“Get Polly on the line NOW!”

 

“What?”

 

“Polly, Clark. Samuel Polly. Of the Crow? Ringing any bells?”

 

“Well, yeah—”

 

“Then why aren’t you calling?”

 

Clark rolls his eyes, but flips his comms book open, punching in Crow’s code. “Hello? Comms… Carthill? This is Clark, of Haast. Look, sorry to bother you, but—”

 

“Oh for god’s sake, give me that. Carthill? Get Polly.”

 

“Luke? Is that you again?”

 

“Sam, thank god. We have a storm here.”

 

“…congratulations?”

 

“No, fuck, I can’t, can’t touch it. It’s like its not even there. And, and, our shield won’t block it either.”

 

“Luke, what, slow down, I can barely understand you, the line’s getting all static-y.”

 

“Damnit Sam, listen for god’s sake. There’s a storm. And it’s not there. And our shield won’t work.”

 

“Are you sure? I mean, you might have caught something, you know how that screws you up.”

 

“Fuck Polly! I am not sick! Do you not think I would goddamn notice!?”

 

Lane, who followed him down the comms room, frowns, and turns to Clark, who just shrugs.

 

“Okay, okay, just breathe a second okay? Is it like the storm hanging over you at Abevri, and you can’t mess with it?”

 

“No, I told you, it’s like it’s not there; I didn’t even know it was raining until I stepped outside and nearly drowned. And even then it didn’t show on radar.”

 

“Alright, all right. Lemme think.”

 

Luke rolls his eyes, taps his fingers on the desk, tries not to scream.

 

“Maybe it’s Cavalle’s? She’s not too far from you, is she?”

 

“…should I dignify that with an answer?”

 

“I’m trying; I don’t see you doing any better.”

 

“At least I’m not making stupid suggestions.”

 

“Fine, okay, what’re your co-ordinates?”

 

“What? Why?”

 

“Luke, just do it.”

 

Luke glances down at the desk, and scowls. “What’re our co-ordinates?”

 

When no one moves, he realizes he probably should have specified who he was talking to. “Lane! What’re our co-ordinates?”

 

“Oh, uh, I don’t know.”

 

“I thought you were spatial!”

 

“Oh, right, yeah, um… co-ordinates.”

 

“Sam? You still there? We’re at co-ordinates. Why?”

 

“Storm’s not in the sphere.”

 

“What? How’s that possible?”

 

“How should I know!? God, this is a fucking nightmare.”

 

“No shit.”

 

“Have you contacted the Center yet?”

 

“No.”

 

“Lawrence?”

 

“Are you kidding? He already thinks I’m sick, no way he understands this well enough to realize it’s not me.”

 

 

“Storm over Abevri was causing massive energy burn.”

 

“…Luke, are you sure you didn’t catch something? Could be the storm you’re in now is a result of the energy burn. You’ve inadvertently caused them before, remember, and the burn could also screw with the shield…”

 

“Polly, I am going—”

 

“Are you dressed warmly enough? The energy burn could be your body trying to maintain core temperature. Do you have a fleece lined jacket on? A sweater? Hat? Gloves?”

 

“Yes, goddamnit! I’ve been dealing with this my entire life, do you not think I know how to dress myself!?”

 

“All of it?”

 

“I swear—”

 

“Answer the question, Luke.”

 

“No gloves, because I’ve been inside, working, foreign concept for you I know.”

 

“No need to get snippy. You haven’t exactly been known to make the best choices.”

 

“Can we stop focusing on me and start to worry about what the hell is going on, maybe?”

 

“Luke—”

 

“No. It is not just me. Cavalle’s heading to Abevri to mess with their storm, you’ll see. Besides, no way a normal storm would not show up in the sphere.”

 

“There is nothing about you that is normal.”

 

“Fuck off. And let me know if you run into anything like this.”

 

“Fine. But check in with Jase, just to make sure.”

 

“Yeah, right, apparently, I’m not allowed.”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“He’s in the Lahny Base Hospital.”

 

“Oh. Surgery?”

 

“Yeah. On him.”

 

“What?”

 

“Gang of OLs got the jump on him while he was working on a farmer.”

 

“Shit, is he alright?”

 

“I don’t know; Fosher won’t let me talk to him.”

 

“Why the hell not? I mean, he’s conscious, right?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Then why?”

 

“Fosh said he “doesn’t need to get worked up.””

 

“I’m sure if you tell him it’s medical he’ll let you.”

 

“…You’re kidding, right? This is Jase we’re talking about. I tell him I might be sick, he’ll flip.”

 

“Well, then stop over at the Ranok hospital on your way out.”

 

“Don’t really have that kind of time. We have two weeks to find these phantoms, then we have to rendezvous with Njord at the Kolpen Cliffs.”

 

“Well, you can’t wait two weeks to get checked out.”

 

“Kind of have to. We’re going to need every second until then to find these phantoms.”

 

“Shit, this is so messed up.”

 

“What now?”

 

“Logan tells me it’s hailing.”

 

“…I feel… vindicated.”

 

“Shut up.”

 

“Is it in the sphere?”

 

“No… Oh! Hey, Logan! Get back here!”

 

“Could you maybe try not to scream in my ear?”

 

“Logan can check you out.”

 

“What? No, I don’t want your puppy messing with me.”

 

“Luke.”

 

“Oh you know he is.”

 

“Piss off. And he wouldn’t be “messing with you,” he’d just give ya a look-see.”

 

“No, I’m fine; Jase’ll do it at the cliffs.”

 

“No, Logan will do it now.”

 

“No.”

 

“Why? Scared he’ll find something?”

 

“No.”

 

“Then he’s doing it. Okay Logan, go ahead.”

 

“Fuck you Pol—ahh. That’s cold! Make him stop!”

 

“Baby.”

 

“Bully.”

 

“He says you’re… actually, hang on a sec, he’ll tell you himself.”

 

“Luke?”

 

“Logan. Your captain’s an asshole.”

 

“Yeah, kind of. But you’re fine. Well, not fine, but not going to die, I mean, you are going to die, but not soon—well, soon, but not right— Ow! What the hell’d you do that for!?”

 

“Luke? You still there?”

 

“…surprisingly.”

 

“Sorry about that, Logan says he’s sorry.”

 

“What? Did you smack him on the nose with a rolled up newspaper? No way he’d figure that out on his own.”

 

“Oh come off it, all he did was—”

 

“Remind me I’m going to die young? And painfully?”

 

“Uh…”

 

“Whatever. Just, next time, relay the message for him, will you?”

 

“Yeah, okay. I’ll get a hold of Lawrence, you get Cavalle?”

 

“’kay…”

 

“Bye Luke.”

 

“Bye.”

 

 

Previous: Scene 2-III

Scene 2-IV

Next: Scene 2-V