Next Post »
« Previous Post
+ Show First Post
Total: 172
Posts Per Page:
Permalink

"That," says Giles, smiling slightly, "seems to be a theme."

Permalink

"It's a good theme! We're way better than any alternatives anyone's come up with so far."

Permalink

"I wonder," he says, "if we will ever find a Bell who was content to let someone else rule her world."

Permalink

"Sure," says Aegis. "As soon as we find a Bell whose world is being run acceptably. Otherwise I think the closest we'll get is one who's discontent about it but doesn't have the resources to do much."

Permalink

"And what constitutes acceptable?"

Permalink

"There's not a master list. Worlds vary, their needs vary. My situation's not as urgent as, say, Shell Bell's was. I might actually decide to be patient enough to get democratically elected instead of just taking stuff over."

Permalink

"And if you are not elected...?"

Permalink

"I'm still an admiral and a war hero and the best friend of the only person who can translate for the aliens. Whoever's elected will have to listen to me, or at least Sue. If I can't be Hegemon, I can probably at least get awarded governorship of a colony, and make covert little improvements to the rest of the world the way Angela's doing while she waits to order her god to name her Archangel."

Permalink

"...I'd think someone who can order a god to do things is already doing pretty well in the power department."

Permalink

"Oh, it's not actually a god, just everyone on her world thinks it is and has for a few hundred years. It's actually a spaceship. She made herself captain of it and then Jane ate it and either way it does what she says."

Permalink




"I see."
Permalink

"You'll get used to this sort of thing soon, I'm sure. I mean, Juliet must like you or she wouldn't have invited you, and that implies a certain minimum level of mental alertness and adjustability."

Permalink
...He shakes his head and laughs.

"How reassuring."
Permalink

"You could always ask her for some brain upgrades if that'd help. I'm having tremendous fun with mine. I was used to processing power boosts from linkups with Sue, but perfect recall is good stuff."

Permalink

"Ah... no, I don't think I will."

Permalink

He hesitates, then shakes his head.

Permalink

"Are you this unforthcoming with Juliet, too? Geez, you must have other really sterling qualities."

Permalink
...He frowns.

"I am suddenly even less inclined to detail my personal traumas to you in public," he says dryly.
Permalink
"Aww, but I told you mine," says Aegis. "I could also tell you about how I got beat up in the shower one time or how I got kidnapped or how I learned that I was fighting an actual war and not a sim, would that help?"

(She is, Giles may notice, the youngest Bell in attendance.)
Permalink
He takes off his glasses and cleans them.

"No," he says. "Thank you. But no."
Permalink

"I wonder if Juliet knows," says Aegis.

Permalink

"Juliet does know," he says, "and I don't expect that I can stop her from telling you, but right at this moment I am not very happy about the prospect."

Permalink

"Well, she won't tell me if it's legit personal and there's no conceivable use for the information on my end," says Aegis, "there's that."

Permalink

"How reassuring," he mutters, rubbing the bridge of his nose before he replaces his glasses.

Total: 172
Posts Per Page: