Waiting for the Jump part 2
Title: Waiting for the Jump (2/7)
Rating: PG
Pairing: Rimmer/Lister
Summary: In which Rimmer gets an Urge
Disclaimer: I don't own Red Dwarf. If I did, I'd make a spin-off about Ace jumping through dimensions and meeting multiple Listers...it'd be a lot like this fic, actually.
It was about three months in when he gave in to the urge.
He'd gotten used to being Ace, gotten more competent, and now most of his missions were a success. He was getting better at other things too: being charming, not telling people when they were being complete idiots and, of course, the meaningless sex. What's more, he was starting to enjoy it (especially the meaningless sex). And it didn't really matter that he was never himself. After all, where had being himself ever gotten him?
The urge just appeared one day, and after a while he couldn't remember ever not having it. It grew over time until he could no longer ignore it and he asked the Computer to take him somewhere familiar.
He was going to see Lister.
The problem came entirely from having spent so much time with the man. He'd seen him every day for seven years (give or take the odd three million) and had gotten used to his presence. So that was why Rimmer wanted to see Lister, why he wanted to tell him stories and see what the goit was up to. It was just habit, in the same way that they'd shared a room on Red Dwarf years after they had to.
Of course, he didn't have to see his Lister. He had a ship that could jump dimensions, and an infinite number of universes to choose from. In the end, he went to a universe similar to his own, and docked with Starbug.
Strangely, Lister didn't seem that pleased to see him. In fact, he didn't even seem surprised. When Rimmer gave him one of the standard Ace greetings, the git barely looked up from his magazine. Of all the possible reactions a parallel Lister could have to him, Rimmer had never expected indifference. He was Ace Rimmer, dashing space hero. Why didn't this Lister even smegging care?
“Where d'you get the suit?” Lister asked, glancing up at him.
Rimmer didn't even have time to wonder what the smeg that was supposed to mean before another Ace burst into the room. He was holding a bazookoid and pointing it straight at Rimmer.
*************************
The interrogation didn't last long. It wasn't hard to prove who he was, he just took them to the landing bay and showed them the Wildfire.
“Hold on there, chum,” the other Ace said, bazookoid aimed into Rimmer's gut. “Do you expect us to believe that's really a ship and not some complex cloaking device?”
Lister had sighed. “Just give it a rest, Rimmer.”
Ace had folded surprisingly easily, putting down his gun and apologising good-naturedly. Rimmer was just glad his wig hadn't fallen off yet.
They all sat down for tea together - this familiar crew with one vital, bitter piece missing - and finally they explained.
Most of it was a story he knew well, having lived it himself. Rimmer remembered Lister's GELF wedding all too well, and the resulting incident with the Polymorph. He even remembered how it felt to have all his negativity sucked out, suddenly becoming light and free and empty. But Rimmer also remembered becoming himself again, his negativity returning like an old friend. That didn't seem to feature in this story.
“You never got your negativity back?” Rimmer asked, confused. The Cat certainly looked like he'd gotten his sense of style back.
Ace (and he was Ace, in a way Rimmer would never be) chuckled. “Why would I? Once I knew what it was like to be you, there was no way I was going to become that neurotic mess again.”
Rimmer wanted to protest, wanted to point out that he was that neurotic mess. Instead he just smiled and nodded like he understood what the arrogant git meant. He couldn't help but remember his quest of a few months back, his attempts to recruit his own replacement. Why couldn't he have found this Rimmer back then?
“Don't worry, I know he's not you,” Lister told him later.
No, he was smegging better, wasn't he?
“He seems close enough, Davey-boy,” Rimmer replied, feeling less and less like Ace by the second.
“He's smegging insane! You know he tried to kill Cat just to get rid of that Polymorph?”
Rimmer did know, remembered the urge to snap the Cat's neck with his bare hands, to do anything to save Lister. It had made so much sense until he'd gotten his negativity back and could see things clearly. It turned out that having most of your emotions sucked out didn't make you that smegging rational.
“And he's so smegging annoying. He sees the positive side to everything. That's not natural, man.”
Lister was criticising someone for being optimistic? Things must be bad.
Lister sighed. “I kind of miss him, the way he was before.”
Rimmer felt an odd feeling claw at his gut. “You do?”
“Mad, isn't it? Never thought I'd be longing for that smeghead.”
The feeling gave up with the claws and sank its teeth in. Rimmer tried to smile. “I'm sorry, skipper. Sounds like you're having a tough time.”
Lister shrugged, and together they walked to the landing bay, to another Rimmer who wasn't quite good enough. Rimmer left quickly, glad for once to be himself in all his smeggy glory.
