Lurtor had been trying to get Tal’al’oon of Fort Lendill to sit with him all week. But it seemed the Gun Monk was always busy, either working with the Smiths or meeting with representatives of McGraw Harbor.
Finally they had some time to sit together. As the Gun Monk enjoyed some nice nanye bark tea, Lurtor was trying to figure out how to ask him about his faith.
Lurtor said to Tal’al’oon “recently invited us to learn about your faith. I would like to know more if you are still willing?”
(OOC I’m trying to recall what you said exactly, but I can’t right now. Hopefully that is a good segway.)
With all that has been going on, Lurtor needs to know more about things around him. Tal’al’oon holds much of this knowledge he needs to know. Lurtor has found himself messing with things he didn’t have the past to fully understand. It was time he learned more of Fort Lendall as well. And one thing was their faiths.
Tal’al’oon bowed his head, “Honorable Lurtor it would give me joy to teach you about my faith. My faith believes the universe is the most complex and greatest machine ever and just like the gears in a watch all have a place and all are connected to each other.”
He motioned with his arms mimicking the tide with slow movements, “Much like a single drop of water does little but a wave of water can sink a ship our actions when acting alone pale in comparison to when we move together in concert, like an engine driving the world.”
“What questions do you have?” Tal’al’oon asked.
Lurtor thinks about it “I have many questions. So how do you find your place? Or is it there already and you just don’t know? is there a guiding principle to help guide you through to find your way? With the recent events, I do find myself close to being overwhelmed. Like the nanites from the blood.”
“It can be argued that our place and way are decided by the chain of everything that has occurred before however that negation of choice brings few closer to feeling interconnected with all things.” Tal’al’oon shrugged, "At the same time to ignore the phenomena many call serendipity, luck, fate, or destiny is to deny a very real part of life.
“When I was in training on San Martin I became melancholy over events in my past. While wandering and meditating on it I bumped quite literally into a caring friend from my teenage years. We conversed at length about our past and what troubled me and they helped me see with greater clarity what had occurred, meeting them when I did in a city so far from our common home its hard to deny the interwoven energy binds us all together.”
“The balance of independent decision versus being guided or having circumstance decide can be debated but I believe we both decide our place and are guided to it.” Tal’al’oon sipped his tea hoping his experience helped Lurtor.
Lurtor thinks about that for a few minutes and considers the words. He wants to believe in free choice but he also knows that happens as he has been ripped from his time now a few times. Though he doesn’t understand when things change, how does that affect the main time stream… oh he better not go down that route right now. That is too much.
Lurtor says “Many of the mornings I see you working on something. Like the spring shots. Is this a way to reset your mind for the day, like helping to find that days peace. Something to focus on while you put your thoughts in order. Or is there something more to that?”
Tal’al’oon thought about his question for a moment, “It is a way for me to clear my mind but also it is an act of worship in a form to the clock maker who created the universe.”
Lurtor pondered that for a few minutes and then says "Can you tell me more about the Clock Maker? Is that like the oner’s god? "
Tal’al’oon shakes his head, “No the church of one believes their god is active in all things they do. Many in Fort Lendill believe the universe had to have a maker, who designed it wound it up let it go and now like dear leader stands back to let the machine run as designed.”
Lurtor considers and then says "Let me know how I’m doing on understanding. I could be going in a wrong tangent.
I can see that once things are set in motions many thing just happen. Little tweaks here or there, but as a whole things just go from event to result. But as with many things, if you look at the Entire Universe it would be too complex for one to understand. Looking at it in smaller pieces, those sections become easier to understand just like breaking down a problem into its components.
Even living beings reactions are largely do to the events that happened to them. Their motives, morals, and sensitivity to others just the preconditions or variables used when they determine their next actions. Those variables set based on life events that happened to them and what they learned from those events. If you know someone well enough, you can often predict what they will do. Though they will surprise you sometimes, but I guess then you didn’t understand all of the variables and preconditions as well you thought you had. So while Freedom to choose does exist, it could be predicted if you truly understood someone.
The amount of Data points to understand someone fully would be immense though.
When you build something, is that to add to the machine, or help tweak it to keep it running? Or is it to just do your part as part of the universe?"
