HELP HOW DOES I ANNIVERSARY

[boldygoing]

Brace yourselves, Nexus citizens. James Tiberius Kirk is back, after a somewhat lengthy absence. Not the one who went AWOL and scared the shit out of a lot of people, as he hasn't been gone nearly long enough to grow a beard to rival the Jim that is currently standing in the plaza looking concerned, confused, and very mildly alarmed. At the very least, he isn't behaving like it's an emergency, or like anyone's life is at stake. No, his problems are of a much more mercifully benign type today. Hooray for mundane difficulties!

"What the hell do people do for anniversaries?" he asks, once he's sure that Hunter isn't anywhere to be seen. It wouldn't do to make him seem unprepared, next week. Assuming he figures out what the hell he's going to do, that is.

Comments

[fiveofnone]

"Good," he says simply, glad that Jim is taking it seriously. The last thing Caspar wants is a bunch of ugly aliens wreaking havoc in a completely different universe. Because he's almost entirely positive that the Ones would have done just that, if they had the technology.

And they sure as hell better not roll up in the Nexus. He already has enough to worry about when it comes to protecting Adia. "You have a timeline yet for when you're going to bring them to your universe?"

[boldygoing]

Jim has thought about this too, and nods once in reply. "Our first good window of opportunity's gonna be the Enterprise's shakedown cruise in a couple months. I'm stuck on Earth until then, and I'm not sure it's a good idea to have the fleet make official first contact with some other Starfleet ship. Just in case."

[fiveofnone]

"Sure. You'd want to handle it personally." The thought amuses him a little, drawing out a small smile. "How good are you at acting? You'll have to pretend you're meeting Faris for the first time." Come to think of it, how good is Faris at lying? The alien has a tendency to take some things literally. "Maybe you should practice beforehand."

[boldygoing]

"I'm better than I used to be, but you're right, it's a good idea to go over everything. It's not like we don't have the time." Jim shrugs with one shoulder, adding that to his mental list of things to do. If ever there was a reason to be glad it's taking so damn long to ship out, this is a good one. "My first officer's on board with the plan too, so he can back me up on it. He's a Vulcan; they've got the best poker faces in the Federation, and there's this popular stereotype that they can't lie, which isn't true."

[fiveofnone]

There's a look of recognition on Caspar's face. "I met a Vulcan," he says. "Half-Vulcan, anyway. I like their philosophy." Of course he would. "Poker's a card game, right? We say 'triad face' but it's the same idea. How good's your game, Jim?"

That last additional statement makes him roll his eyes. "They say the same thing about robots." Well, not anymore they don't.

[boldygoing]

Half-Vulcan? Must be the old ambassador, then. Jim knows that the elder Spock has been here before - ran into him once himself. Caspar's question makes him chuckle though. "I'm not half-bad, but I prefer chess, personally."

He's not really that surprised that people from Caspar's universe would have that kinda stereotype too. "For non-sentient robots, that'd make sense, but otherwise that's pretty stupid." People are people, why should robotic people be any different?

[fiveofnone]

"No one lets me play triad anymore because I count the cards," Caspar replies with a broad smirk. "I prefer chess, too. Card games rely too heavily on the luck of the draw. I like a game where both sides start even."

"For non-sentient robots, it's irrelevant," he's quick to point out. "And yes, it's stupid. And why would anyone believe that Vulcans can't lie? There are plenty of scenarios where it's logical to lie."

[boldygoing]

Caspar, Jim is totally on board with picking apart such a dumb stereotype. He's seen Spock do it, too - both of him, even. Misleading him with his own assumptions, lies by omission, loopholes and technicalities... what was it Spock had said? Vulcans embrace technicalities, or something like that.

"You'd think, right? People get hung up on the part where they like factual information and verifiable data, and I guess a lotta humans assume that since they don't just straight-up invent total bullshit, that means they don't lie at all. Talk about no imagination. I swear, finding loopholes is the unofficial Vulcan pastime. If Spock ever got bored of science, he'd make a hell of a lawyer."

[fiveofnone]

That earns something of an amused chuckle out of Caspar. "You'd think anyone on the receiving end of that would learn that Vulcans can lie pretty damn quick." It's why the stereotype of Cylons being unable to lie hasn't lasted. Unfortunately, now everyone assumes that Caspar does nothing but lie...

"I'd take science over law, too. The legal system has a way of taking common sense and obfuscating it to the point of nonsense."

[boldygoing]

"Don't I know it." Yeah, Jim's own run-ins with the law in his not-so-distant youth were relatively straightforward, but he knows well enough what Caspar means by 'nonsense.' "If I never have to deal with it again, I'll be pretty happy."

Better to part ways on a high note this time, rather than the lingering awkwardness from the cleanup at Hunter's place. "I should probably go look into getting tickets for this Van Halen thing. Thanks again for pointing me in the right direction; I'm sure Hunter's gonna love it."

[fiveofnone]

It's not like Cylons aren't above manipulating the law to their own ends, but their preference tends towards malicious compliance, not obscuring things with excess verbiage. "Same," he agrees. "One audience before the Quorum was enough."

He'd be lying if he didn't admit some relief at the conversation ending. He didn't not like talking to Jim, but he's only good for conversation for so long before he'd prefer to be left to his own thoughts. "No problem," he says, sounding sincere for once. "Enjoy yourselves." He gives a nod goodbye before heading towards the theater selling tickets to the musical about cats.