The New World

by The Gitani Principessa

Today we take you to a world named Alternia. A world that is the base of operations for one of the most powerful empires in the universe. A world that is about to get turned on it's head. Twelve friends, some of nobility, some of peasantry, can choose to either live with their world as it is, or work together and change everything.

4. Chapter 4

-A/N:-

I know that Equius is missing his bow and arrow in the pesterlogs, but I can't get it to work with the system on here. If anyone has any ideas on how to help me out with that, please share them!

We now return you to your regularly scheduled chapter

Plans were being made. Yet more irons were in the fire that ever before, and the one behind it all was currently lounging in front of her computer, debating whether or not to send the post she had typed up. Everything else had all fallen into place. Now it all hinged on whether or not he would help her. Surely her neighbor would be agreeable, right? It's not like she hadn't asked him to build things before. The only problem was the scale of what she needed this time. She had a limited amount of time to get this done, and she had put this off until last minute. Not one of her best moves in the world. But she still had to try.

-arachnidsGrip [AG] started trolling centaursTesticle [CT]-

AG: Hey, Zahak.
AG: I need one last favor from you.
CT: I should have %pected something from you
AG: You really should have.
AG: 8ut that is 8eside the point.
AG: I need you to 8uild one last thing for me.
CT: What
AG: A ship.
CT: A ship
AG: Yes.
AG: You can manage that, can't you?
CT: I am not %actly sure I hoof the skill for that level of work
AG: Of course you do.
AG: You're the 8est mechanic I know.
CT: I'm the only mechanic you know
AG: Once again you are completely missing the point here.
AG: I need a ship, and you can 8uild one for me.
AG: I have to get off-world 8efore my wriggling day.
CT: I hoof never built a ship before and you %pect me to build one within that time frame
AG: While I realize that's a lot to do in what little time I have, I had hoped you could come through for me one last time.
AG: You're the only one I can ask.
CT: Since when do you ask
AG: Since this is that last thing I'm going to need from you.
AG: Ever.
CT: I find that hard to believe
AG: Well 8elieve it.
AG: I have to get out of here.
AG: I have plans.
AG: Plans that don't involve w8ing around for the Condesce to tell me what I should 8e doing with my life.
CT: I would have liked more warning
CT: But I will 100k and see what I can do
CT: I can promise nothing
AG: Thanks.
CT: Who are you and what have you done with Vriska
AG: I am Vriska.
AG: Just a rather desperate version of the usually calm and collected spidertroll you know and adore.
CT: I w001dn't say adore
CT: More like
CT: Tolerate
AG: I'll t8ke what I can get.
AG: Just hurry it up with my escape ship.
CT: As I said, I can promise abso100tely nothing
AG: If it flies long enough to get me off-world
AG: it will work for what I need.
CT: So, not airtight, then
AG: Of course airtight! )::::
AG: I thought you didn't make jokes, anyway.
CT: Who's joking
AG: Really?
AG: You're going to do that to me?
AG: After all I've done for you?
CT: Like what
AG: It's a figure of speech, though if you want a list.
AG: It starts with putting up with your constant deadpan and lack of any sort of sense of humor.
CT: You do that for me
CT: I always thought you did that to spite me
AG: Not everything I do is out of spite.
AG: Just most things.
CT: News to me
AG: siiiiiiiigh
AG: Just work on the damn ship, would ya?
CT: Hold on
CT: I want to know what else is on that list
CT: Assuming of course there is anything else
AG: There's plenty.
AG: But I'm not saying anything else on it right now.
AG: I have someone else to talk to.
CT: Okay
CT: Make up something to put on the list and get back to me
-centaursTesticle [CT] ceased trolling arachnidsGrip [AG]-

Had she not needed her computer for something, she probably would have thrown it across the room. She knew that conversation would end up with her in a foul mood, but she had no other option. Sighing softly, Vriska closed out of the chat window only to open another one. She had one more person to talk to today.

