update from sparkleup
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Madison Scott-Clary
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<h1 id="rj-brewster-2114">RJ Brewster — 2114</h1>
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<p>There was some draw, some appeal to Dr. Ramirez for RJ. At first, ey suspected that it was the quiet intensity of her confidence, the way she moved through the world with a hunger for knowledge that was at all times colored by the light of the desire to do right by the world as a whole. Then, ey thought that it might simply be that she was a good person. She was the one who believed hard enough and strong enough to follow up on the lost. She was the one who had actually tried, had actually moved forward at a pace that meant progress on the case.</p>
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<p>Recently, ey had been thinking that it was something more abstract than that.</p>
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<p>Recently, ey had been thinking that it was something more abstract than that. Concrete? Abstract? The line had long since blurred to meaninglessness.</p>
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<p>Ey had been lost for something beyond an eternity, for ‘eternity’ implied the existence of time, or at least a form of time that actually meant something. Ey had been lost for a day longer than forever, and had ey been lost for only hours, as Sasha had, it would have been longer still. Even then, the word ‘longer’ held far too much savor. It burned in the sinuses and left eir eyes stinging with tears.</p>
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<p>She had been the first one in more than forever that ey had seen. She had been the one who broke through the wall of eir solipsistic existence and encouraged em to reengage with the world. As the orbits of eir life grew smaller and smaller, they had collapsed into a wandering figure-eight around Sasha, the one who made em complete, and Carter, the one who tied em to reality.</p>
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<p>And so it was that, even beyond the meetings and interviews, beyond the panels and studies, ey found emself remaining in touch with her. Once a week or two, ey would make the long walk from eir flat down to the cluster of UCL buildings and wait until she was free for lunch or dinner, or, had ey yet again forgot the meaning of time, wait for her to arrive at work early in the morning so that they could grab coffee together.</p>
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<p>To their condolences, ey had simply raised eir cup of tea and nodded to them, saying, “To deny the end is to deny all beginnings.”</p>
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<p>“Delphic, as ever,” Prakash said, though his grin and the lift of his own glass took any sting out of the words.</p>
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<p>Ey smiled, though ey could feel exhaustion tugging at eir cheeks. Ey had slept, ey knew, but did not remember when. “Oh, trust me, there is plenty more where that came from.”</p>
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<p>“Where does it come from?” Carter asked.</p>
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<p>“Where <em>does</em> it come from?” Carter asked.</p>
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<p>“I am not sure.” Ey sipped at eir tea, still too hot to drink comfortably. “Whatever wellspring that was unstoppered in…in there.”</p>
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<p>“And that’s stuck around?”</p>
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<p>“And it’s stuck around?”</p>
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<p>Ey nodded.</p>
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<p>“Think you’ll ever turn it into something?” Avery grinned to em. “You know, write a book. Something like that.”</p>
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<p>“I had not thought of that. I do not know that I could make a plot out of what feels like millions of words in a rock tumbler.”</p>
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<p>More laughter, more companionship. More warmth, despite the cold.</p>
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<p><em>Perhaps this is why,</em> ey thought. <em>Perhaps Carter and all of those she has introduced to me can add at least a little bit of warmth into the winter of my life.</em></p>
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<p>No, no, must not think such things. Ey had made eir decision, had ey not?</p>
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<p>At the door to the building where the three worked, they all exchanged hugs, another bright spark of warmth in the cold afternoon, enough to carry em back home. Empty home, where ey could listen to more jazz and the distinct lack of purring. Empty home where ey could stare at eir rig and dare emself to delve in, if only to see if Sasha was about after work.</p>
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<p>At the door to the building where the three worked, they all exchanged hugs, another bright spark of warmth in the cold afternoon, enough to carry em back home. Empty home, where ey could listen to more jazz and the distinct lack of purring. Empty home where ey could stare at eir rig and dare emself to delve in, if only to see if Sasha was about after work. Before work? What time was it for her? Math had left em; ey had only words.</p>
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<p>Perhaps sleep.</p>
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<p>Ey made it about a block away before ey heard the sound of jogging behind em, and stepped over closer to the wall to let the jogger pass. The sound slowed, however, and ey was greeted once more by Prakash.</p>
