Sime~Gen Roleplaying: Two Roads Diverged Scenario
Episode #53: Calculated to Annoy (8/4/98)
Nick nudges his horse closer to Snake's.
Wise Snake glances at Nick.
Wise Snake: Well, do you think we're ready for the big city? [rhetorically]
Nick: How much farther is it?
Nick feels he has been spending far too much time in the saddle lately.
Wise Snake: Less than an hour, I'd say.
Wise Snake points out little clusters of rural-interface housing here and there on the landscape.
Nick: Well, if we want to get lost, the city is the place to do it.
Wise Snake shudders.
Wise Snake: Don't say that!
Wise Snake has had several people-getting-lost nightmares in the last week....
Wise Snake: [one where Eliza and Tanzarra got lost, one where Bum Bum and Linn got lost together, and another where Nick got lost and when he finally turned up he had gotten married and moved back into his parents' house]
Nick: ~~ soothing ~~
Nick: I was referring to losing the Tecton.
Nick: They almost got us in Vortez Lake.
Wise Snake: Oh!
Wise Snake: Right.
Wise Snake relaxes a little in Nick's soothing field.
Nick still hasn't figured out how he ended up wearing a Tecton uniform.
Wise Snake: I should never have written to Muryin.
Nick: Well, her trap didn't work, did it?
Wise Snake: I guess not.
Wise Snake: Only because my values have shifted since I left Bender Cove though.
Wise Snake: That would have worked, there.
Wise Snake thinks, then again she wouldn't have been trying to leave, there.
Wise Snake: Still, we do have to pick up that Farris medical kit, and there's no where else to do that but a Sime Center.
Wise Snake: I guess we'll have to try to hold off on that until we are done in town, and do it at the last minute when we're ready to ride right away.
Nick: Well, with two resident Farrises in Achambo, they should have a decent supply of Farris medicines.
Nick: Nabbing one should be easier than trying to get one ordered.
Wise Snake: Yeah, the only trick will be to avoid running into either of them in the process.
Bum Bum is trying to ignore Sapis to the best of his ability.
Sapis is reciting.
Bum Bum thinks if he hears one more mutter that rhymes "Nager" with "Wager" he will scream.
Sapis: "To think of love, think of a dove."
Bum Bum groans.
Bum Bum: ~~torment~~
Bum Bum thinks at least those words really rhyme.
Sapis: "Doves love...."
Sapis: Shen, I can't think of an ending for that one.
Sapis: Bum Bum, what rhymes with "Love"?
Bum Bum: How about... "Doves Love my Scented Glove / Leather Feathers squeal like Rubbers".
Bum Bum sarcastically.
Bum Bum thinks that rhyming poetry is passe at best, childish at worst, so he hasn't put much effort into it.
Sapis: Oh! You are inspired by the Savior!
Nick: Well, we could wait until there's an emergency that calls them out of the Center.
Wise Snake: We could cause the emergency, for that matter.
Wise Snake scans the not-so-distant skyline for ideas.
Sapis takes out her notebook and laboriously writes the bit of doggerel down.
Bum Bum mutters something about IQ's lower than capacity ratings.
Nick scans the street sign at the approaching crossroads, to better effect.
Wise Snake: Hmmm.... water tower... no, too disastrous. Church fire? No, too destructive.
Nick: Hey, look at that!
Wise Snake: Maybe a good panicking wagon train, that's always good for a..... what?
Nick nudges Pumpkin closer and pulls a flyer off of the street sign.
Wise Snake follows Nick's attention and finger.
Nick hands Snake the flyer.
Nick: Torn By Tentacles in concert.
Wise Snake: Hmm... that ought to draw quite a few people away from the Sime Center, although I think I'd rather be at the concert than at the Sime Center during that.
Wise Snake: I wonder if I could get Tanzarra... er... well, Bum Bum... maybe Eliza would steal the medkit for me.
Wise Snake shakes her head as she realizes she may not be able to have her cake and eat it too in this case.
