Oboebandgeek99's Sandbox

Entry 1: Most Adults

Why are we here again?

We've been waiting for twenty minutes!

I think you need to adjust to library time, it's only been three minutes.

Well forgive me for thinking somebody should be punctual!

Patience is a virtue with which none of you are acquainted.


Oh, don't talk to me about patience!


If you're about to tell us some story of daring heroic wherein you had to do nothing for a long time,

I waited on the surface of Eris for a hundred years


just don't, because none of us care.

Before I was rescued by–


Here we go with this again.

I'm sure if we stay calm,


Oh, I'm sorry, is my suffering a boring subject?


we can all just


Welp, that went to shit before it even started.

No, it's just we know you've suffered!

wait this out


I've suffered!

Good try, everyone.

All of us have suffered!

together.


Your pain does not make you more entitled to your frustration than any of us.

We can't go two seconds without fighting, I think we should all just–

Thank you all for coming here today. Or, whatever the Library equivalent of today is.


…wait, what?

I'm sorry, is this girl here to introduce the one who called us together?


"This girl" is the one who called you all together.


Oh, you've got to be kidding me.

For your information, I'm sixteen.


Great, a teenager is trying to lead this conference. You know, most adults can't even be in charge of a normal conference, much less a magic one.


Well, most adults haven't found the Library, now have they? In fact, I'm the youngest from any recorded instance of my planet to intentionally find the Library independent of outside interference.


Please continue, child. Why have you brought us here?


I've researched a lot of people with very impressive accomplishments. But I chose you for your endurance in the harsh expanse of space. You're the toughest out there, which is why I need you. But I refuse to let myself be treated like and ignorant child while I'm paying you.


Whoa, hey, we didn't mean nothing by it. We were just, ya know, confused. Why don't we all take a deep breath in…






and out…






Let's start over. Glad to be aboard. What's the mission?

It's a rescue. Ideally. But by this point, who knows, maybe just a retrieval…








So, uh, what are we rescuing?

…here. Let me show you.

Shirl, I just saw the most unbelievable thing

Everything's unbelievable with you, Bex :p

A communication log?

Looks super primitive to me.


Your experiences are not universal. My timeline doesn't have anything nearly this advance yet.


Can we get back on track? Please?

Okay, haha, yeah you think I'm crazy

I don't think you're crazy, Bex

I think you're different

and i like that about you :)

But I'm serious, the weirdest thing just happened to me


you mean weird like the time you thought you saw bigfoot weird? or weird like the time you thought Al went missing weird?



Weird like my grandpa's voicemail weird.

Whoa, that level of weird?

Weird like I finally figured out what he was trying to tell me


Look, are you busy tonight?

When am i ever lol

Meet me at Deadman's Tree in the woods by 7:30. If we're too late it won't work.


What won't work?

Shirley, trust me on this

meet me there. on time.

i'll explain everything

ok Bex, I trust you

That can't be the end of the story

Unfortunately you're right. I have a video of the meeting that followed.

And you're sure you can stay exactly in tune?

Ye of little faith! Haha, I have perfect pitch, remember?

As if you'd ever let me forget!

It's you.


Who is the other one?

What should I do with the phone, Bex?

Just prop it against a tree, come on, we don't have time!

Okay, okay, E flat, right?

Yep. Okay wait a minute… One, two, three, four

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree
Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree

Merry, merry king of the bush is he
Merry, merry king of the bush is he

Laugh, Kookaburra, laugh, Kookaburra
Laugh, Kookaburra, laugh, Kookaburra

Gay your life must be
Gay your life must be

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree

Eating all the gumdrops he can see
Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree

Stop, Kookaburra, stop, Kookaburra
Eating all the gumdrops he can see

Leave some there for me
Stop, Kookaburra, stop, Kookaburra

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree
Leave some there for me

Counting all the monkeys he can- Ahahahah!
Kookaburra sits in the- there it is!

You found a Way.

Whoa! Bex, what the hell is that?

You know all those events I couldn't make, those mysterious road trips? This is where I was going! Well, not here but places I could open up this portal.

Bex…

I know, I know. Look, through this portal, there's this huge library. I've been going there since I was, like, twelve, and I thought I was the only one who knew about it. But you know my grandpa's voicemail, right before he disappeared? If only he had read more in his life. The first Way I found was just two miles from his house. I think he's alive!

