themainframe | 006- Accidental Broadcast [video]

006- Accidental Broadcast [video]

[Today's broadcast is brought to you by Shepard's D-Terminal... But she's not on the screen. Nor is Monodramon. Instead, it's shaky footage taken from eye level, and it very rapidly becomes apparent that it's battle footage. From Shepard's helmet.]

[Of the first 7 and a half minutes of this. (Spoilers for the end of Mass Effect 2! Those who don't want to watch all 7 minutes can get the gist from the first thirty seconds and a quick glance at 6:10.)]

[Why? Well. Shepard figured out how to transfer files from her helmet's eyepiece to her D-Terminal, and determined that clip dangerously classified and disturbing enough to flat up delete, rather than risk anyone stumbling upon it.]

[And Monodramon has just broadcast it to the entire network by mistake.]

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I'm sorry...

[She's shaken up. He wants to do...something. There has to be something nice he can--

. . .

Wait a minute.]

Are you...in your room? I want to show you something.

[Well, she wasn't expecting that.]

Yeah, come on over.

[. . .]

Don't talk to Monodramon, though, he's in [time out] lockdown.

[He nods and offers a smile before switching off the feed. He heads over and-- well, tells Lucette to stay here. I promise I'll show you later, and she pouts but alright, Campbell and he's over in a minute flat, knocking on the apartment door and pushing it open.]

Miss Shepard?

[Sure enough, Shepard has Monodramon sitting in the corner of the living room. She's sorting through replies, but she puts the d-terminal down when Cam walks in.]

Hey Cam.

[She waves from the couch before gesturing for him to come sit with her.]

[Cam sits. He's holding his D-Terminal in one hand, a thumb running up and down its side. Contrary to Shepard, he keeps holding on to it, and in fact moves it so she can see it too.]

I...got a prize from the scavenger hunt. [He just goes right into it.] I wanted you to see it.

[Shepard looks quizzical.]

Some kind of file? I wasn't expecting that to be the sort of prizes they gave out.

[Without a word, Cam opens the application and there, on the screen, the familiar question:]

Who do you want to see?

[Steeling himself and praying to-- to anything listening for something happy, for something good, Cam swallows down his indecision and fear and, very softly:] ...Maya.

[The D-Terminal springs to life automatically, and a young, pretty blond sits at a mini-bar with two other kids her age, one male and one female, watching something intently, though relaxed. Another kid, not seen, sings in the background, and Cam instantly knows the moment, the memory.

Maya.

The boy with Maya turns, and he smiles.] Cheesy!

[Maya turns just as Cam's own voice comes from the D-Terminal.] Room for one more? [He's casual, he's smiling, but he's not the focus, she is, and her surprised, confused, and almost a little worried face.]

Cam.

And he keeps his hands still, because all of a sudden he's registering that he's hearing her voice and he can't move.]

Edited 2013-05-31 07:46 (UTC)

[For a moment, Shepard isn't sure what she's looking at. They can already get files off their electronics, why would the scavenger hunt--]

[She realizes all at once that nobody was filming this.]

[This is a flash of home. That's what the prize was.]

Oh.

[Quietly, as not to talk over the video, and though he doesn't really need to:] ...This is Maya.

[On the video, Maya turns to the stage briefly --the boy up there, they're friend, just did an impressive kick -- and then back to Cam.] I thought--

Auh, practice was canceled. [It's a shaky lie, and Shep might be able to tell, but even if she's suspicious, Maya doesn't ask.] Um, everyone was like, uh, 'night off, let's go play video games!' but I, busted over here instead to watch you guys.

[She definitely doesn't question it. Instead, she smiles and turns to the other two, casting a glance at the boy doing increasingly more energized dance moves on stage.]

Well, if you're here, you're gonna sing. [The other two smile and nod. And Maya keeps her little grin as Cam slowly begins to realize no, they're not punking him.]

What? No, no, in class you said that I could just watch.

[Maya straightens up, and Cam watching it, well, contrary to the boy she's speaking to, he beams.] I'm pretty sure I didn't say that.

[The others put in their comments:]

Doesn't sound like you.

Nope.

Great! [Maya jumps up and starts to pull Cam with her.] We'll go next.

[And Cam starts to panic automatically.] No, no. No no no no, Maya, Maya, seriously, I can't--

[For one with Cam's disposition, this was probably a very stressful occurrence. Yet now, watching it? Cam's smiling all Cheshire, ear-to-ear.

And this is why:

Maya stops him, puts her hands on his arms, looks directly into his eyes, determined and excited.] Enough 'I can't's! Tonight, you can do anything.

[And the boy before them finishes. And Maya literally drags Cam up to the stage.]

[Shepard catches herself smiling. She likes this girl already. And she can tell Cam likes this girl, both from the content of the video and the fact that he's showing it to her.]

