“Well, we may as well head out for lunch, and I haven’t been to the Park in a while, so, let’s do that.” Ashlee decided after a few moments.
“Okay then.” Danielle agreed. “Let’s head out in a few.”
“Sure, I’ll need a while to get ready anyway.” Ashlee pointed out as she went into the bathroom.
That was when Danielle remembered the coffee she’d put down, heading back into the bedroom to get it. As she drank it, thankful that it had not gone cold, something was bugging her, right at the back of her mind. While she and Ashlee had been using the Pen a lot since it came into her hands, it had only been recently that she’d found herself needing to reverse some of the changes she’d made with it. And it was only now that she began to worry about what potential effects that this could have. Fortunately for her, there was one method of working out what ill-effects could occur, having already done such a thing to work out its possible effects, and its origins. Making sure that the sheet was clean, she put the Pen to paper and wrote down:
‘Is this Pen able to properly undo a change that was already made? And what risks are associated with such an act?’ The answer revealing itself beneath the questions a moment later.
‘Reversing a change made, while possible, is not without risk. In simple terms, it doesn’t fully erase the previous change prior to undoing, but rather covers over them. Heavy use of this could cause a scenario where various realities bleed into each other.’
This made Danielle worry, she’d already made a few of these, ‘reversals’, and needed to ask:
‘The reversals/corrections I’ve made, are they dangerous?’
‘No, not yet. The reversals/corrections you’ve made have been small, and sufficiently limited to be safely contained.’
‘Though it’s still a very poor idea to end up in another situation where corrections are needed.’
‘That is correct.’
“Damn.” Danielle sighed out, realising now by just how small a margin that a massive bullet had been dodged, even if said bullet could turn around for another try.
“Okay, your turn now.” She heard Ashlee call out as she left, before she saw her face. “What’s wrong?” She asked as she read the look of worry on her.
“You, you need to read this.” Danielle replied as she handed the paper to Ashlee before heading into the bathroom, the Pen still in her hand.
By the time she was fresh and cleaned up, Ashlee had read it at least twice over, and faced Danielle when she was back in the living room.
“Does this mean, we can’t use it?”
“No, the Pen can be used, but constant corrections and reversing changes we make is dangerous.” Danielle corrected her.
“Which means?”
“As long as no more are needed, what’s been done already can be contained safely, but we really do need to avoid scenarios where reversing the changes has to be done.”
“Damn. That Pen really needs a warning label on it.” Ashlee remarked.
“It does, you’re holding it.” Danielle pointed to the paper she was holding. “And like I said, we need to be more careful with it, a LOT more careful.”
“I suppose so.” Ashlee was forced to agree. “Which means?”
“Either small changes, or work it all out in advance.”
“Heh, that should be a pencil then, easier to erase.” Ashlee giggled out.
“That wouldn’t work either.” Danielle alerted her to the fact.
“And why’s that?”
“Even if it were, the changes would still operate in the same manner. Pen, Pencil, they both leave dents in what they write in, an imprint. Looking at it that way, it becomes obvious that it would still not completely erase the changes made before.” Danielle explained to her. “But as long as it’s not used too heavily, say, one or two times each day, and kept small enough, it should be safe.”
“I suppose so.” Ashlee conceded. “But we still have a lunch to get.”
That was Danielle’s cue to get something on. While it was still true that she technically didn’t need anything on, she was not willing to chance broken glass cutting through her soles, or the weather staying nice. Getting a good pair of heels on (since what she had in the home had been adjusted with her) before picking up a small notepad, borrowing one of Ashlee’s handbags to put that, the Pen, the keys, and her own wallet into before joining Ashlee. Ashlee had appeared to be taking advantage of her lesser need for attire, seeing that she had on her t-shirt and jean-shorts that barely covered her own breasts and crotch along with a pair of sneakers.
They paused by the door to get on their overcoats, Danielle still adjusting to the fact that the buttons were inverted from what she was used to, but was able to manage without to much difficulty, before the door was locked and they left to get some food in their stomachs.