[She's here for no other reason than that it's loud, and she beckons him over to one of the machines, as if she wants him to join her in a game. Her hand is on the joystick, but she's not actually playing. She speaks to him in a low voice.]
Sparkles and I are launching a space probe. Outside this bubble universe.
[Tayrey nods.] I was right that Sparkles wants freedom just as we do. It found the probe, and it knows how to get it beyond this universe. But it needs to be launched.
[There's a lot she isn't saying. How she had to talk Sparkles down from permanently killing the person who injured her, and how the probe itself apparently came from some realm of the dead that she is trying not to think too much about herself.
[He uses that word as a placeholder while he processes all of that. He does not like that little shin-kicking twerp but, frell, he doesn't have to if they all get out of here.]
[It surprises her that he isn't more enthusiastic, but there could be all manner of reasons for that. She explains quickly.]
It's much simpler than the Tradeline equivalent. Basic telemetry capacities that I'm hoping to adapt to work with my slate computer.
Also... it carries data. Data that suggests it's Earther. An Earther message to the stars. I mean to take that, keep it safe, and replace it with our own call for help.
I have sufficient tools to build what we need with scavenged materials, although I'd really appreciate assistance with it, or at least quality and precision checks before launch.
[Not that she doubts herself or her tools, but there's absolutely no room for error here.]
For fuel... that's going to be our problem. I can't build a nuclear engine. Not even a small one. I looked into synthesizing more basic fuels but we'd need equipment that this ship doesn't have. So.
[A pause. A meaningful look. He might tease her about this forever. Certainly her Tradeline friends would, if they knew.]
Another member of the launch team has offered to power it. With magic.
I'll help you build it. You can count me in. My ship is in cold storage here in the hangar doing no one any good, so we can see what parts we might be able to use off of it.
I don't trust myself to try building one of those, either. [The last version of him that messed with nuclear anything paid the ultimate price for it.]
So, you finally believe me that magic is real? [He has to tease just a little.]
[Ari doesn't go near her shuttle. She'd tried, until she figured out that it had to be part of the torture to have it sitting right there, in perfect condition, and completely non-operational no matter what she did.]
The hangar's the perfect place to get parts.
[She gives him a grateful look, because she knows what it means that he's willing to make use of his own ship.] Thank you, Crichton.
[A little frown at his teasing.] I believe it's a complete failure of translation and what we're actually talking about is a fundamental particle, or a distinct wave function [same thing, quantum mechanics is fun like that] which exists in some universes and not others. And that some people - such as Citizen Rita - can directly manipulate.
So she's helping with the project. As are Natsuno, Cassandra, and a newcomer named Fever whose desire to escape equals ours.
I'm more inclined to believe that, too. What they call magic is science we just haven't mapped out yet. But, for the sake of not getting into a semantics argument, I just go with it.
[Rita, huh? Guess that means the role of hot head on the team has been officially filled.]
That's a good lineup. I don't know Rita and Natsuno as well, but I'd put my life in Cassandra's hands and not even blink. Fever's a good friend, too. I liked her right away.
That's what I've always said! There's nothing science can't explain - the limits of our own knowledge don't make anything currently beyond it inexplicable. [She shakes her head.] It used to frustrate me so much. Now I don't care what they want to call it so long as it's useful to us.
[His approval of her team gets a little nod.] I don't know Rita and Natsuno so well either, but they've been consistently in favor of escape and have no divided loyalties, so I trust them. We'll need the numbers - it'll be necessary to distract our captor and Friday during the launch.
I don't know where things stand so I'm going to apologise in advance if this is shockingly insensitive. Is Arthur someone you'd want to tell about this?
[He sighs at the mention of Arthur. It's a fair question but...oh boy. He isn't sure how to answer.]
Arthur and I are on speaking terms and we've managed to go back to sharing a room without murdering each other. But. He doesn't exactly trust me. And I'm not sure I can trust him with something this important. I wish I could.
[She does feel a faint guilt, but she also knows that it was necessary to ask. She isn't about to let anyone's personal connections jeopardise the security of this plan.]
Right. I have a bad habit of doing that, so I'm making an effort of trying to clarify.
[She looks thoughtful for a moment.] It might go without saying, but I should make it really clear that we're taking a risk with this. That I don't know how bad it'll get if we're caught, or it goes wrong.
