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Jan 16, 2014 1:53:51 GMT -5
Post by Digizel on Jan 16, 2014 1:53:51 GMT -5
Jet listened to the first of Dr. Porygon's words and, for the most part, ignored them. Particularly, he actively tried to ignore the lines about the lack of simulations or tests that had been run. He certainly didn't want to hear about any of that, since it was too late to turn back anyway. However, he could clearly see that the Doctor had wanted to pull off something like this for a long time now. He hadn't taken into consideration everything that he might have had to go through in his research. If the Creator or his goons had been breathing down the Doctor's neck his entire life simply due to his interest in astronomy, then this started to make a little bit more sense. And hopefully, as Dr. Porygon promised, they would get a better story and a better grasp of the situation in just a moment.
As the stars appeared just outside the window, and the irritating inability to move due to that pesky inertia and the gravitational forces due to the rocket's propulsion began to fade away, Jet let out a small sigh of relief. Despite the fears that were starting to grow inside of him about going into space all of a sudden, completely unprepared, he was more than grateful to be out of that deadly situation. He instinctively reached for the latch on his seat restraints, but then stopped himself. It would probably be best to wait for Dr. Porygon to give him an "okay" first. After all, the last thing he really needed was to get thrown around the ship by a sudden thrust or something of the sort. After all, he recalled that it was the staff in the airplanes back home that told them when it was safe to remove safety belts. And he trusted that the Doctor had at least researched that much in all this time.
When Dr. Porygon began to speak again after messing with the ship's trajectory some more, Jet felt more inclined to listen. After all, judging by his words, this was going to be more important to listen to. As the Porygon went on about his theory, Jet's eyes widened at the thought. If nothing else, the theory made logical sense and it was certainly plausible as far as Jet was concerned. But there seemed to be a few holes in the Doctor's reasoning...motive being just one of them. But what really brought the Doctor's words home was when he began describing some other solar system with eight or nine planets. Without a doubt, that observation lined up perfectly with the description of their own home planet, Earth. That made the connection much more solid and even more possible than before. But again, Jet had his doubts. Just because the solar system matched didn't necessarily mean this crazy theory was the truth. And now, the real, implied reason for the jump to space and the preparation of a space ship became clear to him.
"He's...trying to find some evidence," he murmured aloud once Dr. Porygon's screen had gone blank. As he spoke, he reached down to unlatch his safety restraints now that he had been given the green light to do so. He couldn't help but smile to himself at Tanen's statement, and he let out a small, audible chuckle. "Yes...I guess I could agree to that...." he replied. And that was saying a lot for him, considering a certain Zigzagoon he had somehow come to somewhat befriend. He unlatched the restraints and prepared himself for this strange, floating phenomenon that he had read so much about called "zero gravity"....
He immediately regretted it as he unintentionally but an extra bit of force in an attempt to push himself out of his seat. As a result, he went spinning slowly through the room, unintentionally in Tanen's direction. Due to his sudden, surprising lack of control over his body, he was overcome with a sudden fit of panic and he flailed his limbs around. He reached out everywhere he could for something to hold onto, but everything he touched seemed to slip right out of his paws before he could grab onto anything solid and he continued to float helplessly toward his Scizor friend.
"Ah! AH! H-help...! I-I can't stop! T-Tanen, Doctor, somebody get me down from here...!" he cried out desperately, his random flailing only throwing his spin even further out of his control.
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Jan 16, 2014 13:14:30 GMT -5
Post by Wombat on Jan 16, 2014 13:14:30 GMT -5
Tanen was just starting to recover from his own zero-gravity adventures when he looked up to see the Buizel floating uncontrollably toward him. Trying not to laugh at the fairly silly spectacle, he grabbed the top of his seat and pushed himself up to where Jet was. Once his friend was close enough, Tanen gently grabbed one of Jet's flailing arms and pulled him down toward the ground -- or, what was relatively considered the ground. With no gravity, he supposed there wasn't exactly any "ground" since there was no surface they were drawn toward.
"Hey, calm down! It's okay, I got you," he said, settling himself back down on the surface he was calling the ground and gripping the seat. Once Jet had gotten a chance to grab on as well, Tanen released him and shifted both hands to the task of not floating off. "I gotta say... I'm really not liking this zero gravity stuff. It's nauseating and confusing, and it's so easy to f*ck it up," he complained with a sigh. "Maybe the doctor knows how to deal with this stuff. I hope he can help us figure it out, cause I dunno about you but I'm not moving from this spot until he arrives."
