2641/A True Utopia

A True Utopia
Date of Scene:	17 July 2015
Location:	Chrysalis
Synopsis:	Euphonia, Clive, and their world are inducted into the Multiverse.
Cast of Characters:	Kotone Yamakawa, Staren, 596, 632, Starbound Flotilla, 834, 839

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Euphonia (839) has posed:
    Even in a whole Multiverse of varying cultures and climates, 'Euphonia's' land of Chrysalis may still manage to bewilder those who tread near enough to see it. Perhaps it may not seem so odd for those who enter it via a warpgate on the surface; no, things are fairly normal there. Even though most of the habitable, dry land is suspended in the sky and nearly all the surface is covered in water, the general structure is no different than it would be on Earth. The sheer length of the cylindrical pillars that connect those airborne steppes to islands on the surface may be enough to give one momentary pause, but even that is an architectural detail that can be overlooked in the face of all the fantastic elements that so populate these linked realms.

    No -- the strangest things can only be seen on an approach from space. From there, the distribution of land versus water looks far more practical, and the bright colors endemic to the realm appear... tempered, to say the least. The oceans of 'Chrysalis' look bizarrely metallic, and all the landmasses are dyed not green, but a distinctly unhealthy brown. All this is only vividly apparent for a few brief moments before travelers begin to enter the outermost layers of atmosphere, though that may be enough time still to be somewhat perturbed by the environmental whiplash. And oddly enough, if anyone entering the region had sensors so sophisticated as to be able to calculate a breakdown of the atmosphere's components, they would see that a whole 1% of the troposphere was comprised of something... extremely unusual. Something gaseous, thankfully, though /what/ would elude all reckoning.

    A sort of rite of passing for all those who enters is constant for all visitors, however. Ten-some seconds after entering via warpgate or immediately after experiencing the 'shift', they would all and every one be wracked by an odd sort of cranial plague. A splitting agony akin to the worst of migraines and a strong wave of nausea overtakes them all for a pair of seconds before leaving just as mysteriously as it comes. There would be no logical aftermath to this sensation: only its appearance then spontaneous dispersal. No pain lingers, in other words, which should give approaching pilots enough time to right themselves. And if all those obstacles aren't deterrents enough, if after all that they are still intent on entering Chrysalis, then there destination would immediately be clear.

    There.

    There on the horizon is a steel spire tall enough to break the clouds in twain. It rises from far beneath the ocean, then even further to surpass the islands in the air. This must be the place which Euphonia mentioned -- this must be The Needle. It is presumably her home, and this is certainly the place where she had requested to meet the foreign lot. It would be a fairly long walk across an iron bridge for those arriving via warpgate, or a far quicker hop-skip from a conveniently placed landing pad for those who had come in personal vehicles. Then after taking the elevator to what professes to be the building's ten-thousandth floor, the doors slide open, and the visitors make first contact. There stands the 'Overseer', Euphonia, peering quietly out of a window that runs the length of the spire's zenith.

    And she wastes not a moment. By the time the elevator has sounded its arrival with a bell chime, Euphonia has already turned around halfway. She holds her hands perfectly still at her sides, her sleeves slumping so low as to conceal her hands. She breathes not a word, at first, electing instead to incline into a gradual, lasting 45-degree bow. She keeps her eyes closed for the duration of it, opening them again only once she has risen fully. Then she gives each person present an equally long, curious gaze before folding her hands together at her waist. Then after what feels like eternity in mere moments, she greets them properly:

    "I am Euphonia, outworlders. Welcome to Chrysalis."

Valentha Summers (834) has posed:
    Flying along on her Hoverycycle, Val's taken by surprise at the sudden searing PAIN stabbing through her mind. She swerves slightly and lets loose a bellowing agonized yell, but SOMEHOW manages to not lose her course or crash into anything. Such is the disciplien of a trained wizard. If you can't keep casting with an icicle being rammed through your stomach you may as well pack up and go home.

    The dragon in human skin has been to many, many worlds. Some have given her such reactions, though rarely so abuptly or literally. Usually it's nto the AIR that gives her headaches about a place!

    If indeed that even was the air. Suspicious and wary, she opsns her senses to the workings of magic and evil alike. If something truly nasty lurks around here, perhaps she'll feel it.

    Regardless, her journey continues. Into the Needle she goes... keeping the cycle WITH her. Even riding indoors and into the elevator if there's room. It hovers off the ground courtesy of very quiet turbines, though it does so with wicked jet propelled winds creating a cushion of air beneath it. Thankfully it's VERY quiet.

    Why did she keep it with her all the way there?

    Well, Val doesn't trust this new place, and doesn't want to lose her cycle.

    "Valentha Summers of Lazlo. Greetings!" The bow is returned, just as deep, but not held as long. Valentha adjusts her goggles on the way back up too and uses the moment to check out who else has responded...

Staren has posed:
    Staren steps out of the warpgate, in his normal clothes because this is supposed to be a peaceful visit. When he sees the distance to travel though, he activates his energy wings and starts flying... only for a splitting headache and nausea to cause him to crash into the ground, barely managing a half-controlled glide. He waits around for awhile after talking, and pulls a sample container from his protoabstractum bag, opens it, then closes it and puts it away, before taking to the air again and flying towards the spire. This world is certainly a sight. Floating islands and a giant spire? Cool. He exchanges greetings with the other visitors and enters the Spire.

    When the elevator ride ends, Staren is... surprised by Euphonia's appearance. For some reason, he was expecting a tall, regal woman, but at a glance this looks like a kid. Not that Staren's assuming that's at all indicative of her true age or nature. This could be a projection or a remote-controlled body, even -- it's a new world, who knows? He quirks an eyebrow curiously as she slooooooowly looks them over, returning her bow with only a brief nod. "I am Staren of the Free City of Lazlo. I am also a... researcher of problems for the Union." He steps forward, and extends a hand. "It is, good to meet you. Uhhhm... is there anyone else here, or is it just you?"

