Summer 01

[mightythinice]

[when it clicks on, have a face full of dirty red headed kid. She looks absolutely delighted by the fact that the console works, and her words seal the deal]

Holy shit, this thing really works?! This is so fucking cool! So, I turned this on and everyone else can hear me, right? This thing’s like a mass phone call or… Oh, wait. Is this what it was like being on TV?

[she pulls out a book from her backpack]

Well, I’m reading a book about anti- gravity… It’s impossible to put down. Pfff. Okay, okay, I won’t read my good ol’ pun book to everyone, but if you ever need a joke, let me know.

Also, I’m looking for someone. His name’s Joel, he’s kind of older, brown hair, talks with a pretty thick Texas accent.

And if anyone knows where I can find a bunch of books in English, that’d be awesome. Last place I went to, they were all in this fucking weird script! No good if you wanna actually read something, you know?

Comments

[mightythinice]

Well, books are kind of hard to find.

Back home, I mean. I read what I can get my hands on, but it's hit or miss, you know?

[parallels]

I understand what you mean. It's like that here too, I'm afraid.

Books in English aren't that easy to find.

[mightythinice]

Man... I was hoping it'd be different here. But it's not, huh? Basically you gotta grab what you can find?

[parallels]

[Clara gives her a look of complete sympathetic understanding.]

They pop up now and then. Sometimes you can even get a few from home.

[A beat.] You can read a few of mine. No science
fiction, at least not like Clarke, but I have Jules Verne. 20,000
Leagues Under the Sea. Brilliant adventure story.

[mightythinice]

How do you get a few from home? You just get lucky?

[but her questions are really secondary to her next statement] Really?! Oh man, I'll be so careful with them!

[parallels]

I'd go mad without reading. Best I can do is make sure other people don't as well.

[she smiles gently.]

Sometimes, things from home just... show up. No explanation and it's sort of annoyingly impossible but I'll take my own clothes and books if I can get them and save the concern over the logistics for later.

[mightythinice]

Thanks, I really appreciate it. Just because I like sci-fi doesn't mean I don't wanna read anything else.

[a pause] I have everything I own here with me... But if you ever see some good books pop up that way, I'd like to read them too.

[parallels]

There's brilliant stuff in every genre. No point in eschewing one.

[Clara nods agreeably.]

Tell you what. I'll give you 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and when you're done, bring it back and I'll give you another.

[mightythinice]

That'd be fucking awesome, I'll take that deal.

[parallels]

[Clara blinks a bit at the cussing but then smiles.]

I live in Earth sector. Apartment 1C. Just come knock.