Strider

"About antimatter: Every particle has an inherent property called charge. It can come in varying quantities, and in positives and negatives. Like charges repel, and unlike attract. To get an antimatter reaction, you need two particles to be the same in type, but opposite in charge. And that's probably an accurate enough idea of computers. They can also, quite literally, compute stuff, like mathematics, or advanced optimization problems. They do sometimes store information, and just make certain things easier, by consolidating that information." Edmond contemplated his meager belongings. His most valuable were probably the high purity gold, his watch, and his welder. Marisa seemed to have little interest in the gold, probably wouldn't want a watch, and probably could not make use of an arc welder. This trade's probably doomed to failure... "Well...Again, I don't know what a good price, or a good trade would be...The most valuable things I have on my person would be the gold, my watch, and my welder." He carefully set the aforementioned items upon the table. "You did mention gold being acceptable...the watch is about twenty years old. Far advanced of your tech, but I doubt you'd find any use for it. Same for the welder. Though I've had to use it as a weapon, it's mainly a tool, and requires a fair bit of training. What do you think?...I'm sorry that I don't have anything better to offer." He sighed. I suppose I might be able to pick something of interest up along this journey, but there's no guarantee of that...

Edmond grimaced. "I'm sorry...I don't really have anything like that. I didn't really expect to be here, and I was summoned while I was asleep, and...well, there are a lot of reasons why I don't have a book like that. I suppose I'll just have to try to explain as best as I can..." He mentally sorted through what he had attempted to explain, trying to sort out key words that might not be familiar. There were quite a few. "Alright, let's see...you really don't need to know what deuterium is...basically interstellar ships mainly use a miniaturized version of what happens in a star with slightly modified 'ingredients'. Antimatter is basically...actually, I'm guessing you don't have any knowledge of atoms..." He paused a moment, then spoke again. "Ignore my last sentence. So in my world, everything is made up of atoms. The word itself comes from some ancient people called the Greeks, and it is meant to be the smallest subdivision of matter, which is basically anything physical. Atoms make up everything, and there are many different types. About...," here he performed a quick mental check, "...ninety-six are important. These are the elements, and include some of the things discovered by ancient scientists called alchemists. Of course some things that the alchemists thought were elements, such as water, were actually combinations...in any case, there are things called atoms. Atoms have smaller parts, which doesn't make sense for them being the smallest building blocks, but that's how things got named. These smaller particles can completely disappear when brought into contact with certain other similar particles, the antimatter I mentioned, and release all of their energy. You've seen the energy in gunpowder before? Most of the gunpowder is still there afterwards, as ash or smoke. When all of the mass is converted into energy, a single charge of gunpowder has enough energy to decimate a city. By utilizing the power of converting all the substance of something directly into heat and light energy, certain ships can be propelled." He hoped he had been clear, or at least somewhat coherent. Hmm. How to explain a computer...alright, I suppose I don't have to go too far... "So you know lightning of course, and you've probably received a static shock before. Computers are basically extremely complicated machines that send electrical signals throughout themselves. They follow rules, so that when one signal is received, another is sent, or stored. Over a long time, extremely complicated machines have been built on foundational rules of how these electrical signals move in a machine. Some have become so complex that it seems that they can think for themselves, and may even be considered alive, because who knows, they could be conscious. All we really know is that they act close enough to being alive that it doesn't matter whether they are or not. Computers can be used for a myriad of things, including communication and running machines." Edmond was far less certain about this explanation. Computers were a complicated subject that had developed over centuries, and gained a branch of science all to itself. "In summary, just think of the deuterium and antimatter as very useful fuels for traveling, and think of computers as more or less sophisticated thinking machines. Though I do hope you understood some of the other stuff I said. I can explain more, if you'd like..." He trailed off. "I suppose at some point it might be a good idea to pick up a book to explain such things in a straightforward manner...I'm sorry that I don't have one now, though I'll try to get one somehow...Anyway, what would be a fair price for your book? I'm incredibly eager to read it."

