Prompt 117.4

[a_blackpanther]

Five things Atlantis and Elizabeth shared over 10 000 years

Participation is open to all. If this is your own prompt, you're free to write to it (please do!). Post your list as a comment to this post, adding additional comments if you exceed the character limit. It's OK to post as Anonymous, then come out later or not as you choose. Responses will be screened until February 28 to see what people come up with independently. You can still respond to the prompt after the February 28 unveiling.

General info and a place to ask questions: the comm 'welcome' post.

Technical-support questions: tech help.

Suggestions: the suggestion box.

To supply a new prompt: the open call for prompts.

Subject-line spoiler warnings for SGU, thanks!


February 28 is the official due date. If you're posting a response after the unveiling announcement on February 28 please copy the link to your comment, click on the 'set 117' tag, and reply to the post 'Set 117 Responses Unscreened' with the link to your new comment-response. That helps people find and read and comment on responses that weren't there when they cruised through right after the reveal. Pimp the link in your journal, too, if you want to let your flist know you've posted something new.

Comments

[schneefink.livejournal.com]

1) The quiet
Elizabeth tried talking to herself once, just to hear a human voice again. She stopped after two sentences, feeling silly.
She wished her steps were louder, so she could hear them.
The second time she woke up she talked to Atlantis. Janus had told her that the city wasn't sentient, definitely didn't have an AI, couldn't talk to her. But it felt like the city was listening.

2) The ocean
It was meditative. The first time she woke up she thought she saw a large whale outside the shield; three thousand years later she looked for it, but it didn't appear again. Maybe the whales were extinct.

3) Music
Being in stasis was like a deep, slow sleep. When she woke up she thought she could remember music: soft background harmonies, a lullaby sung to her by her mother when she was a child, making her feel safe and protected and loved. She must have imagined it.

4) Loneliness
She felt like a ghost, haunting the empty hallways.
There was nobody to haunt.

5) Hope
Elizabeth stood in the gateroom and tried to imagine the arrival of the expedition from Earth. All the lights would come on and they would look around with wonder in their eyes. She would wake up and welcome them in the great city of the Ancients, enjoying their surprise. Rodney would be incredulous and ask a million questions until the other her would tell him to wait, Sumner would ask if she had tactical information, John would be there and Peter and Radek.
And Atlantis would rise once again.

[archersangel (from livejournal.com)]

they're all sad in some way, but i like that you end with hope.

[schneefink.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I just had to end on a positive note.

[sid]

I adore #3. I like to think she didn't imagine it at all.

#5 is wonderful, too. Elizabeth and Atlantis, waiting together, hopeful.

[schneefink.livejournal.com]

3&5 were meant to kind of balance all the loneliness in the others, so I´m glad to see it worked. Thanks!

[skieswideopen]

I love the imagery of #5. And oh, how lonely it must have been, wandering Atlantis alone.

[schneefink.livejournal.com]

Can you imagine "Rising" if old Elizabeth had been there? :D

Thank you!