#92

“I swear to God if you do not release me this second, I will fucking kill you.”

“I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW THE FUCK WE ENDED UP LIKE THIS.”

Mark slackened his grip and You walked away from him. Jacob was shocked, but not by anything but the sudden appearance of You. He didn't ask any questions then, as the urgency of drifting in space in the ruins of one's homeworld is all-consuming, logically speaking. Even more urgent was the fact that he could feel how unstable this shaft is, and how it would collapse soon if he didn't move fast.

“The portal isn't working, You,” he said instantly.

You turned and looked at Jacob. “It isn't? But then how are we going to get you guys off?” (Quietly, Mark slapped his forehead at that last sentence.)

There was a flash of light then as You was automatically replaced by Susie. She smiled, then, having told Doctor Kai that they were alright, and capable of being rescued. In return, he had given her the die, which she now passed to Jacob.

“Here,” she said.

“What is this?” he began to ask, until he realized at once what it was. He'd used these tons of times; only differences were that this one lacked visible numbers on it, and that it was weighted. “What's this going to do? Are we going to break out a bunch of character sheets or something?”

“He—Doctor Kai, that is—told me that you need to roll it, and let it come up how it will. He said he need...your brother.”

Jacob ducked back in an overtly exaggerated but wholly rational and actually sort of sad manner.

“But...”

“He knows.”

Jacob knew that he knew. He didn't like the fact that he knew it, and he certainly didn't like the whole proposal. But Doctor Kai typically seemed to know what he was doing, in the right personalities, and as such he had to just have faith.

His mind spun with the die through the air, as he was bound to it and traveled with its energies to another place.

Even more confused was the short-haired bespectacled redshirt who took Jacob's place the next second.

Amos turned and looked at Mark. “...what?”