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[holdensteady]

» WHO? James Holden, OTA
» WHEN? mid-late June
» WHERE? various
» WHAT? intro/catch-all post
» WARNINGS? none at this time

( A. Arrival, Deck 3 near Crew Quarters )

Waking up in the middle of a grimy hallway, in a jumpsuit similar to the one he always wears and yet different is disorientating. As he comes to, Holden doesn't feel quite right. It's with some difficulty that he pushes himself up off the ground, a low grunt of pain as the maneuver is difficult on his leg still healing from being crushed. The repeating message becomes the forefront of his focus then and he keeps one hand pressed to the wall as he searched out the sound, quickly seeing the device on the ground. He picks it up with a grimace, studying it and the logo doesn't mean a damned thing to him the same as nothing in his current surroundings do. His mind is searching for an explanation of his location. He slips the device on before using the wall as he moves down the hallway, searching for anyone to ask where the hell he is.

The last thing he remembers is being in the med bay on the Roci with Naomi and now he's certainly not on the Roci and Naomi isn't in sight either.

( B. Bar )

[ It doesn't take long to find the bar, not that it's what Holden's looking for. It's by chance but upon realizing what it is he goes in, searching for any familiar face. If he doesn't see one immediately he finds a place to sit -- not particularly interested in drinking and more concerned about finding his crew and answers. He keeps a watchful eye on those around, though, not immediately trying to talk to anyone and instead looks at the device again, trying to glean any useful information he could from it.

If nothing else, it gives him a rest from putting weight on his leg.

There is a point where he gives up on simply observing and whether someone's sitting nearby or walks by he says: ]

Hey, can I ask you a question? [ Namely, what the hell is going on? ]

( C. Wildcard )

[ Don't see what you want? Hit me with your best shot or contact me via PM or at poetanarchy! He's very likely to be found getting coffee in the mess hall or checking out the observation deck. ]

Comments

[holdensteady]

[ Holden would have protested but honestly it's true that Alex's level of emotions is probably always more than his own. He is more than relieved to have found Alex, he can only assume that means the rest of the crew is here as well. It does create some more questions but there's time for that later. ]

I did... [ It's a strange experience to wake up in a grungy hallway on a station you've never been before with a symbol on your clothes you don't begin to recognize. ]

I was on the Rocinante in the medbay with Naomi. [ That paired with his limp and how he was favoring to one side is probably a good clue of which time in the medical area he was talking about. ]

[donkeyballs]

[ Alex nodded, letting out a breath. ]

Yeah. Alright. That's the last thing I remember too - pretty sure Amos is somewhere on the same timeline. [ Sorry if he sounds insane, Chief. ]

You've been - hell, I don't know where you've been. Stasis, is my guess, somewhere locked up tight. But I've been lookin' for you for a month and a half. Amos woke up before I did, Naomi a bit after - Prax and Bobbie and -- [ He almost said 'and Miller', but maybe he should wait a little bit for that, so he just cut off and continued on like that wasn't a totally weird gap in the conversation. ] -- They all woke up separately.

Though you won't remember Bobbie. Prax does, he remembers more than the rest of us do, and hell but she knows things she couldn't've otherwise, if she weren't on our crew--

[ Please make him stop talking. ]

[holdensteady]

[ It does all sound insane but so does this station so he can't really pin the insanity on him unless they've both gone nuts.

And Holden doesn't feel particularly crazy. ]

Nothing you just said makes sense. [ Holden says with a raised eyebrow. ]

But everyone is alright? [ That's his foremost concern. ] Who exactly is Bobbie then?

[ At some point he's going to have to learn to stop picking up strays apparently. ]

[donkeyballs]

Sorry, Chief. I'll uh - there's a lot to catch you up on. You might wanna take a seat. [ At least there is some seating, if he wants it. ]

Bobbie's a Martian Marine. She was the one who survived Ganymede, went down to earth to testify. She - apparently we rescued her. Her and the UN deputy undersecretary, Chrisjen Avasarala.

