{"id":904,"date":"2022-08-23T00:44:53","date_gmt":"2022-08-23T00:44:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/?p=904"},"modified":"2023-11-21T04:45:53","modified_gmt":"2023-11-21T04:45:53","slug":"an-unexpected-ally","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/?p=904","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"_3d-flip-book  fb3d-fullscreen-mode full-size\" data-id=\"1365\" data-mode=\"fullscreen\" data-title=\"false\" data-template=\"short-white-book-view\" data-lightbox=\"dark-shadow\" data-urlparam=\"fb3d-page\" data-page-n=\"0\" data-pdf=\"\" data-tax=\"null\" data-thumbnail=\"\" data-cols=\"3\" data-book-template=\"default\"><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\">window.FB3D_CLIENT_DATA = window.FB3D_CLIENT_DATA || [];window.FB3D_CLIENT_DATA.push('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');window.FB3D_CLIENT_LOCALE && window.FB3D_CLIENT_LOCALE.render();<\/script>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">An Unexpected Ally<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Chapter Eight, Summer 2037<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty woke up in an unfamiliar bed and stirred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The bunk underneath him stirred as well and Pretty remembered where he was and that Blink was sleeping just below him. The Leader lifted his head and looked across the room at Eve who was already awake and sitting at one of the two desks in the room holding a with a map open. She was focused, but said: \u201cGood morning. Did you sleep well?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty almost said \u2018no,\u2019 but then simply shook his head to test her prophecy powers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Without turning her head or appearing to break focus, she said, \u201cThat\u2019s good to hear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow do your powers work? Can you hear peoples\u2019 thoughts through walls?\u201d Pretty asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOnly if I focus. It\u2019s really only distance that stops me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo signal interference?\u201d Blink said as he threw his feet off the side of the bed and rubbed his eyes. Eve picked up his glasses which were folded on the edge of the desk and rolled her chair over to him. Pretty watched looked at her in the eye for a second and then became distracted by the robes she was wearing. They were blue with a gold trim and had a hood hanging at ease on her upper back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blink put on his glasses and said, \u201cI\u2019m kind of hungry. What do you eat here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve sat up straight and took a breath before speaking. \u201cYou need water. You\u2019re severely dehydrated and are going to start feeling the altitude sickness pretty soon. I forgot to give you two water yesterday; sorry about that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s altitude sickness?\u201d Pretty asked. He hoped it didn\u2019t have to do with throwing up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s like a cold,\u201d Even said. \u201cYour throat hurts and you get headaches. Worst-case scenario: you won\u2019t want to move from your bed and you\u2019ll have trouble eating anything that isn\u2019t salty, especially water.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThen by all means let\u2019s get some water,\u201d Pretty said, rising from his bed which was simply a few towels on the wood slats that usually hold a mattress. He was told they didn\u2019t outfit bed that weren\u2019t being used unless they absolutely had to because the humidity from rain and dew would rot unused mattresses. At least he had a pillow and a blanket on top; the nighttime was cold and there was no heater to keep the resort warm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cStay here,\u201d Eve said. \u201cI\u2019ll bring you a pitcher. Before you eat anything, the pitcher should be finished.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After Eve left, Pretty and Blink stood and started inspecting the room. There were about as many books in this room as their own, but the ones Eve kept around were much different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The room had two beds, two desks, two chairs, a round coffee table in the center and at the foot of Eve\u2019s bed there was another station. Blink was wondering about that other station at the foot of her bed and cautiously began to inspect it. There was a vanity desk without a mirror, but on the wall next to it was a mirror. Blink straightened his glasses as he looked at himself in the mirror and gave himself a small smile. He could see Pretty looking at some of the books on the bookshelf next to the other desk Eve wasn\u2019t sitting at this morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty said, \u201cA few books by a guy named Neal Stevenson. Hey look! Stephen King. <em>The Tommyknockers<\/em>. That sounds hella suggestive. I\u2019ll show Stevie my knockers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blink smiled and opened one of the draws in the vanity. There were bunch of small tubes in a paper wrapping. He picked one up. \u201cThe hell are these?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty looked over and then took a few steps over before saying: \u201cOh, shit, that\u2019s a tampon! Put that back, quick.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blink cocked his head, but trusted Pretty and put it back. \u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt catches all the blood when a girl\u2019s on her cycle,\u201d Pretty said. \u201cBut those aren\u2019t used ones.