phantasmalrift | INTRO LOG

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!intro

INTRO LOG - APRIL/MAY 18

Eventually, Charm starts herding people towards the parked exploratory drone, a few at a time, mostly people who have finished their noodles or other business. "It's almost nightfall at the Station," he says, "and with this many new arrivals, we're going to have to make multiple trips."

(For those who might ask, he also explains that they've chosen not to stabilize the noodle shop for the time being, as the other androids will almost certainly want to speak to Viella, and have no other way of doing so, due to the fact that they don't dream. Aside from that small region, the Fissure is largely stable.)

It in fact takes four trips total to get everyone to the Station. Those of you who don't fall asleep on the way there - the minute you hit stable reality, the inability to sleep vanishes, and most will be hit with a wave of exhaustion - will find that the Station Annex, a building off to the side of the main station, has been finished, at least outwardly.

By the time the first group arrives, the sun is dipping towards the horizon; by the time the last gets there, it's set, leaving a few pink-tinted clouds in the sky. The drones drop everyone off (and that is everyone, even though of you who have fallen asleep) on the observation deck, where those of you who didn't get your fill of noodles will find several buffet-style tables set up with...

...Pizza? Yeah, pizza, in damn near every variety you can think of, including a few things that only loosely fall under the heading of "pizza." Half a table is full of calzones of various varieties; another significant chunk is things that are just desserts in the general shape of pizza, including a couple of iced cinnamon pastries, a pair of brightly-colored "pizzas" made of canned fruit over cream cheese, and a two-layer cake that's just decorated to look like a pizza, with strawberry jam and round slices of strawberry 'pepperoni' sandwiching yellow icing. Finally, the last third of the third table is just three baskets of breadsticks with varying amounts of cheese and garlic, accompanied by two turrens of dipping sauce (one white, one red) and a tower of little plastic dipping cups.

(Those who opt to head directly to bed will find that the banquet gets packed up and moved back to the kitchens around midnight, though it stays warm under a stasis enchantment for roughly the next day before someone packs the remainder into the fridge.)

In the common room, meanwhile, the usual boxes of clothes and trading post sign are set up. Unclaimed rooms can be claimed by writing your name in on a list set up next to the boxes, on what seems to be a broken music stand with a large ROOMS AVAILABLE sign hanging from it. There is also a rather hastily assembled, hand-poked Braille version of the sheet (with the paper punched through in one or two places).

Those who go looking will find that the androids are somewhat more absent than they usually are after an expedition; save obviously for Charm, and Strange who arrives on the deck as usual not long after, you'll have to go looking. Considering the amount of the station you have available, they could be just about anywhere... But perhaps it'd be worth checking over in that new building...?

[Mod note: Strange is the only NPC with a top-level this round, but others may respond to your top-levels, especially in the Annex areas! Consider it a fun surprise. c:]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[She can't remember who told her - she's spoken to so many people these past few days - but someone has directed her to the local medical expert of the station. Angela approaches Strange with a professional smile, valk suit ditched for a plain white button down shirt and gray slacks, rounded off with a pair of stolen white sneakers from the clothing pile.]

Hello - Strange, I believe? I'd like to introduce myself - Dr. Angela Ziegler, field medic and surgeon.

Oh! It's a pleasure to meet you, Angela. It's always good to have a few more medics around. I don't know if you've met Jetshard yet, but the two of us have been the whole of the medical staff here, and I for one welcome the addition.

[The android smiles warmly, formality at least a little relaxed.]

Can I ask if you have any particular specialties, as well as the general magic and technology level of your home world?

I haven't met Jetshard, I do intend to introduce myself to them when things settle down a bit.

[Angela relaxes in turn - being in the presence of someone who she knows has common interests and goals is comforting in this strange environment. At the question she nods briefly before launching into a summary.]

I specialize in applied nanobiology. Our technology level is quite advanced, but perhaps not as advanced as this station's. We have pioneered breakthroughs in medical technology, particularly in cyber implants and stabilizing technology.

There are robots, though none quite as advanced as you and your siblings. We refer to them as omnics. Omnics are produced by omniums, automated robotics factories that were built with self-improving software algorithms which eventually became self-aware.

[She inhales deeply, trying to think of what else might be pertinent.]

Space travel and colonization is in its early stages, with the most recent experiment going very poorly. Space gorillas, as it turns out, can rebel in spectacularly violent ways. One of them is actually a pioneering scientist who has mastered personal time stabilization.

As for magic, I am of the opinion that it does not exist in my world. The Shimada family is known for their control over "spirit dragons" but I have never seen it in action. Omnic monks claim that they have souls. I suspect my opinion on the nature of a "soul" is probably clear.

