Raymond Stantz (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
gone_byebye) wrote2005-10-31 09:58 am
gone_byebye) wrote2005-10-31 09:58 am
Ray
"I feel like I'm cheating, P," said Ray as he scrambled to keep up with the taller man.
"Yeah," said the Man in Black. "I know. That happens."
"Yes, but wouldn't it normally be happening to new recruits? I'm not exactly-"
"For the moment you effectively are. At least until Zedd figures out what to do with you."
They rounded a corner in the corridor and came to an elevator. "What's there to figure out? Take me to the Milliways level and push me through the first portal that appears, right?"
"Maybe," said P as the doors opened and something yellow and squiggly humped its way out. "The Pilantroids nailed that portal down pretty effectively. If it's appearing in the locker room then we might not be able to trust the portal level. Could have to do a lockdown. You never know."
Ray grimaced and ran a finger around the inside of his collar. "So what does that-"
"Quit fooling with that."
"But I don't-"
"I said quit fooling with it."
"Fine," said Ray with a sigh. He dropped his hand.
P nodded once and turned to face the opening rear doors of the elevator. There might have been a tiny touch of the evolutionary ancestor of the human smile on his face at the sound of Ray's indrawn breath. "Get a good look at it now," he advised. "You might not be remembering this by the time we're done."
"I'll take that chance," Ray murmured fervently. "Oh, wow. . ."
"All the newbies say that," P said. "C'mon. This way."
So this is what it feels like to be a civilian visiting the Firehouse, Ray thought It was everything he could do not to start swiveling and turning like a gyroscope. There were too many things, too many people, too many beings to see- not that he hadn't had some experience at that with Milliways, but still! This was right here, right on Earth, and even if it wasn't his Earth it was his year and his city, and essentially the same world lay outside. And it was all here…
He scarcely noticed that they'd stopped moving until something with a lot of tentacles and a harried air about it slithered by. "Morning, Bob," P called out, and it waved in return. "We heard anything back from the Terblincks?"
There was a burst of what sounded like broken glass and camel noises.
"Excellent. Give 'em my regards. Okay, newbie, here goes nothing. Let me do the talking- you'll get your chance after I'm done."
Ray nodded, swallowing a little and trying surreptitiously to wipe his weirdly smooth (I've still got finger ridges but you'd never be able to identify me by 'em, not in a million years, there's not even that piece of crud from North Hillside Avenue under the skin of my knuckle any more) hands on his pants.
"Stop that," said P, opening the door. "Zedd?"
"About time you two got here," said the man behind the desk. "What's the deal?"
P started forward, but stopped before he could do more than draw breath. Instead he turned and looked at Ray, who was all but choking. "I told you to quit fooling with it-"
"Not the tie," Ray managed. "Sorry."
P frowned. So did Zedd, who raised a hand. "I think maybe you'd better step out for a second, P," he said. "I get the feeling Rho here's got something to say."
"He's not-" Zedd lifted an eyebrow. "Okay. Sorry, Zedd."
Zedd nodded, and P stepped out, closing the door behind him. The moment he did so Zedd leaned across his desk, jaw set, look intent. "Okay," he said. "Spill it- whoever you are."
And the word that Ray had been all but biting through his tongue not to say burst forth:
"Winston?"
"Yeah," said the Man in Black. "I know. That happens."
"Yes, but wouldn't it normally be happening to new recruits? I'm not exactly-"
"For the moment you effectively are. At least until Zedd figures out what to do with you."
They rounded a corner in the corridor and came to an elevator. "What's there to figure out? Take me to the Milliways level and push me through the first portal that appears, right?"
"Maybe," said P as the doors opened and something yellow and squiggly humped its way out. "The Pilantroids nailed that portal down pretty effectively. If it's appearing in the locker room then we might not be able to trust the portal level. Could have to do a lockdown. You never know."
Ray grimaced and ran a finger around the inside of his collar. "So what does that-"
"Quit fooling with that."
"But I don't-"
"I said quit fooling with it."
"Fine," said Ray with a sigh. He dropped his hand.
P nodded once and turned to face the opening rear doors of the elevator. There might have been a tiny touch of the evolutionary ancestor of the human smile on his face at the sound of Ray's indrawn breath. "Get a good look at it now," he advised. "You might not be remembering this by the time we're done."
"I'll take that chance," Ray murmured fervently. "Oh, wow. . ."
"All the newbies say that," P said. "C'mon. This way."
So this is what it feels like to be a civilian visiting the Firehouse, Ray thought It was everything he could do not to start swiveling and turning like a gyroscope. There were too many things, too many people, too many beings to see- not that he hadn't had some experience at that with Milliways, but still! This was right here, right on Earth, and even if it wasn't his Earth it was his year and his city, and essentially the same world lay outside. And it was all here…
He scarcely noticed that they'd stopped moving until something with a lot of tentacles and a harried air about it slithered by. "Morning, Bob," P called out, and it waved in return. "We heard anything back from the Terblincks?"
There was a burst of what sounded like broken glass and camel noises.
"Excellent. Give 'em my regards. Okay, newbie, here goes nothing. Let me do the talking- you'll get your chance after I'm done."
Ray nodded, swallowing a little and trying surreptitiously to wipe his weirdly smooth (I've still got finger ridges but you'd never be able to identify me by 'em, not in a million years, there's not even that piece of crud from North Hillside Avenue under the skin of my knuckle any more) hands on his pants.
"Stop that," said P, opening the door. "Zedd?"
"About time you two got here," said the man behind the desk. "What's the deal?"
P started forward, but stopped before he could do more than draw breath. Instead he turned and looked at Ray, who was all but choking. "I told you to quit fooling with it-"
"Not the tie," Ray managed. "Sorry."
P frowned. So did Zedd, who raised a hand. "I think maybe you'd better step out for a second, P," he said. "I get the feeling Rho here's got something to say."
"He's not-" Zedd lifted an eyebrow. "Okay. Sorry, Zedd."
Zedd nodded, and P stepped out, closing the door behind him. The moment he did so Zedd leaned across his desk, jaw set, look intent. "Okay," he said. "Spill it- whoever you are."
And the word that Ray had been all but biting through his tongue not to say burst forth:
"Winston?"
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