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audio 🌌 un: altius

Good morning, everyone. My name is Altius, and I'm happy to announce the Aldrip branch of SolMed has been established. We're a medical technology company that covers a broad range of products and services, but we'd like to work towards whatever might be needed here most. I know a number of Chosen have specialty prostheses or other assistive devices that may need maintenance, for instance, and we're always glad to work with doctors and other providers to provide new tools or equipment for their practice.

I've only been here a short time, of course, so please let me know what sort of things would best help you.

Although I'm satisfied enough with the current staff to make this announcement, we'd also welcome anyone interested in joining the company, whether it be in delivery, manufacturing, record keeping, or research and development. I'm sure we could find a spot for you, whatever your skills.

Similarly, given the smaller scale here, I'm free to offer our engineering and chemistry labs for rent, with some caveats. They're state of the art in terms of my world, where devices like these tablets are common, and while they lack any magical aspect, I'd be interested to see how we could improve them.

[phew! He takes a breath. CEO announcement over, now he can turn to less official comments:]

... when I'd heard of buildings from our worlds appearing, I admit I didn't expect my company, of all things. I can promise I've ensured everything is working as smoothly as possible.

[His tone turns serious again, though more on the somber end:]

Ah, but there's something else I wanted to discuss. Though I wasn't sure if the locals would notice what happened last month, it seems their awareness is worse than I expected, given the state of the city. Would anyone be interested in helping to organize cleanup and rebuilding?

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I will unabashedly take advantage of your good mood then

[He will take as many free lunches as he can get away with, thanks pal—]

I could make time today
Perhaps in an hour or two

[Giving notice in a vague way is still giving notice, please expect him At Some Point.]

[Yes, of course. Octavian will "take advantage" of his mood, that's what's happening, definitely.]

I'll look forward to your visit. Give the secretary in front your name and she'll direct you to the right floor.

[Then Octavian can feel like he's getting a little extra time alone to inspect the labs without feeling like Altius is hovering over his shoulder, if he likes. That's what the cameras are for, anyway!]

[It's totally happening, why wouldn't it be happening, Octavian totally knows what he's doing—]

Fantastic
I hope there are visitor badges

[You know, because it would be funny. Regardless, he will be along in due time, and he will come... more solidly, making use of his new summon-body spell for this special occasion of a laboratory tour. He doesn't move quite right in the flesh body - it's not entirely a skeleton-and-muscles operation going on, in there - but he looks for all intents and purposes like an only slightly uncanny normal human man.

Who doesn't have real bones. No matter. Surely Altius' secretary will be polite enough to ignore this. And could he have mentioned this sooner? Probably! But oh well now! He'll make his way upstairs and linger, occasionally reaching out to touch things just to put his hands on them. Hmm!]

[Alas, the secretary must disappoint him with no badge for now, though Altius is taking notes—she gives the newly bevesseled spirit a surly and suspicious look but nonetheless directs him to the floor which is indeed the lab in question.

It's a lab, with a significant part dedicated to scanning technology, but several stations for chemistry testing and synthesizing. I don't know what to tell you, I'm not a scientist. Aside from a couple of masked workers checking on the machines, it's mostly empty right now—at least until Altius finally makes his way up though the elevator and towards Octavian.

Between the ghost's inspection of the equipment and the window that gives them a view of Aldrip's... bay? gulf? whatever, Altius doesn't feel too bad making him wait.

With clear interest in his voice:]

You're looking remarkably more solid, Mr. Howe.

[Real Scientists Know, this a cool lab and stuff. Octavian is used to a level of technology that is slightly to the left, as it were, given the presence of magic and alchemy back home. But it's a lovely place, and it's with a mixture of curiosity about those differences and delight at a proper lab environment that he roams around to poke at things.

Respectfully, of course. He wouldn't dare interrupt any of the machines or equipment currently in use, goodness no.

He's by the window when Altius comes in and he is enjoying the view, turning to look over his shoulder when spoken to.]

I am feeling remarkably more solid, lately, [he says, and he pivots on his heel to do a little half-twirl about it, for the joy of being solid and the bonus smaller joy of hearing his own steps make noise against the floor. It isn't much of a graceful spin, and he doesn't know what to do with his hands, but he still does it.

Tada! Behold his solid state and ability to do a little spin!!]

I have been given a gift, it seems. As have you. This is nice.

[The little spin draws a laugh out of Altius; on some level, Octavian's clear enjoyment of his current state is contagious, even if his true feelings over the ghost center around dismal pity.

That part stays solidly invisible to anyone outside his mind, however.]

Congratulations. And thank you. Do you think this world is trying to placate us after that mess with the weeklong night?

[His tone is light, joking; as serious as all that may have been, he'd currently prefer to focus on other things. Of more interest is the fact that Octavian was apparently given this, in the way that his own business suddenly appeared. They were both working towards their respective goals, only to have it dropped into their laps? He doesn't know that he likes it, but that stays out of his demeanor, as well.

He gestures at Octavian's... all of him.]