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<p>“Hey RJ, mind if I walk with you for a bit?”</p>
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<p>Ey frowned. “Sure. Why? Do you not have work?”</p>
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<p>“Sure.” Ey frowned. “Why? Do you not have work?”</p>
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<p>He shrugged. “I do, but I’m getting sick of being cooped up. Begged an additional hour off to just get out for a bit.”</p>
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<p>“Alright.”</p>
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<p>A silence stretched for a few minutes before Prakash said, “Nice day, isn’t it?”</p>
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<p>“No,” ey said, laughing. “It is cold and gray. My cat is dead, my job is gone, and my two friends are someone I can only meet in a place I am terrified to go and a researcher of something that is no longer a problem.” <em>Memory is a mirror of hammered silver,</em> the litany continued as always. Ey hoped silently. <em>A weapon against the waking world.</em> “Dreams are the plate-glass atop memory: a clarifying agent against the sun. Sorry.”</p>
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<p>Prakash nodded, as though this was some sort of normal conversation. “You’re okay, RJ. Are you doing alright for cash?”</p>
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<p>Prakash nodded, as though this was some sort of normal conversation. “You’re okay, RJ. No luck on the job front? Are you doing alright for cash?”</p>
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<p>Ey rubbed away unwelcome tears and nodded. “Enough for another six months here, and then I need to either find a new job or move back to America. My parents have offered–“</p>
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<p>“Would you be interested in a job offer?”</p>
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<p>“From the university?”</p>
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<p>“Arms races have fallen out of fashion. It’s not really considered fashionable to stockpile weapons or anything anymore.”</p>
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<p>RJ blinked, nonplussed.</p>
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<p>“Technology, however, brings with it a status of its own.” Prakash smiled, neither pityingly nor happily. Dreamily. “So if, as you say, dreams are the plate-glass atop memory, and if, as you’ve said in the past, getting lost put you in a mirrored cage, then these are bits of information related to technology. If one could drop the cage metaphor and set up a mirrored world, well, that would be quite the status symbol.”</p>
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<p>RJ stood a while in thought, searching Prakash’s face until the man averted his eyes, even past then. “What would be required of me?”</p>
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<p>RJ stood a while in thought, searching Prakash’s face until the man averted his eyes, even after. “What would be required of me?”</p>
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<p>“Nothing, for now. Just to stay in touch. Eventually, though, we’ll get you somewhere we can dig into research and after that, you’ll be one of the founders of something big. Really big.”</p>
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<p>The words came in a torrent, then, and with such an intensity that ey had to clutch at Prakash’s arm for support. “The flow of prophecy climbs up through the years, winter upon winter upon winter, and compels the future to do its bidding. The prophet is only a pipe that sounds when the past…shit. I am sorry. All of that to say ‘yes’, I am sorry.”</p>
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<p>The words came in a torrent, then, and with such an intensity that ey staggered and had to clutch at Prakash’s arm for support. “The flow of prophecy climbs up through the years, winter upon winter upon winter, and compels the future to do its bidding. The prophet is only a pipe that sounds when the past…shit. I am sorry. All of that to say ‘yes’, I am sorry.”</p>
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<p>Once the shock of the onrush of words wore off, Prakash nodded, smiling cautiously. “It’s okay, RJ. Like I said, nothing needs to be done right now. And I trust that you know not to mention this to anyone. Someone else will talk to Michelle about it. Talk to each of the lost, I mean. No need to bring it up with them. When things are lined up, we can go for another walk after coffee or something. Sound good?</p>
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<p>Ey swallowed dryly, nodded. “Thank you. I will hold on until then.”</p>
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<p>They started walking again, the researcher explaining that he really did need the air, since all that waited for him was an office sim.</p>
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<p>Ey laughed, earnest and true. “I suppose so. I was going to say “the prophet is only a pipe that sounds when the past demands it”, and given that I cannot seem to live in this world anymore, that demand is getting to be overwhelming.”</p>
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</article>
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<footer>
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<p>Page generated on 2021-11-30</p>
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<p>Page generated on 2021-12-19</p>
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<h1 id="tycho-brahe-2346">Tycho Brahe — 2346</h1>
