Eli and Michael Gathering · Page 2

I'm trying to connect to data storage device again.

If I fail to connect again, I will try to relax, focus my mind, and try the connection again (Mechanically, I'm using the Zen state and trying again.)

...why was it not considered a teaching attempt for Eli? It would be a different circumstance because I'm trying to teach him the skill on a different psionic device right?

We have the confluence of three aspects here; let me see if I can sort them out.

1. When you taught him to use the computer, he had to make a skill learning roll to see if he could learn a "use telepathic device" skill. A "telepathic device" is one in which information travels (or doesn't) between two minds or between a device and a mind. When you are learning a skill, the skill of your teacher as a teacher and certain other illustrative/instructive bonuses can apply.
2. If you continue teaching him over time, you will observe how he does what he does, make minor corrections, give advice, suggest exercises (all of which is inherent in the teaching skill and not necessary for the player actually to do), and that will accelerate his slow but gradual advancement, improving his skill ability level. It does not increase his chance of successfully doing anything, just of effectively practicing it.
3. The data storage/data access devices are telepathic devices, and so are contacted as such; he already knows how to "use" telepathic devices, he's just never used this one--in much the same way that you probably already knew how to activate a DVD player before you encountered a blu-ray player, but the principles were similar enough that you were probably able to do so despite your unfamiliarity with the latter machine based on your understanding of the former. (A more precise example would be that if you've learned how to operate one VCR you have a good chance of operating a different brand or model, but since there are differences between them it's not guaranteed that you will be able to operate the new one without the manual--but the more experience you have with VCRs, the more likely it is that you will succeed with one that's a bit different.) If he succeeds in using the old skill for the new device, that's "new use", and his skill ability level at using telepathic devices improves. But he is not learning a new skill, he is using one he already knows, and thus you have really already taught him how to do "this".

In something of the same way, if he were to come back to use the computer again tomorrow, he would not gain the benefit of your teaching to contact it "again", because that benefit was only to learning how to do it, and does not apply every time. Contacting the data storage device is not different from contacting the computer in the sense of being a different skill, but only in the sense of being a different use of the skill you already taught him. He already got the benefit.

Does that explain it?

::Edit:: On rereading the above is sounded bad to me, but I can't think of how to rephrase, I'm mainly trying to understand the mechanics, not trying to second guess the way you run the game ::/edit::

And that is how I took it, so no harm, no foul, as Ron Edwards would say.

After Michael heads off to work on cloth for his new clothes, Eli tries again on the data device, and this time manages to connect. It is (if I recall correctly) an atlas of this planet, but badly out of date as it shows jungle where the grass plains are and has no information about Michael's Foxhole or Umak Tek.

--M. J. Young

I'll continue practicing with the psionic computer until it is time for physical training with Mike

When I'm in the computer, I'm going to try the direct combat simulator.

Thanks, that clears things up for me. :-)

As for what I'm doing just keeping to the schedule.

I was over a lot of the details of the combat simulation games in Michael's previous thread, and I don't wish to suggest that they are different because it is the same device; but I don't think it's important enough to go back and retrace what I told him as long as the essentials are correct.

The combat simulator enables you to design an opponent and engage him in weaponless combat hand-to-hand. Opponents can have various body types, numbers of limbs, unusual attack forms, and much more. The last settings appear to be for something very like a human. There are also levels of combat ability.

Michael continues his routine.

--M. J. Young

I'm going to try a human with average professional combat skills and average build.

I'm going to play with this device 30 minutes - A hour during the times I set aside to relax

While you are setting up your opponent your connection starts to fade. You attempt to stay connected, but it disconnects.

--M. J. Young

Just continuing routine, can't think of anything to really add at this point (Just clarifying, I've been reading but didn't post yesterday as I had nothing of importance to say, should I post at times like that just to clarify that I'm reading?)

What day is this of the 60 Nagaworld day routine by the way?

