[He freezes at mention of New people. Deer in headlights, for a moment.]
I know people. Don't tell anyone this or I'm looking down the tail end of a punishment just as bad as one of yours, but word gets around. People know people who know people in the labs. There's been mention of things like "dimensional resonance" and "rifts" and all that when it comes to you. Something they can read off you all, just like the actual real dimensions folding in and out. There's a chance one or two of you might be New but it's...sounded almost universal.
[He bites his lip.]
The thing with the New is...if you were, I don't think you'd be here. To them, this is treating you like people. Sort of. If you were New, you'd be in some lab somewhere in the Livable Zone, and they'd be showing you much less...hospitality. The only ones of you that likely have to worry about that are some of the robots or more alien. Easier for them to rationalize they're not people and when they're willing to treat the humans or similar-to-humans like this...
[He looks very thoughtful at that. Is it regret, perhaps over someone New he didn't save? Is it something else, maybe mention of the Livable Zone?]
But if you were New they would want to know how you tick because of the ties to the Stuff. Aliens and super-people and all that, even if you got changed by Stuff, they understand that more. They're interested in people being made - and what they're made of. It sounds like they understand enough about the dimensional nonsense to at least be able to tell the difference.
[That kind of existential crisis is not something any of them should have to go through if it's not the truth of their situation.]
But you're right, there are people made from it. We call them the New. Some are...strange. You have to be careful because they're able to talk, interact, seem like they're like everyone - right up until they unhinge their jaw and there's a whole lot of fucking teeth.
[It's the truth, much as he wishes he could stay 'no, they're all harmless.' They're not all the Found Thousand. They're not all...]
Others are just people. They might have powers, they might look as different as some of you. But they're people like you. Normal people with thoughts and feelings of their own, that came out of nothing - or out of someone. Thoughts given life and then having thoughts of their own, becoming their own people the second they reify. Can even reify Stuff themselves, which proves they have consciousness. You have to be careful around the New. But treat them all like monsters and it'll be cruel, not careful.
[A pause.]
It's why I quit, before I was...convinced to come back here. Because of what they wanted to do.
no subject
I know people. Don't tell anyone this or I'm looking down the tail end of a punishment just as bad as one of yours, but word gets around. People know people who know people in the labs. There's been mention of things like "dimensional resonance" and "rifts" and all that when it comes to you. Something they can read off you all, just like the actual real dimensions folding in and out. There's a chance one or two of you might be New but it's...sounded almost universal.
[He bites his lip.]
The thing with the New is...if you were, I don't think you'd be here. To them, this is treating you like people. Sort of. If you were New, you'd be in some lab somewhere in the Livable Zone, and they'd be showing you much less...hospitality. The only ones of you that likely have to worry about that are some of the robots or more alien. Easier for them to rationalize they're not people and when they're willing to treat the humans or similar-to-humans like this...
[He looks very thoughtful at that. Is it regret, perhaps over someone New he didn't save? Is it something else, maybe mention of the Livable Zone?]
But if you were New they would want to know how you tick because of the ties to the Stuff. Aliens and super-people and all that, even if you got changed by Stuff, they understand that more. They're interested in people being made - and what they're made of. It sounds like they understand enough about the dimensional nonsense to at least be able to tell the difference.
[That kind of existential crisis is not something any of them should have to go through if it's not the truth of their situation.]
But you're right, there are people made from it. We call them the New. Some are...strange. You have to be careful because they're able to talk, interact, seem like they're like everyone - right up until they unhinge their jaw and there's a whole lot of fucking teeth.
[It's the truth, much as he wishes he could stay 'no, they're all harmless.' They're not all the Found Thousand. They're not all...]
Others are just people. They might have powers, they might look as different as some of you. But they're people like you. Normal people with thoughts and feelings of their own, that came out of nothing - or out of someone. Thoughts given life and then having thoughts of their own, becoming their own people the second they reify. Can even reify Stuff themselves, which proves they have consciousness. You have to be careful around the New. But treat them all like monsters and it'll be cruel, not careful.
[A pause.]
It's why I quit, before I was...convinced to come back here. Because of what they wanted to do.