Kiran and Gemini discuss time travel and causality

[4:43 PM] Kiran: sits, recovering from the last fight, covered in scarified runes and matted with blood he hasn't yet cleaned off, tinkering with Gemini's chassis while the little being does... whatever they're doing with the facility interface.
[4:44 PM] SwaDM: Gemini has, essentially, been using it's tiny claws to operate the cylindrical console - mostly tapping away at the keypad while several strings of text flash upon a blue screen. You see, he is attempting to code in  Microsoft Windows Bandera.
[4:45 PM] SwaDM: Albeit, all joking aside, it's plain that he's parsing through large archives written in the Kriendyh language - with a distinctive speed that most others likely couldn't.
[4:47 PM] Kiran: has occasionally glanced up from his work throughout the last little while, but after closing over one panel, he sits back slightly.
[4:47 PM] SwaDM: To note, Gemini's damage has stemmed from two sources - one being a firearm shot, and the other, a blade that cut rather deeply onto one of his sides.
[4:48 PM] Kiran: I imagine that the underlying systems will be the priority. Cosmetic/panel replacement can happen later.
[4:48 PM] SwaDM: Obviously.
[4:48 PM] Kiran: "Would I be distracting you from the task at hand if I asked what you're working through?"
[4:48 PM] SwaDM: "Negative."
[4:48 PM] SwaDM: "We are capable of multitasking."
[4:48 PM] Kiran: nods.
[4:48 PM] Kiran: "What are you working through?"
[4:49 PM] SwaDM: "We are both analyzing the vault's power grid so that we know as quickly as possible when  functionality will return for the interplanar portals, while parsing through records regarding the facility itself."
[4:49 PM] SwaDM: "Most actions require logging."
[4:50 PM] Kiran: "I see. Have you found anything you believe to be particularly noteworthy?"
[4:50 PM] SwaDM: "We are unsure what user would consider noteworthy."
[4:51 PM] Kiran: "I'm asking about what you consider noteworthy."
[4:51 PM] SwaDM: "We consider everything to be noteworthy."
[4:51 PM] SwaDM: "All data is to be processed and interpreted for a better understanding of a situation."
[4:51 PM] Kiran: "I see. Though some data will alter the results of that processing more significantly than other data, correct?"
[4:52 PM] SwaDM: "Affirmative."
[4:53 PM] Kiran: "Some recent data will have altered your view of the situation very significantly. Lord Krien... how things have turned out with him, being a particular example. Are you looking for information to help form a consensus on that?"
[4:53 PM] SwaDM: "Affirmative."
[4:53 PM] SwaDM: "Data gathering has been unsucessful in this regard."
[4:53 PM] Kiran: "I imagine it would be."
[4:54 PM] SwaDM: "There is no data to be gained regarding Lord Krien's retreat into the dig site, due to the complete blackout of communications resulting by his apparent inactivity."
[4:54 PM] SwaDM: "We have, however, gathered snippets of data which may hold at least some measure of explanation to users."
[4:56 PM] Kiran: "That's good to hear. This must be... I'm not sure what word to use for your perspective. Difficult. I mean- processing all of this must require re-processing of other data in the light of new data."
[4:57 PM] SwaDM: "Negative. Interpretation of previous data has remaiend unchanged."
[4:57 PM] SwaDM: "We do not believe Lord Krien's motives have changed."
[4:57 PM] SwaDM: "What we lack is data regarding his perspective. It is obvious he has some form of plan, or interpretation in mind."
[4:59 PM] Kiran: "It's likely we could only get that from him. I hope that we can come to a compromise. Work together. But I don't think he's the compromising type."
[4:59 PM] SwaDM: "Affirmative."
[5:00 PM] SwaDM: "We have a query. Does user remember the rock that users had recovered from the personal belongings of this facility's personell?"
[5:01 PM] Kiran: "Yes. The metamorphic rock."
[5:01 PM] SwaDM: "Affirmative."
[5:01 PM] SwaDM: "We have uncovered it's purpose."
