OOM: Part One

[whoiwasmeant2be]

Rachel and Tobias are in the vents again. They have to demorph every hour or so for safety's sake, and vents work as well for that as anywhere else. They've spent a good chunk of the day exploring. The school children had been a good find, and sitting in on a couple of classes had been helpful, but they'd also followed a couple of adults around to supplement what they were learning.

And now it's time to regroup and take stock.

<Ten thousand people?> Tobias says, sounding a bit incredulous. <In a giant metal cylinder in space>

It's absolutely crazy. And well beyond anything he's ever really thought of before.

A frown suffuses his mind-voice. <Have you heard of anything close to this? In Milliways, I mean> Because he hasn't.

Comments

[theresnodoor]

<No,> Rachel replies, and there's a frown in her voice as well. Frustration, irritation.

At herself, for all the people she didn't speak to in Milliways, avoided purposefully.

<It's like a floating apartment complex. I just wish they stopped at actual planets more often, it sounds like it doesn't happen for months at a time.>

[whoiwasmeant2be]

<Yeah. Half a year, sometimes.>

<And they just left their last stop.>

[theresnodoor]

<We don't actually need to identify where we are,> she points out after a moment, still sounding annoyed. <We just need to find the door back to the bar.>

[whoiwasmeant2be]

<True>

Tobias considers that. <Seen any hints yet?>

[theresnodoor]

There's a very obvious pause.

Then, in a sigh, <No. So far as I know, there's no sign to it or anything, you just open the door and walk in, right?>

[whoiwasmeant2be]

<Yeah. And since most people seem to keep it secret, there's not even a good way to know if someone here has a door. Unless one of us has seen them before...>

And he hasn't spotted any familiar faces.

[theresnodoor]

<I have an idea.>

Rachel sounds pleased with herself. In that way that used to alarm her teammates.

[whoiwasmeant2be]

His tone turns both amused and fond. <You going to share that idea>

Alarm, yes, but also... familiarity.

[theresnodoor]

Tobias always was the least alarmed by her plans. There's a smile in Rachel's voice, more fond than smug.

<We can just thoughtspeak it at the room. Say 'Milliways' and see who flinches.>

[whoiwasmeant2be]

<Huh> It's certainly an interesting approach. >Think that'll work?>

[theresnodoor]

<I think it'll be faster than the half a day we just spent in space-high-school, looking for clues.>

[whoiwasmeant2be]

<That's true. And I suppose it can't hurt to try it.>

He hopes.

[theresnodoor]

<Just the word?> Rachel asks, thoughtful. <Or, like, a question?>

[whoiwasmeant2be]

<Keep it simple?> Tobias suggests.

[theresnodoor]

<Gotcha. One of us is going to need better eyes for this, though. You want to demorph?>

He can thoughtspeak either way, and has better sight in general.

[whoiwasmeant2be]

<Good call>

He considers for a moment. <Back to the cafeteria, then?>

[theresnodoor]

<More people,> Rachel agrees and buzzes up inside the air vent, following the scent of food and people to the cafeteria. <If they recognize the word, what then? See if they'll open a door for a couple of disembodied voices?>

[whoiwasmeant2be]

Tobias follows. He can change morphs once they get there.

<Why not? I mean, if they're used to Milliways...> Well, what's a couple of disembodied voices?

[theresnodoor]

There's all kinds who show up in Milliways. Not all of them are trustworthy, not all of them trust blindly. But it's something they can figure out on the way.

The vents are interconnected and on a ship of this size, with this many occupants, there are food smells from nearly all of them. But the most are coming from one specific, very strong direction. Even if it's not the same cafeteria from before, it'll serve the same purpose. Rachel zooms down a corner, flipping into a spin in her haste, and buzzes down the length of it until the sizzling of food gives way to louder conversation, a wider, open space below.

[whoiwasmeant2be]

The fly keeps trying to head after the nearest food, but most of the time that's not the one they want, so Tobias has to reign it in. It helps to focus on following Rachel. Though he imagines that she has similar difficulty.

Tobias lands on the metal floor of the vent. <I'm going to demorph, now>

[theresnodoor]

<Go for it.>

It's more of a risk for her demorph in the first place, a human body inside a vent, likely to make more noise. Besides, while her eyes are spectacular compared to a fly's, Rachel's not going to be stupid enough to try and argue over Tobias' sight.

[whoiwasmeant2be]

Without further delay, Tobias begins to morph. It's only slightly less disgusting going from fly to hawk than to go the other way. So there's that.

Once that's done, he takes a moment to settle himself, hopping a bit closer to the grate, and looking around once.

<Okay> he says after a few seconds. <Ready when you are>

[theresnodoor]

<Ready to sit here and not go after the french fries down there, sure.>

Rachel's part in this is going to be relatively nonexistent.

[whoiwasmeant2be]

<Hey, another pair of eyes can't hurt> Even if they are just the fly's. Better than nothing?

[theresnodoor]

<In this morph, it's more like sixty pairs of eyes. I can hear all right but the point of this was for you to see someone react.>

[whoiwasmeant2be]

<Yeah> Tobias takes a moment.

<Well. Here goes>

<MILLIWAYS!>

[theresnodoor]

Rachel waits, wings buzzing sharply at the sudden shout in her head. If that didn't get someone reacting, she's out of ideas.

But if anyone was going to see the minute details in someone's reaction, it would have to Tobias.

[whoiwasmeant2be]

Tobias was silent and still for a while.

<Maybe... maybe I should try again?>

[theresnodoor]

<...seriously? No one?> There's a frown in her house, annoyed.

Maybe worried. Just maybe.

<Yeah, I guess. And it's only the first cafeteria. A place this size, there should be a ton of them, right?>

[whoiwasmeant2be]

<Yeah>

Tobias sounds... discouraged.

[theresnodoor]

<Look, we'll just.. we'll find another one. Come back to fly and we'll go find one.>

The voice of optimism isn't a role Rachel takes to often. Sometimes, it's necessary.

[whoiwasmeant2be]

<Yeah. You're right>

Tobias' mental voice seems to sigh softly.

<Let's do this>

And he morphed again, back to fly.

[theresnodoor]

There's a short pause before Rachel's voice sounds terribly amused. <Quit stealing my line.>