After going bonkers looking for something to do, Ghost had attempted to make some lunch... or dinner? When she focused her winds were almost as good as a chaotic and sometimes faulty telekinesis- sometimes she had to break down and specifically solidify her hands- something that typically was tiresome. In the end she'd managed to make a mess and kind-of successfully make a fresh salad. It was the least complex thing she could think to make.

She'd heard the extreme crispness and overall new feel of the veggies in his kitchen area and decided to try them even if she was already fudging the no-power thing. They must've been extremely fresh for her to be able to practically smell them. Or maybe that was because she'd managed to focus her way up back towards her usual 45 to 50-ish percent of corporeality. Either way she'd somehow managed to eat and drink something in the same day. A feat that made her headache all but vanish. So she must've been hungry after all.

Ghost felt Garrett stirr, but didn't bother to go back into the bedroom. She was in the middle of a full-on solidifying attempt and it took her a moment to come back to herself. When she let her mind wander out to all the loose particles, it was easy to just go adrift with them without someone to guide her along. When she opened her eyes again she saw the remnants of her lunch-making attempt with fresh eyes. It was a mess, but most of it was loose leaves that'd blown away. Dratted things were too light! She frantically tried to blow all the scattered food bits away before Garrett could notice how much she'd trashed his kitchen.

"Good morning or evening. Whatever it is. I'm sorry for leaving you stuck in here. I was very tired. I suppose you are ready to get out of here by now, eh?"

"It's good to see you again. Did you have a good rest?" Ghost couldn't help but smile, her mess forgotten, and wafted closer, encouraged by his voice. "Does it matter?" She asked curiously as she followed him toward the elevator. "Whether it's day or night? I mean, outside there is limited daylight, right? And in here the lights are always on when you need them, right? You could have 30 hour days if you wanted. Not that you'd want that. I mean, it could be okay or more productive maybe..." She blabbed on without thinking. She'd obviously been a bit lonely.

Ghost eyeballed his badge and coat and boots, suddenly feeling silly in a skirt, long sleeve shirt and no shoes. "It's not cold up there, is it? I mean, nothing I can't handle?" He should be relatively familiar with her tolerance for typically uncomfortable temperatures and she would trust his judgment, otherwise the may have to wait ten minutes while she synced up with a coat and some shoes.

Garrett was pleased to see that Maya had kept herself somewhat busy. It seemed she may have actually eaten something, which was always a good thing. Especially since that meant she was corporeal enough to be able to eat and digest solid food. Her levels seemed to fluctuate a good deal. He wondered if he could monitor her levels and see if there was any general trend to her solidity.It was something to consider in the days ahead.

Maya seemed to be rambling about the days and nights or lack thereof. She was right in that it really didn't matter. the only time that temporal matters made any difference was in relation to the rest of the world and its general hustle and bustle. None of that here. " I suppose you are right. Light is generally present here at all times. When the long nights arrive, we have residents who act as lamplighters of sorts, using light manipulation to make areas of the ice glow. It is quite a beautiful and surreal effect. Maybe you'll visit again and can enjoy it." One of the first night periods, a few of the light manipulators made quite the stunning show as various colors streamed through the walls. It was too much of a strain for regular use, but it was very nice.

They arrived at the express elevator and stepped inside. Rather, Garrett held the door so she could float in. He followed her in as the doors closed. She was concerned about the temperature above. He hadn't considered it before. " Really, I wouldn't worry over it. The temperature inside the domes is fairly regular, with the heat and fire manipulators on duty. I would say your feet would get cold, but by not touching the ground, I don't think you'll have much problem. I wear the boots just as a precaution. A doctor with a broken leg wouldn't do much good. I hadn't thought about how this ride may affect you. It is about a mile up and it's fairly quick. So hold on." He pressed the one of two buttons on the panel. Up or down.