Okay, okay, slow down.

That's why I didn't cry at the funeral, I knew he was alive. He'd just gone into the Library. But I never knew the Library could take me to space! Remember? "I hope you'll look up at the stars and see me there?" He was telling me how to find him.

Bex, this is way too much.

I know, I know, I know this sounds crazy. But trust me. The Way is closing, we don't want to lose it. Just take my hand and follow me in.

…Is she going to take your hand?

…alright. I trust you. Let me grab my phone.

You ready?

Okay. Three, two, wuh–

Okay, much as I've enjoyed this, I still have no clue why I'm here. Are you gonna keep showing us random shit or are you actually gonna tell us what the mission is?


Yeah, most adults would've been finished by now, and I feel I've entertained this long—

Well, most adults haven't been to actual literal fucking space. I have. And you have too. And I need you to just… listen. For a few more goddamn minutes. Can you do that? Adults? Can you just put aside your contempt with me for a few more goddamn minutes?


I think they're just confused why you're showing us all of this instead of just explaining what happened.

Yeah, you think? Why are we letting a kid get away with showing us all this bullshit instead of just telling us?


Because it's too painful for her to explain.



She lost someone. Just like all of us.


…We tried Alpha Centauri first. No luck. Then Io. Betelgeuse. Pluto. Polaris. Stars and planets we knew. It took a while to consider looking at places we didn't know, and that's when we got luckier.




Stardate: 39-4-25-0-1:73


A wondrous thing has occurred this day! My dear Becca has found me. We were visiting some strange planet (oxygen breathers like me), and the locals seemed to try to impress upon that they had seen someone who very much resembled me. I followed their instructions and found her. Apparently she'd been looking for me for some time. I never intended her to find me, but I should've suspected she would take my message for her as a hint. I'm impressed with all that she has accomplished, and am still in awe of her intelligence and gumption. I've never been prouder.

However, it was not purely joyous for long. I soon discovered she had brought a friend with her. An outsider. I explained that outsiders are typically frowned upon in the Library. She did not understand, asking if we were outsiders, but we are different! She just doesn't see it yet. She explained that her friend's help allowed her to access the Way she used, so I've decided she can stay for now. I've invited them aboard my ship, introduced them to my crew, and asked dear Becca where she wanted to go. She simply replied that she was happy with me. What have I done to deserve her?##




Stardate: 39-4-25-0-2:31


It is wonderful to have my granddaughter aboard. To think, all our time on Earth, and she never saw me do much, be much of anything. Here she sees me in my element, a man that can go much further beyond what she ever would've expected of me.

Her friend, however, may prove difficult. She does not approve of this new life for me, would prefer me to be meek and timid. She claims she doesn't like the way I treat my crew. If this is a ploy to displace me as captain, she is a fool, and if this is genuine concern for the aliens, she is stupid. All the rules we learned on Earth of social niceties no longer apply. Out here, we must do what we can to survive, up to and including the subjugation of lesser beings. They do not think to want anything other than to serve me; I have done no wrong.

Becca cares for her though, so for now I shall refrain from passing judgement on her. Becca has promised to speak to her if I shall promise to consider what she says, to which I reluctantly agreed. I love Becca, but fear her affection for this girl shall give way to naïveté. I shall listen to Becca for now.

But I shall still keep an eye on Shirley.




Stardate: 39-4-25-0-5:79


I fear I have turned Becca against me forever. I had no choice. Shirley was attempting a mutiny. She talked of her experience with the crew, and felt my treatment of them was "cruel." Me, cruel. After I had saved them from the tyranny of mundanity under their old captain. They were on a spaceship, and were unable to explore any of it until I came. That is mercy.

But I can be cruel. If that's what she sees, that's what she shall get.

Becca did not understand my decision to throw Shirley in the brig and lock her up. She is young and immature. She does not see the opportunity we have here, the duty to explore the stars and claim them for mankind. Any being could read about it in the Library, but how many find themselves out among them and able to describe them? I sent her to her quarters to calm down. She resisted, claiming I could not imprison the entire crew. I have not imprisoned her. But I could imprison everyone if I damn well pleased. But I have been merciful. All I have asked of them is the opportunity to continue exploring the stars with the energy of my youth. They have graciously provided e with this energy. And even if they should protest, they hardly remember later.

