Fic- Function- L/R- PG
Feb. 18th, 2008 03:27 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
hazeltea.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
reddwarfslashTitle: Function
Pairings: implied Lister/Rimmer; mentions Kochanski/AU hologram Lister
Rating: PG
Spoilers : Takes place (AU) after Stoke Me A Clipper
Disclaimer: Not mine, non profit.
Notes: Angst and death involved. For![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
cestlavieminako, to kick off our light bee duel which may or may not actually produce a pile of fics involving light bees, depending on how lazy we are.
When Ace, the new, other Ace, had solemnly placed the scorched, shattered remains of the light bee in his palm and clasped his hands around the other’s, squeezing comfortingly, Lister felt a blow that he was sure had knocked him out of his body.He couldn’t feel his limbs shaking. For a moment, he had gone deaf. He didn’t even hear himself scream.
It had been a full three weeks. Kryten’s circuits were overheating with worry. Kochanski listened to Kryten fret constantly; tight lipped, mind racing, her non-action infuriating the mechanoid. The Cat was unnerved, giving Lister a wide berth while shooting him the occasional concerned, uncomfortable glance. Humans were difficult to deal with when they went through these emotional tirades, and what was worse, their grooming habits usually declined even further until they regained their composure. He wanted no part of it.
For awhile, Lister didn’t notice or care about the others’ actions, his world narrowed to his own self pity and grieving. He huddled in his bunk, barely grunting when Kryten would bring him food that he would often forget to eat, slipping in and out of uncomfortable, haunted slumber. Day and night, he clutched the scraps of metal and silicon close, eyes dimly focused on the faint residue of blue light that still radiated from the center, just dim enough for him to wonder if he was imagining it, if he was seeing it there because he wanted to see it, some evidence that this shattered hardware had once pulsed with the energy of life. As the days passed, desperation turned to determination. He began to research.
“That’s radiation, you know.” Kochanski said, craning her neck to nod towards the midsection table where Lister sat with his piles of tools and reference data that he only slightly understood. In the center of it all laid the open light bee and splintered hard light drive for examination. “You’ll wind up with some form of cancer if you expose yourself like that.” She tucked her damp hair behind one ear.
“I deserve what I get.” Lister snarled, cupping his hand over the bee as though he expected Kochanski to snatch it away. “It’s my fault he’s like this, Kris.” He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, if it was fatigue or something more, she couldn’t tell. Kochanski took her cup of recyc herbal tea and sat down beside him. “I sent him off to die. I knew. Deep down, I knew. I just…” he trailed off. I wanted you to let go of that stupid need to appease your pathetic smegging family. I wanted you to see some worth in yourself. I wanted you to love you as much as I did, like I never had the nerve to say in words, so I had to make do with my actions.
Yet even now, words failed him, and he couldn’t articulate what was racing through his mind. Instead, he turned weary eyes to the woman was so like the Kris he used to love, but not quite. His love of the long dead woman had created in him a concrete trust in her doppelganger from the start. Her abilities tripled in his mind. Most would consider her a capable officer, but Lister considered her capable of a miracle, and it was time to test that theory.
“I need your help.” he said, quietly. “I don’t understand a lot of this technology. I’m all right with robotics, but holograms are something else, especially this hard light drive. I've loctated a derelict that’s pretty advanced, maybe I’ll find more information there, but I need your help to understand it all. If I don’t find it there, I’ll keep searching derelicts. The technology’s out there.”
Kochanski took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. She had guessed that he’d try something like this, but had prayed that he wouldn’t be so foolish. It was heartbreaking to watch. “Dave…” she began, weakly. “Do you really think he’s still…” alive would be a touchy word, she realized. Best not to use it. “Functional?” she tried.
“He’s in there.” Lister said, shaking his head, fiercely. “That’s why it still radiates. I can tell, I can just tell he’s there… somewhere beneath the surface, like… a hologramatic coma. I’m sure of it.”
“The hard light drive is damaged… it contains his data.” She said, hating herself for the words she was saying, but knowing that they had to be said.
