"How many times do I have to say I'm not stupid?" 

She does it, though, and it's not until a half-hour later that the crew meets to discuss. 

"So - what's going on? What the hell was that?" 

"I mean, he's got to be a stowaway, right? Like that spy." 

"When could he have gotten on board, though? He's not - he can't have been in any shape to be sneaking around. And there's not many options. I don't see how he could've possibly been here since we left Tycho Station, so... Either he snuck aboard from the Anubis, or - what, when those Martians nearly boarded us? Except they didn't board, so - he'd have had to be in a pressure suit, gotten in through the airlock without us spotting him..." 

"It doesn't make any sense." 

"Nothing's made sense since the Cant blew up." 

"Well, he got here somehow." 

"Maybe we can question him when he's awake. - Naomi, reckon he could be OPA?" 

"Not sure why you're asking me."

They talk in circles some more. They don't really get anywhere. 

Elsewhere, a long way off by any standard reckoning - though by the scale of a solar system it's close by - 

There's a flare of magic - it feels a little like a Gate except not, and Vanyel tries to scream but for a moment he - isn't anywhere - and there's nothing and no one to hear him - 

And then he lands sprawling on a hard scratchy surface, and someone nearby yelps. 

He really hates space. 

It's a little embarrassing. Miller is a Belter, born and bred. But he's never left Ceres, before, not in his whole life. 

The nearby startled yell doesn't help at all with his mood. He doesn't even twitch, though. At this point, a sudden mechanical malfunction dumping them all into vacuum would be just his luck. 

He turns slowly. 

What. 

Ow. She landed badly on - whatever that was. 

:Van? Chosen - are you hurt -: 

There's a fucking horse. At least he thinks that's what the - thing - is. It's not like Miller has ever seen a horse before. The most surprising part is its size. Apparently horses are huge. It's starting at him with disconcertingly intelligent-seeming blue eyes. 

There's also a man, sprawled flat on his back in the aisle between seats. He's small and very thin - doesn't look sturdy enough to be an Earther, though most Belters are taller. He's wearing all-white clothes which have seen better days, and despite the fact that his face makes him look no older than forty, his hair is silvery-white. 

What. 

Where is he. Why doesn't he remember how he got here? 

Vanyel sits up, with some effort. Whatever it was, it seems to have taken a lot out of him - or maybe that's just from everything that happened earlier today. 

For a moment, as his eyes focus, he wonders if Foundation transported them back up north, maybe to one of Telumë's secure underground facilities. It has the same claustrophobic feel. 

- but then his vision clears, and Vanyel stares around, baffled. He doesn't recognize the place. He doesn't recognize any of the people, either, and judging by their stunned expressions they don't have the faintest idea what he's doing here. 

If he sits and waits then maybe someone else will do something. Not that it's clear what one does about, suddenly, a fucking horse on a transport shuttle. 

No one else moves. 

Miller groans and unfolds himself until he's sitting upright. "Oye, baratna," he calls out to the stranger, now using the arm of someone's chair to pull himself upright. "Why you here?" 

That...is not even slightly a language Vanyel recognizes. He blinks helplessly at the older, oddly-dressed, and very cranky-looking man. "What?" 

Is that one of the obscure Earther languages? Miller speaks English and Belta and that's it. 

He repeats the question, though. 

This is incredibly confusing! 

:'Fandes, do you recognize anything about where we are?: 

:No. Sorry. Don't have a clue. ...They look more human than Quendi: 

Vanyel had, in fact, already noticed that for himself. 

:Try having a look around, I guess?: 

:What– oh, I guess I can use Farsight: He's already been peeking with mage-sight and there's nothing. No sign of magic in any of the structure... 

He reaches with his Farsight - 

What. 

...All right. Focus. Maybe it's just the direction, he mixed up his up and down and is looking at the sky - 

- it's not that. It's nothing but blackness and stars on all sides - no, in one direction there's something else -