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

[longestnose]

"Been here nearly a year, actually." Fili sits down, moving to work the braids into his hair. "Kili is here, as well, so I have been more than happy to have more time with my brother. You will be pleased to know Legolas and Merry are here--they were part of your band."

[wheeloffire]

There were so many! Frodo couldn't help but smile, relieved to hear that many he knew were here. And some even from the tales that Bilbo used to tell! It was truly amazing. Though...

"If I may ask, how did you come here?" Frodo tilted his head to the side. This was a little difficult to word...if Bilbo knew he was going to ask how Fili looked his age, he would be scolded for sure! "You and Kili, I mean."

[longestnose]

Well, there was the question now, wasn't it. Fili let out a sigh, giving a slow shake of his head, "We came from the Battle of Five Armies, lad. We know our fates." As sad as they were, he would not hide from them. There was nothing for it.

[wheeloffire]

Oh...

Frodo sags. While at first he was more than excited to meet someone from Bilbo's old tales, it was now just as somber. Either way, he would feel sad. But just by hearing that they knew made things all the more worse.

He doesn't know what to say. What could he say that wasn't inappropriate to this, anyway? "I see." Frodo looked down. "My apologies. Had I known..."

[longestnose]

"Don't you worry your head about it, lad. We've come to terms with it as best we can. It is none of your fault. Not speaking on it is just keeping a big oliphant in the room, that none of us need." Fili smiled, moving to clasp Frodo on the shoulder, squeezing.

"We are here, now, together. That matters."

[wheeloffire]

That was one way to put it! Frodo smiled back to him, feeling a hand squeeze his shoulder. It was sad, and a little hard to get your head by. But if Fili was past this, and Kili as well, why couldn't he? They were happy so far, and he should be too.

"It does, it does." It was a wonderful thing to feel. "Thank you for meeting me here. It was an absolute pleasure to meet you, Fili."

[longestnose]

"It has been good to see you again too, Frodo. I need to go look to my brother, but if you need anything, contact me." He smiled and gave a nod, starting to walk away.

[wheeloffire]

Frodo smiled! "I hope to meet you together soon!" He bowed to Fili. "Thank you very much for all you have done."

And there Fili left. He felt a little better, nonetheless. He wasn't alone in this, and it was a relief to feel.