hadriel | 00:00:01

What are you interested in trying to accomplish? If it's not immediately identifiable as a futile endeavor, I'll consider contributing what I can.

Among other things, I think locating the Door though signals indicating multidimensional coherence could be possible. But obviously available resources fall far short of being able to even begin on that front.

In the meantime, I am simply looking to help make our time here more liveable and avoid reliance on the entities that call themselves gods.

Edited 2017-01-30 02:15 (UTC)

You know... I could get behind all of those things. None of them are inherently corrupt or useless-sounding, even if resources are sparse. How long have you been here?

2 weeks, 5 days, and approximately 10 hours. As you would count it.

Who are you and what expertise do you have?

So, not very long at all. You haven't failed enough to find yourself unmotivated to continue your efforts... I thought as much. I'm not saying anything about either of those subjects on this channel. I prefer to be careful.

Hm. Are you willing to meet in person?

Yes, I think so. Someplace public, but not at a busy time of day, if you're willing. I have a bar in mind whose tender is someone I believe trustworthy.

Fine. It shouldn't be busy in the middle of day. That's the best time to be outside. Tomorrow

I could probably work in a rendezvous tomorrow.

[Like he has anything else going on.]

Bring your notes. I want to see the progress you've made to ensure that this isn't a waste of my time.

[Marian doesn't care much for the bar, but at least this mystery person has the good sense to prefer a time when it's quiet. She waits around outside in the full light of what passes for daytime here, with her back to the wall, resting her heavy pack's weight between her and the wall for a few moments.

She could skip the waiting but she's been in perfect synch with everyone else's time for hours now, and there's no reason to screw it up over a simple meeting.]

[L is sloppy in many areas of his life. He's a poorly-dressed hypocrite who lies nearly as often as he speaks. That being said, he has a good head for numbers, and that includes times and appointments. If he says he will be somewhere at a particular time, he is likely to show up on schedule unless he wants to make a point of disrespecting a person. That kind of game can serve a purpose, but not today. Today, he's got a reprieve from boredom, at least until it seems like this relative newcomer accepts that if others haven't figured out a way home, they're unlikely to.

It's easy enough to spot the person outside who seems to be waiting for someone, and it looks as if she's brought more than notes. The man who approaches Marian is a shabby creature, too pale and thin, appearing younger than his 25 years and perhaps dafter than his genius intellect should convey.]

Are you here to talk to someone?

[The question is casually posed, identifiable immediately to anyone he spoke to, and only sounding a little odd to anyone he hasn't. Like an awkward pickup line, at worst.]

You're the mystery texter, then?

[Marian clearly looks a bit sceptical but, with the exception of certain skeletal individuals, she's slowly starting to come around to the idea that not everyone is quite what they seem around here.

Checking her bulky watch briefly, she asks for clarification first:]

Were you worried about the ones that run this place monitoring the network, or something else?

[Her response seems promising. Whether or not it's necessary to speak in code, L defaults to it so often that it happens rather naturally.

He nods.]

My name is Luke Landau, and I was engaged in a conversation earlier that could be described as such. As for my concerns... it's a bit of both, truly.

[She doesn't extend her hand to shake his or anything of that nature, just nodding once in a business-like manner and introducing herself.]

Dr. Marian Tenebris.

What's the other issue with the network? And what kind of expertise do you have? To be honest I didn't expect you to be so young.

[She says, folding her arms across her chest and getting down to business right away even though they haven't even sat down yet.]

[It's fortunate that they're on the same page, regarding handshakes and such. L will respond to such overtures, but tends not to initiate them.]

Dr. Tenebris? I won't forget.

[He won't, nor will he default to anything more casual unless he's told to. Given the woman's businesslike, crisp demeanor, he doubts it'll be the case.]

I don't have many enemies, but if they make their way here, they wouldn't need many clues to identify me.

[L's enemies that he's concerned about, after all, are the ones who are about as intelligent as he is.]

I prefer to show, rather than tell. Otherwise, it will sound like groundless bragging, and I've never been the type to find that gratifying. Shall we go in?

[He tilts his head toward the door, not caring that they probably look like a pair of alcoholics, visiting a bar at this hour.]

Hm.

[She raises her eyebrows a little, but decides to give him the benefit of the doubt.]

After you. This was your choice of location, after all.

[L hesitates just a beat; he dislikes turning his back to people, even those he's known for a long time. It's probably just enough to out him as someone fairly paranoid before he finally does turn toward the door and enter.

