(IC) Lost in Dreams (Julian)

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Ypress: "A choice without knowledge is not a choice. Did you know these decisions would make the conflict worse? Truly?"

"No, I didn't. I didn't choose to think about the consequences either."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Jailer: "And how do you know that?"

"Well I don't know if it's random error, but I felt the jump happen. It was done a second before your clock."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Jailer passes Julian the pad, and once its signed, he unlocks the cell. "Welcome to Koru. You may now walk about the ship. Here is a temporary Data-Pad. we'll want it back when you leave the ship. Use it to contact me when you're ready to talk about your schedule. You have about two hours before the shuttle for the descent leaves."

"My schedule after I get off the ship, I suppose."

Well, I'll look up how dangerous the oceans on Koru are. Maybe go see if I can ask the Starpus about why they finished a second faster than indicated. Then maybe wander around and see the different sections of the ship.

Then after I kill a bunch of time, I guess I'll get in touch with the nameless jailer and sort out my schedule.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

"No, I didn't. I didn't choose to think about the consequences either."

Ypress: "Would you have come up with them had you thought about them? Really? Its easy to look back and find fault, even if there was not fault."

"Well I don't know if it's random error, but I felt the jump happen. It was done a second before your clock."

Jailer: "Its not an error. That happens sometimes. I'm impressed you can feel it. I suppose that's why you're headed to the institute"

"My schedule after I get off the ship, I suppose."

Yes.

Well, I'll look up how dangerous the oceans on Koru are. Maybe go see if I can ask the Starpus about why they finished a second faster than indicated. Then maybe wander around and see the different sections of the ship.

Research on the oceans indicate dangers... but they're the same sort of dangers you'd see listed off the coast of the bay islands. If anything, the danger is less, as long as you stay out of storms.

Julian tries to reach the starpus... but their locations aren't labeled. If he asks about it, he'll be told:
"Why do you need to see the starpus? Oh, you're the hyperastropic kid! We had to launch early for you. I'm glad I made the new time. You'll want to talk to the navigator."

The navigator isn't in his office, but responds via a screen built into his door. "What? Oh, its you! I don't want you talking to starpus yet. We haven't sorted out the last ones you talked to."

Then after I kill a bunch of time, I guess I'll get in touch with the nameless jailer and sort out my schedule.

The Jailer lays out a busy first day. Julian will travel to the institute and be shown his room. Then he'll have a chance to make requisitions. Then they'll do a "Full robust inspection", he'll eat, meet his "corrections coordinator", and go to bed. In the morning he'll wake at a specific time, shower, dress, have 15 minutes for excercize, and then go to tests on his astropic "speaking". Then a 5 minute break and a lesson on Koru biology...Every minute of the day has been accounted for for the next two weeks. Even school isn't this packed. And a lot of it is physically demanding or looks like medical tests.

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Ypress: "Would you have come up with them had you thought about them?"

"You didn't stop when the Starpus were taken to somebody elses station. Why would you stop if they were taken to your enemy's territory?"

Originally Posted by ericthered

"Really? Its easy to look back and find fault, even if there was not fault."

"I'd feel less bad if I thought I had an honest think about it and made a mistake rather than choosing to believe something that was convenient."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Jailer: "Its not an error. That happens sometimes. I'm impressed you can feel it. I suppose that's why you're headed to the institute"

"Well, it might not be an error, but it might be like the error on a clock, like the timer drifted slightly or like when you make something and it's slightly smaller or larger, but still acceptable."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Research on the oceans indicate dangers... but they're the same sort of dangers you'd see listed off the coast of the bay islands. If anything, the danger is less, as long as you stay out of storms.

Guess the Starpus just really, really like jumping then.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Julian tries to reach the starpus... but their locations aren't labeled. If he asks about it, he'll be told:
"Why do you need to see the starpus? Oh, you're the hyperastropic kid! We had to launch early for you. I'm glad I made the new time. You'll want to talk to the navigator."

The navigator isn't in his office, but responds via a screen built into his door. "What? Oh, its you! I don't want you talking to starpus yet."

"Well, how about just looking at their tank? Do they use a different tank while jumping?"

Originally Posted by ericthered

"We haven't sorted out the last ones you talked to."

"Are they not working right now?"

Originally Posted by ericthered

The Jailer lays out a busy first day. Peter Julian will travel to the institute and be shown his room. Then he'll have a chance to make requisitions.

"Requisition? Like what? Clothes? A tablet? An 80 inch television? A hot tub?"

