un: aximili | voice [forward dated to 12/24 evening]

[canadese]

[For those uninitiated, suddenly experiencing thought-speak is probably pretty strange. It's sort-of-but-not-quite like telepathy, almost, and it's apparently coming out of your communicator. Weird!

The "voice," such as it is, sounds young, male, and somewhat wary.]

<Hello.

Does anyone here know what "protocol S-1704" is?>

Comments

what even is extra

[canadese]

[There is a pause of significant length and implied embarrassment.]

<Yes.

It is still an overwhelming sensation after all these years.>

apparently "over the top" or "excessive, dramatic behaviour" or "way too much"

[genice]

I can only imagine. I've been human my whole life, and even I'm amazed at how overwhelmingly delicious food can be.

( Not even saying that to be trite. Anyone who's dined with Victor has a pretty clear indication of how he expresses his appreciation for the things he enjoys: wholesale and whole heartedly. )

How long has it been for you?

TIL!

[canadese]

<Since what? Since the first time I morphed a human? It has been over six years.>

aklsdfj i... had to internet search that............... TIL more than i realised

[genice]

Morphed? Is that what you call it? ( Rhetorical IT CLEARLY IS but he's digesting the language. ) Did you first encounter humans at that time, or had there not been a need before then?

TODAY WE BOTH LEARNED

[canadese]

<It was the first time I had encountered humans. It was necessary to remain undercover as humans had not yet made formal contact with other species at the time.>

[It's still weird to just talk about this so openly, to be honest, but not in a bad way. Just... new.]

i'm so happy

[genice]

( Huh. It's all insane, but he's getting used enough to the insanity of their situation that by week two, he's just rolling with it enough to be curious instead of in denial. Makes it easier to function this way. )

Were the humans you knew spacefaring, or did you end up on their world? I want to say Earth, but I've learned humans don't strictly come from Earth... weird as that is to me.

[canadese]

[Perhaps Victor will actually come out of this psychologically intact! (laugh track)]

<It was Earth. I crashed into one of its oceans when the ship I was on was shot down in battle. Humans had not yet developed spaceflight technology. I believe I arrived during a time period known as the 1990s.>

[All said matter of factly. This was, like, six whole years ago, it's old history.]

[genice]

( Don't you dare curse it now — )

Wow, really? That was over sixteen years ago compared to when I'm from.

( The reality being that he's actually younger than either Ax or Marco if they'd all come from the same year. #yolo )

There was fighting going on in space that close to Earth? That's... ( he laughs, lightly, finding that even more bizarre. of course there was fighting. why not? ) You were undercover the whole time? Morphed as a human?

[canadese]

<If, from your perspective, that time period was sixteen years ago, then we are not from the same Earth. Earth as I know it has since come into full knowledge of other spacefaring societies.>

[genice]

( he breathes out in an audible haaa at that. thanks for finally bringing this up in a directly Earth related context, Ax. )

Then there really are things like that, multiple Earths...

( pardon him trailing off as he rubs at his face with his hands. )

That's both very cool and giving me a headache!

[canadese]

<It is the only explanation I can think of. In fact, this ship itself seems to be in an entirely different dimension from my own. I have observed it seems to operate on physical principles I am unfamiliar with.>

[Which is just rude, if you ask him. He doesn't like to admit he doesn't know things, but at least now they're not talking about morphing anymore.]

[genice]

Different dimensions...

( oh for the love of science fiction, why this? he rallies himself, unseen, and sits up straight to gaze intently at his wrist comm. )

Then you're not familiar with the mechanics of how this ship works. Do you have any insights into how it could possibly mess with... different realities and dimensions to pull people in from them? Not just random matter?

( actually he vaguely recalls something about matter being neither created nor destroyed so what is happening??? he's not astronaut enough to actually be here, he does not have science as a profession?! )

[canadese]

[Victor you are literally talking to an alien. Your life is science fiction now.]

<I admit I have no idea. In the universe I know it might be possible to achieve these things through z-space, which is a principle not even Andalites fully understand, but this ship does not appear to utilize it in any way, even to achieve faster-than-light travel. This should be impossible, and yet it happens. Very strange.>

[genice]

( These are small details OKAY HE... he is living the science fiction life and he can't even skate his way through it yet. )

Impossible isn't impossible.

( He says this speculatively; then he claps his hands together, sounding far more enthused. )

The impossible isn't impossible! Aximili, thank you! We're only seeing things from the angles we know, so if we want to find answers or solutions to our problems, we have to shift perspectives. What we thought was impossible isn't. It's just improbable!

[canadese]

[If he sounds a little concerned about Victor's outburst, that's because he is.]

<Yes. That is the nature of the scientific process. However, it does mean that nothing I previously understood about the physical laws of the universe is necessarily true.>

[genice]

( he's fine he's just more hopeful than ever before, this restores his cheer to his normal levels. hah! take that, space! )

Isn't that exciting?! Think of how much you'll surprise yourself learning all these things which wouldn't have been possible to learn before. There are answers to be found! New horizons to explore!

( because they are in space which also has no horizon because it is space, but he's pretty sure some movie has said that, and it sounds like what he means. for the most part. )

[canadese]

<I would prefer to find a way back to our respective proper places, but I suppose I see what you mean.>

[This is not the TIME for scientific excitement Victor]

[genice]

( it is exactly the time, Aximili )

Yes, I want that too, but think of it! What you knew before said it wasn't possible. Yet it is! So what other improbable solutions might we find? Ones that might, say, get us back to our respective proper places?