A Little Knowledge [2430-1-4 Thur 2:00 pm]

[Titus Vere]

Terra Main University was a gorgeous place. It was also one of the stranger places, built by a legion of architects who had created a Terran wonder where art met practicality. Nestled high among Terra's glass and silver skyscrapers, the University was made of bricks and mortar. The old buildings had been rescued from the Below three hundred years ago, brought up brick by brick and rebuilt on a large circular platform built upon the backs of thousands of smaller, studier buildings. The insides had been gutted, changed around to fit better technology, more seats, windows made of something more resilient than glass, but the old looks were still there. Newer buildings were among them, of course, the latest in modern designs or throwbacks to old styles.

Fake grass covered the ground. Almost no one could have told you the difference between the two, except for those alien visitors who actually knew that real grass never felt quite so soft, and was always a little damp and a little dirty. Students were scattered around the grounds, some reading books, other playing games while they killed time between classes, a few even attempting to sunbathe despite the season. The campus was busy, but not overly crowded. The space of the University kept people close to their own buildings. If they had to get between buildings quickly, they took the constantly running trains that circled between the major buildings.

At the moment, they were in the Alien Studies section, having just come from listening to a Faun give a lecture. He had encouraged everyone to come up and sit with him on stage as he talked about his planet, and anything that took his mind. Titus had stayed back, keeping to his seat and watching from a more comfortable distance. He hadn't been the only one, but there had been enough who had come closer to the Faun where they could talk and touch and hear him better. Skye had seemed to enjoy herself, and Titus was glad, particularly after her nasty run-in with Digeo.

They strolled along, in no hurry to go anywhere else. There were other buildings to look at if Skye wanted, or she could simply relax here. Titus would indulge her if she wished to linger. He had no appointments today, and he was in a good mood. Last night, he had snuck out while she slept and made his way to the Below, snuffing out the life of another middle-aged man and indulging his more gruesome nature. As with every murder he commuted for pleasure instead of work, he was at his most relaxed and felt quiet content with himself.

[Skye Thompson]

Since coming to the Top, Skye had grown used to things always being bigger than she though they would, so the size of Terran Main University didn’t surprise her much. It was what filled up all the space that interested her. This seemed to be the place to go if one wanted to learn things without sitting in front of a view screen all day. The latter activity was something Skye had lately been doing often. It felt strange to learn from a computer, but Titus and Persephone were busy, and Skye doubted anyone at the TU wanted to waste their time teaching her to read. At least she already knew basic math, which had been a necessity once she was put in charge of the family’s money matters.

Now that her father was running things, there were probably tax collectors camped outside their home, waiting for Jack Thompson to pay them money he didn’t know he owed. But the moment her thoughts went to her father, Skye jerked them back, physically shaking her head as she fought down the feeling of automatic panic that had recently taken hold of her. She had always been afraid of him, and had never quite believed she was out of his reach even after she made it to the Top, but over the past few weeks that feeling had intensified even more. She now felt as though her father was stalking her every step, waiting to spring from the shadows and take her for his own once more.

Perhaps this had something to do with meeting Digeo, maybe it didn’t, but he had already appeared in several of her more recent dreams. These dreams started off with the same thing that had truly happened. She was alone. It was dark. Digeo came. She was caught once more in an intricate web, pinned in place by Digeo’s intense stare. But slowly those eyes lost their purpose and indeed their sanity. They became the wild, crazy eyes of her father, who shouted at her, his voice growing louder and louder, until she woke up shaking. Then she would scan the darkness anxiously for those burning eyes, her breath coming in gasps. Sometimes she would leave her bed and creep down the hall to Titus’ room, to make sure he was still there, that she was still safe.

[Titus Vere]

There was a girl sitting near one building, playing a mandolin. You could tell she wasn't a busker from the lack of suitcase in front of her, and from the lack of campus police hauling her away. She must have been a music student, either practising or simply sharing her gift. The girl was not the best he'd seen, but she was still very good.

