space oddity

[rockeye_stonetoe]

One day in fairyland, there is an immensely bright flash of light a about a mile above the ground. Something like a metal house is suddenly flying through as if it came through a portal, faster than all but the fastest fairies.

It's flying, not directly down, but still very much towards the ground. It does not take long for it to stop flying and start carving through earth and trees. Eventually it runs out of momentum near a certain lake. The thing seems to still be in one piece, which is rather miraculous considering the two miles of destroyed trees behind it.

After a few minutes, a mortal covered in unusually bulky clothes emerges from the thing. All that is visible is his face. He starts inspecting the outside of his space oddity.

Comments

[rockeye_stonetoe]

"They would probably break lots of stuff if they don't know how to handle it right. If they breached the fusion core or tried to open any of the tools, they might explode."

Hesitation. Can he avoid mentioning the security AI? Yes, apparently.

[alicornucopia]

"Well, your crash was pretty visible. I'm going to want your help clearing everything useful and portable out of it sooner rather than later, anyone might have seen it. Think about the most efficient least destructive way to do that for me until further notice, a clear-cut emergency, or my other vassal's return."

[rockeye_stonetoe]

He thinks about using his robots to move things around. He doesn't actually activate them.

"Hmm. Got any paper? I can draw up procedures."

[alicornucopia]

"Lots. She likes to draw. Go into her room, it's that one, and take some out of the stack on her desk, and something to write with."

[rockeye_stonetoe]

So he does that. And starts writing about how to dig tunnels under the lake and store things space-efficiently.

[imeanforever]

Yellow goes into his own room.

And then a girl who looks almost human except for the hawthorn-leaf wings comes into the house.

She is surprised and alarmed to see Nick.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

"I am as unhappy about this as you seem to be. Would you mind explaining why I am unable to disobey that irritating man?"

[imeanforever]

"Did you eat something here or did you tell him your name?"

[rockeye_stonetoe]

"I told him my name. Hm, that explains why he ordered me not to eat anything. Is that what causes it? Eating and names?"

[imeanforever]

"Yes. What does he have you doing?"

[rockeye_stonetoe]

"Thinking about the best way to cannibalize my ship for his personal use. He didn't order me to actually start, or to not make it harder, though." A little smirk.

[imeanforever]

She glances meaningfully at Yellow's room. "Well, he may yet think of it, especially with your assistance," she murmurs.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

"Yes, I'm being foolish, aren't I? I'm bad at holding my tongue. Honestly I am just barely not crying, and only because crying would not help."

[imeanforever]

"Crying will not help," agrees Promise with subtle emphasis.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

"Exactly. Can I assume you would also not like to continue being under his thrall?"

[imeanforever]

"Oh, Yellow's so much better than my last master," says Promise, a little loudly.

Yellow's bedroom door cracks open. "Oh, you're home, good! I need you to keep an eye on Liam here. Liam, don't do anything Promise tells you not to do. Promise, answer his questions about sorcery." Yellow waves a hand and then departs the house.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

"What is sorcery, how does one sorcer, what kinds of things can sorcery do? I need to know to figure out how to stop it from happening to the ship as ordered."

[imeanforever]

"Sorcery is magic, you do it by paying attention and applying will, light gates water purification fire, I can't not answer your sorcery questions right now but is that really your highest priority?"

[rockeye_stonetoe]

"Sorry, sorry, I am a ball of nervous tension and can't really stop talking." He starts pacing instead. "How do we get out?"

[imeanforever]

"What orders are you under with respect to your name? Don't tell me yet. And do you have any mortal food?"

[rockeye_stonetoe]

"I quote, 'Don't tell anyone that.' And yes. I have some on me that he didn't think to make me throw away, even."

[imeanforever]

"All right. If you give me the food, and then tell me your name, we can both get out of here."

[rockeye_stonetoe]

He gives her the food and waits.

[imeanforever]

"When I eat it, tell me I rescind all your orders - unless there's anything preventing you from doing that? And is there any part of your name that isn't part of what you gave Yellow, so you can tell me that part?"

[rockeye_stonetoe]

"Nothing will stop me from doing that. I hate the other half of my name, but that's hardly relevant, is it?"