We actually don't have overly much development in your specialities, nor in space travel and the like. Most of the immediately recent technological development was in response to the Fissures, so there's a great deal of analytic technology but not much of a focus on the medical industry or the micro-scale.

At the Station specifically, we have a bio-oriented molecular arranger and that's about the sum total of our nanobiology. We mostly use it to reproduce seeds and cuttings for food crops at the moment, though in theory it can reproduce something up to the size of a moderately large animal - a horse or similar large livestock, for example.

[Strange smiles faintly.]

As for the matter of souls... My siblings and I were created to be as close to 'human' as possible in all regards save our biology or lack thereof. So, for whatever it's worth, I think it not impossible.

Most of my magic is analytical in nature, though I have a functional enough ability with healing magic.

[If this thing could 3d print living beings, it could revolutionize all she knows about tissue and organ transplanting. At the mere mention of it, her jaw slackens slightly and her eyes go wide. That's actually incredible. Depending on how detailed the print is, they might be mindless meat puppets or they might be highly intelligent. Either way, she'd love to study it further.]

[But! Angela composes herself enough to nod and smile, and to recognize that in a world where magic is possible, a soul is a more reasonable thing. And quite frankly she looks forward to unraveling the concept of magic and seeing how she can adapt it to her existing equipment to further her abilities.]

That is absolutely incredible! I'd love the chance to study this arranger's limits at some point.

With souls and magic, I think that here, specifically, it is much more likely as a possibility. I hope to look into your world's magic as well, actually. I may be able to combine magic and technology to great effect, if given the time and resources.

We have a great deal of magitek research already around here, but we'll always welcome new hands and new ideas. The concept is relatively new in this world, but great strides have certainly already been made.

[There's a distinct sort of pride in the android's posture as they gesture to themselves.]

We're magitek ourselves, in fact.

You and your siblings are extremely impressive. If I can accomplish anything even close to the work your creators have done, I will consider myself quite lucky.

[It's not all flattery, she really does hope she can learn to do similar work. Already, her mind wanders to projects like medical drones and vast improvements to the Valkyrie suit. And if souls were real and powered one's ability to live, well. Her mind even wanders to the nature of forcing an escaping soul back into a repaired body. Depending on how short the window is, of course.]

~~[And that's how Mercy became a literal necromancer.]~~

I was told you converted one of the laboratories into a medical bay. I wanted to ask you if I could potentially keep myself busy there during the day? Provided I have some time to study on the side, I would lend myself to you as an assistant.

Oh, certainly! Jetshard's usually around at night, but for most of the day I'm the only one there. I've got a bit of a private work area in the back, but otherwise feel free to make yourself at home. We're fortunate that we haven't had much in terms of need for it yet, but...

[Well, better prepared than sorry is very much the model of the medical industry.]

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as they say.

[Her hand comes up to her mouth to cover a small laugh. It's a habit she hopes to break one day.]

Thank you, sincerely. I don't quite have any analytical abilities past medical knowledge, and I'm not sure how far that will take me with some residents not being human, but I can certainly help with injuries and illness. Perhaps you can teach me the basics of magical analysis at some point.

I'd be delighted to. It's a bit of a particular talent of mine, honestly; the others will occasionally call me for something that's more relevant for their fields of interest.

Super!

[A pause. God what time is it?]

Exhaustion is getting the better of me tonight, but tomorrow I will gladly come assist in the medical bay. Perhaps I could take the mornings to study and come work in the afternoon? That would give me a chance to apply any knowledge I gain while it's still fresh in my mind.

Oh, certainly. I'm there most all of the time, unless I get dragged into a project by one of my siblings - we only need an hour or so of charging time each night, and I usually take that in the middle of the night when there's not really anyone but Jetshard awake.

Excellent. And thank you, Strange. It is my pleasure to assist you and your siblings. You are doing a good thing by taking us in and caring for us.

It isn't as though we could just leave you out in the world without any help or direction. It's similar to a refugee situation in that regard - to just throw up our hands and say "well, it's not our fault, so you're on your own" would be...

[Wrong, as far as they're concerned. Strange might not say it directly, but the troubled set of their expression makes that clear enough.]

I'm afraid it is not always a guarantee that people will do the right thing.

[Her words may sound a bit grim, but she maintains her smile. At least, until she has to cover a yawn.]

Ah, my time in the forest is getting the better of me. Thank you again, and I will see you tomorrow afternoon, Doctor Strange.

True enough, but we do try our best around here.

[They're good people robots.]

Get some rest, and don't concern yourself with when you arrive. Being medical staff is no reason to overwork yourself.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

INTRO LOG - APRIL/MAY 18

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