Day: 1
Chuck leaped from the platform. Not, of course, because he had to but because leaping is one of the many Chuck does. At times he likes to think that it impresses the ladies. Other times it is simply for the pure joy of it.
So, as I said, Chuck leaped from the platform and then continued walking. Not that this made him stand out any less for he had the particularly nasty habit where his head was not pointed where his body would soon follow. If he was in a larger city or more important planet he might have passed for a naive tourist but this was neither.
No, Chucks planet was functional at best and haphazardly strewn about at worst. One could not call it dirty since mankind had long since learned the virtues of staying out of mother natures way. But it was not clean. Cleanliness entails order and purpose and it is clear that no coherent thought, ideology, or force had shaped this city.
Walking was one of the things that made Chuck happy and it was something he did fairly frequently. He had, what could be called, the luxury of rich yet deceased parents and this afforded him liberties not available to many of the people he passed by. Some might find it ironic that one so well born might find comfort in the vary people this industrial planet seemed to use as fuel. Little nuggets born and brought up to maturity in order to be consumed and eventually exhausted back to the planet they came from.
He couldn't articulate what it was that so attracted him to these people but it was clear to him that they were different from his kind and different was good. He made a hard left and 100 meters or so brought him to the entrance of a vast drainage pipe home to his favorite person in his world. He had only learned his name two weeks or so ago and it still brought him delight.
"Stop grinning, you look like a fool." said Yip
"Sorry, I was just thinking of your name and how much I am sure that dog I saw just 5 minutes ago would love to say it." he said, is grin widening.
Yip only grunted and turned to go into his makeshift home. As he did so it was clear again that he did not belong here. If one were to glance at him no doubt they would see his uncut hair and the ragged edged hole where his right ear ought to be and dismiss him as senile. But his posture, bearing, face were of a man who had experienced far more then a hermits struggle for existence.
At this cold greeting Chuck faultered, as he always did, and asked if this was a bad time.
"For Hiesens sake get inside," Yip spat then muttering "and grow a spine".
Yip shuffled back into his house with Chuck following still trying to absorb as much as he could from the environment.
When Yip had finished the ancient practice of brewing tea for a guest the two settled down into the makeshift chairs and sat in silence. Each would sip their tea, content to be lost in the thin whisps of steam curling upward from their cups. Truth be told, despite having chosen this drain pipe as his home 15 years ago for its lack of neighbors, he enjoyed these visits nearly as much as Chuck did.
"Tell me about the Great Expansion." Chuck finally said.
Yip snorted and went back to his tea. Several small bits of leaves had settled to the bottom of his cup and he concentrated on them.
Chuck though had played this game before and simply waited.
Slowly, he began "They no doubt taught you the structure of hyperdimensional space. Polititions and aristocrats must be capable of conjuring up this image a will when interviewing for the news service."
Chuck ignored this reference and mearly nodded.
"Then what they told you is true. They don't capture the majesty of it all though. The shear arrogance required..." at this he chuckeled to himself.
"Never mind that. For as long as we have understood gravity it has been fun to think about falling through a planet to reach the other side. It is an fluke, or by design if you will, that if you dug a hole straight from you to anywhere else on the surface of the planet it would take the same amount of time to fall through that hole and pop out at your destination. This is true no matter if the other point is straight dead opposite of you or somewhere off to the side. "
Maybe this was why he enjoyed Chucks visits. Sometimes it isn't so much companionship that people need but an audience. The urge to talk about his passion returned though and he continued. Or at least tried. Chuck though took the break as an opportunity for interruption.
"Yes, but wouldn't banging against the sides and such slow you down quite enough so that you wouldn't make it?"
So, as I said, Chuck leaped from the platform and then continued walking. Not that this made him stand out any less for he had the particularly nasty habit where his head was not pointed where his body would soon follow. If he was in a larger city or more important planet he might have passed for a naive tourist but this was neither.
No, Chucks planet was functional at best and haphazardly strewn about at worst. One could not call it dirty since mankind had long since learned the virtues of staying out of mother natures way. But it was not clean. Cleanliness entails order and purpose and it is clear that no coherent thought, ideology, or force had shaped this city.
Walking was one of the things that made Chuck happy and it was something he did fairly frequently. He had, what could be called, the luxury of rich yet deceased parents and this afforded him liberties not available to many of the people he passed by. Some might find it ironic that one so well born might find comfort in the vary people this industrial planet seemed to use as fuel. Little nuggets born and brought up to maturity in order to be consumed and eventually exhausted back to the planet they came from.
He couldn't articulate what it was that so attracted him to these people but it was clear to him that they were different from his kind and different was good. He made a hard left and 100 meters or so brought him to the entrance of a vast drainage pipe home to his favorite person in his world. He had only learned his name two weeks or so ago and it still brought him delight.
"Stop grinning, you look like a fool." said Yip
"Sorry, I was just thinking of your name and how much I am sure that dog I saw just 5 minutes ago would love to say it." he said, is grin widening.
Yip only grunted and turned to go into his makeshift home. As he did so it was clear again that he did not belong here. If one were to glance at him no doubt they would see his uncut hair and the ragged edged hole where his right ear ought to be and dismiss him as senile. But his posture, bearing, face were of a man who had experienced far more then a hermits struggle for existence.
At this cold greeting Chuck faultered, as he always did, and asked if this was a bad time.
"For Hiesens sake get inside," Yip spat then muttering "and grow a spine".
Yip shuffled back into his house with Chuck following still trying to absorb as much as he could from the environment.
When Yip had finished the ancient practice of brewing tea for a guest the two settled down into the makeshift chairs and sat in silence. Each would sip their tea, content to be lost in the thin whisps of steam curling upward from their cups. Truth be told, despite having chosen this drain pipe as his home 15 years ago for its lack of neighbors, he enjoyed these visits nearly as much as Chuck did.
"Tell me about the Great Expansion." Chuck finally said.
Yip snorted and went back to his tea. Several small bits of leaves had settled to the bottom of his cup and he concentrated on them.
Chuck though had played this game before and simply waited.
Slowly, he began "They no doubt taught you the structure of hyperdimensional space. Polititions and aristocrats must be capable of conjuring up this image a will when interviewing for the news service."
Chuck ignored this reference and mearly nodded.
"Then what they told you is true. They don't capture the majesty of it all though. The shear arrogance required..." at this he chuckeled to himself.
"Never mind that. For as long as we have understood gravity it has been fun to think about falling through a planet to reach the other side. It is an fluke, or by design if you will, that if you dug a hole straight from you to anywhere else on the surface of the planet it would take the same amount of time to fall through that hole and pop out at your destination. This is true no matter if the other point is straight dead opposite of you or somewhere off to the side. "
Maybe this was why he enjoyed Chucks visits. Sometimes it isn't so much companionship that people need but an audience. The urge to talk about his passion returned though and he continued. Or at least tried. Chuck though took the break as an opportunity for interruption.
"Yes, but wouldn't banging against the sides and such slow you down quite enough so that you wouldn't make it?"
posted by Craig Snoeyink at 6:20 PM
1 Comments:
Holy crap is this getting corny but you know what... I don't care!! you are reading this at your own risk. From here on out I am having fun.
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