nexus_crossings | Dying for a bit of change

Dying for a bit of change

The Nexus has a weird way of dragging people into it, yet alone choosing weird people to introduce to it. Olivia was heading to lunch when this whole ‘magical dimensional portal’ appeared in the supply closet. This must be a common thing, because there seemed to be a lot of other confused people looking for their doors when she exited hers. Instead of making the situation worse, she’s going to live with it for now.

It doesn’t take long for her to figure out basic locations in the Nexus, such as the Grand Library, but she’s sticking to the shopping district this time around. It’s impossible to keep track of time here and after spending money on interesting used books and having a surprisingly authentic bowl of Japanese ramen, she’s now doing what any responsible adult would do: taking it easy instead of trying to find a way home.

In front of one of the shopping district's furniture stores, she’s laying on a clean display mattress, oddly positioned like a dead corpse. Hands over her chest, legs compacted together as if she’s trying to look ominous. Her choice of attire, a three piece suit pulled straight from Don Draper’s 1950’s closet, only adds to this creepy pose she’s decided is comfortable. Her hair is pulled back nice and neat, and occasionally she lowers her hand to make sure that the large assortment of shopping bags she’s been carrying around aren’t gone.

It’s apparent that she’s either paid the owner to let her do this, or maybe vice versa in a strange twist of fate. What better way to advertise an excellent mattress for sleep than to make puns about sleeping peacefully like the dead.

“Okay, the whole Multiverse concept is intriguing, but I have to wonder...how does time work here? Am I going to go back home and find I don’t have a job because an hour here is ten days in my world?” As if to emphasize her point, she pulls back one sleeve to reveal her watch has stopped working. “It’s strange because I’m able to use my credit card on interdimensional purchases without anyone giving me issues, but my phone clock and watch all bit the dust when I got here. Is that normal?”

There’s a tiny hint of concern in her voice, but the comforting mattress and relaxing nature of the Nexus makes being stressed nigh impossible. For now, at least.

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"Well, there are a lot of portals, but you must have some idea of where you appeared in the Nexus?" She looks to Olivia curiously. "Do you remember stepping through a door, or walking down an alleyway, or...?"

It's only a needle in a haystack if they don't know where to start. Adia is hoping that they can narrow it down a little more than that.

Olivia's attachment to her home is highly relatable to Adia, who smiles in understanding. At the end of the day, all she wants to do is get back to her little cabin on Atlantis with her husband and their animal companions. "They were all very different, which is what makes Earth so fascinating to me. It's like all of the colonies on one planet, plus so many more cultures besides. Did you grow up in Missouri? You sound very attached to it."

"It was a door because I remember walking into the maintenance closet for something and there was an extra door inside the closet." She's been in the Nexus for about two hours since then, so here's to hoping only two minutes have passed on her world. "When I stepped out, there was a blue creature with an ice cream stand only a few feet away. I guess he was trying to sell newcomers sweets upon exiting their portals."

On the topic of home, she does have a lot of personal feelings, most of which she'll keep hidden. There's no point in lamenting over past days gone by, simply living for the present is all she can do. "And now you have the Nexus, which is a literal melting pot of cultures. Going back to the normal ways of thinking seems nigh impossible now."

She's very good at hiding her feelings behind a cold, stoic mask. "Yes, 34 years and counting. MY father moved us to Kansas City for employment purposes and I've been there since."

Hearing that it was a door is helpful, even more so that there was an ice cream stand close by. "That's a good start! We can look around for the ice cream vendor, if he's moved since then, he'll at least be able to tell us where he was earlier."

As she looks about to see if she can spot him from where they are, she can't help but laugh a little at Olivia's statement. "Yeah, the Nexus does have that sort of effect on people... I have to say, you're taking things really well. When I first discovered the Nexus, I thought I was either dreaming or going crazy..." Of course, she was already going through a traumatic experience at the time. Maybe the Nexus is easier to handle if it's just another day otherwise.

There's nothing particularly cold about the way Olivia answers her, but Adia gets the feeling that the other woman would rather not delve too deeply into her past with someone who is essentially a stranger. "That's a long time to be in one place," she remarks, but she doesn't say it as though it's a bad thing. "What do you do there?"

