ataraxionlogs | twenty-sixth jump;

Entry tags:

twenty-sixth jump;

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.

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[Three. This was the third time he had done this, and although Javik was not back to anything like his usual strength or ability, he had learned enough to handle it. It didn't take him long before he was back to the lockers, to ignore the issued jumpsuit and fit somewhat awkwardly into the only part of his old armor that still fit him. He was only a little clumsy by now, although the thought did not comfort him.

Instead he allowed distraction- the cacophony of animal sounds that always seemed to accompany the jump was even louder this time, interrupted by a human shout. He pushed his way through until he could see the source of the disturbance, taking in the jumpsuit, the menagerie, and the eyeballs.]

I did not think humans ate eyeballs. [He sounds almost pleasantly surprised. Most of the humans he met were squeamish, wasteful.

He eyed the girl, who he thought he had seen before, in the halls or on the network. It was difficult to say, all humans looked alike, but the animals were something of a give-away. The look on her face suggested maybe his guess had been wrong.]

They are not yours?

[ Well. That's a new sort of response.

Jaye stares at him for a moment before shaking her head. Judging by the way he says "humans" and "did not think", it sounds like he's more than he looks and not entirely familiar with the species. Well, she's... happy to help, or something. ]

Some do. Not usually human eyeballs, though, but some do that too. Fish eyes are actually considered a really highly prized food, that sort of thing. Typically though, humans don't like humans that eat humans. Or anything else that eats humans.

[ It's why she keeps the fact that she sometimes gets chunks of person stuck in her teeth a secret. ]

But nah, not mine. They're, uh, a nice color -- but I think the ship just gave them to me. Probably trying to be funny.

I have noticed a curious distaste among my comrades when it comes to the consumption of sentient life-forms. As if in death there is any difference in flesh.

[Humans man. They did not know what they were missing.]

Gave them to you? [He snaps, instantly changing his attitude. From relatively beginning interest to focus and a hint of rage, brows low and voice very hard] Do you believe the ship is intelligent? Or are you joking?

[If the ship was sentient, it would explain much. At the very least he would know where to take the fight. Machines in any world spelled trouble.]

I think they probably don't like the idea because then that means someone might eat them, too. Makes people queasy. As if humans are really on top of the food chain -- I mean, just on Earth we've got predators that are way better at killing things naturally than we are with technology. And not just because they're bigger, either, though that sure as hell helps.

[ If these two don't go skipping through the halls together it will only be because Javik doesn't skip and Jaye doesn't like the halls. ]

It could be. We don't know what Smiley is. We don't know much of anything, but seeing as the halls move and doors randomly lock and elevators go to the wrong destination and then won't let you back in? Totally could be. Not that I'm an expert on machines, animals are more my thing.

[ Said with a gesture at her menagerie. ] As if that weren't obvious.

((CRAP misspelled benign go me))

[That was true, the universe was full of creatures that could one day best you. To pretend that was not true was folly.

He snarled, but it wasn't directed at her.]

The Smiley creature says it is not the ship, but I do not believe it. It does not matter, if this vessel is our captor it will answer. It is not hard to imagine the humans from this universe could create such a monstrosity. Many do not understand the dangers machines possess.

[Many, like all of his allies. They were blinded by sentimentality that could not be returned. But he knew he could rely on them to assist him if the ship did turn out to be the enemy they sought.]

Yes, I have seen them. [It would be hard not to] Why do you keep so many? Are they for battle? Food? I do not understand their purpose here.

It's a trickster. Just because it says it isn't on the ship doesn't mean it isn't in it.

[ She works for a trickster, and while she's still working on this whole "semantics" thing, she can tell that much. ]

The birds -- they're called chickens -- are for food. They breed and we eat their eggs. Could eat them too, if we breed enough, but all the chickens on the ship are related to these two [ pointing to the rooster and oldest hen ] so I don't know how the population will hold up. Could get some scrawny-ass worthless chickens. The male is that one there; he'll make the most obnoxious noise you've ever heard and some of 'em have spurs on their feet that'll hurt like hell; some people have them fight each other for fun. I had a cow, for a while; they produce milk to drink or use in cooking, and they're a good source of meat, but the ship killed it during a jump. [ Then it rotted for a year. Ew. ]

The horse [ pointing ] is historically used for labor; she was left behind by someone who used to be on the ship. Her hooves there, they're her best weapons; she kicks you with those and she can break your bones, and it won't take a lot of effort on her end. You can drink their milk or eat them, too, but it's considered weird in a lot of places; most people on the ship from Earth would be grossed out. Same with the cat [ another point ] though they're typically used for pest control, not labor; too small and too independent. She was left behind too, but with the giant rats on the ship, I figure she can make sure none sneak in and eat the eggs. They're really good predators, cats; technically she's considered domestic, but she's barely evolved from her wild cousins and they've barely evolved in the millions of years.

