Sixth Cream Cake: [Written/Action]

[vor]

[Filtered to Ivan Vorpatril, 65% unhackable because it's early and he's sick.]

Ivan,

Would you please look in on the horse for me? The Imperial Ass seems to be having trouble getting out of bed today, as the Imperial Sniffles have turned into the Imperial Plague. We apologize for Our impending death and your impending resulting frustrations.

Regretfully,

Gregor

P.S. If this letter caused you alarm, please give yourself a refresher course in detecting the Imperial Sarcasm.

[/Filtered]

[Gregor is sick as a dog. Apartments adjacent to his have probably heard violent, deep, chesty coughing for about two weeks now. Ordinarily, he'd have on-site approved physicians checking him out and prescribing whatever antibiotic was necessary, but here, he has to actually go seek out help. So. To the Battle Dome clinic he goes, looking specifically to see Adele LeBlanc when she's in. He will wait for her, if necessary.

Afterwards, he's going to the library, then the bakery for coffee and something sweet. Anyone stopping in can see him sitting inside, devouring a psychology textbook and sipping coffee, the cream cakes reduced to crumbs. They are the only thing he has eaten all day. He is not looking great, occasionally falling into bad coughing fits, for which he ducks outside, but recovering fairly quickly. When he heads home, he goes straight to bed despite his plans to work out. And the fact that it's the middle of the day.]

[Filtered to Phoenix Ikki 79%]

PI--

I suppose we're supposed to be pen pals, whatever that entails. I hope you're adjusting to the village well.

--GB

Comments

[thedicearecast]

[The phrases "artificial gravity" and especially "uterine replicators" get Greg a look of confusion; Amelia doesn't have a clue what he's talking about. But from the context, she thinks he means something along the lines of "better ways to fight."]

Gunsmoke doesn't have a military. The closest we come are the marshals, but even they can't do much.

[vor]

So it's probably a bit like the way Barrayar was when the Firsters were still alive.

[thedicearecast]

Depends. If you had criminals running everywhere, bounty hunters going after them who are usually just as bad, and a bunch of innocent people suffering? Then yeah.

[vor]

There was a lot of chaos. Infighting. But a government managed to evolve from it anyway, it just took time. The worst part was probably the radiation blast from when the wormhole collapsed, combined with the toxins, allergens, mutagens, and teratogens of the native plants. Infanticide was, and in the backcountry still is, commonly practiced when children were born with obvious...problems.

[The aversion to the word "mutations" is fairly typical for a Barrayaran.]

[thedicearecast]

[Again, much of this consists of things Amelia doesn't understand. A look of horror crosses Amelia's face when Greg comes to the end, however, followed by a quick burst of anger.]

What?! What sort of reason is that to kill a baby?!

[vor]

Keeping the gene pool clean. It's a crime nowadays.

[thedicearecast]

It should be!

[Amelia shakes her head; her thoughts are focused on her nephew, who is so sweet and tiny. How anyone could see a baby and think to kill it...]

That's beyond horrible.

[vor]

They were horrible times.

[thedicearecast]

So what changed? Getting back in contact with the other people you talked about?

[vor]

That changed everything, but especially technology. Being able to fix a lot of the things we were killing our children for sort of rendered the practice needless.

[thedicearecast]

Thanks goodness for technology then.

[If they'd been in the bar, Amelia would've ordered a drink then. Talking about killing kids--babies--doesn't settle well with her.]

[vor]

[Gregor coughs lightly into his hand, then appears to believe his quota of words for the day has been used up. He goes quiet, sipping his coffee.]

[thedicearecast]

[The silence is a little unexpected. Amelia peers at Greg.]

Run out of things to say?

[vor]

[A shrug.] Sorry.

[thedicearecast]

...Don't be.

[Seriously. Amelia's surprised, but not necessarily in a bad way.]

I don't know that many people who are okay with just being quiet.

[vor]

I'm not...used to people pointing it out to me, to be honest.

[thedicearecast]

What do they do?

[vor]

Usually they continue the conversation. I respond.

[thedicearecast]

Kind of like now?

[Amelia grins a little.]

[vor]

Usually a little less awkwardly. [But the shy smile indicates that her last sentence made him relax a little.]

[thedicearecast]

You really think that was awkward? I just asked you a question.

[vor]

I applaud the recovery.

[thedicearecast]

How thoughtful of you.

[Amelia glances down at her cake--still untouched--then lets out a sigh.]

I should get back. I came here to get donuts for my housemate.

[vor]

[He gives her a polite nod, picking up his plate and hers.] A pleasure meeting you, Amelia.

[thedicearecast]

Hey.

[Amelia reaches out, taking hold of the opposite side of the plate.]

I'll take it with me. They've got boxes. It's just too early in the day for sweets.