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Aug 9, 2020 17:15:59 GMT -7
Post by Gummy on Aug 9, 2020 17:15:59 GMT -7
Only read this thread if you want spoilers for Skrulls.
{Spoiler}The person inside had been dreaming or were they nightmares. They kept feeling as if they were drowning in darkness, warm and weightless. Their body was struggling to fight whatever kept them asleep. They needed to wake up! Something was wrong! Why couldn't they.... Their mind went blank again. A vicious cycle which couldn't be broken.
What was it? Where were they? Dark, warm, dreaming. Dreaming of good and bad, of love and sadness. Friends, family and enemies. They were lost? Where were they? Lost! What was the last thing they remembered? Sun, hot, dry. At least they weren't cold. They weren't hungry, they weren't thirsty but they felt like they hadn't eaten in a long time.
They could hear a pulse thumping away. Then a loud noise which made them almost wake but something pulled them back into the dream and the nightmares. They didn't know, couldn't feel, pulse wavered slightly then picked back up.
Darkness.... endless darkness.
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Aug 10, 2020 14:58:30 GMT -7
Post by Gordy on Aug 10, 2020 14:58:30 GMT -7
"We both covet things we don't have. The difference between us, of course..."------------------------------------------------------ It wasn't uncommon to find and collect debris from ruined ships. Especially when you're the one who ruined them. They didn't always have things of interest, but it was still worth keeping them in his collection. As he sipped on his wine, the Collector stood in front of his prizes, kept in stasis pods. A crew of three or four captives - mostly Skrull, with one human aboard. It was odd to see a human mixed among these aliens, especially since they didn't have a uniform matching the others. Perhaps the Skrulls were busy replacing humans again? Now he was curious. The Collector put his hand against a touchpad. The water level in the human's tank began to lower, leaving them submerged just above their shoulders. They should wake up soon enough. ------------------------------------------------------ "...is that I have almost everything anyone could possibly want. Including you."
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Aug 10, 2020 15:04:49 GMT -7
Post by Gummy on Aug 10, 2020 15:04:49 GMT -7
Spoiler Not until they were awoken. As the water reduced and set the person inside on the ground but bound to various monitors and stasis gizmos their slender outline revieled a girl inside. She looked like a teenager. Only wearing simple garments of cloth over groin and bust it made her look even skinnier despite the muscles she had developed before. Her black hair with red accents flattened against her head. The mask covering her lower face allowed her to breath and it was that which signalled her waking. The in breaths became shorter, her eyelids started to move, then she breathed in deeply, a gasp as her eyes shot open revealing pupils that barely showed their green huge from dilation.
Ziggy tried to move in her panic but there was hardly any give. The light hurt her eyes so it took her a while to adjust. She tried to recall what had happened, where she was, the last thing but she couldn't remember. She couldn't remember! The panic rose inside as she tried to figure it all out. It didn't make any sense! She blinked a few times unable to move to free herself and looked out at the person stood in front of her. Her eyes were wide - fear, hope, confusion. What was going on?
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Aug 10, 2020 15:05:36 GMT -7
Post by Gordy on Aug 10, 2020 15:05:36 GMT -7
"We both covet things we don't have. The difference between us, of course..."------------------------------------------------------ The Collector glanced down at the status screen beside the tank. The girl's metrics - height, weight, sex, species - were being processed and displayed before him. He raised an eyebrow at one of these metrics: Human Mutant. The elder glanced back at his capture. "A mutant, it seems. It's quite rare to find something like you in this part of the universe. You wouldn't happen to be one of the X-Men, would you? Those people tend to find their way into space quite frequently, I would say."The girl was in shock. It would be quite annoying if she spent this whole time, too terrified to speak. And since her metrics suggested good health, he felt comfortable in draining the chamber for the time being. "If you promise to behave, I might be willing to let you step out of the chamber. I suppose you would want a warm meal and a change of clothes?"------------------------------------------------------ "...is that I have almost everything anyone could possibly want. Including you."
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Aug 10, 2020 15:06:51 GMT -7
Post by Gummy on Aug 10, 2020 15:06:51 GMT -7
{Spoiler} Ziggy managed to focus on the person in front of her. They were blurry at first but as he spoke she was able to focus further. Her breathing and pulse increased as she started to panic. As the chamber was drained the restraints unclipped and she quickly pulled off the mask. She was feeling so sick! What? Where? Then the words the man said hit her and she started to shiver. Memory started to catch but it was fuzzy.
