In-Milliways: The Importance of Proper Care of your T-Minus

[sunbaked_baker]

See, this is why Rae doesn't keep pets.

"Yeah, I know," Rae says guiltily, settling her irritated and low-powered T-Minus on the kitchen table with a generous amount of food. She makes sure it's feeding the way it should before straightening up and giving it an apologetic pat. "I'm sorry I've not been here. I left you food, but I didn't expect to be away so long, and I've been rather... preoccupied."

To say the least.

"I'll be around now, though," she reassures it (though she isn't sure how to tell if the T-Minus is reassured or not). "For a good while, I think."

After a night or two of decent sleep, she's steadier on her feet and feeling less frayed, but she is nowhere near ready to head back home again.

Satisfied that the T-Minus hasn't been irreparably harmed, but still keeping an eye on it, Rae puts her apron back on and moves to the other side of the kitchen to start pouring muffin batter (cranberry-orange) into a tray of muffin cups.

Comments

[herr_bookman]

Autor offers the T-Minus screen a blink-and-you'll-miss-it smile, leaning against the clay wall of the trench. He takes his time composing his messages, ignoring the gunfire rattling above his head.

HD: Don't apologize
HD: You didn't have anything to do with this
HD: It's good to hear from you
HD: Really good
HD: There aren't any doors out here
HD: Which is unfortunate

[sunbaked_baker]

Her reply is quick and insistent, her tears burning at the corners of her eyes.

SG: We'll find the closest door here and come get you if we have to
SG: You know we will

And then, a few moments later, more slowly:

SG: It's good to hear from you too
SG: I've missed you lots
SG: The asparagus will be coming up any day now
SG: Someone's kept the garden clear of weeds

[herr_bookman]

Autor sighs, tucking his chin against his chest. He licks his chapped lips.

HD: I know you will
HD: I've missed you, too
HD: And that was kind of them
HD: I'll have to find out who it is and thank them personally
HD: When I get back
HD: It might take a while

[sunbaked_baker]

Rae laugh-sobs again, faintly, as she wipes hard at her eyes.

SG: You'll have plenty of time
SG: And probably plenty of asparagus, too
SG: The gardens are looking good
SG: Everything's green again

It's so hard to stay calm, with her stomach still in knots, her breathing still uneven. After so long, Autor is right there on the other side of the screen. So close, and still so far. Could she follow that signal to its source, as she had tried to follow Bo's message on the globenet back to its source, those years ago? That was just through Otherspace; this would be through Milliways' own weird space and then to another world, using tech from a completely different world. And there was no Aimil here to break the connection if something went wrong.

Some of her misery leaches through.

SG: Autor, you must come back
SG: Everyone has been so worried

With good reason, it turned out. Rae just wants to hug him, to hold him and know he's there and alive and still Autor.

SG: You must come back

[herr_bookman]

Autor's fingers tighten on his T-Minus. He can't do anything about her misery, and yet he still feels strangely guilty about it.

HD: I'll try
HD: I can't exactly control that
HD: But I will try
HD: Like I said, there aren't any doors out here
HD: It's all dirt and clay and trenches
HD: But I'm glad it's green where you are

[sunbaked_baker]

It'll still be green when you get here, she wants to promise him, blinking back tears and trying to swallow the lump in her throat.

War.

World War.

The Great War.

And her friend stuck in the middle of it.

SG: We'll try too

She doesn't know how, but they will.

SG: There may be something, some magic we can try
SG: And we'll find it
SG: We'll get you home, okay?

Safe and sound.

[herr_bookman]

Autor only has about a second to finish reading her messages before the screen fades. He shakes his T-Minus, knowing he should have fed it--but with what? There's not exactly sugar in his rations.

He curses his T-Minus for dying, for giving him hope, for giving him one last connection to Milliways. To Rae, his friend. He can't even tell her he loves her now.

Sighing, he tucks his now-dead T-Minus away in his pocket and picks up his gun.

[sunbaked_baker]

heirDrosselmeyer ceased trolling solarGastronome

Rae stares at her screen, disbelieving. Not letting herself believe. Not letting herself consider the implications.

SG: Okay?




She sits in the quiet kitchen with her stomach in knots, staring at the unmoving screen through tear-blurred eyes, for a long time. Hoping against hope.






SG: Autor?