012 - Now I’ll give you something to believe

[notdreaming]

[ Video ]

[ Kara looks quite pleased with herself today, and for good reason too. See, she's done some very basic calculations, and she's pretty happy with the answer. ]

Dean's questions got me wondering, so I looked up Earth's orbital frequencies and calendars. It turns out that the approximate equivalent of my birthday is September 22nd. That's about five months from now, if I have the order right.

As it also turns out, in Earth years I'll be turning 23. I guess Kryptonians live a lot longer than Terrans. Who knew?

[ Everyone probably knew, but Kara is just so smug. ]

Comments

[givessweetness]

How long do you live?

[notdreaming]

Oh, about 350 years or so on average.

That's Kryptonian years, not Earth years.

[givessweetness]

I'm about the same… comparatively. Well, some of our elders get terribly old and it's not polite to ask above a few thousand. [He scratches his head.] Sometimes even the Matrix forgets.

[notdreaming]

Who's the Matrix?

[givessweetness]

Well, it's a sort of collection. Of all our knowledge and experience. And it sees everything that happens. But it doesn't necessarily remember it, because it deems some things as important but not others.

[notdreaming]

Is it an AI? Or was that just a metaphor?

[givessweetness]

It's… something that started as an AI, but as it stored more and more, has become something else. It's difficult to quantify.

[notdreaming]

It mutated into something semi-sentient? I've seen that happen before.

[ Around the time when her Sanctuary tried to kill her. ]

[givessweetness]

I suppose. [Wynter's a little lost in this discussion honestly.] I was never a Matrix engineer.

[notdreaming]

That's fascinating though. I'd love to see it.

[givessweetness]

Well, if we ever end up on Gallifrey, I'll probably you show it. [He doesn't quite want to bring the Barge there though, for reasons that have nothing to do with Kara.]

[routemistress]

I've seen it, it's rubbish. Bunch of dozy old farts thinking in lockstep in a virtual reality box with a few mouldy old villains thrown in for spice.

Now 'aving a thing like that on the Barge, that'd be brilliant. Collective drinking games of the great wardens - there's summat I wouldn't be ashamed to put me name on.

[Iris might just be trolling Wynter here.]

[givessweetness]

[Iris strikes a little bit of a nerve, mentioning the villains. So he's quiet in his reassurance.] The villains are usually locked away.

[Though he pulls himself together for the latter part.]

I'm pretty sure the inmates would be in there too.

[routemistress]

In my experience they're pretty good at not staying there. Look at that arse the Master. There's too many doors to the Matrx, that's what.

The inmates are the best part, 'ere. Be no fun at all without 'em.

[givessweetness]

I don't require the reminder. [Iris, please don't.]

Maybe, but if you're so convinced that evil wouldn't stay put, even redeemed inmates would find themselves adding to its negativity.

[routemistress]

[She doesn't really know the story yet; but she did overhear a little during the truth flood.]

...No, I suppose you don't. I'm so sorry, love.

[givessweetness]

[Saying 'it's all right" seems wrong somehow. But he's not angry at her at all.] Thank you.

[notdreaming]

So wait, there are... I'm sorry, what do you call your species? 'Human' is a little vague.

[ Sorry Wynter she's more interested in this Matrix than conversation ]

[routemistress]

Well, I might be Gallifreyan. I mean, definitely the same species, I've checked; but I might actually be from the Obverse. Never could pin meself down for sure.

Wynter definitely is though, bless 'is 'earts.

[notdreaming]

Gallifreyan. So there are Gallifreyans in this Matrix?

[routemistress]

Aye. They get downloaded in there when they're finally done living. And there they sit, getting more boring and xenophobic as they go and making sure the living ones do the same.

...This is why I left, basically.

[surfaceshine]

With a tagline like that, we'd almost have to be involved, poptart. What's a group-a great wardens without us?

Boring.

[routemistress]

Sober, too. And not even a little bit dead. Be like a wet Wednesday in Bognor.

...Which pretty much describes Gallifrey, except the sunsets are prettier and there aren't any good chip shops.

[surfaceshine]

Ew. Sounds like the northern midwest.

Don't go to Nebraska, poptart. Nothing good in Nebraska.

[routemistress]

...Trull. Never go to Trull either. It's like a planetsized Milton Keynes without the ley lines. And you need a degree in astrophysics to understand the licensing laws.