#whump in space

[whump-in-the-night]

Can we talk about whump in space for a minute?

Like... it's such an underrated trope.

If you're leaning more into the horror aspect, the setting your story on a spaceship, space station, or isolated outpost on the edge of the galaxy can really up the tension. No one is coming to save you, and if you're being hunted by a big bad whumper... there's no where to run, just the void of space surrounding you.

Weird space viruses/bacteria/pathogens/diseases. Your whumpee might not have any immunity to that disease that they encounter on an alien planet. Great for sickfic and find-a-cure plots. Also a fun opportunity to play with advanced medical technology!

Getting thrown out the airlock would not only most likely kill your whumpee (assuming that they're human) but it would be a painful and scary way to go.

Life support systems failing or running out of food would up the tension and generally be unpleasant.

Getting stranded on an alien planet. Just that. Having to find shelter and food, maybe encountering new diseases, hungry alien animals, and a hostile environment... whumpee is going to be having a bad time.

Related to the above, but whumper holding whumpee hostage on a spaceship/space station so that there's no where for them to run.

[creekmotel]

[guardcanine]

[xinyuehui]

But...I can't even feel you anymore. ⸺ Then hold me tight, with your right hand.

[becomingvecna]

[dangerousconnoisseurdonut]

I had a thought today and I've been wondering about something; does everyone remember the original series episode The Enemy Within? Where a transporter accident causes Kirk to divide into two personalities - one good but weak-willed, the other brash and assertive.

What if the same thing happens to Julian? Some kind of anomaly hits Julian and divides him into Jules as he would have been without his augmentations, and Julian, the augment. Everyone is naturally nervous, thinking the augment is evil and has a superiority complex worse than their doctor (whom everyone still thinks is a little full of himself). If this happens on the promenade, maybe Sisko suggests taking them to the infirmary to scan them both, but Jules freaks and possibly scratches Sisko if he tries to guide him to said infirmary, because Jules only remembers doctors hurting him. He runs to Julian, who explains to the crew that Jules won't let a doctor near him, believing they all will hurt him like the ones on Adigeon. Julian suggests asking Garak to perform the scan since, if Jules is like him, he retains the impressions of people, even if the memories are fuzzy (possibly, Jules sees it as a story he was told, but cannot connect the characters and setting of the story with the people and place he is at now - Garak is different because Julian suggested him, letting him connect the two).

I'm having trouble articulating the rest, but how does the DS9 crew handle the two sides of Julian? Jules is non-verbal, prone to fits, and needs a solid routine, and Julian the augment is full of self-loathing and hatred, not wanting to let others get close to him for fear of being discovered so he acts obnoxious to keep people at arms length. Possibly, to add to the heartbreak (as well as the crews problems because I'm still a little salty about their disregard of Julian's feelings after the Changeling incident), what if instead of there being two middle-aged Julian's, Jules is five or six, just before he's augmented, and Julian is sixteen, just after he's found about his augmentations. Julian doesn't understand what's going on but is protective of Jules since he sees this as a chance to make things right (we all know Julian sees his existence as possible because Jules was murdered).

Jules wanders off and finds Garak who recognizes his friend instantly and is charmed by the quiet boy, whilst he and Julian bond over their desire to protect Jules' innocence. That's all I've thought up, but let me know your thoughts on this tricky problem; who's better with Jules and who's better with Julian while managing to get through to him that no one is going to hurt him or Jules?

[bebs-art-gallery]

© Polar Lamb

[macgyvermedical]

I am DYING to know about your vendetta against space blankets

SO glad you asked.

So everyone who has never used one thinks space blankets are the best thing since SAM Splints, right?

They are all WRONG.

See. Picture this: It is 2016. It is April. It is Ohio. It is 39F and Snowing. There is still, tenaciously, snow on the ground from where it had fallen the night before. It is not even damp, but verifiably WET and MUDDY.

I am student-teaching Wilderness First Aid for the last time before I become a real instructor.

I am testing students out by having them rescue me. Which means I am laying on the COLD WET SNOWY MUDDY ground with a fake broken leg and concussion. Which means I am also COLD WET SNOWY AND MUDDY. Just like the ground I am, again, Laying On.

