Revision as of 21:23, 14 May 2015

Participants

• Allista
• Dax
• Flora

Date

14/5/478

Log

Doctor Felicity, the scholar that ran the previous round of tests is standing in the middle of the room, waiting to greet new subje- um, guests.

Allista says, "whistles appreciatively as she follows the attendant through the Creator ship, taking it all in. It was her first time in such close contact, and in such a setting, but she walks with an easy, confident step and has a happy smile for everyone she meets."

Allista whistles appreciatively as she follows the attendant through the Creator ship, taking it all in. It was her first time in such close contact, and in such a setting, but she walks with an easy, confident step and has a happy smile for everyone she meets.

The scholar with the clipboard waits patiently as a few beings file in along with Allista, though she frowns just a little bit when Highlady Flora Longtail files in with the others. "Welcome!" her translator burbles, a moment after she starts speaking herself, "I am Doctor Felicity, the HEAD SCHOLAR for this little endeavor. My colleagues and I are grateful for your help. Everyone, please take a seat." She gestures to the egg shaped chairs. "Today we will have each of you take part in AN ILLUSIONARY TEST," she says, her translator filling in gaps in the language, "As you take your seats, a visor will lower and the ILLUSION will start. This may be a little disorienting, but we ask you to please relax and do not panic. There is nothing to be afraid of." She points out the miniature rhino, already climbing into a chair. "Dax here has had some experience with this equipment and will be joining you, as will one of our SCHOLARS. The whole process is perfectly safe. We will explain the rest once everyone is settled in."

Allista tilts her head and blinks as she catches the doctor's expression, then looks around to find who it was aimed at. She gives High Lady Flora a nod and a grin, then starts moving to her seat. "Certainly, Doctor. Perfectly safe?" she asks, settling in.

"Of course," Doctor Felicity says, "We would hardly ask you to do anything dangerous!" The various beings all make their way to seats, some aided by Creator scholars to make sure they are comfortable. The chairs tip slowly back into a gentle reclining position and dark visors lower over the eyes of the participating beings. For all those participating, there is a brief moment of blackness. For a moment, there is nothing at all, then, they stand in a small group on a featureless gray plain! Dax, the small rhino is standing with the group, wearing an outlandish jumpsuit like those worn by visiting Creators.

"Welcome to the Grid," Dax says in a faintly mechanical voice, waving at the blank landscape, "A scholar should be with us momentarily."

A soft rumble, and Flora smiles towards Allista as she settles in herself, her tails swishing lightly behind her. Her eyes cast out over the blank area, and her rumbling is apparent as she scratches her head curiously. "Flora... Flora remembers this part, yes. Flora will assume Flora doesn't have access today, yes?"

The coyote's eyes widen for a moment, but Allista remains relaxed as she takes it in. "The grid?" she echoes. "How did we get here?" she looks from person to person, peering intently. "Or are you all illusions? Lady Doctor mentioned that..."

"That is correct, Flora Longtail," comes a pleasant male voice as a Creator male in a plain, white jumpsuit appears, "I am Doctor Farnsworth and I will be in charge of today's examination." The Creator nods as Allista's question is echoed by several others. "Perhaps Dax here can explain in simple terms?" he half asks, looking down at the little rhino.

"Yes, Sir," Dax says, lowering his head then turning to the other beings, "This is an illusion. All of it. We are not really standing here, all of us are comfortably sitting in chairs on the Creator ship." The rhino waves at the gray plain. "This is a safe place that we can make ideas seem real," he continues, "It will all seem real, but it is all inside of . . . um. . . a machine spirit? Yes. A machine spirit that interprets your thoughts."

A soft rumble, a nod, and a tailflick from the feline as she watches the creator with a smile. "Flora figured as much, yes," she mumbles, before looking to Allista. "Flora would show, but Flora does not have access, no," the cat rumbles with a short nod, a small flick of her ears, before standing, perhaps a little restlessly.

Allista whistles, placing her hands on her hips. "That's a neat trick. Alright then, so what are we doing here?"