http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen7randombattle-526682829 WHAT A COMEBACK! (the opponent got unlucky with a team weak to rocks and mamoswine)

"Sure. Give me a moment though." Edmond left the kitchen, and proceeded back to his claimed room. He rifled through his pack for a moment, and then, not finding what he wanted, grabbed the whole thing and headed back out to the kitchen. He began to pull items out, setting those of little interest, such as food, on the floor. He put anything of remote interest on the table. "I'm not sure what the going price for one of these is, but I'll see what I have...Hmm, I doubt you want these," he muttered as he shoved his recently acquired chemistry ingredients off to the side. "Silver...but only two grams. That's barely worth anything...No need for food...Ah, there's some of the gold...no, wait, sorry, but I can't go giving that in particular away...that's six nines...Ah! Here we go. Pretty good purity, one ounce each." He held out one of the ingots for Marisa to inspect. "Ah yes. I suppose technology would probably be more advanced in a non-magic world...Of course, I expect there would be many integrations of magic into the the tech in worlds like yours...I'll get started. If there's anything you're unfamiliar with, just mention it." "Hmm, I'll start with space tech. It's been about six hundred years since we first began to explore our solar system. We had our first interstellar missions two hundred years ago. I suppose that we probably had the capacity to do so earlier, but it seemed wise to wait until we had the capacity to send a permanent colony. Propulsion for spacecraft is mostly deuterium-helium-three fusion...details probably don't matter to you, actually... As of twenty years ago, there were some prototype antimatter designs being used back in the Solar System. Photon sails exist too, basically using light energy, probably from a high power laser or the sun, but those are mainly for interplanetary. They're not great for deep space." Even earlier than that, there had been some rumors of a presumed method of superluminal travel, from back on Old Earth. These had petered out quickly, however, after some rather disgruntled physicists had once again had to explain to the media that such a ship would have to violate either causality or relativity, something no one really wanted to do. "Weapons-wise, personal lethal weapons have remained much the same for the past few centuries, at least from what I've seen. And I've seen a lot. Using a chemical explosion to launch a high density object at someone at incredible velocity seems to be the way to go, at least for now. Non-lethally, there are some more options. Susan actually had one of the new "Pain-killers"... it basically stimulates nerve endings in the skin to produce pain, but, hopefully, not kill. Though...there have been a few incidents..." With over a century and a half of peace, there had been no real reason to invest in the advancement of personal armaments. Non-individual weaponry had increased significantly more than personal weaponry, especially on Old Earth. "Computer tech is actually behind where we could be. There were riots back in the twenty-fourth century...that's three hundred years ago, sorry, and significant defunding for any research programs that aimed to develop, or even just use any form of highly intelligent machine. People were fine with using any device or computer that increased their personal comfort, but unwilling to let AI be used in anyway beneficial to the whole of humanity..." As he spoke this last sentence, the frustration was audible in Edmond's voice. "Anyway." He sighed. "If you were to split tech into three groups, it would probably be mechanical, computer, and biological. Bio tech has come a long way. Most diseases have been eradicated, or rendered neutral, which is probably one of the greatest accomplishments on humanities long list of questionable deeds. There are outbreaks occasionally, but they're usually quite minor, and easily remedied. Computer implants are available on some of the outer worlds, for a hefty price...replacement limbs are also a thing, and they're pretty good. Miriam has one, and I think it's served her pretty well...there's probably quite a bit of other biological advance, but I'm not terribly familiar with it." He finished, and glanced at Marisa uncertainly. "I don't really know what you've seen on the planes you've visited, but if there's anything that you didn't understand...possibly due to my habit of rambling, I can try to explain better."

