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

[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?