Alex in Milliways

[between_worlds]

Alex is wandering through the Organization's annex of storerooms, looking for a sample of unique amphibian that someone had mis-categorized and that no one else seemed remotely interested in trying to find.

Alex opens the door to 4090R and finds, not a poorly lit storage room, but a bright, cheerful looking bar.

He walks inside and begins to look around, "Was this here before?"

Comments

[if_at_first]

"Technology like your phone."

[between_worlds]

"Exactly," Alex grins. "It's a lot of fun."

[if_at_first]

"According to my napkin I could let you into my world. Unfortunately I'd have to take your word for it about the ominousness."

[between_worlds]

"I could show you, if you wanted. That's how we usually prove our good intentions."

[if_at_first]

"And then how would I get home?"

[between_worlds]

"Bar, if I use this will I be able to get back here?"
Alex takes out his teleport stone and places it on the counter.

[if_at_first]

I don't think you ought to rely on that as a means of getting to Milliways, but it might work.

"And I'd have to take your word for it that you would return me here whenever I wanted."

[between_worlds]

"Yea, and it's not a good idea to risk it. I wouldn't want you to get stuck if it didn't work."

[if_at_first]

"It would be inconvenient," she agrees. "Although I was planning to pick up and leave town, I wasn't planning to pick up and leave world."

[between_worlds]

"Bar, is there anyway to keep the door open? A doorstop or something?"

[if_at_first]

Doorstops tend to fail, but not for any observable systematic reason.

[between_worlds]

"I can't think of any other way to prove I'm telling the truth. Some people have tech or abilities that can detect lies, but you don't seem to."

[if_at_first]

"I don't, no. Just servants."

[between_worlds]

"There aren't any atrocities occurring in your world, are there?"

[if_at_first]

"...I don't know what the interdimensional standards for atrocities are but I think we're doing mostly all right."

[between_worlds]

"Large amounts of people being killed or dying from preventable causes? Slavery or large scale oppression of intelligent beings?

[if_at_first]

"There's occasional warfare. Slavery is mostly wiped out - I think it's used as a punishment for criminals in some city-states in the Faraway but there's general disagreement about whether the way they practice that is actually worse than just locking people up the way most places do that, so."

[between_worlds]

"There are too many worlds for us to contact them all, as much as we wish we could. We try to prioritize the ones that badly need help or who might be able to offer help to others. Your world sounds about average. I'd like to visit, and The Organization could probably help, but, assuming you're telling the truth, it's not necessary."

[if_at_first]

"I'd complain more if we really needed the help or if I was surer you really came supplied with same. If you have anything really cool you could give me some to take home, maybe?"

[between_worlds]

"I could give you some blueprints maybe? Do you guys have metal?"

[if_at_first]

"Sure."

[between_worlds]

"We have a database for this, but I'm not sure exactly what you'd need and it'll need to be on paper. I have a friend who could help. Let me send her a message."
Alex checks his phone, "Nope, not working."
He walks over to the door and sticks his arm out, "Okay, it works here. One sec."

[if_at_first]

Sylvi waits, for a value of waiting that involves speaking softly to Bar.

[between_worlds]

"She wants to know what your most advanced technology is."

[if_at_first]

"Uh... the servants are magic, so I'm not sure whether to count them. Are we counting social technology or just nonmagical objects we know how to build?"