Video | un: apollo2

[solarcharged]

[ Six days since the music started. Six days since the station began the slow descent in to whatever sleep deprived madness it is currently in. Apollo doesn't technically need to sleep but even he is feeling the effects of 144 hours of non-stop power/shower tunes, judging by how he looks on the video feed. Tense. Worn. Considerably more haggard than his usual sunny self. It's not a good look. ].

Six days. Six days. [ He repeats himself through gritted teeth; there's almost an edge of pleading in there (won't somebody give them a break?). Nearly an entire week with no break from the relentless noise and it's making everyone on the station fall apart more than usual. ]

Has anyone figured out where it's actually coming from yet? Consider this an open call for ideas on what to do to stop it. Before we kill each other.

[ Although truthfully Apollo wouldn't mind a bit of casual violence right now given the familiar intro of the latest song that plays in the background... ]

Comments

[solarcharged]

[ Apollo pauses at that; he'd heard something about Prax's daughter, maybe from Alex. After a moment he replies: ]

Mine's on Earth. Or somewhere in orbit around it. What's yours called?

[contorta]

Mei. Her name's Mei.

[ god, he hopes she's all right. his voice doesn't quite break, but it's a close thing. ]

[solarcharged]

That's a pretty name.

[ Said in any other way, it might sound a little patronising. But Apollo genuinely means it. He can hear that break in Prax's voice; he feels it in his gut. ]

My daughter's name is Jenny.

[contorta]

Thank you. I picked it.

[ her mother hadn't been all that interested, from the beginning. ]

How old is Jenny?

[solarcharged]

[ damn it prax you just HAD to the most complicated question didn't you! There's an obvious pause as Apollo silently calculates how best to talk about the Age Situation: ]

Eight years old, in one respect. [ Apollo sighs, a little pained. ] But she got bored of that and aged herself up a bit last year... It's a long story.

[contorta]

She aged herself up?

[ ????? ]

[solarcharged]

[ jfc Apollo never LEARNS. This is ALWAYS a difficult conversation. ]

Yes. Long story short: Jenny is a 'century baby' in our world. She can essentially change reality on a quantum level. She aged herself up to be a teenager when she got frustrated with being treated like a child... [ SO PAINED: ] She was quite a handful growing up.

[contorta]

I don't understand any of that, but I'll take your word for it.

[solarcharged]

It's a bit much, I know.

[ It's always the same when he tries to talk about Jenny. But Apollo doesn't mind. ]

Children grow up too quickly as it is. I wish I'd had more time with her as a child.

[contorta]

They do.

[ prax swallows. he just hopes he'll get to see mei grow up at all. ]

How can she change reality?

[solarcharged]

Sheer bloody minded stubbornness, most of the time.

[ He sounds flippant but it's fond. So very fond. ]

It's a bit of a mystery really. She's finding a lot of things out as she goes along.

[ Which is just as scary as it sounds. ]

Tell me about Mei...

[contorta]

I see.

[ not even a little, but stubbornness? that at least is familiar. ]

She's wonderful. She hasn't had it easy - her mom left early on and she's been ill all her life, but she's happy most of the time anyway. Loves dinosaurs and dragons and her friends. She's sweet.