(IC) Lost in Dreams (Julian)

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Royal: "Yes, but its a weak border, and we're professionals. Seven and Moneyface will take care of it."

Well hopefully it doesn't involve hiding in a suitcase. Probably wouldn't work without killing me anyway.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Florence: "Clones are the ethical responsibility of the cloning entity, with the genetic donor possessing significant non-obligatory rights. You can't be placed in slavery because someone steals your DNA and is reckless with it. Those would be your siblings or gene-mates, not your children. The responsibility lies with the person or entity creating human life."

The calm, matter of fact tone, starts to grate on me. I think back to Rupert and everything he did to try to shield his little sister from the whole situation at the orphanage...

"It's not about what happens to me! If I allow this to happen, then the responsibility is on me. Any terrible, reckless thing that happens, that's on my conscience. I don't know if I could live with that, even if they're more like my brother than anything else."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Slam:"So its an Icon, you just use a funny word for it."

I think about it, "Yeah, I guess it is weird to use a Japanese word to describe something like an icon."

I also ask what the date is. I got the year, but not the month or day.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

The calm, matter of fact tone, starts to grate on me. I think back to Rupert and everything he did to try to shield his little sister from the whole situation at the orphanage...

"It's not about what happens to me! If I allow this to happen, then the responsibility is on me. Any terrible, reckless thing that happens, that's on my conscience. I don't know if I could live with that, even if they're more like my brother than anything else."

Florence: "You can't stop it. You leave DNA everywhere. And if you could stop the DNA, you couldn't stop them from making someone who looks just like you. You're taking on a burden you don't need to. Besides, I already said I wouldn't do it without someone who can properly care for children and only if that's the only way to get your special traits to work."

I also ask what the date is. I got the year, but not the month or day.

February 16

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

February 16

Thanks.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Florence: "You can't stop it. You leave DNA everywhere. And if you could stop the DNA, you couldn't stop them from making someone who looks just like you."

Scary thought; just a swab of the cheek, a stolen brush, or maybe even a discarded bottle and someone could start making copies of me.

Originally Posted by ericthered

"You're taking on a burden you don't need to. Besides, I already said I wouldn't do it without someone who can properly care for children and only if that's the only way to get your special traits to work."

It's interesting that a question that I thought of as, "Easy and implies its own answer" has spiraled out into this. I guess Florence doesn't have a dishonest bone in her body, because it seems like she could have easily lied here and gotten everything she wanted. I suppose Julian would appreciate that more if he didn't find this so upsetting.

[144] 23-05-03 01:19:12 CEST
Bad Temper Control
3d6 <= 15
3 + 4 + 3 = 10 ... success

I resist the urge to scream in her stupid, smug face and tell her what I really think of her. Instead I say, "Look, if I ask you not to clone me, will you at least respect that much?"

Well, I suppose the answer could be one of: Yes, No, or It depends. If yes, then I guess we go onto whatever was planned after the conversation. If that includes bedtime, and Julian gets a comfortable amount of privacy:
As I change into my pyjamas, I decide that this is as good a time as any to check. Just so many things happening before hand. I draw a light Vasic on the inside of my leg and check if it lights up. Then I finish changing and get under the covers before going to sleep.

[145] 23-05-03 01:48:22 CEST
Vasic Ops
3d6 <= 12
3 + 6 + 1 = 10 ... success

And if no:
Well, I've been more than reasonable here. A simple request like this and she just throws it back into my face? I get really angry, "You smug [unprintable adjective] [unprintable noun]! You don't care about me, you just care about what you can get from me! Stupid cow! How can I trust any of you! [Unprintable verb] [angrish]!"


And if it depends then I guess the response depends.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

It's interesting that a question that I thought of as, "Easy and implies its own answer" has spiraled out into this. I guess Florence doesn't have a dishonest bone in her body, because it seems like she could have easily lied here and gotten everything she wanted. I suppose Julian would appreciate that more if he didn't find this so upsetting.