"I'd absolutely love to see the light show. Sign me up, steal me away again, whatever it takes - I'm there." In a way the colony was forming it's own customs and she loved to hear it. As of now, the most she knew of the colony was that it was in Antarctica. Maya wanted to know the colony's customs as they developed, see the culture as it happened. What a glorious social experiment.

Garrett went on to hold the doors for her and usher her into teh elevator. He explained all the while about things as they seemed to occur to him. Ah - so there were domes up there? and people under the domes even. so that meant "Not everyone lives in caves underground then?" She shrugged rather apologetically, "If I'd known I was coming, I probably would have done more research on the place. As it is, it's all very new to me... probably still new to almost everyone except some certain founding colonists." She made the motion to nudge Garrett in the arm with her elbow. The flesh pooled into smokey bits where her less than solid form broke like waves around the comparatively solid Garrett. He'd still understand the gesture.

Ghost took Garrett's warning seriously and increased the barometric pressure in the elevator so that she was insured to remain in her shape at the very least. She'd worked too hard to get all her fingers and toes to how to loose them to a speedy elevator. Typically elevators weren't an issue - the gravitational pressure created by the velocity of an elevator was typically null, though he'd warned her that they were miles down and this bad boy was speedy, hence the precautions. Ghost just didn't want to take any chances.

Garrett could sense Maya's growing anticipation of the world above. It was indeed beautiful and spectacular to new eyes. Just like anything else, once you have been in a place for a while, though, its initial excitement fades. The doors to the elevator closed and Maya made a joke about how the Colony was a mystery to all but the founding colonists, particularly Garrett. She attempted to give him a friendly nudge but it only pooled into him, as her elbow lacked the solidity to finish the action, though he smiled and nodded in response to her intention.

"Funny. Well, you know, I suppose it is the nature of the Colony that makes it a mystery. We don't advertise. Mutants who seek us out have usually made quite an effort to quest to this place of solitude. Grabbing the attention of the world at large about us is not in our best interests." Many of the residents had something to hide or people to hide from, as well. It served no one's interests, especially the pursuit of peace, to involve outsiders.

As the elevator began rocketing upwards, Garrett wanted to grab Maya, but what was there to grab? He merely kept his eye on the emergency stop switch should she have any unforeseen problems. The elevator slowed and then stopped, opening to a dimly lit area beneath the Hub. There was a metal structure around the elevator anchoring it to the ice and the metal shaft. From then on, it was ice, polished and textured.

The beginning of a grand spiral staircase started here. Beginning at it and looking up, one could see the full ten stories up to the top of the observation deck. One rotation ended at the crossroads to the eight smaller domes within the massive dome covering the whole of the Colony. Flying mutants, birds of sorts and the tireless work of the ice manipulation teams. He had never looked at it fresh as Maya must have been. It was constantly a work in progress. A grand experiment for mutation.

The elevator ride went without a hitch, though Garrett seemed mildly paranoid the whole time. "It's not that big of a deal." She wrinkled her nose at Garrett and folded her arms a mite petulantly. She wasn't a time bomb or an egg shell. She'd survived like this for quite some time already. She'd survived many an elevator too albeit none this fast. So what if she had to concentrate a bit harder to keep herself suspended? It was all just about concentration these days. How much could she stand? How long could she hold it? How many things could she juggle?

"Whoa." She breathed the word more than said it as Garrett held the door to the elevator for her. She wasn't exactly sure what she'd been expecting, but it wasn't this. "It's... beautiful!" She couldn't help but grin, all health concerns thrown aside. She seemed instantly energetic, wide-eyed and child like.

She looked around, her face and eyes darting from one structure to the next. She was instantly enamored. The walls were like frosted glass. A continuous soft heathery haze wafted from the walls as the severe cold met the heat of the room. It was neither humid nor dry, she noted as her eyes traced the sharp lines of the staircase. There were no torrential winds to instantly wisk her away, but instead it was a very sheltered place.

