"I think so," Laine answered. Perhaps it did. Perhaps it led to additional questions, but Laine was not a researcher or a philosopher, and so most of those questions were not her department, as Agent Hania would have instructed.
[attr="Style","display:inline;width:calc(100% + 59px);position:relative;left:0px;text-align:left"]Perhaps she had said something different. There was more than one word that belonged in that sentence. Sometimes it was like that. There was not always just one answer, and there was not always just one question.
Laine thought for a while about what Pepper had said, about existing more because of experience. This was an interesting concept to her. It touched on the ideas of learning and development, but it was its own way of thinking about it. Laine liked different ways of thinking about things, because sometimes that made things fit better.
"Existence is... cumulative." Not so much a question as a statement. "Do the ones here exist more because you have gone through?"
Post by xXxStitchesxXx on Jul 30, 2023 17:38:54 GMT
“...Huh.” Pepper slowed down slightly as she tried to parse what she had just heard. Did she say adopted? Adapted? Maybe Dr. Kallie was right, and listening to her music so loud was blowing her ears out. She chose to hear ‘adapted.’ But before she could even think to respond to that, laine hit her with another question. This one was even more philosophical than the answer Pepper had previously supplied.
“Well, I suppose by my own logic, they must exist more. They certainly seem to act like it. And the lost don’t stay lost, so I don’t see a reason why they would have to be adapted.” Adapted. What did that even mean? Was she speaking in an evolutionary way? As though they would be physically adapted to their surroundings? Or did she mean mentally? Would they mentally adapt to the situation and figure out how to persevere? Dr. Hillary had done neither of those things, but that didn’t mean that others wouldn’t.
“I’ve never really… thought about this kind of stuff before. Are you sure you wouldn’t do better in the research department?” By now, the portal on the other side was in view, maybe thirty seconds away. Pepper led her over the second stream. This one didn’t dissolve shoes, but boy did it turn them red and smell bad. Pepper had stepped in it once and it had smelled like copper. “Good news, we’re almost to the other doorway. The transfer shouldn’t take long, and then we can head back.”
And to those Gods I will speak bluntly, We have an accord if you ever touch or harm him Please rest assured, you may not fear a man, But by the end to a woman, you'll kneel and plead Because I'm more than my mom taught me to be.
"There was a time when I thought I would go into research," Laine admitted. That wasn't something she really talked about, though. "Then things changed." There was a quietness to that sentence, the sort of quietness that invited additional quietness. It did not invite further questions.
It was fitting that they were nearly to their destination. That allowed for there to be things that needed to be done, rather than things that needed to be asked. Laine did not always mind questions, but there were some questions that were different. Different was hard.
"Will the path back be the same? Or will it change?"
Post by xXxStitchesxXx on Jul 31, 2023 16:28:00 GMT
Pepper nodded her head thoughtfully. While she was curious as to what had happened to make her change her mind, she knew better than to ask when information wasn’t willingly offered. She had grown a lot emotionally in the last few years since joining the Foundation as a researcher. If she had been younger, she might have pushed, but not now. Instead, she freed a hand from the box and gave the younger woman a squeeze on her arm.
“I see. Well, the path will remain the same. It’s been the same ever since I can remember. I think, maybe, it used to change, but I don’t know why I think that.”
The doorway before them lit up in a brilliant circle. The yellow sparks illuminating the circle exactly where it should be. In the distance, she heard the sound of wings as they fluttered overhead. Mikulass leading his family away from the path, no doubt. She took Laine’s hand in hers and lifted it to help steady the woman. “The doorway is about six inches off the ground, so be careful here.”
And to those Gods I will speak bluntly, We have an accord if you ever touch or harm him Please rest assured, you may not fear a man, But by the end to a woman, you'll kneel and plead Because I'm more than my mom taught me to be.
Or, rather, it was on her armor, which of course she was wearing. Laine was a security agent, and security agents were there to protect ACF staff members from anomalies if the anomalies suddenly became dangerous.
Like, for example, if someone was touching them even if they had been advised against it.
There was a saying: the tension was palpable. It was supposed to be idiomatic, but perhaps it was not. Perhaps the tension could be something that one could hold onto, if they were so inclined. It was very quiet and still here all of a sudden. The quiet did not leave room for arguments or explanations or even research. It did not leave room for much of anything. It was not a welcoming sort of quiet.
