[001]

[domesheriff]

[a young woman appears on the Plane, dressed in a police uniform with her dark hair pulled back in a bun. there's a patch on each shoulder of her blue shirt, decorated with the words "Chester's Mill" on top with the emblem of a star surrounded by "Sheriff's Department." the front of her shirt features the badge of a deputy and a nameplate: Deputy Esquivel. she has a belt of equipment at her waist, including a gun. but despite her authoritative uniform, her expression is both confused and frightened]

What...? But...I was in a shop.

[she's also wearing a radio, which she now grabs] Duke, can you read me? [but there's only static. after a pause, she tries again] Freddy? ...Paul? [perplexed, she listens as the static continues but no voices cut in] ...okay, the radio's out. [she pauses for a beat, her expression worried as she begins to take a proper look at her surroundings] And I'm not in the shop anymore. Or Chester's Mill. But...where am I? [stepping forward, she looks up at the stars above and then down at the stars below, at a complete loss for what to make of this] Am I dreaming? Or...is this something to do with that barrier? [at that thought, she holds out a hand in front of her, moving it slowly forward as if she expects to encounter some sort of wall, but there isn't one there. after a moment, she drops her hand] No, there really is...space here. What the hell...

[she starts walking forward now, still looking around with concern. finding no answers in the stars, however, she tries again to get help. as she moves, she cups her hands around her mouth and calls:] Hello! Is there anybody out there? [and then she waits, nervously, hoping for a reply]

Comments

[vengefulagent]

[After everything that has happened, it's almost a relief to see a completely new person on the Plane. And after a split-second, that relief has passed for Wash. At least she missed out on the shadows...]

[For a moment he fiddles with the rim of his helmet as he stands on the steps of Eithan's house, debating if he should keep it off or put it on to introduce himself. Not everyone takes well to seeing a man in full body armor, and she seems nervous enough as it is. He's just glad he finished the rest of his lunch before spotting her in his rifle scope. That's one particular question he doesn't care to answer right off the bat. He's still getting used to the idea truly accepting what he is and recognize his fears associated with being...him. (And...he'll deal with everything else in small steps. There's far too much going on for him to do any more than that.) So, he tucks his helmet under his arm, quickly runs a gauntleted hand through his short hair, and starts walking over to her, his rifle secure on his back. How can he not talk to her? From the looks of her uniform, she has to be a cop from some place.]

[At this point, they really do need all the help they can get.]

Hey! [He waves a hand.] I thought I heard someone out here. [He didn't catch everything she said from where he was; just bits and pieces.] What's your name?

[domesheriff]

[Linda jumps at the sight of someone who is obviously a literal soldier--though admittedly like no soldier she's ever seen before--her hand going instinctively to the gun at the her waist. but at his friendly tone and wave, she lets her hand drop. still, she has by no means relaxed. after all, she doesn't know anything about him, except that he doesn't look like someone from Chester's Mill. or Maine. or even the United States. and she has no idea what to make of that because the only explanations she can think of for this strange armored man seem too far-fetched to believe]

I'm Linda. [she gives the man a questioning look] Who are you? [and, after a beat, she adds:] Did you bring me here?

[the question sounds strange to her--enough so that she hesitated to ask it--but the fact remains that she entered a shop and now she isn't in it. someone must have brought her somewhere; it's the only logical explanation]

[vengefulagent]

[Yes, definitely a good idea to keep the helmet off. He wonders how experienced she is. If she's getting startled by the sight of someone who looks strange. Then again, her hand did go right to her gun, so her instincts can't be too off.]

I'm Agent Washington and...no, I didn't bring you here. Someone else did. [A short pause.] You...did find the information stand, right? I mean, I don't mind answering any questions you have, but that'd be a start.

[domesheriff]

Agent Washington? [her expression is critical] What kind of name is that?

[and at that suggestion, she stares no less skeptically] The information stand...in space? Why the hell would there be an information stand? [she takes a step forward, still eyeing him, and continues her onslaught of questions] And who exactly brought me here? What do they want with Chester's Mill?

[because as far as she's concerned, the dome and this place must be connected. strange things like this can't happen on the same day for no reason and without the same cause. at least, she doesn't think so]

[vengefulagent]

[He can't help frowning, and shifts his position and helmet to his other arm, and tries to correct her.] Uh, it's not exactly my name. "Washington" is my designation but...[He falters]...I pretty much use it as my name now, but that's not the point. And my first name isn't "Agent" if that's what you're wondering. [He's trying not to sound annoyed. He thought the "Agent" part made it pretty clear that he's an agent.] Just call me Wash.

