Illuminating Investigations Pt 2

Blink. Blink. Blink.

Nearly all the stars had faded, until only the brightest ones remained. "A child who grew up in the city may go up to the rooftop at night and count the stars he can see in the sky, then not understand when an adult from the countryside says that such a feat is impossible. Believe me, I know." She stepped away again, this time stopping only to lean casually against a railing. "It seems we share a mutual interest, then. Not everyone comes creeping into the park in the dead of night just to spy on me and my work. To that end I suppose this entire conversation happened merely because of that interest. But my time, I'm afraid, is starting to run short. Do you have anything else to ask me now, or should I set you up with an appointment?"

"An appointment?" Noir paused, blinking. "With who, you? he asked.

"Possibly," Stargazer answered. "Or one of my bosses. You may even have a better time finding what you're looking for from them. Or not." She shrugged. "I couldn't say. I haven't looked yet."

'Yet', Noir mused to himself. "Alright." He nodded."Go ahead and set it up."

The blank screen opened up a third time, taking the place of the brightest remaining star surrounding Stargazer. This time she didn't immediately dismiss it, but quickly typed something out that was impossible to see from Noir's perspective, then dismissed it. Silence for a few seconds, then the window returned.

"It seems Lumi's taken an interest," Stargazer explained. "She will be contacting you soon."

Noir nodded, then gazed starward. "...I presume that you know what real "stars" are, right? The ones that the humans see." He said, seemingly leading up to something.

"I do," Stargazer answered, also turning skyward. "And yes, I have seen them for myself, in a sense, if that's what you are getting at."

Noir shook his head. "Not what I was getting at. It's just something I always think about. What's so amazing that it kept the humans-- he paused just long enough to chuckle, --stargazing for so long? What is it people think they'll find in the stars, be they "real", like the ones the humans see, or even the digital ones we have here?"

"We know that the stars up there are just a wallpaper. Simulated points of light on a simulated surface that is simulated in just such a way that it sticks over what would otherwise be empty space. And yet..." Noir turned to face Stargazer, putting a hand on his chin. "We keep stargazing."

The park grew quiet for a moment as Noir stopped speaking, and then bowed a stageman's bow. "Have a pleasant evening, Miss Stargazer." He said, slowly passing by her on his way through the rest of the park. She could interrupt him at any time, retort, or reply with something, but...

"That...is not a question I could answer," Stargazer answered as Noir passed her. "A pleasant evening to you too." The last of the stars around her went out, and then she jacked out in a beam of light.

Noir looked down at the star he had pinned to his chest earlier. Gone.

Back to work, I guess.

And with that, Noir was gone as well.