driftfleet | (no subject)

Who: Misty Day
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Marsiva
When: January 5

[A woman wearing all black lies face up in her bunk, perfectly still, her arms straight out by her sides. It's impossible to tell if she's breathing or not, but surely she must be, right?

Right?

Watch long enough and you'll see her come alive, shooting straight up with a gasp that becomes a heart-wrenching sob. Tears stream down her face and she rocks back and forth. She's saying something over and over, but the only word that can be heard clearly is "No, no, no." This goes on for a long minute before she really seems to realize where she is.

Or rather, where she is not.]

Cordelia?!

[She scrambles out of the bed and stands in the middle of the room, calling out in her thick Louisiana accent.]

Zoe? .... Myrtle?

[She sinks back on to the bed, clutching her head in her hands, her breathing becoming increasingly labored as she tries to fight the panic.]

Shit, shit, shit. Oh God, please, help me. This ain't right at all.

[Not knowing what else to do, she assumes her prior position, closes her eyes, and starts to chant. Those from Earth might recognize it as Latin.]

Spiritu duce, in me est. [Deep breath.] Spiritu... duce. Spiritu - [Another sob and she rolls over on her side and curls into a fetal position.] No, no. I can't... I can't go back there.

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["Swamp-girl?" She ignores that for the moment, but files it away to ask about later.]

You seem to have the gist of it then. Have the augments and ship assignments been explained to you as well then?

Oh yeah, I was going to ask somebody about that... somebody mentioned an augment earlier but we got a little off topic and I never found out what he meant by that.

[Wanda takes a deep breath, exhaling before starting in on her explanation. This may freak her out. It was sometimes hard to gauge exactly how newcomers respond to this news...]

Can you feel a small bump right about here?

[She demonstrates on her end of the video feed, feeling around with her hand behind her left ear and near the base of her skull.]

[Misty mirrors Wanda's movements. When she finds her own bump her eyes widen.]

What the hell is that!?

This next part is not easy to hear, but, please try and stay calm.

[She pauses for a moment before she continues.]

It is called an augment. It is something Atroma... "gave" to us. A way to help us understand what is going on, and what our role is to be on our assigned ship.

[There's a look of realization on her face. Wasn't magic at all, like she thought when she and Souji first talked.]

So that's why... I was wonderin' why I knew what some of this shit was around here. Not like I've ever been what you'd call a tech genius.

[Wanda is a bit surprised at how well she's taking this, honestly.]

Yes, that is one of its benefits. The downside is no one knows what else they are used for. In fact, for some, they have already been shown to cause "problems."

[Yeah well... an implant is the least horrifying thing to happen to her, to be honest. Still, that scares her a bit and she rubs more at the bump on her neck.]

What kind of problems?

Erratic behavior, odd mood swings, temporary amnesia... and headaches.

[The way she pauses on the last one, which should probably seem the least scary out of the possibilities. Yet, there is a certain weight to how she says it, implying some personal history there.]

I am sorry. I know this is not exactly pleasant conversation. But, it is important that you know, that you are made aware.

Can't we just take it out?

[Wanda sighs, the inevitable follow-up question. Too bad the answer always had to be the same.]

Were it only so easy. It seems they have certain... "fail-safes" to ensure that that does not happen.

What kinda fail-safes?

Basically, as I understand it, the same things that I mentioned a moment ago.

[A pause.]

And electric shocks too. Apparently.

[That gets a worried look as she takes her hand away from her neck.]

Guess I won't be doin' that any time soon.

As unhelpful as this likely sounds, it is best to ignore it for now. People are... looking into how best to deal with them, but, until a solution can be reached, it is probably best to leave them well enough alone.

Don't worry. I'm not about to be in the business of pissin' off the people who saved my ass.

[Well that certainly gets a curious turn of the head.]

Saved?

Yeah, the place I just came from... it's bad, real bad.

I see. This is an improvement for you then?

[Wanda doesn't know what to make of that. Poor woman...]

Most places would be.

[Unsure if she should press further, Wanda pauses awkwardly for a moment.]

I see.

[Her uncertainty about whether or not she should inquire further lingers about.]

Well, if you think of any further questions, please feel free to contact me.

I will. Thank you, Wanda.

You are welcome, Misty.

[She smiles warmly before cutting her communicator's video feed.]