And then there's Howly. [ There's a bark from what appears to just be air. ] He's, uh-- well, he's a hellhound, so basically he's a magic dog who's invisible unless you're dead, about to die, or certain other magic beings. He was left behind as a puppy, so theoretically he's pretty useless at dragging souls to Hell, but he's damn hard to kill and listens to me. He's mainly a guard dog, now, but when we're attacked he's right in there ripping things out with his teeth with me.

[ She's very proud of her animals. ]

Edited 2013-12-08 21:24 (UTC)

I do not know what it is, but I have little doubt it is a danger.

[Javik listens to her list animals and tries to keep up. He didn't have much interest in animals that weren't trying to kill him. Or someone else. Most of them seemed to have a use, even if the ship did provide other food sources. Still, fresh meat and other fresh foods were a boon to any warrior. Although he did not imagine that the horse was very efficient labor aboard a ship.

The invisible dog attracts a little more attention. He turns his head slightly, tries to mimic the angles he used with four eyes to see things that were invisible. It did not work. Disappointing, but not unexpected. Magic suggests that even in his proper body he may not be able to see it. Although magic was hard to swallow. Who could-

With me?]

Do you spend much time ripping things out with your teeth? That seems very... inefficient. [He stared at her mouth, tried to get a good look at her teeth. In his experience human teeth were dull, too many flat molars for grinding to be any use in the kill. Not like Protheans at all. Perhaps she meant it as a joke.]

[ She grins, and while it gives Javik a good look at her teeth, it'll be just as he expects -- dull, flat, the teeth of an omnivore who uses tools to kill instead of teeth. Still, it's a predatory grin, that much is certain. ]

Not these teeth. And I guess I spend a fair amount of time doing it, with all the things the ship likes to throw at us where it's kill or be killed.

[ Reaching to pat Howly on the head, Jaye then clicks her tongue at him and makes a motion with her finger. The other animals are herded a bit backward by the invisible creature. ]

I'm a shapeshifter. Animals only, but animals are enough.

[ She grins again, and this time her teeth are longer, sharper; not human at all. ]

[As he thought. Still, the expression bears more similarity to his own people than a human smile.]

Is there any other way of life?

[He watches the animals move back, fairly well organized for dumb creatures. He imagines it would be a necessity, otherwise the jump and the other minor catastrophes in this place would not allow them to survive.]

A shapeshifter? [He squints, tries to picture it. There had been whispers of many powers on the network, but he had not heard this one] Earth animals, or any animal? There are many beasts more powerful than any sentient creature could be. Of course, they are stupid, without the ability to analyze situations. Do you retain intelligence?

[Look, it seems like a useful weapon. In this body, he would take it. Even in his own form he would accept, having seen what a thresher maw could do to a Reaper.]

People think there is.

[ But Jaye's fought to survive this long, and she'll keep fighting. ]

Earth animals for sure. Technically I might be able to do others, but this damn place has screwed things up for me. Anything too large that I try to turn into doesn't work; I end up smaller, or as a similar animal. Nothing magic. It's a bunch of crap, but I guess that means it marked me as a threat.

[ She's somewhere between pleased about that and annoyed, to be honest. ]

Intelligence yes, speech no. That's what body language is for, though, and usually communicating isn't high on my list of priorities when I've changed. I can do it practically instantly, too, and don't have to go back to this form between them. If sheer size and power aren't doing it, I can immediately become something venomous if I have to, that sort of thing.

[He scoffed at that. You can guess how he feels about those people.