I am wearing a (cold wet snowy muddy) long sleeved t-shirt and jeans.

"You'll be fine" my Instructor Trainer told me. He said: "By now they should know how to rescue you and get you warm super quick."

Spoiler Alert: They didn't.

Every single one of them. LITERALLY EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM came out one at a time and threw a fucking space blanket over me (not under me, or around me) and did exactly zero (0) further temperature management.

If you have never met a space blanket they are the THINNEST piece of plastic and you have to use them in a VERY SPECIFIC way to get ANY benefit from them. THis was not that way.

Half of the space blankets, apparently knowing their uselessness, had the ABSOLUTE GALL to blow away anyway (at which point at least 3 of the students went chasing after them like my life depended on it).

Because, oh yeah. Was also WImDY.

I don't even know who told them about the space blankets because you know what hadn't?

The CLASS.

Because I was there when the other student instructor taught them about hypothermia wraps.

He had even Done a Great Job.

So I thought.

For 4 hours, however, I was trapped in COLD WET SNOWY MUDDY WINDY but wasn't being rescued 14 times in a row into a snuggly hypothermia wrap like I was promised.

And yes, you could probably blame this at least partially on me for not tapping out, but you see I was Committed To The Bit(TM).

I don't think my core temperature has ever been so low in my life (except for the time in 12th grade where I went out in the cold wet snowy windy to do some hypothermia research for a fic- that was also pretty chilly in space blankets' defense).

BUt, that is why I have a personal problemo with space blankets: They suck if you don't use them exactly perfectly and no one knows how to use them exactly perfectly. And we don't teach that because honestly even when you use them perfectly they pretty much suck.

Except if you're using them to be waterproof. I guess they're pretty good at that.

[self-made-purgatories]

Running "Interference": Lots of thoughts about Turnabout Intruder through the lens of the big Spirk fight arc in Season 3. I'm sorry to say that I'm pretty sure Spirk have broken up for good now.

To recap: Spirk were still all over each other, touching shoulders, staring at ass, making double entendres, in The Lights of Zetar (S3E18). But everything changed in Requiem for Methuselah (S3E19), when Kirk broke Spock's heart, Spock broke his personal boundaries, and an immense strain was placed on their relationship. They were still fighting and drifting apart in The Way to Eden (S3E20). They were finally speaking again, but cautiously, and with lots of baggage and a surrogate fight, in The Cloud Minders (S3E21). By The Savage Curtain (S3E22), Kirk was already checking out Spock's ass again, and their personal space was once again waning to pre-Methuselah size, and I had hoped they were working things out. But then All Our Yesterdays (S3E23) happened, and Spock went to hell and back with Bones, uncharacteristically partook of both meat and pussy, barely looked at Kirk, and showed what an intense internal crisis he is still going through. Now we arrive at the last episode of the entire series, Turnabout Intruder (S3E24), and while there are some beautiful nods to their relationship in this episode, there is still an awkward distance between them. I think that they have broken up.

The context of this episode is important: Kirk's body has been stolen and switched places with an ex-girlfriend of Kirk's (of course), Janice Lester, who is now pretending to be Kirk. So any interaction with "Kirk" is actually an interaction with Lester in disguise, and any interaction with "Janice Lester" is actually an interaction with Kirk.

We begin here, where a flustered Lester-in-Kirk makes several mistakes in a row on the bridge and Spock calls him out on it. (Keep in mind that Spock still thinks this is Kirk.) Lester-in-Kirk responds to repeatedly being corrected by making a scene, forcefully reprimanding Spock in front of the whole bridge. Spock keeps his cool, calm exterior, of course, but his voice is dripping with ice when he responds:

SPOCK: Since the captain usually deals directly with Starfleet in these matters, I assumed that my suggestions might be deemed interference.

The word interference is really interesting here. Call to mind What Are Little Girls Made Of? (S1E7). When Kirk knows that he will be replaced with an imposter android, he plants a virus in the code, as it were. He "teaches" the android the sentence, "Mind your own business, Mister Spock. I'm sick of your half-breed interference, do you hear?" It is a sentence he would never actually use, and his hope is that Spock knows that. And Spock does. The android uses the phrase against Spock, and Spock figures out the truth right away. With only one sentence, a sentence referring to Kirk seeing Spock's involvement as interference, Spock is able to see right through the imposter and realize that Kirk needs help. He knows Kirk and their relationship so well that he realizes that the words "interference" and "half-breed" from (someone who looks like) Kirk amount to a lie. That is the level of the intimacy they used to share.

