lingeringlegacy | 04 ☆ Exceeding theoretical boundaries

[He leaned forward to peer at the list as she wrote.]

He may have been? I don't know, I didn't keep track of his social circle.

Smoke once told me I said the same things, about liking stars and outer space, as a friend of his who is now gone. He didn't say the name then, but I think he wrote that name in a separate occasion. If Aurora was from the same place as us, then I suppose the facts fall into place. [She set the pencil down.] I hope it's alright for me to make this note. I tried compiling the scattered information we have about our world, and perhaps if others should come, they won't need to start from zero.

Would you fill in Aim's real name here too? Even if I can't see it, others may be able.

Hm. I suppose it does make sense. The Wilderness once turned into a moon base and it was hard to pry him or most anyone else from our world away from it.

[He waved a hand when Stellaris asked if it was alright to take notes.] It's not a problem with me. I do the same about plenty of things, so I'd hardly tell someone to stop.

[Gene blinked when she asked what Aim's real name was. The first thing that came to mind was his REAL, real name. Then it registered what she was more likely asking about. Too many damned names.]

You mean what he asked to go by? [He picked up the pencil and reached over to fill in the blank.] Do you want the names of that previous versions took on, too? Dyad, Aim, and Aurora have been through more than once.

[The mention of previous versions earned an head tilt of acknowledgment, but it was not surprising she was not the only one who had gone and returned.] Yes, please. If the images in our dreams are real and our names are keywords, then maybe we can derive something from them. Like a puzzle to solve.

[It was something Huo would likely say, she thought, with his unwavering sensibility even when no exit was in sight. Something she would like to learn.]

There was a puzzle in that cave as well.

Alright then.

[After writing down "Lockon" he took the liberty of writing Range before Aim's name and Sniper at the beginning of all of it. Before Dyad's name was written Raise and after Aurora was written Lithium.

He glanced up once she mentioned puzzles.]

It's possible. Every little bit helps. [The bit about the puzzle in the cave prompted him to tilt his head in curiosity.] Really now. What sort of puzzle was it? And what was it for?

[She paid attention as he was writing, stubbornly trying to guess Aim's name from the pen's movement, but static vision flashed over her gaze for a split second. The next thing she knew Gene's writing had already turned to inkblots. Apparently the Tree was more stubborn than she was.]

Oh. So even thrice is possible...

[She waited for him to finish writing, then flipped to the next leaf, containing the note she wrote after the Frost Mountain trip: The entrance was free, to exit has a cost. Answer the riddle and no more will you be lost. "What has roots as nobody sees, Is taller than trees, Up, up it goes, And yet never grows?" = MOUNTAIN]

A carving on the cave wall. We figured out the answer and as sudden as the entrance vanished, we found ourselves in the dojo.

And probably more than that is possible, though I don't think I've seen any record of it. [If only they knew how many times the various versions of Yuu Kanda had been through there.]

Huh. So the cave trapped you, required a riddle to leave... and left you on an entirely different island by the end of it? [He shook his head.] That doesn't make much sense. [Not like anything here did.]

I wonder if there was a reason behind it. It almost sounds like a test, but I don't know what it would achieve.

If reasons can be figured out by relative newborns, things would probably be different here, wouldn't it? [It could sound like a chide, but was just her expression of frustration. She leaned back to the cushion, exhaling her breath.] I'm glad nothing bad happened, but...

How do you deal with feeling so powerless?

Mm, well, sometimes it's just luck of the draw that some people find out what they do. But no, this place is hardly easy on the new people.

[Her question prompted him to stare at his hands for a long moment. How did he deal? Not always well.]

Gather what I can and hope it'll eventually make a difference in getting out of here. Whenever there's a clue or a tidbit that might help figure things out I try to write it down. Bide my time and try not to be obvious about poking into things. Basically trying to get the last laugh.

[He finally looked back up at her, his expression wry.]

And when it feels when that isn't getting me anywhere, sometimes it helps to just punch or shoot something.

[Sure, it didn't do anything, but it was cathartic. Sometimes catharsis was all you had.

He sighed, leaning back a bit as he sat sideways in his seat.]

I'm glad you came out of that all right, by the way. I'm sure getting shut up in a cave is anything but a good time.

[Seeing his retreat to silence, she grew a tinge of guilt for asking that question. Her eyes studied the somber expression on his face and thus directly meeting his gaze when he looked back up. "Hoping". "Might". "Trying". It never gets easier after all, perhaps.]

I guess those practice dummies are good to have in more than one way...

[The corners of her lips curled slightly up hearing his concern.]