Damn it. Now I have even more questions... "I tend to ask quite a number of questions, that much is certain..." He fidgeted, slightly embarrassed. In the past, people had told him that the number of questions he asked bordered on absurd. "Ha! I suppose one of these elementary tomes might be very interesting, though I don't know what sort of payment you'd want... Actually, gold is probably pretty standard currency, right? Of course, I do have some other metals on hand. Woops...That was a question...Hmm, as you can see, I do a poor job of not asking questions...In any case, I might take you up on that offer." Though Edmond was fairly certain that she had not been entirely serious, he still had unanswered questions, and this might be an adequate solution. He mentally rifled through his accumulated possessions, trying to determine what might serve as adequate compensation. I've got gold, of course, a bit of silver...I doubt anyone uses magnesium as a currency. I don't know what the composition of the armor shards is, so they're useless...Hopefully silver or gold then. "I'm guessing liches aren't confined to a single plane, so that's certainly good to know...I'll probably encounter some of this stuff on this mission," As she mentioned demons, Marisa became noticeably more tense, almost as though she was worried what he might think of the questionable line of work. Well, it's certainly disturbing...though I don't exactly what type of demons she means, so I can't make many judgements... "You did mention being a demonologist...and, while I can't say that isn't slightly unnerving to me, there's a kid demon of some sort on this ship, whom I'll likely have to work with. Though of course, he may be wildly different from the demons you work with..." Edmond leaned back a bit, gazing intently as he tried to determine whether he had alleviated the apprehensiveness hidden in her demeanor. "So is there anything in particular that you'd interested in learning? About where I come from, that is. There's plenty to tell, but I have no idea what you would, or would not know..."

Edmond carefully closed the cabinet, and returned to his seat, apple in hand. It certainly wasn't a bad apple, though it did have some minor bruising... "So mana is the source of magic, huh? Does it vary from place to place, and does it return to people and places somehow after being used? This is all new to me." He noticed some slight signs...not quite distress, but certainly discomfort. Though his curiousity was piqued, Edmond was uncertain how to broach the subject. She definitely cringed, and she mentioned not having a pleasant time, so it's obviously a bit painful...but wouldn't she have just left that part about an unpleasant time out if she really wished to avoid it? After debating this in his mind for a little, his interest in the subject triumphed. "Do you care to elaborate about Ravnica, or would you rather not talk about that? If you'd like me to avoid that subject, I've still got one or two questions. Actually...three. What's a lich? I've never heard the term before. Is there any method of communicating between planes without sending a person through the..Blind Eternities? If you can travel fairly quickly between them, there's probably some method of sending a message to someone in any plane, right? You'd have to be able to control where the message ended up in a plane..." He took a bite of the apple and chewed. It was rather tart, but sufficiently juicy. After he had swallowed, he made his inquiry. "I hesitate to make the claim, but this might be my final question, at least for the moment. What else can you specifically do? I'm guessing you're not limited to crashing into doors, and determining who's inside a castle?" He grinned and took another bite out of the apple.

"Ah, well, I'm glad to hear that. I have many, many questions. I know that magic doesn't comply with certain conventional laws of the universe that I know. But it seems that the extent of breaking laws varies, based on all the different types of magic wielding I've seen today...Anyway does your magic specifically break the law of conservation of energy? Or is it just a highly sophisticated method of manipulating already available energy? That's one of the most immutable physical laws where I come from." He paused, then, dredging up some questions from his reservoir, spoke again, "It occurs to me to ask who or what created the tomes which you collect? Also, if it takes that much effort for a divination spell, how long does it take you to do what you must to travel between worlds? And...what's Ravnica?" After he had delivered this new set of questions, he arose, making his way to one of the cabinets. The cabinets were filled with 'groceries', mostly foods similar to what he had picked up earlier, though there were some slightly more perishable items. He grabbed an apple, and was about to return to his seat. "Oh, wait. Do you want something to eat? It's probably not the best food, but...rations are usually worse than this..."

"That's interesting...So you can see who's traveling here? Because you are correct. We have a dragon, an angel, who from what little I've seen, is rather...never mind. Anyway, we also have some form of demon, wizards, artificial intelligences, some mercenaries, the god I mentioned, and maybe a few others..." He nodded. "I'll go with mage then, if that's what you would prefer. So are mages common where you come from, or are you somewhat unique in that respect? I would expect that in a world with magic, if there are any without magic, they'd be exploited or oppressed." Edmond was about to continue, but then realized something. "You don't mind the barrage of questions, do you? I didn't mean to be so rude...If you want rest or perhaps simply privacy, I will respect that."