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa had got her ship out and about and she'd come to check things out. Kotone had taken a moment to pull the bluenose into orbit. She'd gone to beam down to the are in which most of the outsiders are arriving. She however takes a moment as she goes to hold her head, as she feels something she by all rights should never feel again. Basically a migraine she reels at it and after she recovers she looks up, bows slightly.

"I'm Kotone Yamakawa of earth."

Okay there's a lot of earth's but hey it's still true right? She's also looking over Valentha and Staren with a bit of interest. Still the pain has Kotone ... confused and perhaps a bit worried she should not be able to feel pain like that anymore.

Starbound Flotilla has posed:
    The Starbounders, of course, approach from space. They don't land their crafts, fortunately, but rather BEAM down by way of a teleportation mechanism. In the compressed space-exchange they exist in during the teleport, five of the six Starbound Flotilla members find themselves briefly recoiling from the atmosphere. Seft seems unaffected by the pain.

    They've recovered by the time the brilliant beams of red light resolve into humanoid forms on the surface, though each are a little wary. They know where they're heading: The Needle! Over the landing pad and into the elevator.

"Lookin' a li'l space elevator here, huh? Kinda techy."
"Aye, maybe it be for orbital nonsense. Tin can! Give us some elevator music, yarharharhar!"
"Grumpy. Stop that. We are visiting someone."
"Yes, I believe it may be best if you permit me to handle the verbal exchange, as per the norm. We are a sample; we should represent the best of what is yet to come, to let her acclimate more easily."
"Find out what she has to offer and what she wants. I don't care about impressions. Find some mutual advantage."
"Floran want to push all the elevator buttonsss. Where???"

    Eventually, though, they get out of the elevator in something resembling a reasonably polite arrangement. Moonfin is the one who greets Euphonia first, bowing just a little less than 45 degrees himself, in one of those eastern sorts of ways. "Thank you for your welcome, Ms. Euphonia. I am Moonfin of the Hylotl, diplomatic envoy of the Starbound Flotilla and Core Fleet captain. The other Core Fleet captains here are George, Pavo, Albert, Biteblade, and Seft. The visitors Ms. Yamakawa, Mr. Wiremu, and Ms. RQBL are associates of mine, part of the extended fleet. I am told you seek information regarding the nature of those who populate the universe. What wisdom of the multiverse can I share with you?"

Euphonia (839) has posed:
    "Two of 'Lazlo', then." Euphonia accompanies her decidedly trite reply with a swift nod which gradually turns into a supplemental, tiny bow itself. Then to Staren, she continues: "And, a researcher. I see. That would explain your curiosity." It's notable that, in spite of her diminutive appearance, she is every bit the regal woman in her manner and poise. That's to say, her expression does not budge in the least: she does not seem to smile, and even her blinks seem... forced, as though they weren't necessary. It takes a surprisingly short amount of time to notice the sheer number of human traits which she seems to lack, really; she doesn't seem to breathe, either, and even the miscellaneous jitter or oratory hand movement is exempt. This is either the result of incredible attentiveness, or the complementary inattentiveness of a being that would not naturally need to twitch, or draw air.

    When asked if there is 'anyone else here', Euphonia promptly opens her mouth to reply, but is pre-empted by the entrance of a tall, dark-haired man. He strolls in without a word, but the confident smirk decorating his face says all that would ever need to be said, as do the nuances of his folded arms, and the relaxation of his gait. As if in response to his sudden appearance, Euphonia falls silent again, nodding to him. This seems to serve as a cue for his introduction which is then swift in its coming.

    "There are plenty of others here," He says, propping himself against a wall, "you just don't see 'em yet. I don't know how many of you were listening yesterday, but Chrysalis is a pretty fragile world. There's a lot goin' on, so we have to be careful who we let in. So it was kinda necessary for us to keep tabs on you in case one of you ended up being a ravin' lunatic or something, you know? No offense, just measures. I'm sure you guys get it." That said, his arms fall slack, his hands finally resting in his pockets after the left one flicks a bang. "Clive Kline," He says. "That's my name. I work for Euphonia."

Septette Arcubielle (632) has posed:
     The HSC Mayfly can't safely enter a planetary atmosphere, so Septette abandons her craft in orbit and steps out, using a brief magical flare to cancel her momentum and angle her re-entry precisely. It takes a few more adjustments to ensure that she'll land in the right location after she enters the atmosphere, but she's soon right on course- fortunate, given that her electronic subsystems choose that moment to cut out.

     A harsh, deafening crash resounds as Septette hits the landing pad seconds after her subsystems reboot, giving her barely enough time to ensure she lands on her feet with a modicum of dignity. Despite the abrupt deceleration from terminal velocity, only the robot girl's pride seems to be hurt, and she takes a moment to put out the friction fires on her cloak and rake knifelike fingers through her synthetic hair.

     A minute or two later, Ms. Arcubielle finally steps into the room with Euphonia and the others, giving a weak and somewhat deflated smile. "Apologies for my tardiness, everyone. I-" she takes a little curtsy, almost comical given the inhuman form half-hidden behind her ragged cloak- "am Septette Arcubielle. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Euphonia. You as well, Mr. Kline." Seems she overheard their introductions, even from that distance...

Staren has posed:
    It seems to Staren that either 'Euphonia' is a puppet with incomplete controls, or something that obtained its human appearance artificially, like a robot that was never programmed to /act/ human. Man, for all he knows, this is an entire world inhabited by doll-people for some reason. You never know!

    Clive arrives, to Staren's surprise, and provides quite the contrast. Not all doll people then. He nods, "Of course." in reply to the precautions -- they're only being sensible, after all. "Pleased to meet you as well."

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa is now thaking in things she's curious about it all. She kinda peers at the Foltilla for a moment as they finally arrive. Something don't seem to change and the interplay of that small group doesn't seem to change much.

"I'm honestly just a wayward mechanic tha'ts turned into a bit of an exploring sort to be honest."

