DVD Commenary for Palos Verdes Blue:
The ship is still silent. Fear churns in Tommy’s stomach and extends it’s murky tendrils up his back until it gathers at the base of his throat and rips out of his mouth in the form of a sob. Then another, and another, and he’s not hungry, not yet, but he’s exhausted. He’s just a kid, still, and he’s never felt smaller than he does at this moment. Ahead of him the entire universe stretches out in a great black void, blurry now with the tears leaking from his eyes. He lifts his hands and scrubs at his face, ignoring how the leftover cryo fluid has made his skin sticky and unpleasant. It’s a little better now that he’d wiped himself off with a blanket and combed his hair, but he’s still disgusting. Tears drip down his cheeks, leaving trailing paths unbidden against his skin, and another sob tears it’s way from his chest. He’s so frightened, so alone.
At some point, he opens his eyes once more. In front of him, a report is blinking.
It’s the one for the cryochamber room. Strange. He’d already opened this report. It shouldn’t be blinking like it’s unread, and yet it is. He clicks it, but nothing’s changed. The chambers are still inoperational. His crew is still dead.
The report blinks. And blinks. And blinks.
“Cadmus,” Tommy croaks, his throat stuffy. “Are any of the other cryochambers breached like 23?”
Tommy stares at the report and exhales. “I can’t,” he says. “I– no.”
lbr i just wanted to be fucked up and evil and include the implied cannibalism tag for funsies
LMAO but i can actually DVD commentary this
basically, it's to put the idea in your head. it's to introduce a theme and push it into the reader's mind, while not physically acting on it. it's gonna be hanging over your head like damocles' sword until the time comes!
At some point, he opens his eyes once more. In front of him, a report is blinking.
CADMUS is programmed to ensure the survival of it's inhabitants- that includes the option that if cryochambers were intact and preserving flesh with nutrients, CADMUS is allowed to introduce the idea. so it does. CADMUS is a spaceship- everything it does in this fic is pre-programmed. it doesn't outright tell tommy to eat his crewmates, but it sure will answer his questions as to whether or not he can!
the ship won't influence him either way. but it is programmed for survival tactics, hence the idea of it.
i think another big part of this bit of PVB is this:
He’s just a kid, still, and he’s never felt smaller than he does at this moment. Ahead of him the entire universe stretches out in a great black void
i took an astronomy course last semester, and frankly, it was freaky. the universe is so incredibly vast, and i wanted to share the loneliness i felt while learning about how big it is with all of you through tommy. i hope it worked :,)
