One: In Which Klaus Is Utterly Taken Aback
[The last thing Klaus remembers is being very forcibly reminded that, due to his injuries from being squashed by a gigantic walking chicken house, he is under strict bedrest. Of course, that doesn't stop him from immediately jumping out of bed and fumbling his way over the phone when it rings -- it could be news of what's going on with Castle Heterodyne or (he hopes not) Lucrezia. He certainly isn't prepared for a completely unfamiliar voice with a decidedly Russian accent telling him that he's over and hour late for his job at the beet farm and is therefore already over a hundred beets behind on his daily quota.]
I think that you have the wrong room. The man involved in the unfortunate beet-harvester accident is two floors down-
This is most certainly not a mistake, Comrade Wulfenbach! You had better be at work in fifteen minutes or your day's pay will be docked!
[Klaus stares at the phone. Ignoring the sound of a still-irate voice coming from the earpiece, he sets it back down on the reciever and actually takes a look around.
Oh. Oh goodness. This definitely isn't his room in the Great Hospital. Too cluttered, no white enough, not enough comforting whirring and beeping machines all along the wall. Was that sedative that Doctor Sun Jen-djieh gave him also some sort of hallucinogen? This could cut into his ability to stop the continent from erupting into full-on war and anarchy.
He sighs and tries to collect his thoughts, but the calming logical simplicity that comes naturally to him... well... doesn't this time. Instead, there's a jarring sort of feeling, as though he's reaching for something that isn't quite there. A sudden pain erupts in his left temple. Oh no. No no no. His Spark is gone! Well, if that's the case, he can't stay here. Too vulnerable. He dresses in the first thing he finds, amazed that whoever brought him here -- it has to be a kidnapping, though whoever would do that at this crucial a time for Europa is mad -- even thought to find clothing in his size.]
[It's so early that it's still dark outside when he steps into the street. There are other shadowy figures walking along, shoulders hunched, and he figures that his best guess is to follow them and try to figure out where he is and what's going on. If nothing else, the natives should know. He walks up to the first one that looks promising and grabs them firmly by the shoulder to get their attention and make it clear that he could very easily snap them in half if he wanted to; his Spark may be gone, but his muscles aren't.]
I want you to tell me where I am and exactly what is going on. Now.
I think that you have the wrong room. The man involved in the unfortunate beet-harvester accident is two floors down-
This is most certainly not a mistake, Comrade Wulfenbach! You had better be at work in fifteen minutes or your day's pay will be docked!
[Klaus stares at the phone. Ignoring the sound of a still-irate voice coming from the earpiece, he sets it back down on the reciever and actually takes a look around.
Oh. Oh goodness. This definitely isn't his room in the Great Hospital. Too cluttered, no white enough, not enough comforting whirring and beeping machines all along the wall. Was that sedative that Doctor Sun Jen-djieh gave him also some sort of hallucinogen? This could cut into his ability to stop the continent from erupting into full-on war and anarchy.
He sighs and tries to collect his thoughts, but the calming logical simplicity that comes naturally to him... well... doesn't this time. Instead, there's a jarring sort of feeling, as though he's reaching for something that isn't quite there. A sudden pain erupts in his left temple. Oh no. No no no. His Spark is gone! Well, if that's the case, he can't stay here. Too vulnerable. He dresses in the first thing he finds, amazed that whoever brought him here -- it has to be a kidnapping, though whoever would do that at this crucial a time for Europa is mad -- even thought to find clothing in his size.]
[It's so early that it's still dark outside when he steps into the street. There are other shadowy figures walking along, shoulders hunched, and he figures that his best guess is to follow them and try to figure out where he is and what's going on. If nothing else, the natives should know. He walks up to the first one that looks promising and grabs them firmly by the shoulder to get their attention and make it clear that he could very easily snap them in half if he wanted to; his Spark may be gone, but his muscles aren't.]
I want you to tell me where I am and exactly what is going on. Now.