She took a moment to take in Clive Kline's word and she nodded in agreement. She could see them needing to be careful abotu guests, right? Then Seft comes over the radio with a few theories on what things might be the cause of the pain.

"It's good to meet you all."

Euphonia (839) has posed:
    Euphonia greets the Flotilla with the same, neutral expression that she had worn with all the others before. She scans each one of them carefully, and though she seems to narrow her eyes at Biteblade, she makes very little substantial reply to their presence otherwise. It's unclear whether she appreciates the tone Moonfin takes, but she doesn't seem to be off-put; she repeats the same half-bow that she had given to Staren and Valentha in supplement to demonstrate as much before glancing toward the ceiling a moment in contemplation. When she finishes, she says, "We would like to know how close Chrysalis is to the nearest alternative world, or failing that, where the largest clusters of populated worlds may be located. It would also be helpful if you were to inform us of the martial capabilities of those worlds nearest Chrysalis, that we might feel more confident in our local defenses."

    Straight to the point, huh. Doesn't seem like she's that interested in learning about other places for the hell of it -- very mired in practicality, this one.

    Immediately after finishing her list, the overseer takes a deep breath, exhaling. This gesture may help to abate the concern of any who had noticed the scarcity of her breathing before, at least. "We believe that is all we have to inquire about for the time being. We will inform you when we think of more. Thank you again for your openness."

Euphonia (839) has posed:
    Euphonia and Kline both turn their heads to look as Septette makes her way inside. The former seems to lose interest after nodding in her general direction, but Kline... well. For his part, Kline lets out a long, hearty laugh. "What pad did you even land on, girl? A little birdie told me you came down around nine-thousand or so, but I -still- felt the vibrations up here!" He cracks a small, only vaguely eerie grin. "I think I like your style. -Good-. I for one am more than happy to see a bit more action around here. You know the biggest problem with a perfect world?" He takes a toothpick that had apparently been caught between a few of his teeth before, flicking it on to the floor somewhere. "Nothing ever goes wrong. The most I get to do is stir up a cyclone now and then. Could use a couple more robot girl earthquakes."

    All Euphonia can really do is glare.

Euphonia (839) has posed:
    Then Clive's head swivels over to Staren. He raises a hand his way. "Nice to not know ya, guy! But maybe we'll get better acquainted in due time, huh? I'll look forward to it." Geez, that smile of his is kinda creepy. And what's with the eyepatch? Is that just a style thing, or is he really missing an eye? ... well, of course that's his cue to switch it over to the opposite one.

    No, neither of them are missing.

Euphonia (839) has posed:
    While Clive is indulging his need to unnerve every newcomer who passes through the elevator door and adjusting his glove, Euphonia takes an interest in Kotone. The bow she gives this girl seems to last just a moment longer, go an inch lower; perhaps it's her way of taking a breath after her own subordinate's 'stirring' entrance. "We are pleased to make your acquaintance, Kotone. We are somewhat versed in making adjustments and repairs as well, so we may be able to teach one another in some form." If nothing else, Euphonia seems to appreciate how mundane Kotone is. It's a relief, seeing someone who isn't a scientist, or a superhero, or what have you when interacting with people from an unknown frontier.

Valentha Summers (834) has posed:
    "Well then, we're kindred souls of a sort," Valentha asides to Kotone, whilst bunching both her shoulders up in a shrug. As if to say, 'what are you so worried about?'

    The Flotilla's approach is also regarded with an intensely focused gaze. She's blinking some, not staring, but there's something just unnervingly examinatory about it that just doesn't fit her apparent age.

    Thankfully it's over in a mere instant.

    "I'm itching to learn what sets this world apart from others. It's already making an impression."

Starbound Flotilla has posed:
    "Floran underssstand need to make sssure people sssafe! Normal Floran race, jussst come onto planet and eat people. Not thisss Floran, but no grudge!" Biteblade says, agreeably asiding to Klein. She also looks at Euphonia, answering her narrowed eyes with a friendly wave. "Hi!" She looks like she's contemplating hugging Euphonia purely because she looks so doll-like.

    Moonfin steps aside for a moment, gesturing to Seft. "We can assist with this question, certainly. Seft, if you would?" He says, making a gesture as if presenting the princess-bot.
    Seft's eye-visor displays "LOADING", for a moment, before her robotic head's built-in holo-emitters start displaying the collected data about this region and the surrounding ones in a big fancy holo-map. She speaks in a synthesized feminine monotone. "Data output. Nearby worlds of note include three worlds as examples: Ar Ciel, the Realm, and an Earth variant. These three worlds feature, in whole or in part, martial capacity consistent with 21st-century-earth level firearms and melee manufacturing, defenses including active powered armor, major warfare elements such as ICBM platforms, magic capable of world-class environmental effects, summoning, varied-scale elemental effects, and similar." The map flickers to nothingness and Seft's eye-visor flicks to a "^_^" expression. "Cheerful. What additional data would you like me to provide?"

Septette Arcubielle (632) has posed:
     "Not sure which pad, but I'm confident it wasn't one of the important ones," the little robot answers Kline as she straightens back up. Her glowing lavender irises flicker slightly, either mimicking a lidless blink or merely as a side-effect of the interference. "I only wish I could say that the performance had been intentional. Failed to decelerate sufficiently before impact."

     If she seems at all put off by Euphonia's stern glare or Clive's crooked grin, it doesn't show. Septette may be expressive, but she -is- a machine, and she can wear her face like a mask when it suits her. Rather than stare and risk being thought rude by her gracious host, Sept turns and nods at Valentha, amiably acknowledging the only non-Flotilla outsider present. "Interesting, isn't it," she asides.

