Time for some A+ info-gathering

[whitefrost]

A recent arrival is back in the Nexus, this time of his own volition. Rather than stop to talk to anyone right away, Hitsugaya spends half the day simply wandering around, noting landmarks and the different districts and trying to get a feel for navigating here. In fact, some residents may notice him flickering into existence - in midair - at various points across the Nexus for a short time before disappearing again.

Later, he's back in the Plaza, familiarizing himself with one of the Nexus Terminals. Upon his initial inspection, the thing seems vaguely similar to the systems used by Squad 12 and Soul Society's archives, appearing to be some sort of... half-database, half-communications system. (What Adina was referring to when she mentioned computers, he hopes.)

As such, he guesses there has to be some sort of staff to manage it - and perhaps even answer some questions. Hoping to get some much-needed information from a knowledgeable source, he spends a fair amount of time hunt-and-peck-ing at the keys, and after a lot of tapping and backspacing and mulling things over, he considers it good enough and hits Submit.

(Does he have any idea that it's about to take over devices everywhere? No. No he does not.)

This is Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya. I'm relatively new to the Nexus and have some topics I would like to discuss. Any information that can be provided would be greatly appreciated.

First, I've found a house along the outskirts of the Nexus that seems to have been unoccupied for some time. As it would be useful for a number of reasons, I would like to make it my residence here. Is there anything I need to do in order to claim it in some way?

Second, I would prefer to keep my skills sharp while I'm here, however I'm concerned about the so-called AV field. It was mentioned to me that it prevents non-consensual violence. Does this mean that sparring sessions would work around the field provided the involved parties willingly agree to it? If so, are there any preexisting groups that offer such things or would be open to the idea?

Also on the topic of the AV field, it looks as though a battle was fought recently. Was the field somehow affected, and if so, has it been restored?

Then, almost as an afterthought, the final line of text reads:

Lastly, what are the summers like here?

...And that's that, it seems.

If anyone happens to be passing by, he'll be at the Terminal for a while yet, poking the keys every so often as he investigates this strange thing called "the internet."

Comments

[speaksdinosaur]

The Doctor is also back in the Nexus, why would he even think about leaving a place that lets him explore worlds that he hasn't imagined even existed. And he is about to look for another destination to travel to when he walks over towards the terminals. Sure, the TARDIS is more than capable of figuring this place out, but why would he ever even consider cheating.

He passes Toshiro and he peers over his shoulder to rudely read what he is typing, and he loudly hmmms to himself.

"I believe every place here is first come first serve, Captain. But I'm not exactly an expert on those types of things. But if I were you, I would just settle in and if someone kicks you out, then well..." The Doctor muses as he rests his hands on his hips. "...You'll get your answer."

He wasn't around for the battle but he too has taken notice of the telltale signs of one. It isn't just the sights, but he can smell the cordite and far worse. "Somehow I don't think you're talking about sharpening up what's in here." The Doctor quickly points to his head with a finger and gives his temple a quick tap.

"Though I've been wrong on many things before. If you're looking to sharpen your mental skills, there is a fantastic library here in the Nexus. I haven't checked it out, and perhaps in due time I will."

[whitefrost]

Intent on his work as he is, he doesn't notice the man's presence until a loud hum resonates from a spot that is far too close behind him to be comfortable, at which point he turns and snaps, "Mind stepping back a bit?"

Then his senses catch up with him and it fully registers that he's dealing with another non-human (and really, what is it with them and coming up behind him like this?). Though the man certainly seems alive and looks human enough at first glance, something is there that reminds Hitsugaya of some of his fellow shinigami. He gets the feeling that this individual is similarly older than he appears.

From what the man says though, Hitsugaya apparently hasn't got much to worry about with the house, at least. Sounds a bit like growing up in Rukongai: if you can get it and keep your hands on it, it's yours. Straightforward enough.

"With the state that it's in, I doubt getting kicked out will be an issue," he mutters flatly. "But that's good to know. I was expecting more paperwork."

The mention of the library certainly gets his attention. Reading the material there would likely prove less of a hassle than trying to puzzle out this terminal thing. Perhaps he could even go for a more casual visit once things in his world settle down.

"You're right, it's not what I originally had in mind, but a library still sounds useful enough. Do you know where it is, at least?"

[speaksdinosaur]

The Doctor doesn't look to be the least bit bothered by being snapped at, though he isn't exactly impressed either. But he does honor the request to vacate the fellow's personal space. "I didn't know you were the owner of that open space." He wasn't about to let things go that easily.

Hitsugaya has standing before him a Time Lord who is well over two thousand years old. His looks seem to match his age, though that isn't always the case. And if he is able to see beyond whatever it is he is seeing, The Doctor's anatomy is not the same as humans. His binary circulatory system and a sensory system that allows him to function as a time traveler.

