[Verse 1]
Three of them — the camp behind them burning
280 behind that — they walked forward
Because forward was the only direction left
Day one: nothing — Day two: nothing
Day three: Aldric checked the map
The map said nothing
The map had never said nothing before
[Pre-Chorus]
“The map shows no level” — “We are going the right way”
“How do you know” — “I know”
“The map says nothing” — “The map is wrong”
Aldric looked at Void — Aldric looked at the map — kept walking
[Chorus]
Vega — we were lost
Vega — nothing on the map
Vega — she cannot reach anyone
Three in the empty — moving anyway
Vega — we are going somewhere — we have to be
[Verse 2]
Solara tried her council — silence
She tried Fate — silence
She tried Time — silence
She stood still in a place with no level
No system — no fold number
Just the three of them
And the dark between things
And Void looking confident
“Are you actually sure,” said Solara
“Yes,” said Void
“About what, specifically”
He considered this — “The direction”
“Which direction” — “This one”
Aldric checked the map again — still wrong — kept walking
[Bridge — VEGA]
Then: light — not the wrong kind — not fire
A star. Present. Old. Amused.
“You are not of the council”
“No — we are—” [Aldric] “We are stranded” [Void]
“That is also true”
“How did you come to be here”
“A trap. Level 280.”
“You entered 280”
“Yes”
“280 has not had a level in four thousand years”
Pause — “We know that now”
Vega tilted — the star equivalent of a head tilt
“You seek a way back to your systems”
“Yes”
“I can take you to the nearest one I know”
“What do you call it”
“The Place With The Loud Ones”
Void: “That is not a level designation”
“I do not use your designations”
“What do the loud ones sound like”
Vega made a sound — it was a cluck
Aldric and Solara looked at each other
Void: “We accept”
[Final Chorus]
Vega — she takes us somewhere
Vega — the map doesn’t know this place
Vega — the nearest level she knows
Is the place with the loud ones
[Outro — FOLD 7]
The warp was quick — the landing was not
Three of them — in a field
Warm light — grass
And chickens — many chickens
One chicken looked at Solara
Solara looked at the chicken
Aldric checked the map — FOLD 7
Void: “This is not a level”
Aldric: “This is Fold 7”
Solara: “Lorn was watching this place the entire time”
“Yes” — “During the meetings” — “During every meeting”
One chicken walked over Aldric’s map
It had more context now — Lorn had been right about that
Solara sat down in Fold 7
Surrounded by chickens
No council — no signal — no orb
Just Void, Aldric, and the loudest level Vega knew
“Alright,” she said — “Now what