Change is the Only Constant (FINISHED)

[Flakeblood]

Kit walked--not ran--briskly through the crowded streets. Every now and then he'd use his naturally deep voice to his advantage and quietly ask Kay for directions, but other than that, he kept his attention on the surrounding crowds. Of course, he knew where the space port was, having come from it not a few days ago, but having Kay lead them past some of the more popular spots as they slowly made their way that direction was a good cover.

As his eyes scanned the crowd, though not too hurriedly, he kept himself close to his companion. Kit did this both as a way to keep her calm and to give the illusion that they were just another couple.

After another small stop, they were walking into the area marked as the space port. They hadn't reached any security yet, only some information areas and a large mass of people who were either rushing or milling about. Blending into the crowd easily, and certain they would not be overheard by people who were intent on business, Kit turned to Kay. Though his thoughts were masked by his mental recitation of parts he wanted to replace on his ship soon, he knew Kay would understand his question of escape.

"Have you been contemplating any plausible ideas?"

[godsibb]

Kay looked around briefly, both curious about her surroundings and excited that escape from this place was so close. Her hands were shaking slightly, and she gripped them together in front of her tightly as she stared back at the ground, simply shaking her head at Kit's question. Putting up mental shields around her mind to hold back her telepathy today was twice as draining as normal, thanks to nerves and excitement, and she didn't feel like speaking.

[Flakeblood]

Kit's expression softened in sympathy. He knew that what they were about to attempt was perhaps more trying than anything Kay had ever attempted before. Frustratingly, he found that he wasn't entirely sure how to calm her. The best he could do was stay calm himself.

"Kay," he said, "Let's walk around a bit. Try keeping observations on things that seem important. We will go from there."

He looked directly at her and tried to project an air to placate and soothe her. Hopefully, that would help her focus and keep her mind off the enormity of what they were about to attempt.

[godsibb]

Kay nodded and tried her best to focus on his words, feeling slightly better. Glancing around, she moved closer to Kit so that they wouldn't get separated. In her current state of mind, she would probably end up accidentally wandering off somewhere by herself.

[Rastul]

The spaceport was a clash of new and old; grey spires in the new aesthetic jumped out of shacks and grubby old storefronts of the old. Syl sat on an old, dilapidated bench, juggling his psy-chips with one hand while staring off into the distance. One, two, three, four, around and around they flipped in the air. His feet of juggling attracted a small crowd, who seemed to think he was some sort of street artist, perhaps a minor celebrity.

The first one threw a shiny trinket - it was symbolic, as currency was entirely digital. But the clink seemed to wake him up from his reverie, and he snatched the chips out of the air, pocketing them. As the crowd dispersed around him, he looked around, taking stock of his surroundings. A small port behind his ear blinked blue - a chip with a tab was embedded in it. His eyes settled themselves on a pair, a boy and a girl, moving through the area.

Syl could almost taste the disturbances left in the air from the girl. He stood up and began to tail them, hands in his pockets. Keeping in the flashy taste of Aedolians, he wore a bright turban wrapped around his head, and green and yellow robes in the fashion of a desert dweller.

[Flakeblood]

Kit nodded, approving in Kay's new resolve, and walked off with her by his side.

Everything seemed to Kit as it had been when he first passed though the port. This time though, he watched the security procedures more thoroughly. It was probably this fact that kept him from noticing their stalker sooner. He would have mentally cursed himself, but instead started thinking through the names of every tool he picked up during a particularly productive stop at Cancer. Whether mind reader or not, he would have to be confronted. Kit had to know whether they were hostile or just curious.

He discreetly nudged Kay with his arm, and said very quietly, "It seems we have a follower."

[godsibb]

Kay blinked and looked up at Kit. Her messenger bag was slung over her left shoulder and kept bumping into the back of her legs as she walked, her tail resting over it.

"....h... Huh?!" Finally realizing what Kit told her, Kay gripped the strap of her bag and immediately spun around to face the stalker, afraid of who it might be.

[Rastul]

"If you're being followed, you shouldn't let them know you are aware of it!"

Syl gave them both a friendly smile.

"Just a bit of advice. I noticed that you may have a .. problem." He indicated the girl.

[Flakeblood]

Kit sighed and turned to face the trailer as well. He had hoped to keep it quiet for a bit longer, but since that was long gone, he leveled a cold glare at the boy. The friendly smile did not ease his suspicions in the slightest. Kit was especially wary of the fact that he had pointed out Kay. He carefully brushed his arm against hers as he stepped just slightly in front of her. Not enough to seem defensive, but perhaps it would get the boy to focus his attention elsewhere.

"It is really none of your business."

Kit was careful not to specify what, exactly, the boy should stay out of. To say something like that aloud would be foolishness.

"For what reason were you following us?"

[godsibb]

Kay instinctively shrank down behind Kit. She probably shouldn't have turned to face the follower so suddenly, but she panicked. Advice? Who is this person and what did he want? Why was he following them? It was getting harder and harder for her to keep her shields up. This guy certainly wasn't helping her nerves.

