Searching Far and Wide

[intricate_engineer]

Glen was creating a prototype for a new gate design. It was meant to be affordable and provide quick transport between individual homes. She tests several objects and a rat and everything seems to be working.

She steps through. Instead of finding herself in the room next door, she finds herself standing on a sidewalk in an empty city. The buildings are tall and perfect, colorless with doorways far too tall for any human. The roads have no straight lines and twist in on themselves. There is no life or sound.
Glen tries to stay calm. She begins to walk along the road, randomly opening doors and exploring buildings that are as silent as the rest of the world.

She opens a door that she hopes will lead onto a roof and is instead met with warmth, and soft noise, and color.

Comments

[intricate_engineer]

"Environmental factors have a much larger effect than we previously thought. DNA, actually do you know what DNA is?"

[the_very_best]

"Sure."

[intricate_engineer]

"Not all DNA gets used. The environment results in certain pieces getting turned on or off. We knew this happened to children, but we thought it was fairly limited and wouldn't have large effects except in extreme situations, such as abuse. It turns out that it effects everyone. Small variations during childhood can have vast effects on an individual's behavior. It also doesn't stop during development, but continues being a major factor throughout the individuals life. So, if you had different parents as a child or grew up in a different culture, you would be a very different person."

[the_very_best]

"Different in any particular ways or is it all fair game?"

[intricate_engineer]

"We see the largest differences in social behaviors and emotional responses. How you react when you want something, how you empathize, how often you become frightened and how you react to that fear, your reaction to reward and punishment, are all partially determined by your childhood environment. Higher level cognitive processes are less affected."

[the_very_best]

"Huh. I want to meet more of me."

[intricate_engineer]

"I keep hoping I'll meet myself somewhere, but no luck yet."

[the_very_best]

"Oh well."

[intricate_engineer]

"If I ever do meet another version of you, I'll tell them you said hi."

[the_very_best]

"No, no, tell them I said to come visit!"

[intricate_engineer]

"I will. I'm tempted to try to make a portal in this place, but I have no idea how it would work."

[the_very_best]

"How do you make portals?"

[intricate_engineer]

"Here, I'll show you."
Glen pulls up a schematic.
"I couldn't make it entirely from scratch, but I'm assuming I can buy the necessary parts. You need to connect it to another portal. Location is defined relative to the current location. I'm not quite sure where we are, but I might be able to link two together here and put one in a new world."

[the_very_best]

"Well, Bar, what do you think?"

Some interdimensional transit mechanisms cooperate with Milliways. I do not know about this one but it might succeed.

[intricate_engineer]

"It's worth a try. I"ll probably put an apple through first or something. I don't want to end up in a void. Actually, would you mind helping? This would be significantly easier with another person."

[the_very_best]

"Love to, if you can use unskilled labor and possibly render it skilled!"

[intricate_engineer]

"Someone to help me not drop things would be wonderful! I'll try to explain the best I can. Bar, could you please tell me how much these components would cost?"
Glen lists them.

[alicornucopia]

Bar produces a price list. It's very reasonable for the items, but still a lot of money.

[intricate_engineer]

Glen sighs, but says, "Thanks."
"It's about what I was expecting. It'll knock out a lot of my savings, but if I get home I think I can take it from my research budget."

[the_very_best]

"You can technically run up an arbitrary tab with Bar," Bella says. "She's not going to shake you down for it, there's just unsubstantiated suspicion about carrying a balance."

[intricate_engineer]

"Does that bother you?" Glen asks Bar.

[alicornucopia]

Not a bit. I have to keep track of what you owe, but I do not have to care.

[intricate_engineer]

"Can I please order that list on tab then? And could I please rent a room?"

[alicornucopia]

Certainly. Parts appear, and a room key. Room 4550.

[intricate_engineer]

Glen looks at the pile doubtfully, then says, "Could I also have a bag?"