575/The Light at the Planet's Center

The Light at the Planet's Center
Date of Scene:	23 May 2017
Location:	Space
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Indigo, Viridian

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Indigo has posed:
    The planet has occasionally been called Little Krypton. It doesn't breed Supermen, and it doesn't orbit a red dwarf, but it does have a lot of crystals growing on and in it; naturally occurring crystals all linked by quantum entanglement to one another so they share an energetic resonance with one another. In less rarified language, they all store and reflect sunlight, even the crystals deep beneath the surface where sunlight has never hit. It's not a useful trick, but it is a pretty one, and it makes Little Krypton a nice place to visit.
    The caves beneath the smallest continent run deep, where the crystal growths run rampant and absorb the earth into their matrices. Sounds echo deeply, inspiring quiet conversation. The light filtering through the white minerals grants it a weird, surreal quality, almost as if it's shining through water so still no ripples can be seen.

Viridian has posed:
    "I know it's here," Viridian repeats somwhat manically while examines a particularly luminous crystal set into the one of the walls at about her height. She has been all over the place today- up and downalong ridges of rock, running back and forth. All of this despite her rather questionable sense of balance and mobility. The frame isn't terribly nimble, so sometimes she's climbed out of and on top of it to reach a little higher.
    Viri is doing so now, maneuvering her slender frame out onto the rigid shoulder of the work frame she tends to travel in, then getting to her knees atop it so she can reach up p and touch another of the crystalline formations.
    "I know if I manipulate the light correclty I could... But that's not the same." The young woman is frowning at that. "Beloved, have you seen any crystals you really liked yet...?"

Indigo has posed:
    Indigo watches this monkeying into and out of Viridian's exoskeleton with some anxiety, and for roughly the eightieth time, she asks over the constant electronic hum of her voicebox, "Viri, you remember I'm super strong and I can fly, right? I can help you up to where you need to be." She doesn't expect the response to be much different this time, though, so she doesn't press the issue. Instead she just shakes her head in a combination of negation and agreement (if you were a super-genius computer, you could do that too) and answers the question: "I've liked all of them, Viri. This is a beautiful planet. I see why you like it."

Viridian has posed:
    Viri continues to speak aloud. She is really transmitting her thoughts but, not being a computer, it is easier for her to vocalize them even when she spends all of her time in constant communication with Indigo. "You could but then why do I bother doing anything?" Viri responds simply to the question, for the eightieth time. "I can't stay in there all the time. This is totally safe. I haven't fallen in... Well. There was that one time- but aside fromt that it's been like six years." Viri shrugs, tapping the crystal she's chosen again thoughtfully before working her way back down into her 'legs'. "I'm glad you like it. It's actually prettier than I remember." Viri and her exoskeleton wander over to the nearby gynoid so tha she can stand close. "I know they were here somewhere. Tertiary colours. We've only seen primaries and secondaries, right? Maybe it's further down." She reaches out a hand to touch Indigo's shoulder gently. THis one is not accompanied by the movement of he frame she is inhabiting.

Indigo has posed:
    Indigo removes Viridian's hand from her bare shoulder, but only so she can hold it as the two of them stroll through the cave system. She does it happily. Her almost natural-feeling hand fits comfortably in Viridian's as they walk, Indigo's rubber boots essentially silent on the rough rock ground, as she guesses, "Somewhere that the crystals would have grown around a gemstone deposit, I suppose. I'm sure we'll find it."

Viridian has posed:
    "Right. That redo ne probably grew over a corundite deposite," Viridian agrees quietly. She squeezes Indigo's hand gently and walks along side her quietly for a long moment, still surveying the ceilings. "I remember it being more colorful is all. I'm not sure what's different here..." That comes with a faint frown, Viri's hair shifting from blue to blonde while she is deep in thought. "I don't know. It's a mystery. I feel like I'm in an entirely different world."

Indigo has posed:
    "Maybe you are," Indigo offers, cheerfully unconcerned about the prospect, and why should she be concerned? She's taking a nice hike through a beautiful natural treasure with her girlfriend by her side. Finding a particular rock can't enhance or hamper her enjoyment of the moment.

Viridian has posed:
    "That can't be right. This has to be the... right..." VIridian shakes her head sharply a couple times and takes a deep breath. She squeezes Indigo's hand more tightly and nods. "I should just stop worrying aboutit," the young woman continues. "We can justl ook around and have fun. Have you been able to keep a count of how many crystals we've seen so far?" Viri asks, tilting her head slightly as she does. "Max'll probably want to know."

Indigo has posed:
    "I could review how many individual spires I've seen, but without knowing whether they conjoin inside the earth, I can't calculate actual crystal formations with any certainty," Indigo answers honestly, if literally. "I can give Max the data I have if you think he'd want it." She pauses. "Why would he want it?"

Viridian has posed:
    "Max doesn't have any collated data on the growth of crystalline formations within a silicate-carbon planetoid," Viridian responds a bit distantly. "He might think it was interesting." This reply is given gently, Viridian still holding oonto Indigo's hand as she surveys her surroundings one more time. "The farther we go downward the more dense the crystal formations become. It could mean that the roots are concentrating at this point as they work deeper, I guess. Fewer formations, more densely packed as they all reach for a 'source' or 'goal'. Are they growing? Do you think they might be ... ALive, in some sense? Huh..."

Indigo has posed:
    Indigo hasn't let go of Viridian's hand either. "Not alive by any process I'm currently capable of identifying," she answers, again honestly. "Why? Do you have information on the topic?"

