Video - Eliminate Nightmares With This One Weird Trick!

[fractaljesus]

Greetings, Lunatia. I am Yaha-kui zaShunina.

I understand that the Lunatian government has advised you to refrain from sleep for as long as possible. I also understand that for biological entities, doing so is difficult and results in both physical and mental strain that is detrimental to the health of the organism as a whole.

Thus, I present a solution.

[Rising into view of the feed is an oblong object, floating innocuously in front of zaShunina's chest.]

This is called "Sansa." It is a device from my world that, when activated, has various effects upon the brain of those who view it, but the most relevant among these is the ability to no longer require sleep, though they may choose to do so if they desire. This effect also works when viewed over video transmission.

I will make this voluntary. If you wish to view the activated Sansa and receive its effects, continue watching this feed. If you do not, please close the video now.


[zaShunina gives about ten seconds of silence to allow any who want to leave do so. After that, the object suddenly begins to move without another word from him. It splits into cross-sections and rotates in the air, and any still watching the video will experience some very unsettling sensations.

Nausea, mostly, but also an overwhelming sense of awareness such that they've likely never experienced before. Awareness of higher dimensions, and sudden awareness of more of themselves stretching off into these higher dimensions. The effect only lasts for a few seconds, and everything suddenly comes crashing back to the present time and place as the Sansa returns to its inert state.]

For those who have remained to view the Sansa, I will gladly answer your questions.

(OOC Note: How much the Sansa affects your character (if at all) is entirely up to you.)

Comments

un: robotman; video

[evilgrows]

[Oh, Robotnik remembers this guy. Freaked his brain out something fierce, and it took forever to sort everything out as he learned things the hard way.

But not having to sleep? Screw what's going on now, screw the side effects, that'd be useful.

So he goes ahead with it. He stares at the screen and lets whatever the hell it's doing wash over him. It's... it's a lot to take in, but it's also familiar, in a way, not hard to handle, and it's over almost as soon as it started.

Wild.

And when he's done reeling from that, he opens his own camera, although he still looks mildly queasy.]

...I feel like I've experienced worse.

[fractaljesus]

[Hello again.]

The effects of the Sansa should not be as intense as those you experienced when we connected through the Dinnumion. [He can recognize this much, at least.]

[evilgrows]

Great. Good to know there's a scale. And this fully negates the need for sleep?

[If he has to do sone kind of top up later, that'll be annoying.]

[fractaljesus]

Effectively. However, that is an incomplete understanding.

What you perceive as the entirety of yourself is merely a cross-section of a greater individual that extends into higher dimensions. The Sansa expands the awareness of the viewer to this extended self. Once this awareness is achieved, it becomes possible to utilize one's other cross-sections--other selves. When one sleeps, the others gain the benefits.

In essence, the Sansa allows you to work-share yourself.

[evilgrows]

Psh, should've mentioned that ahead of time. That's even better.

[That was definitely too complicated of an experience to just be some sleep prevention thing.]

So I can just reach out from Flatland here and harness some interdimensional processing power?

[fractaljesus]

To a degree. However, while your awareness has been expanded, this awareness is largely unconscious. Your perception will remain limited to this cross-section. You will not be aware of the activities of the other "yous", though you will still gain the benefits of them. Hence, no longer requiring sleep in this cross-section.

However, this awareness does grant a greater comprehension of higher-dimensional mechanics, so how much benefit can be gained from the Sansa beyond the elimination of sleep as a necessity is dependent upon individual aptitude.

[evilgrows]

That's probably for the best. Get too many of me in one place and who knows what I'll do?

[But now, the amount of work he'll be able to get done without passing out in a chair at 4 AM... oh, this is gonna be good.]

I think I'll be able to figure it out. I've managed to pick through what you shoved into my brain last time. Just another fun little diversion.

un: anema nera

[goingsoft]

So, uh-

[ Huh. That video. Sure was a thing. ]

-just to make sure, I havn't fucked up my brain, like, super permanently or anything, right? Because I feel like I've fucked up my brain.

I mean- worth it. But still, good to know if it. Like. Wears off.

Ever.

[fractaljesus]

[zaShunina smiles to reassure her, shaking his head.]

No damage should have incurred. [And she doesn't appear to be suffering any unusual aftereffects. Apart from the expected ones, at least.]

What you perceive in your current state to be the entirety of yourself is only a small fragment of you; the majority of you extends into higher dimensions of which you are normally unaware. The Sansa is nothing more than a window--viewing it allows one to look through these higher dimensions and become aware of the other "yous" that extend to these higher dimensions.

It does not truly eliminate the need to sleep, but rather, the awareness it grants allows you to utilize these other "selves" to meet this need. While one sleeps, the others also gain the benefits of it without needing to sleep themselves.

Do you understand?

[goingsoft]

You used the phrase 'higher dimensions' like. Three times. So no, not really. I mean- I'm grateful. And I'm sure that'd be a great explanation for someone who'd had maybe three years of studying philosophy. It's just that it just looks like a giant demon walnut got chopped up and danced around to me.

[ But she does, at least, attempt to think it over. ]

What I'm getting is that there's some other me, presumably in a place with less sleep-murder. And I make her do all my sleeping for me for now. Then if I feel like it I can take a nap or two to pay her back once it's safe to? Is that about right?

