035 - Cinnamon and Brown Sugar

[deadly_ned]

[On video, the Piemaker is wearing one of Dean's protective amulets, holding it in his hand and looking it over. He's also sitting on the man's couch, and looks like he has been for at least a week.

Aside from that, he's...thinner. Paler, and less altogether himself, even as his free hand continuously pets Digby the golden retriever beside him. Digby, for safety, also wears an amulet clipped to his collar]

I'm not much of a necklace person.

I wasn't expecting this to work. It works. I don't feel anything.

I didn't feel anything before I put it on either, so to the person who has my doll, thank you for not hurting it.


This flood is...

[The Piemaker falls silent. His eyes unfocus, and his head seems to drop. Something is clearly twisted up inside him.

This lasts for an uncomfortably long time, minutes worth of dead air filling up the network. Finally, the Piemaker seems to wake back up, wincing and rubbing at his eyes. He glances around, confused, before spotting the camera's light. He reaches over and shuts it off without explanation]

Comments

[deadly_ned]

Okay.

[And before too long, the Piemaker opens the door to Dean's room, looking haunted and hunted]

Hi.

[neverfeltbetter]

Hi...

[He steps in, laying a scrutinizing look over Ned on his way. It's a lot worse in person.]

Man, are sure you don't need to get yourself up to the Doc for a check-over? This doesn't look like nothing.

[deadly_ned]

[Under the penetrating gaze, the Piemaker does his best to avoid eye contact, shrinking down on Dean's couch]

I'd rather not. If it's. All the same to everyone.

[neverfeltbetter]

No. Not to me and not to a bunch of your other friends either I'm sure. It isn't like I can drag you there myself, but I think you owe it to the people who care about you to go get yourself looked at.

[deadly_ned]

[The guilt eats at him. The Piemaker stares down at his knees instead of looking Crichton in the face]

I'm not dying.

[neverfeltbetter]

So what is happening? Is getting sick on the Barge that common?

[deadly_ned]

No. Not especially. And not usually with me, either.

I don't...know exactly what's happening.

But I know it has something to do with this other Barge, and I know it doesn't mean good things.

Has anyone...mentioned the other Barge to you?

[neverfeltbetter]

Other Barge? No. This is the first I'm hearing of it.

[Sounds ominous.]

[deadly_ned]

There's another Barge that's...like ours, but different. It's. Parallel.

[The Piemaker holds up his hands like he's about to clap or pray, but keeps them an inch apart, holding his arms up to show Crichton]

On this other Barge, I'm an inmate. You would probably be an inmate too. Dean's one. The point of the other Barge is that it turns good people into bad ones. Through pain, and fear, and anything they can think of. There were...

[He trails off, not wanting to recall particular examples]

Usually we're kept separate from it, but every so often, it...flips.

It's probably going to flip again soon.

[neverfeltbetter]

So, when it flips we'll all be on a private cruise to hell. Great. Can't wait...

But, if Wardens become inmates, what happens to the people who were inmates already?

[deadly_ned]

They become wardens.

Or their personalities flip and they stay inmates, but nicer. Orr...our personalities flip, and we turn into horrible people and stay wardens.

It's all sort of a mess, to be honest.

[neverfeltbetter]

[Yeah, that does sound messy. Being turned into an inmate, maybe he can handle...but he really doesn't want to find out what will happen if he goes to the Dark Side for this thing.]

Those are not great sounding options. Is there any way we can fight this?

[deadly_ned]

I don't think so. I don't think there's any way to guarantee you'll be in your right frame of mind.

[neverfeltbetter]

Just love when that happens...

So, what? You think your being sick might be a sign of bad things on the horizon? Are other's getting sick too?

[deadly_ned]

Yes. And yes.

I know how I feel when I'm sick. This isn't sickness caused by a virus. It's a sickness that's here for a reason.

I just wish I knew why.

[neverfeltbetter]

Has it been getting worse?

[deadly_ned]

'Worse' is sort of a point of view, isn't it?

[neverfeltbetter]

Yeah, it is. But let me ask you: where you feeling this bad last week?

[deadly_ned]

Not...especially? Not that I can remember.

[neverfeltbetter]

So, it's not really a reliable way to tell how close we are to the inevitable. That's what I wondered.

[deadly_ned]

Not especially. No.

I'm sorry I'm not a better trauma barometer.

[neverfeltbetter]

It was worth asking.

Are you really going to be okay?

[deadly_ned]

I honestly don't have any idea.

I figured the Barge would just...do what it wants to me, and then maybe it will let me go.

[neverfeltbetter]

So what? You're supposed to just sit there and take it?

[deadly_ned]

That tends to be how I handle most conflicts. Until the conflict dies down and I'm still here because I did not compromise my values or integrity.

So. Yes. I will continue to sit here and...take it.