Euphonia (839) has posed:
    When regarding Valentha again, Euphonia blinks for the first time. Of course the first ones to arrive are always the inquisitive ones. She's careful, perhaps too careful, to give the impression the thought hasn't even crossed her mind, but only more anomalies come soon after. She crosses her arms behind her back next, and allows for a few moments' hesitation. At the end of it all, she finally replies, "Likewise. We are eager to see what this larger world has to teach us. Unfortunately, however, we feel that you may find this world to be somewhat more 'normal' than you suspect. With all you must have seen already, it is unlikely that anything you see here will be especially groundbreaking. Nevertheless," Her arms spread at her sides again, "we appreciate your candor, and your interest. It is my hope that your current impression and any amended impressions you may develop continue to be positive."

Staren has posed:
    Staren looks at Seft. That's a more... comprehensive answer than he would have given. He adds, "This area of the Multiverse is actually pretty sparse, though of course it's all connected by warpgates." He looks back to Euphonia. "The Multiverse is a giant hollow sphere, large enoguh for, well, /universes/ to fit inside. Parts of worlds are all connected together on the surface... but inside the sphere, space is as sparse as, well, space."

    Staren crosses his arm. "'Normal'? You've got floating islands, a weird headache effect, and... well, /you/ at least are clearly not human, though I don't know if there are many like you here."

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa was not expecting to get their host's attention that much but it seems that she has. She looks thei host fover for a second before she replies.

"We might need to talk shop then. It could be quite hte leanring experiance. Exploring beyond my own world has been quite the eye opening experiance I have to admit."

She does not want to take up all their host's time. She takes a slight step back as Seft goes into lesson moe. She watches the holoemitters with a good deal. She does quite take note of this all. It's quite a bit to make note of.

"The scale of this place can drive some people to madness. Normal is what your used to Staren, isn't it?"

Euphonia (839) has posed:
    The next question Euphonia poses to Seft is so obvious that the Flotilla members may briefly wonder why they had not thought to ask themselves. "You mentioned an 'Earth variant'. We presume, then, that Earth is a prevalent world with many alternatives, correct? If that is the case, then we would like for you to provide a rough description of Earth in terms of whatever you feel would be most germane to those topics we've already raised. Also, you said '21st century technology'. If by this you are referring to the 21st century of the Earth, then we would be especially curious as to what forms of technology are present within that epoch. A brief summary is fine -- we do not expect a full account, though some if you could provide us access to some public volumes regarding this world, we would appreciate it greatly."

    There's only a moment of silence before she goes on. "And if it is within our rights," She raises her left palm, "then we would perhaps be interested in speaking to your privately. It regards a job opportunity which would be suitable for a person - or in this case, a group of people - not of this world. We do not wish to pressure you into doing so, but a swift reply on this matter, specifically, would be preferable." She ends with a nod there before gesturing for Seft (or whomever else) to continue.

    You could almost mistake that wideness of her eyes for happiness.

Euphonia (839) has posed:
    Clive responds to Septette's follow-up with yet another smile. "Yeah," He says, casually gesturing to one side with the palm of his right hand turned upward, "and the last time I made one of the continents fall it was an accident, too." He allows for a brief, pensive silence before he emits a dull 'pfff'. "Kidding, kidding! A continent fell once, sure, but that was toward the beginning. Before we had everything worked out, you know? Now everything's fiiiine. Just fine. You just have to break things in, then they're easy. If you come back, I'm sure you'll get the hang on landing, too." His hand slips back into his pocket before he remembers with a sudden 'Oh', "And that whole headache thing? One time deal. Next time you come, if there's a next time, you don't have to worry 'bout that. S'cool." He bats the air with his hand again a moment.

    The contrast between Clive and his 'employer' really is something.

Valentha Summers (834) has posed:
    "And the reason for the headache? If we are the first here, how do you even know this affects people? Since it wouldn't have happened before." Val chimes good-naturedly, hands suddenly on her hips. "Reall curious. I didn't expect a slight change in atmosphere could do that..." Now she's scratching at her chin thoughtfully...

Staren has posed:
    Staren scratches his head. "Earth, huh? Earth... 'baseline' Earth, although I'll note that pretty much every world seems to deviate from it in one way or another, is a world where humans are the only intelligent species, either evolving naturally or created by a very non-interventionist deity. 'Magic', that is, abilities that alter the world around you through direct application of will, or using words and gestures to cause effects through some natural law that allows such, is not present -- instead, the inhabitants rely on machines and physical tools to manipulate the world around them. Their calendar begins approximately four and a half billion years -- where a year is about 365 and a quarter days, and a day is 24 hours, and an hour is 60 minutes which is sixty seconds, a second being thiiiis long. The calandar begins approximately four and a half billion years after the planet's formation... unless it was made by a god in that version, hmm... /anyway/, the 'baseline'" finger-quotes "Earth has a common calendar and history of culture from negative a few thousand years to about a couple thousand years after the start of the calendar. The exact details are beyond the scope of this summary, but you can get textbooks...

    Staren blinks. "Where was I?... anyway, worlds in the 20th or 21st century of the calendar seem the most common. I'm from the beginning of the 25th century, in a world where magic returned and the Earth was connected to countless other universes about three centuries ago. Uhhh... Seft might be better able to describe the typical technologies..."

    "At the common time period, though, we're talking a time ranging from the harnessing of electricity and use of fossil fuels for powered vehicles, through the invention and widespread use of computers, the invention of spaceflight in limited government and scientific capacity, to the development in the areas of human enhancement and manned spaceflight becoming more common and computers become more and more a part of people's lives."

    Staren blinks and tilts his head. "Was that helpful?"

Starbound Flotilla has posed:
    This is where Albert comes in, with a heavy military grunt. "We have samples of the martial technology you can expect from the regions nearby. Industrially manufactured personal ballistic gunpowder weapons with high range and low load time. Armor capable of stopping that. Combustion-based rocket thrust for weapons and space access. Electrical power. Radio-wave information exchange. Silicon semiconductor paradigm for computing." Another heavy grunt seems to punctuate the end of it. That's what he has to say, not much more.

