09/25/207X - 6:30 PM - Watchpoint: Gibraltar

Drifting awake in an alien location is disorienting to Mei. There is enough low light for her to see her surroundings, but not enough to tell her brain 'it's time to wake up'. Any urge to move is discouraged, as her whole body feels like lead. So she just lays there, staring up at the ceiling. It's not too terribly interesting, and the image is blurred without her glasses. She's uncomfortably hot, which brings to her awareness that she's wearing her thick winter gear. That jump-starts a very vibrant, very motivating memory. She jolts up in a slight panic and scans her room. It takes her only a second to see the powered down Snowball, and she feels her heart stop. She rushes over, tripping over her feet, as she kneels in front of the charging mechanism and activates it.

It takes all of 3 seconds for the droid to boot up, its LED eyes recreating a half-lidded stare. Mei releases a breath she didn't realize she was holding as relief floods her system. The droid flies up in a burst of energy, and aggressively nuzzles its creator. Mei affectionately bats it away.

"Okay, okay, stop! I'm glad to see you too, Snowball."

The droid responds with cute beeping sounds and happy pixel eyes that make her heart soar. What would she have done without Snowball? The sudden panic she had seems silly in hindsight. She remembers now, she's not in the arctic any longer. Winston had come to save her, she's at an Overwatch base. She's safe.

She reaches into her jacket to pull out a small flashdrive. Not even a scratch on it. She succeeded, even in the face of overwhelming odds. Now she just needed to analyze it. She looks around at the rest of her things for her computer, and finds her pack and other supplies neatly stacked against the wall. Did I do that or…?

Thinking back, she doesn't actually remember falling asleep. The last thing she remembers is the overwhelming fear of falling asleep, and desperately chugging down coffee to try and keep it at bay. That, and Winston finding her. After that, nothing. Logically speaking… that means that he probably carried her here. Yikes.

My first night here, and I've already managed to embarrass myself. I'll have to thank him later. Or apologize for the inconvenience. Or… apologize, then thank him? Would that be rude?

Fumbling with her thoughts, she reaches up to start removing her thick coat and whew. Mei's hand reflexively goes to her nose. She smells terrible! She shouldn't be surprised, she's been wearing the same clothes through strenuous activity for over a week. A horrible thought comes to mind. Did anyone smell me? My coat should've covered it, right? But Winston has a far stronger nose than a human! She shakes the thought. First thing's first, she needs to shower.

Finding the small en suite bathroom, she starts the audacious task of removing her several layers of clothing, practically glued to her from all the sweat. In a nearby mirror, she catches sight of herself. Her skin is deathly pale after the many sunless days in the arctic, but she otherwise looks alive and healthy. 9 years asleep, and still haven't lost any weight she thinks in amusement as she pats her soft belly affectionately. With a sigh of freedom, she goes to turn the shower faucet.

… only for nothing to come out. She turns the faucet a few more times with the same result. Nothing, not even a drop. Curious, she exits the shower and tries the sink faucet. Nothing. She opens the toilet only to find that there's not even water in it. She groans in desperation.

"Okay, I'm sure there's a completely reasonable, scientific explanation for this."

She looks around the room and at her belongings. Quickly, she grabs her coat and a pair of pants, shoves them on, and bursts out of the room.

"Let's see, that Tracer girl said there were showers around here. Shower first, questions later."

6:46 PM

Traveling through the vast, empty corridors of the Watchpoint is unnerving in a way she can't really describe. Maybe it's how many stairs and different levels there are? The clinical aesthetic fit only for a military base? Or maybe just the broadness of a fortress demanding it be filled with people… now just a barren husk? She almost wants to shout out 'Hey, is anyone in here?' just for the assurance, but is terrified no one will answer. An empty base, with nothing but her echoing voice. She feels her heart start to race again, and a desperate urge to find someone, anyone, overwhelms her.

