OVER THE SILVER SKY TO THE WORLD OF NEVER : Part 129 - That Was Pure Nerd Talk.

OH MY GOD: As the whole world heads towards global environmental Armageddon, there's only been another awards ceremony hasn't there. Two in fact. We've been blessed with the BAFTA's and the Grammy's. Due to my drive to become a much nicer person I'm not going to criticize these awards ceremonies. Millionaires need awards. If only to put on top of their piles of money to hold them down. Needless to say I haven't watched either of these awards ceremonies. I haven't listened to the word salad speeches that they've made. Onward's and upwards never backwards or downwards. Heading purposefully towards a new utopia, which is like the last few utopia's they've predicted that never happened, only betterer. They got it wrong hundreds of times before so this time it's bound to work. It's the law of averages. If you keep punching Everest as hard as you can, eventually it will crumble into dust. Of course they could bring in heavy machinery and get it done in less than fifty million years. Approximately fifty million years less, but we'll keep punching for now rather than look for a practical solution. It doesn't matter that this strategy will never work, it only matters that gullible morons believe we are doing something to make their lives better. See I could have gone all nasty on them, but I didn't. Who am I to tell people, telling me how to live my life, how to live their lives. That would be so presumptuous. I know nothing about their lives, having never lived them.

(The copyright to this image is the property of ew.com.)

As the small fleet drew closer to the stellar transitional portal the swell increased. From a low gentle meter at most to occasional swells topping ten meters. The Harlot swayed, rose and dropped. It was a chance for Jake to find out whether he suffered from sea sickness. He didn't. That was a rare positive. The nearer they got to that phenomenon the darker it became. It was blocking out the not light that pervaded The Never. Cold sea spray spattered across his face as they heeled and lunged onward. Poppy returned from tucking Norbert in. In very short order she was drenched and shivering. The new thoughtful Jake lent her his jacket. He had Hermes to take care of his body temperature. A fact he'd only now become conscious of. He wasn't the most observant of men. Eventually they reached the point considered to be close enough. For most of the fleet that was. The Crystal Dragon moved closer. It was impossible to judge their distance from that nothing. It could have been kilometers or less than a hundred meters. The cacophony of two realities tearing each other to pieces becoming a physical sensation.

The kites from the other ship were already aloft. Now it was a case of maneuvering them into position while keeping the ship safe. As it drew closer the whole vessel began to glow. The static electricity, or whatever it was, causing every part of it to luminesce. The female nerd moved forward to be nearer the impressive spectacle. Leaning out over the rails to bring herself a few centimeters closer. Right that was enough. Jake caught the collar of his loaned coat pulling her inboard.