Nick points to the information under the purple Torn By Tentacles logo.
Nick: They're going to be there for a week.
Wise Snake: Good grief. Didn't this town do any research before they signed up for that?
Nick: Probably not.
Nick: I seem to recall their manager is a pretty sharp dealer.
Nick thinks about the way he tried to get Linn to agree to being attacked on stage.
Wise Snake: Ummh.
Sapis: "A soulful nager makes a wager."
Sapis: "Takes a major change for badger...."
Bum Bum feels faint, and clings to his saddle horn.
Sapis: Hmm, perhaps set in a minor key, as a dirge?
Bum Bum swallows his stomach contents for maybe the 18th time.
Bum Bum: Urrrrrrggg.
Bum Bum: Look... can you practice silently or something?
Sapis starts humming, experimenting with tunes. All off key.
Sapis: ~~ indignation ~~
Sapis: Of course not! Poetry must be read aloud to experience the effect to the fullest.
Sapis: And how else can the Savior be honored?
Sapis: ~~ worshipful longing in Snake's direction ~~
Bum Bum: She'd be more honored if you shut up than if I were to puke all over her and you.
Sapis: ~~ concern ~~
Sapis: Are you ill?
Sapis: I'm sure if you recited some poetry, the Savior would wrap you in her Caring Tentacles of Love and heal you.
Bum Bum: I have a weak stomach for bad poetry. [confesses]
Bum Bum: And yours, Sapis, is some of the worst poetry I have ever had the unprivilege of hearing.
Sapis: Poetry comes from the heart. The words don't matter.
Sapis considers.
Sapis: Except it helps if they rhyme.
Bum Bum: Helps what?
Nick shoots a sideways look at Snake, who seems to have fallen into a contemplative stupor.
Sapis: The poetry.
Wise Snake is actually fiendishly plotting a stupendously long series of illegal activities that could be performed in this town, and how to time at least some of them with Nick's not being conscious.
Bum Bum: Look... you're making 3 faulty assumptions here.
Bum Bum: Number one, you're assuming that your poetry can be helped at all.
Nick thinks that Snake is falling into these reveries a bit too often, and resolves to stick to her like a leech just in case she loses it again.
Bum Bum: Number two: You're assuming that "rhyming" imparts some type of "betterness" regardless of rhyme quality or wording.
Bum Bum: And, Number Three, you're assuming I want you within 8 miles of me when you're reading your... work.
Sapis turns an exalted face towards Bum Bum.
Sapis: Never fear, you will come to know the Caring Tentacles of Love in time, as I do.
Wise Snake notices Nick's close attention.
Wise Snake: Er... Nick?
Sapis: "The bees will humm, as Mr. Bum Bum comes with plum..."
Nick: Yes, Snake?
Nick is relieved that Snake has come out of it.
Wise Snake looks confused.
Wise Snake: Did you... want me for anything?
Bum Bum grits his teeth as tears leak from his eyes.
Nick: Not in particular.
Nick: You just worry me, when you go away like that.
Wise Snake: I was right here the whole time. I was just thinking.
Wise Snake: About all the things I have to get done while we're in town.
Nick: Well, at least work should be relatively easy to find, with a Torn By Tentacles concert in the offing.
Nick: Every honeybee addict for miles will be sleeping in the park.
Nick: And the Achambo Sime Center won't have records on any of them.
Wise Snake thinks the "good stuff" ought to be relatively easy to find too.
Wise Snake: Yes.
Wise Snake turns and ponders Bum Bum, wonders how much she could sell him for if she needed quick cash.
Sapis breaks into song.
Bum Bum forgets the poetry as he accidentally meets Snake's eyes.
Bum Bum prudently moves back to between Sapis and Eliza.
Sapis: "My cat is fat Imagine that!"
Sapis: "My dog is soggy as a frog!"
Sapis sees the Savior looking (vaguely) in her direction.