-arachnidsGrip [AG] started trolling carcinoGeneticist [CG]—

AG: Kaaaaaaaarkaaaaaaaat!
AG: I know you're there.
AG: Would you answer me already?
AG: I need to talk to you, dammit!
CG: WHAT DO YOU WANT, FUCKASS?
AG: How's the plan coming along?
AG: You know, the one that Terezi got in her head?
CG: GREAT, JUST FUCKING GREAT.
CG: HONESTLY, THERE'S NO WAY THIS COULD GO ANY BETTER EXCEPT FOR IF WE WERE ALL FUCKING SEA DWELLING, PURPLE BLOODED, ROYALTY.
CG: BUT NONE OF US ARE ERIDAN, SO WE'LL HAVE TO MAKE DO.
CG: FIVE FUCKING IMPERIAL PATROLS HAVE ALMOST CAUGHT US SO FAR.
CG: FIVE.
CG: FUCKING.
CG: IMPERIAL.
CG: AND WHEN I SAY IMPERIAL.
CG: I MEAN THEY'RE HER IMPERIOUS CONDESCENSION'S OWN PERSONAL NOOK SCRAPERS.
CG: PATROLS.
AG: Wow, Karkat.
AG: I didn't know you were so popular!
CG: FUCK OFF.
AG: Hey now. I'm here on serious 8usiness.
AG: I thought you might like to hear what I have to offer.
CG: WHAT THE HELL KIND OF OFFER WOULD YOU HAVE FOR ME?
CG: EVERY OFFER YOU MAKE IS LOADED WITH FINE PRINT AND LOOPHOLES AND LITERAL WORDING, ALL IN YOUR FAVOR.
CG: WHAT IN THE TAINTCHAFING FUCK WOULD I WANT FROM YOU?
AG: Information.
CG: WHAT INFORMATION.
AG: Future places you could hide,
AG: Trolls who would 8ack you.
AG: That kind of thing.
AG: Interested?
CG: THAT DEPENDS, WHAT'S THE CATCH?
AG: There isn't one.
AG: I'm doing this out of the goodness of my heart.
AG: 8ecause if you get caught
AG: So does Tavros.
CG: SINCE WHEN DID YOU CARE ABOUT TAVROS?
AG: He's one of your closest disciples and you didn't know?
AG: You really don't keep up with things, do you.
CG: HOLD THE FUCK UP.
CG: OKAY, I JUST ASKED TAVROS WHAT THE HELL YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
CG: HE SAID HE'S NOT ENTIRELY SURE.
CG: LET ME GUESS.
CG: YOU DECIDED SOMETHING FOR HIM.
AG: Not entirely.
CG: YOU DECIDED SOMETHING FOR HIM.
AG: Don't you read?
AG: I said not entirely.
CG: MEANS YOU GUILT TRIPPED HIM OR SOMETHING STUPID LIKE THAT.
AG: I did nothing of the sort.
AG: He's the one who wanted to forgive me.
CG: IT DOESN'T COUNT WHEN HE WANTS TO FORGIVE SOMEONE BECAUSE HE NEVER HOLDS A GRUDGE.
AG: Look.
AG: Karkat.
AG: I'm going to level with you.
AG: I've done some shitty things to people I cared for.
AG: Tav was the most extreme case of this.
AG: He forgave me and told me that he understood why I did it.
AG: Think a8out how that must have felt to me.
AG: This is my chance to do something right 8y him.
CG: OKAY, FINE, WHATEVER.
CG: I'M GOING TO LET YOU KNOW NOW THAT I DON'T ENTIRELY TRUST YOU.
CG: BUT YOU NEVER VOLUNTEER INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY NOT LIKE THIS.
CG: SO IF YOU THINK YOU WANT TO, GO AHEAD.
CG: JUST KNOW THAT I WILL BE WATCHING YOU.
CG: LIKE A FUCKING WINGBEAST.
AG: I know.
AG: I'll be leaving Alternia just as soon as Equius finishes my ship.
AG: I'll keep an eye open for places that support your rants.
CG: FINE.
CG: GOODBYE.
-carcinoGeneticist [CG] has ceased trolling arachnidsGrip [AG]-

Closing the chatbox again, she leaned back in her chair. All she could do now was wait. Closing her eyes, she did her best to relax, though she quickly found that her mind wasn't about to allow that. Gritting her teeth, she rose to her feet, kicking a few stray shards of broken 8-balls out of her way as she headed outside. Maybe she'd go mess with Eridan. That usually quieted her mind for a little while.

Getting on her boat, she made for his hive. She knew the way backwards and blindfolded by now, so it didn't take her all that long. What she found there was something she didn't expect. Everything was gone. It looked like he hadn't set foot in his own hive in a long time. Everything of any decent value was missing. What was he planning? What was going on? Flopping down on the floor, she pulled her laptop out of her sylladex and pulled up Trollian again.

