8963/Professor...Erickson

Professor...Erickson
Date of Scene:	06 December 2021
Location:	Classroom - West
Synopsis:	A chat between friends! Michael is an Astronomy professor now, which is weird.
Cast of Characters:	Michael Erickson, Tabitha Smith

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Michael Erickson has posed:
    Professor Erickson?

    Well, not /professor/ - Michael has no degree in education, even though he has proven a competent (if unusual) instructor where his classes on galactic politics and the like are concerned. But it's official now, he is A Teacher(tm), and now he flits about the astronomy classroom, hands tucked behind his back and dressed in his usual black suit that makes him look like a member of some secret police branch or another. Thoughtful expression, yes. Very serious.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith pokes her head through the classroom door to take a quick peek as if looking for someone but stops when she catches sight of Michael. The gaze that had swung past him snaps back and she just stares a moment before straightening and coming fully through the door. "Heya Mikes. What's with the monkey suit."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Well, I always wear something like this here," he says, not looking over his shoulder and instead focusing on the classroom around him - mentally placing things, pondering it all. "At least when I'm on duty. How are you?"

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith thinks back for a moment then says, "Okay. I guess that's true. Haven't seen you off duty yet now that ya mention it. What ya doing hanging around in empty classrooms? I was just looking for Rebecca. She missed her last urban survival lesson and I wanted to give her hell about it."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Well...." He turns on his heel, gesturing about said classroom. "This is the one I've been assigned. I'm going to teach Astronomy." She gets a bit of a smile. "Unlike...anyone else that I'm aware of who teaches the subject on the planet, I've actually /been/ to the planets in your solar system. It'll be interesting to teach the students the reality."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith nods, "It does change the perspective when you've actually been out there. I think this is the classroom where Beast gave me me finals actually. Nice room. Not that one classroom is much different from another. All of them boring." She leans back against the wall by the door. "I guess you make a good choice for an astronomy teacher. Better than the rest of the lot anyway."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    He makes a bit of a face, does Michael, then smiles. "Oh," he says, "I don't know about /that/, but...it'll be nice, you know, to teach something other than how to shoot people in the face or the like."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith smirks just a little, "Well I don't need to know that one. I already have that trick down if I want to. Not that anybody's teaching me anything these days except how creative teenagers are when they want to avoid you."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "You could always come sit in on my classes, if you want." His eyes widen a little. "I was on Jupiter the other week. I took pictures. It's lovely there -- we used to take transports through the Gallorean Reach and stop at Mal'aay Station to offload for high-gravity training, and that was in the upper atmosphere of a gas giant. Huge, gorgeous clouds."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith shrugs a shoulder, "I suppose I could but only if you make it interesting. I am not doing school again. Too boring."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    His brows arch. "I just said I went to Jupiter," he points out. "You want to see pictures?"

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith chuckles, "Well it's not like I haven't been out there. I've even been on a Shi'ar spaceship before, but sure. I lik looking at good pics." A message chime goes off and she pulls out her phone to look then takes the time to respond before tucking it back in her pocket.

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Well, if you've been out there before..." He looks a bit crestfallen, but rummages takes out a handheld device from his suit pocket. "Have you been to Mercury yet?"

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith points out, "Oh I didn't mean Jupiter specifically. Just space. I wouldn't survive on either Jupiter or Mercury, Mikes. That'd be me all done."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Mmm." He goes to take a seat on the edge of the desk, tapping a few tiny chiclet-style controls on the handheld device's surface - it's a bit like a television remote, with a lot fewer controls. Same glossy plastic appearance, though. Michael sets it down on the desk, and then from one end a faint cone of light emits, fanning out and resolving into a flat image of a scarred, crater-hammered surface akin to the moon, though with a gray-red surface with oddly chromatic areas scattered on the scene. The sun is much closer, and though it appears at first to be a flat image, the scene suddenly manifests depth, as if one were, in fact, looking through a window.

    "So," Michael says, "This is Mercury. It's extremely hot, as you can see, thanks to the proximity to the sun."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith leans toward the image and nods, "Yeah. Seems like it would be really hot there yeah. Too close to the sun, just like the rest of them are not close enough. I think that's right. We're just right like Goldilocks, right?"

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "That's what they call the phenomenon, actually," Michael says with a nod. "Your people. Mercury's too hot, Mars is too cold - but Earth is juuuuust right." He gestures to the shimmering pools of color about the surface. "Eventually I expect your people will mine the planet, as you can see there are mineral deposits just at the surface here. Once they have a suitable infrastructure." A beat. "Or someone else will - I expect that the human authorities won't allow that. I'll help keep an eye on that, of course."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith shrugs a little bit, "That's pretty much all beyond my pay grade I guess. I have no desire to enforce anything out in space so long as space people aren't messing with me and mine. Speaking of... I had no idea Jimmy was gonna react that way that night in the park. Should have figured, but just... didn't."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Well that's..." He pauses, then gives Tabitha a nod. "I didn't take any offense. My people are jerks, I get it."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith nods, "Yeah. They kinda are and his people have been treated pretty badly by just about everyone who isn't one of them so I'm luky he trusts me much less askin' him to trust anybody else."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Oh, I know all about it." He gives her a faint smile. "My people make the British and the Romans look like complete amateurs where it comes to imperialism - though they do follow the Roman model, what with letting people just keep their own culture and whatever. Just make sure to pay your tribute."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith just shakes her head, "History really isn't one of my favorite subjects. Too much studying and memorization involved. That stuff's boring. So what else are you going to teahc in astronomy?"

