Grasshopper 30, Video to Everywhere from Standard, 'Afternoon'

[unfavorableinstigation]

[Sometime after lunch, the day before the next platform stop, Nita makes her next appearance on the Network.

Hey, this could become a regular thing...!]

Nita Callahan with Orange Team, here, and I just want to say: if you didn't have to deal with sharing memories while we were on Jema'grethy, you got off easy.

[Have a wry momentary glance, train.]

That said, if you weren't dealing with that, and didn't climb the mountain, there's some important things you'll want to be clued in on. And by 'important' I mean 'important to how and why the Voidtrecker Express got all kinds of screwed up.'

[So... that's a thing.]

I've got transcripts of the memories Enna, Minako, and I received, if you'd rather not experience the memories themselves. Either come see me or Eva if you want those transcripts, or just me if you want a direct memory transfer.

Those who've already seen the memories - what do you think of them, so far? It may sound kind of 'after the fact,' but how are you doing? There were some real heavy matters brought up in them, and if they're at all relevant to what we're going to be dealing with, we'll need to pull ourselves together fast.

That aside: keep what Senku and Ai said in mind when making purchases when our points roll around; one thing you can never have enough of is supplies, and it never hurts to be overprepared.

And that's what we're gonna have to be. Call it instinct, or intuition, or whatever, but it wouldn't be my first time, and I'm pretty sure that applies to a lot of you too.

Take care of each other. Nita, out.

Comments

[unfavorableinstigation]

One at a time, or all in one go?

[It's the last question, promise.]

It's... a lot to take in, especially the last one.

[goingthroughaphase]

[ She thinks about that for a moment. ]

Maybe one at a time. Might be a bit easier.

[unfavorableinstigation]

[With a nod, Nita reaches over to take Kitty's hand...

She starts with the 'first' memory first - the one Enna got. She'll wait a few seconds for Kitty to resurface, then,]

Let me know when you're ready for the next... or just if anything sticks out to you.

[goingthroughaphase]

[ She closes her eyes as the memory passes through her mind, even if it doesn't really matter since the memory shows nothing but darkness anyway. But she feels it clearly, even though there's barely anything to feel.

When she opens her eyes again, she takes a moment and a breath, letting her mind process what she'd experienced. ]

So that was...the train?

[unfavorableinstigation]

Or whatever became it.

[Nita confirms, letting one breath come, then another.]

Possibly a passenger - or several. The next memory explains that idea a little, if you're ready?

[goingthroughaphase]

[ Taking another breath, she nods. ]

Okay.

[unfavorableinstigation]

[The hand-hold resumes, and the second memory plays out. All the persepctives, lives snatched from the jaws of danger.

No lives lost.

Nita lets Kitty come out of this one on her own, already bracing herself for the next - and last - memory.]

How was that, then?

[goingthroughaphase]

[ She closes her eyes again as the memory plays out. This one is a bit more confusing, as the point of view seems to change between different people. Things are tense, uncertain at first, but the memory ends victoriously, and Kitty opens her eyes to look at Nita. ]

I'm guessing things don't stay that happy.

[unfavorableinstigation]

They don't.

[With that, Nita lets Kitty choose whether or not - or just when - to take her hand.

Memory of death and destruction awaits.

Nita will be ready to hug her roommate once it's over.]

[goingthroughaphase]

[ With another deep breath, she takes Nita's hand and closes her eyes again, preparing for the worst.

Which is, for the most part, what she sees in the memory this time. ]

[unfavorableinstigation]

... Kitty?

[The worst part is? Nita doesn't know if this is the worst of it - if it's the start of a downhill slide, or just the crux of what's wrong.

Fortunately, they don't have to find out just yet.]

[goingthroughaphase]

[ It takes her a while to come out of the memory this time, mostly due to the emotions that were infused in the memory. When she finally does come out of it, she can't help a slight shudder. ]

Oh my gosh...

[unfavorableinstigation]

... Need a hug?

It's- it's a lot.

[And even that feels like an understatement.]

[goingthroughaphase]

[ Taking another breath, she nods. ] Y-Yeah...a little bit.

...I wouldn't mind a hug.

[unfavorableinstigation]

[And without further adieu, Kitty gets one.

After a few moments, if Kitty doesn't retreat, Nita begins rubbing circles on her roommate-and-friend's back as well.]

[goingthroughaphase]

[ She holds the hug for a moment, accepting the comfort Nita gives. Then she pulls away, shaking her head. ]

This is...this is all so messed up.

[unfavorableinstigation]

No kidding.

[Nita sighs.]

And we have no idea if what they did after is even fixable, let alone reversible.

[They may be saving lives... or just picking up the pieces.]

[goingthroughaphase]

[ She nods. ] And even if it is, where would we start?

[unfavorableinstigation]

If we have to go back to fix everything?

[Nita pauses.]

There's- ways, to insert people into an isolated timestream. But without a way to tell if that's even remotely what's going on, we could wipe ourselves out of existence doing it.

[Nita sounds bitter because, as far as she can tell, that's exactly what happened to those Voidtreckers.

Only the train is still around, after all; only the train remembers.\

[goingthroughaphase]

[ She can't help a soft sigh. ]

So we still have to figure out more of what happened, what's going on. We can't do anything yet.

[ It's frustrating, because it makes her feel even more helpless. ]

[unfavorableinstigation]

It doesn't seem like we can do anything yet - or that we're meant to.

Not while we still have regular missions.

[Though, maybe there'd be a change in the pre-mission visions themselves, that Nita or her bondmates could use to figure things out? ... Something to consider.]

[goingthroughaphase]

[ Regular missions...just like those previous members used to do. ]

So what should we do?

[unfavorableinstigation]

Aside from the usual 'be observant, take notes, jump on chances'?

... We don't give up on the train. It's already lost one whole set of people; more of us leaving or trying to hurt it won't do us any favors in the long run.

[goingthroughaphase]

[ She nods. ] Yeah, I guess.

[ It's still frustrating at times, though. Especially because none of them really asked to be here. Had the previous Voidtreckers been taken from other worlds too? ]

Wrap?

[unfavorableinstigation]

[Nita gets that - all too well, even.

Though, given the train had had the approval of the void ministry back then, the other Voidtreckers likely had gone through official procedure.]

Well, I've got to prepare to explain this to everyone else coming. Want to stick around, or...?

[Nita won't insist on the company.]