Bum Bum rips off the corner of his shirt, balls it up, and stuffs it into one ear.
Sapis is a little vague herself.
Bum Bum works at ripping off another piece for his other ear.
Sapis: "I'll walk your sock around the block!"
Wise Snake looks at Sapis oddly.
Sapis: ~~ eagerly offered to Snake ~~
Wise Snake: Ummh.
Wise Snake turns around again, shaking her head.
Nick: That's getting a bit wearing.
Nick: I don't suppose there's any chance of losing her?
Wise Snake: I'll find a case of laryngitis to spread to her when we get to town.
Wise Snake: And yes, we'd better look into that also.
Nick: Good.
Wise Snake reins her horse over to where Linn is riding.
Linn looks up as Snake approaches.
Linn: ~~ growing saddle galls ~~
Linn has never been much of a rider.
Linn: Will we be stopping soon?
Wise Snake: Sure. I was thinking of calling a halt for lunch at the edge of town.
Wise Snake: Anyway, we're almost there.
Wise Snake: Hey, I've been meaning to ask you.
Wise Snake: How have your lessons with Tanzarra been coming along?
Linn: It's hard to tell.
Wise Snake has already asked Tanzarra this, but wanted to hear Linn's point of view.
Wise Snake: Oh?
Linn: I'm never quite sure if I understand what she's talking about, or whether I'm doing an exercise correctly.
Linn: And her math seems to be extremely weak.
Wise Snake: Doesn't she give you enough feedback?
Wise Snake has her private opinion about Tanzarra's math abilities... that they would be more than adequate for training anybody besides a schoolteacher.
Linn had hoped that a mathematical approach would help her master the new skills faster.
Linn: Well, she tries, but as I said, I'm never sure I really understand what she's saying.
Linn: ~~ moderate frustration ~~
Wise Snake: Well, like what for example?
Linn remembers her lessons and tries to apply them.
Linn: ~~ restrained frustration ~~
Wise Snake: That's good, Linn, you are hiding some of your frustration.
Linn's frustration slips free again as Sapis carols out another ditty about dog baths and fleas.
Linn tries to use the conversation with Snake as a distraction.
Wise Snake: So, what does she say that you don't understand?
Linn: Well, the other day, she was working with Eliza on how to modify support during a healing.
Linn: I think I understand the relevant equations, but what she had me and Eliza actually doing was off by a factor of three.
Linn demonstrates, sort of.
Linn: I would have thought it should be something more like this.
Wise Snake zlins Linn's efforts.
Linn tries to get closer to the calculated value.
Wise Snake: I see.
Wise Snake tries to find a delicate way to phrase this.
Wise Snake: I think this actually has to do with the fact that you've had more than one teacher. First me, then Tanzarra.
Wise Snake: What feels "right" to you is more my style than the style Tanzarra is teaching you.
Wise Snake: She hasn't actually complained about you doing it differently, has she?
Linn: I think she was more concerned with Eliza getting it right.
Wise Snake: Ah... well, yes.
Wise Snake had told Tanzarra that Eliza was a higher priority training-wise... and also, Tanzarra would have vested interest in Eliza's skills improving.
Wise Snake: Here's the deal. What you are doing isn't necessarily any different from what you were asked to do, it's just that you were working with a tighter tolerance than was necessary under the circumstances.
Linn: A tighter tolerance?
Wise Snake: Yes. You know, it's like the physical equivalent of margins of error in math. Or... significant figures.
Wise Snake: Yes, it's like significant figures.
Wise Snake: You're going to a few more significant figures than you really had to.
Linn: ~~ understanding ~~
Linn: Oh, significant figures!
Wise Snake: Now, there's nothing wrong with that per se. More precision is necessary when working with the higher order channels. You'd have to be more precise with Tanzarra than, say, Bum Bum.
Linn shifts in the saddle without thinking, and winces as a gall is rubbed.