“More than anything when I work on springshots its in meditation, however seeing the way all parts in a springshot are interconnected acts as an allegory for how all beings in the universe are interconnected. Seeing them work in concert gives me hope that I too am a part of a mechanism larger than I can perceive moving the universe to a goodly and just end state.” Tal’al’oon noted.
Lurtor says “All of this is very helpful to me. With this nanoplague…” Lurtor will pause and then continue “I haven’t shown this much, except for what Grim saw when we were figuring this out… though I guess you saw the first day”
Lurtor will show Tal’aloon the conversion of his forearm into the Rail Gun and back.
Lurtor will continue "I have been changed to something both what I was and machine. I feel the barrel like it was just like bone. A part of me. With shapeshifting I’m used to my form changing. But now its something deeper. My natural form has changed. And it will possibly change a few more times as I absorb other machines until I’m full.
I’m not at the point of that little Olgog that the chieftain made absorb all of those different tech pieces. I feel I can absorb more, but don’t know the limit. I wish to control what I take a part of me, as thats how it is. A part of me.
I think i will take up building things as well. Maybe I’ll find that peace or purpose. There are a few things I would like to see if I could build anyways. And things I need to learn."
Tal’al’oon shook his head and frowned, “What has happened to you is why technomancy is so dangerous and every society has put in protocols to limit its ability to do damage.”
Lurtor says "Things happen. We will need to contain this plague. I will try and make sure this doesn’t happen to others. But for me, I will have to move on and learn from this. Figure out my new reality and what I can do. Good or bad, the change is already done and not much I can do except make use of what I can.
As for Technomancy, it can be used for great evils with its weapons and nanoplagues, but it could also be used to great benefit. Ability to create, fix, cure diseases, and heal people. I agree that the nanoplagues should never be used, even with good intent. Limits are needed.
In the end, just like a loaded gun… or I guess a better comparison is, a nuke for the damage it can do, Whether it protects or kills is determined by the person using it, not technomancy itself. It just sucks it only takes one bad person to cause so much destruction and so many more to pick up the pieces or fix/restore things. Destroying is easy while rebuilding is always hard."
Lurtor says "Sorry, I did a tangent and went off topic.
How does the meditation work. When I think of meditation I think of someone sitting down with their legs crossed not doing anything. Thinking about their self and listening to their body. When I work on something, that is my focus, no on me. Or is the concentration on the task of building something the meditation itself? Where is your thoughts while doing this? "
Tal’al’oon nodded, “I agree honored Lurtor technomancy isn’t inherently evil however societies must take extreme actions to limit the evil technomancy can cause. I suspect the diligent observers monitoring you are upset I have not introduced this to you sooner.”
Tal’al’oon reached into an inside coat pocket and took out a small book with a magnifying glass attached to it by a silk ribbon. He slides the book across the table to Lurtor. The text inside the book is so small without magnification its unreadable. “Take this. Its the code of laws of FT Lendill. Normally your first year or two of study at the FLIT would be spent learning and demonstrating you will abide by these laws. The underlying design beneath the hundreds of thousands if not millions of statutes is to force all citizens of FT lendill to give pause, to think before acting, and instill a sense that rules should never be broken.”
“Also I suspect in keeping their policy toward technomancy you will not be allowed to visit the Colonies.” Tal’al’oon finished. Tal’al’oon secretly suspected if it weren’t for the relative isolation and brutal cold of Jemison Post Lurtor would have been assassinated by either FT Lendill or the Colonies due to the danger even a papercut could unleash.
Lurtor takes the rule book and says "Thank you. I will read this and memorize this. This was part of the reason I signed up to the college to learn how not to get into trouble or cause trouble.
As for the Colonies, I will make sure to request permission before I go. The Nanoplague changed much. There is much I still need to learn about myself now. What has changed? what is my new normal? How much control can I gain over it? Can I prevent causing harm to others? Can I help others changed like me with what I learned?
That is part of why I’m asking these questions and wanted to talk to you.
Currently I’m a bit overwhelmed, and I’m looking for a way to find that peace and sense of control. I see that sense of control and peace in you, and hope to learn a way to get there. That is why I want to learn about the meditation. It seems like a good place to start."