(IC) Lost in Dreams (Julian)

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

That's Florence making a disappointed noise.

Ah, I see.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Scratchy: "They said nothing of the kind. At least not that I remember.

I see it now.

"My mistake; I jumped to conclusions when you mentioned 'They didn't tell us we'd have to teach you to speak'."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Scratchy: Did you talk to them? Maybe they can help you not be lost"

"They honestly seemed more interested in shuffling me off on someone else than they did with actually getting to the bottom of how I got here."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Rumbly: "Your name is Sunbeam? or Hot Light?"
Hungry Singer: "The hot part is human. we need to change it."

I try to think say again. "Sunbeam... Yes that's fine."

Originally Posted by ericthered

You feel a swelling feeling of desire to experience something new and regret for missed opportunities from Hungry Singer. After five seconds, it fades.

I find my thoughts drifting back to Riask; wanting to see under the platform, and the bad knot cutting my time there short...

Originally Posted by ericthered

Scratchy: "Like that."

"That was beautiful... Sad, but beautiful."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Hungry Singer: "We're not complaining, no. It feels good to Travel so far, to have our mind's strengthened. Its a joy. I am glad I made this deal"
Deep: "It is a good deal, yes."

Well, so much for this being easier with the concept of deals.

"OK, well, is there anything that would make the deal even better? Or make you want to take a different deal?"

Originally Posted by ericthered

Hungry Singer: "You don't need to know how we do it, you just need to know the box you travel in. And those human names you travel to."

"I don't remember any box. I just kind of woke up here. Before here though... That was Riask." I think speak the next part, "They used rocks."

Originally Posted by ericthered

He unlatches the screen and pushes an acknowledge button. emoji for the win

I think better of going for a dip. Instead I take off my shoes, and sit in the edge with my feet in the water. Then I get an idea and get a bucket for a sample of water.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

"My mistake; I jumped to conclusions when you mentioned 'They didn't tell us we'd have to teach you to speak'."

"They honestly seemed more interested in shuffling me off on someone else than they did with actually getting to the bottom of how I got here."

Scratchy: "Then how'd you get in here at all?"

I try to think say again. "Sunbeam... Yes that's fine."

Rumbly: "Sunbeam. I like it. Very human, but without any hard words. I'm 'Gentle Arms'. Its good to meet you. This is Big Digger and Pleasant Caller"


somehow Julian knows that the deep voice belongs to Big Digger, and that Pleasant Caller has the scratchy voice.

"That was beautiful... Sad, but beautiful."

Hungery Singer: "Thanks... though that's not much at all. Besides, its best if Big Digger and I sing at the same time"

Well, so much for this being easier with the concept of deals.

"OK, well, is there anything that would make the deal even better? Or make you want to take a different deal?"

Hungry Singer (high piercing): "I'd like to see more mud and explore the places we go. New places, not tanks."

Gentle Arms: "I'd like to work on something other than travelling for a bit: I could use a rest."

Big Digger (deep): "Wait, Wait, before we all wish for everything, can you actually make a different deal? you seem turned around and lost."

"I don't remember any box. I just kind of woke up here. Before here though... That was Riask." I think speak the next part, "They used rocks."

Pleasant Caller (scratchy): "They used rocks! instead of what? the power source? they must have lied to you!"



OCC: yeah, I suppose you technically could have gotten to here from Riask... if someone knows the right pattern. There are some other difficulties there, but Julian doesn't really get them, and its all something that could be accomplished.

I think better of going for a dip. Instead I take off my shoes, and sit in the edge with my feet in the water. Then I get an idea and get a bucket for a sample of water.

water sample collected!

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Scratchy: "Then how'd you get in here at all?"

"Then?" I decide to see if they can "hear" me shrug. A big shrug, like a pantomime artist. Then I'll continue with, "I dunno. I thought you might have noticed who dropped me there..."

"I've got a better grasp on now. I met some people think the other speakers are misleading people about how you're being treated and such. They went looking for a speaker who wasn't with the other speakers, and well, they found me. And then they found the fidget area and brought me over here to come talk to you."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Rumbly: "Sunbeam. I like it. Very human, but without any hard words. I'm 'Gentle Arms'. Its good to meet you. This is Big Digger and Pleasant Caller"

somehow Julian knows that the deep voice belongs to Big Digger, and that Pleasant Caller has the scratchy voice.

