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Doomed To Dream - Part 30

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The dreamscape around him was silence. Pure, simple, echoing silence that didn't make a whit of sense considering Sollux hadn't sought the false comfort of Vriska's dreamscape presence. Upon awakening to the dreamscape Sollux had immediately left the place he had come to refer to as the Hub, and set out into the landscape in hopes of hearing something of the outcome of what was coming in the next few hours. There had been no answer in front of Vriska, whatever it was about her presence blocking out the sounds of the voices. At first he had taken comfort in not hearing the voice of the Heiress, only to discover that silence dominated the scape even when he stood close enough to touch her still form. After that he'd left, trying to find the Empress in the limitless boundaries of the dreamscape, to try and figure out what was going to happen.

The silence was profound and piercing and enough to make him scream in fury, and with the scream he had found himself waking to the darkness of his block. For a while he lay there on his slab in silence, staring up at the ceiling and trying to figure out just why it was that he had heard nothing at all. It had almost felt as if the whole of Beforus was holding its breath, waiting to see which way the cards would fall. Or maybe it had been one of those daymare things he'd heard so much about from Terezi and Vriska. Not that he'd ever had one before. What he had experienced was the familiar, pan numbing anxiety that came with the realization that tonight was the night. Things were going to change, for better or worse. There was no guessing, even from him, as to how this all was going to play out. The worst part of it all was probably the fact that he couldn't even be sure that everything they'd worked so hard to plan was going to come in to play. Vriska had been beyond reach for two nights, which meant she could be dead, or pulling off their plan to the littlest detail, or she could have betrayed them or, or, or, or...

There was no getting back to sleep this morning, no point in even trying. The slab covers felt like woolbeast fur, scratching and itching against his bare skin despite the fact that it was pure silk. Below his head his pillow felt like a stone. His throat was abrasive paper. The pan-ache that threatened him felt like the kind that only ever came after overusing his psionics. It was shaping up to be the worst kind of night, the kind where Sollux just wanted to curl up on his slab and play games rather than focus on work or family or friends. A kind of day for pretending that one's problems didn't exist, that the world was far away, that responsibility was just a word that older trolls slung around recklessly and hoped to hit any youngster around them with. Instead Sollux threw back the covers, sat up and threw his legs over the edge of the slab.

“ETA?” he questioned of the darkness beyond the red-blue light cast by his eyes.

“T-minus four hours and thirteen minutes,” a synthesized voice that was as close to his own as Sollux could manage responded from his desk.

“That means the wheels start turning soon. Run system check 4B.”

This time the system needed more time to process the request, understandable considering the fact that check 4B was centered around the joined processing power of Sapire, Tygres, and GD's systems together with his to scan through all the surveillance systems around Capitol that they could hack to find signs of Vriska. No one knew if she was still alive—though Sollux suspected she was considering the fact that her still form remained unchanged in the dreamscape—or if the plan was still running. It had been all Sollux could do to keep everyone in the know going these last two days. More than once he had envied the members who hadn't been brought in to the planning. They went about their daily lives as if the world wasn't about to end. They slept soundly, they went to their jobs, they ate and the food didn't taste like ashes in their mouth.

By the light cast by his own eyes—how had he gotten around without the ever present light they offered—he shuffled over to his clothing chest and spent a minute staring down at the array of cloth. Just what did one wear to the end of the world as they knew it? He was pretty sure Vriska would suggest 'nothing' and start her eyebrows waggling at a mile a minute, but she wasn't the one that was going to have to go through all of this with her kismesis and guardian.

It was going to be a 'bonding event,' or so Cyclos had said. Apparently when he had been a wiggler and had problems getting along with his wardmate, their guardian had insisted on them spending quality time. These days, though, it felt more like Cyclos was aiming for quantity time. Still, everyone knew that the Empress used her wiggling day celebrations to announce important changes in public policy or new areas of development for the coming sweep. They were going to watch, as a 'family,' and then spend some time afterward discussing just how things were going to affect the future. At this point he was pretty sure the conclusions that Cyclos and Karkat would come to wouldn't be the most positive.

“System check complete. One result found. Likelihood of match: eighty-two percent.”

He was moving the second the announcement came through, his hand waving vaguely in the direction where he knew the light switch was—he'd long since discovered that the smaller, detailed uses of his psionics benefited from the furthered focus—and didn't even wait to let his eyes adjust as he made his way for his chair. It wasn't as if he didn't know this block like the back of his hands. Even deaf, dumb and blind he could have made the seat without thinking.

“Display results,” Sollux commanded as he sat and pulled the seat into position, settling his headphones in place as he did so. “Initiate ready check. Open in silent mode. No need to bother anyone who managed to find sleep just yet.”

