We're All Mad Here

[Ilana Logan]

Ilana didn't know how long it had been when the maniacal laughter from the clowns finally stopped. It felt like hours, yet it also felt like mere minutes. She was still sitting in the captain's chair on the bridge, but she was no longer facing the cortex panel.

Ana had gotten back to her pretty quickly, despite her mad ramblings on the previous wave. Ilana had explained the situation as the clowns had started to pop out of existence. They'd been replaced by bees. At least they weren't attacking. Ilana'd given her the access code to the ship so Ana's scientists could provide an assist without worrying that Ilana's crew would hallucinate their arrival and open the airlocks and kill everyone onboard.

Ilana turned to round up the crew and let them know they were expecting friendly company but she spotted someone lying in the floor in operations. They weren't moving. Another bee lighted on her hand. She couldn't tell who was in the floor. She could only see them from the knee down around the equipment. She frowned and stood, walking slowly toward the person lying on the floor. When she rounded the equipment, she saw Jace, still wearing his mask. He was unconscious. A bee lazily rubbed its legs together on his cheek.

"Jace," she whispered. It was no secret that she cared for her crew, at least she hoped it wasn't, but seeing Jace there on the floor made her realize how rarely she admitted caring for anyone, and she felt a pang of guilt. If he was breathing, it was too shallow to notice from her standing position. He can't be dead," she thought, feeling panic starting to claw its way up.

Ilana sank to her knees slowly next to him, checking his back and head for injury but found none. She carefully turned him on his back and leaned down until her cheek was almost touching his mouth. She felt hot breath whoosh against her face and let out a ragged sigh of relief.

He's okay, she thought as another bee landed on his face. She shooed it away and it lazily drifted off around the room. Ilana stood and headed back toward the infirmary to find Jay. Let the actual doctor check out the unconscious pilot.

Ilana found blood instead, and more bees. Jay was down the hall appearing to be trying to snatch something out of the air. Maybe he could see the bees too. There was a trail of blood leading both directions and bees were both flying around lazily and crawling around in the blood, which she found much more disturbing than that sentence made it sound.

She followed the blood around the corner and found a closed panel on the wall with bloody handprints looking like it had been opened and closed by someone with very bloody hands. She touched a fingertip to the blood and her finger came away wet. She took her combat knife from her boot and pried the panel open.

Rina leaned back inside the wall shivering violently, face bloody. Bloody handprints were smeared on the inside of the panel she'd squeezed herself into, and her half-naked body was also smeared in blood, the worst of it seemed to be concentrated on her hands. She appeared to be in shock.

"Oh, jiemei," Ilana said, feeling another, more intense pang of guilt. She wasn't even sure if this was real, but on the chance that Rina was really hurt, Ilana wasn't about to take the risk of ignoring it. She pulled Rina to her and lifted her in a fireman's carry. Ilana was small, yes, but she'd also been an engineer her entire life, so she wasn't weak, and it helped that Rina was slightly smaller than she was.

Ilana carried her the short distance to the medbay and lay her down on the exam bed. She covered the tiny woman with a blanket and darted back to the hall. "Jay! Infirmary, now! Rina's hurt!"

---

jiemei shortened version of jiemei pengyou meaning sister friend, or sister who is not blood related

[Jay Fuller]

Jay had fully succumbed to the urge to catch one of the paper planes that have been swirling around him. The more he focused on them, the blurrier they became. But he knew they were his journal pages. He maneuvered around the various crew members in the hall, Jace, Ilana, probably someone else. Jay was never good at sports, so there was no way he was good at catching these things.

Finally, snatched one. “Yes!” he cried out. He unfolded it quickly, only to find the teal ink that this one had was just a bunch of blurry gibberish. As it opened, all the paper airplanes stopped in midair, frozen. Then, slowly, one by one, they each turned to point at Jay.

“Oh no,” he said, looking up. He noticed he had stopped somewhere near his room. He slowly began to back away, heading for the door. But then they dived.

Jay jumped back, with a yelp, covering his head. He briefly saw the hundreds of paper airplanes rush at him. He closed his eyes, expecting to feel the barrage of poky paper. Instead, he felt nothing. After a second, he opened his eyes to find everything… back to normal?

Aside from the various crew members dealing with their own hallucinations, the ship was the same. Jay let out a sigh of relief, gripping his chest. He saw Ilana run past him with Rina, bloodied, into the infirmary. For a split second he wondered if it was another hallucination until Ilana shouted, "Jay! Infirmary, now! Rina's hurt!"

It took Jay a second to regain his composure, because a squirrel ran from behind him and into the infirmary. A look of confusion came across his face. Then, he started hearing a weird, white noise. It took a minute before he realized it was chittering and cheering. Somewhere in the chaos was chanting that sounded kind of like his name, “Jay! Jay! Jay!”

He half-jogged down the hall into the infirmary where Ilana had put Rina onto the operation table. And the counters were lined with squirrels. Hundreds of them. And the second he stepped into the infirmary, they all turned to look at him… “Yaaay!” was the overwhelming shouting noise before they went back to chittering and scuttling over one another. A look of confused horror came across his face.

