❧ Two Roads Diverged in a Yellow Wood

[luministimods]

[Nothing much has changed in the interior of Dr. Caligin's office since Nathan gave everyone leave to make their decisions. Nathan is still there waiting by Lab #3. If they are returning from doing whatever around the spacestation, they'll notice that all of the photos on the wall have been removed and stacked neatly on the desk, along with all of Caligin's possessions that had been shoved into a desk drawer. (Of course, if one had never left the office, one would have seen him pulling all of the photos down.)]

If you have made your decision, please let me know now. And, uh, if you haven't for some reason and want to ask me something, I guess you can do that too.

So what have you decided?

[ooc: When your character is ready to leave, please write "Going home!" in the subject line of your comment and that will be your exit from the game for the season! And if your character is staying, please write "Staying in this universe!" in the subject line of your comment once you are done with your conversation with Nathan. (This will also be your "exit" from the game, but just in a different sense.)]

Comments

[vengefulagent]

[he doesn't immediately respond, completely walking past Croix] Hmm? [he unfolds his arms, turning to look at Croix] Well, it wasn't an easy decision, but I've been assured that time has not passed at all back home. If it had... [he stops, thinking that those troopers would probably have killed each other by now--or by some ridiculous happenstance, done something so stupid that he can't even begin to fathom what that could be.] Well, let's just say I wouldn't be hanging around right now.

[grandbellknight]

[He nods in agreement.] I wouldn't be here either. But, having spent this long away from what's going on back home... I don't know if I'd have anything to go back to.

[Buuut let's not think about that.] Besides, I'm not convinced we wouldn't get pulled here again later anyway. It's not over.

[vengefulagent]

[yeah, but he's not going to let that go just yet] Something tells me that's not exactly true. That one...uh, interesting conversation with Cloche showed me that she's not the type of person to let you go that easily no matter how much time has passed. We should all be that fortunate.

And you're right. I can't risk being pulled back here and possibly bringing someone terribly dangerous along for the ride.

[grandbellknight]

She wouldn't, you're right. But... that's not what I meant. [He shakes his head.] It's more that it's been long enough that the Goddess could have had her way by now. There would literally be nothing to go back to.

[Just thinking about Hibernation succeeding, especially if he isn't around, is enough to make Croix clench a fist. He shakes his head.] But that's not happening, so I can't worry about it.

[Washington's last comment gets his attention, though.] Terribly dangerous? ... The same someone we heard before?

[vengefulagent]

Her way? This goes back to what you started to explain to me back in the maze, doesn't it? About the song magic and Reyvateil connections to the Tower...? [while he says the terms just fine, he's still not exactly sure what they truly mean]

[he nods] Yes. He...is calling himself "the Meta", but he used to be a comrade.

[grandbellknight]

[He nods.] Exactly. [Pause] Since we're both staying, I guess I have the time to explain it. That is, if you really want to know.

[As for Croix, he can't help but give into his own curiosity.] What happened?

[vengefulagent]

[softly, simply] I would. [maybe learning more about Croix's world could help him figure out the best way to advise and prevent the young man from...well. becoming like him later in life.]

It's...complicated. And there are parts of the story that I don't know the details of. I didn't think he was even alive until recently--I mean, "recently" as in back when I was home. He got implanted with an AI fragment and somewhere along the line, he must have gotten it into his head that he needed more. I came into the picture after he'd killed a handful of our top agents just for their AI implants and armor enhancements. We only learned he'd started to call himself "the Meta" after an incident resulting in all but one soldier's death at one of the program's outposts. With each new acquisition, he becomes stronger--and it's my job to stop him.

[grandbellknight]

[Croix's actually a bit surprised by Wash's interest. And normally, he'd just start explaining, but... well. First things first.]

I'm sorry to hear about the agents you lost. [Pause.] I don't know much about AI, but maybe it was corrupted. Or, maybe since it was only a fragment, it wasn't enough. Maybe it wanted the other fragments to become whole again. Is it even possible to get the AI away from him?

