but just covering his bases, in case there's some prankster or smartass on board. ]

I'll also need people to place the devices down on the surface of the planet. It's a fairly simple process so no need to have any kind of knowledge about how the machines were built or how they work, so long as you can handle the weight with relative care.

Another note— [ He pauses, presses his lips for a moment. ] Along with a holographic map of our journey, I've been putting together an information file about our current situation, to be delivered to all the new arrivals as they come in. Things I'd like to cover include: where we are, how or why we're here, who here can help them with certain fundamental needs, a rough overview of varying timelines and parallel universes, as well as a general overview of what's happened so far. I'm also planning to include the information regarding the Space 101 lesson that's held after each wave of new arrivals, to those that might need it. There's no guarantee everyone will read it, of course, but it might cut down on the number of people asking similar questions time and again.

Furthermore, I've put together a file about my condition. At this point about half the ship already knows about it, but I'm posting it on public domain and making it available for anyone to consult at any time. This document will also be attached to the main information file when sent to all the new arrivals. For anyone interested in reading it now, follow the link.

[ Attached to the message, follows said link. ]

If anyone wants to suggest any information they think important to add to the main information file, let me know here. As for my personal file, I wrote it because I don't think keeping it a secret is feasible anymore, and even if it were I think it's safer for everyone here to know what they're dealing with, and avoid potentially dangerous situations. I'm not going to write files on everyone on board or anything like that, don't worry.

[ He takes a deep breath, silent, shoulders lowering. ] That's it. Let me know if you have any questions about any of this.

[ And the feed cuts off. ]

(( ooc: details about the machines, how they work or how they're built will be handwaved on my end, since it's all technical gibberish and I don't have the necessary knowledge or the time/patience to go googling about it right now. SORRY. ))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ She's right, Bruce doesn't agree. Not even a little. Which is made more than obvious with the first words out of his mouth, a tone too dry and self-deprecating for it to sound like an even remotely genuine question. ]

Is that what I am? [ No, he's not, she can say all she wants but it won't really pierce through his skull or make any dent in the image he's already built of himself. He clears his throat, leans in to turn the feed private before he goes on to add. ]

I did it because I had no other choice. There's no way of keeping what happened in Caducus Primary a secret, or keeping what I am a secret. It's not about... being brave. I'd be lying if I said it is, but the truth is new arrivals will find out about the— the other guy one way or another, about what he did. I may as well provide that information right from the start, instead of having them come to me for a myriad of clarifications. [ Or excuses, apologies, reasons why the monster did what he did. ] It's also a good way to minimize the number of people shooting darts in my general direction, or getting hostile or violent towards me in any other way.

[ He really doesn't want the Hulk to punch a hole through the ship's hull. ]

[She's expecting some of that, for Bruce to point out all the ways she's wrong to try and point out even the smallest aspect of admirablity in his efforts. And she takes it, silently, lets him spit out the bitterness he feels by spelling out all the reasons Pepper's already pieced together about the why. They're all sound, logical, things she won't argue against because it would be pointless. He's entirely right in his rationale, and if Bruce hadn't come forward himself, if he'd been presented with a mandate to make this move, Pepper might have pointed them out to him should he show reluctance.

But it hadn't come to that. He'd taken control of the situation, out of regret and guilt, out of trying to prevent it from happening again. She swallows, her voice purposely calm as she looks steadily at him through the feed.]

Do you think I'll be able to keep what I am secret for long?

[Or that she even should. They both know what a disaster it would be if Pepper went down to the planet and tripped, or grabbed something the wrong way. But no one else beyond them and Tony share this knowledge. No one else knows what could happen if they touch her at the wrong moment or heaven forbid, if the compound once more breaks down in her system. She's a risk, a walking match waiting to ignite, and the consequences could be just as disastrous under the right circumstances.

That's why he's brave. Even if it's because he's forced to face it, to publicly acknowledge what he is--it's a much nobler step than Pepper has managed to take.]

