Sliders

[Moonlight_33]

"Blore, you have always been so practicle, so logical. What if, for just a nonent you could step out of your rational mind, and look behind the mirror? When you look into the mirror, you see your reflection, but what if you could walk into the mirror, if you could step into that reflected world? I am so close, and i know there are other reflections to this earth. Does that not make you curious?"

She looked at him with a raised eye brow.

 

[poohlive]

Blore always liked her sense of imagination, but this time it had really gone too far.
"Listen, this program is good, really good. Probably better than I could ever do, the problem is, it's just not possible. I could set up a program that makes ice cream on a computer, have all the logical steps produced into it, make sure every line of code is perfect, and if I ran it, the computer would say there are no flaws whatsoever. The problem is, a computer can't make ice cream. It's a simple fact of life."
He began typing into the computer, and brought up some space progams.
"Look, first off, even if alternate worlds in another dimension were to work, you would need a place where everyhting meets. 0,0,0,0 right? In the program, you are trying to go from this planet to the next one. That can't be done, when working with dimensions a straight line isn't always the best. Here, let me show you."
He sent a computer ping to the address 0,0,0,0. Apart from being a computer genius, he did have a hand in astronomical theory. God, he was a nerd.
"There, you see. This would be the place where everything meets. It doesn't exist, there are no alternate worlds, now can't we all just.."
The computer blinked. Blore looked at it, totally shocked. He quickly tried to find out what was wrong.
"Oh my god."
It was something solid. Not a planet, but something else that was made of matter. He couldn't believe it. Somehow in the absolute center of the universe something unexplanable was there, harboring something.
He quickly set up an internet hack, into the NASA Space program. Given alternate channels and a few years of scientific inquiry he might have gotten the thing already, but he needed it tonight. The Hubbel Telescope pointed towards the space of matter.
It was a shiny black surface, but hollow in the middle. He couldn't tell why, but it didn't look hollow.
"Something is out there, but what?"
Could she have been telling the truth? This was the hole, something that might lead to the story of the century. He still couldn't believe it though. He needed some further tests.
"OK, let's assume this can give someone the chance to do what your asking. The premise of your program is all wrong. You would have to direct everything through this one spot in space."
He added the lines of code in:

Exit Earth 1 to point 0,0,0,0.
Redirect object to Earth X point 0,1,0,0.

"This still won't work, because it doesn't know which planet to go too, with this program it will randomly select a planet that is where Earth should be, and in essence open a portal between them."
He looked at the device, something indifferent ran through him, a sense of adventure, perhaps even excitement. It had been so long since he was excited.
"How's the power working out?"

 

[Moonlight_33]

Lin

Lin could see Blore's mind ticking over, and there was a little somthing threr she had not seen for a long time. He was excited. The power generator was almost finished, and the tension and expectation in the room was building rapidly. Everything seemed to be coming together perfectly.

 

[poohlive]

Ooc:Fine, I'll go on without them.

Blore typed in a few new lines of code. The portal istelf was an extremely delicate issue on the parto fLin, about half of the code was getting it just right to jump through. Blore wasn't exactly sure on the basis of the portal itself, but the design seemed reasonable enough. He just made sure it would be steady enough for someone to get through.
One thing he couldn't put his mind across though, how to get back. It had been on his mind since he found the center of the universe.... actually it was the center of the universes. In any case, each specific world had an address, but without knowledge of how many worlds, or where they were, Blore couldn't tell who's address was what. He could make it to other worlds, yes, but he couldn't get back.
Well, that wasn't entirely true. In theory if he kept on using the device he would get back to the orignal planet sooner or later. He didn't want to take a chance of theories, he worked with hard facts.
What he needed was an address for earth.
0,0,0,1 didn't cut it. It worked fine for the computer, but as soon as he was on that second planet, the computer would think it is 0,0,0,1 and it would be a shot in the dark as to where the first earth was.
Unless of course, he could ping inside the black hole. If he could find out how many planets there were, then he could place an address on earth, and they could go to any planet they wanted, and make it back safely.
He began an active ping inside the hole, making sure to set up alternate back pings with each passing concession, just to make sure he didn't miss anything.
The search would take several minutes.

 

[Anakin20]

A flash of lightning erupted from the hole...a thin, jagged burst that vanished almost as quickly as it came. A small, disembodied voice spoke a short phrase, followed by another short phrase, both in languages unknown to anyone. A third phrase sounded somewhat like Russian, or some Slavic tongue, which was then followed by an English phrase...

"Twenty-three ruzzbiks for the first five minutes..."

 

[Orlanth]

OOC: Anakin20, do not make pointless stupid posts in here please.

