i am the oncoming storm

[autokinetic]

There are three Bells in Milliways.

They want a fourth. A fifth. A sixth. A seventh.

And then Downside is going down.

Comments

[cross_and_bow]

"Yeah," shudders Juliet, "I wonder if we can set up something automatic - it's an evil to merge one, but maybe an arrow to set up a permanent fix for it? Will that allow custom parameters? Can Jane make wishes?"

[autokinetic]

"Unclear." Aegis touches a triangle on her bandolier. "Not through me, anyway, we could try putting coins in the server room in the new Belltower."

[luminous_regnant]

"We'll need to send people with anyone who's going as part of a first resurrection wave into a world that isn't operated by one of us. Before we disband I want Elspeth linked up and summarized for; she can insta-train anyone with the processing power to handle the pour. I can supply at least many of the necessary personnel."

[dark_light]

"As long as we throw enough hardware at Jane she should be able to administer everyday issues, but there ought to be an appeals system so people can get in touch with one of us if they need to."

[temporal_affairs]

"Neither did I, I was somewhat surprised that the end result didn't involve one party curbstomping the other. Apparently the admin is 'surprisingly reasonable for the literal inventor of Hell'."

[ending_of]

"I can solve the duplication problem," she says. "There are seventy-four worlds represented in the queue, and occasionally a new one arrives. I can also make you a building. Describe your requirements."

[nowait_letme]

Chainsaw snickers.

[self_composed]

"...Er, how will you solve the duplication problem? Because sometimes the duplication problem is 'the one who's in their original world is a horrendous mockery of their original self', not 'there's two and we can solve this by getting rid of one'."

[jovahs_heiress]

"The building will have to be big. Probably bigger than the Crescent. Virtually everyone goes through the Crescent, but in order to give everyone the best chance of going home, everyone will go through our building much faster."

[dark_light]

"We can edit the details on the fly as we see how things unfold. 'Big' is the basic requirement," agrees Amariah. "If we can empty the catacombs in - what's reasonable - a year? - then we'd like to do that. They're just waiting to be judged, aren't they, that's the point of having them asleep?"

[temporal_affairs]

"They're talking details now. I can relay design input if either of you have any after all."

[nowait_letme]

"Not me," snorts Chainsaw.

[lookingforwardtoit]

"What kind of details?"

[temporal_affairs]

"Oh, they want people who died only recently to be able to go home if they want, like I did, they want to handle duplication problems like the one I had, they're going to get a building, I think they've already rendered both of your jobs redundant, that sort of thing."

[ending_of]

"...A year is not a reasonable time to empty the catacombs in."

She looks at Stella.

"Do you mean her body's second occupant?" she asks, indicating Juliet. "That's not duplication. They're distinct people."

[lookingforwardtoit]

"I'm all in favour of making my job redundant!" says Eights.

[nowait_letme]

"But then what will I do for fun?" says Chainsaw.

[lookingforwardtoit]

"Me," says Eights.

[cross_and_bow]

"Oh god does she still exist I tried to banish her from existence I didn't even just kill her," exclaims Juliet.

[temporal_affairs]

"There you go, happy retirement plans," says Nathan.

[lookingforwardtoit]

Eights giggles.

[nowait_letme]

Chainsaw snorts.

[temporal_affairs]

"I suspect that at least Eights will have a stack of employment offers from the various Bells, though. Or they'll decide that only one of them should offer you a job between themselves, instead. Perhaps the new one."

[ending_of]

"Nothing from any of the worlds that funnel here can be destroyed past reclaiming," she says. "I have her in a kind of storage, not physically instantiated like the queue in the catacombs."

[lookingforwardtoit]

"Mm. Fun jobs?"