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Jan 16, 2014 13:27:47 GMT -5
Post by Digizel on Jan 16, 2014 13:27:47 GMT -5
Jet continued to float and spin helplessly for a short while, continuing to flail his arms around and cry out. As the room he stood in spun slowly around him, he started feeling a strange sensation in his stomach. He was about to reach down to grab at his stomach as a result, bu the next thing he knew, he felt a claw grasp gently onto one of his arms. Once he realized that he wasn't really going anywhere now, and that the spinning had stopped, he looked down to see Tanen grabbing hold of him. The next moment, the Scizor was already lowering him near to the seat and Jet eagerly reached out to grab hold of some kind of solid surface.
Jet felt some kind of solid part of the seat slip into the palm of his paw and he gripped it to the best of his ability. He stabilized himself after a moment, grateful for being able to remain more or less stationary for now. He let out another loud sigh of relief. "Thank goodness, I'm saved...." he murmured. "Ooh, I think I'm gonna be sick...." He fought against the instinct to rub his stomach, as he knew that doing so would mean releasing his now-ironclad grip on the seat. He nodded back at Tanen's words, muttering a small "you've got that right...." of agreement. Hopefully, this wouldn't be an issue for too long. Hopefully...they would get used to this before they were attacked by something. After all, with his personal luck, that would be exactly what would happen to them now.
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Jan 16, 2014 16:00:11 GMT -5
Post by Blahsadfeguie on Jan 16, 2014 16:00:11 GMT -5
Before too long, a door at the front of the room opened. Dr. Porygon floated through it, having relatively little trouble with the zero-gravity environment. "So, how's life in zero-G treating you so far?" he joked, noting especially how Jet wasn't looking too well. "For what it's worth, I tried to address the problem of artificial gravity before launch, I just didn't have enough time to perfect it. What baffles me is that some Pokemon can control gravity to an extent with a simple move, yet the technology to recreate that is well beyond my current level of understanding! The only solution I came up with that would remotely simulate gravity is to have the ship rotate constantly, employing the use of centrifugal force, but unfortunately that would require either redesigning the whole ship, or constantly draining fuel to manually rotate using the ship's vector engines..."
It took him a moment to realize that he had been "pacing" around the room as he spoke, rotating around the walls and ceiling himself. "Oh, sorry, I nearly got carried away... literally. Porygon get around by hovering, as part of their virtual biology, so we're able to traverse anti-gravity environments with ease. In fact, I might be able to survive in a vacuum, if it came to that! But anyway, I'm sure you both have loads of questions for me, so ask away. After that, I'll give you both a quick tour of the ship! Not that there's much to see, really..."
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Jan 16, 2014 17:10:23 GMT -5
Post by Digizel on Jan 16, 2014 17:10:23 GMT -5
Jet's attention was quickly averted to the door on the opposite end of the room. He watched as Dr. Porygon floated relatively effortlessly into the room. Yeah, that was about what he had expected. Porygon didn't walk like normal Pokémon, after all, and were self-sustaining. They never needed gravity, so it only made sense that he would be unaffected. Or at least, so he had figured. But, the Doctor was right. He had certainly had a small handful of questions to the situation to ask...but the problem then became determining just what questions should be asked at such a time. Even then...first he had to overcome this sick feeling in his gut before he could think clearly enough to even remember the questions in the first place....
After a few moments of quiet, now that he had managed to gather his bearings, Jet looked at Dr. Porygon again and gave a small smile. "Yeah..." he murmured. "I have...a few." He waited a moment longer in an attempt to get his thoughts straight...and then looked across the room. On the opposite side was the chair he had been strapped to before. He had thought about the situation and now knew what needed to be done to move himself around. Thankfully, it wasn't that complicated. He angled himself just right...and pulled on the seat before releasing his grip.
As Jet expected, he moved toward the opposite side at a slow, gentle pace, while still maintaining his 'balance' in the air. It worked similarly to a slingshot, he noted. In order to get from place to place with nothing to stick to, he had to find some way to propel himself around. It was definitely a roundabout way of doing things, but it was the only thing that really seemed to work without some kind of artificial gravity.
Once Jet had reached his original seat, he reached out and grabbed hold of the safety restraints. With these in his grip, he was able to pull himself back down and into the seat. By placing his feet up against the back of the chair in front of him, since they were within reach, he was able to keep himself firmly pressed against his own. Then, he was able to strap himself back in once more. Once he was secure, he finally relaxed his muscles and smiled to himself. He had surprised even himself at how quickly he was able to get a hold of this zero gravity business....
