Prologue: Waking up to a new day

[ooeeooahah]

Action, 1490 Kramden Road, earlyish:

[ Ilsa snuggles in her sleep. Sleeping late after a great party counted as two luxuries she’d done without for years, and the capper was the party was to celebrate getting her medical degree. ]

[ No hangover, she’d been content to play Stump The DJ and mix drinks for everyone else at the bash. Of course, it

Comments

[velesdonnersen]

[Worried, slightly spooked voice of someone who's just plain not used to any of his surroundings.]

Hello? Hello?

Is this thing relaying me or not?

Are you new, too? I mean -- I'm new. And I'm just beginning to figure anything out.

Um. Tarvek -- I'm Tarvek. Tarvek Sturmvoraus? [No, he's not asking what his own name is, but he's feeling sufficiently unsettled to feel a bit uncertain around the edges.]

Anyway. People seem to find each other by their street and house number here. I'm at 1126 Taylor Road.

I've got information from several people I can share: a map, a brochure, and I know there's a library, though it's apparently not very good. Beyond that I'm still learning.

[Mutters under his breath, and you can hear the click-click of a fingernail tapping the receiver.]

[Sotto Voce] I do hope this thing works.

I hate not being able to take it apart and figure it out....

[ooeeooahah]

Receiving you, Mr Sturmvoraus.

[ Well, it seemed he was more sued to radio...]

Ilsa Higa, here... wait, the married me off, what is his name....

[ shuffling paper is heard ]

Cho... Hm... at 1490 Kramden Road.

[ more paper shuffling ]

No idea where that is, without a city map, but I don't have one here. A map and a library is a great start, though.

[velesdonnersen]

[Delight! If he had the vocabulary he'd be shouting "booyah!" He doesn't, though, nor is he anything like British, so he's not shouting, "Ripping!" or "Jolly good!" either.]

Rain from heaven! It does work!

Hello, Madame...

Which would you prefer? Higa or Cho? In light of the arrangements that seem to apply here, I can only sympathize with a desire to hold onto one's normal standing.

As I have the map, I'll come to you. [You can hear scribbling,] Cho, 1490 Kramden Road, right?

I have one of those incredible self-powered chariots, but I'm afraid I have no experience driving one. And... Madame, I'm afraid my usual ability to discern a machine's nature and functions is not exactly...

[Forlorn...]

Um -- I'm head-blind. Or worse. I get headaches and the strangest sensory mirages when I try to use my spark. So, apologies, but I will have to walk. It may take me a little while to reach you. I'll bring the information I have, though.

[ooeeooahah]

Don't drive until you learn!

[ A little anxious, wasn't that? ]

Er... actually, I'd prefer Higa, it's the name my degrees are under.

I might be able to teach driving, after I make sure of the models on the road here.

[ A little hesitant here ] ...and I might have more questions in person.

[velesdonnersen]

[You can probably hear he's a young man -- the full depth of voice isn't there yet, nor the texture of an older man. A distinctly European accent: if you've got the experience you may even be able to nail it to Eastern European, though beyond that you're probably stumped. He chuckles, a bit wryly

[ooeeooahah]

An hour would be good. See you then.

[ Should be enough time to investigate the vehicle in the garage... ]