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[fearmylaserface]

[He knew what Wash had said. Wash had damn well warned him not to go alone.

Did Epsilon listen? Of course not. When he wanted to see something, he was stubborn.

That's why he's currently somewhere on the Mother of Invention in spite of the warning, holding his head. At first... It wasn't terrible. It probably would have been fine if he hadn't been alone with Allison and his memories. The Alpha's memories.  Being tortured to the point of breaking over and over again.  Now? He couldn't really tell where the memories ended and the world began.

And that's why Allison has his communicator, pressing buttons to turn it on with the camera on her person.  The camera isn't steady...  Someone needs to talk to him for her.  She's making anxious noises and trying to comfort him... It's not helping. Especially as she knows there should be Nightmare Dream Eaters somewhere here. It's a matter of time before they're noticed, and her person in no shape to run or help. Not that he isn't more likely to put a hole in the ship than help.

Allison would die before she let him down in a time like this.

The background of the shaking camera isn't various obvious, but it appears to be a hallway.  Epsilon managed to get further than the bridge before he was overwhelmed.  Not by a whole lot.]

[Edit note:  Added last paragraph]

Comments

[fearmylaserface]

[Unfortunately, Carolina missed the slow reboot that flushed out some of the problems in that case. Wash's idea worked, if imperfectly.]

[guerriera]

[ Missed is right. Along with the turn that's supposed to take her to Sunset Hill. (Seriously. Who designed this world map? Is this moogle revenge for shooting Steve in the pom?)

When she is, finally, on the right track again, the statue she'd been told about in distant view, her communicator flicks on again. This time, the hebby rep she recently acquired peers over her shoulder to stare at the screen with her. ]

Church? Are you still there? Can you hear me?

[fearmylaserface]

[By the time Carolina checks again, not only is Epsilon rebooted? He's trying to get up and get moving on shaky cam.] Need to get to the bridge.

[guerriera]

[ It's as good a location to get to, though Carolina ignores her own flush of nerves at the thought of returning. The portal's gleam beckons ahead, and she breaks into a jog. ]


That's a good plan. Keep going, Church. [firmly] I'll see you soon.

[fearmylaserface]

Dream eater remembers the way, I hope. I can't.

[Allison makes happy noises, bouncing along ahead of her person]

[guerriera]

You can. [Stern.] But don't force it. If she can lead, just stay on her tail.

[ There follows a garbled break across the line (portal crossings playing havoc with the network connection, no doubt) and then

Home. Or at least the dream of it, and for a moment, Carolina finds herself caught a little flatfooted.

(The last time she saw that viewscreen, she was falling through it.)

This is...real. Much more real than she had anticipated, and both her hands form fists in response to the one, singular unpleasant reminder of training here, the scoreboard's neon glow taunting her with that eternal rankling reminder of Rank #2.

After a minute, she clears her throat, and turns her back on that sea of stars. ]

What do you see ahead of you, Church?

[fearmylaserface]

I think someone rebooted me.

[Epsilon continues following Allison.] Hallway. And something else further down.

[guerriera]

[ Rebooted him? ]

It looks that way, Church. Seems to have helped.

[ Given the other Freelancer's request, it's immediately clear that if anyone could be responsible for that happening, it had to have been Washington. It also explains what she saw earlier. Though given what York told her regarding the AI and the other human's interactions, something's not quite right there.

Regardless, hopefully this won't have caused him too much damage, on top of everything else.

There's a hiss as the doors to the bridge slide open ahead of Carolina, allowing her access to the ship's interior. He can't be far, somewhere between her location and Wash no doubt. ]

Can you describe it for me? What do you see?

[fearmylaserface]

Except the inability to access some things.

[He's watching carefully. He can detect movement thanks to the vision on the body. Allison is making encouraging noises, try to herd him along faster. Safer that way.] Doors.

[guerriera]

If you're up and moving, you clearly don't need them right now. We can fix that later.

[ Doors. Doors.

You are so helpful, Church. So. Helpful. She'd almost forgotten. Carolina withholds a sigh, before heading along the corridors leading to and along the port side, the lasy swish of her dream eater's tail catching on her armored shoulders. ]

Do the doors have any writing on them?

[fearmylaserface]

Fine. [He's not addressing Carolina by name still.]

It's recovery.

[guerriera]

[ She'd noticed. Perhaps that would change once she found him..

Her head tilted up. She knows exactly where that is. The fact she's broken into a run is audible from the sound of her boots echoing in the empty hallways. ]

Go inside, and stay there. I'll be there soon, Church. Make sure your dream eater stays close.

[fearmylaserface]

[The door is opening now, and he's walking in. Allison pushing against him as something starts trying to dig at his memories. There's no further response as he tries to untangle things.]

[guerriera]

[ It takes her longer than expected to reach Recovery.

It shouldn't have - she's run through these halls at all hours, could have done so once in her sleep, knew the shortcuts by heart and how long X to Y at Z pace should take her. Even factoring in a few breaks to battle monsters taken into account, it shouldn't have taken so long.

Hopefully Church hadn't suffered much while he waited.

When the doors open again, her Hebby Rep hops off her shoulder, yawning enough for the pair of them. Not that he lifted a scale to help along the way. ]

Church? Are you here?

[fearmylaserface]

[Epsilon had moved to sit down, Allison climbing on him. It's hard to think.] I'm here...

[guerriera]

[ At least he responds to that name.

The cyan armored freelancer strides over, regarding the blue soldier form 'worn' by Epsilon curiously. Once beside him, she frowns, then crouches so that she can stare visor-to-visor. ]

Church. ..Epsilon. Do you know where you are?