[She doesn't look away from the video to talk.]

Seems like she's good for you.

[There's something almost reverent about the way she says it, because the significance of what she's watching isn't lost on her. This is one of the most important people to Cam, and they're separated not only by the digital world, but also by the complicated status of Cam's existence amongst the living.]

She really, really is.

[While Cam on the video continues to freak out, even when they're on stage, the music is starting up.]

Okay, look, I'll do your homework for a week. [Maya's not budging.] Two weeks. [He doesn't wait for her response and she's already putting a hand on his chest.] Okay, look, three weeks, final offer, please, M--

Just look at me! Block everything else out, and just focus on me.

[He's got a moment to consider the idea before--]

I can't explain all the feelings that you're making me feeeel! [And she sounds positively amazing. The mic to Cam--]

My heart's in overdrive and you're behind the steering wheeeeel. [...Less than enthusiastic.

But as it goes on, Cam starts to smile. He starts to smile up there, as their friends dance. And they bridge into the chorus, and--]

I BELIEVE IN A THING CALLED LOVE! [He's positively belting it out, hitting falsetto when he gets to the end of the chorus and the whole time, looking at Maya, who's smiling brightly at him enjoying himself.

As they enter a brief guitar break, Maya swings the microphone as Cam mimes air guitar, and watching the video causes him to laugh a little. Jeez, they look ridiculous.

~~UNLIKE THE VIDEO SO HERE WE GO~~ the song continues, with them taking the same rhythm.]

I wanna kiss every minute, every hour, every daaaay! [And when she sings this, Maya leans closer to him, reaching over and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

Now, this stuns and dazes Cam for but a moment and he jumps back in, rushing over the first two words to keep up with the pace.] Y-you got me in a spin but everything is A. OK! [It appears like Maya's holding back laughter.]

Touching youuuuuu, [And she pokes at his side a little, and he rolls his eyes and grabs her in a dance-hold, hands at her waist. Aha, at last she's surprised.]

Touching meeeeeee,
Touching you, God, you're touching meeeeee!

[General amusement and a few cheers from the audience as they move into the chorus once more.] I BELIEVE IN A THING CALLED LOVE!
Just listen to the rhythm of my heart~ [She still sounds like she was made to sing.]
There's a chance we could make it now!
We'll be rockin' 'til the sun goes down~
[They both sing, Cam on falsetto:] I BELIEVE IN THING A CALLED LOOOOOOVE, oooooooo.

[Cam's grin has spread across his whole face by now, and he keeps the falsetto to sing out:] Guitar!

[Watching the video, Cam has to put a hand to his face as the past-him busts out the air guitar again, with Maya standing back and gesturing to him, as if he's the main event. He sort of still watches through fingers though. He'd...never realized she did that. It makes his heart hurt and feel wonderful, at the same time.]

Edited 2013-06-09 07:29 (UTC)

[Shepard makes a noise that is halfway to a laugh when Cam gets into it, but the look on her face is fiercely affectionate. She doesn't think this is funny. Maybe it would have been if she'd been in the actual audience, but right now, she feels like she's looking at something you keep behind you on the battlefield so you can protect it with your life.]

[He's so happy here. And so is that girl.]

She loves you.

[It's not a question. It's an observation.]

[On the video, all eyes are on Cam, but for Cam here? All eyes are on Maya. That's just how it is.]

Yeah. And I love her.

[It's the first time he's ever said it.

The guitar break soon ends and Cam turns back to Maya, who's holding on to the microphone. She's already ready with the next part.]

Touching youuuuuu, [Cam leans in and Maya lays a hand on his arm, subtle and natural.]

Touching meeeeeee,
Touching you, God, you're touching meeeeeeeeee! OOOOOOOOHH!

[The audience, not seen, is getting into it, clapping along and cheering, but Cam and Maya? They don't look away from each other.]

I believe in a thing called love!
Just listen to the rhythm of my heart~
There's a chance we could make it now!
We'll be rockin' 'til the sun goes down~
I BELIEVE IN THING A CALLED LOOOOOOVE, HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

[The rest of the song goes into guitar solos, and the two kids on stage dance along with them, swinging the microphone doing air guitar, the usual. At one point, Cam begins to "sing" along with the guitar solo and Maya laughs, getting the microphone close enough to him to pick it up.

As the song winds down and the applause gets louder, she's practically hanging off him, and now both of them are laughing. A sloppy, joy-filled hug, and softly, very softly:]

Thanks.
Any time, Cam.

[The feed cuts, and Cam's feeling warm and bright. He keeps the D-Terminal in his hand, to his credit not holding it to his heart like he'd like to do now.]

...I wanted to, show you something...good.

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006- Accidental Broadcast [video]

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