Qubit (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
superposition) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
redshiftrp2019-09-06 08:58 am
superposition) wrote in redshiftrp2019-09-06 08:58 am
video; @Qubit
[ Though Qubit generally prefers text, he's found that for whatever reason, people seem to think he's more sincere when he uses video. So he goes with that - you only get one first impression. ]
Good morning, Anchor. You may have noticed a grocery store, of all things, has appeared just outside the main airlock... Ah. I'm Qubit, by the way, should have led with that. Anyways, I've taken the liberty of scouting the place out, and I have good news and bad news.
Good news - near as I can tell, the food's still fresh. Bad news - that's more than I can say for the customers. If you do go, don't go alone, and be ready to defend yourself. It turns out the place has a bit of an undead problem.
[ He shrugs, as if to say "because of course it does." ]
On the plus side, the radiation levels are rather lower than I expected. I'd still recommend suiting up if you can, but you should be all right provided you don't - aah!!
[ As he was talking, something whirred in the background, and now a laser bolt hits the wall not a foot from his head. Startled, he drops the comm, but his voice can be heard receding in the background. ]
Son of a bi- [ the feed ends. ]
Good morning, Anchor. You may have noticed a grocery store, of all things, has appeared just outside the main airlock... Ah. I'm Qubit, by the way, should have led with that. Anyways, I've taken the liberty of scouting the place out, and I have good news and bad news.
Good news - near as I can tell, the food's still fresh. Bad news - that's more than I can say for the customers. If you do go, don't go alone, and be ready to defend yourself. It turns out the place has a bit of an undead problem.
[ He shrugs, as if to say "because of course it does." ]
On the plus side, the radiation levels are rather lower than I expected. I'd still recommend suiting up if you can, but you should be all right provided you don't - aah!!
[ As he was talking, something whirred in the background, and now a laser bolt hits the wall not a foot from his head. Startled, he drops the comm, but his voice can be heard receding in the background. ]
Son of a bi- [ the feed ends. ]
no subject
[ He had known so few actual details about the disease itself, before he left home. ]
I don't know a lot of history about where it came from or any of that. But you shouldn't assume that just because I don't know that stuff, no one in my world does. I'm not a scholar or a doctor or in the military or anything
I know you can get it from breathing without a mask near someone infected. Or if a troll bites you and pierces the skin, it will get in your blood. And I know you can be infected for a long time and not be sure, but be spreading it to other people. We have long quarantines, for anyone coming or going from a place where there are not-immune people. You have to sit around in a room for weeks and weeks just to be sure you don't start to get a rash. It's so boring.
[ Reynir's thoughts turn to Tuuri, then. Some of the enthusiasm he has for sharing information wanes, then. The ache of losing her still isn't much better, even if it is not quite so terribly fresh. ]
Once you know you're infected, it's much better just to die.
no subject
... but there's also what he mentioned earlier, about the end result. Beasts and Trolls. Falling victim to this plague isn't just a death sentence - it's worse. ]
Rather than become a monster?
no subject
I'm a mage, which means I can hear the voices of people who have been infected and become trolls. They lose who they are completely. Their souls are trapped until their bodies are killed, and they scream and scream and never stop.
[ In other words: yeah. ]
no subject
I see. And I assume that's how you know there aren't any here.
[ Oddly, it also reminds him of Tony, in a way. Hearing everyone screaming for help, everywhere in the world at once, and yet even with constant vigilance, even with all his strength, never being able to save everyone.
He's not sure why he wants to ask this, since it's more or less immaterial at the moment, but... ]
What's the radius of that ability, roughly? Are you able to shut them out?
no subject
[ Of course, Onni didn't entirely believe they were safe, and Reynir hadn't really, either. It had just been enough confirmation for both of them not to be in full-blown high alert at all times. ]
I don't know it in exact numbers. Only if they're pretty close. As far as I know there isn't any way to shut them out, you just kind of... get used to it.
no subject
I'm sorry. That can't be easy for you.
[ Reynir may have said the Illness and so on were just facts of life in his world, but this aspect of it sounds like it still really bothers him. ]
So to a mage's senses, Iceland itself must be a good deal quieter than the rest of the world.
no subject
[ Which is already an answer to Qubit's next guess, but Reynir confirms: ]
Completely quiet when it comes to trolls, although there's the odd spirit around. But usually they're just minding their own business. Iceland is the safest place on Earth. Maybe the only safe place, actually.
no subject
Going back to the Illness - can you tell me a bit more about how it progresses? Other symptoms, is it bacterial or viral, that sort of thing? Just so I know what to keep an eye out for.
no subject
Onni may be able to tell you more?
[ He's doing his best to answer abstractly, not think about Tuuri at all. But... he isn't succeeding. ]
I don't know the difference between what's bacterial and what's viral.
I know the Illness is contagious. People can be infected for a few days or a week before they show any signs, but they can still infect other people with breathing and touch and stuff. In the Silent World, the two of us who weren't immune had to wear breathing masks when there was a possibility of contagion. And you can get infected if you get injured and it gets in your blood.
[ Like what had happened to Tuuri. Hardly a foot away from him. No, not thinking about it. ]
The first sign is a rash. That's the thing to look out for. There's other symptoms later. Vomiting I think. Fevers? Mikkel said something about growths on bones and joints but I don't know how you'd see that from the outside. And you can keep an eye on how cats are responding. They can sense anything nearby that is infected and they freak out. So people keep cats around for safety.
[ Was that how Tuuri had known for sure? Had Kisa hissed at her? Reynir feels like he can remember that, but he's not sure. Had she had a rash yet? Were her bones aching, did she feel warm? How many signs had there been before she'd made her resolution? ]
Sorry I don't really wanna talk about this anymore right now. Maybe ask Onni.
no subject
Quite all right, I'll speak to him. Thank you, Reynir, this has been very informative.
[ ... and a moment later: ] I hope I haven't upset you.
no subject
It isn't your fault.
My friend got infected. She died. It wasn't very long ago.
She was Onni's sister so he might be sad about it, too, as a heads up.
[ Just so Qubit is prepared. ]
no subject
Noted.
I'm sorry for your loss.
[ ... this is maybe not a good time to go back to the volcano story, then. ]
no subject
Thanks.
[ Yeah that was definitely weird but saying nothing felt rude and Reynir can't think of any other options. As for the volcano story, he's forgotten all about it, swept up in a wave of grief. He'll have to remember to bother Qubit for the details some other day. ]