"The way this ship is pitching." He yelled above the noise. "You might fall overboard. Be careful. We don't want to have to fish you out."
"I can't swim so it wouldn't be worth it. I'd be dead in under a minute." She shouted back.
Yet she was risking her life here. If it was himself he call that stupidity. With Poppy though, it was bravery. He still didn't want her going in.
"If you die I know they'll be able to bring you back, but you'll have lost all these memories that haven't been stored."
That worked. Not in the way he'd thought though. She got hold of a length of rope, using it to tie herself to the railings. He wasn't sure how safe that was. He'd let it be though.
"I've never died before, at least I don't think I have, what's it like?" She inquired.
"I'm the wrong one to ask about that." Jake replied. "Though it does bring up something that's been nagging away in my brain. Given there is the technology to create absolutely perfect replica's of yourselves and load your personalities into them, why not make multiple copies? You could get far more done."
Still leaning out precariously and viewing the tumult surrounding the STP, Poppy hollered her response.
"There's a phenomenon called ghosting that no one understands. So far it defies scientific explanation. Simply put, after a few days or sometimes hours the different memories of separate versions start to combine. Things other copies have done become your own experiences. The brain struggles to cope with the conflicting events. Unable to reconcile them, every single copy sinks into a paranoid insanity. It's similar to the problem with time travel and meeting yourself. If you interact for too long eventually some of those future memories become yours. The present becomes a nightmare of persistent deja vu. Your whole life mapped out before you. That also causes mental problems. Only people either sink into inactivity or try to change their future timeline."
That was amazingly informative. Poppy wasn't part of the conspiracy to keep him in the dark as much as possible it seemed. Now he was scared she might reveal something he shouldn't know yet. He had another query though. Something he'd accepted without accepting. Ignoring the paradox.
"This whole thing about time travel being impossible, how do people travel through time?"
Another swell soaked both of them.
"There are two explanations. One is that you are in an identical reality in another dimension. The other is that you haven't traveled through time. What you've actually done is caused a single timeline to cross itself. Time doesn't travel in straight lines. It travels everywhere at once at different rates depending on the subject and the observer. Physicists don't like time. It's really stupid. It's only a very inaccurate description of entropy, even that's not a good definition."
This was heading into realms that hurt his feeble brain. If only he could learn to simply accept things for longer periods. Instead of ignoring them until his urge to vent became too great. Vent wasn't a good definition either.
"Have you seen enough yet?" He asked, checking that rope was still secured.
His hands and arms were becoming quite stiff as a result of being constantly prepared to snatch her back from falling over the side. What had been a remarkable experience was becoming a pain. Not a big one. As a result he accepted her shake of the head without argument. Poppy actually turned to look at him. Turning serious for a spell.
"Why were you so hard on Norbert? That was pretty extreme. I think he's recovered thanks to the STP, but you were nasty."
He had to consider that carefully. Be reflective. Using reflecting muscles that hadn't been this exercised before.
"Since you've been honest with me I'll be honest with you. I lost it when he hurt you. I was very angry. That's not like me at all. I wanted to hurt him even more than I eventually did. That's because in a way he's exactly like me. I have hurt someone. Unintentionally doesn't excuse it. In a way it makes it much worse. There is no thought or malice behind my cruelty. I am ignorant of it. So ignorant I don't notice. In a way I wasn't punishing him, I was punishing me. Although I felt no physical pain in that process. It was more cleansing than anything else. Even that's bad. I ended up teaching me a lesson I haven't learned. I don't suppose that makes much sense to you."
She turned back to watching that kite twirling through the bolts of lightning.
"It's displacement and projection. Our own flaws are what we hate most in other's."
"Wise words. Now how about some wise actions? Let's get you below before a gust of wind or a wave catches you."
"Is that an order?"
"No. You'd ignore it even if it was. I really wish I was higher up in the chain of command." Jake responded, feigning mild desolation.
"So you'd like to order people about then."
"No. Not really. I'd like it if there were more people I could ignore. It would make life so much easier. And before you start I know that contradicts much of what I've said. It's like Scarlet says, I'm complicated."

For whatever reason it took another hour to refuel The Crystal Dragon. When that was done they whole fleet turned away from the STP. Keeping pace with Zhen's ship. Any hope this was the end of standing there watching a ball of darkness flickering, was swiftly dashed. The nerd stayed on deck until it was only a smudge on the horizon. So much for practice. Eventually, when he managed to pull her away to return to the safety of the hold, Jake led her below. Still buzzing. Her pretty face glowing. That astonishing event they'd witnessed would give birth to numerous storms which would wear themselves out in the vastness of The Never. More and more questions arose in his errant mind as Jake got his pupil to her destination. Why were there so many different types of intersection between the alternative realities? Each having different rules of conduct. The answer was of course, that in infinity anything that could happen would happen an infinite number of times. The impossible would also occur on a regular basis.

Back at her workbench Poppy found a note. She perused it before bursting into tears. Oh great. From being on top of the world she was now desolated. It could only be Norbert. He held himself in check. Anyone on the ship could have come down here in the time they'd been on deck. He could only rule out Priscilla and Pettifer. They'd hardly had enough time to learn to write. Couldn't he have upset her with an email or text? Paper was so old fashioned. It might not be that bad. She wasn't bawling. That was always the worst. She was sniffing with tears streaming down her face. Poppy thrust the offending missive at him. He only got a quick glimpse of it before she'd thrown her arms around him. This was deteriorating rapidly. It could involve comforting. To Jake that was most discomforting. Pat, pat. Soothe, soothe. Read, read. This note was definitely from Norbert. Jake was going to shove it so far up that nerds ass he'd be able to taste it. Ah, it was an apology and an expression of how much he valued her as a friend. How bad was that from Poppy's perspective? Bad enough to warrant violence or not? God dammit, she was really holding on there. Shoving herself into his uncomfortable comforting arms. He'd have to hold her back. Say something softly to ease the pain. Whatever that was. Norbert being nice was undoubtedly the source.