Indeed, I think it's time to reconstruct a calendar here.

1. M1: Michael enters NagaWorld, encounters clam, sees coral bushes, explores Michael’s Foxhole, walks to Umak Tek
2. M2: Michael burns self building microscope, visits psionics museum, telepathically contacted by Paul, use psi computer, vacation sphere, data cube via pyramid, psi computer simulated combat practice
3. M3: Michael uses telekinetic lifter, fails with force field lifter
4. M4: Michael fails with force field lifter, makes plastic steel balls for targets
5. M5: Michael operates force field lifter, psionic drill, light panel, disintegrator, botch with blaster
6. M6: Michael starts routine, making cloth for clothes and practicing skills, botches on loom use, treated with NagaJuice
7. M7: Michael in routine
8. M8: Michael in routine
9. M9: Michael in routine
10. M10: Michael in routine
11. M11: Michael in routine
12. M12: Michael in routine
13. M13=E1: Eli explores Michael’s Foxhole, meets Nagas, heads for Umak Tek, Eli starts routine, Mike does not learn martial arts, Eli uses psi computer, fails data device

That should answer most questions in that regard; I'm maintaining the calendar separately.

--M. J. Young

Let's move on with the routine.

Thanks for the calendar MJ. That cleared everything up Also Eli please don't rush through on account of me.

I'm just continuing on with the routne as well though.

My efforts to get everything organized have also led me to gather and update your "routines", as follows:
Michael’s routine M13:

• 1-2 Continue making clothing
• 2-3 Eat
• 3-5 Physical training- Eli's teachings
• 5-7 Physical training- laps – running around outside perimeter of Umak Tek
• 7-7.5 Physical training- laps - walking around outside perimeter of Umak Tek
• 7.5-8.5 Eat
• 8.5-10 Bowl
• 10-12 Teach Eli how to use psionic devices, training sequence:
  1. Psionic Computer
  2. Data Access Device/Data Storage Device Combination
  3. Telepathic Vacation
  4. Memorial for a Warrior
  5. Psionic Drill
  6. Light Panel
  7. Psionic Rifle
  8. Telekinetic lifter
  9. Telekinetic Forcefield
  10. Disintigrator
• 12-14 Make Clothing
• 14-15.5 Physical training - stretching
• 15.5-17.5 Physical training - laps – running as above - with loaded pack
• 17.5-18 Physical training - laps – walking as above - with loaded pack
• 18-19 Eat
• 19-20 Make Clothing

Eli’s routine M13:Day

• 1-7 sleep
• 7-7.5 Eat
• 7.5-8 Physical training – stretching
• 8-9 Physical training – lifting weights
• 9-10 Physical training
  • – cardio 20 min
  • – cool down 20 min
  • - stretching 20 min
• 10-10.5 Eat
• 10.5-12 Relax
• 12-12.5 Physical training – stretching
• 12.5-14- Physical training –Practice my style
• 14-15 Physical training
  • – cardio 20 min
  • – cool down 20 min
  • - stretching 20 min
• 15-15.5 Eat
• 15.5-20 sleep

Night

• 1-2.5 sleep
• 2.5-3 Eat
• 3-5 Teaching Mike
  • ~15minuet of stretching
  • ~15minuet of cardio to warm up
  • ~60minuet of instruction in the style(I'm trying to keep the pace midway between resting and cardio)
  • ~15minuet of cool down exercises
  • ~15minuet of stretching
• 5-7 Physical training- laps – running with Mike
• 7-7.5 Physical training- laps – walking with Mike
• 7.5-8.5 Eat
• 8.5-10 Relax
• 10-12 Learning how to use psionic devices
• 12-14 practice the psionic devices I know
• 14-15.5 Physical training - stretching
• 15.5-17.5 Physical training - laps - running - with loaded pack
• 17.5-18 Physical training - laps - walking - with loaded pack
• 18-19 Eat
• 19-20 Sleep