Thank you, Gene. Ah... I know I'm not planning on going into any caves any time soon.

But speaking of gathering what I can... I seem to remember you mentioning about a walkie-talkie project. Any news on that? [She added a bit later, memory of that night of murders in her mind.] I bet the Watch would benefit from having something of the sort.

Heh, they're probably one of the better investments in the Sphere because of it.

[He nodded a bit at her admission that she would be avoiding caves. He'd probably be doing the same in her situation.]

It's coming decently enough, I think? I've been providing Genius with parts for a bit. I don't know exactly where he stands, though. I'll have to ask him if I get a chance to swing by Wellspring or his place.*

((*ooc: I think this conversation falls right before his convo with Genius on the journal.))

[Her eyes lit up with interest. Genius? What a proud name. She did not realize it was the same man she had a short exchange with in Ambassador's journal once.]

One of the books I picked up had a section about something called 'ham radio', and I think it's worth a study. If that person you know is working on something similar, I would be interested to exchange findings. I hope that the effort can... help improve response time in case something like that murder happens again.

Though if he is in Wellspring, it would be possible he and I passed by each other in the near future! What does he look like?

I'm sure the theories between the two technologies overlap at least a little. And knowledge of one might improve the range of the other.

[The mention of the murders got a somber sort of nod.] Yeah, the journals transmit instantly, but they don't have any way of catching someone's attention. The sound on a radio would remedy that.

[Gene pursed his lips in thought at Stellaris's question. Ah, how to describe Genius.] Ah, nearly my height and in his twenties. Floppy blond hair. Tends to wear plaid and wave his limbs about a good bit.

[She nodded at his assessment.] Mm. Blond, plaid, wave... limbs? [It sounded strange, but distinct enough to recognise if it was really a habitual behavior.] Thank you for the information.

I think... that was all I mean to tell you. I hope I haven't bored you.

[That was a lie, but she was not ready to share the last piece of information that was bugging her mind lately.]

[He reconsidered his description when she seemed confused by the limb-waving statement.] Eh, he's high strung, is what I mean. [Gene said with a dismissive wave.]

I was anything but bored. [He picked up his plastic fork once more, spearing a bit of the sausage and potato that had been neglected during their chat.] There's more I could tell you, you know. I didn't get to cover all of it in Tokyo.[Which may have been for the better, considering how there might be consequences when one learned too much too fast.]

Do you have the time to go over that now, or should we save it for another time? [He had no idea how long her lunch break lasted, after all, though he had time to spare since he was already at work.]

Edited 2010-10-01 04:43 (UTC)

[Actually, limb-waving sounded like a more easily observable quality. But she just nodded along, and smiled gladly at his reassurance about not being bored.] I'm glad.

[Her own portion of gratin got some attention back as well before she checked her wristwatch.]

Mmm... I don't need to return to the Petal for the rest of the day, because my next shift is in Section 4. So I still have some time. [And at the back of her mind, she did not want to go to soon. Perhaps she did not even mind going a little late, as long as she still finished her workload. Section 4 assignments usually get finished earlier than other sections, she thought.]

Good. It'd be a shame to get you in trouble.

[He started chewing thoughtfully on another fork-full of food as he pondered how to put all of this.]

During your last stint here, as Stardust, you received a couple of memories which you told me about. In one, you were in a base of some sort, and Dyad and Aurora were both there. Cheers, too, and she mentioned the ship they had docked there needed repairs and supplies. Apparently, you had mentioned how long those tasks would take. In addition to all that, it seemed like all involved were part of some cohesive group since they were all wearing the same uniform.

[He paused to let that information sink in, keeping an eye on Stellaris's face. It wasn't startling news, but people usually took on interesting and very telling expressions when they came across information from their past.]

[Few seconds passed in which she remained mum, facing Gene with her lips ajar and eyes widened in surprise. Her hands had likewise stopped processing the lunch. She had not quite anticipated Gene to come up with that much in one go.

But Edensphere had her used to being surprised by now, more or less. There wasn't much resistance in her mind to start fitting the new details to the growing tapestry of who she had been.]

...so that's how you came up with the conclusion that we were part of a group.

[The reaction was along the lines of what he had been expecting, but he had to hand it to Stellaris. She took it all in stride fairly quickly.]

It was one part in a few contributing factors that clenched that fact. When I first got here, the ones from our world were more or less acting like a group and found Gundam to be a common theme. When Raise came back as Dyad he mentioned that a few of us were in his dream. But I think the information from that memory was the first detailed account I'd heard that actually came from our past.

Do you think every one here from our world came from that group? Though if an unrelated person did arrive, it might not be easy to tell.

