o12 » voice.

[gevurah]

[ It's around 8AM when the audio clicks on, catching the half of the tired sigh from Kate and the quiet noise of something sizzling on a stove. ]

Today marks a whole year since I was ported into the City. People tend to say congratulations or happy anniversary when it happens, but I never understood what there is to congratulate.

You'd think you'd have something insightful to say when you hit the one year mark, like some of the others. But it doesn't feel that much different than yesterday or a year ago. Maybe time went by too fast to notice.

[ There's a long pause, as if she might actually say something of worth, but she ends the feed there. ]

Comments

[gevurah]

What about you? How long have you been here?

[acrossyourpath]

Three years in May.

[gevurah]

[ God, she forgets how long some people have been here for sometimes. ]

Did time fly by for you?

[acrossyourpath]

It's dragged on, actually.

[gevurah]

Feels like that sometimes.

You ever been home yourself?

[acrossyourpath]

No. I've never left, even once.

[gevurah]

There's no way of knowing if there's a pattern to who goes home or not.

[acrossyourpath]

Guess not.

Would you want to? If you came back after?

[gevurah]

It would be nice to know what exactly the Porter is after. It obviously doesn't matter if you decide to act as the hero she wants or not. People still get ported in and out regardless.

[acrossyourpath]

Maybe it's broken.

[gevurah]

And it doesn't like to be touched, so it can't be fixed.

[acrossyourpath]

If that's true I wonder how many of us might be stuck here for the rest of our lives.

[gevurah]

I don't want to think like that.

[ But it could be a while before they ever get out of here... ]

[acrossyourpath]

Who really knows?

[gevurah]

Let's talk about something else. [ It's getting depressing. ] In fact, it's been a while since we did talk.

[acrossyourpath]

It has, hasn't it?

How are you doing?

[gevurah]

Alright. [ Homesick, but she's not going to readily admit that. ] Chaperoned Nill's prom a week ago.

What about you?

[acrossyourpath]

Oh, I've been worse.

[gevurah]

You should have come to prom. I think you would have liked the theme.

[acrossyourpath]

I thought it was for students.

What was the theme?

[gevurah]

There were adults; mostly chaperoning.

Roaring Twenties.

[acrossyourpath]

I've never been one for organization.

What'd you wear?

[gevurah]

A suit. Figured most of the other women would be in flapper dresses and I didn't want to blend in too much.

[acrossyourpath]

Sounds cute.

[gevurah]

It was fun. I think you would look great in a flapper dress and pearls.