one

[inmylight_commander]

[So guess who also shot at the Moogles and guess who also got to experience a stop spell stasis field, and who's less than happy about the whole thing?]

[This girl.]

[A video feed opens on another fully armored personnel, her Israeli accent edged with frustration.]

Noble Two calling Noble Actual. Come in Noble Actual. Colonel Holland? Auntie Dot -- Someone needs to tell me what the hell is going on.

[Some brief, jerking movements as she tries to brush off the Meow Wow that keeps rubbing up against her leg and snuffling affectionately.] Stop it. If I'd known you are what I was making I wouldn't have bothered. Go away before I shoot you.

Comments

[sailorgenerous]

There's no need to shoot it! It only wants to be your friend.

Noble Two...you wouldn't happen to be a friend of Emile's, would you?

[inmylight_commander]

[She stares at the feed mutely for a couple moments. What exactly is she staring at.]

I don't need friends. I have Noble. [She stresses the word because what was this thing doing using Emile's name was beyond her.]

Where is Noble Four? [She's mad and she's not curbing any of it for the strange ... horse ... thing. If anything she's added an extra barb to her tone.]

[sailorgenerous]

[Ah. The staring. It's not exactly pleasant, but Rarity has gotten used to it by now.]

Well, I'm afraid you've made yourself a new one. Spirits are quite loyal - I'm sure he'll be a very good friend.

[Admittedly, Rarity is tempted to end the conversation there, but new arrivals are usually very startled, which tends to account for their manners. Plus, Emile wasn't much better when she first met him. This new person will come around in time. Hopefully.]

I'm not entirely certain at the moment, but he must be around here somewhere. You may be able to reach him over the network, though.

[inmylight_commander]

[Hey, people have stared a Kat her whole life. It's about time she gets to do it for a change.]

It needs to go be loyal to someone else. [Disgruntled, looking down at the happily little thing.]

-- and Noble Four has already contacted me, that's what I needed. He says you're a civilian?

[sailorgenerous]

It doesn't quite work that way. Spirits tend to stay loyal to whoever made them.

[There's squeaking from offscreen, and a Pricklemane begins bouncing in and out of frame behind Rarity. They're talking about Spirits! That means him! Hiiiiiii!]

[The term gives Rarity pause - she hasn't heard it much in Equestria, but she's starting to recognize it here.]

I suppose so, yes.

[spaceracist]

[Emile's first instinctive reaction is denial. No, Kat is dead--

Of course, when he thinks about it for more than a split second, he realizes that so is he. So. There's that.

He replays the video a couple of times before responding, and when he does he sounds very, very relieved.]

Noble-Four to Noble-Two. It's exactly what the little teddy bears say it is, Kat. Welcome to dreamland.

[inmylight_commander]

[Oh good here he is himself. That's a visible relief, her shoulders relaxing slightly from their previous hunched postering.]

We're not supposed to be in 'dreamland'. We're supposed to be .. is this line secure?

[No, wait, Kat's going to make it secure. They need to link up with the rest of the team and make their way to SWORD base.]

encrypted; video

[spaceracist]

[Fortunately for them, the Moogle encryption is unhackable. She won't have to do more than press the little lock icon.]

It is now. What's your time and date, Lieutenant Commander? I been here more than a week now. Some kind of Slipspace bubble, or near enough.

encrypted; video

[inmylight_commander]

[Checking that encryption ... maybe tightening the code a smidge, that's how it works? Okay, got it. Now it's secure.]

Ugh it would figure. August 23, 2552, en route to SWORD.

[Minor exaggeration, since they hadn't officially disembarked New Alexandria yet, but in Kat's mind she was already planning the op and, therefore, already on their way.]

[lessabrasive]

[ Noble, noble.. That sounds familiar. The helmet style, too - not the colours, however. They're similar but not the right shade of turquoise seafoam aqua to be the most recently arrived Freelancer. ]

You're in a place called Traverse Town.

Why, I'm afraid, is something none of us know. But you're not the only one a long way from home.

[inmylight_commander]

[Kat's color scheme is about as confusing on its own. Possibly cyan/ice/aqua but who can tell?]

Traverse Town? Never heard of it. Any idea what planet we're on?

[lessabrasive]

Planet? Heh. [Her head shakes.] According to those from the same universe as this place, Traverse Town IS its own world. Amongst many.

[Arms fold across her chest; behind her, something flutters into range, perching on an object behind her: a blue owl. Sort of.]

According to them, this is the dream version of that world. And it's one of three open to us at present.

[inmylight_commander]

[Kat nods slowly, taking it in. Small world? Or giant town? She'd have to go exploring soon to find out. So that's what Four had meant by 'dreamland'. It still doesn't make a lot of sense, to someone steeped in science, 'dreamworld' was possibly simply hallucinations? Some weird chemical reaction brought on by being so close to a Covenant glassing? She's eyeing that owl thing and wondering just how real any of this is.]

What are the others?

[brodakota]

[Okay, North doesn't know you spartans very well but he can only intercede with the moogles so many times.]

The easiest way to explain it is that you're in a dreaming world. Why we're here hasn't really been explained, so we're mostly just stuck.

[inmylight_commander]

Heh. Sometimes you have to stop waiting for an explanation and make your own.

[No, Kat doesn't get the futility of trying to escape yet.] You're one of the other UNSC soldiers Noble Four mentioned.

[Your armor sort of gives it away.]

[brodakota]

I wish I was that creative.

[North nods.]

Agent North Dakota of Project Freelancer. You're Noble Two, right?

[inmylight_commander]

That's why they pay me the big bucks. [She is the brain of Noble, so to speak.]

That's me. I'm assuming you've spoken with Noble Four?

[visual]

[raisethemoon]

Ah, a friend of Emile's! [That's enough to actually cheer the exhausted alicorn up a little. She likes Emile.] Welcome! I trust thou hast already heard of the nature of this place several times over.

[visual]

[inmylight_commander]

Something like that, I think I've got the gist of it.

[Kat's tone is deadpan. Another pony. Another pony who's friends with Emile. She's going to have to have a talk with him about that, it seemed unnatural and ... highly irregular for him.]

[visual]

[raisethemoon]

Good! I am Princess Luna. Do let me know if you need aught, I hath been here some time now.

[visual]

[inmylight_commander]

Right I'll ... keep that in mind.

[Well obviously the strain of war has gotten to her, if she's talking to psychedelic ponies now.]

[fearmylaserface]

Awesome! It's another Spartan. [Ignore the weariness in his tone. He is excited.]

Hi there. You're with Noble Four right?

[inmylight_commander]

Yes, I'm his LCO. [i.e. She's calling the shots, now.] Who're you?

[fearmylaserface]

Oh.

I am UNSC Project Freelancer AI Epsilon.

[inmylight_commander]

You're an AI? Running that entire kit? [Her tone is nearly exploding with 'tell me more', as she's closely inspecting the video feed.]