Captain Jack Aubrey: Debut

[luckyjackaubrey]

Jack's transportation out of the cell and into one of the largest rooms he'd ever encountered was no less disconcerting than his arrival in that cell twenty-four hours earlier. At least Jack's ability to sleep through anything and at any time had no failed him, and most of his confinement he had spent snoring with no notion of the time on waking which was just as well.

In any case, having no explanation for either arrival, Jack dismissed the question from his mind and set about examining the area. His footfalls echoed off the great empty chamber as he paced about, first in one direction and then the other, finding no clue at all as to the manner of his capture, for captured he surely had been.

"Discourteous of the buggers not to present themselves and state their intentions," he said softly to himself.

Finally, Jack stopped, facing down one of the long corridors, and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Ahoy!" he called in his booming ship's voice. "Hello!"

Comments

[good_cop]

"If it's any consolation, going by the nature of this place there's a good chance that you and I are much closer to one other in time than we are to this. I'd offer you a potted history of the next couple of hundred years for you, but you'll be able to investigate for yourself soon enough."

[luckyjackaubrey]

It wasn't, but Jack was too polite to say so. The fact of the matter was that she was farther away from his time than he was comfortable with, but as she was the only person he'd seen so far, he was not about to turn her out for his own comfort.

"I think," he said carefully, "That may be a tale for another day." He was not certain that he wanted to know more about the next few hundred years.

"Tell me, if you will, what of others? How many of you are there?"

[good_cop]

"A bit shy of forty - although some of them are currently indisposed." And just as well. "They're from all over - some from long before you, and some from after me quite possibly. I think. Maybe." Sam made an uncertain face at this - she really wasn't sure on that one, but it was a fair guess, probably?

[luckyjackaubrey]

Jack nodding, considering the number. From the vastness of the place, he was surprised. Forty men would not have done for a full watch on Surprise.

"Why, the place is practically empty."

[good_cop]

Sam smiled a little in spite of hersefl. "I suppose so. Doesn't feel that way, sometimes - the stretch of living quarters available to us only has a few empty rooms left, though I believe there are more elsewhere on the station. But we don't really have to... run things, here. They more or less run themselves. There's a great deal of automation." As she used the last word, her eyes caught Jack's, clearly seeking for confirmation that he understood the concept - was the idea of 'automation' widely discussed before the industrial revolution? Suddenly she wished she'd studied more history at uni...