(no subject)

[bypartisan]

[Is it possibly for a mental voice to sound giddy? Because there's a distinct giddy tinge to By's thoughts, for all that his words come out with his normal, lazy, lightly Russian-accented drawl.]

Byerly Vorrutyer here. We're on Earth, pre-spaceflight, although someone who isn't me will need to get a better read on the actual date and location. Linguistically, it's a hodgepodge. I can hear archaic Russian, a whole host of Asiatic and Romance languages, and something else I can't quite place.

If you can "hear" this, check in. We need to know who we've got to work with.

Comments

[thezerothlaw]

Daniil -- Daneel here. I am experiencing a rather unusual situation. I seem to have an identity as though I were an infiltrator. Obviously, I am not.

[bypartisan]

Really?

[Color By intrigued.]

Excellent. We'll need as much information about this world as possible, so if you don't mind sharing...

[...]

I mean, obviously it's disconcerting that you seem to be both at once, but if it comes with the same knowledge, you might come in very handy, Daneel.

[thezerothlaw]

Of course, I'll share what I know.

[Where to begin, where to begin.]

This does seem to be Earth, but not an Earth I'm familiar with, perhaps another version. At a glance, I would call them early industrial, certainly before the development of true computers or nuclear power, but what they've accomplished with that alone is nothing short of astonishing. A sort of enhanced early industrial, if you will, with a number of empires fighting for control. We are in the flying market of Nova Venezia, above Venice.

[bypartisan]

What empires? Someone earlier--I think Helena Wells--said that the politics are different than the ones from her world and time.

[thezerothlaw]

I am... I seem to be from the Chakravartin Raj, an empire spanning India and southeast Asia. There are also the Golden Khanate, which spans central Asia and southeasten Europe; the Prussia-Zaporizhian Empire, which is composed of northern Europe and Asia; the Ummah Caliphate, which is mostly northern Africa and western Europe; the Zulu Paramountcy of southwestern Africa; the Kingdom of Monomotapa, southeastern Africa and in opposition to Zulu rule; the Kingdom of Joseon, which is most of the easternmost coast of Asia; and the Kingdom of Uchinaa, mostly islands off the coast of Joseon. Vatican City, here, is... independent. Those are the principle powers, I should say.

[It's a lot of words. He's sorry.]

There are alliances and rivalries among the various empires, of course. It is... complex.

[bypartisan]

Of course it is. Whenever you have governments smaller than a planet it usually is. [Whenever you have governments the same size as a planet it usually is.]

That's a good starting point, however.

[thezerothlaw]

I admit it is rather strange to suddenly remember this in this fashion.

[bypartisan]

Useful, though. I, ah, may be sending some of the people who're a bit at sea to you for advice in blending in.

[thezerothlaw]

I'll be glad to help them in any way I can.

[bypartisan]

Good.

[He hesitates a moment before adding,]

I was wondering... it's not exactly related to the jaunt, but I've gotten the impression that it's possible to... well, I suppose the best word for it is to look back on these conversations. As if they're on record, somehow, in our minds. Is that true?

[Because if he could figure out how to do that, it would help quite a lot for what he's trying to do here .]

[thezerothlaw]

Certainly it's possible, or at least it's possible for many here. I can do it myself.

[bypartisan]

How do you do it? I can't help but think it would make everything a good deal easier if I could do the same.

[notinthecards]

... What can you tell us about the Raj?

[He sounds... very startled.]

[thezerothlaw]

They are one of the more diplomatic of nations, and home to some of the most sophisticated machines and clockwork in this world. I seem to have a surprisingly advanced clockwork prothesis, in fact. My profession, in this world, is mainly in the rental of Proxies, radio-controlled lifelike 'robots.' The Raj is quite well known for such works.

[notinthecards]

Proxies.

I remember those.

[thezerothlaw]

Do you?

How is this? How can you remember this?

[notinthecards]

Deja vu.

[thezerothlaw]

The phenomenon in which one believes one has experienced things before. That is, I understand, usually an illusion.

[notinthecards]

Unless you already know you have amnesia, mon ami.

[itsananimalthing]

You ain't the only one. There's at least one or two people here who know me. And weren't expectin' me to be here.

[thezerothlaw]

How curious. This is still unprecedented, to my knowledge. I wonder if it is a sign of things to come.

[itsananimalthing]

Hope not.

[He's not sure he enjoys this fake version of infiltration. Not that he'd prefer full infiltration, but still.]

Suppose it'd make it easier for them, if they don't hafta have a place with a bunch of new people showin' up to throw us into it. Not so much for us, since we might fuck everything up.

[thezerothlaw]

I suppose so, though I'm never clear on what it is the Trump truly want.

[itsananimalthing]

Yeah, I kinda doubt any of us are. But so far, both the people who recognize me are Infiltrators-- Phillip and Vilari. Dunno what that means, exactly, but it might be somethin'.

[thezerothlaw]

My experience is the same -- those who know me are Infiltrators. I suppose we must, at this point, merely wait and see.