"Hopefully we won't have to bother him, but if so, I'll make sure to buy an ice cream or tip him some money for being a kind helper." From the outward appearance, the vendor seemed very kind and she'd be more than happy to help support his business. "His cart was advertising 'Nice Cream' and has a large red and white cover over it."

If she wasn't so obsessed with weird and paranormal topics, the Nexus would've broken her brain upon entry. Simply enough, it's believable simply because other people have written crazier things on her world. With a simple shrug of her shoulders, her eyes are scanning the crowds, looking for anything familiar. "As long as my boss doesn't fire me, then there's really nothing to worry about. I read a lot of weird topics in my offtime, so the Nexus falls into it. Seems like a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live or work in an unpredictable pocket space dimension."

Her answers do have a tendency to be direct and to the point, and certainly, anything that tries to dredge up the past will be diverted at all costs. "I see no reason to uproot myself from somewhere stable, not when the costs are lower than a standard city, traffic isn't that bad and my neighbors aren't crushed up close to my house." Simple things keep her in simple places, with no reason to complicate life. "I'm a mortician by trade."

Even though her gaze is elsewhere, Olivia does turn her eyes to see Adia's reaction to such a grim career.

"Oh! I know him. I mean, I've gotten ice cream from him before. He's a nice guy, he tries really hard to sell his ice cream pops. I bet we'll find him soon enough."

Even though she has just met Olivia, she is naturally invested in finding the woman's portal. It certainly helps that she's so calm about her surroundings. "It must be like stepping into one of those stories," she says thoughtfully. "Hopefully not much time has passed since you left. That's how it works for me."

She doesn't say so, but she wouldn't want to live in the Nexus, either, especially now that she has a stable home. It sounds like Olivia views her decisions through a practical lens, which explains why she's stayed in Missouri.

"A mortician," she repeats, looking at Olivia curiously. "I've never met a mortician before. What got you into it as a career?"

"He's picked a good business. Ice cream is one of those treats that everyone enjoys, even during the winter."

There's no real reason to panic, and so far everyone in the Nexus has been oddly supportive towards newcomers. She can see the allure in people wanting to stay here, but wouldn't that break some sort of unseen balance in the universe? Best not to test the waters, even if working in the Nexus would be leagues above her current position. "It certainly is unique, and if I'm not careful, a danger to my wallet." Whether she's late to work or not, it's hard to please a fickle boss. "I guess I'll see what happens when I go home. No reason to free until that exact moment occurs."

Nothing can be worse than death, and if she's being fair, her boss wouldn't terminate her over such a thing. If only a few hours have passed, she can come up with an excuse.

"Yes, take it for what you will." The hint of curiosity is welcome, as she's still uncertain as to how people will react upon hearing her profession. "I wanted to be involved in science, but I didn't have the right balance of empathy to do nursing. Instead, I focused on how death affects the world around us. Someone must oversee it, after all."

"I'm glad he didn't freak you out. I mean, I think he's pretty friendly-looking for a non-human, but it must have been surprising to see a bunny man selling ice cream."

Olivia definitely has the right mentality, although Adia laughs a little at her comment on spending. "It's hard to resist the restaurants, isn't it? I don't have this kind of variety back home. Especially the chocolate. It's a long story, but it's only just now that our cocoa trees will be ready to fruit."

Of course, it was a lot easier for the to resist when she didn't have any money, but she's not about to bog Olivia down with a sob story from her past.

A mortician is a necessary job in most societies, albeit one that Adia could never handle herself, which is what makes her curious. That sort of profession, for better or worse, correlates strongly with the temperament of the person doing it. "I mean, it's really important for a lot of reasons, so I'm glad you're doing it. I think it would be so much harder for people to grieve if they didn't have someone helping them through it." She's kind of surprised that Olivia brings up empathy as a hindrance, as it's after a loved one's death that people need compassion most of all. "I like science, too... I'm a microbiologist. I do some medical volunteering, but I... uh, I guess I have too much empathy?" She laughs self-consciously. "It's easier for me to study diseases behind a microscope. It's impossible to get emotionally attached to a germ."

