trans_9 | (no subject)

Pop. Pop pop pop. Poppuhpoppoppop. KASCHUNKhiiiiiiiissssss.

There was condensation and mist spraying out from cracks in oblong glowing things that were clustered along the floors and walls of the huge, ancient-looking caverns.

For now, the ones that were cracking were the closest to the floor, but perhaps later, the figures sliding out of the pods would be sliding out onto the slimy walkways and platforms above.

Pop. Poppop. KASCHUNKhiiiiiissss.

There was light, and unconscious minds breaking through the top of the briny, harsh waters of consciousness, as their bodies did similarly and broke free from the pods, sliding to the floor, shivering in pools of slime.

Once the temporary blindness that some of them had passed, and once they were free of their sleepy stupors: somebody had some splainin' to do.

But there would be no explanations, as the only thing that could explain was only watching, silently, almost as a mother would look at their child right after it was born.

Pop. KASCHUNKhissss.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

||You are in me.||

The voice in her head is calm and motherly.

"AAAAAH!"

Will's cheeks are as red as her hair. There's not a lot more humiliating this could get - and those are DEFINITELY members of the male gender walking around over there. Oh God. Oh God.

"W-why? Who are you? What do you want?"

||I am--||

Will wouldn't actually hear the name, so much as feel it. It felt something like maternal love, duty, and honor all mixed together.

||The closest possible pronunciation by human vocal chords is STA'C K'LTRRB'TXFT, though you may call me Stacy, if you wish.||

How can something that love you THAT much be bad, Will?

. . . oh. Well. Not a lot.

Being an empath has given Will great faith in what her heart feels. So she relaxes slightly, as much as she can while trying to cover herself up.

The tremble in her voice is far less panicked than the screaming from before. "Can I have some clothes, Stacy?"

||Yes. Follow the lights.||

And they appeared.

Embarassed as she was, Will definitely felt a lot better. She followed the lights, still covering herself up as best she could.

Not that there was a lot to hide. She was 13. But it was the principle of the thing.

"How did I get here, Stacy? Did you bring me?"

||You were already here.||

Make sense of that, Will.

"Huh?"

Will's been to a lot of strange places, but she doesn't remember this one.

"I'm sorry, I don't remember." she pauses. "Why was I here before?"

||You have been Chosen.||

"Oh."

They were in familiar territory now.

"What have I been Chosen for?"

||A great purpose.||

The lights led her up a walkway, one that overlooked the whole caverns. They were massive and the gentle glow from the pods was a strange mix of comforting--like night lights or fireflies--and eerie--from the silhouettes of the bodies within.

||You are meant for great things.||

It was possible there was a touch of odd fondness in her telepathic "voice."

A year ago, Will would have turned her head aside and said, "No I'm not."

Now, she smiles shyly, and looks down to conceal her slight blush.

"Thank you. I'll try to . . . um. I'll do my best to help you."

She looked around at the pods, to check for familiar silhouetts. "Are the other girls here, too? My teammates?"

||That information is, unfortunately, classified.||

What? Frown.

"Why?"

||Why it is classified is also classified. I cannot disclose it.||

Not "will not." Cannot. She wasn't able to.