thisavrou_log | ( november intro log )

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( november intro log )

Who: Everyone
When: November 1st and on
Where: The ship and on planet
What: Exploration + new arrivals
Warnings: Please label any warnings you have on your threads

THE INFLUX

"It is not so much about beginnings and endings; it is about muddling through the middle."

The Ingress has pulled you in. Your body experiences several sensations at once: being pushed forward as if a hand is resting on your back, momentary and startling blindness, a gentle ringing in your head. You have difficulty discerning whether it is hot or cold, but where you have been prodded is noticeably warmer than the rest of you. Some may suffer from dizziness while others are perfectly fine. Once equilibrium has been reestablished, you will notice you are standing on a long platform and that the room is filled with a soft cerulean light. It's slightly humid and dark despite the glow around you, and nothing is familiar.

Welcome to Caducus Primary

Shortly after your arrival, you are met by one of the captains and any of the crew of the Moira who might have accompanied him. You are given a brief physical scan and are asked to sign a contract that states you are now part of the Moira with a specific job. This process consists of a complete work-up of medical history and current health, and afterwards, you are given your MID, a device that is integrated into your hand with only the slightest pinch. Much like the Moira's own Ingress, C-Primary's Ingress seems to be malfunctioning, and nothing can return through it. If you choose to disregard this offer, you will be detained indefinitely by the natives of Caducus Primary. (Joining the Moira is really the only choice you have.)

DESCENSION

"I am the keeper of fragile things."

From a distance, Caducus Primary doesn't look like much. The weather on the planet is extremely stable, and the vegetation is neat, almost pristine. What stands out about C-Primary, however, is the fact that there are hundreds of VERY TALL buildings packed together in many of the cities. They are elevated about the ground on what appear to be stilts and sway almost gracefully in the gentle breeze that is always present. Their stability never wavers; they don't fall down. The streets are lined with beautiful sculptures that are placed wherever light is needed. Many other designs can be found outside as well as in. This planet is rather wealthy, and the abundance of their natural resources reflect in everything. The world glitters just as glass would in the sunlight.

Native Details
● They have darker skin tones, but their hair styles and colors are all as unique as they can make them. This can be seen as influence from other travelers.
● Friendly, welcoming, and encouraging to the crew to trade with them for what they need.
● There are no visible "poor" areas.
● Calm and organized. If lost or in need of directions, they will offer to take you where you are going.
● Vey strict when it comes to rules. (Trade what you say you're going to trade.)

☄CITY PROPER

There are many things to do once on planet. In the city proper, stepping into one of the multiple shops reveals workers crafting glass figurines, jewelry, cups, and other items to your specifications. Trading is the same as on all other planets—there is no one accepted monetary unit. Yet, any unsavory cargo (such as weapons, explosives, alcohol, and drugs) will not be found anywhere in the vicinity of these areas. Other travelers have set up places outside the cities near transporter zones for these particular necessities. Trade at your discretion. At night, if you catch your reflection in a surface that isn't quite as transparent (on a sculpture, the side of a building, anything made of glass), there will be a momentary glimpse of your past or future self. A blink, and then, it will be gone.

Staying on the Moira isn't required during time spent on Caducus Primary. Visit one of its many fine hotels with its beautiful accomodations. The price is remarkably inexpensive: it's free.

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Ratchet is the library for an entirely different reason; the opposite really. Paper books are a novelty to Ratchet as well - as is this sort of library entirely - but it’s a novelty he can’t say he didn’t at least give a shot. Reading wasn’t really preferred hobby of his...it wasn’t even something he did professionally if it wasn’t absolutely necessary. Maybe it was the archaic subject matter, maybe it was the bizarre events of the prior weeks, but the book had not exactly been a life changing experience...a fact he would probably keep to himself if unless he'd asked.

He almost doesn’t notice Miles, despite the unusual way the man is sitting, surrounding by volumes. Ratchet recognizes him, but can’t quite put a name to face. A reminder of how isolated, how absorbed in the wrong things he’s been since arriving on the ship.

“Oh, uh. Sorry if I’m interrupting. Is Elizabeth here?” He holds up the book in one hand. “I just needed to return this.”

Miles does tend to stand out, so that someone would recognize him isn't all that surprising. The same can be said of Ratchet, too, though. Miles jerks his chin up when Ratchet talks, blinking, and quickly recognizes the -- er, creature? for one of the crew that's been here roughly as long as he has. Miles still isn't sure what, exactly, Ratchet is.

"I saw her just a little while ago," Miles says with a vague nod around the library, "but I think she may have stepped out. I don't suppose there's a book drop or anything..."

Don't worry, Ratchet, you weren't interrupting much. Actually, he probably ought to take a break, looking at the time. Miles closes the book he'd been reading and slides off the table to give his short legs a stretch. Well, hey, for once he isn't the shortest person in the room. Just...one of the shortest.

Ratchet tries not to look too surprised when Miles stands up and he doesn’t have to look up, but it’s hard not to. He’s met a lot of humans since arriving on the Moira, and the Neheda before that, and none of them have been his height...not even the kids. Not that he was judging...they were quite literally on the same level, after all.