Windows popped up and closed all over his monitor, but after a moment he didn't offer them any of his attention. He as, instead, riveted by a sight that he hadn't expected, and hadn't known he needed. It wasn't much, just a poor quality black and white video of Vriska sitting at a table, sipping at a mug of something. There was a jerkiness to her motions that almost made him start to run some of his Enforcer grade video systems to clean the footage up, until he saw her run her hand smoothly through her hair.

“Round one of ready check completed. One member reports ready.”

Sollux tore his eyes from the pathetic sight of Vriska there, alone and clearly breaking, and looked instead at the results his system offered.

“Looks like she's luckier than she by any rights should be,” he mused as he looked at the screenname confirming ready. How else could one explain the fact that Tavros was on just when he was needed.

“Relay video feed and origin location to AT. Throw in a map of the city, pinpointing the location.”

It was times like these that Sollux appreciated that he worked more with computers than with other trolls. There was no one to question just what he hoped to achieve by sending the information on to Tavros. How was he supposed to explain that even he wasn't sure? He could no more put that in to words than he could explain why he couldn't tear his eyes from Vriska.

“Round two of ready check completed. One additional member reports ready. Two members report ready.”

The unexpected declaration of the synth voice was all the warning Sollux had before a Trollian window was flashing open.


avengingMourner [AM] began trolling twinArmageddons [TA]

AM: ₩E CAN'T DO THIS.

TA: a biit late two be gettiing cold feet dont you thiink?

TA: two late two abort the operatiion for eiither 2iide of thii2

AM: NO, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE THING IN GENERAL. I'M TALKING ABOUT VRIANA. ₩E CAN'T DO THIS TO HER.

TA: who the ever liiviing fuck and ii a22ure you that fuck ii2 ever liiviing ii2 vriiana?

AM: THE MUNITIONS EX₱ERT ₩E BROUGHT IN FOR THE EX₱LOSIVES.

AM: SHE'S SMART, TA, REAL SMART. ONCE THE ₩HOLE THING GOES ₱UBLIC SHE'S GOING TO KNO₩ ₩HERE THE CHARGES CAME FROM. SHE'LL GO TO THE ENFORCERS.

TA: am ii two under2tand that you diidnt explaiin why iit wa2 that you wanted tho2e charge2 prepared and that thii2 friiend of your2 ju2t randomly make2 explo2iive2 for you ju2t becau2e you a2k?

AM: UM, YEAH. I MEAN SHE'S ₱RETTY DAMN ₱RINCI₱LED AND ALL THAT SHIT, BUT ₩E DIDN'T ASK HER TO ACTUALLY MAKE THE CHARGES. JUST HO₩ SUCH A THING ₩OULD BE DONE. FOR A FILM. VRIANA IS ₱RETTY THOROUGH SO SHE EX₱LAINED ALL THE DETAILS ABOUT ₩HAT NOT TO DO. ₩HICH MOSTLY INVOLVED DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS ON HO₩ TO AVOID MAKING ₩HAT ₩E MADE. LOVE HER BUT SOMETIMES IN HER CAUTION SHE'S A LITTLE OVER CAUTIOUS.

TA: you tru2ted 2omeone that doe2nt even know about u2 wiith the mo2t iimportant part of thii2 project? 2hould ii fry your computer and hand you over two the enforcer2 now or later?

AM: NEITHER. TA YOU NEED TO TALK TO HER. MAKE HER UNDERSTAND JUST ₩HAT IS GOING ON AND ₩HY ₩E HAVE TO DO THIS.

AM: I CAN'T DO IT. SHE... SHE'LL CHALK IT U₱ TO ME BEING OVER₩HELMED ₩ITH GRIEF AND TRY TO STO₱ THINGS FOR MY SAKE. ₱LEASE. I KNO₩ IF YOU EX₱LAIN IT THEN EVERYTHING ₩ILL ₩ORK OUT. SHE'D HA₱₱ILY DO THIS FOR US.

TA: overwhelmed wiith griief huh well 2he miight not be 2o wrong about that

AM: JUST ₩HAT IS THAT SU₱₱OSED TO MEAN?

TA: your mate2priit2 handle wa2 pro2aiicwave2 and your quiirk... well let2 ju2t 2ay that youre tran2parent

AM: YOU CAN EITHER DO THIS OR EVERYTHING FALLS A₱ART ONCE IT STARTS. ₩HICH ₩OULD YOU ₱REFER?

