video;

[extrospector]

Um-- [ It comes out in sort of a croak, so he clears his throat before continuing. ]

I've been thinking-- We've been talking about... what's real, and what's not, whether or not anyone remembers anything when they get home. So, kind of similar, but is there any way people at home could know about what's happening on the ship? Or any way they could find out? I know we all kind of assume they can't, but if there's any possibility. Any possibility at all.

[ A frustrated pause-- he scrubs his hand through his hair. He knows the usual answers; no one remembers when they go home, and they go back right to the same time, so there's no way. He's just not sure whether that answer accounts for clairvoyance and how to ask without outright stating it. And that's the crux of the matter, really; that's what's been keeping him up at night and driving his mind to cover the same tracks again and again. ]

Don't... rule out "magic" or something like it, if something like that exists in your world. [ Close enough. ] This probably isn't the most important thing on anyone's mind right now, but I need to know. It's important to me. Thanks.

[ He reaches to shut the feed off-- and then draws back again, frowning slightly. ] Uh, one more thing-- if you have any use for a magnet, I've got one that's up for grabs. I'm in 014 » 124, come take it. I want to get rid of it.

Comments

Video

[extrospector]

[ He cracks a faint smile at that. ]

You don't have to. Do whatever you want with it. I mean, how many uses is a fridge magnet going to have on this ship, anyway?

Video

[invis]

If you had enough of them, maybe you could make a pair of magnetic boots.

Video

[extrospector]

What, so you could walk on walls? You'd have to get a lot of them. Probably ones more powerful than this, this is just a lame regular fridge magnet.

[ He holds it up in front of his comm-- it's a slim rectangle, white on one side, printed with "Duke University" and a few emergency contact numbers in blue. ]

Video

[invis]

[Simon catches the name, the university famous enough that he's at least heard of it from across the pond.]

Did you go there?

Video

[extrospector]

No, no, I'm still in high school. Homeschooling, but high school. I, uh, live pretty close to there, though-- used to live, now, I guess-- and my tutor goes there.

Video

[invis]

Does it scare you? Being on board a spaceship.

Video

[extrospector]

[ Ordinarily, he'd brush it off with a lie, easily, but the way it's direct and unexpected catches him off-guard. And really, what's the harm in an honest answer? ]

Not really. Not anymore, I've been here a couple jumps. I mean, sure, I've been scared here, but you gotta control it, or else it'll control you.

Does it scare you? You don't look a lot older than me.

Video

[invis]

[Simon's smile starts, hesitates, and then finally spreads before he answers.]

No. I think it's exciting more than anything.

I'm Simon.