Well...

[delphi_bat]

Who: Babs, Roy, Any
When: Arrival
What: So a teacher and a librarian get lost in the darkness...

It had seemed like such a simple plan really, she'd left a series of home made monitoring systems about the size of her palm in an arc from the Penrose bridge and extending out into the darkness. They were just data collectors, measuring everything from ambient temperature to vibrational intensities, and they all emitted a soft little beeping sound out in the Darkness.

She hoped that would have made them easier to hone in on, for both Finders and newly lost people alike...but to be certain, well, she'd asked Roy if he wanted to lend a hand. Nothing like taking a stroll for science, right?

They'd worked like a charm until it came to about the halfway point of her test arc, then the world had slipped sideways and all she'd managed to do was grab Roy's hand and hold tight. When reality decided to realign itself, well, best not to get separated.

She still had his wrist in a death grip when she came to, jerking from unconscious to awake and scanning the new environment in a blink. "Well, we're not in Kansas any more," she muttered softly, grumpy. A quick check and..."Elos are gone too."

They were in a park, buildings looming up above the untamed tree line and her chair parked beside a sculpted bench and Roy sitting on the end nearest her. He was breathing, that was good, though it took her a minute or two longer to convince herself to unwrap her fingers. Hopefully his hand wasn't too numb? In the dim glow from a street lamp a bit further down she couldn't tell if Merlin had arrived safely with them or not.

Here was to hoping?

"At least this world looks a bit more to scale," she sighed, reaching out to shake Roy's shoulder gently. "But if this keeps up I'm going to get really sick of the world shifting." Just saying.

Comments

[delphi_bat]

"...please register, guests."

"Is it me or did that sound like it was trying to buy time?" she mused, wheeling to the desk and looking at...a light screen. "Useful, it's high tech instead of a guest book" she noted. "It's flat and featureless, you'll need an audio option unless you want to give me permission to sign you in I guess...unless...give me a moment." The fun thing about light boards was that if one knew enough advanced computing and light variances it could be hard light.

"Guests should refrain from-"

"I'm increasing accessibility, consider it a service call," she snapped. "Come put a hand on the board, it's just over my left shoulder, about three feet ahead. Tell me when you can read the writing? May as well find out now if you'd prefer methods like this to having audio services." She was going to start with about a fifteen percent embossing from screen flatness and work from there!

"...thank you Technician Gordon. Please wait while a repair file is created for this hotel. There will also be a slight delay in providing all requests for a first floor room. Thank you for your patience!" Then? Then music turned on above them.

[p_51]

Roy kept having her fiddle with it until he was happy, at around 21%. "That will do." he said, adding his information into the system as directed by the city. "Lets find food. I always think better when I'm fed."

[delphi_bat]

"Settings will be saved for Citizen Mustang!" the city chirped before...spitting a menu on to the screen.

"Food is a great idea," Babs sighed. "Ignore the screen, let's hit the restaurant. I don't want to see what this place decided is 'room service', which could very well be the result of ordering from a menu not in the restaurant.

" We excel at providing discreet and satisfactory service in suite for those wishing to spend time together without a crowd!"

"...this way. Before the place tells you to romance me," she snorted.

[p_51]

"City..." Roy said, "My title is colonel. As well I want you to get it through whatever passes for a brain that Gordon and I are platonic friends only. Any insinuation otherwise will not be tolerated. By either of us." He would burn it down. Or at least chunks of it.

[delphi_bat]

"Of course Colonel, your comfort is paramount! Your record has been adjusted to ensure there will be no verbal communications regarding unattached companions!"

Babs was seriously starting to wonder if plugging her ears and humming was the best option for ignoring the city. HEADING TOWARD THE RESTAURANT YES. ""Weird as it was at least the Darkness didn't talk back..."

[p_51]

"To be fair, it's all still darkness to me." he had to quip or he was going to start torching things. He sighed, and followed the sound of the voice travelling away.

[delphi_bat]

"Yes, but this has defined objects in it where the other one swallowed reality," she pointed out. "And my sensors. I have sensors just sitting out gods know where now." Damn it. She'd had a long few nights creating those prototypes!

[p_51]

"Hey, maybe they'll show up here as well." Roy said, shrugging, "I have to admit I'd really love to have all the books you added to that damn machine. Don't suppose you can make me a similar one to put books in? Maybe with that thing you did at registration?"

[delphi_bat]

"Well, if I start getting random sensor pings we'll know they're here," she chuckled softly, then tilted her head, "yes. It may not be on your wrist any more but I'm sure I can find comparable tech, and I'll make sure it can toggle between audio and lightboard as the mood strikes you." This place had more options than Penrose, the Lobby had proven that much!

"Would our guests like to apply for a library membership? We proudly house texts and files from a myriad of cultures and time periods!"

"...and apparently we won't be limited to whatever books I have on my machine here."

[p_51]

Roy sighed, deeply. "I do not like this talking city. It's too intrusive." then he went back to the point at hand, "Thank you, I'd really appreciate that. Reading is one of my favourite things to do, and always has been. About the only calm hobby I had, you know?"

[delphi_bat]

"It sounds like the city founders created an artificial intelligence," Babs admitted. "Less along the lines that you know, the Philoshpers stone creatures you told me about? And more along the lines of technology being able to think for itself once sufficiently advanced."


"This city is the epitome of comfort and and citizen care!"

"And that," Babs sighed. "Reading is a joy. Once upon a time a long time ago I thought I'd love to take care of books all day."

[p_51]

"That would have driven me crazy." he admitted with a smile, "I like being active too much."

[delphi_bat]

"Yes, I came to that conclusion myself," she chuckled. "But this was a long time ago I admit." Preteens even.

"Still a nice moment or two though."