Here is a bar

[curiousdiscoverer]

Here is a bar that wasn't here before.

Comments

[characterquarry]

The young man who walks into it next is wearing some sort of uniform covered in oilstains, and looks very confused. With no other obvious place to go, he walks up to the bar. "Barkeep?"

[curiousdiscoverer]

The young man won't hear any response, but a napkin appears with the words "Hi, call me Bar. May I offer you a drink? the first is free." written in neat cursive.

[characterquarry]

"Are you the bar? Someone made a person into a bar? That's creepier than any Darwinist horror stories I've ever heard."

[curiousdiscoverer]

I assure you that while my creation is a mystery lost to time and memory, my existence have been quite pleasant and enjoyable to myself and Milliways' patrons.

[characterquarry]

"Okay, I get it. It's just... There are so many ways that this kind of thing could be worse. For my free drink... D'you have Hamburg Oktober lager?"

[curiousdiscoverer]

The drink appears, it will taste very good.

The next napkin says: Sure, I have everything.

[characterquarry]

"Everything, huh. I could really use a 3 centimeter one way valve for a Richter model 4 before I go back to the workshop."

[come_forth_winter]

The bar gives the price, which is totally a specific numeric value listed on a napkin because Bar always knows this things. The price is reasonable.

The door opens again, the sound of music can be heard down the corridor. A winged young man walked in.

"Oh, this place again," He says before closing the door.

[characterquarry]

"Again? Does it do this often?"

[come_forth_winter]

"Varies from person to person," The winged man says approaching "this is my fourth time. Hello, Bar, the same as always."

A cup of hot green tea shows up.

"First time?" He asks before taking a sip.

[characterquarry]

"Yeah, first time... You have wings. Is everyone in here going to be some sort of- Creation? I'm trying not to be weirded out. And failing."

[come_forth_winter]

"This might not help," He says "but I am from further away than you are assuming, another world. My name is Fenris."

I am not a creation, says a napkin.

[characterquarry]

"Ugh. Bar, I need another beer please." He tosses out a few coins. "Another world is actually less scary than the Darwinists breaking the rule about experimenting on creatures smart enough to count as people."

[come_forth_winter]

Another beer promptly shows up.

"That does sound scary," Fenris says "is that likely to happen?"

[characterquarry]

"It hasn't happened so far. They take it pretty seriously because a lot of people are wary of Darwinist creations already. They might try if they were really desperate for some reason. Just like my country might try some things better left untried. It's a tense time."

[come_forth_winter]

"War?"

[characterquarry]

He looks into his beer. "Not yet. But if things don't calm down..."

[come_forth_winter]

"I am sorry," Fenris says "Maybe something in Milliways might help. It is a big maybe, but everything in Milliways have extremely big maybes."

[characterquarry]

"Maybe is better than nothing. I think I'd need to understand politics more to find a good maybe in here, though."

[come_forth_winter]

"Milliways also lends books if you want to research," Fenris says "and time doesn't flow in your world while you are here. I don't think you said your name?"

[characterquarry]

"Call me Konni. I'd shake your hand, but I doubt you want motor oil on it. What in the world can mess with time? Magic?"

[come_forth_winter]

"I shake your hand in spirit," Fenris says raising his cup "And yes, magic. Pretty common among Milliways patrons. In fact, I am magical myself. Are you from a magical world?"

[characterquarry]

"No, magic is a bedtime story. We have Darwinists, who make various creatures. Sometimes useful, usually creepy. And we have Clankers, who work with machines and power and engines. I'm a Clanker. The thing I was working on today is a forty-foot mechanical walker that has a useful load of 120 tons."

[come_forth_winter]

"A sci-fi world!" Fenris says smirking "I am a skymage, it comes with wings and weather related gifts."

Fenris floats, keeping his head around the same level, but crossing his legs while fixed in the air.

[characterquarry]

"Good for you, that sounds very useful. And I agree that the stuff we have today would sound like science fiction to someone from fifty years ago."

"...Bar, can I buy books from the future?"