(no subject)

[timesbureaucrat]

On the top floors of this resort, in the conference rooms and penthouse suites, even now the politicians and diplomats are discussing whether or not they'd like to go gallivanting around our universes, and we aren't allowed even a cursory peep at what they're talking about, much less a formal seat at the table.

[Small grenade of political discontent lobbed, Narvin switches topic.]

Also, I want to make it known preemptively that yes, I am a technician and computer specialist, but no, I will not fix your personal computer, communicator, speeder, spawner, or whatever else you brought with you. I'm a researcher, not a common mechanic. [Actually, he might fix your computer, if he likes you. But Narvin doesn't like many people as a general rule. He also might offer to repair it if he thinks that you might have interesting files on your files that he might hack, but that's another matter.]

Comments

[most_feared]

Approved security personnel is allowed to look in.

[Trololololol.]

I figure it's a problem that's relevant to us as individuals but I'm used to lookin' at a bigger picture sort of approach to things, where if you wanna have the advantages of a resource placed before you, you gotta present the advantages in you being allowed to partake of it.

I mean, they already did some preliminary gallivanting or else we wouldn't be here. I guess they're watchin' us pretty close.

[timesbureaucrat]

[Narvin briefly ponders the feasibility of planting a bug on a member of security, unbeknownst to them, so he could eavesdrop on the talks. No. The risks outweighed the meagre benefits.]

One or two visitors from another universe is one thing. It's unavoidable upon occasion. [Says Narvin, who himself came from a universe that was not his home universe.]

But if they're planning to establish major contact, my government would want to know. [So the Time Lords on Gallifrey could watch back...and pointedly remain isolationist and refuse mutual contact or to engage in talks unless Romana dragged them kicking and screamed.]

[most_feared]

Well, so far, Tiger, it looks like they're just invitin' people in rather than kickin' people off into the great unknown. Which is probably the wiser choice, rather than encroaching completely on the natives.

The problem is pickin' a representative when you got so many universes to represent and not one of them has a single consistent cultural standpoint. So while all their worlds can speak up, they don't know yet who would be qualified to raise an opinion.

Personally I'm an all-voices-one kinda guy and think in the end all of us should have somethin' to say about it, but I figure if we came here we got somethin' to gain from negotiation when the time comes.

You seem to have strong opinions on the matter.

[timesbureaucrat]

Actually, my name is Narvin, not Tiger. [He thinks Kay might be confused, perhaps mistook someone else's name (some gentleman named "Tiger" which around here wasn't too unreasonable a possible name) for his.]

And I have always followed politics closely. As a hobby, primarily. My people are very politically attuned and hierarchical by nature. [The far far distant remnants of pack instinct at work.]

[most_feared]

It's a nickname. I don't usually like calling people by their names. [There's a strange sharp edge to that statement, like there's more to it than just him using a midwestern country nickname to refer to someone. And he wouldn't know how to put it, and if he did he wouldn't explain it. He's just that type of person.]

Seems like. I heard you had some near equivalents over on this side of the proverbial pond.

[vengeance_driven]

What's wrong with being a common mechanic? Or even doing some odd jobs for money? [A genuine question there.]

[timesbureaucrat]

There's nothing wrong with it, per se. Mechanics contribute to the fabric of society, as do waste disposal management [garbage collectors], water pipe engineers [plumbers], and food production processors.

But I'm a Time Lord with a triple first from the Academy and nearly a thousand years experience and I'm here to crack the codes of mysterious alien tech, not reformat someone's faulty OS or change the nitrogen coolant store in someone's speeder.

[vengeance_driven]

[Having pretended to be all of these things so that he can murder people, he is aware that they are occupations that go very much unnoticed.] You say that as if "contribute" for what things you don't want to do is less valuable than what you contribute.

You know, if people didn't do these things, you would have no time to learn how to be fancy and important. You would be too busy doing it yourself. We owe people like that something very important.

