twenty-sixth jump;

[ataraxites]

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: Your average, run-of-the-mill jump—except some characters don't seem to be waking up from stasis like they should.



Don't worry.




THEY NEEDED THE REST.

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

Clara Oswald | New | OTA

[parallels]

Pods.

[Well, this is new. Clara thought to herself, curled up on the floor in front of the bottom of the gravity couch as the liquid around her drained and she struggled to steady her breathing after the removal of the tube. From her prone position on the floor, her dark eyes darted around the room, taking in the white emptiness and unpleasant smell of sterilization. She had no idea how she got here. Traveling with the Doctor, one got used to being captured or held prisoner. It was the nature of the business. But she didn't remember traveling with him this week. Her entire memory was hazy. The names of places floated through her head with no image to anchor them. She saw faces she knew with no name to place.

Making a face at the sticky residue from the suspension covering her pale skin, Clara rose shakily to her feet. She was naked, she noticed vaguely but she wasn't particularly concerned. Especially not as a wave of nausea hit and forced her to slump against the wall. And on the way she may have bumped into someone else in the pod room. Covering her mouth, she mumbled an apology.]

Sorry. A bit dizzy.

Lockers.

[After the pod and managing not to vomit, Clara slowly moved towards the showers and cleaned herself up. At least the water was warm. There were other people around and once or twice, Clara thought about approaching them to ask if they knew anything but then decided a shower was probably not the best place to strike up a conversation. Once all of the nasty pod residue is cleaned off, she shuffled towards the locker rooms

"Lockers. Perfect. Now let's have a look about and find something to wear," she said aloud to herself, unable to deal with the utter quiet and stillness of the room. She darted quickly inside and moved to begin searching a locker closer to the door when she caught sight of something on her arm; a series of six digits imprinted on her skin. Her fingers brushed the newly tattooed skin, but there was no feeling of pain from recent application nor was there any way to rub it off. Then it hit her -six digits on the lockers and six digits on her arm. "Nice of them, really." She moved to her locker. She quickly pulled on her tights and dress before she remembered she was hit with an overwhelming concern.

She had to find the Doctor. The Doctor should be here. He was always here when something went wrong. She twisted her head to see if she could see his tall and floppy haired form in the locker rooms. But she saw nothing.]

Doctor?

[She called out, uncertain and a little nervous. Where was he?]

b.

[wolfchild]

[ a lot of people didn't wake up. a lot of her friends. her family. her thoughts are a dark quagmire of doubt and fear. the question manages to penetrate, and she looks over at clara, brow furrorwing. ]

Are you hurt? [ the question comes from a skinny girl wrapped in a fluffy towel. next to her, her direwolf takes advantage of them stopping to groom herself. ]

[parallels]

I don't think so. Mostly just a bit lost. And confused.

[Clara shakes her head with a tired smile on her face. She doesn't want to distress anyone. Especially if they're as confused as she is. Then again, this young lady doesn't seem confused at all.]

[wolfchild]

[ arya's frown deepens. ]

Why were you calling for a doctor then?

[parallels]

That's my friend's name. The Doctor.

Was hoping to find him here.

[But Clara is lose that hope.]

Lockers

[servant]

Are you alright?

[It's her cry for a doctor that gets his attention. Merlin follows the sound of her voice, and stops a short distance from her locker. He remembers her face from before, but can't remember the last time he saw it.]

My name's Merlin. I work in the medical bay, I can take you there if you're feeling ill.

[parallels]

No I'm alright. [She says despite her still looping stomach. She tries to smile at the young man a few feet away who she thinks pretty sure just called himself Merlin. Months ago she would have laughed at the idea of parents giving their child such a terrible name. Now she could buy other explanations.] Just a bit... sick feeling.

[servant]

[He gives her a soft smile, nods to tell her that he understands.]

It'll pass soon enough. I'll stay with you, if you'd like to sit down. Is this your first jump?

[Merlin's careful with the phrasing, because he knows people come and go, and they don't always remember.]

[parallels]

[She doesn't sit but she leans against one of the lockers, wrapping her arms around her middle.]

First? I guess so. Considering I have no idea what a "jump" is.

[coffeeking]

[Ianto's passing by on his way to find Jack when he overhears Clara, stops in his progress past the aisle and walks backward a couple steps until he sees her again. He knows Clara just a little, from when she'd come and gone before, but he can already tell she won't know him. That's alright. Always time for a fresh start.]

