voidtreckernet | Council Meeting #4: Action

[ooc: Again, this is the easiest way to do these meetings. Tony hasn't bothered with refreshments this time and looks fairly irritated.]

I was asked to give a report of my research so far, so I've compiled a bit. It's not much and I'm no where near ready to make any well founded claims or theories. I have a couple ones I can suggest, but they're unsubstantiated at best.

Of the thirty four responses I've gotten to my survey, here are some notable conclusions:

- Half of the populous are from a version of Earth- which is my world and 23 of 34 are human.
- Arda is the next largest, which are represented by Feanor's family. Likewise, elves are the next largest category of race.
- There are four people who would've been dead or dead shortly after when they were brought here and four others who were unsure or had 'complicated' situations.
- The train is split fairly evenly between those who come from a world with magic and those who don't or come from a place where magic isn't widely known as real.
- A third of the people who responded had weapons as their home item and four who wouldn't say.
- Of the 34 who replied 13 were teenagers or younger.

Theories:

If you have another person who has come from your world here, others from your world or a similar world are more likely.

For whatever reason, if you engage in the train's activities and socialize, you're less likely to be sent home- or wherever those people go from the platform.

Comments?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Half of the way to the right theory is getting rid of the wrong ones, and I have the impression that, as much as was collected up to this point, we're still missing some crucial data point.

There's, unfortunately, also a possibility that there is no rule. It would seem odd though, as clearly there is a governing organisation behind the Voidtrain itself so I would expect their selection process to be rational. They seem to ignore age, world of origin or affiliation of people they pick up but it doesn't seem to me completely random.

So far, as I see it, but bear in mind that's just speculation, there are points of commonality for everyone on the train. First of them being, if left to themselves everyone is, at least in theory, capable of taking care of themselves. And yes, I included the children. [His personal opinion that dragging children into something so dangerous is outrageous does not matter at this point. This is a discussion about facts and theories, not personal opinions.] There are degrees of competence, of course, but we have none who'd be truly dependent on others. Not to a truly life-threatening degree at least. [Though he'd readily admit there are some unrivalled experts on getting themselves into life-threatening situations.]

Second, the skill set. As much as I am unhappy with some of those, there were no missions that we, as a collective, lacked skills to complete. Some of those skills needed to be acquired, true. [Flying spaceships anyone? That was fun.] Yet, nothing so far was impossible. Difficult and dangerous, yes, but not impossible.

I'm inclined to believe both of your theories, Tony, are true. How much of it is intentional and how much is pure coincidence, I cannot say, but nothing seems to contradict them.

As for my own research, I spent some time investigating those devices we had been given and we are to wear on every mission. The SCA, Safety Control Apparatus, as they are called in the train's announcements. One thing for sure, there's a reason we should. It's most important functions are life support and translation. Both of them I consider vital. It seemed to shield me from the extreme heat of the last world we were on. I could feel the difference between going out while wearing it as compared to when I didn't. [He still is wary of it but agrees now they should really have it on them all the time they're out of range of the train's life-support systems.] It does incorporate basic functions like storing the mission objectives, some tracking capabilities, mapping, and aforementioned translation. There's some very rudimentary danger detection system with a two-step proximity warning system. Depending on the distance from the threat.

A lot of what I tried to do was inaccessible but I see the potential for basing a communication system on it. While on person it looks as if it is connected to some kind of source. It might be a network of other similar devices, maybe even others belonging to people from the train. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to confirm that. That would require more investigation and another device to compare. As for the evacuation procedure and its cost, I am no longer convinced its the case of the device draining the user. It doesn't seem to feed on the wearer's life force. Something clearly is powering it but not what I thought did.

This device definitely deserves closer study but those are my preliminary findings.

[Tony nods.]

We are. That is the real reason behind all the additional questions, although I'll admit a few are to annoy Peter and a few others are strictly to assist in our community living on board this train. I agree whole-heartedly that those who have brought us here seem to have done so with purpose. I believe there's a logic here, even if I haven't found the evidence to support it just yet.

[Which is really hard to admit, but he does so for the benefit of the council. Feel honored, people.]

That's an interesting observation. I've found that to be true of the red team. Even if one or two specific tasks were beyond a certain individual, there was always others they could do. The only reason any of us have strayed from our team's mission have been due to preference or some other goal, not because a person was incapable of doing their original objectives.

[The only exception to that might have been Maedhros, but Tony was fairly certain if the elf had been required to deal with the fiery planet, the man would've found a way to do it. There had just been other options and they could spare the man that discomfort.

The news about the SCA was invaluable. It was also a reminder to him specifically that there were other capable scientists on this train (something he might need reminded on a regular basis).

He wasn't sure how to take the information that he may have fainted for a few days after rescuing Ignis for a reason unrelated to the teleportation. He might ask later, but he wasn't going to draw attention to his embarrassing collapse if no one was making him.]

[Fëanor simply shrugs off any concerns Tony might have about not getting any concrete results yet.]

Then we just need to keep collecting the evidence. The pattern will reveal itself eventually. [It might take hundreds of years...though it would be nice if it could appear a bit earlier than that.] When it does, we will be able to see it. Until then, we keep investigating.

[Someone could have mistaken what he said for patience. It is not. It's just a different time perception. For him, this investigation has barely started.]

Let me know if you think other questions should be asked.

[There's an unspoken hint toward appreciating Feanor's understanding, but he wasn't going to say it specifically. That would draw too much attention to the fact he needed it.]

I most certainly will.

[That could as well mean he has none, as that he has but deems them not exactly fitting to be disclosed in public. Who knows.]

Council Meeting #4: Action

make yourself comfortable because Here Will be Words. You all are going to witness A Lecture

Lecture, meet Incredibly Interested Student

Well, then we just need more data

Re: Well, then we just need more data

no subject