[Of course he likes this—how can he not? Viktor is an inventor, someone who has spent his entire life building things, and once he makes his second trip to the Horizon, with an understanding of what it is and what he can do in it, he wastes no time.
Frequent visitors to the Horizon might notice that there is a new domain in town, a wall that follows the line of a river, cutting between two cities, one with a prominent skyline, the other built into the ravines below. The bulk of it is not accessible—more of a backdrop, the real contents of the domain contained inside the wall and in the crevasse below. Very little has been done to keep prying visitors out—might as well take a look around, right?]
i. you can't waste taxpayer dollars in the mind palace
[Most of the domain is housed in the interior of the wall—heading up the stairs (or lift) and past the clockwork machinery of what appears to be a water treatment facility reveals a long hallway and double doors. Not ominous!
Possibly it’s the sound of an explosion that brings you into the space. Something has most certainly just blown up—Viktor is standing in the middle of the cavernous room that is the lab and possibly also some smoldering ruins, seemingly thrilled with what has just transpired, and looking slightly maniacal. Apparently, given free rein to imagine up any experiment that he could possibly want, his first inclination is to do the most volatile thing imaginable. It quite literally can’t hurt, right? Possibly it takes him a moment to realize he has company, and when he does he has the wherewithal to look slightly embarrassed.]
Just, uh. Testing the limits.
ii. intellectual property
[When Viktor is here, the door to the study is open, and possibly this place is a little more welcoming to visitors (and less full of weird equipment test runs and explosions). This is clearly a personal space—there are books everywhere, and houseplants, and coffee, and even though he’s probably been here for like, an hour tops, every table and blackboard is filled with notes and schematics. You are welcome to take a look, but Viktor is quick to speak up from his workspace if you decide to peek at something he’d rather you didn’t.]
Do you mind? That’s proprietary.
[If you've met Viktor outsize of the Horizon, the difference may seem a little striking. Given the ability, he seems to have done away with whatever ails him in the real world—his face is fuller, less pale, and he stands straighter, using a cane instead of his usual crutch. If you haven't met him, well. Good. Less opportunity for prying questions (outside of the sensitive blueprints, of course).]
iii. what's this weird cave doing here
[If you’re particularly intrepid, it’s just as easy to go down as it is up, and exploring below the wall leads into a rocky crevasse. he water that flows through is unnaturally clear. One gets the sense that it's probably not this clean in reality, and is, instead, the result of a conscious decision to construct this place in a way that it could (or, perhaps, should) be. Continue on and the path heads underground, into a cave entrance and grotto.
It’s slightly rarer to find Viktor here—you’re more likely to be ambushed by the creature-in-residence, instead, but in the event of such misfortune he is quick to intervene.]
Don’t worry, she’s harmless. [Well, he hopes, but the real Rio had always been docile, and therefore it follows that his faithful mental recreation would be as well. Ideally. He’s still wrapping his mind around the apparent ability to conjure sentient entities within the Horizon, even if this is simply the recreation of a memory. It’s possible he looks a little bewildered, not only at someone finding their way down here, but at the situation itself. Isn’t this comforting!]
iv. casual b&e
[He is also, of course, snooping. A naturally curious mind, Faced with something so incredible as the Horizon, the first thing Viktor wants to do is test its limits. Though he seems to have enough awareness that it might be rude to actually enact changes or to otherwise encroach on someone else’s domain, that doesn’t stop him from, you know, taking a few little walks, leading to the inevitable.
He’s in your house (domain)!! He’s touching your stuff!!! He sees nothing wrong with any of this!!!! Maybe you should have locked it up better if you didn’t want anyone poking around!!!!!!]
[OPEN] horizon
Frequent visitors to the Horizon might notice that there is a new domain in town, a wall that follows the line of a river, cutting between two cities, one with a prominent skyline, the other built into the ravines below. The bulk of it is not accessible—more of a backdrop, the real contents of the domain contained inside the wall and in the crevasse below. Very little has been done to keep prying visitors out—might as well take a look around, right?]
i. you can't waste taxpayer dollars in the mind palace
ii. intellectual property
iii. what's this weird cave doing here
iv. casual b&e