[ He'd been halfway hoping maybe someone else already established in Cadens might've made their way through, but Petra confirms that's not the case with her question. Claude nods slightly again and sets his fork down to abandon the pretense of eating. Well, for now, anyway.
Still, he gives Petra a long wordless look from across the table. ]
Before I start with any of this, I need you to believe that I'm not telling you some made up story like I might've back in the day. Okay?
[ Important to preface, considering this does sound like something he'd have done just to entertain himself and their fellow students. But not this time; this time it's their reality.
Claude is careful to explain the significance of the Singularity, how it's the cause of what brought them here and is contested between the factions. How the Free Cities wishes to destroy it and Thorne feels the opposite, that even though it's seemingly just some magic rock (or rocks, maybe, he's unclear on this despite having been in the Horizon) it controls most of what's around them and grants, denies, or wreaks minor havoc as it so chooses.
He's positive there will be more questions, considering the hundreds he had and still has, but first: a little proof. Claude withdraws the small compact mirror from his pocket and sets it on the table between them with a brief glance up to make sure Petra is paying attention. Then he holds one hand out over it, concentrates, and suddenly a map of the night sky full of stars appears in the air above them just in the dimensions it takes to cover them both. ]
Like I said, I know how this sounds. But if you go outside and look up at the sky tonight and compare the brightest constellation in this - [ a gesture with his free hand to the projection above - ] to what you see, you'll find they're the same.
no subject
Still, he gives Petra a long wordless look from across the table. ]
Before I start with any of this, I need you to believe that I'm not telling you some made up story like I might've back in the day. Okay?
[ Important to preface, considering this does sound like something he'd have done just to entertain himself and their fellow students. But not this time; this time it's their reality.
Claude is careful to explain the significance of the Singularity, how it's the cause of what brought them here and is contested between the factions. How the Free Cities wishes to destroy it and Thorne feels the opposite, that even though it's seemingly just some magic rock (or rocks, maybe, he's unclear on this despite having been in the Horizon) it controls most of what's around them and grants, denies, or wreaks minor havoc as it so chooses.
He's positive there will be more questions, considering the hundreds he had and still has, but first: a little proof. Claude withdraws the small compact mirror from his pocket and sets it on the table between them with a brief glance up to make sure Petra is paying attention. Then he holds one hand out over it, concentrates, and suddenly a map of the night sky full of stars appears in the air above them just in the dimensions it takes to cover them both. ]
Like I said, I know how this sounds. But if you go outside and look up at the sky tonight and compare the brightest constellation in this - [ a gesture with his free hand to the projection above - ] to what you see, you'll find they're the same.