"An excellent question, Miss," Farnsworth says in response to Allista's question, "We only want to see what you will do with this sort of creative freedom. Anything you can think of here, you can do. In a moment, I will tell the machine spirit," he hesitates at that word and looks at Dax, though he waits for no confirmation before going on, "I will tell the machine spirit to give you anything you ask for and to follow your instructions. Then I will observe." The Creator looks around at the group of beings. "Are there any questions before we begin?"

Flora mumbles a moment, before raising a brow. "As much as Flora would... Appreciate that gesture... Does mister Farnsworth think it's a good idea to give Flora access to all the creator knowledge?" the she-cat rumbles, glancing towards the creator-male, her tails swaying behind her.

Meanwhile, she already mulls over the specific commands she'd like to try out, her ears flicking lightly.

One of Allista's ears flicks. "Anything, huh?" she asks. "And you just want to watch?" she asks, curiously, trying to spot the Creator's angle. Then she smiles and nods her head. "Alright, then. I think I'm ready."

Doctor Farnsworth smiles at Flora. "I did say anything, didn't I?" he says, "All you have to do is ask for it." He turns his smile on Allista. "That is all!" he says, "and please, enjoy yourselves!" The Creator steps back and takes a seat on a chair that seems to have come from nowhere. "Computer," he says, that must be the machine spirit's name, "Run Sandbox protocol P-12 Beta, voice code Free Range." A pleasant, if bland voice responds, "Voice code recognized, welcome Doctor Farnsworth. Protocol initiated!" Then everything goes silent and nothing happens.

Flora squints momentarily, before looking towards Allista. "Flora... Flora somehow thinks it's a trap, yes. Because Flora is pretty sure giving beings Creator knowledge isn't allowed by mister creator Parson," the cat mumbles, scratching her head and flicking her tail.

"For now, Flora would like manual manipulation active, yes," the cat mumbles, before she starts drawing shapes in the air.

Allista's ears perk and then she gives Flora a curious look. Her ears twitch, she turns in a slow circle - eyeing the vast grey featureless plain - then slowly speaks up. "Computer... can you place us in a Creator city? The closest one?"

Some of the other beings pick up on what Flora is doing and start to paint in the air after making their own requests to the machine spirit. "Now, now, Highlady," Doctor Farnsworth says, "I did not say it would TELL you anything, now did I? Only that it would give you things you ask for."

"I am sorry, Miss," a voice at Allista's elbow says in Computer's bland voice, "But I cannot create large scale landscapes in this illusion. I can provide you with any objects you ask for, though." If the coyote turns to look, she will see a Creator man in a plain jump suit in a pose of humble servitude.

Dax, the rhino just stands there, watching the Creator watching the other beings. It seems funny that a Being would be dressed like a Creator and helping with all this somehow.

Flora turns towards the creator, before flicking her tail and rumbling softly. "Flora never asked about telling Flora anything. Flora can ask to get a book with a step by step guide to make some piece of creator technology from the base materials, yes? Or ask for a book on how creators learned to tame the lightning, yes? All in promise's language, yes? Or Flora could ask for a talking book, yes," the cat mumbles, even as she continues making all sorts of shapes. Gears, balls, blocks, even a big tray to hold everything.

Allista looks over at the new apparition, taking a moment to look him over. "Shame. That would have been interesting to see... and it's kind of drab in here." She ponders, fingers rubbing along her muzzle, then points at the ground next to her. "Can I get a leather arm chair? You see what I'm thinking, right?"

"And yet, you have not asked for any of those things, Highlady," the Creator says, turning away to watch the others. They have certainly started to get into the swing of this! Some have continued painting shapes in the air while others have started to explore what the magic realm they found themselves in could really do! One being is supervising the construction of the Good Palace in miniature, another is oggling the breathtaking amount of golden coins that the machine spirit was able to produce on command. One clever being has begun to create a small collection of varied and beautiful clothing in the illusory landscape and someone has even started planting trees of all shapes and colors!

"No, Miss," the apparition says, "I do not read your thoughts, I only-" the man freezes and flickers for a second, "INSUFFICIENT VOCABULARY, RESTART. I only hear what you mean to say," he finishes, flickering back to normal, "But I can certainly provide you a chair." The Creator flickers and vanishes, in his place is a very comfy looking chair.