“I hate this,” he announced, looking directly at Ilana. He turned to look at Rina, “What happened? What are her injuries?”

The adrenaline seemed to have knocked out some of the lack of focus his high was producing. He walked over and began looking at her, seeing the bloodied gashes in her fingers first. He ran over to the cupboard and pushed some of the squirrels out of the way. “Hey!” “Rude!” a couple of them chittered. Jay ignored them.

He brought some ointment and bandages over and got to work, waiting for Ilana’s answer. She didn’t have many clothes on, so it would normally be easy to diagnose, but given the hallucinations Jay was less than trustful of his eye.

As he bandaged her up, a few of the squirrels hopped on the table, one with a scalpel. It dropped it and looked at the others, “He should chop her fingies off!”

Jay looked at the squirrel, a look of horror on his face. “The fuck??”

“Lā shǐ! He can hear us, scatter!” The squirrels jumped back and into their group, as they erupted into chaos and jumped around, shouting “Oh no!” “Run away!” “Flee!!”

A few ran out of the infirmary, but most of them just hopped over one another, chittering and screeching across the counters and floor. Jay tried to turn his attention back to the task at hand.

[Marina Kseniya Sebastien]

It was dark and warm under the sheltering embrace of the conifer's boughs. The candle had long since gone out and Rina couldn't see her hand in front of her face, much less her Uncle Anton who should be right beside her. All she had to do was reach out and he'd be there …

His spot beside her was empty and cold.

Where has he gone? Rina thought muzzily. A alarm bell began to ring faintly at the back of her head, but she felt too wrapped in warm cotton to feel any urgency. Something about what happened right before one froze to death. What was it? Lassitude? Warmth?

Rina sighed and shook her head listlessly. It took to much effort to remember. Far, far easier to lie in the cozy dark and listen to her breaths, her pulse, and rejoice in the cessation of the blizzard's banshee wail.

Uncle will be back. He's just checking on the weather. Soon, we can both go home…

She must have drifted off, because the next thing she knew, something was pulling her by her ankle out of the shelter.

Uncle, she tried to say but the words never made it past her brain. No need to be so rough. Just tell me we can go and I'll get up. If not, let me sleep, please. Dyadya, pozhaluysta! Day mne pospat'!

"Oh, jiemei," she heard him say, his voice high with worry. Why is he worried? And why is he speaking in Chinese? He's never done that before. Rina huffed with exhausted annoyance as he continued to pull her away from the dark and the warmth into what would be the blinding light of day. She tried to resist, to grouse at him to leave her alone, but her body was oddly unresponsive. Rina gave in and let the man pull her as he would.

Figures. Just when I'm finally comfortable! I did not ask to be born and I did not ask for this. But of course, such things are not to be enjoyed but only to be endured …

Uncle Anton threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and trudged off for his dacha. Rina lolled with the rhythm of his stride, painfully aware of the ever harsher pins and needles attacking her thawing extremities. Her head ached hideously, her stomach felt like a bucket of eels, and her right flank felt as if it had been burned.

How could that happen? Uncle is too careful with fire to burn anyone. She grit her teeth and put up with the pain, vaguely aware that it was supposed to be good sign for … what? Something important. She dimly heard him kick open the dacha door and bellow their arrival. To whom? Only he and I live here right now. Perhaps he's expecting company? The world spun and the cool tiles of the stove kissed her bare back and Rina shivered. Oh wonderful. You've let the fire go out. Now it will be hours before we're warm again. Truly, Uncle, how could you be so careless?

Rina's shivers grew longer, grew harder. She could feel her Uncle tending to her but she was too racked with the shakes to slap his hands away. If she could just curl up into a ball, she'd warm up and finally manage to sleep. But the man wouldn't leave her alone, dammit. He picked up her hand and her fingers blazed alight like a Roman candle. Her temper flared right up with it. Rina came instantly awake, her fists swinging.

"Dyadya, stoy! Chert voz'mi!" she snarled. Uncle, stop! For fuck's sake!




======= HOW TO SPEAK RUSSIAN!===========
Click on the links in the post (the red text) to hear the sound clip!

Dyadya, pozhaluysta! Day mne pospat'! = DYAH-dyah, pah-ZHAHL-oo-stah. DIE - mnee pah-SPAHT = Uncle, please! Let me sleep!

Dyadya, stoy! Chert voz'mi! = DYAH-dyah, stoy! CHORT VOZZ-mee = Uncle, stop! For fuck’s sake!

[Samantha Greystone]

Sam took a step into the hallway and the bouncing stopped. Grass began to grow beneath her feet, as tiny flowers sprung up. A carpet of buttercups, violets, clover, daisies appeared underneath her feet.

It seemed so real, so much like…. Letting that thought go for a moment. It's not real. It's not real. The repeated phrase did little to keep her mind from growing hazy as this was someplace she wanted to be.