"Now that I don't have to worry about floating off..." he said, looking over at Dr. Porygon. "I guess I should start with my biggest question. I can kind of...infer why you would destroy your Lab and why you're coming out into the vastness of space like this.... So then the most pressing question to me would be...what about supplies?" He crossed his arms and looked up, toward the ceiling of the ship...which was once the side of it. "I understand that you've collected yourself a cargo hold...and I assume that you've planned out that much. But...supplies can't last forever, no matter how much we have...let alone what little you could possibly store in a ship this size. How much do you have now and...how do you plan to restock, exactly, when we start running low?"
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Jan 16, 2014 18:20:00 GMT -5
Post by Blahsadfeguie on Jan 16, 2014 18:20:00 GMT -5
Dr. Porygon looked over at Jet knowingly. "Ah, I expected such a question," he began. "I've devoted about a third of the ship solely to cargo space. That'd be the entirety of the Beldum's 'head'. Some of that cargo is taken up by all of the inventions and blueprints I wished to preserve, but the rest is devoted to sustenance and amenities. I've ground up and treated a large volume of plant matter into a very efficient, hydrating and filling nutrient paste. I can't guarantee that it'll be pleasant, but the amount you will need to consume each day is relatively small, allowing for maximum longevity. I did pack a few boxes of raw, preserved berries, and several gallons of water, to be used sparingly, in case the taste becomes..." Porygon visibly shuddered, as if recalling the taste for himself. "...unbearable. According to my calculations, the food that we have should be enough to last us until we reach the planet that I mentioned, as long as we all stick to the feeding schedule. I'm running on the hopes that we could obtain supplies from the planet or its inhabitants if we need to travel anywhere else afterwards.
"I do have a couple of backup plans in the event of an emergency, however. Among the cargo is a small bottle of Shift Pills. If we're running low on supplies, you may take a pill in the hopes that you'll receive a Form that requires less, or no, sustenance. Magnemite, for example, survives entirely on electricity, if I recall, which is renewable on the ship thanks to a series of solar panels on the front. If that should fail, I have installed a number of pods with the capacity to cryogenically freeze their occupants, keeping them alive yet dormant until the destination is reached. I haven't extensively tested them, so there may be..." He paused, deciding not to elaborate. "...side-effects. But they should do as an ultimate last resort."
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Jan 16, 2014 19:45:06 GMT -5
Post by Digizel on Jan 16, 2014 19:45:06 GMT -5
Jet listened to Dr. Porygon's explanation and nodded constantly in his understanding. Every time Jet thought of an issue with the plan, he covered it, almost like he was right on cue. Perhaps the two of them thought on such a similar path? Perhaps there was more to the saying "Great minds think alike" than what he had ever truly given it credit for.
"If possible, we should avoid using Berries at all costs," Jet replied, nodding again for confirmation. "Judging from the Berries you brought to us before, it seems as though they could potentially be quite useful in upcoming battles. If a Rawst Berry can treat any burn, and the Sitrus Berries can restore energy in a pinch and so on, we could really need them in the future, if things start to go wrong. Even so, don't you think this is still a bit risky?" He unfolded his arms and put one of his paws to his jaw. "I mean...all these backup plans seem like a good idea, but...well, for starters, your idea about Shift Pills. In my travels, I've learned all about these different Forms, and from what I've learned from helping you with Lab work. It was my understanding that no person could keep themselves stable with more than six forms. Even running under the assumption that you prepared Form Vials to keep extra Forms in...we run the very same danger, don't we? If something happens, and even some of our storage gets captured...that could potentially give an enemy any Vials we may have filled, and wouldn't that simply make our situation worse?
"But even more than that, even taking the cryogenic freezing idea into account...even ignoring the potentially dangerous side-effects that you mentioned, there are too many issues at hand. Like...what if something goes wrong and they fail? What if they break? Or what if they do work as planned, what if something attacks while we're in there? We don't know anything about what's out here...for all we know, there could be...I don't know, pirates or something occasionally flying around. Plus, what about the possibility of cloaking technology?"