In some places the walls were polished to a reflective quality. They would probably be see through if they weren't so thick. Maya could hear a din of voices above them as if the real action was up a level or so of the grand stair. "There's all this up here and you live in a cave?!"

Garrett could tell by Maya's tone and especially by her telltale nose wrinkle that he was worrying over her too much. She had become an officer and had dealt with her condition for some time now. There was no reason to baby her. He decided it was just his nature to look out for people, which led him to become a doctor in the first place. Also, he knew that when you cared for someone as eh did Maya, there was nothing wrong with keeping a watchful eye out for them. He would just try not to hover so much.

As they exited the elevator, her enthusiasm was hard to miss. Many of the new arrivals had the same look of wonderment on their faces when they first came. Though theirs was different as they had entered from the front as opposed from under. he figured he would see her features brighten further once they actually entered the main dome, which they were on their way to.

"There's all this up here and you live in a cave?!"

It wasn't the first time he had heard such a comment."Well, there's a little more to it than that. We decided when we were first putting the place together that it was important that the leadership in general be secure underneath. this way, should we suffer a massive attack be it from a human or mutant source, the files and leaders would remain safe, allowing for rebuilding after whatever storm we would have to endure." He liked it up in the main areas as well, but he didn't feel as secure as he did deep down.

Maya realized that although she didn't have color back, she'd managed to reach a level of cohesion so that she was able to see some shadow. How else would she have been able to see the reflective quality of the polished ice? She became even more pleased once she realized this fact. That meant she was somewhere closer to 50 percent. She probably couldn't smile wider if she tried. That was an accomplishment.

What he said about the cave-dwelling made sense. It was unfortunate that it made sense, she liked it up top so far and she hadn't even seen very much. She could hardly wait for Garrett to lead the way up the stairs, but she was glad that she waited on him because if she could have fallen over she probably would have. As it was she disassociated quite a bit as her eyes roved around the hub complex. It was... grand. There was a lot to take in with her mind distracted with her observations and wonderment, keeping herself together was suddenly bumped from the highest priority.

The hub was just that: a meeting of several large corridors of ice. Mutants, they must be since humans weren't allowed here, were striding confidently through the connecting spokes off to... she realized her power didn't extend that far and she'd been straining to follow all the pathways at once. She pulled back on distance and began exploring closer things rather meticulously. There was so much! Many forms some stopped to talk greeting one another, flying mutants zipped through her element with ease, presumably heat manipulators on duty expanded the particles around them. Maya followed the invisible, warmer particles as they cycled through the large dome.

"It must be pleasant in here." She noted, though her voice sounded distant even to herself. It made her realize she'd let herself go... literally. oops. She tried to distract herself by immediately asking another question. The effect was like she'd interrupted herself, stepped on her own thought process. She wasn't here to mope. "Do you know all these people?" Maya indicated the bustling forms in the hub. Much of her enthusiasm seemed to have filtered out as soon as she'd spoken the first time, but she wasn't entirely out of spunk. It was all too exciting for her personal problems to kill all her enthusiasm.

Garrett and Maya arrived at the Hub and she was even more excited, looking at all the different mutants and the activity. It had to be more exciting than his quareters, surely. Several eyes caught him and some expressions made showing the beginning of gossip as he appeared from below with someone who was obviously with him. He made some nods and smiles to the residents. He could hear Maya's voice echoing in a distant way, indicating she was giving up control.

"It must be pleasant in here."

" Yes, it is. I am sure it is even more pleasant to the average resident, who has little to do but explore themselves. I am usually so overrun with caseloads and the like that I don't get alot of downtime, but that's what I signed up for." There was a regular doctor's caseload, then add in the population now pushing two hundred, the fact they were all in possession of unique mutations, the screening of newcomers, checkups, deliveries. The list went on and on. "Maybe I should advertise for some help. Get a staff or something other than Rita, my healer nurse."

