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

[intricate_engineer]

"Here, I'll show you."
Glen pulls up a schematic.
"I couldn't make it entirely from scratch, but I'm assuming I can buy the necessary parts. You need to connect it to another portal. Location is defined relative to the current location. I'm not quite sure where we are, but I might be able to link two together here and put one in a new world."

[the_very_best]

"Well, Bar, what do you think?"

Some interdimensional transit mechanisms cooperate with Milliways. I do not know about this one but it might succeed.

[intricate_engineer]

"It's worth a try. I"ll probably put an apple through first or something. I don't want to end up in a void. Actually, would you mind helping? This would be significantly easier with another person."

[the_very_best]

"Love to, if you can use unskilled labor and possibly render it skilled!"

[intricate_engineer]

"Someone to help me not drop things would be wonderful! I'll try to explain the best I can. Bar, could you please tell me how much these components would cost?"
Glen lists them.

[alicornucopia]

Bar produces a price list. It's very reasonable for the items, but still a lot of money.

[intricate_engineer]

Glen sighs, but says, "Thanks."
"It's about what I was expecting. It'll knock out a lot of my savings, but if I get home I think I can take it from my research budget."

[the_very_best]

"You can technically run up an arbitrary tab with Bar," Bella says. "She's not going to shake you down for it, there's just unsubstantiated suspicion about carrying a balance."

[intricate_engineer]

"Does that bother you?" Glen asks Bar.

[alicornucopia]

Not a bit. I have to keep track of what you owe, but I do not have to care.

[intricate_engineer]

"Can I please order that list on tab then? And could I please rent a room?"

[alicornucopia]

Certainly. Parts appear, and a room key. Room 4550.

[intricate_engineer]

Glen looks at the pile doubtfully, then says, "Could I also have a bag?"

[alicornucopia]

Bag!

[intricate_engineer]

"Thanks!"
Glen begins to carry the pile up to her room.

[the_very_best]

"You're going to make the gate up in your room?"

[intricate_engineer]

"I think so. It would be difficult to do it down here, and I don't want anyone stumbling through and getting hurt if it doesn't work."

[the_very_best]

"How big a concern to that? I'm stumble-prone."

[intricate_engineer]

"No greater than the likelihood you would stumble through a normal doorway, and then only once I turn it on. You don't have to stand near it when I'm doing that. It might be a problem if a lot of people are walking around and don't know what's going on though."

[the_very_best]

"Okay, good."

[intricate_engineer]

"Besides, I want to spread out. I think doing that here would be rude."

[the_very_best]

"Fair enough!" And Bella follows Glen up.

[intricate_engineer]

Glen opens the door, holding the bag in her teeth while she fumbles for the key.

[the_very_best]

The key opens the door.

[intricate_engineer]

Glen carefully deposits the stuff onto the ground and looks around to see if there is a table.