Fic: Numbers - R/L - PG-13

[kahvi.livejournal.com]

Title: Numbers
Pairing: Rimmer/Lister
Rating: PG-13, for darkness.
Disclaimer: I don't own Red Dwarf, or any of the characters thereof. I make no money from this.
Spoilers: Parallel Universe.
Notes: A short vignette, inspired by a quiz question. As always, please bring me concrit!



This ship is six miles long and four miles wide. You'd think that'd be enough space for two people and a mutant cat, and don't ask me how, but it isn't. Even when you're not there, I can smell you in the room, like holograms could give off any scent. You don't, but I still sense it. Like some feeling; some twonking sixth sense for detecting smegheadedness. I feel like I'm slowly going insane.

Weren't you supposed to stop that from happening?

There are over three thousand separate sleeping quarters on this deck alone, separate being the operative word. You'd think we could find one each, wouldn't you? Though, to be fair, you try, now and again. Sneak away during cover of ship's night (and we both know which nights, don't we?) and come back days later, pretending like nothing ever happened. Maybe it didn't. Maybe I dreamed it. Maybe it's something in the air; something I've inhaled that makes me see and hear and remember things that were never there.

Stranger things have happened. I've given birth, for one.

There were 1169 people on this ship. Two of them are still here. Funny, with them both living in the same room (the same bunk) how they're always (bodies overlapping) six miles apart.

Comments

[eastpath.livejournal.com]

Oh I liked... really brought that alone feeling and sadness home! Just because there are a few folk around it's really not going to make a dent to the fact that there is only those few folk around and NO ONE ELSE.... powerful :) I like!

[kahvi.livejournal.com]

Yeah... I think, by series III, even the ever-cheerful Lister was starting to feel it. Glad you enjoyed it - thanks for feeding back!

[amy-wolf.livejournal.com]

Good. I particularly likes the "I can smell you" line.

Now I'm curious to know the quiz question.

[kahvi.livejournal.com]

Glad you enjoyed it! It was a TV-trivia quiz on Facebook, asking about the dimensions of Red Dwarf. And I was really struck by the vastness of the ship, and just a handful of people living on it.

Thanks for reading and feeding back!

[smaych.livejournal.com]

I think that the idea of Lister being the last human is the most wonderful part of Red Dwarf, it's so poignant and interesting. I'd always imagine that Lister would want to share a room with Rimmer, despite how much he's annoyed by him, because otherwise he'd have to face just how alone he is.

It's one of the saddest things about the Starbug seasons, that they don't have the bunk scenes :(

Stranger things have happened. I've given birth, for one.

I always forget about that - Lister did actually give birth. And Rimmer's the uncle (which makes me lol when I think about Rimmer's uncle and his mum!). It's kind of glossed over in the show, for obvious reasons, but it's again interesting.

The story is lovely btw. You really get across the vastness of the ship and the precarious relationship between the two of them.

[kahvi.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much; I'm glad you enjoyed it! Reading and talking about 'your' Rimmer helped flesh this one out too. :)

Lister, as opposed to Rimmer, isn't much of a worrier. I think this is excellently illustrated in the books, where, before Holly revives Rimmer as a hologram, Lister just sort of drifts off into madness without realizing why. I mean, he's aware of the loneliness, but on an almost entirely instinctual level. He's all about feelings.

I touch on the whole "staying together even though they can't stand one another" thing in Colorless (http://community.livejournal.com/reddwarfslash/187086.html), which makes for a neat link, as I was about to mention that I'm working on a couple of sequels to that and Children (http://community.livejournal.com/reddwarfslash/188372.html?view=1696724), showing exactly what happened when the boys were around.

[kahvi.livejournal.com]

By "this one," I meant the one in Io House. I iz smart!