001; voice

[punned]

[ There's a muffled fumbling sound, followed by some tapping on the communicator to check that it's working. Having never used anything remotely technologically advanced beyond a clunky walkman that plays cassette tapes, she's still trying to get a handle on how these things work. ]

Jeez. [ Muttering. ] How the fuck do I even-- [ Some more experimental tapping. ] --Oh. Wait. I think I got it.

[ She's got it to her ear now. There's a nervous pause as she listens for any sign of… something. Uh. Maybe she should just talk and hope someone talks back. ]

Um. [ Fuck. Think of something to say, Ellie. ] Sooooo. Stuck on a giant creepy spaceship. Great. That's a first. Oooor… apparently not, because apparently I've been here before? Which, y'know. That's totally not creepy at all or anything. Though, guess it would've been nice to have had a liiiiittle bit of a heads up about that when I was spat outta that blue gunk stuff? Whatever the hell that shit was? Someone to tell me something like, jeez, I dunno, "Hey, little girl, just so you know, you're on a giant fucking spaceship, which you've totally been on before, try not to freak out". Or, "Hey, sooo here's how you work this… phone… thing… which I can tell you've never used before, even though you apparently have and just can't remember it". Ooooor, "Hey, just a heads up that you've been kidnapped - …uhhh, again? …I guess? - aaaand you're gonna be stuck here for the next however long leaping through wormholes and other comic book shit you're probably not gonna understand, have a nice fucking day".

[ She's rambling. Nervous. Trying not to come across as nervous. Probably failing. ]

Soooo, I guess, on that note? Anyone wanna fill me in on what the hell I was doing the last time I was apparently here? Or… [ A pause. The thought of other people like that Marty guy telling her they know her sends a chill down her spine. Makes her feel reeaalll unsafe and out of control. She's doing fine enough as it is with feeling unsafe and out of control without a bunch of strangers talking to her like they know her making it even worse. ] Actually. You know what? Maybe it's best you don't. This place is creepy enough as it is without weirdos talking to me like we're friends or something. No offence or anything.

Oh. By the way. [ No one can see it, but Ellie is rubbing her nose - a nervous habit of hers when she feels scared or uneasy. She has to muster all her strength to not sound as worried and scared as she actually is, especially about what she's about to mention next. ] Guess I should, um, mention while I'm on this thing that I'm looking for someone. An old guy, with a beard, looks pretty pissed off most the time, like he's got a giant stick up his ass.

[ A feeble attempt at trying to sound lighthearted, like she's not worried about not being able to find Joel. There's a pause, though, followed by a quietly worried exhale of breath. ]

I'm gonna guess he's probably… not… [ Can't bring herself to finish the sentence: probably not here. ] Uh. Look, if you see a guy wandering around who fits that description, answers to the name Joel? Just... just tell him there's a little girl looking for him.

[ Another awkward pause. She swallows hard, trying to swallow back the slow burn of panic that keeps trying to rise up her throat like bile. ]

Oookay. I'm done here. Over and out. Or… whatever.

[ More fumbling noises. A quietly muttered, "what the fuck, how do I turn this thing--" and then the feed ends. ]

Comments

Text

[toomuchtenacity]

Yeah, getting here and everyone telling you, you've been here before is creepy as hell. Happened to me too. Best advice I have is just ignore it and make it clear to everyone you have no idea who they are. It's apparently common so they shouldn't take it too hard.

[punned]

[ Oh jeez. Well, that's... reassuring. Except not. Also, text? Totally not a thing Ellie has remotely got a handle on yet. She can spell and read just fine, buuuut... these little button things on this screen are fucking weird. ]

ok ignre it. got it.;

[ Sure, that's fucking easier said than done. ]

does tht happpen a llot? people who have been here b4?

[toomuchtenacity]

[She has a thing about her voice being on the gear.]

Easier said then done, I know.

Enough that people know its a thing. We don't have much information about how we all got here in the first place.

For the basic facts, the head of Support services put up a post here about what we do know.

argh i still managed html fail whooops

[punned]

[ Nightmare fog? Demon possession? Some weird creepy entity called Smiley? Uhhhhhh. ]

soooo jsut read all the creepy timeline stuff and now i kinda wish i hadn;t
wht the fuck

video;

[dogbane]

Oi oi.

You'll be all right, love, [says the man in the video, who is wearing a white coat and standing in what appears to be a very high-tech medical facility-- the Medbay.] Ain't heard of Joel, but last time you was here, you were doing pretty fucking well on your own.

Taught me to knife fight, sort of, [he adds.] We all feel a bit turned around when we first arrive.

video;

[punned]

[ Uhhhhh. Video. Okay. Ellie has no idea how to turn it over to a different feed, so there's just an image of a little girl looking like a deer caught in the headlights while staring down at this thing. She's got to admit, it's cool - but it's also, you know, totally foreign to her.

And, jeez. Someone else who apparently knew her the last time she was apparently here. Super. ]

Uhhh. I did? [ A pause while staring at the guy. Lab coat and high tech shit behind him and all. ] What the hell is all that shit behind you?

