twenty-eighth 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: It could just be the standard sensation of air on wet skin, but if you bother to check, you might notice the steam rising from your body, barely there and gone within a minute. By the time you get to the showers, it will be clear that it's not just taking you time to adjust. The room is cold — colder than usual, but no worse than the last jump. While it's nothing dangerous, it's certainly motivation to hurry through the usual routine and get dressed quickly.



It's getting closer.




YOUR EYES ARE OPEN.

KEEP LOOKING.

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

[needsheadphones]

[ Rebecca is luckily getting fairly good at interacting with people from times before she is -- her only true ally and the only other Assassin aboard the ship is from the time of the Revolutionary War, after all. It isn't obvious, though, as generally everyone wanders around looking confused during their first jump, so Rebecca just beams at her. ]

We were trapped on the bridge. We were so sure we were going to die, all of us, but just before the jump, the doors opened.

[skjalf]

[ elizabeth is certainly in need of allies in this unfamiliar place and situation. jumping straight from the frying pan that was her uncle's court into this fire is tough.

but she isn't worried about herself, at all. someone has by their word just escaped death. that is much more important than whatever issues she's having. so her concern is genuine as she squints at the other woman, and eventually just lifts a hand to shade her eyes. ]

Our captors have attempted to kill innocents? [ oh, that makes her mad. but she asks calmly: ]

May I ask what happened which led up to that incident, madam?

[needsheadphones]

[ "Innocents" probably isn't the correct term for it. Rebecca is an Assassin back home, after all, and they didn't really have permission to go on the bridge. Then again, there's not anyone around to give permission. ]

Regularly. I don't know if we were being taught a lesson with the doors or if something intervened, but it seems like most attempts to either live here normally or try to find anything out about this place lead to bad things.

[ She hasn't been here for long, but that's been pretty apparent. Besides, she reads, keeps an eye on the network; you can never be too informed. ]

There are people who've been here for about two years. It hasn't been as long for me, but there's no way home and there aren't any answers. The people who said they were in charge have disappeared, and one apparently killed some captives before doing so, and it turns out one of them was a prisoner herself who wasn't even supposed to be here in the first place -- and not like we aren't supposed to be here, more like she was smuggled on or something. We got fed up, and about sixteen of us went to look for answers. Then... well, then we got stuck.

[skjalf]

[ 'innocents' in her book includes anyone who doesn't think that murdering small children while they're imprisoned for no reason is a good idea. nobody is perfect, but very few actually deserve the death that awaits them.

yes, elizabeth would agree. to be informed is better than to be in the dark, which she has no idea she has been dwelling in completely until her arrival here. she takes the time to listen to everything the woman says. by the time she is finished, elizabeth isn't sure that she can blame any of those sixteen souls for acting as they did.

even if for her, it would seem too rash. she frowns, and takes a step closer. ]

I am glad that you have all managed to survive. And this is troubling. I..

[ she doesn't like hearing there's no way home, or that answers aren't readily apparent. her brows draw together. ]

Is there truly no one among those who have abducted us who has the courage or decency to speak with us?

[ if diplomacy won't work.. oh, dear. acting rashly is not her thing at all. ]

[needsheadphones]

[ ... nope, Rebecca is definitely innocent in that respect. ]

From what I can tell, the only two people who were on board before people started showing up here said they had nothing to do with it. There's a mysterious... well, we don't know what it is, but it leaves us messages in red writing. That thing could have something to do with it, but it hasn't said.

[ She glances up at the ceiling for a moment, her voice dropping. ]

But whatever it is, I think it's why those of us who were stuck are alive.

[skjalf]

[ most people are. henry tudor and his mother? not so much. she is glad that they, and her uncle, do not appear to be here. yet. ]

That sounds much like a phantom or spirit. Is this ship haunted?

[ there's a lot to think about here. she straightens, paling a little. ]

I am uncertain if whether or not we should be glad for their presence here. But are you.. are you injured, at all?