"Do you know all these people?" Garrett was thankful for the interruption from his obsessing." Actually, I do know many of them. It is hard to remember names as the population icreases. Or maybe it's all of my other activities. But yes, for instance, that older gentleman over there changing colors is Arthur. He can actually blend with his surroundings, but his mutation has made his skin cells oscillate like that for a while lately. Wearen't sure what's causing it. The family over there, they are the Burnettes. Vicki, the mother can cling to most surfaces. Her husband Al, he projects nightmares onto people and their two children are Gus and Emma. Gus is fourteen and is just learning about his mutation, which involves plants. Emma is a little thing. We aren't sure about her yet. Everyone has a story, though. I just wish I had more time in general to know them better."

"Yes, it is. I am sure it is even more pleasant to the average resident, who has little to do but explore themselves. I am usually so overrun with caseloads and the like that I don't get a lot of downtime, but that's what I signed up for... Maybe I should advertise for some help. Get a staff or something other than Rita, my healer nurse."

More whoa. "Sounds like you need a vacation." Maya smiled at Garrett. An idea was starting to percolate in her mind. Where did he get off telling her how to relax when he was clearly burying himself in work. Seemed like this was going to be a mutual journey. She smiled sweetly and drifted closer as he started to explain the mutants he knew. As doctor it really did make sense. She had to nod along about the color thing. He really wasn't used to her not being able to see color. It was all still all very fascinating.

Her ability made sounds as plain as words on paper, and when people whispered she heard. Apparently Garrett fraternizing with a girl outside of work in a non-professional manner was unheard of. She even heard some whispers that made her giggle. Giggle. She was actually giggling and the sound echoed hollowly around the dome.

"You weren't lying when you said I had your heart, huh?" She beamed at him and even though she was mostly translucent it transformed her face entirely. She thought she was smiling before? She'd heard whispers along the lines of 'I thought he was a eunuch.' and 'He turned down Sharon for that?' She hardly looked the same as the military officer he'd seen the day before. It was funny and she was glad to know that he was all hers.

Garrett could see that others were noticing that his companion was more than a simple visitor. he really didn't care. Now that he had Maya back in his life, the world could stop spinning and he could die happy. He smiled at her mention of his own needs. " I am sure you are right, dear. However, where could I possibly go in this tumultuous mutant world where I could truly enjoy peace? If there was such a place I'd love to go and take you with me. I can definitely tell a difference having you around." Everything was better with Maya.

They walked out into the Hub and he showed her the directory and the map of the Hub that had been posted. The staircase continued upward to the observation deck. The eight pathways went to smaller domes labeled Energy, Medical, Harvest, Market, Lobby, Farm, Recreation and Education. He pointed them out to Maya, wishing he could reach out and put his arm around her. it was just something to get used to, though she seemed to be growing more solid here and there and seeing her smile was very nice.

"You weren't lying when you said I had your heart, huh?"

" Not even a little bit, Maya. The more time I spend with you, the more I want to spend with you. I know we will have to separate while you are involved with CB and JSI, but I want to visit you as often as possible through Peter's gateways. Maybe we can work out a nice vacation alone after that as well. I love you completely and all of these people can giggle and point if they like. It makes no difference. When I hear your voice, the world tunes out and my heart warms with love, my mind thinks with ease." He leaned in and pecked her on what was present and palpable of her cheek, his eyes catching the glances of any of those who might think him cold and unfeeling.

"...where could I possibly go in this tumultuous mutant world where I could truly enjoy peace?" Maya bit her lower lip. Hadn't he told her this a thousand times already? "If there was such a place I'd love to go and take you with me. I can definitely tell a difference having you around." He always had the words that made her melt.

"You know... there was this bald guy I used to like." She began in a teasing tone. She tried to reign in her voice so that it only reverberated in the air between the two of them as they looked at the hub map. "I'm pretty sure he told me something something along the lines of 'we make our own happy places'?" She grinned. "It was probably more eloquent when you said it, but I think I have to agree. I think where you are is my happy place."