"So people are not certain what a plane is? Hmm. About the castle...I don't think it could do this before today. It has a set of treads and an engine, so it was mobile before, but some people back where we first arrived attached some type of exotic engine, and insulated the rooms, allowing us to travel through...the Blind Eternities, you called them? We're basically stuck in this section until the castle makes a stop because they couldn't be bothered to insulate the hallways," he murmured ruefully. "Well actually, you can probably leave at any time, right?" It was a depressing thought. He had found a traveling companion, someone genuinely pleasant and intelligent. But, it's likely that she wants to continue in her search for that book, so I expect she'll be leaving fairly soon. Hmm. Maybe I can be of some use... "So you're searching for magic tomes? There's a guy on board who might have some books of interest to you...Solomon apparently has access to some form of infinite library from a ring on his finger. However, his sanity is...questionable. In this case, questionable sanity would mean 'almost certainly warped by constant exposure to eldritch magic, with a lack of scruples, and a tendency to not think before he speaks or acts, to the detriment of some others here'. So there is that. The worrying thing is that he is the person I've conversed with most thus far today. I don't know if he has anything you might be looking for...but he would certainly have some...interesting...books. Anyway, the tome you were looking for. Did you want any specific spells or lore from it, or do you just collect them?" Edmond watched intently as this woman...Marisa?...began to weave figures in midair, manipulating something unseen, for some inscrutable purpose. He followed the movements, transfixed. Magic had been possibly the single most exciting and most troubling thing he had seen today, even more so than the fact that he had been called upon to fight an invasion of the multiverse by "trespassers"...Even as a child in an advanced technological civilization, he had always wished to see people capable of more. As a boy, he had read more than his fill of stories about sorcerers, magicians, witches, wizards, and necromancers. As Edmond grew though, as happens with most children, he became disillusioned. He began to see the mundane and explainable in everything before having a chance to revel in the mystery. It had, perhaps, even been part of the inspiration for pursuing engineering. He wanted people to be able to marvel, and glory in the mystery of the technological advances, while he could continue to pursue new conundrums. Of course, then he had gotten caught up in a war... The most disturbing thing about magic that he had seen today was its banal nature. So many of the people were using it, that it seemed more like something commonplace and mundane than magic. And now, when he had a chance to experience and investigate the mysteries of his childhood, he simply felt alone. "No...there is no magic where I come from. It's interesting, I suppose... I always assumed that people would use the word magic for only that which they could not possibly explain. But in a world where magic is prevalent to the point of being mundane, some people would have theories about magic, and though they might not be certain, magic wouldn't be totally inexplicable, and thus not magic in my sense of the word. Then again, I wonder...we can't possibly be speaking the same language, right? That would be a coincidence of massive proportions...so I probably just hear the word 'magic' in my head for what I would think of as magic? Gah. This is all so confusing!" Edmond sighed, and went back to watching her. She really was incredibly beautiful, though in a thoroughly natural way, seemingly not by any attempts of her own...Her eyes in particular were distracting; the color and reflection resembled that of copper or gold...or somewhere between the two. "So what would you call yourself as a magic practitioner? From your garb, I would hesitate to guess witch, but there were times in my world where calling someone a witch was a terrible thing to do." He had considered asking what it was she was doing, but upon consideration, had decided against it. She didn't seem to mean him any harm, and he would probably see the result of her sorcery momentarily, when she completed it. Part of his motivation, though, may have been to preserve this little mystery and curiousity that he felt growing. He felt so much more...interested in the magic, a bit less begrudging of its user in this quiet personal setting.

