accessing...

[rehandle]

@stephen.strange | ■ ▲ ◌ ▼

For Aerie AU event texts.

Comments

[forcevisions]

Noted.

[ She'll hassle him with questions, then. ]

Not everyone.
Did Riku and Daenerys return to New Amsterdam? They didn't gather with the rest of the group on our way out of New Beijing.

[rehandle]

I wouldn't know. I haven't left the bar.

Hungover?

[ He doesn't know how you crazy kids live. ]

[forcevisions]

Unlikely.
I'd be surprised if Riku even drinks alcohol.

[rehandle]

And they're not responsive?

[forcevisions]

I take it you wouldn't be asking these questions if they'd come back.

[rehandle]

I'm asking so I know whether or not I need to make a trip to the safehouse to make enquiries. Believe it or not I don't have a tracker on every last one of us.

[ Sorry Rey, somebody's yet to realise how understaffed he really is and he's Already Stressed ]

[forcevisions]

Don't get snippy.
If they'd responded, I wouldn't be asking you.

[rehandle]

[ This reply takes considerably longer. He's dealing with business, running his own searches, and finally fielding multiple conversations that drop him answers he wasn't expecting to fall directly into his lap. ]

New Cairo or New Rio de Janeiro. There have been a series of abductions, mercenaries taking displaced from New Amsterdam and the expeditions to the other gate locations.

They're alright, they were sedated and moved. It's unlikely these people intend them any harm, but don't expect to see them for the duration.

[forcevisions]

New Rio de Janeiro and New Cairo?
Those are the locations of the other gates.

[rehandle]

Yes. Somebody wants us to get this done faster than we've been doing it.

[forcevisions]

'Somebody' could have just talked to us.

[ She hates that everything on Earth seems to be about drugging people and transporting them. You could just communicate!!! ]

[rehandle]

Alas.

[ We get what we get, and what we get is abducted and moved to various locations across the globe. ]

Their guards are armed, but I can't imagine they intend them any harm provided they stick to the program.

[forcevisions]

The program of opening the gates, I'd assume.
This is strange. This can't be Ball's people -- he gave us the locations in good faith, waited this long.
All of our guides at Everest have the same tattoos though as the festival organizers.

[rehandle]

Ball's people or not, they knew the plans that had been made and where to find those of us who stayed behind. If we're dealing with Ball, he has more influence than we anticipated. If not, someone with significant scope is in play.

Either way, you need to be watchful of the strangers with you.

[forcevisions]

Someone like the someone who brought us here?
I'm beginning to lose track of how many "someones" there might be.

[rehandle]

That's the someone I'd suspect, but at this point who knows.

[forcevisions]

I don't like it.
All of us divided like this.

[rehandle]

Neither do I. But this is what we have.

Do your best and look after the people you have left. Don't let this distract you. The mountain will take you down faster than any mercenary stole the others.

[forcevisions]

So I keep hearing.
Everyone on Earth is so afraid of this mountain, it's a wonder anyone has climbed it at all.

[rehandle]

When you've nearly been an Everest corpse, you develop a healthy respect.

[forcevisions]

Is that why you're not coming?

[rehandle]

Partly because I'm not in condition, yes. Partly because somebody has to keep the bar running. Clarke's on the Oslo trip, that leaves me.

[forcevisions]

Are you on your own?

[ the snippiness makes sense now. ]

[rehandle]

I am.

[ It's going to be a long... as yet undetermined... period of time. ]

[forcevisions]

I'll text someone else about the kidnappings.