The stillness waited. It was waiting for the hand to go away, because it did not belong there. It did not belong there very strongly.
Once, when Laine had been very very small, some of the researchers had noticed this and tried to research how long one of them could put a hand on hers before something happened. Laine did not do anything about it because she went quiet and still when it happened, but it was reportedly very uncomfortable, the knowledge of not belonging, of touching something that you very much should not.
The record had been six point one three seconds, and that had been the last attempt. Laine had not seen Dr. Harmon for several years after that, and the next time she had, his arm had been prosthetic. No one had told her anything about that, but she was a Class-C now and had access to the files, so she had read it. It seemed that he had been so insistent that his hand didn't belong after the incident that he had been hospitalized, and medical had needed to amputate a few weeks later after gangrene set in because his body rejected the limb entirely.
The file suggested that perhaps this experiment should not be repeated any more.
Eventually, the hand went away, but Laine remained armored, because the situation was now dangerous. Armor provided security. Security was very important. The doorway was here, and Laine understood where it was: 6.03 inches above the ground.
She was very good with measurements, even if she was not good with people.
Post by xXxStitchesxXx on Aug 2, 2023 18:41:18 GMT
She had to admit it. Touching Laine felt strange. Was that part of her anomaly? It was a peculiar sensation. Like she knew Laine didn’t want her to touch her. She dropped her hand as quickly as possible after instructing her in where the doorway was. She was glad Laine was blindfolded because she quickly removed the glove on her hand and wiped off her hand on her dress before replacing the glove. Then she picked the box up and walked through the portal.
On the other side, a small team waited. There were two researchers and a security member, all of whom also wore gloves. The gloves were very important, because even though the anomaly was an upper household grade, touching it activated its effects. And Pepper was very sure that none of them wanted polka-dotted skin for the next month.
She smiled at Dr. Fredricks, a transfer from L-14, who greeted her in like. “How are you holding up over here, doctor?”
“Oh, we’re doing just fine Pepper. It’s lovely as ever to see you doing well in your new position. Tell me, are you still trying to convince-”
“Oh, let’s not talk about that. It’s still uh, in progress.” Pepper looked sideways at Laine, hoping her voice didn’t sound as panicked as she felt. Other people were allowed to know when they weren’t as close to L-14 as Laine was. But everyone at L-14 wasn’t allowed to know. Not by some big rule, but because Pepper personally would die of embarrassment and request a transfer if anyone found out.
“Oh, I’m being rude. This is Laine, she’s my security transport. Laine, did you want to grab something to eat or drink before we go back?” Redirect. Just redirect. It was a genuine question, despite its ease of changing the subject. It was nearly one pm, and Pepper didn’t know when Laine’s lunches were.
And to those Gods I will speak bluntly, We have an accord if you ever touch or harm him Please rest assured, you may not fear a man, But by the end to a woman, you'll kneel and plead Because I'm more than my mom taught me to be.
They had reached the designated ACF location. There was a team of ACF personnel there, which was appropriate for the situation. Dr. Krasniqi seemed familiar with them, and prepared to complete the anomalous transport. There was a certain degree of conversation, which Laine was not good at. It was not the sort of conversation that was about anything. For a moment it might have become that, but then it did not.
Laine was not bothered by this. She was introduced by Dr. Krasniqi and offered a slight nod of her head in acknowledgement but did not feel a need to add to the conversation. Dr. Krasniqi made a polite inquiry, and Laine thought about it for a moment before turning it into a question of her own.
"Is that a question that means 'do you want something to eat or drink' or is that a question that means 'I want something to eat or drink but I am too polite to say so and am hoping you will say yes'?" Laine was not good at picking up on these untidy bits of conversation, which was why she was asking. Also, she had noticed that Pepper was very polite, and the second option was statistically common among polite people.
"Because I do not require anything, but if you would like to I can be patient, or I can pretend that I do. I am not very good at pretending, but I am very good at being patient."
Pepper blinked in surprise and then laughed. It was the kind of laugh you made when you were completely caught off guard. “No, no, I was asking if you needed anything. I would tell you if I required anything. I really would. If you’re good, we could head back now.”