Her prayers are answered as she comes by the showers and hears the humming of a deep voice reverberate through the tiled walls. She immediately recognizes the voice as Winston, which does a great deal in quieting her nerves. She doesn't even think twice about going in, or consciously acknowledge that she's going into a shower. The showers are sparse and open, with no design for privacy; it looks mostly like an area for soldiers to bathe in mass. That, or where a large gorilla can bathe in comfort. She sees his back, being scrubbed so hard that the rough textured sounds of friction almost drown out his happy humming.

"Winston?"

He jerks around to see her, immediately followed by…covering himself. Because he's bathing. Mei responds as anyone naturally would, and turns her gaze to anything but the naked ape.

"Mei?! W- what are you- you're awake!" The journey his voice went through, from confusion to joy, almost makes her snort in amusement.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No, no, it's okay… I think. Umm, how are you? Did you sleep well?"

"I- yes, just, uh… the shower wasn't working, so I- is the base usually this empty?"

She can see him out of the corner of her eye, tilting his head before slapping it hard enough to echo off the walls.

"Right, of course they aren't. Idiot." His voice is quiet and low, aimed at himself. "I'm so sorry, I can't believe I forgot. The, uh…the water in the area doesn't work. I'm the only one who lives here, and it's not exactly easy keeping this whole place running, so I turned off the water and electricity to everywhere but the vital areas years ago. I'm so sorry, I can't believe I forgot about that."

She finds herself frowning at his tone. Is it common to talk to one's self that openly and…aggressively?

"Did you say no one else lives here?"

"Oh, well, besides Athena. And Lena when she's not in London now, I guess. And everyone else when they join…if they join. But yes, I'm the only one who's been living here. *ahem* Athena?"

"Yes, Winston?" The sudden, all-encompassing voice causes an embarrassing squeal to escape the woman.

"Can you turn the water back on in the rest of the base? Or at least in Mei's room?"

"That might be difficult. The pipes have been offline for over 5 years, they will need to be reinstated manually."

The initial shock passes quickly, and she feels dumb once again. Argh, why am I so jumpy?

"Damn…I'm sorry Mei. I really didn't think this through." His tone once again bothers her, and suddenly it occurs to her. 5 years? He's been alone with nothing but an AI for 5 years? "I'll make getting that fixed my first priority!"

All she hears is, 'I'll drop everything just so you can feel clean.'

"No, no, that's fine. I can just-" She almost says go without showering before catching another whiff of herself, "-shower in here for now."

"Right. Of course. Just…give me a moment, and I'll-" His shower turns off with a twist of a knob, and he reaches for a towel. And there he goes again.

"Oh, no need to stop for my sake." She says, not wanting to think of what an empty shower-room would feel like. "This place is big enough for two, right?"

The wet floor squeaks from Winston turning on his heels to gawk at her, and suddenly she's fully aware of just what she asked. "No, no, that's, uh…I'm almost finished anyways. You can have your privacy, there's no prob-"

"I-I kind of don't want to be alone!" She blurts out, any hesitance bypassed, "In the shower, I mean. O-or anywhere. Right now, at least." She tries to not sound so pitiful, but she finds the control she regularly has over her voice is severely lacking. She sees him stiffen in the corner of her eye and now she just wants to crawl up in a hole and never leave.

"I see." If his cadence were anymore awkward, Mei feels like she'd die on the spot. "Then, uh…the shower's yours!"

Reluctantly, he turns the shower back on and intentionally turns his back to her. He's clearly uncomfortable, which just goes to make her feel guilty. The room is very wide, more than 20 ft. in width, with shower heads in every corner. There is more than enough room. And yet she still can't truly bite the inherent shame that comes with undressing around another. She almost backs out, but then the image of the large, empty room fills her with enough dread to completely overwrite it. Funny how easily shame is swayed.

She rushes over to the opposite corner with her supplies, and quickly removes her impromptu bathrobe. The water hitting her skin steals a sigh from her, the warmth instantly spreading throughout her. For but a moment, all her worries are washed away like the dirt and grime on her body.