She ain't here though, just Bobbie. We thought - maybe both of you were still in stasis.

[holdensteady]

[ Holden nods and then he's moving to take a seat. It's certainly better than standing or walking around. ]

Wait... why would they need rescuing?

[donkeyballs]

I think that's a story better coming from her, but suffice it to say - shit got bad. Real bad.

[ He waits till Holden takes a seat, then sits down next to him, watching him carefully. ]

But you're- you're alright? Not feelin' weird, or - [ Or wasting away to nothing. He doesn't say it. ]

[holdensteady]

[ Holden accepts that but it still makes him wonder what could have happened that he'd let Crisjen on the Roci willingly. ]

I feel fine, I think. Is there something I should be looking out for?

[donkeyballs]

[ Well that's a mind field of a question. ]

Uh- well - strange things happen, here. People hear voices, or - get real weak, suddenly, if they hit a wall or a door. Or-

Or other things. [ He's being evasive and it's painfully obvious. But he doesn't know how to tell Holden that he literally died. ]

[holdensteady]

[ Holden frowns at Alex when it's clear he's holding something back. If it were someone else he might have gruffly told them to spit it all out but every so often a few get a softer hand. ]

Other things doesn't really help me to know what I'm watching out for. [ But that'd probably be as far as he pushes it. He already has quite a bit of information to digest and sort through and barely any of it makes much sense at all. ]

[donkeyballs]

I can show ya, later [ His tone is very apologetic. ]

We've got video footage. But I - it's a lot, hoss. There's a lot more to tell you, and it's gonna take a while.

[ A pause. ]

Maybe we should get a drink.

[holdensteady]

[ It concerns Holden but more for Alex than himself. Alex isn't weak but he's soft in a way not many people that Holden knows are. ]

I think a drink would be best.

[donkeyballs]

Yeah. Yeah, let's do that. Follow me.

[ It's not far, though Alex is a little dazed as they make their way, both relieved and surprised to actually have Holden back. Like the final missing piece of the puzzle slid into place, just in time to watch the rest of the world go to shit. ]

I'll grab us a bottle. Take a seat. And, uh, fair warnin', but everything here tastes like piss.

[holdensteady]

[ Holden does follow Alex, still favoring his leg but not using the wall as support as they go. He's concerned as much as he is disorientated, Alex isn't quite exactly himself after all. ]

I'm not surprised. [ Holden says dryly and he moves to take a seat, glad for it as well and he'd be rather happy to have a drink even if it taste like shit as long as it does the job he wouldn't complain that much. ]

[donkeyballs]

[ He pulls out a bottle and two glasses, before taking a seat next to Holden, and pouring them both a healthy serving of the noxious stuff. He swallows and doesn't look at the other man as he tries to piece together what to say. ]

Alright, first thing is that - everythin' I'm gonna tell you is gonna sound completely insane. And I'm sorry for it. But that's just the way things are, here. The good news - the only good news - is that we're pretty sure there ain't any protomolecule on this station. So all the weird shit - it's all new weird shit.

[holdensteady]

[ Holden takes a drink and well, the warning doesn't really do it justice but he just shakes it off and he studies Alex, noting the way the other isn't really looking at him and he can sort of see the pilot's wheels turning inside of his head. ]

I guess that is good news. And to be honest, I don't think that you could sound anymore insane than I feel at the moment, Alex.

[donkeyballs]

Gimme about five minutes. [ Wryly. ]

[ He took a breath. Okay. Start from the top. ]

Okay. First off, the people here - most of them aren't from our universe. Or I mean, the version of our universe. Or our time. Most people here haven't even heard of Mars bein' colonized, some of them lived on Earth in the twenty-first century and yet fought against aliens-- None of it makes a damn lick of sense.

