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]

"Would it listen to me once you caught it?"

[the_very_best]

"I'd give it to you right away so it wouldn't disrupt the connections with mine. If that didn't connect it to you we'd have to let it go."

[intricate_engineer]

"It's worth a try. I'd like to see one in the wild anyways. Want to help me build a second portal? It will be the same as the first."

[the_very_best]

"Sure. Then we haul it out the door into my world?"

[intricate_engineer]

"Yep. We can buy a trolley or something."

[the_very_best]

"Sure."

[intricate_engineer]

"Alright. First coffee, then back to building."

[the_very_best]

"I don't really have a taste for coffee."

[intricate_engineer]

"I need coffee, though you're welcome to get something if you'd like."

[the_very_best]

"- I bet Bar can do sweet egg milk without having to make a whole egg's worth."

[intricate_engineer]

"That sounds delicious. What is it?"

[the_very_best]

"...contains egg, milk, and sugar, that's all I know. You can get one too. And Zag goes crazy for it."

[intricate_engineer]

"Coffee and two egg milks please?" Glen asks Bar.

[the_very_best]

"And a third in a bowl."

Bar provides. Zag is THRILLED with his sweet egg milk. Lap lap lap.

[intricate_engineer]

"That's good," Glen says.
She orders enough materials for another portal and begins putting it together.

[the_very_best]

Bella finishes her sweet egg milk (and lets Zag lick the glass clean) and helps.

[intricate_engineer]

Glen finishes and tests the two portals. They connect.
"Good," Glen yawns. "Probably should wait till I've slept to test anything else."

[the_very_best]

"Sounds like a plan."

[intricate_engineer]

"Ah, oops. Only one bed."

[the_very_best]

"I can just sleep on that couch over there, no big deal."

[intricate_engineer]

"I will. You should have the bed, since you're helping me."

[the_very_best]

"You're buying me stuff," she points out.

[intricate_engineer]

"You're providing manual labor and a new world."

[the_very_best]

"I mean, if you insist..."

[intricate_engineer]

"Take it."
Glen collapses onto the couch.