And...there's an information stand because there are people like yourself who have to ask that kind of thing. Trust me, I had to use it too when I first came here. I don't know what the Machine or the people who run things here on the Plane want with a mill from someone named Chester, but--[It's right then that his eyes fall right on her patch]--oh, that's the name of your town. Still, they haven't shown so much of an interest in our homes as they have with...well. Us.

[domesheriff]

[Linda's words are dismissive] Yeah, I got that. But who do you work for? The government? [because she's not sure who else would have special high-tech armor or use the name Washington]

[she crosses her arms over her chest, shaking her head at what seems like half-insane ramblings] What the hell does that even mean? And you're not gonna convince me that the whole dome is just to--kidnap me! [but her eyes widen at the thought of what it could mean if that were true] Wait, do you mean Chester's Mill is free now? The dome is gone?

[vengefulagent]

[Matter-of-factly] I don't work for the people who brought you here. [He kinda has a feeling that's what she's aiming for.] Back home, I'm part of a special military ops group training to figure out a way to stop an intergalactic war. [Short pause.] Hence the designation.

[He sighs a little inwardly. This is why he suggested the information booth!] Okay, that's...not how it is. No one's been kidnapped. And I don't know anything about a dome! What dome are you talking about?

[domesheriff]

[she still doesn't understand, and her expression says just that] So...what, they brought you here, too? And left you in full armor and both of us armed?

[it's only in that moment that she realizes how strange it is that she still has her own gun. she can't imagine why anyone would kidnap her without taking it away--not that anything else about this situation has made any more sense so far. she dismisses that thought for now]

[because then Wash says that no one has been kidnapped, and that just confuses her further--on top of shattering her momentary hopes that her town might be safe after all. her frustration adds sharpness to her words] What, besides me!? I was in Chester's Mill a few minutes ago, and now I'm here! And the dome over Chester's Mill! Or do you expect me to believe the entire town gets trapped and then I get kidnapped into--into space--on the same day and it's not the same people doing it?

[vengefulagent]

Yes, that’s exactly what they did. I’m not always armed when I come here. [Lately though, uh, yes. Yes, he is.]

[Oh, it’s going to be one of those days, isn’t it…] Whoa, let’s take a couple steps back. You met people in the shop, right? They didn’t kidnap you. More like...they found you, liked what they saw, and decided to give you access to here. You can go home any time you want. I’m sorry your town is trapped, but that’s not their doing. [They like to fuck with you after they’ve had you for a while. It’s what he wants to say to her but right now...yeah, he’s keeping that to himself until she’s calmed down a bit and has learned more about the Plane.] I know it’s difficult to believe, but it’s true. I can even show you that I can go home. Hell, I can show you; it’d give you a hundred more questions, but if I can put your mind at ease about even one thing, then maybe we can start moving forward. There’s a lot you need to know about this place.

[domesheriff]

That man? Yeah, but... [she trails off, at a complete loss now. after a pause, she shakes her head] I don't understand. What do you mean I can go home? Why am I here at all if I can just leave?

[vengefulagent]

[Good thing she's lost in her thoughts for a moment. Hopefully she misses the slightly confused look on his face. He doesn't remember meeting a man when he first arrived, but then again, he hasn't been back to the shop in a long time. And he know it can't be Grey since. Well. Something to ask about later.]

Think of him as the welcome committee. A...really shitty welcome committee since they don't tell you much. And I wish I knew why they decided to bring you here. But you said your town was trapped, right? There's food here. The kitchen restocks itself. You can bring food home with you. [It doesn't solve the whole trapped in a dome thing, but it's a start.] I can show you how. It's actually pretty easy.

[domesheriff]

[Linda has not been under the dome long enough yet to even start thinking about the potential of problems like food shortages, and she looks a bit startled at the idea. but, still feeling more at a loss than enlightened, she dismisses that for the moment. instead, she looks at Wash a bit impatiently]

Okay, so how? Because Duke's expecting me back at the station, and if I don't get there soon, people are really going to start thinking I was kidnapped. [she pauses before adding:] And that still doesn't explain what I'm doing--here--in the first place. [she gestures at the impossible sky around them, still not sure what to call this place]

[vengefulagent]

[The boyscout strikes again; always be prepared, Linda!]

All you need to do is think of home and you'll go back there. To come back here, you just need to think of the Plane and that's it. Some people like to take a step as they're doing it. Makes the whole thing easier to associate it with a physical movement, but you don't have to move.

[To prove his point, he drops home, puts his helmet on, then returns.] See? [He reaches up to take it off.] That's it. Unfortunately, I can't answer why you're here to begin with. Still trying to figure that out myself and...I've been able to come here for a couple of years now.

okay, now that i've finally got this kid squared away...

