Text via PINpoint

[chiron_survivor]

From: Adia Costas
To: Contact List

Hi, everybody.

I did not get a chance to tell Captain Agathon about the Nexus. His daughter, Hera, was kidnapped by the enemy Cylons. Galactica is going on a rescue mission, and I'll be helping in the medical bay.

I'll be okay! I have my PINpoint. But I wanted to send a message, because I've been locked out of the Nexus before, and I didn't want anyone to worry while I was gone.

Thank you to every one of you who listened to me and offered me advice. I would not have survived this long as a refugee without all your kindness and generosity. You are some of the best friends I have ever had.

I wanted you to know that. How special you are to me.

xo,
Adia

Comments

[protolawyer]

It's been weeks since they've spoken, let alone seen one another. Things have been...weird. At least for the lawyer they have. When people get past the sharp teeth and sharp suit and get into the weird gooey parts of his existence? It tends to make him withdraw. Worried now that that person's got dirt. Blackmail. Something over his head that COULD cost him his life. Or worse, his job.

So when he sees the contact icon for Adia's PINpoint appear on his datachron with a bleep, Shark turns it over so the screen is facedown on his desk. Busy. Doesn't wanna think about it. Can't afford a distraction like this right now. It's probably nothing.

...It takes him about five minutes before the clone finally relents and sets down his pen, pushes aside the paperwork and unlocks his chron. He reads silently, eyes moving left to right and his lips pressed into a thin line.

It takes another five minutes before he taps out a reply. And then ANOTHER five to hit send.

haha special whaaaaaat as if lol

That's all he sends at FIRST. But then he stares at that flippant response, one single line with no capital letters, no punctuation, no sincerity. It's not long before his thumbs are moving again.

Don't do anything stupid okay. You ever do that knife-in-the-sleeve trick i mentioned? Lifesaver, my dude. Anyway just keep ur head down and stay in the med bay. Fix people up but don't go running into shit and getting kidnapped too or getting your legs blown off or something else fucked up along those lines!! Just do what ur paid to do!!

And then he stares at THAT message after it's sent. Wow, he sounds like a dick. He IS a dick, but that's not the point. Does it come across that he's just saying this to show concern? Probably not. Okay, one more message after that one.

ur pretty cool too

[chiron_survivor]

Still hiding in the supply closet where she sent her text (it wouldn’t help anyone to find out about the Nexus now), she receives a notification from Shark.

When was the last time she had spoken to him? Not since the cursed mirror incident, she realizes with a guilty start. She should have checked on him sooner and seen how he was doing.

She reads his text and sighs. Typical Shark.

But then the next text arrives, and the one after that. It’s easy to read between the lines, and she finds herself both smiling and holding back a lump in her throat as she scrolls through his anxious warnings, his plea for her to stay safe.

By the time she gets to the last line, she has to wipe at her eyes.

Thanks, Shark. I’ll be good. You still owe me a night on the town, remember?

She wants to say more, but she knows how Shark feels about sharing emotions. And if she keeps writing, it’ll feel more like a goodbye instead of a reassurance, which is what it’s supposed to be.

[protolawyer]

He's glad to see a response, honestly. He'd not expected one entirely and seeing that it's NOT about her screaming for help or saying something like her ship is going down or the aforementioned blowing off of legs happened? Is a relief.

Shark has to wait to respond, as some other clones knock to be buzzed into his office (that's how you know he's a big deal; he gets his own office AND can control who arrives!) and he has to go over the present paperwork with them. He hands over what he's signed and outlined, they give him more to check out, and they're gone. Rolling his eyes and muttering a 'finally', the lawyer takes his chron back out and starts typing.

hell yeah i do!!! we will get plastered and/or wasted. it will be a great time. either here in Illium or somewhere in the Nexus or whatever. pre-game in my office with some beers. it'll be sick. do it 2 celebrate you getting back from whatever this hero shit you're doing is lol

[chiron_survivor]

The message almost comes too late. Galactica is getting ready to jump to the enemy colony. She can't hide in the med bay's storage room much longer. So it's with a hurried scan that she reads Shark's reply.

His enthusiasm makes her smile. It sounds like an awful time, drinking herself into a stupor in some alien bar. She can't wait.

\o/ Looking forward to it.

She wants to add that she's not being a hero. A hero would grab a gun and fight their way through the colony's defenses to rescue Hera. But a warning bell sounds before she has time to type anything else.

I have to go. Tell Neirin I said hi. I'll see you soon.

[protolawyer]

Her stating she has to jet makes him frown. That could mean a lot of things, several bad. But she didn't flat out say that something is wrong, just that she has to leave. She could just be getting called to a medical situation.

Shark tells himself to not worry about it.

aight. keep cool. good luck out there.

