The most likely options are that they are necessitated by this form of reality itself and thus our introduction into the universe was mitigated by their addition, or indeed that they were purposefully placed by the same entity which we have discussed. If the latter, we may assume the creature originates from this place.
Why else would it seek to benefit it by outfitting us with the means to stabilize this world?
[ He turns his own hand, a perfect emerald gem located in nearly the exact same place as Travis's. Besties for life. ]
[All this cosmic shit is far, FAR beyond him, but Spock's theories-- once the Vulcan-to-idiot translator kicks in, at least-- do make a degree of sense. Or enough that Travis won't argue about it. He nods in knowing agreement.]
That makes sense to me. My money's on some god we haven't seen directly yet, I doubt Malachite has it in 'em when they're so new...
[hey, they're twinsies!!!]
Uh. I could eat. [Why the fuck not. This might as well happen.] You got anywhere in mind?
Though I do not take umbrage at the usage of the word "god", I believe it to be inaccurate in this case. Nevertheless, I see your logic in utilizing the local nomenclature and do, in fact, agree with you.
[ The longest and most painful agreement ever but we are progressing leaps and bounds past where we started, which can only be great. ]
As for food, I do not. I have eaten only once since our arrival here and the distance of that restaurant from our present location makes it an unattractive option. I merely presumed you would benefit from continuing our conversation in a more natural setting. [ You look like you get enthusiastic about food in a way I do not understand. ]
Guess we'll have to just learn more once we meet more of whatever these 'gods' are.
[He's even starting to get the hang of parsing Spock-speak! BESTIES FOR LIFE.]
Just once? Damn, you're missing out. [He is, of course, dead on. Not even Spock could stop him from getting excited about food.] There's some good places we could walk to from here-- I'll lead the way.
[ An eyebrow quirks, though this time not with an impenetrable air of judgement. ]
Indeed. [ RANK UP
But now this newfound respect is in potential jeopardy as Travis is choosing where they will be lunching. All that remains is for Spock to trust him to choose something healthy, ethically and recently sourced, and vegan. ]
There are neon lights shaped into chickens in the windows. A chicken decal on the door. They are selling chicken-themed merchandise behind the counter. It smells... of chicken.
They enter as he stares at the side of Travis's head, not looking away even as they're shown to a table with a chicken-themed light fixture. What a novelty. It is fascinating that the chicken has retained its title and place of importance even in this society, Spock thinks, adjusting the egg-shaped salt and pepper shakers. ]
Twice. [pause.] Actually, wait. That was another place, it's once. Whoops.
[He swears that there were slightly fewer chickens the last time he was here? Like, at least not the light fixtures? It's kitschy, to be sure, but just like Travis, you can't judge a book by its cover... or a chicken by its egg, or something. The man himself seems hardly fazed by their surroundings.]
Just trust me. It looks sorta stupid in here, but the food's not half bad.
[And by the grace of whatever-deity (maybe Malachite) there is actually a lonely "chik'n" option on the menu that isn't too bad. Though, of course, Travis hadn't considered that much directly.]
Now what were we talking about again?
what are you talking about this place sounds amazing
He's confused about how often he's been here? Here. How. ]
It appears to be an establishment which would cater well to your tastes. [ With all the myriad ways to take this, please choose the most flattering and kind of them. ]
We were discussing the gems and this world's motivation for not only outfitting us with them, but allowing us to use their power. That is, assuming that it is possible for us to receive them without becoming conduits. If there are– [ He leans back, cutting himself off when a kind waitress stops by to give them waters and ask if they'd like to start off with anything else. He can only shake his head. ]
Right? [Travis definitely takes the nicest interpretation, because he's too distracted by the waitress to take it poorly. The unfortunate gem woman, by the way, is in a chicken hat. Oh my god, Travis, what did you see in this place.
She leaves and he continues where Spock cut off.]
If there are, then why would they give us that kind of power at all? We could be, like, supercriminals or something, there's all sorts among us Gembonded.
We must prepare ourselves to accept that the morality of an advanced being does not necessarily align with our own. In fact, it may not exist. Is there any reason to be concerned with the personal compunctions of a collection of individuals when they are aiding in the achievement of your goals? Even among humans the answer is sometimes "no". Of course it could also differ when it comes to non-humanoids.
We return then to motivations. How would our using these powers benefit another being?
[HE'S GETTING BETTER!! He parsed like 70% of that!!! He hums in tacit agreement, nodding; he doesn't say it aloud, but he himself is one of the less-than-perfect candidates that the powers that be have chosen. He continues.]