-arachnidsGrip [AG] started trolling caligulasAquarium [CA]-

AG: Oi, Ampora.
AG: Where are you, you glubbin' asshole?
AG: I'm sitting here in the middle of your hive and there is like, nothing here.
AG: What am I missing here?
AG: Don't tell me you lost your dam computer too.
AG: You did, didn't you.
AG: You're a glubbin' moron.
AG: I'm even using your irritating as fuck fish puns and I'm not getting a response.
AG: You must not have anyfin to talk to me with anymore.
CA: ugh wwhat the glub do you wwant
AG: There you are.
AG: I wanted to know where the hell you are.
AG: Your hive's been ransacked or some shit.
AG: Unless you moved underwater finally.
CA: yes I knoww that
CA: and no I didn't movve underwwater
AG: Then what the hell have I missed?
CA: nofin important
AG: Tell me what the fuck I'm not getting here.
AG: It looks like you haven't been here in forever.
CA: i wwas there just yesterday wwhat are you talkin aboat
AG: Everything's all covered in dust except for a few patches on the floor.
AG: It's kind of eeeeeeeerie, I don't know how you could ever stand it in here.
CA: it had a bit more stuff in it yesterday
AG: So you ARE moving out.
AG: It's the only logical conclusion I can draw.
AG: Unless you're planning on going through with that stupid plan of yours.
CA: wwhat stupid plan
AG: Going to deny that you're planning something a8solutely insane to keep your precious m8sprit alive?
AG: I mean come on. Anyone with half a working think pan could guess that much.
CA: she's not my matesprit
AG: Fine. Your would-8e m8sprit, then.
AG: The point remains you're not a8out to let her 8ecome fishfood at the point of the Condesce's trident.
CA: vvris wwhy are you evven buggin me
AG: 8ecause this might 8e the last time I can actually come into direct conflict with you for a while.
AG: I wanted to piss you off one last time.
AG: 8ut that's a 8it hard to do when your hive looks like a ghostship.
CA: my hivve is a ghostship
AG: You get what I mean, moron.
CA: obvviously not spiderwwhore
AG: Okay, asshole.
AG: Where are you?
AG: I have a gift for you.
AG: And it really can't w8.
CA: wwhat the fuck is it
AG: A br8ken n8se.
CA: not interested
AG: Oh, 8ut I insist.
CA: wwhat did i just tell you wwoman
AG: Oh I'm sorry.
AG: I don't speak douchebag h8pst8r.
AG: You'll h8ve to repeat yours8lf.
CA: look i havve more important things to be wworryin aboat right now
CA: ill havve to get back to you later
-caligulasAquarium [CA] ceased trolling arachnidsGrip [AG]-

He left her fuming at her screen, as usual. Damn, she hated him. For a few minutes, she debated sticking around his hive and waiting for him to come back, but she had a feeling that he wouldn't be back. Not for a long while. Gritting her teeth, she closed her laptop, re-captchaloguing it. She may as well go back to her own hive and try to find another iron in the fire to mess with.

It wasn't until a few nights before her wriggling day that she heard from anyone again.

-centaursTesticle [CT] began trolling arachnidsGrip [AG]-

CT: I have the hull ready
CT: And as a side note
CT: The ship is, in fact, seaworthy
AG: Seaworthy?
CT: I had to test whether it was sufficiently airtight somehow
CT: I hooked a rudimentary engine to it and managed to pilot it underwater
AG: Sweet.
AG: I take it I need to supply an engine for the thing?
AG: Or did you manage to work a miracle?
CT: I lack the materials I would need to create a spaceworthy engine
AG: That's fine. I have something I can rig together to get me off-world.
AG: It'll get me to the moon.
AG: There I'll have more time to work on it.
CT: Very well
AG: You gonna 8ring it to me, or do I have to 8ring the engine to you?
CT: Bring it here
AG: Right.
AG: 8e there shortly.

-arachnidsGrip [AG] ceased trolling centaursTesticle [CT]-

Moving as quickly as she could, she brought the engine to Equius, who managed to tweak it some before they installed it in the ship. She even managed a thank you or two, making Equius doubt she was who she said she was. With a swift goodbye, she made one last post on Trollian before closing it down and heading for the moon.

-arachnidsGrip [AG] started trolling adiosToreador -

AG: Hey, Tav.
AG: I know you pro8a8ly won't read this in time.
AG: I just want to say thank you.
AG: I might not get to see you again for a really long time.
AG: So I figured I may as well say it now, while I still have the chance.
AG: You said so yourself that I cared for you, 8ut it was never something I voice on my own.
AG: So I'm saying it now.
AG: I've been flushed for you for a long time, Tav.
AG: And I know that you will pro8a8ly never return those feelings.
AG: 8ut that's okay.
AG: good8ye, Tavros.

-arachnidsGrip [AG] ceased trolling adiosToreador -

Closing her laptop for the final time on Alternia, she took a steadying breath. It wouldn't be until after the Condesce's death that she would check in with Karkat again, and see the messages left for her by Tavros just after she had signed out.

-adiosToreador started trolling arachnidsGrip [AG]-

AT: wAIT, vRISKA,
AT: uHHH, aRE YOU STILL THERE?
AT: vRISKA?
AT: hELLO?
AT: uHHH,
AT: hELLO?
AT: sHIT,
AT: wHY DID I HAVE TO GO AND OPEN MY BIG MOUTH,
-adiosToreador ceased trolling arachnidsGrip [AG]-