Viridian has posed:
    "I'm just curious why they mimick the roots of a plant, but inverted," Viridian responds earnestly, rolling her shouldersa s she does. "It might be some kind of life we jut haven't detected yet. I mean, these crystals share energy and light. Why? If they are inorganic what caused that development? An organic thing might need light, as nourishment or for other things..." She shrus slowly. "i am probably over thinking all of this."

Indigo has posed:
    Indigo squeezes Viridian's hand as they walk together through the caves, their skins made strange by the fire trapped in the crystals above. "I don't think there's anything wrong with that," she opines. "It's not like we're doing anything that takes a lot of focus. Let your mind go where it will."

Viridian has posed:
    "You're right, of course," Viri responds quietly. She lcoses her eyes. She doesn'treally need to look around, of course. If she were really worried she could probably borrow Indigo's senses, really. And she trusts the gynoid to ensure she doesn't walk into anything.For a moment the young woman is enjoying the scent of the cool air, and the feeling ofapproaching warmth as steps carry her further toward themiddle layers of the planetoid. "Anything on your mind at all?" Viri asks abruptly,eyes opening. "Doesit make you think of anything? Or are you just... ENjoying watching thew orld go by?"

Indigo has posed:
    Indigo smiles. "Of course. I free-associate all the time. Among the thoughts I'm currently having that can be directly linked back to this moment, I'm thinking about how much more enjoyable this is with you here; I'm idly and not very accurately mapping the facets of the crystals to reverse-engineer the specific density of the light based on refraction; I'm asking myself if the planet's nickname might possibly mean the crystal you want somehow contains kryptonite; I'm modulating my voice to resonate with the local echo and examining my behavioral programs to find out why I feel nervous to speak loudly here; I'm thinking of salt, which makes me consider the next meal I'll make..." She shrugs cheerfully, as if to say she can't keep up with all the thoughts she's having specifically related to this trip. Which isn't exactly true, but she can't verbalize them all in time.

Viridian has posed:
    "RIght. Of course you're thinking. You think about dozens of things all at once," Viri responds, nodding slowly as she does. "I like hearing some of them sometime. When ou have ones that eally interest you. The Kryptonian association is an interesting notation. It doesn't appear to be much resembling Krypton but then, we don't really have a base to compare to, right?" Viridian is musing as she continues to walk, eyes darting back and forth as she does."And echos always resemble something more destructive. The refraction of sound? I mean, it makes you sound really weird! So it makes sense that you'd be more cautious. I mean, you like to keep to internal communication when you can anyway, right...?"

Indigo has posed:
    "I don't mind it, but speech is nicer. It creates more sensory reference points for a memory file," Indigo replies gently. "A memory file is more satisfying to review if it has more to it than just a time stamp. But I know you like internal communication, so that makes it okay."

Viridian has posed:
    "I like to speak. I just like the internal communication because sometimes speaking isn't always appropriate," Viridian responds rather gently. She glances over at Indigo and flahses her a quick smile. "So I guess we should speak more then."

Indigo has posed:
    Indigo grins back. "I guess you're right. So tell me something about yourself, Viri," she invites. "Just...anything you'd like me to know."

Viridian has posed:
    "Okay. Um... Well, let's see."Viridian ponders for a long moment, shifting her weight form left to right as she does. "I know I act like I can't really fight but the truth is I used to be a combat engineer." She rolls her shoulders gently, glancing upward toward the ceiling. "Establish a perimeter, breach fortifications, hacking security. Explosives." A beat. "I like explosives. And acids. They're fun to watch and some of the chemicals are actually really pretty.

"That was the last of poor Willy.
We will see him no more.
For what he thought was H20
Was H2SO4."

VIridian pauses here and blinks once, stepping smoothly out of the cadence as she does. "I dunno. I guess I didn't want tot ell you how violent I've been before, or something..."

Indigo has posed:
    Indigo hasn't let go of Viridian's hand. "You didn't? But you changed your mind?"

Viridian has posed:
    "I don't want to keep anything from you," Viridian responds slowly. "I was just scared. It wasn't fair to you." She squeezes that hand again, a little more tightly. "If it upsets you we can deal with that. It's part of who I am. And it isn't like I did it for the month. I totally enjoyed it. Blowing up buildings, the security work, all of that. Maybe not so much the shooting, but... You know."

Indigo has posed:
    Indigo stops short to frown at Viridian. "It's totally fair of you to keep some things private. I'm your girlfriend, not your keeper. I can trust you without needing you to tell me things that hurt you to talk about. Okay?" she asks, looking hard into Viridian's eyes to make sure the biological gets her point. Once she's sure of that, she shrugs. "And it's okay for you to like what you're good at. I don't think you can be good at something you don't like doing. I don't get to judge you anyway; I'm the one whose arms turn into cannons, after all," she points out, wryly amused.

Viridian has posed:
    "You were made that way. I chose to make explosives and automatic turrets and things," Viridian responds briskly. "And I love that you trust me enough that I don't need to tell you aboslutely everything. But I want you to know all about me. That way if we stay together for a really long time it isn't under false pretenses, I guess. I don't know. I've seen all kinds ofrelationships blow up over basically nothing. I don't want that to be us." Viridian squirms a little bit but she keeps her gaze focused onto Indigo's. "I am probably overthinking it again."

Indigo has posed:
    Indigo smiles. "Then I'm glad you told me," she says, simply.