He isn't here. Haven't seen him for a few jumps now. [Smiling politely, he holds out a hand.] Ianto Jones.

[parallels]

[She blinks down at his hand for a few seconds as she tries to process his words but fails to make any sense of them whatsoever. Instinctively then, she shakes it.]

Clara Oswald.

And sorry, jumps?

[coffeeking]

Sorry, ship lingo. It's a bit complicated, but there's a month between every jump, when we go into stasis and the ship tears a hole in space-time to travel from point A to point B. It's as bad as it sounds, before you ask.

[He has faith that as one of the Doctor's companions, she'll get the gist of it.]

[parallels]

[And she does, nodding slowly as he does.]

Impressive technology at least. Any idea where point A is or why we head to the next point B?

lockers-ish.

[a1]

[ it's still weird, which is saying something when she doesn't have anything normal to compare any of this to — not like she can remember anything from her past. life just seems to be a handful of circumstances that are either bad or badder. at least whoever is behind this now is kind enough to provide them with basic necessities and assistance.

seeing girls close to her age is ... somewhat comforting though. for a while she wondered if she really was the last one. and the one she had seen near her own locker, close in height (but probably older), still looks just as newbish and confused as she does. ]

Did you find who you were looking for?

[parallels]

[Clara turns to look at the other girl. She seems as confused by this set up as she does. Which is both a comfort and a concern. More people means she isn't alone, but new means she won't be able to get any information from her. But to answer her question, Clara shakes her head and sighs.]

No, not yet.

[a1]

That makes two of us. You can join the club.

[ even if answers would be nice, they don't seem likely to happen — not the important ones anyway. teresa had already been informed that there's no getting back to anyone, unless by the off chance they are brought here too. or you get sent back. sounds like chance but she doesn't buy it. there has to be a pattern. the best way to figure that one out is to collaborate.

she crosses her arms, one shoulder leaned against an unoccupied locker. ]

I guess we're "newbies."

Pods

[dino_zarf]

[Naked young women bumping into him was never going to not be awkward. Particularly when he was in a similar state of undressed. He carefully keeps her eyes on her face before responding.]

The jumps mix everyone right up.

[parallels]

[Clara nods, keeping a hand over her mouth, before trying to right herself and not invade this poor man's personal space.]

[dino_zarf]

There are showers not far from here. Everyone feels better after a good degooping.

[Because space travel really needed goop.]

Clothes, just beyond.

lockers

[unionjackass]

[England scrubs a hand through his hair. It's still a little damp, and right now he's preoccupied with finding his bearings and taming the blonde mop. It's a losing battle.

The call of a young woman catches his attention and assisting someone who sounds a tad nervous is a FAR better use of time.]

Miss?

[He approaches quickly, quietly and cautiously.] Sorry, may I help you?




[ooc: Hello! :D I hope this isn't too awkward, I was wondering if it was ok if he has 4th wall knowledge of Clara? He isn't the type to mention those things out loud having lived his life with what were essentially fairytales, but I'd rather ask permission first. If that's not okay that's totally fine! He's frustrated that he missed the 50th. Again, not that he'll bring it up. Also I play Eleven (he's homeless though) and let me just say I love your Clara so far. I'd love to have CR with you!]

[parallels]

No.

[Clara replies instinctively. She hates asking for help even when she needs it and her first thought is to just do it alone. But then she winces at herself. There's no reason to do it alone here. Not in this strange place.]

No, I mean, I'm alright. Just a bit... out of sorts.

[unionjackass]

[His eyebrows raise and his expression borders on a cross between a parental look and mild amusement.] This is my second--technically... third or fourth jump, I'm not really used to it either. I know others who've been here much longer and they're not much better off.

Uh, I'm not helping, am I? [He waves it off with a casual hand and a small laugh. England can't help himself, he feels a natural pull toward his citizens. And of course as a gentleman, what sort of man would he be if he left a lady without assistance?]

lockers!

[vindicating]

[jay was at his own locker checking over things that he had in there and just as he slams it shut. hearing someone call out for a doctor catches his attention as he turns to see clara] Are you okay? If you're looking for a doctor there's probably someone in the medbay.

[parallels]

[Clara wraps her towel tighter around herself and runs a hand through her hair. She'd clearly not thought that comment through. But she does her best to give the man an appreciative smile.]

No, I'm alright. Looking for someone specific, actually.

[vindicating]

[he just nods, glad that she is actually alright] Oh— well in that case, what do they look like?