[ A pause, then: ]

Do you know who I am?

[ The hebby rep parks his butt beside the entrance. It isn't like he's needed to do anything right now, though his tail flicks in a wave at Allison.

[fearmylaserface]

The Mother of Invention. Where I was made.

[There's confusion, but it clicks into place.] Carolina? When did you get here?

[Allison is watching Carolina, making her angry noises. Back off, stranger.]

[guerriera]

It's not the real thing, Church. It just looks a lot like it.

[And smells and sounds and feels like it... Except empty. It's unnerving, though she'll be the last to say that aloud right now.]

[ She straightens a little, though she remains in her crouch.]

Yesterday, give or take a few hours. [A slight head tilt, in place of a shrug.] I didn't really sleep.

More importantly, when did you get here?

[ The growling critter is ignored; Carolina doesn't plan on going anywhere. Grif Dax is fairly certain his person can handle herself, and would rather curl up for a nap. ]

[fearmylaserface]

Too real.

Probably arrived while I was getting ready to enter. I think I've been in here a bit.

[Allison is now getting ready to attack Carolina.] Months, though I did get to wake up from dreaming for a while. Ended up here again.

[guerriera]

Real enough. Right down to the leaderboards. [ A slight grimace is audible in her voice before she straightens up, one hand coming to rest on her hip. ]

It's possible. I don't really know how long I spent wandering the back streets before I met a few people. [Shooting moogles, apparently not the best way to win friends and influence people. Who knew?]

Think you're ready to get out of here now?

[The spikey purple ball of protectiveness is finally given some attention. A stare down, if you will.] So even an AI gets a dream eater, huh.

[Aaaand then a sharp look at Epsilon. Months?] Pretty sure you were with me, before I ended up in Traverse Town.

[fearmylaserface]

Hard to miss the boards. All the comforts of home.

[He's uneasy] I was told to stay away or not come alone. But it was by someone I'm not on good terms with. I ignored him.

Please. I don't want to get trapped again.

[Allison isn't afraid of Carolina. She wants her to back away from her person. But the "even an AI" thing gets a flinch as he remembers Wash's comments about him being nothing more than a piece of military equipment.] I didn't have a host. Just this robot. Theta, Delta, and Gamma don't need Dream Eaters. I have to depend on her.

Time flows differently here. We may not even be from the same time.

[guerriera]

I haven't missed them in years.

[You can never go home again, after all. Except (apparently) when you do. Carolina doesn't blame him in the slightest for feeling uneasy, especially given what she witnessed earlier. ]

You won't be trapped here, Church. So let's not waste any more time, we have a job to do, remember?

[ Her head tilts a little at the mention of time. Again, this has come up - with Wash, with North, with York. And given his host comments too, Carolina doesn't like what she suspects. The flinch, due to the lack of more current context, prompts her to offer her hand. Don't bite it, Allison, she's trying to be nice here, weird as that is for everyone present. ]

At least this robot means you don't need someone else to make an exit for you. [Her lip curls slightly.] I can't 'pick you up', though.

[fearmylaserface]

I didn't miss the place... Something just needed to see this. Wash warned me to not go alone. I don't listen to him.

[Epsilon nods.] But the Director isn't here to do anything about. if that's the job you mean. We won't be able to deal with him until it lets us leave.

[Epsilon takes the offered hand, getting a confused whine from Allison. At least he's starting to stand now.] True enough. Even if my judgement isn't the best, it's better than living in Tucker's armor or a mongoose. [After a pause] You really need to stop talking to Tucker.

[To the dream eater] Settle. She's a friend. This is Carolina. And Carolina please don't get angry at the name I gave her. I named the Dream Eater Allison.

[guerriera]

...I understand.

[And she does. In her own way. (Carolina isn't about to lie to herself on this one: she knows she'll be back here again soon enough for her own sake and not someone else's.)

A faint huff follows. York had mentioned they didn't get along, but..]

Next time, get a second opinion from someone you do listen to.

[He's heavy, but pulling him to his feet isn't difficult. Her grip briefly tightens when he mentions the Director; given he's a robot now (again?), he likely won't notice.] Then we'll have to find a way to make it let us leave, whatever it is.

[Not a laugh, but there's brief warmth to her words] Gladly. Though he doesn't ever seem to shut up when prompted.

Dax. [There's a chirp from the door.] We're leaving. Let's go.

...Why would I get angry.

[Said in the most GUARDED FLAT TONE EVER. Eesh, talk about mood whiplash. (The hostility level isn't anywhere near as high as if he'd have mentioned the T-word, so let's thank Heaven for small favours.) The frost doesn't exactly thaw, but she does make an effort not to strangle the name with her mind as she nods to the pricklemane, and steps out of the doors to the corridor beyond the Recovery ward.]

It's nice to meet you. Seems like you have more sense than Church does.

[fearmylaserface]

Carolina, there aren't many of those here. And I won't be a burden to them.

Too many loose ends at home that need tied, Carolina. Even if I'm treated better here than I'm likely to ever be treated there, as Wash has reminded me. Here? I'm a person. There? I'm just military equipment. [That would be a lot of bitterness]

[Epsilon couldn't help a long pause.] Because of how many times you shot at me over another name. I don't understand it. But this Allison was named back when I first arrived here. I didn't know you were alive.

[Allison is watching Carolina warily, but Church doesn't seem too upset about her. She must be a friend.] More sense... And without her, I'd be dead. I need her because I can't even protect myself. Ask York about his attempts to train me.