driftfleet | Tenth Gate [Video]

Entry tags:

Tenth Gate [Video]

Who: Jennifer Keller and you
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: N/A
When: Now

A year, huh... [Jennifer looks distant and sounds a little sad.] How... [She hesitates.] If you've been here for a while, what kinds of things do you do to cope when you're really, really missing home? Because I've been thinking about my friends back home a lot lately, and having been the only person from my world here this entire time... [She trails off, and decides to just wait for responses.]

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Well, how could I say no to such a kind offer?

[Wanda smiles, happy to see that she's helping her friend and not intruding like she feared she might.]

I will be over shortly. We could comb through the fleet's media library? Perhaps find a movie worth watching?

I'd definitely like that. I'll see you in a bit, okay?

[And when Wanda does visit, she'll find Jennifer in the cargo bay, running her hands over one of the gumball crates.]

[It takes Wanda a little extra time to find her friend, but she arrives in the cargo bay of the Wonderduck.]

Sorry I took a little longer. I looked for you first in your bunkroom.

No problem. [Jennifer gave Wanda an easy smile before moving toward her.] Thanks for the company. I've been needing to remind myself of what I have here a lot.

[Wanda smiles and nods, offering out a heart shaped box of chocolates. Obviously, this was something that had been given to her around Valentine's Day. Yet, Wanda is offering it freely to her friend, letting her get first choice.]

I am happy to be your company. Did you find a movie file that you wanted to watch?

[Jennifer smiled shyly and picked a piece out of the box, enjoying it as she did so.]

I'm trying to look for something that'll make me either laugh or cry. So I've got a few options picked out.

[Wanda looks the contents of the box over, before selecting a chocolate of her own.]

Why would you want to watch something that would make you cry?

[She then looks around at their surroundings. Not that the cargo bay seemed inhospitable, but...]

Do you mean to watch the movie here?

Oh, we can go to my room if you want- we've got all the bunk upgrades here, so we'll be much more comfy there. [Jennifer then swallowed, looking awkwardly at her feet.] Because I'd feel less self-conscious if a movie made me cry than it just being because I miss home so much.

[Wanda blinks, realizing that she probably should have picked up on that. To her little credit, she's not had a lot of "girl friends" from which to draw experience. Still, she curses at herself, under her breath, in Russian for being so stupid.]

I see. A crying film is fine then. Though, I cannot say I know any good ones to recommend.

We could also talk, if that would suit you better. If you feel like listening to me whine a little. [Jennifer smiled gently.]

[Wanda smiles back, her voice sympathetic and understanding.]

Whatever you would like, it is fine with me.

Okay. [Jennifer folded her hands in front of her.] I've just been thinking a lot about home lately... all the people I'm missing. And since I've been here for a year, wondering how much longer I'm going to have to be here- what it's going to take to "win" this game and get off these ships.

That is a lot to think about.

[Wanda's tone is sympathetic. She passes her friend back the box of chocolates, letting her choose a new one.]

A year... I believe I am coming up on that soon myself.

[Jennifer smiled shyly as she chose another.]

A year is a long time to be stuck here, isn't it? People have been theorizing about how to beat Atroma at their game a lot lately, trying to discern if there's a method to their madness. And I'd like to be able to make sense of it all... why I, out of everyone else in my universe, was picked to come here, for example. I'd like to feel like I have a reason to be here.

[Wanda places the box of treats between the two of them, allowing easier access for them both.]

Perhaps there is no pattern to their behavior? What if it is all truly random?

I wouldn't be surprised. [Jennifer found a particularly good chocolate and stopped, closing her eyes and savoring for a moment.] Simon and I have talked about that before- because they could create a LOT of drama if they were able to pick and choose who comes and goes. And some of the people who have gotten sent home, I can't imagine they were doing badly in the ratings. Like Steven- he was a bundle of sunshine to everyone he met, he was always kind, always helpful. I would've thought he'd be very popular with the audience.

[Wanda's tone and expression becomes more serious, as she knows this topic of discussion that she's pointing them towards may be rather depressing. Yet, she finds that Jennifer is one of the very few people she has these sorts of in-depth talks with.]

Suppose there is no audience. What then do you make of... [She gestures about them.] all this?

[Jennifer crossed her arms.] You've touched on the thing that stops me from completely dismissing the idea of the audience. Because if not for the show, why WOULD they go through all of this? Putting us onto ships, sending us gifts from so-called sponsors, taking us from planet to planet? It would require a lot of money, a lot of resources.

My best guess was something I told Tyrion- that they need us for something- but even then, it's not like we do much to directly benefit Atroma.

[Wanda mimics Dr. Keller's gesture, crossing her own arms as she contemplates the problem further.]

They need us for something... If their goal for us was something benevolent, you think they would have just asked.

If the TV show is a facade... then why choose a TV show? They could have used any false pretense for our capture. So why a TV show?

Mmhmm. Each of the big theories people has about why we're here has some sort of problem or hole in it. And you raise a good question, too- why tell us we're on a TV show? Not everyone who gets brought here has a concept of what television even IS, much less has a concept of being in space. So it's not a universal thing that can be explained to eberyone. Of course, it's not like Atroma bothers to give us an individual briefings when we arrive, either. [She gave a frustrated sigh.]

[Wanda sighs herself. She falls back onto the bed, looking back over at her friend.]

It seems pointless sometimes to even try and make sense of everything. Yet, what else are we to do? We go about our daily lives here, and sometimes it is not so bad... but how can any of us ever truly be completely complacent with this situation?

Especially when they've shown that they can control us, to some degree. [She tapped her augment.] They can give us new knowledge, make us go to sleep at will, and God knows what else. Sometimes it IS easy to forget that they hold the cards.

Someone always seems to be holding the cards...

[Wanda states out loud, yet the look on her face almost suggests that she's speaking more to herself, to her own experiences, more so than simply trying to make a point.]

[Jennifer sighed.]

But one of these days we'll be dealt something we can use. They can't be all-powerful, no matter how much it looks that way.

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