He motioned to the map. She indulged him again, unable to see the difference in colors or even feel the print or paint in detail enough to see what he was talking about. Instead, as he spoke of places, she tried to reach out to the space he indicated and feel the details and forms held within the dome. Now that she was focusing on one thing at a time, it was easy to 'see' each dome clearly. No walking tour was even necessary as far as the domes went -- it was the same as if she were actually there. She 'saw' it all in 3D. Much better than any dumb map he was showing her and she mentioned as much to him. If he wanted to continue the tour it was probably time to go up.

Of course he had to go and say a few more melty-lovey things before he leaned in and pecked her on the area of her cheek. "You know, it really wouldn't bother me if we worked on this solid thing sometime..." She remarked rather idly as if it was an unimportant thought, something to be tossed aside. JSI officials had been unable to do much of anything, but then they didn't have access to as many diverse talents as were even just here in the colony.

Maya was reminding him of the past and things he had said then. She was always bringing him back to his peaceful center. Another reason to love her. He really did need a vacation or some kind of some sort or at least to learn to relax. He realized he hadn't worked out or meditated in days. It must have been the general solitude prior that spurned him to such a thing. He had never foreseen this scenario, Maya at his side at his home. It seemed like a dream coming to life. He had to start savoring it and remembering to practice what he preached and live in the present.

" I'm sorry I keep using visual aides, Maya. I suppose I am indeed overrun with things lately. It's no excuse for my aloofness. I guess I am still reeling from the happy kind of shock I have been in having you back. We can go up to the deck now, if you like." He started making his way up the long stair, knowing she would follow. It was always a good way to get the blood flowing, but he was envious of her ability to casually float up. He decided to take his mind off the ascent by addressing her thoughts on her condition.

" I've thought about many scenarios. I may bring in some outside help, using some of the residents here. I would love to experiment over some of the time I have you here with me. See if we can't find some options." He stopped after a few steps, looking at her floating form. " I want you to be solid again for selfish reasons. I want to hold you, kiss you, feel you. That's hardly the meat of the issue though. I want you to flourish and enjoy all of the things in life that you currently cannot. I want you to stop disappearing and be here with me in life, wherever it leads us. I just didn't want you to think it was all me, me ,me. I can certainly come off that way." He started ascending the stairs again, slower this time. No reason to rush. They had the rest of their lives to discuss things.

Maya only smiled at Garrett's apology over the visual aides. She really didn't mind, it was something that was rather strange to get used to after so many years of enjoying her sight together with Garrett. It was just a small testament to the time they'd been apart. Proof that they had some new things to learn about each other. Like how Garrett was becoming such a worry wart. Maya followed him, drifting at an almost lazy pace.

"I've thought about many scenarios. I may bring in some outside help, using some of the residents here. I would love to experiment over some of the time I have you here with me. See if we can't find some options."

Maya nodded along. He was a thousand times more capable and resourceful than her in this aspect. Sure, she'd pursued some treatment options, but never before had she had such a strong motivational force to find some resolution to her condition. For a time, it hadn't even mattered to her whether she dissipated into nothingness, her only goal had been the gulf stream. In all fairness her condition was her own fault. She'd pushed herself too hard, not taken proper care of herself, lost sight of self in pursuit of a goal. Albeit important, she was beginning to realize that there was actually more to life. Garrett stopped after a few steps and looked back at her. She fidgeted, forgetting momentarily that he hadn't been privy to her thoughts.

"I want you to be solid again for selfish reasons. I want to hold you, kiss you, feel you. That's hardly the meat of the issue though. I want you to flourish and enjoy all of the things in life that you currently cannot. I want you to stop disappearing and be here with me in life, wherever it leads us. I just didn't want you to think it was all me, me ,me. I can certainly come off that way."[/color]

Maya chuckled a bit. "So I guess it's back to what I want then is it?" She hurried her own pace so that they could keep in line with each other as they ascended the stairs. "Because I rather think we want the same things, Love." The word spilled out of her before she'd really thought about it. People called each other 'love' all the time on base and she'd surely picked up a few colloquialisms while she'd lived there, but for some reason the word resonated with Maya and she hesitated, drinking in the moment.

