Grace Note (Fermata) [Tina; Darcy]
He'd never been able to keep from being curious. Even if it would have been more prudent to keep his head down and not look and not ask. These people were friendly, in their too-open, too freely given way. And except for the red uniforms lurking near every bend in a bulkhead, they were even nice.
Nice, and utterly vague when he made any reference to where or when or returning home.
It might be some weird custom, a strange politeness--wanting to make them feel like they belonged or were welcome for the duration.
The uniforms were lurking a bit too hard for that. Still. They let him alone, and when he decided on Area 03, they acted like they had better places to be before following him. (Did they take the 'lift after him, or were there just more of them on every level? It seemed like there were a lot of them, just for watching station guests.)
He noticed the difference immediately, a lightening of the air, changes in scent and sound, maybe acoustic baffles, or soft storage.
He stepped through as the doors to 03 hissed open to more empty hallway. And stopped.
There were. Trees. Planted to look as if they were just growing there. Down to the scent, it was a very convincing simulation.
So much so that he strode in, all limbs and angles moving carelessly forward. He was totally absorbed. Watching every tiny detail of the program, noting where he might reverse engineer it, where there might be commands or routines to duplicate that amazing spectral diffusion scatter, cataloging everything in his mind.
Everything except where he was going.
Nice, and utterly vague when he made any reference to where or when or returning home.
It might be some weird custom, a strange politeness--wanting to make them feel like they belonged or were welcome for the duration.
The uniforms were lurking a bit too hard for that. Still. They let him alone, and when he decided on Area 03, they acted like they had better places to be before following him. (Did they take the 'lift after him, or were there just more of them on every level? It seemed like there were a lot of them, just for watching station guests.)
He noticed the difference immediately, a lightening of the air, changes in scent and sound, maybe acoustic baffles, or soft storage.
He stepped through as the doors to 03 hissed open to more empty hallway. And stopped.
There were. Trees. Planted to look as if they were just growing there. Down to the scent, it was a very convincing simulation.
So much so that he strode in, all limbs and angles moving carelessly forward. He was totally absorbed. Watching every tiny detail of the program, noting where he might reverse engineer it, where there might be commands or routines to duplicate that amazing spectral diffusion scatter, cataloging everything in his mind.
Everything except where he was going.