#log 112

[travellers-log-lawrence]

I've been following your logs pretty much since you started broadcasting them. It's always nice to see a traveler find their footing in this expansive universe. Some are like you, full of wonder and optimism, others become disillusioned after having a particularly unfortunate series of events. But I don't think I've ever seen one do what you have done and share their progress publicly.

We Travelers seem to be a solitary kind. Or at least so I have observed. I don't know how many there are of us and with dozens upon dozens of galaxies each with billions of systems to explore, I think that's it's pretty much guaranteed that you will never run into another Traveler outside the Anomaly.

I hope I haven't overwhelmed you with the prospect of how incomprehensibly large the unknown is. The universe is vast and full of wonders, count yourself lucky for being one them.

Now, before I send out this transmission, I want to tell you a few things about myself, and also one of my biggest regrets:

Just like you, I'm not sure how I got here and I have no recollection who or if I was before I became a Traveler.

I've been a member of a few communities consisting of fellow Travelers, most of whom had decided to settle down on a planet. Wanderlust has always pulled me away from these found families. I don't regret saying goodbye, but I will forever regret the pain my leaving has caused, for them and for me.

One time I found the grave of a Traveler on a planet plagued by a constant ice storm. The grave was mere metres away from a crashed starship. I built a memorial in the area, to celebrate their life and all other lives similarly cut too short. Last checked, other Travelers had visited this site, sharing similar stories. There also seems to be an unspoken agreement to not lay claim to the crashed ship, lest we disturb the final resting place a friend we never got to meet.

Sometimes I like to put valuable items in the pockets of distracted Travelers while I'm aboard the Anomaly. I've been around for so long now that Units and Nanites mean little to me anymore and so I'd rather give them to someone who can make better use of them. And if they don't want the items? Well, they're always welcome to destroy them. I'm not going to miss that Stasis Device either way.

That ship you found not long after you awoke? I suggest you keep it, even if you no longer have a need for it. I made the mistake of salvaging it for parts not long after buying a ship from a Gek at an outpost we both landed at. I may own six different star ships and even my own freighter, but none of them feel like home just like my Radiant Pillar did. I miss it dearly.

I'm going to stop recording now, it's already a lot longer than I intended. For what it's worth, I do hope that you find Artemis. Nada has been worried sick ever since they went missing.

May we one day meet, I'd love to show you some of the things I've discovered.

I.. I don't know what to say.

[Archer sounds audibly choked up.]

I've listened to this on repeat a few times, and I just.. thank you. For sharing all of that. I can't tell you how much less alone I feel after listening to this--after listening to all the broadcasts I've been getting.

And thank you again. For the advice. I haven't even thought about getting another ship yet, but I'll hold even tighter to mine. It's small, it's cramped, but it's been my home since I woke up. Especially since I'm too broke to afford a new one yet.

I hope we meet someday, too. Maybe I'll have some discoveries to show you.. maybe take you to see Novil's moon.

Maybe I can take Artemis there, too.

[rta-alec-blog]

Hanging Out With Moxon: Bear Trumps

Moxon says, "... if I could draw a Trump of an attacking bear and trick people into using it? That's ... that's all I would do. Like, ever."

Moxon says, "BEAR TO THE FACE."

Moxon says, "The world needs a good mauling."

Alec laughs. "If I could figure out a way to do that, I would. Unfortunately, I can only draw a trump of a person if I know them well enough. Bears probably don't count as people, but even if they did, I don't think I want to stick around a bear long enough to get to know it well enough to make its trump."

Moxon nods. "Fair point."

Alec grins. "If I can figure out how to do it, you'll be the first to know, and I'll give you a copy of the resulting trump right away to give to anyone you feel deserves a mauling most."

Moxon says, "I have a list. Which is why I live in the forest."

Moxon winks.

Alec grins. "They must be pretty bad if living in a terrifying, sentient forest is preferrable."

Moxon shrugs. "I'm an unpredictable liar with temper-flashes. I will make the most merciful choices I can, though, whether that's a quick end to suffering or to walk away. The people on the list? They don't and won't. Bear. Face."

Alec nods. "Fair enough," he says. "And I'm going to make a point to keep myself off the list. Though, if I'm the one preparing the bear trumps for you, at least I'll know to watch out for that trick."