Planes...so jumping between them brings one into this void? "So, are planes just layers of existence? Or are they separate universes? I'm quite ignorant about this stuff; only summoned about...eight hours ago? I kind of lost track of time..." Edmond paused, uncertain how to continue. He was incredibly grateful for the company, but unsure of what to do now that he had a companion for conversation. Hmm. Tomes? "So these aren't your everyday books, are they? You don't just carry a history book around for fun, right? If you don't mind, what are they for?"

"Well, it's always nice to hear that I don't look insane." Of course, he had briefly considered this possibility himself when he had first awoken. He shook his head. "It has been a...strange day." He led the way down the corridor, back to the kitchen. He pulled out a chair on each side of the table, and seated himself in the one facing the door. "I'm Edmond by the way. I have no idea why I'm here either. Well...I suppose I do know, theoretically. The people in this castle have all been summoned from homeworlds to fight to defend the collective of universes from some sort of invasion. However, I don't really know why I was chosen...I've seen some possible gods here..." He sighed, staring at his hands. "In any case, where were you trying to go?"

Edmond watched, somewhat concerned. This woman had just flown into a door at relatively high speeds, and was none the worse for wear. "I have no idea where...Ravnica is...But, as long as it's not aboard a castle full of "heroes" traveling at unknown speeds through the void between worlds, you should be fine? I hope you will pardon my impertinence, but...who are you?" Well...she's gorgeous... With an effort, he tore his mind away from that, and began to focus on the more important topics. How did she get here? Where did she come from? What's Ravnica? Is she a witch, or does she just like that hat? "Would you like to sit down?"

At the first flash, Edmond had reacted on instinct, throwing himself backward from the apparent attack. He crouched against the wall as the flashes continued, accompanied by an increasing volume of shouting. Someone flashed by, followed by a gust of wind in their wake. There was a thud, followed by an agonized groan. Edmond peered into the hallway again. The flashing has stopped...that's always a good sign, right? At the end of the hall, the woman who had been in such a hurry seemed to be lying dazed. He approached her cautiously, fearing deceit in her apparent injury. "Excuse me ma'am? Are you alright? Do you need some help?" He offered his hand to help her up.

Edmond smiled ruefully as he read. It certainly was entertaining... Then, there was a noise, so faint that at first Edmond was convinced he was simply imagining it. But as it continued, he became certain. There was someone, or something in the hallway, though far off. Edmond jumped to his feet, and stumbled. His leg had fallen asleep, and he nearly smashed his head into the wall as he lost his balance. Luckily he was able to catch himself, and stumble down the hall. "Who's there?", he murmured. Then he reconsidered, and shouted, "Hello? Is there anyone there?" He turned the corner into the adjoining hall, peering into the dimly lit passage.

The asphyxiating silence began to unnerve Edmond, though not for any rational reason. It is simply that sense which pervades one's mind when they are completely and utterly alone, in a place devoid of life. The silence begins to echo like a noise unto itself, reverberating, constantly conjuring up dread, and the disturbances that penetrate that silence become all the more pronounced. In this abyss, every sudden noise or vibration--every sharp footstep, every quiet hesitant breath, every suspicious creak from the conspiring woodwork--every disturbance echoes, ascribing unto itself a singular importance. The mind thinks to itself, "There must be a reason for such a loud and obvious racket." It cannot supply that presumed reason, but it knows that something must be there. Something that has no fear, nor need to conceal its present, yet remains unseen. And so the horrors grow. Edmond, in a perhaps futile attempt to preserve his tranquility of mind, took little care to step softly, almost hoping that a confident step might lead to increased personal confidence. He unlatched doors on both sides of the hall as he proceeded, flinging them open. The rooms were all similar, with a bed against the wall, a small dresser, and sometimes some worthless personal items and trinkets. Some of the knobs of the dressers had been removed, presumably for the small quantity of metal. In the corner of one such room was a decaying spinning wheel, a reminder of the ancient people who once lived there, forgotten by ages innumerable. Empty...empty...empty. Empty. Empty. Empty! Every room. Empty. The floors were blanketed by a thick layer of dust, marred by a few of Edmond's own footsteps. As he flung open the final door, he caught a flash of movement, a person. He felt a brief moment of hope, but this was quashed all too soon. It was simply a mirror, mounted in an antique wooden frame. A spiderweb of cracks wound through the mirror, perhaps evidence of the struggles some cataclysmic battle, but perhaps simply destroyed through some mundane act of carelessness so many years ago. There was no way of knowing. Alone. In a castle. Alone, in a castle traveling through the untold expanse between universes. He had been snatched from his home, flung into a strange and unfamiliar land. How ..how have I even made it this far? This is enough to overwhelm anyone...right? He could think of only one possible reason why he had been able to remain relatively calm, or nearly so. He had not been alone. I was not alone. Everyone had been equally confused, equally off-balance. He had been surrounded by people who were expressing the same emotions which he was experiencing. He had felt no need to emulate them. He sighed, and sat down at the base of the wall in the hall across from his room, and pulled out the book which Solomon had given him earlier. Every so often he found his eyes wandering as his gaze drifted to nothing in particular. He would eventually refocus on the book, reading the previous sentence again, and moving on. In this way, the minutes slipped by...