Edited (hit post too soon!) 2020-12-20 19:10 (UTC)

"I would say he did quite the opposite, as his cheerful personality was certainly welcome after my sudden arrival here." She's being honest and shows no disdain towards the non-humans of this place. "Setting a budge seems doable though. Only come in with a set amount of cash, stop when that's gone. The food here is rather tasty, at least what little I've sampled thus far."

It's hard not to notice the laugh and the simplicity of this entire conversation. Perhaps the concept of socializing is foreign to someone like Olivia, as even seeing some common similarities between her and Adia, she's still cautious. Years of not having actual friends makes social interactions painfully tricky to navigate. "You'd be the first person in a while who's said that directly to my face."

It really is a thankless job at times, especially when people are in mourning. Then again, her relegation to simply preparing the bodies leaves her little interaction with the living family members. "I consider forensic science as a backup plan. Microbiology and Epidemiology are fascinating choices and good fields to study. It certainly has less of public interaction, but I imagine there are lots of collaborations with other scientists. Group projects and the like."

"Oh... that's a good point." She can see how that would be a positive for a lot of people. But where is Mr. Nice Cream Vendor, anyway? She keeps an eye out for him as they pass by various doors, most of them portals to other worlds. "Yeah, the food here is great. The variety, too."

Olivia's comment has Adia looking surprised and a little disheartened. "I'm sorry to hear that. Death is really scary, I guess, so people try to distance themselves from it." She bites her lip, then adds quietly, "There was a war where I'm from... a lot of people died. Death became impossible to avoid, but in some ways, that's made us more comfortable in dealing with it. No one gives the morticians a hard time."

At least, she hopes not. She's normally not so chatty with a Nexus newcomer, but she can tell that Olivia is not that great at socializing, and she can certainly empathize with that.

"Lots of group projects," she agrees. "Lots of meetings, too. I could kind of do without the latter, personally. But you don't work by yourself all day, do you?"

"Yes, it's better than most things I can get in Missouri, plus most things are very affordable. I think this will become my go-to spot for lunch for the foreseeable future." Olivia can't help but wonder the same thing: where is the friendly bunny? At least this area is starting to look somewhat familiar?

If she's upset about being undervalued, it doesn't show on her face, still holding a composed expression. Years of dealing with the deal have cut off some of her emotions, but she does manage a polite nod to Adia's words. "You've seen it firsthand, and because of that, your quality of life is much better off. Wars are not good, but it's in the moment of chaos where we learn who we truly are inside." She turns to face Adia calmly. "Are your people okay now or is the war still going on?"

It's a rather dark question, but she couldn't help but ask it. All the talk about work logistics is ultimately more troubling than discussing death. "I work most days by myself, with occasional interactions. My boss and his assistant typically meet with our clients and hold funeral services. I'm often at the office processing the deceased for them. We're a somewhat small organization."

"My husband comes here nearly every morning for coffee," she admits with a small smile. "We don't have any on Atlantis, although that will hopefully change soon." Those coffee trees should be maturing this spring, if all goes well.

Adia scans the horizon once more, and points excitedly when she spots the nice cream vendor's familiar red and yellow umbrella. "Oh! I see him! Right over there."

Olivia's words certainly ring true for Adia, who had her mettle tested more than once during those hard, dark years. "We're okay," she says reassuringly. "The war ended nearly three years ago. It's, um... it's a very long story, but we found a new home for ourselves on Earth, on an island that we named Atlantis. And we were very fortunate to keep much of our medical technology, so our quality of life is very good."

Ah, so Olivia does not handle any of the customer side of funeral services. That kind of makes sense based on her stoic expression and her self-described low empathy. "I guess we all try to choose work that plays to our strengths," she says thoughtfully. "I really like microbiology. I study infectious diseases, specifically, and that sometimes weirds people out, like, why would I work with such potentially dangerous diseases? But I find it fascinating, and in the end, it helps save lives."

"He's got the right idea to come here for coffee, as I have to start every day with a cup of hot chocolate before stepping into the morgue." There's no comment on Adia being married because that would only be opening another can of worms. Maybe she could openly talk about marriage if her own had happened years ago...