As they passed, Titus figured out the tune and hummed a little of his under his breath. He wondered if they had any concerts happening on campus in the near future. Titus would love to see one, and perhaps Skye would as well. Though, first he would have to see if she'd enjoyed today's outing.

"What do you think?" He asked her, stopping beneath a false tree, the plastic leaves overhead stirring convincingly in the light breeze. People passed by, taking no note of the stopped pair. "Was the University interesting?"

[Skye Thompson]

“Oh yes!” Skye smiled, rather thankful to be brought back into the present. “It was wonderful!” Her enthusiasm was so blatant that it almost sounded forced, but for the moment she was being completely honest. Her thoughts went back to the lecture they’d just come from. At first, she had stood back with Titus, but once more people started to move toward the Faun, Skye had crept forward curiously to join the group of people clustered around him. He had talked about many things, things that fascinated her, though admittedly most things fascinated her these days. Everything was so new, even after she’d spent a few weeks in the Top.

Antheia sounded like a wonderful place. Perhaps when she was older she could go there, after she went to Nox and found out what had happened to Adrian of course. Though that was starting to feel like something of an impossible task the more she thought about it. It was also starting to frighten her increasingly the more she learned about Nox. Just the previous night she’d dreamed of her father morphing into a gigantic lion and devouring Adrian, Titus, and Persephone. Her dreams were starting to disturb her sleep with much greater severity. Not only was she afraid to fall asleep because she feared them so, but the dreams often woke her multiple times during the night.

She hadn’t told Titus about this. There was still the fear that he would assume her insane and send her away, back to the place of her nightmares. Beautiful music caught her attention, and she looked up to see a girl playing an unfamiliar instrument. She closed her eyes for a moment, just listening, then opened them again. “It’s beautiful.” She said half to Titus and half to herself. “What instrument is she playing?”

[Titus Vere]

So she had enjoyed it. Titus made a mental note to look into more lectures for Skye. If she was willing to learn, and she seemed more than willing, it would be good to get her some skills. She appeared to know math, though reading was beyond her as it was with most Below dwellers. Titus did not know how long Skye would be with him, or if he would suddenly get bored of her one day, but for now he liked her and he wanted to make sure she got the skills she needed to survive when the day came that she wasn't at Titus' side anymore.

Skye noticed the girl playing. "It's a mandolin. And it appears to be made of real wood." He told her, taking another look at the musician. The girl was lost in her own world, oblivious to those passing by. Titus had never managed to accomplish that. He was an excellent piano player, but at the same time, not a very good one. He could play without any flaws, but he could never seem to put the right emotion into it, and the music always felt flat to anyone with an ear for talent. The only place he managed to muster any passion, any real emotion, was with a knife in his hand.

[Skye Thompson]

“Man-dol-in.” Skye pronounced the word slowly, filing it away in her brain to ask the wallscreen about later. As she was doing this, hoping she would remember, it took a moment for Titus’ full statement to sink in. Her eyes grew round as she gazed at the small instrument. “Wood?” That made it nearly priceless. Yet the thing looked so small in the girls hands, so innocent, so ordinary and fragile. It didn’t look like something Lower’s would fight to the death for a splinter of. But if it truly was made of wood, then that was what it was. Why weren’t people attacking the girl, wrenching the instrument from her delicate hands?

But Skye shook her head, reminding herself once again of something she’d had to remind herself of a lot lately. This was the Top. Things were just different here. Her eyes traveled up from the girl’s hands to her face. It was a pretty face, as faces went, dark-skinned, framed by a curtain of raven-black hair. Her green eyes were bright, and should have stood out vividly, but somehow they blended right into the rest of her features. Her expression told Skye that she was lost, lost far away in some beautiful world the music took her to. She was lost, but not afraid. She even seemed to be enjoying it. It reminded Skye of the way she felt when she was drawing. Nothing existed in the world but her and the pen. She closed her eyes and absorbed a few more notes. Where had the woman learned to play so beautifully. Here? At the University? What other things did they teach? Could they teach her to draw better? “Titus? Do they teach art here? And music?”

