taxonomites | [holo] if you tell me where you're going i'll tell you where you're bound

Simon is dragged into Taxon mid-eyebrow raise. "Yes, of course, captain." There's no mistaking the sarcasm in his tone. "And would you like me to--"

He breaks off, looking around. It only takes a moment for his expression to shift from barely contained irritation and impatience to worry. "River?"

That worry is slowly ratcheting up into panic. "Mei mei, answer me."

When no answer is forthcoming, Simon sags just a little, his face going grey. They can't have captured them. There had to have been a warning of some kind; it's not as if the Alliance can simply... take them, without anyone realizing. He has to push away the thoughts of what they did to River, the havoc they wreaked on her mind; if anyone could do it, it would be the Alliance. But he can't have failed her again.

"Tiānsà de èmó," he mutters, panic hardening into anger and resolve. If the gŏushĭ bùrú Alliance is behind this, he'll find a way to get her out, again. He'll do anything to keep River safe.

Glancing around, he sees the tablet, and slips it in his pocket before heading down the steps and towards the door.

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More people that speak Chinese.

[Cassie muttered to herself, rolling her eyes.]

You're not Chinese, are you?

[HOSHIT Hi, Cassie, this is Simon straight up freaking the fuck out. Good thing you can't see him.]

I-- no. What?

[If only she could see it, she'd be laughing her fucking ass off.]

Just wondering. Lot of people have been coming through here, speaking fluent Chinese when they're not Chinese.

I take it you're from some crazy spaceship time where Earth went the way of the buffalo, the Dodo, enter another fucking extinct animal here.

[And then Simon would sulk. It's better this way.]

...Other people? [His glimmer of hope just got a little shinier.] What other people?

[...Though with his luck, it's Jayne. Or members of the Alliance. His father, God forbid.]

That's a reasonably accurate summation, if-- wait. Are you saying you aren't?

Um...there's this Gwen chick. Got a ship called 'The Cressi'-something or other. Sounded like 'credenza' to me. Met this Kaylee girl at a party a couple weeks ago. There might be a few others.

[Cassie pauses, grinning a little. Mind Blown, meet Simon Tam. I think you'll be getting along well.]

Really not. Your Earth-that-Was is still Earth-that-Is for me.

...Kaylee?

[Simon maybe needs to sit down, just a little.]

It... is. [Cassie, Simon is pretty sure you're a mental patient now. Earth is unlivable, everyone knows that.]

You're... uh... looking for a river?

Dark hair, always smiling, seems to be unbelievably fucking happy for no reason?

[That may have seemed a little on the rude side, but that's just how Cassie talks. And it wouldn't be the first time someone thought Cassie was insane. Certainly won't be the last.]

Yeah. If I remember right, I'm from about...five hundred years in your past. It's, like, 2009 for me, last time I checked.

I wouldn't have phrased it quite like that, but essentially.

[Oh yeah, now Simon is sure she's nuts. But he ignores that in favor of--] There's a younger girl. Dark hair, slender. Very graceful. Her name is River. Is she here?

[The strange, random voices-- and the startled jump that follows them-- are very quickly going to become annoying.]

No, I-- a girl. She's my sister.

[Whoops! Sorry about that.]

Oh. Huh. I thought... well, seeing as this place doesn't have a river - unless you call a strip of Sunnydale beach a river, which it so not is - then I... am rambling. Sorry.

That's the one, then.

[Cassie tries to remember, and she grows quiet for a moment.]

I might have heard of her? Don't wanna get your hopes up, but there's people from all over here. It's possible.

[OHGOD SIMON! She'll just be bolting out of Serenity just now, heading for the Sanctuary. Not a long run, all things considered, even if she's running past nonsense and crazy and religious nuttery.]

Simon! Don't move, don'tmovedon'tmovedon'tmove. There are nets but I have scissors so don't move I'll cut you out.

[Disclaimer: She doesn't actually have scissors.]

So Kaylee is here. [Muttered] Wherever that is.

[Louder again] She'd need-- you're sure you haven't met her?

[At least no one is punching him. Or shooting at him. Those are much worse.]

Don't worry about it. It's an understandable mistake.

Riv-- River!

[He's pushing at the door now, stepping outside.]

I'm not moving, mei mei. I'll stay right here.

[She sounds mostly coherent. As coherent as she ever does, these days. And they're probably not real scissors, but still-]

Don't run with scissors, River.

Well I... hope you find your sister soon. I mean, being in this place? You'll need like a support system or whatever.

'This place'. This place being... where, exactly?

As far as I know, this place is called Taxon. Slang for 'haha you've been kidnapped and brought into a strange place by things you don't know' land.

[Give him a moment]

Right. Taxon, then. [Is everyone here insane?]

[More like insanely bored, and hey!]

Yeah. Sucks, doesn't it.

[She's too busy to Face at him for that last bit, what with the occasional "oof" as she runs through small crowds of Extras.]

On my way, can't move can't think they don't think Simon they don't it's nothing fluff and...

[And the whud of doors opening and closing in the Sanctuary, then she's speaking through pants as she pads her way through the lobby and cranes her head around to see which hallway to go down.]

Said I'd find you. I'll find you don't hide. This isn't--

[Then she's running again down a hallway to the right, full tilt.]

Isn't a game, Simon.

[Moving into doctor mode, because... well. Because.]

I'm sure it does. 'Suck', that is. [Whatever that is supposed to mean.] So, tell me about... Taxon.

[It's sound advice! She could poke someone's eye out, hi Simon is an old woman trapped in a twenty five year old's body.]

I'm staying right here, River. I promise, I won't leave.

[He's going for calming, and mostly hits it. It's a stressful day, all right? He's on edge.]

I understand. I'm not hiding, I'm staying right here.

[He's thisclose to just haring off on his own, tracking River down. But she'll find him much more easily than he could find her, so instead he leans against the wall and busies himself studying his surroundings.]

Um... let's see. It's like a small place where kidnapped people like us are brought into. Everything we need is here, everything we want we can get... except, you know. The freedom to leave this place.

Edited 2009-07-24 20:31 (UTC)

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