high-energy physics

[warpfairy]

Federation political prisons are not particularly uncomfortable. She's not going anywhere, but she can read, she's considering taking up an instrument, the only really awkward thing is that she doesn't particularly want to be supervised while she's sweating her way through her next pon farr one way or another but that's years off. That and she wishes she'd taken longer to get caught. But she was running out of the really low-hanging fruit anyway.

This is what she signed up for. She makes up imaginary profiles of people on the planets she got to, people who can live longer fuller lives with the stars in reach, one per day. One per day and she'll have loads of estimated impact left unused when she dies. Perfectly reasonable tradeoff and she can still read books.

Someone wants to interview her about Vulcan; they don't want to lose anything that anybody remembers; she gives the interview and then picks up some poetry.

Comments

[warpfairy]

"The moon I was imprisoned on was perfectly nice," she says. "But you objected. Was it because of the decor?"

[lintamande]

"If you'd kept trying to attack people we'd probably eventually have had to leave you somewhere pretty where you couldn't attack people."

[warpfairy]

"I am quite confident that the average Klingon warrior holds the prettiness of their surroundings to be a very minor consideration."

[lintamande]

He waves a tiny hand. "I mean, a planet that is designed to be nice for whoever we're teleporting there. If it were a Quendi it'd be a pretty planet. But Quendi never ever hurt people. Except for me in the fated future."

[subtly_artistic]

"You weren't fated to act alone."

[lintamande]

"Me and the people under my command."

[warpfairy]

"Completely pacifistic species are rare. Vulcans come close but only since certain cultural revolutions; it used to be a very war-torn planet. Betazoids are less consistent about it modern times but have the better long term track record."

[lintamande]

"So we'll be the only ones? If we manage never to muck it up?" He looks delighted.

[warpfairy]

"Well, there might be some somewhere, I don't have encyclopedic knowledge of every species there is, but maybe."

[lintamande]

He nods. Rúmil has finished talking to Miriel. "Bella," he says, "would you like to speak with the Queen before she gives her earbud to the King?"

[subtly_artistic]

"Okay. - Are they mad at me?"

[lintamande]

"They are angry with me but not with you, I don't think they can think of anything you could have done."

[subtly_artistic]

"Could've distracted him with language textbooks and sent him back," she sighs, but she takes the earwire and puts it on and calls Miriel.

[lintamande]

"Bella.


I am glad you're safe."

[subtly_artistic]

"Thank you."

[lintamande]

"I'd much rather you all came home and - waited on your ambitions a little - until he's older, but I know that you're doing the best you can with the options you have."

[subtly_artistic]

"I - I don't want to go anywhere the Valar can decide to move me when I don't want to be moved, again," Bella says. "Even if they say that I can stay this time. I don't even know if I'm still alive because they managed to protect me or because I didn't provoke my universe on its own turf. I'd probably stay here with my copy even if Fëanáro and Rúmil decided to go back to Valinor. My copy is really cool."

[lintamande]

"So I've been told. I understand. I don't see Fëanáro deciding to come back more than to visit, not while you are there and doing things. Can you keep him safe?"

[subtly_artistic]

"I - I think so, not necessarily to Valinor standards but safer than not, and so much less stir-crazy."

[lintamande]

"All right. Please contact us if that changes, or if you need anything - or just all the time, you know, we miss him desperately -"

[subtly_artistic]

"I'll make sure keeping in regular touch is a priority. Maybe we can get interdimensional ethernet working and send pictures."

[lintamande]

"That would be nice."

[subtly_artistic]

"I'll put it on the list." She puts it on the list.

[lintamande]

"Thank you. We miss you. We're so sorry for everything."

[subtly_artistic]

"You're welcome. I miss you too. It's not your fault."