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]

"It wouldn't suit you," she chuckled, "You stand out a bit too much for modesty." And he was damn good at what he did, science and flame alike as far as she'd experienced.

"Funny note, the lights behind us are dimming as we move, and the ones ahead coming on. This is not boding well for a functional elevator." Ah, well, stairs weren't impossible.

[p_51]

"If it ends up being needed I can carry you on the stairs and go back for your chair." Roy said mildly. He knew he could do it.

[delphi_bat]

"My hero," she teased easily. "Hate to bind up your hands though, we'll figure it out when it comes to that!" When, not if, since there were most certainly tall buildings ahead. They were going to go up into one at least. So.

"In retrospect I really should have stuck at least one grappling hook in this chair."

[p_51]

"You can always hold onto my shoulders." Roy pointed out with a laugh, "I trust you to not choke me if I have to let go of one of your legs in order to immolate something. You can keep a look out for things you could turn into a grappling hook, I'm sure."

[delphi_bat]

"And just like that he dashes my dreams of romantic poses!" she laughed, the sound echoing from the walls they of the buildings they were approaching. "My poor broken heart...but I do appreciate the practicality!" Utterly in fact.

"I'm just bemoaning my lost toys. I was working on replacements in Penrose, but, well, it was more important to bring the other gadgets in our outing." Because they'd been a little inelegant but she'd wanted to field test prototypes in the darkness to see if the idea was worth refining.

[p_51]

"If I thought you actually wanted romantic gestures I'd be happy to provide them." he said dryly, "As a dedicated ladies man, however, I'm quite good at picking up 'just teasing, not interested' from a mile away."

[delphi_bat]

That honestly had her laughing softly, which was good, it relieved tension and an increasing paranoia about their new environment, "wouldn't tease if you weren't aware of such," she admitted at last. "Hmmm, this building seems to be residential. There's a bank of buttons on the wall with blank spaces beside them, one assumes for names or residents."

"Accommodations available!" A hidden speaker spoke out. "Grand views of the sky dome, spacious rooms, and tenant amenities! Come tour the Jade Plaza building today!"

[p_51]

"Yes, because I desperately need views. Sky dome? What do they mean by sky dome? Do you want to check in?"

[delphi_bat]

"Aw, be nice, the building only has it's prerecorded drabble to work with," she noted, buying herself a moment of time as she peered upward. "Could be a dome, the sky I mean, the night looks a bit static." Did they want to check in?

"I don't know, want to go house hunting with me? It's as good a way as any to find high ground but the coffee on those tours always suck."

[p_51]

"I'm a military man, Gordon, there is no coffee as bad as third watch coffee. Lets go find a place to lair up while we decide what to do next." He liked defensible places. He liked them a lot.

[delphi_bat]

"Fifth precinct after a riot," she noted off hand. "Dad was a cop, part of the deal when he was promoted was better coffee." Ah, but going inside now it seemed. "Front doors are sliding glass, automated, lights are still going off behind us as we move."

[p_51]

"Not that lights are too much of an issue for me." he murmured, "What's the room look like? Obstacles, most importantly." he let the riot talk go, it came too close to the heart of his issues with his own morality.

[delphi_bat]

"No, but the power usage is odd," she admitted. And the more people that knew about odd things the better?

"Lobby, the tile extends in a solid line from the door we're at now, main entrance, to the elevators, the width of that path is about ten feet, consistent. On either side of said path is a twenty by twenty square of softer looking, probably one step below shag, carpeting. Each square has thin planters running along the wall to the window with static seeming plants, two lounge sofas at ninety degrees to the planter at each end, so under the far window and just after the bottom start of carpeting, and extending six feet. Between each is a glass coffee table, same length as the sofas. A hallway extends at ninety degrees from our current tile path in about two feet running into the wings of the building on either side, length indeterminate." And that was that really. There wasn't even a front desk really.