Edited 2016-03-26 00:26 (UTC)

[ Bruce hadn't even thought of that, and it shows in his expression. When she speaks up, his eyes widen just so, his eyebrows arch, surprise and a brief flicker of confusion that's quickly replaced with a certain level of guilt taking over his features. He hadn't even thought about it, hadn't even so much as remembered Pepper's condition through all this, but he should have— and she's right to bring it up, to ask about it, even if it's not his place to tell her what to do.

His situation is different, after all. He's done bad already, and there's no way to keep that hidden from new arrivals. Sooner or later they all find out about Caducus Primary, and they all ask who the monster is, it's but a matter of time until they learn about Bruce. But Pepper hasn't had a situation like that. ]

I don't know, Pepper. [ His tone is softer, and he speaks honestly. ] You might manage to keep it a secret until you go home. It's not... it's different. It's dangerous, of course, but you haven't done any harm yet, there's no reason why people would find out about you. If Caducus Primary hadn't happened, I wouldn't have written this file, I wouldn't have told everyone on board about the Hulk. [ The name leaves a bitter taste in his mouth; it always does. ]

You're careful. You're even more careful than I am, I think. I knew what the situation was like down on that planet and I still was stupid enough to be in the middle of it. There can still be a number of other things that could destabilize you, sure, but the chances of something of the same magnitude happening are extremely slim. [ Which is to say, she can be dangerous, but it's up to her whether or not to share it with people. Bruce is the last person tell her what's right here, when he himself would've kept it a secret if he could. He'd have run away before he posted this file, if only that were an option. Not a lot of moral high ground to be talking right now. ]

Yet. [Within all of that uncertainty, that single word stands as a sure thing, causing her lips to twist into a bitter smile as she sounds it out for herself. Yet, because in spite of all her best efforts, not to mention Bruce's, something in Pepper feels like it's inevitable that she will cause harm, that she'll go hot at the wrong moment, that she'll lose the precious control that's been given to her (in so much the same way Extremis has been forced upon her).

She doesn't blame Bruce for stating it. It's nothing that hasn't resounded in her own head over and over again, at nights when she can't sleep, when she lets her thoughts wander down this path. And even with his attempt to say it might not happen, to point out that in so many ways she's a responsible and cautious person, the fact is that she went down to the surface on Emiri, and would have ventured onto this world had the warnings not been there.]

But they aren't impossible. [Slim chances still exist and she looks down with that same grin still on her lips.] I know you only did it because you feel like you don't have any other choice, and that it saves time and will hopefully prevent it from happening again. But I have you as an example of how quickly things can go wrong, because you're forced to live with it and I--I don't know if I could.

[The weight of that many lives. She thinks about Happy, and how he'd been lucky to only wind up in a coma, to still be beaten and whole and not a human-shaped burn on a wall.]

That's why I said you're brave, Bruce. Even if it's the last thing you wanted to do, or would have done--you're still facing it now.

[ Bruce stares at her for a moment, offers a pressed smile, shoulders drawing in on himself. He'd like to tell her that's not true, that she might not ever have an incident or lose control over her abilities, but he'd just be lying. Given their situation, it'll be a miracle if nothing ever happens, and he can't bring himself to lie to her about that. She needs to know the risks, to understand the danger fully, to know what might happen, now or later.

Of course, what might happen can go from burning a table in the mess hall to a crisp or starting a fire that will decimate a third of a planet. Bruce is kind of hoping nothing like the latter will ever happen. ]

They're not, no. Something can very well happen somewhere down the line.

[ The rest, he doesn't address. He doesn't feel particularly brave, he doesn't think that he ever will. It will always be his instinct to run away when things go south, even when he should stay, and if he had another way out, if he...

Sometimes he wonders. If a bullet were to work on him, if he'd do it again now. Just put an end to it all. ]

Let's just focus on making sure that that 'something' doesn't get anywhere near planetary destruction. We can also think of some kind of panic system, some... some way to contain you if anything does happen.

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