That looks good, except for one thing, and it might be a mistake on my part. I tried to convert both schedules into one table, hours from midnight to midnight in the first column, Mike in the second, Eli in the third, and I wound up with only thirty-nine hours. Here's hoping someone can find my mistake for me. Unfortunately, since I can't post tables, it's going to be a bit unclear, but this is what I've got:

• 0
  1
  • Teach Eli how to use psionic devices
  • Learning how to use psionic devices
• 2
  3
  • Make Clothing
  • practice the psionic devices I know
• 4
  5
  6
  7
  • 4-5:30 Physical training - stretching
    5:30-7:30 Physical training - laps – running as above - with loaded pack
    7:30-8 Physical training - laps – walking as above - with loaded pack
  • 4-5:30 Physical training - stretching
    5:30-7:30 Physical training - laps – running as above - with loaded pack
    7:30-8 Physical training - laps – walking as above - with loaded pack
• 8
  • Eat
  • Eat
• 9
  • Make Clothing
  • Sleep
• 10 (Sunrise)
  11
  12
  13
  14
  15
  16
  • Sleep
  • Sleep
• 17
  18
  19
  • Mostly Sleep
  • 17-7:30 Eat
    7:30-8 Physical training – stretching
    18-19 Physical training – lifting weights
    19-20 Physical training – cardio 20 min – cool down 20 min- stretching 20 min
• 20
  21
  • Mostly Sleep
  • 20-20:30 Eat
    20:30-22 Relax
• 22
  23
  24
  • Mostly Sleep
  • 22-22:30 Physical training – stretching
    22:30-24- Physical training –Practice my style
    24-25 Physical training – cardio 20 min – cool down 20 min- stretching 20 min
• 25
  26
  27
  28
  29
  • Mostly Sleep
  • 25-25:30 Eat
    25:30-30 sleep
• 30
  • Continue making clothing
  • Sleep
• 31
  • Eat
  • 31-31:30 sleep
    3130-32 Eat
• 32
  33
  • Physical training- Eli's teachings
  • Teaching Mike
    ~15minuet of stretching
    ~15minuet of cardio to warm up
    ~60minuet of instruction in the style(I'm trying to keep the pace midway between resting and cardio)
    ~15minuet of cool down exercises
    ~15minuet of stretching
• 34
  35
  • Physical training- laps – running around outside perimeter of Umak Tek
  • Physical training- laps – running with Mike
• 36
  37
  38
  • 36-36:30 Physical training- laps - walking around outside perimeter of Umak Tek
    36:30-37:30 Eat
    37:30-39 Bowl
  • 36-36:30 Physical training- laps – walking with Mike
    36:30-37:30 Eat
    37:30-39 Relax
• 39
  • ?
  • ?

  Did I miscalculate somewhere?

  --M. J. Young

I got mixed up by making a 20 hour schedule I guess. I'll practice the psionic drill for an hour at the end of the day to fill the vacant hour. Sorry for the mix up.

My first thought was that it was a fence post problem, but at the moment my brain refuses to find the exact error.

Yes, it seems that by starting with hour 1 and ending with hour 19 you managed to miss an hour; and someone called my attention (by e-mail) to the fact that you both did it in both blocks, but it's only really evident when you resequence the hours and try to fill in the daybook.

I've added "practice with psi drill" to the last hour before midnight on Mike's schedule; Eli is presumably still relaxing through that hour, unless he says otherwise. The other overlooked hour fell inside the time when both of you indicated you were sleeping, so you're both sleeping for about an hour more than you thought. Since you're trying to adjust to a forty-hour day cycle, that's not surprising, and it probably doesn't impact Mike much since he intended to indicate that he was sleeping as much as possible for the twenty hours of daylight.

It is the next day (M14=E2), and early in the day Eli attempts again to teach Mike how the basic martial arts stance and form which he was unable to learn yesterday. Today he gets it, at least being able to duplicate the fundamentals of the basic form with which you began.