"There, there. It's fine." He whispered into her hair. "Just let it out." Why did he say that when it was the last thing he desired?
There was an interruption. There was a God. Jake was despicable in every way.
"Oh dear, I'm sorry." Norbert apologized. "I didn't realize. I should leave you alone." He turned away embarrassed.
Success. Poppy threw herself away from Jake. Casually mopping at those tears so as not to raise any suspicion of something Jake couldn't identify.
"It's alright Norbert. We weren't doing anything. I got something in my eye. Jake was just checking it."
That had to be the most transparent lie Jake had ever heard and he could hear himself.
"It was him I wanted to talk to actually."
Look at that. Poppy's lie knocked off it's perch near instantly.
"What was it you wanted to talk about?"
That was cruel. He'd made Poppy cry though. Just because it was by being thoughtful didn't excuse it.
"Um..." The genius gears in the genius brain were whirring away like mad. "I... Oh yes. You said you might need a precis of the full Simbri text. I've made a start. Don't know why I didn't think of that to begin with. It's a lot easier. Their language works in layers. With a repetition of major lines and verses. Each one slightly different than the last. That's how they build up a three dimensional structure. The fourth dimension is brought by the music. I wouldn't call it a tune although it is quite lovely."
That was pure nerd talk. Very handy.
"Okay. Thank you very much Norbert."
"Would you like to take a look at it?" Thrown out like a live grenade only faster.
"Sure. If you like." Jake responded.
This could be the ideal way to build up some rapport with Norbert. Who he'd so recently threatened with a loaded pistol. Norbert headed into the hut. It was only polite to follow.
"I thought I'd share. No need to bore Poppy with the details."
There was a crash from the workbench.
"I'd wouldn't have minded. I'd love to have a look at their message." She muttered loud enough for Jake to hear.

Once they were inside the hut, which was inside the hold, which was inside the ship, a curious ceremony took place. Where Norbert touched things in a specific order. Then he turned, stamped his feet and stretched. That done he approached his own desk. Straightened everything that was already straight. Looked at it for a bit, straightened it some more. Out came the ruler. Now he was measuring the straightness. A couple of minor adjustments, before Norbert took his seat.

"Just between us men, how do you do it?" The male nerd inquired.
Jake stood puzzled by this turn of events. It was a funny way to start off a translation.
"How do I do what?"
Norbert tapped the side of his nose.
"You know the ladies. How do you romance all those ladies?"
Jake scanned the whole area. There was nobody else there. That had to be aimed at him.
"I think you're barking up the wrong tree here Norbert."
The nerd was bemused.
"I haven't barked up any trees that I'm aware of."
Damn these idioms. Some worked, most didn't. You never knew which way it was going to go.
"My alleged ability with the ladies. It doesn't exist. I am clueless where women are concerned. Honestly I know nothing about romancing anyone."
"Modest eh? It's a natural talent I expect. I might be detached and engrossed most of the time but things do get through to me you know. They think I don't hear them but I do. I know you've had doings with the red head and our wonderful Captain. Now you've moved on to Poppy." There was a it of a frown of disappointment there. "You just get in there while I'm afraid to make my feelings known." He glanced out at Poppy. "Too slow. Women always go for the rugged action man don't they. Not the cerebral type"
Oh my God, Jake thought. Norbert really is a brainy version of me. Now he'd have to point out where that assessment was not only wrong, it was contrary to all reason. Hold on though. Poppy had feelings for Norbert she thought were unrequited. Norbert had feelings for Poppy he thought weren't returned. All his detachment and anger towards her was to mask those feelings. Not wishing to risk rejection from a woman he loved from afar. Even though she was rarely more than ten feet away. Jake could play match maker here. He wasn't yet sure of the exact mechanics. How hard could it be to get two people together who were actually in love. Of course he'd have to make it look like a bit of work. They'd both credit him with achieving this. They'd probably be his best friends forever.
"Look, it's not going to be easy. You aren't the rugged action man type. That makes you a hard sell to someone like say the Captain, Morag or even Poppy. I can't promise anything, but I'll try my best. Was there anyone in particular you had your eye on?"
The furtive look outside.
"No." Norbert lied.
"Have you had any experience with women?"
"Oh yes. In my younger days. Not for a long time now. I'm not a virgin, if that's what you mean. I have had intercourse with ladies. I used to frequent the less salubrious parts of Harrowmist long ago. I found a few who were content to share my company. I stopped after a distressing incident."
"What was that?"
"One of them robbed me at gunpoint. I wouldn't have minded, but we hadn't even had sex."
"Well Norbert, I think I might be able to help."