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]

You don't have to get all short with me.

I just wanted to say I was sorry.

[discretion]

[Shifting, and Franz curls up on his side, facing Albert in the inky black.]

...Sorry? Why?

[assumedposition]

[Albert sighs.]

I didn't mean to yell at you earlier, or anything. I wasn't really mad. If anything I was mad at myself.

[discretion]

[Franz considers his words carefully.] ...It's okay if you were mad at me, or even if you still are.

I'd understand that.

But what's done is done.

[assumedposition]

I'm not, though. Not really. I know you were only protecting Eugénie.

... You're a good friend, Franz.

[discretion]

[Oh. Of course this was about the thing with Eugenie, and not...

Franz is glad Albert can't see his face redden.]

...I try. [He chuckles.]

[assumedposition]

[Albert smiles involuntarily in the dark, even though Franz can't see it.]

... Thanks.

[discretion]

[Franz can hear the smile though, and returns it.

He's glad they can't see each other, though.]

Are you going to go to sleep now or do I need to tell you a story?

[He wonders, vaguely, when the last time they truly saw each other was.]

[assumedposition]

Come off it, I'm not a kid! I'll sleep, I'll sleep.

[discretion]

[Franz chuckles, and hunkers down to one side. He doesn't know if he'll actually sleep, but he'll try. Hearing Albert breathe will probably help.]

Good night, Albert.

[assumedposition]

... Night, Franz.

[And after that, he does fall asleep easily. Just like Albert, really-- able to fall asleep anywhere within minutes. His breathing does even out, and the room falls silent except for that.]

[discretion]

[After what feels like a very long time, Franz dozes. His sleep is light and restless. More than once he wakes up in a silent panic, with no idea where he is.

He'll have to talk to sick bay about getting a sleep aid, he thinks, because he can't foresee this going away any time soon.]

[assumedposition]

[Meanwhile, Albert sleeps peacefully... for a while, anyway.

It's about half way through the night when his sleep starts to become more restless. Before long, he's tossing in his sleep and murmuring incoherent phrases. Whatever they are, they're not the sounds of someone having a pleasant dream.]

[discretion]

Albert! [Franz hisses out a loud whisper.] Hey, Albert! You're having a bad dream!

[He doubt it'll work, but he doesn't want to have to shake Albert awake unless he has to.]

[assumedposition]

[But Albert is a heavy sleeper as always, so he continues to toss with increasing levels of agitation for a while regardless of Franz's attempt.

Just when it seems like he can't get any more agitated, he wakes up with a start and a yell, sitting bolt upright and drenched in sweat, panting heavily.]

[discretion]

Albert? [Franz speaks gently. He's pretty sure Albert has woken up, but he can't quite see.] You okay?

[assumedposition]

[His heart is still racing a million miles an hour and his breathing is still far too fast for his liking, but on some level Franz's voice manages to penetrate through the post-nightmare terror. Albert replies a few seconds slowly, voice hoarse.]

... Franz?

[discretion]

...Hey.

[Franz climbs out of bed, going to sit on the edge of Albert's. Close, but not touching. He tries to make out Albert's face in the darkness.]

You were tossing and turning.

[assumedposition]

[Of course he was. Albert is grateful for the darkness. It means he can wipe his eyes without Franz noticing. Probably.]

Franz ... this is real, right?

[It isn't the first time today he's asked that.]

[discretion]

[Franz realizes he doesn't know if he can answer that question truthfully. Maybe he's overtired but he almost reminds Albert that he has died and honestly has no idea what's going on here whatsoever. This is apparently reality, but none of it makes any sense. So maybe he's wrong. Maybe this whole thing is an illusion. Doesn't make any more sense than his current theories so.

Franz reaches out to find Albert's shoulder, and then pinches him lightly through his pajamas.]

Feel that? You're not dreaming.

[assumedposition]

[Albert doesn't yell out this time, doesn't even flinch or exclaim. If anything, his body seems to relax slightly, and his breathing starts to return to normal.]

... Thanks. ... Sorry. I had to make sure.

[You are always in my dreams, he wants to say. You are always in my dreams. Happy dreams, sad dreams, angry dreams. But then I wake, and you are gone. And your blood is always on my hands.]

[discretion]

[Franz rubs Albert's shoulder, unsure of what else to say.]

Sure you don't want that story?

[assumedposition]

... No ...

[Albert is too tired to pretend like he's okay, just in this moment. He pulls his knees up to his chest instead, hugging them.]

Can you just ... stay here for a while?

[discretion]

Of course.

[Franz rubs his back, remembering how he comforted Albert after he cried in front of the lockers earlier today.] Let's lay down, okay? You must be tired.

[assumedposition]

Mm. I am, a little. ... Thank you.

[He shuffles over towards the wall a bit, making more room for Franz, then lies back down on his side again.]