View Flat HTML
View Metadata
Search Post
"A perfect strike. Guess it's slang now? Really good for what they're meant to do and good-looking to boot."
"Neat. Lost tech? Can you do it again? I know a whole lot of people around here would be interested in buying a pair of wings. Hey, Kira, could you go get one of Jim's pants and a sewing kit? Only seems fair we fix his." Someone in the now-diminishing-again crows nods and walks off.
"I don't need my pants fixed, I can just get new ones, thanks anyway. Anyway, I can make other people wings but I don't know if it's a good idea."
The leader replies, "Why not? Oh, m'name's Vaned by the way. Nice to meet you, sorry about the welcome party." The welcome party looks like he wants to hide in his shoes.
"I'm Cam. If somebody acquired wings and didn't like them that would be really problematic, you see."
"...Good point. Maybe only people who are really sure they like them and already use a glider and so on? Or maybe not at all, if it's such a potential disaster."
"If anybody can convince me that they definitely ought to have wings, we can talk about that."
"Somehow I don't think that's going to happen. Well, if you have coin and want meat we can make a deal. Otherwise I'm not sure why you're here."
"I'm just wandering around, visiting various towns, distributing non-wing presents."
"Well, 'presents' is music to my ears, but one wonders whether such generosity is for its own sake."
"Amusement? To play a part in some ridiculous complicated plot? And you didn't mention anything until just now."
"It's not literally anything. But it's definitely anything you have lying around and then some. I admit it does entertain me to give people things. If it didn't, I wouldn't do it."
"Right, otherwise why would anyone do anything. Think we can get a bunch of lost technology? Electric lights, refrigerators, proper engines..."
"I can do lights and fridges. I am not overwhelmingly experienced with engines that will play nicely with the kinds of ships you use, though."
Someone in the crowd raises their hand. "Nope! Electricity will blow you up unless you know what you're doing!"
"You could teach us!"
"That'd take weeks!"
"I don't distribute badly-contained electricity. If Tesla's engine is rumored to be dangerous that seems like something you might not want two of."
'Tesla' pushes her way to the front. "I know how to work with it, they would be liable to blow themselves up, especially if they had to fix it. One transistor out of place and you've started a fire."
"I'm honestly impressed you got that far with what you've had to work with. But my stuff doesn't work like that."
Vaned says, "Folks, we're drifting off altitude, and that jellywing's about to come in. Can I have each section leave two or three people to talk to Cam and everyone else get back to work? I promise we'll all share whatever he gives us. That's the whole point of the co-op." There is a variety of muttering, some resentful, but the crowd starts dispersing.
"Socialist? I don't know that word, but we get more done together. Some hunters, some scouts, some crafters, some butchers. If people started hoarding things others would get fed up and leave and the whole thing dries up. Only three of the original ships left, but I'm proud to say I've kept this little band together in one way or another for six years."
Tesla asks, "Computers? You can do them right? And real textbooks, not the random fragments you get left over from dead ships and houses."