nexus_sages | (no subject)

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Of all the things Jim Kirk wishes he could do right now, getting good and drunk to drown his sorrows is certainly towards the top of the list. But his doctor says no, absolutely not, and never in his life has he wanted to go against doctor's orders less than he does lately.

So the captain finds himself in the Forum, unsure even what the hell to do with himself, and he gingerly eases himself down onto one of the couches, moving with the careful patience of the recently physically injured, before he notices the date on a nearby calendar.

Father's Day. Huh. How... stupidly appropriate.

"For those who've lost a parent... how the hell do you honor their memory? Even if you haven't, do you bother doing holidays like this?"

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"Don't I know it," he agrees. "I like a challenging problem as much as the next guy, but sometimes it's nice to just have the answer already and fix stuff without jumping through hoops."

That's part of the appeal of the Nexus, I think. Sooner or later, someone comes through looking for help with something you've done before and know exactly how to handle.

*Her smile becomes a little wry.*

The only question is whether they'll recognize that and listen.

Jim, of course, assumes she's talking about him, and he gets a slightly pained, self-deprecating sort of look on his face. "Yeah, I'm working on that." He's sincere in his attitude to try to do better, though. She had a lot of good advice for him to mull over, and he's going to give it all the consideration it's due.

*She laughs.*

Not you. You've been much more attentive than some I can think of. And you didn't do that maddening thing where you describe just enough of your problem to make some solutions seem worth proposing, only to elaborate with why those solutions won't work as soon as anyone brings them up.

Oh, well that's a comfort anyway. "There's an old saying on Earth that you might've heard of. 'The devil is in the details.' It's kind of annoying how true that is."

If I understand the phrase properly, the devil in the details refers to times when a small detail is the fulcrum of a major difference between two states. I'm more annoyed by the people who deliberately withhold relevant parts of their problem so they can pretend it's insoluble and wallow in self-pity and attention.

*Her shoulders roll in a shrug.*

But I've been here more than ten years, that would be long enough for anyone to develop a few specific issues.

"Deliberately? People do that?" Jim would understand if it was because something was classified, or leaving out a detail because it's so widespread in their home universe that it would be common knowledge to another native, or some other reason why they couldn't talk about it. But leaving things out just to be all 'woe is me' is a bit much, in his opinion.

He shakes his head in mild disbelief. That it happens so often that she's developed a pet peeve about it says a lot. "I haven't been here long enough to notice yet, but now I guess I've got something else to look forward to."

*She nods, but can't suppress her amusement at his reaction entirely.*

Oh, yes, deliberately. If you run into one you'll spot it fairly quickly, now that you know it's a thing.

"Thanks for the heads up," he says, though he's sure she didn't originally intend it as such. Same end result, anyway. He raises his eyebrows at her questioningly. "Any other things I should watch out for?"

Hmm. Anyone who seems to think something is very funny, but is trying not to reveal what. That's usually a sign someone's trying to spread an el-oh-el.

Jim frowns slightly. "I've heard of those, but I'm still not entirely sure what kind of danger it is. The brochure's kind of... broad in scope."

They're a little hard to explain. Generally, it's some kind of involuntary change, not always physical, and usually temporary. I've seen candies that spontaneously changed people's biological sex--and their clothes along with it. I've seen clouds of gas that altered people's personalities, crystals that scrambled their sexual orientation, mirrors that made people look like someone or something else, and a card that induced an episode of paranoid panic-fear.

*She considers what she's said so far.*

I suppose it's a little like being dosed with a strong hallucinogen, except that the change you perceive to reality is actually happening. Some enjoy the ride, others flail and shout, still others hunker down and wait for it to end.

It sounds absolutely insane. But Jim has already seen multiple instances of magic, which his understanding of science can't even come close to explaining, so even though he has to take it with a healthy dose of skepticism, he doesn't disbelieve, either.

"You said it's usually temporary?" That part stands out the most to him, and he is certainly wary of anything that might permanently compromise him in some way.

*She nods.*

That's the catch, isn't it. Most of the time, it wears of in a day, or a few at most, but sometimes it lasts until something else undoes it, or changes you further. Sometimes part of the change is that it makes you want to stay changed, so you actively resist efforts to change you back.

"Is there any way to tell what might cause it before it's too late?" Not that he'd be able to tell what's out of the ordinary around here yet anyway, but more information can't hurt.

There are warnings to look out for. If there's a large group of people who all seem upset about the same thing, or someone handing out free things and looking smug about it, those are usually a warning sign. Other than that, use common sense as best you can--don't take gifts or especially food from people you don't know, don't touch the weird thing, ask sensible questions about anything free you're offered, that sort of thing.

His frown deepens a little, still uncertain. "Is it a common thing? I don't think I've noticed anything like that on any of my visits so far."

It's been less common, lately, although I did run across that panic-fear one, myself, within the last year or so.

Well, it's good to know he won't be tripping over the things left and right. Jim nods slowly. "I'll keep that in mind."

*Samus gives a satisfied nod.*

There's nothing wrong with being curious and trying one, as well. I just tend to think it's better to go in aware.

"I can agree with that. Better than being blindsided, anyway."

Always.

*Samus raises her empty glass in some semblance of a toast, lips curling in a smirk at her own gesture.*

I should let you get back. But, if you have a PINpoint, I can give you the coordinates for that run I mentioned. Join in whenever you're ready.

"Yeah, I do." He reaches for his communicator on his belt, since that's what he's attached his PINpoint to, and slides it across the table to her. She's inspected it once before, the first time they met, but it certainly never hurts to double-check, he supposes.

And because it's a related subject, and Jim is a fan of dealing with two issues at once, he adds, "If you want that tissue sample sent anywhere in particular, let me know. What kind of wait will I be looking at for that super-vaccine to be ready?"

*She takes a moment to re-familiarize herself with Jim's control setup before carefully keying in a coordinate set.*

No wait. PINpoints treat time as another variable coordinate; I'll take the sample when you can give it, go to my Facet, and when the vaccine is ready, I'll come back to just after I left.

*She pauses a moment, reflecting on the possibilities she's just opened with that statement.*

I'd advise being very careful with that option, however. You don't want to catch yourself in a Grandfather Paradox or the like.

He pauses too, letting that sink in. He's heard of time stopping back home while you're in the Nexus, but for some reason, he hadn't thought about it going the other way.

"Oh God no. My past has already been messed with enough."