milliways_bar | (no subject)

Entry tags:

cyborg,
wellard

(no subject)

Wellard knows the stairs down into the bar rather well. Very well, in fact- he has walked up and down them countless times in the last few years. He knows them well enough that it should be no problem to walk down them carrying an armload of books, even if he can no longer see the exact steps he is setting his feet on.

The problem may be if there is something (or someone) unforeseen in the way, either on the stairs or in the bar proper, as Wellard heads for the Bar to return a 'few' books.

((Tossing the EP up a bit late, but its open until it scrolls.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"That is a lot of books," says the large robotic man at the bar. In front of him are several schematics.

The books are set down on the Bar top in a (barely) controlled drop. "And there are more." A bit wryly, and then Wellard glances over.

Well. Cy is not the oddest person Wellard has seen at Milliways. But he is certainly worth a double-take.

"... I'm paring down my library." As he looks back to the books, dividing them into a couple of stacks. "There's a few I don't quite need anymore, so I figured it may be best to return them."

"Yeah, someone was telling me earlier that the Bar can lend books. I never thought about it till now." Mainly because he has a good library at home, and because he has a built-in e-book reader. "What were you reading?"

"Well, some of them are history books, though the events they cover are a bit more current, in my time." He shrugs, and flashes a quick smile, moving one of the (now smaller) stacks over for Cy to see. Seventeen-hundreds, eighteen-hundreds, wars, exploration, and politics.

"The others- I think I have a general science lesson book in here, or else that's still upstairs. But then I've a lot of ones about steam engines and early aviation, and even one on space exploration in the twentieth century, though that one is really rather general." A bit sheepishly, as he pulls it out of the other stack.

"I haven't quite gotten to understanding the technology needed for that. Yet, I hope."

"Hey, these are pretty cool," he says as he looks at the second pile. "I know someone here who's into steam power. And everyone loves space travel." Someone it never occurs to him that anyone could possibly not like space travel. "When are you from?"

"That part gets a little complicated." Wellard bites his lip, thinking, then looks up to Cy. "But for the most part, specially when you consider these-" He motions to the books.

"Eighteen-oh-two." A shrug, and then he offers his hand.

"My name is Wellard, Henry Wellard."

"Wow. Two hundred years ago. A different time for sure." Given what Cy's ancestors were likely doing, a very different time. "Cyborg. Pleased to meetcha." The handshake shouldn't hurt too much.

"From what I've seen of other worlds that are probably closer to your time, yes." Which is why Wellard won't argue against people loving space travel. He grins, and gives Cy a quick nod. "Quite nice to meet you as well."

Wellard has done a lot of work with his hands. He should be fine. (Though there may be a subtle flexing of his hand, afterwards.)

"So you like the future?" Cy is just a little unsure someone should be reading about it.

"Mostly about new technologies- at least for traveling." He grins. "I'm not planning on going back and trying to upstage any inventors by coming up with their ideas first. That wouldn't be fair at all, and then who knows how it would complicate time." A shrug and quick shake of his head.

"But there is quite a lot that is easy enough to use, and if we can keep it out of most people's sight, that shouldn't be too much of a problem..." Wellard looks back to the stack of books, thoughtfully.

"I guess that's a good attitude. And you really can't duplicate things that easily. Taking technology from my time and adapting it to the past is hard. Believe me, I know." First hand.

"Which is why I'm not even going to attempt to take anything that requires electricity." Not that he has not thought of it, but- Well, even if Wellard knew enough about such technology to be able to repair it, if needed, getting replacement parts would be a little difficult. He shakes his head, then looks back to Cy curiously.

"You've dealt with going back into the past? Ah, at least the past from your normal time?"

"Once. To the Stone Age. And I...have you encountered the word 'cyborg'? Or 'robot'?" Always good to establish a baseline of knowledge.

"Only vaguely. There was some mention of them in the general science books, and then- well. Milliways." Wellard raises a hand to indicate the bar.

"Usually that they're connected to computers, and that works as a brain to 'think' for a robot. But you're not... not quite a robot, I would assume."

"'Cyborg' is derived from the words 'cybernetic organism'. 'Cybernetic' refers to the study of communication, feedback, and control mechanisms in living systems and machines." If you are going to be a cyborg, you better know what that means. "I'm part human and part robot. And dependent on outside power sources besides food."

This part is getting a bit beyond the science that Wellard understands well- though he is taking mental notes as to those terms, so he can get a few more books from the Bar to look them up.

"So, do you need electricity to work the robotic parts of you?" He blinks. "Such as batteries? Or something entirely different?"

"Batteries. That I charge at least once a day. Which was really, really hard to do 30,000 years in the past." He could show his emergency plug, but that would probably be too much.

That probably would be.

Now, ancient history is something Wellard has not studied much, so the term 'Stone Age' is only something he knows vaguely. However, his own time is only just working on steam engines, and is far from anything to do with electricity. Cy having to deal with things in that time period would be bad enough. As for anything further...

"How did you manage, then? You're here telling me this, so it obviously worked out, unless-" Wellard catches himself, and winces.

"Unless it didn't?"

It takes a moment for Cy to get Wellard's meaning. "I'm not dead, if that's what you're asking.

"The people I was with cobbled together a generator using something I built and a stream. Very early hydroelectrics, good enough to keep me going."

"Quite a few people here are." Wellard shrugs, then nods slowly as he listens. Water mills and wind mills to generate electricity is something he has managed to figure out, though connecting it to anything as complex and delicate as a computer, not so much.

"At least until you managed to find a way to get back to your usual time?"

"Wasn't me. My teammates retrieved me. I still have no idea what happened in the first place." And a tiny part of him wonders if it could happen again.

"So, you don't know how you ended up back in- in the Stone Age, you said it was?" He blinks.

"How did your friends get you back, then? Either magic, or some sort of machine, or both?"

"Magic. It's always magic." He looks like he's resigned to it.

"But if it works..." Wellard shrugs.

"Though most people I've met here, if their world has enough technology for computers and robots, and perhaps even space travel, they usually tend to not have magic? Even by my own time, most people don't seriously believe in it. Which I would say to be unfortunate, but..."

"I never really believed in it. I think most people still don't, but most aren't superheroes. And the worst magic thing we ever dealt with, no one knows it happens." Which is a good thing.