TA: ju2t giive me the handle

AM: IT'S VALORTRIUM₱HANT AND GUESS ₩HAT YOU'RE LUCKY BECAUSE SHE'S ON RIGHT NO₩.

TA: fiigured a2 much now get back two your job 2omeone ha2 two 2ee two 2neakiing vrii2ka out of there iif 2he cant get out on her own

AM: YEAH YEAH YEAH. ₩HO IS GOING TO NOTICE ANOTHER SEAD₩ELLER IN THE MIDST OF ALL OF THE CHAOS THE HIERARCHISTS ARE LIKELY TO CAUSE?

AM: I'LL RE₱ORT IN LATER. GOT TO GET MYSELF ALL CLEANED U₱ AND ₱ICK U₱ MY INVITATION FROM GG.

avengingMourner [AM] ceased trolling twinArmageddons [TA]



twinArmageddons [TA] began trolling valorTriumphant [VT]

TA: youre vriiana riight?

VT: And If I Was?

TA: a cautiiou2 one that2 good we need more cautiiou2 one2

VT: This Has To Do WiTh WhaT Jeimme Asked Me AbouT A Few NighTs Back, Is IT NoT?

TA: yep

VT: You Would Be The Reason He Asked For A Design For An ImproVised ExplosiVe.

TA: ye2 and no iit2 kiind of a compliicated 2iituatiion ii poiinted out the need for a revii2iion of a plan and he 2tepped forward two offer you

VT: And This Plan Includes SomeThing ThaT Causes You To Seek Me OuT Now?

TA: what have you heard about the hemohiierarchii2t movement?

VT: Enough To Take IT Seriously. There Are No Small Number Of SympaThizers In My Line Of Work.

TA: beiing?

VT: I RecenTly ATTained AppoinTmenT As An Ordnance Officer On The DelTa OrbiTal STaTion

VT: My DeploymenT Begins In A Weeks Time.

TA: 2hiit we have that many hemodouche2 iin the pd2?

VT: Indeed. Allow Me To Hazard A Guess. You're The Reason My Wayward Moirail Has RecenTly STopped GeTTing Himself ArresTed In CapiTol.

TA: waiit he2 your raiil?

VT: Yes. And WhaTeVer IT Is You're Doing WiTh Him, I'm The One Who Has To Pick Up The Pieces. TrusT Me When I Assure You ThaT Crossing Someone WiTh My Access To Firepower May Be A MisTake.

TA: iill tread liightly then 2o a2 you clearly gue22ed iim here two talk about the deviice

VT: WhaT Is IT To Be Used For?

TA: an operatiion by an organiizatiion that ii help lead were workiing on overthrowiing the hemohiierarchii2t movement from the iin2iide

VT: Skip The PleasanTries. Who Is The TargeT?

TA: ju2t 2o you know iive gone ahead and dii2abled your trolliian2 abiiliity two contact anyone el2e and your 2y2tem ii2 now outputtiing a 2ubaudiible noii2e that ii2 goiing two fuck wiith other communiicatiion deviice2 for a whiile

VT: You're STarTing To Make This Sound Like A MiliTary OperaTion.

TA: that2 becau2e whether the empre22 and enforcer2 want two admiit iit or not were at war

VT: WiTh Who?

TA: iit2 a long 2tory ii hope youre 2iittiing down


* * * * * *

“Time until mission start,” Sollux prompted his system as he rose and moved to pull on something more than a t-shirt and undergarment.

The conversation with Vriana had taken far longer than he'd expected, but it had been a welcome distraction once he'd explained everything. Offered a way to be effective against the 'rot from within' even when she was stationed off planet had meant a lot to her, and she'd leapt at giving him all of her details and promising to help however else she could. The revelation of the target had gone over less well than he'd expected, he'd almost lost her then and there, until she'd revealed that the explosive would hardly be enough to off a fuchsia with something a seriously bulky as the podium between the Empress and it. Injure, yes. Maim, maybe. But an out and out kill might not happen, and who knew, it might be enough of a distraction to give the Generali and her forces a chance to deal with the hemohierarchists. Sollux desperately wished he could be as optimistic, and had eventually pried himself away from her, after assuring her that she would be of more value to him than she could begin to suspect.

“T-minus one hour and eleven minutes,” the system dutifully responded, leaving Sollux to sigh. His guardian was going to be up and about soon, making breakfast. The very thought made his stomach grumble. Strange, he hadn't expected to be hungry. Oh well, apparently bodily functions continued despite pending disaster.

“Go into full silent mode. Transfer all incoming status checks and updates from relevant team members to my palmhusk. Direct team members AM, GG, and FA into communication blackout until the agreed upon points.”

“Commands confirmed. Good luck.”