Her eyes caught sight of Ilana carrying Rina to sick bay but her mind couldn't process it. All she wanted to do was follow the path laid out by the small blossoms.

Follow it, the girl did. It led her down the hallway and into the galley but it wasn't the galley. Transformed into fields and fields of green grass, yellow and white daisies, huge bright sunflowers which reached towards the light. The air smelled clean and sweet. The scent from the pink, red and white rose and purple lilac bushes filled the air. The sky was a clear blue. The sun shined down.

The sound of a giggling child played through the air.

"Catch me," the young voice said.

Sam knew that voice, and the male voice which responded. "All right, I'll catch you."

The images of long ago and far away formed. Of Sam and her brother playing in that field. Timothy was three years older and caught his younger sister leaping into his arms with ease. Spinning the girl around and around until they both grew dizzy and fell to the ground in fits of laughter.

Sam sat there watching this scene as if it were a movie. Off to the side, Joesphine and Douglas Greystone sat side by side among blankets and a picnic, smiling as they watched their children play.

Sam's mind was hazy and she had been quite young so where the day playing out in front of her took place exactly, escaped her memory but that afternoon had been real.

Her body found its way to sitting on the soft grass. Her eyes never left their focus on the family; her family. A small smile turned up her lips. Tears formed in her eyes with one falling down her cheek. Kǔ lè cānbàn.


Kǔ lè cānbàn: Bittersweet

[Jace Cisco]

Jace coughed and sputtered as he came to. Staring up at the ceiling bleary eyed drenched in sweat his clothes hung to his skin almost morphing into his body. His body was tingling all over as his head felt like a hammer was smashing through. He could feel his pulse as it echoed through his ears with each pump of his heart a new drum was struck. He noticed the snow was finally gone, but the heat had returned.

Jace's vision was becoming blurry... not blurry almost black and white. Colors began to fade, but he was able to make out several birds circling above him. The metallic ceiling faded into a night sky the purple tent of the sinking sun as it exposed millions of stars. Screeching began to interrupt the silent night as the once believed birds revealed their webbed wings as bats. His body began pulsing and burning almost as if he was being twisted by a machine. The very feeling of his bones snapping and contorting as he screamed in agony.

Jace sat up on his knees tearing at his shirt with his talons. Startled Jace looked down at his hands and tried to scream again, but only a loud chorus of screeches joined the night air. Jace took flight into the air joining his kin with their flight pattern. Screeching as he began his own hunt and exploration. Running through the halls of the ship screeching hoping the echo would find food. His vision blurring between the real world and the one he was living in. He saw what was her name.... Rina laying on a table and beside her ....fruit!

Jace soared higher than ever screeching announcing his hunt inviting his kin to join in on the feast before them. Latching onto the largest mango and figs treat he ever could see gnashing on....the worst tasting mango he ever had his mouth on. Spitting out pieces of a cardigan as he continued trying to find a tasty bit of fruit.

[Helios Hamilton]

Helios had been listening to Njord for a bit when he decided for his own good to put his weapons away, excluding his bowie knife and a pair of cuffs for good measure. 

"Alright Njord, I think they might be gone." Helios said in reference to spiders, Njord gave him a look he didn't think a fish could make, he looked at Helios like him was an idiot. 

"I don't think that's a good idea." Njord said as Helios opened his door. Helios took a few steps outside and looked around. 

"You know what, Njord I think I'm gonna take your-" Helios started to turn back but a large grey man towered over Helios at 7ft tall, he wore a black fedora and a black peacoat. 

"Oh that's lovely." He booked it in a random direction as the large man thing chased him, never again would he participate in the transport of anything like this again. Njord followed behind wailing as the giant figure tried to swat at him as well. The large man chased Helios around the ship, the fish took the lead to get them to safety.

"What did I tell you, What did I tell you!" Njord shouted as Helios nearly fell into a wall, he then proceeded to actually run into a wall. when he looked up he saw the infirmary, he dashed inside and shut the door, locking it. Rina, Jay, Jace, and the captain were all here, but the thing that stood out the most was Jace trying to eat Jay.
  

"Does the crew often resort to cannibalism, ooh a taser!" Njord shouted flying over to Ilana's taser on her, Helios quickly grabbed it and pushed Jace off of Jay, Helios raised the taser with a grin and shot the prongs into Jace's side. Helios squeezed the trigger send the electrical current into Jace, Helios held the trigger a bit longer than necessary before stopping. Njord high fived him, yes the fish high fived him. 

"Keep that door shut!" Helios said as he cuffed Jace to the door handle to contain the cannibalistic crewmate. The large behemoth of a man began to slam into the door.

[Roman Kline]

Roman stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist, water dripping on the floor around him. He could still hear cows mooing in the distance, and just shook his head. Logically, he knew it wasn't real, but it sounded real, and looked real. All of it had. There were still some things that he wasn't sure whether they were real or not.

He walked into the hall, double checking that his towel was knotted tightly. Not that it matters now, he thought. Everyone on this ship has seen me naked now.

