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]

[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.