She turned back to where they had come through and the portal reopened. She looked over at the research team and gave them a little wave, her floppy gloves still on. Dr. Fredricks waved as he turned and started to walk deeper into the facility. Pepper turned her attention back to Laine and smiled. “I appreciate your concern for me, though. I mean, even if it wasn’t concern, I appreciate you asking if I needed anything.”
And to those Gods I will speak bluntly, We have an accord if you ever touch or harm him Please rest assured, you may not fear a man, But by the end to a woman, you'll kneel and plead Because I'm more than my mom taught me to be.
Pepper seemed to find something about this to be funny. Laine accepted this without understanding. Humor often required a great deal of explanation, and this was not the time for it. Heading back now was acceptable, because it would mean they were likely to be very prompt in completion. Promptness was important.
The portal reopened, much as it had before. There was no significant change. Laine had not bothered with removing the blindfold, but she did not need to see the portal to know where it was. It was the place where things did not go where they were expected to, but instead went elsewhere, or perhaps elsewheres. It was a somewhat nebulous concept, but there was certainly a place where things were not where they were expected to be, and that was the portal.
"Security officers are responsible for the well-being of other Foundation personnel while accompanying them on Foundation-sanctioned activities," Laine pointed out. She did not think this was necessarily the statement that Pepper had been looking for, but it was not an incorrect one. It was Laine's job to make sure Pepper was capable of performing as necessary, and that included checking to see if she required additional nutrition before re-embarking.
Post by xXxStitchesxXx on Aug 4, 2023 21:30:25 GMT
Laine gave her a very Laine response. Pepper simply nodded, even though the younger woman couldn’t see her. As they stepped through the dimensional door, Pepper saw the road light up before her. They had returned to the exact same point in the path as they had begun. Pepper wasn’t sure why it was the fixed point for her portal- she had a very hazy and foggy memory of the first time she saw the golden light- but this had always been the entry point.
Pepper offered her sleeve to Laine again by nudging her arm against the other woman’s. Then, she began walking once more, following the light as it wove through the landscape. This time, the shadowy birds didn’t return to greet them. That was… odd. Mikaluss never missed a chance to say hello to her. He referred to seeing her as “an answer to our deepest and most desirable prayers.” Of course, that statement confused her further. At some point, she was going to get that D-Class promotion and she would have a team to examine this dimension more thoroughly.
“That’s absolutely true, but I can still feel grateful when any kind of concern is expressed about my well-being. Even if it is mandatory.”
And to those Gods I will speak bluntly, We have an accord if you ever touch or harm him Please rest assured, you may not fear a man, But by the end to a woman, you'll kneel and plead Because I'm more than my mom taught me to be.
Pepper felt grateful? Laine considered that for a little while. It was a kindness, how Pepper had expressed herself in well-defined words. Feelings were hard to understand, especially for Laine. Having them explained made it easier, especially if the explanation was clear and concise.
"I will think about that." Undoubtedly, this was true. Perhaps it was because it was a small part in the understanding of people, or perhaps it was just because Laine tended to spend a great deal of time thinking about things. "Thank you. For explaining. That is helpful."
Explanations could be helpful for both parties in a conversation, after all.
In the meantime, there were other things to consider as well - not conversations, precisely, but the lack of them. They had entered at the beginning, which Laine had not expected but immediately understood. This was the starting point, and always had been. It was a part of how this anomaly worked. Anomalies were much easier to understand than people.
It was not the starting point that felt untidy, but the silence. Laine liked things to be quiet, but because she liked things to be quiet, she had a very deep understanding of the different sorts of quiet, and this was the wrong one. It did not belong here - or perhaps it did, but not in a way that was likely to be beneficial.
"The quiet is wrong. Do you know why it is?" Whether Laine was asking why it was wrong or why it was quiet was anyone's guess, but given Laine's tendency towards straightforwardness, it was likely that if she hadn't specified it was because she meant both. Pepper might not have known her long enough to intuit that yet, though, or she might only have one of the answers, or neither of them. It was clear, though, that something about this situation didn't fit.
Post by xXxStitchesxXx on Aug 5, 2023 13:19:45 GMT
Pepper slowed down and looked around the barely lit area. Something was wrong. It was way too quiet. “I don’t know what’s going on, I-”
Then, the ground began to shake, and she knew. She frantically looked around as the shaking grew worse. Pepper stopped and pulled Laine behind a tall, rocky outcrop. She put a hand over Laine’s mouth and whispered, “Not. A sound.”
