1st train | anonymous text | open to action?

[squint]

[It's not that Cobb has been here for a while, it's that he learns very, very quickly. It comes with the territory, of being very much accustomed to laying low. He's always been fairly cautious and wary unless personal matters are involved, after all. It's something that comes with the territory when you've been on the field long enough. He deems it appropriate enough to talk to the network as a whole now. Plus, he's asked enough to catch the basics--he's near a console by the window in a cafe in the earth district, nursing the best tea he's had in years and typing anonymously. ]

Interesting for a place not quite near life, death, or dreaming. How many people here are well versed in Oneirology?

-Mr. Charles

Comments

anon | voice;

[squint]

No--dreams can be good. They can be wonderful. But sometimes you need to know how to wake up. [ Sometimes you can't. ]

anon | voice;

[notdreaming]

I don't know how to wake up from this one. And sometimes it's a nightmare.

anon | voice;

[squint]

Sometimes? [ A simple question that's not really a statement--but he does want you to elaborate. ]

anon | voice;

[notdreaming]

Like a short while ago. The turtle dove under water. We were down for days, and while we were down there we were attacked by zombies. [ IT WAS CREEPY. ]

anon | voice;

[squint]

[ There's silence on Cobb's end. A very long moment and--thunk--the sound of something spinning. Checking reality. ]

I've heard about that. I still don't know if I believe it.

anon | voice;

[notdreaming]

You think I'm lying? [ Perhaps a bit on the sensitive side, but really? ]

anon | voice;

[squint]

No, I don't. That's what's bothering me--there has to be a rational way to explain this.

voice;

[notdreaming]

The explanation we've been given isn't completely irrational. But it isn't the simplest explanation either.

voice;

[squint]

Right--Occam's razor. The simplest solution is most probable.

voice;

[notdreaming]

...Right. [ Who's razor? What now? ] But it's not necessarily true in reality.

voice;

[squint]

It isn't? [ There's just a hint of a smile in his voice. ]

voice;

[notdreaming]

Most people don't have all the facts. [ That's sort of a requirement, in science. Otherwise you're just being silly. ]

voice;

[squint]

To get concrete evidence, yeah. But that's why it's a theory.

voice;

[notdreaming]

A theory still requires evidence to back it up. Without sufficient evidence it's not a theory, just a daydream.

voice;

[squint]

[ Impressive! ] You're pretty smart for someone your age. Either that, or you sound young.

voice;

[notdreaming]

I come from a family of scientists. [ The best scientists on Krypton, actually. ]

voice;

[squint]

Explains a lot. It's a good thing, to be smart like you are.

voice;

[notdreaming]

Thank you. [ He can't see it, but she's beaming. Her father would be so proud. ]

I was planning to join the Science Guild like my parents did, when I graduated.

voice;

[squint]

Don't think we have anything like that we're I'm from.

voice;

[notdreaming]

No? Maybe that's why your technology isn't as advanced. [ Nothing worse than disorganized scientists, yup. ]

voice;

[squint]

We have scientists, and something similar to guilds. Just never heard it called that.

voice;

[notdreaming]

But you definitely have an army. Do you have a Military Guild?

voice;

[squint]

No, but we have the military. A friend of mine is a former soldier.

voice;

[notdreaming]

It must just be the organization that's different. I wonder.

voice;

[squint]

Same purpose, I'd imagine.