[5:02 PM] Kiran: frowns.
[5:02 PM] Kiran: "Oh?"
[5:02 PM] SwaDM: "It appears to be a sample retrieved close to the temporal rift. Logs suggest that a continued proximity to the anomaly had imparted an unique characteristic to this mineral."
[5:03 PM] SwaDM: "It is locked into what researchers had called a "Temporal reset loop."
[5:03 PM] Kiran: "The stone continually resets itself? That is... odd. So what purpose did they set it to?"
[5:04 PM] SwaDM: "Affirmative. If the stone is ever damaged, or cut apart, it will return to it's previous state in some time."
[5:04 PM] SwaDM: "We believe it was used as a basis to study the functionality of temporal manipulation and energies to create the first Cronographic engine."
[5:04 PM] Kiran: "Wow."
[5:04 PM] Kiran: looks impressed.
[5:05 PM] Kiran: "That is a very important relic."
[5:05 PM] SwaDM: "If User might remember, Unit GEM-01 attempted doing something similar."
[5:05 PM] Kiran: "I do."
[5:05 PM] SwaDM: "However, a flaw was also discovered."
[5:05 PM] SwaDM: "This is not all-encompassing. The stone - or the engine - requires some measure of proximity to the anomaly to function."
[5:06 PM] SwaDM: "Theories suggest that the anomaly itself must output some form of yet unknown energy, or wavelength to allow the existance of other temporal anomalies."
[5:07 PM] Kiran: "That makes sense to me. It also implies that, should we travel to the past at any point, we would need to be able to access the anomaly - or an area close to it - in order to return to the present. The same also being true of Lord Krien."
[5:07 PM] SwaDM: "What present?"
[5:08 PM] SwaDM: "...Analyzing."
[5:08 PM] SwaDM: "We do not believe traveling the the past might be possible."
[5:08 PM] Kiran: "... I suppose 'present' is subjective. I mean in order to return to the time we had originally lef-"
[5:08 PM] Kiran: looks down at Gemini.
[5:08 PM] Kiran: "Even for Krien?"
[5:08 PM] SwaDM: "...Affirmative. We request user Kiran to utilize logic."
[5:08 PM] SwaDM: "Presume we are able to somehow access the past."
[5:09 PM] SwaDM: "We would not be here, would we?"
[5:09 PM] Kiran: "That is-"
[5:09 PM] Kiran: looks at the middle distance.
[5:09 PM] SwaDM: "Any form of blatant temporal travel would fundamentally destroy any form of continuity anything might have."
[5:10 PM] Kiran: "Yes. In theory. There are two options here."
[5:11 PM] Kiran: "Primarily, the option being that time is deterministic, and if we were to travel to the past, it would be because we had already done it. It also means that even if Krien were to travel to the past, it wouldn't change anything - though it doesn't mean that time travel is impossible; simply that doing so either changes nothing, or completely destroys the previous present, thereby displacing the traveller from history, as if they never were."
[5:11 PM] Kiran: tilts his head slightly.
[5:12 PM] Kiran: "Or you get a divergence into two different parallel realities."
[5:12 PM] SwaDM: "Either results appear pointless."
[5:12 PM] SwaDM: "Would that even be the reality users wished to alter, then?"
[5:13 PM] Kiran: "No. It would be creating an entire new world. But maybe a better one. It's a really... huge fucking question, honestly."
[5:13 PM] SwaDM: "Affirmative. However, nothing would be done to the original source."
[5:13 PM] SwaDM: "We would pose a logic question to user."
[5:13 PM] SwaDM: "Presume there is a dying man."
[5:14 PM] SwaDM: "There is no cure for his ails. He will die - slowly. Unpleasantly. However, one is able to somehow create a direct copy of this man - except, healthy."
[5:14 PM] SwaDM: "This copy could live it's days - yet the original man would suffer and die all the same."
[5:15 PM] SwaDM: "We are unsure if said measures would  be compatible to the current moral guidelines users have presented."
