Galileo's Burden, Phase OMG: Comfortably Numb

[cityship]

All the torches in the village were lit, and the smell of cooked meat wafted through the air. The village center was the site of a tremendous bonfire, surrounded by cushions for the guests of honor. The Oryans performed a ceremonial dance to kick off the festivities, and then came the food. Piles of it, magnificently colored and all lovingly prepared for the so-called sky people.

As the bonfire settled down into cinders and the night wore down, the local brewmaster passed around a jug of banni, the fermented fruit of a local tree. Banni, as he explained to the visitors, was carefully brewed in wooden casks made from the tree's bark. It took a brewmaster to create the mix, however, due to certain special properties in the bark.

The Oryans didn't really explain what those were.

But as the liquor (or tea, an alternative for those who prefer not to drink) was served out, there was a feeling of peace in the village.


(OOC: SUBTHREADS ARE FINE!)

Comments

[makeherblue]

"She would, wouldn't she? Bit of a convenience, I'd say. Works out, really, except for the ropes," the Doctor raises his head, eyeing those rifles the Chosen hold aimed at them. It's more like he tries to eye them, the Oryans standing before the group of prisoners swimming in and out of focus. "And Avani only speaks to select individuals? You being one of them."

The Doctor wants to sigh. He's seen this before. Not quite right down to the details but scenarios close to this.

It never does seem to end well.

Struggling to sit up, the Doctor finds his balance is basically non existent, so getting to his feet to look Mother Reda in the eye isn't going to work quite as he wanted, not with his legs all wobbly noodles on him. (Which, by the way, is fascinating in itself).

"And Tamil and the others? What about them?" They don't look to be in the cell with the crew. And what about the distress call? From what he understands, none of the crew on Stacy had any prior contact with the Oryans.

[cityship]

"What about them?" Reda replied. "They have already received their punishment for turning away from Avani. If She chooses to spare them from the toxins they've consumed, then they shall be so blessed. But if She chooses to take their lives, then so be it."

[makeherblue]

The Doctor's head weaves as he thinks, although some of it's (possibly) from the sedative wandering around in his system. "Toxins? Could be literal, which, judging from the way you're running things, might not be far off. Or you could be talking about our outside influence, but I rather thought swimming lessons were universal."

Despite the rambling, which has gotten a bit worse than usual thanks to the sedative making him loopy, the Doctor's eyes are steady on Mother Reda, that smile not quite going to them. It's not the first time he's massively misjudged someone and, unfortunately, it won't be the last. The thing is sorting out if Mother Reda actually believes or if she wants everyone else to believe -- if the Doctor has to pick one, he'd rather go with option 2, because he's seen what you can do with option 1. He's been there. You can become a monster if you believe in it hard enough.

He thinks he should know.

"Let me talk to them. In fact, let's all have a nice, calm talk, without all the ropes and caves doubling for dungeons (lovely knots, though)," the Doctor gazes at Mother Reda hopefully, even if he suspects he might already know her answer.

[cityship]

"Why?" she asked. "So that you may tell them what I've done? So that you may tell them that their ridiculous sky gods have called upon them to destroy me? I think not."

"You will find that the villagers all hold endless allegiance to me. Their very souls depend on it."

[makeherblue]

The Doctor tilts his head, watching Mother Reda and her face.

"Ah, so that's how it is. It's 'I' and not 'Avani', except maybe it is. Maybe you're one and the same and I can see why they'd be cross with you if they ever found out, what with the passing yourself off as a goddess thing." The Doctor stares back at her, his smile humorless. What he doesn't quite understand just yet is where Stacy's crew come into this.

He supposes up until recently there might've been doubts, hence calling in Stacy's crew. Always traditional, setting up an Us Versus Them mentality. Seemed like that was always universal, wasn't it? Even across alternate universes.