I know. But, it is worth saying. We'll do what we can to minimize that risk, but there comes a point when playing it safe does more harm than good. I'm still with you.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2023-10-26 09:40 pm (UTC)Sparkles and I are launching a space probe. Outside this bubble universe.
no subject
Date: 2023-10-27 03:57 am (UTC)You and Sparkles?
no subject
Date: 2023-10-27 12:18 pm (UTC)[There's a lot she isn't saying. How she had to talk Sparkles down from permanently killing the person who injured her, and how the probe itself apparently came from some realm of the dead that she is trying not to think too much about herself.
She wants Crichton's help with this.]
no subject
Date: 2023-11-02 02:45 am (UTC)[He uses that word as a placeholder while he processes all of that. He does not like that little shin-kicking twerp but, frell, he doesn't have to if they all get out of here.]
What kind of probe? What do we know about it?
no subject
Date: 2023-11-02 03:10 am (UTC)It's much simpler than the Tradeline equivalent. Basic telemetry capacities that I'm hoping to adapt to work with my slate computer.
Also... it carries data. Data that suggests it's Earther. An Earther message to the stars. I mean to take that, keep it safe, and replace it with our own call for help.
no subject
Date: 2023-11-02 03:37 am (UTC)I'm with you. But, how do we launch it? Does it have its casing? Does it still have fuel?
no subject
Date: 2023-11-02 03:50 am (UTC)I have sufficient tools to build what we need with scavenged materials, although I'd really appreciate assistance with it, or at least quality and precision checks before launch.
[Not that she doubts herself or her tools, but there's absolutely no room for error here.]
For fuel... that's going to be our problem. I can't build a nuclear engine. Not even a small one. I looked into synthesizing more basic fuels but we'd need equipment that this ship doesn't have. So.
[A pause. A meaningful look. He might tease her about this forever. Certainly her Tradeline friends would, if they knew.]
Another member of the launch team has offered to power it. With magic.
no subject
Date: 2023-11-07 01:44 am (UTC)I don't trust myself to try building one of those, either. [The last version of him that messed with nuclear anything paid the ultimate price for it.]
So, you finally believe me that magic is real? [He has to tease just a little.]
Sure, why not? Who is it?
no subject
Date: 2023-11-07 01:41 pm (UTC)The hangar's the perfect place to get parts.
[She gives him a grateful look, because she knows what it means that he's willing to make use of his own ship.] Thank you, Crichton.
[A little frown at his teasing.] I believe it's a complete failure of translation and what we're actually talking about is a fundamental particle, or a distinct wave function [same thing, quantum mechanics is fun like that] which exists in some universes and not others. And that some people - such as Citizen Rita - can directly manipulate.
So she's helping with the project. As are Natsuno, Cassandra, and a newcomer named Fever whose desire to escape equals ours.
no subject
Date: 2023-11-08 02:52 am (UTC)[Rita, huh? Guess that means the role of hot head on the team has been officially filled.]
That's a good lineup. I don't know Rita and Natsuno as well, but I'd put my life in Cassandra's hands and not even blink. Fever's a good friend, too. I liked her right away.
no subject
Date: 2023-11-08 12:38 pm (UTC)[His approval of her team gets a little nod.] I don't know Rita and Natsuno so well either, but they've been consistently in favor of escape and have no divided loyalties, so I trust them. We'll need the numbers - it'll be necessary to distract our captor and Friday during the launch.
I don't know where things stand so I'm going to apologise in advance if this is shockingly insensitive. Is Arthur someone you'd want to tell about this?
no subject
Date: 2023-11-12 01:27 am (UTC)Arthur and I are on speaking terms and we've managed to go back to sharing a room without murdering each other. But. He doesn't exactly trust me. And I'm not sure I can trust him with something this important. I wish I could.
no subject
Date: 2023-11-12 02:40 pm (UTC)[She does feel a faint guilt, but she also knows that it was necessary to ask. She isn't about to let anyone's personal connections jeopardise the security of this plan.]
He'll benefit when we succeed. They all will.
no subject
Date: 2023-11-14 01:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-11-14 03:20 pm (UTC)[She looks thoughtful for a moment.] It might go without saying, but I should make it really clear that we're taking a risk with this. That I don't know how bad it'll get if we're caught, or it goes wrong.
no subject
Date: 2023-11-14 06:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-11-15 04:39 pm (UTC)good wrap?
Date: 2023-11-20 06:55 pm (UTC)yes <3
Date: 2023-11-27 07:25 pm (UTC)