Stories

“How can you not care about this, it's ourdaughter's greatest life event, don't tell me not to be worried!"Lily paced, tense."Everything is going to be fine, why are youso agitated? All the preparations are well on their way, and evenif they weren't, it's not like we can't change them if need be.Stop fretting, you're upsetting Lelia," Humon made an attempt topacify her, but he knew his wife too well to get his hopes up. Shekept pacing, nervously, so he sat back in the chair and waited forthe emotional maelstrom to subside."Ael's dress is not finished. The heat makesthe lilac scent too strong, sister Abigail already complained aboutit. Like I haven't enough to worry about with people being tooclose to the Fusion Cloud!" She continued pacing, then rememberedher quiet companion was sitting at her desk and turned all herintensity towards him. "How about you? Are your tasks finished? Didyou talk to Lelia? I wish I could do it myself, but I don't havethe knowledge," she let out in one breath.

“Have you finished writing your letter,dear?" sister Therese showed up on Roberta's doorstep, at the endof a long door to door pilgrimage during which none of the sisterswere forgotten.Therese already had a stack of letters inher hand, which proved her dedication to encouraging the others tocomplete their writing. Sister Novis had whispered to Robertathrough the interlink that Therese sat her down and didn't leaveher house until the letter was completed, proofed and signed.”

“The approved list for the flowerarrangements reads as follows: lilacs, French lavender, and waterlilies," Lily announced, excited."Aren't we lucky Sys can make this stuff upat the last minute? Who asks for lilacs in an equatorial climate?"sister Novis mumbled, slightly annoyed."They fit into the lavender theme," Lilytried to explain."Yes, I got that from the draping, the lightshow and the purple bunnies sister Joseph is breeding," sisterNovis acknowledged, completely unimpressed."Kittens, they are kittens!" Lilysnapped."Whatever," sister Novis said. "When we'redone spinning lilacs out of thin air, where do you want them?”

“Where are the feeding schedules for the dragons?" sister Josephboomed through the interlink."I thought you were going to draw them up, you said you didn't trust us to do them properly," sister Felix defended herself."What do we need you for, then, if I have to do everything myself?" sister Joseph said."Sister, please tone it down," Seth intervened."At least I can do my job!" sister Joseph snapped back."Since when is putting together the feeding schedule for the dragons my job?" sister Felix protested at the unreasonable expectation."Since you've been assigned to the logistics team," sister Joseph replied.”

“What are you doing?" Seth asked Sarah,startling her."Recording the atmospheric readings," theredhead replied, without turning her head."Really?" Seth asked, and Sarah could feelthe smile that came with the question, without seeing it."Why is this surprising? You know I alwaysrecord the atmospheric readings at this time of day?" Sarah asked,finally turning around."I don't know, I thought you'd havedelegated this to one of your students by now. Besides, nobody hada moment's peace since the preparations for the blessed eventstarted, I'm just so relieved to see someone live a normal life fora change," Seth replied."Define normal life, what's normal aboutbeing here? We move time-space slices across the universe!”

“What are you doing?" Seth asked, staring indisbelief at sister Felix, who apparently spent several hourstrying to put together a puzzle of sorts from left over pieces ofgauze featuring every shade of purple, from lavender to violet. "IfI didn't know any better, I'd swear you were putting together aquilt!""I am," sister Felix replied, concentratingon the floral pattern she was working on. It featured several mixedposies of sweet violets and irises, with lilac blossoms scatteredin the spaces between them.”

“Sister Therese,can we count on you to perform at the joyous celebration? The wispsseem to be fascinated with music, especially vocal music. I oftenwonder if this isn’t the only reason theyagreed to communicate with us. That and theimmortals’ nagging, those Purple chatterboxes can talk you to death when they want something,” Lily asked,skipping the introductory chit-chat.“I was planning on it, of course.Do you have anything specific in mind?” Thereseanswered.“Purple wrote a story for Lelia.Can you take a look at it?” Lily handed the sister the score,without waiting for agreement.”

“Where are we going to host the science symposium? It has come to my attention that the wisps expect to spend some of their time here discussing multiverse physics with Purple."
Sarah lifted her head from her research to find herself face to face with Roberta. She didn't hear her come in, but that wasn't an unusual occurrence: her private office, the spacious one with its own VR room, covered lanai and garden was anything but. Sarah had long abandoned the expectation that if somebody wanted to stop by, use the equipment or borrow something, they would bother to ask her.
"I assume that any number of conference rooms in this impressive building will prove adequate," she replied.”

“Sister, did you finish the table placementcards?" sister Jesse asked sister Benedict."I thought you said you needed themWednesday," sister Benedict replied."Today is Wednesday.""Today is Monday.""I'm pretty sure it's Wednesday."Sister Benedict looked at her calendar. Itsaid Monday. Sister Jesse looked at hers. It said Wednesday."One of us must be losing her mind," sisterBenedict mumbled."And it surely isn't me," sister Jessereplied.”

“Sister Novis," Lelia whispered, so softlythat Novis, who had just returned from a rock climbing expeditionand was struggling to put away her gear on a high shelf, almostdidn't hear her."Oh, sweetie, I didn't expect to see youhere, I thought your mother kept you busy with the preparations forthe ceremony, your input is very important, you know!" the sistersaid, cheerfully."Not as much as you think. Bondingceremonies are very prescriptive, other than the actual cloudsinvolved, there isn't much that can be changed," Lelia replied.”