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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
It's a little late to ask these kinds of things. Maybe, just a bit. But on the other hand, Esteban doesn't know when he'll next be able to ask at all. So he grins, and clambers up on a seat crookedly, something that he'd never grown out of.
"You like dresses. You like havin' the freedom to choose. Y' like space, an' travellin' between stars. Y' like the planet you came from, but you also didn't like it--" It's a list. A list of the little things he'd noticed all along his time with the android that he's growing, bit by bit. "But it was still important t' you."
He-- doesn't know much about Guri. They hadn't had that much time to spend together. But he still likes her a lot.
"Y' like swimmin'!" he cheers, with mischief at the corners of his eyes. "But not gettin' surprised." And she can toss him with barely a hair out of place.
He's... not sure where he's going with this. Everything is just upside-down, and Esteban still doesn't know which way he'll fall down to. He pauses in his list, left hand drumming lightly onto the table as he considers it.
"Do you know where you're gonna go?" If it's a goodbye, Esteban would rather know.
no subject
"You have been quite observant. Most people don't know that much about me. It is mostly correct, aside from a few details."
Unimportant ones.
"And yes. I'm going to follow Alice to her world. I...feel a lot for her. And wish to keep her safe."
no subject
"I'll have t' come an' visit you then! An' I never spoke with Alice! I gotta go an' see for myself what sorta world she came from!" It's a warm plan, despite Esteban's twisting guts. He wants to see so much-- of their worlds, of their walks of life, of their experiences. He grins again, mischief scrunching his nose. "I can't wait!"
Ah, that said, he did have something for Guri, didn't he? He's quick to swallow his last bite before brushing any crumbs off over a sink, darting quick hands back to the bag he'd dropped nearby. It doesn't take him long to tug out his ever-present journal; the ruffled edges on the side a proof of its use.
"I got somethin' for you!" he adds, untying the string and flicking easily through the handful of pages. Glimpses of colours greet her eyes, fluttering aside at each page turning-- until he stops. Galactic Basic Aurebesh at the top of the page. Huttese and Bocce below. And, pinned between the pages, his tiny gift to her. Esteban takes it gently; the simple square of paper he'd written on solely for Guri's sake.
"It's not much--" he warns, because it's true. "I'm not good with my hands, but I wanted to do somethin'... so." His hand comes up to rub the short, short strands behind the point of his ear. Another breath interrupts him before he offers the simple paper over to Guri.
On a deep midnight purple background, a round, full moon of pale yellow presses against a corner, a simple print from the arts carriage's colourful papers. Lavenders and pale off-whites splash across the hand-spanning square in their pre-made pattern of bamboo stalks and tufted ears of little rabbits with shimmering, jewel-red eyes.
Esteban has never learned how to use them for their proper purpose, having lost his chance when the soldier with the metal arm had walked away a few stations back. But it hadn't stopped him from making his own little project with the papers, a spill of pale shimmering ink that spells out her name. Over and over.
Galactic Basic in a corner. Draconic right underneath it. And below, 'brave' is slanted in his elven tongue, with each word twisting as if pulled to the center. 'Strong. Determined. Courageous.' They drip along the paper, these little words that don't mean enough. That don't say enough.
On the other side of the paper, an uplifting blue is marred by a single sentence, though Esteban is embarrassed to notice it doesn't really apply anymore.
'May you travel through the night unharmed' has the heavy slant of his elvish writing, a little sentence from his home. He'd thought it would have been fitting for her as she traveled between stars, though he doesn't take back the sentiment.
no subject
"This is the nicest thing anybody has ever given me," she says, and suddenly her arms are around Esteban's neck, squeezing tightly. It might be a little bit painful.
"Thank you, Esteban, thank you so much. I'll treasure it as long as I exist. Which may be a very long time."
no subject
They matter. To one another. It was-- it was luck that they had met, a twist of some unnamed dead god, pulling strings along just for their own amusement. Circumstances out of their control. But it still mattered, it matters so much.
Because they met each other. Because they had the chance to grow as friends. And even though it's not enough; even though Esteban wants and wishes he could go on with her, spend some time with her and get to know her better, right now, right here, this is good. This is precious.
He holds the hug as long as she does, letting the tears that soak through his eyelashes trickle gently down as he buries his chin into her shoulder. There is sadness in their separation. But there is joy in their lucky meeting, the chance they had to share space and thoughts and experiences, the friendship that lingers.
"Just take care 'f yourself just as much, okay?" he adds, even over her shoulder. "No matter where y' go. Be safe. Be happy." She deserves it. She deserves happiness, and the chance to find it. Deserves the chance to chose her path, again and again and again, all along her journey. And with it, he hopes for her that joy will follow along.
no subject
And the very fact that she could is a miracle of this place. A greater one still, to have attracted such people as she had. Friends. True friends, who helped her grow, who helped her become. She'd been designed to be a perfect copy of a human being, but they had helped her develop so much substance.