How long have you had with this?

[This much out of Octavian is practically giddiness; he may not actually be bouncing off the walls, but a spring in his step is close enough. He wants to put his hands on everything, just because he can! For the moment, he settles for leaning back against the windowsill.]

It has been about a day. But placated. No. Root believes we earn the right to make requests... of whichever AI is in control now, I suppose. With enough longevity.

[But he makes a face, wry, like he doesn't entirely believe that, even if it's worked for her before. The sheer scale of it, his body, Altius' building, feels like too much to be a simple request or placation.

Which means it must be something more sinister, of course.]

A distraction, perhaps. Despite myself, I've little interest in anything besides my own flesh at the moment. That much worked easily.

[Not that he was doing anything to unpack this place's mysteries, or unravel it to escape... but he did help to reset the AI previously, so... a delayed distraction from further action? Hmm.]

A right to requests? [he echoes as he steps beside Octavian, not bothering to hide his disbelief. The truth is that he's also received another gift from home that only served to remind him of the urgency of returning, but that will remain personal, for now.] That's a rather optimistic spin to it.

[It's definitely sinister! They're on the same page. Nevertheless, even a gift horse has its uses.]

Only for the moment, I'm sure. [He believes in your tenacity, deceased friend.] But it would be foolish to not use what chances we're given, don't you think? With the appropriate caution.

Edited 2024-12-21 02:27 (UTC)

It is, isn't it. She tends to be.

[Even as much as she openly extols the virtues of manipulating the hell out of other people, Root is such a positive and bubbly person! He's a fan. He's downright endeared as he says this; even if she's wrong in the end, it's an idea.

He turns around to look out the window again, fidgety. New body problems.]

With this, I can refine the work. Perhaps even complete it, and liberated from dependence on the "gifts" entirely... hm. [Hm! He gives a little shrug! He's eager to get to work, but he's not going to rush it. It will happen.] So I will not be making any requests of my own. As it were.

[Can't be shackled to a debt if he's only taking handouts! It will work!]

[Octavian says it with a near-friendly affect in the woman's direction, but Altius doesn't know that he can agree with or admire that sort of sentiment with regards to their apparent captors. Even his manufactured personality can only stretch so far.

He watches the other man as he turns.]

Understandably, [he says in agreement;] I prefer to work towards my own successes, rather than have them handed to me.

[Otherwise, he has to wonder what the gifting party expects from him—what conditions will he have to fulfill, and at what point will it be revoked? He's not going to stop at this little dollhouse version of his company, himself.]

But speaking of refinement— [He gestures to the lab with a simple turn of his hand.] Would you say any of this might help you with that?

[It's the optimism, it gets to him. She's probably wrong, but that's not that important.

In any case, speaking of having things handed out, hm,] I still have no means of paying your rent.

[He hasn't even been quoted a number, but he is flat broke. Ghosts don't need money and Octavian doesn't get day jobs, that's ridiculous. Altius has been, hm, pleasant and agreeable, but he also runs a business - and Octavian knows businessmen don't really just loan out their spaces for free, to be friendly.

But if he's wrong, let him know ASAP, he'd love that illustrious free lunch. He looks over his shoulder at the lab, a sweeping glance, then looks back out the window.]

These facilities are immaculate. My work is not precisely aligned, but it would not be much of an impediment.

[No means? Altius has no expectations that a dead man finds any value or interest in currency; quoting numbers was never his intent. He tilts his head, lowering his hand to put it on his hip.]

Surely you don't think that's true, Mr. Howe.

[For such an apparently smart man, it's a rather strict assumption. He intends to correct it, though not harshly.]

I have no shareholders or board members to appease with endless profits, and there are things far more valuable to me than this city's coins. Your expertise, for instance.

[The smaller scale will be and already has been a change from what he knows, to be sure, but one thing he absolutely has no complaints about is the freedom to use the company's assets how he sees fit.]

[Shareholders and a board, eugh, even the very thought of those is enough to make him grimace. This is why he's never been the public face of any business, he has the anti-personality suited to dealing with shareholders and boards. Being behind the scenes is much, much better.

That said: hmm, his expertise, is it. Interesting. He's admittedly curious.]

What for? What are you working on in all of these facilities?

[What it comes down to...]

Survival. [But that's not a full answer, so he continues.] We face a number of unnatural dangers here. I have no concrete ideas yet—only that I want to make it easier for us when those dangers appear.

[And as far as what Octavian specifically asked:]

We have no active development right now, and the diagnostic machines and basic supplies we already make can only do so much in a simulated prison. I want to be able to provide something more directly useful.

[Survival is a living people problem, he thinks, but— Well, he did tag along during the reset of the AI. Is he looped in with the living, for specifically simulated survival? Hm.

Well, regardless. Supplies, production...]

What do you want me to do? With my expertise.

[Yeah, and they all apparently revive if they die, but that's not what he's really getting at—he has no doubt there will be risks to ghosts like Octavian just the same as the rest of them. The less they have to worry about recovering from that, the more time they can spend on learning how to escape this place. He's become more serious, as this subject is more to the truth of why this miniature copy of his company is of any interest to him at all.]