Let me know what you intend to teach him next, and how long you want to work on the basic style before you add the next piece.

Michael explains to Eli that the sphere is a telepathic device similar in operation to the previous two, and within the hour Eli has managed to connect to it.

Eli, as you connect to the sphere you find yourself in a place similar to a woods or forest. The air is comfortably cool after the hot days and warm nights of NagaWorld, and the canopy provides enough shade without stifling the mulch-laden air. You hear running water somewhere near.

--M. J. Young

I'm going to teach the moves in this order

Roundhouse Kick, Back Kick, Back Kick base dangerous, Elbow Strike,
Power Front Kick, Aggressive Running Frontal Power Boost,
Aggressive Running Side Slide, Flying Side Kick

I'm trying to teach Mike a move every two days

Let's find that stream. I'm going for an imaginary swim.

I'll practice the basic form Eli showed me earlier while he's connected to the sphere. Otherwise nothing outside the routine.

Eli: You move your tentacles in the direction from which the sound of water is coming, and find your way through the trees.

It is a shallow babbling brook at this point, not more than a foot deep at the deepest points within immediate view, but it vanishes in the brush maybe a dozen yards upstream and down.

--M. J. Young

huh? tentacles?... This is cool. Lets see what I can do with them.

I'm going to be distracted for a minute or two.
After that, I will start walking downstream and enjoy the scenery along the way.

With the routine I'd like to change what order I'm instructing Eli on. I just want to move memorial of a warrior to the back of the list. It occurs to me this device doesn't provide anywhere near the use as the others after it on the list, and in the case Eli wants to make something out of the plastic steel the psionic drill is very useful. As such the second hour of instruction today would be on the psionic drill.

I'll explain that the drill is effectively a short range weapon or sword, depending on how you look at it. It also is useful for cutting things so its a very useful tool. I'll demonstrate how to connect to it and explain that its a different connection than the previous.I'll also advise Eli not to close his eyes as manipulation of the device would be dangerous if he couldn't see.

I have moved the memorial to the end of the list and renumbered them:

1. Psionic ComputerÖ
2. Data Access Device/Data Storage Device CombinationÖ
3. Telepathic VacationÖ
4. Psionic Drill
5. Light Panel
6. Psionic Rifle
7. Telekinetic lifter
8. Telekinetic Forcefield
9. Disintigrator
10. Memorial for a Warrior

"Ö" is the way this board chose to render the check mark I pulled from my symbol set to mark which ones had already been covered.

Eli, you seem to have maybe ten of these limbs, all the same, all manipulative and flexible but without phalanges of any sort, all strong enough to support your weight on any two, although generally three or four are in contact with the ground for the sake of balance. the skin is tough enough to withstand the bits of wood and debris occasionally littering the forest floor, but there is sufficient tactile sensation in them for identifying objects by feel. What else can I tell you about them?

Are you walking in the stream or along the bank?

--M. J. Young

I experiment with picking up a rock. How does it handle the task?

After I'm done with the experiment, I walk on the bank and I try to keep the stream in sight.

Thanks for switching that MJ. When Eli disconnects I'd also like to ask him what he experienced. I had been planning to see whether there is just one virtual world you can connect to or if it's the same for everyone.

Manipulating an object with tentacles is more difficult than doing so with phalanges including an opposable thumb, but you do manage to wrap the tip of a tentacle around a rock and raise it out of the stream. It is not very heavy, but it is awkward.

The world is starting to slip away. Do you make the effort to maintain it, or allow yourself to return to reality?

If you return to reality, Mike will ask you his question about what you experienced.

--M. J. Young

I let the connection fade.

"I was in a forest near a stream.
The weird thing was that, I was a octopus thing.
Do you know what the octopus thing is called?"