Well, the story they gave us is that only we Gembonded can power their planet, or somethin' like that, by doing exactly what they want us to do: playing nice and getting all touchy-feely with each other and using those abilities. It makes Manna, and the planet needs that Manna, and we get to sow our wild oats. Sounds like a good deal... until you think about how much energy it must take to drag a few hundred people to this planet from across time and space.
The nice version's that it's a give and take. Personally, I'm kinda thinking it's more of a take on their part.
We are in agreement on that matter. Their motivations appear wholly self-serving and to ask for volunteers would be preferable to forcing our hands in such a way. However, you make an interesting point.
If they must await or create an interphase allowing us to be transported from one dimension to another, then doing the same just to send a message – and with no assurance that we might be able to answer – is equally burdensome. It is therefore in their best interest to bring us here by force, and in doing so to bring as many individuals from one place and at one time as possible.
It would explain why so many here hail from Earth. It would be less costly in terms of computation and sheer energy to take in large groups. [ Hm... enough so to make up for what they lose in the process? If they are here indefinitely... then yes, by necessity.
Interesting.
He leans back back in his seat, arms folding contemplatively. ]
And, if you go even deeper than that, why so many of those people come from either North America or Japan? Just reaching out and catching a bunch of hapless soon-to-be space adventure protagonists in one big ol' net.
Somewhat. [ But, because he believes in "most improved" awards: ] A keen observation, Mr. Touchdown.
I believe there is a point to be made about the commonality of geographic locations. How that relates to space adventure protagonists, I am less aware. [ Unless this is another Star Trek reference. Is it? How meta can we go. ]
And while I would encourage you to partake while we are here, I am unable to eat the flesh or products of animals.
Oh, I mean. You don't just get dropped into a place this unusual and have nothing happen to you, y'know? Weird stuff is definitely gonna start happening. Like some kind of adventure story. [Said Travis, 1 month before he fought undead lake monsters and got possessed by a plant parasite.]
Ah. Crap. They've got a... [the waitress is mercifully returning to check on them!] H-hey, you have something vegetarian here, right?
[She gives him a weary smile back-- why come to the chicken place when you can't even eat chicken, she's thinking, but the customer's always right-- and points out that single vegan "chicken" item on the menu. She doesn't look too excited about it, though.]
I see. So it is in reference to our own current situation here, a most colorful description.
[ But then Travis Touchdown is a colorful man. It adds up.
He looks up when his companion questions the waitress so thoughtfully on his behalf, almost finding himself wishing for a moment that he might be able to entertain said kindness. However, he is all too aware of the possible danger of processed sugar being involved in such faux items, a risk upon which he cannot yet elaborate because that reveal is in a future thread. ]
It seems also that they have salad ingredients, so perhaps I can order such items as singles. Miss– [ he intones politely enough, head lifting to make eye contact with her. ]
I wish to order a tomato and a collection of vegetable leaves. [ "... a whole tomato?" ] Indeed, and an apple in addition.
[ A pregnant pause follows before she offers to speak with her manager, quietly excusing herself with a less than impressed air. ]
... it would have been preferable if she had first also taken your order. Unfortunate.
[Travis stares blankly at Spock like he's an alien.
Well. He is an alien. But: he's staring nonetheless.]
A whole... [He shakes his head, as if literally shaking the questions he's about to ask off. Weirder things have probably happened here: he's done his share of food service work, after all. At least nobody's throwing sharp objects or the like.]
Hey, maybe it's for the better. We can always go somewhere else if you have, uh, dietary restrictions?
[Is he space-allergic to things? Is that how that works?]
There is no logical need to do so. We are here primarily to engage in discussion, not to eat. As I have potentially found a solution to a secondary problem, we should remain to see if it is valid. If it is not, we may still achieve our chief goal and I may satisfy my nutritional needs at a later time.
[ Perfect. He stares him down beneath the warm light of a beak-shaped bulb, head tilting ever-so-slightly to the side. ]
It would be helpful if you were to describe your world, and in particular your exact point of extraction, in greater detail.
[Maybe they should've just gotten coffee or something. Travis casts a brief plaintive look in the direction of the employee only area of the restaurant: now that Spock's settled, he really does wanna get his stupid sandwich ordered after all.]
Like I said, I'm from the year 2019. I live in Texas. I guess it's a pretty normal Earth? As far as I know, it's the same as the one in your world. I dunno when the "official" first contact with life from other planets happened, or if it's formally happened already. Which... leads me to how I got here.
