The tension in the air after Dabbler's question was palpable. While the travelers who hailed from the Outside were pledged to do far more for the Antipodes than merely escape it, escape was still a huge item on the agenda. And if there was a simple way, if a way through the Barrier truly did exist....
"There was a way through the Barrier," Apollonia corrected with emphasis. "There are indeed portals through it here in the East Wing, which formerly could be opened at need, though only Cyd had the authorization to open them. In truth, it is still possible to get through them -- from the Outside. Even today we get the odd traveler or two from the Outside ring who's taken a wrong turn. But there's no going back again."
"How come?" asked JigSaw.
"Because the portal controls are locked on 'admit only.' They're in Super-held territory, you see, but only Cyd knows the codes to unfreeze them. So the Supers can't change the settings because they lack the codes, while the Keeper can't because she lacks physical access to the controls."
"How was the Barrier moved, then -- if no one could work the controls?" Sindy enquired.
"It wasn't moved per se, as I understand it," Apollonia said, "but rather pulled further back from each end of the Antipodes, allowing the Quarter to encroach further into the East Wing."
Sindy sighed. "Whatever. I still don't see how you could do it."
The travelers' guide laughed. "We couldn't," she conceded. "But those who made this place haven't the same limitations. It was all the fault of Gina Diver, really, the one whose resort this used to be. She and Cyd were great pals in the old days, but she didn't take kindly to having her prize hotel become a refugee camp, much less a staging area for a war -- Cyd wanted to counterattack against the Supers, you see. So Gina appealed to the Powers That Be. Unfortunately for her, the Powers, in the person of Deja Voodoo, weren't sympathetic. Deja Voodoo is the one who moved the Barrier, which gave us the Resort and forced poor Gina to make do with what remained of the Outside portion of the East Wing." Apollonia shook her head ruefully. "Too bad for her, but since she was trying to get us booted out it's hard for me to sympathize with her."
"But why did she have to suffer at all?" Sindy asked. "Why didn't Deja Voodoo just give you your original digs back and send the Supers packing?"
"Author politics, apparently. The Antipodes Quarter was created in part to put certain basic AddVenture functions out of the reach of Authors in general, and the Four are barred from direct intervention in its affairs unless they all agree it's necessary. I guess they couldn't agree."
"Wait a minute, though," said JigSaw. "Wouldn't moving the Barrier itself have been a direct intervention?"
"Not at all. You see, the area into which it was moved wasn't part of the Antipodes -- not until it was moved, anyway."
"Hmm, so what you're saying is that DVd couldn't score a touchdown so she moved the goalposts, eh?"
That one took the travelers' guide a moment or two to work out, but once she had, she nodded affirmatively.
"There's one thing I can't figure out," Sindy said. "How would this have helped you? I mean, if the Barrier was moved, wouldn't that just let the Supers overrun the resort, too?"
Apollonia smiled. "No," she said, "because Deja Voodoo had Cyd set up the portlock first. And it wasn't moved."
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Mon Dec 22 23:37:31 2003
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