Memory Cave

[voidtreckermods]

After the passengers see a glimpse of a life that is not their own they appear in a cave. It is light, a strange moss glowing on the walls and ceiling illuminates the cave nicely and it is large enough for them to pace around in without trouble.

They are not alone. In the cave with them is another voidtrecker. Maybe someone they know well, maybe someone they have only seen in the aisles of the train. But they are together in this cave together.

The cave has no exit, at least not yet. They know that it will, eventually. When the time is right.

But for that time to come, they first must talk...

(OOC: For reference: memories!)

Comments

Enna | Nita | Minako

[voidtreckermods]

[nocawsforconcern]

[Of the trio, Enna is the first one to come to. She saw... Something. But she lacks context of any kind for so much of it, it seemed almost incomprehensible to her. An... arcade? Games? 'Sailor V'?

The talking cat doesn't even register on Enna's weirdness scale. Instead, she just looks around at the cave.]

This isn't where I was a minute ago. I hope someone stops my boat from sinking while I'm not in it.

[loveandduty]

Did we fall asleep, get kidnapped and woke up here?

[Of course that was the first thing from her mouth. Considering what she just saw she was assuming she had been dreaming or something. Soon her eyes look around to see who else was here.]

Hi. Are we all trapped here together?

[unfavorableinstigation]

[As for Nita, well... she's been on group wizardries before, but this was something else. Being all those people - strangers, and yet utterly familiar, with a few moments of layered recognition: a person's hands, albeit without a book under them; another's voice, from a recording Nita had had to catch herself up on...

With all of that, and the caveat that the way out will open when the time is right, Nita's left a little breathless upon her own arrival.]

I think... I think our minds are connected, somehow. We just- have to talk about what we saw, to leave.

[Part of her wants to look around for another presence, but all she ends up doing is looking down at her Safety Control Apparatus instead. So that's what it feels like...]

So, roll call: what did you all see? Mine was - I guess you could say it was a little scattered.

[But at the same time, unified. The peridexis, present within her own shadow here, made a considering noise for only her to hear. Best to keep things simple as we can, for now.]

[nocawsforconcern]

I saw an... Ar-cade? Caw. Weird. And 'Sailor V'? But that wasn't about sailing at all. And a cat! A cute cat. He was nice. That person should have pet the cat. I liked the cat.

[She says all of this almost entirely in one breath.]

[loveandduty]

Oh, so you got my memory. Sailor V was this massive person back home. Fought crime before the cops could get them.

[Hey, she made them look bad... She didn't like cops for whatever reason.]

As for the cat, that was Artemis. He was my cat friend. [She paused for a moment since she now figured it was her turn.]

What I was was about a ship named Argo Minor

[unfavorableinstigation]

A hero? Sailor was probably just a title, in that case...

[The ship name doesn't stick out to Nita; she'll wait for if Enna recognizes it first.]

Were you just looking at the ship, or were you on it?

[She's not entirely sure who she's asking that question.]

[nocawsforconcern]

He was nice! You should have pet him. He looked fuzzy.

[Butt she perks right up at hearing the name.]

Argo Minor! That's my ship. I named it! It's a really nice ship! It can go just about anywhere.

[loveandduty]

He always got plenty. A title? I mean that was the name they went with, so not sure how Sailor would be a title.

[So at least they now know whose memory it was.]

If I remember I think you were naming it. So I assume it was the day you got it or something.

[unfavorableinstigation]

[Nita nods, giving a wry smile.]

Those both sound like good memories, generally speaking.

[Even if they were confusing for being out of context - and annoying for having put them in this space in the first place.]

Mine... it was sort of from one person, but it was also the perspective of a bunch of people.

Voidtreckers, like us.

[nocawsforconcern]

A bunch of people?

[She's now focusing hard on Nita.]

More people like us?

[loveandduty]

So you got memories of other voidtreckers?

[Minako paused for a moment.]

Do you think they are showing us those memories for a reason? I mean it seems odd that so far apart from me there have been odd memories.

[unfavorableinstigation]

[Nita nods.]

Yeah, exactly. A whole team of them, saving a kingdom. No lives lost.

[Which was, uh. Definitely something to be happy about!]

I don't know - maybe? We were brought to this world for rest, though. Kind of counter-productive if were were also signed up for mind-chats without our consent.

And I think you just jinxed yourself, Minako - if this happens again, you're probably going to see the strange one next.

[It probably doesn't help that Nita has visionary as a talent, does it? Whoops...]

2nd Cave Round, 3rd set of Memories!

[unfavorableinstigation]

So she'd gone to the mountain; even with the results of the scan she couldn't bring herself to try too much of the syrup, but for the most part she'd let herself be guided.

And then came the memories - not all of them even hers!

Was that what the Labyrinth was like? Nita had asked of her silent companion, mental 'voice' soft, almost fragile.

/If that was what your time with AM was like, then yes./

Even if she wasn't alone in reliving those memories - she still needed someone to hug-

And then came Minako's memory; a face, a past. Truth and tragedy. Is this why you didn't want to tell people the truth? Nita couldn't bring herself to ask.