Love.

She really loved this man. This quirky, driven, stressed and ever caring man. She didn't bother to turn her face away from him as she might have when they were younger. It did her no good anyway. Her vision was no longer determined by her actual facing. "It's my own fault, you know." She admitted. "I didn't always stop to consider the consequences of my actions. Without ... without somebody around to look out for me, I guess I just continued on, not even considering that this might be a problem until it was too late." She gave a familiar bird-like shrug of her shoulders. "And before you start beating yourself up for not being there-- it's a two way street." She hesitated on the stair for a moment, forgetting where they were in her sudden rush of guilt. "I could have called you up. I could have... I'm sorry..."

The spiral stair seemed much longer than usual. Perhaps Garrett didn't want to reach the top. enjoying the relative quiet and peace of this tall tube of ice. The sounds of the hustle and bustle below were fading as the climbed higher, being replaced by the howl of wind above. There had never been any reason to attempt glass or Plexiglas in a structure made from ice. The visibility needed on the observation deck would be hopelessly marred by an icy covering, so it was left open. The design of it kept the majority of the wind from blasting in and the general rush of heat climbing the column kept it mildly comfortable at the top.

"So I guess it's back to what I want then is it?" The tease made him smile. Garrett wished that the world would slowdown so he could give her everything she wanted."Because I rather think we want the same things, Love."The mention of the word made him smile wider as he noticed her matching his pace along the stairwell. He would devote plenty of time to making her solid, if only to hold her hand in times like these. His hand lingered and fingered the substantial yet not entirely corporeal area where it would be.

He looked over at her as she began to lament over the lack of communication between them and how she could have handled things better. It really made Garrett pause and think. Had his sullen demeanor of late actually brought her to such a state? He had certainly had alot on his mind but the last thing he wanted to do was bring her down. He continued the pace and interrupted her before she started sounding like him." You know, that bald guy that you knew once? I think if he were here now, he would say something about the past being the past and letting it go. Sweeping it out like old dirt so the life of the present can flower and bloom. I think he would be right. Let's just try to focus on the now. Especially since we are together again. Our days could be numbered and we may not even know it. I don't want to waste another moment on sadness or regret, okay? " He turned to her and smiled a genuine smile, like the ones he used to giver her so long ago.

"Our days could be numbered and we may not even know it. I don't want to waste another moment on sadness or regret, okay?" He turned to her and smiled a genuine smile, like the ones he used to giver her so long ago. [/i] It would have been perfect except that she was now frowning. Ghost shrunk down into herself, stopping where she was on the stair even though they were nearly at the top.

He was trying to make her feel better and had actually managed to fling her violently in the opposite direction. Non-verbally she shut down, verbally she was up in arm. "Our days are numbered, huh?" She withdrew her hand from his solid fingers that were trying futilely to close around her particles. That was a sick joke anyway. If he didn't want to waste time on sadness he should stop the charade that was just hurting her.

It sounded like he felt it was hopeless after all. A pained look flashed across her face. "I'm supposed to let the past go? What else do I have, Garrett?" She snapped. "Especially if we're out of time now." She turned slowly so she wasn't physically facing him and started going back down the stairs, sending her power in that direction so she wouldn't have to perceive his face or form right now.

She was overreacting, of course. She would probably realize that later. She just... was still getting used to everything. She'd just really found a reason to keep herself together and he just threw it all in her face. It was so fun to delude herself into thinking everything was okay, everything was fine and they would live out the remainder of their lives happily together. And then he had to remind her that the end of at least once of their lives was eminent. People shouldn't have to get used to the idea of fading into nothingness.

She needed a hug.

Unfortunately that wasn't exactly an option right now.