Etcetera

Myriad Reality

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Alright. Should I just continue on with the posts, then?

@Tank O The Lake

Yeah, just quote reply this account or [@] the other if you wanna cold-ping.

Myriad Reality

@Tank O The Lake

Heads up that I own Katherine's account so feel free to ping me to cold-start anything involving her.

Myriad Reality

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*As you head north, the place gets just that little bit nicer, and certainly more densely-populated; it seems that even at this time of night, people congregate around the train station. They don't seem to be any friendlier, though.*

*After a few moments of searching, you're able to find the train and hop on, finding an almost-empty passenger car to sit in. Security is lax; they don't seem to care who gets on these trains. They don't even ask for a ticket.*

@Tank O The Lake

*Relaxes and waits for Katherine, watching out the window*

Myriad Reality

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*It is 11:00 PM sharp. It's a bit of a walk, but nothing major; you should get there with time to spare.*

CALLER: Stay out of trouble. Don't go anywhere until you see Katherine.

@Tank O The Lake

Understood. I'll be at the station.
*Starts north*

Myriad Reality

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CALLER: Shit. Fuck. You don't have papers, and the cafe's in the quarantine zone. Fuck.

*There comes the sound of rustling papers on the other end of the line.*

CALLER: Okay. New plan. You're not getting anywhere close to the Union spaceport, so we'll take the next best one. Head back north, 'bout a mile and a half, you'll find a train station. Get on the 11:37 to Charleston; you'll get a flight from there instead. I'll call Katherine and make sure she gets there too; all goes well, your papers will be waiting for you when you arrive.

@Tank O The Lake

Luckily, Katherine is the furthest thing from a troublemaker. You two will get along just fine.
*Looks up at the nearest sky tower with the time*
I look forward to the reunion.

Myriad Reality

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*He slumps backward, taking a deep breath for the first time in days. When he speaks, it's hoarse, but there.*

OLD MAN: ...thank you...

CALLER: Huh. Guess we've all got some surprises.

@Tank O The Lake

*Lets the man down gently*
All I ask is that you tell others what has been done for you. I will return here someday, and this gift is available to them as well. Tell them to wait for me.
*Leaves the man behind and returns my attention to the phone*
Alright, where to next?

Myriad Reality

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*He moves his mouth, but all that comes out is a faint wheeze before he has another fit.*

CALLER: What are you doing?

@Tank O The Lake

A little kindness pays for itself in spades.
*Takes the man's hand, and he can feel the malaise of his sickness concentrate together and transfer from his body into mine, leaving him in a state of gradual but speedy recovery*

Myriad Reality

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*Eventually, the voice directs you to surface, and you emerge in the midst of what looks like a lot of public housing. It's all very dilapidated, erected from prefab panels and cheap concrete; it's a far cry from the sleek city of tomorrow just a few minutes' walk north. The people here... well, almost no one's here right now, but the few who are wear notably less trendy clothing, and seem even less willing to talk. There's no sign of police, however; you can see their shuttles still swarming around where you were last seen, but they don't seem to have clocked that you left quite yet.*

*You get what you're searching for, in the form of a disheveled old man sitting propped up against a wall. He's very clearly homeless; his clothes are ratty and torn, his skin dirty and leathery. He's coughing up a lung; whenever it seems like he'll recover long enough to take a breath, he descends into another bout of coughing. Bloody spittle collects on his chin. He's not long for this world.*

@Tank O The Lake

Ah, perfect.
*Approaches the man and kneels down*
Hello there, sir. You were just the one I was looking for.

Myriad Reality

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- Head south, about half a mile. You'll get towards the southern fringe; it still gets fallout from Washington DC now and then, so it's a bit of a shithole. It's not radioactive enough to kill you, but, uh, wouldn't wanna live there for years on end.

*At some point along the journey south, you do actually find one of those caches marked with the symbol. It's been ransacked, and anything of value has been taken, but there's a pair of jeans, an old jacket, and a faded, threadbare T-shirt with the logo of some band's 2196 tour on it. It'll probably fit in where you're going.*

- What do you need injured people for?

@Tank O The Lake

Just a little bit of insurance for our upcoming trip. Nothing high-profile, I assure you.
*Changes into the clothes, my arm miraculously and visibly healed when I put on the t shirt, and I start south*

Myriad Reality

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- I don't know. I don't think anybody but the guy you talked to would've had the chance, but you definitely need to change clothes. Insurrectionists like to keep caches down here; see if you find a symbol on the walls, something like an eye with an X over it. It might have something to change into. Second on the left, by the way.

@Tank O The Lake

Strange question, but do you happen to know if there's any kind of a slum nearby? Somewhere with injured people.
*Skips the first corridor and turns left at the second, looking for distinctive marks across the sewers*