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middleofsomewhere2022-10-25 04:21 am
voidtreckermods) wrote in middleofsomewhere2022-10-25 04:21 am
We Approach Our Final Hour
The days after the celebrations are filled with helping those from system #1015 get settled, or just by resting and recuperating after what was a difficult battle.
A couple of days later however Void Minister Till once again calls all the voidtreckers, scientists and other interested parties to a meeting. She looks a lot less grim this time.
To Return Home
"We are now able to see the way to return you to your non-travelling selves. This will untether you from both the Voidtrecker Express and the void. Your bodies on your worlds are, for the most part, well. Tethering is a powerful thing so even those from places that do not have the technology to sustain an unconcious person for a long period of time will find themselves well, though feeling some lingering fatigue. Time has passed in all your worlds and I know it will be difficult to explain your absence." She smiled softly.
"We don't ask you to keep the void completely secret, but especially those from places with a low level of technology should use their discretion when talking about their adventurers. You will not be voidtreckers anymore. You all come from non void active worlds and so until those worlds join the void network you must remain on them. Those from the void can always visit you and we will endeavour to pass on messages between worlds if there are those you wish to remain in contact with. This is the option we expect most of you will take."
To Remain
She lets the any comments or discussions about that bubble for a moment before she presses on. "However, we are very aware that there are those of you who do not have homes to return to. Some of you were tethered on the brink of death. Some of you come from places now destroyed. Some of you have physical places to return but have found family and friendship in the void far greater than anything you had in your lives before." She paused.
"For you we offer another option. You may remain. We believe that as we detangle your tethers from the Voidtrecker Express we can tether you, properly tether you, to this void base." She looked around. "I won't mince words, this option means that your non tethering selves will be no more, your bodies back on your world will die. You will be like those of Osiga and now those of system #1015. You would not be able to return to live on your world." She paused, to let the gravity of that sink in.
"You will always have a home on this base and from here..." She smiled warmly. "You can do what you wish. There are many mission craft that would happily take you on if you have found you have enjoyed assisting worlds in need. Otherwise there are other craft, scientific voyaging craft, tourist craft. We will help you find a place. Though you are free to go your own way, this would be your base but you would not be obligated to remain here. You would be welcome to visit those who return to their worlds, though we would ask that you limited visits to your own, to avoid complications." Again she gave a moment, for the discussion around that to die down before she spoke again.
To Go Back
"Finally. We are aware there are some of you in very difficult situations. Where taking you from your world has led to your whole world, or large parts of it in grave danger. We are aware worlds have fallen, for lack of you. For you we make another offer. We do not make this lightly, it is risky and we ask that those taking it have very good reason.." She looked around, silent and serious.
"We believe that using what we learned of anchoring through time we can return you, not only to the place you were brought from, but the moment. You would remember all that has passed but to your world it would be as if you were never gone at all." A pause.
"Because of the grave risks associated with this, we will be sealing the worlds of those that return in this way. These systems will never become void active and no void craft may enter those systems. As I say, it is not an option we give lightly."
The Choice is Yours
"Whatever you choose we will support you in it. We are also aware there are many of your number not with you. Please be assured that we are working through their tethers. We will do our best to give them the same choices and at the very least we will return them all to their homes. I understand there is a lot to think about. We believe we can hold on to your tethers for a couple more days and so please take this time to talk it through and to say your farewells."
She falls silent and steps back, letting people talk and discuss, whilst remaining close.
A couple of days later however Void Minister Till once again calls all the voidtreckers, scientists and other interested parties to a meeting. She looks a lot less grim this time.
FINAL CHOICES
"Thank you all for gathering again. As you know we have been working on figuring out what was happening with your tethers, trying to untangle them from the Voidtrecker Express and find you a way home." She gave a tired smile.
"However with the resolving of the time paradox surrounding system#1015 it seems much of our work is out of our hands, your tethers seem to be detangling themselves and so our work quickly moved to keeping you all stable enough to remain here, because we are very mindful that you deserve a choice in this and a chance to say your farewells. You were brought here without your knowledge or consent and despite that have done a great service to the void so before I say anything else I wish to thank you, on behalf of us all."
To Return Home
"We are now able to see the way to return you to your non-travelling selves. This will untether you from both the Voidtrecker Express and the void. Your bodies on your worlds are, for the most part, well. Tethering is a powerful thing so even those from places that do not have the technology to sustain an unconcious person for a long period of time will find themselves well, though feeling some lingering fatigue. Time has passed in all your worlds and I know it will be difficult to explain your absence." She smiled softly.
"We don't ask you to keep the void completely secret, but especially those from places with a low level of technology should use their discretion when talking about their adventurers. You will not be voidtreckers anymore. You all come from non void active worlds and so until those worlds join the void network you must remain on them. Those from the void can always visit you and we will endeavour to pass on messages between worlds if there are those you wish to remain in contact with. This is the option we expect most of you will take."