Originally Posted by ericthered

Then they'll do a "Full robust inspection",

"What does that even mean? Does it involve a do-- diagnostician running a lot of tests?"

Originally Posted by ericthered

he'll eat, meet his "corrections coordinator"

"What does that mean? I get that I'm basically in prison, but, the academy isn't literally a prison, right? Are they making sure that I don't just up and leave?"

Originally Posted by ericthered

and go to bed. In the morning he'll wake at a specific time, shower, dress, have 15 minutes for excercize, and then go to tests on his astropic "speaking". Then a 5 minute break and a lesson on Koru biology...

The Academy is more like prison than I thought...

Originally Posted by ericthered

Every minute of the day has been accounted for for the next two weeks. Even school isn't this packed. And a lot of it is physically demanding or looks like medical tests.

Maybe I should have spoken to a solicitor about all this...

"Is it odd that I'm uneasy about this schedule being foisted on me when I've worked this hard in the past?"

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

"You didn't stop when the Starpus were taken to somebody elses station. Why would you stop if they were taken to your enemy's territory?"

Ypress: "That's not the question I asked. Would you really have forseen all those consequences? And did you even have time when you're running for your life or held captive by kidnappers?"

"I'd feel less bad if I thought I had an honest think about it and made a mistake rather than choosing to believe something that was convenient."

"At some point you've got to stop hating yourself."

"Well, how about just looking at their tank? Do they use a different tank while jumping?"

Navigator: "The jump tank? I suppose. we're running maintaince on it right now. I'll send someone"


Julian is head through a few passkey protected doors to a large chamber that looks like it normally holds water. Its currently drained. A lot of unindetifiable equipement shapes the room into a sort of donut. In the center is a sculpted underwater couch, and Julian spots eight more scattered around the donut.

"Are they not working right now?"

Navigator: "They're trying to renegotiate the deal. They're not getting any transport work until that's settled. "

"Requisition? Like what? Clothes? A tablet? An 80 inch television? A hot tub?"

Jailer: "Yes. All of those things. though you might have to share the tub."

"What does that even mean? Does it involve a do-- diagnostician running a lot of tests?"

Jailer: "Essentially. A team of them in this case."

"What does that mean? I get that I'm basically in prison, but, the academy isn't literally a prison, right? Are they making sure that I don't just up and leave?"

Jailer: "The corrections officer will ensure you don't fall back into criminal behavior. And yes, they are also responsible for making sure you don't disappear."

The Academy is more like prison than I thought...

Maybe I should have spoken to a solicitor about all this...

"Is it odd that I'm uneasy about this schedule being foisted on me when I've worked this hard in the past?"

Jailer: "Its a little intimidating. Remember for a lot of these someone else is doing all of the work."

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Ypress: "That's not the question I asked. Would you really have forseen all those consequences? And did you even have time when you're running for your life or held captive by kidnappers?"

"Maybe I didn't have time when heading through the underbrush, but I definitely had enough time to figure that when the authorities figured out who they were it wouldn't be pleasant..."

I realize my mistake, "You meant the other kidnappers... I did have the time, but I guess maybe I wouldn't have figured it out. I'm not that smart..."

Originally Posted by ericthered

"At some point you've got to stop hating yourself."

"If only it were that easy..."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Navigator: "The jump tank? I suppose. we're running maintaince on it right now. I'll send someone"


Julian is head through a few passkey protected doors to a large chamber that looks like it normally holds water. Its currently drained. A lot of unindetifiable equipement shapes the room into a sort of donut. In the center is a sculpted underwater couch, and Julian spots eight more scattered around the donut.

I ask what all the stuff is called and get a bunch of big words as answers.

"Is there a reason why the seats are shaped like that? Comfort?"

"How do they get in the tank? Is there like a passage or are they carried?"

Originally Posted by ericthered

Navigator: "They're trying to renegotiate the deal. They're not getting any transport work until that's settled. "

"Hopefully it works out well for everyone."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Jailer: "Yes. All of those things. though you might have to share the tub."

"Wait, really?"

This is really not like prison...

I have this sneaking suspicion that if Julian spends an appreciable amount of time here, wherever he lives is going to look like what a kid thinks a rich person lives like.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Jailer: "The corrections officer will ensure you don't fall back into criminal behavior. And yes, they are also responsible for making sure you don't disappear."

"Well, I hope they can help..."

They're going to be so mad when Julian dreams again.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Jailer: "Its a little intimidating. Remember for a lot of these someone else is doing all of the work."

"So much exercise and not a single day where I can just lie about..."