"Universe? Not X-Men... Gen-X.... Space? Where?... "
Then she looked down and blushed trying to cover her sodden clothing, if you can call it clothing!
"Wait!!!"
She rested her hand on the glass to steady herself. Her brain catching up fully. She reached to where her jacket pocket was supposed to be and her eyes went wide. It wasn't there! Oh no! Looking at her arms and other areas of her body she figured it had been a while since she had been given proper food. Her muscles felt weak. She took a deep slow breath trying to calm herself then her words came out her voice shook.
"I'm in space! I'm in a chamber... stasis? Warm meal would be lovely and clothes would help. I don't suppose a jacket is around here anywhere?"
She was looking very wide eyed by at least her pulse and breathing had slowed. Her legs felt unsteady as she was the gravity took full hold of her.
"Where in space?"
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Aug 10, 2020 15:07:08 GMT -7
Post by Gordy on Aug 10, 2020 15:07:08 GMT -7
"We both covet things we don't have. The difference between us, of course..."------------------------------------------------------ Gen-X. Judging by the name, it must have been an offshoot of the X-Men. Yes, they liked to divide themselves into smaller groups. Everyone had their own ways of managing their collections, he supposed. Even he had his own system in place, even if he didn't always follow it perfectly. The liquid drained, the chamber doors open, and Ziggy was free to step out, or fall out, as she pleased. While the girl was still getting her bearings, the Collector would suddenly toss a gray t-shirt and a pair of gray pants before her. Looking behind him would reveal an open locker with several clothes haphazardly falling out. Putting on these clothes, Ziggy would find something interesting: they fit her perfectly. Whether it was from the Collector knowing her measurements, or the clothes somehow changing themselves to fit her body, they were a perfect match. A cottony feel, yet smooth and rough like leather. The material was clearly not of Earth origin. The Collector took a sip from his wine before continuing. "You're in the Cordovian Galaxy - trillions of lightyears away from your home. I wonder how that happened, Miss...?"------------------------------------------------------ "...is that I have almost everything anyone could possibly want. Including you."
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Aug 10, 2020 15:08:15 GMT -7
Post by Gummy on Aug 10, 2020 15:08:15 GMT -7
{Spoiler }Ziggy held her weight on shaking legs, she was determined to not to fall. When the doors opened she held herself shivering. Reaching with her bare foot she picked the clothing up, examining the cloth with intrigue. Her eyes looked all over the outfit then slipped it on glad of the warmth. She then examined it again now that it was fitting.
"Thanks."
She looked around trying to get her barings. Then her mind caught up with where she was and her jaw dropped.
"I .. I don't.... Sorry. I'm Ziggy Karst.... I know a few bits about this area but not much. Wow!"
She let out a nervous laugh and smiled then frowned.
"How come I can understand you? How did you find me? Do you know how I can get back? The last thing I remember was.... I don't know... It's all fuzzy. How do people normally get from that far away to here? Is it some kind of gate you use or wormhole technology? I'm sorry I don't know much about that but I'm sure I will soon. Thank you for letting me out."
She put her hand to her forehead as she felt something there and tried to take it off. It seemed to be really stuck in place with her vitals being placed onto the screen still.
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Aug 10, 2020 15:08:46 GMT -7
Post by Gordy on Aug 10, 2020 15:08:46 GMT -7
"We both covet things we don't have. The difference between us, of course..."------------------------------------------------------ The very notion was laughable, yet the Collector kept a straight face. The girl thought she could go home? No, her home would be in one of his museums. She would flourish in one of his menageries, with others of her kind. But there was no reason to tell her that at the moment. He wasn't in the mood to deal with her resistance. "Universal translator, my dear," the man said, before taking another sip of his drink. "As for your being here, I'm as much at a loss as you are. I simply found you floating in space, along with several dead Skrulls. It would be safe to assume that they were trying to replace you on Earth."
And with that, he turned on his heel and headed towards the door. Obviously, he was giving Ziggy permission to follow him through his ship. Attendance was mandatory. ------------------------------------------------------ "...is that I have almost everything anyone could possibly want. Including you."