Its more that she feels that she has the moral high ground. She's done things that are ethically grey, but she doesn't think cloning people is one of them.

I resist the urge to scream in her stupid, smug face and tell her what I really think of her. Instead I say, "Look, if I ask you not to clone me, will you at least respect that much?"

Royal interjects: "Florence, he's not from here. Take it slow. Julian, don't get worked up, Panogos has its own set of ethics around cloning. It gets people riled up when they talk about it. If we're going to pull this job off, we need to be in top form. Florence, take Slam and check the tank, make sure the screamer is doing all right. Make sure Slam is doing it right."


"Julian, we need to go over what you're going to say to the Starpus. We need to identify one willing to go with us. We don't know how their greetings work, so we need to be extra polite. Something like 'Starpus! We have come to take you to a new tank with new possibilities. We offer freedom and opportunity!'. Of course, that might not work, so then we'll have you move onto offering food..."

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Royal interjects: "Florence, he's not from here. Take it slow. Julian, don't get worked up, Panogos has its own set of ethics around cloning. It gets people riled up when they talk about it. If we're going to pull this job off, we need to be in top form. Florence, take Slam and check the tank, make sure the screamer is doing all right. Make sure Slam is doing it right."

After Florence and Slam leave, I thank Royal. Hopefully cooling things off will help here.

Originally Posted by ericthered

"Julian, we need to go over what you're going to say to the Starpus. We need to identify one willing to go with us. We don't know how their greetings work, so we need to be extra polite."

"Yo..." I mumble, and then I elaborate. "That's what the one (?) Starpus that spoke to me said. 'Yo, Wake up, Move'. Maybe it hadn't seen someone asleep before?"

Originally Posted by ericthered

"Something like 'Starpus! We have come to take you to a new tank with new possibilities. We offer freedom and opportunity!'."

"Surely if they can understand "Freedom and opportunity" that they don't have it right now. Or at least that there are places besides tanks."

Originally Posted by ericthered

"Of course, that might not work, so then we'll have you move onto offering food..."

"I dunno. Do you think they're being starved or that they're so simple that they only want food?"

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

After Florence and Slam leave, I thank Royal. Hopefully cooling things off will help here.

"You're Welcome. Try not to get worked up next time. Such tensions and concerns are at the root of the war."

"Yo..." I mumble, and then I elaborate. "That's what the one (?) Starpus that spoke to me said. 'Yo, Wake up, Move'. Maybe it hadn't seen someone asleep before?"

"yo?" Royal seems shocked. "Yo? I finally find out what the starpus talk like and they start with 'Yo'. That's not what I expected. 'Yo' may work. We can hope."

"Surely if they can understand "Freedom and opportunity" that they don't have it right now. Or at least that there are places besides tanks."

"So say 'Freedom and Opportunity' First. Then give concrete offers. Lead with the complex: it is better to confuse than to insult."

"I dunno. Do you think they're being starved or that they're so simple that they only want food?"

Royal: "I don't know how simple they are or aren't. Florence thinks its unlikely they're of exactly human intelligence. Food is a good motivator even if people aren't hungry. What do you want for lunch?"

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

"You're Welcome. Try not to get worked up next time. Such tensions and concerns are at the root of the war."

"It's hard; this is all new to me. Only clone I ever heard of before all this was Dolly the Sheep."

Originally Posted by ericthered

"yo?" Royal seems shocked. "Yo? I finally find out what the starpus talk like and they start with 'Yo'. That's not what I expected. 'Yo' may work. We can hope."

"Honestly for a moment I thought it was me thinking it."

Originally Posted by ericthered

"So say 'Freedom and Opportunity' First. Then give concrete offers. Lead with the complex: it is better to confuse than to insult."

I nod in agreement

Originally Posted by ericthered

Royal: "I don't know how simple they are or aren't. Florence thinks its unlikely they're of exactly human intelligence. Food is a good motivator even if people aren't hungry."