His face is very serious when he listens to her, and although his brow stays furrowed and the corners of his mouth are still down, he is clearly no longer angry.] I see. And how do you know how to become these animals? Do you have to have see them? Touch them? Is there a biological marker you read? It sounds like a useful weapon, in the right hands. Were you born with this ability? ((SHEPARD SCHOOL OF INTERO-CONVERSATION))

[Being limited here seems to suggest being limitless elsewhere, although he does not know for certain. His people had once believed in magic too, and over time they discovered it was merely science, disguised with a lack of understanding. Perhaps there was a way to understand how she accomplished this feat. If so, something good may come out of this unwanted detour.]

Edited 2013-12-08 22:05 (UTC)

[ Jaye's hardly good at Other People most days, but she can tell when to keep going. The intero-conversation helps. ]

Well, I have to know the animal exists. Having seen one or a picture of one at some point helps, so I have an idea of what I'm turning into, but I can alter things -- coat pattern, eye color, as long as it doesn't change the animal itself. I've actually got an encyclopedia of animals that I keep notes in; this would be a good form for combat, this one for infiltration, this one is stronger than it looks, that sort of thing. At this point, though, I usually don't have to think about it -- back home, I've been doing it for about eight years. Here? [ She shrugs. Who the hell knows, here. ]

It was a gift from a god. When I started as an apprentice, it was limited. When I became a master, the limits into what animals I could change into vanished, until I showed up here.

[ There's another grin as she practically bounces, instead rocking on her heels just once. ]

Want to see?

[He nods, even though it doesn't really make sense to him. Would seeing a picture of a pyjak let him know everything about the creature? How it's internal structure functioned, how it saw, what it was capable of? He did not believe so.

And then there are gods. He supposes it could merely be a technologically greater being granting a power, but he also had to accept that the universes others came from did not follow the same rules of his own. It was that or spend a lifetime trying to understand something he was never meant to. He was a soldier, not a scientist, and not a theologist.]

A useful gift.

[A surprising question. He raised his eyebrows slightly. She had made it seem easy, but showing off such strength could be dangerous. Still, he did.]

Yes.

[A simple answer, but it was sufficient.]

[ At the end of the day, there are more pressing questions. Jaye's given the answers she knows, and that's all she can do. Sorry Javik. But at least you get a free show. ]

Very.

[ With Nuada calling her a hybrid, it's nice to have the ego validation from another complete stranger. ]

I'll do a couple, let you really see it.

[ That's about the most warning he'll get before Jaye is, quite suddenly, a tiger. Her tail twitches, mouth stretching into a snarl so that he can see her teeth before she crouches like she's going to pounce -- and does so, turning into a fox in midair. A few steps along the bench and she jumps again, this time changing into a blue jay, fluttering up to perch on the lockers. Chirping down at Javik, she flies down and twists herself up into the form of a coiled rattlesnake, rattling and hissing before, laughing, she's back on the floor as a human. ]

Man, I love doing that.

[It is an impressive show, but it instantly sets his hackles up. No creature was meant to stare into a mouth like that and face it calmly, and he was no prey. Prothean instincts yelled out to fight, even while the human body started to flee. He takes half a step back before she changes again, and forces himself to ease the tension out of his shoulders even while his hind-brain screams at him.

Luckily the next creatures are progressively less threatening, right up until the serpent. It reminds him of certain animals from his own cycle, secretly dangerous things, and he eyes her warily until she is herself again.]

It does not confuse you?

[It is all he can think to say. He's trying to keep the admiration out of his voice, but it is a very, very useful trick. What he could do with a power like that. Kill. Mostly.]

You are very adept.

[ It's definitely not a bad response. Many people are simply impressed, but to get a reaction like that from another fighter is essentially enough to make her preen. Flicking some hair over her shoulder, her grin still wide, Jaye straddles the bench and leans forward to look at him. ]

Nah. Short amounts of time are fine. Having to shift for extended periods of time at short notice, that's the worst.

[ One thumb is jerked over her shoulder, in the general direction of the door. ]

Ship locked me out of medical during a jump, once; it's what killed my cow. But Earth insects are small enough to survive the force, so I shifted. It lasted a year. That was rough; lots of disconnect when you shift back, thinking you should have more or less or different body parts and senses.

[ A beat, her head tilting; considering. ]

I'm gonna guess you might know what that's like.