I love Becca. But she shall not ruin this opportunity for me.

Shirley noticed it before me. I was so caught up in mythologizing my grandfather, I had not seen the man he had become. He had become mad, dangerous even. I still don't fully understand what he was doing. Shirley knew he was mistreating the crew but didn't know how, and all that rambling stuff about energy just–

Tachyons.

…what?

Oh, of course!

You're not seriously suggesting he was trying to harvest tachyons.

What's a tachyon?

It's a particle that moves faster than light.

Using warp speed on some spacecrafts produces a minuscule amount of them, but they tend to originate from and cling to organic matter for some reason.

Some people believe they can slow aging, prevent decay, and lengthen the natural lifespans. Trouble is, warp driving so often is dangerous, and doesn't produce many of them. Side effects of consistent warp drive use includes loss of memory, weaker will, and an overall sense of confusion. You feel like you're in a dream.


But wouldn't he suffer those same side effects? And how could he have even harvested the tachyons?

I don't know. The process of harvesting tachyons is purely theoretical at this point.


Your experiences are not universal.


Wait, what were those log dates again?

What's going on?

Of course. Look at the stardate. That's consistent with the Mekihna system, he commandeered a Mekihna craft.

If anyone could create tachyon harvesting technology, it would be them.


And each craft comes standard with several cryostasis chambers, allowing him to enter those for the duration of warp speed and escape without all those nasty side effects. If the craft had a tachyon transference machine, all he would need is to force them in there and put himself on the receiving end.

So he was harvesting their energy for himself and slowly killing them? Great. He's even more of a monster than I thought.

Wait. What happened to Shirley?

Oh no. Trapped on a Mekihna brig, that's… that's awful. I didn't even think of that.

I spent all my time with her. I didn't understand how this man I had loved could be so cruel. I don't know what's worse to think, that he'd changed so much or that he hadn't changed at all. The conditions were miserable, but she was able to talk to the crew members. And together with some of them she hatched a plot.

Captain's Log



[more discussion]

From: Shirley <pe.anhikeM|ylrihsfoelpmet#pe.anhikeM|ylrihsfoelpmet>
To: Bex <hs.bildnaw|xeB#hs.bildnaw|xeB>
Subject: Final Goodbye, I guess
Date: 39-4-25-1-2:41

My Dear Bex,

I don't know if you'll ever get this message. Part of me is writing this in the hopes that you do, but realistically… I dunno. I guess I'm writing this for myself? I'm not sure which idea scares me more, that you'll never see this or that you might. I mean if anybody could figure out the Library has an interdimensional email database, it would be you.

I should probably start by telling you I'm okay. The escape pod I took had an automatic course correction for the nearest Mekihna colony, and it only took a few days to reach, especially once I figured out how to activate the mini-warp drive. The colony it took me to was surprisingly habitable, and the people here have been so nice to me, giving me food I can eat (space food does not taste like earth food tho, lol) and even offering shelter, but for the most part I've stuck with the escape pod, hoping you would be able to track me, despite others telling me the impossibility of this.

In any case, I met some really nice people from the Mekihna homeworld. Well, not people. Mekihnans? I'm not sure how it conjugates. They said they're able to take me to somebody who might know a Way back to the Library. They're not sure, but it's a long shot I'm willing to take. It'll take some time to get there, and there's no telling what will happen once I do get there. But I can't just stay here forever, especially if there's a chance to see you again.

That's the other thing, the other reason I'm writing this. They told me that the escape pod has interdimensional communication built in, and that it maybe could even reach the library. So I figured I'd try to talk to you one last time. To tell you the one thing I promised I would tell you if I made it through this. The truth is that I'm kinda in love with you? And I have been since like sixth grade. Ugh, it's so embarrassing typing that out. But it's true, and I never told you because I was… afraid, i guess? Maybe that's an excuse. But it's true. My biggest fear in this, or any world, is losing you, and I was afraid telling you… I was afraid I would lose you. But now I have lost you. So honestly admitting this just seems like not a big deal at all. I don't know, it's a weird form of existentialism.

The ship's taking off soon. I have to go. If you read this, know that I'll stop at nothing to get back to you.

Love (your best friend),
Shirl

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