[Open Log]

[lightbranded]

Who: Will and anyone
What: A long afternoon in the library
Where: The Library, Folklore Section
When: Afternoon of June 28

With little else to do today, Will had made his way to the library and happily settled himself in a chair with a stack of books to look through. After a few hours of reading he had drifted off to sleep, his last book still held in his lap.

Comments

[pompous_today]

Simon headed to the library that evening intending to clear his head. Meg had disappeared and come back within a short time span, Castiel was back... it was all crowding out his thoughts, and the fact that his second year in Paradisa was coming to a close was making him sharply miss home.

When he saw Will there, the boy having nodded off, he thought about approaching him, then hesitated, remembering their conversation the other day. Will had seemed upset by the prospect of abandoning Earth, and Simon couldn't comprehend how it had felt.

However, now was as good a time for them to talk as any- and perhaps reach a better understanding of one another. Simon loudly cleared his throat.

"Will?"

[lightbranded]

The boy's expression wrinkles slightly as he begins to wake up.

[pompous_today]

Simon takes a seat next to Will, looking apologetic.

"Sorry," he murmured. "I just wanted... well. I wanted to see how you were feeling."

[lightbranded]

Will rubs his eyes and yawns as he struggles back up in the chair.

"I'm well enough, I suppose. Why? Has something happened?"

[pompous_today]

"Not especially," Simon replied. "I was just... thinking about the conversation we had the other day, is all. About the kind of universe I come from."

[lightbranded]

The boy's expression becomes perfectly still and emotionless, almost as if he was deciding what his reaction to that should be.

"I remember."

[pompous_today]

Simon noticed that Will was stiffening up, so he said quickly,

"If you would rather not discuss it... just... it seemed to upset you, and that hasn't been sitting well with me."

[lightbranded]

"No, its fine. It is upsetting to think of. But it was only something I was thinking about."

[pompous_today]

Simon nodded.

"I assume you are from Earth, then? Most people here I have met are, and they cannot imagine a time where it might not be inhabited, either."

[lightbranded]

"Yes, from a place called Buckinghamshire."

[pompous_today]

"I would like to hear more about it... if you don't mind sharing," said Simon. "I don't know much about Earth and... well, I would like to know more. I can tell you about where I came from in return, if you would like."

[lightbranded]

Will shakes his head. "I don't mind sharing. I just didn't think anyone would care much for my stories."

Will pauses.

"Could you tell me more of what happened to the Earth in your world?"

[pompous_today]

"You would be surprised," Simon replied with a soft smile. "Earth is a place I have never known, but... well, I assume Paradisa is on Earth, and I find myself curious about it."

He took a breath.

"In the end... there were too few resources for too many people," he explained. "The population kept growing... and growing. There was not enough room, not enough food, not enough energy. So people had to leave for more fertile worlds. Technology had evolved enough to make planets habitable for humans, under certain circumstances... so then it became a matter of reaching those worlds via space travel."

[lightbranded]

Will shakes his head. "If it is, it is not the Earth I know. It does not feel the same."

He listens quietly to the explanation.

"Are there still people on the Earth? Your Earth?"

[pompous_today]

"Which is possible," Simon agreed. "As far as my Earth... I doubt it was possible to force everyone to evacuate, so some may have remained. After all, this did happen long before I was born, so the history books may have had a biased view. So it is possible some humans stayed."

[lightbranded]

"I see. I am glad to hear that, I think. It would seem a terribly sad thing to me that the earth should end up abandoned after everything."

[pompous_today]

Simon nodded agreement.

"And one never knows- perhaps in your universe, in your timeline, it never happens. I have met people in Paradisa before who say they are from the 2300s or later, yet still are from or even live on Earth. That is past the time it was left behind where I came from. So the future can be uncertain and happen differently."

[lightbranded]

"I can only hope. It is a terribly sad thing to think of."

Not least because Will knew there was a strong chance that he would still be walking the earth even that far in the future. He didn't like thinking too much about it.

[pompous_today]

"It is," Simon agreed. "When I think about it, it truly is. I have no attachment to Earth, but when I think about the idea of Osiris- that's my home planet- becoming lifeless... even if I do not live there any more, it is a sobering idea."

[lightbranded]

"The people in your time? Are they happy with their worlds?"

[pompous_today]

Simon nodded.

"Space travel is, of course, very common... but where you came from gives you a sense of place... of identity. Even though we're all still human, we still come from very different walks of life."

[lightbranded]

"And humans can be very complicated, even when they only come from one world. I imagine it must be even more complicated in your time."

[pompous_today]

Simon smiled.

"They are at that," he agreed. "All of the planets are osentibly under the control of one government, but their reach can only extend so far. And every planet seems to develop its own culture... its own habits... I met so many different kinds of people after I left home."

Granted, a lot of them had been criminals, Simon reminded himself.

[lightbranded]

"Really? What sorts of people?"

[pompous_today]

"My crew were all from varied backgrounds," Simon replied, deciding this was a safe topic. "One of them was a preacher, for example... he wanted to see the universe, as well. He was a very kind man and helped take care of my sister. My girlfriend is a mechanic... the best mechanic in the universe, some would say." He grinned. "I definitely would."

[lightbranded]

"They sound like an interesting group," Will said diplomatically. "Have ny of them ever been here?"

[pompous_today]

"That they are," Simon agreed- 'interesting' was not the half of it. "Kaylee- my girlfriend- was here for a time before I arrived. My sister has come and gone three times. Zoe- she was the first mate- and her husband were here briefly, and so was the captain. That is all, though."