 

[Moonlight_33]

Lin

As Blore worked with the codes, i could see what he was attempting to do, but somethng still didn't mesh. We were missing some vital eliment, some trivial bit of informatin that was in some way, vital. The Generator was ready to be hooked up and everyone was doing something constructive towards getting it all together. I was concentrating so hard on what was going om around me that i almost didn't hear the phone ring.
"Hello"
"Lin, this is Harald Works, the head of the commity funding your reserch. Everyone is just about ready to hear your report, I trust you will be here soon"
"Ummm, Yes of cause Mr. Works, i just have a few things to finish off and i will be right there."
"Lin, your not going to disapoint us again are you?"
"I sure hope not."
with that i set down the reciever, stepping backwards and bumping into Blore's back, making him hit keys he hadn't intended to hit. At that very same moment, the generator was hooked up and a surger of power hit the conputer sending it crazy. Millions of codes and sequences raced across the screan and the whole room began to shake. All i could say at that point was.
"Oh fuck!!"

 

[rdh996]

i walked back from the jon to see the screen flying through codes after codes. "Ummmmmmmm is that supposed to do that or is my feeling that were in deep shit well placed?"

 

[poohlive]

"No, no no no. Everything is all right. Lin just bumped into me, thats all."
Blore aborted the current program. A winding down of the generator could be heard, this thing did take a lot of power. Blore looked back at the current line of code.
There seemed to be a number placed in. Lin had accidentally put in a random number and supplied them with an address.
He looked at the address though, it was flawed. There weren't four numbers, there was five. Five numbers? How could it work if their were five numbers though.
"Oh shit," he just realized the mistake he had made. He forgot about the center of the universe. The first number of the address had to get you into the center itself, then you needed four more to pick the specific universe and everything else.
"It's like the chronicles of Narnia. When they wanted to travel to Narnia first they had to go out of their own universe, and then back into another one."
It made much more sense now. He could at least be able to certainly track each planet much more easier. All he had to do was find out how many universes existed.

Determine number of Universes

The computer shot off, creating lines upon lines of code. Then, after a few minutes it blinked a rather confusing number.

X

Number X? Perhaps the computer was mistaken.

Define X
X is the number of an infinite set. No exact number can be concealed.

Well, that was that. He looked up at Lin only half heartedly.
"It works. I know it works. The problem is, there's no way to track where your going. There is an infinite number of worlds, and being as time, alternate universe tracking systems haven't been invented yet, I can't see any way for anyone to get back to this specific planet. We could jump from one world to the next, but it will be random. Even if we could find a code, there is no way to determine just how specifically it would work. We would be shooting in the dark."
He saw the look on her face. Standing up, he rubbed her shoulder comforting.
"There is good news though, it does work."

 

[Orlanth]

Goliath

"What if we were to call this Earth a number, then if we wanted to return, we enter in Earths number?" Goliath walks over to the window and looks out staring into the blackness, looking at the stars. "Then again, that well not work. Lin, this does work, but once you go through the portal, you can only come back if this Earth cordinates randomly come up. The chance of that is very, very small. The power generator is finished, and ready to be used. Hey I got an idea, the portal will stay open untill shut off right? Maybe we could go through, keep the portal open untill we return through. But is that possable?"

 

[Moonlight_33]

Lin

"This entire project is based on what is suposed to be impossible. It sounds feasable to me, but the danger is that while the portal is open, and we can come bank through, anything could come through. How could we safe guard against beings other than ourselves coming through the portal in our place. This is to dangerious, and i could never ask any of you to take such a risk."

Lin runs her fingers through her hair in frustraion. Upstairs the board was waiting for her report, and right now, another dimension was looking much more inviting.

 

[Orlanth]

Goliath

Looking out the window still. Goliath turned around to face Lin. "Lin, you know the only thing I have here is this power generator I am making. I got nothing else to do around here, no family. And I am willing to do what every we plan to do. I need something to do as it is. So, you may not ask, but I am offering my self to help you." Walks over to Lin, runs his fingers through her hair. "You know I still have feelings for you, and I will be here for you always."

[Edited by Macbeth on 05-04-2001 at 04:30 PM]

 

[poohlive]

"If you mind," Blore said rather ignorantly, "I've had enough cheese on my pizza, thank you."
He glanced back at the computer screen.
"Look, your e mail says you have a report on this due tonight. Well, here's your answer. Go up to them with this report. They want it to work, and you've... we've got it to work. I don't see anything else to do with it."
He glanced at the clock, it was a few minutes past one. He had to go to bed. He wanted to stay however, to make sure everything else was all right.
"If you'd want, we could go in and help out with the report. As of now it's sort of spilled out on the table."

 

[Moonlight_33]

Lin gave Goliath a soft smile. They had a relationship once, but their work, and their lives prevented it from going anywhere, work aways came first, but maybe now....well, who knew?

She gave Blore a raised eyebrow and sgreed with him, she could use their help with the board, and it was better to be upfront with them, but they really only knew it worked in principle, she had to be sure.

Picking up the remote, she looked at Goliath, and back to Blore.