[fractaljesus]

[Whether or not she completely understands how it works, the important takeaway is that sleep isn't necessary for her right now.]

That is not quite correct, and I will attempt to explain it more clearly should you wish me to.

But essentially, yes. That is the gist of it; the Sansa allows you to work-share yourself.

[goingsoft]

I mean- if it's not wrong in a dangerous way, then it's probably fine. And you said it hadn't done any damage, so-

[ She shrugs like someone who has seen enough weird shit to just accept this at long as it isn't going to actually make her head explode. And as long as the nausea isn't permanent because holy shit does she need some peppermint tea right now. ]

So- is it rude to ask what the fuck it is? You said it was a device from your world but is it- I don't know. It's not made of people or anything, right?

[fractaljesus]

[The nausea should pass soon, no worries there.]

I described the Sansa as "a device from my world" but that was simply for the sake of expedience. It isn't wholly inaccurate, but neither is it entirely correct. I do not possess a "world" of origin in the same sense as the universe in which this planet exists. Rather, my origin is Novo--anisotropic space. It is a "state" of existence that lies adjacent to and intersects every point within this and every universe and possesses higher dimensions, but it is not a world in itself.

The Sansa is an anisotropic device. It is composed of macromolecules whose most comparable equivalent within this universe is synthetic polymers. However, the composition is irrelevant to the function, as it is in viewing the shape of the device that imparts the effect upon the brain.

[goingsoft]

So like. 'Demon walnut' is super inaccurate but also, way shorter. [ She huffs. She feels so out of her depth right now but fuck it, she's going to do her best. ] Hang on. You deserve- you did a nice thing for everyone, I should at least try to take this seriously. Give me a second.

[ 'Trying to figure it out' looks, from the outside, a lot like talking to herself and counting on her fingers. She's trying, honest. ]

Is it a real place, where you're from? Wait, no- I mean- obviously it's real, if you're from it. But like does it have a ground and a sky and and- I don't know. Rocks and shit? I don't know what it means for a place to exist and not be a world.

[fractaljesus]

No, it does not possess these things. The anisotropic exists outside of space, and possesses nothing that may be comparably classified as "matter."

[He pauses, looking thoughtful for a moment before continuing.]

Length, height, and depth make up the three spacial dimensions with which you are familiar and are configured to perceive the world around you. The Anisotropic possesses a greater number of these spacial dimensions and exists outside of and intersects them at every point. That is what I was referring to by "higher dimensions".

video | un: donyoku

[naturalgreed]

I have quite a bit of questions.

You say it is from your world, but do you know who made it? And the reason why someone made such a thing? As well as what it was originally used for? It wasn't made to prevent sleep after all, was it?

[fractaljesus]

I created the Sansa. [He answers immediately, without even a hint of hesitation or worry.]

Its original purpose had been to expand the awareness of the human brain to the anisotropic and thus expedite their advancement as a species. Moreover, with sleep no longer a necessity, it would allow for an increase in productivity and unprecedented progress. The Sansa was a gift to humanity.

Does that adequately answer your questions?

[fractaljesus]

[Finally, someone gets it!]

At what conclusion did you arrive after "picking through what I shoved into your brain"?

[He'd genuinely curious what a human mind could have gleaned from touching the anisotropic.]

[goingsoft]

Oh, I think I know this one!

[ She perks up at that, genuinely excited to maybe almost be close to understanding even part of this. It takes a lot to get her genuinely excited. ]

‘Time’ is one of the extra dimensions, right? And it’d intersect all the normal three dimensions at every point, because time is happening at all those different points?

Are the higher dimensions like that? Not exactly like that, but- something that’s happening in every possible place, all at once?

[fractaljesus]

[He nods, smiling at her response because, yes, she does seem to be beginning to grasp at least a little of it.]

Yes, that is correct. However, while time may be considered a dimension and is useful for illustrating this property, it is not a spacial dimension.

[evilgrows]

Oh, numerous conclusions, honestly. It sped up figuring out how things worked for sure. I'd read something, find it familar, and what do you know, it was in there. Just had to untangle it.

[It certainly made things better, at least.]

[fractaljesus]

[The smile zaShunina beams back at him is one of honest joy, affectionate and proud.]

I'm glad. Humans truly are remarkable.

[evilgrows]

Humans are frustrating and inefficient. I just happen to be very good at what I do.

[He is... not smiling, himself. Even if he technically does appreciate a few things here.]

[fractaljesus]

Are you not human?

[Look, his smile isn't fading in the least, even if it has turned somewhat sly.]

Video | UN: hijikata

[mayoninofukucho]

[Hijikata hesitates for just a moment, then he makes his decision. There's a crisis of people getting hurt in their sleep, so if he can avoid adding to the victim count and instead help 24/7 without needing rest it's a no-brainer. Watching the Sansa feels absolutely unreal, like taking a glance into the programming behind the world, and he ends up with a queasy sensation in his stomach.]

Where are you from that you have a thing like that?

[Sorry, zaShunina, he doesn't know you've already been explaining that... maybe they should have held a conference call, but logistics!! Honestly, what worries Hijikata the most right now is that he may still be like this after he eventually gets sent back to his world and everyone will get angry at him for having one personality quirk too many.]