First Gate

[forsometimenow]

Who: Jennifer Keller
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Marsiva
When: Now

[The woman on the broadcast is smiling contentedly and seems reluctant to wake up. She murmurs happily and turns over on her bunk, obviously in the midst of a pleasant dream, or relishing a happy memory.

Then her eyes snap open, and she slowly turns... takes in her surroundings... and a few realizations hit. 1. This isn't Atlantis. 2. This also isn't San Francisco. 3. Nobody else is here- Rodney, John, Teyla, Ronon, Carson... not even Mr. Woolsey or Amelia.]

... oh. Oh, crap. Don't tell me the wormhole drive did this... [That's more to herself than anyone else, because she doesn't yet realize she's being watched. Heedless, she scrambles to stand upright, touching an earpiece on her right ear to activate a radio, and a brief burst of static can be heard.]

Dr. McKay, this is Dr. Keller. Please come in. [Tap. Tap.] Rodney? Are you there? [Tap. Nothing. Okay, try not to panic.] Colonel Sheppard, this is Dr. Keller, come in. Mr. Woolsey? Teyla? If anyone on Atlantis can hear me, please respond... [Nothing again. She looks down at herself, finally finding the little communicator clipped to her jacket pocket. OK, that definitely wasn't there before. She lifts it up to her face, examining it curiously, poking at the screen.] OK, can anybody hear me at all?

Comments

[alwayscomeback]

So long as you're here and doing...just about anything, they seem to like it. Our watchers must be very bored.

[forsometimenow]

Seriously. If they get entertainment from watching us go about our daily lives, I don't even want to imagine how mundane their lives outside of that might be.

Thanks for the info.

[alwayscomeback]

You're welcome! Got to help each other out here, right?

[forsometimenow]

I'm grateful nonetheless. It's... confusing and disorienting, to say the least.

[alwayscomeback]

I promise it gets easier.

[forsometimenow]

Things always do with time. So- how long can I expect to stay here? Or is that another fun guessing game we can play?

[alwayscomeback]

It's the most fun guessing game ever.

[forsometimenow]

Wonderful. So I'll sit back and enjoy the ride in the meantime, hmm? At least they were kind enough to provide accomodations...

[alwayscomeback]

Yeah, and honestly? The ships aren't so bad. And they can be improved.

[forsometimenow]

That's good to hear- it's a little comforting to know there's a goal to work toward. I wouldn't do well if I was left to my own devices.

[alwayscomeback]

Exactly! I need a project, too. Keeps the mind busy.

[forsometimenow]

Yes. And a mind is a terrible thing to waste- as are any other skills. I'm a medical doctor, so I can assume I'll still have patients here, I hope. I'd be worried if I could even do that much.

[alwayscomeback]

Yep, we really need medical doctors, actually. The last one was a reindeer.

...Seriously.

[forsometimenow]

A reindeer. [Her voice is full of disbelief. Yeah, she's worked with humanoid bugs but finds that hard to swallow.]

[alwayscomeback]

[Sokka puts his hands over his head, like little antlers. ]

A reindeer.

[forsometimenow]

And he was a doctor. I mean, I guess he must have been an able one if he was given a job as one here, but...

[alwayscomeback]

Yeeep. Apparently that's normal for him?

I try not to think about it, it hurts my brain.

[forsometimenow]

Probably a wise choice. I'll try to do the same.

[alwayscomeback]

I think we'll all save our collective santities if we do that.

[forsometimenow]

I had to suspend disbelief a lot back home, so believe me, I know where you're coming from. Having no medical officers around must have been pretty awful, though...

[alwayscomeback]

Yeaaah, it was a big heap of what if worries.

[forsometimenow]

Well, who knows? Maybe I'll be the first of many.

[alwayscomeback]

Here's hoping.

[forsometimenow]

In the meantime, thanks again for the info. I appreciate you being honest.

[alwayscomeback]

Hey, no worries. We got to look out for each other here.