    "Earth, huh?" George says, grinning and laughing as he assumes a casual posture. He accompanies Staren's own explaination with something a little more concise and a little more cynical. "What's to say about it? Internet jokes, wars breaking out over dumb stuff, rich gettin' richer, poor gettin' poorer, not enough oil, too much oil. Earth in the galaxy I came from was alright, before it blew up, but most of what you see's still gettin' its footing. That about cover it?"

    "Oh, ye lookin' to pay for a job, lass?" Pavo jumps on that eagerly! "Ye be talkin' to the best gang of result-gettin' sea-dogs of the stars ye ever seen, ye need somethin' done and we can do it. Engineerin', buildin', minin', explorin', fighting', we got it all. Ye just name yer price and yer job and we'll be votin' on takin' it."

Valentha Summers (834) has posed:
    "The magic was actually around centuries earlier... but comparatively weak. Ley lines were hardly worth mentioning.." Valentha mumbles just loud enough for maybe Staren to hear. A point of academia, but she's not aiming to info flood Euphonia and her employee. No siree!

    "It always helps to start from the beginning!" Val chimes Euphonia's way. "Where would that be here?"

Euphonia (839) has posed:
    Meanwhile, Euphonia looks to Staren, gently nodding along with his expansion on Seft's already holistic explanation. When he finishes, she places one hand over the other at her waist again, straightening her posture just slightly. Not that he was really slumping before. "We see," She comments. "So the Multiverse is what we expected that it would be -- an extrapolation of space as we conventionally understand it. Good. Unfortunately, Chrysalis is not presently capable of interstellar flight, though in the past we have had programs working toward that end. It is our hope that we will achieve something similar in the near future, with observation of our new neighbors."

    Euphonia reacts very little when Staren insists that her world is 'odd', but at least she doesn't make some rebuke implying that state of affairs is 'just as normal to her', et cetera. Instead she only cants her head faintly when he insists that she 'obviously isn't human'. "What we are is irrelevant," She says, "though we do not see why you seem to believe so vehemently that we are not human. Many of those on this planet are human. We appear human." She completely leaves out reference to her behavior which seems to make even -Clive- crack a grin. At least some aspects of this universe act self-aware.

    Staren's next reply, portents Earth, garners a renewed series of nods from the overseer. Her eyes remain wide which, for her, is the closest one can come to a clear indication of interest. Once he concludes, she nods. "It was, we believe, extremely enlightening. Thank you. We would like to forewarn you that there are recorders throughout The Needle that which can, on command, store sound data. Everything you have just said has been recorded so that I may review it later. Is this acceptable?" On the one hand, pretty creepy to think she could have been recording them this whole time. On the other, she -did- just warn him and even request to keep what she got. So maybe it's okay?

    In his corner, Clive emits an idle 'Huh'. "At least seconds are the same length. Seems like we have some similarities after all."

    Then it's over to the Flotilla. Albert receives a quick, appreciative nod from Euphonia. "Good, good. We are at least familiar with these technologies up to those which utilize nuclear fusion explosions. We are also familiar with the term 'Internet', and Chrysalis possesses something functionally similar. We will admit, the degree of overlap between our worlds is somewhat unprecedented, but not unwelcome." Her response to Pavo is a bit less cordial, though -- more direct, and frank. "It primarily involves fighting," She answers. "And we will discuss the specifics in confidence. We apologize for any inconvenience, but on this we will not budge. We will negotiate a price based upon whatever you feel the task would be worth then."

Euphonia (839) has posed:
    Euphonia looks away from Staren and the Flotilla briefly to give Kotone a nod. "We would be glad of the opportunity," She says, though the complete neutrality of her tone makes expressive words like 'glad' seem a bit disingenuous.

    Just a bit. She may still be sincere!

Septette Arcubielle (632) has posed:
     "Staren, Kotone, and I sometimes assist the Captains with their jobs, depending on the scale of the work. But if you would rather keep this between just-" she glances about the room, pretending to take count- "just the eight of you, I understand that some quieter jobs require fewer hands."

     Failing to find anything to hang her cloak upon, Septette makes a subtle gesture and magically condenses some moisture into a curved 'icicle' on a nearby wall. That'll do for a coathook. It may not be much more than a singed rag now, but it still wouldn't be proper to toss her raiment on the floor like garbage, would it?

     The little robot pretends to fidget- 'pretends' because each and every movement she makes is intentional- and casts her eyes down towards the floor. She does not feel qualified to speak about any of the current topics, having come from a wildly divergent Earthlike world, and it hasn't escaped Arcubielle's notice that she is the only one present to have never been addressed by Euphonia.

     Even in feigned boredom, Septette's mind works at a feverish pace, analyzing all the information she can soak up. Chrysalis, the planet, is capable of interstellar travel. They implied they have encountered other inhabited worlds within their own universe. They've recieved visitors from those other worlds, apparently. And not all sapients on the planet are human, though there are not many like Euphonia herself. Interesting.

     Finally, Septette glances up, venturing to address Euphonia again. "If you'll tolerate my idle curiosity, what is the state of artificial intelligence on your world? Do you have the ability to construct intelligent creatures from nonliving matter, and if so, what is their status as persons?"

Staren has posed:
    Staren nods to Valentha. He did say the magic came /back/, and he knows where Lazlo's name comes from.

    He shakes his head at Euphonia's assertion that she appears human. "You really don't, except superficially. My going theory is that body is a puppet and you're really elsewhere, or that that body is a construct made in the image of humans, but you don't act like a human and it's noticeable."

    Staren nods upon hearing he's being recorded. "Of course." He'd do the same, after all!

    Staren shrugs upon hearing the technology is similar. "Well, that will make understanding a lot of worlds easier, but there are plenty of stranger worlds out there." He narrows his eyes a bit. "You need warriors? Why? Has another world already taken military action against you?"