Olivia pauses quickly, taking a look at the vendor, then nodding her head in agreement. "That's the right umbrella." But now she needs to try and recall everything before seeing the vendor. It doesn't look like he's moved, but there's still a wide assortment of doors in the area, thankfully not as many as before.

"Being able to retain your medical knowledge can definitely ensure that humanity has a fighting chance on a new world. Common illnesses which are easily treatable in modern days can ravage an unprepared colony if given the opportunity. I'm glad that the war ended, though I suspect it'll take time for the people to heal." Not saying that in a bad way, but any hardship can take a mental or physical toll on humanity.

Her job definitely goes deeper than what's being discussed here, a lot of internal politics exist in the funeral industry. Ranting to a complete stranger isn't exactly her cup of tea, but some of her thoughts do slip out unchecked. "I'm trained in every aspect of the mortuary science field, it's just not my place to rock the boat. My boss specifically hired me to do more of the back of house work, but occasionally I get out and assist with funeral proceedings."

She does perk up upon hearing Adia mention biology, quickly shifting the topic. "You've hit the nail on the head, someone needs to study dangerous diseases and pathogens, or otherwise they'll become a threat to humankind." It gets an approving nod from Olivia, a rare sign of respect that's hardly given out to anyone. "Viruses are never going away, and in fact, seem to be on the uptick. I was talking with a gentleman the other day about a new viral strain affecting a variation of Earth in 2020. It feels weird hearing someone talk about that since I'm from 2017. That's why it's so important to keep scientists funded and supported, so they help address viruses."

"I need more caffeine to start my day than is in a cup of hot chocolate," Adia admits. "Although sometimes I get a mocha." Although there's a warmth in her voice when she refers to her husband, she's not the type to start blathering about him to a stranger, so she leaves it at that.

Adia heads in the direction of the nice cream stand, hoping that one of the doors will stand out to Olivia. If not, they can always ask the vendor, he seems to have a good memory for faces. "We're lucky that Atlantis is rich in natural resources, too. It's been a lot of hard work, but we weren't starting from scratch." As for the people, she nods soberly. "Overall, we're very resilient. But being refugees for nearly three years... that can take its toll. But I think we're healing."

Picking up on that note of dissatisfaction, Adia glances at the other woman curiously. "Would you do things differently, if you could?" Adia is fortunate in that the work she's doing is exactly what she wants out of her career. Olivia's approving nod makes her smile. "So long as people live in large communities, viruses are a threat. Especially because they're always evolving. Not to mention the worry that we'd be affected by microbes on Atlantis that we don't have any natural immunity towards. Luckily that hasn't been an issue."

"I've found I can't stand the taste of coffee, though my coworkers live by it." She casually shrugs her shoulders, following Adia carefully to the nice cream stand. Her eyes are scanning each door, noticing an odd pattern between some of them. There are different plaques and symbols, some being completely foreign to her. "Adia...Do you know if a corresponding door would look like something only a certain person could recognize?"

Her brain is back on the conversation of resources, thinking about how abundant the Nexus in such commodities. "It might take a long time to recover, but having a stable community helps. I take it you've never shared the Nexus with them? Or have you brought over any additional items from here to assist with the living?"

Ah she's slipped up, but Olivia's recovery is almost perfect, seamlessly answering the offered question calmly. "I wouldn't. My calling is with the mortuary science field, however, I would certainly try to correct my past mistakes if at all possible. I considered being a forensic autopsy technician, but fate had other plans in mind." As for viruses, she's compelled to think about recent gossip in the Nexus about such topics. "Then the Nexus is probably a breeding pool of all sorts of potential outbreaks. Who takes care of the people that fall ill here?"

"It's an acquired taste," Adia says agreeably. "There's a free coffee and tea dispenser by the vending machines, I used to go there when I first visited the Nexus." Back when she couldn't afford to buy even a cup of coffee, although those days are thankfully long behind her. She's also scanning the doors, although with only the vague idea of it possibly resembling the door of a supply closet, she's not sure what to look for. "Hmm? Oh, um... I don't know, actually. The last time I helped someone find his door back home, I had to open them to see if the insides matched."