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty shrugged. \u201cWhen my mom gave me the talk a few years ago\u2026 damn, I guess technically decades ago\u2026 she figured she\u2019d cover that part too. So fucking awkward\u2026 but hell, I guess you gotta have that conversation at some point, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blink nodded like he understood, but his dad hadn\u2019t taken him aside for a conversation like that. He just had to learn by intuition, by piecing together certain comments. One of the most stark examples was when he was playing Winton\u2019s Junior Golf. He was a shit player, but he just liked to hear the other competitive kids complain about their excellent shots and make extremely dumb comments. Once on an adjacent fairway a different young golfer was loudly explaining in borderline grisly detail how sixty-nining worked to his foursome and that was how he learned about that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There were books scattered at the foot of Blink\u2019s bed which used to be on the bed before he took over. Eve had hastily relocated them off the bed. Most of them were weathered map books. They were flat and large. One caught Blink\u2019s eye and he picked it up. <em>Stephen Biesty\u2019s Cross-Sections Man-of-War<\/em>. Blink opened it. The first page was ripped out, but the rest of the book had little wear aside from some dog-earing on the pages that had been carefully straightened out. He learned that the meals on these ships consisted of a lot of salted meat and butter or cheese. Blink didn\u2019t think he would make a good sailor after reading this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty put his hands behind his back and leaned over Eve\u2019s desk at the book she was reading. <em>The Andromeda Strain <\/em>by the author of <em>Jurassic Park<\/em>. Pretty was taken aback. \u201c<em>Jurassic Park<\/em> was a book?\u201d He picked up <em>The Andromeda Strain <\/em>hoping to find out more about the <em>Jurassic Park<\/em> book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blink stayed fixed to his own book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty was reading the back of this book when Eve returned through the open bedroom door. He placed it back on the desk exactly where it had been and said, \u201cHiya.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve placed two clear plastic cups on the desk next to her book and put the pitcher on a different book titled <em>Rockwell\u2019s America<\/em> with a diner scene on the torn-up cover.<br>\u201cDrink up,\u201d Eve instructed them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow will you know what fraiser thing we are? What superpower we get?\u201d Blink asked as he grabbed one of the cups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve shrugged. \u201cI\u2019ve been wondering the same thing all night and morning. There are ways to boost it, but the Shepherd would have to approve any of those methods.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow old are you?\u201d Pretty asked, filling Blink\u2019s cup first and then his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not certain, but I think I\u2019m about sixteen. I\u2019ve been with the Shepherd for almost seven or eight years now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen did you meet him?\u201d Pretty said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve murmured and just shook her head. \u201cMaybe ask him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Shepherd?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty knew not to probe, but Blink didn\u2019t and said, \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019d rather not talk about that part,\u201d Eve answered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOh,\u201d Blink said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The boys downed the rest of the water in a wordless race and Blink smiled, wishing he had an older brother more like Pretty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLet\u2019s go eat; everyone else has probably eaten already. I know I have,\u201d Eve said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow long have you been awake?\u201d Pretty asked as they followed her out of the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAn hour and a half,\u201d Eve said. \u201cThe Shepherd keeps the clock out for everyone to see so we know what time it is and we use the stars to gage what time zone and season we\u2019re in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow efficient,\u201d Pretty said. \u201cYou make it sound like you only have one clock.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe \u2018Grandfather Clock\u2019 goes off every hour. We keep it clean, dry, and wound all the time. But if you\u2019re from before the rise, there were probably clocks everywhere, hm?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah, I got one on my wrist,\u201d Blink said, pushing back his sleeve and revealing his green and orange Casio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve tilted her head and inspected the wristwatch with her hands behind her back like Pretty had when he was inspecting her desk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s on a screen, like a television,\u201d Eve said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDigital.\u201d Blink nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDigital,\u201d Eve repeated the word with reverence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty found her fascination cute. Not an attractive cute, but the cute you feel when you see a baby. An innocent cute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The continued into the main room of the cabin where the large wood table sat. The same one at which they had been questioned. There was a kitchen with a sink and behind it was a large fridge and next to it was a huge open wooden door leading into the pantry. For a moment, Pretty and Blink felt they hadn\u2019t traveled into an apocalyptic future world. It vanished when they looked overhead and saw a few shuffling hammocks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFlying fraisers,\u201d Pretty said to Blink. \u201cCrazy. I wonder if any of the Astronomers are fliers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHangers,\u201d Eve said as she left the kitchen. \u201cI\u2019ll be right back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHangers\u2026 nah, they\u2019re fliers,\u201d Pretty said. He wanted to see one of them fly around the spacious main room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve returned with a tray carrying a wrapped half-loaf of bread, more water, and something like orange noodles in a bowl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She placed the tray on the counter and opened a drawer and removed a serrated knife. She started cutting the bread. \u201cEver tried fucaccia bread? Horribly simple to make. The only thing hard to come by is yeast, but another fraiser, Hannah, has become good at harvesting her own yeast. She and I are really the only ones who read.