Wise Snake: Tanzarra will probably not correct you so long as you are within an appropriate amount of "slop" for a 2nd to be able to deal with it.
Wise Snake looks forward to getting Linn alone in the ladies' room at the restaurant.
Linn considers.
Linn: So how much "slop" is too much?
Wise Snake: Well, it really depends on who you are working with.
Wise Snake: Bum Bum, for example, could tolerate almost anything as long as you were more or less in control of your field.
Linn: And not reciting poetry?
Wise Snake: Tanzarra requires precision to the extent that she has demanded it of you in your lessons... like the first example you showed me.
Wise Snake glances at Bum Bum, who is now riding along with cloth wads in his ears and humming faintly to drown out any residual sounds.
Wise Snake: Er.. yeah.
Wise Snake: A First Order channel would require something much closer to the second example you showed me.
Linn nods.
Wise Snake: With a First Order channel you'd probably have to be trying your best all the time.
Wise Snake: Of course, it doesn't hurt to try your best all the time anyway.
Wise Snake accidentally lets slip a Zeor value.
Wise Snake: Tanzarra won't notice the difference if you do better than she requires, only if you do worse.
Linn: The trouble is, I have no idea how close I'm getting to where I'm trying to be.
Wise Snake: That's part of being a Gen, unfortunately.
Wise Snake: The only way to learn that is by years of practice, feedback from the people you are working with, and learned knowledge of your own body.
Linn: Nick doesn't seem to have much trouble.
Wise Snake: Well, Nick has had more practice in the last year than most people get in two years.
Wise Snake: I have also been giving him very rigorous feedback.
Linn: That's the difficulty.
Linn: Feedback.
Wise Snake: Well, be sure to mention the difficulty to Tanzarra. Perhaps with Eliza spending time with Bum Bum now, Tanzarra will have a little more time to give you individual attention.
Wise Snake: I could also spend a little time with you if you like.
Linn: I hope so.
Linn: That's very kind of you, Snake.
Linn: I know you're busy.
Wise Snake is actually quite pleased that Linn is showing such an interest in training.
Linn never could resist a mathematical challenge.
Linn: If you could help me figure out how to calculate the necessary precision...?
Wise Snake: It's fairly straight forward, it's just a percentage based upon the channels' proficiency ratings.
Wise Snake: Here, give me your hand.
Wise Snake nudges Freelance closer to Linn's horse.
Linn grabs onto the saddle and reaches for Snake's hand, trying not to gouge her sores by mistake.
Wise Snake pulls out a pen and writes four small equations on Linn's wrist.
Wise Snake: There you go.
Wise Snake: Might want to copy them somewhere more permanent later.
Linn looks at the numbers.
Wise Snake: So long as you know everything about the channel... which you would if you had their folder in a Sime Center setting, for example... you can calculate the precision which should satisfy them using those equations.
Linn: I see. How do I calculate precision without those numbers?
Wise Snake: Well, you wouldn't be calculating then, you'd just have to guess.
Wise Snake: Based on the person's order, their place in the order, and their feedback.
Linn looks at her wrist again.
Wise Snake: I suppose if you became really skilled at your own body's feedback you might be able to sense some of it for yourself, but that is an extremely rare skill. Only one in thousands can learn it.
Wise Snake: That is part of Nick's advantage. [adds]
Linn: I can see where the order fits in, but how do I learn the place in the order?
Wise Snake: You'd have to ask them.
Wise Snake: If they say they're a "low 2nd" or some such, you can use that as a sort of reference.
Wise Snake: Most of the time you would have ample opportunity to learn about your channel, however.
Linn reaches back to her saddlebag and pulls out a notebook.
Linn settles back into the saddle, very carefully.
Wise Snake: Normally you wouldn't be thrust into a situation where you know nothing about the channel, unless it's an emergency. In the case of an emergency, nobody is going to be worrying too much about few significant figures.
Wise Snake: Like I say, you can avoid the whole question by simply doing the best you can all the time.
