(no subject)

[evowhisperer]

(Let's just start with this post and have new threads for each scene, shall we?)

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[pineapplesalmon]

Ah, so he was completely new to Nautilus, then. Caesar had suspected as much, but the question confirmed it. He'd need the full explanation.

The robot came with the two bottles of beer, and Caesar took them both. He then offered one to Cesar.

"You're going to need this, because what I'm going to tell you is going to make you think you're dreaming again," Caesar gave as an answer. "And don't worry--you'll like it." Cesar was him, after all.

"Welcome to Nautilus. Think of it as some sort of interdimensional hub that exists on a higher plane of existence. You've Awoken, like I have, and many others from Earth and from other worlds entirely."

There. That should be enough to get some questions.

[evowhisperer]

Cesar takes the beer that the bar-tending robot just handed his nearly identical look-alike, not glancing at it as he listens to interdimensional hub this, and parallel universes that.

He takes a big drink.

(It tastes perfect, and this little confirmation of his copy's words just piles onto everything else, and his head kind of hurts, now.)

"Assuming that neither of us are, in fact, dreaming," Cesar says, pinching the bridge of his nose with his free hand. "Is it safe to assume that the term 'Awoken' is metaphorical, and used to denote the arrival of a person to this plane?"

[pineapplesalmon]

"It is," Caesar replied after taking a much smaller sip of his own beer. "We're one of many Awakened here." Noun. That was how they were referred to. "Although I've never heard two of the same person Awakening before. It's rather curious. Theoretically, of course it was bound to happen eventually, but it's interesting that it hasn't happened before."

He leaned back for a moment, thinking. That only lasted a moment before he came to a decision. He reached into his jacket's pocket, pulled out his datapad, and quickly tapped away at the screen. Caesar handed it over to Cesar after Lelouch's Guide was on the screen.

"This introductory guide was compiled by a long-time resident. I found it very useful."

[evowhisperer]

"May I?" Cesar asks, raising his eyebrows at Ceasar as he takes the datapad. Ceasar, being Ceasar, will probably know that this is far less of a polite pleasantry than it is a request to completely ignore the doppleganger in front of him while he reads through the guide. This is, of course, what he promptly does, and the booth lapses silence while he reads.

After a time, Cesar leans back, scratching his head while he stares at the guide. "I have to admit, I'm exactly not sure where to start. Communications device? 'Bending'? Locally contained environmental regions sampling each geological seasonal pattern? The Gates? What did it mean by being unable to control one's actions around them?"

Poor Cesar. He's holding the beer close, but he doesn't take another drink, and it looks like his brain is about to hurt itself, trying to accommodate the sudden overload of information.

[pineapplesalmon]

Caesar drinks his beer and waits as Cesar reads through the guide. He'll need something to occupy himself in the meantime. The scientist knows better than to disturb the other when he's trying to process everything. Perhaps he's overloading himself with information, but he knew that he was able to handle it, so this Cesar should be able to as well.

He'd have to ask about differences in their Earths later. Right now, this was a more pressing issue.

"Bending is a whole discussion in of itself. I'll speak to that after all your easier questions have been exhausted. It's complicated.

"Communications device: you arrived with something that now connects to the network. Phone, Datapad, something else. You'll find it somewhere on your person.

"Each district has its own distinct weather pattern. It's odd, but you get used to it. I can really only explain it by 'that's just the way Nautilus works'. ... I've been trying to explain things that happen in Nautilus with science, but I'm fairly certain that Nautilus is just laughing at me.

"The gates are like dimensional gateways, ones that you can only open by Bending. You can pass through them to return home, like the guide says. I can show you what the Northern District gate looks like later, as that is the one you passed through--you just don't remember it. You'll return to the exact moment of time that you left when you do pass through it.

"And what it means is exactly that--it'll be like watching a movie, only you'll be inside yourself and watching things happen. Our Unawakened selves are, in a way, separate from us. We can't affect the outcome or their actions no matter how much we want to."

[evowhisperer]

While Ceasar talks, Cesar checks his pockets. Almost at once he produces a small phone, and he inspects it for a moment, before putting it down on the table. He's not even going to try and think about how it appeared, or why, or how it got into that pocket.

Having a sizable attention span, Cesar stays quiet and focused on the explanation. The effort this takes comes with a price: a faint line appears between his eyebrows, and while it might not be obvious to the casual observer, a fellow Ceasar Salazar might notice that the edges of Cesar's carefully mild calm are fraying. Cesar is stressed. Ordinarily this entire universe would be like a dream come true, but Cesar doesn't have time for this.

