Searching Far and Wide

[intricate_engineer]

Glen was creating a prototype for a new gate design. It was meant to be affordable and provide quick transport between individual homes. She tests several objects and a rat and everything seems to be working.

She steps through. Instead of finding herself in the room next door, she finds herself standing on a sidewalk in an empty city. The buildings are tall and perfect, colorless with doorways far too tall for any human. The roads have no straight lines and twist in on themselves. There is no life or sound.
Glen tries to stay calm. She begins to walk along the road, randomly opening doors and exploring buildings that are as silent as the rest of the world.

She opens a door that she hopes will lead onto a roof and is instead met with warmth, and soft noise, and color.

Comments

[alicornucopia]

You're welcome.

[intricate_engineer]

"How much would it cost to stay here for a week if I bought food and a place to sleep?"

[alicornucopia]

That depends on your tastes. Minimal room price is - She quotes something low, not the literal cheapest you could usually get a room sans coupon for where Glen lives but down there. And food is reasonable currency-depending prices depending on what you'd like to eat.

[intricate_engineer]

Glen smiles and relaxes a bit.
"Thank you. I should be okay for a while. Could I please buy some dinner?"

[alicornucopia]

Would you like to pick something or shall I recommend a spread?

[intricate_engineer]

"Could you recommend a spread please?"

[alicornucopia]

There appears fried chicken, waffles, waffle fixings, a veggie stirfry, and a wedge of peanut butter chocolate cheesecake.

[intricate_engineer]

"Thanks! This looks delicious."
Glen starts to reach for the food then pauses, "Where do you get your food?"

[alicornucopia]

I make it. The meat is indistinguishable from the highest quality conventionally obtained chicken but has never actually lived.

[intricate_engineer]

"Okay!"
Glen begins munching on the chicken and looks around to see who else is in the bar.

[alicornucopia]

There's somebody by the fire napping, someone at a table steadily working through an entire pie-cake-hybrid-thing, somebody tromping out from a hallway to the right of Bar with blood on their clothes and heading straight for the door -

[the_very_best]

- and somebody who opens the door the moment it's closed.

[intricate_engineer]

Glen leans over to try to see what's behind the door.

[the_very_best]

A street implying highly modern standards of architecture, if no style Glen's ever seen, and a bright sunny day, and a large bird flying low through the street, and then the door swings shut.

The newcomer looks confused.

[intricate_engineer]

Glen waves at her.

[the_very_best]

She waves back. "Uh, this doesn't look like a Pokémart."

[intricate_engineer]

Glen gestures at the seat next to her.
"I don't know what a Pokémart is, but I'm pretty sure this isn't one."

[the_very_best]

"So... what is it?"

[intricate_engineer]

"It's called Milliways. It's apparently a bar in some sort of pocket dimension."

[the_very_best]

"That's... that's weird."

[intricate_engineer]

"Very. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what's going on. The bar can talk to you, I think it's the bar anyway, by making napkins with words appear."

[the_very_best]

The girl approaches the bar. She is offered a drink. She blinks and orders something.

Yes, I'm the bar, the bar confirms to Glen.

[intricate_engineer]

"Just wanted to make sure. Is Bar what you want to be called?"

[the_very_best]

Yes. And female pronouns.

"This is delicious," comments the girl.

Oh, thank you.

[intricate_engineer]

"I'm Glen by the way."