Euphonia (839) has posed:
    Then, Valentha. This question... this question gets a -series- of blinks before she takes a breath and conforms again to her usual calm. "... people from Chrysalis have left the atmosphere before. At that point, we realized that there was actually a disorienting amount of static electricity within the troposphere that one must acclimate to upon their return. For some reason, however, people who have undergone a number of voyages into space have been able to return unscathed, hence we have also been made aware that this will only affect you once... assuming that this functions the same way for outsiders. We cannot be certain at present." After a momentary pause, she adds, "And we will clarify that the interstellar travel we were referring to before was short-distance. We are capable of short-distance space travel -- not long distance. We are still working on perfecting UV-resistant technology, rebreathers, and other relevant technologies."

    Then it's on to the next statement. Again Euphonia folds her arms behind her back, looking upward. Without glancing back down, she says, "Our world began in much the same way that Staren claims the Earth did. This planet has undergone many transformations to bring it where it currently is, and humans have likewise evolved to become what they are now. The only large divergence we have seen thus far is that humanity here eventually learned to raise its continents into the air so that they might escape the gradually worsening climatic phenomena. Once The Needle was made capable of global climate control, however, this became largely irrelevant. Still, people have preferred to stay airborne thus far for a variety of reasons, though there are some who live on the various islands and archipelagos left over from the time of rising."

    A bit vague, and nowhere near as inclusive as Seft's and Staren's descriptions of Earth, but maybe more will come in time.

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa had listned to the talk abotu earth, they'd summed up a lot about the basics of the planet and she thinks for a moment on what she can add. She doesn't think much o the basics can be added to at this point. Still she wants to to add what she can.

"Variants of it such as my own can vary wildy, the use of cyberentic agumentation has become very common in developed nations in the last decade or so. Still most of what was said applies to my world at least till around the 1980s where things started to diverge from what I can tell. Humm everything is being watched, that's not uncomon back home."

She's not fond of it but at lest their host told them it was such right? Well I have the time if your still interesting to talk on these matters."

She's not sure about her tone but this is a possibly alien being so she's not assuming anything so far yet.

Valentha Summers (834) has posed:
    "STATIC ELECTRICITY?!" Causing headaches? Valentha's shoked. She almost NEVER barks out loudly like that, but this has her going completely wide-eyed in utter disbelief. "... Perhaps I'll need to reconsider how I thought electricity worked... for around here, that is... interesting. I wonder what the underlying c ause is?"

Euphonia (839) has posed:
    Septette's polite interjection into Euphonia's conversation with the Starbounders regarding work does not go unnoticed... but her response may be a bit different than she expects. Euphonia covers her mouth and closes her eyes a few moments in thought before ultimately replying, "There is a possibility that your presence would be helpful as well, but you must understand that secrecy -- and complete cooperation -- are of the utmost importance here. Once you accept, you may not communicate the information which we grant to you with anyone in the larger Multiverse unless we allow you to do so. If you do, your contract is forfeit, and we cannot promise that there will not be some manner of retribution." Always so frank! Maybe it's a good thing that she's so earnest where it counts, but it's still a bit ominous at times.

    Then that next thing. It's only natural that Septette, being who she is, would be interested in that topic. Euphonia's eventual reply, though, is as terse as it is informative: "Clive is an artificial intelligence which was created to moderate climate of the planet. Unfortunately this means that he will occasionally have to instigate some powerful and life-threatening weather patterns, but in our hands this far less dangerous than it would be otherwise. Other examples of artificial intelligence exist here as well, such as Note. Note is Clive's 'sister' unit and the individual who keeps a census of all living humans, their occupations, et cetera. Technically speaking there is only one, centralized body of governance, so she manages all such data across Chrysalis." Got a bit more there than she might have been asking for!

    Meanwhile, Clive just keeps on smiling, putting a foot up against the wall. It's almost like he's posing.

Zwei (596) has posed:
    Somewhat late for totally not OoC reasons, Zwei has of course responded to the call to see this new world, though it is more motivated by the members of the Flotilla abruptly complaining of inexplicably experiencing something with all sorts of very interesting possible explanations. Of course, it really doesn't like the idea of leaving said members on some kind of potential hypersphere or planetary scale weapon, and so it has made the effort to bring both Armigers for a rare change, coming in from the atmospheric approach due to how generally practical it is for a body rated for space superiority.

    Zwei doesn't actually feel pain in a conventional sense. Its mental architecture is too different to really understand it, and the actual programming of its sub-AIs doesn't account for it in the same way. It certainly processes /something/ however, and it isn't a sensation it feels terribly good about. Of course Weiss begins processing almost immediately as Asche maneuvers into atmospheric descent, but it seems like it could be quite a while before she gets anywhere. The two arrive with the former in her favourite post-modern semi-casual outfit riding on the massive shoulder of the latter, entering the room at the exact same time. "Sorry I'm late~" Weiss says in the most unapolagetically casual tone possible, apparently not about to budge from the shoulder of Zwei's walking death threat while on this world just yet. Asche is the one who makes the courtesy of introduction. "Exodus Class Armiger: Zwei, represented by sub-units Weiss and Asche. You have been entertaining allies of mine for a while, so I will assume nothing is gravely amiss until I see reason for hospitality to fail."

Euphonia (839) has posed:
    As Staren remarks on Euphonia's perceived humanity she gives a slow, almost gentle nod. "We will not confirm or deny your theory just yet," She says. She has been awfully reticent about herself thus far, so why should this be any exception? She nods again when he gives her the okay to keep the recording, throwing in a 'Thank you' for good measure. As for that next thing, though... well. She hesitates only a moment before clarifying, however obliquely, "Glitch."

    She closes her eyes. "They're a group of insurgents -- a rebel organization which has been for as long as any of those in the modern era are able to recall. They..." She opens her eyes a moment, locking eyes with Staren. "... they are a group of fundamentalists who are opposed to the centralized government, and to the recent advances in technology which have so radically altered the world. This is why their members are so often found on the various islands strewn about. Many of them do not wish to live in the sky." After a moment's pause, she continues, "We will clarify their distaste for the centralized government upon request, but the resistance to technology is a bit more straightforward. They are religious sorts who believe humans were never meant to alter the world as they've begun to. It is a shame that we must fight, but they allow us no little alternative when they become violent."