"Because Flora imagines one of four things will happen, yes. Either the books aren't truthful, Flora won't get the books, the books are taken away, or Flora loses access to the illusion-world, yes. Flora is content just making shapes, for now," she mumbles. "Hrmmm. Flora would like each part replaced when removed from the box. And when put back into the box, to be removed, yes. Always three parts in each part of the box," she mumbles, before gesturing at a few more empty spots. "If Flora adds a part in an empty box, that's the part that goes in the box," she mumbles, before setting to work on building... Something. Several rectangular pieces are laid down in the shape of a box, holes sculpted into the sides as she continues.

"Huh," Allista replies. She grins, then settles into the chair, wriggling a moment to get comfortable. "Well, that works! Can I have a fireplace? And a smoking pipe?" She looks over the other Beings, then nods. "And a glow crystal. About... this big," she gestures - fist sized. "Purple, glowing brightly, this shape." She gestures.

Doctor Farnsworth has stopped watching Flora, seemingly more interested in the creative work of the other beings, though the illusory box follows the feline's instructions perfectly. Allista's instructions are also fulfilled to the letter, each thing that she requests appearing where she asks. The fire is pleasantly warm and the pipe is already stuffed with a local pipeweed!

After a few more moments of observation, Farnsworth turns and nods at Dax. The little rhino bows his head and starts to move his hands in complicated gestures, a filmy white visor sliding across his eyes. The featureless plain suddenly starts to change, flickering lights appearing as the area starts to grow darker and darker, as if the sun were swiftly setting. Soon, the only lights left are those that were made by the beings. Doctor Farnsworth and Dax are nowhere to be seen, and strange sounds start to eminate from the darkness.

"Flora wants lights there, there, and there. Yes. And a fence. Big. There," she mumbles, pointing at the ground around her, her tails flicking lightly. Meanwhile, she continues setting up what appears to become a cannon of sorts, mumbling something about the different materials it should be made out of, before she turns to make her next construction... Assuming all of her commands are followed, of course.

Allista pats down her pockets, then snaps her fingers, leans over, and lights the pipe from the fireplace. "Mmm. Excellent. Now I want another crystal, almost completely transparent, overlaid on this one sh-" she cuts off, then blinks, turning to look into the darkness. "... huh."

Lights and a protective fence appear where Flora indicated, setting up a well lit perimeter around her little workspace. The other beings have all stopped in their fanciful works and are looking around in confusion in the unexpected darkness, though all of them seem to quickly find a way to generate light. A pair of beings, a frog woman and a male ferret hurry over to Allista's fireplace. "What is happening?" someone cries in the darkness, "Did something go wrong?"

A smile, a rumble, and a flick of Flora's ears as she gestures besides some of the beings. "Flora assumes they would appreciate some light too, yes," the cat mumbles idly as she starts assembling significantly smaller parts, her tails picking up the parts and tossing them her way gingerly as she sets to assemble various hand-held creations... Soon enough, she's made a pistol, a few crafting-tools, and she's simply playing around with the different things she can assemble. "Flora would like two scorchers, yes. Just to be sure," she mumbles. And a divine shield there, there and there," she mumbles, before twitching her ears.

Allista quietly laughs. She waves people over, then takes a puff on her pipe. "Nothing to worry about, folks. It's just pretend. Although the night would be better with

stars," Allista finishes. "Computer? Is that possible?"

Lights appear as per Flora's instructions, along with the equipment she specified, although there is no response to Allista's request aside from a howl from somewhere in the darkness. There is a scream from a being as something from the darkness lunges through the dim lights and vanishes with a being in tow!

"Flora would like a fence. And better lights, yes," she mumbles, gesturing around the beings, before turning to the side where the being was just screaming. "Flora would like... Lights attached to whatever that is, yes," she mumbles, before readying her pistol. "One of these for every being. Together with gunpowder and bullets, yes," she mumbles, her ears flicking.

"Flora thinks it's a good idea if friend Allista thinks up some ways to help the other beings, yes. Even if this is fake, Flora wouldn't like to see beings fail the illusion-test, yes."

Allista sets her pipe aside then rises up to her feet, flexing her fingers. "Thank you friend Flora, but..." she trails off, then sighs. "Never mind. Thank you. Computer, show us where everyone is."