"Ah, that sounds very similar to the vacation I went on, and I was a kraal as well during it. The reason as far as I can tell and have been told is that these devices have all been created by the kraal, as was the glass city where these were all found. The vacation sphere seems to be a device to either relive a memory of live out a programmed fantasy of the kraal who created it. The battle simulator in the computer also puts you in the role of a kraal as well as the memorial is a dedication to a kraal warrior. They also appear to be extinct from what Paul told me."

Michael explains to Eli how the psi drill works, as stated above, and Eli is successful on the first attempt. The "drill" is somewhat bulbous with a pointed end, something like the roof of a middle eastern mosque, and it appears that an invisible beam of force must extend from that end which penetrates targeted objects in a narrow circle, or can be used edge-wise as a sort of cutting tool. It cuts plastic steel very slowly.

--M. J. Young

I've got a slight bit of confusion that I posted in the behind the scenes section, just making note of it here (I tried putting this is italics originally but can't seem to get it to work, and I have an exam in an hour so I'm not going to fuss over it right now, I may fix it later or leave it with my silly explanation here)

I'll congratulate Eli on picking up on the psi drill so quickly, after which I'll head off to continue my schedule with the clothes making process.

Michael continues his daily schedule; Eli now has operated a psionic force-generative device, a drill, and is still at the psi museum.

--M. J. Young

I try to use the personal combat simulator in the psionic computer.
I'm going to use the opponent I set up before.

Thanks for clearing up my confusion MJ, I didn't realize I gave a bonus even without the teaching skill is why I was confused. What's my progress on the clothes making process?

Mike, my assumption on the clothing has been that you are producing sufficient cloth first--that involves gathering grass, breaking it down to fibers, spinning the fibers into thread, and weaving the thread into cloth. In the five hours a day that you've devoted to this, you probably produce maybe two yards of cloth, five feet wide. But prior to yesterday it was only three hours per day, during which time you probably produced about one yard of cloth at that width. Thus you had about nine yards of cloth this evening when you awoke and will have eleven yards by morning, unless you turn your attention to cutting and sewing.

Cutting and sewing raises its own challenges. First, how do you intend to "pattern" the cloth? That is, if you've seen girls make clothes from patterns, they cut several pieces according to a "pattern" and then with overlapping edges folded into hems toward the inside sew the pieces together. That means you need to figure out how to cut the flat sheets of cloth into pieces that will come together as the clothes you want, but you can't run down to Sew-Bee and buy a pattern for it.

Second, what will you use to cut and to sew? That is, no one made a pair of scissors, and there don't appear to be any sewing needles lying round either. If you don't have those tools in your equipment, you'll need to improvise something for them.

Do you have any skill at sewing?

Eli, you fail to reconnect with the computer on this attempt. Are you going to try several times, or turn your attention elsewhere?

--M. J. Young

--M. J. Young

I'm going to continue trying until I connect.

Your assumption was correct, I was just curious about how much had been made so far. So the sewing and patterns are still a ways off. As to sewing I have sewed before for a home ec course, but only very limited and not very good. The tools I'll end up making before or when I get to that point, but just making more of the material for now.

Eli, twice you feel you've almost connected to the device but failed. Then you focus as much as you can on it.

You feel a power feedback loop start; the device in your hands lights brilliantly in multiple colors, and the entire room starts to distort in the colored light, seeming to emanate light of its own. You also start to hear color, and to smell it and taste it and feel it, and your brain jams and overheats, and you black out.

Michael, when you come back to look for Eli, he is gone; so is the psionic computer.

Eli, you will find your story continuing in Eli Can Tell You Ninjas Don't Exist.

--M. J. Young

Just going to clarify the way I understand the situation, and also a few things distinctions between my versers knowledge and mine, to clarify.

I would write off Eli not showing up for the physical training, I figure he just got caught up in playing with a psionic device. I'd get concerned when he didn't show up to eat after physical training however, and check the psionic museum. At that point I'd probably notice the psionic computer missing and I'd ask Paul if he had seen Eli recently, and inform him that Eli and the psionic computer seem to have gone missing.

