Daria wasn't aware that Catwoman could make a whip curve. She soon found out to the contrary.
The whip went over the top of her head, through her hair. The shock caused by this near miss was enough for her to fall flat on her back.
Before Daria could protest, Catwoman yanked her up by her neck into a sitting position. “Damn, you're just a kid,” the latter said, letting her fall back to the floor.
Daria answered by a fit of coughing and crawled back to her feet.
“Okay, kid, talk. Where the hell am I? Did you do this? Where is this place?”
The two exited the turbolift into Engineering, where R2 was still working on the systems. “The thing is, the computer told us you were here,” Daria said.
“Sees all and knows all huh? It should have told you sooner.”
“It did give us an intruder alert,” Daria said. “But I only know you from the comic books and tv.”
Daria explained the concept to an incredulous Selina Kyle, introducing her to R2D2 in the process. “We're not the only one's here. There's a more humanoid robot, Bender, and an astronaut who was unconscious when he arrived. He's in sickbay. The computer thinks that we're all fictional characters. I know R2 as a fictional character, from Star Wars, and I know you as a fictional character. One of Batman's foes.
“That's common knowledge,” Selina said.
“People don't dress up as cats.”
“Wrong. People dress up all the time on my side of the street. You're not trying to mess with my mind? Because it's not working.”
Daria was about to respond when a message came over the intercom. “Bender to Daria, the astronaut is awake.”
Daria hit a comm panel. “On my way,” she said. She turned to Selina. “Are you coming?”
“Yes.”
Daria and Selina entered sickbay. Daria could see that the astronaut was awake.
“You're the one in charge?” he asked.
“Only by dint of being the first to arrive,” Daria answered. “Daria Morgendorffer, and you are?”
“Mark Watney, Botanist on the Ares 3 expedition.”
“Ares 3?” Daria asked.
“Mission to Mars. Dust storm came up. Had to evacuate. My Crew thought I was dead and left me behind.”
“So you were alone on Mars?” Daria asked.
“Not my Mars,” Bender said.
“Yes. Believe me, it was a struggle to survive, as many things wen't wrong. I was about to take off after my crew had come back to Mars to get me. But now I'm here.”
“I see,” Daria said.
“Who are you, Daria Morgendorffer?”
“A High School student, from a boring suburb, called Lawndale.”
“California?”
“Maryland, although there is a town of the same name in California,” Daria answered.
“Catwoman, Gotham City.”
“You've got to be kidding me.”
“Bender, from New New York City.”
“New New York?”
“The 31st Century,” Bender answered.
“There is something else,” Daria said.
Watney picked up on her tone. “What is it?” he asked with resignation.
“We're all from realities that, according to the ship's computer, are fictional,” Daria said.
“Fictional? This is a ship?” Watney asked.
“The USS Defiant, from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” Daria said. “R2D2 from Star Wars is in Engineering.”
“Star Trek? I'm in f******g Star Trek!”
“Yes.”
“Believe me, I'm sceptical too,” Selina said. She wasn't sure what was going on, but it was definitely strange.
They talked for a while longer about their situation.
“So people are arriving every hour?” Watney asked.
“Yes,” Daria answered. “We don't know who would be next.”
Watney felt up to exploring the ship, so he decided to go and look. But first he went to the Mess Hall, where he ordered a large steak...