Exclusion

== Revised text ==
Date/Timing: 8 January 2019
Setting: on the road to Hornsby-Ku-Ring-Gai Hospital
.
The closer they get to the Exclusion Zone, the paler and fidgetier Littlest Hansen grows.
Poor kid.
Chuck picks up on it, of course: "Ducking relax, fuck, we're not actually going in."
"Oh, yea, like /you're all hunky dory."
In a few miles, the flashes of horizon between the buildings out Chuck's window'll get awfully dark.
"I am, believe it or not—" She has an idea—
Please, Chuck, don't drag on the fight. 
She twists to face Littlest Hansen, kinda lounges against the door. "'cause we'll be fine."
"Well, I don't." snaps Littlest Hansen, shoulders edging away. "And like you would know."
"I would, since I had a part-time job in a building where you could fucking see Reckoner's giant fucking ass from the fucking roof."
Littlest Hansen puffs into her space. "Why didn't you tell me that?!"
"Why the fuck would I?"
They glare, then Littlest Hansen slouches, arms crossed, and grumbles, "That certainly explains the shit ton of holes in your head." 
"Pretty sure that's all on you, Ducky."
"Unless ol' Reckoner made you Incompatible. Doomed the Drift before we even met."
"There's no evidence to suggest that exposure to an exclusion zone affects a person's ability to Drift," Cait murmurs. "Ability to be alive, sure. Although, I wonder if there's a way to test for that ...."
"Which kind?" asks Sergio.
"What do you mean?"
"An Exclusion Zone or a Nuclear Exclusion Zone?"
"Aren't they the same thing?"
"Didn't use a nuke in Hong Kong. They did here."
"Thought they did."
"Pretty sure they stopped with that after Scissure."
Littlest Hansen cringes.
"You know how wimpy the /Braves were before the upgrade. Who's to say China didn't use a nuke?"
Sergio asks a higher power for patience, asks Cait, "Are you actually gonna argue China bombed downtown Hong Kong?"
"I'm saying it's a possibility."
"And how're you gonna prove that?"
She frowns.
"Cait, /please don't go poking into other countries' militaries, /especially China. Universal Compatibility, remember?"
"'ey, Ducky," Chuck sneers. "Better kiss /Str—"
"Chuck," Sergio warns.
"What?"
"Quit it."
Both Chuck and Littlest Hansen sulk.
"Nothing points to a neurotoxin; just massively corrosive so we should be fine—" Cait blinks, sits up straight. "Did you get them both to shut up at once?" 
Sergio smiles casually. 
She giggles. "That's useful."
"Why're you taking /his side?!" bursts Chuck. 
"Oh no, I recognize this argument and I am /not playing the parent."
"You told me to shut up and not him!"
"I told you both to shut up, conveniently at the same time."
"Then why'd you wait until /I said something?!"
"I waited until I finished convincing Cait not to go snooping into classified military documents!"
"Maybe he did it 'cause you were—"
"Tellin' the truth?!"
"Am I asking the driver to turn this van around?"
"No one actual doesly that!"
"I'm about to!"
"No, you're not! We've got a Hypothetical to test!"
Up front, beside the driver, Pietr snoozes on.
Category:Ficlet
Category:Skeleton Key
Category:Sergio
Category:Sergio (ficlet)
Category:Caitlin
Category:Caitlin (ficlet)
Category:Chuck H
Category:Chuck H (ficlet)
Category:Chuck D
Category:Chuck D (ficlet)
Category:Pietr (mention)
Category:Reckoner (mention)
Category:Scissure (mention)
Category:Chuck D has Drift damage
Category:Horizon Brave (mention)
Category:Ficlets with images
Category:Go, Team DriftSci! arc
Category:Team Horizon Brave (mention)