"My ass is numb." Jack said, after doing nothing but sitting for about 45 minutes.
"Yeah?" she said. "Thanks for that information. It's duly appreciated."
Walking to the end of the platform, Jack threw his legs over the edge.
"Be fucking careful!" She basically screamed, floating close to Jack with her hands out, like she was ready to catch him.
"Woah," he said. "I've never heard you curse."
That purple blush came back. "I, uh... I apologize for my profanity. I was speaking quite out of line."
"I didn't know you cared about me so much, Warden." He was swinging his legs like a child off the edge, noticing that the Warden's eyes followed his legs with each swing, anxiously.
"Oh, Jack, it's not about care." Her gaze never snapped away from his legs.
"Well, your gravity field only goes so far, right? I mean how long would I even fall?" Jack leaned his trunk over his knees to get a peek at the void below his feet."
"Jack!" The Warden pushed him back onto the platform with her giant, blue finger. "I swear I will consume you before I see you fall."
"What, would me falling get you fired or something?"
She didn't seem to answer, and returned to her usual spot, just floating there, her eyes glancing toward Jack, apparently making sure he was alright.
Some people dream of space; of being an astronaut. Some children dream of being weightless in the vast beauty that is space. They can't wait until they can learn all about the planets and the formation of stars in their fifty minute middle school classes, and then go back to their comfy homes in the afternoon and eat all the cereal and watch all the TV they want. Jack was living their dreams, he saw the views those children wanted to see.
Jack knew an astronaut once. His name was Robin Thine. Robin would be gone for months on space missions. He would see what so many people gawk over: the Earth and Moon from a distance, being engulfed in the galaxy. Robin was also the most boring person Jack had ever met. They would go out to lunches, or grab a coffee, and making conversation was the most grueling round of pulling teeth Jack had ever endured. He would try to ask him about his space missions, and Robin would oblige and indulge in those questions, but if you tried to ask him anything further than that, he was a grey canvas.
"Robin, I don't think you've ever told me if there's anyone special in your life. I'd imagine ladies... or guys? love the astronaut scene." Jack was bouncing his knee on the patio seat of the coffee place Robin had suggested.
"I'm not really looking for anyone. Women are a lot of effort."
"Yeah? I have my own theories on why that is, but why do you say that?" Jack was trying to get something more out of Robin's response.
"Well, they're a lot of money."
"Depends on the gal." He raised his mug for a "cheers," but Robin didn't quite get the cue.
"Yeah."
Jack just figured that some people just didn't like conversation. A rare breed of people, perhaps the most extreme type of introvertism there is. How can someone who has seen the blanket of stars and planets with their own two eyes, who has spent months in zero gravity, be so damn boring to be around? Jack assumed most astronauts were like this. The beauty and majesty of space must have just shattered their sense of enthusiasm. Jack supposed that once you've seen it all, nothing could shock or interest you anymore.
Neptune was so far away, but Jack could see it clearly from where he was sitting on the transparent platform of his prison. He had seen space, he has been surrounded by the beauty and majesty of space, and he figured that he hasn't changed much at all.
"Hey, Warden." He said, somewhat quietly. Surely a slight surprise to the Warden.
"Yes?"
"Do you find me boring?" He didn't turn to her.
"To look at? Absolutely. Such ugly deep beige skin. That black fuzz on you reminds me of your primates"
"Harsh, but my grandparents are Pakistani if that means anything to you." He hugged his knees.
"Is that Earthly geology? I wouldn't know." She looked at her nails.
"Well, I guess I meant more along the lines of do you think I'm boring as a person?" Jack asked with hesitation.
She giggled just a bit. "Jack, it has only been day three of your eternal sentence. How could I possibly have a composed judgement?"
Jack looked a bit disappointed.
"Okay, look," she said. "you're pretty snarky. You have quick wit for a human."
"Thanks."
Jack assumed that you can't be boring if you're a snark. If you have the creativity to come up with witty and snarky responses, you can't be the personification of flour. Jack crawled over to the edge again, just to look fully at the universe once more. To make sure that he can look out into this void and still be the Jack he was. He didn't want to turn into what an astronaut contains in their head: nothing. He dangled his arms off the edge of the disk.
"You best be careful!" She said, with panicked concern.
"Oh, chill out. It helps me stretch" He said, throwing his right leg over the edge, his right arm still dangling off as well. He honestly said this just to mess with her, assuming that it was her job on the line. He also assumed that he had enough balance to keep himself up.
He didn't realize he was plummeting until he heard her screaming,
"JACK!!"