Of course, the recorded message decided to kick back in. "The applicants should be aware that we have various facilities to accommodate and aid impaired individuals! For the visually impaired please audibly request audio guidance! For the physically impaired please be aware of all ramps and lifts!"

"...wonderful."

[p_51]

He nodded at Barbara's description of the place, making special note of the glass because tripping into a glass table is a really good way to get really hurt. "Sounds like it's a nice looking place." he said, and it wasn't sarcastic. After all this time he was feeling...used to his lot in life. He still hated being blind, but was resigned to it.

"Yeah, pardon me if I'm going to trust my dog more than some talking machine." he mumbled, patting Merlin on her fuzzy head. "Well...are we going to look deeper into this place, or are we backing out to the street and checking something else?" Always let the person with the most information decide the path to take. In this case Barbara and he were equally lost, but she could see what was going on. It gave her an edge, and Roy was going to take that edge.

[delphi_bat]

"This is a high end place," she admitted, "and getting roped into 'owning' something here before we understand the monetary system could be bad." In that 'maybe we sell our kidneys' kind of way.

"And companion animals are always welcome in our facilities, free of charge and with care facilities for their grooming and relaxation as well!"

"...especially since it wants us here so much. High ground was a better prospect when the city wasn't talking to us." Yeah, she could be a touch grumpy, it was totally justified.

"If prospective buyers act now move in fees are waived and the first month's utilities are as well!"

"...and there's no yard for Merlin here anyway."

[p_51]

"I vote we turn around and go right back out of here before we accidentally do something that locks us in." he said, frowning deeply, "Maybe we can find a non-residential building to climb instead." This place and it's intense need to get them signed up was giving him the creeps.

[delphi_bat]

"Glad we agree," and they could get very quickly to the same door they'd come in, right? Right.

"Thank you for coming! Remember, when a true feeling of community matters you want to live in Jade Plaza Towers!"

"Noted." At leas the door opened to let them out?

[p_51]

"I really, really wish I could see what was going on." he said with a faint snarl, "I do not like being out of control like this." Obviously. He was a military man.

[delphi_bat]

"I know," she offered softly. "I wish I could give you that." She really wished she did. "I know some people who've adapted to echo location, sonar resonancing? But that's something to poke at when we're...something closer to stable."

[p_51]

"Not your fault." he said, shrugging, "I have...no idea what either of those are. Machines?"

[delphi_bat]

"Different terms for the same thing really, sorry. Did you have bats in your world? That would shortcut the explanation."

[p_51]

"Oh, yes. We have bats." something that he knew! It was always a relief when they could find something he knew about.

[delphi_bat]

"Awesome, if they're anything like the bats back home they are little flying wonders that are mostly blind. They navigate by screeching and listening to the way sound echoes bounce back at them, in fact it's a far more accurate way to determine the world than binocular vision. Some people in my wor-"

"The Nightlife under the skydome is wondrous! Qualifying citizens can join any number of conservation and wildlife observation clubs! Inquire today!"

"-ld have been experimenting with ways to use the same sort of navigation." Maybe if they ignored the city it would shut up for a bit?

[p_51]

"I'M BLIND." Roy finally yelled at the city, "STOP TELLING ME WHAT I CAN LOOK AT." grumble mumble grrrrrrrr.

"Try one of our many radio stations! Music 26/8! All day every day!"

"I hate this place so much." that was to Babs, sighing, "Well, if you can help me learn I'd like it. I love Merlin, but I don't like depending on anyone but me."

[delphi_bat]

"And bonus I don't need to give you the 'nothing comes easy' speech like I did half the kids I ended up yelling at..." she admitted, wryly amused. "Twenty six hours days, eight day weeks, slightly larger primary planet was the basis for this place. May not be now but..." But he could do the math just as easily as she could.

"...enjoy one of the lovely cafes along this street?"

"And that sounded meek. Wow, I think you scared it Roy."