We wake up, randomly, dressed in these damn clothes and none of us know how we got here or how long it's been. There was a crew, here, before us, but far as we know they're all dead, and have been, for a while.

There's no visible way off this station, and the planet below us - looks pretty damn empty too.

None of the stars line up. I looked. Far as I can tell, if we're in a version of our universe, we can't be anywhere within a thousand lightyears, and probably more than that. There ain't a single constellation that's the same.

[holdensteady]

[ During the time that Alex is talking Holden's drink is definitely disappearing. While, a lot of it isn't exactly surprising and quite a bit of it he could have guessed but the idea that they could somehow be so far away from where they are is unbelievable and yet he has to believe it.

He's about tired of that kind of shit in his life between the Protomolocule and now this. He doesn't know which fucking thing is worse. ]

I think I need another drink.

[donkeyballs]

[ Alex gave him a very sympathetic look, then poured him another glass. ]

Yeah. Good news, though, is that with you here, that's the whole family. Which is a relief and a damn half. [ He'd started getting honestly scared that Holden was just never going to show up at all. ]

But... [ He paused, swallowed. ] The rules don't work here. Things happen that don't - don't make sense. Things don't stick like they should.

... Even death don't stick.

[holdensteady]

[ Holden does find that to be a relief, that they're at least together in whatever this is. It's clear that for a while he hadn't been there for them and that comes down on his shoulders like a heavy weight. Sometimes he might take his place as their captain too much too heart but they are family. He knows better than most that families don't all look the same and 9/10ths of it is in the heart not the genes.

But Alex doesn't stop and the proverbial shoe that Holden is expecting to fall starts to. He takes a long drink out of the glass and leans back. ]

Death doesn't stick? Are you sure we aren't in some... [ His brow furrows. ] some mass delusion?

[donkeyballs]

If I've been in a mass delusion for a month and a half, hoss, I ain't sure it matters if it's a delusion anymore or not. [ His voice was quiet. ]

... First death was Rogue. Drowned when we lost spin gravity on the station. She'd been in the pool. She posted about it, after, on the network. I - honestly, Holden, I didn't know what to think. I figured she passed out and someone rescued her and she couldn't remember.

But last week-- [ The words stuck in his throat again and he raised his glass to his lips to stall, taking a long drink. ]

... Let's just say I've got first hand god damned experience, now.

Death don't stick.

[holdensteady]

[ He can't really argue with that and he keeps drinking as Alex keeps talking. It helps the pain in his leg and it's at least got a placebo effect of helping him digest this information.

His brow furrows as the meaning of what Alex says sinks in. There's a sinking feeling at the idea that Alex had died even if, as he says, it don't stick.

Holden tries to think of something to say but he shakes his head and takes another drink. He feels like he's losing his sanity in all honesty. ]

[donkeyballs]

[ He fell quiet, not really sure how to continue from that point, and finishes his drink before pouring himself another one. ]

There's a video.

Seven hours. I was dead seven hours, before I just - came back. [ There was more to it - a lot more to it - but it was gruesome and it made Alex's hand tremble any time he even tried to think about it. ]

[holdensteady]

[ Holden had wished that he had something wise to say to Alex, something comforting or leaderly or even something that a good friend would say and yet not a single word to say had come to mind.

And even after Alex spoke again he still is struggling to put together a sentence but he knows that he needs to. ]

You just came back, completely fine?

[donkeyballs]

... Better. Technically.

I'd broken my arm soon after we got here - got it stuck in a door, long story - and it was healin, but it wasn't healed yet. Then I-- then the incident happened, and it was completely fine, after. Like not a damn thing had even happened to it.

[holdensteady]

[ That made no sense at all.

Holden's hand went up to his forehead rubbing it and like he could feel a return of the earlier headache coming on with a vengeance. ]

And there's been nothing else...since then?

[ He begins to wonder again if this might actually be the Protomolocule messing with their heads somehow. ]