"Do you need any supplies? Shampoo, conditioner?" With her back turned, his echoing voice makes him sound like he's everywhere. She chances a glance over her shoulder to see him in her periphery just to make sure he's not also a projected AI.

"Um, I'm fine!" She reaches up to feel her tangled mess of hair, sorely lacking in any care for over a week, "Umm…for now, at least. Do you have any I can use?"

Would he have spare human products just lying around? The thought of Winston stocking an empty base with hair care products brings a smile to her face.

"I can certainly make you some. Not sure mine would be applicable."

"Wait, you make your own shampoo?"

"Something like that. Not a lot of products focused on fur care, unfortunately, so I have to make my own."

For some reason, Mei finds herself surprised; it never occurred to her that he'd have specific needs for hair care. It never occurred to her that he'd need to bathe for that matter, and now she feels slightly guilty. Of course he bathes, he's not some wild animal! Did I just subconsciously think he was? She's distracted by the return of Winston's aggressive scrubbing, the sound so violent it makes her wince.

"啊! Goodness, Winston, is that healthy? It sounds painful!"

"Oh, sorry. Just trying to get clean." There's a dip in his voice, she notices. He starts scrubbing a lot less violently. She tends to herself, adding her routine to the chorus of running water and washing.

"So…" He picks back up awkwardly, "What'd you think about Lena?" Mei reflects on her first impressions of the young, time-traveling woman.

"I was a little surprised! I never imagined something like her was possible. She seems very nice, extremely energetic. I could barely keep up with her!"

"Heh, yeah. I think she was excited to meet someone who didn't immediately recognize her. It's a rare occurrence these days."

"She also seems to have a really high opinion of you. She wouldn't stop gushing about you!"

"Well, heh, she's a little biased. Being saved from chronal disassociation was enough for her to declare me her best friend. She always loves to stretch the truth a little."

"So creating impossible technology to bend time for no other purpose than to save one life was an exaggeration?"

"I, um, well, I guess it's not-"

"It's amazing, Winston! You have to show me the science behind that!"

"Oh, heh, of course! I'd love to!" He booms with enthusiasm, shining with almost childish joy. Seeing another scientist being so passionate about their field always warms her heart. Now that I think about it, wouldn't this be the first time in years for him to interact with another scientist? No wonder he's so excited. The thought leaves her feeling bittersweet.

"So, where's Lena now?"

"Oh, just stopping by London. She lives there with her girlfriend, Emily. She just recovered from a nasty injury, so Emily's forcing her to take it easy."

"Ooh, was it during a mission?"

"Heh, something like that. We were trying to stop another omnic uprising from happening. Again. Tensions have been high, ever since Mondatta was assassinated by Talon."

"Mondatta? The activist? He was killed by Talon?"

"Yes, well, a lot's changed since you've been gone."

Since you've been gone, he says. Like being told what feels like a week ago actually happened 9 years ago is just casual conversation.

"Yeah, Lena was telling me about that. I still can't believe Overwatch was shut down!" And that me and my team were completely forgotten, she thinks to herself.

"You and me both." She can hear the sadness in his voice. Was he really completely alone the last 6 years? The thought alone makes her anxious.

"But! Now, we can fix that mistake! Bring back Overwatch stronger than ever!" His tone-shift from mournful to hopeful makes Mei smile; if there's one thing she's sure about, it's that she's glad Winston is the one heading Overwatch. Remembering every speech he ever gave (every speech the world needed to hear), she responds with a hearty "Yeah!", leaning into the feeling.

"If anyone could do it, Winston, it'd be you. No one can inspire people quite like you can!"

"Oh, uh, heh. Really? I mean, I don't know about that…" She doesn't need to see him to know how bashful he's probably acting. Inspiring, yet so easily flustered.

"What about you? I never forgot the speech you gave. Do you remember the last OW Conference you attended?" He counters with a playful tone. Mei frowns to herself; she was never one to give speeches, usually relying on others to do that due to her shyness. And then it hits her.

