A Phone Call Is Made

[velesdonnersen]

Open Phone Call

 [He's suspicious and well past grumpy, now, and a little worried...but he's also noticed that he's not alone. There are people who seem not to fit, like him. So he's going to try to figure this out...]

Hello?  Hello?

Is anyone else out there? Anyone else stuck from someplace else, like me?

The clothes are strange, the houses filled with ugly furniture, the locals all seem to be Muses... slow, dull Muses.  I can't remember how I got here, and I  have no idea what this is all about.

 

My "wife" says we have a car, but every time I try to figure it out I get a headache...and my spark seems to be gone.  Which is... disturbing.

 

I'm Tarvek.  Tarvek Sturmvoraus.  "Prince," if it matters to anyone.

 

And I'd really like a few answers.

 

[Anyone listening can hear him grumbling and muttering under his breath, huffing, "I feel like such an idiot talking into this thing...."]

 

Comments

[hontobakabaka.livejournal.com]

[A quiet, calm, even and emotionless voice can be heard on the other end]

"I'm Ruri. Hoshino Ruri. Captain of the Nadesico and Princess of Peaceland. If it helps. I may be able to help you, it sounds like you were kidnapped by the town of Mayfield, but... What is a spark?"

[velesdonnersen.livejournal.com]

[His voice brightens just to hear a response....]

Hello, Ruri. I don't know if any of that helps or not -- too new here to be sure, I think. But thank you for your response.

"Kidnapped by the town of Mayfield" sounds like it shouldn't make sense: I've never heard of a town kidnapping people before. But I have to admit that seems accurate.

Spark is a sort of talent for science and engineering. Extreme talent, though. Think of it like this: Most sparks are in some sense scientists, but not all scientists are sparks. Sparks bend science into shapes science was never meant to be bent.

[hontobakabaka.livejournal.com]

"I see.. I was genetically engineered to have a high IQ, but, I didn't know there was anything special about it. However, more explanations."

[She ponders for a minute]

"The town actually has three types of people. Captives like us, drones, who... I'm not sure if they are biological constructs, or if they've had their brains washed to the point they can't retain new data. That's most of the town. There are also the town administrators. The chief of police, the milk man, the mayor, the post man, Lucy Smith... They tend to actually be in charge and can actually control reality on a local level. They're also not very nice people."

[velesdonnersen.livejournal.com]

[He was genetically engineered himself, but -- but he's not the sort to volunteer that too quickly. Instead he focuses on your explanation of the town.]

Thank you for the explanation. I'd been wondering about whether the -- what did you call them? Drones? I'd been wondering if they weren't created. I hadn't thought of brain washing or mind control. Huh. I'll have to think about that.

The administrators seem like people to be wary of. Have you other captives learned much about them? Is there any way to resist them or avoid them?

[He's not going to ask about whether there's a way to control them, yet. Not until he knows a lot more about them, you and Mayfield - and about this communication system. He suspects there's no telling who can listen to this conversation!]

[hontobakabaka.livejournal.com]

"Mr. Rose has a pamphlet of all the gained information at the library, though, most of the actual books there are useless. They are altered by gender and age bias so there is little of actual use. Some people have books they've regained from home, or data centers like computers. I'm not terribly comfortable giving all the details over the phone though, its not secure."

[velesdonnersen.livejournal.com]

[He snorts, softly.]

Yes. I...thought perhaps it wasn't secure. Good to have it confirmed, though.

Where is the library? Even flawed it may be of some use, if only for your Mr. Rose's pamphlet.

[hontobakabaka.livejournal.com]

"The phones can be secured to a degree, by stating who you wish to filter out. That being said, they can be hacked if you know how and some of us are good with electrical systems."

[She ponders a bit]

"Where are you? I'm compiling a map of the town and can probably give you street by street instructions. Also.... Are you an engineer without your spark, or only with it?"

[myblimpisbigger.livejournal.com]

[Muses.

