i_speak_softly | Sixty-Fifth Theory [Video]

[The video feed clicks on, and Don looks thoughtfully at the camera for a moment before speaking.]

Another Christmas in Luceti.

[His tone is direct, just stating a fact, but somewhere behind it is a note of melancholy.]

This is my third. All of them have been in this house. All of them have been with different people.

[He slides back from the journal, revealing a corner of his winter room. He's been gradually moving into it over the past week, and has more or less taken up residence now.]

I've seen a lot of people come and go. There probably aren't many left who remember when Luceti didn't have electricity.

[He picks up some small bit of tech and squints at it.]

When I arrived here, the drafts were just starting. There were no missions. The Battle Dome didn't exist. We didn't have a farm and there was a desert where the ocean is now.

[He carefully threads a length of wire through a hole in the tech part.]

The buildings were shorter. Some of the stores and restaurants weren't open. [A pause.] I think I'm forgetting things...

[The wire slides through, and he knots the loose ends to form a loop.]

Does anyone remember other things that have changed? Or, does anyone want a history lesson? I'll be here all day.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Ah.]

The going theory is that the Malnosso aren't responsible for this, and don't choose who comes here. The world itself does that.

I've heard some of that. There's some evidence for it, too. But they're still the ones doing everything else, right? [So she's still not fully convinced this doesn't fit right into their plans.]

So it seems.

[Your theory is as good as anyone else's.]

So it doesn't get us any further. We need a new train of thought.

I would be delighted to hear one.

Just as soon as I find some immigrants to lay out the tracks, I'll be right with you on that.

[That's a new idiom for him, and it takes a minute to figure out.]

Right. Anyway, you really should come to the science club meetings. This is exactly what we talk about.

[Yeah. That will erase the 'brain' stigma. On the other hand, they still sound like the sort of club she'd actually have something in common with. Not bad.]

I'll still be there. Are there a lot of members?

Some. It's hard to keep a consistent group around here.

I can imagine. I see a lot about people leaving lately. [Wish they'd take everyone else home, too.]

To be fair, the meetings themselves haven't been very consistent either.

Well... I can see why, somewhere like this. But if it bothers you, why not call a few more, more often?

Organization just isn't my strong suit.

Aren't you the club president? [Serious question for once. She'd thought he was kind of heading the group.]

Only by virtue of having invented it.

That's president enough for me. [Back home, this is probably when she'd have been roped into helping out. Luckily, she's pretty sure she can escape that here and just hang on the fringes. She's not much of a joiner.]

[Don's not the type to directly ask something like that, so he'll just accept Daria's unstated "No thanks".]

[She's not the leader type. Even less than the joiner type. So it's probably for the best.]

I'll catch you when it's time for the next meeting.

Sounds good. [He makes a mental note to add Daria to the SHELL filter.] I'll see you around, Daria.

Sixty-Fifth Theory [Video]

[Voice]

Re: [Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]

[Voice]