[timesbureaucrat]

And I'll happily give them money or emeralds or whatever sort of recompense they deserve for their efforts. It is society's duty to see to it that they are fully provided for as they perform their essential, if dull, tasks. [There's a thick streak of socialism in Gallifrey's post-scarcity economics.]

So long as I myself don't have to do those tasks.

[vengeance_driven]

I lived on a farm growing up. We grew food for people to eat.

The government took our money to make nice buildings, that politicians got to live in. Supposedly we were being provided for, but only enough for a roof. No electricity. No good medicine. Just enough things to keep us alive for more work.

And then the oldest politician died and everyone was angry about how they had to live and blamed each other and started killing each other.

[That's about the nicest way he could put his thoughts but really he doesn't like any form of government. He thinks they're all terrible.]

[usfuzzies]

Well, you'd be a hell of an asset on the frontier. Is there anything you actually do?

(In which Rafe BSes/technobabbles computer things, 'cause I know nothing about it)

[timesbureaucrat]

Of course there is. For my current project I'm working on developing a better understanding of the foundational programming language syntax that the original inhabitants used across different codes and technologies. Techno-linguistics.

[usfuzzies]

Sounds like a thing worth doing. But I wouldn't carry that attitude about not fixing things out where there isn't a nice resort. At least I hope you can fix an aircar if it breaks down, even if you're not willing to do it on loan. [Ben can understand that; get bogged down doing favors and no work gets done. It's just the type of scientist who thinks he's too good to work at all that gets eaten on undersettled worlds.]

[timesbureaucrat]

I assure you, if trapped in the jungle with an exploration team, a broken aircar, and a horde of giant spiders closing in, my desire to leave as quickly as possible will outweigh my professional pride.

[usfuzzies]

Can you handle a rifle? [Sir, Ben's seriously doubting your ability to wilderness. What kind of researcher can't wilderness?]

[una_persson]

Well, clearly some discussions along those lines have already been had, or none of us would be here, would we?

[timesbureaucrat]

Nevertheless, now that we are here, I would appreciate being allowed into the inner sanctum once in a while, since some of these matters do concern us.

[Politics is happening and Narvin is not involved and this distresses him somewhat.]

[una_persson]

So do you plan to put in some kind of formal petition, or passive-aggressively rail against the injustices here on the network?

[It's sort of a joke. But also, for reasons best known to herself, Una has decided to needle this stroppy technician just a bit, and her words are not without an edge.]

[timesbureaucrat]

[Narvin bristles.]

It seemed better than charging upstairs with a pistol, demanding representation or death.

[una_persson]

[Una is amused by the bristling, which only encourages her. Sorry you've caught her in a somewhat bullying mood, Narvin. Clearly she needs better things to do with her time.]

And yet rather less direct, wouldn't you say? You aren't limited to only two options.

[tawarwaith]

I do not like that political talks are concluded above us anymore than you, but there is little we can say or do. If you wish yourself involved perhaps you should have come here as an ambassador?

[timesbureaucrat]

If they'd offered such a position, perhaps I would have.

[Although his previous history as a diplomat hasn't gone very well, so it's probably better that he isn't an ambassador.]

Tauriel, isn't it? Member of the patrol? You're a Vulcan, yes? [Narvin has been gathering information, reading up on other species...and in this case coming up with a miss a mile wide.]

[tawarwaith]

[Why does everyone think she is a Vulcan? There is a soft sigh of irritation.]

Correct on two accounts I am Tauriel and I do work the night shift for patrol, but I am not a vulcan. I am a Silvan Elf of Middle Earth.

[timesbureaucrat]

Middle Earth? [Earth, he knows. And Mondas, Earth's twin. And Ravalox, the name given to Earth displaced to a new location in the galaxy. But not Middle Earth.]

Is it related to the humans' Earth?

[tawarwaith]

There are mor-- humans there, yes. [Never going to get used to calling the race of man human.]