IC CONTACT

[theguideless]

• Text [ENABLED]
• Voice [ENABLED; VOICEMAIL MESSAGE: "................oh! This button–" BEEEEEEEEEEEEP.]
• Video [ENABLED...MOST OF THE TIME...]

Comments

[theguideless]

[GIVE IT A MINUTE

or even a few seconds. and, with loud thumping and rustling and rushed breath, one sound about to get him talking over all of this–] Ba–

[but it stops. and the words can go on. and there's quiet on the line, not even breath.]

[stonefaith]

[ Bariyan sucks in a breath between his teeth. ]

Er... this is... this is Mar-tin Dar-kov, isn't it? Hello? Are you all right?

[theguideless]

[there's a shaky breath drawn and let go close to the tablet. then two more, followed by a loud sniff. a gulp.

a delay, another breath held.

very small:] Bariyan.

[stonefaith]

Yes. [ Somewhere else in the moon base, Bariyan is frowning very hard at his tablet. ] But, I am afraid, not the one you knew.

[theguideless]

[another long delay.]

I... [a puff of breath.] I don't know...I understand, y– [swallow.] You...

[stonefaith]

Slow down. Breathe. You don't have to say anything right now. Give it a minute.

[ This is hard. Bariyan's not used to children anymore. ]

[theguideless]

W-what are you saying? [swallow.] I can hear you...Y-you...[a choked-up giggle.] You sound just like him, but you just said...

YELLS AT THIS ICON YELLS AT YOUR LIFE

[stonefaith]

I...

[ MAN THIS IS SO HARD especially over this technology!!! Forget this. Bariyan sharpens up. ]

Can I meet you somewhere? Maybe one of those VR rooms.

i HATE YOU

[theguideless]

Ohh...

[a muffled sound, and then silence for a beat.]

I, I don't know. Is that...good? A good idea? I-I'm...

[stonefaith]

[ Firmly: ] I believe it would be. I believe it would be easier than talking through this thing, at least.

[theguideless]

[thank heavens, an order.

er, close enough to one to suit.

smaller, more level:] Al-alright. I'll go.