[She had now finished eating, and dabbing at her mouth with a napkin. The styrofoam tray went inside the plastic bag she brought them in.]

I wonder... [She folded her arms, clutching lightly on the sides of her body nervously.] what become of our cause there. We must have had one, haven't we?

That's a good point. Familiarity with one another might be a way to tell the difference... but then, without memories to back it up, it's just as possible that the person you find so familiar could have worked at your local deli instead of the same base. [He gave a shrug. It was frustrating to have what little you 'knew' called into question like this, but there was little to be done for it.]

As for what our cause was... I'm not entirely clear on it, but I have some bits and pieces to work with. I know that in my memory, I was piloting a Gundam saw a bunch of automatons mowing people down. After I dispatched the machines in the base I turned and saw another machine like the one I was in, presumably piloted by someone. I shouted at them, called them 'A-LAWS' and fired on them, but they got away.

[He paused for a moment, his jaw tight from clenching his teeth. The memory of what happened at that base STILL left him furious. Finding himself without any more appetite, he packed away his own portion of the lunch Stellaris had brought.]

Later on, the Wilderness shifted to a place with actual people rather than mannequins. Some of those we knew and one of the ones I came across was Aurora... or rather a double of him. I still don't know how the hell it worked. But he still had his memories. You'd think that'd solve a lot of problems, but there was one issue. You couldn't find too much information in this place without it killing you. Another trick of the Sphere, I guess.

[The frustration and anger that he had started feeling at the mention of his memory was only building when he thought of the conditions attached to Adstringendum, and it was starting to show in his expression. It was just so damned ridiculous how this place was always one step forward and two steps back.]

I still got a little information out of the encounter, though.

Edited 2010-10-04 03:15 (UTC)

[Her mind had been distracted when she asked that short, wistful question. A cause. A purpose. By right, humans design objects to fulfill a purpose, like playgrounds for children. Thus wouldn't the artificial components in her body, too, have been designed for a purpose? It had been on her mind ever since their discovery by Lezard and his technician, but no matter how hard she crunched what little information she had, she hadn't been able to find a clue. It was mostly the reason she had sought Gene out to this place. And if she was part of an organisation, it would be plausible that the reason for her state tied with the cause of that organisation.]

That sounds horrible...

[Then she was shaken out of the haze by Gene's reaction, the way he clenched his teeth and the abrupt way he packed his lunch. She didn't really expect him to be so affected. Though thinking back to their first —first that she remembered, at least— meeting and how he seemed to have a distaste towards battles, his answer, his memory explained it.

There was a contrast between the Gene currently in front of her and the image he projected in the journals, goofing around about being pirates or bantering with Bell. Perhaps, she thought, it was part of how the man coped?]

And to think the Wilderness would have another... place with Aurora, but I would guess not our world either?

But Gene, if it's too... [Too what? Painful? Difficult? Frustrating?] If you don't feel like doing so, you don't have to tell me.

[The combination of words she just spoken pulled at something within. Something comforting, but sad. But she bit her lips, trying to bite back the strange feeling from engulfing her.]

[He shook his head at her question.]

No, he gave every indication that it wasn't his home. They were just as trapped as we are. [And every bit as screwed, if not more, judging by the dystopian landscape of the place.]

[When Gene looked up at Stellaris's gentle words, it was obvious that she seemed a bit... worried? Anxious? Something. He had probably gone a little far, hadn't he? While he felt it within his rights to get angry at the situation, now might be the time to scale it back. Though absently he noted the fact that it did seem easy for him to talk with her, even about things like this.]

Don't worry, I was... just going to say that I found out the attack was from a source that seemed to be keeping the info under wraps. Whatever we were up against, seems we had good reason for it. [He gave her a half-smile but, rather than managing to be reassuring, it was tinged with a wry sort of edge.]

Edited 2010-10-04 05:57 (UTC)

[She relaxed a little seeing his tension waning. The thought that another universe where people are trapped existed, though, was quite disconcerting.]

I would like to believe so, and right now, I think I wouldn't want to fight without a good reason. Realising how little we know is scary. [She attempted a smile back. It didn't quite reach her eyes.] But I guess I should try and follow Youth's advice. Try not to worry about things I have no control of, and focus on what I have now. [She chuckled lightly.] Maybe I can even learn to enjoy the playground while it lasts.

Scary's a good way of putting it.

[The fact that the smile was forced didn't escape his attention. Though the shift in topic to the playground seemed to turn it a little more genuine, which was nice to see.]

It's worth trying at least once. You might be surprised.

04 ☆ Exceeding theoretical boundaries

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