Work Text:
‘This century is weird, man.’
T’Lyn cocks an eyebrow at Beckett. And as far as Beckett’s concerned, it’s a relief to see the familiar movement on the not-quite right face, even if it means she’s being judged. The CGM process has really been refined since it was introduced a century ago, and even Vulcan features can be suppressed for as long as is required. It’s fascinating. And apparently, so is Beckett’s answer. ‘Explain.’
‘Well, it’s all weird, right?’
‘It is different from the time we typically inhabit and the places I am most familiar with.’
‘See? Weird .’
‘But we’ve been in 2019, in this accommodation, for several days now. What is suddenly so weird that it’s worthy of mention?’
Beckett holds out her locally-acquired comm – phone , she reminds herself – and pulls up some kind of list. ‘Look. Weird, right?’
‘This is a list of… other electronic devices this device can sense?’
‘Yeah.’
‘And?’
‘Look at…’ Beckett holds her tongue between her teeth as she scrolls, before pointing victoriously at the screen. ‘ This one.’
‘It says alien spaceship .’
‘ Right ! And this little mission has us here pre-First Contact!’
‘Then perhaps we should make first contact with this supposed alien spaceship.’
Beckett wilts slightly. ‘I mean, we don’t even have tricorders. I dunno if this is enough for the emergency beacon.’
‘Agreed. So perhaps we should do as this list enables us and… connect.’
‘You think that hitting connect will hook us up to the aliens ?’
‘You say aliens as if I am not technically alien to you and vice versa.’
‘I’m just getting in the spirit of the era. Okay. Go on then. Hit it.’
There’s a pinging noise and a chirp from the next room. They follow the sound, and Beckett feels weirdly nervous. The 21st century is really getting to her. It’s hardly her first accidental first contact rodeo.
The ceiling light is off, but there’s an eerie glow coming from one corner. They draw closer and find–
‘Is that a… speaker?’
‘They do not have audio transmitters built into the structure as we are used to.’
Beckett fiddles with the volume buttons on the side of her phone and the glowing device responds with more little chirping sounds. ‘So why is it an alien spaceship?’
‘I do not know, but then, I am not Human. Perhaps you are better equipped to understand.’
The speaker is a tapered disc, bulbous in the middle, thin around the rim, with a lights pulsing. ‘I mean… does it look like a starship?’
‘Not any starship I am familiar with, no.’
‘Weird. It’s like a… glowing saucer or something. Ancient people were weird.’
‘Ancient Humans were weird,’ T’Lyn corrects. ‘Ancient Vulcans were–’
‘Logical as fuck, yeah yeah, I know. Well, mystery solved. Back to work.’
‘Or,’ T’Lyn says, hand going to her rounded ear. ‘Or we could make use of the discovery.’
A grin slowly takes over Beckett’s face. ‘You wanna put on music? You wanna boogie ?’
‘Yes,’ T’Lyn agrees. ‘I want to boogie.’