propulsion | fade rift. inbox.

[ oh, miles likes tony already. cheerfully: ]

Offer more stimulating conversation on the subject of wormhole travel than the average Riftwatcher, probably. [ is that a word they use? it seems like it should be. ] Perhaps even contribute to the development of computing technology in Thedas, if such a thing is possible.

Uh huh.

[ Putting this guy in a room with Fitz should be interesting. ]

Anything's achievable. Is a thing that applied in my world, anyway. What'd you do in yours?

Space travel, terraforming, genetic engineering, the sort of medical tech that can transmute a pile of fetal goop into a walking human being. I'd say it applies.

And what's your take on the ethical implications involved in introducing advanced technology or even conceptualisation to a pre-industrial quasi-medieval fantasy world with enough problems on its hands?

--wait, nope, let's not with the essay section. Let's do multi-choice.

[ If he had a spinny chair, he'd be spinning in it. Instead, he at least sounds like he's lounging. ]

Are you A, no, god no, dear god don't tell them about indoor plumbing, because nukes might happen. B, what else are all the Kirkwall orphans doing with their time if not manning all these new factories we're gonna erect.

Or C, invent that bridge when we get to it.

[ miles, on the other hand, sounds like he's pacing, possibly up and down the walls. ]

As someone from a pre-industrial quasi-medieval planet who was subjected to just that scenario, I feel uniquely situated to answer that question. [ he starts talking awfully fast once he gets excited. this guy uhhhh hasn't had too much sleep lately ] It wasn't an easy transition. We had no warning of its coming, not really, just -- poof, horseback to spaceflight in the space of a single generation. The growing pains were -- are considerable. Even now, two generations later, we're still catching up to the galactic standard. But as said former pile of fetal goop who is now a walking human being, I can't say I'd prefer we stayed in the dark.

[ a shrug-sized pause. ]

But Thedas is not Barrayar, and I'm not considering the proposition lightly. But if it could improve quality of life and help the war effort, how ethical would withholding our knowledge be? It certainly merits discussion.

[ He should probably just have asked: so are you a nark or what.

Not that this isn't an interesting take so much as he hadn't planned on being interested very much. Tony listens, though, a keen head tilt for no one in the privacy of his office space.

After a moment to process, he asks; ]

Was it aliens?

[ miles lets out a genuine laugh at that. ]

Oh, nothing so exotic, nor as climactic, I'm afraid. Where I'm from, we use wormhole jump tech to get around. Shortly after the initial colonizing population settled on my planet, the only known wormhole route to our corner of space collapsed, and it was six or seven hundred years before anyone happened along another. Of course, in the meantime, the radiation from the collapse had destroyed what tech we had with it, and we were back to swords and horses, lords and ladies. Thedas is actually a bit familiar to me in that regard. Very old country.

Honestly, I think the galactic integration would have gone a lot better if we hadn't been invaded twenty years in, but apparently a planet of backwater barbarians is just too tempting a target for some people. Took us another twenty years to shake the Cetagandans so we could get back on track. A generational occupation puts a kink in things, too.

[ Well hot diggity. Fun ethical thought experiments aside, because that's just really to keep the kids busy, crayons and colouring books, Tony still listens with a certain amount of keenness he does not always have on reserve for just anybody. ]

Well. Your credentials check out. We can skip the references.

[ Is Miles being hired for something? Maybe! ]

But you should know that if you think the rift stuff is strictly wormholes, as in, Point A to point Z, it's more complicated than that. Speaking as a person who's seen a couple in my time, back home, up close and personal.

If you have a high tolerance for inexplicable bullcrap, we could use the, uh. What, stimulating conversation?

[ miles's tone of voice is that of someone VERY excited but trying to play it cool instead of jumping up and down raising his hand screaming YES PICK ME PICK ME

he is cool as a cucumber. sort of. almost. ]

Oh, I've got the tolerance. I've spent a lifetime building immunity to bullshit, particularly the inexplicable kind. [ there is a massive excited grin in his voice that he totally fails to hide. ] And I'd be happy to bring that conversation and more to the table if I'm offered a seat. I'll admit that I'm a solider myself, not a tech, but I had to study a fair bit of five-dimensional space math and wormhole science for ship navigation. I'm interested in hearing about your personal experiences with wormholes, too. Jump pilots say navigating through one is the wildest shit.

[ Ha ha ha. ]

It was wicked gnarly, for sure. Blacked out through some of it. Didn't use a ship, just a suit o' armor with rocket thrusters and the vacuum of space. It's not my favourite.

[ Not his favourite method, story, personal experience, take your pick. ]

It wasn't on purpose. I was just exploiting something the enemy'd set up to send invading forces through. Hence my aliens question earlier.

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