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Aug 10, 2020 15:09:56 GMT -7
Post by Gummy on Aug 10, 2020 15:09:56 GMT -7
Spoiler Ziggy nodded, well that was only one of the questions answered. Finally she managed to get the sensor off of her forehead and then looked at where the man was going, what he had said made her feel worried but also thankful that she was safe. If they were trying to replace her then that might be a good thing. She could learn far more from being out here in space. Learn things that people on Earth were far too backwards from knowing. Shaking the last of the groggy feeling off she looked to the man and caught up with him. Her eyes seemed to take everything in as if everything there was fascinating. A few areas made her pause for a little before continuing to catch up.
"Thank you for waking me up. I appreciated it.... What's your name though?"
She was curious and wondering how she could make it up to him. Thinking about what she could do for him and then looking around she wasn't sure if she could do anything to help him. The only problems was her modules! She wasn't sure if she would be able to do what she could do without them but she could get them again.
"They must have replaced me, especially if my jacket wasn't with me."
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Aug 10, 2020 15:10:04 GMT -7
Post by Gordy on Aug 10, 2020 15:10:04 GMT -7
"We both covet things we don't have. The difference between us, of course..."------------------------------------------------------ The interior of the ship was as expected: metal platforms leading this way and that, into various, oval-shaped halls; almost a football stadium's worth of space between their side and the other side; drone robots floating around as they carried various boxes; uniformed men of various species roaming the halls and walkways. It was almost straight out of a Stark Trek episode, except far more grand and menacing. "I am an Elder of the Universe," the man explained to her. "Literally older than the universe itself. You may call be the Collector."
Now they entered a hall. The walls seemed to be glass habitats, displaying large sections of various environments. Animals, aliens and human-like beings could be seen along the glass, staring at Ziggy as they walked by. "This is just some of my enormous collection. If you'd like, you're welcome to explore my various menageries and armories. I guarantee you, if there's anything that will interest you, I already have it."------------------------------------------------------ "...is that I have almost everything anyone could possibly want. Including you."
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Aug 10, 2020 15:10:52 GMT -7
Post by Gummy on Aug 10, 2020 15:10:52 GMT -7
Spoiler As Ziggy moved through the ship she saw more and more. Her mind was taking it all in. Apart from the atmosphere of the soldiers or.... other things. Her eyes were attracted to a lot of other things and from time to time she wondered off in a different direction and started muttering about how something was put together. She was like a child in a candy shop only with alien technology instead! She would jog to catch up when she didn't hear him talking or moving but as they moved further her steps slowed, then stopped with open jaw and wide eyes at what she was seeing. Part of him mind had just caught up and was telling her to run! This person.... he ... he was old! The things behind the glass... they were alive! Most looking miserable.
At least she didn't have the monitor on her any more otherwise it would have revealed the rise in her heart beat. She also knew that being who she was meant that she was unique. The thought which came to her mind was 'Ohhhh not again!' but she shook that feeling. She had to stay out of one of those displays and start getting out of there.
"This is amazing! If you have everything I don't think it is all here. So you were here when the universe was created.... How did it happen? There are so many theories. If you are older than the Universe where did you start?"
She caught up with him but turned around in circles. Then heading off in a random direction slightly away from him paying attention to a creature in a display.
"Do you have a catalogue? Please tell me you don't have a sentinel here? I hate those things!" [/font][/spoiler]
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Aug 10, 2020 15:11:07 GMT -7
Post by Gordy on Aug 10, 2020 15:11:07 GMT -7
"We both covet things we don't have. The difference between us, of course..."------------------------------------------------------ A tale as old as time. "The Elders are the last remaining people of our respective species. We're immortals, and incredibly powerful and prolific beings. In short, you would do well not to cross me."The man stopped and snapped his fingers. Hearing this, a nearby Gather ran through the doors. Meanwhile, Tivan scoffed at the girl's line of questioning. "Of course this isn't everything. The Ghost Orchid only holds some of my latest acquisitions, before I put them in one of my museums. I have specialized museums all over the universe. And yes, I have a Sentinel. It would be on the..."The Gatherer returned and ran towards his superior. He presented a silver-gray tablet, to which the Collector grabbed and handed off to Ziggy. It displayed an incredibly long list of links, all in English. But many of these names were foreign, untranslatable to any human language. For example, what the heck was a "Tethudian Impisces?" "Search to your heart's content," he told her, again before taking a sip of his wine. "This lists every item in my collection, along with its location. If you'd like, you're free to pick a museum to be your new home."------------------------------------------------------ "...is that I have almost everything anyone could possibly want. Including you."
