[video] stuck in the middle with you

[coldhardy]

[Today, Elsa wears a long blue gown with a pale, diaphanous overlayer. She wants to be as much herself as possible, after days with other people. She's addressing the network very seriously, but her words are initially uncertain. As she continues to speak, she sounds more confident.]

Hello, everyone.

About six months ago, I didn't wake up after the jump. I missed a whole month, and I know I wasn't the only one. I had dreams during this time, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't remember anything about them.

I've been starting to remember things since the last jump. Everything that has happened since then... the way that girl Seraphim died and the things she said... it makes me think that what I remember might be important, if it wasn't just a dream.

I talked to Emily about it recently, but there's more now.

The trouble is, I'm pretty good with math, but I don't understand the technology here very well. It's not like anything we had at home. That might be important, too.

My dream was about a woman with thick black hair and a ruddy complexion. She wore her hair pulled back. She left the pods after a jump, and the lights were red, and everyone was lined up in formation. I don't think I've ever seen anyone who looked like her here.

A lot of things that happened after that are still coming back in bits and pieces. The thing that I remember now is... after some time passed, she went to the jump drive. It's the thing that helps the ship move, isn't it? It wasn't easy for her to get in, but I still don't understand why yet: the important thing is that she made it. And it wasn't what she expected to see, it was... there were things that should have been moving that were... frozen. Not as if they were in ice, but they were just hanging there in the air, kind of like lightning that never moved or ended.

[Her expression has grown increasingly troubled through the course of this narrative.]

It scared her.

Did anyone else see this? Even if you didn't... do you know what it means?

Comments

[coldhardy]

[That jogs her memory, to some extent.]

Yes! She and the man were fighting, but... are you sure she hit him? I think he might have had the wrench.

She knew his name. Can you remember it? It's right on the tip of my tongue.

[wiped]

I don't know. He might've done it to himself. We had--there were things that looked like him where I come from. They were sick, but that virus can't be here.

[ or he hopes it isn't. ]

Herschel. I think it was Herschel.

[coldhardy]

Herschel! That sounds right.

Do you think he was sick some other way? It seems like -- something was definitely wrong here. She was so afraid... but I don't understand how the machine being frozen could make them sick.

And do you remember where they were?

[wiped]

It might not have been the machine. There's plenty of stuff that can make people sick.

[ thomas is thinking of the flare, as improbable as that might be. ]

I don't know. I'd never seen that place before.

[coldhardy]

Well, we were sick from nanites a while ago. It might have been something like that.

I've never seen it before either. Do you remember anything else about Herschel?