Jet finally took a moment to stop and breathe. He knew that he was getting carried away...but he couldn't help himself. he continued to spout off ever little thing that came to his mind...and he couldn't control his mouth and he just continued talking. He tried to put on a brave front...and he tried to feel like this was nothing. But...there were too many uncertainties and variables here. They were in the middle of a void that he knew virtually nothing about. This was something he was not used to...even worse to him than his usual feeling of helplessness in battle situations. In his mind...so much could go wrong, and they didn't even have a guarantee that Dr. Porygon was right in his original theory. He trusted Dr. Porygon, and he knew that Porygon had surely thought of the same risks as himself...but even so....
Now that everything had settled down, and all immediate threats and dangers were gone, Jet could feel his chest tightening. If something happened to them out here...nobody would know. To the world below, they would have simply disappeared...perhaps victims of a laboratory bombing even. And all of his friends...none of them would have any idea.
Jet had suddenly been besieged with the most powerful sense of fear that he had ever felt in his life...and he had no clue how he could cope with it.
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Jan 16, 2014 21:02:42 GMT -5
Post by Blahsadfeguie on Jan 16, 2014 21:02:42 GMT -5
Dr. Porygon listened to Jet speak, taken aback by the quantity of questions and concerns raised by his long-winded explanation. He had all but forgotten his own similar worries about this sudden trip into the unknown, and by the time Jet was finished, his expression was reflected in the doctor's own face. He looked down, searching himself for any potential answers that would satisfy the Buizel, but he wasn't so sure he could even find anything to satisfy himself at this rate. "Well, uh... you have every right to be concerned about all of those things," Porygon replied, obviously stalling. "And... in response to your concerns... er..."
The more he thought about it, the more he realized that the decision to blast off may have been overly hasty. As much as he wanted to keep up his illusion of confidence, in the end, that was the area in which he lacked most of all. He loosened up with a long sigh, surrendering. "Okay, truth be told, I'm just as worried as you are," he admitted. "This is my first time in space as well, and no amount of preparation could have ensured that we'll survive this trip, let alone the meager amount of time we had before Fred attacked. There is so much that can, and perhaps will go wrong." He turned away, gazing out the window towards the stars. "I, for one, had little to lose by embarking on this trip. All of my important work is on board the ship, and you two are just about the only friends I can honestly say I have. The longer I would have stayed, the more chances the Creator would have had to shoot me down. With the lab destroyed, there is no reason for me to return. But as for you two... I selfishly dragged you along with me, without bothering to ask if you were okay with coming along. Sure, we didn't have much of a choice at the time, but... you had infinitely more reasons to stay. If anything happens to either of you because of this rashness on my part... I don't know if I could live with myself."
He looked down at the glimmering marble of a planet over which the ship flew. "Perhaps it's not too late. Perhaps I could bring us in for a landing and drop you off. I'm already committed to making this trip myself, and I probably can do it alone, but..." He turned his head, looking at Jet and Tanen with the protective eyes of a guardian. "I'm not taking you anywhere unless you're willing to go, and understand the risks involved. I'm sure you'd be very interested to know if that planet really is your original home, and if so, I want to give you the chance to return to it. I will do everything in my power to get you there in one piece. But if you fear that you might not make it, or that it'll turn out to be a red herring, I won't force you to go. I would like nothing more than to see you both safe and happy, wherever you choose to be. So, it's up to you. Will you come with me?" Having presented them with a choice, Porygon felt as though a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Regardless of their response, he knew that he would be doing whatever was best for them.
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May 28, 2014 9:34:36 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Wombat on May 28, 2014 9:34:36 GMT -5
Tanen watched the discussion with a vague sense of helplessness, feeling half of it fly over his head and the other half instill the same sense of worry Jet and Dr. Porygon shared. But then the Doctor presented a choice, and Tanen finally felt he could breathe again without all those words pressing in. He realized that his grip on the seat next to him had been steadily tightening throughout the conversation, coming close to slicing into the seat. He let go with a hint of embarrassment and pushed off the ground to land in the seat. Spreading his wings against the sides of the seat to anchor himself there, he looked from Porygon to Jet, then out at the shrinking planet. "Alright, now that you smart people are done leaving me in the dust," he started with a weak smile, "speaking for myself... I don't care what the risks are. I liked living in DN2, but I always felt kinda like I was living a lie. Back home... Well, back as a human at least, I was kind of a horrible person. I never liked what I was doing and I still don't, but I also kinda felt that being turned into a Pokemon in some other dimension was a cheap get-out-of-jail-free card and I... Y'know, I felt I never earned the right to be a good person." He paused, taking a deep breath and staring intensely at the ground. He hadn't meant to open up like that, but he guessed it wasn't the worst thing that could've happened. He trusted these guys, if anyone could understand, they would. Finally allowing himself to meet the others' eyes, he settled his gaze on Dr. Porygon. "Anyway, count me in." And while he didn't say it out loud for the sake of Jet's decision, he figured that going back would only be returning to a duel with Fred. Considering that the guy had as close to anger as he ever got directed straight at Tanen, the Scizor figured maybe it was best to stay the hell away. At this point, for good.
