[voice;]

[orplasmic]

[ Jack takes a shaky breath as he turns on the MID. He can do this, this gadget he's hooked up to is almost like a radio. It's just sort of stuck to his hand for the foreseeable future. Which is still a step up from jamming a needle in his arm on the regular to boost his EVE. ]

...hard to believe I'm in outer space, it's not the sort of thing you expect to hear outside of books. [ He pauses to laugh under his breath. It's a ragged sort of sound, with a faint edge of exhaustion to it. ] Then again, so do underwater cities.

Hopefully this place'll be nicer than Rapture. [ Though that sudden shift in lighting and the new strict people in charge have him a bit unsettled. ]

Anyways... I was wondering. Has anyone here heard of an Irish fella by the name of Atlas? He was helping me before I ended up here. I don't feel right leaving him in the wind.

Comments

[Action]

[orplasmic]

[ That genuine show of emotion over the little sisters draws a relieved smile to his face. The only other person he's seen from Rapture who cared about the kids was Doctor Tenenbaum. Even Atlas thought they were beyond help and that Jack was throwing away his chances by not taking them for all the ADAM they had in them. ]

They're just little girls, I wasn't going to hurt 'em. The world did enough of that already.

[ He winces at the mention of the medical bay. After his last encounter with a doctor he's not too hot on the idea. But... she's the first mate, or was, anyways. Seems like he ought to listen to her. ]

If you insist, but I'm pretty sturdy. Plus... will they know what to do about plasmid use?

[Action]

[tearmeanewone]

There's a difference between not hurting them and actually helping them. Trust me.

[Elizabeth takes note of the wince and frowns slightly-- maybe she's being too overprotective of him. She's seen how 'sturdy' he is, and knows that he's not going to be limping around over a few little scratches. Knowing what he's doing in her place, though, makes Elizabeth want to keep him as comfortable as she can.]

I don't think they do, but I know enough on the subject to help them muddle through. But maybe you'd like to see the Mess Hall first? Are you hungry?

[In her experience, he was always hungry, eating everything he could get his hands on...]

[Action]

[orplasmic]

[ The mention of putting off the visit to the medical bay relaxes the slight hunch in his shoulders and eases the knot that was starting to build in his stomach. That crazy surgeon must have gotten to him more than he realized. He even manages a grin when Elizabeth suggests getting food. ]

I could eat. Just as long as it ain't potato chips.

[ Funny how quick you can get sick of something that's supposed to be a treat when it's all you're able to get your hands on.A good meal would set him up toward feeling like a real person again. Maybe distance himself from the state of mind where he nearly electrocuted his new roommate. ]

Maybe after that you could show me your favorite place here. Being the first mate you know this place pretty well, right?

[Action]

[tearmeanewone]

[Elizabeth laughs, because she knows. God does she know how many boxes of chocolate, potato chips, and peanuts she'd watched Booker scarf down. It had more or less put her off the stuff for a while.]

Sounds like a plan-- I'll set you up with a nice salad, maybe some chicken? Then I'll show you the observation deck. You can come visit me in the library some other time. [She laughs and tilts her head in the direction of the mess hall.]

[orplasmic]

[ Must be nice to be picky about what you eat, Liz. Some people are stuck at the bottom of the ocean and only have access to food with the nutritional value of cardboard. ]

I think I found the observation deck already, actually. It's the place with the big clear ceiling, right? I met a big green man from the future there.

[ And yes he said that with a completely straight face. ]

[tearmeanewone]

[Hey. Some people were stuck at the bottom of the ocean and only had access to food with the nutritional value of cardboard, too.]

Really? I don't think I've met him yet... [Big and green... probably not Bruce, given Jack probably wouldn't be in one piece if it was.]

Alright well, after the observation deck, the library is probably my favorite place, so guess we'll go there! [She leads the way to the mess hall, and helps him procure some actual vegetation and protein. She does the same, because she actually can't remember the last time she ate.]

So... you like it here so far?

[orplasmic]

Said his name was Thane, he's from 200 years in the future. He seemed as surprised as I was about it.

[ He was nice, too. Didn't even mind Jack asking what he was even though it was probably some kind of faux pas to ask what someone was.

The food is probably the best thing he's seen in days and he makes sure to savor it. He's still half expecting to wake up and find out this was some kind of scurvy induced dream. ]

It's a sight better than Rapture. I gotta go back eventually but I don't mind getting a break to breath.

[tearmeanewone]

You're telling me. [Elizabeth smiles and picks at her own food, mainly watching Jack eat and hoping he'll eat more if he wants it. If he has to go back to Rapture, and Elizabeth knows he does, she's going to send him back in good shape. Strong, healthy, armed to the teeth.]

Not that this place and Rapture don't share the tendency to present us with the unexpected, but for the most part everyone here is friendly, food is more or less readily available, and there seems to be something for everyone to pass the time with. I mentioned I head up the library, there's a recreational center with a pool, a garden with free-roaming kittens...