Spark.

...Sturmvoraus.

Well, shit.]

I would also like a few answers, Sturmvoraus. But I suppose we can save that for a later date. As it stands, I would suggest getting comfortable. You are likely going to be here, and be without your Spark, for some time.

[velesdonnersen.livejournal.com]

[The sound of his brains skidding out on the tarmac of reality echoes down the line. That is a voice he's not heard for a very long, long time...]

Herr Baron?

[Pauses, and gathers his wits.]

Hmmm. I'd ask you how you got here, but it would be a waste of our time -- presumably you arrived as I did. As for the rest? It's always good to be apprised of circumstances, sir. I shall consider myself alerted -- to any number of unexpected dangers.

[myblimpisbigger.livejournal.com]

Have you by chance received the traditional welcome pamphlet? I gives a fairly well-rounded explanation of this town and the ridiculous sense of humor it likes to think it has.

[Even if you have, Tarvek, he's kind of obligated to advertise. That pamphlet is put together by Dist, who was basically his first-ever Mayfield friend acquaintance.]

If you wouldn't mind, however, I have some questions for you. Namely, what was happening, exactly, before you found yourself here -- and what was the date. I have lately begun to suspect that time here is utterly unrelated to time elsewhere, and your information on the subject could prove useful.

[velesdonnersen.livejournal.com]

[Considers very carefully. Very carefully indeed.]

I've heard of Mr. Rose's pamphlet, but not yet received or read it. I look forward to the chance.

Regarding what was happening at the time I was kidnapped?

[Tarvek is truthful -- often surprisingly so from the POV of his enemies. He's not always complete, but he tends to be highly accurate. He's honorable, even if it is frustrating to tell the truth only to watch his enemies assume the worst and go haring off after herds of mad assumptions based on their belief that he merely lies. Here he feels he should do his very best to be even more honest than usual.]

I'm a bit hazy on the date myself, sir. The past few days in my time-frame include the destruction of my town, my capture by your troops, my escape from your troops, and my arrival in Castle Heterodyne. I've been sick, allied with Agatha Heterodyne, the true descendant of Bill and Lucrezia Heterodyne. I've put up with far too much extensive exposure to an impostor "Lady Heterodyne" fielded by yet another verdammt faction of my father's verdammt allies. I've been locked to your rather un-expected son, Gilgamesh, and between us we and Lady Heterodyne had saved each other's lives enough times that I am rather losing count.

Insofar as I know, you're injured but recovering from wounds received attempting to capture Agatha Heterodyne during the sacking of my town. As it happens the persona you encountered wasn't Agatha, it was her annoying mother, Lucrezia, who got dumped in her head by fanatical Geisterdamen. You might be interested to know Agatha's currently back in control, and almost certain to end up entirely free of her mother if I can get an hour or two free to work on machinery left in Castle Heterodyne that should comb the downloaded personality out of her system.

Beyond that? [shrugs, not that you can see the gesture. You may hear the frustration in his voice, though.] I remain as ever: highly suspect. When have I ever been anything else, Herr Baron? Perhaps it will be sufficient for me to say that I consider Agatha Heterodyne my friend, my ally, the woman I admire and court -- and consider Gil a valued associate, a possible friend, but a definite rival. On more counts than one.

As for the rest of reality: I am given to understand that in my world Lucrezia implanted you with a slaver wasp designed by yet another verdammt mad ally of my father's, which works on sparks. Having always believed it to be intended for me if I proved intractable to my father and his allies, I'm afraid my primary feeling is of relief. But knowing there is such a device may allow you to develop a counteracting agent. The wasps are sensitive to Lucrezia's spoken voice frequencies.

If it's of interest to you, I happen to know the frequencies in question.

Not that I have my spark at the moment. But I do have the information.

