mylittlejamjar | experiment 2: visual

[Doc appears on the scroll very casually. He's trying to play chess with a rather fluffy puppy, a Yorkie with a bow in her hair.]

Yes, yes, Miss Curie, excellent work! Now some positive reinforcement for your training---have at it!

[He tosses her a treat, which she catches expertly. He smiles---then stares wide-eyed at the glowing scroll.}

I've activated this blasted scroll too early again. My apologies for the mundane display, but I was hoping to address everyone this morning, so I hope it won't trouble you if I continue. I've been discussing the matter with my current companion, but as she is a canine and I have yet to invent a speech translator, as you can imagine our conversations haven't been as illuminating as I would hope.

[He scribbles a note to himself on a nearby paper. Looks like he'll be trying to invent that translator---and he's smiling when he looks back, sounding as casual as he can.]

I've lived a relatively long life, and as we all have, I've made mistakes. And lately, as I'm prone to do, I've been pondering a rather pointless hypothetical scenario: if you had the opportunity to alter your past, would you take that risk?

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Minutia? That's my specialty, so it'll be tough. But doable.

[There's a laugh there---yes, there's a clock in the shot. He's being silly.]

More seriously...thank you. I think I'll be forging ahead.

[Gaignun will just smile at the laugh. Laughter in conversations like this was a good thing.]

You're very welcome. I have friends who get hyper focused...and sometimes they come out whatever they're doing not even knowing what day it was for a while."

I've been known to do that. And to forget the year as well.

[Yup, he's just senile. Totally innocent.]

I realize now that I'm getting ahead of myself. I'm Dr. Brown, and it's my pleasure to meet you.

Hello Dr. Brown, I'm Gaignun, and I can assure you most of the pleasure is mine. What are you a doctor of?

Theoretical physics. It's proven enormously useful---though I've probably completed enough study to pursue another degree, I've never felt the inclination to return to academia. I know when I'm not needed further.

What are your specialties?

Back home it was politics, but here I serve more as moral support. I enjoyed studying management and architecture though. I even helped design the space colony I lived on.

A space colony? I always hoped to see the day...

I'd love to hear more about it, if you've ever got the time.

I love talking about it, and it seems I have nothing but time these days. What do you want to know?

Well, that is if you want to hear about it now. We can always talk about it later too.

How many lived there? Did you originate from all across the galaxy?

[He wants to picture it. Scale, scope, stories.]

The foundation held about as many people as a good sized resort city. And yes, many people who lived there had come from other planets. However, I should say that it doesn't mean that they were aliens. Humanity as it spread through the starts in our Universe found no other higher lifeforms other than our selves.

[He has had that question before.]

...that's not quite what I hoped for, but for humanity to cross the stars is still a miracle.

[Yes, really. He's still excited.]

How often did you set foot on a planet?

Personally? More often than you'd think. I had to travel a lot for my job. Hopping from planet to planet was quick thanks to the UMN columns allowing access to boosted speed in space travel. The Foundation did act much like a planet in its own right, with simulated outdoors and a day/night cycle. We even had a beach with remote controlled weather!

[So hella proud here]

That would be an absolutely wonderful place to spend time. I wonder if that will exist in the future...

[Because he's totally going to try to visit.]

On my planet, my society is still confined to Earth. There's still much to discover, but I've been looking at the stars my entire life.

I suppose they must lose their luster once you've been exploring long enough.

I can assure you, that the stars not only do not lose their luster, but in fact gain allure when you actually have a chance at reaching them.

As for the Foundation, I have two favorite parts. One is when we have it all lit up for New Years, and the other is when the star ship Durandal is docked. It comes in through the lake like a giant sky scraper.

I certainly hope I live to see it, or the equivalent. I doubt Ponyville will be pursuing a space program any time soon, but it's a tempting thought.

Thank you for the insights. [It's certainly helped him cheer up.]

I hope so too...humanity in my universe left Lost Jerusalem, or rather, Earth, about 4000 years ago before my time. Perhaps your time is close at hand. But, I hope that those in your universe do not lose the way home again, as we did.

[He is always happy to make other people happy!]

You never found it again? Or...is it no longer in existence?

I believe it still exists. We have a few theories as to its coordinates, but very few people have the resources, or the interest to go to such lengths.

Edited (Wording) 2015-03-25 04:02 (UTC)

If I were there, I'd probably be one of the fools trying. To connect to the origins of human life...

...or to see its future. Our individual lives may be small in the cosmic sense, but on a broader scale, life is extraordinary.

Isn't it? Life is so full of wonderful things! Bad things too of course, but the joy and sense of always things to do and see outweigh that for me.

No one can cram it all into one lifetime, so that's my cue to never waste a second.

Indeed. But remember to take some time to relax. You can't enjoy everything if you're burned out.

[Gaignun should really take his own advice on this one.]

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