"That must be my wish for you, as well," she adds. "What are your plans, going forward?"
no subject
"I think I'll stay here," he responds easily enough, even as his thoughts screech to a halt and clamor in voiceless anticipation. It doesn't sit well with him, he knows, but Esteban doesn't know-- cannot know-- where else to turn. If he stays, he can keep the friendships that have grown. The joy that he has found here. It should be enough. It should be enough.
"I get t' visit anyone I miss, an' I get to stay with my friends here!" It's a win-win. So why does he hesitate? He cannot ask for her help, when he doesn't know what bites in the corners of his mind.
"Maybe I'll get t' see Alice's world that way. Y' think she'd let me?" he asks eagerly, twisting his thoughts to better things-- to hopeful tomorrows. The edge of tears isn't so easy to stave off, but his smiles grow more genuine, more free with the hope.
no subject
"If you're her friend, I can't see how she'd say no. She says much about the beauty of her Wonderland. Perhaps, in time, she'll help others see it, too."
no subject
"Tell me 'bout it?" He asks, because he doesn't want to part ways, he doesn't want to leave Guri just yet. It's selfish, and not really useful, not when he might see it with his own eyes later on, he just-- he doesn't want this to end. So he clings to little pieces that might be shared across, last little details he can learn of his friend before they inevitably say goodbye.
Goodbye for now. They'll see each other again, so it's a 'goodbye for now', right?
"What did she tell you? What made y' wanna go there?" He grins, leaning against the counter and stealing another little cupcake to nibble on as they speak. This is better. This is normal, enjoyable too. A little stolen moment where Esteban can push back the reality of things just a little further. He wants to remember Guri just like this.
no subject
"There were stories," she admitted. "But in truth? I've fallen in love with her. I didn't even know I was capable of it, and so much of what people would normally offer me, or want of me just...wouldn't work for me, but she..."
A small smile spread across her face.
"She's special. And she needs someone, I think. To be there."
no subject
... Well, he hadn't meant to dig that deep, but the surprise is swift to turn to delight, his grin widening, more honest and free. Oh, of course she would want to go with Alice! These friendships they've made, these relationships with people from such different worlds-- of course, there would be some of them willing to make the jump. To leave, to go elsewhere.
"That's great!" He's not quite sure how to put his thoughts into words, but he stumbles along with the brightness shared between them, delighting in this spark of joy and arms lifting in meaningless gestures. "Now I really wanna talk t' her," he cheers, enthused. "Gotta go an' visit whenever I get a chance to." Plus, he does really want to see her world.
He still has to ask, just to make sure. Turns to Guri and wonder aloud if there is anything that he might be able to do for her.
"No regrets leavin' behind the train? Anythin' you'd want me t' watch out for? Maybe I can help?" Plants she might not be able to leave with. Or-- or. Esteban doesn't actually know what Guri used to do in her free time, actually. He just... wants there to be nothing holding her back. He wants her to walk away without restraints. Without tethers, in a way, and the thought brings a light smile to his lips.
no subject
"All adventures must end, sooner or later. Journeys end, or start anew. So must this one, and I look forward to whatever comes next."
She looks thoughtful on the other points.
"I wouldn't like to say," she replies, "not knowing the variables. But if you truly wish to help, I believe that is all that is required."
no subject
He'd never be ready to say goodbye.
"Hey. Um..." Words run from him, flightful birds out of his reach, out of his abilities to catch. He doesn't know what to say. He's not ready to say goodbye.
But they have now. Like Romeo pointed out. They have a chance, and that's not always a gift that he can have.
"I hope you'll be happy. Wherever you go. Whatever happens." He smiles, again, little wishes folded over and held out for her to catch. It's... it's the only thing he can do. "I hope you'll be happy."
no subject
She reached out to pat his shoulder.
"I hope your choice brings you such, too."
Fade-to-black?
It stings. No matter how many times, it'll always sting him, to lose these precious friends he's made.
"I mean; I'm sticking 'round 's long as I can. Help people out, travel t' new places~ It's a dream for me." So, here he would stay.
He toys with the straps of his poi again, tangling them around his fingers and untangling them in turn. He has to take another breath before he remembers that he promised he would meet her again, and it's one more thing he can clutch at, when so much is taken out of his hands.
"I guess it's a 'see-ya-later' then?" He offers, grinning even through the slight burn of tears gathered at the corner of his eyes.
Yes :) And it was lovely.
"It is. One day, in another time and place."
She liked the sound of it.