Moxon snorts. "You're safe, kid, just never accept a clock from anyone and don't convince yourself you're smarter than Chaos. Meditate on the Pattern, draw cards, explore. Find wonder and love and mystery -- don't doom yourself chasing the obsessions of your elders."

[rta-alec-blog]

Discussing Deep Arden with Moxon

Moxon has a monkey on his back. Probably several monkeys, but in this case it's a lighter Greenhorn. A prospective Ranger, standing on the Lieutenant's shoulders. The Lieutenant, not unaware of the junior's presence, does push-ups. "Nnh. Four. Nnh. Fff--ive. Bear down, you skinny little tit. Exert yourself!"

Alec comes across this scene and slows, eying his uncle and the junior ranger. He watches with a curious but amused for a moment out of Moxon's field of view before coming around front. "Need another?" he asks jokingly. "Or maybe I can find Dad somewhere and throw him on."

Moxon, it should be noted, is red-faced and pouring sweat. The junior observes: "But Sir, you said..." Moxon barks: "I KNOW WHAT I SAID. SIX. OFF, OFF!" The greenhorn obliges, and Moxon rolls over, gasping.

Alec chuckles. "Where's all that strength that supposedly runs in our blood?" he asks, sitting near-ish Moxon but also enough of a distance away that he could be considered out of his uncle's reach.

Moxon signals for water. He gets some. "You want pillars-of-Hercules stuff, you go find Gerard." He gobbles water greedily. "I'm just testing my *own* limits. If I punched five guys in the face yesterday, I wanna punch six guys in the face today." He nods approval. "... are you gonna make me observe I kicked zero of my nephews in the dick yesterday? Are ya?" The threat has no teeth, of course, but that's crazy uncle Moxon.

Alec winces. "Ah. Uh, good on you for the self improvement, but I think zero's a good number to keep that second one at indefinitely."

Moxon nods. "Me too. Your Dad would kill me. What's new?"

"New? Uh..." Alec purses his lips. "It's apparently worse in Arden than I thought. Harper told me she was attacked while on patrol, and someone died."

Moxon winces. "We've been keeping the fatality rate among Lieutenants on the down-low, yes."

Alec glances about. "Ah. So, uh, you already knew, then?"

Moxon says, "When the mortality rate at your job takes a jump, you notice. Y'know?"

Alec nods. "Fair enough..." He looks out toward the edge of the forest and then back to Moxon. "Are you sure we should even be going in there?"

Moxon says, "No, but we need answers."

"I suppose..." Alec grimaces, gaze wandering back to the forest. "Harper mentioned that the forest is waking up and treating humans as an infection. If that's true, shouldn't we remove all the people in there until things settle down?"

Moxon laughs. Not bitterly, as such, but. "Do you have any *idea* how many people live in Arden and its many, many reflections? Hundreds of thousands, at a minimum. Maybe more. There'd be no way."

Alec sighs. "That's a lot more than Harper's estimate. I know someone who's good at leading large groups and organizing things like that, but if it's that many people, it seems unlikely that would work."

Moxon shrugs. "We could make an effort. Some would come, others would stay. But the risk then is Arden deciding *Amber* is a threat. That's ... uhm, that's the risk we're here to prevent. It's our job."

Alec tears his eyes away from the forest and back to Moxon. "Wait, that could happen? Would Arden just consume the city?"

Moxon nods. "There'd be a fight. We 'keep the peace,' which means your uncle Moxon is the one out there making sure the Broccoli People respect the treaty and the two-headed hippopotami recieve the proper sacrifices. And so forth."

Alec nods. "Harper said something about this, and that the rules in place are supposed to keep Arden calm. Have you guys been slacking on the two-headed hippopotami's sacrifices, or is this something else?"

Moxon shakes his head. "It's different than 'the rules are broken.' We don't slack."

Moxon says, "You'd know. The six-foot walking, talking dandelions would arrive and be *pissed.*"

Alec chuckles. "Well, I haven't seen any of those around recently, so I guess it's not that, then."

Moxon wags a finger. "Not joking. Most of what we do, apart from recruitment, is keeping the nasty parts of Arden in agreement or so crippled they can't march on Amber. Now you know why we have to be so durable and clever, hnh?"

Alec nods. "Though, that's a part of the job description I wish you'd have told me about earlier... But I guess there's no backing out now."

Moxon shrugs. "You didn't ask? Mostly it's experience, anyway."