The fence Flora first requested is joined by a second one. Little lights appear around, floating beside each being in the group who have begun to gather together to Allista's fire. The requested weapons appearing nearby. There is another howl and scream from out in the darkness. Farnsworth is nowhere to be seen.

Flora smiles and rumbles softly, her tail flicking, her ears twitching as she looks out into the darkness. "Door in Flora's inner fence, here, yes" she mumbles, before moving out and flicking her ears. "Flora thinks more lights, in any case, yes. Further away, so beings can see them from further, yes. And Flora thinks maybe something to protect the beings from above, yes?" the cat muses, looking towards the others to confirm.

"Mmmph," Allista replies. Her ears perk and she scowls as she hears the scream, and she nods her head. "Yes. A ring of lights outside the fence, please. And you think something will fly in?"

The others have gotten the idea and are digging in, making various requests of the computer simulation, arming themselves and creating quick fortifications. There is another scream as something leaps over the fence, some sort of horrible mix between wolf and bull! The beast charges with a roar, goring one of the beings working to build up the wall!

"Cage that. And a roof, yes," the cat mumbles, before turning to Allista. "Yes. Flora very much thinks things will try and fly in," the cat mumbles, before her foot taps the ground. "Creator steel ground, yes. No tunnels," the feline adds after a moment of contemplation.

Allista is momentarily taken aback as some monster jumps the fence and goes for another Being. Fist clenching, she slips towards it, then aims a kick into its side - trying to get it's attention if nothing else, and keep it in one spot for Flora.

According to Flora's instructions, a cage appears, though it does not appear around the charging monster. Allista's well placed kick sends the beast staggering, though the poor being that it attacked, a ram from the graceful folk clan is staring horrified at a gaping wound in his belly! "They- They said it was safe!" he moans, blood trickling from his lips as he slumps to the ground. Other beings are rallying a beaver in workman's clothes has a musket to his shoulder and fires off a shot at the monster while others have weapons at the ready for when it charges again!

A rumble, a tailflick, and Flora mumbles, before she moves her cannon, which is remarkably light, into a proper position, aimed straight at the cage. "Lure it between the cage and the cannon, yes," she mumbles, even as she calls for gunpowder towards the computer, and fashions a cannonball with her hands.

"You bet," Allista replies, then makes a 'come here' whistle at the bull. The coyote grins and sets her feet, hands spread, ready to move if needed.

The toothsome monster bellows in rage at Allista's taunting and charges at her, placing itself within Flora's firing range, even as Allista rolls away! Those long, curving horns glitter in the unnatural light of the illusory lights.

Soon enough, Flora lights the cannon, and the cannonball goes hurling towards the monster, hitting it center-mass. The cat herself seems relatively unfazed, manufacturing the next cannonball with her hands, and requesting more gunpowder, before she calls out for another being to take her place at the cannon.

Allista eyes the monster as Flora shoots it, gauging the impact of the shot. She whistles again and waves her hands, keeping herself between the creature and the others as Flora reloads, then shifts her weight and gets ready to pounce if it gives her an opening.

The monster bellows and shrieks at the brutal hit from the cannon ball, then evaporates! The darkness suddenly lifts and the featureless gray plain is back! The monster, the darkness and the wounded ram all disappear, much to the consternation of the beings who had been tending to his wounds!

"Very impressive!" says Farnsworth, who has suddenly reappeared with a rather flustered looking Dax by his side, "I expected no less!"

"See? Flora knew it was a test, yes," the she-cat mumbles, looking towards Farnsworth with a raise of her brow, a flick of her tails. "Though this does give Flora another idea, yes," the Lady rumbles with a broad smile on her lips, a flick of her tails. "Flora will have to discuss that later, yes," the cat notes, her tails swaying behind her.

"I am always happy to hear ideas, Highlady," Doctor Farnsworth says, "And I apologize to all of you. I only wished to see how you would use the things at your disposal in a pressured situation. Please, continue with your entertainment. I promise there will be no further interruptions." The Doctor retakes his seat and waves a hand at Dax. "You are dismissed," he says in a perfunctory way. The little rhino bows a little bit, then vanishes.

"Flora will have to discuss that later, yes. And Flora assumes the paperwork has been signed, by now?" the she-cat questions, her tails swaying behind her as she continues making all sorts of devices from the parts in her box...