Kiperina: Will I ever have the chance to return to Utrennyaya?
Hissabeth pushes the door open just in time to catch this scene. She lingers nearby, curious, watching the girl receive her answer.
Mr. Kozlov: We can talk about that in the future.
Mr. Kozlov: Of course, we will keep in touch. You and Voyager can pay us a visit whenever you like.
Mr. Kozlov: The girl's called Voyager, madam. She's clever, quiet, doesn't eat much. You-You will take her in too, won't you?
Pointer doesn't object. She runs a brief analysis and concludes that the company of a peer could help ease the pressures of Kiperina's training.
After listening carefully, Mr. Kozlov pats Kiperina's shoulder.
Mr. Kozlov: I always hoped you would settle down and live a comfortable life. Promise me, you'll do your best, Alia.
Kiperina: Yes, Mr. Kozlov.
Hissabeth: Oh, you've finally reached an agreement. Cool, looks like I won't have to do any more explaining.
Hissabeth: If you're saying goodbye soon, maybe you ought to consider bringing her a parting gift. She looks like she could use one.
Name Day: Yeah, something to remind her of home.
Name Day picks up the thread without missing a beat.
Windsong steps forward just in time, joining Kiperina's side, and Hissabeth trails off.
Windsong: Or maybe you can offer a few words of encouragement? What do you say?
Mr. Kozlov spies Kiperina rubbing the device in her hands with her pinky—the one Windsong had lent her earlier. He knows her well enough to understand the meaning: nervous.
He has no idea about the device's exact value, but he's certain it's not something you'd easily find in a circus.
Mr. Kozlov: Right, right, a gift. I-I'll need some time to prepare it.
Mr. Kozlov: Let's make a deal, shall we? You'll get your gift next time you pay a visit to the Utrennyaya.
Mr. Kozlov: That way, you'll keep us in mind and come home again one day. I was worried you might not want to travel such a long way for us.
Kiperina: I will, Mr. Kozlov. I'll find my way back to Utrennyaya even if you've moved to the other end of the world.
She struggles to lift the parcel Mr. Kozlov gave her. Name Day quickly steps in to assist her in placing it on the table.
"Time flies." The thought pops into Mr. Kozlov's head, but what he says out loud has nothing to do with it.
Mr. Kozlov: Hahaha, that's my girl.
Mr. Kozlov: Remember what I said? Do the best that you can and have no regrets.
Mr. Kozlov: Natalya and I don't have to worry about you, do we?
Kiperina: No.
Kiperina: I'll give my best performance here, like I always did with Utrennyaya.
Almost like she's trying to convince herself, she nods twice in a row and makes a solemn promise in her most serious tone.
A question rises up in her, just below the surface. How can she be sure? She chooses not to ask.
COMBAT
June 1987, Plesetsk Cosmodrome
Pointer: How do you feel? Intense nausea is common for the first few months of zero-g training.
Kiperina: pant I think I'm fine.
Kiperina: You're very kind to ask, ma'am.
Her first training session was rough and more than a little messy, causing her to throw up.
Pointer helped her to the infirmary. Once she could breathe again, she stammered out a request—just like the one she made today.
Kiperina: I'm ready for more.
Pointer: You're at this again? Hissabeth already checked your vitals and arcane skill test reports. Her conclusion was clear: You need to rest and recover before we begin again.
Pointer: If you push yourself too hard and become too sick to perform the mission, that won't help us either.
Kiperina: But I can do more. All I need is a bit more training. I need to perform flawlessly.
Pointer: We don't need "flawless," not at the cost of your health. We need "satisfies all requirements." Nothing more.
She adjusts her tone, searching her mind for something that might qualify as comfort or encouragement.
Pointer: You're already doing better than we anticipated.
She fears the words come out too flat, but Kiperina shakes her head sincerely.
Kiperina: Thank you. But I still haven't memorized the flight procedures, and I'm still struggling with my arcane skill.
Kiperina: Maybe I can ask Ms. Windsong to give me another ley lines lesson. That's not "pushing myself," is it?
Pointer: ...
Pointer: That's acceptable, but you will ensure you get a minimum of eight hours of sleep every day.
Pointer gives in. She too had once been hell-bent on proving herself.
Pointer: And promise me you'll eat well and never skip meals.
Kiperina: Yes, ma'am. Ms. Hissabeth said there would be a team-building dinner tonight. I'll attend it and train for another half an hour after we come back.
Pointer: No. That's not what I meant.
There are few tasks more difficult than instructing a child who is too mature for her own good.
Pointer: sigh Anyway, go change. We'll go together.
Of all the restaurants in Mirny, this one does the best business, thanks in no small part to Hissabeth.