Oh.

That one.

"You…remember that?!" She asks in distress.

"How could I forget! You were the talk of the town, everybody was talking about you!" Mei feels her face heating up from more than the shower.

"But- but- that was a disaster!"

"Disaster? Mei, the climatology section of the conference was always the low point. That year, it was the most rewatched section. I think it went viral!"

"Uugh, that's so embarrassing!"

"No, no, it was great! I've never seen people more motivated to be green! I'd call that a triumph."

She remembers that time, when Arrhenius was sick and tasked her with giving the speech. She was a nervous wreck, but the older woman still called in to help keep her grounded; she always did try to be a guiding hand for her. A hand that was now gone forever. A horrible, heavy weight builds in her chest, threatening to overwhelm her. She forces a smile.

"Well, at least something good came out of that." She tries to keep her voice from shaking, but ends up sounding far too quiet. She can see Winston turn her way in her periphery before rigidly turning back. The mental image of the concerned gorilla forgetting where he is and getting flustered elicits a small laugh from her.

"Well, uh, I- I thought it was good." He comments awkwardly, "It's an important thing to talk about, after all." Her mind immediately goes to the data, 9 years' worth of it. Useless as it is, but locked inside of it is the power to save lives and change the world. It'd usually take weeks for the team of six to unpack a month or so of data, so 9 years' worth? Information her friends died for, and what is she doing? That heavy feeling grows and Mei desperately holds back her tears. I can't, not in front of him! I don't need to be any more of a burden than I already am. Awkward silence follows. She can hear him shifting nervously as she focuses on her breathing.

"I, uh, saw your equipment." His voice sounds so unsure, like he's walking on eggshells. "Was that some kind of temperature regulator? It looked like you made it from a blow dryer and a coffee machine." She can hear it in his voice: he knows she's on the verge of tears, and that makes her feel so much worse. She exhales and forces the widest smile possible. Smiling through the pain always made it so much easier to hide.

"The communications tower was damaged, and I didn't have much to work with save for some barely functional equipment, appliances, and a lot of cryo fluid, so I made a make-shift endothermic blaster. The design's a little rough, but it did its job." She says with fake enthusiasm that surprises even herself. Maybe it's not fake, she thinks to herself, It gave me your message, afterall.

"Wait, so…you were in the middle of the arctic with failing power, and just made an ice gun?!" She sees him turn to her, and she turns to meet his wide, goofy smile. "You're a-Mei-zing!"

The sheer glee in his voice causes a genuine, albeit incredibly undignified snort to escape her. Her arms move up self-consciously almost by instinct, and the act is enough to make him swivel his head in the opposite direction.

"Oh, uh, sorry about that, um…was that a snort?"

The comment alone causes another undignified sound to escape her. "No?"

"You did it again!"

"You didn't hear anything!"

"I never thought- you were laughing so much yesterday, but you never-"

"I don't, I just do that 'cause it makes people more comfortable when talking with them."

"So laughing is a social convention, but snorting is a true sign of amusement?"

"*snort* Stop!"

Her face is cherry red, but she finds herself laughing harder than she has in recent memory, with Winston joining in.

"You know, with a few touch-ups, that gun could make a great asset on the field."

His words sound like a proposition. She imagines someone like Tracer running around with her blaster. She imagines several frozen corpses.

"I don't know, I'm not sure I'd feel so great about my technology being in someone else's hands. Uh, no offense." The smile helps keep the quiver out of her voice.

"Well, they don't have to be in someone else's hands."

It takes a moment before the implication of what he's asking finally dawns on her. This time, she finds herself turning around to look at him. She briefly catches his eyes before he looks away.

"Wait, you want me to be a field agent?!" She shouts in disbelief.

"I mean, only if you're willing. That endothermic blaster could really help out in several different situations."

