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]

"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."

[p_51]

He laughed at Babs' comment about scaring the city, "Hey, I can be pretty commanding if I need to. You don't get to be a colonel without it." not that he expected to cow it forever. "I don't think that we're going to be entirely comfortable with the day cycle. Assuming there is a day cycle involving a sun."

[delphi_bat]

"I was that weird girl who ran on Martian standard back home, it was just easier to keep an eye on things that way," she admitted a little sheepishly. Longer days in general, even if her 'days' were mostly nights as it were. "And in theory there has to be. A place like this would need a solar source as a supplement..." in theory.

"But there is living plants, which means full light spectrum..."

"The dome allows filtered light to nourish and gild residents skin without harmful UV, SV, and Neotempic radiation! A truly ideal living situation!"

[p_51]

"Will you please shut up?" Roy roared, "When we want your damn input we'll ask for it!" perhaps not the best idea, potentially antagonizing a mad city, but Roy was on edge. Very on edge.

"What's Martian?" was the question after he finished yelling at the city.

[delphi_bat]

"Ouch, warn a girl..." Babs chuckled. "Mars was a planet near mine, mostly the same houred days but the people that used to live there required less sleep and I tended to talk with J'onn a lot. Adopted his sleep schedule, or spacing out schedule since technically they don't sleep like we do."

"...for assistance please press zero on any phone."

[p_51]

While Roy did not exactly hiss at the latest comment he thought about it. "Sorry. I've found that when reasonable attempts fail it's time for volume. Probably the military man in me. It sounds like you've got a lot of friends that you're missing right now."

[delphi_bat]

Ignoring the city was going to be her go-to plan for now. "It's alright. I'll semi-expect it from no on," she chuckled.

Ah.

"I was part of a global effort. I have...a lot of people who depended on me. They'll manage, yes, but I don't like being away, Penrose or here. So I work."

[p_51]

"I understand that one." he said, fretting again (however quietly), "I was dragged from the middle of a fight with a creature that had quite literally swallowed god. They needed me, because I am the Flame Alchemist and I am damn good at making homunculi use up their lives."

[delphi_bat]

She reached back to squeeze his hand gently, there wasn't anything else she could say to that really. They'd talked a lot about being missed after all. "Looks like a hotel up ahead if the various doors behind the windows is any clue. Temporary kind of place may be best for now?"

[p_51]

He squeezed back and sighed, "Hotel sounds like a plan. I already hate this place. Deeply."

[delphi_bat]

"Hotel it is," she agreed easily. A place to hole up and do some thinking? Exactly what they needed. "At least if this place is more tech than magic based I can maybe make some headway into figuring things out. Penrose was...illogical." And, well, a cube world.