| Generated by Google Flow text-to-video AI software, powered by Omni Flash |
They have figured it out. They know how to push the lab through a tear in
the membrane of the universe, and enter the bulk. The breach will not be
open long, and it will not be very big, but they will make it through as
long as they have enough power.
“We don’t have enough power,” Sugar reports.
“We don’t?” Pribadium questions. “Are you sure?”
“I’m very sure,” Sugar replies. “I went over the calculations three times.
If we try to squeeze both the outpost and Tau Station through the portal,
probably neither of us will go through. It’s like that slapstick gag where
two people try to enter the doorway at the same time. If we had more time,
we could siphon energy and store it up, but then we would have to invent an
entirely new type of battery, and that’s just not viable.”
“The barrier is upon us,” Runaway reminds them. “We barely have time for
this.”
“Okay,” Pribadium says. “If we have to choose one, I choose the outpost.
Runaway, could you please teleport everyone over here. Send them to the
hangar bay.”
“I can’t do that,” Runaway argues. “I can only make them move in real
space.”
“No, don’t put them back in the shuttles. That’s stupid. Moving them again
makes no sense.” Pribadium looks around at the part of her outpost that she
can see. She worked really hard on it, and never thought she would lose it.
But she knows that it will be okay. Everything she built can be rebuilt,
thanks to a little inspiration from an old friend. She runs over and starts
to decouple her forge core. This has everything.
“What is that?” Sugar asks.
“We’re abandoning ship,” Pribadium replies. “It won’t take but a second to
transport the four of us over to Tau Station.”
“It’s more than that,” Sora says, almost proud of himself for having
realized. “You can’t open the rift thing from there, can you? You have to
move your machine too.”
The three ladies stop and stare at him. It is becoming a habit. “We can’t do
that. We can’t transport the machine. It’s integrated into the whole
outpost,” Sugar reasons.
“Someone has to stay behind,” Pribadium decides. “Someone, meaning me.”
Before Runaway can argue, she holds up a hand. “You have to stay with the
people. That’s a given. Sugar, I may have needed you for your clarity of
mind, but I still understand this tech better than anyone. There’s no
argument to be had.”
“You can try to teleport over to us at the last second,” Sugar suggests.
“I will,” Pribadium promises, “but I won’t count on that. It’s okay. You’re
an alternate version of me. You’re missing a lot of my memories, but they
weren’t the most interesting ones anyway. If I die, I’ll do so knowing that
a part of me still lives.”
“That was never good enough,” Sugar contends. “There’s a reason your
Pribadium!Two didn’t want to be resurrected after her last moments weren’t
recorded.”
“It will have to be,” Pribadium determines. “Now go. Take Sora with you.”
“No,” Sora says. “I stay with you. Don’t bother arguing, I’ve already linked
us.”
“How exactly did you do that?” Pribadium asks him skeptically.
“I was afraid that you would throw me out an airlock,” Sora explains. “I
connected us, so wherever I go, you go...within a certain range, of course.
I am guessing that another universe falls outside of that range. I’m glad I
did that now, just for different reasons.” He notices all the girls
smirking. “What? You can’t undo it, can you?”
“No, Sor,” Pribadium says. “You just solved it. You made me a deadman’s
switch.”