... Or--does he? Understanding of those last points is coming uncomfortably slowly, and with everything he knows he should be doing at that exact moment, and the way his head just keeps pounding, it's hard to clear his mind enough to really figure anything out.

Focus, Cesar. Find a way home, then take a break. The first step to doing that is to clarify the last point he still truly doesn't understand.

"Though they're separate and currently out of each other's control, it's still possible for the Awakened versions of us that are here to reunite with their left-behind Unawakened selves, correct?" Cesar lifts his gaze from his drink, telling himself that the crawling feeling in his stomach is hunger, not unease over the alternative.

"I have some extremely sensitive experiments I've left behind," he adds, as though it might somehow help. "I feel it would be best if they continued with both parts of my mind there on call." Ceasar did mention time travelling back to the moment of his departure, but that wouldn't mean a thing if he couldn't control his own body.

[pineapplesalmon]

Caesar's eyebrow goes up at 'extremely sensitive experiments', but he doesn't ask about them. He wants to, but he doesn't. Even if this is just another one of himself, privacy is privacy.

Especially since the man seems at least mildly distressed by all of this. It was understandable, Caesar supposed. If he left in the middle of something sensitive, left in the middle of something anything, he'd be wanting to go back to it immediately. The sensitive nature of whatever Cesar had been working on would've made it all the more urgent. Caesar knew there were some things he'd rather not have anyone know or touch, so the concern was more than a bit valid from his perspective.

It was actually a bit surprising that he wanted to return immediately. Well, more than a bit surprising, actually. Caesar wasn't focused on that quite yet, instead focused on the concerns that Cesar had first.

He'd put a reassuring hand on the other man's shoulder, but he couldn't reach it. Instead, Caesar leaned forward and reached across the table just enough to place his hand on the other man's forearm. When he spoke, he kept direct eye contact, wanting Cesar to understand what he was saying.

"Yes, it is possible to return to your time," Caesar's voice dropped slightly lower, more comforting, concern knitting his brow. "But you being here won't diminish the capabilities of your Unawakened self."

He paused for a moment, thinking. "I understand your concern in leaving things unfinished, but you really don't have a choice in the matter right now. Until you learn how to Bend at least at a beginner's level, you won't be able to visit. You'll need Bending to open the gate."

Hmm. That probably wasn't very reassuring. "Things will be fine. Trust me on this one. When you can, you'll go back to your time, and things will continue from there. You'll pop back in Nautilus eventually, too."

This was all very worrying, now that Caesar thought about it. It was almost like Cesar didn't want to be in Nautilus. This place was an amazing opportunity, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. How could Cesar pass that up, even for a bit of important work? It could wait. For Nautilus, it could wait.

((OOC: Let me know if the touching of his arm isn't okay, and I'll change it!))

[evowhisperer]

The crawling feeling has subdued itself into a knotted tangle that he can't quite parse out. It's a relief to find out he probably still has some trace of himself left back in his world capable of continuing his work in his absense. And even though it sounds like he's trapped here, 'bending' sounds simple enough; it should only be a little amount of time before he can return, and that's even more good news. Everything should be fine. Why, then, does the idea of not being back in his world right away still sit so wrong with him? He's not abandoning anything. He can take a break, no one will even notice he's gone. It's not like he misses the never-ending work and the empty labs.

Except to some degree, he does. Not the lab, per se, but the sense of moving steadily towards a goal of somday ending what he helped start. It's given him purpose, and that in itself has been a lifeline for more months than he's paid attention to, now. It's been so long since he's had to deal with anything but the consistently overwhelming workload given to him by Providence, that moving back to an old mode of boundless curiosity is tentative, like visiting an neglected childhood friend.

First things first.

"Pop back into Nautilus? Am I likely to return here after going back to my world?"

[pineapplesalmon]

That seemed to have helped. Caesar pulled his hand away and sat up straight again. His double still seemed on edge. The scientist thought about that and Cesar's question for a moment, not answering immediately. He hadn't been on edge when he arrived in Nautilus. Then again, Rex had been there to find him.

He wondered what Rex would think of having a second Cesar. If this Cesar was directly from their world, he probably didn't understand how things really stood with Rex. That would be an interesting problem to address.