[needsheadphones]

I don't know. I wouldn't put it past it, from what I've heard. There are-- monsters, I guess, is the best word for them. That's why we're supposed to say in the well-lit, populated areas.

[ It's a lot to take in, she's sure -- she notes Elizabeth's pale expression and gives her a slight smile. ]

No, no, I'm fine. My name's Rebecca, by the way.

[skjalf]

[ ok, now lizzie is fairly alarmed. to her credit, she is able to keep a mostly serene look on her face as she swallows and asks: ]

What manner of monsters? [ ghosts and monsters, and she can't even lift a sword, let alone swing one. why couldn't she have been born a boy, again? ]

I am glad that you are unhurt. And we are well-met. My name is Elizabeth.

[needsheadphones]

They used to be prisoners, apparently. But some people experimented on them, made them partially animals. We call them manticores, around here. Oh, and there are huge rats that will infect you with a sickness if they bite you. But like I said -- if you stay in the lit areas, you should be fine.

[ Being alarmed is one thing. Rebecca nearly lost Shaun before she even really met him because she wasn't quite forward enough with him, because he didn't understand the risks. She's not going to do the same thing now, not on this ship, which is terrifying in an altogether different way than the Templars. ]

I haven't seen them while I've been here, at least, though I haven't been here for long compared to some people.

[skjalf]

[ elizabeth nows appears as though she has seen a ghost, her complexion is so pale. it's a miracle that the alarm does not show in her eyes, but it's hard. ]

Such things would simply be labelled demons by the Church. I.. frankly cannot conceive of such creatures. Or what was done to those poor souls.

[ she should pray for them. but is god even listening out here? she will have to push her faith. ]

Yet they could be lurking anywhere, could they not? How do people protect themselves here?

[needsheadphones]

Neither can I. It's... it takes someone extremely sick, to want that sort of thing.

[ Elizabeth looks a bit like she's going to faint, though. ]

Do you want to take a seat? And-- well, some people have weapons, and others teach self-defense.

[skjalf]

That, or God has decided to put us all through this horrid trial for whatever reason.

[ she does feel light-headed. so she gratefully takes rebecca's invitation and sits down. ]

My thanks. I confess I envy those who are able to defend themselves.

My father is gone. There is no one here to protect me.

[needsheadphones]

[ Bluntly: ] You'll want to learn.

[ She nudges some hair out of her face before continuing. ]

The ship has a security team, but they can't be everywhere. You don't need to learn how to kill, but you can learn to get away from someone who's grabbed you or hurt someone enough that you can run and find help.

[skjalf]

I.. [ can she? the last woman to pick up a sword and ride a horse in her memory was declared mad. ] I do not know if I can. I am a woman.

[ lizzie says this as though it ought to explain everything. and she listens, taking in the cold reality of this place. her father is gone. her brothers and even her uncle are, too. and there are only a limited amount of people to protect everyone here.

lizzie sucks in a deep breath, and lets it out in a sigh. ]

Nor would I expect them to be. I am sorry, it is a good deal to take in.

This may seem like an odd question, but.. women can do that, here? Without being called mad, or worse?

[ after thinking for a moment: ] If it is possible, then I may have no choice.

[needsheadphones]

[ And Rebecca, in turn, immediately softens. ]

Hey, it's okay. It can be a hard adjustment.

[ But it doesn't do to cushion it all, either. This place is dangerous. ]

Yes, we can do that here. In fact, where and when I'm from, we can do basically anything men can do. It's the same for most people on this ship, and anywhere that it isn't the case... well, people from there get used to it and shouldn't say anything. The head of Security is a woman, too.

[skjalf]

[ it is, and she bows her head into her hands to let her eyes have a chance to adjust the the harsh, unnatural light.

she stays that way for a while, until rebecca's words filter through the lingering fog in her mind. then she raises her head, and blinks in utter confusion and amazement. ]

How is that possible? We are taught to remain indoors and look pretty and..