[Rastul]

Syl scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed.

"I messed up."

The crowd around them began to disperse. It was subtle. As one by one, as if by accident, a pedestrian moved into another area, took an elevator, entered a store. The area around them crew barren. There was no panic of any sort - the citizens, puppets of Aedolia, were pulled, nudged, by invisible strings away from the three. Blue lights winked on and off, small indicator lights randomly placed here and there.

"Axis point has found us."

"Or rather, you." He gave them both a significant, accusatory look. "You're leaking." Syl had this half amused, half 'ugh!' look, as if he was seeing the novelty of a dog urinate for the first time.

[Flakeblood]

Kit was growing rather frustrated with the boy in front of him. Granted, he probably wasn't actually that young, but Kit was beyond caring. He was spilling no pertinent information, only short sentences that pointed towards him knowing more than he should. The people leaving and declaration of being found out pushed him into action.

"If you are not going to do anything helpful, I suggest you leave."

Carefully, Kit reached behind himself to Kay gripped her wrist. He gently tugged and started to turn them around, decided in that moment that leaving the planet as fast as possible was their best option, even if it meant doing more fighting than he had anticipated.

Never before had he wished so much to have inherited his family's natural gift for fire magic.

[godsibb]

The color drained from Kay's face so fast, she nearly passed out. Barely feeling Kit's hand on her wrist, she stumbled after him. Found them? No, no no no, please no, not now, not when they were so close!

Her eyes filling with tears and her mind full of panic, Kay finally spoke out loud, her voice just a whisper.

"I-I'm scared. P-please d-don't let them find us."

[Rastul]

Syl stared, agape, at their retreating backs. Were they not aware of Axis Point?

The chilling silence and absence of crowds followed them where ever they went, blue lights winking. He jogged after them, calling out in a somewhat weak, defeated tone:

"Um .. do you not know about .. axis point?"

[Flakeblood]

Terrified. That was the only word Kit could put to the wrist shaking in his grip. He lowered his hand a little, trying to get her to grip his hand back. A reaction of determination, not fear.

"I will do my best." He gave her a soft look through his one visible eye.

The boy followed after them, annoying Kit somewhat. Even so, he couldn't be bothered with one person when there might be so many more later. At least, until he registered what the boy said. Kit turned his head slightly to look at him.

"We are not from here," Kit half-lied, "Do not expect us to know."

[godsibb]

She held his hand tightly, afraid if she lost any physical contact with him, she might magically get snatched away. At Kit's reassuring words, she picked up her pace slightly, trying not to lag behind him.

Kay glanced back at the person that continued to follow them, tears still in her eyes, and couldn't help but think this was partially his fault, though she was also curious about him. Of course she knew what Axis Point was. However, hearing Kit's truth-lie, she kept her mouth shut, praying they could somehow find a way out without getting captured or killed.

[Rastul]

Syl slowed down the pace of his walking, eventually coming to a stop. In response to the man's question about Axis Point, the only thing he could do was give him a long, significant stare. There was nothing to be said, in fact, nothing could be said without everything being flushed down the drain. The name wasn't even supposed to be uttered aloud by any citizen, for citizens knew nothing.

At this point, he simply could have unplugged himself. The chip thrummed at the back of his right ear, feeding the electrical patterns into the mesh in his brain, activating level one telepathy. All he had to do was unplug it, disappear from the grid, and use the temporary amnesia to feign complete ignorance.

 The waves of the psionic people emanated as fluctuations in the air, distortions in the electromagnetic fields that he could see. The waves from the girl thrummed out in a muted fashion, dripping from her head like holes in a dam. At any moment it seemed that they would burst forth, and then ..

Then, the Pilots would come.

[Flakeblood]

Kit noticed the boy stop. He would have kept on and left the stranger behind were it not for that stare. The one the said, 'You had better know if you expect to survive.' Kit slowed down and stopped, then. The crowd was still parted around them, so the gap between the escapees and the knowledgeable stalker was clear of passersby.

He waited for several heartbeats. Wanting to know, yet not willing to ask. So instead, he asked a different question.

"Where are you heading?"

[godsibb]

Noticing Kit stop, Kay stopped next to him, still gripping his hand. Glancing around, she suddenly felt confused and scared at Kit's actions. Why didn't they keep walking? Why was he bothering asking this stranger where he was going? She looked down, her head starting to pound. It was taking more effort to keep up her mental shields. She never wanted to leave Aedolis this badly in her life.

[Rastul]

"We need .."

The smile on his face became rather fixed.

" .. to relax."

That said, he walked to a nearby cafe. A small, quiet, dingy storefront. Syl took a seat and exchanged words with the shopkeep, who did not seem to be affected by the quarantine. Three cups of hot water. A selection of coffee and tea packets. Biscuits. A small plate of cakes.