ablankpage | Voxophone 1/?? - Voice - backdated to July 7th

I find myself alone.

[The voice comes over the Journals clearly. It is a lilting, British voice, very calm but very intent.]

I do not know, ultimately, whether the experiment was a success or a failure, but I can be sure of one thing: It is over. Were the sacrifices warranted? I may never know.

[He's taken the Journal to be a voxophone recorder. Something private where he can record his thoughts and experiments to be reviewed by solely himself at a later date. The Guide was easy enough to find, and he has processed the information easily enough.

Another dimension, another place. Not quite what he is used to, coming without his clothes and with wings on his back. Still, it is another set of constants and variables to him.

The most disturbing fact is the first statement. The thing he could not help but note. He is alone. For the first time, he can look to his left without seeing Rosalind there. For the first time in nearly twenty years, a single Lutece is present.

Present... in the middle of a field, so far as he can see. One well into summer, warmed by the sun. Rosalind wouldn't like it -- especially if she were in a similar state of undress. Certainly, that needs to be remedied. All of it goes through his mind as he continues speaking.]

His fate is set in stone, but what of the others? I fear I will never be granted that knowledge.

[And that worries him more than anything. In his attempts to change the world around him, he knows he has destroyed at least as many lives as he has saved. Worst of all, there is no one to tell him whether he did the right thing or not.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You're not entirely alone, sir.

[ At least, there are people listening in. And Prim speaks up, because this sounds like someone new. "Sounds like" because...that sounds like what someone new would say. Uncertainty about this place. ]

Welcome to Luceti. Can you see a town from where you are?

[Well.

That's unexpected.

So, the book is rather more of a radio than a voxophone. Curious but not shocking.]

A town?

[He hears the voice easily enough in his head, even if no one else does. "Well, that would be useful."]

Indeed.

["So where is it, then?"]

That is the question.

[Sorry, Prim. He's far too used to being half of a whole that he has no idea you can only hear him.]

What is the question?

[ She sounds baffled, because...well. ]

You don't think you can see it? If you describe where you are I can try to figure it out from the map, and draw you a way here. To Luceti, I mean. Well, the town.

[He glances to his side and... ah. Yes. Rosalind... isn't here, in fact. He can fill in what she would say after far too long together, but. He reminds himself that he is alone here.

It's still such a habit.]

Where the town is.

[At least the girl's being helpful.]

There are... mountains to one side, trees to another. I'm afraid I don't know which direction is north.

The only way I really know to figure that out is by the direction of the sun.

[ So. ]

That said, I think that'll actually help you a little. We're sort of between both those things.

[ She changes over for a moment, picking up her pen and sketching a rough map of the location of the town relative to the mountains and forest. ]

So long as you can determine which direction you ought to head in, you shouldn't be too far off. and if the forest gets really close to the mountains, turn around, because you've gone the wrong way.

[He takes a moment to study the map. Well.]

You're very kind. I'll see if I can't manage to find my way.

It's not any trouble. I woke up in the middle of the woods, myself, but I was lucky enough to run across someone who knew the way back.

I can try to answer any of your other questions, too. I suppose the most important information is that you're in another world, there's a barrier around this place, and if you hurt your wings, it won't exactly be pleasant. Although I think that's sort of implied.

I'm Primrose Everdeen, by the way. Most people call me Prim.

I managed to find this... "Newcomer's Guide" in the book. It answered quite a few questions, and I won't have more, really, until I can acquaint myself with this world.

[He's taking this in stride quite well. Robert considers it for a moment, but Elizabeth has already contacted him and knew who he was, so there's little reason to lie.]

My name is Robert Lutece, Miss Everdeen.

Oh, that! It really is useful. I probably ought to have directed you there first.

[ She sounds a little embarrassed about that, but...it's the first New Feather cycle since she was new. ]

It's nice to meet you, Mr. Lutece. [ Formality for formality. Prim is fairly impressed by how calm he is about all this, but...it took all sorts, didn't it? ]

If nothing else, I can keep you company until you find the town proper. So to speak. [ She'll keep the journal open as she goes about her chores, she means. ]

It's no trouble, Miss Everdeen. Company... might be for the best.

[Otherwise, he'd be left alone with the voice of Rosalind in his head, and it was all too tempting to believe she was here with him.]

Have you been in this place long?

Since the first of May. [ And quickly, since she realizes he probably doesn't have a frame of reference... ] It's July seventh right now.

So a little over two months so far. Not very long.

[ It seems like longer and shorter all at once. Perhaps because every day she wakes up and knows she wasn't meant to have this: more time. ]

Not long at all.

If it is not too personal a question, may I inquire as to the nature of your arrival?

I don't mind, but...what do you mean? Where I showed up?

That was in the woods.

Where and how, yes. I'm rather curious as to whether or not there is any pattern to these arrivals.

In the woods, a little ways away from town. I just woke up all at once. I'm not...really sure what occurred, still. And I never asked Katniss how she came here.

Katniss?

Another resident, I presume?

My elder sister. She's been here a lot longer than I have, though.

Ah! [His tone might have perked up just a bit.] So, one might, eventually, find others one knows in this place.

Oh, yes. People seem to come and go, but...people from the same world almost always seem to know one another, I think. At least tangentially. There's no one from my world I don't at least know of.

This is a very interesting place. It will prove quite the fascinating study, I think.

A study...? So you're some sort of scientist?

I am, Miss Everdeen. A quantum physicist.

I'm...afraid I'm not familiar with "quantum".

[ Though she assumes a physicist is some sort of physics scientist.

She's learned a small amount about that sort of thing here, but none of it really had to do with coal or medicine back home, so... ]

Voxophone 1/?? - Voice - backdated to July 7th

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