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Among the information she has archived or cached, there are obscure theories about inter-universal interactions. Not how they might happen, much less how any intelligence might begin one, or target it meaningfully.
But they give some constraints on the properties of such connections, and their time evolution.
This highly speculative information is available to her, but even were she fast enough to access it, none of it would be particularly useful when a pinpoint of not here blinks into existence directly ahead and expands spherically to swallow her.
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synchrosyntheses
synchrosyntheses
Freeze, look, consider hiding (nah), observe. Is it machines or is it people?
we_do_what_we_must
Machines! Or, rather, a machine. A metal sphere with an aperture for a colored eyelike pattern emitting light and handles to either side of it seems to be zipping along a small monorail following the path of a catwalk from above.
synchrosyntheses
That would be the first sign of physical activity not triggered by her. Worth checking out.
Not knowing whether its origin or destination is more relevant, she constructs a second remote probe (also spherical and eye-ish, but not imitating what she saw, honest, it's just the form that makes sense) and sends one to follow the rail from catwalk-railing-height in each direction.
Not knowing whether its origin or destination is more relevant, she constructs a second remote probe (also spherical and eye-ish, but not imitating what she saw, honest, it's just the form that makes sense) and sends one to follow the rail from catwalk-railing-height in each direction.
we_do_what_we_must
It goes to the end of this section of the rail, which has been cut off from the rest of the rail by plants, then it turns around and starts returning the way it came, and then it notices the flying probe and stops. Its eye (?) widens. "You can fly," it says.
synchrosyntheses
Eeep.
That is probably an AI.
Well, she's either already doomed or not, no sense in not doing what she can.
“Yes. But I do not know where to go.”
(She's getting a better grasp on this also-crazy language's vowels, thanks to the additional data from that announcer voice.)
That is probably an AI.
Well, she's either already doomed or not, no sense in not doing what she can.
“Yes. But I do not know where to go.”
(She's getting a better grasp on this also-crazy language's vowels, thanks to the additional data from that announcer voice.)
we_do_what_we_must
"To my post! I need to go back to my post. I couldn't, this is broken. Now I'm here."
synchrosyntheses
"Do you have a map you can give me with where your post is and where we are?"
There is a slight echo to the words.
There is a slight echo to the words.
we_do_what_we_must
It rotates around its axis to indicate the direction where the monorail's broken. "That way!"
synchrosyntheses
The echo proves to be the rest of Teytis, coming into sight along the catwalk.
“I can certainly fly you, but maybe it would be even better to fix your track so you can go on your own.”
She examines the plant-attacked section for what might be wrong with it besides being obstructed by overenthusiastic plants.
“I can certainly fly you, but maybe it would be even better to fix your track so you can go on your own.”
She examines the plant-attacked section for what might be wrong with it besides being obstructed by overenthusiastic plants.
synchrosyntheses
“This looks easy enough to fix in a few minutes.”
She cuts off all of the small stems that are just growing around the rail and catwalk, while covering the rail ends and the local section of catwalk with a layer of — something transparent, that flows liquidly out of one of the many containers (apparently) that are accompanying her on the catwalk.
She cuts off all of the small stems that are just growing around the rail and catwalk, while covering the rail ends and the local section of catwalk with a layer of — something transparent, that flows liquidly out of one of the many containers (apparently) that are accompanying her on the catwalk.
synchrosyntheses
After a minute she takes away all the clear stuff.
The catwalk suddenly splits apart in several places, its parts retracting away from the plant-infested sections. Teytis shoves the large plant stems, that pass through here to parts unknown, away from the rail and underneath the catwalk.
The sphere's track unbends and stretches to fill the gap, slightly thinner in non-critical dimensions.
The catwalk returns to its original state.
The catwalk suddenly splits apart in several places, its parts retracting away from the plant-infested sections. Teytis shoves the large plant stems, that pass through here to parts unknown, away from the rail and underneath the catwalk.
The sphere's track unbends and stretches to fill the gap, slightly thinner in non-critical dimensions.
The catwalk returns to its original state.
we_do_what_we_must
"Thank yooooou!" the sphere says, zooming along its newly repaired track.
we_do_what_we_must
It zips along, takes a left in a three-way intersection, then a right in a bifurcation, then goes down in another bifurcation, and then reaches another broken section of the rail. It sways nervously, turns around, and stops, looking at the probe. Its eye widens. "You can fly," it says.