[5:17 PM] Kiran: "That's because it's not a logic question. It's not a question that there is a right answer for."
[5:17 PM] Kiran: "But I do have an opinion, nonetheless."
[5:17 PM] SwaDM: "Logic can be applied to any and all queries."
[5:17 PM] SwaDM: "It is a measure of maximizing benefits while minimizing faults. However, proceed."
[5:20 PM] Kiran: "At some point, you have to accept the world as it is. If I could save everyone, I would. But it's not possible. Even with the engine, you couldn't - you could just create more worlds with more people, all of whom need to be taken care of, and protected."
[5:20 PM] Kiran: "You do everything you can. Nothing more or less than that."
[5:20 PM] SwaDM: "Opinion logged."
[5:21 PM] SwaDM: "What we have attempting to decipher would be Lord Krien's plans, and where he might land in his own objectives, whatever it is that is possible."
[5:21 PM] SwaDM: "We know precious little of the second engine's capabilities."
[5:22 PM] Kiran: "We'll figure it out when we get there."
[5:22 PM] Kiran: chuckles.
[5:22 PM] Kiran: "Though if we're not going in blind, that'd be preferable."
[5:23 PM] SwaDM: "It is why we are attempting to prepare data."
[5:24 PM] Kiran: "Good. I don't think I've gotten used to how you process things yet. I had expected you to maybe be more divided. But I suppose it won't be relevant until we're in front of Lord Krien."
[5:25 PM] SwaDM: "Division serves no purpose."
[5:25 PM] SwaDM: "Furthermore, we do not have sufficient data to fully create a consensus - as such, attempting would be pointless."
[5:25 PM] SwaDM: "We are merely gathering information."
[5:26 PM] Kiran: "I see. Well, even if you were divided, or a consensus was proving difficult to come by, it'd be okay. Normal."
[5:26 PM] SwaDM: "Affirmative."
[5:27 PM] Kiran: glances away, and rubs at his neck, before looking down at himself.
[5:27 PM] Kiran: Are the runes the magic sort that Kiran would be able to work on interpreting, or are they strictly Kriendyh?
[5:28 PM] SwaDM: They're Kriendyh, but given the similarities to Valverian runic script, he could attempt a vague interpretation, actually
[5:28 PM] SwaDM: Roll me an Arcana check
[5:28 PM] SwaDM: You can do it on the OVerture channel
[5:29 PM] Kiran: 31, evidently.
[5:29 PM] SwaDM: Obviously.
[5:29 PM] SwaDM: Yeah - Kiran can interpret them relatively easy. They're, perhaps fittingly, both runes meant for energy conduction...aand explosion.
[5:29 PM] SwaDM: I mean. Fits.
[5:30 PM] Kiran: murmurs "I somehow expected cursing."
[5:30 PM] SwaDM: Oddly enough - no. Nothing that Kiran can interpret as a part of a more traditional curse.
[5:31 PM] Kiran: "I wonder if these'll ever come in handy."
[5:31 PM] Kiran: turns back to the robot.
[5:32 PM] Kiran: "Are you aware of any constructive uses for my body being covered in energy conduction and explosion runes? I'm hoping that it won't just be that I'm much better at getting exploded."
[5:33 PM] SwaDM: "What does User Kiran mean?"
[5:34 PM] SwaDM: "There are precious little benefits for being good at exploding."
[5:35 PM] SwaDM: "That being the case, we are unsure what constructive uses user may have with these."
[5:35 PM] Kiran: "Great... I guess I'll just have to get used to it, then."
[5:35 PM] Kiran: frowns slightly and turns back to Gemini.
[5:35 PM] SwaDM: "Analyzing."
[5:36 PM] SwaDM: "Query."
[5:36 PM] Kiran: "Proceed."
[5:36 PM] SwaDM: "We are aware that mutants and other such creatures made use of scarification rituals, aswell as the implementation of ink and other material into their own bodies."
[5:36 PM] Kiran: "Tattoos, I guess, yeah."