[Travis glances away from Spock, piecing out the most coherent and least incriminating details...]
You know how I mentioned those guys who knew where and when I was? That's not the only weird thing that happened before I got here. A friend of mine and I got ambushed by these dudes who, like, beamed themselves into the dojo she teaches at, somehow. They claimed they were aliens and were gonna take over the planet. Didn't even try to fight us for real before they had to clear out for some reason, though. They were going on about some prince, so maybe he called 'em back.
[Travis takes a quick swig of his water, letting those details marinate.]
I woke up on this planet a week or so after all that went down.
First, the fact that Travis is unsure whether or not formal first contact has occurred between humans and members of another alien species. It is possible he is speaking in relation to Spock's own lived experience and timeline, but it manages to dig a rare furrow in his brow nevertheless.
Perhaps the fact that he lived through multiple unusual events in the same single week timeframe has led him to believe that contact was made at some point in that period of chaos, without his awareness. That would be the more logical conclusion and the one he chooses to believe. However... he was unfamiliar with other large segments of Earth history in detail... ]
Did they seem familiar with Earth culture and your species? Did they include a list of demands or did they simply state their intent? Is your friend, the martial arts instructor, of significant enough status that she would be a logical point of contact for invading outsiders?
[ This is all very strange, even for someone like him, though over the years he has formed something of a process for categorizing such phenomena. ]
Nah. No demands, other than showing up to invade, and they didn't stay long enough for me to figure out how much they knew about Earth.
[they're gonna have such a fun conversation after he gets canon updated]
Well... [Shinobu's even more secretive about her status than he is, so that's another thing he can't be up front about.] She's a pretty renowed martial artist on the Asian circuit, sure, but even she thought I was the one attracting them somehow. I dunno what aliens would want with me, though, not like I've got any kind of real authority on Earth.
[ There doesn't seem to be any need to try to argue with Travis for the sake of protecting the man's pride – to be important enough to be intentionally sought out by aliens as a first contact is a tall order for anyone. And a renowned martial artist? Well, it's impossible to say without meeting the extra-terrestrials in question, but Spock harbors his own silent doubts. ]
The most logical outcome then is that you were an unintentional target or that they have observed you from afar, likely by chance, and thus felt compelled to speak to you first. [ Here he straightens out of his lean forward, respecting the approaching waitress who informs him somewhat beleagueredly that yes, she can in fact ring up a whole tomato, apple, and assorted leaves but that they will show up as "miscellaneous charges". ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
The most likely options are that they are necessitated by this form of reality itself and thus our introduction into the universe was mitigated by their addition, or indeed that they were purposefully placed by the same entity which we have discussed. If the latter, we may assume the creature originates from this place.
Why else would it seek to benefit it by outfitting us with the means to stabilize this world?
[ He turns his own hand, a perfect emerald gem located in nearly the exact same place as Travis's. Besties for life. ]
... are you hungry, Mr. Touchdown?
no subject
[All this cosmic shit is far, FAR beyond him, but Spock's theories-- once the Vulcan-to-idiot translator kicks in, at least-- do make a degree of sense. Or enough that Travis won't argue about it. He nods in knowing agreement.]
That makes sense to me. My money's on some god we haven't seen directly yet, I doubt Malachite has it in 'em when they're so new...
[hey, they're twinsies!!!]
Uh. I could eat. [Why the fuck not. This might as well happen.] You got anywhere in mind?
no subject
[ The longest and most painful agreement ever but we are progressing leaps and bounds past where we started, which can only be great. ]
As for food, I do not. I have eaten only once since our arrival here and the distance of that restaurant from our present location makes it an unattractive option. I merely presumed you would benefit from continuing our conversation in a more natural setting. [ You look like you get enthusiastic about food in a way I do not understand. ]
feel free to godmod them wherever LOL
[He's even starting to get the hang of parsing Spock-speak! BESTIES FOR LIFE.]
Just once? Damn, you're missing out. [He is, of course, dead on. Not even Spock could stop him from getting excited about food.] There's some good places we could walk to from here-- I'll lead the way.
1/3
Indeed. [ RANK UP
But now this newfound respect is in potential jeopardy as Travis is choosing where they will be lunching. All that remains is for Spock to trust him to choose something healthy, ethically and recently sourced, and vegan. ]
2/3
3/3 you said wherever
There are neon lights shaped into chickens in the windows. A chicken decal on the door. They are selling chicken-themed merchandise behind the counter. It smells... of chicken.
