ladyfirestarter | desert places

Olivia isn't sure if the slight tingle as she crosses the threshold is psychosomatic, or whether the Cortexiphan -- even without being activated -- has reacted to the change in universes. The goosebumps it raises up fade as fast as they come; she glances down the corridor, then back to Charlie.

"Your workplace?" she asks.

"Yeah. This is Main, mostly administration offices and storage --" She gestures with her head, this way, before starting down the hall. "-- and living quarters for a few of us. The kids' dorms are over that way ..."

They've drawn level with a window, and she pauses to let Olivia take in the view.

She slows as they begin to pass the window, then stops for a moment.

Even with all of the traveling she's done -- inside her own universe, and outside of it -- years in a city make the landscape seem too large. Her eyes lift to the mountains; aside from the scatter of buildings, it's the only major point of interruption.

It doesn't feel wrong, but it does feel strange.

She touches light fingers to the windowsill, then glances back to Charlie as she moves on.

"I've already arranged for the car," she says, "it's waiting right downstairs."

Glancing back at Olivia, as they reach the stairway at the end of the hall: "Ever been to New Mexico before?"

She shakes her head, smiling a little. "First time," she says. "Most of my work stays east of the Mississippi lately."

"It's pretty different." Charlie tucks her cane up under her arm, and braces carefully on the banister as she moves down the stairs. "Took some getting used to when I first came out here, but ... I've kind of fallen in love with it, since."

Olivia keeps pace with her slow progress downstairs, not wanting to rush ahead or fall behind.

"I can see why," she says, tipping her head back the way they came. "It's...a little strange, but it's not a bad kind of strange."

"It looks like ... a lot of empty space, at first," she says. "And then ..."

The pause isn't so much for effect as for breath, as she takes the last few steps. "Then gradually you realize it's not empty. Just not full of the things you used to expect."

"Like buildings, or other people?"

An amused quirk of her mouth. "Exactly," she says, but doesn't elaborate.

The entryway of Main, as they step out of the stairwell, is full of pale afternoon sunlight.

Compared to the New England winter Olivia's been enduring, that sunlight is blissfully warm. Unconsciously, she tilts her head back an inch, soaking it in.

"It's nicer than a cabin in the woods," she murmurs, half to herself.

Charlie gives her a swift glance at that, but her tone is light when she says "Is there a particular cabin you've got in mind?"

"We visited another one of the Cortexiphan kids recently," she says. A breeze stirs her hair; Olivia brushes it aside, absently. "A telepath. He had to live in a cabin to keep from hearing everyone's thoughts at once."

She breathes out, soberly. "That's one I know. How is he?"

"About as well as you could expect," sighs Olivia. "He's...coping."

Some days, that seems like all the Cortexiphan kids can do: cope.

Charlie nods, reaching to open the front door; more light spills in as they step out under the faded blue sky, onto the gravel path that leads to the gate.

"I've told you some about the kids here, right?"

"A few," says Olivia as she falls in step beside her. "Not in very much detail, though."

Which doesn't surprise her; privacy concerns, and all.

"They've all got a degree of telepathy too. We've had some good results with helping them learn to block, so they don't get so ... overwhelmed. It's still hard for them, though."

Outside the gate is a company car, and a driver waiting -- Eric, as per usual. Charlie gives him a smile and a little wave as soon as they're close enough for him to see it.

"I can imagine," she murmurs, and offers a polite nod to the driver. "Hello."

"Eric VanAllsburg," Charlie says by way of introduction, "Olivia Dunham. Eric, thanks for bringing the car up; I'll be driving today."

"Sure thing, Charlie." He nods to Olivia, tips Charlie a casual salute, and stands back -- and, so subtly one might miss it, glances back at Olivia.

Olivia, trained to pay attention to the smallest details, catches the look. Swiftly, she hides the frown that threatens to surface.

Instead, she opens the passenger side door and settles into the car.

Charlie settles into the driver's seat, and slowly pulls away.

"Next stop," she says lightly, "corner of no and where."

They shouldn't have too far to go, Olivia thinks. The entire complex is pretty close to no and where already.

But she quirks a smile as she glances at Charlie, then turns her attention to the window to take in the dusty landscape.

Dusty, yes ... but as Charlie said, far from empty. There's a great deal of plant life in evidence -- mostly low shrubs and small gnarled trees, sage and juniper and piñon pine -- and, to the sharp enough eye, a great deal of wary animal life as well.

Something small and rusty brown (probably a rabbit, Charlie thinks) bounds away as she pulls the car to a halt, some fifteen minutes from the complex.

Hopefully, the animals will keep clear in case things get out of control.

Things won't. Olivia has to hope they won't. But...that's why they're this far from the rest of the complex, isn't it.

She steps from the car and shields her eyes against the sun, casting an assessing look over the spot.

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