[ and lo, there is a familiar face who waves him over impatiently, totally unaware of any concern on the doctor’s part. he’s holding a book, and nearby is a short stack of more.
[ anyway, handing the doctor the book in his hands, which has images of machinery on the cover. the title's in some alien language, but printed at the bottom is newly translated into english! the books in the stack, if the doctor is curious, are clearly of a different bent; they're histories, mythologies, and at the top is a precious copy of the odyssey. he's not decided on actually keeping these, but that one -- he feels a powerful pull. ]
This is some kind of encyclopedia of the kind of tech they've been working on. I recognized a few of the entries from the labs.
truthfully, he feels guilty being here, looking through things that aren't his, that belong to people. people who are, by some miracle, still alive right now. the echoing, empty halls of the mothership are nothing like the hollowed out mountain, and these shops nothing like the supplies left behind by the people he (and monty, and clarke) killed, but -- the sensation feels similar enough to keep him on edge, even after the mission's done. he'll be glad when they make it back to oska.
(things he never expected to feel.)
he scowls when the doctor picks up the book, talking about...honestly, what the hell is google translate. another thing that didn't survive the apocalypse.
after a beat, he volunteers: ] The Telegony. It was lost in antiquity. [ so there's no way the doctor read that either, js ] I was looking for The Iliad, but this was the only ancient Greek book they have.
[ as if he weren't thrilled to find even this, as if he's ever held a hard copy of the odyssey in his hands before today. ]
[ meanwhile, the doctor doesn't seem to care in the slightest.
he sits back in his chair, hands spread. almost smiling; he didn't expect this kid to be such a fan of ancient greek literature. ]
Well, lost to you lot.
I got my hands on a copy sometime in the... second century? Though I think that one probably ended up getting eaten by a goat. Humanity's got a truly abysmal track record when it comes to preserving its own masterworks.
[ he sounds serious. perhaps... he's just senile??? ]
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text, un: blake | after things quiet down on the mothership
no subject
considerably more so when you're hanging about on the zymandis mothership. ]
Oh, good.
Will you tell me what, or have I got to meet you alone in a dark and deserted location of your choosing?
no subject
It's a book. I'm in the bookstore.
[ that ominous enough for you, bro? ]
no subject
but of course he's going. ]
Can't resist a good book. I'll be there in a few minutes.
[ and indeed, he arrives a handful of minutes later! looking round for anyone who appears "blake"-ish... ]
no subject
#mysterysolved ]
no subject
strolls up to him, tilting his head curiously at the book's cover. ]
You've been busy. What have you got?
no subject
Were you expecting someone else?
[ anyway, handing the doctor the book in his hands, which has images of machinery on the cover. the title's in some alien language, but printed at the bottom is newly translated into english! the books in the stack, if the doctor is curious, are clearly of a different bent; they're histories, mythologies, and at the top is a precious copy of the odyssey. he's not decided on actually keeping these, but that one -- he feels a powerful pull. ]
This is some kind of encyclopedia of the kind of tech they've been working on. I recognized a few of the entries from the labs.
no subject
after studying the machinery on the front for a second, he cracks it open, starting with an early page and flipping straight through to the end. ]
Nice. Don't see anything revolutionary, but they have been a bit clever. It's nothing to sneeze at, considering their endgame.
[ snaps it shut.
there's no way he read that. ]
no subject
Well, it’s all yours. Doubt anyone’s going to be coming to claim it now.
no subject
[ nods his head towards bell's other books. ]
no subject
I'm reading them. You got a problem with that?
[ picking a fight is, apparently, superior to just answering the question. ]
no subject
No. Why, have you?
[ he peeks at the copy of the odyssey, lifting the cover. ]
I'm rather fond of this one. Although basically it's like you've ran song lyrics through Google translate, here. Several times.
And they lost the best work in the trilogy.
no subject
truthfully, he feels guilty being here, looking through things that aren't his, that belong to people. people who are, by some miracle, still alive right now. the echoing, empty halls of the mothership are nothing like the hollowed out mountain, and these shops nothing like the supplies left behind by the people he (and monty, and clarke) killed, but -- the sensation feels similar enough to keep him on edge, even after the mission's done. he'll be glad when they make it back to oska.
(things he never expected to feel.)
he scowls when the doctor picks up the book, talking about...honestly, what the hell is google translate. another thing that didn't survive the apocalypse.
after a beat, he volunteers: ] The Telegony. It was lost in antiquity. [ so there's no way the doctor read that either, js ] I was looking for The Iliad, but this was the only ancient Greek book they have.
[ as if he weren't thrilled to find even this, as if he's ever held a hard copy of the odyssey in his hands before today. ]
no subject
he sits back in his chair, hands spread. almost smiling; he didn't expect this kid to be such a fan of ancient greek literature. ]
Well, lost to you lot.
I got my hands on a copy sometime in the... second century? Though I think that one probably ended up getting eaten by a goat. Humanity's got a truly abysmal track record when it comes to preserving its own masterworks.
[ he sounds serious. perhaps... he's just senile??? ]