desert places

[ladyfirestarter]

Charlie steps through into the second-floor corridor and stands aside, holding the door wide for Olivia to follow her. The air on the other side is dry and cool, with the slight brittle chill that only comes with air conditioning.

"Welcome to Taos," Charlie says, lightly.

Comments

[ladyfirestarter]

"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."

[flip_the_lights]

"Like buildings, or other people?"

[ladyfirestarter]

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.

[flip_the_lights]

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.

[ladyfirestarter]

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?"

[flip_the_lights]

"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."

[ladyfirestarter]

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

[flip_the_lights]

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

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

[ladyfirestarter]

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?"

[flip_the_lights]

"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.

[ladyfirestarter]

"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.

[flip_the_lights]

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

[ladyfirestarter]

"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.

[flip_the_lights]

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.

[ladyfirestarter]

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

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

[flip_the_lights]

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.

[ladyfirestarter]

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.

[flip_the_lights]

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.

[ladyfirestarter]

"It's rockier around here," Charlie says as she closes her own car door. "Less dry greenery to catch fire in case anything gets a little out of control. But just in case -- I asked them to stick a dozen gallon jugs of ice water in the trunk before they sent up the car, and if we want to actually do anything with fire on purpose I'm gonna recommend we soak down a circle to work in first."

[flip_the_lights]

She exhales a long breath, letting her hand fall. "Okay."

Olivia moves toward the open space, putting more distance between herself and the car. Extinguishing a brush fire is one thing; blowing up their only mode of transport is another.

"Should I start with something I've called up before, or go straight to the fire?"

[ladyfirestarter]

"Let's leave the fire for last, I think. What kind of something were you thinking of?"

[flip_the_lights]

"Either the glimmer, or..." She considers it before shaking her head, dismissing the idea. "I was going to say moving between worlds, but I don't know if this spot will be empty on the other side."

Or if -- since she's moving from a universe not her own -- it'll be even more difficult to get back.

[ladyfirestarter]

"Well, that's the advantage of using a desert spot. They tend to be pretty, well, deserted. No matter which world you're in."

Charlie glances at her. "If you're not sure, though -- I take it you can't see through to where you're going until you're there?"

[flip_the_lights]

"No," she says. "There was one time, when we were dealing with an outbreak of soft spots, where I could see Over There. But...that was the nature of the spot, not anything I did."

[ladyfirestarter]

Charlie nods. "It's sort of the reverse, with some of the people here who can do that," she says. "When it's a natural thin spot, you can sometimes tell it's there but you can't really see through it. But if somebody makes an opening between worlds, it sort of --" she gestures -- "acts like a window."

At least by all accounts.