{2/9} - Two of Nine: A Nine Lives Forum adventure

[Lilium Mortem]

can I talk to you for a while, operator? You seem to know a lot about this crazy mixed-up world we live in.

“Can I talk to you for a while, operator?” I asked, they seemed smart.

“No.”

Patch me over, but what am i meant to do next time this error comes up? It said " X-241-422AT" if that helps.

“Can you at least tell me what the error X dash two four one da-”

“No. Do you want to be patched through to your brother, Customer service for your computer, or do I have to hang up?”

...Actually, I'm not sure our brother even checks his email that often. It might be for the best to just call him.
Plus we have an operator on the phone and we wouldn't want to have wasted their time oh gosh oh frick
Ask the operator to patch us through to our brother, Stratus.

“Wait! No, oh gosh!” I said, Scrambling. I shouldn’t have been wasting their time. I should probably just ask to be patched through. “Sorry, I’d like to be patched through to my brother, Stratus Em-HarvestFell-Gardener, living in Castle Garden.”

“Hold please.”

I listened as an ad played for the Call-or X. I asked my parents for one of them for my birthday, but they said it was too expensive. Only Dad had one, and it’s a worker model he mainly used for radio calls on the job. It’s so unfair. Why do we have to be poor?

I was brought out of my thoughts by the phone clicking and a tired voice answering.

“Hello?”

“Stratus!” I said, full of excitable energy. “I tried sending you an electronic mail but the computer gave me an error. But that’s ok! I wanted to talk to you. Oh this is Scud by the way.”

“Scud… It’s [6AM]. On a work day. I need to be at the clinic in an hour.” Stratus said, sighing. “I can make a bit of time to talk to you, but promise me not to call before [5PM] unless it’s [Sunday] or [Friday].”

“Oh! Sorry. I forgot. I promise not to call you before then.”

“I’ll hold you to that. So, what’s up?