He left the showers and went down the stairs to his shuttle. He dressed, impeccably as usual, in his off-white suit, ran his fingers through his damp hair, and headed back to find the crew. He stopped on the way out, seeing a small wooden box on the small counter around his sink. The box was open, and he peered down inside. Pineapple slices! Ilana must have left them for me, he thought. He picked up the box and brought it with him.

He went back up the stairs and headed towards the sound of people. He could hear Ilana shouting for Jay. Roman took a pineapple slice from the box, the taste of pineapple bursting across his tongue. He paused a moment, cocking his head, noticing he didn't hear the cows anymore. He hadn't since he'd left the showers. I wonder what's next, he thought.

He continued down the hall to the infirmary and found Ilana and Jay standing near a bloody Rina. He heard pounding footsteps behind him. He stepped to the side, turning just in time to see Jace barrel through the door. He'd have run me over if I hadn't moved, Roman thought, wondering what Jace was seeing. He took another bite of pineapple.

Helios came tearing around the corner from the rear crew cabins, ran straight into a wall, bounced off and headed down the hall toward him looking terrified. Roman slipped into the infirmary and Helios darted in immediately after him, locking the door. Jace had a tight grip on the doctor and was chewing on his sweater. Roman raised a brow, and took another bite of pineapple, as Helios snatched Ilana's stunner out of its holster, shoved Jace away from Jay, then shot Jace with the stunner.

Jace's whole body went rigid, and then completely limp. He dropped like a sack of rocks, hitting the floor with a thud, body and limbs twitching randomly. "Keep that door shut!" Helios shouted as he handcuffed the pilot and stood, breathing heavy.

"Is it always this chaotic on your ship, love?" Roman asked Ilana with a smirk. He took another bite of pineapple.

[Ilana Logan]

Jay had come in quickly after Ilana had shouted for him and immediately began looking over Rina. “I hate this,” he announced, looking directly at Ilana. He turned to look at Rina, “What happened? What are her injuries?”

"It's been a galaxy of fun for me too, let me tell ya. I don't rightly know what her injuries are. I found blood, followed the trail, and found her holed up in a wall, blood all over the place. I know her hands are bleeding fairly bad, but other than that, I really don't know." Ilana said as Tyler wobbled into the room. He sat down in the corner with Ilana's sweet roll and began eating it.

Tyler looked up at Ilana and asked, "Why did you let me die?"

"I didn't let you die. You're not dead. You're not even real," she said.

"I bet you like to let yourself believe that," the boy said, taking another bite of the sweet roll.

"You're not dead!" she shouted at him.

"Dyadya, stoy! Chert voz'mi!" Rina snarled, fists flying, drawing Ilana's attention back to Jay and Rina. "Uncle, stop! For fuck's sake!"

Jace barreled into Jay, saving him from Rina's fists, but now Jace was actively chewing on his sweater, clearly trying to bite him. "Wǒ fēngle, bùshì ma?" Ilana asked as Helios burst into the room, closing and locking the door behind him. She started around the table, but Helios snatched her stunner from its holster, shoved Jace away, and fired. The prongs sprang free from the gun and hit Jace in the side. The electric jolt made him dance for a moment then he fell to the ground, completely limp.

"Keep that door shut!" Helios called out, cuffing Jace.

"Why does the door need to stay shut?" she asked, confused, snatching her stunner from him and wound the wires back into the gun before putting it back in its holster.

"Seriously though, why did you let me die?" Tyler asked around a mouthful of sweet roll.

"Shut up!" she shouted at Tyler, and he started to cry. "You're not dead, and you're still not real!"

"Is it always this chaotic on your ship, love?" Roman asked.

She shot him a dirty look, but it didn't last. Her face fell into confusion again as she finally noticed Roman standing near the door against the wall, holding a soap dish in one hand and a partially eaten bar of soap in the other. He took a bite of the soap, smirking at her.

"You look awfully smug right now for someone chewing on a bar of soap," Ilana shot back at him.

[Ilana Logan]

A klaxon began blaring through the ship; a piercing siren sound that commanded attention. Over the intercom came Ilana's voice, "If y'all are hearing this, it means that help has arrived. They're real, and they're not here to kill us. Someone should go let them in. I programmed this to be the doorbell earlier just in case."

[Samantha Greystone]

As the movie of that day continued to play out in front of Sam, with the tears rolling down her face, a sound was heard from the walls of the galley.

Then another, growing louder and louder, blocking out anything else. The flowers which had been so lovely a moment ago began to grow heads, wings, legs. Taking off from the ground in swarms.

Circling around and around diving bombing the people in the movie. Her brother vanished. Her parents were left bloodied - dead on the floor.

Sam's younger self screamed and then disappeared. The birds- thousands of them circled around and around- as the fields and that day disappeared back into the brunette's memories.

She needed to defend herself. Her mind half in - half out of reality, it became clear she was in the galley. Running towards the kitchen, Sam picked up one of the large knives and started swinging at the Robin's, Crows, Blue Jays, Falcons and other birds that were attacking her.