Starbound Flotilla has posed:
    "Discretion is a priority." Moonfin interjects here, pleasantly. "We understand, and certainly do not mind that in the least. We will be happy to speak with you in whichever private circumstances you wish to speak in. Perhaps later, you might wish to visit our own facilities? We would be quite happy to host you." He says, making a few kind, inviting sorts of gestures.

    "Fights, huh? Whatever, hey, long as the Fleet votes for it, got my punches on your side. Don't gotta tell me everything already. Damn, though, got everyone on stilts? How'd /that/ work out for a real estate trend?" He laughs a bit at his own joke, as he always does.

    "Polite. If you wish to work with us, perhaps we can assist your ongoing work of space-travel-relevant technologies. A mutual exchange could provide good benefits to us both." She seems to have conflictedly positive feelings in response to Euphonia, something about her seems to remind Seft of something positively despite the bits of oddness from the others.

    Of course, there's an explanation to Staren. Seft and Moonfin look to each other. Albert tenses up, visibly restraining a more intense reaction, and George is already looking a bit intensely to him, staring him down to get him not to speak up. Moonfin is the one who does. "While 'Glitch' means something quite different in our home galaxy, it seems... Something that we can discuss another time, of course, but we certainly sympathize with your difficulty. We will look forward to the chance to work with you."

Euphonia (839) has posed:
    Euphonia glances to Valentha briefly. "We would assume that there is a larger quantity of water on the surface of our planet," She says. "More water, combined with cooler temperatures, equates to more ice in the atmosphere to rub together and produce electricity. There is something of a surplus of it, here, which creates a rather long list of issues. Clive has not been able to effectively counter this particular issue yet. Although," She raises a finger, "We misspoke. Not static electricity. There is enough of it to affect one's cerebrum which, to an unadjusted person, can cause rather severe migraines. Even natives are prone to frequent headaches."

Septette Arcubielle (632) has posed:
     The arcane war machine in the corner keeps her luminescent gaze on Euphonia for rather longer than is strictly necessary, and although her expression does not change, it's obvious that she is very deep in thought. For a moment or two, her 'ribcage' ceases to contract and expand; all traces of mimicked life leave her skeletal frame, and she freezes in place. Then her eyes dim, and she leans back against the wall and nods. "I understand. Thank you."

     She's just taking the remains of her cloak off the improvised hook when Zwei comes in, and she flashes Weiss a genuinely warm smile; her first, perhaps, in the entire meeting. "I was just considering taking my leave, Zwei- terribly sorry! I hope we have a chance to hang out sometime soon... ideally under less 'novel' circumstances." Striding towards the elevator with clanking footsteps, Septette turns and nods to the rest of the room out of courtesy. "Apologies for not seeing this meeting through to the end, but I've other obligations, and I don't think I shall accept the 'mission' proposed. Good night, ladies, gentlemen, and esteemed nonbinary entities."

Staren has posed:
    Staren blinks. "I am an idealist. I will do what I believe is right. If the information you reveal to me in secret leads me to believe that you are a threat, that you need to be stopped, I will do what I must. Though I would prefer to resolve such differences peacefully if possible."

    "These rebels now have an opportunity -- they, or you, can leave the planet and live elsewhere." He crosses his arms. "If it's any comfort, if your description is accurate, I believe the rebels to be fools devoted to stagnating, if not self-destructive, ideals. However, peaceful exodus is still preferable to conflict."

Euphonia (839) has posed:
    Euphonia and Clive both turn to regard Zwei next. It's a bit of a reversal, but in this case it's -Clive's- eyes which grow wider rather than Euphonia's. His smile widens, too, for reasons which are anyone's guess... but also embarrassingly obvious. It's times like this when the group may begin to wonder if Clive is a bit /too/ human in his programming, but luckily the overseer is the first to speak... or, well, respond. She gives her the same, faint bow that she had given all the others before, first. "It is our sincere hope that no such need will arise now, nor any time in the near future. That said, we thank you for making the journey here. We were speaking with the Flotilla about the possibility of employment, and if you are affiliated with them, this same job may be available to you as well. You may be included in this discussion later, if you wish to be."

Euphonia (839) has posed:
    Euphonia looks to the Flotilla again this time, bowing a bit more deeply in response to Moonfin's offer. "We... will consider this, carefully. You understand that we have many responsibilities here -- things can often become unruly when we depart, even briefly, though there should be precautions in place to allow for a brief outing. If necessary, we could leave Clive and-or Note in charge of things here. More pressing is our tie to this place; we have not left this location for a number of years, and departing now may impart some strain upon our psyche. All that said, we garner the impression already that remaining here forever would be quite impossible... so we had best familiarizes ourselves with the outside world, that we might be acclimated when it becomes more pressing."

    To George, Euphonia's reply is so swift that it could almost have been rehearsed. "It was, if anything, a boon to the real estate market. Land value increased substantially in many locations considering the then absent lack of flood risks. Airborne homes were also considered to be inherently more aesthetically pleasing -- people took quite well to it, on a whole." Then, Seft. "Mmm. We believe we have much to learn from one another. If a single encounter has left this impression upon us, we predict that it foretells of many good things in the future, yes." Then back to Moonfin. "Then your cooperation is, again, greatly appreciated. We only hope that you hold the same opinion once we have divulged the specifics of what your missions will entail." She either completely missed the implied alternate meaning of Glitch or didn't see any express reason to demonstrate concern. Eh.

Euphonia (839) has posed:
    Euphonia and Clive allow Septette to leave without complaint, although the former does offer a verbal sendoff. "Good evening, then." After the slightest pause, she adds, "We hope that we have not upset you in any way, and that your voyage home is a safe one."

    Maybe her gaze lingers on her a bit longer than it should, too. After all, she was one of the first people to come into Chrysalis, and now she will likely become the first outworlder to leave. It's a scary moment for Euphonia is a few ways.

