milliways_bar | (no subject)

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It is not the day after Thanksgiving in Twin Peaks; if it was, Harry would be watching football.

It's just an ordinary day in November, and Harry Truman is back in the bar after work, enjoying a cup of coffee and idly half-reading the newspaper. He has some chores to get to around the house, but he also has some time to relax.

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"I think it doesn't line up for everyone. But then there isn't any reason it should one way or the other. Time here is arbitrary, after all. It's when the Bar's creators say it is."

"How do people even know the date in here?" He's never seen a calendar.

"There are often decorations for some dates. Christmas for one. Halloween. Mardi Gras.

"And there are...things. You know it's Halloween when the Bar alters your clothes." Or your face. Which shouldn't be possible.

"I guess you can extrapolate from that. Or the seasons outside. Are you new here?"

"Not really," he says. "But I haven't celebrated many holidays."

"It dressed me up like a hockey player once."

He's not sure that that was Halloween, though.

"I was once made to look like a noted figure from my past." Pause. "Possibly your future, since I'm from the 23rd century."

His eyebrows jump at that. "Holy smoke. Is it nice?"

"Humanity's doing well. And Earth is in pretty good shape. Does that count as nice?" Did the man actually say "holy smoke?" "Can I ask when you're from?"

"Good to hear."

"Around 1990," he says.

"An interesting time. I'm somewhat familiar with it." Up close. If briefly. "Where are you from?"

"Washington State," he says. "Little town called Twin Peaks."

"Can't say I know it. I'm based in San Francisco when I'm on Earth.

"Jim Kirk." He extends his hand.

"Harry Truman," he says, shaking.

"Harry Truman...like in the president? Any relation?" Obviously, he's not that same man. Wrong year.

He shakes his head. "Parents were just fans, I guess."

"Ah. I suppose that makes sense." Though if Jim' last name was Archer, he wouldn't call his son Jonathan.

Well, Kirk doesn't live in Twin Peaks.

It's a weird place. "Very underrated President," Harry says.

"I'm somewhat familiar with his term in office. I've studied a good deal of American history. Though my expertise is in the 19th century." Mainly Lincoln.

"Are you a historian?"

"I'm in a exploration fleet, actually. But the academy I attended offers a wide range of studies beyond the practical. So my concentration was history. I think the military academies in your day work that way?" Only with a lot more tactical study.

"Exploration, huh? Like in space?"

"Yes," Jim says with a small smile. "I can't really tell you a lot, in case you're from my timeline and you learn the wrong thing. But we do explore a decent slice of the galaxy."

"Holy smokes." Harry shakes his head. "I was always interested in being an explorer," he adds. "Not much left to discover in my day, though. On earth, anyway."

"I assume you never considered NASA?" Few did, of course.

"Never had the grades for that," he admits.

"It was a hard place to gain entry to. Harder than my fleet. Especially early on."