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow did you bake it?\u201d Pretty asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Shepherd had a stone oven built outside and whenever we dock we usually stock up on wood if we are running low,\u201d Eve said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The boys ate slowly and realized the water they had drank plus their lack of eating had shrunk their appetites. They were finished in ten minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAre you ready for the next part of the tour?\u201d Eve asked, her robes swishing just past her knees. Blink noticed her shins were whiter than her face and she wore small, hand-tailored cloth shoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t know we were on a tour,\u201d Pretty said. \u201cI\u2019m ready.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve led them outside behind the ski resort. \u201cThis resort used to be on a mountain, but with a lot of minders\u2019 help they fused together a flat surface and reinforced the bottom with big steel girders. It\u2019s one of the strongest boats to float.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow much did this cost the Shepherd?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cA <em>lot<\/em>,\u201d Eve said, leaning into the last word with pride. \u201cThe most expensive transaction he has made in his life. I was there for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blink wanted to ask how she met the Shepherd again, but then he remembered it was a sensitive topic. Then he wondered if she could read his mind and know what he was wanting to ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve hadn\u2019t been paying attention to Blink\u2019s thinking and failed to hear his internal question. She was leading them across the pasture. \u201cThis is the Mansion Pasture. It\u2019s where all the traveling mansions return. The Shepherd calls them \u2018free-range novis\u2019. He tried raising a couple of other fraiserbanes, but he really connected with the novis and decided to exclusively raise them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat other fraiserbanes are there?\u201d Pretty said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve took a breath and said, \u201cCaywords, barrygangs, those swirly-headed guys\u2026 the Quaker eats fraisers\u2026 uh\u2026 there are a couple of others, but I can\u2019t remember them. Oh, there are those tree-perching ones. I don\u2019t know their names. I\u2019ve never seen one in person; I\u2019ve only heard about them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow do mansions travel?\u201d Blink said before Pretty could ask what the swirly-headed guys were.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Shepherd calls it \u2018folding\u2019 because when they leave, they start folding up and sliding into themselves until they are gone. Like when a piece of paper folds up and gets smaller? But in this case the houses are also unfolding somewhere else entirely. This spot,\u201d Eve pointed to a large, rectangular hole in the ground surrounded by more rectangles intermixing into themselves as if a large house used to reside here, \u201cis where one of the mansions left. Look, there\u2019s some of the man-made rock left behind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty and Blink followed her to the edge of the hole and saw some concrete residue that used to be attached to the house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt still doesn\u2019t make sense,\u201d Blink said. \u201cWouldn\u2019t this mean the house could leave behind all of the house at some point? It\u2019s leaving these little bits of concrete? How does the house decide what goes with it and what stays?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve shrugged. \u201cI don\u2019t know about it too much. It\u2019s just something that happens and sometimes they leave behind little bits of the house. Sometimes a plank or two, or maybe some of those roof tiles. There\u2019s a name for them, but I forget.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cShingles,\u201d Pretty said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cShingles,\u201d Eve said. \u201cIt\u2019s also a disease that some of us got a few winters ago.\u201d She let those words fade as she said them. \u201cNext part\u2026 my favorite part too. I had some of the minders dig it out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They were still walking through the mansion pasture for several minutes and the two Astronomers were watching the mansions around them, wondering if they would move, wondering if something would pop out of them and attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty drew in a large, rattling breath. \u201cWe were in one of those. God, there were some times I thought we were going to die.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe made it, though,\u201d Blink said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty appreciated Blink\u2019s simple, forward thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The edge of the boat was approaching and Pretty and Blink slowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve kept walking and said, \u201cThere are hangars on duty. It means even if you fall, they\u2019re ready to dive after you and bring you back. The Shepherd uses the hangars for more than one reason. Nobody has ever fallen to their death on one of his boats.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDoesn\u2019t mean I want to fall, though. Why are we on this side of the boat?\u201d Pretty said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve led them to another smaller rectangular hole in the ground. This one was outfitted with stone steps that led into the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhoa, a secret hideout!