Her defensive movies seemed to get one or two of the flying aviary missiles but were mostly just met with more attacks. Turning quickly to ward off one large black bird headed for her neck and her right arm hit the counter with so much force that a pain shot through her arm and up to her shoulder.

The young woman crouched down, knife in hand, swinging again and again. A few birds went for her legs, she countered but felt a sudden pain and saw blood dripping down her arm and leg.

Dizzy from the onslaught, Sam sat with her legs up to her chest, head covered with her arms, blood dripping from her arm and leg, with a vice grip on the knife, despite the pain.

Somewhere in the distance a voice echoed through her mind, something about help - let them in? Who? What? Her mind not surrendering the hallucination. Knowing she couldn't move, or the birds would attack again.

[Marina Kseniya Sebastien]

Luckily for Jay, Jace, and anyone else in close proximity, Rina’s swing went wild and hit nothing but air. The momentum took her fist well past the table and she might have followed it had she’d more strength behind it. Nevertheless the sudden move made her guts violently protest the jostling. Rina instinctively leaned over the edge just in time to deposit the contents of her stomach on the deck.

She coughed and spat and blinked blearily at the mess, then dragged the back of her hand across her lips and raised her aching head.

“Sorry,” she husked. “What did I miss?”

Everyone’s shoes, she hoped.

[Jay Fuller]

Jay absentmindedly nodded at Ilana as she described Rina’s injuries. He was listening, but his focus was torn between the girl’s injuries and the rodents screaming in his ear.

The squirrels calmed down after a second, seeming to forget what they were panicking about. “What’s he doing now?” “What’s with the girl?” “I bet she tastes like nuts!”

Ilana began talking to herself, referring to someone as “not being dead.” Jay glanced up, making sure she wasn’t about to do anything that might injure herself.

Jay did his best to ignore them, especially when Rina started flailing about when he tried to bandage her wounds. “Dyadya, stoy! Chert voz'mi!” she shouted. Jay jumped back, “Rina!” he tried catching her attention, “Hold still, I promise I’m trying to help.”

“Why did she call him uncle??” “They don’t look related…” “Yěxǔ tā hěn gǔguài!” A few squirrels chimed in.

She continued to swing her fists. Jay turned to Ilana and said, “Permission to sedate her? I can’t help her like this.”

Before he could fully finish the sentence, he saw Jace wandering into the room. His eyes looked delirious and he eyed Jay. He looked wildly from Rina to the medic… and he screeched? “What are you-“ Jay’s question turned into a scream as Jace came in with his mouth agape trying to bite him. He got a mouthful of cardigan and nearly a chunk of Jay’s arm with it.

“Get! Off! Of! Me!” Jay shouted, batting at the towering man’s skull with each word. With a loud tear! the cardigan ripped and Jace was gnawing on the fabric. Somewhere in the fray, Helios had ran in and tasered Jace. He fell to the ground, twitching, as Helios cuffed him to the door. “Keep that door shut!” he yelled.

“Juéduì biàntài…” one of the squirrels said, pointing at Jay and then Jace.

“Shut up!” Jay snapped, pointing at the squirrel. It screeched, “Lā shǐ! He can hear us, scatter!”] And they all started panicking again, jumping over each other and shouting more things like “Oh god!” “Retreat, retreat!” “Find an escape!” “The squirrel-anity!!”

“Ohhh my GOD!” Jay shouted. He wrenched off his cardigan and threw it at the squirrels, which made them scattered even more. He checked the place where he’d been bitten. There was a large, red welt forming with specks of blood beginning to appear where the teeth marks were. At least he could work with that. He grabbed a bandage from the now squirrel-less counter and slapped it on.

Ilana had gone back to talking to her not-real, not-dead invisible friend. Roman came in, chewing a bar of soap. Jay decided to tune them out, and turned back to Rina. She had apparently come out of her daze, vomit now spreading across the other side of the room. Jay groaned. She spoke, though, more coherent now and said, “Sorry. What did I miss?”

“Oh boy, a lot.” Jay said, his voice on the edge of obvious aggravation, “Lay back, you’re injured. I need to bandage you up.”

He turned to the rest of them, “The rest of you – everyone not injured, or handcuffed to a door, out of my infirmary! Especially the squirrels!!” He motioned for them to get out, ready to pull out a scalpel to start swinging around if he needed to. "You can't tell us what to do!" shouted a squirrel.

Then he heard the klaxon blaring through the ship, glad they had an excuse to go take care of the help.

The squirrels began chortling, “Help has arrived!” “Praise be to the gods!” “I hope the help is a licensed therapist!”

---

Yěxǔ tā hěn gǔguài! = Maybe it’s a kinky thing!
Juéduì biàntài… = Definitely kinky…

[Marina Kseniya Sebastien]

"Chto za chert? Belki?" she mumbled around the acrid bile on her tongue. What the hell? Squirrels?

Rina got her elbows under her and levered herself up to look medbay over. Other than being filled with her crew in various states of lucidity (and the formerly naked man now eating a bar of soap), she didn't see anything too wildly out of place.

