Of all the dangerous things Blake had watched his friends do, none gave him more anxiety than watching them go out and interact with other human beings.
When it came to climbing something, picking a lock, or navigating an old building, Blake had little to fear. His friends were all good at what they did. He had no reason to doubt they would succeed, given their skill and the research they'd already done on the various sites they visited.
But as soon as other human beings got involved, suddenly all certainty went out the window. It's okay. We aren't even breaking the law this time. There's nobody to bribe, no one who might not look the other way.
At worst, they wouldn't be able to communicate effectively, and his friends would have to return in defeat. Right? That was what he told himself.
He kept near the entrance to the cave, even though it meant a constant barrage of chilling wind and dust. He needed to know the instant anything happened. Maybe he'd be able to see it from far away, and... and help, somehow?
He watched for over an hour, squinting down at the distant town for any sign of what might be happening to his friends. Well, to Jordan. His skills would be necessary to get them out of this... and that would likely make him the first target if something went wrong.
We should've gone together. We wouldn't seem like as much of a target with five people. Of course, that would make them more intimidating. Five people might be a threat to the little town, or at least feel like one.
Ultimately Blake had no choice but to accept the fact that he'd stayed behind, and there was nothing more he could do to help. He could only wait, and watch, and maybe hope.
Occasionally Ryan poked his head out from the inner cavern. The walk through the tunnel wasn't exactly easy, and he took each step walking precariously over rough rock.
"Any sign of them?" he asked, every few hours.
Each time, Blake shook his head, slumping a little lower against the rock. Except the last, where something finally appeared on the edge of the trail.
Only two figures, carrying something between them. They didn't move slowly and confused, but cut straight up the side of the mountain. Blake stood up, waving energetically. The distant people waved back.
Before they'd even reached the cave entrance, Ryan appeared from behind him again. "You seemed excited. Something going on?"
Blake pointed this time, grinning. "Looks like they made it!"
"What in god's name are they wearing?" Ryan asked, pointing. "I don't think I've ever seen colors like that outside of a movie screen. Even the ponies in Equestria had more sense than that."
Blake didn't answer, just waited for the away group to arrive. There were only two of them, confirming what he thought he'd seen from a distance. Jordan and Galena, both dressed in a mix of what they'd been wearing before and old clothes. They smelled like a thrift store, but at least they weren't freezing.
"Good thing you stood up," Jordan said, settling down a huge cardboard box on the ground in front of him as he arrived. "This cave is invisible from below, just blends right into the rock."
"That's good," Ryan said. "In fact, why don't you all come inside? In case anyone followed you, let's not make finding us easier for them. Don't want to be blamed if someone follows us through and gets killed in a diamond mine."
Even Galena evidently thought that logic was sound, because they hurried through, gathering around an old desk. Ryan had transformed the space in their absence, pulling the functional furniture into the center of the room.
A desk, a few chairs almost made it feel like somewhere people were meant to live.
"So you're not going to believe what happened down there," Jordan said. "In a good way, I think. Maybe?"
"I can speak to them," Galena interrupted. "The natives of this place know the tribal tongue of my ancestors. Even if I do not know all the words they have created. They are a strange people. But perhaps with time they would welcome us?"
"Hold up," Ryan said, looking up from the box of clothes he'd been digging through. "You think the Polish speak... Griffon?"
"I heard them with my own ears," Galena insisted. "And I spoke with them as Janet. She was more persuasive. But the two of us shared this victory. The bat was only an observer."
Jordan stood a little straighter, though even taller than Galena he wasn't built the same. His friend was athletic and lean, maybe even lighter and slimmer than he remembered. "She's not wrong. I don’t speak Polish. Blake, they don't either. Galena spoke English, and Janet was using Spanish. The locals understood them both, even though I couldn't. I have absolutely no idea how it's possible."
But Galena was built like a tank, like some of the female officers he'd met while deployed. She was the kind of woman who made trucks get out of her way just by grimacing at them. "I told you, bat. It was an old tongue, my first. If these creatures can learn it, I believe we will get along. Even if this much clothing is absurd, I do admire the stripes."
"That is... not consistent with the way translation has worked thus far," Ryan said. One hand twitched, and he seemed to be muttering to himself for a few seconds. "So you, Galena... we can guess about you. When we go through a Worldgate, we understand everyone on the other side. Yet the words cannot be the same language—some translation effect is in place."
"And... she's doing the reverse," Blake realized. "She's from that world, and comes into ours. So she can speak to people here. Do you think maybe Janet knew Polish, Jordan? I'm still not convinced we ever knew her that well."