Linn blinks at Snake, remembering the way she used to badger Nick about precision during what seemed like crisis situations.
Linn finds this statement somewhat contradictory.
Linn: But I don't have a channel.
Wise Snake: Er... well, I suppose you can have Bum Bum, if you are all gung-ho to have your own channel. Tanzarra and Eliza have rather taken a liking to each other.
Wise Snake: And Tanzarra probably won't be able to take Gen transfer for some time.
Wise Snake zlins the question mark in Linn's nager.
Wise Snake: Well?
Linn scribbles the equations in her notebook before they sweat off.
Linn: I thought you were planning on training Griff for Bum Bum?
Linn finds him a bit creepy, herself.
Wise Snake looks surprised.
Wise Snake: Griff? Oh well, I... hadn't really considered it actually.
Wise Snake: Why, has Griff expressed an interest?
Wise Snake thinks Griff would take a hell of a lot of work to get into shape as a Donor... if it's even possible.
Wise Snake reflect then that the same could have been said about Linn, especially a few months ago.
Linn: He's added descriptions of tentacle anatomy to the ones of guts, if that means anything.
Linn is not particularly interested in being a Donor, and she REALLY doesn't want to give a Sime transfer.
Linn is training to prevent herself from having to give involuntary transfer to Simes.
Linn tries not to think about how often her plans to limit contact with Simes have been sabotaged by Snake.
Wise Snake: That's great!
Wise Snake: Well, maybe I'll let you work with Bum Bum and assign Griff to take over your spot listening in on Eliza's lessons.
Wise Snake nods.
Linn: I'd almost listen to Sapis's poetry.
Wise Snake: Er..... what?
Linn: I'd almost rather listen to Sapis's poetry than Griff's descriptions of guts.
Wise Snake: Ah.
Wise Snake: Well. Why don't you go back and let Bum Bum know about the arrangements.
Wise Snake figures the skittish 3rd would rather hear it from Linn than herself.
Linn is slightly skittish herself about Bum Bum, being a junct and all.
Linn has long since learned that Snake makes no allowances for skittishness, however.
Linn reins her horse in to allow Snake's to pull away and Bum Bum's to catch up.
Linn looks at the sleazy junct channel.
Linn: Umm... Bum Bum?
Bum Bum realizes only belatedly that someone is talking to him.
Bum Bum glances at Sapis to make sure her lips aren't moving, then pulls out his ear protection.
Bum Bum: Yeah?
Linn: I was just talking to Snake.
Linn: She wants me to start working with you, so that Eliza can help Tanzarra.
Bum Bum glances forward at Snake in surprise.
Bum Bum: [Snake is ignoring him]
Bum Bum: She did? I mean, she does?
Linn: Yes.
Bum Bum glances at Eliza, who shrugs and rides forward to Tanzarra and Snake.
Linn: ~~ not necessarily happy about it ~~
Bum Bum tries to zlin how Eliza feels about that and has trouble interpreting the results.
Bum Bum looks at Linn.
Bum Bum has no difficulty whatsoever in interpreting her feelings.
Bum Bum: Oh.
Bum Bum looks a little disappointed.
Bum Bum has a feeling Snake would never let him take transfer off this Gen, or Eliza either for that matter.
Linn tries to calculate how much support Bum Bum is likely to require, and then adds a generous fudge factor just in case.
Bum Bum: Well, it's better than nothing.
Linn: ~~ support ~~
Bum Bum looks surprised and pleased as Linn starts to support him.
Bum Bum: Definitely better than nothing!
Bum Bum perks up somewhat.
Linn checks her notebook.
Linn: If we're going to be working together, I'll have to have some idea of your requirements.
Linn: Could you tell me...
Bum Bum blinks, then starts leering.
Linn reels off a half dozen nageric parameters.
Bum Bum's leer turns to confusion.
Bum Bum: You'll have to ask Snake about that stuff.
