[public, backdated to 1 jan]

[tedandroses]

[ooc: if said backdating is okay with mods!]


from: smith, t.r.
subject: (none)
body:
new year's resolution: give new technology a try.
hello?? who is "public"?
if y'all can see this, roll call! name and rank!
(kidding. unless you have a rank you'd like me to know.)

- theo (teddy)

Comments

[frauseufzen]

what is this

[tedandroses]

[what is too soon to not be a direct answer but too long to indicate proficiency with this particular keyboard]

that’s the question, isn’t it!

youre replying, so you know what I do: we have...devices (given to us by ???? the good people of sweetwater? a third party?? ibm ???), & they send & receive text messages

they have a public or a private option — i don’t have pvt contacts (...oh! i can add u now I think tho...) and idk who ‘public’ is; so i figured why not ask

sry for the abbr. clunky keybrd. should just take up morse code

anyway: i’m theo, or teddy, whichever you like. (the neighbors just say mrs smith either way)
& who do I have the pleasure of typing at?

[pharadyne]

Dear Mrs. Smith,

.... . .-.. .-.. ---

I received your message, which must mean I'm on the "public" telegram channel. My name is Norton Folgate, civilian. I agree that this is ridiculous to attempt to type on, like a mouse's typewriter, although the ability to correct mistakes without whiteout is absolutely dolly.

Are you new to the neighbourhood?

[tedandroses]

.-.
--. .-. . . - .. -. --. ... !
Dear Mr. Folgate, (and I've found the shift. Now everyone will expect punctuation.)
Just Teddy plz, - "Mrs." makes me feel. [she pauses on that one. So many things.] well, a little old! & like I might should [ugh; she isn't quite sure who else is on this channel and though he definitely doesn't sound like he belongs in the 60s -- in the other direction -- she doesn't quite trust that she can just say she doesn't remember getting married, or that neither of them are actually called Smith] ...I don't know, have 2.5 kids.

...Civilian? Oh--the rank! I forgot. nicely done.

Yes, new. Only a couple of weeks since we arrived. ...and yourself?
(i think we may have cc'd our confused friend: if so, apologies)
SGN-
Teddy

[pharadyne]

Dear (Just) Teddy,

I arrived in town around the same time you did, I think. Recently from London. So I'm still trying to work out what's what, get my bearings. Including with this little smart typewriter. [He knows a little bit about smart phones from his 21st century friend, Andy Davidson, but in a largely theoretical way. This thingummy isn't like a telephone--a telephone involves sounds--so he's decided it's like a typewriter only better. Smart.]

What's "cc'd?" I don't know that one, is it American slang?

.---- ----. ..... ....-


[1954. The year he's from. No other context given in the hopes that it seems innocuous or random. One doesn't work in signals intelligence during a war without developing a healthy paranoia about communication systems.]

[frauseufzen]

[a very long time later,]

marowski

[regulararmybrat]

Major Margaret Houlihan, (former) Chief Nurse of the 4077th MASH. Previously stationed in South Korea.

Who are you?

[inaxorable]

whtaisthishowdoesitworkwhoaereyou

[ Give him a second, he’s trying to figure out how to use this thing. ]

ihave recegvied your message my name is rodion romanovich rsaklonikov no its raskolnikov why are the letters so msal.l oh theres the period.