[There. He's told the truth, if not every single detail. And at least he's playing fair from the position of their containment in Mayfield. He's not sure where tracking all the additional and extraneous side-plots would take the two of them. Frankly he's got no reason to trust the Baron with his deepest and most personal agenda, nor can the Baron help him with that agenda here in any case. Discussing the many things still in play in Europa that were set in play for that one personal goal would only muddy the waters. There's no reason for the Baron to know what Anevka's fate was, or the true aim of her current avatar: it's irrelevant here.]

[gandere]

Just what this place needs. More royalty.

And what do you mean exactly by 'muses'?

[velesdonnersen.livejournal.com]

[Dry amusement]

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Royalty was as common as hen's eggs back in Europa, too -- and about as highly valued.

Muses are mechanical beings -- a particular sort of being that is more than a machine, if sometimes less than a person: created,rather than born. They have intelligence, but it is often limited by the design and organization of the creator, or by the nature of the information and commands placed in the cognitive system. The natives here remind me of rather passive, low-intelligence muses. I've been wondering if they're not also created, and created to be less than brilliant.

[lunawolves10th.livejournal.com]

Spark. This word is familiar, in passing. Tell me more of yourself and your world, I may be able to help.

[velesdonnersen.livejournal.com]

[Interesting. No one seems to have any trouble accepting the idea that there are many worlds. That alone tells so much!]

[Having encountered one Princess-Captain already, and almost certainly Klaus Wulfenbach, Tarvek wants to go very cautiously here. No telling what version of "reality" anyone is expecting. Best stick with absolute truth, but stay clear of politics if possible. It's not like Tarvek's got any personal desire to carry on Europan feuds here in this strange land. As far as he's concerned, it's truce "for the duration."]

I come from a place called Europa, on Earth. Europa's a portion of one continent, and constitutes a rough political block with shared cultural, religious, and linguistic history. The majority of our cultures look back to Rome, a single conquering and unifying nation, for our historic root identity. We speak variations of that nation's language or draw from that language in many ways, and share many of the religious and cultural assumptions of Rome or its offshoots.

Spark is a form of hyper-science talent: the ability to take science beyond pure logic and accomplish more than logic would suggest possible. Under ordinary circumstances I am a spark, with talent in the areas of medicine and the creation of mechanical people. Here I suspect I'm a passable doctor and engineer...it's a bit hard to assess. I get wanking great headaches whenever I try to think about science right now. I am quite sure I can't access my spark at the moment, but think I am making progress thinking about science so long as I don't access the spark. That's... difficult.

I'm Prince of Sturmhalten -- a minor principality in the far East of Europa. My domain constitutes little more than a town and surrounding farmland, though my family would insist that our heritage was grand in inverse proportion to our property. At home that meant I was enmeshed in a complicated and fiercely competitive network of loyalties, factions, alliances and enemies.

Here, I suspect it means that I can squabble with any number of other kidnap victims for who goes in to dinner first... if I wanted to bother with that. It seems pointless: I've already met one other "royal" and I have no idea where we'd even draw the lines regarding who took precedence over whom. Perhaps on the basis of who was kidnapped first?

And you? Who are you, where do you come from -- and, please, can you tell me more about this place? It's very peculiar. I've met a few of the other captives, and they seem quite varied.

[lunawolves10th.livejournal.com]

You are from Terra, though probably before, after, or during the Dark Ages of Technology. I believe I may well be from your future.

I am from the 30th Millennium of Mankind. Mankind walks the stars with the Astartes like myself at their side as protectors.

My name is Garviel Loken. I am a Captain of the 10th Company of Luna Wolves, 16th Legio Astartes, 63rd Expeditionary fleet.

If you would like detailed information on Mayfield itself, I can provide you with a pamphlet.

It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ser.

[velesdonnersen.livejournal.com]

And a pleasure to meet you also, Captain Loken.

Yes, my world has been called "Terra," though from what little I've already learned it seems possible that my Terra and yours are on different time-tracks. Certainly if you're from the 30th Millenium, though, the odds are very good you're from something ahead of me, in some sense.

