tushanshu | [Console

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This is ridiculous!

[There is a small boy scowling up into the console's video feed with a highly offended expression on his face. Not that it was easy to see that much. Even standing on a stool he is barely tall enough to reach the console.]

There can't be a turtle that big. If it was real it would be completely violating the square-cube law. Even presuming that it was possible for a turtle to grow this big, a biological creature cannot scale up like this. The larger an animal grows, the less its proportional muscle strength. According to that law, this turtle shouldn't even be able to move and there should be severe problems with its cardiovascular and respiratory functions. Even if we factor in the exception for buoyancy in sea creatures, this is still far too big. How is it possible for this to exist?

[Belatedly, he realizes that had been just a tiny bit advanced for an ordinary seven-year-old. He hastily pastes on a bright childish smile.]

I saw a program about it on television once! It was really interesting.

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[Oh, he speaks her language. The language of Science.]

Turtles of Tu Vishan's species have magical support for their biological functions, I believe. I take it you're from a version of Earth without magic?

[...It's an odd change in attitude, though.]

...if you don't believe it, I can show you the turtle from the air; my rheaird will carry two.

[The boy's expression closes in irritation. To Conan, saying that something happened because of magic was worse than having no explanation at all. Because Conan considered magic to just be what people called something when they couldn't explain it. When they hadn't bothered to try and explain it.

Considering most of his previous encounters with so-called magic had happened at crime scenes as the result of murderers trying to use cheap tricks to get away with their crimes? He wasn't really in the most accepting frame of mind.

But as much as he'd like to say exactly what he thought, he was still trying to play the part of an ordinary kid. He'd need to play along for now.]

Yeah, you could say that. All we have is stage magic. How does this magic support work?

Mmm, okay? What's a rheaird?

[Raine grimaces faintly.]

I haven't studied Tu Vishan in exhaustive detail, though I have been under his shell-- it's a fascinating experience.

I did, however, have the opportunity to observe the growth of a hatchling of the same species. They grow quite quickly, and at only a few months old already had a level of intelligence equal to or greater than most sapient beings. My hypothesis, based on what I've observed, is that once they've grown to a certain age and size their mana becomes greater than they can contain, but I can't test that without, likely, at least a century of observation.

[A century would be feasible by her lifespan, but a number of other factors will make it untenable, unfortunately.]

Further, there are worlds where simply a great concentration of raw power extends lifespans, as one of its natural properties. ...In other words, there are any number of possible explanations.

[She's not talking down to him, but not necessarily because she's seen through anything; Raine's just used to smart children.]

A rheaird is a personal flying craft, built with magitechnology. It's sturdy enough, and about the size of a kirin, perhaps a little bigger.

[ Conan honestly wasn't sure what to do with this. On the one hand she clearly had an investigative mind. That was promising. But what was with all the mentions of magic? There had been enough of that that he was not sure how reliable any of the information was. ]

Is it easy to get under the shell? What does it look like? Are there any pictures or video?

Do you have any information on the species as a whole? Has anyone studied them scientifically?

How does raw power extend life spans? What kind of raw power?

...And what is magitechnology?

There are certain paths where it is, yes. I haven't checked on them recently, however, and the accesses I used may have been closed off. I didn't have the equipment to record any of it, unfortunately; it's magnificent. There is -- or there was, and likely will be again -- a bioluminescence which makes the space simply beautiful.

[She does like the child's propensity for questions: it reminds her of her brother's, and her own. Raine's smiling a little as she goes on.]

Regrettably, for quite some time Tu Vishan was considered the last of his kind, and all the data available currently is thus skewed. I had some opportunity to study the hatchlings, as I mentioned, most specifically the one who adopted me, and I have some notes on growth rates and anatomy, but there were somewhat more pressing priorities at the time.

[Raising Ryder. Fighting an ancient evil. Business as usual. Next question. Raine ticks another point off on her fingers.]

Broadly, I mean magical power, unshaped for any specific purpose. The definition of that varies from world to world-- in some it's simply an energy found within certain people, whereas in my own world, techniques called magic come from the manipulation of mana, which is the essence of life. The specific case I have in mind regarding lifespans refers to a variant of Earth, where some humans have the ability to use that energy consciously, and extended use and exposure leads to a proportionally longer lifespan.

As for magitechnology, the word refers to certain machines built to use mana as a power source to accomplish what purely mundane technology alone cannot. It necessitates the use of specifically conductive materials as catalysts.

[It's occurring to her that she's approaching lecturing, and she pauses to check for a look of confusion.]

[He frowns, and makes a mental note to investigate that in the future. The best way to do that would be to see it for himself. ]

Really? Could I see them some time? I'm really interested in that kind of thing!

[Now that was a little more interesting. She called it magic, but she discussed it as if it was a scientific force. ]

When you say magic, what do you mean by it? At home magic just meant sleight of hand and tricks.

[There was some confusion in his expression, but it was greatly overshadowed by curiosity and a look of intelligent analysis. ]

[Raine hesitates, then shakes her head, looking wistful.]

About two years ago now the hatchlings found it necessary to set out on their own, since we their caretakers were temporarily comatose and incapable of protecting them from the threats here. They left us a message some months ago-- they're safe, and they know we're alive and well, so it's likely we'll meet again in the future.

[Unfortunately, it's impossible to say when.]

[And there's the million-gald question. It's not quite what Raine usually gets from people from worlds with no magic, but she approves of the curiosity and the willingness to accept new data.]

Broadly, what I mean by magic is the conscious and intent manipulation by sentient beings of a specific sort of energy, usually termed as magic or magical power. Some require tools to interact with that energy, and some are capable of doing so with nothing but their own abilities. A difficulty in definition arises here, where there are people from several different worlds: the 'energy' each different mage uses also tends to be slightly different. Sometimes they intersect well, and sometimes they don't; some mages are able to learn techniques from other worlds, and some cannot. It's... not as precise as I would like.

[She frowns thoughtfully.]

I'm willing to demonstrate, if you like.

That's good to know! But I meant to ask if I could see the notes you mentioned.

[He makes a thoughtful sound. ]

Can it be measured? Have any scientific studies been done on it?

Really? I'd like to see it!

Ah. Certainly, although the language is one from my home world.

[She'd thought it better to be secure, with data about the hatchlings, and even in her own world only scholars and priests know the angelic language. Here, the number is limited to her and the one person she's taught.]

Still, I have some diagrams which should be self-explanatory.

Between everything else, yes, I've been conducting something of a study on contrasting magical traditions. I've mostly been relying on my own senses, however, in lieu of a more calibrated piece of machinery being available.

[There's a grimace: she knows this is not ideal for science, but on the flip side she is very precise with mana.]

Although it would be interesting to test instruments designed for one world's magic against another, such things are difficult to come by if they didn't arrive with people.

And yes, of course. I'd prefer to demonstrate in person, since there's less room for error or tricks of perception.

What kinds of machines can be used to measure things like that?

Mmm, I wouldn't mind. I'm still at the welcome center, so I haven't really been anywhere around here yet.

In my world, primarily magitechnology. In others...

[Raine spreads her hands.]

Gauges crafted with whatever materials respond correctly, I'd assume. Remember, it's an energy like any other. The fact that it's manipulable only in specific ways doesn't necessarily make it mystical or unknowable.

[And she nods to him.]

I can stop by once I'm done at the Guild for the day; it isn't wise for you to navigate a city you're so new to by yourself.

Okay, I guess I could stay here for a while. [He still had some people to interrogate. ]

In that case, unless you have some objection, I'll see you in a few hours.

[Smile. And, barring said objection, she'll close the feed.]

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