do: read; don't: visit 214

[giftedandtalented]

Mehitabel reads a lot.

She starts calling herself "Tab", for short, not that anyone calls her anything apart from Kers. She writes suitably encrypted emails to Aelise about ideas for fixing the world - mostly she asks questions, to start, forming a picture of the exact problem she has to solve.

She misses her parents, but not very much. At least she got to say goodbye.

When her brain won't absorb new information, she bounces around in zero-g.

After six months, Aelise visits again.

Tab says, "Anybody you store up here must be important somehow. If I don't know about the other secret person, I won't know how to come up with ideas that work with them being important however they're important."

Comments

[warmfeelings]

They find Chelsa with her face buried in Anneia's shoulder, sobbing, hands plucking frantically at the air.

[alicornucopia]

Tima unhesitatingly turns this into a group hug. "What's wrong?"

[pythbox]

Corona also cuddles up.

[warmfeelings]

"My - my Gift broke - just for an instant but it broke - and it was so cold -"

[pythbox]

Corona wriggles in close and hugs her tight.

[warmfeelings]

"Oh my warm sun," she sighs.

It takes about an hour of group hug - other friends filter in and crowd around, too - before Chelsa feels well enough to disentangle herself and confront Aelise.

[salus_populi]

Aelise is in her office.

[warmfeelings]

Chelsa doesn't bother knocking.

"You lied to me."

[salus_populi]

"About what?"

[warmfeelings]

"What, is there more than one thing? Harley! My power - glitched or something - but when it came back everything was sharp for a second and I know that warmth when I feel it! You didn't even put him far away, let alone in orbit!"

[salus_populi]

"I put him in orbit," she says. "It's harder to keep an eye on him in orbit, and there's a lot of mischief he could get into up there if he put his mind to it. I took him back down when he looked like he might be getting into some. I didn't mention it because I didn't want to upset you. Are you all right?"

[warmfeelings]

"I am now," says Chelsa darkly.

[salus_populi]

"I'm sorry," she says. "Harley's ten kinds of trouble, but I need him in reach if I'm going to use him to keep everyone immortal. I've been keeping him unconscious most of the time; he wakes up when I drain him and that's it."

[warmfeelings]

"Consciousness doesn't make a difference to how it feels. It never has."

[salus_populi]

"I am hoping," Aelise says dryly, "that it will make a difference to him."

[warmfeelings]

"Excellent, best of luck," says Chelsa, still fuming at the deception.

[salus_populi]

"He's a troublemaker. I am trying to make sure he doesn't have either the means or the motive to cause much trouble."

[warmfeelings]

"You promised me, and of all the ways I could find out - I don't understand what's wrong with me," says Chelsa sitting down heavily.

[salus_populi]

"I don't either," says Aelise, coming up and hugging her. "But I intend to find out. All right?"

[warmfeelings]

"Fix it," says Chelsa desperately, clinging. "I can't live like that, not all cold - I don't know how anyone else can stand it."

[salus_populi]

"We manage somehow," she says, hugging her some more. "I'll do everything I can."

[warmfeelings]

Chelsa sobs, once.

And pulls on all the warmth she can reach, again.

[salus_populi]

Aelise pets her hair soothingly.

[pythbox]

Some days later, on her next visit to Harley, he wakes up as usual - unconscious one second and screaming the next.

But this time, when she's done draining him, instead of looking dazed but contented he takes a breath and starts crying.

And when she moves to put him under again, he hits her ineffectually and twists away—and disappears.

[salus_populi]

Aelise calls Demauri.