They enter as he stares at the side of Travis's head, not looking away even as they're shown to a table with a chicken-themed light fixture. What a novelty. It is fascinating that the chicken has retained its title and place of importance even in this society, Spock thinks, adjusting the egg-shaped salt and pepper shakers. ]
You've been here more than once?
you did him so dirty im dying
[He swears that there were slightly fewer chickens the last time he was here? Like, at least not the light fixtures? It's kitschy, to be sure, but just like Travis, you can't judge a book by its cover... or a chicken by its egg, or something. The man himself seems hardly fazed by their surroundings.]
Just trust me. It looks sorta stupid in here, but the food's not half bad.
[And by the grace of whatever-deity (maybe Malachite) there is actually a lonely "chik'n" option on the menu that isn't too bad. Though, of course, Travis hadn't considered that much directly.]
Now what were we talking about again?
what are you talking about this place sounds amazing
He's confused about how often he's been here? Here. How. ]
It appears to be an establishment which would cater well to your tastes. [ With all the myriad ways to take this, please choose the most flattering and kind of them. ]
We were discussing the gems and this world's motivation for not only outfitting us with them, but allowing us to use their power. That is, assuming that it is possible for us to receive them without becoming conduits. If there are– [ He leans back, cutting himself off when a kind waitress stops by to give them waters and ask if they'd like to start off with anything else. He can only shake his head. ]
no subject
She leaves and he continues where Spock cut off.]
If there are, then why would they give us that kind of power at all? We could be, like, supercriminals or something, there's all sorts among us Gembonded.
no subject
What makes a criminal?
We must prepare ourselves to accept that the morality of an advanced being does not necessarily align with our own. In fact, it may not exist. Is there any reason to be concerned with the personal compunctions of a collection of individuals when they are aiding in the achievement of your goals? Even among humans the answer is sometimes "no". Of course it could also differ when it comes to non-humanoids.
We return then to motivations. How would our using these powers benefit another being?
[ HE'S ANSWERED NOTHING ]
no subject
Well, the story they gave us is that only we Gembonded can power their planet, or somethin' like that, by doing exactly what they want us to do: playing nice and getting all touchy-feely with each other and using those abilities. It makes Manna, and the planet needs that Manna, and we get to sow our wild oats. Sounds like a good deal... until you think about how much energy it must take to drag a few hundred people to this planet from across time and space.
The nice version's that it's a give and take. Personally, I'm kinda thinking it's more of a take on their part.
no subject
We are in agreement on that matter. Their motivations appear wholly self-serving and to ask for volunteers would be preferable to forcing our hands in such a way. However, you make an interesting point.
If they must await or create an interphase allowing us to be transported from one dimension to another, then doing the same just to send a message – and with no assurance that we might be able to answer – is equally burdensome. It is therefore in their best interest to bring us here by force, and in doing so to bring as many individuals from one place and at one time as possible.
It would explain why so many here hail from Earth. It would be less costly in terms of computation and sheer energy to take in large groups. [ Hm... enough so to make up for what they lose in the process? If they are here indefinitely... then yes, by necessity.
Interesting.
He leans back back in his seat, arms folding contemplatively. ]
... will you be eating?
no subject
[look spock! he's doing it!]
Oh yeah... food. Probably, I haven't had dinner yet. Why, are you not gonna eat?
[yeah, spock, doesn't the quirky poultry-themed decor make you hungry at all?]
no subject
I believe there is a point to be made about the commonality of geographic locations. How that relates to space adventure protagonists, I am less aware. [ Unless this is another Star Trek reference. Is it? How meta can we go. ]
And while I would encourage you to partake while we are here, I am unable to eat the flesh or products of animals.
no subject
Oh, I mean. You don't just get dropped into a place this unusual and have nothing happen to you, y'know? Weird stuff is definitely gonna start happening. Like some kind of adventure story. [Said Travis, 1 month before he fought undead lake monsters and got possessed by a plant parasite.]
Ah. Crap. They've got a... [the waitress is mercifully returning to check on them!] H-hey, you have something vegetarian here, right?
[She gives him a weary smile back-- why come to the chicken place when you can't even eat chicken, she's thinking, but the customer's always right-- and points out that single vegan "chicken" item on the menu. She doesn't look too excited about it, though.]
Well, there's that one thing...
no subject
[ But then Travis Touchdown is a colorful man. It adds up.