“I have his disk. He backed up his memories. I have it all.” He insisted. “Look, I’ve been through enough with Kryten to know how to deal with corrupted files. I know you’re going to tell me to give up on him, but I can’t, not now, not ever. That’s why I need you.” He clutched her hand so tightly that it began to hurt. Finally, he let go, and picked up the bee. “It’s such a delicate thing.” he said, softly, turning the light bee over gently in his palm. “Are you in pain, darlin’? I’ll never know. Every wire’s like an artery to me. I’m afraid to make a cut. Not till I understand how it all works.”
There was a terrible silence for a moment as Kochanski gazed at the man who was not the man that she loved. In the past, the differences often enraged her. She would seethe to herself, how dare this cheeky bastard taunt her with her lover’s image while being everything that he was not, knowing full well that she would never see him again? The injustice would wash over her in waves, dissipating, in time, to a sullen apathy. Somewhere along the line, apathy, and perhaps a bit of exasperation had begun to win out over anger more and more, and while she couldn’t see how two of the same person could be so utterly different, she’d accepted it. She had come to form a friendship with this Dave.
In this fleeting moment, she suddenly understood the thread that bound the two together. He was every bit as devoted and serious as her Dave when it came to the people that mattered to him, and the similarity of their expressions made her want to cry.
“Will you help me, then?” he asked. He fidgeted with his locks as she considered her answer, his sad brown eyes still gazing intently at the light bee.
Kochanski had barely known the awkward second technician Rimmer in her dimension, but this Dave needed him to function. In this dimension, they had much in common. They both knew what it was like to be the last of their kind. They both knew the pain of loving, and losing holograms. She realized that she wouldn’t wish those things on anyone, and wondered why it had taken her so long to realize that she was not alone in her suffering.
“I’ll help.” She promised, after a long pause. “We won’t give up, okay? Somehow, we’ll figure it out. We’ve been in worse scrapes than this, right?” She prayed that she would be able to keep her word.
With that reassurance, a smile spread across his face that lit up the room like the summer sun, and suddenly, she believed that they could do anything.
Pairings: implied Lister/Rimmer; mentions Kochanski/AU hologram Lister
Rating: PG
Spoilers : Takes place (AU) after Stoke Me A Clipper
Disclaimer: Not mine, non profit.
Notes: Angst and death involved. For
cestlavieminako, to kick off our light bee duel which may or may not actually produce a pile of fics involving light bees, depending on how lazy we are.When Ace, the new, other Ace, had solemnly placed the scorched, shattered remains of the light bee in his palm and clasped his hands around the other’s, squeezing comfortingly, Lister felt a blow that he was sure had knocked him out of his body.He couldn’t feel his limbs shaking. For a moment, he had gone deaf. He didn’t even hear himself scream.
It had been a full three weeks. Kryten’s circuits were overheating with worry. Kochanski listened to Kryten fret constantly; tight lipped, mind racing, her non-action infuriating the mechanoid. The Cat was unnerved, giving Lister a wide berth while shooting him the occasional concerned, uncomfortable glance. Humans were difficult to deal with when they went through these emotional tirades, and what was worse, their grooming habits usually declined even further until they regained their composure. He wanted no part of it.
For awhile, Lister didn’t notice or care about the others’ actions, his world narrowed to his own self pity and grieving. He huddled in his bunk, barely grunting when Kryten would bring him food that he would often forget to eat, slipping in and out of uncomfortable, haunted slumber. Day and night, he clutched the scraps of metal and silicon close, eyes dimly focused on the faint residue of blue light that still radiated from the center, just dim enough for him to wonder if he was imagining it, if he was seeing it there because he wanted to see it, some evidence that this shattered hardware had once pulsed with the energy of life. As the days passed, desperation turned to determination. He began to research.
“That’s radiation, you know.” Kochanski said, craning her neck to nod towards the midsection table where Lister sat with his piles of tools and reference data that he only slightly understood. In the center of it all laid the open light bee and splintered hard light drive for examination. “You’ll wind up with some form of cancer if you expose yourself like that.” She tucked her damp hair behind one ear.
“I deserve what I get.” Lister snarled, cupping his hand over the bee as though he expected Kochanski to snatch it away. “It’s my fault he’s like this, Kris.” He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, if it was fatigue or something more, she couldn’t tell. Kochanski took her cup of recyc herbal tea and sat down beside him. “I sent him off to die. I knew. Deep down, I knew. I just…” he trailed off. I wanted you to let go of that stupid need to appease your pathetic smegging family. I wanted you to see some worth in yourself. I wanted you to love you as much as I did, like I never had the nerve to say in words, so I had to make do with my actions.