But now? Spock, his voice shot through with resentment, dangles that word interference, and Janice-in-Kirk doesn't correct him, and yet he still doesn't see the imposter for who she is. In the next few scenes, he admits that the Captain is acting strangely, but he chalks it up to some sort of mental illness or madness and enlists Bones' medical help in solving the issue.

What has changed between Spock and Kirk? It's the fight they're having. Their relationship is strained and it has affected the intimacy of their connected thoughts and the intimacy of knowing each other inside and out. What other hurtful words have been exchanged between them that has ruined their trust of each other to this degree?

A few scenes later, Kirk-in-Lester finally gets Spock alone (not entirely alone; there is a guard in the room with them and you have to wonder how having an audience affects this conversation). Kirk-in-Lester tries to explain what has happened. And Spock doesn't believe at first. Spock has always seen and known Kirk clearly; quickly recognizing such imposters as that android who said "interference." But this time, Spock hesitates, citing the need for proof.

Kirk-in-Lester starts by trying to appeal to Spock's memories of their adventures together, bringing up events of the episodes The Tholian Web ("you wouldn't leave me") and The Empath ("we wouldn't leave Bones"). Spock quickly points out that those events are a matter of public record and therefore not definitive proof.

And then, Kirk-in-Lester appeals to Spock with the following words:

JANICE: You are closer to the captain than anyone in the universe. You know his thoughts. What does your telepathic mind tell you now?

Kirk-in-Lester could have just shared something kind of private, something that only Kirk would have known and Lester wouldn't. There must be hundreds of other things that could have been said. But instead Kirk-in-Lester digs deep and pulls out the t'hy'la card. The "closer than anyone in the universe" card, even. The come to me, be inside me, and then you will know that you know me card. And yet, Spock still does not believe.

All of this is a parallel for where they are as a couple right now. Kirk is asking Spock to take a leap of faith, to see and believe the truth of who they are to each other before it's too late, and Spock cannot.

I am of the opinion that Kirk is still in love with Spock, but Spock is so hurt that he will not allow their relationship to continue as it was before. I have also said before that mind melds are a stand-in for sex numerous times in this series. Is that what this is? Is this one last deep, intimate, penetrating goodbye to what they used to be?

Spock draws near to Kirk-in-Lester, places his hand on her face, and starts the mind meld.

First his head recoils slightly, then his eyes snap open and his face registers surprise for a quick moment. What did he see there? What did Kirk say to him in the deep intimacy of his innermost self? But then Spock pulls his hand back, turns away. He thinks for a moment. Then he says, finally, resigned, "I believe you."

But the response is heavy-hearted. It is true; he would know him anywhere. But there is no joy in the realization. (Imagine if, instead, he would have brightly responded with "Jim! It is you!" or a sweetly sarcastic remark about how Kirk is always getting into situations, or even a measured but cordial "Hello, Captain.") Remember how dynamically overwhelming and soothingly pleasant Spock's feelings were about visiting with Jim's mind in the past. There is none of that now. There was a time when his heart would have leaped with the light of recognition, a time when he used to brighten up as soon as the Captain would walk in the room. That light is now extinguished and it's so painful to see.

He turns away. And when he turns back, it is to respond in duty alone, devoid of the passion that once used to leak out of his hardened exterior whenever it came to his captain, his love. Now it is just a fact: I believe you.

So, in the name of duty, Spock sets out on a one-man mission to restore the captain to his rightful body, as well as his rightful position in command.

As they leave the room, attempting to trick their way past the guards, Spock grabs Kirk-in-Lester by the wrist, and much has been made of this motion. It is a beautiful, intimate, protective gesture, just a little bit possessive, almost like holding hands. It is also a way to continue communicating telepathically. What are they saying to each other?

This wrist-hold is also something Kirk sometimes does to Spock. (Remember this moment in Errand of Mercy?)

It is short-lived, but it is one of those beautiful nods to their relationship that are peppered throughout this final episode.