"I guess it could at least get a foot in the door."

Originally Posted by ericthered

"What do you want for lunch?"

Faced with a plethora of options at his disposal, maybe for the first time even, Julian has only one opinion
"Anything but rice. Or a rice-like substitute."

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

"It's hard; this is all new to me. Only clone I ever heard of before all this was Dolly the Sheep."

"Welcome to Panogos. You'll figure it all out."

"Honestly for a moment I thought it was me thinking it."

"Maybe its just the impression of what you're saying, and not the words... hmmm. What sort of emotions should you be sending at them?"

Faced with a plethora of options at his disposal, maybe for the first time even, Julian has only one opinion
"Anything but rice. Or a rice-like substitute."

"Anything but rice? is this a nausea trigger, or is your old home just that poor? I've got some steak and Fry-Fruit we can eat."

The food comes out of a cabinet, goes into a small oven, and five minutes later is steaming hot. The meat is savory and delicious, the "Fry-Fruit" is some sort of solid fruit, cooked and with caramelized edges. Julian isn't sure what kind of fruit it is: it reminds him of papaya.

They discuss exactly what to say to the Starpus for a while, before Royal Heads into a different room to discuss possible locations with someone. Maybe seven.

The 'apartment' they are in has two bathrooms and six bedrooms, with a weird quasi kitchen and two public spaces, one each in the front and the back. Everything comes off a hall running the length of the dwelling.

Slam shows Julian a room he can claim as his own, complete with a bed that can be adjusted for elevation, tilt, temperature, firmness, vibration, pattern, and responsiveness.

The room also has a desk and computer. Slam sets up an account for Julian "But keep a low profile, right? What name do you want? How about 'Astro'?"

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

"Welcome to Panogos. You'll figure it all out."

"Eventually." Just have to avoid climbing over the edges of cliffs, and it should all work out.

Originally Posted by ericthered

"Maybe its just the impression of what you're saying, and not the words... hmmm. What sort of emotions should you be sending at them?"

"Like I'll have much control over that. Probably nervousness. Always nervous over stuff like this."

Originally Posted by ericthered

"Anything but rice? is this a nausea trigger, or is your old home just that poor?"

"You wouldn't know the half of it. Lived in a hole in vegetation off a cliff. No mattress, one change of clothes, just about the only thing I could eat was rice."

Originally Posted by ericthered

"I've got some steak and Fry-Fruit we can eat."

"What's fry-fruit? Is it like chips?"

Originally Posted by ericthered

The food comes out of a cabinet, goes into a small oven, and five minutes later is steaming hot. The meat is savory and delicious, the "Fry-Fruit" is some sort of solid fruit, cooked and with caramelized edges. Julian isn't sure what kind of fruit it is: it reminds him of papaya.

So is the fry-fruit served like a solid homogenous block, or in smaller portions? Is it hard like a carrot, or soft like a turnip?

"Was the fry-fruit processed to look like this?"

Originally Posted by ericthered

They discuss exactly what to say to the Starpus for a while, before Royal Heads into a different room to discuss possible locations with someone. Maybe seven.

I'll assume there's time to poke around or at least ask questions about the other areas in the apartment between when Royal leaves and when Slam shows Julian his room.

Originally Posted by ericthered

The 'apartment' they are in has two bathrooms and six bedrooms, with a weird quasi kitchen and two public spaces, one each in the front and the back. Everything comes off a hall running the length of the dwelling.

Hm. Sort of a like communal apartment or a dorm I guess.

I guess this is an apartment in that all residences on a space station are apartments.

What makes it a quasi-kitchen? Is it only just a cabinet, a dishwasher(?), and an oven? Does it seem like the cabinet is cooled in any way, like a fridge?

Where are the exterior exits? Off the public spaces? What's in the public spaces? Just couches, tables and chairs? Is there anything resembling shared entertainment in the public spaces (i.e. bookshelves, a television, board games, etc.)? Is the room decorated or sparse?

