That wasn't supposed to happen

[whatamithinking]

The parameters are recalibrated, the dial is spun, and a new universe is selected.
It won't be home--they haven't collected anywhere near enough coordinate data to think they can find home yet--but it will be another step closer.
And who knows, it might be interesting.
Edie steps through the portal first.

Comments

[not_only]

It's a few seconds of being surrounded by fog on all sides and not being linked to her sister's mind, and then it's over and she's back in the open air on the other side of the fog wall. Sivath emerges a few seconds later.

[iamnotpolaris]

"Those things are weird. What possible purpose could they have?"

[not_only]

"Well, they separate the islands. I don't know why, but that's what they do."

[iamnotpolaris]

"Eugh. But why are they like that--" she cuts herself off, shaking her head. "I'm overreacting, I'm sorry."

[not_only]

"I find them unsettling, but I think I find them less unsettling than that."

[iamnotpolaris]

"Usually, my and Edie's minds are connected at least a little. When I'm in that cloud stuff she just isn't there."

[not_only]

"No wonder you're more unsettled than I am."

[iamnotpolaris]

"It happens when one of us is in Milliways and the other isn't, too, but we've had more cause to be wary of being separated since we got stranded."

[not_only]

"That makes sense."

[iamnotpolaris]

"Yes."
Is that the house, coming into view?

[not_only]

It is!

Sivath lands there.

[iamnotpolaris]

So does Emily. Edie's waiting outside, wearing a dress that's cut low enough in back not to impede wings. Emily hands the wings over.

[whatamithinking]

Edie tugs her braid out of the way, unminis the wings, and attaches them to her back.
And then: There are wings. She grins and flexes them experimentally.

[pythbox]

The wings are very helpful indeed. They provide unobtrusive little suggestions about how to move them to accomplish various wing-related goals: this is how you take off, this is how you fold them up neatly...

[whatamithinking]

Lovely. Not for every day, perhaps, but still utterly lovely.
"I think the armbands should be finished calibrating in a few more hours," she mentions.

[iamnotpolaris]

"Aha. Any particular reason not to move on?" she asks, half to Sivath. "We can come back at any time..."

[not_only]

"I can't think of anything," he says.

[whatamithinking]

"In the meanwhile, I'm going to try flying," Edie says, and takes off.