Help me develop better ways to heal people—or prevent harm in the first place. It could be as simple as teaching my staff things you've already done, and letting them do the busy work. You could tell me how to integrate what you know with what we have. Or you could work here on a more regular basis, should that appeal to you.

[He's not expecting much from the latter, but he wants the idea to be out in the open.]

I'm willing to offer more than just use of the labs, depending. As I said, I'm open to negotiation.

[Heal people and prevent harm, well, he isn't a doctor, so that's a bit of an unexpected ask. Even setting that aside, to Octavian this sounds like a bunch of different requests-or-maybe-offers at once, which is too many.

And, ew, getting a real job? Unpleasant.]

You intend to trust alchemy as a legitimate practice? [Because again, not a doctor, so it's got to be that. And he's wry about asking it, after the endless litany of "buhhhh but alchemy is fake" comments he's gotten from people in Aldrip.

But okay. Sure, healing people, preventative measures. He is not opposed to these things, objectively.] What else are you offering?

Should I not? [It's a flippant question, rhetorical, equally wry. He folds his arms.] We've been abducted to a false world where demons, witches and ghosts are known and accepted as reality. Alchemy as a valid science is not a difficult leap to make.

[So yeah, if he'd immediately gotten here and heard Octavian talk about alchemy, maybe he would have questioned it then. There's no point to it now.]

Pay in coins. Resources for your work. Are you still in need of a consistent source of blood?

Edited (hey why did that go away when i backspaced) 2025-01-05 04:35 (UTC)

[Octavian doesn't laugh outright, but he makes a face and smirks briefly in a laugh-ish way. Tell him how you really feel, bud.]

You have a refreshing lack of endlessly questioning these things.

[High praise, honestly. If only everyone could adopt the same "this might as well happen" mentality, and really quickly too, so Octavian could stop having to explain himself. Alas.

In any case, with a slight dip of his head in acknowledgement,] I am always interested in consistent sources. Are you offering personally?

Ah. And I would expect more clearly defined expectations for the nature of my assistance. Of course. [He waves a hand, blah blah, paperwork, anyway,] But the question first.

I don't need to question things I already have the answer to.

[Clearly alchemy works for Octavian. He doesn't particularly care about the mechanics of it. What would be the point? Never mind that he's already gone through "this might as well happen" as a teenager, so this is just an extension of that experience. Whether it's more or less unpleasant is yet to be seen.]

I am, yes. I have no one else's to offer. [That would be unethical and messy, among other things—even if he could technically do it without any trouble on the front end.]

I'll be certain to write you a contract once we've come to an agreement. We can start with this: I'd like you to tell me how you would improve or add to the equipment here.

[Oh good, he's offering his own blood, that's so ethical of him. Not that Octavian aims to put out "but whose blood is it?" as some kind of a morality test, but if he'd offered his employees or some kind of blood bank as an available resource, well, that would be a reason to just leave, wouldn't it?

So, lucky. Ethical blood donation. Negotiations are still on. He looks towards the nearest table of equipment, considering.]

Doable. I could compose a list of suggestions. And then?

[Using his own blood as a method of payment is certainly new, but it's nothing he has hesitations about—with his own healing magic, it would hardly make a difference. He just wants to make sure he's getting something worthwhile out of it.

He watches Octavian's attention shift. His mannerisms may be odd, but that doesn't mean Altius can't learn how to read him.]

Share your alchemical knowledge. Specifically regarding whatever related equipment you might suggest—but my preference would be more generally. Whether you'd individually teach a member of my staff or provide a list of materials, I'd leave up to you.

[Ew, teaching. Although it would make more sense to assume an active role, given the volatility of many elements and overall dearth of alchemicial knowledge around here... still, ew, teaching.]

Not a terribly complicated request. Hmm.

[There is one Thing, however, and it's probably obvious, but:] Honestly, I really do not want to "work for" anyone. Chosen or otherwise. As an employee.

[He does do the fingerquotes. It's the little things.]

[A shame, but not unexpected. Octavian is clearly not a people person, and as a dead man he clearly has the option to simply not bother with the money required for living problems like food and clothing. But he still has things he wants, and Altius can work with that.

He's clearly not bothered, shrugging with a gesture of his hand.]

Then you can consider yourself a contractor. I make requests, and you're free to refuse them. If you accept, I compensate you accordingly for your work.

[Simple enough, surely.]

I'm not looking to monopolize your time.

[Oh, does this businessman have a soul? That's remarkable. Or the bar is incredibly low, if not monopolizing his time is where it's set, but, yeah it really is that low.

So that's nice. Octavian hums, apparently pleased enough with this solution.]

Acceptable. Compensation can be determined on a case-by-case basis. Will I get a visitor badge?

[He wants that little badge. Make that part of his terms.]

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chimericalclaw - 2025-01-14 05:58 (UTC) - Expand

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