[Titus Vere]

Titus chuckled a little at Skye's shock. He knew what she was thinking. Of course, no one would dare attempt to steal an instrument, not here on the campus. There were cameras everywhere, and the penalty for mangling an authentic instrument was far beyond that of regular thieving. You could say goodbye to your future, and the futures of your entire family if word got to the right people. "If someone were to try steal that, well... no one sane would dare put a hand on it."

Did they teach art? He didn't laugh this time, knowing that the first would be accepted but this one could bring some soreness. "Yes. I was enrolled here in the music program, for a while. And Persephone did her art degree here as well. This University has the best arts programs on the planet." He paused, looking at Skye carefully, "Are you interested in enrolling?"

[Skye Thompson]

Skye felt her face flush. She was still getting used to the fact that her mind was pretty much an open book to Titus. She shuffled her feet, staring at the ground. What could she say? Would Titus think she was stupid to want to go here? After all, what did one of the greatest schools on the planet have to teach a girl who couldn’t read? In actuality at lot, but it would require extreme patience and devotion of time, which she doubted any professor would willingly give her.

But the honest answer to Titus’ question was yes. In fact she was very interested. This was the place where one went to learn things. And Skye wanted to learn everything. She wanted to know all the knowledge in the whole world. But of course, she had to start small. After spending her entire life cowering, not moving at all, Skye had taken one gigantic leap in leaving home, and another in asking Titus to take her home with him. Those two steps had changed Skye’s world so drastically that she was once again afraid to move. “Maybe someday. But not now. I don’t think it would be a good idea.

[Titus Vere]

He waited patiently for Skye's response, and was glad to see that she'd already reasoned out why she couldn't attend immediately. But it wouldn't be so hard to catch her up. A few of the best private tutors could bring her up to speed. She was bright, and she was willing to learn.

But... there was the other issue. Titus wasn't a model of mental heath and, as such, had an easier time recognizing those who were on less than stable footing. Skye seemed to have having some troubles, though Titus wasn't exactly sure how serious they were. There had been a few panic attacks over the past week. And she didn't seem to be sleeping through the night. He'd woken up a few times when she'd pushed open the door on his room. Skye never came in. Like a child, she just wanted to make sure he was still there and hadn't disappeared while her eyes had been closed. Titus could hardly blame her. He vaguely remembered doing the same as a child, though that had stopped rather suddenly.

"When you feel ready, we'll look into tutors." He told her. "The University will accept almost anyone if they're willing to learn, and if you can pay of course."

[Skye Thompson]

Watching Titus think, Skye found herself wishing she could read his thoughts as easily as he seemed to know hers. When he finally spoke however, his words gave her hope. She could come here someday. When she was ready. And when she could pay. How would she ever do that? Titus supported her, but Skye had no money of her own. Not a cent. The only way she’d ever get money was if she went back to being a pickpocket in the Below. And she wasn’t going back. Ever. She didn’t even want to think about the Below ever again. She hated it, that place. The place where he lived. That foul, slimy, slippery monster who called himself her father. No! cried a panicked voice inside her head, Don’t think of him! Please!

But this time Skye couldn’t redirect her thoughts fast enough, and the memories came flooding back. No! This was how it always started. No! The memories were choking her, drowning her, pulling her down. No. She didn’t want this. No. No. Skye clapped her hands over her ears as if external voices were forcing the memories on her. She shook her head slowly, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. “Stop it!” She murmured pleadingly, “Stop. Please stop!” She would have shouted, screamed, but Skye was still vaguely aware of where she was. She couldn’t go to pieces. Not here, not now.

[Titus Vere]

It happened again, so fast that Titus wasn't even certain what triggered it. One moment, she seemed fine, and the next Skye's face was wracked with agony, and she was holding her hands tight over her ears, as if she could block out the voice only she could hear.

Titus moved quickly, before anyone could notice them. He put his arm around her shoulder and guided her inside the nearest building, giving her no time to react or resist. The hall was empty and there were no signs of life, except for the distant sound of someone playing the piano. The washroom was equally empty and Titus ushered her inside, locking the door behind them.

