Ghostwriter

Ah. I did say that, yes.
Truthfully, it was revised due to having second thoughts on the matter.
The duo will have enough difficulties sorting our their lives in this universe, shuffling them off to a line of work revolving around building passages between them would be asking for trouble.

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SpoilerShow

But, I do have enough pull with the company to get them roles as resident breach surveyors.
All local work, easy way to get aquainted with the universe.
But they would still have to go through training like everyone else.
Have to learn how to seal universal breaches when detected, how to fight un-entities such as Mimeod's and their ilk, identifying universal travelers, re-orienting to foreign universes, so on and so forth.
If they pass, they get assigned a sector of space to patrol and monitor for the duration of their employment.
It's... Not a job with much upward potential.
Usually pretty boring too, which is good.
Means nothing is going wrong in that sector.

Course' they could fail training and have to find employment elsewhere.
Most of the skills don't have much use outside the field, but the course on re-orienting to new universes should help them find their footing here.

Oh, and I wouldn't be handling their case directly.
Not exactly qualified to provide training for the locals, not a local myself you see.
Further I've retired some time ago, though on good terms fortunately enough.
Even got to keep my employee transit pass, though these "Nickel" things seem a good deal safer than bouncing between universes.
Anyways someone with stronger personal ties to this universe, say another resident, would be assigned for their training.

Ah, that was it! Breach surveying. I have personally spent so long cooped up in this office that I sometimes forget the wonderful, dangerous, admirable art of traveling between existing planes. While nickels are well and entertaining in their own right, your job carries the weight of absolute uncertainty. We ought get a drink together sometime.

I believe Dime, at least, would do well in this environment. As a former officer of the law, but with a heart more suited for greater endeavors, putting him in with your sort of job might be the perfect fit. With the additional clause:

send dime to school. he's got the type of nebbish disposition well-suited to academia

He may work well as a field agent, but even better as somebody who researches to improve your line of work. I know you're not native to here, but as I am, it would be easier for us to meet up with Dime in tow somewhere mutually familiar-- are you allowed in space bars? If so, they're quite reputable this side of the Core, and Harbingers treat travelers like you well, I/O. Myself included. I can't tell you the number of times my livelihood has been at risk from mimeods, and though I suppose you're retired now, there's a not-impossible chance you've had some hand in my survival.

Oh, this has me excited. A perfect place for somebody like Dime, I think. I saw that glimmer in his eyes when I showed him how to write directly to his nickel. He has the taste for exploration and intrigue, deep in that ghostly soul.

Provided you're able to make such a trek, meet me at the Misty Mystery, Common-side of the Core on a bit of a back-beat space station-- Starnet ought have an easy way to find it. I'll bring Dime and myself in a cycle, once I'm finished with Yaffenhash and Belfry, then you can help get him acquainted with your old line of work.

SpoilerShow

...Wait a minute, Geneviève? Geneviève Mâché?
Hang on, uh, one minute...
Oh for, where did that card...Ahah!
Sorry about that. Hadn't heard that name in a good while, last time was some floating eye thirty, fourty universes back told me they had a message for em.
Asked me to hang onto it 'case I encountered em.
I told em it wasn't likely I would encounter this Geneviève person, but they just wouldn't take no for an answer.
Wouldn't be surprised if they pestered near every field scout they could get to listen to do this.
Anyways, it sounds like you have a better idea of where to send it, so...
Mind passing it along if you get the chance?

"Well wishes, CZ and the Z-gang."

Dunno what that's about, but the eye said Gene would know. 'Think there was this funny looking candle to go with it, though no idea where that went off to.

Oh, hum. I see. Well, as me and her are on (rather bitter) speaking terms, I'll happily pass the message on, with context. I can't say I fully recall what those acronyms are referring to... but I suppose she'd probably know, herself. Thanks in advance.

As for Yaffenhash, I'm inclined to agree.
Although they feel like their still missing something, I feel that should resolve itself with a bit of life experience outside the nickel.

Yes, that seems about right.

Postmortem (so to speak, as I don't want to make you sit through another interview): Yaffenhash seems very comfortable about this whole thing. She was built reasonable, and seems to have hardened up on sudden revelations after the discovery that her people were the 'antagonists', so to speak. By showing the nickel writer and its viewfinder, and being open for quite long enough, I got through to her. I made the decision that somewhere in Voʒarus Space would be fairly suitable for her-- it's familiar enough to me that I know a humble city on the bright side of a rotationally-locked planet that would suit her and her personality well.

My suspicion is that she will have the most drive to find Belfry and Dime spread throughout the universe-- and will be the least tied down. It was a pleasure to talk to her, though I can't help but wonder if she truly understood the way in which she had been taken from the nickel-- wholesale, separated, copied and not cut. But I suppose we'll see, in time.

Send Belfry to the state-of-the-art space station Mime Crypt Omicron, where she can integrate as a crew member.

again, i insist we send belfry on some sort of charity work where they can throw themselves utterly into helping others. a helper with doctors without borders in space or something

It seems this will be our last instance of combinatory inputs, friends. You have been of great assistance all this time, and now I think it's time to finish debriefing my most troubling ghost.

I sit beside the input aggregator rested on the table and explain where Belfry will be going. "It's a small station in Common Space," I say. "Many amenities. It acts half as a rest stop for weary travelers, as well as a hospital for millions of miles of space around it, and I think you would do well starting in that hospital. You're quite the helper of people, and this is a selfless way to begin."

"Why are you doing this?" she asks. Her hand trembles. The melanocarpet is fighting her, though I can feel her fury trying to break through. "Why are you doing this to me?"

Fists trembling. Scales exploding. Eyes filled. Form changing every few moments. "It doesn't have to be where you stay, obviously. It's just the starting platform for what I think is going to be a wonderful journey through the universe."

I offer an appendage forth for the last time, beginning to stand. It's from here that I will lead her to the teleporter to head off-- in whatever condition she's in, I think she will find some sanity in a place which is not so surreal as this room. It's from here th

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Notes from an AuthorShow

I want to give special thanks to all your suggestions thus far, everyone who's participated. This has been a romp of an adventure and a blast to write for, and everyone's gone above and beyond creating this thing together. Arcanuse, especially, you make my day every time you post. Love y'all to bits.

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It's not quite over.

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