text | un: m.cabrera

[naloxone]

[ turns out? space doesn't give a single fuck about your circadian rhythm. or maybe insomnia is just that attached to her that even the absence of a sun dictating her internal clock doesn't faze it, like an old friend you wish would just forget you already.

one night (?) late into the early hours (???) marta finds herself drifting out of the room she's come to assume will be hers for the indefinite future, passing through stark white walls with all the sterility of a hospital, but none of its familiar chaos.

she's still getting used to the earpiece. still getting used to hearing other people's voices in her head. she doesn't mean to add another in the void, but one of her own thoughts blares out too vividly as she stares out into an actual void: ]

—but where are the stars?

Comments

[groupiedrifter]

Only because tasers didn't exist back then.

[checkmate]

[naloxone]

Mother Theresa.

[ though, lol. maybe not the best example... ]

[groupiedrifter]

... I probably would have stuck her finger in a taser myself.

[naloxone]

[ —okay that's. yeah she has to laugh at that. a little bubble of laughter that just bursts right out of her, made all the more loud by the emptiness of the hall she's in, and the absurdity of the situation that this, of all things, is what finally gets a true smile and laugh out of her since waking. ]

You'd have to get in line, I think.

[ it feels strange, to want to thank someone for something like this... but marta's never been one to hold back on gratitude. ]

Thank you, Newt. I needed that laugh.

[groupiedrifter]

[It's a good thing you can't see how absolutely proud of himself he is, it's downright embarrassing.]

Hey, no problem! Part of my job here is helping people get comfortable, y'know? It's stressful enough, and a lot of people really don't know how to loosen up. Plus, this place isn't nearly as strict about parties as the PPDC was.

[naloxone]

[ she very carefully doesn't make a comment about the first part of his response, as she more or less falls under those people he mentions — at least as she is right now. ]

PPDC? Is that where you worked in your world?

[groupiedrifter]

Yup! Humanity's last stand!

We saved the planet from giant aliens.

[8D]

[naloxone]

[ ..........

honestly at this point she should just stop being surprised... ]

So you're probably used to a lot of this.

[groupiedrifter]

What, the outer space thing? Nooo no no, this is my first time hanging out in space.

But I was a lead researcher at the PPDC, so I helped understand kaiju anatomy and improved on the giant robots our guys piloted. Oh, and I helped pioneer machines that detoxify the dangerous waste the kaiju corpses would leave on the shorelines!

It was a really busy life. Honestly, I have a lot more downtime these days than I'm used to...

[naloxone]

[ it's never useful or productive to compare yourself to others, but hearing all this and knowing something of the scope of the missions thus far... marta really wonders how she would fare. ]

It must throw you off. Having a break is always nice, but sometimes when things get too quiet...

[ the voices in your head get louder. ]

[groupiedrifter]

Yeaaaah, it can get super quiet.

But that's what parties and get-togethers are for, right?

I just got a new collection of movies in the last drop, so we should totally watch some! You ever see Titanic? I totally tormented all of our emotional crewmembers last time we had a movie night. Oh! And I got Monsters, Inc. now, too! Who doesn't love Monsters, Inc.?

[naloxone]

Have you hosted many parties here already?

I'd take Monsters, Inc. over Titanic though. My sister made me watch it once, and I don't think I ever recovered.

[groupiedrifter]

It's definitely leaves some PTSD behind after the credits roll.

... I may have hosted a few, yeah. If you need pizza parties and movie nights, I'm your guy. I feel kind of bad I haven't done another one for the third mission, but — ah, y'know. I've been feeling way too tired this time around.

[He'll leave someone else to do a nice holiday-themed something or other.]

[naloxone]

It's good to take breaks. Even the cheerleaders need to feel support too, every now and then.