I would appreciate your information very much, thank you. And -- if it's not too invasive, could you explain how an "Astarte" differs from "Mankind"? In my time and place the way you have used the term would indicate that the Astartes are in some sense separate from humanity as a whole... unlike Sparks, who constitute a distinct group within humanity, but who remain human: often the children of ordinary humans, or the parents of ordinary humans, and able to marry ordinary humans and produce families. The Spark distinction may run in families, but in no sense differently than, for example, my red hair or nearsightedness.

[lunawolves10th.livejournal.com]

I have no contemporaries here, save one. As far as how Astartes are different from Mankind, we are genehanced, cyber-augmented warriors armored in the best war-plate, and armed with the best weapons mankind can make.

We stand apart from humanity as we protect it, giants amongst men.

[velesdonnersen.livejournal.com]

In my world and time, such a race would have been the crowning life-achievement of a great Spark with a biological talent, greater even than the Muses.

You are designed and governed so that your great abilities can't be abused?

[He's really quite interested, as both a spark and someone trained to govern. And he's seen both the benefits of a well-planned system for promoting The Greater Good (Muses) and the drawbacks of a badly planned system (too many to be counted.) He's diplomatic, though, and working hard to avoid giving any sign that he himself would be a bit worried at Great Big People With Guns And Superior Genes as the guardians of humanity....]

[madeofstoic.livejournal.com]

[ Hey what is going on in this phonec-

-wait is that-

...yyyyeah it's that Sturmvoraus fella. Great job making things even more complicated, Mayfield. ]

...Sir.

[velesdonnersen.livejournal.com]

[He's suffering more mental collisions today! What is this, The Old Adventure-Companions' Reunion, Fish-Fry and Gaudy Night?]

Airman Higgs? Is that you? The last I knew you'd headed for Mamma Gkika's with your, er, charming green-haired Amazon.

[Panic hits...]

Higgs, I've already run into Baron Wulfenbach, and now you. Are...

Please, tell me Agatha and Gil are all right. Were they kidnapped, too? Are they safe? Do they need help?

[Blue fire and hail, he was just beginning to enjoy the idea of being free of all the insane complications of home. Now he's terrified that the two people who matter most (Yes, dammit, even Gil, may be in danger...]

1/2

[madeofstoic.livejournal.com]

[ >you'd headed for Mamma Gkika's with your, er, charming green-haired Amazon

...He does not remember this, and also Zeetha is not his amazon, wait wait the only reason he would have to bring her to Mamma's is if she got hurt oh shiiiii- ]

Re: 1/2

[velesdonnersen.livejournal.com]

[As silences go, this one sounds rather shattered...]

Airman Higgs?

Are you still there?

What's wrong?

[madeofstoic.livejournal.com]

[ ...Give him a second. ] Erm. Neither o' 'em 'r here, so you don't have to worry about that, Sir.

[ beat ]

...'Nd don't remember that happenin'.

[velesdonnersen.livejournal.com]

[Beat,beat, beat. Yes, you can hear that polka rhythm in his soul. The synapses fire, and it may not be spark, but it's still pretty quick.]

I seeeeeeee.

[Considers. Well, first things first, and turnabout kindness is only fair.]

When I last saw you,you were -- intriguingly healthy, and Princess Zeetha was injured but expected to recover well. My cousin, Violetta, had served as on-site medic, which is never a bad thing. We had no reason to believe the two of you wouldn't make it safe back to, er...the relative safety of Mamma Gkika's Tavern and Tourist Trap.

[Now, to try to figure out something potentially intriguing.]

Can I take it that you recall no intense combat in Castle Heterodyne?

I wonder if that's some form of amnesia or brainwashing... or...

[Ponders...hmmmph. This is just plain odd.]

[Sighs]

And... thanks for telling me about Gil and Agatha. I was... worried.