[He had spent enough time around humans to recognize pride when he sees it, but he can't fault her for it. True skill was to be celebrated. With none other to compare it to it is difficult to know whether she is a master, but it was impressive enough on its own not to matter.]

That was fortunate. Were you able to learn much during this time?

[Javik doesn't know anything about insects, other than that they bear a striking resemblance to the Rachni (and Protheans- that he doens't know that one). The horror of being stuck alone for a year does not occur to him. Empathizing is hard when your genetics don't just tell you everything, guys.]

Yes. Although this body is more similar to my own than some [turians came to mind] its limited senses are a burden. I have not yet discovered hidden strengths.

[He sounds bitter. And, unlike her, he can't go back. Not until he finds a way to return to his own universe.]

It would've been nice if I had, but nothing super helpful, no. I mean, insects aren't a new form, so that was a best. About all I learned about the ship was that it gets covered with red mist that tastes and smells like blood.

[ There's a thoughtful hum, Jaye tapping her toes against the floor for a moment. ]

Well, and that was when we missed a jump. Went right from 18 to 20, and with only one 19, and he's from this universe. But I didn't notice the ship stop, and if anyone would've, I would've.

[ It's information, technically. It's just not very helpful, not without anything else to go with it.

Javik's frustration at his new human body is quite understandable. Jaye's not sure what she would do if she were cut off from her ability now, deprived the edge and freedom it gives her. Still, the human body isn't entirely defenseless. ]

There are ways to train it -- even the senses. Weak points to learn how to guard, sure, but those can be used against someone else and there are strong parts, too. Some humans even sharpen their teeth, to give them that edge, if you wanted to try that.

Then you learned a number of things that do not happen.

[Less useful than solving every mystery aboard the ship at the same time, but likely she would have noticed other people, things, changes in scenery outside of blood.

The missing jump sounded almost familiar. Perhaps his research had revealed something of it. Or not. There had been many things to absorb in his first few days aboard the ship, and the relentless cramming had not benefited him much.]

Interesting.

[He pulled a face. Many had tried to convince him of the usefulness and strength of the human body. He did not care. While it was not as unfortunate as being stuck as a Salarian, it was certainly no boon. A krogan body he could have worked with. At least he would have strength. And asari would have allowed him to keep his biotics. This form? Blind, deaf, dumb, weak.]

A waste of time, the human body is not suited to tearing flesh. But I have attempted to... adapt.

[To an extent. Mostly he was attempting to force.]

What will you do with these items?

It's something.

[ She certainly should have. Of course, it's a large ship. ]

Well, depends on the flesh. I mean, it's really not that hard to puncture human skin. Animals do it without even trying all the time, and our jaws are strong enough to bite off fingers.

[ A few fingers are wiggled at him, for emphasis. ]

I could give you pointers. No one spars with me much anymore.

[ Too touched in the head, probably. ]

Not sure yet. Someone'll probably want to run tests on them.

[He followed the waving of her fingers with a cocked brow. That was... a curiously honest thing to say.]

I would not know. Some day I may have the chance to discover myself. [There was almost a level of satisfaction in that.

He eyed her. She was not a large or powerful looking human. And while he was uncoordinated he was not small. She did have confidence, and he could not write it off as mere pride when she was aware of the limits and strengths of her form.]

I think I would enjoy that.

[He glanced over the items, shrugged] I doubt they will discover anything you cannot tell with your eyes. Whoever leaves these items is not helping us. It would be better to burn them. Or feed them to your creatures.

[ This time, her grin is positively huge. ]

I stay in the gardens; you can come find me whenever. If I'm not near these guys [ a wave toward her animals ] then I'm probably clearing brush.

[ And if you're ever really bored and tired of lifting weights, Javik, you can help her. ]

Yeah, I don't think the jumpsuit's really salvageable. Howly might like the eyes.

[He does not know what 'clearing brush' is, but he assumes it is something to do with animals. Perhaps cleaning them.]

I will find you.

[It's not meant to be ominous, but phrasing matters.]

Perhaps. It is better than following the phantom trail the ships leaves. Allowing it to manipulate us is folly.

[He glanced away, studied the crowd for a moment] I must go. I am searching for... familiar faces. Do not waste the eyes.

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twenty-sixth jump;

Lockers aka Buffet

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