Alex in Milliways

[between_worlds]

Alex is wandering through the Organization's annex of storerooms, looking for a sample of unique amphibian that someone had mis-categorized and that no one else seemed remotely interested in trying to find.

Alex opens the door to 4090R and finds, not a poorly lit storage room, but a bright, cheerful looking bar.

He walks inside and begins to look around, "Was this here before?"

Comments

[alicornucopia]

It was not there before. It's currently empty, very clean, there's a window where the architecture in which it was found wouldn't allow for a window and outside this window are exploding stars.

[between_worlds]

Alex walks over and presses his fingers against the glass, it's cool and when he moves the position of the stars shifts behind the window.
It's not a screen.

He takes a minute to just stare at the stars.

[alicornucopia]

Explode! Boom! Nova! Fwoom! go the stars.

[between_worlds]

After taking a picture with his phone, he wanders over to the bar and calls, "Hello? Anyone here?"

[alicornucopia]

Hello, reads a spontaneously appearing napkin, it's just me and you right now. I'm the bar. Can I interest you in a drink? First one's free.

[between_worlds]

"Please, what do you have?"

[alicornucopia]

I have everything.

[between_worlds]

"Really, everything? That does not help me decide. Can I just get a beer?"

[alicornucopia]

Of course.

There appears a beer of unrecognizable brand in a blue glass bottle.

[between_worlds]

"Thank you!" Alex says, taking a sip.

[alicornucopia]

It is delicious.

[between_worlds]

"This is really good." Alex takes another sip and smiles, "So, do you normally have a lot of people here?"

[alicornucopia]

Occupancy varies substantially, from zero to hundreds of patrons, or even many thousands if one counts peak occupancy of the backyard and upstairs.

[between_worlds]

"How'd you get in the storeroom? Did someone sneak a portal in?"

[alicornucopia]

The door, which I do not personally operate and cannot predict reliably in any of its particulars, co-opts ordinary doors in any world. If you exit and allow the door to close, you will find it leads to the storeroom you were looking for and that no time has passed.

[between_worlds]

"Wow. That's impressive. How have I never heard of you before?"

[alicornucopia]

I couldn't say. The establishment is called Milliways and I myself am Bar, and while I am a main attraction I am not identical to the entirety, incidentally. Milliways's existence is not common knowledge in most worlds.

[between_worlds]

"You must meet so many interesting people."

[alicornucopia]

It's true, I do.

[between_worlds]

"How may different places are you right now?"

[alicornucopia]

I am only ever here. I do not control and receive no direct feedback from the door, so it may be presenting itself in any number of locations and I would not know.

[between_worlds]

"Do you get-" Alex pauses, searching for the right word, "claustrophobic?"

[alicornucopia]

No. I suspect the concept is not applicable to an inanimate person.

[between_worlds]

"Are there others like you?"

[alicornucopia]

Not as far as I am aware, although obviously we would have a challenge in meeting if there were.