Right now, though, he needed to give him more information about Nautilus in general and answer his latest question. There was some critical information still outstanding that he needed to share. Things that the guide didn't cover.

"It depends, really. If you want to come back here, you'll be able to come back. If you don't--you'll go back to Sleep," Caesar replied calmly, then took another drink of his beer. "But there's something more critical that you need to know in the immediate sense."

Caesar couldn't help but grin as he spoke, waiting to see the expression on the other's face: "The majority of Nautilus is a nanite free zone."

[evowhisperer]

"Nanite free?"

All things considered, his reaction is rather bland. Oh, sure, he's surprised, of course, but it only takes a moment or so for him to lift a hand to his chin in thought.

"That would make sense, considering that this entire dimension is on a plane of existence unrelated to our own. Even universes relatively close to our own have found ways to avert the The Event, so it's unlikely that this one ever even got close."

His eyebrows lift at him. "Did say that only the majority is nanite free?"

[pineapplesalmon]

Aw. Well, he had tried, at least. Maybe Rex was better at getting a reaction out of him. Or, if he had really thought about it, it might have been the way all the information was given out, but he didn't think to go down that train of thought.

"Majority, yes. This place also had no chance to have the Nanite Event, as Nanite research hasn't been done here, other than a few things I've done myself. On top of that, our nanites aren't infecting the rest of Nautilus in any way. They're staying internal to our bodies; we've theorized it's either Nautilus' willpower or our own willpower keeping it that way."

Plural; he wasn't just talking about himself.

"But there are still ways to infect others, mainly through the sharing of bodily fluids--blood, saliva, mucus, semen," Caesar continued after a moment. "And if someone who doesn't have nanites is bitten by one of the EVOs in the Nothern Plains, they'll go EVO immediately."

[evowhisperer]

"Then there are Evos here?"

A pause. Something is not computing, and when he talks, his pace is slow, almost cautious.

"If there was no nanite event and our nanites aren't naturally spreading, then how is it that there are Evos in the northern planes?"

Hello, Caesar. This is you giving yourself a very scrutinizing look that neither of you probably knew you had. "Does this mean that accidental infection automatically results in EVOs, and that all the EVOs there are a result of accidental infection?"

[pineapplesalmon]

"No," Caesar shook his head, then smiled a bit against the scrutinizing look. "As we're pulled in from our world, things from our world can also arrive. The EVOs are here because we're here. Small things, like parts of the lab, or bigger things like entire buildings can show up. People could also bring them into existence here by Bending."

He grew more serious. "For the EVOs in the Northern Plains... There was a Reality Storm where EVOs poured in through the Northern Gates. A lot of people were infected when they were bitten and went EVO, but Nautilus seemed to have 'cleaned up' afterwards, so to speak. The remaining EVOs now live in the Northern Plains, and for the most part, seem to stick to it. I don't know more detail than that, as I arrived some time afterwards."

[evowhisperer]

"Ah, I see." And he does. Well--not so much about bending, but yes about everything else. The look vanishes, replaced by one so bland it might as well be saying 'clearly I never gave you that look in the first place.'

"Then it would seem that someone or something has control enough over Nautilus to regulate the ongoing presence of unwanted invaders over time. Does this mean the EVOs are no serious threat to whatever population is closest to the plains?"

[pineapplesalmon]

The change in his expression was a bit of whiplash, really. In fact, all of Cesar's emotions were.. interesting. He wasn't excited about this at all. While he was asking questions, they weren't fulled by boundless curiosity. It was the clarification of information.

Caesar gave his other self a bit of an odd look. What was up with him? Something was Off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. What was wrong with him?

Still, information first, since he was asking.

"Nautilus himself has control," Caesar answered. "He used to be a person, but evolved to such a level that he became this. ... And the EVOs are only a serious threat to those that go out there. One or two do go in city every now and then, but I've never run into one myself. Many of the residents here are quite capable of defending themselves if attacked by an EVO."

He had definitely wanted to go and study them closer, but Rex had sort of heavily hinted he shouldn't go out there. Something about dying.

[evowhisperer]

The odd look is met impassively, before Cesar takes a sip of his beer, breaking eye-contact.

The man's brow has furrowed by the time Caesar is done. "This is very strange," the former says, putting his hands together in thought.

"Does anyone know what measures Nautilus is taking to control their movements?"