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<p>It took Tycho Brahe what felt like an age to remember Codrin Bălan, and then it took em a panicked age longer to remember that, yes, sensorium messages were a thing, had been a thing for more than two centuries, and a third age still to remember how to send one.</p>
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<p>There was some unknown urgency within him, and even though he supposed that there was no need to hurry, he nonetheless did not fork, deeming it not worth the time in his rush. Instead, he simply sent a message to the historian beginning with a jolt of adrenaline, and began talking.</p>
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<p>“Codrin, uh, Mx Bălan, I really, really need to talk with you. Like, right now. I need to talk with you right now. Can we meet? It’s incredibly urgent, I’m sorry. I know it’s late. Can we meet?”</p>
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<p>“Codrin, uh, Mx. Bălan, I really, really need to talk with you. Like, right now. I need to talk with you right now. Can we meet? It’s incredibly urgent, I’m sorry. I know it’s late. Can we meet?”</p>
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<p>As soon as he finished, he began pacing once more and waited for a response, doing his level best not to send another sensorium ping immediately to wake Codrin up, just in case.</p>
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<p>Instead, he walked around the small hill in the center of the clearing, muttering now down to the grass, shouting now up to the sky. Half words, half sentences, anything to vent the pressure he felt building inside him, but there was nothing to be done.</p>
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<p>When the response finally came, he realized he’d only made it halfway around that hill. Time seemed to have stretched itself out long. The response was a mumbled, sleepy-sounding address.</p>
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<p>“That’s my partner. Dear, Also, The Tree That Was Felled.”</p>
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<p>Gears crunched to a halt in his mind, thoughts stalling and whatever words he had prepared scattering. “An…an Odist?”</p>
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<p>“Yes. Why do you ask?”</p>
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<p>Tycho knit his brow. “Well, I mean, the histories…”</p>
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<p>Tycho knit his brow. “Well, I mean, the <em>History</em>…”</p>
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<p>“I know. Not all of them came out in the best light,” ey said, smiling tiredly. “But it’s a good one, I promise. Now, can you tell me what’s happening?”</p>
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<p>He forced himself to remain seated at the table, not giving in to the overwhelming urge to pace. “But…I mean, do you remember our conversation years ago? The one about the Dreamer Module?”</p>
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<p>Codrin nodded warily. “That some of the Odists were against it, yes.”</p>
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<p><em>“If you would like me to be elsewhere, I can, Mr. Brahe,”</em> the fox said, standing at the entryway to the kitchen, three mugs in its paws. <em>“But I do hope that you will trust me.”</em></p>
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<p>Tycho stared at the fox.</p>
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<p>It stepped forward, set the three mugs down on the table, each smelling of chamomile. <em>“You must forgive me for eavesdropping, but I did hear you mention the Dreamer Module. I can assure you that I share little in common with the elements of the clade that were against its inclusion. It is not something that I particularly care about, but it is, fine, I am sure.”</em></p>
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<p>“I can vouch for it,” Codrin said, reaching for eir mug but simply holding it in eir hands rather than sipping. “If we absolutely must step outside, you understand that if it’s my partner, I’ll likely tell it about our conversation anyway, right?”</p>
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<p>“I can vouch for it,” Codrin said, reaching for eir mug but simply holding it in eir hands rather than sipping. “If we absolutely must step outside, you understand that, as it’s my partner, I’ll likely tell it about our conversation anyway, right?”</p>
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<p>After a pause, Tycho’s shoulders slumped as he let out the pent up tension within them. “Alright, alright. Besides, it doesn’t sound like there’s much use in trying to hide anything from them.”</p>
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<p>Dear rolled its eyes, but sat at the table anyway. <em>“You could hide whatever you like from me, Mr. Brahe, I will not look. As you guess, though, the same is not true of other Odists.”</em></p>
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<p>“I read some of your histories, Codrin,” he said at last. “So I know you know what’s on the Module.”</p>
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<p>Ey sighed, leaned over and patted him on the shoulder. “Well, since I’m sure as hell not sleeping anymore, I guess coffee’s next. Coffee, and figuring out what to do with our wayward astronomer and upcoming guests.”</p>
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</article>
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<footer>
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<p>Page generated on 2021-09-28</p>
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<p>Page generated on 2021-12-19</p>
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