Rating: PG
Pairing: Rimmer/Lister
Summary: In which Rimmer gets an Urge
Disclaimer: I don't own Red Dwarf. If I did, I'd make a spin-off about Ace jumping through dimensions and meeting multiple Listers...it'd be a lot like this fic, actually.
It was about three months in when he gave in to the urge.
He'd gotten used to being Ace, gotten more competent, and now most of his missions were a success. He was getting better at other things too: being charming, not telling people when they were being complete idiots and, of course, the meaningless sex. What's more, he was starting to enjoy it (especially the meaningless sex). And it didn't really matter that he was never himself. After all, where had being himself ever gotten him?
The urge just appeared one day, and after a while he couldn't remember ever not having it. It grew over time until he could no longer ignore it and he asked the Computer to take him somewhere familiar.
He was going to see Lister.
The problem came entirely from having spent so much time with the man. He'd seen him every day for seven years (give or take the odd three million) and had gotten used to his presence. So that was why Rimmer wanted to see Lister, why he wanted to tell him stories and see what the goit was up to. It was just habit, in the same way that they'd shared a room on Red Dwarf years after they had to.
Of course, he didn't have to see his Lister. He had a ship that could jump dimensions, and an infinite number of universes to choose from. In the end, he went to a universe similar to his own, and docked with Starbug.
Strangely, Lister didn't seem that pleased to see him. In fact, he didn't even seem surprised. When Rimmer gave him one of the standard Ace greetings, the git barely looked up from his magazine. Of all the possible reactions a parallel Lister could have to him, Rimmer had never expected indifference. He was Ace Rimmer, dashing space hero. Why didn't this Lister even smegging care?
“Where d'you get the suit?” Lister asked, glancing up at him.
Rimmer didn't even have time to wonder what the smeg that was supposed to mean before another Ace burst into the room. He was holding a bazookoid and pointing it straight at Rimmer.
*************************
The interrogation didn't last long. It wasn't hard to prove who he was, he just took them to the landing bay and showed them the Wildfire.
“Hold on there, chum,” the other Ace said, bazookoid aimed into Rimmer's gut. “Do you expect us to believe that's really a ship and not some complex cloaking device?”
Lister had sighed. “Just give it a rest, Rimmer.”
Ace had folded surprisingly easily, putting down his gun and apologising good-naturedly. Rimmer was just glad his wig hadn't fallen off yet.
They all sat down for tea together - this familiar crew with one vital, bitter piece missing - and finally they explained.
Most of it was a story he knew well, having lived it himself. Rimmer remembered Lister's GELF wedding all too well, and the resulting incident with the Polymorph. He even remembered how it felt to have all his negativity sucked out, suddenly becoming light and free and empty. But Rimmer also remembered becoming himself again, his negativity returning like an old friend. That didn't seem to feature in this story.
“You never got your negativity back?” Rimmer asked, confused. The Cat certainly looked like he'd gotten his sense of style back.
Ace (and he was Ace, in a way Rimmer would never be) chuckled. “Why would I? Once I knew what it was like to be you, there was no way I was going to become that neurotic mess again.”
Rimmer wanted to protest, wanted to point out that he was that neurotic mess. Instead he just smiled and nodded like he understood what the arrogant git meant. He couldn't help but remember his quest of a few months back, his attempts to recruit his own replacement. Why couldn't he have found this Rimmer back then?
“Don't worry, I know he's not you,” Lister told him later.
No, he was smegging better, wasn't he?
“He seems close enough, Davey-boy,” Rimmer replied, feeling less and less like Ace by the second.
“He's smegging insane! You know he tried to kill Cat just to get rid of that Polymorph?”
Rimmer did know, remembered the urge to snap the Cat's neck with his bare hands, to do anything to save Lister. It had made so much sense until he'd gotten his negativity back and could see things clearly. It turned out that having most of your emotions sucked out didn't make you that smegging rational.
“And he's so smegging annoying. He sees the positive side to everything. That's not natural, man.”
Lister was criticising someone for being optimistic? Things must be bad.
Lister sighed. “I kind of miss him, the way he was before.”
Rimmer felt an odd feeling claw at his gut. “You do?”
“Mad, isn't it? Never thought I'd be longing for that smeghead.”
The feeling gave up with the claws and sank its teeth in. Rimmer tried to smile. “I'm sorry, skipper. Sounds like you're having a tough time.”
Lister shrugged, and together they walked to the landing bay, to another Rimmer who wasn't quite good enough. Rimmer left quickly, glad for once to be himself in all his smeggy glory.