Following Up Following Down [closed]

[superposition]

Who: Qubit, assorted
What: Qubit needs to contact a few people about the whole Longinmouth situation.
When: i don't even know. time isn't real
Where: Anchor
Warnings: N/A

1. for Ben & Pratt, separately

[ Both of them will get the same text, but at slightly different times. ]

I need to speak with you. In person, if possible.

It's about the incident with Carlisle.


2. for Kieran

[ There's no point trying to contact Kieran over the network. He couldn't read to begin with, and now he's blind as well. So Qubit tracks him down in person, checking in first at the Medbay, only to find out he's been released and relocated into the dormitories.

He finds the appropriate door and knocks. ]

Kieran? It's Qubit. Are you in?


3. for Onni

[ Carlisle is Qubit's friend. He'll stop at nothing to help him. But there's only so much he can actually do - he may be able to help Carlisle suppress the psionic side of his abilities, but that was never going to be anything but a stopgap, a treatment of the symptoms rather than the underlying cause.

The cause is magic. And magic is far outside his wheelhouse.

He does know a handful of magic-users in Anchor. Initially, he thought about asking Loki, but the man's trustworthiness aside, he's been Ported out. Reynir's wards might be useful for containment, but that's not his objective right this second. There's still one avenue he needs to explore, one that's a total unknown. Onni Hotakainen, the Finnish mage.

So one day, Onni will be getting an audio call from him: ]

Onni Hotakainen? This is Qubit. I'll get right to the point - there's an urgent matter that I believe only a mage may be able to resolve, and I need to know if you can help. The safety of everyone in Anchor is at stake.

Comments

[sleepyhollowed]

[Kieran adjusts his attention when he hears Qubit speak, nodding his head down to address the height difference between the two.]

[His smile wanes into something a little softer. It isn't any less warm, but it's definitely not as enthusiastic as before.]

Yeah, I'm managin'. Everyone's been real helpful.

Wanna come inside?

[He steps away from the door to allow Qubit space, placing a palm against its edge so he can stay oriented.]

[superposition]

Sure. [ Qubit enters the room and has a look around. Whatever it looks like, it's pretty clear Kieran hasn't been living here long. ]

I'm glad the others have been accommodating about it. Are you living down here full-time, then?

[sleepyhollowed]

[Kieran didn't come into Anchor with much, and what little he had is left back at the ranch. It's not like any of it would do him well here. After all, what use are his tools now? He hasn't gotten used to feeling his way around enough to work on building things, and a revolver has no meaning outside of exponential danger to everyone if he can't see who he's aiming it at.]

Yeah! It ain't so bad. Miss Cho lives next door. She keeps on tryin' to feed me and give me all sorts of things, and everyone else comes by to visit pretty much every day. If it ain't one person, it's another.

[Just that love and care by itself has been enough to pull Kieran out of that post-trauma funk. He'll always be grateful for it.]

[He presses the panel again to shut the door, and once he's satisfied that he's heard that now-familiar woosh and click, he navigates over to one of the chairs and parks himself in its seat.]

[superposition]

That's good to hear.

[ It probably is the best option, for the time being. The Agricultural Zone is still largely untamed; it's far too dangerous while Kieran's still adjusting. Cho's ensuring his basic needs are met, and he has friends dropping by to visit regularly. Physically, he should be all right.

But he's been living out of that barn for a reason. Kieran's an outdoorsman. The dorms are comfortable, but sterile. And without sight, the lack of familiar sounds and smells must feel even starker.

Qubit heads for a chair, too, and habitually goes to move it - but catches himself and puts it back before taking a seat. ]

I hope you haven't been cooped up in here the whole time, though.

[sleepyhollowed]

Naw. I make sure to go out every chance I get.

[Qubit’s hit the nail on the head when it comes to Kieran’s need to catch the sounds and smells and the sensation of that distinctly-manufactured-but-still-better-than-nothing hint of a breeze granted by the Agricultural Zone.]