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May 28, 2014 17:20:20 GMT -5
Post by Digizel on May 28, 2014 17:20:20 GMT -5
Jet simply stood there, paws down in front of his body and looking down toward the spaceship's floor and simply listened to Dr. Porygon's response. So, he was having similar feelings, was he? Well then, perhaps the doctor did actually understand everything he was thinking. But then again, how could he? He meant no offense to the doctor of course, but Jet had been through so much since his original arrival in this new world of his. He had met many bad Pokémon, sure...but he had met many new friends as well. Dr. Porygon only ever worked by himself in the laboratory, other than with his lab assistants such as that one Dratini.
However, it was what came next in Dr. Porygon's speech that caught Jet's attention. His eyes widened slightly and he looked up to meet Dr. Porygon's gaze. So the doctor did really care about his well-being that much, did he? And part of what he was doing was apparently for his and Tanen's sake as well? He had never thought about that before. He had just thought that this was mostly for exploration's sake. "Doctor...." he murmured lowly once he had finished speaking. He looked down again, now completely unsure of his decision. How could he make a choice here? He could either return to the life he had become accustomed to or he could stay with Dr. Porygon and potentially even return to his previous life. He had to admit, they were both rather tempting....
When Tanen was the first to speak up, Jet looked up and glanced at him next. Tanen's initial quip went ignored, but he paid closer attention to the rest of his own mini-speech. But his eyes went wide once again as Tanen continued to talk and reveal his inner thoughts. Jet had never heard these things from him before. Tanen had told him before that he has done several things that he wasn't proud of in the past, but that was all he usually ever got. To suddenly open up like this while they were all alone in a spaceship told him volumes about their relationship. And on top of that, Tanen was more than willing to face his problems, rather than running away from them as he apparently had when he had first become a Pokémon. It was an amazing thought.
"...That's why I've always looked up to you, Tanen," Jet replied with a small smile. "Not only are you strong...but you're so cool and brave. Much more courageous than I think I ever am." He looked back down toward the ground of the ship again, stopping to think about everything that had been said. Dr. Porygon was willing to take this journey, despite all of the worries about everything that could potentially go wrong. And Tanen wanted to go and face his past and take the risks no matter what. They both seemed so brave. Was he simply...acting like a coward? He knew that there was no cowardice in wanting to stay with his other friends, but he still started to feel like one here. Tanen had changed since arriving in this new world. That was clear to him. But, was he still the same wimp as he was when he had first arrived? Perhaps a little bit stronger, yes, but even so....
"...I...I need to be brave too," he murmured at last. "I need to be strong like you, Tanen, and brave like you both. I've already taken my first step down this path and I...I don't think I should take it back. I should face everything together with my friends. I need to move forward and not keep holding myself back." He then looked up at Dr. Porygon, his fearful look seeming to have metamorphosed into one with more certainty. He then nodded. "You...you can count me in too after all." he finished.
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May 28, 2014 18:27:53 GMT -5
Post by Blahsadfeguie on May 28, 2014 18:27:53 GMT -5
Dr. Porygon was overwhelmed with joy and relief from Tanen and Jet's positive responses. Even after his sudden decision to travel across the galaxy and bring them along for the ride, both of them were content and eager with returning to their old dimension... or planet, or whatever... and revisiting their previous lives. Despite the clear risks of such a long and hasty journey, including the fact that the planet he discovered might not even be their homeworld, they had faith in him and in each other that they could make it the whole way. In that moment, he knew that even if they didn't make it, or it turned out to be a completely different system, the idea of venturing into the unknown as a trio of close friends would make the entire excursion worthwhile. It was enough to bring a tear to the doctor's eye.