The kitchen was ancient, with rusted pots and pans hanging from the ceiling, a set of wooden cabinets which appeared slightly newer than any of the other wooden furniture, and a wood burning stove in one corner. The passageway leading to the bedrooms remained empty as the weary seconds ticked by. Edmond traced the grain of the wood with his fingernail, growing anxious. After five minutes of immutable silence, Edmond slowly arose from his chair. So I'm either alone here...or no one else thought to come out to the kitchen. He slid the chair back in, aware of the screech of the stone on the wood floor. Proceeding from the assumption that if he could hear again, others could too, he called out, peering into the illuminated passageway. "Hello? Might there be anyone else in here?"

Edmond is in Servant's Quarters There had been a flurry of activity, as they had abruptly taken off, or whatever it could be called. The towns people had somehow initiated some form of autopilot function, and had immediately launched it, ignoring any and all protests. After a brief glance at the sheet hung up in the throne room, Edmond had hurriedly made his way back to his room, intending to pick up his purchases and proceed to the Engineering Bay, where he could continue to work with Tesla on repairs. He had snatched up his supplies, and been about to leave that section of the castle, when the air was rent by a tremendous roar. It was hideously overpowering, sending pain to through his entire body. He crumpled to the ground, clutching his ears, as the incessant torture wore on. The walls shook, dislodging small clouds of dust, as the castle begin its protracted traipse across the worlds. But then, after about a minute, the shaking ceased, and there was silence. Edmond unsteadily rose, balancing himself against the wall. He tugged at the doorknob halfheartedly, knowing that it was probably a fruitless endeavor. It was. ...great He turned away from the door, placed his items on the floor in the room, and then wandered back into the hall connecting the rooms. "Anyone else in here?" he called, his voice ringing strangely in his ears. The sensation was somewhat familiar... Oh wait... He smacked the wall with his hand, and gained nothing for it except a slight stinging pain on his palm. Temporarily deaf...well. I hope it's temporary. I guess I'll just wait in the kitchen for now, and if anyone else is in here they'll probably come out here soon enough. He took a seat at the table, and looked around.

Edmond jumped up when he felt the ground shake. Are we moving again? No...that's not it. It stopped. "I just realized something. I need to run into town to pick some stuff up before we get moving...I'll check on that disturbance on the way out." He paused as he passed the barracks and smithy. He stuck his head in, and quickly took note of the group circled around the apparent newcomer. "Hi. Welcome to our crew!" he said with a grin. Then he said anxiously to the rest, "...Don't go leaving without me, alright? I'll be in town picking up a few important...items. Nothing bad, don't worry." He jogged down the corridors, passing Hikari and Kagari as they entered. He nodded and continued on his way. Out through the doors, past the town walls, through the winding dusty streets. He entered the chemist shop ever so slightly winded, and began to look around. Oh good. They have unusual metals...that's a start. He peered around, finding all the silvery metals with a dull layer of corrosion. He found found three. That one's obviously silver...He picked up the other two ingots, and weighed them carefully in his hands. One was significantly lighter than the other. Ah that's it...He smirked triumphantly. He made a hurried search of the shop for other items of interest, and then made his purchase. Edmond obtained 30g Magnesium metal, 2 g Silver, 5g Calcium Carbide powder, 50g Activated Charcoal, A small alcohol lamp with fuel for 3 hours, adhesive, 10g Iron powder, and 5 glass test tubes. With a quick expression of gratitude, he carefully made his way back to the castle. He found a room in the servant's quarters that suited his needs. There can't be any problem with claiming it, right? He tore a page out of his notebook, and the words "Edmond's room. Trespassers not welcome.", and affixed the note to the door. He deposited his purchases on the old bed, and then made his way back to the engineering bay. "Well, I'm back, as is probably obvious...any luck with...well, anything?", he asked Tesla.