I briefly wonder if they're sending me contextual clues I'm only picking up on subconsciously... I guess if this works out I could ask later.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Hungery Singer: "Thanks... though that's not much at all. Besides, its best if Big Digger and I sing at the same time"

"Well, maybe later."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Hungry Singer (high piercing): "I'd like to see more mud and explore the places we go. New places, not tanks."

Gentle Arms: "I'd like to work on something other than travelling for a bit: I could use a rest."

Big Digger (deep): "Wait, Wait, before we all wish for everything, can you actually make a different deal? you seem turned around and lost."

"Well, it might be hard to believe, but yes, I could arrange a different deal. But the concordance, the other speakers, wouldn't be involved. The people who think the other speakers are misleading everyone else, they want different boxes to travel in, that don't involve the other speakers. They really want this, like enough to make a better deal. Time not traveling? Sure. Time in the sea? We could work on that. Heck, if you want out of this whole thing we could probably figure something out."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Pleasant Caller (scratchy): "They used rocks! instead of what? the power source? they must have lied to you!"

I continue silently, in my mind. "Instead of boxes. It was a special rock; draw a pattern on it, everything on top appears somewhere else."

Originally Posted by ericthered

OCC: yeah, I suppose you technically could have gotten to here from Riask... if someone knows the right pattern. There are some other difficulties there, but Julian doesn't really get them, and its all something that could be accomplished.

Well, there's the minor difficulty that he was falling to a fairly nasty death.

Originally Posted by ericthered

water sample collected!

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

"Then?" I decide to see if they can "hear" me shrug. A big shrug, like a pantomime artist. Then I'll continue with, "I dunno. I thought you might have noticed who dropped me there..."

"I've got a better grasp on now. I met some people think the other speakers are misleading people about how you're being treated and such. They went looking for a speaker who wasn't with the other speakers, and well, they found me. And then they found the fidget area and brought me over here to come talk to you."

Royal hisses in his ear: "You're telling them all of it? are you sure? What are they saying?"


Big Digger (deep): "We are not misled. This should be easy to tell."
Gentle Arms (scratchy): "How did they know you were a speaker? Why couldn't they just ask a speaker?"

I briefly wonder if they're sending me contextual clues I'm only picking up on subconsciously... I guess if this works out I could ask later.

Probably...

"Well, it might be hard to believe, but yes, I could arrange a different deal. But the concordance, the other speakers, wouldn't be involved. The people who think the other speakers are misleading everyone else, they want different boxes to travel in, that don't involve the other speakers. They really want this, like enough to make a better deal. Time not traveling? Sure. Time in the sea? We could work on that. Heck, if you want out of this whole thing we could probably figure something out."

Hungry Singer(High Piercing): "We can get out of this when-ever we want. I don't want out of the deal. But you say you can give a better deal?"
Pleasant Caller (Scratchy): "Anything? really? What about a ship made just for starpus and 10 travels a day?"

I continue silently, in my mind. "Instead of boxes. It was a special rock; draw a pattern on it, everything on top appears somewhere else."

Pleasant Caller (scratchy): "That's not how it works! Its all about spaces and minds and power and wonderful travel"

Gentle Arms: "Were these human or Starpus?"

Well, there's the minor difficulty that he was falling to a fairly nasty death.

Truth... though this isn't the first time Julian has been around people who take teleportation seriously.

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Royal hisses in his ear: "You're telling them all of it? are you sure? What are they saying?"


Big Digger (deep): "We are not misled. This should be easy to tell."

To Royal: "Apparently the Starpus aren't being misled or anything, and they like their deal with the concordance."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Gentle Arms (scratchy): "How did they know you were a speaker? Why couldn't they just ask a speaker?"

"They kind of guessed based on genetic make-up, and then checked with a Koru screamer... Most information about speakers and Starpus is kept under wraps, and they seem to like it that way. I think they had an alternative speaker though."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Hungry Singer(High Piercing): "We can get out of this when-ever we want. I don't want out of the deal. But you say you can give a better deal?"

"Probably? If all you're getting right now is food and continued life, I'm sure a better offer is possible."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Pleasant Caller (Scratchy): "Anything? really? What about a ship made just for starpus and 10 travels a day?"

"Well I dunno about the engineering of an all Starpus ship or 10 travels a day but it certainly could be explored..."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Pleasant Caller (scratchy): "That's not how it works! Its all about spaces and minds and power and wonderful travel"

Continued silence: "Ask them and they say it's all about careful patterns, timing and Vasic."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Gentle Arms: "Were these human or Starpus?"

Continued silence: "Humans and... Neithers. Many different neithers."

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

To Royal: "Apparently the Starpus aren't being misled or anything, and they like their deal with the concordance."

