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[ Bruce nodded briefly, keeping most of his attention on what little Adrien shared about his world, while he kept petting Courser with similar dedication. If he happened to slow down or stop at all, the feline would promptly nudge his hand, asking... well, demanding for more pets and ear scratches. ]

So does the whole of human race live on spaceships, like... like this? Nomads? Or did some of them settle down eventually?

[ The Neheda was, in fact, exactly what Bruce was thinking of. Adrien wasn't the first person he'd met who'd come from that same place, and it wasn't the first time that it intrigued Bruce— the fact that a few of the people here were taken to yet another universe before landing on this one, and the same universe too, to boot. ]

[ In true Adrien fashion, he'd managed to get his foot in his mouth. For a moment he blinked owlishly at Bruce, before comprehension sank in -as well as remembering Bruce couldn't see him and the doctor shook his head. ]

No, I'm sorry I wasn't clear.

My Earth, humanity developed space travel. We have space ships that we use to travel to other planets, trade and return with goods which we then utilize back on Earth. There is even some work being done to see if the planet has recovered to a point that we might be able to start trying to re-grow our own ... ecosystem.

But that's still in the very early stages of discussion.

[ And as he said the words, Adrien realized it was unlikely he would ever return home to see if the projects went any further than cocktail party chit chat.

The Neheda was an entirely different rabbit hole and it didn't even occur to Adrien that Bruce might have heard about the CDC from other sources. Sometimes that which was right at the edge of his nose was the hardest for him to see. ]

Some people make their lives on the trade routes but they're usually the captains and crews of the family ships being sent out to collect resources, then return to Earth.

Oh. [ Bruce's eyebrows arched, and he nodded in understanding. ] Alright, that makes sense. So there was never a real need for a complete exodus.

[ Thinking about it, that would've likely taken more ships and power than they had back then. Although knowing the human race as he did, he wouldn't put it past them to choose only a fraction of the population and leave all the others behind, if it came to that. But he's glad that wasn't the case. ]

So I take it you and your family never spent much time on Earth? [ Not that it seemed like a very pleasant place, from what Adrien had told him so far. ]

[ Adrien opened his mouth to correct Bruce’s assumption, but just as he took breath he had to stop and think about it.

Arie did spend most of her time traveling with various ships, nurturing trade alliances, seeking out new alliances and finding product. Though she still spent time on Earth, networking with other families, if he really considered it, she was about half and half.

Amette, of course, had died on another world. Adrien was now lost to the depths of space and other dimensions and if the Castrensis so deemed it, Aden could also be posted ship board.

Huh. He’d never stopped long enough to think about it in those terms. But a quick shake of his head brought him back to the here and now, the need to respond to Bruce’s question. ]

Not as much as we did when we were children but that’s due to circumstances as much as anything. [ He explained. ] The majority of humanity is still associated with Earth, governed by its laws and culture. We didn’t abandon the planet.

[ If they had, then HQ would not have been able to hold the threat of it's destruction over Adrien's head, once his contract was signed. ]

Alright. I think I get it. [ Generally speaking, and in a very rough sense too. He could only get a vague notion of it all when he hadn't been there himself, in Adrien's world, and when Adrien only told him so much, but it was enough for him to get the gist of it. Even with some few minor wrong assumptions.

It was sort of nice, in a sentimental kind of way. And Bruce had never seen himself as too sentimental, though that was only by virtue of need rather than anything else, just like his tendency to detach himself from so many people, so many places, so many things. He was probably that kind of person who would willingly leave Earth behind and never look back if only that kept other people safe, but there was a wistful kind of gladness in knowing that the human race hadn't collectively abandoned their home planet.

In Adrien's reality, that is. Of course it wasn't the same in Bruce's world, and it might not ever be. ]

How long has it been since you were last there? On Earth, that is.

[ There seemed to be an even mix of realities where Earth was abandoned and where humanity had turned it around and Earth was a beacon. Lots of butterfly wings and Schrodinger's cats to theorize about, no doubt.

In response to the question, Adrien pursed his lips and allowed himself a pensive look; since Bruce couldn't see it. ]

I'm not sure how long I was lost in the Ingress, between my first trip here and now, and time is measured differently in different universes. [ And time on the Neheda seemed ... quite long; though in truth it was short. ]

I was on the Neheda for close to six months by that calendar but those were usually counted in seventy two hours increments. Add in the months I appear to have lost in the Ingress, convert to an Earth twenty-four hour scale ... [ he paused, counting ] about two and a half years.

The Neheda? [ By both his tone and his expression, it was obvious that the name wasn't unfamiliar to Bruce, and that hearing it was a bit of a surprise. Even if it shouldn't be by now, what with how many people he'd met already who'd been previously taken there, and only afterwards came here. ]

That makes you... uh, the fourth person I know to have come from there, if I'm remembering right. [ It was almost as if there was some weird link there, even if the vast majority of the crew had never been on that other universe before, and a few coming from there hardly counted as much of a pattern. ]

You know Tali? Niko? They were there, too. Not sure for how long exactly.[ His tone dropped, but he tried to keep it light. ] The Ingress must have taken a liking to that ship.

[ Adrien tensed, though of course Bruce couldn't see that but the way he held his breath, as if waiting for ... something, may have been telling.

It was only a brief pause, because Bruce continued to talk, mentioning Tali and Niko, both of whom Adrien knew and there weren't any recriminations being flung at his head. He cautiously began to relax a little.

Or at least as much as he ever relaxed. ]

I know both Niko and Tali. In fact, I arrived on the Moira with them back when the Ingress first began to pull people through. I just happened to go back into the Ingress for some reason.

[ He had no memories beyond having been on the Moira and then back on the Moira. Though from what Niko had said, he'd been gone for a few months at least and this time, Courser had come back through with him. ]

Who is the fourth?

[ He knew some of what happened on the Neheda, after all Tali had openly shared her experiences in hopes of finding a bridge to connect to Bruce, to relate to what he'd gone through. One couldn't say it was exactly the same, but he appreciated the effort anyway; and he ended up getting closer to her in the process, to the point of considering her a friend, so all in all, it wasn't so bad.

He certainly never blamed her for any of it. It wasn't her fault, after all— or anyone else who had been taken from their universes and into that one, for that matter. ]

So you were here before too?

[ Though evidently not long enough for Bruce to have met him. But that wasn't so strange. Even when there were fewer people on board, Bruce still didn't get to meet all of them. Nowadays it was even more difficult to keep track of everyone. ]

Ratchet. I haven't really talked to him at length, but I know he was on the Neheda too before coming here. Do you know him?

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