Banned for lack of originality

"Why would people do that? Were they working on some form of genetic research? There may be a few despicable people from my world who might do that, but not without a firm and complete idea of what they expected to get out of it...so these people probably had a specific goal, correct? Especially with the amount of money and effort that it sounds like they devoted to the projects..." Edmond sighed, as his search for information in the files continued without success. "These won't be of any use at the moment. We should be alright for now with just the motor schematics. We can focus on that for the moment, though of course I'll keep looking for info on the reactor... Gah...there's so much to do. Any ideas where to start? If I'm not mistaken, it appears to work via the standard induction motor mechanism, but without true electricity. I could totally be mistaken of course.... I'm thinking we should focus on the power input terminals first?" It doesn't make sense that they wouldn't have some information on the reactor, does it? There's still the desks... "Also, have you checked the drawers on the desks yet?"

"The upper drawers? Ah" Edmond peeled away the crumbling metal from where he had kicked the cabinet, until he was able to access the upper drawers. There were some more papers, bound in white envelopes. He flipped through the papers as he spoke. "You were evacuating something? Well, anyway, about kids...None of my own, and no nephews or nieces either. I was an only child..." He paused for a moment on a slightly less technical paper, a letter from some official to the engineering staff congratulating them on a job well done. "Well, I see what you're getting at. I'm Kathryn's godfather...and I took that responsibility very seriously. She's my sqaudmate's daughter...only three years old." I suppose I took the place of a parent for her. Susan loves her, but she's never around. I can understand feeling a moral obligation to fight unceasingly for what you believe in...but it shouldn't be at the expense of your child...And so, when he found the chance, Edmond had showered Kathryn with the attention that was sometimes lacking in a military family. Even with these efforts though, he still felt guilty at times for not doing more. ((OOC Murdoc's not awake, so I have no clue what's in the upper drawers. might edit it in?))

Violet eyes...? That's interesting. "Well, I'm not sure how it went for everyone else, but I woke up on the ground in a canyon not too far away. It's all rather vague, but I believe I was summoned through a dream, so it's quite possible that I agreed to this. I know it's odd, but this has been a very strange day...Back home, I was the engineer of a small squad in the LFC special forces division. We were on assignment on Tantalus-4..." Ah Tantalus-4... A true testament to the fickle human nature. An oddity. It was one of the three naturally habitable exoplanets discovered by man, and the only with naturally occurring flora...of a sort. For the most part, the plants were closer to fungi in their biological structure. There had initially been some debate as to whether to colonize, but for reasons unexplained--perhaps to preserve the natural order--, the planet was left to its own devices for a while. Gliese 581e was settled, and other planets too. However, the one most fit for human habitation was ignored. It took more than sixty years for Libra (Gliese 581e) to have an even somewhat breathable atmosphere. Even then, after a short run, you were likely to become lightheaded, and even with mild exertion, forty-five minutes was the limit to how long one was allowed to remain outside. By Edmond's time, Libra was mostly habitable. It had simply taken tremendous pains and energy to get there. And then, after one hundred and fifty years of neglect, some lieutenant in a small office on Libra realized that Tantalus-4 could serve as a vital strategic point in the recently declared war. The Jacobins realized as well. About two years in, and Edmond's squad had been deployed, tasked to break enemy lines, and seize a supposedly secret bioweapons bunker. They had been camped out in the 'forest' nearby, when, due to some tactical blunder, LFC Infantry began an assault. The person responsible would later be court-martialed, but that did nothing to change the facts. So Edmond had spent that night falling asleep to the pounding of artillery fire, and the muffled distant shrieks of men as their skin burned off, and their limbs swelled with fluid. And then, after a particularly incoherent dream, Edmond had arrived. And that was all. "How did you come to be here?" He kicked in the bottom of the file cabinet in this office, and pulled out the files stored within. More of the same... "More of the same stuff in here. Reports and such...maybe they'll focus on different things? Hopefully..."

