eighteenth jump;

[mathematically]

CHARACTERS: any and all
LOCATION: Gravity Couches and beyond
WARNINGS: maybe some swearing, or even some violence, and more than likely some implied (and possibly explicit) nakedness.
SUMMARY: Another month, another jump, another round of new faces.
NOTES: Keeping up with the tradition and copy pasted like always from the last one 



You wake up in darkness.

There's a breathing tube jammed down your trachea, and you're suspended in a tube of clear blue fluid. Upon registering your level of consciousness, the gravity couch drains the fluid surrounding you and retracts the breathing apparatus; the doors in front of you open, and you're deposited on the floor of a stark, sterile medical bay.

You are not alone.
There are others who have come before you, others who are awakening beside you. Some may be familiar to you, perhaps even friends. Others have much less amiable plans. Some are merely alien and inexplicable, but there are always those who might mean you harm.

After you catch your breath and your vision returns, you notice a number on the inside of your forearm. Maybe it's a familiar number. Maybe it means something. Maybe it's just a number. But the number—completely unique to you—is a tattoo, and it does not come off.

If you enter the room adjacent to the medbay, you will find a small locker with your number on it, surrounded by rows upon rows of identical lockers. Inside, you will find a few of your personal items, a communications device, and a ship's uniform in your exact size. The comms device is fully powered and connects directly to the ship's network; it's your only means of communication beyond physical conversation. Upon turning the device on, a neutral, automated voice will say, "Please take the blue lift to the passenger quarters." Any other attempts at communicating with the rest of the network are met only with static.

This is your welcome party.

Comments

[assumedposition]

[Albert practically glows.]

Beyond words. Normally I wouldn't wish for anyone I cared for to come to this place, but Franz is different. I'm just... I'm really happy to have my best friend back.

[deprecate]

[ a private smile touches cillian's lips. ]

Right, yeah. That's cute, that is.

[ because seriously, cillian's familiar with that sort of look. explains a lot about the arranged marriage bullshit, too. ]

You and he and Noah and I should have dinner together some time. Noah thinks he's Jaime Oliver, see — erm, that's a chef.

[assumedposition]

Ah-- really? We'd love to! I don't think I've eaten really good food since I arrived here!

[deprecate]

Can't promise it'll be really good. Still only got what's in the cupboards to work with, eh?

[assumedposition]

Well seeing as I only just learned to cook last month, I'm sure I'll find it to be five star. Worry not!

[deprecate]

No worries, then.

[ he's echoing albert's words, not being australian. ]

I'll chat him up and get back to you on when. Did you really only just learn how to cook? I s'pose your ma did it all back home.

[assumedposition]

[Albert looks a little awkward at that.]

--Ah. Yes... she did. [And THE SERVANTS, but Albert has learned long since his arrival that people trying to pass for being normal don't mention ever having had servants.]

I miss her bouillabaisse. A little hard to recreate on a space ship, haha.

[deprecate]

I'm not sure I even know what that is.

[assumedposition]

Bouillabaisse? Oh, it's a kind of soup-- made with seafood, typically an assortment of shellfish. It's very good!

[deprecate]

Sounds all right, yeah. Dunno if there's much in the way of fish here. Outside of the tinned. Noah's pescatarian, it's been driving him close to madness. Still, if anyone could find some fuckin' clams...

[assumedposition]

[Ew, tinned fish in bouillabaisse...........]

Maybe... the next time we resupply somewhere, we can request some fresh fish? I admit, I'm not really familiar with the protocol there. Or with how long fish keeps in storage, either...

[deprecate]

I've been on board a while, but I've never been present for a stopover. Dunno how often they happen. Perhaps if you got it alive and kept it in a pond in the gardens, though... built a koi pond once, back home. Might be harder to track the pieces down, but I bet I could throw another one together.

[assumedposition]

A fish pond! Now there's an idea! I wonder why nobody's thought of it before? You're a genius!

[deprecate]

[ suddenly startlingly bashful, shoulders hunching up. ]

Dunno that I'd go that far.

[ he mutters it, terrible at taking compliments. ]

[assumedposition]

Don't be silly. I said it, so it must be true.

[deprecate]

[ wow, check out mr ego. fortunately cillian finds it endearing. ]

Yeah, all right.

[ but he's still bashful. ]

Off with you now. You've a whole ship to take your gentleman 'round.

[assumedposition]

[Albert looks at Cillian with a puzzled smile.]

He's hardly "mine." But yes, you're right. A whole tour will take some time. We should get on.

[deprecate]

[ oh, is he not? cillian is suddenly wondering if he's taken the stick by the wrong end. but it's a bit late now. ]

I'll be sending you a proper invite once I've spoken with Noah.

[ and he has this jumpsuit to wash — it's created a little blue puddle where he was standing. he waves a quick, blue-handed farewell to the two of them as he goes. ]

Slán.

[assumedposition]

[Albert nods cheerfully, seemingly unaffected by the misunderstanding.]

We'll be looking forward to it! See you soon.