Yet even now, words failed him, and he couldn’t articulate what was racing through his mind. Instead, he turned weary eyes to the woman was so like the Kris he used to love, but not quite. His love of the long dead woman had created in him a concrete trust in her doppelganger from the start. Her abilities tripled in his mind. Most would consider her a capable officer, but Lister considered her capable of a miracle, and it was time to test that theory.
“I need your help.” he said, quietly. “I don’t understand a lot of this technology. I’m all right with robotics, but holograms are something else, especially this hard light drive. I've loctated a derelict that’s pretty advanced, maybe I’ll find more information there, but I need your help to understand it all. If I don’t find it there, I’ll keep searching derelicts. The technology’s out there.”
Kochanski took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. She had guessed that he’d try something like this, but had prayed that he wouldn’t be so foolish. It was heartbreaking to watch. “Dave…” she began, weakly. “Do you really think he’s still…” alive would be a touchy word, she realized. Best not to use it. “Functional?” she tried.
“He’s in there.” Lister said, shaking his head, fiercely. “That’s why it still radiates. I can tell, I can just tell he’s there… somewhere beneath the surface, like… a hologramatic coma. I’m sure of it.”
“The hard light drive is damaged… it contains his data.” She said, hating herself for the words she was saying, but knowing that they had to be said.
“I have his disk. He backed up his memories. I have it all.” He insisted. “Look, I’ve been through enough with Kryten to know how to deal with corrupted files. I know you’re going to tell me to give up on him, but I can’t, not now, not ever. That’s why I need you.” He clutched her hand so tightly that it began to hurt. Finally, he let go, and picked up the bee. “It’s such a delicate thing.” he said, softly, turning the light bee over gently in his palm. “Are you in pain, darlin’? I’ll never know. Every wire’s like an artery to me. I’m afraid to make a cut. Not till I understand how it all works.”
There was a terrible silence for a moment as Kochanski gazed at the man who was not the man that she loved. In the past, the differences often enraged her. She would seethe to herself, how dare this cheeky bastard taunt her with her lover’s image while being everything that he was not, knowing full well that she would never see him again? The injustice would wash over her in waves, dissipating, in time, to a sullen apathy. Somewhere along the line, apathy, and perhaps a bit of exasperation had begun to win out over anger more and more, and while she couldn’t see how two of the same person could be so utterly different, she’d accepted it. She had come to form a friendship with this Dave.
In this fleeting moment, she suddenly understood the thread that bound the two together. He was every bit as devoted and serious as her Dave when it came to the people that mattered to him, and the similarity of their expressions made her want to cry.
“Will you help me, then?” he asked. He fidgeted with his locks as she considered her answer, his sad brown eyes still gazing intently at the light bee.
Kochanski had barely known the awkward second technician Rimmer in her dimension, but this Dave needed him to function. In this dimension, they had much in common. They both knew what it was like to be the last of their kind. They both knew the pain of loving, and losing holograms. She realized that she wouldn’t wish those things on anyone, and wondered why it had taken her so long to realize that she was not alone in her suffering.
“I’ll help.” She promised, after a long pause. “We won’t give up, okay? Somehow, we’ll figure it out. We’ve been in worse scrapes than this, right?” She prayed that she would be able to keep her word.
With that reassurance, a smile spread across his face that lit up the room like the summer sun, and suddenly, she believed that they could do anything.
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no subject
Date: 2008-02-18 11:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-19 12:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-19 01:41 pm (UTC)Maybe something that takes place in "the angst room". XD
no subject
Date: 2008-03-08 08:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-08 01:12 am (UTC)I liked your writing from Kochanski's point of view. I thought that you handled her reaction to Lister and the comparisons she was making to the man she'd left behind in her universe well. I like how you show her taking in all of Lister's bad qualities before recognizing his loyalty as a redeeming quality.
no subject
Date: 2008-03-08 08:41 pm (UTC)I've started playing around with a companion piece for this, but not from Kochanski's point of view. I'm really glad that you liked it.
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Date: 2009-01-02 11:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-04 05:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-09-06 11:51 am (UTC)