Strengths and Weaknesses
PG-13
A/N: I didn't want to post this at first, but Starfruit wanted me too. This was originally about me, but it just didn't really work, so I made it about Jen. Jen is kind of like me, but I am not as shy as she it. All the red Dwarf characters belong to BBC, but Jen belongs to me. This story is basically just an alternative version of Red Dwarf. Basically what could have happened if Rimmer wasn't such a smeg head (No offence, I still luv him that way, lol)
This is dedicated to Chris Barrie, and Starfruit
**Entry in the diary of Jen Moore**
I need a life. I'm a nothing. This proves it. I am aboard a starship. Its as big as a city, but it seems to be the only place I can be left alone. Get this, I am a technician. That's as low as it gets. I couldn't get a better job aboard, so I am stuck fixing vending machines. My new room is dirty as hell. They obviously don't care very much for the quarters of the lowly technicians here.
Its alright. I am satisfied. Anything is an improvement to the pain, rejection, and loneliness of home back on earth. Still, something tells me this place may be as unforgiving as home, and I may end up making the same mistake as I have everywhere else.
~
It was the first day of work. Jen was on Z shift. She had no idea where to go or what to do. She stared at the small slip of paper telling her where ,what, and when her job was. Still, it wasn't very informative at all. Jen wondered around, afraid of being late on her first day, but she had no idea where she was or where she was going. There was nobody around to tell her where to go. The ship was as big as a city.
Jen could hear something in the distance… humming. Someone was there. Jen needed directions. She walked along the long corridors of the lonely feeling ship until she could see a face. A tall man wearing a uniform. Jen had no idea who he could be. Shyly, she walked over to him. "excuse me, sir…"
It seemed to take the man awhile to realize she was talking to him. He looked up. He was a little bit startled. "Yes?" he answered, shyly.
Jen took a deep breath. "I was wondering if you could tell me where unit Z76 is?" Jen asked. She kept her voice low. She was afraid to look the man in the eye. She was afraid to look almost anybody in the eye, especially men. She was afraid of them ever since what had happened to her years ago. It was something you could not get over.
"ahh yes" Began the man. Jen noticed his wardrobe. A technician uniform much like her own. "That's where I am headed."
"are you on Z shift?" Jen asked.
"I lead Z shift." He sounded slightly proud of it, yet slightly ashamed at the same time.
Jen smiled. She wondered if this man could be a potential friend for her or not. If he was her shift leader, she would obviously see a lot of him.
The man stepped onto the lift and held the door for her. Jen cautiously got on. No one else was around. The door closed. They were alone. Jen noticed her name tag. "Arnold Rimmer, second technician" She looked down at her own saying "Jennifer Moore, third technician". Jen noticed a mirror on the wall of the lift. She didn't want to look in, but what choice did she have? It took up half the lift. She looked at herself, noticing every little flaw possible. She even noticed some that weren't there at all. 'there is no way this man will want anything to do with someone as ugly as me.' Jen thought to herself.
Jen wasn't nearly as ugly as she thought she was, but could never get that through her head. She used to be obese. She had become anorexic when she was 16. She had spent time in the hospital. She was now quite skinny and weak, even after overcoming the disease . She had never ever been comfortable with her appearance. She looked different then every body else. Her face was a different shape, she was short, everything possible that someone could notice about themselves, she did.
The lift stopped and She and Rimmer got out. She followed him into the unit they were in. The first thing Jen noticed was… they were all men! She suddenly felt very anxious. Not a single woman in the room. All of them staring at her. Suddenly she felt terrified. Almost as terrified as when it had first happened. They all looked like the kind of men who would do that kind of thing.
Rimmer looked her in the eye. His gaze made her feel a little better. She finally got up the courage to come in and sit down. She just had to keep telling herself "That was a long time ago, not all men are like that."
Jen sat in the back away from everyone. A few men looked back and eyed her. That didn't help anything. Rimmer began to speak. He welcomed everyone to Z shift. He explained about the tools, the time and all the basics. Jen noticed something odd about the speech. Rimmer used a lot of silence in his speech. No one seemed to understand what it was for, but Jen did. She thought it was creative and professional. Besides the fact that every time he paused, someone would laugh and quietly crack a joke, the silence spoke almost as loud as the speech. Sure, all it was was a speech about being a technician and everything, but Rimmer was pretty good at making speeches.
"Alright Fellas', Lets Get to work." Said Rimmer. He began to assign everyone jobs. Jen began to freak out again. What if she was stuck alone with one of these scary men? Rimmer looked at his clip board. "Moore, you will be with me today."
Jen smiled. She wouldn't be stuck with anyone scary. She would be with Rimmer. Sure, she didn't know Rimmer well at all, but for some reason, she felt safe near him. Not like she felt with anyone else. When she was around other men, she felt like running out of the room screaming.
Everyone got up and began to leave. Jen walked over to Rimmer. She smiled a little bit. She normally didn't smile, but it seemed like the right thing to do.
Things started out quiet. Just then occasional "Pass me the Wrench"
~~
A/N: Like this? May take me a little while to have the next chapter. I have to work on Out Of Time, too!