She won't likely see that until later so he doesn't wait or expect a response. Instead, Shark decides it's time for a smoke break and gets up from behind his desk and heads for the door.

Don't worry about it.

[rogueinladysclothing]

It's so rare for her to get a text that Amelia jumps at the sound of her phone beeping at her, sending a few of the papers in front of her flying across the library table. She immediately sets aside her books and scrambles to dig her phone out of her messenger bag, the insistent notification beep quickly sending her into a frenzy. When she finally digs it out and reads the message, her chest tightens in fear.

Rescue missions can only go one of two ways, and one of them is very bad.

Her hands shake so much that typing out a reply is out within seconds. The rogue gets to her feet and begins to pace the length of the room, dictating texts to her phone.

What are you thinking? You're going to get yourself killed!

No, that comes on too strong, and she wouldn't say that to Adia's face. Best not to send that. She deletes the message and tries again.

Don't do this alone. Take help with you. There's got to be someone

Dreams, no. Just... no. Why is this so hard?

Can I come with you? What can I do to help?

There's no way Amelia can help and she knows it. Her little knowledge of medicine isn't advanced enough. She sighs heavily and sits down, staring at her phone for a moment before she deletes this message, too.

She types a few more messages, but none of them seem right. This might be the last time she gets a message to or from Adia, and so it must be right, must have meaning to it.

There's no stopping Adia when she's put her mind to something. Amelia knows this, and she knows that no amount of words will dissuade her friend from her chosen course. But more than that, the rogue doesn't want to encourage her friend to give up on something she believes in. There's faith and conviction in this message, something Adia lacked when they last spoke. With faith comes hope. And that's what Adia needs right now.

A sad smile tugs at her lips as she types another message and hits send without reading it twice.

You can do this, Adia. I believe in you. May we meet again soon.

[chiron_survivor]

Not surprised to receive a text from Amelia, it still takes her a good two or three reads to let the warm, optimistic words sink in. She doesn’t know about the unsent texts, but she can easily guess at the struggle her friend went through before sending this one. Amelia has already lost so many loved ones, the possibility of losing Adia, too, must have given her quite a fright.

And yet, she overcame that fear and wrote nothing but encouragement. She believes in her. It’s a vote of confidence that is made all the more meaningful by who sent it.

Thank you, Amelia.

She wants to promise that she’ll come home safe. That she won’t be like Steve — or, rather, will be, but without nearly dying in the process. And coming home sooner. But she can’t guarantee any of that, and it wouldn’t ease Amelia’s worries, anyway.

I believe in you, too.

[brother_alone]

It was almost a year ago when Josh met Adia awkwardly hanging out in a hallway in her DIY Medusa costume and fretting over her makeup at the Halloween block party.

She's become one of the closest friends he's got in this crazy meeting place of worlds. When Josh receives her text he chokes on his beer. It still takes him several read-throughs to find the words he wants to give her. Adia has never once treated Josh like anything other than a friend. Even when he was low, even when they disagreed. He'd almsot forgotten what it was like to have friends who cared like this.

Somehow, Josh was never able to chase Adia away.

I know enough about your world not to say 'everything's gonna be okay', Adia.

But I know you care more than anydamn one else out there, and you're gonna give it your all to help out your folks.

I'll keep your terminal at the Plaza warm for you. Give me a heads up and there'll even be a box of wine for you and an 8 hour playlist of cute animal videos.

What if she never comes back? What if something happens to her? What if--

Josh stares down at his phone again.

I believe in you.

[chiron_survivor]

Josh’s vote of confidence makes her more emotional than she expected. She tucks herself further into the supply closet, wiping at her eyes. Josh has seen her at her lowest, too: scared and frantic in a maze of ice mirrors, heart-broken twice, not just over Caspar, but an entire planet. And yet he thinks that she can make a difference to her people.

Thank you, Josh. It means so much that you believe in me. More than I can say.

He understands how serious the situation is. But all the same, she doesn’t want him to worry.

Toss in a pint of cookie dough ice cream and it’s a deal.

She’ll be back. She’ll do everything she can to make sure of it.

[brother_alone]

I'll holdyou to it.

The typo is the only indication that Josh might have had some difficulty getting his reply back out to Adia. In truth he feels sick to his stomach. Nauseous with the fear that this may be the last time he talks to yet another person he cares about.

But this is about more than just him. He's trying so hard to be better and to understand.

He's going to knock back his beer and ask for something stronger. And a glass of wine that he'll leave untouched in front of the empty seat across from him.

[chiron_survivor]

He's doing a good job of it, regardless of the typo. He's telling her what she needs to hear. Now more than ever, she needs to have confidence in herself.