"Thank you..." he uttered. "It is such a relief to hear that you both are with me on this. When I detonated the lab, I knew that there was no going back for me, and I was afraid I might have to go this path alone... but with you two at my side, I can rest assured that it was the best decision I have ever made." He cast his gaze to the stars again, this time with a look of determination and eagerness to fly among them. "No matter what we find out there, I want you to know that there is no one else with whom I would rather find it."
He paused, staring out into space, letting the feeling sink in. He was leaving his old life behind, and everything he had to show for it was nestled in the cargo hold of his most ambitious invention. A fresh start awaited him and his friends. A brand new adventure. He wondered if this must have been what it felt like for Jet and Tanen, when they entered Dimension Number 2 for the first time...
"Ah..." he sighed wistfully, returning to the present time and facing the Buizel and Scizor. "Pardon me. I was just reflecting on our past and anticipating our future... but we'll have plenty of time to do that on the way. Let's get down to business." He resumed his air of authority and wisdom befitting that of a ship's captain. "It will take approximately three hours for the ship to reach the ideal position in orbit to achieve a proper trajectory for our target system. During that time, I will first show you around and inform you of the location of all important facilities, including your quarters. You may then get settled in, but when I make the announcement that I am starting the escape burn, please make your way back to the passenger cabin. Any time the ship is under acceleration, you will want to be buckled in, but otherwise you are free to move around and do whatever you wish. Any questions before we begin the tour?"
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May 28, 2014 20:52:11 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Wombat on May 28, 2014 20:52:11 GMT -5
Tanen almost laughed when Jet spoke of his admiration for Tanen's bravery and strength. "Yeah, well, it's taken some practice. I used to be the biggest coward around... Still am. But I guess I've sorta learned how to get tough or something," he replied with a frown. His attention shifted to Dr. Porygon when the scientist spoke up. "I have a question. Any ideas for how to manage in this zero-G crap?
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May 29, 2014 3:25:25 GMT -5
Post by Digizel on May 29, 2014 3:25:25 GMT -5
Jet couldn't help but smile at Dr. Porygon as he started talking about his own feelings about the whole thing. He couldn't help but feel somewhat happy that his decision was making the doctor this glad and relieved. It took a rather large weight off of his shoulders to see such a grateful reaction. The Porygon may have been going a little bit overboard with his words there, but it didn't really matter that much. They had much more important things to focus on for now. Jet had never really been the adventurous type; he would have been content simply staying and working at the lab for the rest of his life while at the same time following his original mission of helping his other friends. But now he was certainly in a situation in which he would have never even dreamed would happen to him. "I think perhaps you might be exaggerating a little bit, Doctor." Jet replied. "But thank you regardless. And yes, you're right, we should perhaps get down to business."
It wasn't until Tanen mentioned something that he realized he was still floating in place. For some reason, the thought had just...left him. But now that the realization had set in, he only clung even more tightly to the seat, to the point where he seemed to be bear-hugging it. All of that spinning and floating in the middle of the air was so disorienting that he certainly wanted to avoid it as much as he could. He knew that he would have to learn to adjust to it eventually, but...he desperately hoped that that time would not necessarily be now. He nodded at last toward Tanen. "I-I agree with him," he murmured, refusing to let up even slightly on his grip on the only seat keeping him from spinning off. "Th-the last thing I need to worry about is getting stuck in my quarters by myself and not being able to figure out how to leave."
Jet then hesitated for a moment longer before deciding to add, "A-and you, erm...m-maybe wouldn't have happened to, um...had time to create some kind of...artificial gravity device or something, have you? Th-that would certainly make everything a lot easier...." He then gulped once again; the sheer thought of him spinning out of control like he had the moment after unbuckling himself was practically enough to make him queasy....
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May 29, 2014 3:56:52 GMT -5
Post by Blahsadfeguie on May 29, 2014 3:56:52 GMT -5
Dr. Porygon emitted another sigh of relief, though not nearly as intense as the previous one, upon hearing that Jet and Tanen's most prominent concern at this time was the lack of gravity. He had expected something much more grave or difficult to answer. He cleared his throat, or whatever the virtual Pokemon had in one's place, and spoke. "Ah, yes, the zero G environment," he repeated. "It's really not that difficult at all to navigate, once you get accustomed to it. My physiology allows me to counteract gravity without so much as a conscious thought, so I imagine spending enough time in such an environment would allow you to do the same. You see... the main thing to remember is..."
He stopped, realizing his train of thought ran out of tracks at that moment. "...Huh. You know, to be honest, I never really gave it a conscious thought. I always just sort of... had that ability. Funny, I over-analyze everything else." He gave a nervous, practically forced laugh as he tried to make himself look less awkward.