PG-13
A/N: I didn't want to post this at first, but Starfruit wanted me too. This was originally about me, but it just didn't really work, so I made it about Jen. Jen is kind of like me, but I am not as shy as she it. All the red Dwarf characters belong to BBC, but Jen belongs to me. This story is basically just an alternative version of Red Dwarf. Basically what could have happened if Rimmer wasn't such a smeg head (No offence, I still luv him that way, lol)
This is dedicated to Chris Barrie, and Starfruit
**Entry in the diary of Jen Moore**
I need a life. I'm a nothing. This proves it. I am aboard a starship. Its as big as a city, but it seems to be the only place I can be left alone. Get this, I am a technician. That's as low as it gets. I couldn't get a better job aboard, so I am stuck fixing vending machines. My new room is dirty as hell. They obviously don't care very much for the quarters of the lowly technicians here.
Its alright. I am satisfied. Anything is an improvement to the pain, rejection, and loneliness of home back on earth. Still, something tells me this place may be as unforgiving as home, and I may end up making the same mistake as I have everywhere else.
~
It was the first day of work. Jen was on Z shift. She had no idea where to go or what to do. She stared at the small slip of paper telling her where ,what, and when her job was. Still, it wasn't very informative at all. Jen wondered around, afraid of being late on her first day, but she had no idea where she was or where she was going. There was nobody around to tell her where to go. The ship was as big as a city.
Jen could hear something in the distance… humming. Someone was there. Jen needed directions. She walked along the long corridors of the lonely feeling ship until she could see a face. A tall man wearing a uniform. Jen had no idea who he could be. Shyly, she walked over to him. "excuse me, sir…"
It seemed to take the man awhile to realize she was talking to him. He looked up. He was a little bit startled. "Yes?" he answered, shyly.
Jen took a deep breath. "I was wondering if you could tell me where unit Z76 is?" Jen asked. She kept her voice low. She was afraid to look the man in the eye. She was afraid to look almost anybody in the eye, especially men. She was afraid of them ever since what had happened to her years ago. It was something you could not get over.
"ahh yes" Began the man. Jen noticed his wardrobe. A technician uniform much like her own. "That's where I am headed."
"are you on Z shift?" Jen asked.
"I lead Z shift." He sounded slightly proud of it, yet slightly ashamed at the same time.
Jen smiled. She wondered if this man could be a potential friend for her or not. If he was her shift leader, she would obviously see a lot of him.
The man stepped onto the lift and held the door for her. Jen cautiously got on. No one else was around. The door closed. They were alone. Jen noticed her name tag. "Arnold Rimmer, second technician" She looked down at her own saying "Jennifer Moore, third technician". Jen noticed a mirror on the wall of the lift. She didn't want to look in, but what choice did she have? It took up half the lift. She looked at herself, noticing every little flaw possible. She even noticed some that weren't there at all. 'there is no way this man will want anything to do with someone as ugly as me.' Jen thought to herself.
Jen wasn't nearly as ugly as she thought she was, but could never get that through her head. She used to be obese. She had become anorexic when she was 16. She had spent time in the hospital. She was now quite skinny and weak, even after overcoming the disease . She had never ever been comfortable with her appearance. She looked different then every body else. Her face was a different shape, she was short, everything possible that someone could notice about themselves, she did.
The lift stopped and She and Rimmer got out. She followed him into the unit they were in. The first thing Jen noticed was… they were all men! She suddenly felt very anxious. Not a single woman in the room. All of them staring at her. Suddenly she felt terrified. Almost as terrified as when it had first happened. They all looked like the kind of men who would do that kind of thing.
Rimmer looked her in the eye. His gaze made her feel a little better. She finally got up the courage to come in and sit down. She just had to keep telling herself "That was a long time ago, not all men are like that."
Jen sat in the back away from everyone. A few men looked back and eyed her. That didn't help anything. Rimmer began to speak. He welcomed everyone to Z shift. He explained about the tools, the time and all the basics. Jen noticed something odd about the speech. Rimmer used a lot of silence in his speech. No one seemed to understand what it was for, but Jen did. She thought it was creative and professional. Besides the fact that every time he paused, someone would laugh and quietly crack a joke, the silence spoke almost as loud as the speech. Sure, all it was was a speech about being a technician and everything, but Rimmer was pretty good at making speeches.
"Alright Fellas', Lets Get to work." Said Rimmer. He began to assign everyone jobs. Jen began to freak out again. What if she was stuck alone with one of these scary men? Rimmer looked at his clip board. "Moore, you will be with me today."
Jen smiled. She wouldn't be stuck with anyone scary. She would be with Rimmer. Sure, she didn't know Rimmer well at all, but for some reason, she felt safe near him. Not like she felt with anyone else. When she was around other men, she felt like running out of the room screaming.
Everyone got up and began to leave. Jen walked over to Rimmer. She smiled a little bit. She normally didn't smile, but it seemed like the right thing to do.
Things started out quiet. Just then occasional "Pass me the Wrench"
~~
A/N: Like this? May take me a little while to have the next chapter. I have to work on Out Of Time, too!