Bum Bum has never been tested by the Tecton or handed a sheet with all his ratings on it.
Bum Bum is starting to wonder if Snake isn't playing another cruel joke on him.
Linn scribbles, modifying the equations.
Linn: No, I think I can calculate backwards from some other data.
Bum Bum: Oh, okay.
Linn stops at an intersection.
Bum Bum doesn't know an irrational number from a hole in the ground.
Linn: How far down the road can you zlin?
Bum Bum stops a few steps later.
Bum Bum: Which road?
Linn points down the side street.
Linn: That one. It's nice and empty.
Bum Bum: Oh I dunno, a half mile or something.
Bum Bum wonders if she means how far can he zlin well, or just how far can he zlin.
Linn: And what's the smallest thing you can zlin?
Linn: Up close, I mean.
Bum Bum: Er...
Bum Bum: I can zlin nerves and stuff... cells.
Bum Bum wonders how close Linn is talking about and if she'll require a demonstration.
Bum Bum moves closer in preparation.
Linn: Nerves. As I recall, they measure....
Linn continues scribbling.
Linn: Which gives me your sensitivity, or something close to it.
Bum Bum's hands reach out to gently touch Linn's writing arm.
Bum Bum: Oh really? [distracted]
Linn looks at Bum Bum.
Linn: Yes. It's not very high, just as Snake said.
Bum Bum: You know, you zlin really nice when you're doing those math things.
Bum Bum: Sort of all... tingly and excited.
Bum Bum pauses as Linn insults his sensitivity.
Bum Bum: Well, it's a lot better than most Simes'.
Linn nudges her horse a step farther away from Bum Bum's.
Bum Bum sighs as she pulls away.
Bum Bum thinks of the poem in his pocket and wonders if he should present it to Eliza, or if he should give up hope.
Linn: Now then, why don't you tell me when I start to zlin different.
Bum Bum thinks Linn has started to zlin different already.
Linn slowly alters her steady support, skewing it.
Bum Bum 's expression curdles as Linn's support goes all funky.
Bum Bum: Ugh!!
Linn concentrates hard on calculating the alterations.
Bum Bum: Can we skip this part!
Bum Bum thinks he is going to have to add this to all the other things he owes Snake for.
Bum Bum thinks Snake couldn't die enough times in enough horrible ways to satisfy him though, not at this point.
Linn stops the exercise with relief; it really is a lot of effort.
Bum Bum looks very relieved.
Linn: Hmm, your tolerances are as high as your sensitivity is low.
Bum Bum: I liked how your nager was earlier. When you first came up to me.
Bum Bum wishes she would deal out a little less chipper insults and a little more wordless comfort.
Linn: Like this?
Linn: ~~ support ~~
Bum Bum: Ahhh... yes!
Bum Bum smiles.
Linn: How about this?
Linn shifts the support to be skewed by an amount which she calculates should be well within Bum Bum's fudge factor.
Bum Bum: Umm... OK.
Bum Bum hopes she isn't going to try anything too weird anytime soon.
Linn returns to the more precise version without telling Bum Bum.
Bum Bum gradually feels better when nothing untoward happens.
Bum Bum smiles tentatively.
Bum Bum is actually terrified.
Bum Bum wonders if Snake told Linn to keep him on pins and needles all day.
Linn: Good, I've gotten the numbers right, or close enough.
Linn: We can have Snake check them tonight.
Bum Bum: Oh. [unenthusiastic worry]
Bum Bum: Great.
Bum Bum grins weakly.
Linn: ~~ soothing support ~~
Linn is actually trying to calculate how much difference there would be between Bum Bum's numbers, Tanzarra's, and Snake's.
Bum Bum's smile strengthens at the nice feelings.
Bum Bum: Hey... you're actually pretty good at that, when you try to be.
Linn: Hmm?
Linn isn't paying much attention to what Bum Bum's saying.
Bum Bum: Never mind.
Bum Bum turns back to ride onward, bathed in the gentle field.