She's silent as she thinks his reply over. The silence goes on long enough that he tries to correct himself.

"I-I know what you're thinking! 'I have no field experience!' That's what I thought too, at first. However, you obviously know your way around the wilderness in extreme environments, and fieldwork is not too different from that."

"But- I'm not a soldier. I do science, not-"

"I know, I know. Me and Tracer can help show you the ropes if you need. There's no pressure here, I promise. It's just-" He sighs deeply, "we're a little short on people right now, and need all the help we can get."

He hides it well, but she can hear the hints of desperation in his voice. She feels a pang of sympathy.

"Look, it was just an idea. It's completely fine if-"

"I'll do it."

There's a long pause.

"Just like that? Are you sure?"

"I told you I'm with you, Winston. If this is what the world needs, then…I'll try my best." The idea of being out on the field is terrifying and exciting, as it is unbelievable.

"I, yes! Great! I'll- w-when do you want to get started? After this?"

"Oh, uh, I'm not sure about-"

"Right, you're probably still tired. Tomorrow then?"

She takes that into consideration. What else is she doing? She doesn't have a job…well, a paying one at least. As far as she's concerned, she's staying here rent free. The little flash drive, still tucked safely away in her room, comes to mind. It needs to take first priority, but…

"Alright, tomorrow it is."

I need that data analyzed, but Overwatch takes priority. She thinks to herself. Feeling sufficiently clean, she turns the shower off and grabs her towel. Coincidentally, Winston seems to finish at the same time.

"Um, thank you for, uh, staying with me. It's weird, I know, but-"

"-you don't want to be alone, I get it. It's a big place with too few people, you don't have to explain yourself. If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask."

And she believes him. How strange, that a gorilla can be so kind. They were barely colleagues back in the day, and yet here he is keeping her company while she showered.

"There's, uh, one other thing." She says. She's tempted, so very tempted to ask. He'll probably say yes, she can't imagine him not. Help me with this data. It's too much for one person. He'll probably understand its importance just as much as her. She should ask him, yet…Can I really take advantage of his kindness? He's got more than enough on his plate without me adding to it. This is my burden to bear, not his.

"What is it, Mei?"

She gives an uneasy smile, "You wouldn't happen to have a blow dryer, would you? I don't think mine will suffice."

The gorilla erupts into loud gaffles, the sheer contagiousness of it causing Mei to join in.

"Of course! You think I air dry this fur? Follow me!"

7:33 PM

Returning to her room, she immediately collapses on her bed. 9 years + 16 hours of sleep, and still she feels exhausted. She's half tempted to go and get some coffee, but the image of Winston seeing her like that again immediately vetoes that idea; she doesn't want to appear to be any more of a mess than she has already. With a little grunt, she heaves herself off from the bed and grabs the flash drive. Bringing out her computer, she pushes the drive in and finds herself immediately overwhelmed. Files and numbers out the wazoo inhabit it, all seemingly disjointed to the untrained eye. Or a trained one, for that matter. She starts to feel the first few pangs of a headache.

"Ugh, how am I supposed to get through all this?" She says out loud, if to no one else but Snowball. The droid responds in kind by nuzzling up to her side, prompting Mei to hold it in a half-hug, "This would be so much easier with-"

She stops herself, but the thought's already there. Her, Adams, and Arrhenius would often blaze through this sort of data as if it were nothing, breaking to enjoy either hot cocoa or a game of Holobloks (in which Arrhenius was always the reigning champ). It feels like no more than a week ago when they did it last. And now they're gone. Forever. The fond memories turn bitter as she tries to keep her lip from quivering, only realizing that tears have already begun to fall when Snowball makes distressed noises. She hugs it closer as she finds herself once again overcome by wracking sobs. She smashes a hand to her eyes furiously, groaning in frustration.

"No, no, I can't keep doing this." She whispers to herself, "I need to focus. I need to do this. For them." Taking a moment to right herself, with one last sniffle she stares at the screen and begins typing furiously.