Ian In The Wrong Place? - OTA

[ubuntu_programmer]

Open/locked?: Open
Who: Ian and whomsoever encounters them
What: Ian arrives in Auradon
Warnings: Some angst, maybe?


There was a figure slumped by the wall, their white and black hair disheveled, their glasses on the grass beside them. Their small suitcase was over their legs, their backpack dangling from one arm. After a moment they groaned and lifted a hand to their head. "Did I get hit by a truck or something...?" They mumbled.

Eyes opening, they looked around. "Well that's not good. I can't afford to be hallucinating now." They picked up their round lensed glasses and checked them before putting them on, then fished a phone out of their pocket. "No bars. Of course. I need to write an algorithm that will allow my phone to find signal from anywhere in the world. Of course, I should still be close enough to get signal anyway, hallucination or no. So... what is actually going on here...?"

Comments

[ubuntu_programmer]

Ian chuckled. "I'm sure you know plenty, but lots of people freeze up when put on the spot. Not me, but lots of people."

[under_the_raptors_wings]

Æn'kae chuckled at that, shaking his head. "Well uh, I can safely say that outside of a fight, freezing up and overthinking is a definite issue for me." He considered again. "I... don't know enough about the history of Terrha to be able to ascertain much by year, but uh if you haven't had first contact yet, you seem to be taking the alternate dimension and alien part of this well. You will probably meet a synth too, sooner or later. They're hard to miss. They are... particularly fond of bright clothes.

[ubuntu_programmer]

The urge to correct grammar was strangled by the thought of alien languages and whatever translation software must be at play here.

Of course, the desire to be pedantic was utterly scattered by what was said after. "Synth?" whoever or whatever this synth was... singular they. Outer space was welcoming!

[under_the_raptors_wings]

"Ie, A umm.. synthetically created lifeform. I uh, I know there's a range of possible varieties, but they're the only one I've met before. There was a ban until a few years ago, so there aren't that many around." So much for space being welcoming. "Rren basically looks Terrhain, but they're very openly not."

[ubuntu_programmer]

"As in... artificial intelligence in a non-organic body?"

[under_the_raptors_wings]

"Artificial Intelligence, ie, but fully sentient, most starships have Artificial Intelligences, but they aren't even close to sentient. As to bodies, some are non organic, but Rren's is organic, or it at least reads as such to scanners."

[ubuntu_programmer]

"Do... do you think they... would be willing to meet me?"

[under_the_raptors_wings]

Æn'kae shrugged, a bit surprised at the intensity of their interest. "Sure, I can um, I can ask them to come meet us either at the welcome booth, or in the kitchen area?" The second seemed a lot nicer to sit and wait if Rren wasn't nearby.

[ubuntu_programmer]

"Wherever would be most convenient for them," they rushed to say quickly. Seriously, the moon if that was what it took.

[under_the_raptors_wings]

Æn'kae nodded, pushing his fingers through his hair. Huh. He pulled the communication device, phone, from his pocket and sent Rren what was clearly a very brief text. "Alright. I asked them to meet in the kitchen. We uh, we're headed the right way anyway." And Rren might pick up showing this person around, which meant he didn't have to worry about missing half of what he should share. (Or more. Likely more.)

[ubuntu_programmer]

"Thank you. I appreciate it. Seriously."

[under_the_raptors_wings]

That just earned a shrug. "As I said when I brought them up, I'm sure you would have run into them sooner or later." As he continued walking his phone gave of several alerts rapid-fire. "Well, uh, they got the message," he grumbled good-naturedly. He tended to send minimal single texts when he had to, Rren tended to send.... a dozen texts back to back. At least one of those texts would be telling him he needed to give more details, and then another flat out asking for more. "They'll be there soon," he added without even bothering to check the device. There would have been fewer alerts if they weren't able to.

[ubuntu_programmer]

"Perhaps, perhaps not." Given Ian still had hopes and plans to somehow get home as soon as possible.

[under_the_raptors_wings]

He shrugged, not sure how to reply. Fortunately they were at the welcome booth which gave him more to do, pausing at it to look around. "The pamphlets are... here," he pulled one from the slot and set it on the counter before searching for the box of phones and dug a new one out, setting it right by where he'd set the pamphlet. "And there's a communication device."

[ubuntu_programmer]

"A cell phone? Well at least that will be handy. I can call and let them know why I am late getting back."

[under_the_raptors_wings]

Æn'kae bit back frustration as soon as it rose up. This had to be incredibly overwhelming, so forgetting that he'd already mentioned it wouldn't work was entirely understandable. So all he could do was give a small head shake. "No, uh, none of the tech here can communicate with alternate realities, just means the people here can communicate with you as needed."

[ubuntu_programmer]

"There has to be a way, I'll figure it out. I assure you I am quite good with technology."

[under_the_raptors_wings]

That earned an eyebrow raise. "I didn't say there wasn't, just that their tech probably isn't the best base. I mean, uh, if anything, you own would be better just because it's attuned to your reality." His and Rren's might be an even better base, but that entered the realm of things he was not comfortable offering. Whether or not it would work.

[ubuntu_programmer]

"But there is nothing to say I cannot combine both."

[under_the_raptors_wings]

Æn'kae shrugged then. "I suppose not." He rubbed at the back of his neck. "Right uh. I guess I was going to have Rren meet us at the kitchen, so uh. I can lead there next?"

[ubuntu_programmer]

"Thank you. I appreciate it. Even if I don't appreciate the situation all that much."

[under_the_raptors_wings]

"I... can't say I do much either." It had been how long now since he'd left home now? All of it hoping to help Aqua and to save those of his friends he could? He tried not to think about it, to trust Aqua that when they went back it would be to the same moment. Because if she was wrong, he'd left for nothing, and he couldn't handle that.

[ubuntu_programmer]

"So why aren’t you fighting it more?" They asked, but not angrily. More... confused.

[under_the_raptors_wings]

"Because I don't know how. Even if it worked the same as the alternate universes that people have experience with back home, which I am told it doesn't, I still wouldn't know." He pushed his hands through his messy hair. "I mean uh I studied xenobiology and animal medicine in school, not multidimensional physics."

[ubuntu_programmer]

"Well luckily for you I am a genius who happens to have a focus in all sorts of physics others have considered weird. Let me at what passes for experts here, and I'll see what I have to build to get us home." They said with utter confidence.

Multidimensional theory might only be theory, but they at least had a basis to start from with that.