Not my monkeys. Not my circus. Not yet, anyway …

Rina lay back as ordered and flinched when her burns met the vinyl of the exam bed. She grimaced and put up with the pain. If Jay somehow missed it during the exam, she'd mention it.

She flinched again, torn between duty and injury. Should she get off the table and get back to work? Or should she lay there and let Jay tend to her injuries? She cast an eye down herself and took stock.

Bloodied and bleeding from hands and toes, elbows and knees, and half-naked to boot, she was in no shape to do anything. She sighed and resigned herself to a stint in medbay, for however long she must, and closed her eyes.

Bozhe moi, I'm tired...

"I'm sorry, Jay." For everything, her tone said.



===HOW TO SPEAK RUSSIAN!===
Chto za chert? Belki? = SHTOH – zah – chort? Byel-kee? = What the hell? Squirrels?

[Samantha Greystone]

The sounds from the birds stopped, Sam lifted her head to find…nothing. Just the galley. No aviary avalanche attacking her.

Letting out a breath, that the brunette hadn't realized she was holding, her eyes fell on the knife. Then made their way to the dripping blood.

"Zhè zāo tòule lǘ qiú," Sam murmured to herself

A quick look at her injuries and in the woman's definitely non-expert opinion, right arm injured, maybe a bruised bone, not likely broken or fractured as she had hit her arm harder than that in the past and it didn't fracture. She could still use it so that was good, in the relative sense. The bleeding wounds probably needed stitches, but for now…

She stood up and dropped the knife in the sink. Didn't need anyone seeing that. While it was true the entire crew had likely been effected, she had only been with them for five days. The rest clearly had bonds which had formed, she had been through too many crews by now, too many willing to get rid of her simply for being new. She didn't really know these people, they didn't know her. Playing it cautiously was best.

The first aid kit was quickly found. Wincing a little as she attempted to put the bandage on, being the wound was on the forearm, made it a little easier.

Next came her thigh, she found some scissors and cut the material a little more then patched that wound up as best she could.

Sam did these things without thinking too much on what had occurred. She was used to having to patch herself up alone. Always on her own even in the mist of people, nothing unusual for the girl. It didn't bother her, especially considering the circumstances, she was just starting to find it to usually be the case.

A quick look at her bandages. They weren't exactly a great job but at least there wouldn't be blood all over the floor, from here to the med bay, minus what was already there. The kitchen would have to be cleaned but it could wait.

Med bay wasn't that far and Sam made it there in a few moments. So, that's where the crew had gone. Her arrival was just in time to hear Jay kick people out. Did he say something about squirrels? Well, she counted as injured but Rina looked worse.

Sam moved to the side and waited for the others to exit. By the looks of it, Rina might be a while. The young woman half thought about leaving and coming back but the bandages wouldn't hold forever.

Zhè zāo tòule lǘ qiú - That sucks donkey balls.

[Roman Kline]

Rina vomited unceremoniously on the floor and Roman's face pinched in distaste. He took a step back, despite being plenty far enough away to not be hit. Ilana was shouting at someone who wasn't there, who apparently was neither dead nor real.

"You look awfully smug for someone chewing on a bar of soap," Ilana said.

Roman's face fell. "I knew that was too good to be true."

He looked down and no longer saw the ornate wooden box, or the pineapple slices. He saw the soap dish from his counter and a half-eaten bar of soap. He cringed and set both down on the counter.

A klaxon began blaring through the ship followed by Ilana's voice telling them help had arrived. Relief washed through him and he left the medbay, headed for the cargo bay as though this was still Savannah, and she was still his.

As he reached the airlock into the cargo bay, he heard Ilana's voice and stopped. He turned around to see her rounding the corner from the medbay, running hard straight toward him.

[Ilana Logan]

Rina leaned over the side of the table and puked. "Lovely," Ilana said.

Jay was shouting at something she couldn't see, and threw his cardigan across the room. He asked for permission to sedate Rina, but Rina appeared to realize where she was and what was happening fairly quickly, so there wasn't a need unless Rina wanted to be knocked out.

A klaxon alarm started blaring through the ship and just as she began wondering if it was real, her own voice began telling them that help had arrived. She looked around to see if anyone else was hearing this, and it appeared that they did.

She gave Jay a curt nod, and turned to leave just in time to see Roman slip out the door against Helios's advice. She followed, bolting down the hall for the cargo bay. As she rounded the corner to the long hallway, she saw Roman at the airlock to the cargo bay. "Roman! Wait!" she called out, afraid he would open the doors himself and no one would be there.

He stopped, turning toward her and she was immensely relieved for a moment. She had almost reached the airlock, and Roman, when the hall began to lengthen, stretching out to infinity. Panic flooded her for a moment and she tripped. She hit the deck hard, teeth snapping together as her chin collided painfully with the hard metal floor.

Luckily her tongue hadn't been out or she'd no longer have one. There was a deep, screaming pain in her leg that commanded attention. She rolled onto her back and looked down, seeing a screwdriver handle protruding from her thigh. She knew better, even in this state, than to remove it. She sat there for a few moments, breathing hard, biting her lip hard enough to draw blood to stop herself from screaming.

