"This is the interstice between reality and oblivion.", Krysti explained.
"Uh...", Calaphandra suddenly realized that trying to hold any sort of meaningful conversation with Krysti was going to prove challenging to say the least.
"What she means is that this planet is in a solar system very near the center of the Milky Way galaxy... directly orbiting just outside the event horizon of the super massive black hole at the very center.", Mimkrys explained.
"WHAT?! WE'RE... WE'RE NOT ON EARTH?!", Calaphandra was understandably shocked at this revelation and her eyes went wide as she suddenly started looking around.
"But... it looks just like... this isn't earth?!", she went on.
"It is a planet very much like earth and we've done some... remodeling, so to speak, in order to better facilitate our needs. At night is when you will see the most shocking difference.", Mimkrys added.
"Yes there's nothing quite like staring into the infinite abyss of a giant, world ending black hole slowly pulling you inwards, inch by inch, year after year. Edging ever so slowly towards total obliteration.", Onideus added.
"We're falling into it?!", Calaphandra replied, now quite alarmed.
"He's exaggerating, sweetie, we're perfectly safe here, there's nothing to worry about.", Winderleigh assured her.
"Well, at least for the next million or so years anyway...", Onideus added.
"Keeping in time that the mind is knifed apart at the temporal seams.", Krysti continued.
"What she means is that, because of our proximity to the black hole time is slightly slower here than it is on earth. For every hour that passes here, two hours pass on earth. And, likewise, we have another base located on the very outer edge of the galaxy, where every two hours that pass there is equal to only one hour passing on earth. Or to put it more simply... time is relative throughout the universe depending on a number of different factors. Because we have the means of bridging across distant parts of the universe we can effectively utilize that temporal incongruity to our advantage.", Mimkrys explained.
"What he means is we can use a sort of time manipulating cheat code to rig the game to our advantage.", Onideus added, nodding towards Winderleigh.
"But only so long as she can stay awake.", he went on.
"Stay awake?", Calaphandra asked.
"The use of my power requires a great deal of mental concentration, but on a subconscious level, which causes severe drowsiness. At my maximum I can enter a trance like state and react autonomously to threats, but it comes at the cost of being able to use my higher brain functions and likewise I'm unable to communicate in that state.", Winderleigh explained.
"Sleep wreaking Winderleigh is a glorious symphony of destruction!", Krysti excitedly exclaimed as she glomped onto her with a possessive embrace.
She looked downwards and blushed deeply as she went on, "It- it's better if I don't have to. I can't consciously control myself in that state, so I try to stay awake and stick more towards supportive roles."
"But when the sleeping dragon awakes it makes for magnificent malevolence!", Krysti cried out, still quite excited, still quite clingy.
Calaphandra watched the two and smiled. Despite all the bizarre circumstances she felt safe here, with these strangers she hardly knew. It was just something about the way they interacted with each other. It was so... familial.
"Family...", she whispered, suddenly with a puzzled look on her face.
"Do you have mind spiders?", Krysti questioned her, quite suddenly all up in her face.
"I-it's nothing... I just... I don't know... I feel like I lost something. Or... forgot something?", she suddenly shook her head and went on, "It's nothing, I probably just forgot to water the plants back at home."
Krysti suddenly started sniffing at the top of Calaphandra's forehead and she was taken aback, only to feel Krysti's hand wrapped behind her and holding her close.
"Um... w-what are...", she stammered out.
Krysti suddenly stopped sniffing at her head and stared deeply into her eyes. Calaphandra felt embarrassed and lovingly embraced all at the same time. Confused she instinctively pushed Krysti back and went on, "Per-personal space please."
But Krysti pushed herself back up into her face and defiantly exclaimed, "Your space is mine!" and promptly licked her forehead like a mother cat licking its kitten.
Onideus reached over and grabbed the human cat away from Calaphandra, Krysti then turning towards Onideus as she let out a very brief little hiss.
"You'll have to excuse flutter puff here, from her perspective everything is her personal property, including people."
"NOT YOU! YOU TASTE BAD!", Krysti cried out with a disgusted look on her face as she pushed away from him.
Onideus shook his head and went on, "You'll get used to her, she means well... even if she doesn't behave well."
Krysti continued starting at Onideus with a disgusted and concerning look and quietly went on, "You tastes ew!"