Either she would snap out of it, or she would have a breakdown, but at least it would be a private breakdown. Titus drew back, waiting to see which it was. His hands were at the ready. If she grew too loud, he would simply quiet her back down and figure out a way to get the unconscious girl home.

[Skye Thompson]

Before she quite knew what was happening, Skye felt Titus put his arm around her and steer her forward. Her feet moved of there own accord, taking her to wherever Titus directed. But though her eyes were opened, Skye couldn’t quite see where she was going. The world was spinning. She felt her feet moving, but the ground didn’t seem quite solid underneath them. Images flashed before her eyes, of her father’s malignant glare, his hands reaching toward her… She felt dizzy and disoriented, as if she were falling. Titus’ hand on her shoulder was the only thing that seemed solid, grounded, almost like an anchor.

Skye focused on that, trying to force all the other thoughts away from her. But of course, it wasn’t that easy. The memories were relentless, attacking her again and again until she would have split open her skull if only to free herself from their tormenting. “Stop!” She moaned, vaguely aware that she had stopped moving. “Stop it! Stop! Leave me alone!” And finally, slowly, the world started coming back into focus. She was in a plain, nondescript room, and Titus was standing next to her. Skye looked at him, and at that moment, her emotions caught up with her.

She burst into tears. Skye covered her face with her hands and sobbed, more from fear than anything else. No matter what Persephone or Titus said, it was always her fear that if she kept having these strange… episodes, Titus would eventually decide that she was crazy and send her back to the Below. She looked up at him through her fingers, her face pleading, though she didn’t know it. “I’m sorry.” She murmured. I’m sorry, I just, I don’t know I… I…”

[Titus Vere]

The fit passed, the uncontrollable terror sliding away and giving way to a more open sort of sorrow. Titus enjoyed fear and terror, but Skye's darker emotions made him feel... uneasy. It reminded him too much of himself at eight, the nightmares and the muffled screams, that certain unrelenting terror that he would wake to a knife buried in his belly.

Those days had passed. Titus no longer woke screaming from nightmares. Assassination was still a potential threat, but it was different now. Titus could protect himself. And he knew who would be standing there in the dark. Somehow, that made all the difference in the world.

He watched Skye cry, not certain what he should do. After a moment, he drew her into a hug, rubbing a hand on her back the way Persephone often did. "It's fine." He told her softly, "You'll learn to control it in time."

[Skye Thompson]

Terror was fleeting. There was only so long it could last before it gave way to other, more complicated emotions. Fear was different. It could go on and on, sucking at you from the inside until you became nothing more than a shriveled shadow of a person. Skye felt that she was shrinking this way. Or perhaps she was falling instead, sinking down and down into the darkness. No matter which way she tried to picture the events that might lead to her future, they seemed to lead to nothing but darkness and silence.

Then Titus reached forward and drew her close. For a moment Skye was so shocked that she stopped crying, but the tears soon caught up with her again. She had learned on her first night in the Top that Titus wasn’t big on physical contact. So why was he doing this now? But then, it didn’t really matter. What was more important was what he wasn’t doing. He wasn’t yelling at her, he wasn’t telling her to go away, sending her back where she’d come from. He was rubbing her back like Persephone did to comfort her, and speaking to her softly. The words did give her a strange sort of hope. She wouldn’t spend her whole life like this. It would get better. “But what is it?” It took Skye a few moments to realize she’d spoken the words out loud.

[Titus Vere]

Skye's question was unanswerable. Titus had studied a bit of psychology, and while he could tell her the name for the fear, it wouldn't be an answer. "Old fear. You kept it hidden when you couldn't risk showing it. And now it's coming out."

Titus reached into his jacket pocket and handed Skye his handkerchief. It had rarely been used for it's original purpose, mostly used to clean fingerprints or prevent them from happening at all. "Dab your eyes." He told her, "Don't rub, or they'll turn red."