Spock confronts Lester-in-Kirk, earning himself a court martial trial. While the other crew members eventually rally behind the real Kirk, Spock stands out as being the first to recognize the real Kirk (even though he didn't recognize him as fast as he used to when they were closer) and to stand with him no matter what.

It is also Spock who is able to reverse the effect of the alien technology that caused this switch situation. Using his mind powers, he is somehow able to pop Kirk-in-Lester's neck in a way that restores both Lester and Kirk to their own bodies.

In so many ways, throughout the whole series, Spock and Kirk have cared for each other, saved each other's lives, believed in each other no matter what. They have shared what Bones (in Requiem for Methuselah) referred to as "the ecstasies, the miseries, the broken rules, the desperate chances, the glorious failures, the glorious victories" of love. And now, sadly, the series is ending with one last misery, one last glorious failure. The series is ending with their connection still dampened with pain and grief and misunderstanding and missed connection. But, even though the warmth and passion between them has cooled (at least on Spock's end), Spock's professional loyalty to Jim as his Captain remains as unwavering as it ever was.

Spock's last action in the whole series is this: to restore Kirk and Lester to their original selves. This shows us something important to the whole series: in essence, it is Spock who makes Kirk who he is.

And the very last words of the series: Spock and Kirk walk away together (with Scotty), as Kirk says, "If only, if only."

If only.

[aceofwhump]

The Ark 1x06 "Two by Two"

[whumpconfessions]

I wish this community wasn't so proshittery

So you want harassment, censorship and "what you like in fiction is what you condone in reality" in the I want to torture fictional characters community?

I'm worried about the safety of the people around you, please don't torture someone just because you saw it in a fictional piece. If you have thoughts of actually harming people, leave Tumblr and go seek for help. Being a "whumper" in real life is a bad thing to do.

Antis do not belong in the community, they belong in psych wards for the safety of everyone who first want to be tortured, raped or killed.

I'll go with sarcastic belittlement for antis that think they can come at my ask box and get a positive response 🥰🥰🥰

[peppermintperoxide]

WAIT wait wait hang on i just remembered that thing that happens to astronauts when they come back to earth and their blood pressure is weird for a couple days cause now their cardiovascular system has to deal with gravity again so they can pass out a couple times until their body adjusts again and I just think you could do that to your sci-fi whumpee anyway thanks that’s all keep scrolling

[whumblr]

The gravity of the situation

"Warning. Unauthorized remote override. Warning. Unauthorized increase in centrifugal force."

"Yes! Yes, thank you! I'm quite aware!" Whumpee wanted to shout back as he fought against the ever increasing pull of gravity, but it only came out as a frustrated wheeze as he dragged himself forward, clutching the railing along the hallway for dear life to keep upright.

The white hallway of the space station lit up in red as warning lights flashed on and off. Robotic voices dropped warnings left and right, their tone unimpressed by the impending danger yet they kept droning on with some form of programmed urgency.

Only one voice that broke over the robotic ones was human, recognizable by the unmistakable glee in it.

"You're doing quite well." The disembodied voice echoed through the curved hallway. Whumpee could hear the smirk in that voice, could picture the look on Whumper's face as he watched from a distance from their hacked cameras. Safe in his own spaceship. Probably with his feet up on the dash. In 1G. Or 0G, enviable.

Shut… up! Whumpee settled on screaming in his head. The asshole wouldn't hear him anyway and he had more important matters to spend his energy on. Like making sure he kept standing and inching forward towards Control to kick him back out of their system.

His arms trembled under his weight. Or rather, under twice his weight by now probably. He struggled to keep himself up. Sweaty palms threatened his grip, but he couldn’t even risk it to wipe them on his pants. Easy does it. Step by step.

"Hope you haven't skipped your weight training," the voice crooned. "Here, let's pump it up a bit... See how much you lift."

More warnings echoed through the room, clashed as the robotic voices spoke over each other to deliver their urgent messages. “Thrusters enga—” “Accelerati—” “Rotatio—” “Warni—!”

Forget weight training; every warning sent a spike of adrenaline through his heart, his body trained to shoot to action at the urgent tone and voices. He couldn't help a glance up with a light gasp, then went back to ignoring them and gratefully used the extra adrenaline to wrestle forward.

