COMMENCE VOYAGE

[bathymetric]

Fun Fact: Did you know the Atlantic Ocean has a surface area of 41.1 million square miles? No reason.

...

There's something uneasy in the air as you come to.

Well, "come to" is an interesting word in this case. It implies waking up, which is not exactly what happens. None of you are in beds, nor are you really asleep in the traditional sense. One moment you're somewhere else, doing something else with your time, and the next? You're somewhere on board a massive cruise ship - maybe lounging on a deck chair by the pool, maybe getting some Gains in the exercise room, maybe enjoying the tasteful décor in the buffet - and you have no idea how you got here or how you might get back. This is not your beautiful house. If you have a beautiful wife, she isn't here.

What you do have, apart from 25 other unlucky souls, is a small smartphone-like device in your pocket with only a handful of things on it: a clock reading 11PM, a pdf of a ticket in your name on a special Atlantic Liners New Year's Eve Cruise, an app labeled Passenger Profiles with some basic information on your traveling companions, and a message:

Welcome aboard, passenger! Please feel free to partake of any of the facilities while you wait for the big event! Remember: when midnight comes, you better make your way to the theatre at the back of Level 1 for the main event! The Captain and the First Mate will be there to take care of you all personally, and to help you ring in the new year in style!

Well, that's a start. But what you do until then, it seems, is up to you!

Comments

[oceangirlfriend]

[A pause, then a cough.] My apologies, I got overly excited. Regarding your question, I did appear in that pool, directly from my hotel room. It was quite the smooth transition, without any splash that would usually result from such a teleportation.

[ltcommandroid]

[Oooh, this is interesting!]

You designed and created those yourself?

[But also yes, she's right, maybe it's more immediately relevant to talk about their arrival.]

A Starfleet transporter could likely achieve such a transition. However, I was much too distant from Earth for any transporter technology I am aware of to be able to bring me here.

[oceangirlfriend]

I did. Well, the subdermal implants [She pats the patch on her elbow] I had help and a preexisting design on, but this is all mine. [She gestures proudly at her tail. However, his next comment makes her blink.]

You were...in space?

[ltcommandroid]

I was. That is my job - I serve on a Federation starship. The last I remember, we were not even in the same galactic quadrant as Earth.

[oceangirlfriend]

[A pause as she considers.] ...what year do you remember it being last?

[ltcommandroid]

It was 2370, or stardate 47988.0.

[don't you fucking dare make me try to explain what a stardate is]

Though, judging by the position of the stars, I do not believe that is the current date.

[oceangirlfriend]

[She takes a closer look up at the sky herself.] ...it doesn't seem like it's 2016, either. That suggests...some kind of time travel, along with the teleportation.

[ltcommandroid]

Certainly possible, although it is difficult. Perhaps, if this is another universe, that would also account for it.

[oceangirlfriend]

...another universe? I've heard theories about such, but it's not my area of expertise. Have you had more concrete experiences with them?

[ltcommandroid]

Yes. There are several such phenomena on record, and I have personally encountered one such rift. My friend, Lieutenant Worf, became trapped in it and traveled to several dozen alternate versions of his own life. It took the efforts of all involved universes to close the rift and free him.

[oceangirlfriend]

Huh...are there any visual indicators of such a rift? Everything looked normal as far as I can tell, but maybe there's something I didn't pick up...

[ltcommandroid]

Not upon its first formation, but it became visible when it grew. It would likely be visible at the size it would take to cover this cruise ship.

[Hm...]

I did not detect any atmospheric irregularities before I arrived here.

[oceangirlfriend]

[She glances up at the sky and down at the sea, just to make sure no rifts have manifested visually while they were talking.]

Hm...it's definitely strange for there to be no sign at all. Do you think we might be missing some time in our memories as well?

[ltcommandroid]

[For a moment, he looks down and away, eyes moving slightly as if tracking something invisible.]

My systems show no indication that I am missing time. But they are not entirely impervious to attack, especially from unknown sources. [He returns his gaze to her.] Have you noticed any physical changes?

[oceangirlfriend]

Other than this phone showing up in my pocket, not as far as I can tell. [She waves said phone before stretching slightly, running her hands over her own body casually.] Everything feels like it's in order so far.

[ltcommandroid]

That happened to me as well.

[Let's ignore whether or not those fucking uniforms have pockets.]

It seems to contain information about each other, but little about our predicament.

[oceangirlfriend]

There is the ticket, but that only raises even more questions. I never applied for such a ticket, or entered any contest for one.