He puts his hand to his chin, and taps his chin at the description of the place. In fact, it sounds like a pace The Doctor might like to take a look at. "It still wouldn't hurt to check and make sure that there aren't any occupants inside of it if it looks abandoned." There is a gruff looking smile forming on his face. "Old buildings like that always have a habit of attracting more than just a family of ornery raccoons."

"As for the library, lets see here. Or I would be more than able to see if I could borrow your terminal."

[whitefrost]

"I'm not, but you don't own it either," he says flatly, though he does appreciate that the man did step back. "You shouldn't get so close to people you don't know."

Tch, of course he'd checked. He wouldn't have even bothered asking about it if he hadn't. He hadn't sensed anyone nearby, but he'd still poked around, made some noise, asked if anyone was there just to be sure, etcetera, before venturing inside to find the same lack of any potential inhabitants. Not even raccoons. No signs of anything that indicated recent ownership, either, at least not that he could tell.

"What, you think it's haunted?" He quirks a brow. That's where he assumes the man is going, at least. Not that Hitsugaya is particularly concerned about that, as he fights the cause of most "hauntings" in his world on a regular basis. "I already investigated. There wasn't anything there."

Ohhhh no, nope, nuh-uh, if the man wants to poke around as well, Hitsugaya's gonna have to put the brakes on that real quick. He totally found it first, okay. Finders keepers or whatever. He does not want this guy following him and being a pest.

He eyes the man for a moment, considering whether or not to tell him to go find his own damn terminal because it sounds like Hitsugaya can just look up the library himself anyway, but he steps aside.

"Fine. Make it quick."

(So sorry for the delay! Been up in the mountains with practically nonexistent WiFi. @_@)

[speaksdinosaur]

"What's wrong with getting close to a stranger or two? And trust me; there are those who would find not invading their personal space to be a grave insult."

The Doctor rambles on, and he damn well knows that to some he might be talking nothing more than nonsense. Ah, the life of looking like an old man sometimes proves to be of an advantage to him. Or perhaps it is a disadvantage.

He leans forward again to take a peek at the terminal, and he touches the screen with his fingers. "This place is a bit strange, and I wouldn't put it past the place to be haunted. Though if you found nothing, then perhaps all you would find are a family of raccoons."

He brings up the map, and enlarges it so it will show the location of the library. "Ah, there it is. It is just a short walk near the outskirts of the plaza."


(Slow is cool here. Summer and work are not good bed fellows. )

[lost_her_voice]

Adina is passing through the Plaza when her PINpoint beeps. Startled, she pulls the device out of her pocket and glares at it. Oh, a message from Hitsugaya. She's never received a message before, she should learn how to put notifications on silent so that it doesn't...

That's not a message, that's a letter that he's apparently sent to all of the Nexus. Great. She scans the crowd until she spots him in front of one of the terminals, then heads over, waving at him to attract his attention.

She shows him her PINpoint's screen, then scrolls through his entire message so that she sees what he's done before she types a message of her own. You have a lot of questions. Can I read what you wrote on your screen instead?

[whitefrost]

He's surprised to be seeing Adina again so soon, but he can't say her presence is entirely unwelcome. He waits for her approach and promptly checks the presented PINpoint, but he frowns when he sees his own message displayed. How had she gotten that? He hadn't sent it to Adina, he'd posted it on this terminal, hadn't he? ...And then it crosses his mind that perhaps the communication factor isn't simply between terminals, in which case... he's probably just accidentally bothered a great deal of people. Sigh.

He tabs back to the posting and moves out of the way. "Yes, that's fine. I... wasn't expecting it would be sent to you."

Annoying, but he supposes such a quick spread of information is useful in an emergency, at least. And Adina might be willing to help him out again, in which case the message would technically be doing its job, even if not quite as he had intended.

Once she's in front of the terminal however, he does ask, "So... who else can see this? Anyone with a PINpoint?"

[lost_her_voice]

She shrugs a little to show she's not bothered by the message. It's more a matter of being able to read it in a less irritating format. Which, thankfully, the computer screen provides.

One question at a time, Captain. She skips over the inquiries into housing and weather, as she doesn't know about the former and doesn't care about the latter. The AV field, however, that is a topic she is more than willing to delve into.

The man who led the invasion shut down the AV field, but it is back up now. AV field does not activate for sparring. I have learned from people here. I do not know of any groups, but would be interested in joining one. She frowns briefly and adds, Convenience of Nexus will make me soft if I am not careful.

As for who else got his message, she shrugs once again. Probably. You did not send your letter to a specific address so it will go to all electronic devices in the Nexus. it is how some people ask questions here.