Royal: "Can we get them a better deal? more control? more stuff? Are they paying the starpus money? How smart are they?"

"They kind of guessed based on genetic make-up, and then checked with a Koru screamer... Most information about speakers and Starpus is kept under wraps, and they seem to like it that way. I think they had an alternative speaker though."

Gentle Arms (Rumbly): "Under ... What? ... This makes no sense. What do you mean?"
Royal hissing in his ear: "Don't sugar coat it. put them off their guard. They've been kept in a tank away from all the people"

"Probably? If all you're getting right now is food and continued life, I'm sure a better offer is possible."

Hungry Singer (High Piercing): "And travel. And its a lot of food."

"Well I dunno about the engineering of an all Starpus ship or 10 travels a day but it certainly could be explored..."

Pleasant Caller (Scratchy): "So you don't know?"

Continued silence: "Ask them and they say it's all about careful patterns, timing and Vasic."

Gentle Arms: "That's a human word. What does it mean? the last one. Are these humans that can Travel?"

Continued silence: "Humans and... Neithers. Many different neithers."

Gentle Arms: "Many different people-kinds? I know of three, but no more. Can you bring me to them?"

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Royal: "Can we get them a better deal? more control? more stuff? Are they paying the starpus money? How smart are they?"

"I think we could make a better deal? It seems their travel is important to them, so we might need to figure out how to build a starship fast. On the other hand the only other things they get are continued life and food, so..."

"I don't know if they really understand the concept of money. They don't seem dumb or anything, it's just there are concepts that are too out of context for them to grasp easily. Some apparently hurt, like 'maintenance person'."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Gentle Arms (Rumbly): "Under ... What? ... This makes no sense. What do you mean?"
Royal hissing in his ear: "Don't sugar coat it. put them off their guard. They've been kept in a tank away from all the people"

Taking a cue from Royal, "They keep this tank locked up in a room far away from other people. Other speakers, like me, are kept away, along with everyone else. I only got in here now because we broke the lock. Because they keep other speakers and everyone away, they get to decide what everyone else hears about you. If you say, 'I don't like this kind of fish', they can lie and tell everyone you do, while telling you that that's the only kind available. By controlling what information goes in and what goes out, they get to decide how you perceive the world outside your tank and how the outside perceives you."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Hungry Singer (High Piercing): "And travel. And its a lot of food."

"How much is "a lot of food"? 100 fish a day?"

Originally Posted by ericthered

Pleasant Caller (Scratchy): "So you don't know?"

"Yeah, I don't know. Like, you say that travel is about power. Like, could you maintain a power plant from inside a tank full of water? Would you be fine drifting around aimlessly after travelling, or do you want the ship to go somewhere? If so, how would controls go into the tank and be set up to work with you? Would compromises work, where you travel a mixed ship but you decide where to go? These are details that need to be figured out and probably need work. I'm not saying the answer is 'no', but figuring all this out takes time."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Gentle Arms: "That's a human word. What does it mean? the last one. Are these humans that can Travel?"

Silence: "Vasic is the special rock. It's like a tool that they use to travel. I don't think they are any different from other humans."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Gentle Arms: "Many different people-kinds? I know of three, but no more. Can you bring me to them?"

Silence: "I'm sorry, I wish I could though. I know the name of the place but I don't know how to get there."

It's probably a good thing that if they did attempt to teleport to Riask it wouldn't work given Newtonian spaceships, the narrow confines of that reality and Aristotelian gravity don't mix. Well, unless the spaceship lost all momentum and the Aristotelian physics decided that the nature of the spaceship made it stay in the air like a cloud.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

"I think we could make a better deal? It seems their travel is important to them, so we might need to figure out how to build a starship fast. On the other hand the only other things they get are continued life and food, so..."

"I don't know if they really understand the concept of money. They don't seem dumb or anything, it's just there are concepts that are too out of context for them to grasp easily. Some apparently hurt, like 'maintenance person'."

Royal: "Money is a easy lever. Only problem is other people can use it too. They really like being used as hyperdrives? that's good to know. Promise them as much as you can. We don't have to give it all, but we do have to give most of it. Eventually."

Taking a cue from Royal, "They keep this tank locked up in a room far away from other people. Other speakers, like me, are kept away, along with everyone else. I only got in here now because we broke the lock. Because they keep other speakers and everyone away, they get to decide what everyone else hears about you. If you say, 'I don't like this kind of fish', they can lie and tell everyone you do, while telling you that that's the only kind available. By controlling what information goes in and what goes out, they get to decide how you perceive the world outside your tank and how the outside perceives you."