The reason for this is that my verser doesn't really know the severity botches can reach. I've gotten lucky on my botches so far (actually, it may have only been one botch so far) with the worst thing I had to deal with was getting my arm stuck and a burn from handling the coral bush lenses. What I'm trying to point out is unless Paul or Annie explains to me that using the psionic items can backlash enough that to actually kill a person or I experience a similar botch I'm going to assume that Eli is ok but took the psionic computer with him somewhere. After enough time and without a response from him I'd assume he moved on somewhere else or that he got in trouble.

As to routine, this will end up leaving the time I was learning martial arts from him open. I'll dedicate it to practicing the style he taught me, intending to resume practice with Eli when he returns. Alternatively if Paul explains that Eli may have versed out, I will still continue the routine but instead of out of expectation to continue my lessons when he returns it'll be as a sort of reverence to a fellow verser.

When you mention that Eli and the computer are both gone, Paul says, "Relax a moment; what do you feel?"

As you relax, you feel the pull toward Paul and another toward Annie (who is probably right there, too), and you feel the pull toward your gear.

"He's not out there. He couldn't have gotten far enough in a day that you couldn't feel him, unless he took a ship from the Dar Koni or Kreelak, and the odds are pretty slim that he could have found one unattended and figured out how to control it.

"Everything you do here is dangerous. People verse out all the time for trying things they don't know how to do, or only just learned. Maybe he had a fight with the Nash Far Kraal, and lost.

"In any case, I'll let the guys know that they'll want to replace the computer whenever they come through again."

--M. J. Young

"Oh, I'm sorry he's gone then, I'll have to strive to be a little more careful and learn from his mistake. Who are you referring to by the way when you say you'll let the guys know? I didn't know there were others here other than Annie, yourself, and I. I also didn't realize the Kreelaks still had ships, they're extinct correct? Are the ships also found in the glass city? Either way, I'll be continuing preparing to go to the glass city, I'll pick up a replacement psionic computer if I can find one."

I'll return to my schedule as normal, as mentioned before replacing the time Eli was teaching me with practicing the style he taught me.

"Oh, no, the guys aren't here now--I mean, of course, Michael, Pete, Dan, Mary, and Bob, and sometimes Whisp. They wind up gathered here from time to time, and they do all the dangerous stuff. Dan put together the museum, as I think it says out on one of the signs the Architect made, and so whenever they come back they'll replace the broken and missing bits. They'll be a bit miffed that someone took one of them, but they know about botches, so they'll understand."

"Extinct? The Kreelak? Oh, you mean the Kraal. Yeah, the Kraal are extinct. The Kreelak--the Dar Koni only wish they were extinct. But I don't know if anyone here has ever seen one. Maybe Whisp. He was a Dar Koni merc in another universe, so he was fighting Kreelak wherever that was. They might be a bit different here--the Dar Koni are, anyway. The Dar Koni are dinosaur-like space warriors who apparently followed the Kreelak through some portal, and have their camps in the hills to the south. Be careful out that direction, because although they have a treaty with us, their policy is to shoot first and identify the target later. The Kreelak, meanwhile, are based on the other side of the battlefield--that stretch of machinery all along the northern horizon. Once in a while they fire missiles back and forth, and they'll fly their ships low over the plains, but most of the fighting is those completely automated war machines destroying each other up there. I don't think any of us have ever seen a Kreelak, but we're told that they look like preying mantises, and I gather their policy is to shoot first and then get a better aim."

--M. J. Young

"Oh, thanks for clearing that up. Dar Koni and Kreelak are the warring factions here, Kraal are the extinct race that built the glass city. Good, got it. That group seems to be responsible for a lot, hopefully I'll meet more of them in the future, would be awesome to hear some of their stories."

Resuming the schedule then.