To Remain
She lets the any comments or discussions about that bubble for a moment before she presses on. "However, we are very aware that there are those of you who do not have homes to return to. Some of you were tethered on the brink of death. Some of you come from places now destroyed. Some of you have physical places to return but have found family and friendship in the void far greater than anything you had in your lives before." She paused.
"For you we offer another option. You may remain. We believe that as we detangle your tethers from the Voidtrecker Express we can tether you, properly tether you, to this void base." She looked around. "I won't mince words, this option means that your non tethering selves will be no more, your bodies back on your world will die. You will be like those of Osiga and now those of system #1015. You would not be able to return to live on your world." She paused, to let the gravity of that sink in.
"You will always have a home on this base and from here..." She smiled warmly. "You can do what you wish. There are many mission craft that would happily take you on if you have found you have enjoyed assisting worlds in need. Otherwise there are other craft, scientific voyaging craft, tourist craft. We will help you find a place. Though you are free to go your own way, this would be your base but you would not be obligated to remain here. You would be welcome to visit those who return to their worlds, though we would ask that you limited visits to your own, to avoid complications." Again she gave a moment, for the discussion around that to die down before she spoke again.
To Go Back
"Finally. We are aware there are some of you in very difficult situations. Where taking you from your world has led to your whole world, or large parts of it in grave danger. We are aware worlds have fallen, for lack of you. For you we make another offer. We do not make this lightly, it is risky and we ask that those taking it have very good reason.." She looked around, silent and serious.
"We believe that using what we learned of anchoring through time we can return you, not only to the place you were brought from, but the moment. You would remember all that has passed but to your world it would be as if you were never gone at all." A pause.
"Because of the grave risks associated with this, we will be sealing the worlds of those that return in this way. These systems will never become void active and no void craft may enter those systems. As I say, it is not an option we give lightly."
The Choice is Yours
"Whatever you choose we will support you in it. We are also aware there are many of your number not with you. Please be assured that we are working through their tethers. We will do our best to give them the same choices and at the very least we will return them all to their homes. I understand there is a lot to think about. We believe we can hold on to your tethers for a couple more days and so please take this time to talk it through and to say your farewells."
She falls silent and steps back, letting people talk and discuss, whilst remaining close.
no subject
I'm planning on returning to my body. However...
... some five or six decades ago, I was bodily flung into the world my body currently occupies from the world of my birth. I had a wife and son, and another child on the way. Given several of the people on the train are from similar worlds, I'd hoped that maybe if one of you stumble on my Alice or Kevin, or a few other people, you might pass on a message.
That and... well, the world I'm on is dying. I've been trying to keep everyone comfortable, but we're going to need an evacuation sooner rather than later. I'd prefer it not be what we had to do for Osiga, but it's better than nothing at all.
If it's even possible. There is a barrier that is supposed to keep those on the world trapped. But somehow I was tethered despite that.
[holds up a bunch of papers, so Rezo can hear them rustle.]
I can have them put in a form easier for you to read if you like. There is a photograph and a few drawings, which I can't do much about.
no subject
Let me see…
[Rezo takes one of the papers from Thomas and silently casts the reading spell before running his fingertips over the letters, checking to see if they’re big enough for him to feel out. They’re not as big as would be ideal, but he can read them.]
Yes, I can work with these. And I can try to pass on any messages you have, although I’m sure you understand that it’s a large universe out there.
I can’t work with your pictures, but if you have any other identifying information… More names, addresses, dates… I can look into it.
no subject
Dates and addresses start on page 3, or all that I can remember. A few would simply confirm that it is the same world, or would aid a friend in similar circumstances.
There are also two rituals for summoning ghosts, that should work if you are on the correct world. I have only met Rose in passing, but she's safer than Mary to carry a message unless Mary can justify aiding you as acting as the guardian for a descendant of mine. Please read all the instructions about Mary; she'll try to keep anyone from doing anything they might regret, but I'm living proof she can't always succeed.
[other cautions... right.]
Also, best to be clear you are acting on my behalf. I can't imagine Alice has gotten any less willing to shoot first and ask questions later.
no subject
He is going to be very interested in reading about those rituals in particular, already wondering if they work anything like the ones from his world. Rezo may be on his relative best behavior these days, but once a mad scientist, always a mad scientist.
Which, admittedly, based on the limited information that Thomas has just provided, might get him shot…]
Oh? I’ll make sure to have a shielding spell ready when I find her.
[...But Rezo is a healer and he’s confident he’ll be fine.]
no subject
[There was that nagging vision from Bruno that was of an Alice much closer to 20 than 80, but it still doesn't make sense.]
no subject
I have met a great deal of octogenarian women over the course of my career as a healer, and I can safely say that the vast majority of them were…colorful. At any rate, is there anything else I should know or is it all covered in here?