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]

Adarin nods. "At least now you know. That's better than not knowing and finding out years later after you've facetiously married your alethiometer and had three adorable facetious children."

[dark_light]

"Yes. How ever shall I console myself from the breakup? For that matter, how can I bring myself to confront the alethiometer with what I know? It said it would never lie to me, Adarin!"

[prodigal_miser]

"Shhh, it's okay. You know what you need, Isabella?"

[dark_light]

"What?"

[prodigal_miser]

"Someone who's terrible at lying."

[dark_light]

"Now where would I find such a person?"

[prodigal_miser]

"It's a complete and utter mystery. Why, you have a stupid slumber party game based around lying, everyone from around here must be fantastic at it. You may not find such a person."

[dark_light]

"Perhaps I could search farther afield! I'm very well-traveled, you know."

[prodigal_miser]

"Are you? My goodness, that's fortunate!"

[dark_light]

"I've been to three planets and two planes."

[prodigal_miser]

"Oh my, that's a lot of travel! More travel than most people see, I bet. Hopefully you can find someone that's terrible at lying. Maybe one of the robots."

[dark_light]

"I bet they are pretty terrible at lying! At least to their honored Senior Equipment Maintenance Specialist."

[prodigal_miser]

"Which you just so happen to be! How fortunate, I think you and whichever robot you choose to be with are perfect for each other."

[dark_light]

"I dunno, they're not that cuddly. Come to think of it, the alethiometer has that problem too. I'm feeling distinctly undercuddled over here."

[prodigal_miser]

"Hmm, are you? Let's see... Ooh, I know. You can cuddle Path," teases Adarin.

[dark_light]

"He's not really a good size for leaning on," wheedles Isabella.

[prodigal_miser]

"Ah, he's not, is he. Hmm. Let me think of a solution to this obviously unsolvable problem."

He pretends to ponder, then puts Vern down. She trills to Path for cuddles.

"I could give it a shot, I suppose! I may or may not be a good size for leaning on."

[dark_light]

"Gosh, do you think that's really okay? Is this a good idea what with you and Wikipedia so recently on the outs?"

(Path is nothing if not obliging.)

[prodigal_miser]

"Well, my heart's broken, but I think I can manage. Somehow. If you don't want to, though..."

(Cuddles! Vern nuzzles Path affectionately.)

[dark_light]

"I'm tentatively optimistic! I only wanted to be careful with your broken heart."

Leaaaan.

[prodigal_miser]

"Oh, how kind of you. I'll be alright, though. You're still broken up about what went down with you and the alethiometer, so you're in the same boat as I am."

He grins at her, then opens his arms for proper cuddling.

[dark_light]

Snuggle!

"Gosh, you're good at this. Where did you practice? Wikipedia never struck me as very cuddly."

[prodigal_miser]

Snuggle, snuggle.

"Natural talent, Wikipedia isn't very cuddly. Long nights, spent alone, with no cuddles..."

[dark_light]

"You poor thing."

[prodigal_miser]

"I know! It's so sad! I need to find a cuddler, after Wikipedia..."