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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
Or else I'm going to have to come back and drag you somewhere to have fun and adventures.
no subject
"Y're threatenin' me with a good time?" He laughs aloud, his voice wobbly but stronger than it had been just a moment ago. But his hand rises, and nods for him twice, the mechanical "yes" breaking the silence. {Soon,} follows, a new confirmation.
"It won't be soon 'nough." He has to brush away the grief that clings with gnarled fingers onto him, has to kick it aside, just for a bit. It's... he wants to manage this, he wants to say goodbye on a good note. On a happy note. This isn't the end. He can't let it be.
"Y're gonna have to show me the lava river when I get there. An' I wanna meet y'r nephews. Oh! I wanna show them a fire dance!" He cheers, plans upon plans for a day in the future where he can see her again, where he can enjoy finding his friend again.
"An' we'll have to train t'gether again. An' you gotta make sure I don't slack off on learnin' your hand-speech." Little goals, like precious gemstones held close, held dearly. "An' we'll paint t'gether again, just 'cause we can. An' maybe read poetry out in a big field." One day. One day soon.
Esteban grins at her, hope and excitement, sharing their space with just a bit of grief. One day soon.
"So that means you gotta stay safe 'ntil I come an' visit. Okay?" It's not so much worry on his part that something might happen to her. Just a need to know she'll be safe. That she'll stay safe. Even though he knows she can't guarantee that either.
no subject
Takes a mountain-sized dragon to put me to any trouble. I'll be fine. You just stay careful, too.
It's a demand, and a fervent hope.
no subject
Nevermind that she's seen him get in all sorts of trouble before.Snickers break through the painful goodbyes, joy sparking behind his grin as he nods assures his friend of this. It won't come to that. Besides.
"What kinda trouble c'n I get to on here? The VoidTrecker's got me." He mentions, knowing without a doubt that all the worst cases would do is call him back to the train, now that they are properly tethered. But it won't stop him from making a promise either.
"It won't get t' that." Hands rise to flutter across the air signing in his constant, clumsy way. {Me, safe. You, safe. Together, we are happy.} He finishes it with a grin, still greedy for more time with her, still greedy to stay, just a little longer. It takes him a few tries before he manages to spill his next line of thoughts with his clumsy hands.
{You don't- fight with dragons.} He pushes, though he doesn't really mean to hold her to that promise. Esteban sure can't hold it, himself, so it would be silly to expect anyone to be able to. His touch flutters against her arm, when he goes to catch her hand, but stops himself again.
He's being greedy.
He's always been greedy for the people around him, but it's compounded now by their imminent loss, by the knowledge that soon, he won't have them near him anymore. Soon, they will be missing from him, and the cold comfort of his hoard is the only link back to them he could hold onto. He'd stay in a hug forever, but-- he can't. Not with Amaya.
no subject
No promises. But I'll do my best. I'll try to keep everything I'm fighting to my size.
no subject
Silence and, more telling, lack of movement is unusual when he's around, and that this turned out to be the last of it-- he's greedy. He's always so greedy, and the sting of her nearing absence only pushes him to reach for more. He flounders with words and sentences that make little to no sense, before settling on the one thing he's greedy for.
{Sit? Together?} he offers, waves at the nearest seats to them, even if a pile of suitcases isn't the most conventional. They're sturdy enough. Esteban guarantees it! He goes ahead of her to sit and waves at the space next to him, beckoning his friend close once again.
[OOC: Fade-to-black next post? He's just going to lay his head on her shoulder and soak in her presence as much as possible before they part ways.]
no subject
There isn't much more time. But there can be a little more. One last moment. And so she just smiles, holding her friend close. His presence has been a gift, and she too is loathe to let it go.
So, for a little while longer, she doesn't.
For a little while longer, they can just be.