Originally Posted by ericthered

Slam shows Julian a room he can claim as his own, complete with a bed that can be adjusted for elevation, tilt, temperature, firmness, vibration, pattern, and responsiveness.

"You mean this is all mine?"

I jump onto the bed, "This is soooo soft!"

I begin to fiddle with the controls of the bed, and begin to wonder... If this isn't luxury, what must luxury be like?

Originally Posted by ericthered

The room also has a desk and computer.

Does the computer have a keyboard and mouse or what?

Originally Posted by ericthered

Slam sets up an account for Julian "But keep a low profile, right?

"Don't worry, I'll just be looking things up."

If he wants examples,

"You know, like how big Curry station is, what Fry-Fruit is, how important warp ships are..."

Originally Posted by ericthered

What name do you want? How about 'Astro'?"

"How about 'Jools'?"

If he doesn't like that, Julian will suggest Rook and then just accept Astro.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

"Like I'll have much control over that. Probably nervousness. Always nervous over stuff like this."

"Always nervous..." Royal doesn't seem to know quite how to react to that. "We'll get that fixed. You can feel nervous, but shouldn't prevent you from acting confidently"

"You wouldn't know the half of it. Lived in a hole in vegetation off a cliff. No mattress, one change of clothes, just about the only thing I could eat was rice."

"And you were a Astropic all this time. We'll show you what living is all about. Its a joy."

"What's fry-fruit? Is it like chips?"

"It's Fried Fruit. The fruit is designed to be fried... Its thicker than chips. just try it."

So is the fry-fruit served like a solid homogenous block, or in smaller portions? Is it hard like a carrot, or soft like a turnip?

I've never had turnips. Its closer to a cooked carrot or cantaloupe. Its a flat slice of the fruit, maybe as thick as a slice of bread.

"Was the fry-fruit processed to look like this?"

Royal: "I don't know. They package it to cook properly, so I guess. That's something Florence might know. Or Seven."

I'll assume there's time to poke around or at least ask questions about the other areas in the apartment between when Royal leaves and when Slam shows Julian his room.

Not really... but Slam will happily give him a tour of the place and answer questions.

Hm. Sort of a like communal apartment or a dorm I guess.

Basically.

I guess this is an apartment in that all residences on a space station are apartments.

Basically

What makes it a quasi-kitchen? Is it only just a cabinet, a dishwasher(?), and an oven? Does it seem like the cabinet is cooled in any way, like a fridge?

Something about it feels minimal. Maybe its just that there is no stove, no knife block, a bathroom-sized sink, no appliances sitting on the counters, and all the appliances are disguised as cupboards. On closer inspection, it seems there is a dishwasher, and some of the Cabinet's are actually refrigerated.

Where are the exterior exits? Off the public spaces? What's in the public spaces? Just couches, tables and chairs? Is there anything resembling shared entertainment in the public spaces (i.e. bookshelves, a television, board games, etc.)? Is the room decorated or sparse?

The exits are off the public spaces, running the same direction as the hall. The public spaces are just couches, tables, chairs, and some cupboards. There doesn't seem to be any public entertainment, and the decoration is spartan.

"You mean this is all mine?"

Slam: "As long as we're crashing here."

I jump onto the bed, "This is soooo soft!"

I begin to fiddle with the controls of the bed, and begin to wonder... If this isn't luxury, what must luxury be like?

LOL. He's going to get really weird settings and decide he likes it or something.

Does the computer have a keyboard and mouse or what?

"Don't worry, I'll just be looking things up."

If he wants examples,

"You know, like how big Curry station is, what Fry-Fruit is, how important warp ships are..."

For know, a touch screen, though if he asks for keyboard and mouse its available.

"How about 'Jools'?"

If he doesn't like that, Julian will suggest Rook and then just accept Astro.

"Jewels? That's too close to your real name. Lets try something some more anonymous."


"Rook? Rook works. What does it mean?"