"Not a chance. I might not be able to speak to them, but I know what Spanish and Polish sound like. It seemed like everyone could understand her. Except me."
"Baffling," Blake said. "But... probably academic for right now. We could talk to them, that's good news! What did we learn?"
Jordan explained in a rush. More than once, Galena had to intervene to correct some little detail—she apparently had understood the locals, lending a little more support to that theory. And now her value on any team that travels back across is much higher.
Galena wasn't just the skilled navigator who became dead-weight on these away missions. She was a universal translator for Earth. That alone might make her the most valuable translator in the world. Along with anyone else who ever comes across from Equestria.
Mystery about Janet aside, he learned the details of what they'd negotiated.
"Sounds like a great deal," Ryan said, as soon as they were finished. "We've got a local home base. We'll need it when the crew gets here. How many do you think we'll have, Blake?"
"Uh..." He ticked off the names on his hands for a minute. "Somewhere between five and ten. There's plenty of money in the company accounts, assuming they weren't drained. The real question is how many people are sketched out by our sudden appearance, and what we're asking them to do. But once we charge up our crap, we could give a little more information."
"We should start thinking about how we're going to reveal this to the world," Jordan said. "This quiet little town will become the center of the world. Didn't even have a rail station."
"Not here." Ryan gestured back at the shimmering pool behind them. "Kaelynn deserves to be part of that conversation. Holding down the ship doesn't mean she's out of the team. This is her victory as much as ours. She gets a vote."
Blake nodded. "But we need to work out what to do. We've got nine days to kill. Going through the crystal caverns didn't seem so bad, but we might want to outline the way down. Might have to wait for the crew to get here, they should have UV paint."
It was a common technique they used when working in areas others might see. Didn't want to risk the public or law-enforcement figuring out what they were up to.
They spoke for several minutes, considering different ways of passing information, and ways to separate the group. After being in another world for so long, spending nine whole days on this side seemed like an eternity.
"Alright, I think I know what we should do," Blake declared, after some discussion. "Galena, you don’t mind staying here. Is that right?"
She nodded eagerly. "I wish to learn more of your world, and the people of Bydska. And here, no captain will ever find me. It is as safe as I have ever been."
"Great, fantastic," Jordan exclaimed. "So she stays with Janet, is that the plan?"
Blake nodded. Inwardly though, he was more confused than anything. The bat Vesper hadn't seemed to mind Galena. So why was Jordan so on edge around her? If it was the physical attraction, at least they could relate.
"We'll join Janet down there for the night, get everything we can charged up. In the morning, we'll get Janet a phone, any other supplies we can find, maybe pawn one of our gold coins...
"Galena, you'll be staying behind. You're welcome to spend that time with Janet in town, so long as you visit the cave at least once each day, to wait for messages. Also, don't get into trouble. If you get revealed as an alien, you will probably find the locals become far less accommodating."
She shrugged. "Even if Janet is right about the magic—she said I could remain here for a month, yes? I will be safe enough."
"Sounds perfect," Jordan agreed. "I assume we'll be going back to tell Kaelynn all this, and give her a chance to come across."
Blake nodded. "We'll be back in nine days, unless we hear from the crew sooner that things are changing. We'll have to work out someone else to keep an eye on the ship. And... think about what to do about the locals. We'll need a way to keep it on the downlow that there's a Worldgate a mile from their village."
There was a little more discussion about the details. But soon enough they'd distributed more of the spare clothes, and were on their way back down the mountain. Blake had left a white shirt hanging from the edge of the cave, to help them find their way back. Hopefully one night wouldn't be long enough for the locals to get too curious.
"You think there's enough room in the house for five people?" he asked, when they finally reached the trail. "Or... another ten?"
"No," Jordan said, without skipping a beat. "But it's not a tile floor in an ancient bathhouse."
There wasn't as much activity in the old village as they made their way in for Blake's first time. A few old cars, a bus winding its way through town, and plenty of foot traffic.
They attracted their fair share of stares and raised eyebrows. But ultimately, there were no mobs, no robberies, and they made it to a run-down little farmhouse on the edge of town.
Janet was waiting for them inside, wearing an old apron and holding an unmarked bottle of soapy water and a broom. "You made it. I wasn't sure if you would go straight through to the other side."
"We're hoping to charge up all our batteries first. Is there anything to eat in here?"
"Sure, yeah. Miss Wysocki sent a plate of... I think they're dumplings. Here, they're still warm."
Blake took one from the offered plate, and settled in for the strangest night of his life.