planetary

[dark_light]

Over the next week, Isabella gets the alethiometer to tell her that the planets they looked at don't contain microorganisms that know what to do with a human body (although the one with the giant bugs has some multicellular parasites that might be able to make do with the foreign macro-scale features of a human body if they got the chance). "The present", it includes in one of its answer phrasings, which is kind of worrying. But Adarin makes enough progress with his scry in little enough time that it's worth the double-check.

Isabella also hires ticket-takers, gives them little pots of ink to verify the authenticity of the passes she handed out, and opens the Los Angeles - New York route for the employees of her three companies of choice and anyone who shells out a cool fifteen thousand dollars per round trip (ten K for a one-way). This is steep, but it's within an order of magnitude of what people sometimes pay for short-notice first-class cross-country flights - with less novelty and more hassle. Albeit she doesn't supply inflight meals. She expects to have to raise the price when more people hear about it in response to volume and then be able to drop it again.

By the time the thing has been open for a few days she's fired and replaced one ticket-taker and the others have settled into a routine that she's willing to try out leaving unsupervised for awhile.

If Adarin's up for some up close and personal planet shopping and his results suggest it'll go well, anyway.

Comments

[prodigal_miser]

He laughs. "Hmm. Maybe, but do you know anyone that would give out prizes for that?"

[dark_light]

"No, I do not. Alas."

[prodigal_miser]

"Ah, then I'm afraid we have no reason to. It will remain an option if the holiday is ever made."

[dark_light]

"Yes, that's reasonable. I knew there was a reason you were a priest of the Church of Sense."

[prodigal_miser]

"You doubted me? Goodness, it's almost like you don't jump into making opinions without making sure you have all of the facts. Carry on, Inquisitor."

[dark_light]

"I love you," she sighs happily. "Right, since we're probably too spooked to do much more exploring today, remind me how long until you can teleport us back? I don't think we're spooked enough to demand it of Zeviana."

[prodigal_miser]

"I love you, too. I think it should just be four or five hours, shorter if I nap, but eh - kind of makes me nervous to fall asleep here."

[dark_light]

"I can stay up - do you wake up any faster in emergencies?"

[prodigal_miser]

"Somewhat, yeah. I mean I don't think any spells I do will be cutting edge or well-done immediately after waking up, but adrenaline is a powerful thing."

[dark_light]

"Okay. Well, if you want, you can nap and I'll sit up and not go too far, but it's not essential."

[prodigal_miser]

"... I'd prefer to stay up. Not comfortable enough to fall asleep here, sorry. I am 'spooked' and they had weapons pointed at us."

[dark_light]

"Okay." Pet pet.

[prodigal_miser]

Hug! "Is there anything we should do while we wait? I don't think I'm up for going to a city, but maybe there's some interesting wildlife around here."

[dark_light]

"Sure, we can have a look at the less inhabited places - you're not worried about robots there?"

[prodigal_miser]

"I am worried about robots everywhere but I'm trying to do constructive things while we're here," clarifies Adarin.

[dark_light]

"Okay. We'll fly slow - how much does scrying drain you, do you want to keep a lookout ahead?"

[prodigal_miser]

"It drains a bit, it would mean we're here longer regardless, I'm not sure how willing you are to do that?"

[dark_light]

"I'm pretty calmed down and inclined to believe the robot about all units having been alerted that we aren't unpronounceable-scum. As long as we don't go too far from this city we're not at much risk of straying into unpronounceable-scum territory. And I packed both lunch and dinner."

[prodigal_miser]

"All right," he says carefully. "I'll avoid scrying if I can but use it if something seems suspicious. Should we -" (He winces.) "use the limited time we have here to investigate the cities? I am kind of uncomfortable with it, but we do need to be economic with mana."

[dark_light]

"I want to go talk to at least one robot some eventually, and if you're up for it being today it can be today. It did stop aiming weapons at us after we repudiated those no-good unpronounceable scum invaders blah blah."

[prodigal_miser]

"... It can be today," manages Adarin. He does not look happy, though. "But if we see anything off we get my sister to teleport us back. I very strongly don't want you to get hurt."

[dark_light]

"Do you want another few minutes to calm down a little farther?" Isabella asks gently.

[prodigal_miser]

"That might help. I need to logic my emotions into submission."

[dark_light]

"Okay." Snuggle.

[prodigal_miser]

Snuggle.

The robots are dangerous, certainly, and this is risky. But he cannot see a logical reason for their actions if they didn't mean what they say. Maybe he's missing something, maybe he doesn't know the entire picture, but he's starting to get the feeling that he will never just know the entire situation before getting involved. If he tried to force impossible standards on Isabella's safety, he would be oppressing her.

He does not want to be the type of person that's clingy and over-protective, keeping Isabella in some kind of metaphorical box because he loves her. It would make him happier, certainly, but he's personally seen what that sort of control does to a person. Adarin very strongly doesn't want to do that, especially to the woman he loves.

Well. That kind of clears things up.

"All right," he says quietly. "I've calmed down, reasonably enough, anyway."