"Ah, that's good." Edmond carefully set the pages he had picked up down on the desk, next to the large diagram. He glanced over, surprised by the blueprint's completeness. "Interesting. I'm rather surprised that it's still intact. What I found is more of a report on planned maintenance. I don't know how helpful it will be, so I'll be checking to see if there's anything else in the other office." Edmond entered the next office. There was a desk in the middle, and a few rusted filing cabinets to the left of the entrance. Those seem like an adequate place to start... He walked over, and rattled the drawers. Locked... With a grunt, he pushed over the filing cabinet. It landed with an echoing clang. He gave it a kick, and the rusted metal caved in before his boot. He reached in and carefully extracted the folders. He gave them a cursory glance as he sorted through them. Ah, that's better! They were reports on previous repairs and adjustments that had been made. He picked them up, and carried them back to the other office. "These might be more useful. They're the actual reports on battle damage, and the repairs enacted. Even if they don't have too much info on the actual engine design, they might be useful as a guide for what types of damage this castle is likely to take. Might reveal some structural weak points, or give some info on how things like what maintenance the treads and cannons need."

Edmond stuck his hands in his pockets, and stepped over to the doorway to the office, delicately avoiding a few scattered papers on the ground. He leaned against the wall next to the door. "Yes, Edmond's my name. I came here because some of the people from the village mentioned installing some form of engine, and I thought I might assist them. I have little familiarity with the magic that so many people wield here, but I have some technical knowledge, so I thought I might be of some use. I presume you're searching blueprints or a manual of some sort?" From the where he was leaning next to the doorway looking outward, Edmond could see only a small fraction of the engine. However, it seemed to consist primarily of an old-fashioned electric motor passing extending through multiple rooms. It probably connects gearshaft to supply torque to the treads somewhere...It's certainly enhanced by magic at the very least...Something of this size might work in the real...in my world, but it would be incredibly inefficient. This is going to be one heck of a job. Edmond leaned down and picked some pieces of paper off the floor. He carefully dusted them off, making sure to not break the antique parchment. They appeared to be a fragment of a report on some maintenance for the power source. Probably the small sparking reactor we fought earlier? "I think this is some kind of report? They were planning some type of maintenance on the power source..."

Following what seemed to be the natural trend of things, Edmond made his way through the aged wooden door into the fortress. He wasn't entirely sure what he intended to do, but he turned right as he entered the grand hall, and slowly made his way towards the areas where he felt most at home, namely the engine room and the smithy. He hesitated for a moment outside the smithy, uncertain what he intended to do. "Alexandria? I'm actually going to work on the engines right now. Some people outside are going to be attaching some sort of mechanism for interstellar travel, I believe...and I'd like to be there to help out. I think it's probably pretty important. If you need help with your eye, I'll be in the engine room just over there. Alright?" Edmond entered the Engineering Bay, and noticed one other figure standing nearby. "Excuse me...I'm Edmond Cooper. And...wow, you're right." He left it at that for now, and gazed around at the corroded gears and pipes. Much of it probably needed to be replaced, due to the amount of rust that had eaten away at it, but for now all that could be done was to clean out the rust and realign the gears that needed it, repair any shorts, and check for any other obvious problems.. I don't think this would even function without magic...