[vengefulagent]

[he smiles just a little, glad yet again to see that Croix has a head on his shoulders]

Well, that's just it. Some of the fragments did want to be whole again, and got it into their agents' minds that that's what they should do. But it's not possible to recombine something that's been shattered. It's like that children's nursery rhyme about the broken egg, or if you've ever broken a glass. Once it's shattered, you can't fix it so it's back to the exact condition it was in prior to breaking.

[grandbellknight]

[He nods.] That would make sense. ... So is there only one way to stop him?

[vengefulagent]

[looks down] The only way, yes. At this point, his own mind must be torn to bits. It's the least I can do.

[grandbellknight]

[Croix looks down as well. He's definitely been in that position more than he cares to remember.]

Yeah. I understand.

[vengefulagent]

Doesn't get any easier either. [puts a hand on Croix's shoulder] We all lose people, Croix. [and he's lost so many by now]

[grandbellknight]

[That gets him to look up again. He shakes his head.]

I know. [In response to both points, actually.] That's why it's best to keep moving. Maybe there's a way to prevent it from happening to someone else. [And he's going to hold onto that belief. He has to.]

[vengefulagent]

I think you'll find a way. [removes his hand] Knowing that something has to change is a step in that direction. You just have to be careful what you do with the knowledge you have.

[grandbellknight]

[He certainly didn't mean to have the conversation's focus return to himself. He was actually hoping maybe Washington could find another way out of his own situation... He'll leave it alone. They have time, for now. In fact, he tries to lighten the tone, just a little.]

I don't know if we've managed to be careful about it. [Have a faint smile, as he thinks back on all the... erm... crazy situations he's gotten himself into back home.] We're moving. That's pretty much the best way I can put it.

[vengefulagent]

[lets out a small chuckle] Well, that's better than nothing.

So what do you think about going out there? Into this universe we're in now, I mean, knowing...uh, that people know who we are? [to put it mildly]

[grandbellknight]

[Thaaaaat makes him wince a bit. Ugh.] Maybe it's possible to get used to the attention. I mean, Lady Cloche did, after all. What do you think?

[vengefulagent]

[misery does love company--and he's not likely to forget any of that any time soon, so...] Could always try going incognito. Or taking full advantage of the attention to gain possible informants who might have seen where Resarci went. Of course, we have to be prepared for the inevitable disgruntled fan who might not have liked either of us.

...Wait, Lady Cloche was the center of attention back where you're from? [don't mind if he sounds a bit skeptical]

[grandbellknight]

Yeah, disgruntled fans don't really worry me.

[He rubs the back of his head as he looks away, and he might be holding back a sigh, you can never be too sure~] Lady Cloche is the single most important figure in Metafalss. She's the Holy Maiden, the leader and the hope of the people. [A pause. He looks back up at Washington.] It's been that way ever since she was born, and she didn't have any say in the matter.

[vengefulagent]

Good. It'll be very easy to deal with them anyway.

[a little incredulous] She's the leader of your people?? [he understood before that she's an important figure, but he didn't expect her to be that important. suddenly, he's feeling kinda bad for Croix's people.]

Yeah, you don't exactly have much of a choice when you're born into something like that. Not unless she breaks tradition and passes her station on to someone else.

[grandbellknight]

See what I have to put up with? [Oh, but that's a fond little shade of a smile if ever there was one.]

You have to understand - what you saw wasn't... entirely the truth. A lot has changed, and so has she. She sincerely wants to protect the world. To create the new land. And now, she can. [Beat.] Of course, she's still demanding. And spoiled. Some things never change.

[vengefulagent]

Huh. [that's about as far as he'll go to show how mildly impressed he is] Funny how things work.

Now, when you say "create a new land", do you mean literally?

[grandbellknight]

[He nods.]

I do. But... it's not as simple as singing the song and having the Tower manifest it. Luca and Lady Cloche tried that, and it failed. Horribly. [He sighs.] We're beginning to understand just what it's going to take to make it a reality.

[vengefulagent]

[he almost wants to ask how it could fail horribly; he assumes the worst that could happen is the partial manifestation of land leading to the creation of rubble and the likes. then again...there could have been people living where those new bits of land were created. definitely would explain the "failed horribly" part.]

So basically, you need more singers and more towers?