[pineapplesalmon]

Yes. Definitely odd. Overly concerned. Unable to relax. Maybe it would've been better if Rex had talked to him first? Or maybe this guy really wasn't him, or maybe things happened differently on his Earth to make him that way. Just because they had the same body didn't mean they had the same experiences. Nature versus nurture.

Or maybe he was just having a particularly bad day?

As for the question, Caesar shrugged slowly. "I don't know. No one's been concerned about it, and they mostly stick to the plains."

[evowhisperer]

More like a particularly bad few months. Cesar still gives no reaction to the attention, though he is certainly aware of it by now. He has a few theories about his copy's behavior himself, but whatever they are, he's keeping them close to the vest for now.

"Oh," is all Cesar says out loud, before moving on. "And bending? How does that work?"

The corners of his mouth turn up apologetically. "You've dropped bits and pieces about it here and there, but I'm afraid I still don't fully understand."

[pineapplesalmon]

There was a smile. So his double was indeed capable of smiling. That was a good thing to know.

"Bending is basically extending your will onto the world around you. You can do nearly anything with it, but those that have just Awoken obviously aren't capable of doing nearly as much as those who have been here longer, or those that are higher on the Ascension ladder."

You can do things like create objects, modify objects, offense and defense, change your form. For Angelii, they can teleport and fly as well. I'm still a very early beginner, but I'm pretty good at making small mechanical parts." His grin turned wry. "That really shouldn't come as a surprise. I'm getting better at food, too."

He paused for a moment, blinking; Caesar had just remembered something. "... I forgot. I came here to eat, didn't I?"

That shouldn't come as a surprise, either.

[evowhisperer]

Nope. In fact, it only serves to remind Cesar yet again that Caesar is, in fact, him: when Cesar thinks about it, he's pretty hungry too, and extremely sharp ears might catch the faint rumble of a stomach that's not Caesar's.

There's a short pause, and Cesar sheepishly takes his elbows off the table, motioning to the now clear work surface.

"If you're getting better at food, then would you be so kind as to show me how it works?"

The smile is more genuine, now, though it's still small.

[pineapplesalmon]

As if their stomachs were talking to each other, Caesar's rumbled back. It made him grin, and then he had to immediately press his lips together to keep himself from laughing. There was no doubt in his mind now: they might be different, but they were still one and the same.

"How about we start with something you can try? It's easier to explain Bending if you're trying it." Caesar held up his palm and, very suddenly, there was a tiny tortilla on it, which he then half-tossed over to Cesar like a Frisbee. "It's all willpower. You have to feel as if it's the thing you most want at that moment. Remember the impression of it, not all the nitty gritty details--overthinking it will definitely cause you to fail, and that was my difficulty. Closing your eyes helps if you're new."

He paused again for a moment, then laughed, continuing to talk enthusiastically. "... Oh, and the likelihood of you getting it right off the bat is minimal. If you're lucky, you'll be able to Bend up something the first time like I did. And you definitely shouldn't try eating it--I know that from personal experience! Taste is one of the harder things to replicate, or at least it is for me...."

1/3

[evowhisperer]

Cesar catches the tortilla, with both hands, looking at it in surprise.

"Remember the impression, and don't focus on the details," He repeats out loud dutifully.

After Caesar is done elaborating on the mistakes that could happen--all this gets from Cesar is a raised eyebrows and a stack of mental notes to himself--and Cesar finally nods, putting the tiny tortilla down.

2/3

[evowhisperer]

"Alright. I'm starting the first attempt." His first attempt at creating a tortilla. Well--everyone has to start somewhere. Face set in a serious and almost comically focused expression, Cesar holds a hand out in front of himself and focuses all of his formidable concentration on the plain idea of holding a tortilla in his hand. He can just imagine glimpses of impressions of the taste, the smell, the look, the texture, the feel, the weight, the density, the stiffness of the surface, the way there might be an edge with a tiny crease in it from poor packaging, the... Ah--this isn't overthinking it, is it?

3/4 ha sorry, one more

[evowhisperer]

A tortilla the approximate size of his palm appears in his hand. Cesar has about one second to give it an astonished look, before its surface begins to bubble and swell. Being the smart man he is, he drops the tortilla onto the table immediately, and is just in time to see the tortilla begin to shrivel and writhe, hissing as it boils in a chemical reaction that starts to evaporate it on the spot.

Cesar can't do anything for a few seconds but gape at it in amazement. When he finally moves again, it's to say, "I can see what you mean about the first tries not being edible."

Done.

[evowhisperer]

"... Are they supposed to do that?"