[dogbane]

Medbay, [William responds, helpfully.] The gravcouch tubes you was climbing out of at the beginning of the week is down here too. You just didn't go around and have a gander at the rest of it, which makes sense, because puking up your fucking guts probably ain't going to put you in the mood. But you can come here when you're injured.

[A beat. William is reminded suddenly of something, that makes him straighten slightly.] Oi. I don't know many details, but you was down here looking for Dr. Odessa Knutson once, too. She was helping you with something kind of medical, all top-secret, classified-like. You might want to have a word, if you haven't already.

[punned]

[ She opens her mouth to speak but then snaps it shut again. Something medical, top secret, classified-like? Shit. And that was because...? There's suddenly a look of confused worry crossing her face, in the way her brows press together and her eyes widen ever so slightly. ]

Oh. Um. I guess I... have no recollection of that... happening... [ A momentary, distracted pause as she thinks that over. ] Thanks for, uh. Letting me know. I guess.

[ God, all this having apparently been here before shit is so fucking weird. And, frankly, kinda terrifying. ]

Soooo. Seeing you're, like, a medical guy and all that, I s'pose I should ask: are there any... infections that're running rampant in this place? Like, fungal infections? That turn people into monsters?

voice.

[kutte]

Hey, kid. Looks like you've already got the hang of things.

[ a beat, then jax's tone sobers a little. ]

Haven't seen anyone matching that description. Not yet, anyway. I'm sorry.

[punned]

Fuck. [ Ellie hopes like hell this guy is wrong. The thought of being stuck on this creepy spaceship without Joel... ]

Uhhh. Sure. I'm getting the hang of things. I guess. [ She's totally not getting the hang of things. Or doesn't feel like she is, anyway. ]

Sooo... how often do people... y'know, end up here?

[kutte]

We get a bunch of new people every month. You looking for your friend, that'll be the time to check.

[punned]

Oh. [ She's gotta wait a whole fucking month to see if Joel's gonna show up here? ] Okay. Thanks. I guess.

[ Gonna change the subject now. Distractions, distractions. ]

So, take it you've been here a while, then.

video.

[wiped]

There's people who can show you how to work your communicator. If you want some help.

video.

[punned]

[ Uh, okay. Another guy on the video thing. It's cool. Everything's totally cool. She's got this. ]

...Maybe. I guess. I mean--I don't wanna, y'know, accidentally record myself while taking a dump or something.

video.

[wiped]

I don't think that's happened yet. I've looked at most of the things on here, and no one's done it yet. That's probably not what you need to worry about.

[songburdened]

[ Oh! Someone else who's looking for a grumpy old man who keeps them (relatively) safe!! ]

He isn't here, at least, not that I've heard. But, every month, new people arrive, so... it might not be long before he follows you.

[ Elizabeth smiles faintly. The girl's language is baffling, but she's a kid and her protective instincts are kicking in. ]

What's your name?

[punned]

[ Ellie sighs. Yeah, she's heard from a few people now that Joel isn't here. Fucking Joel.

As for her name... ]

Uh. Why?

[songburdened]

Because that's usually how introductions go.

[ Her smile softens in an understanding sort of way. ]

You're safe here, I promise.

[ THAT ISN'T AT ALL TRUE but she means it with the best (naive) intentions :C ]

[punned]

[ That gets a small snort out of Ellie. Alright, so the woman has a point insofar that Ellie hasn't seen any Infected running around, and there doesn't seem to be people wanting to kill her wherever she goes, like back at home. Buuuut... ]

If nightmare fog and magic... monsters or whatever the fuck count as safe -- sure. I'm totally safe. Stuck on a giant creepy spaceship with a bunch of people I've never met who all know me isn't unsafe at all.

[voice]

[circumitus]

If it makes you feel any better -- though it possibly won't -- you're not the first to return here with no memory of your previous visit. It happens.

[Ehhh.]

[punned]

[ She's gathering that. Ugh. Fuck. ]

Guess it's good to know I'm not alone but it's still fucking weird. [ A pause. ] Has it happened to you before? Or... someone you know here?

[circumitus]

Not personally, but seen it happen enough times to others. Got used to it after three years, sort of. [Only not really, but hey.]

[text] /late sorry :c

[troops]

I have not met a man named Joel.

Do you know if you can find anything you used to own while you were allegedly here? Perhaps that might help with your memory, or at least give everyone's claims some merit.

[text] / no need to be sorry!! c:

[punned]

[ Having yet another confirmation that Joel isn't here makes something heavy drop in the pit of her chest. Enough people have now told her now that they've not seen Joel, nor even heard of him, that she no longer wants to address it. ]

oh shit i nver thought of that

[ And then it hits her: what if she did find something she might have owned the last time she was apparently here. Proof that she'd actually been here before? Oh shit, that makes her feel... really fucking uneasy. ]

fuck
uh i mean
thnaks
i guess

[text]

[troops]

Of course.

Are you alone here?

[She sounds young. He's seen children around here before, and it doesn't really get any less unnerving.]