driftfleet | Tenth Gate [Video]

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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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[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.

[Jennifer's optimism helps clear the air somewhat, brightening Wanda's mood. She sits back up, reaching for another chocolate.]

A year is a long time. There must have been some bright moments in all this, yes?

Making friends with you was definitely one of them. I've met a lot of great people here, but I'm especially glad to have people I feel close to. I'm not exactly the most sociable person, as you've probably figured out... it's hard for me to make friends.

[A big blush and embarrassed smile appear on Wanda's face.]

It is not easy for me to make friends either.

But I too am glad to have you as one.

[And here comes a hug.]

Even if the circumstances were a little rough... relationships can develop fast during times of crisis. Or stressful situations. And it feels pretty great.

[Wanda stiffens for a moment as Dr. Keller begins her motion to hug, but it only lasts for a moment. She smiles, and returns the hug. It had been a while since she had experienced something like this. The warmth of a hug shared, not in a time of needed comfort, but just as a gesture between two people who care about one another. It lasts for a few seconds before Wanda pulls herself apart, her expression noticeably darkening a bit, and her tone sounding more serious.]

It makes it all the harder though when people leave...

[Annnnddddd way to spoil the mood Wanda...]

[And that made Jennifer's face fall a little bit, too.]

... yeah, it does. I try to tell myself it's not that much different from real life... because you never know what might happen to a person. But on the other hand, back home I'm also not at the mercy of Atroma's whims.

[Wanda realizes what's she's done, and, feeling guilty, tries to swing the conversation back towards a positive.]

I suppose that is true. People can come and go from our lives, sometimes quite suddenly.

[She flinches a little at that, but she tries to remain dedicated to keeping things moving towards a positive.]

Felix and I spoke of this earlier. He said, simply because the heartache of losing someone is possible, it should not keep us from forming those valuable relationships.

[She blushes a little as she remembers their conversation, and almost giggles a little as she imagines Felix's reaction if he knew she was paraphrasing his words.]

Yeah, exactly. I might miss my friends, I might be scared of losing them, but... they've also made me the person I am today. If I'd never taken that first step and decided to go to Atlantis, I'd still be living in Wisconsin, being comfortable never knowing what was going on outside my personal bubble. I wouldn't have seen things I'd never imagined and met so many amazing people.

We are certainly a long way from Wisconsin now.

Yeah, seriously. I thought Atlantis was far away from home, but the Drift Fleet really IS out there.

[Wanda helps herself to another chocolate. Seeing a new avenue for conversation, she decides to try and move things off of the Fleet.]

Atlantis... like the fable? The lost city buried beneath the sea?

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