She pulled her hand away and watched as the large shape moved around the corner. It was too far to see clearly, but Pepper had made the mistake of seeing one up close before in the past. It was one of the giant worm creatures, with the spiral rings of hands that dragged itself across the ground. The thing was massive, and the earth shook beneath their feet violently with every movement as it dragged itself across the path. It had been years since she saw the last one of these creatures. She wasn’t sure if it could hear or smell or see, but she knew it had a huge mouth full of sharp teeth.
She watched as it rolled and dragged itself across the ground, its strange fingers digging divots into the strange “soil” of the dimension. Its feet or hands or whatever they were hit the ground in a synchronized pattern, a drumming that could be timed with a watch. Pepper had made the mistake before of trying to walk past it. That had almost ended her life. She had no idea how to get Laine past it.
And to those Gods I will speak bluntly, We have an accord if you ever touch or harm him Please rest assured, you may not fear a man, But by the end to a woman, you'll kneel and plead Because I'm more than my mom taught me to be.
This was abnormal for Pepper as well. That was not a good sign, as Pepper was the expert in this particular anomaly.
She was decidedly not an expert in ACF-833, which was not very happy at all about being grabbed at. Movement for security purposes was acceptable, but there was no need to silence an anomaly that already tended towards silence. Perhaps Pepper intended to put a hand over the anomaly's mouth, but it never got there. Instead it stopped a bit short, along with everything around it. The tremors, the tempo of the drumming, the whispers that should have been there but weren't, even the researcher herself. The anomaly pulled back, creating distance. It was not much: an arm's length only, but the barrier was clear, or perhaps it always had been.
Consequences resumed, the distant shaking, the motion around them. 833 touched a single fingertip to the ground, feeling the motion beneath, the distance between the moments: a careful measurement of time. A second finger came down beside the first - not a touch but a tap. One... two... three...
Whatever it was that was before them belonged to the rhythm.
Post by xXxStitchesxXx on Aug 5, 2023 21:49:52 GMT
Pepper sat absolutely still on her heels, watching around the corner. The thing was moving slowly, as though searching for something. Still, that repetitive slapping sound as the hands hit the ground of the fleshy planet. Something weird had happened with Laine when she had tried to touch her, but she didn’t have the mind to pay to it right then.
She had to think about how to get them past this thing. The path glowed on the other side of its massive body. The doorway was far enough that running would be a bad idea. She had seen this thing move, and it was faster than it looked. She turned back to Laine, and as silently as she could, she whispered, “This thing hunts by sound. I don’t know if we can run past it. We might have to just go back to the other facility and wait it out.”
She looked back at the thing to find it had slightly turned in their direction. It was still slapping its hands on the ground. God, could it hear them even that far away? They were at least fifteen meters away from it. Could they even make it all the way back to the other doorway? Or would this thing catch them if they ran? Pepper suddenly felt so unsure of how to proceed. If it had just been her, she would have tried to run for the doorway behind her, but with Laine, she couldn’t risk the other woman’s life.
And to those Gods I will speak bluntly, We have an accord if you ever touch or harm him Please rest assured, you may not fear a man, But by the end to a woman, you'll kneel and plead Because I'm more than my mom taught me to be.
833 considered the movement of the thing, wondering if could possibly just stop. Of course, that would be simple. It was...
...not...
...her...
...department.
That was right. She was here to provide security for Dr. Krasniqi. Anomalous interference with ACF-7823 was not the purpose of this excursion. She did not have clearance for that.
On the beat, Laine drew in a breath, and on the next beat, she exhaled it. It did not make her feel better, but that was how it always had been, and it was familiar. Familiarity was good. She could still feel, through her fingertips, the temporal motions, one after another. It wasn't a vibration, it was just a time. Laine was very good at telling time.
On the ground, she could feel small measurements of things that were not part of the whole. She picked one up, and knew that it was a broken bone, part of a skeleton. She could have put it together again if she had all the pieces, but it would not have stayed that way, because her anomaly did not fix things. Instead, she quietly collected a small handful of fragments, and then, waiting for the right time, threw one across the room, landing exactly with the next flailing of the creature.
Laine was not a researcher, after all, but she had sometimes assisted them, and she was very good at keeping time.