[darkercalling]

[Riku does hear her, as he's leaving the colosseum. He looks her way, and the fact that she's a completely unfamiliar face is enough to tell him that the Plane is still very much up to its usual workings, isn't it...? But he tries not to assume this is something bad right off the bat. Instead, he cracks a faint, rueful sort of smile at one corner of his lips, as he considers how lucky she is to have missed all of what just happened here.

He nods to catch her attention when she does look his way.]

Yeah. Over here.

[He waves a bit - feel free to come over. Just... ignore the long-black-coat-and-blindfold thing.]

[domesheriff]

[Linda just gapes at Riku for a moment because it looks like the grim reaper wants to have a conversation with her, and she's not sure what to make of that. cautiously, one hand on the gun at her waist, she approaches him]

Who are you?

[darkercalling]

[He watches her hand go to her gun, and he sighs. He doesn't make any other sudden movements, just shakes his head and crosses his arms.]

My name's Riku. You were calling for someone... are you new here?

[domesheriff]

[she relaxes a little at his calm response, letting her hand drop to her side, though her expression is still uncertain] Yeah. So you're someone who just...started coming here one day, too?

[she's still trying to put together everything that Wash has told her--and trying to decide how much of it could really be the truth. but from his question, Riku doesn't strike her as someone responsible for her predicament, at least, and she takes comfort in that]

[darkercalling]

Yeah, I am. It's been a long time, but I've been coming and going from here ever since.

[Sometimes, he feels like a seasoned veteran of this place and its horrors. Other times... he feels like he may as well be brand new, too. This place is just that unpredictable, seems.]

What do you know so far? Have you run into anyone else?

[May as well attempt to be helpful, right?]

[domesheriff]

[she frowns] How long is a long time? [she hasn't yet grasped the concept of how the Plane makes lengths of time a lot vaguer]

Yeah, a guy in armor. He called himself Washington. [she's not sure she can believe she just gave that description, but Riku is also just as strange-looking to her in his own way] I know that you can leave and come back when you want to and that I got here because of a shop, but... [she gestures at the expanse of stars around them with her free hand, clearly at a loss] Not much of an explanation.

[darkercalling]

[He shakes his head. He always knows that question is coming...]

It's hard to keep track. Time passes differently here than it does in your world. It may have only been months in my world, but it might have been years in this place.

Washington? Yeah, I know him. And actually, that might be the best explanation - for the easy things. No one knows why we're here, except to be forced to deal with whatever experiments or plans the people behind this place throw at us. It's all you can do to take it as it comes.

[domesheriff]

[she narrows her eyes, confused] Time...passes differently? How is that... [but she lets the question trail off, shaking her head. she knows it's useless to ask. as far as she would have been concerned even a day ago, none of this was possible] All right, if you say so.

Wait. [she gives him a look of alarm at that] What do you mean...experiments and plans? What kind of experiments and plans?

[darkercalling]

Whatever they come up with.

[His expression is absolutely serious - he's not dodging questions, purposefully withholding information, or anything along those lines. And he hates it.]

There's no limit to it. At least, that's what it seems like. It could be something as small as making your hair blue for a week, or it could be worse than that, like turning into your worst nightmare. [A pause. He shakes his head, looks a little bit apologetic] I wish I had better news.

[domesheriff]

[Linda looks both stunned and confused. for a minute, she doesn't know what to say. but she realizes that Washington had alluded to something like this--not overtly, really, but he had told her that the people who brought them here had done it because they were "interested" in them for some reason]

[still, there's something else that this makes her think of, something that's been bothering her deeply, and she's not sure she believes Washington's answer about it. so finally, she says:] Wash told me that they're interested in us, not where we're from. But if they can do all that, can they change things there, too?

[darkercalling]

[Riku pauses, thinking.]

In a way, maybe. If you get closer to people here, your realities start to merge. Shared buildings, changes in the skies... things like that. But for the most part, no. If they're going to do anything, they're going to focus on you.

[Beat.] I've never thought about it like that - that they care more about us than where we come from. But that's not wrong. He's got a very good point.

[domesheriff]

[she looks almost crestfallen at his words] So you don't think something going on back there could have been caused by this place either.

[it still doesn't make sense to her that Chester's Mill would be trapped and she would end up in some weird...space place on the same day without some sort of connection, but she also can't see why Wash or Riku would be lying about it either. not to mention they both sound equally sure. she can't decide what to make of it]

[there's another question that's been nagging at her mind, though, and she seizes this opportunity to ask it] But what do they want with us? What are these...experiments...for?

[after all, this place could have chosen someone in Chester's Mill who's a lot more influential than she is]