Usually someone will take me to the park or just walkin’ around the halls. I really wanna go back out to the ranch, though. Branwen and Eavan ain’t seen me fer a while now. I bet they’re gettin’ nervous.

[Thankfully, they have Pratt out there taking care of them, but Kieran is their leader.]

And, y’know, I miss ‘em somethin’ fierce, too.

[superposition]

[ So he's been getting fresh air, too - with assistance. That's another thing to consider, the loss of independence can't be easy for him, either. ]

I've just been up to the ranch myself, actually. Pratt tells me they're doing well. [ But that's a poor substitute for Kieran getting to see them himself (er, so to speak), so he adds - ] I'd be happy to escort you up there sometime, if you like.

[sleepyhollowed]

[It's not. He hates every moment where he has to ask for help for something as simple as taking a walk around the station. Even with a stick or other assistive device (hell, even when Kieran could see perfectly fine), Anchor's hidden, surprising dangers make any venture a tremendous risk to both life and limb.]

[It's enough of a deterrent that he doesn't ask Qubit if they can go right now, even though the look on his face and the way he's fidgeting back and forth indicates that he wants nothing more than to go somewhere.]

Yeah? Glad to hear it. I figured if anyone were gonna make sure they're okay, he would.

[Kieran pauses.]

How's he doin'? I heard he got hurt durin' that whole mess.

[You know, The Longinmouth Situation^TM]

[superposition]

[ Qubit notes his fidgeting, but doesn't comment on it. He'd offer to go right now, too, but - for the moment, he's still got work to do. ]

He's recovering. Only injured the one hand, and he says it's on the mend.

[ Physically, he's all right. Psychologically, though...? Well, whatever concerns Qubit has, he wouldn't pass them along to Kieran right now, anyway. He shifts in his seat, too, resting his elbows on his knees and lacing his fingers together between them. This next part could be difficult, so he goes with a gentler tone. ]

... I think I've pieced together most of what happened that day. But I still have a few questions for you, if you're feeling up to it.

[sleepyhollowed]

[Kieran nods, satisfied with Qubit's answer. It sounds like Pratt is going to be okay, and that's good enough for him, even if he does feel awful about the fact that his fellow ranch hand got hurt in the first place because of him.]

[The request, on the other hand, draws far less movement and far more silence from Kieran. He clears his throat to break his nervous tension, holding his misgivings deep down inside of him.]

I-I, u-uh... sure! What can I help ya with?

[superposition]

[ Kieran's reluctance to talk about it is understandable; the event was traumatic for everyone involved, but none more so than him. But the information is important, and Kieran's the only one who knows it. ]

I'll try to keep it quick, don't worry.

[ He pauses, choosing his words carefully. ]

Is there... Do you have any idea as to who your attackers were?

[ He has some clues, true - he knows they most likely arrived in a Redshift, and he knows that Ben turned them into a fine red mist. But who were they? Why would they do something so - so savage? And why target Kieran Duffy, of all people? Or was he just in the wrong place at the wrong time? ]

[sleepyhollowed]

[There's an uncomfortable silence that follows Qubit's question, broken only by a quick, repeated tapping of Kieran's foot against the floor. His eyes are darting back and forth behind his eyelids as he revisits those horrible moments.]

Y-Yeah. They. Uh. Th-They were from back home.

[He fidgets a bit more in his seat.]

I ran with some ruthless folks called the O'Driscolls before I got caught b-by another gang. The Van der Lindes. They, uh, g-got some information out of me [see: actual torture] about a hideout. Th-The O'Driscolls found out I talked and got mixed in with their rivals, s-so a few of 'em grabbed me from outside o-of the Van der Linde camp one day and... well...

[He gestures vaguely, tiredly, at his face. He's relived this moment so many times, both in his head and physically, that it's more draining than frightening anymore.]

Killed me after that, too. Th-They didn't get that far here, o-obviously, b-but everythin' else was exactly the same. Even th-the marsh. Don't know how they got here, d-don't know if those nanite things or whatever the hell they're c-called were involved... b-but it was as real as that day.