[whitefrost]

He still isn't quite sure if he should apologize directly for it, but since she doesn't seem bothered, he supposes he'll leave it be.

Someone led an invasion into the Nexus? Now he's second-guessing his decision not to ask about what happened, but... well, that curiosity still won't result in anything useful. What's done is done and it looks like the Nexus is moving past whatever took place. What Adina mentions afterward certainly catches his attention, however.

"That's a good mentality to have," he says with an approving nod. He doubts he'll be able to do much just yet as he doesn't really know anyone, but... "I could contact you -" properly, he doesn't say - "if I find an existing group or start working on one myself. What sort of skills do you use?"

If their respective skillsets happen to line up in any way, he might be interested in sparring with Adina one-on-one. She's proven herself tolerable enough thus far.

The next line of text makes him visibly wince, though. Screw everything, he hates technology. Let the R&D weirdos in Squad 12 have it for all he cares.

"...Damn it. I'll be sure to remember that in the future." He sighs. "Does this sort of thing happen often?"

(So sorry for the delay! Been up in the mountains with practically nonexistent WiFi. @_@)

[lost_her_voice]

It's just as well he doesn't ask. Adina wasn't around for the invasion, either, and only has secondhand information about what happened.

She gives him a brief smile, glad they're on the same page. Too many people took the AV field for granted, and look what happened. I would appreciate that, thank you. I am proficient in throwing knives and ballistic weaponry. Are you familiar with Krav Maga? I am trained in that, also. And someone in the Nexus taught me how to disarm others using pressure points.

Explaining herself via computer is nice. The large keyboard is easier to deal with than the tiny text pad. Even if she types via hunt-and-peck.

Often enough. She catches sight of his discomfort and shrugs in a dismissive sort of way. Ridiculous nonsense happens here on a daily basis. Don't worry about it.

((Forgot to add: no worries! Glad to have you back in civilization. :) ))

[smartass_captain]

What the--?

Okay, this has happened before, so Jim doesn't immediately go nuts when the PADD he was writing his report on gets hijacked by a digital set of questions someone in the Nexus is posting. He does frown in irritation though. It better not have overwritten his work.

Good Afternoon, Captain.

This is Captain James T. Kirk of the Enterprise responding. I've been in the Nexus for some time and may be able to assist you with your concerns.

First off, if an empty place doesn't have any sort of signage on it directing you to its owner it is probably available for you to claim as your own. Second, to my knowledge there are some firing ranges and dojos within the Nexus, so mutually agreed contact is definitely possible. Regarding the recent damage, it is in the process of being fixed and the cause is long since been dealt with. Finally, the summers here tend to be milder than normal Earth summers but otherwise no different. If you do not come from an Earth-based planet I can go into further details.

[whitefrost]

If he knew, he'd hope Kirk's work hasn't been overwritten either. He hypothetically apologizes for it in advance.

Well, well. Interesting to find someone else with a title of "captain," and it looks like Kirk's post covers each of his questions (he finds the bit about milder summers particularly nice). Earth-based planet, though... The phrasing there sticks out to him, but it probably isn't relevant enough to question right now. He sets to tapping out a reply.

Thank you for your prompt response, Captain. This information is very helpful, exactly what I was looking for.

There were no markers or notices in or around the house that I could find, so it doesn't sound like my staying there will be a problem. As for the summers, my world is similar enough to fit the comparison.

He's now a little more tempted to inquire about the recent chaos and whether "dealt with" means what he's thinking it means, but he decides against it for the same reasons he refrained from it earlier: others have probably badgered those in the know enough already, and he doesn't feel that his getting involved would be particularly beneficial. So, moving on...

On the subject of combat areas, do you know if there is a directory of such locations available, or if there is someone specific I can ask for that information?

[smartass_captain]

Oh the woes of men in charge of others. Mounds and mounds of paperwork. It's a never ending stream of bureaucratic hoops to jump through. Jim's been here long enough to assume that his fellow captain won't be of the Starfleet variety or even necessarily a world anything like his. But the title does convey a definite sense of leadership in a body at least modeled after a military if it isn't one outright.

Starfleet isn't a military, though they do have combat specialists. They tend to hold security positions mainly, or serve dual purpose of being highly trained technicians and engineers.

Happy to help. We were all new here, once.

Jim studies his screen with less frustration than he had shown before. This individual seems rather by the books from his writing and it prompts Jim to do the same as much as he is able to.

A directory is not very useful in a place as unstable as this. But I know a few folks favoring pistols of some variety who could probably help you find a gun range. Combat is not admittedly my specialty.

Not that he doesn't tend to get involved with combat anyway but it usually doesn't end super well for him.