"Well. I suppose I would have to agree, everything would be easier if we had some sort of artificial gravity." He began to pace the room again. "I believe I mentioned this before, but I attempted to create an artificial gravity unit for the ship, but could never figure out how to get it to work. I barely knew where to start! A far from finished version is installed on the ship in its own compartment. It currently does... well, nothing at all, but I brought it anyway on the off-chance that I have an epiphany or stumble across some alien technology, and we can get it working mid-flight. That's all we can hope for, really. Until then, just..." He stopped moving, trying to work out the best advice to give. "Try not to think about it too much? I guess?" He gave a motion resembling a shrug. "Just focus on where you're going, rather than the process of getting there. You'll get used to it eventually... or at least, that's my hypothesis."
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May 29, 2014 18:49:03 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Wombat on May 29, 2014 18:49:03 GMT -5
Well, great. Tanen frowned slightly at Dr. Porygon's answer, still thoroughly unwilling to dislodge his wings from the seat. "Oh, good. That's real helpful," he grumbled sourly. Well, nothing for it but to give it a shot. He carefully pushed off lightly from the seat and found himself gliding slowly across the room. "Well, how about that? Looks like if you're careful you move in a pretty straight line," he mused, looking around him. He twitched his wings a bit and found that with no weight to keep his heavy steel body anchored to the ground, the wings actually pushed off the air and altered his course. "Cool! They're not useless any more!" Looked like Scizor was here to stay for a while, at least as long as there was no gravity. Tanen reached the row of seats across the room and latched on, then turned to face his friends. "Hey, Jet! You should try it, it's not so bad after all!"
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Beyond
Jun 26, 2014 14:06:55 GMT -5
Post by Digizel on Jun 26, 2014 14:06:55 GMT -5
Jet let out an audible gulp as listened to Dr. Porygon explain...absolutely nothing. He had a suggestion or two, but due to his physiology, he didn't actually have to worry about it himself. He had always kind of defied gravity before, so having no gravity didn't seem to be causing him any problems. Well...as great as that was for him, that didn't resolve Jet's problems any more than it had before. On the bright side, at least Dr. Porygon had tried to work on an artificial gravity, and even brought the unfinished project with him. Maybe with any luck, that could get finished before too long...although he wasn't about to hold his breath about that. He was almost starting to regret his decision to stay already....
When Tanen pushed off, seemingly able to take control of the lack of gravity almost instantaneously, Jet watched him with a small amount of envy. He watched as Tanen worked some kind of magic with his wings to get them to work for him as well. He thought about it and he started to wonder if he might perhaps be able to use his tail in a similar manner. Unfortunately for him, though, he was not about to try to experiment on his own anytime soon. Not with that feeling of nausea still planted in his memory. "N-n-n-no way...!" Jet stammered, still gripping the seat just as tightly. "J-just because y-you could get it to work d-doesn't mean I can...!"
Honestly, he wasn't sure why this was affecting him as much as it was. Perhaps it had to do with feeling out of control of his own body that caused him to panic. Whatever the case, he maintained a death grip on the seat, not wanting to go anywhere. If Tanen or Dr. Porygon wanted him to go anywhere, they were going to have to pry him off.
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Beyond
Jun 26, 2014 17:29:26 GMT -5
Post by Blahsadfeguie on Jun 26, 2014 17:29:26 GMT -5
Dr. Porygon breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Tanen get the hang of it pretty quickly. He didn't think it would be too hard to figure out if he had been doing it himself without thinking. Unfortunately, Jet didn't seem to want to even give it a try. It was almost silly to Porygon how much the Buizel was afraid of zero gravity. He'd have to do a better job of convincing him that it was easy and safe.
Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, he tried again. "Now, Jet," he began, "There's nothing to be afraid of. Zero gravity is simple physics; it's entirely predictable. There's no risk of crashing violently into a wall or another object if you take it easy. You'd suffer a slight bruise at worst. Furthermore, you need not worry about stranding yourself in the middle of open space. Your momentum from pushing off of a surface will carry you to the next..."
But he wasn't sure if that would be enough. Suddenly, an idea struck him. "You COULD think about it from a different perspective. Instead of trying to launch yourself across the ship, think of it as though you are immovable, floating in place. The ship is as light as cardboard, and you can move the entire thing yourself by kicking it. Try to focus on moving the ship so that the area you want to be in comes to you."
