Hmm, interesting choice of prompt. Anything particular inspiring it?
Low frequency Fabian watched as the stasis chamber continued to somehow twist into view in the Fabian theatre and wondered if this would make the theatre famous or infamous. A dull noise, an ultralow frequency hum, accompanied their revelation. The Maestro was watching it too, but he looked stricken. Rystin had taken a couple of steps forward and was staring at it like a child seeing a Christmas present with their name on it. "I don't know much about stasis chambers," he said, "but I guess the Museum has them for live specimens? How could they be inaccessible? What happens to the specimens in them when they go inaccessible?" Fabian swallowed; the idea that their might be something alive in the chamber was worrying. So was the fact that he was fairly certain that a second one was starting to emerge as well. He licked his lips, his mouth suddenly dry despite his swallowing, and tried to order his thoughts. "No live specimens," said the Maestro sounding weak. "There were, once upon a time. I used to bring back specimens just for that. There was an exhibition -- oh don't look at me like that. You're all too young to remember; even if you were brought as children you'd have been tiny. There was an exhibition where you could walk through and as you passed through sound-fields -- low and high frequencies -- it would release and reapply the stasis just a little bit so you could see the creatures move. The Ettin was probably the scariest, that used to make children wet themselves. Heh, their parents either found it hilarious or were furious." Fabian found himself marveling that the Maestro was so shocked he'd finally given a hint to his age. A third chamber was starting to appear as well now, and if he squinted he thought he could see a disturbance in the air that suggested another. "I thought our stasis chambers had malfunctioned," he said. "They didn't work properly any more."
The Maestro stared at the steadily emerging chambers. "The ones we had left," he said, "were the old ones, the ones that had been decommissioned. We didn't have much choice but to bring them back out and start using them; there was no money in the budget according to the Director at the time. Frippy, I think we called him. All lace cuffs and collars and fancy dinners and drinks." He looked Fabian in the eyes. "You're an improvement," he said, with neither malice nor friendliness in his tone. "Is this another Day of No Sun thing?" Rystin started at Fabian's question, but the Maestro chuckled, a deep, rich sound that suggested he was getting over his shock. "I'd love to say no," he said, "but it is, you know. It's another mystery associated with that damn day. Yes, something happened on that day and we couldn't find the stasis chambers any more. And now you've brought a key back, these figurines. But they needed fixing first. So now I'm thinking that something happened on that day that broke the key, but was it an accident? Was it deliberate? I've no idea." Six chambers were now present in the room and no more seemed to be appearing. Fabian looked at them. "Do we open them?" he said. "Actually, do we know how?" The Maestro shrugged. "Probably the other routines the figurines have," he said, looking over at Rystin. The rust elf shrugged and rolled his eyes. "It's been for-- it's been a couple of years since I last had to do anything with them." Fabian smiled at last; the Maestro was back to hiding his age and so must be over his shock. "We're not opening them without a containment crew present though; the gods alone know what's actually in there." "The records--" "The records will tell us what should be in there," said the Maestro. "That doesn't mean they're right." Fabian remembered finding evidence that the Auditors had been destroying records and falsifying data and nodded. "I'll organise it," said the Maestro. "You'll have to approve it." He looked at Rystin. "And you need to move these figurines to Public Theatre 1 because we can't show off your lovely work in here any more."
Greg - frequency was on my mind for some reason. Or, I think, more specifically something that didn't happen very often. Wish I could remember what.
Well, I'm glad it stopped at six, whatever may be inside them. I was beginning to worry the theatre (so wonderfully named, too) was going to be chock full of them!
3 comments:
Hmm, interesting choice of prompt. Anything particular inspiring it?
Low frequency
Fabian watched as the stasis chamber continued to somehow twist into view in the Fabian theatre and wondered if this would make the theatre famous or infamous. A dull noise, an ultralow frequency hum, accompanied their revelation. The Maestro was watching it too, but he looked stricken. Rystin had taken a couple of steps forward and was staring at it like a child seeing a Christmas present with their name on it.
"I don't know much about stasis chambers," he said, "but I guess the Museum has them for live specimens? How could they be inaccessible? What happens to the specimens in them when they go inaccessible?"
Fabian swallowed; the idea that their might be something alive in the chamber was worrying. So was the fact that he was fairly certain that a second one was starting to emerge as well. He licked his lips, his mouth suddenly dry despite his swallowing, and tried to order his thoughts.
"No live specimens," said the Maestro sounding weak. "There were, once upon a time. I used to bring back specimens just for that. There was an exhibition -- oh don't look at me like that. You're all too young to remember; even if you were brought as children you'd have been tiny. There was an exhibition where you could walk through and as you passed through sound-fields -- low and high frequencies -- it would release and reapply the stasis just a little bit so you could see the creatures move. The Ettin was probably the scariest, that used to make children wet themselves. Heh, their parents either found it hilarious or were furious."
Fabian found himself marveling that the Maestro was so shocked he'd finally given a hint to his age. A third chamber was starting to appear as well now, and if he squinted he thought he could see a disturbance in the air that suggested another.
"I thought our stasis chambers had malfunctioned," he said. "They didn't work properly any more."
The Maestro stared at the steadily emerging chambers. "The ones we had left," he said, "were the old ones, the ones that had been decommissioned. We didn't have much choice but to bring them back out and start using them; there was no money in the budget according to the Director at the time. Frippy, I think we called him. All lace cuffs and collars and fancy dinners and drinks." He looked Fabian in the eyes. "You're an improvement," he said, with neither malice nor friendliness in his tone.
"Is this another Day of No Sun thing?" Rystin started at Fabian's question, but the Maestro chuckled, a deep, rich sound that suggested he was getting over his shock.
"I'd love to say no," he said, "but it is, you know. It's another mystery associated with that damn day. Yes, something happened on that day and we couldn't find the stasis chambers any more. And now you've brought a key back, these figurines. But they needed fixing first. So now I'm thinking that something happened on that day that broke the key, but was it an accident? Was it deliberate? I've no idea."
Six chambers were now present in the room and no more seemed to be appearing. Fabian looked at them.
"Do we open them?" he said. "Actually, do we know how?"
The Maestro shrugged. "Probably the other routines the figurines have," he said, looking over at Rystin. The rust elf shrugged and rolled his eyes. "It's been for-- it's been a couple of years since I last had to do anything with them."
Fabian smiled at last; the Maestro was back to hiding his age and so must be over his shock.
"We're not opening them without a containment crew present though; the gods alone know what's actually in there."
"The records--"
"The records will tell us what should be in there," said the Maestro. "That doesn't mean they're right."
Fabian remembered finding evidence that the Auditors had been destroying records and falsifying data and nodded.
"I'll organise it," said the Maestro. "You'll have to approve it." He looked at Rystin. "And you need to move these figurines to Public Theatre 1 because we can't show off your lovely work in here any more."
Greg - frequency was on my mind for some reason. Or, I think, more specifically something that didn't happen very often. Wish I could remember what.
Well, I'm glad it stopped at six, whatever may be inside them. I was beginning to worry the theatre (so wonderfully named, too) was going to be chock full of them!
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