Epilogue

[cartesio]

Welcome to Cartesio!

You open your eyes and see the ceiling of the lodge. There is no real sensation of having slept, but you're still feeling rested. Sitting up, you can see that the building around you is in ruins. Dust and dirt dominate your environment. Around you, there are familiar people - some of them you've been with up until now, some of them you have been brutally forced to part with weeks ago. They all look alright, a little confusion aside.

From a corner of the room, you can hear the soft whirring of a machine. Upon examination, you can see that it's 3D-printing more gelatinous bodies like you've seen earlier today. Every body that is dispensed from the machine is a safe haven for another mind from the simulation, another mind to join your ranks as real people.

After you've adjusted to the new situation and left the lodge, you find yourself greeted with perfect sunshine. There's a town welcoming you, friendly and peaceful. Though it is more modern than what you are used to, there is no mistaking it.

Cartesio, Nevada, welcomes you.

You're new people, in a new world. Every chance it has to offer is open for you.

Comments

Outside II

[quickpersuader]

[Kino watches the exchange and- when Millium turns, she'll see Kino wave. There's a motorcycle with her - seems she's been wheeling the thing around since it was printed.]

It's been a while.

[doublelammy]

Kino!

[Kino receives a frantic wavewavewave in return as Millium comes jogging over.]

You got your friend back!

[quickpersuader]

I did.

[And there's a bit of a laugh in her voice even as Hermes speaks up:]

Hey, who's this?

This is Millium. Millium, meet Hermes.

Nice to meet you, Millium!

[doublelammy]

Nice to meet you, too, Hermes!

[Airgetlam beeps cheerfully from behind her in what might be some sort of hello. None will ever know for certain.]

So, what's your plan now? Road trip all over this crazy new world?

[quickpersuader]

I think I'd like to do that, yeah. I've spent way too long in just one place.

[Even if this place is technically different from the one where they stayed.]

Speak for yourself! I didn't get to see anything.

[doublelammy]

Ehe. Maybe give Hermes just oooone more day to see the sights and then take off?

I dunno where I'm goin' from here, myself. But wherever I wind up, you know you're always welcome to visit, 'kay?

[A beat, then, teasingly:]

So long as you don't burn down any buildings.

[quickpersuader]

I'll try not to.

Wait, what?

Don't worry about it.

Hey, don't say that! Millium, did she really burn down a building?

[doublelammy]

[Sorry, Kino. Millium's ratting you out to your bike.]

Yup, yup. She totally burned down the diner and sent the nice diner lady to the hospital out of shock.

[quickpersuader]

Typical Kino...

Hey. It's not the worst thing I've done.

That's a low car!

[A beat.]

You mean bar?

Yeah, that!

[Hermes does not know human figures of speech, it seems.]

[doublelammy]

...Okay, okay. Let me rephrase that request.

Don't burn down any buildings owned by nice ladies with nice pies just 'cause some jerk told you to. 'Kay?

[quickpersuader]

As long as no one pays me for it...

Kino here has taken on some pretty scary jobs, you know!

[doublelammy]

Unless that payment is in even better pie, it's not worth it.

[Very seriously!!]

[quickpersuader]

Money is important.

Got to be able to pay to travel!

[doublelammy]

True, but so is food. And pie is one of the best foods there is.

[#pierorities!]

[quickpersuader]

Is it? I never knew pie was so valuable.

It isn't really... well, unless it's a very special one, I suppose.

Haven't seen one of those yet, have we?

Nope.

[doublelammy]

Well, now you have something to search out, huh? The very best pie there is, in any country in this world.

[quickpersuader]

Ehhh, is that our mission now?

Hmm... Maybe a side mission?

Figures. Since it's Kino, the only mission is-

Seeing as many places as we possibly can.

[She seems happy about it, at least.]

[doublelammy]

It's a thing to do while you're travelling, right? And then you gotta find a way to report back to me about it so I can try it!

[quickpersuader]

Ah, that part might be difficult.

Kino hasn't kept in contact with anyone from our travels before! That's probably not changing, is it?

Pretty hard to...

[Someone get this girl a cellphone.]

[doublelammy]

Oh, c'mon. We had portable communications back where I'm from, there's gotta be something like that here, too!

So let's go find what they've got! And then wherever we go, we can keep sharing stories!

[quickpersuader]

As long as it works in all the different countries, I wouldn't mind trying.

...Eh? Ehhh?! Are you the real Kino?!

Nope. But you're not the real Hermes, either.

Huh!?

[doublelammy]

Ohhh, boy. You didn't tell him?

Yeah, uh. We're copies. We have all the same memories n' everything, but we're not really the same people we remember being. So we can start doin' all sorts o' new things now that the other versions of us never did!

[quickpersuader]

He was complaining about me taking too long to save him, so I thought I'd leave it for later.

Kino! That sounds kind of important, you know!

[doublelammy]

Oh, that's fair.

[Sorry, Hermes, logic does not run strong with this girl.]

[quickpersuader]

Not you too! You're both monsters! Monsters, I say!

[Kino just kicks him lightly.]

If you keep complaining, I'll really just leave you behind, you know.

You drive a hard bargain!

Anyway, what are you doing next, Millium?