DAY 64, LATE EVENING: PUBLIC CHANNEL

[alphudo]

[At first, there's a soft clicking noise occasionally accompanied by small bursts of static and shuffling. In particular, it's the sound of the dial of Yuusei's radio being turned on and off while tuned to the public frequency. The sound of a man who clearly doesn't talk to people enough to be comfortable with asking an entire entourage of folks about some thing he found in a book. It's a lot of hesitation, but eventually the clicking at least stops as he brings the radio closer to him.]

I meant to ask earlier, but there was all of that excitement in the Athenaeum, and I never got the chance...

[There's some movement and what sounds like paper shuffling.]

Does anyone know what the word 'aetheric' means? It's an adjective describing a form of interaction with airship machinery, and while airships admittedly aren't my area of expertise, it's still not a word I've ever heard before. Any ideas?

Comments

[osteothropy]

Usually?

Just a fancy word for magic, or magical energies.

[alphudo]

...oh.

Like 'aether,' I suppose, now that I'm looking at it.

Thank you. I wish I'd traded for the whole book now... Ah well.

[anti_nonsense]

That sounds like magic technology.

[Who has two thumbs and fucking loves magic technology? This gal.]

[alphudo]

[Oh, hey Rita. He remembers her voice, and his response is delivered with a tone that suggests as much. It's not as... rigid-sounding as his original callout.]

Do you have something like it where you're from?

[anti_nonsense]

Magic technology is my field of expertise... but airship technology isn't something we've developed yet.

[alphudo]

I see... Even so, I'm sure what you do have is quite interesting.

We don't have 'magic' per se in my world... There's Momentum, which seems to have some sort of supernatural properties... [He pauses briefly, glancing elsewhere.] But it's not magic.

[anti_nonsense]

Magic isn't necessarily supernatural. The forms I'm most familiar with are perfectly scientific in theory.

What's this 'Momentum', anyway?

[alphudo]

It's a form of clean energy that powers the city in my world, generated by a perpetual motion machine. As I said, it isn't magic, but I did say 'supernatural' for a reason: the first reactor melted down after its revolutions reversed, and the pool of Momentum flooding its underground chamber became a gateway to the underworld.

[anti_nonsense]

The... underworld.

[She uses a doubting tone, but there's a hint of anxiousness in it, too.]

You don't mean...

[alphudo]

...I do mean.

[He pauses, throwing another glance over his shoulder as he hesitates.]

I fell in it once.

[whattaprick]

Never even heard of an airship, so I can't help you there.

[alphudo]

That's... fair. To be frank, from what I remember seeing of the diagrams in the book, I'm fairly certain it's no sort of vehicle that exists in my world.

I appreciate the chime-in either way.

[whattaprick]

Did you get any pictures of the book? Could probably get Engineering to help you figure that out.

[alphudo]

Aah, that's true... I suppose I could've tuned to their frequency specifically.

Well, thank you.

[Come to think of it, he kind of recognises this voice as the one who Carly responded to about going to that not-party, but he doesn't refer by name just in case he's wrong. Either way, thanks, Lambert.]

[haides]

Aether or ether refers to the upper air in ancient Greek. For a machine that flies, it is exceptionally fitting.

[alphudo]

I... see...

[Who's that silky-smooth voice? He's certainly never heard it before.]

So maybe, then... Either something air-related, something magic-related, or...

Air- or wind-based magic?

[haides]

Possibly. Words can have many meanings. Language will continue to develop as long as two or more humans exist on Earth.

(He acts as a silent watcher, inviting the mortals home when their lives are spent.)

[alphudo]

Very true... I guess we'll see what it means in the end; I don't intend on just leaving this to the wind, jokes aside.

Thanks for the input. I think it'll serve to provide some extra direction.

[haides]

I would hope not. The concept of flight without true wings is fascinating. (Hades totally rides planes whenever the mood strikes.)

Ask me what you wish. I have watched many ages of humanity.

[alphudo]

[There's a decently-long pause after that; Yuusei, unseen, is shooting Carly a wary, confused glance.]

...I'll be sure to do that.

[AND HE YEETS THE RADIO AWAY NOPE NOPE NOPE--]

[haides]

(He is quiet. Maybe he senses the fear; maybe not. It's an expected reaction to Death and he is accustomed to it.)

Farewell.