"Sorry guys, but i need to know for sure, and i cant risk them shutting me down. If you don't want to come with me, you have 10 seconds to descide, and run for it."

Pushing the button the fired up the program, she nodded for Goliath to wind up the generator.

 

[Orlanth]

Goliath

Looking Lin in the eyes. "I am going with you. There is nothing here for me." Looking at every one else. "I am going, you all can if you want, if you do, then come over here, if not, then this is good bye." The portal opens and the room is hit by wind, paper flying everywhere. "Of course there is a large risk here, so it is up to you if you come along or not." Goliath walks over to Lin, looks into her beautiful eyes smiling. "Are you ready?"

 

[rdh996]

jackson

" Ive got nothing else better to do then going back to washington and listin to Mr. Bush complain about how his dady is making him run things so im in."

 

[poohlive]

Blore looked at them all with a shocked silence.
"Wait, a minute," he said. They were even contemplating trying this out.
"Look, we know it works. This portal in the middle of the room is proof of that. But, we can't just jump in like it's some funhouse slide. We don't know what's on that other planet."
"It might not even have oxygen. In fact, it might not even land on a planet at all. We could find ourselves jumping into the middle of a sun or something. We've accomplished step one, getting this thing to work. What you are proposing, jumping through this portal is step 58. We have many more steps to take before we even can think of trying this.
"What if the portal closes before we can get back? We will be stuck on a planet in the middle of a universe we don't even know."
Had the crazy bug bitten everyone but him?
"Look, it's been a long night. I am sure everyone is on edge, I know I am. Let's not do anything rash, especially killing each other."

 

[Orlanth]

Goliath

Looking over at Blore he says. "Look we do not have all night, we got proof that we can make a portal, I am willing to go through, you don't have to come along, it is your dicsion. I am going, Lin is, and Jackson, so if you want to then come with us, if not, then that is that. It is upo to you, your call."

 

[Jerahmeel]

Neo

"It would take an army to stop me from going. So less go and see what we can see". I grabbed my back pack. That had my labtop and other things I needed. I stood wait for the others.

 

[poohlive]

Blore couldn't realize that they were even thinking this. Did they actually put that much faith in him. Their lives were based upon a college kid's rantings on Narnia chronicles for god's sake. Even he wouldn't believe himself.
In truth, they didn't even know if this thing does work. It might just be a small black hole that they had created, and when getting sucked in they would only find death.
Even if somehow he had gotten all of the bugs out of it, and if they could somehow manage to get a reading of another planet, there would still be moral and ethical issues. What if those other people don't want intruders? It would be odd to see a couple of people fall from a circle in the middle of nowhere. They could be put into a prison, or worse... hung.
This was unthinkable. He was all for thinking about things in theories, and discussing night long about the effects of this project, but to actually face it? The equipment wasn't safe, not safe to account on entirely. No equipment was safe enough to ask them of that. You might as well pick a boar to guard a gun.
The generator, while it looked all nice and pretty was only a generator after all. It had parts, just like any other machine, and it could break just as any other machine.
What's worse, his code? He only madeit so that the entire code went through, what if entering X into the program didn't select a random universe, but every universe. If they went through that portal, each of their cells would be instantly transported to a new and different universe. They would be a pile of protoplasm on the hiway of space.
Oh god, he hated breaking the laws of physics.
He turned away from them all. He wouldn't travel the road of the blind in this new field. More tests needed to be run, more equipment needed to be here, and most of all, they needed to check the program.
He began typing into the computer prgram, searching hastily for anything and everything that was odd.

 

[rdh996]

jackson

"Blore we understand the risks we know what could hapen but think of what else could happen we could find things that dont exist or are extinct on this earth we well be the first to ever do this think of the publisity but if your to Scared to go we understand."I turn around and start walking tword the portal.

 

[Moonlight_33]

Lin

Lin could fully understand Blore's way of thinking. He had never been one to jump in with both feet, and this was an occasion that called for it.

"It's make or break time people, what's it gonna be?"

 

[rdh996]

"Well im going even if the rest of you decide to wait for more tests to be done i need some excitement in my life not just from terroists so whatever you decide is fine with me."

 

[poohlive]

Blore typed out a few last minute commands, trying to help the other side of the portal be as stable as possible.
"I can make a two minute marker," he said, a little empathetic about the whole thing. Earlier he had been so excited, but now it was almost like a funeral.
"Two minutes you need to be through. I am leaving the portal open that long, so that if you happen to go through on something that isn't exactly... well, livable, then you can jump right back through."
He examined the program one more time. It seemed sound enough, for a 19 year old hacker college student who hasn't been to sleep for the past 26 hours.
"I hope to see you again, but the odds of that are nearly phenominal..." he sighed rather loudly," send me an interrstellar post card, will you?'
He chuckled, and then ran the program.

 

[rdh996]

is anyone still in this?