All those unasked questions, and she came to in the Memory Cave with an Umbreon in her arms. One with blue rings instead of yellow.

She stared at her friend in shock. /Spark does have one thing right,/ the peridexis explained - for Enna to hear as well (and not Minako; for some reason she wasn't there. And why hadn't there been another of Enna's memories? Or-).

/It's that sometimes physical comfort is as important as honest communication. And yes,/ they added, vulpine face turning a little to properly face the other girl. /You can pet me if you wish./

Despite their assured tone, they were shaking in Nita's arms.

[nocawsforconcern]

[Enna isn't as calm and restrained as Nita. Even in the memories, she was trying to approach the figures, and take a swing at them. Of course, it's not possible, but she gave it her best shot, and now that she's out of the memories, she's looking around.]

Petting later. You look fuzzy and I like that, but I don't like whatever's going on here. I'm mad.

I'm gonna find what's going on here and I'm going to beat it up.

[unfavorableinstigation]

[The peridexis nods, and Nita huffs a sigh.]

Can't disagree with you there. This is all seeming super sketchy. Who's running this show?

[She's beginning to think it isn't the train, at least. A side effect of something the Jema'grethy people left behind?]

[nocawsforconcern]

I dunno. It's bad, though. First was nobody's. Was bad. Second was Minako's. Was good. Third was these. Was bad.

Whoever is showing us all of this shouldn't know this stuff to show it. It's coming out of our heads. But it hasn't hurt us yet. It's a message.

[Enna folds her arms, thinking it through.]

... Most likely. It's a taunt. I think.

[loveandduty]

[When Minako finally makes her grand entrance if anyone had even noticed she wasn't around, she found herself sitting on the floor in a slight daze, trying to figure out just what the hell she had seen.

Might take the young woman a good few moments before even speaking.]

Did...Did anyone see a space battle? [That seemed to be all she could muster for the moment as she was trying to make sense of it.]

[unfavorableinstigation]

[Nita frowns, both at Enna's conclusion and Minako's statement - though she still goes over to the other girl to offer her a hug.

Yes, while still holding the Umbre-dexis.]

I couldn't say I did. Did you recognize anyone's voice? Did the vision focus on any one thing?

[nocawsforconcern]

Woah, where did you come from? Space battle? What is there in space to battle? What does that mean?

[She folds her arms, confused, chattering on as she also gets closer to Minako. Though she's not hugging, she's just gonna hover nearby.]

[loveandduty]

Give me a moment. [She frowned before giving herself a small nod. She wasn't going to answer the questions exactly and just state what she saw.]

First of all... they were in space. Second of all, there were fights with giant robots and fighter jets... Which in space is really weird yet oddly cool at the same time. [Giant robots in space. That is cool, okay?] The fight seemed to be near a planet and near...space stations and a train station which sort of stood out with the gold letters saying Home Station of the Voidtrecker Express.

[She paused for a moment, she knew she was going to continue in a moment but she wanted to see if any of this part might then ring a bell for them.]

Does any of this ring a bell? I will carry on in a moment, but I wanted to check.

[unfavorableinstigation]

[Nita's not paying attention to how Enna's responding, though Bobo leaps out of Nita's arms after getting a look at Nita's expression. Wonder, confusion, worry... and determination.]

None of those things by themselves, no. But... mind if I have a look?

[She holds out a hand.]

Only with your permission, though. I recognized some of the people in the last memory; I might be able to do the same here.

[She nods to Enna, then.]

I could share it with you, as well? It'll make it easier to talk about, later.

[Then she pauses, realizing she may be acting just a bit forward, here.]

But, uh, first... how did it end, Minako?

[nocawsforconcern]

... I don't like seeing this stuff, but if I gotta, I gotta.

[She nods.]

Go ahead and show it.

[loveandduty]

How did it end...?

[She goes quiet.] If I had to explain I would say not great, but I guess if you two can look at it you might make more sense of it than I do. I just can't help but think these are connected to the train and that's all I can guess.

[So basically she was more than happy to share what she had seen.]

Never has this keyword been more appropriate...

[unfavorableinstigation]

[Expression firm and permission granted, Nita initiates the connection for all of them to see...

And, once it's finished, she's shaking again - not hyperventilating, but close.]

That's what it was... I've seen that before, before either of you showed up.

[Staggering with the totality of the memory, Nita settles onto the floor, kneeling.]

There was- a vaguer mission summary, a kingdom that wasn't in trouble with anything on-world-

And then those shadows. The train grabbed those who didn't evacuate on their own, drove us out of there at high-speed...

And it was afraid, the whole t-time...

[And who wouldn't be, of something that had done that?

Nita forces herself to recover, focusing on those two names especially - Vian, and Xela.]

As for the second part of that memory - they were talking about time travel.

[Even without knowing for sure, she's convinced; using time travel to reverse a tragedy was exceedingly risky.]

Possibly sacrificing their own lives to do it.