Roman was there in a second, asking if she was okay, and she gave him a look that clearly said Does it look like I'm okay?

"Just help me up," she snapped.

He hauled her to her feet and carefully released her. She put weight on her leg and nearly collapsed. Roman put an arm around her waist, knowing full well she was going to the cargo bay with or without his help, and together they made it down the stairs and across the room to the huge airlock doors. At the small door set in the middle, Ilana hesitated for a moment.

She opened the viewing window and saw a handful of people in suits, their ship docked to Eden. "I sent the code to Anastasia. Given what's happening, I don’t trust anyone on board to not be hallucinating your arrival. If you open the doors, you'll be safe though."

She stepped back, pain flaring brightly in her leg, and Roman came with her. After a moment, the small door hissed and swung open. Five people in total rushed in, all armed with stunners. Likely as a self-defense should the crew be hostile in their hallucinations.

The pain in her leg was getting worse and she said, "I'm glad you guys are here and all, but I need to go back to the infirmary and have this leg seen to. Anastasia sent you, so I'll trust you guys not to take over the ship and kill us all. Just let us know when you're ready to go."

Ilana put her foot down to turn around and pain flared brightly behind her eyes. She would have screamed, but the bright lights swallowed her up, and down she went.

[Ilana Logan]

Gi-Bae stood waiting by the doors to the cargo bay, their small ship docked neatly to the huge Jo-Lynn. After a few moments, the viewing pane on the door opened and a tiny woman told them to unlock the doors with their codes. She was concerned, understandably so, that they could be a hallucination. Gi-Bae entered the code and the door swung open. The tiny woman, whom he assumed was Captain Logan, told them she needed to have her leg seen to. He looked down then and saw what appeared to be the handle of a screwdriver embedded in her leg almost entirely.


"Go Neong Yung Duh!" Gi-Bae shouted as the woman clearly fainted. The man with her caught her easily and swung her up into his arms. He turned to his people and said, "Get to work."

They scattered and set to work cleansing the ship of the spores.

[Roman Kline]

Ilana looked concerned at first, then immensely relieved. Her relieved expression didn't last long though, and she suddenly looked panicked. Then she was suddenly airborne, rocketing forward and down much too quickly. Roman watched as she crashed into the deck, chin rapping hard on the metal floor.

Her face screwed up in a pained expression and he darted back to her. She rolled over onto her back and Roman saw a screwdriver sticking out of her thigh. It was nearly driven in all the way to the handle. To her credit, she didn't try to remove it. She bit down hard on her lip and a thin line of crimson ran down her chin.

"Are you okay, love?" he asked and she shot him a look that very obviously said she thought that was a stupid question.

"Just help me up," she snapped.

He gave her a skeptical look but knew better than to argue with her. She'd just get up herself and then be pissed that he didn't help. He stood and hauled her to her feet, carefully setting her down so she could adjust to having weight on that leg. When her weight was fully on her leg, she paled and her legs nearly buckled, but she managed to stay on her feet.

Roman slipped his arm around her waist to help her to the cargo bay. He knew her well enough to know that she'd be going to the cargo bay with or without him. "You don't have to be so stubborn every moment of the day, you know," he said sarcastically.

He walked her down the stairs and across the cargo bay, acting like a crutch for her, bearing most of her weight when she came down on her injured leg.

She opened the viewing window in the door and said "I sent the code to Anastasia. Given what's happening, I don’t trust anyone on board to not be hallucinating your arrival. If you open the doors, you'll be safe though."

Roman hadn't been expecting her to step back from the door so quickly and she took her full weight on the injured leg again. She turned almost a green color and looked like she was on the verge of vomiting as the door hissed and opened.

Five people armed with stunners flooded through the open door. "I'm glad you guys are here and all, but I need to go back to the infirmary and have this leg seen to. Anastasia sent you, so I'll trust you guys not to take over the ship and kill us all. Just let us know when you're ready to go," Ilana said.

The man in front looked down at her leg and shouted. "Go Neong Yung Duh!"

She put her weight on the injured leg a third time and fainted almost immediately. Roman caught her easily and lifted her in his arms. The scientist turned to his people and said, "Get to work."

The four of them scattered around the cargo bay and set out to cleanse the ship. The man turned to Roman and asked, "Will the rest of the crew give us any trouble?"

"It's not likely. They're all hallucinating but it seems to be wearing off. At least somewhat. I am still seeing some things that I'm pretty sure aren't real, but they aren't as strong now, and I feel more aware that it's a hallucination," Roman said.

"That would be the antidote we pumped into the atmo when we docked working. It won't completely take the effects away, but it dampens them somewhat," the scientist said. "I'm Dr. Kim. We will round up the others and check them out. Is Captain Logan the only one who is injured?"

Roman laughed and said, "Not by a long shot. Our Pilot was shot with a stunner, the doctor was bitten by the pilot, and one of our two engineers somehow busted up her hands and head, and also managed to burn herself."

