Why now?

[cityship]

It was the worst possible time for it. The crew was about to be embroiled in a battle for their lives. Half of them were infested with alien parasites and restrained in MedBay.

||Pod Release Protocols Initating,|| Stacy's familiar voice sounded out to all the podmates.

In the Pod Caverns, there were the sounds of: Pop. Pop pop pop. Poppuhpoppoppop. KASCHUNKhiiiiiiiissssss.

There was condensation and mist spraying out from cracks in the pods, as the people inside slid out onto the floors, covered in slime.

Pop. Poppop. KASCHUNKhiiiiiissss.

Comments

[cityship]

A hologram flickers to life near him. "You're currently on board a ship traveling through the void between universes. You're naked because you've just awoken from podsleep."

[syrus-fire.livejournal.com]

Looking up at the image sharply, the alchemist is surprised to see the flat depiction of a woman apparently hovering in the air. He only understands part of what she says, but he gathers enough to know he's not in Amestris.

"Who are you?" he asks. "What do you want with me?"

[cityship]

"My designation is Shining Path to Truth and Knowledge AI model GRA 112, serial number XMC-10-182. I was once the core AI of the Commonwealth Glorious Heritage-class heavy cruiser, the Andromeda Ascendant. You can call me Andromeda. I am an artificial intelligence, a living program that exists within technology that is somewhat more advances than your world's own."

She adds, "And what I want is to help you, and the rest of the crew."

[syrus-fire.livejournal.com]

"Help?" The word hardly seems appropriate, since he's covered in slime and almost certain that somehow this place has whisked him off the face of his entire world. "Where are my clothes? You can't expect me to stay here like this." He shakes some of the goo off of his hand. Then he freezes. "Wait, did you say crew?"

[cityship]

"Others have awoken like yourself. We're all imprisoned here, even myself and other AIs. So far, we've all been attempting to band together, AI and sentient alike, and find access to other areas of the ship to confront our captors."

Lights appear in glowing pustules along the floor.

"Follow the lights, and you'll be provided clothing."

[syrus-fire.livejournal.com]

Mustang nods mutely, taking in the information as best he can. Then he takes a breath and nods. "Thank you... Andromeda."

He might as well be polite. She does seem helpful. Still cringing at the feel of the slime, he follows the strange lights. "What I need is a shower..." he mutters to himself.

[cityship]

"Don't worry. When you're provided clothes, you'll be cleaned off as well."

[syrus-fire.livejournal.com]

"That's a relief..." He almost answers without realizing it, because he's so lost in thought. Ships that go between dimensions? This.. is a ship? AIs. Technology of some sort, although it seems more like alchemy to him.

This is going to take some time, he thinks as he walks toward wherever those lights take him.

[cityship]

They go up a winding walkway that spirals up to the ceiling, giving him a hell of a view.

It's definitely a cavern, not just a room. A cavern full of people asleep in their pods like he was.

Millions of them.

[syrus-fire.livejournal.com]

He stops short to gape at the cavern of pods. It's a sea of people enclosed in... in elliptical containers, it appears.

"What... is this place?" he asks the air.

[cityship]

"The Pod Caverns. We have no idea what they're all here for--what any of us are here for."

[syrus-fire.livejournal.com]

Mustang gazes over the cavern again and winces. He is a little too eager to continue following the lights and move on. They look like coffins somehow. Millions of coffins being stored in a warehouse.

[cityship]

When he reaches the top, there's a circular room with a metal circle on the floor in the middle and green-black vines dangling down from the ceiling.

"Please step onto the circle."

[syrus-fire.livejournal.com]

Well, that looks encouraging.

Maybe if he were a homunculus or Frank Archer. If there is one thing he knows, it is that circles mean change. Because that is the path you need to take to complete the flow of energy--just like a circuit. He's hesitant to step onto that circle, but he sees no other option in a place he doesn't recognize. He complies, grimacing and hoping for the best.

[cityship]

YOINK! The vines grab him. If he tries to fight, it'll be futile; the vines won't let go until they're finished. The vines clean off the goop and spread a fleshy, leaf-like material over his body, until it forms a jumpsuit; soft, veiny, and durable. It has something of its own pulse.

When they're finished, the vines set him down on his feet again.

[syrus-fire.livejournal.com]

He's startled, to say the least. When his struggles have no effect, he stops fighting and lets the vines do their work. He's astounded at the finished result, too. He would have called that alchemy if he were back in Amestris, but in this strange place, he has no name for it.

"Uh... thank you," he says lamely.