Knowing Jet, even that might not work. "And if you're still having trouble," Porygon tried, "you could always close your eyes."
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Beyond
Jun 26, 2014 20:28:58 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Wombat on Jun 26, 2014 20:28:58 GMT -5
Tanen paused in testing his wings as Jet spoke. The Scizor examined his friend with concern, wondering why he was just so damn opposed to even trying to move around. Dr. Porygon's advice seemed sound, but Tanen wasn't sure that Jet would be convinced. Maybe if he offered his own two cents, the Buizel might allow himself to take some risks.
"How about if I give you a hand? I can... I dunno, float nearby and catch you if it doesn't work?" He crossed his arms with a frown. "C'mon, man, even if it's uncomfortable you gotta do it. Not like you can stay here the entire time we're in space. That would get real old, real fast."
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Beyond
Jun 26, 2014 21:30:01 GMT -5
Post by Digizel on Jun 26, 2014 21:30:01 GMT -5
Jet clung to the seat like his life depended on it. He didn't even turn around to look at Dr. Porygon as he started to offer more advice. He did still listen to the doctor's words of course. It was certainly reasonable enough. However, there was still a little bit of wind resistance in this ship. After all, as long as there was air to breathe, there would be a force against his acceleration. It was only in the vacuum of space itself where he would probably continue endlessly. Or at least, that's how he had always understood it. In which case, he could still potentially end up in the middle of someplace without being able to right himself for a while without going through more ridiculous motions. But then again, perhaps Dr. Porygon, who had been studying astronomy, would have a better grasp of things...at least in the theoretical sense.
"I-I don't think closing my eyes would help me much, Doctor...." Jet murmured. He doubted not being able to see where he was going was going to help him one bit.
But when Tanen spoke up, he could hear a small hint of...something in his tone that made him look toward the Steel-type. Was it mild disappointment? Annoyance? He couldn't really place it, but he didn't really like the sound of it much. "...A-alright, I...I guess y-you're right...." He let out an audible sigh and his grip on the chair slackened slightly. "...A-as long as you can help..." With that, he finally released his grip on the chair, allowing himself to sort of...simply float there.
Oh great...he was already slightly disoriented and he hadn't even started moving yet. He had never felt anything like this before. If it weren't for the way the furniture and everything had been set up around him, he probably would have even had a harder time distinguishing up from down. But now wasn't the time to think too much on that. He needed to get this working in his head. Tanen was definitely right...he couldn't just float here forever. So, he thought back to Dr. Porygon's advice. 'I can move the ship around, huh...? he thought to himself. He then reached out and grabbed the chair, pulling it closer to him again. Of course in reality, he was pulling himself closer to it. He then turned himself around, planting his feet against it. "W-well...here goes nothing...!" he muttered, aiming himself in Tanen's general direction--so that it would be easier for him to reach if necessary--before kicking off at last.
...With much greater force than what was necessary. Jet ended up launching himself faster than he had anticipated, and he was aimed straight toward Tanen. Taken by surprise by the sudden amount of speed he had given himself compared to what he had seen Dr. Porygon and Tanen glide so easily at, he instinctively followed Dr. Porygon's next line of advice...and shut his eyes, simply hoping that he didn't end up hurting himself. "AH...!" he suddenly shouted frantically, starting to wave his arms around frantically and uselessly. "Wh-what do I do now...!?"
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Beyond
Jun 26, 2014 21:56:07 GMT -5
Post by Wombat on Jun 26, 2014 21:56:07 GMT -5
"Of course I'm right," replied Tanen with a playful grin, hoping to lighten the mood. He hated being hard on his friend but sometimes Jet really needed the extra push. He watched Jet's initial movements tensely, willing his friend to find the courage to figure it out.
Jet looked like he was doing more or less okay, that is until he pushed off. Tanen suddenly found a panicked Buizel zipping toward him rather quickly, and braced himself for impact. He backed up to the seat behind him so he wouldn't be sent shooting off into the air, and spread his arms to grab Jet once he hit. His friend smacked into him hard, making the Scizor quite glad for the cushioned seat behind him. He gripped the seat with one claw and wrapped his other arm around his flailing friend. "Woah, easy there, Jet!"
Tanen moved to set his friend down by the seat next to him, careful to keep his own grip. "Hey, that was pretty good! Just, uh... a little fast? Maybe try just pushing off next time, instead of kicking off."
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