05 ⚓ Video ⚓ Stay with the Lotus-eaters, eating the lotus, forgetting all thoughts of return

[hearrrtofgold]

[Public to the (Waking) Barge]
[Duke stands on Level 8, looking uncharacteristically frustrated. In his right hand is a crowbar lifted from his own cabin, which also showed no signs of waking life, and behind him is the door to the engine room, firmly closed.]

So, what do we do when the engine room door is sealed? Not locked. It's sealed, I can't pry it open. Does anyone have a blowtorch or a Sawzall? Or is Na- [No, that's a stupid idea.]

Look, are there any other ways to get into the engine room? A utility shaft or something? The more I look at it the more this seems like a malfunction, and I think if we don't get in there the rest of the Barge might not wake up.

Comments

[routemistress]

The Emperor. That's 'is homeworld we crashed on. And I... I didn't know, exactly. But we're close, 'im and me. I knew 'e was hiding summat.

[givessweetness]

Hm. 'Summat' could have been anything. I doubt I would have leapt to the 'kidnapping of everyone, including psychopaths, to my home world' conclusion myself.

Recriminations can come later, if at all. This was clearly an act of desperation and you would have stopped him.

Right now we need to get to him.

[routemistress]

It could 'ave. But I know my Emperor. No one spends that long as a god without picking up some bad 'abits.

[She sighs.]

Of course I would, that's why 'e didn't let me find out. This could get nasty, Wynter love.

[givessweetness]

That does seem to be how godhood works. [Yet he still uses Rassilon as a curse.]

It probably will, yes. Let's hope the grim spectre of spending his life, however long, with the likes of us is worse than his fear of graduating.