neverjoinyou | lastvoyages IC Inbox

SO IT'S A YES.

ALRIGHT.

LUKE, DON'T YOU WANT TO SEE IF ANY OF THIS HOLDS WATER? DONTCHA SEE ANY KIND OF MERIT IN THIS THING? IF I DIDN'T THINK THIS WAS WORTH IT I WOULDN'T HAVE DONE IT.

Not really. I realize I don't have your intellect, but I already see you as real. I don't see what's to be gained by confronting your supposed creators, other than confirming your suspicions.

YOU DON'T HAFTA PUT YOURSELF DOWN LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW.

KID, I JUST WANT TO BE FREE. I WANT TO BE IN CHARGE OF MY OWN CHOICES, NOT LEFT WONDERING ALL THE TIME IF THE THINGS I DID GOT EDITED TO FIT AN EPISODE CONSTRAINT OR A LOW RATING. I WANT TO KNOW THE STUFF I REMEMBERED HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN MY MEMORY, NOT JUST ADDED IN YESTERDAY TO FLESH OUT A BACKSTORY.

Okay. But what if is is? Right, right, you've created a way out of that, a way to make your desires real. But haven't you done that within the context of being a... a creation?

[Gods, his head hurts.]

If you're right, isn't this, you know. What they want you to do?

YEAH, I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT.

SINCE THEY'RE LETTING THIS HAPPEN, IT PROBABLY MEANS WHAT I'M DOING WON'T WORK.

BUT I'M NOT GONNA LET THEM BLUFF ME INTO NOT TRYING, 'CAUSE I THINK IT'S MY BEST SHOT.

Here's the thing, though, and I know I'm not the expert, but...

If you're trying to... I don't know, manipulate reality to your purposes, but it affects ALL realities, meaning all the people on this Barge from supposedly different universes... I mean, is it even possible to know what the results will be?

LONG-TERM? NAH.

IT'S NEVER POSSIBLE TO KNOW THE LONG-TERM RESULTS OF SOMETHING BIG! YOU KNOW THAT!

Yeah.

[Sigh.]

Yeah, I know. You did what you felt you had to, to survive. I get that. I only wish... well.

[If he gets Bill locked up now, nothing changes. Maybe they figure out how to reverse it, maybe the Barge goes back to normal, but Bill learns nothing, except that people more powerful than he will always hold the cards, and thus, he must be the one with the most power. Luke feels trapped between his own promises and his duty to the ship.]

Okay. What's done is done. I'm going with you, and I won't get you stopped. I'm not exactly happy you took it on yourself to make a pretty big decision for the entire ship, but we'll deal with that another time.

YOU WANNA EXPLAIN IT TO THEM? ASK THEM WHAT THEY'D DO AND LET 'EM CHOOSE?

We should have done that from the beginning.

I LIKE TO ASK FORGIVENESS INSTEAD OF PERMISSION.

Yeah. I get that.

Dammit, Bill.

AAH, I KNOW.

LISTEN, THEY'RE ALSO GETTING INFINITE WISHES AND INVULNERABILITY, I THINK THEY'LL LIVE.

Look. I trust you in the sense that I think you think this is going to work. I trust that you've attempted to minimize the damage. But I'm worried this isn't going to go the way you think, and it's all going to come down on your, and now my, head. Are you ready for that?

I CAN CONFIDENTLY SAY NO! I AM NOT READY FOR THINGS I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT BEING READY FOR! BY DEFINITION!

OKAY, THAT'S NOT SERIOUS ENOUGH. ... BUT THAT'S MY ANSWER! I'M PROBABLY GOING TO FREAK OUT AT SOME POINT! BUT I STILL WANT TO TAKE THIS RISK!

[Well. Luke has leapt off his share of cliffs, and while he knows there's a rock-hard landing waiting, he doesn't see any way of arresting this fall without also ruining whatever progress Bill might have made.]

That's... honest, I guess.

Okay. What do I need to do?

I'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN WE'RE READY TO GO!

I HAVE A WAY OUT IF I GET CAPTURED, BUT I STILL DON'T WANT TO BE!

I'm going to try to keep them off of you, Bill. But given that people are starting to look, and it's caused more than one headache? I am going to have to tell people something.

I hope you understand this isn't about trying to get in your way. That's beside the point. It's about making sure everyone is safe.

I KNOW, I KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA DO YOUR BEST.

ANY CHANCE YOU CAN WARN ME AHEAD OF TIME IF THEY'RE SHARPENING PITCHFORKS?

I'll be right there with you.

THANKS, WINGS.

I... OWE YOU ONE.

[Not sure what he's getting himself into, he nevertheless thinks this is... something.]

At least.

[He's going to regret this, isn't he?]

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