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "What history we ignore we are doomed to repeat," Michael points out, waggling his brows, then kills the image floating in the air. "And I thought that I might teach two parallel courses: what humans think is out there, and then expand upon or correct that for students' own knowledge. So that they can converse with everyday people about astronomy if it comes up and not sound like a maniac."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith notes, "You know... with as many aliens as have showed up on this planet. I think most people know there's something out there they didn't know about before."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "True," Michael says with a nod. "But if I've learned anything about humanity, they're very good at ignoring what they don't want to know - and excluding anyone who tries to actively challenge that view. This way students can operate in society as need be, but be personally informed for the future." He shrugs. "Might be my background as a covert agent speaking, but it's served me well all these decades, you know?"

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith strolls slowly around the edge of the room as she seems to ponder this comment. "I suppose that's so. People are so easily scared of things they don't understand and they don't like to admit they're scared so they either ignore it and pretend it doesn't exist or they try to beat it out of existence."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "I'm fairly sure I could give him a challenge." A smirk. "But I'd rather, eventually, he come to at least tolerate me. But that's for him to decide. And I will not press him. Only respect him."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith walks back toward Michael ans nods, "Sure. You're a tough one. Speaking of your covert training. You were going to teach me right? Will being made a professor at the school interfere with that? Or are we still good?"

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Oh, I'm just talking," he breezes, waving a hand at her. "And sure, I'll teach you still. Rogue was trying to rope me into teaching wilderness survival at the school, but I think my dance card is full enough as it is." A shrug. "You count as a student anymore? I could teach you down in the simulator - what do they call it? Danger Room?"

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith shakes her head, "I'm a resident who kinda teaches a single course and helps out upon request. I doubt anybody would mind you taking me in the Danger room even though technically Sam is my training mentor. And I thought Logan and Jimmy taught wilderness survival. Somebody chance the roster while I wasn't looking or did Jimmy give up the course because he got busy with his courses at Columbia?"

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "You can have more than one," he replies. "Mentor, I mean, surely." As for the rest, Michael shrugs. "As far as I know they do - I think she just meant to assist. I've been on a lot more in the way of planets than they have in my military career. They'll be the experts on Earth, but surviving on a methane ash waste?"

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith chuckles, "Well yeah. Sure I can, but Sam is my X-Men mentor. He's probably going to recommend me as a full member of the team any time now though. Don't think he'll mind me picking up some new skills."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Sounds good." He smiles, then. "Obviously I'm an ally as long as you lot will have me. I think sometimes I'm a bit /too/ open with the truth with the students than some would like, but considering how often they risk their lives while just trying to get an education, it seems stupid to coddle them."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith nods, "Sounds good to me too. I think you're a good guy even if James doesn't like you. Just have to fit in these lessons between teaching my students how to dumpster drive and serving drinks at Harry's."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "James doesn't like me for who I belonged to," he replies. "Not who I am. So, perhaps at some point we might be able to change things." Michael waves the words away with a hand. "And to be honest, he isn't wrong to dislike me. I am...alien. My ways are alien. But having lived among your people for almost fifty years, now, I absolutely understand - especially with how /his/ people have been treated." Michael makes a face. "So, truly, it's fine. I wasn't always a good guy. I'm just trying to be better."

    That said, he makes another face. "Wait," he says. "You don't live here? Why not?"

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith shrugs a shoulder at the comments about James then nods but it transitions to a slow double blink. "When did I say I didn't? I'm a resident. I live over in the college dorm with James."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "So why the job?" He blinks once. "Don't they take care of all your needs here?"

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith nods, "Sure. They take care of all the things I need but they won't buy CDs for my boom box or posters to put on my walls in the dorm. I mean I could just rob vending machines. It's simple enough and I've survived that way before, but I'd rather have some honest money."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    He nods in understanding. "Makes sense," he says. "Sorry, I don't mean to pry - I'm just still learning about everyone's situation at the school."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha Smith waves it off, "Don't worry about it. It's not a personal detail really. Just a blip about the school." She glances down at her watch and snaps, "Oh shoot. I'm supposed to take a couple of the kids in to show them some good dumpsters between here and the park. I gotta run, Mikes."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "All right." He gives the lady a jaunty salute. "You take care, all right? I'll see you soon."