He did not immediately notice the outer ring of the space station turning faster and faster— thank god because nausea was the last thing he needed right now – but he did start to feel its effects. Slowly but surely gravity pressed further down on him, like a weighted blanket around his shoulders being pumped full of lead by some nefarious individual.

He had to hurry. Before he couldn’t even walk any—

A hand slipped. His heart skipped a beat.

The pull of gravity was merciless.

His chin hit the railing. Hard. Like someone took hold of his head and smashed him down full force. His knees crashed against the floor with a sickening thud that made him worry for his kneecaps and he just about managed to catch himself with one hand. Something in his wrist shifted. Pain shot through his arm but he bit through it, wrestling himself on both hands and knees.

"Ho, you alright?” There was no concern in that voice. Just a hint of amused surprise. “You disappeared from my feed?”

Whumpee panted hard, staring at the floor under him. Little red drops spattered against the pristine white and only then did he taste the blood. He wanted to wipe the iron taste from his lips. Wanted to cup and massage his jaw and maybe crick it back because, god, it felt like that blow had dislocated his entire face. But he couldn’t. Could only focus on staying somewhat balanced on hands and knees.

The cameras above him whirred as they looked around, searching for him.

No. No wait, that wasn’t the camera. The buzzing got louder. Got closer.

A drone flew into view as it traced the curved corridor. Their hacked drone, a blinking red dot signaling that the camera was on.

“Ah. There you are.”

The drone hovered annoyingly in his face. It, too, sputtered, not built for this kind of pull on the tiny propellors, yet it remained airborne. Before Whumpee could even think, he tried to swipe at it. Even a light swat would probably smash it right into the floor—just like him. But his arm didn't go as high as he intended and struck only air.

A low chuckle came from the drone. "Too heavy, hm?"

"Shut—!" he wheezed. Fuck, he didn't have enough air to be drawn into a shouting match. "Up..." he finished weakly.

He slid a knee forward. Crept along. Favored his right hand to support himself, his left all pins and needles and couldn’t be trusted to carry his normal weight let alone getting closer and closer to three times that. Come on, not much further now. Everyone was counting on him. And if he faltered and fell down flat on his stomach he would never make it back up. He’d slowly get crushed to death until his lungs couldn’t expand anymore under the enormous weight. Come on.

It was like a boulder balanced in-between his shoulder blades. Increasing in size with every inch forward. How fast was the outer ring going by now?!

The drone slowly buzzed along with him, keeping an eye on him, a certain someone virtually stepping along. When he crawled into the control room, he heard a tick and a scratching sound behind him and the drone scraped against the floor, its propellors no longer able to carry it an inch above the floor.

Ignore the foreboding omens. Whumpee grit his teeth. Dragged himself over to the main dashboard where the red button to override all controls blinked above him like a shining beacon.

He tried to claw his way up a chair, but it swiveled and nearly sent him crashing back to the floor.

He glared up, let out a growl through grit teeth. Everything, from the controls to the fucking furniture, was his enemy now. Mainly the mocking “Tick tock” noises from the drone’s speaker behind him and the insurmountable five feet tall dashboard in front of him.

Gathering all his strength for a last hail Mary, Whumpee sat back, firmly planted his feet under him.

With a desperate scream, he launched himself at the dashboard. Or rather, forced himself through the invisible forcefield. He clawed a hand around the edge of the panel to make sure he wouldn’t slip back and he let out a small “Ha!” in this little victory.

His other hand scratched at the little plastic cover over the red emergency button. Usually it could be removed instantly with a mere flick of the fingers. Now he nearly had to tear it off. Which, in his impatience, he did.

A final grunt of effort and he slammed his slick palm into the button.

“Emergency override sequence started. Reverting all systems.”

A laugh of relief escaped him. And he let go.

He crashed to the ground as if he fell from thirty feet up instead of the measly five. It punched the air from him, bruised his shoulder. But he didn’t care. He did it. They were safe.

“Now, that was impressive,” Whumper said, and Whumpee was sure he heard a muffled sound of hands slowly clapping. “Well done.”

He lay panting on the floor, rolled onto his back, spread-eagled. Slowly but surely, the pressure on his body let up. He could draw more air into his lungs. And could let his muscles finally relax.