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Aug 10, 2020 15:12:55 GMT -7
Post by Gummy on Aug 10, 2020 15:12:55 GMT -7
Spoiler Ziggy raised an eyebrow still marvelling at the things around her. Immortals could be interesting. When she was scoffed at she didn't react to. The more she heard the more danger she knew she would be in.
"So I get to choose a place. Do I have time to choose?"
Just then her stomach reminded her that she was hungry. She took the tablet and scanned through looking for something. There was a huge list but there was something she was looking for. The foreign/alien words she looked at with fascination. She kept scanning through and didn't find what she was looking for. Looking up she said something that was far beyond her years.
"It seems a lot to look through. I'll put the cards down. Cause you found me you take me as part of your collections. You have already said that I am rare. I do owe you for rescuing me, I still have no idea why I came to be in there. I don't know what my last memory was as it is all blurry still and I know the timeline is not right. I am also a collector of knowledge and skills. I would love to help work and catalogue anything new you may find or fix things when needed. Like back there one of your subcircuits is really out of date and will short in... I would probably say within the next couple of days making that whole area impossible to walk through giving it controls the gravity and doors. It's quite easy to fix. It would also be an annoyance when making sure all the specimens are in perfect condition."
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Aug 10, 2020 15:13:19 GMT -7
Post by Gordy on Aug 10, 2020 15:13:19 GMT -7
"We both covet things we don't have. The difference between us, of course..."------------------------------------------------------ Ah, so it finally sunk in. No matter; he wasn't bothering to keep it a secret, since she wouldn't be able to put up a fight now. It was far too late for her now. What he didn't expect was her stating her own insatiable curiosity, along with some ideas on how to fix up the Orchid. Not that he trusted her to fix things just yet. But she might prove to be interesting yet. "I'll send for the Upgraders tomorrow, then," he said to her. "My, you're quite an interesting one. Most specimens fight back when they're told they'll be added to my collection. There may be something to you yet."The man took another, final sip of his drink. By now, they had continued walking into the next room: a large, oval-shaped room with a long, long glass dining table. It was long and rectangular, and it had about twenty-seven chairs around it in total. Had it not been for the overly sterile look and feel, it would have made for a wonderful, sophisticated dining room. The man took a seat at the end of one of the tables. He tapped a section of the table's glass, and a holographic menu appeared before him. After tapping at a couple of sentences, he turned to Ziggy and waited for her to do the same. As he pressed more buttons, he began to speak. "Not everything in my Collection is trapped in a museum, you know. Some are free to roam as they please, so long as they stay close. Perhaps you'll consider staying on the Ghost Orchid. You'll be free to roam the ship as you please, and you'll have access to my extensive library. Not to mention the finest foods, of course."------------------------------------------------------ "...is that I have almost everything anyone could possibly want. Including you."
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Aug 10, 2020 15:13:50 GMT -7
Post by Gummy on Aug 10, 2020 15:13:50 GMT -7
Spoiler Ziggy nodded at the comment of getting someone to fix it tomorrow. She shrugged and let out a sigh.
"You saved my life. Your a collector. I would prefer to be out and about than locked up. If I could stay on this ship that would be fantastic."
She frowned as they got to the table. Part of her looked hurt and sad yet a little relieved.
"There is just one thing I would like to ask to be done if that is ok with you. I would like to send a message home to my family if at all possible? You can read it before it goes if you like but I would like to tell them that I am ok please? You can even take bits out if you wish."
She had nothing to loose, looking at the chairs she took one not far from him.
"It'll make a change not being cooped up in a school. So we are both clear, what is the catch? How do you make sure I don't leave the museum or ship."
This was the bit that she was nervous about. As she looked through the menu something caught her eye that made her stomach want to heave. TOMATOES!!! Why did they have to even be out here!! She actually looked a little ill at the thought. As was her norm, her fingers flew across the panel and soon she had selected a black, strong coffee and jacket potato with cheese, beans and bacon. Or at least the equivalent.
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