There's a knock on the closet door. "You get lost in there?" calls Laura's voice. "We're jumping in ninety seconds."

I have to go now. But I'll text you again as soon as I can. Take care of yourself. <3

She wishes she had more time to think up something better to type. Something that would ease Josh's worries, or at least let him know how much she values him as a friend. This is the best she can do under pressure.

[shardofwinter]

It had been another long day for Reynard, so he smiled brightly at the sight of a message from Adia. That smile did not last long.

There are a lot of things in Adia's world he doesn't understand. He doesn't understand what Galactica is. A ship, he assumes. But he does know what a rescue mission is. He knows what it is for people who are on the back foot, for the ones who are always running. More than that, he knows that in a fight it only takes one twist of fate for the safest person to become doomed.

She. Can't. Be. There.

But what can he say? Adia is as stubborn as him sometimes. He stares at the screen wondering desperately what to say. He has to say something.

Come to the Nexus to say goodbye. Just for a few minutes. I'll give you a knife to protect yourself. I'll get you a cake too while you're here. I won't take much of your time, I promise. I still have some Winter magic, I could help protect you.

[chiron_survivor]

Reynard’s message comes as she’s preparing to leave the supply closet she’s tucked herself into, ready to face whatever tasks Laura has set out for her before they make the jump to the enemy Cylon colony.

She’s not surprised by his request. He wants to protect her. And part of her wants to be protected, especially by him. She considers his offer — she has no use for a knife, but the cake is tempting, as is a touch of Winter magic. Or the comforting presence of her dearest friend.

She’s tempted. She’s so tempted.

And that’s the problem. If she agrees to see him, pops over to the Nexus or his home, she might never come back.

I can’t, Reynard. We’re about to leave. But I’ll be careful, I promise. I’m coming along to heal the injured. I’m not going to be where the fighting is.

She hopes.

I’ll take you up on that offer of cake as soon as I return to the Nexus.

[shardofwinter]

"That won't matter if you're defeated," he yells at his PINpoint. Closing his eyes, his hand balls into a fist and he takes a deep, shaky breath to calm himself. He's quick to open them again to type back as quickly as he can.

Just for a minute, Adia. Blessings are very quick. Or I could come to you, bless you and then leave you. Why take a risk when you can avoid it with just a touch?

[chiron_survivor]

She knows him well enough to sense the desperation in his tone. It makes her stomach twist with guilt. The whole point of sending a text to her friends is that they wouldn't worry if she was absent from the Nexus for longer than usual. She's only done the opposite to Reynard.

I can't.

She bites her lip, paces in a tiny circle. She can't leave. It won't be just a minute, she knows that. He knows that. And bringing him here is a risk she's not willing to take.

I can't, Reynard. I can't. Please understand. I'll be okay.

[shardofwinter]

He's going to lose her. He can feel it. She's going to go off on this stupid suicide mission and there's nothing he can do about it. He knows that. It doesn't mean he won't spend as much time as he can trying to get her to rethink this.

Seasons, he wishes he were faster at typing.

No one else is worth your life. Come to the Nexus. Come and be safe. Please. It will work out. I'll make it work out.

[chiron_survivor]

She wishes she could believe him, that everything will work out without her there. But so many people have already died. She has to intervene somehow.

I know this is not what you want for me. I'm sorry.

Never in her wildest dreams did she think that if push came to shove between her and Reynard, she would be the one to hurt him with her decisions.

I have my PINpoint. I've been in situations like this before. If it gets really bad, I'll leave. I promise.

[shardofwinter]

Yelling at his PINpoint won't help, he reminds himself, but typing feels so… useless. It kills him that this is all he has to convince her with.

It's too much of a risk. This isn't worth it. You have a life in the Nexus don't throw it away.

[chiron_survivor]

I'm not throwing it away, she wants to type. How is helping others throwing her life away? Hadn't he compared her to that nurse from his own world? Did she waste her time helping all those soldiers, giving them a light in the darkness?

She sighs and runs a hand through her hair. If something does happen, she doesn't want their last exchange to be an argument. She can't change his mind, any more than he can change hers.

An alarm sounds from outside the supply closet. Galactica is getting ready to jump.

I have to go now. I'll come to the Nexus as soon as I can. See you then.

<3

[juststeverogers]

Adia will get an image back from Steve at first, rather than a return text.

It looks as though he's tried to get a nice shot of the Plaza from a high vantage point so as to capture the place for her memories, just in case she can't come back in person. He knows more than anyone how possible that is.

The key word there being 'tried', as there's a rather large close up of a bird staring intently into the camera that is blocking most of the shot. After a minute, a text finally joins the picture.