[ she sets her jaw, a bit irked at her society. ] Nothing useful in the ways of defending oneself.

[needsheadphones]

Just because we're told to do that doesn't mean we have to. Eventually, women started... well, not doing it. And enough people say "no", eventually they have to listen.

[ Shaun would have actual historical facts and dates to back this up, but Rebecca isn't convinced that wouldn't somehow break a timeline or something sci-fi like that. ]

In the place I'm from, there was a large war and with all the men gone to fight, women had to step in and work. When the men returned, the women didn't want to go back to staying at home.

[skjalf]

We do not? [ her medieval mind is trying to wrap itself around this notion. the church, her father, her mother; since birth, everyone has told her that she is to obey the will of god and her father. marry where they wish, do as they wish. it's.. different. to think of going against all this. ]

That was all it took? To say no? [ mystified. ] I do not think that would work at home. The Church..

[ she trails off, thinking rebecca might understand. ]

Ah. How horrible. That it took such tragedy for women to gain some form of freedom.

[ she frowns, and shakes her head. ] And do women fight, too, where you are from?

[needsheadphones]

We don't, [ she confirms. ] The Church doesn't have as much power as it once did, when I'm from. And here-- it doesn't have any at all.

[ She nods. ]

We do. There are still some arguments about women in the military [ EYEROLL ] but there are women police officers and even women who fight for sport.

[skjalf]

None at all. [ for some reason that makes her smile despite the shock of it. ] And so here, we might be whoever we wish to.

[ well, wow. ]

I have heard many stories, that once in my own land, women were the equal of men. And with the decline of Rome, that was lost. I am pleased that much of that has been regained with the passing of a few centuries.

It must feel liberating to live in such a world as that.

[ where needlework and weaving and approving menus aren't the full measure of one's day. even though she doesn't necessarily mind that. ]

[needsheadphones]

Exactly.

[ There's a thoughtful hum. ]

In that sense, at least. But there are more things to fight for, or to fight against.

[skjalf]

My mother would say otherwise.

[ and she almost makes a face--almost. but catches herself, and tilts her head in interest. ]

But it is an ideal that appeals to me. [ well, that's news! ]

What sorts of things?

[needsheadphones]

Well. There are governments that don't care about their people, or judges who have been bought to let the guilty go free. There are people who do cruel things to animals and children, just because it makes them feel strong. Women can work but we're still fighting to get paid as much as men do for doing the same job. The air we breathe becomes dirty and we have to fight to try to make it less so, to stop pumping things into it that don't belong.

[ She has no real idea if Elizabeth will quite grasp all of this -- especially when it comes to disagreeing with governments -- but a girl can hope. ]

[skjalf]

Is that the sort of world you live in? [ she looks shocked, but then it fades into a look of startled understanding. ]

It sounds very much like my own. That is so very frightening, I..

[ and sad. very, very sad. the only part she doesn't understand is about the air. the rest; well, she was raised at court and groomed to rule. she has grown up watching her father while he's done 12 years of ruling.

and caring for his people. but people are sick and twisted, no matter the century. and in her mind, if women are allowed to work at all, why should they be paid less? no. she only doesn;'t really understand one thing, really. ]

Why would the air be dirty, Lady Rebecca?

[needsheadphones]

That's part of it.

[ That doesn't even touch the corruption of the Templars, the way politics are a secret battleground between two sides. It doesn't cover how she has seen almost everyone she knows die fighting for a cause, for free will, against people with deeper pockets and more resources who want to control it all. ]

Well. There are some things that people use for fuel, or to make things, that we learned hurts the earth. Imagine a fire burning all of the time, only you keep putting things into the fire that make the smoke blacker and blacker until the air is always like that. Or imagine that you dumped waste and dyes into the water and then had to drink from it.