Dr. Kim looked very surprised by this but said, "Get her to the infirmary then, and I'll be shortly behind you to help in any way that I can."

Roman turned then and carried Ilana through the ship and back to the medbay. Inside, he laid her on the counter since Rina was on the only table and said, "Doctor, your Captain has managed to both impale herself and knock herself unconscious. She has a screwdriver in her thigh, a busted lip, and what I'm sure will be a bruised ego when she awakens."

After a short pause he added, "Oh, and help has definitely arrived. The hallucinations should already be quieting. You'll still see things for a bit, but they'll be less real."

[Jay Fuller]

As people filtered out of the room, including about half the squirrels, Jay turned back to Rina. “I’m sorry, Jay…” she said, the tone in her voice suggesting more than just “sorry about almost punching you.” Jay softened a bit.

“It’s okay, been a rough day for everyone. Are you hurt anywhere else?” he asked.

Jay saw Sam, the new girl, sneak in after the others left. She had some bandages that she clearly self-applied on her forearm and thigh. Actually, they were applied just fine, but Jay often noticed when others applied medical treatments that, while perfectly functional, lacked the nuance that he learned in med school to make them extra effective.

“Oh, bushi ni,” he said softly, but far from scolding. Apparently when multiple crew members were injured, he turned into a mother hen figure. Not sure he liked that. “So how’s your first week with the crew been?” he asked, a teasing tone in his voice. He figured it wasn’t often people joined a crew and immediately got dosed with vividly strong hallucinogenics. Then he added, “Do you have anything that needs immediate attention, or can I finish up with Rina first?”

He noticed the squirrels started to become fuzzier. Not literally, like with more fur, but the hallucinations started to fade from reality like some weird film effect. Their chittering sounded far away too, like they were disappearing. The effects of the mushrooms must be wearing off, thank goodness. He did a quick cursory glance at Jace to make sure he was still doing okay.

Shortly after bandaging Rina up, Roman came in with Ilana unconscious in his arms. A spike of fear went up his spine, worried that the scientists that came to help were, in fact, not very helpful. One of the squirrels hopped onto Rina’s lap and said, ”If we were in trouble, I don’t think the companion would be chill as a cucumber.”

Who came up with these hallucinations??

“What happened?” Jay asked as Roman set Ilana on the counter.

“Doctor, your Captain has managed to both impale herself and knock herself unconscious. She has a screwdriver in her thigh, a busted lip, and what I'm sure will be a bruised ego when she awakens… Oh, and help has definitely arrived. The hallucinations should already be quieting. You'll still see things for a bit, but they'll be less real." Roman said.

As he spoke, Jay was already examining the screwdriver, plotting the best way to remove it cleanly. He asked, “How did she knock herself out? Did she hit her head?”

Then he added, “Shit, sorry Sam, I will get to you as soon as I can get Ilana stable.” He gave an apologetic wave to the girl who had been patiently waiting. “There are some pain meds in that drawer there if you need them”

Turning to Ilana, he didn’t want to go poking around for bumps just in case, but there wasn’t enough blood down her leg to warrant passing out from blood loss – thankfully Ilana was smart enough to leave the thing in.

[Marina Kseniya Sebastien]

Nov 9, 2022 12:44:03 GMT -5 Jay Fuller said:

As people filtered out of the room, including about half the squirrels, Jay turned back to Rina. “I’m sorry, Jay…” she said, the tone in her voice suggesting more than just “sorry about almost punching you.” Jay softened a bit.

“It’s okay, been a rough day for everyone. Are you hurt anywhere else?” he asked.

Rina was about to answer when Jay’s attention was captured by their newest crew member, Sam, slipping into medbay. Rina followed his gaze and looked Sam over top to bottom. While not as injured as she herself was, Rina reckoned the other woman had also suffered a less than pleasant trip on the mushrooms.

Rina looked herself over while Jay briefly checked Sam. Jay had done excellent work on everything that needed immediate attention, though the two burns on her flank could still benefit from salve and a dressing. Rina decided she’d take care of them in her quarters. As an engineer, she was no stranger to burns and was accustomed to tending them herself.

C’mon, you. You’ve goldbricked enough. It’s time you let someone else on the table …

She’d barely had time to think it before Roman arrived with Ilana. Roman didn’t wait for Rina to move but instead put Ilana on the counter for treatment. Rina blinked when she saw her captain’s injury.

How the hell did my screwdriver … ?

Rina listened to Roman’s report as she hauled herself upright and put her feet on the floor. If there were outsiders on Eden, she didn’t want to be seen by anyone while she was still half-naked, covered in old blood, and sporting more scars than she’d care to explain.

Time to go.

“Thanks, Jay. I’m good for now.”

And Rina got her ass out of there for her quarters. She edged past Jace—handcuffed to the door? why? do I really want to know?—and once she’d gained the corridor, she put a hand on the bulkhead to steady herself. If memory served, the first aid kit she’d stashed in her locker had everything she would need.