Nick's bartending, as he'd ascertained before setting this appointment, but he bypasses the bar entirely. They're not here to drink, after all, and until someone bothers to approach them and tell them they can't sit at a shady back booth without being paying customers, he fully intends to do just that.

He slips into one side, drawing his knees toward his chest and pulling some pieces of wrinkled paper from his pocket, along with a pen. Overall, it seems more like he's about to make a sloppy grocery list than "show" anything at all.]

L isn't the only one a little bit paranoid in this situation. Frankly, Marian isn't sure what she's gotten herself into with someone who claims to have enemies, let alone her usual worries about anyone getting close enough to snatch at the device on her back...

But with a quick out at hand any time, she follows L inside, taking a seat opposite. They're both on the same page here; no idle chitchat, no drinks, and pieces of paper produced from pockets.

Hers on the other hand have a lot of math already scribbled out in practiced and neat handwriting, the kind of math that's more punctuation and Greek letters than any actual numbers, with a lot of bra-ket notation commonly used in quantum physics.

She smooths the first page out, glancing up at L, saying dryly:]

You know, you never clarified what you were able to add. I'd hate to think I was wasting my time either.

[There are good reasons for people like them to keep their guards up, that's for sure, to the point where it might actually transcend paranoia and be deserved caution. Still, L at least looks spindly and shabby enough that he doesn't appear to be an immediate threat. Even if he did decide to turn abruptly on Marian, he's an adult man who's built more like a scrawny teenager, weighing 110 pounds soaking wet.

It's fortunate for both of them that they're on the same page. It's likely that he's been waiting for promising-seeming prospects before coming forward, and for whatever reason, chose Marian's post to respond to.

He reaches forward for the paper without asking, quickly and deftly, grasping it delicately and scanning it over with a critical and detailed eye. ]

You're not wasting your time. In fact, I think I can save you some... this is a good start, if you'd permit me to build onto it.

[Again without asking, he marks a few annotations, tweaking the work. He's fixing nothing, as Marian's reasoning is sound and her expertise in her field solid, but he's been here a lot longer.]

[Cue slightly raised eyebrows again. He certainly seems to understand the math at least.]

Well, that part depends, on whether you assume the many worlds interpretation is true rather than objective collapse. At least where I'm from... [The twist at the corner of her mouth makes it unclear if that's a good thing to talk about, in her mind.] ...nothing has been definitively proven one way or another.

There's a few other things that could be tried in theory too. It could take a while, depending on exactly how the Door works. But I think, as you can see, detection should be possible at the moment it opens, at the very least.

[Math and physics are one thing, but what is definitely less clear in her mind, tapping her pen against the table in concern, is:]

Of course then there's the issue of manufacturing. And what to do once it's found.

[His eyes continue to glance over her work as she speaks. When he's satisfied with it, he slides it back across the table toward Marian, and begins scratching out his own notes on the wrinkled paper he brought. It couldn't be a sharper contrast to Marian's handwriting, sloppy and inelegant and actually somewhat childish. Fortunately, the concepts and proofs are anything but.]

In theory, there are a lot of things that could be tried, and some that have been, but if you subscribe to the "many worlds" theory, as well as the notion that time is an equally fluid variable, detection might be the least of our problems.

Do you assume that everyone wants to return to where they came from? Or are you interested in making it possible for them to start new lives in different pockets of reality if you do manage to manipulate these variables to the point where you can control the door and where it goes?

I'm not going to presume everyone wants to go back where they came from. And I'm not going to help anyone interfere with the events of other worlds.

[She says flatly.]

Don't you already have enough evidence that trying to control it is well out of scope for even the entities controlling this place?

[The answer is one he doesn't react to in expression or tone, though one of his fingertips taps restlessly against the table.]

There's evidence, and I'm glad you're aware of it. But I figure knowing and defining the complete goal is important before we determine how to get there.

Considering how little we actually know... wait.

You've been here some time longer, and the entries on the network 'phone' only go back so far. Considering your position, maybe you should summarize the breadth of knowledge on the Door so far. And your perspective on the final goal.

[Though trying to keep it straight and buisnesslike, it's clear to someone with excellent perception like L that he last is said with a certain amount of suspicion. Betwen that and her words a moment ago, it's clear she doesn't view the idea of interference too well.]

[His laughter is sudden and mirthless.]

If that progress and knowledge was anything of note, I would have led with it. This is a major reason I consider it worthwhile to meet with you now. As for my perspective on the final goal... I'm dead where I'm from. I'd prefer to alter things, and if that's impossible, I'd like to go somewhere I perhaps don't belong, but can wring a few more years out of my existence. As goals go, I'd say they're reasonable.

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