Z'verse 3. Zoe's Room . Second Day of Shopping.

[swindle-blitz.livejournal.com]

Ghosts don't really need to recharge.

Swindle was still getting used to that fact when he turned the emitter back on with the first rays of light. Being 'awake' didn't bother him so much, he had plans and ideas to keep his mind occupied.

"Odd I recharge in the Dream, but not here," he said to himself, as he glanced over from where he sat, watching Zoe and Silver still snoozing away.

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[random_xtras]

There's a soft scraping sound from above as Ariel walks over to look at him. But with the light from the shaft there isn't really much need for her light. The old spider's just curious. In the light of day Zoe's place is revealed to be a rough cellar with a hewn stone ceiling. It's nearly empty except for the niche and the table beside it, the bin full of softly glimmering rocks, and another table that holds a small stack of what look like rough magazines made from heavy parchment. Next to that table a bit cushion made of thick leather sits on the floor.

[swindle-blitz.livejournal.com]

Swindle looks up at the spider. Spiders don't really bother him, he'd deal with them just like any other creature if need be, and this one seemed friendly enough. Rather ingenious of them using something with a natural source of light.

Webs, on the other hand...He twitches at the memory.

Well, there wasn't much to do now except wait, and somehow Swindle didn't think that Zoe would appreciate him staring at her when she awakened. Not that he was, he told himself. Nope, not in the slightest...oh, look, something to read...

[random_xtras]

The books are hand written. Two are about the city they're in now, which covers the whole of the top of a big sea stack and is dug into the rock as well. The other three are about other cities. All five books are full of slightly faded hand done drawings of buildings and places in the cities. Though the drawings are well done there are bits that are out of perspective, and the writing- Chinese characters spelling out Basic words- is small compared to the books. At the back of the two about this city is written neatly: 'by Joah Glenwriter as commissioned by Zoe Walker.'

[swindle-blitz.livejournal.com]

Swindle picks up the first book, tilting his head slightly at the writing. Odd, it was similar in looks to one of the earth languages, but the words were similar to another. Well, trying to figure out what was what would give him something to do for a few minutes, at any rate.

[random_xtras]

According to the book the people here came long ago from other worlds, but nobody remembers how to make the ships needed to get back except possibly for the mysterious people who inhabit the 'citadels'. Since these dwellers never step outside the impenetrable walls of their buildings, whatever secrets they might have will stay secret.

[swindle-blitz.livejournal.com]

"Hmmm, now that's interesting," Swindle says softly, rereading the book over once he got the language right in his processor. Or mind--or whatever he had now. "I wonder how long it's gonna take me to get used to this.." he murmured to himself.

[random_xtras]

"Hmmm?" Zoe sits up in the niche and examines the milk heater, then squints at Silver and mutters about feeding the baby without even waking up again.

Ariel turns to look at her, then walks over to stand above her. The old spider likes Zoe.

[swindle-blitz.livejournal.com]

Swindle sat up straighter, looking over in Zoe's direction. "I hope I didn't wake you..." he started, putting the book back in the pile, "I still have a tendency to talk to myself at times..."

Especially since most of his time online he was by himself...

[random_xtras]

"It's time to get up anyway." She smiles at him and swings her feet over the side of the niche, then walks to the back of the celler to wash the milk heater in the stream that runs through there. "Did you have a good rest?"

[swindle-blitz.livejournal.com]

"Not..exactly," Swindle said as he stood, "I don't need to recharge while I'm out here. I kept my processor occupied, however."

[random_xtras]

"I see you found the books." Zoe shakes the parts of the machine dry, then wraps them in a cloth and puts them into a storage compartment before standing and reaching up to very gently scritch Ariel, who holds very still so that she can properly enjoy the sensation.

[swindle-blitz.livejournal.com]

"Yes, at least one of them," Swindle says, "Are all the writings here done in that language?"

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"I'm not sure," she admits. "Most books are in private libraries, and most of the ones that aren't are little fish skin pamphlets with perv stories in them. Those are written in the same language and script as mine from this city are. But one of the ones I sent for from the other cities is done in a script that looks more like Arabic. The language is still Basic, though."

[swindle-blitz.livejournal.com]

"Arabic?" Swindle was slightly confused, he'd heard that word before when doing language searches, but that's it. Sometimes he wishes he'd downloaded more than a couple languages from that planet. Kinda went with the wishing he'd spent more time learning the odd sayings that the dictionary didn't provide. "I'm guessing that's an earth language too? How many languages can one planet have?"

[random_xtras]

She tilts her head as she gives Ariel a last pat, then walks over to him. "Would you like to look at my language files?"

[swindle-blitz.livejournal.com]

"I would love to," Swindle said with the slightest of smirks, "There can't be that many, can there?"

If Swindle only knew...

[random_xtras]

She blinks and smirks just a little herself. "According to minimal estimates, there are 2,500-3,000 idioethnic languages on Earth, but maximal estimates state the number is much bigger."

[swindle-blitz.livejournal.com]

"Wait, wait...one species? On one planet?" Swindle was flabbergasted, "How do they communicate? How to they get anything done?"

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"One species, one planet, one reality." Zoe chuckles. "And that's not counting the pidgins, slang dialects, and the invented languages. Most people have at least a passing knowledge of English... or 'Basic', as I've found it called on other worlds. I guess that helps."

[swindle-blitz.livejournal.com]

"Hooo-liiee Slaaag..." Swindle muttered, "Perhaps just the more..common..ones..."

Earth just went up a notch on Swindle's 'This planet is insane'-o-meter.

[random_xtras]

"I know six languages from Earth, and one of them's one of the made up languages. Though that could be useful in the Nexus." She grins at his expression, then lowers herself to sit on her heels beside him.

[swindle-blitz.livejournal.com]

"Six does seem a more manageable number," Swindle considers.

[random_xtras]

"English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, and Klingon." She quirks a brow plate. "You might have to wait till we get back to the Dream and link to get the full files for all of them, especially since I have more than one dialect of English. But you should be able to soak up enough to figure out what I'm talking about even without the hardware of your processor."

[swindle-blitz.livejournal.com]

"I know English, for the most part," Swindle nods, "Some sort of Chinese, and..some German. Got that from Blitzwing. Not enough to know what anyone would be saying normally, but when Hothead gets really mad, he curses in every language he knows..."

[random_xtras]

"So did my human honorary aunt." Zoe chuckles, then looks over to the table by the niche. "I guess I should be sitting by your emitter for this. Oh, by the way. I'm carrying that with me today. The last time I left something high tech down here it wound up turning into a Nroo."