Euphonia (839) has posed:
    Euphonia nods to Staren. "And we would expect no less from any rational individual. We would likewise prefer it if the members of Glitch could be relocated. We predict that some groups will be amenable to this, but that others may not desire to leave their homes behind. As it likely is on Earth, many religious groups have sacred grounds on this planet. Even if they are altered, they will still attempt to lay claim to them. For those who refuse to leave, we may be forced to do the unthinkable. It is for this reason that we first cautioned the faint of heart against accepting any jobs we may have to offer." Further, "So we will do what we can. I trust that you will be a valuable asset throughout our efforts, should you elect to be."

Zwei (596) has posed:
    Weiss exchanges a coy little wave to Clive, though it's likely he's paying more attention to her brother unit instead. Despite the fact that she is visibly clearly more artificial than Euphonia, she is also far more human in everything from posture to inflection to general mannerism by intentional design. Ironically, while their hostess seems predisposed towards the royal We, both units use I to refer to themselves as a singular entity. "I picked up a little bit from outside the door. It's no biggie~" She says. "And no, I don't mind you recording anything." After all, she never says anything she doesn't wish to.

    "I would wish to hear it." rumbles Asche, the brighter band of his optics sweeping back and forth across the room before fixating on her properly. "I believe I am able to target an outline of what the nature of it might be." His featureless countenance betrays no reaction to her explanations.

/*Septette's probably on the money with this one.*/
//Reticence is still no reason to expect one to be lying through their teeth.//
/*True, but kind of irrelevant. She's one of those tiny handful who aren't peachy keen on telling everyone everything about their world the moment they can.*/
//Which is a reason to expect danger. One of the hallmarks of deeply practical intelligence.//
/*Intervention plans?*/
//Minimal. It is the core fleet's perogative before mine, having been chosen by this world's selective elements.//
/*I'm still running the index.*/
//There was no choice to begin with.//
/*Also drafting plans to blow it up if it does turn out to be a dimensional super weapon. Right?*/
//Unlikely, but there is no reason to fail to have such a plan regardless. This directly concerns our investitures of time, energy, and good faith.//

Staren has posed:
    Staren nods to Euphonia, then shrugs. "I guess we'll see, when I have more information. Thank you for understanding."

Septette Arcubielle (632) has posed:
     Septette's ear-fins twitch slightly as she steps into the elevator, and she resists the urge to look back over her shoulder. "No," she answers softly, though she dearly wants to confront Euphonia. That can come later, when her suspicions of deceit have coalesced into something more concrete. Better to hold one's cards close and not let on.

     When she turns around to punch a number into the elevator's pad, her eyes are dull and unfocused, not betraying her intentions. Before the doors can shut, she smiles faintly and wishes her host well one more time: "Welcome to the Multiverse, Euphonia."

     Though perhaps it isn't well-wishing at all.

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa is just hanging back at this point she's not the biggest mover and shaker here. Far as she knows she's one of the least imporant parts of the Flotilla so she's not going to attempt to make a mess of things here. She's clearly listening to what everyones got to say for the most par the talk of insurgents and a relgious war? That now has her raising an eyebrow. Given her own feelings about a lot of technology? Also her own foolishing in the issue with the Glitch castle incident? She's very much going to do snooping about before she moves on this. She doe showever take note of Clive but the headakes and the talk of people who don't like the tech that's being used on certain things? Has clearly got Kotone's notice. Stil she's got to find out what's going on for a moment.

"A peaceful exdodus would be the best way. I admit I'm curious about what sort of job postings you might have."

She's not going to dismiss things out of hand but she's going to certainly think about any job she's offtered she's just being the nobody today looking for work and exploring right?

Euphonia (839) has posed:
    Euphonia turns to regard Asche. "We should like to include you, then. Though we generally do not judge by appearances, we will admit that you -- both of you -- appear quite formidable. This gives us the distinct impression that your help would be indispensable, especially in regions distinct from the Needle where Glitch has a stronger foothold. Regardless of your eventual conclusion, however, we thank you for your openness to the idea now. When are ready to discuss things properly, we will meet you again, likely on another of the Needle's floors." She inclines her head just slightly as a show of respect. With how they respond to one another, they might as well be playing a game of cards with their words. Meanwhile, Clive turns to look over Septette as she leaves.

    He isn't smiling.

Euphonia (839) has posed:
    After silence chokes the room for a reasonable amount of time, Clive finally lifts himself from his spot on the wall. "Welp," He loudly breaks in, "I'd say that this has been a nice little chat, and that we've done 'bout all we can do here. So what say we reconvene some other day when we're all more used to how things work? Maybe I can even show you guys some of my favorite places to eat! Or maybe I can show some of you," He shoves his hands in his pockets before sneaking a painfully obvious look at Weiss, "while Euphonia talks to ya about all the boring crap. Waddya say?" He leaves off with a renewed, broad, pearly grin. In this case at least, Euphonia doesn't demonstrate objection toward his 'habits' in any visible way.

    Rather, she agrees. "We concur," She follows. "Let us resume this in a smaller forum on a later date. Those of you who have requested to be involved in any work we may have available will be informed before this meeting takes place. While you may feel free to accept or deny any offers we put forward, we still ask that you keep all the information which we share private until it is revealed to the larger world as a part of other, organic developments. Until then, we will utilize the same broadband which we did today to keep in touch with you. If a new means of communication is decided upon later, we will inform you as soon as possible."

    Then she gives a final, concluding bow. "It was our pleasure to welcome you this evening," She says. "We hope that the future will bring us many good things together. Farewell." She hesitates only a moment, looking them all over a final time, before disappearing behind a sliding door at her right. Clive lags behind a bit but is soon to follow. Just like that, it's over.

    ... and yet all of them may feel like something much, much larger has only just begun.

Staren has posed:
    Staren listens curiously... at the end of Euphonia's speech, Staren nods. "As do we. ...Farewell." He heads back to the elevator.