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[Zam really wishes this weren’t necessary. It’s bad enough that he has to divulge a weakness to the entire crew, without the added rub of having to ask for help at the end of it. But seeing as the captains have given no indication that this temperature problem is going to fix itself anytime soon, he doesn’t really have any other options. He takes a short breath and then reluctantly speaks.]

There’s not really any way to sugarcoat this, so here it goes: you know how a lot of races have that thing where their body temperature self-regulates? Mine doesn’t. Which means, I don’t do very well in the cold. As in, my metabolism will slow down until I eventually enter a hibernatory state. Which I’d really, really like to avoid.

Basically, I need help staying warm. And staying awake. [Interpret that as you will. Zam is in such a state that he doesn’t even bother making it into an innuendo. It’s that bad.] I’m in Moro Deck #003.

Also, if you’re on Moro Deck and you’re missing your blanket… Well, I guess you know where to find it now.

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It’s a good thing you’re used to weird then. We get a lot of it around here. [People from different universes, unknown planets, a ship that doesn’t make sense… “Weird” might be putting it mildly.] I’d tell you you’ll get used to it eventually, but I’ve been here for a few weeks now and this place still manages to catch me off guard.

[He regards the man again, an inquisitive look coming over his features.] Just out of curiosity, what were you doing before you came through the Ingress? [There’s a somewhat probing tone to his voice, as if he’s searching for one answer in particular.]

Really? It gets that weird around here?

[ He sounds surprised. And to think he thought the weirdest thing would be the fact that people from different universes were sucked onto the ship, but if it's still managing to weird out someone who's been here that long... Huh. ]

What kind of stuff happens?

[ At the inquiry from the other man though, Wash glances downward at himself, figuring that it's his armour that's tipped off the question. Clearing his throat, he shifts a little uncomfortably, a slight little wry smile tugging at his lips, hidden behind his visor. ]

Just before? I was waking up in the medbay of a different ship after being unconscious for a few days. But uh, in general before I came through? I was fighting in a war, hence the armor.

More than you know. [This little power outage is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of how strange things can get on the ship.] Since I got here, I’ve seen a planet made out of glass shatter into pieces, a man turn into a monster, and met people who had never even heard of other planets or races before stepping foot on the Moira. It’s like this place goes out of its way to be impossible.

[He listens to the man’s answer intently. One thing about it in particular seems to catch his attention.] Do you actually remember waking up? Or is it possible that you could have… I don’t know. Dreamed it?

[ Wash is silent for a few moments while he takes all of that strangeness in. ]

...Alright, yeah. That's pretty damn weird. And you think it'll only get weirder from there?

[ That's hard to believe, given what he's just heard, but if the place really does go out of the way to be impossible... And given all that's apparently already happened... It seems likely that things will yeah, only get weirder from here on in. ]

...Dreamed it? What, my life as a soldier? [ It's a weird question, and Wash isn't entirely sure of how to answer. Except that he knows for a fact that he didn't dream anything. Everything happened. ] I do remember waking up. I had conversations with my friends before I ended up coming through the Ingress.

[Zam shrugs.] Don’t see why it wouldn’t. [It’s certainly proved itself a pattern thus far.]

Just the part where you woke up, [he clarifies. Hearing Wash’s answer, a brief expression of disappointment flickers over his features.] Hm. [It seems that in terms of arrival, Zam still remains the outlier.]

Well, I guess it doesn’t matter now. We’re all stuck here for the time being.

Oh.

[ Wash is quiet for a moment, thinking. Trying to figure out how to word things delicately. ]

...Do you think you dreamed everything before being here?

[ That would be...kind of scary, actually. To not be sure if you really came from somewhere else or not. To be uncertain of something so important... ]

No… I mean, when I first got here I thought I had dreamed some of it, but now I’m pretty sure it was real. [The glass on Cadacus Primary had shown him that much. He pulls the blankets tighter around himself, a pensive look coming over his features as he decides whether or not he should elaborate.]

Uh, the thing is, before I showed up here, I was… well, I was in the process of being killed. So if you had actually died in that medbay, then that would make two of us. [He realizes how bleak that must sound.] Don't worry. I’ve talked to a lot of people on this ship and as far as I can tell, no one else died to get here, so you're probably in the clear.

Oh.

[ See, that makes things clearer. ...And more horrifying. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little worried that he's actually dead now, even with that reassurance at the end of the explanation.

It takes him a minute to think of what to even say to any of that, and his body doesn't seem to take the cue to respond right away, anyway. But, eventually he realizes he should say something and that it's been too long since he has, so he snaps back to attention. ]

...Sorry. That sucks. Like, a lot. [ He's really good at this, obviously. ] Sorry--I uhm. I don't really know what to even say to that. It just...sucks.

[Zam grins sheepishly at the man’s extended silence.] Sorry, did that get too dark? It wasn’t that bad. Really.

[He does his best to sound sincere. At least it hadn’t hurt. They hadn’t even had time to register the pain of the saberdart piercing their neck before the neurotoxin kicked in. After that, it had been like someone turning out a light.

Waking up had been the hard part.]

I mean, the alternative would have been just dying. So if you think about it, I caught a lucky break by waking up here. It’s probably worse for people like you who were still alive and had things to do before the Ingress took them.

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