001; video;

[uncredentialed]

I've never been on camera before.

[ The woman with the 50's bob and red lipstick smiles a little nervously, but it's friendly nonetheless. ]

Uh, hi. I'm Virginia Johnson. Another new arrival.

[ She gives a small wave. ]

So, this place is pretty weird to a girl from Missouri, but possibly the thing that surprised me the most is, well... the permissiveness. The people in this world seem to talk about sex openly, with no shame. Where I come from, most people are a lot more squeamish about it - even Puritanical. My partner and I were trying to change that, but it wasn't going too well.

I suppose my question is, are there others who've had similar experiences on arriving here? Or are these other worlds you come from more like this one, in that regard?

[ She hesitates a moment, glancing to one side. ]

Also, does anyone have a 16 mm film projector?

Comments

Video

[uncredentialed]

[ This stranger is possibly the most familiar sight Virginia has seen since her arrival. It's almost comforting. ]

1958. What about you?

Re: Video

[anotheroldfashioned]

1960.

[Oh thank God.]

Don Draper, Sterling Cooper and Associates in New York City.

[Have you heard of him? Please say yes. He smooths his hair back.] Look one way or another in the reality of the situation it is...very nice to see someone from the same era as I am.

[warts and all]

How are you adjusting?

Video

[uncredentialed]

Nice to meet you.

[ Nope, no recognition on her face at all. ]

I'm doing well enough, I suppose, aside from the fact that I miss my kids something fierce. I've never been to New York, though. I'm from Saint Louis.

Re: Video

[anotheroldfashioned]

[Kids. Yes. Right.

He nods slowly to her.] It can be tough, but people here are welcoming, and some...well some people shift in and out.

[uncredentialed]

So I've discovered. Here's hoping my stay is short, though I've also spoken to some people who've been here for a year.

[anotheroldfashioned]

You experience the moons yet? Gives whole new meaning to the idea of a "time of the month". I have learned...a great deal of respect for the subject.

[He turns into a big bear honestly he gets screwed in his opinion.]

So. Can I be of any help. In any capacity to you?

[uncredentialed]

I haven't yet, but I'm told I will in a few days, for better or worse.

Are you having as much difficulty as I am wrapping your mind around all this... magic?

[anotheroldfashioned]

[Aha.]

I mean have you seen this stuff? Kodak would die of happiness. Pepsi can't compare. Have you been to the malls? There are whole marketplaces.

That helped. It's...new.

[He likes new.]

But the moons were what shook me out of any sort of awe.

[uncredentialed]

The technology is really something, if I could just figure out how most of it worked.

[anotheroldfashioned]

What's to figure out?

[He pauses]

I mean secretaries are officially a thing of the past. [A damn shame really, but.] If this where it goes? Our lives are about to get a whole hell of a lot easier.

I mean think about it. That's really what matters right?

[uncredentialed]

I like to know how things work. Call it a habit.

[anotheroldfashioned]

What you don't believe in magic?

Or...complicated technical stuff? I mean...this place...

[He looks a little haunted.]

You haven't seen half the things that can happen. A lot of it gets bad.

[uncredentialed]

I didn't believe in magic. I believed in science.

[ She frowns. ]

I mean, obviously it exists, here. I'm just... having some difficulty wrapping my head around it all. Especially after that... attack, or whatever that was.

[anotheroldfashioned]

It was real.

[His hand slides to his shoulder nervously before he lights a cigarette] I ended up possessed by that bastard.

[uncredentialed]

I'm sorry to hear that. It was scarier than a bombing drill, that's for sure.

[anotheroldfashioned]

Jesus don't get me started.

Why are you looking for a 16mm projector?

[uncredentialed]

It's not especially important. I just arrived with some film from back home, but no way to watch it.

[anotheroldfashioned]

You should try and get one of these tech kids to convert it to digital.

color film. I mean easily developed color film. I toured a technicolor lab for a job and the process of coloring film is actually really impressive. It's an intensive process. They've been doing it since the 20s, or at least trying to. They dye things - run it through filters - and then apply - get this - sugar. This sugar called Chitin.

Now with these computers they can add color, in a matter of seconds, reproduce it, look for errors in it. Fascinating stuff.

[uncredentialed]

Hm. I might consider it. Thanks.