With all those mouths to feed, food has always been a vital part of her lifestyle, one that she is only too eager to share with her team.
Plus, the tables here are big enough for everyone in their group to have a seat.
Hissabeth: We sat here when we first met, non?
Kiperina: I think so. This table seems a bit too small now.
Windsong: Well, there's strength in numbers.
Hissabeth: Yet everything now depends on our brave astronaut. How's your arcane skill training?
Kiperina: Not bad, I guess. Ms. Windsong is a wise teacher.
Windsong: Haha, I'm glad I've learned something from my experience with Vila. I hope you'll get to know her one day.
Hissabeth: You'll have plenty of time to make friends once you return from your mission.
Kiperina: Looking forward to it. But first I have to go back to the circus. I think Mr. Kozlov will have my gift prepared by then. I'm sure he will.
Kiperina: Though, he didn't come to see me and Voyager this week.
Name Day: He has a whole circus to run, and you're busy with training. It's hard to find a good time when you're both free.
Name Day: Perhaps he didn't want to make you homesick, but I'm sure he misses you a lot.
Name Day: Mirny isn't far from here. You should go back and visit sometime. No one will blame you if you take a break for a few hours.
Pointer: I am able to drive you to town, if you need.
Pointer: Just submit your schedule two days in advance. I will set some time aside for a short trip.
Kiperina: Thank you. But I think it'll have to wait until the project's over.
Kiperina: Mr. Kozlov said I would always be able to visit him in the future. Besides, he needs time to prepare the gift.
Not everyone is interested in the still distant future. Kiperina's friend, at least, is more focused on what's right in front of her.
She taps the edge of the small vessel, smiling at the crisp, metallic sound it makes.
Han Zhang: Err. Don't do that. The echo from that sound makes me dizzy.
Voyager: ...?
She pulls her hand back and watches until confirming the little creature is friendly.
Then she reaches out again, trying to figure out how to get along with it.
Kiperina: Voyager?
Kiperina: Don't get distracted. They've almost finished the food.
Name Day swaps the food around the table, pushing two still-full plates to the middle.
Cold scales press against Kiperina's wrist.
Snake I: Feel like a drink? Here, we've got some hot milk or warm apple cider. Pick one.
Dragging a cup behind it, the snake leaves splotches of spilled drink all across the table.
Kiperina: Milk will be fine. Thank you.
Kiperina passes another cup to Voyager. She mimics the others by lifting the cup, first in both hands and then just one.
Hissabeth: Let's have a toast, friends. To our new team, though no one knows for sure whether our project will succeed or is doomed to fail catastrophically.
Hissabeth: Together, we're working towards the future, cheers!
A friendly signal. A quiet promise of unity.
A turning point in any story or relationship, from a stranger to a colleague, and eventually—
Друг/Товарищ.
"Friend/Comrade."
All: Cheers!
Hissabeth: Having said that, the odds are in our favor. Even though Laplace is no longer in its prime, it still has the best technology and the finest scientists.
Windsong: The finest scientists? You mean us? I couldn't agree more. I've always believed that perseverance is the most basic fundamental quality that any researcher should possess.
Pointer: Perseverance ... There's only one thing that I think we should persevere with: our efforts to return to the future.
Name Day: Didn't know you Laplace researchers missed the good old days so much.
Pointer: Laugh if you want, but you can't deny that our era was better than this one.
Kiperina keens her ears in, trying to catch each word. The room is warm, and the conversation at their table easy and relaxed. The question she's been keeping down finally bubbles out of her mouth.
Kiperina: What was the future like?
Kiperina: I've read through the manual for temporary employees. The data we're going to collect may help people get back the things that they lost, right? From the futures that you've been to.
Kiperina: What's Leningrad like in 1999? Were there any circus shows in your era?
Kiperina: Does that mean everything was better than it is now? I have trouble imagining it. Were there sweets for everyone and stores that never ran out of food?
Windsong: ...
Windsong: Things were much better then, well, except for the study of ley lines. It was still struggling as a scientific pursuit, especially when it came to attracting new students. Though, even now its only student seems to lack much interest in it.
Kiperina: Th-That's not true! Sorry, I'm just having difficulty focusing on it with all the other demands on my time.
Name Day: It's okay. Ms. Windsong was only making a joke at the expense of her very overworked student.
Name Day: It's true things were nicer in the future. I do miss the sweets, and that the shops were never empty.
Every witness seems to offer her the same promise: it's worth it.
Life should move forward, not stay stuck in the past.
Kiperina: Amazing! I'm sure we'll make it back one day!
This time, she raises her cup first.