ataraxion | 002 | Voice | Text → Scout, Blake, Murphy

[ An audio transmission kicks on around four in the morning. Cibo sounds out of breath and her voice is shaking. There's not much other than the shuffling of sheets. ]

Every time I fall into my restful state, I have these terrible... visions.

[ More shuffling. She sniffs up her runny nose. Sounds juicy. Gross. Then a cough. Now it's obvious that her voice was dry and suffering from the exhaustion. ]

In them, I'm in The City again. Killy is still gone, passengers of the Tranquility are there and the Safeguard have — I just feel like we're all really there. That we're all...

[ Her voice trails off. A small hum and the occasional zapping sound of her electrical prod breaks the silence and coaxes her to speak over it. ]

I've never felt like this before. Never so... I'm so tired. Can someone please tell me what this means? What's happening to me? Why do they feel so real?

[ The transmission cuts. Text to follow. ]

I am looking for RESNIK or WARD regarding my wire-cables for connection to the Tranquility's technology. Sulu said that they may be able to help me. I am also still looking for XAVIER or DATA for information on the Science Department. I have already spoken with Doctor Elizabeth Ross, but I am looking for further confirmation.

TEXT → SCOUT
Are you up? I thought of you first. Are you okay?

TEXT → BLAKE
This message may be interrupting your sleep-pattern, but I am concerned. How are you doing?

TEXT → MURPHY
If you are awake, please reply. I have questions that I feel you would be able to answer.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It felt so real. I could taste the metal in the air again. I felt the heat of your blood on my skin.

Then I felt my mind disconnect from my body into the back-up space as the Safeguard tore me apart. I don't believe your mind did this though. You were still only human.

No, I die a lot in my dreams, too. It's no big deal.

Sounds to me like you were having a vivid dream. That happens sometimes when you sleep.
You've never dreamt like this before?

I do not normally have these dreams. My body simply shuts down for a few hours. I have never seen anything during my rest before.

They are normal then? What do they mean?

Before you came here, you mean?

I don't know. Normally you dream of things that you think about before you go to sleep. Most of the time you can't really control them.

I have only rested one or two times since my arrival, but before this place I did not dream. I was not intentionally thinking of The City before I went to sleep. Or you. Or the others that were present. It was just a vision that began and startled me awake. I remembering being very panicked.

What is the feeling when you are excited and panicked like that? It was not pleasant.

You might've been subconsciously thinking about some things that's been going on recently. We can't always control what our minds do when we sleep.

What you were having was probably more like a nightmare, actually. It's like a dream, but sometimes you wake up feeling scared.

Nightmare is a sort of dream? Then what is a normal dream like?

I think I was scared then. Is there a better explanation for an intense feeling of being scared?

It's a little hard to explain. Sometimes it's nicer, but not all the time. You don't wake up feeling as scared after a normal dream, at least. It can be weird and confusing, too.

I'm not sure what else to call it. I guess afraid, or terrified works - all pretty much the same thing on a different scale, really.

Seriously, dreams and fear... you've never dealt with this stuff before?

No. I have not. I assume that, because they cause the body to weaken, however they are triggered has been suppressed subconsciously or genetically over generations of cloning. That is my only theory.

In normal circumstances, like in my dream, I would not have felt scared. I would have felt a rush or panic. But only for the benefit of my own survival. My adrenaline would be used to numb pain from wounds, or give stamina for fighting. Or running.

Cloning? I didn't know they could do that kind of thing.

I can't say that kind of thing wouldn't be useful around here, because it does get dangerous. But it shouldn't be all about fighting and running all the time, even when you're feeling scared.

Cloning is an extremely common thing where I am from. Those of us who have survived have only done so through transferring our minds into the cloned bodies.

What do you mean? I would imagine everything else is detrimental to survival. What else is there to do?

Edited 2012-08-31 07:00 (UTC)

Like a robot or something?

[It's sad how that would actually MAKE SENSE to Murphy.]

There are a lot of things that you can do that isn't just about survival. Like that media library that I showed you - and other things.

Not exactly a robot. My memories are human but are translated into data so that they are transferable if I need them to be.

There are other forms of entertainment besides the media library? I would like to learn more about them. The soap-movies are not my favorite.

Edited 2012-08-31 07:22 (UTC)

So where you're from, people are just data that can be moved to whatever?

Interesting.

Soap operas.
Unfortunately there's not a LOT else you can do around here - while sober, anyway. There's stuff you can read, I guess.

Sober? What is that entertainment like?

Actually, that's the least entertaining part. It only gets better after consuming large quantities of alcohol.

Alcohol?

Yeah.

Alcohol.

You drink it.

What does it do?

USUALLY it gets you drunk.

You've never even been drunk before, have you?

I am not even sure what that means...

Edited 2012-08-31 08:33 (UTC)

[cibo pls]

Give me 20 minutes.

002 | Voice | Text → Scout, Blake, Murphy

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