001 | [voice]

[hypospraying]

[After finding her clothes and things, Christine is tiptoeing through the ship, expecting an enemy around every corner. But when she comes to the hatch that leads out, she feels a rush of relief. Slipping outside, she takes in her surroundings, and then tries the communicator in her hand -- one that looks so much like one from the Enterprise that she assumes she can reach her ship.]

Chapel to Enterprise. I'm at an unknown location. I was captured and placed in some sort of stasis pod. Requesting you beam me up immediately.

[She waits, and nothing happens. Nor is there any response from the transporter team. Uh oh.]

Enterprise, come in?

[More silence. Sighing, she begins to move away from the crashed ship, wondering if there's something about it that's blocking her signal. She looks curiously at the domed city in the distance, and the landscape surrounding her. Then she speaks to herself.]

Where am I?

Comments

[Video]

[damn_it_jim]

If we're going to be talking about my feelings, I'm not doing it without a couple drinks in front of us. I got by well enough -- plaguefighting is remarkably focusing.

[In short: yes, yes he did, but he doesn't want to talk about it. The corner of his mouth curled up belatedly.]

True. You'll have to challenge the nursing staff to single combat, or whatever it is you folks do to establish a hierarchy... although wherever you end up amongst the locals, you're my head nurse.

[Video]

[hypospraying]

[The unexpected compliment makes her grin.]

Why, Doctor, I'm touched. Though the less you know about how I battle my way to the top, the better. You need plausible deniability.

[Video]

[damn_it_jim]

They're short on chocolate here, or I'd fall back on the old standby of tossing a box in one direction and bolting in the other. Don't worry about me -- I survived hospital politics before I ended up with nothing left but Starfleet.

[Not that military medical services are entirely free of them. People who routinely play dice with death and weight them in their favour tend to develop god complexes wherever they are.]

While you're en route, I'll see about making sure there's a space for you at the Flop that doesn't have too many snorers in the room. It's either that or follow Solus' example of getting all his sleep in the break room.

[Video]

[hypospraying]

[She's tempted to call that comment sexist, but damn it if she doesn't love her chocolate. She doesn't want to screw herself out of possible future opportunities to eat chocolate either, so she lets it go.]

Thank you. I don't have to share a bed, do I? I'm a kicker.

Re: [Video]

[damn_it_jim]

[Hey, chocolate is equal-opportunity or Bones has never seen a mixed-gender swarm of medical residents strip a leftover bowl of candy down to bare wrappers. He huffs a laugh at the question.]

No, we're not that bad off. There's only about forty of us awake from the ship, so it's multiple bunks in a room, but no sharing them yet. I figure more people will move out as time goes by, too.

[Video]

[hypospraying]

Is it safe for us to move out among the locals, though?

[Video]

[damn_it_jim]

Just fine -- they're good people, by and large, and the maniacs behind the dome aren't going to differentiate between the Flop and another apartment if they feel like setting the damned place on fire again.

[This is not, perhaps, the most reassuring statement ever. Bones hitches a shoulder in a shrug.]

The main hazard is that if you don't board with one of the local families, you're looking at a certain amount of renovations. I haven't had the time to do that, or to find someone willing to do it for me, so the Flop it remains.

[Video]

[hypospraying]

Well, as much as I'd love to dabble in apartment renovation and interior design, I'll probably be too busy as well. At least for now.

[So the Flop it is for her too, while she settles into the place.]

Oh, I think I see someone coming out to meet me. I'll see you at the hospital?

[Video]

[damn_it_jim]

Count on it, Chapel. Don't let the feathered raptors bite.

[With a last crooked smirk and a tip of his chin, Bones signs off.]