The red hue in the room disappeared. The robotic voices stopped clamoring against each other as everything reverted back to normal, within safe parameters that didn’t set off any more alarms.

For a few blissful seconds, Whumpee just lay there, glad that it was over.

Until a new warning dropped.

“Warning. Unauthorized docking sequence initiated.”

And a more amused voice:

“Thanks for that. I think it’s safe now for me to board your ship.”

-

General whump tag list: @firewheeesky @myfriendcallsmeasickwoman19 @whumpawink @painsandconfusion @auroragehenna @chaotic-orphan @lolrpop @treasureguardingdragon

[generic-whumperz]

Babe, stop bothering me, can’t you see that I’m busy daydreaming about putting pretty fictional men though hell?

[redd956]

Space Themed Whump Prompt List

Whump for the space and horror lovers

Whumpee's protective facial wear cracked during a quick moment of violence. Slowly the outer world is seeping in. Maybe whumpee is slowly losing their breathable air, maybe something hazardous is creeping in.

The space ship turned smaller and smaller as whumpee drifted away from it. They pressed the mayday button of their suit, but instead watched the silhouettes of their crew start the ship and head the opposite direction.

Alien whumpee has become a specimen to observe aboard the ship. They spend their days watching astronauts pass by, slowly learning to tell the difference between the suits. Caretaker has that strange scratch on their "face", and whumper's "hands" are blue instead of blinding white.

Whumper gives whumpee tainted oxygen, slowly poisoning and asphyxiating them. An enemy astronaut notices whumpee's loopy behavior.

Alien whumper won't let astronaut whumpee leave. Whumper's taken to murdering other astronauts to keep whumpee's oxygen going, and suit repaired.

Whumper and whumpee become abandoned on a dangerous alien planet. They're forced to work together if they want to survive, but whumper's violent behavior fails to stop.

After their ship is beaten and battered multiple whumpees are forced to land in dangerous territory that holds other intelligent creatures. Alien caretaker is very confused by these bulky and injured crashlanders, but they can't let these strange creatures suffer.

[catsconflictscopicsandchamomile]

Just remembered an older spn finale fix-it fic concept and gave myself brain damage....

Dean succesfully rescuing Cas from The Empty and dragging him up onto the shores of Purgatory (why does Purgatory have shores, and why does one connect to The Empty? I don't fucking know, ask Dante, he implied it), Dean half-carrying the still-unconscious angel deeper into the woods, searching for a spot with thick brush and good cover, gently leaning Cas against a tree to clear a small area for a camp, set up warding, build a firepit and lean-to and weave a canopy of branches over the rest of the space for concealment and warmth, giving a final, increasingly hopeless, attempt to rouse Cas before lifting him and carrying him into the lean-to, easing him down onto a bed of leaves, glancing outside the shelter one last time to check for danger before settling in to assess Cas' condition more thoroughly

Cas waking days later to crunchy leaves and pine boughs, rain spattering on branches overhead, scratchy camping blankets and Dean

Dean checking the warding around the site over and over when he has to find food and water and leave Cas alone, worrying himself crazy every second until he crawls back into the lean-to and sees Cas' chest still rising and falling - Cas is too out of it to worry, he knows Dean will come back, maybe he doesn't even realize he's gone-

Dean spoon-feeding Cas broth out of camping cups, because he doesn't know if Cas needs to eat now, if he's human or something close to human, or even what's wrong with him but he does know that Cas, his angel his boyfriend is cold, way too cold right now, and Dean needs to change that and if he has to get under the blankets at night to keep Cas warm, then that's what needs to happen too, and he doesn't feel weird or awkward about it at all and absolutely isnt thinking about how this could be in a better world where they weren't hiding and Cas wasn't sick (NOT DYING. he is NOT dying) from some after-affect of The Empty that Dean can't understand.....

Cas isn't thinking of any of this, he's confused, the dark waters of the Empty still surging inside of him, dredging up jumbled memories, the worst regrets of so many previous vessels and previous lives, time moving in no particular order, pain, fear, grief, but in between it all there's the smell of pine and dirt, and rough-warm hands that bring a hot cup of soup to his lips, and a face and name that he knows he can trust- Dean- whoever that is