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There's fighting on Eros.
Aegis knows a little about Earthside politics, but not all that much: what matters is that several factions want to capture ("rescue") Aegis and Sue. (Or, as they are collectively being called on the nets with no consensus about which of them is which: "War and Peace".) The rest of the jeesh are in trouble too.
Aegis and Sue have been locked in their room for their own protection, and Sue has received conflicting orders about which contingent of soldiers he should be psychically helping.
autokinetic
So, naturally, he links Howlett.
Civil wars are my favourite, Howlett says dryly. You kids okay?
Sue repeats this query to Aegis.
Civil wars are my favourite, Howlett says dryly. You kids okay?
Sue repeats this query to Aegis.
autokinetic
We're fine. Just cooped up, Aegis says. We should probably sleep in shifts in case someone breaks in.
Good plan, says Howlett, and Sue agrees. Then Howlett has to stop talking for a bit, although he keeps the link for the cognitive boost.
...Wow, he is really hot when he's killing people.
...Wow, he is really hot when he's killing people.
autokinetic
If you like that sort of thing, says Aegis. You want to sleep first or second?
He laughs.
Second.
Second.
autokinetic
I'll see if I can sleep now, then. Do I get a fluffy critter to hug?
Ivy fluffs obligingly into existence.
autokinetic
Aegis snuggles up to her and goes to sleep.
Sue has probably noticed this before, but, yep, she talks in her sleep.
Sue has probably noticed this before, but, yep, she talks in her sleep.
It is really cute.
autokinetic
Aegis wakes up about six hours later. "Your turn," she offers Sue. "Unless Howlett's in a tight spot now and needs the bonus brain."
"Nah," says Sue, "he's good for now."
He cuts the link and flops into bed.
He cuts the link and flops into bed.
autokinetic
Aegis goes right on snuggling Ivy, as she reads summaries from Jane of ansible communications she has expressed interest in. Best brainchild ever.
After an hour or two, Ivy vanishes in her customary flicker of golden light.
autokinetic
Aww, oh well. Read read read.
It was apparently clever of Aegis to propose sleeping in shifts in case someone broke in.
Because someone breaks in.
Everyone's wearing the same uniforms, so she doesn't know who these guys are working for, but she dives for Sue to shove him awake and fights them anyway, because they don't look friendly.
She's good. Sue's good, even just awakened from a nap.
But they can only move so fast - even Aegis; she does still have to use her real muscles, under all the copper - and they get tranked and bagged and hauled away in drugged sleep.
It was apparently clever of Aegis to propose sleeping in shifts in case someone broke in.
Because someone breaks in.
Everyone's wearing the same uniforms, so she doesn't know who these guys are working for, but she dives for Sue to shove him awake and fights them anyway, because they don't look friendly.
She's good. Sue's good, even just awakened from a nap.
But they can only move so fast - even Aegis; she does still have to use her real muscles, under all the copper - and they get tranked and bagged and hauled away in drugged sleep.
mind_game
Where did you go? Jane wants to know. You were there and then you were gone and now you're back.
Oh. Milliways, he says. I guess. How was I not here? I was just dreaming. Did I go away?
mind_game
I don't know about physically. There aren't cameras on you so I can't see you. But your linking-part was gone.
My what part?
...My mind?
mind_game
I don't know. Maybe. You weren't living here anymore. Remember you showed me how I 'live' in Aegis? You weren't living anywhere I could see. But that doesn't have to be the same thing as your mind, because I live in Aegis but my mind's distributed all over the galaxy.
Which reminds him that he was recently kidnapped.
Sue opens his eyes.
Sue opens his eyes.
autokinetic
His cell is an approximately featureless metal box. It has a door (locked) and a tray of food (lousy) and a desk (offline). Aegis is not there.
Well, he can turn on the desk, for a start.