It was odd, hearing a voice that was not quite his wishing him luck. If only it would be enough.

“SOLLUX! Haul your ass off your slab. Food time!” Karkat's voice echoed in his block, moments before there were a series of infuriatingly forceful knocks on his door.

“I'm already awake, doucheface,” Sollux snapped back, quickly dragging on a pair of pants and snatching his palmhusk from its charger. It felt heavier than normal. Maybe it was the tension.

“Why don't you say that to my...”

Karkat didn't have the chance to finish the suggestion, of course, because Sollux threw the locks back with a flick of his psionics, and then took pleasure in thrusting the door open. The sound of it whacking Karkat full in the face was its own kind of pleasure. So was sticking his head through the door and being greeted by a baleful, crimson glare Karkat shot him. Too bad he wasn't in the mood for anything more pitch than what he'd already done. Slamming Karkat against a wall and sinking his nails into the smaller troll's shoulders through his shirt tended to be a great stress reliever. As it was he just slipped into the hall, closed the door to his block, and locked it behind him with a wave of his hand backed up by fine-tuned psionics.

“I don't have time to play your games this evening,” Sollux snarled, moving purposefully for the banister and throwing himself over it without a backward glance.

“I'm going to get you for that!” Karkat shouted after him, but Sollux's feet were already settling on to the ground floor.

He almost froze as the palmhusk in his hand began to vibrate, his pusher seeming to pound in time with it. There was no reason for anyone to be contacting him just yet. No need for any updates from his system. The only news there could be was bad news. His breath came slow, almost ragged, as he raised the husk and swiped a finger over it to wake the device.

The sigh of relief when he saw it was only an incoming message from Terezi could probably be heard in Ristart proper. Leave it to his moirail to give him an attack of the pusher like that. Still, he wasn't willing or able to deal with her right now. She had a nose for figuring out when he was tense. One that worked even over electronic media. So instead he did the unthinkable—hit the ignore button—and made his way to the foodprepblock.

“Good evening, Sollux,” Cyclos greeted him as he pulled himself from the thermal hull, his arms full of ingredients. “Nothing like a good meal to celebrate a day such as this. Do you have something in particular that you'd like?”

“Honey lavender brew,” he mumbled, pulling out one of the seats at the table there. “Maybe some pancakes?”

“Ah, I was intending on just that. I bought some fresh honey in town last night. There is enough for brew and cakes.”

“You two overuse honey,” Karkat grumbled as he made his way into the block and found a seat opposite Sollux. “It's like watching Terezi with cherries.”

“Ah yes, when are we going to have the privilege of having your moirail visit us, Sollux?” Cyclos asked, and Sollux couldn't help but curse the question. He'd somehow managed to keep Terezi's relation to him a secret from Karkat. It had been the closest thing he'd ever known to a miracle, but now it was too late to take it back.

“She's busy with finalizing her training,” Sollux mumbled, glaring down at the table, refusing to meet Karkat's eyes.

“Yeah, finalizing. Totally not spending her day partying,” Karkat grumbled, leaving Sollux to look up at him in confusion. Terezi wasn't the kind of person to party just because others found this to be a holiday.

“Well, be sure to extend an invitation for her. It has been too long since I got to see the girl. Before your affirmation if memory serves.”

Sollux didn't answer. Instead he just sat at the table, silent, until at last his guardian put both brew and food before him a while later. The meal itself was filled with awkward silences and glares that Sollux was pretty sure he hadn't earned but were only there because of Terezi's revealed association with him. There was little he could do to make it better, and when Cyclos finally decided it was time to head to the entertainment block for the pre-show, Sollux was no little bit relieved. He even offered to deal with the dishes, a task he normally loathed. It left him alone with his thoughts for a few minutes.

Or would have if his palmhusk hadn't started vibrating. With a sigh he lifted it, ready to send Terezi a message asking if he could wait for a while before they spoke.

Instead he found himself faced with a message from adiosToreador with words he hadn't expected and sent a rush of fear through him.

Vriska says to tell Karkat that she's doing everything she can to keep Terezi safe.

So this was how it felt to have the world come crashing down around his head. Funny… he'd thought there would be more tears.
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Just a heads up on this: valorTriumphant belongs to and is based off of a troll created by drhicks76. He, among others, has been kind enough to help me populate the world with some background characters because there is just so many a girl can make on her own. We shall a number of these guest trolls throughout the series, and I'm always looking for new ones to borrow. If you have some interesting fantrolls you wouldn't mind populating the background in the future, just get in touch with me. We'll talk.

Also available at Tumblr: [here]
And at Ao3: [here]
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