As for Olivia's other question, Adia shakes her head. "No, I never told anyone. I was too afraid that the enemy Cylons would find out about the Nexus and use it to their advantage. That's not an issue anymore, but... well, now I worry about the opposite. Something terrible in the Nexus escaping into my world. It feels safer to keep it a secret."

Adia listens attentively, wondering what sort of life decisions bumped Olivia from one career to another, but not wanting to be nosy. The idea of a virus outbreak in the Nexus has her distracted from asking any more personal questions, at least. "Er... there are a couple hospitals, I think... I mean, there must be, a lot of people live here permanently." She feels a little embarrassed, actually, that she doesn't know for certain, but caught up as she is volunteering at the clinics on Atlantis, she simply doesn't have time to do the same in the Nexus.

"Well, that's nice of the Nexus to set up such a process for incoming visitors. I figure this place works as a stop-gap in between words, people coming and going, but never really staying here permanently." She stops walking for a moment, trying to think about the door itself. "Well, it's a standard white door, which seems common around here. I almost wonder if there's a secret trick to it, beyond wildly opening doors."

The answer to the quest makes sense because Olivia can understand the dangers of a multiverse portal appearing anywhere. "I think that's the right course of action to follow. Given I wouldn't want my coworkers stumbling into this place, or something following me home. I'll be using the PINpoint from now on due to that."

Interesting, indeed. Olivia presses onward, slowly running her hand along any door that looks remotely white, pausing to slowly peek inside. "It would be a wasted opportunity if the science within the Nexus goes unstudied. I apologize if my statement sounded dark, but I'm generally interested in the topic."

"I mean, it might have been at one time, but at some point people decided to stay permanently." She pauses a moment, then adds hesitantly, "Some people end up here after dying on their own world, and they don't have anywhere else to go." She finds the concept a little unnerving, actually, but figures Olivia will take it in stride, especially considering her profession.

"Well, it rules out a few of them," Adia muses. "And that's a good idea, to switch to your PINpoint. That's what I did. The portal I initially used disappeared."

When Olivia begins to peek inside various doors, Adia offers a bit more direction to the search. Whether it's due to her moon rune or experience with portals, some she simply shakes her head to before Olivia checks, knowing that they aren't the right one for her.

"No, it's okay. I'm interested, too, I just don't have the time to look into it, like I used to." She smiles wryly. "Or, well, I didn't have the time to look into it back then, either, but it was a much better distraction to what was going on in my life at the time."

“It’s weird hearing you said that, but then again, a lot of people do believe in different afterlives. Or this could be a stop in between. I think that the rabbit hole goes much deeper than I’d like to process.” Because she’ll get obsessed with it.

“I hope this one disappears after I’ve gotten home, of course. It’ll interfere with work having a random multidimensional portal in the storage closet.” PINpoints are truly a weird little device, being able to love people around at the simple press of a button. She’s not going to bravely step into a new world either, unlike other adventurous souls.

The visual cues Adia gives off are a bit disarming, as Olivia hastily takes her hand off a door handle. Mentally she’s trying to figure out how the other woman knew not to look there, and it hasn’t crossed her mind that Adia might have some non-human skills. It does feel weird being in the Nexus with no unique powers to her name, but so it goes.

“I shouldn’t use the Nexus as a distraction, but it tempts me like a siren at sea. So many things I want to do here, but it would distract me from real life.” Looking for work in the Nexus is another viable option, but the technical aspects would be a headache.

"They aren't dead here," Adia points out. "It's like they've been resurrected, but in the Nexus instead of back home." And then there's also various people who are undead of some variation or other, but she decides not to mention that, not wanting to give Olivia a headache about it on her first day in the Nexus.

"I have a theory that if a portal doesn't get used, it disappears, but that's only been my experience. Maybe you can put something in front of the door, so no one else notices it?"

Adia should probably explain her intuition for which doors to try, but she'd rather not get into the whole story of her moon rune if she can help it. Better to help Olivia out and play it off as coincidence. It's what she does back home, and she'd much rather be seen as an ordinary human to someone from a mundane world.

"It can be a respite. Some people take full advantage of it, setting up a business here or a research lab. But it can be awfully scary and overwhelming at times, too. I wouldn't give up my current life for anything, as boring as it must seem to people who live here."

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Dying for a bit of change

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