[ video ]

[moon_in_her_hair]

[She's still trying to determine whether this is wise, but the offer had been a saving grace for her. She wanted anything that could remove her from the mountains and the horrors of war. This may not be what her father intended for her with her life, but this life was her choice.

That at least would comfort at night.]

My name is Alice Munro and I am new to this ship. [Ship. That in itself would take time to grow used to. It wasn't like the ship that brought her to the colonies at all.]

Those that are wardens, if you would be so kind to offer me advice perhaps on those here assembled? I know why I am here, but I would like to be made aware of what I am in store for. I do not want to be caught unawares. Not again.

[She hesitates before addressing the inmates.]

Those that are imprisoned, if you also have any information about the ship itself, I should be grateful.

Comments

[moon_in_her_hair]

Tell me more about the world you came from. Your accent is quite unlike anything I have heard before.

[withtheoldbreed]

Alabama's south of Virginia. [Like, way down south, but he figures that at least might be a familiar landmark for her.] I'm about two hundred years ahead of you. A lot of stuff's different.

[He's not even really sure what he should tell her, considering how he feels about hearing about the future, but... to him, stuff like the Revolution or industrialization isn't exactly a bad thing.]

The American colonies break off from England in a couple years. They got the territory for Alabama from Spain, I think. I grew up in a city called Mobile, it's on the water. My best friend's sister and I used to watch them launching new Liberty ships into the harbor before I joined the Marines.

[moon_in_her_hair]

[She listens, a few of the words surprising her, others not quite as much. With the wildness of the Americas and the coarseness of several of the colonists, it wasn't a shock that they had disobeyed their King.

But she hadn't expected that the colonies had expanded so far. How large was the land they found themselves in?]

So it inspired you to join the Marines? Watching these ships?

[withtheoldbreed]

No, miss. We were at war, most guys my age were enlisting in somethin'.

[He's still smiling, but there's something kind of sad about it now. Not quite wistful, but not bitter, either.]

I wanted to join the Marines because they're the best there is.

[Which he believes. But he was a dumb kid.]

[moon_in_her_hair]

Which countries were at war? [It was interesting to see another who was facing the same type of conflicts that she was.] Was it England and France again?

[It seemed they were always fighting. Or Spain and England.]

[withtheoldbreed]

Yeah, but they were on the same side. [Which... might seem weird for you.]

Germany, Japan and Italy were at war with England, France and the United States. Russia changed sides after Germany attacked them, too, and Italy surrendered a year ago.

[moon_in_her_hair]

I've never heard of Germany. [It was Prussia in her time, but she is starting to figure everything out.] So many countries at war. What started it all? Do you know?

[For France and England to be allies is mind boggling.]

[withtheoldbreed]

Prussia. Sorry. [Gene likes history, but it's sort of strange, editing yourself to try and explain all of it to someone who doesn't have the same context that you do.

He wonders if this is how other people feel, talking to him.

And he does know, but, wow. This is gonna be hard to explain.]

It's complicated. [He lets out a breath, trying to figure out where, exactly, to start.] There was another year about thirty years ago, where Germany lost. A lotta people were upset about how it ended and decided they wanted to make Germany a world power again, so this guy Hitler convinced everyone to put him in charge, and he basically tried to take over Europe. Parts of Africa, too, and he would've gone farther if people hadn't tried to stop him.

Japan wanted more or less the same thing, but in the Pacific.

[moon_in_her_hair]

[That's quite a bit to take in. Thinking that Prussia would try to take over or that they think they can, it's shocking. Only recently did England even beat France.]

So all of these nations banded together to stop Pr..Germany and Japan? A war of the worlds then?

[withtheoldbreed]

That's what they're calling it.

[moon_in_her_hair]

Was that where you were before you were brought here?

[withtheoldbreed]

I was on Peleliu. It's an island in the Pacific the Japanese took.

[And for once, he's not hit with that weird sense of frustration that people don't know where that is. It's not like she can help it.]

[moon_in_her_hair]

Was the battle very fierce? [It's something she can understand. The horror and emptiness of all the fighting.]

[withtheoldbreed]

Yeah, it was.

[moon_in_her_hair]

I am so sorry. It is not something I would wish on any. The fear and the...horror stay with you.