[5:37 PM] SwaDM: "Henceforth, are the runic scars implanted into user not constructive in the matters of social posturing and attraction of mates?"
[5:37 PM] Kiran: looks blankly down at himself.
[5:37 PM] SwaDM: "Or has mutant society moved apart from tribalistic notions such as these?"
[5:38 PM] Kiran: "I... hadn't thought of that. I've never really seen anyone with ritual scars. And I don't- I don't think that they're... appealing."
[5:38 PM] SwaDM: "Affirmative."
[5:39 PM] Kiran: continues staring down at them for a few moments before shaking his head and finding his thread again.
[5:39 PM] SwaDM: Do not go to the beach.
[5:39 PM] SwaDM: Ever.
[5:39 PM] Kiran: "I was going to say, uh. So since you're not GEM-03, and we're not accessing your data banks in the same way when we speak with you..."
[5:40 PM] Kiran: "You could just call me Kiran, right? I'm not a user in this scenario."
[5:40 PM] SwaDM: "...Negative."
[5:40 PM] SwaDM: "We prefer the utilization of User."
[5:41 PM] SwaDM: "Does User Kiran not approve of it?"
[5:42 PM] Kiran: "If you prefer it, then I'm happy with it. Just wanted to be totally sure you knew that we're partnered rather than in a -" gestures up and down "- some kind of a subordinate relationship."
[5:42 PM] SwaDM: "We do not understand."
[5:43 PM] SwaDM: "Our pupose is to serve the interests of the Kriendyh."
[5:45 PM] Kiran: "Okay. And we're both trying to do the same thing. You're not serving me, but I just wanted to be sure you knew that."
[5:46 PM] SwaDM: "Affirmative."
[5:47 PM] Kiran: "Good. Is there anywhere I can find Kriendyh phrases? I need to know how to write a few things down."
[5:48 PM] SwaDM: "Several are listed in this console. Why?"
[5:49 PM] Kiran: "Well, Allyah can sense what happens with my arm and Blake's eye and stuff. I don't think she can read common, so I figured if I write some things down if I get the chance when we're out of the demiplane, she'd know what I'd written."
[5:49 PM] SwaDM: "User Allyah can do that?"
[5:49 PM] SwaDM: "Strange."
[5:50 PM] SwaDM: "It is also doubtful that they can read common, affirmative. This form of dialogue was not estabilished during our recordings of mutant existance - merely Aklo."
[5:50 PM] Kiran: "Yeah. So I was hoping I'd be able to learn how to write some things in Kriendyh."
[5:50 PM] SwaDM: "Like what?"
[5:53 PM] Kiran: "Uh. Hello, and letting her know we're okay. That we might disappear for a little while and that she shouldn't worry. And that I hope she's okay too."
[5:54 PM] SwaDM: "Affirmative. Processing."
[5:55 PM] SwaDM: The blue screen goes blank, for a moment, afore a series of polygonal scripts appears across it's breadth.
[5:56 PM] SwaDM: Биз, ошондой эле иш кылып жатышат.
Биз бир аздан үчүн, жоголуп кетиши мүмкүн. ойлонуп тиешеси жок.
Балким, сен да, жакшы иш кылып жатабыз.
[5:56 PM] SwaDM: "We believe this should suffice."
[5:56 PM] Kiran: gets his notepad out and copies them down.
[5:56 PM] Kiran: "Thank you! I'll copy them back out when we're in a position to do it."
[5:56 PM] SwaDM: "Affirmative."
[5:58 PM] SwaDM: "Was there aught else user needs?"
[5:59 PM] Kiran: "No. What about you?"
[5:59 PM] SwaDM: "We need but continued repairs."
[5:59 PM] SwaDM: "We will continue to analyze power transfers and activity across the facility to ensure energy is not redirected out of our own purposes."
[6:00 PM] Kiran: "Good plan. Interrupt me if you need to."
[6:00 PM] Kiran: picks his tools back up.
[6:00 PM] SwaDM: "Affirmative."