He looks up when his companion questions the waitress so thoughtfully on his behalf, almost finding himself wishing for a moment that he might be able to entertain said kindness. However, he is all too aware of the possible danger of processed sugar being involved in such faux items, a risk upon which he cannot yet elaborate because that reveal is in a future thread. ]
It seems also that they have salad ingredients, so perhaps I can order such items as singles. Miss– [ he intones politely enough, head lifting to make eye contact with her. ]
I wish to order a tomato and a collection of vegetable leaves. [ "... a whole tomato?" ] Indeed, and an apple in addition.
[ A pregnant pause follows before she offers to speak with her manager, quietly excusing herself with a less than impressed air. ]
... it would have been preferable if she had first also taken your order. Unfortunate.
no subject
Well. He is an alien. But: he's staring nonetheless.]
A whole... [He shakes his head, as if literally shaking the questions he's about to ask off. Weirder things have probably happened here: he's done his share of food service work, after all. At least nobody's throwing sharp objects or the like.]
Hey, maybe it's for the better. We can always go somewhere else if you have, uh, dietary restrictions?
[Is he space-allergic to things? Is that how that works?]
no subject
There is no logical need to do so. We are here primarily to engage in discussion, not to eat. As I have potentially found a solution to a secondary problem, we should remain to see if it is valid. If it is not, we may still achieve our chief goal and I may satisfy my nutritional needs at a later time.
[ Perfect. He stares him down beneath the warm light of a beak-shaped bulb, head tilting ever-so-slightly to the side. ]
It would be helpful if you were to describe your world, and in particular your exact point of extraction, in greater detail.
no subject
[Maybe they should've just gotten coffee or something. Travis casts a brief plaintive look in the direction of the employee only area of the restaurant: now that Spock's settled, he really does wanna get his stupid sandwich ordered after all.]
Like I said, I'm from the year 2019. I live in Texas. I guess it's a pretty normal Earth? As far as I know, it's the same as the one in your world. I dunno when the "official" first contact with life from other planets happened, or if it's formally happened already. Which... leads me to how I got here.
[Travis glances away from Spock, piecing out the most coherent and least incriminating details...]
You know how I mentioned those guys who knew where and when I was? That's not the only weird thing that happened before I got here. A friend of mine and I got ambushed by these dudes who, like, beamed themselves into the dojo she teaches at, somehow. They claimed they were aliens and were gonna take over the planet. Didn't even try to fight us for real before they had to clear out for some reason, though. They were going on about some prince, so maybe he called 'em back.
[Travis takes a quick swig of his water, letting those details marinate.]
I woke up on this planet a week or so after all that went down.
no subject
First, the fact that Travis is unsure whether or not formal first contact has occurred between humans and members of another alien species. It is possible he is speaking in relation to Spock's own lived experience and timeline, but it manages to dig a rare furrow in his brow nevertheless.
Perhaps the fact that he lived through multiple unusual events in the same single week timeframe has led him to believe that contact was made at some point in that period of chaos, without his awareness. That would be the more logical conclusion and the one he chooses to believe. However... he was unfamiliar with other large segments of Earth history in detail... ]
Did they seem familiar with Earth culture and your species? Did they include a list of demands or did they simply state their intent? Is your friend, the martial arts instructor, of significant enough status that she would be a logical point of contact for invading outsiders?
[ This is all very strange, even for someone like him, though over the years he has formed something of a process for categorizing such phenomena. ]
no subject
Nah. No demands, other than showing up to invade, and they didn't stay long enough for me to figure out how much they knew about Earth.
[they're gonna have such a fun conversation after he gets canon updated]
Well... [Shinobu's even more secretive about her status than he is, so that's another thing he can't be up front about.] She's a pretty renowed martial artist on the Asian circuit, sure, but even she thought I was the one attracting them somehow. I dunno what aliens would want with me, though, not like I've got any kind of real authority on Earth.
[besides the assassin thing, anyway.]
no subject
[ There doesn't seem to be any need to try to argue with Travis for the sake of protecting the man's pride – to be important enough to be intentionally sought out by aliens as a first contact is a tall order for anyone. And a renowned martial artist? Well, it's impossible to say without meeting the extra-terrestrials in question, but Spock harbors his own silent doubts. ]
The most logical outcome then is that you were an unintentional target or that they have observed you from afar, likely by chance, and thus felt compelled to speak to you first. [ Here he straightens out of his lean forward, respecting the approaching waitress who informs him somewhat beleagueredly that yes, she can in fact ring up a whole tomato, apple, and assorted leaves but that they will show up as "miscellaneous charges". ]
That is acceptable to me, thank you.