Sophia - Restless

Sophia stopped in the middle of practice the next afternoon. "This is good and all, but how long do I have to stay in here? I need to get out. The emptiness and silence is beginning to get to me."

"I can't keep you here. You are the mistress and you are free to come and go as you please. Just be aware, it can be very dangerous outside. You would be safer with more training." Tyana replied.

"I have to get out and see for a bit," Sophia said. She started toward the door from the throne room to the interface. "Uh, wait, is there any way I will be able to learn the local languages?"

"Are you good at languages?"

"No."

"The hut has a translation system, however, it works best on places where it has been before."

Sophia took a few more steps toward the door and stopped as her confidence seeped away. "I, ok, you win. I don't know anything about this and I don't know what I'm doing, and I am scared, and tired, and," she folded to the floor and began crying in ragged sobs. "I can't do this. Please, just send me back."

"I can't do that. There is no way to get you home without your help." Tyana crouched down next to Sophia and held her close while she continued to sob. "It'll be ok. You'll do fine. Just give yourself some time to figure things out."

"Time? What about my friends? What about my life?"

"I understand about friends, but was the rest of your life so good you wouldn't want to change it?"

"No, but I didn't get a choice."

"Would you have changed things on your own? Sometimes change needs a trigger, something to get started with." Tyana helped her rise and settled her into the throne. "Take a few minutes, then, if venturing out would help you, I can come along."

"How does that work? Aren't you, you know, like a hologram or something?"

"I have a shell I can use to leave for short times. I don't use it much because I can see and feel things much more completely through the hut interfaces."