Come off it. You never had a break on the Bay Islands. This is only two weeks.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

"Maybe I didn't have time when heading through the underbrush, but I definitely had enough time to figure that when the authorities figured out who they were it wouldn't be pleasant..."


I realize my mistake, "You meant the other kidnappers... I did have the time, but I guess maybe I wouldn't have figured it out. I'm not that smart..."

Ypress: "You did your best. And you did the right thing, in the end."

"If only it were that easy..."

Ypress: "Its not easy, no. but its possible."

I ask what all the stuff is called and get a bunch of big words as answers.

"Is there a reason why the seats are shaped like that? Comfort?"

The technician: "its as comfortable for the starpus as we can get it. They put one leg here, and another there, and then they body lays right there..."

"How do they get in the tank? Is there like a passage or are they carried?"

Technician: "The Tube over there."
He points at an round hatch in the wall, around five feet in diameter. "They swim down that tunnel to the tank, and then back to their habitat."

"Hopefully it works out well for everyone."

Navigator: "It was working well before you put those grandiose ideas in their heads. They don't have a good idea of costs, and that makes the negotiations difficult."

"Wait, really?"

This is really not like prison...

I have this sneaking suspicion that if Julian spends an appreciable amount of time here, wherever he lives is going to look like what a kid thinks a rich person lives like.

Jailer: "Why not? This isn't a punishment, its a payment and rehabilitation. And those are pretty cheap requests."

"Well, I hope they can help..."

They're going to be so mad when Julian dreams again.

"That's what they're there for!"

"So much exercise and not a single day where I can just lie about..."

Come off it. You never had a break on the Bay Islands. This is only two weeks.

Jailer: "You had the option of lying about for weeks on end in a small cell. You chose this instead. And you have "wind down" time at the end of the day, about 30 minutes of it."


the wind down time seems to include changing into pajamas and brushing teeth.

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

I ask what all the stuff is called and get a bunch of big words as answers.

I'm glad you did too!

Originally Posted by ericthered

Navigator: "It was working well before you put those grandiose ideas in their heads. They don't have a good idea of costs, and that makes the negotiations difficult."

I smile sheepishly...

Originally Posted by ericthered

Jailer: "Why not? This isn't a punishment, its a payment and rehabilitation. And those are pretty cheap requests."

Jailer: "You had the option of lying about for weeks on end in a small cell. You chose this instead. And you have "wind down" time at the end of the day, about 30 minutes of it."

the wind down time seems to include changing into pajamas and brushing teeth.

I think about the things I came up with. "No time to watch TV I guess..."

Originally Posted by ericthered

a lesson on Koru biology...Every minute of the day has been accounted for for the next two weeks.

So, is the education that's happening too, is it well rounded or very much, "training to become an Astropic"?

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

I ask what all the stuff is called and get a bunch of big words as answers.

I think about the things I came up with. "No time to watch TV I guess..."

Jailer: "T? V? Oh, that. you really have an odd dialect. You've got moments here or there, I guess."

So, is the education that's happening too, is it well rounded or very much, "training to become an Astropic"?

Its very heavily "Training to become an Astropic"

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Jailer: "T? V? Oh, that. you really have an odd dialect. You've got moments here or there, I guess."

Hm... Maybe 'telly' would have been more consistent.

Strange that the abbreviation is gone.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Its very heavily "Training to become an Astropic"

I think about the schedule here: "So... Clone creches are bad because people are trained for a particular group of jobs and they had little to no choice in being placed there. This 'academy' is OK though, because people get a choice, just one where the entire pair of options is just stacked in favour of one choice."

"Like, am I going to be the youngest person there? Or is the place just full of kids who were told that they are uniquely suited to a particular job and if they accept this deal, they'll get piles of money and respect? Can a kid really make a choice like that?"

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

I think about the schedule here: "So... Clone creches are bad because people are trained for a particular group of jobs and they had little to no choice in being placed there. This 'academy' is OK though, because people get a choice, just one where the entire pair of options is just stacked in favour of one choice."

"Like, am I going to be the youngest person there? Or is the place just full of kids who were told that they are uniquely suited to a particular job and if they accept this deal, they'll get piles of money and respect? Can a kid really make a choice like that?"

Jailer: "Its got some parallels. Of course those clones didn't just engage in espionage, kidnapping, and assault. You lost your freedom through that, not because you were born into it."


"You're not going as a student. You're going as a subject. So yes, You'll be the youngest there. You have unique gifts, and the researchers will be studying those gifts."