Big Digger: "Are they lying?"

"How much is "a lot of food"? 100 fish a day?"

Gentle Arms: "More like 25 in a meal, I think. But only when hungry. That's usually after travel. More often its six. Or if you're Hungry Singer or Big Digger, eight."

"Yeah, I don't know. Like, you say that travel is about power. Like, could you maintain a power plant from inside a tank full of water? Would you be fine drifting around aimlessly after travelling, or do you want the ship to go somewhere? If so, how would controls go into the tank and be set up to work with you? Would compromises work, where you travel a mixed ship but you decide where to go? These are details that need to be figured out and probably need work. I'm not saying the answer is 'no', but figuring all this out takes time."

Pleasant Caller seems to change their tone. "you're not saying no... does this mean you're saying yes? A ship worth of water and places, all for starpus?"

Silence: "Vasic is the special rock. It's like a tool that they use to travel. I don't think they are any different from other humans."

Silence: "I'm sorry, I wish I could though. I know the name of the place but I don't know how to get there."

Gentle Arms: That's a shame. It would be nice to see more people-kinds. I still don't see how a rock can Travel though."

It's probably a good thing that if they did attempt to teleport to Riask it wouldn't work given Newtonian spaceships, the narrow confines of that reality and Aristotelian gravity don't mix. Well, unless the spaceship lost all momentum and the Aristotelian physics decided that the nature of the spaceship made it stay in the air like a cloud.

Yeah, taking an orbital spaceship to Riask is a bad idea... unless its rated for atmospheric manuever. most FTL systems I use won't put the ship in immediate danger of burning up reentry style. Of course, most of them will also refuse to work in atmosphere or a gravity well, so you couldn't get to Riask even if you were in the same "universe".

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Royal: "Money is a easy lever. Only problem is other people can use it too. They really like being used as hyperdrives? that's good to know. Promise them as much as you can. We don't have to give it all, but we do have to give most of it. Eventually."

"OK, how about starship just for them?"

Originally Posted by ericthered

Big Digger: "Are they lying?"

For all the preparation that was done, Julian didn't actually look into how the Concordance said they were treating the Starpus. Retroactive IQ roll for that maybe?

[158] 23-08-21 22:54:36 CEST
Retroactive IQ roll
3d6 <= 13
2 + 5 + 6 = 13 ... success

Well that's pretty tight... Here's a response assuming Julian doesn't have any information beyond Royal alluding to the concordance not saying anything.

"They aren't saying anything. Until I mentioned that you tried talking to me to wake me up earlier, the people I work with weren't sure if you were intelligent at all."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Gentle Arms: "More like 25 in a meal, I think. But only when hungry. That's usually after travel. More often its six. Or if you're Hungry Singer or Big Digger, eight."

"Well, is that enough?"

Originally Posted by ericthered

Pleasant Caller seems to change their tone. "you're not saying no... does this mean you're saying yes? A ship worth of water and places, all for starpus?"

"What's a ship worth of water exactly? Like a ship that's filled with water for transport? That sounds doable, I think we can do that. Not sure about places, unless you just want to visit..."

Originally Posted by ericthered

Gentle Arms: That's a shame. It would be nice to see more people-kinds. I still don't see how a rock can Travel though."

Silently: "Yeah, I would too."

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by TGLS

"OK, how about starship just for them?"

Royal: "How quickly do they want it?"

For all the preparation that was done, Julian didn't actually look into how the Concordance said they were treating the Starpus. Retroactive IQ roll for that maybe?

Well that's pretty tight... Here's a response assuming Julian doesn't have any information beyond Royal alluding to the concordance not saying anything.

"They aren't saying anything. Until I mentioned that you tried talking to me to wake me up earlier, the people I work with weren't sure if you were intelligent at all."

OCC: that's a pretty good response.

Hungry Singer: "They weren't sure if we were smart? If we were people? That's ridiculous!"
Gentle Arms: "All we ever do is move them around, how would they know?"
Hungry Singer: "But they should know! Traveling is a big part of who I am, but its not all of who I am!"

"Well, is that enough?"

Gentle Arms: "Yes. I mean, if we want more, we just ask for more."

"What's a ship worth of water exactly? Like a ship that's filled with water for transport? That sounds doable, I think we can do that. Not sure about places, unless you just want to visit..."

Pleasant Caller: "A ship full of water would have places in it. Places to sit and climb and dig and rest."

Silently: "Yeah, I would too."

I think that's the end of that thread.