driftfleet | 001 // you are the moon

Entry tags:

001 // you are the moon

Who: River Tam and YOU
Broadcast: Fleet-wide!
Action: SS First Breath
When: After the shuffle!

[River is eating her dessert and thinking to herself. And then, suddenly, she smiles.]

Little planet, your moon is here. Calling to the home star, zero one zero one, she is safe. He is a small planet but he has so much gravity, he pulls her, safe, safe, sleep now shh.

[And then she looks into the camera with a smile.]

She can dance here, it's safe, far away from the watchful eyes, the sterile hands that grasp and pull. They drag her under, but not anymore. Can't cross the verse, the veil, the plane, like a curtain between the players.

She is safe here, little albatross. She can fly now.

[And then she tilts her head a little and laughs happily.]

Hello!

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[Simon smiles back at the image of his precious sister. He's glad to see her, even if she's not where she ought to be- then again, where did either of them belong?]

Well, you are a sight for sore eyes, meimei. You're right... nobody here will hurt you. [He hopes.]

You missed her so much. I missed you too.

[She smiles, fiddling with her communicator.

She giggles.]

Lab rat.

[Simon's smile softens a little bit.]

We're lab rats of sorts, yes... apparently we've been brought here to provide entertainment to the unseen masses.

See but unseen. On the screens. They watch.

[She tilts her head a little.]

Watching, waiting, for what? For small kisses and cries and...

...up and up. I will look after you. You need that.

[Axel sort of furrows his brow at this broadcast, trying to make heads or tails of it, but can't quite manage. Who is a planet? ... Who is an albatross? He thinks he's not got quite enough context for these metaphors, but there's something very lyrical about the way this girl speaks and he kind of likes it. He offers a smile.]

Another new face. You seem to be adjusting pretty well.

Very much.

[She smiles softly.]

Safe to sail but the ship's at the moorings. Have you seen the pictures? It's not real, but real enough.

... Hello.

Welcome aboard.

[River looks him over, as if thinking, and then speaks.]

Where are your fingers? Do you have feathers or membranes for your wings?

Another one?

[Having just had a stranger poke around in his head a few days ago, Tim catches on immediately, and starts using the defenses he was taught - however cursory and ineffective they might sometimes be. He keeps three trains of thought running at once. In one, he's reciting prime numbers. In the second, he's running through the ethylation of benzene, step by step, transformation by transformation. Only in the third is any none-reflexive thought happening, in between seven eleven thirteen seventeen and visualizing the perfect ring of C₆H₆. Another telepath aboard, this one on his crew. Options: put in for immediate transfer. Try to trade her. Keep his defenses up constantly. In light of probably already-extant cognitive monitoring via augment, suck it up and learn to live with it.]

[River smiles softly, following the trains of thought. For the first time in some time, following them, she feels engaged.]

197...199...211...223...

[And then she tilts her head, looking a little sad, almost suddenly.]

It's okay. She will go, she has to go to her planet. The forms will be signed.

[ Steph waits until she's finished with her broadcast to say hello, moving closer with a little smile. ]

I... take it you've got a friend in the fleet? [ At least, that's what she got out of that disjointed ramble. Some of it, anyway. She's not going to question it too much, but she's always been good at picking up clues and unraveling riddles. One upside of her father being... what he is. ]

[River turns to look at her, and nods.]

Her Simon is here. He takes so much looking after.

[ Steph laughs a little at that. She doesn't know who Simon is, to this girl, but she understands the feeling. ]

Then it's a good thing you're here. Umm. Welcome the First Breath, I guess. I'm Steph.

[She doesn't bother with hello, only raises her eyebrows high as they can go and asks what is, to her, the extremely obvious question.]

Fly where?

... You're transferring?

[Well, that was...poetic? He smiles faintly and gives a little wave. ]

Hello! Welcome to the Fleet.

...Are you the moon or the albatross? I think I got lost partway through.

Yes... and they apparently give us gifts if they enjoy what they see. Reality competition at its finest.

[He smiles.]

Well, then I am glad you are here to provide that service.

Her Simon will be fine.

[She smiles softly.]

I will come to see you. She can dance in your orbit.

[She touches her nose and then points to him.]

Bats in the belfry, don't be afraid. She is going to her Simon.

[She smiles a bit.]

They labeled her skin and soul River.

Back, back, she had to keep quiet, keep running, be safe.

[And she nods softly.]

But the catchers aren't here, it's safe to fly now.

She is both. She is the moon to Simon but the captain thinks she is an albatross.

[She looks him over.]

Oh, you're wood. Good luck, knock on it, keep away the bad omens.

As long as she is here, he will be.

Does she need a ship name, or can she find his orbit on her own?

[Simon, Simon, he knows that name... ] I think he is on my ship. Simon. Youa re important to him?

If only that worked as well as they say.

Names are inadequate. She will find him.

[And she laughs softly.]

They can lace their fingers together and she will tell him that they are safe here, Simon. The catchers cannot find them, can't cross into the verse. It's like a shelf of books.

Maybe he will be happier here.

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001 // you are the moon

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