lastvoyages IC Inbox

[neverjoinyou]

Leave a message. I will hear you.

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private audio

[tetractys]

GOOD NEWS OR BAD NEWS FIRST?

[neverjoinyou]

I don't care, just make sure you tell me which is which.

[tetractys]

WELL, BAD NEWS, IT'S ME! I'M THE REASON THE BARGE IS COMING APART!

THAT'S ALSO THE GOOD NEWS!

[neverjoinyou]

[Luke knows better, at this point, than to disbelieve Bill. But he does take a moment to press a hand to his eyes.]

Why?

[tetractys]

WEEEEEELL, WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW'S AN ACCIDENT.

BUT REMEMBER I TOLD YOU I WAS GOING TO GO FIND THE WORLD WHERE MY STORY WAS MADE, AND MAYBE YOURS TOO?

[neverjoinyou]

Yes.

You're saying... the Barge is somehow falling apart because you did?

[tetractys]

I DID. WE'RE GOING.

THE SHIP'S FIGHTING ME, THAT'S WHY IT'S ACTING UP. IT DOESN'T REALLY WANT ME POKING A BIG HOLE THROUGH TO THAT DIMENSION!

[neverjoinyou]

I wonder why.

Bill, this is... Okay. I assume you're telling me this because, what? You've finally realized you've screwed up and I'm going to find out anyway?

[tetractys]

I WANT YOU TO COME WITH ME WHEN WE GO THROUGH.

YOU SAID YOU'D HELP IF NOBODY ON THE SHIP GOT PUT IN DANGER, AND I'VE DONE A LOT TO TRY TO MAKE THAT THE CASE. A LOT!

[neverjoinyou]

Well of course I'm going with you. [Saves him the trouble of having to track you down.]

But Bill... are you sure? Your definition of harm isn't always the same as everyone else's.

[tetractys]

AM I SURE MY BEST IS GOING TO LIVE UP TO YOUR BEST? NO.

BUT I DID ASK SOMEONE FOR HELP THAT HAS "REAL EMPATHY" AND "VALUE FOR HUMAN LIFE."

[neverjoinyou]

...

Was it Ford?

[tetractys]

NOT AUTHORIZED TO DISCLOSE MY SOURCES, WINGS.

[neverjoinyou]

So that's a yes.

Okay. So you want to meet your... supposed creators. And you've hijacked the Barge to do your bidding, resulting in spacial anomalies. For months. How do you know it's not going to get worse?

[tetractys]

BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO ARRIVE BEFORE IT HAS THE CHANCE!

[neverjoinyou]

And after that? Are you going to be able to reverse the damage?

[tetractys]

TO THE SHIP? SURE! THINGS WILL GET MUCH EASIER TO CONTROL THEN. WE CAN JUST IMAGINE IT BEING FIXED!

[neverjoinyou]

Hang on.

What did you do?

[tetractys]

I DID WHAT I SAID I WAS GOING TO DO! I'M GOING TO GET US THERE, AND THEN I'M GOING TO MAKE SURE I'M REAL BEFORE I TRY TO ENGAGE ANYBODY ABOVE MY PAY GRADE. ONLY PROBLEM IS, IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE I GET MYSELF I HAD TO SET IT TO A PRETTY WIDE RANGE. LOTS OF OTHER STUFF IS GOING TO BECOME REAL, TOO.

[neverjoinyou]

So you've basically... made wishes come true? That's how you're doing this?

[tetractys]

YES! EXACTLY.

WE'RE USING A THING I FOUND IN FANTASIA! FOR WISHES!

SOME PEOPLE MIGHT MAKE THINGS BY ACCIDENT, TOO. HAD TO MAKE SURE!

[neverjoinyou]

Bill.

[He's trying so hard to keep his cool]

How do you keep that safe? That's... Gods. Anything could happen!

[tetractys]

THE ARTIFACT'S DESIGNED TO PROTECT ITS WEARER. WHEN I AMPLIFIED THE WISHING THING, I ALSO MAKE THE PROTECTIVE AURA GO WITH IT. NOBODY SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET HURT, OR DIE. STUFF WILL JUST BOUNCE OFF OF THEM!

SEE? I TRIED!

[neverjoinyou]

You--

[Deep breath, Luke.]

Yes. I see that.

Bill. I understand that you... feel you need this, badly. I also understand that you tried to prevent the worst from happening. But you do realize this impacts people, right? And I'm going to have to tell them what's going on?

[tetractys]

CAN YOUUUU WAIT A COUPLE MORE DAYS?