\u201d Blink said and followed her down. Pretty wordlessly did the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The walls were also stone and supported the dirt overhead. The wind stopped like someone had turned it off as they were submerged into the earth. The wind-chill was traded for the cool, underground feeling and impartial stone. Two-dozen steps later, they made it into a room with a large opening with a metal fence. The opening was cut into the side of the <em>Stone Compass <\/em>and offered a large window out the back of the boat. Here you could look over the fence and see the water below. Blink kept his footing as far back as possible and leaned to steal a large look at the water. It looked like soft, blue, consistent marble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty noticed Eve\u2019s face was as stony as the walls. <em>Is she planning on killing us here?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve turned her head and looked at Pretty and shook her head. \u201cThe Shepherd can\u2019t hear us here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty and Blink faced Eve. What didn\u2019t she want the Shepherd to hear?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou know Atlas Black?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo, but you mentioned him last night,\u201d Pretty said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI haven\u2019t spoken to him in a little while. I tried to last night, but wasn\u2019t able to reach him,\u201d Eve said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow can you talk to him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDreamscoping,\u201d Eve said. \u201cBut he said if the Shepherd came across any fraisers from out-of-time, he needed them. He said he was looking for one Myles Willis, but neither of you are named that. But I thought perhaps he made a mistake and needs you anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou know Myles?!\u201d Pretty said. \u201cWhere did you see him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t! I don\u2019t even know what he looks like,\u201d Eve answered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIs he in the city we\u2019re going to?\u201d Pretty took a step closer to Eve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI only know his name.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow does Atlas know Myles? And does Myles know Atlas? What has Myles been holding back?\u201d Pretty said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve inhaled and exhaled, considering her answer. Then she said, \u201cThe Shepherd\u2019s staff. It\u2019s called Auric and while he has it, he will likely be able to overcome Atlas. Atlas needed someone to steal it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo why don\u2019t <em>we<\/em> do that? Jump him while he\u2019s asleep?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve shook her head. \u201cYou don\u2019t know what a Maxim Staff is, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty and Blink shook their heads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAuric can\u2019t be claimed by just anyone. They need to have a high-enough legacy bond.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s a legacy bond?\u201d Pretty said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOh, heavens,\u201d Eve sighed. \u201cYou\u2019re not quite stupid, but you are incredibly far behind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty narrowed his eyes, wondering if he should be offended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMyles Willis, according to Atlas Black, has a high-enough legacy bond to claim Auric. Nobody else has a high enough legacy bond that is readily available.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty understood the words, but the situation behind them was where he was confused. \u201cHow\u2026 did Atlas find Myles of all people? He\u2019s not even on the same planet as him. And the timing? How the hell did all of that work?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve shook her head. \u201cYou\u2019d have to ask him. But we need to get Myles onto the <em>Stone Compass<\/em> along with Atlas.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWait, you said Atlas promised you something. That\u2019s why you\u2019re helping him at all, right?\u201d Blink said. \u201cWhat did he promise you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI want to leave the <em>Compass<\/em>. But I don\u2019t want to be sold. I want to go to Veldur and leave this planet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s Veldur?\u201d Blink asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve just waved her hand and shook her head to dismiss him. \u201cI\u2019ve been here seven years. I\u2019ve seen some horrible things and I want to leave them behind now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When Pretty and Blink thought about that comment paired with their own experience, they knew what she was talking about and said nothing in understanding. Eve\u2019s stance and decisiveness made her seem like a woman instead of a girl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty folded his arms and said, \u201cWhat do you need us to do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What are Pretty, Blink, and Eve discussing? How did the Shepherd claim Auric? Maybe Eve has grown close to the shepherd? And when do we hear the backstory, if at all? Maybe Eve tells them?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An Unexpected Ally Chapter Eight, Summer 2037 Pretty woke up in an unfamiliar bed and stirred. The bunk underneath him stirred as well and Pretty remembered where he was and that Blink was sleeping just below him. The Leader lifted his head and looked across the room at Eve who was already awake and sitting &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/?p=904\" class=\"more-link\">Read more<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-904","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fraiser"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/904","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=904"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/904\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1367,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/904\/revisions\/1367"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=904"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=904"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=904"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}