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[bit_impossible]

[when the Sphere turns on, it shows him sitting in an office somewhere on Level 12, hands covering his face and muffling his mutterings. his knuckles are bloody and the two fingers on his left hand still move with an odd detachment like they're simply along for the ride and not being controlled by him. he's not showing it, but those nerve endings in his burnt hand have started to come back--something he hoped wouldn't come around until much later.]

[when he finally does remove his hands, he doesn't look all that different than he did a few days ago. no dark circles, yawning, or even hand tremors even with his recent assault on the wall behind him; his hands are as steady as ever. it's the dark, acerbic look in his eyes that tell a different story. he might not need the sleep, but that doesn't mean he isn't frustrated as hell.]

There has to be a way of helping them. I'm just not finding it. Medications, hypnosis, meditation, not even--! None of it! And if they don't get some sleep soon, they'll... [he trails off, not wishing to think of the people he knows and cares for dying from something so easily preventable.]

If only there were some way to get to that man! [he's aware of the Sphere being on now.] Say what you will, Orion. You talk of saving "them", well my friend, talk can only get you so far! And that's saying nothing about the riddles and endless games you and Ganymede force us to play! For all your talk about him and blaming the man for what's happened, you two are terribly alike. Perhaps his madness had grabbed hold of you before you evacuated the ship, I wonder.

[laughs bitterly] How foolish of me. It's not like you're going to respond to this or anything else we say to you, is there Orion? If I could only get to you...

Comments

[bit_impossible]

Oh yes, trying never hurt anyone.

[oliverplus]

Good attitude!

[blinks; distractedly] Unless he holds it against you, anyway. But if he's trying to kill us all, I guess that doesn't matter anyway...

[bit_impossible]

[is secretly glad that in his sleep deprived state, Oliver had missed his sarcasm.]

He wouldn't be the first person to do that--and he certainly won't be the last.

[oliverplus]

[smiles with tired optimism] Nope! You'll get him. [yawns widely]

[bit_impossible]

Good to see you've defaulted to a much more pleasant state of mind, Oliver. [smiles slightly]

How are you feeling?

[oliverplus]

Me? Oh, I'm hanging in there. Just researching...uh... [blinks, tilting his head without lifting it up from the table in an attempt to read the spine of a book across from him] Wait, what was I reading that for? Looks like trashy alien fiction...

[bit_impossible]

Unconsciously looking up different alien lovemaking techniques? Goodness Oliver, and here I thought you didn't want to go see Chloe just yet.

[oliverplus]

Hey! I don't need any alien help with Chloe. [glumly] I just need her not to be mad at me... [gazes ahead blearily, sighing]

[bit_impossible]

[mutters] Now that I didn't need to hear.

Why would she be mad?

[oliverplus]

Maybe 'cause I left her for who-knows-how-long and I'll get back who-knows-when and I'll be like...I don't even know. Not the same. [gestures vaguely]

[bit_impossible]

So eloquent.

[oliverplus]

Well, you know what I mean! Anyway, why are we talking about Chloe?

[bit_impossible]

You were talking about research, Oliver. Let me guess, you were hoping to find some sort of trick to falling asleep, hmm?

[oliverplus]

Was I? That would make sense. [lifts his head up, checking the spines of more of the books] I think you're right...I must've been.

[bit_impossible]

With no luck, correct?

[oliverplus]

Uh...if I had any, I doubt we'd be talking right now. [settles his head back on his arms, rubbing his eyes]

[bit_impossible]

No, you'd probably be telling everyone how you did it. [smiles sadly]

[oliverplus]

Well yeah, 'course I would! [blinks] After I woke up.

[bit_impossible]

Of course. Looks like I was right about there being more people than just you effected by all this.

[oliverplus]

It's the whole ship!

[glumly] I was hoping it was just me...

[bit_impossible]

Oh yes, I'm very aware. If only I had something of Orion's, I could use my--oh wait, I'd left that device in the room.

[oliverplus]

[eye twitches] You what?

[bit_impossible]

[sighs and remembers what he has to deal with.] My detector. You know, the one I said would 'moo' when it found you, although it never did because I got sidetracked before I could find you with it.

[oliverplus]

Oh. What happened to it? Wait...it's in the room? The rotted room? [frowns] Guess it's never gonna moo, then.

[bit_impossible]

No. No mooing. It's useless anyway now that Ganymede's dead and it probably wouldn't have survived the reset anyhow.