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I started this out as just another Update, but it began unraveling almost immediately into another possible Adventure. These things happen. Just bear with me and we'll see how it develops.
As you may remember from the last Update, Zarkor has been studiously studying the blueprint of his own particular brain. He has been going over it very carefully with a very powerful fusion powered magnifying glass inspecting every neuron and synapse, looking for something. In the past Zarkor hasn't payed much attention to his brain, figuring its superior intellect would look after itself. Now, he seems to think there is something wrong. Zerak has asked him about all this, but Zarkor just shakes his head, mumbles and returns to his room.
Finally Zerak corners Zarkor, determined to get an answer. "Zarkor, you need to tell me why exactly have you been studying your brain? That's all you've been doing since you got back from your boating trip."
Zarkor finally relents. "Alright Zerak, I'll tell you, but you have to keep it a secret."
"Who would I tell?" Zerak asks. "There's only me, you and Cloney on this entire planet!"
"I know, but...just keep it under your hat."
"I promise if I wore a hat I would keep it under. Now, what's going on?"
Zarkor moves closer to Zerak. "I've found something astonishing in the topology of my brain, Zerak! An obscure section I've discovered seems to represent a manifold within dualizing complex quartic plane curves enfolded in a determinant tensor density that varies with a complex projective space in self-intersecting nodes with inseparable extensions leading to invariant holomorphic isotropy groupings."
Zerak, being used to listening to these kinds of convoluted statements from Zarkor, says steadily, "Umm...okay, now what does all that mean?"
"It means, Zerak, there's something in my brain structure that isn't right!"
"I could have told you that without all the mumbo jumbo.."
"I'm serious, Zerak."
"Sorry, Zarkor, I couldn't help myself. Well, for one thing, I haven't noticed anything different in your behavior. If there is something wrong it's probably that cheap Corporation you used to Regenerate yourself the last time. I told you to use a reputable company, not that one Uncle Zebon owns."
"Uncle Zebon wouldn't give me bad advice on something as important as Regeneration, Zerak!" Zarkor replies defensively. "Anyway it's not that. I think it has something to do with the nearest Cosmic Void. You know the one, that great big empty space twenty galaxies down and seven to the left. There's something there, Zerak, that has transmuted my brain structure in a puzzling way. I think it's trying to send me a message!"
Zerak is taken aback. "How can a Void between filaments of galactic clusters send you a message, Zarkor?" Zerak asks skeptically.
"It's not the Void sending me a message, Zerak, it's something in the Void."
"Oh, alright, it's something in the Void," Zerak says. "So what's the message?"
"I don't know, that's why I've been studying my brain," Zerak answers impatiently. "If I could only figure out what this particular deformation in my synapses means, I'd have the answer to your question."
Zerak drifts around the room a bit, considering all this. Finally he says, "All this sounds a little preposterous, Zarkor. I know, why don't you just go to the kitchen and get some milk and cookies and take a nap. You always feel better after milk and cookies."
"I don't think that would help this time, Zerak. There's only one thing that can clear up this mystery."
"And that is?" Zerak asks hesitantly.
"We go to the Void and see what's there, of course!"
Zerak rolls his eyes. "Do you know how far that is from here?!"
"Sure," Zarkor answers confidently. "Only a couple billion Cosmic Length Units."
"That's right," agrees Zerak. "That would be quite a journey, wouldn't it? Remember how nervous you were the time I navigated just outside our Galaxy?! This would be a lot farther than that."
"I know," Zerak says. "So when can we leave?"
More possibilities later.
As you may remember from the last Update, Zarkor has been studiously studying the blueprint of his own particular brain. He has been going over it very carefully with a very powerful fusion powered magnifying glass inspecting every neuron and synapse, looking for something. In the past Zarkor hasn't payed much attention to his brain, figuring its superior intellect would look after itself. Now, he seems to think there is something wrong. Zerak has asked him about all this, but Zarkor just shakes his head, mumbles and returns to his room.
Finally Zerak corners Zarkor, determined to get an answer. "Zarkor, you need to tell me why exactly have you been studying your brain? That's all you've been doing since you got back from your boating trip."
Zarkor finally relents. "Alright Zerak, I'll tell you, but you have to keep it a secret."
"Who would I tell?" Zerak asks. "There's only me, you and Cloney on this entire planet!"
"I know, but...just keep it under your hat."
"I promise if I wore a hat I would keep it under. Now, what's going on?"
Zarkor moves closer to Zerak. "I've found something astonishing in the topology of my brain, Zerak! An obscure section I've discovered seems to represent a manifold within dualizing complex quartic plane curves enfolded in a determinant tensor density that varies with a complex projective space in self-intersecting nodes with inseparable extensions leading to invariant holomorphic isotropy groupings."
Zerak, being used to listening to these kinds of convoluted statements from Zarkor, says steadily, "Umm...okay, now what does all that mean?"
"It means, Zerak, there's something in my brain structure that isn't right!"
"I could have told you that without all the mumbo jumbo.."
"I'm serious, Zerak."
"Sorry, Zarkor, I couldn't help myself. Well, for one thing, I haven't noticed anything different in your behavior. If there is something wrong it's probably that cheap Corporation you used to Regenerate yourself the last time. I told you to use a reputable company, not that one Uncle Zebon owns."
"Uncle Zebon wouldn't give me bad advice on something as important as Regeneration, Zerak!" Zarkor replies defensively. "Anyway it's not that. I think it has something to do with the nearest Cosmic Void. You know the one, that great big empty space twenty galaxies down and seven to the left. There's something there, Zerak, that has transmuted my brain structure in a puzzling way. I think it's trying to send me a message!"
Zerak is taken aback. "How can a Void between filaments of galactic clusters send you a message, Zarkor?" Zerak asks skeptically.
"It's not the Void sending me a message, Zerak, it's something in the Void."
"Oh, alright, it's something in the Void," Zerak says. "So what's the message?"
"I don't know, that's why I've been studying my brain," Zerak answers impatiently. "If I could only figure out what this particular deformation in my synapses means, I'd have the answer to your question."
Zerak drifts around the room a bit, considering all this. Finally he says, "All this sounds a little preposterous, Zarkor. I know, why don't you just go to the kitchen and get some milk and cookies and take a nap. You always feel better after milk and cookies."
"I don't think that would help this time, Zerak. There's only one thing that can clear up this mystery."
"And that is?" Zerak asks hesitantly.
"We go to the Void and see what's there, of course!"
Zerak rolls his eyes. "Do you know how far that is from here?!"
"Sure," Zarkor answers confidently. "Only a couple billion Cosmic Length Units."
"That's right," agrees Zerak. "That would be quite a journey, wouldn't it? Remember how nervous you were the time I navigated just outside our Galaxy?! This would be a lot farther than that."
"I know," Zerak says. "So when can we leave?"
More possibilities later.