Bucky isn't letting me take any pictures right now. I'm sorry, Adia. I'll be rooting for you from here and if you can't make it back in person I'll be sure to send you photos and updates as I'm able.

Good luck.

[chiron_survivor]

Now more than ever, Adia is grateful that she recently upgraded her PINpoint to be able to receive images as well as texts. She did it with the intention of being able to show Captain Agathon photos of the Nexus, but receiving an image of a photobombing Bucky was worth the inevitable frustrations of installing new software on an old device.

It takes her a minute to reply, too busy trying to stifle her laughter with both hands.

It's perfect, Steve. Thank you.

The humor fades as she thinks of Bucky, and Steve's other pokémon. How she had to break the news to them that Steve wasn't coming home for a while. Does Bucky know what's going on? She bets that he does. He's a smart bird.

Please let Bucky and the others know that I'll be trying to get back as soon as I can. I won't forget them.

[smartass_captain]

Adia's message won't even show that it's been read by Jim until nearly a day later. His reply is short but no less sincere.

In Tamriel, looking for Felix. Trying to save power. Call if you need anything--I'll send Spock right away.

Don't die, Adia. We're both going to come out of this.

[chiron_survivor]

The fact that Jim would take the time out of his own troubles to send her such a supportive message means a lot.

Or... would mean a lot.

The next time Jim checks his phone, he'll see that his message was not read. And if he tries to send another text, he'll get the following in reply.

Contact out of network. Please try again later.

just going to pretend this is backdated ;)

[rekindledtitan]

They should tell her that it's dangerous, but they both know how little that matters. When they see the message, they only have to exchange a look. A child is in danger. The enemy is waiting. What else is there to do? How can they expect any less of Adia?

Ghost sends the message, but he's speaking for both of them and Adia can probably hear the Exo's dictation come through.

May the Light go with you, Adia. Take care of yourself. And if it gets close- if you need a Guardian even for a few minutes, you know we'll be standing by.

Bring that little girl home safely. We'll look forward to welcoming you back.

Works for me!

[chiron_survivor]

The message from Ghost and Blaze makes her smile and fills her with a renewed determination. She knows she's doing the right thing, but it's validating to hear it from two friends who never back down from protecting the defenseless.

Thanks, Ghost. (And Blaze.) I'll be as careful as I can.

She's not sure how to respond to their offer of assistance. A Guardian suddenly appearing on board Galactica would cause a lot of confusion, to say the least. But she doesn't want to them to think she doesn't appreciate it, either.

I'll put you in as my emergency contact. Hopefully I won't need it.

[sole_captain]

The whims of the Nexus are peculiar. The way its paths and portals shift and vanish and return, how otherwise reliable PINpoints can lead to unfamiliar places, the way steady contacts can go suddenly silent without a reason given.

Or the way this one message, after so long, can go out across the mulitverse and find its way down a channel thought dead, a silent ping drawing the attention of one who sets his plans aside and reads and re-reads it.

It is Adia, of that Oceanglide is sure. And yet there's an understated self-confidence and determination to her words that he does not recall before. When did this come about? How much has slipped by him in these months of radio silence?

Presently he sends a reply, and hopes for it to reach its destination.

Adia,

Much has passed and much been done since last we spoke. I do not know what has led you to this battle, but if it is the course you gladly choose then there is none better.

May your foes be dashed like spray upon the rocks. And may we soon meet again.

-Oceanglide

His background has ill-equipped him for genuine gestures of friendship or reassurance. But beneath the message a poem is attached. The meter is erratic and the phrasing a little odd, as if it's been hastily translated. But the sentiment comes through: it speaks of being caught by the tides and swept into the tumult of a storm far vaster and more powerful than oneself. Of the terror and thrill and determination and glory to be found amid the crashing waves.

[chiron_survivor]

It is the last person she expected to receive a text from. Even as she reads through his message, her gaze keeps jumping back to his name, as if double-checking that it is indeed from her lost but never forgotten friend.

She had tried to text him before, but never received a reply. After she decided that her absence from the Nexus had either been too long or too warped, she stopped trying. She could only hope that he was doing okay and, when he thought of her, remembered her fondly.

The poem is so him, despite the glitches in translation, that she finds herself tearing up a little. Hastily, she wipes at her eyes and types up a reply.

It is so, so good to hear from you. I had stopped going to the Nexus for three months, and when I came back, everyone I knew was gone. I missed you very much, Oceanglide. I'm sorry I couldn't get in touch with you sooner.

So much has happened. She could fill a journal with everything she's been through. But she doesn't want to waste precious seconds trying to explain. He believes in her, anyway. It doesn't matter.

The fact that you have confidence in my decision means so much to me. As does your poem. As soon as I can, I'll print it out and add it to the book of poetry you gave me.