Ratchet glances around before placing the book carefully on a nearby table. “Well, I’m sure she’ll find it if I leave it here…” He looks back over at Miles, eyes passing over the stacks of books still on the table. “So. Here for a little light reading, huh?”

Miles raises an eyebrow at Ratchet at that faint look of surprise. He's too used to getting weird and dirty looks everywhere he goes on mutant-paranoid Barrayar not to notice. He twitches a grin at the remark, though, glancing over to scan the collection he's accumulated as if reevaluating.

"I suppose I might have gone a little overboard," he admits, rubbing at his chin, and stretches his aching back a little, making a face when a vertebra or two pops back into place. "I thought I'd try reading up on...whatever I can find in order to get a better handle on the whole situation. Us being on the Moira, I mean. I have to admit this sort of thing is a little, er, out of my purview."

"Maybe not..." It hadn't even occurred to Ratchet to look in the library for information on the Moira. But then, he was so used to the careful dissemination of information, that he wasn't convinced they would leave anything truly useful just laying around in the library. He frowns, picking up one of the books and flipping through it.

"Did you found out anything interesting?" Ratchet asks casually. Probably too casually given that he's actually very interested.

Miles gives a palm-up gesture with his good arm -- the other's still in a sling -- and then turns his palm down and sighs. "Not really," he says reluctantly, lips twisting into a sort of half-frown. He casts a look over his temporary collection. "I'm still working through all this, and I'll be frank, it really isn't my particular area of expertise. I was hoping to find something on wormhole science or something similar -- it's the only thing I can think of that's even remotely like the Ingress -- but I'm not exactly a scientist." He sits back and rakes a hand through his hair. "I almost wish my mother were here. She could probably work through all this in a fraction of the time, and come away with three times the understanding. This is really more her thing than mine."

Ratchet is quiet for a long moment.

“There was technology like this where I’m from.” Sort of . “It’s….not quite like a wormhole. The idea is similar but I promise you it’s...a lot more complex. I’m not sure anyone really knows how this stuff works. Not even the people who build it. It seems like it’s always breaking, changing, doing things it’s not “supposed” to do.”

"More complex than wormhole physics?" Miles blows out a breath on a laugh, raking his fingers back through his hair. "I'm no scientist, but from what I understand five-space physics is one hell of a concept to get your head around. But," he adds in concession, "I don't think anyone where I'm from really understands how five-space works, either. So -- if you don't use wormholes, then what do you use?"

Ratchet raises an eyebrow.

"We don't use what I'm talking about at all. Not anymore. For travel, galactic, or inter-galactic we use good old fashioned of faster than light; gravimetric warp." He sighs, gesturing vaguely with one hand. He wasn't exactly an expert on the coming subject either. "Wormholes are, you know. They bend spacetime, and allow too you travel a massive distance without actually travelling it. I mean, obviously you know there's more to it than that, but...well, that's the idea."

He hesitates. Is there some kind of code of ethics that says you shouldn't talk about the multiverse when you're dealing with people from other universes? Is he causing some kind of irreparable damage to one or both or all of their worlds by doing so? It was probably a little late to be worrying about it anyway.

"But a wormhole should keep you to one reality. You go in your dimension, you come out your dimension. A fixed point and a fixed point. This is ah...it's interdimensional. As in, infinite universes. Infinite realities. None of the principles that dictate, or limit wormholes, or warp drives or FTL travel, or anything like that...none of them matter."

Let's be real, if talking about the multiverse were really a concern, it'd long be moot by now, considering what the Ingress has done. If anything, Ratchet really has Miles' interest now, and he leans forward, eyebrows raised with an expectant look on his face.

"So what you're saying is," he says slowly, "this technology in your world -- whatever you're talking about -- essentially does what the Ingress has been doing here."

“Yes. That’s what I think, anyway.” Ratchet frowns, looking away. It was an uncomfortable topic that felt like it was coming up a lot lately...even if he was the one bringing it up. “Like I said, we don’t use it, but it’s definitely the same principle...at least from everything I can tell. There plenty of other universes where similar technology exists.”

Even some people on this crew, but he wasn’t about to start pointing that out to just anyone.

"Mm." Miles hums in agreement and acknowledgment, absently chewing at the side of his thumbnail. "So if this technology isn't so rare, relatively speaking, why does talking about it make you look like you want to crawl out of your -- uh, fur?"

Ratchet's gaze lowers, his expression growing guarded only now that it's been pointed out that he's being obvious.

"Because it's dangerous." But it was more than that; after all, what technology wasn't dangerous in the wrong hands? Or in the right hands for the wrong reasons. "Because they don't know how to use it. And...because it's powerful. Extremely powerful."

He gives Miles a hard look. He didn't know what kind of person Miles was. He'd like to think that he's talking to the kind of person who would understand what he meant; the kind of person you could hand a key to the their deepest desire and told them all they had to do was step over a few bodies...and they would say no. He'd like to think most people would say no. But he knew that wasn't always true.

"You want to know why it makes me nervous? Imagine what you could do if you could open a door to anything."

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( november intro log )

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