There's always a lighthouse

[wheremst]

And just like that, you wake up in the basement of a lighthouse in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. There's a circle of 25 pods in the middle of the room, and two more in a room off to the side, and you can imagine who is in which.

An elevator to the side of the room leads up to the ground floor (or to the first sub-basement, if you want to check out the machine that brought you here), where you can for the first time in weeks look out a window and see the sky. Its a beautiful sunny day, with a strong breeze on the grassy ground of the island where the lighthouse stands. Have you ever been this happy to hear seagulls?

You're free. Whatever comes next, you're free and you won. Take some time to relish your victory, won't you? Reunite with friends you thought you had lost, go forth and just... well, enjoy this.

Comments

[bolderfell]

So... you're gonna be all right now. From here on out.

[She better be, or he's going to have words with Agent Night Owl.]

[didntgetdadslooks]

Yeah, I... think I am.

[ Huh. What a concept! ]

[bolderfell]

I made you one more thing, actually. But I guess I didn't since none of that was real.

[He's still not a hundred percent sure he understood all of that, but you know, whatever. He learned toilets and video games and, really, that's enough of a win.]

It was a key. But... call this a hunch. [He turns his face up towards the sky.] Wherever your feet take you, it won't be somewhere with locked doors.

[didntgetdadslooks]

[ Angel shakes her head. ]

No, it was still real. Just not permanent.

[ What the fuck Therion that's so soft?? ]

No, I don't think it will. And even if they did... I get the feeling I know too many people who can bust down locked doors now to worry about that again.

[bolderfell]

Well, if you ever need a subtler solution... I don't typically take requests, but I think it'd be a fair trade after all you've done for us.

[didntgetdadslooks]

Heh. I shouldn't need it, but if I ever do... I know who to call.