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[asaqueenshould]

As I believe we should all be more capable of thinking clearly now, I'd like to pose a couple of questions that have been on my mind for a while.

First is the matter of language barriers - or rather, the complete lack of them. Quite aside from meeting an American who admitted to no knowledge of Japanese (and my English certainly isn't good enough to fill in the gaps), I've had perfectly comprehensible conversations with people who aren't from Earth at all. Is it more likely that something about this world is translating for us on an individual basis, or somehow taught us all a common language without us noticing? Either way, can the translation effect be chalked up to Chroma, or is something else at play?

My second question circles back to Chroma itself, building off its local importance as both currency and energy source. We've been told that the locals see Chroma as the solution to their clean-energy woes (if only breaking oil dependency were this simple...). Our hosts believe that higher rates of Chroma generation will permit faster development of their technological capabilities, possibly including a means to return us to our worlds of origin.

How, exactly, do they intend to sustain that technological capability if all of us return to our homes?

I'll grant that that's a rather large assumption; there's a very real chance that this world is preferable to where some of us came from. However, a substantial majority of us refusing to stay here, once the means is in place, could still decimate Chroma production to the point where little to nothing that we help them make can be powered. That could potentially impact the ability to return everyone who wants to leave. If nothing else, it's something those of us who intend to get hands-on with the local technology should keep in mind.

Comments

[yakiniku]

Do not be a fool. They have no intention of allowing us to leave this place.

text;

[takingchances]

I would imagine that creating technology to generate Chroma would predate creating technology to return us home. That's probably why, besides our heightened Chroma production itself, they were so eager to study all of us when we first got here.

So pretty much you're looking at it being a while before we go home unless we just spontaneously leave the way we arrived. R&D cycles take a while.

[abracafcku]

i'm with tall dark and broody up there - like hell if they're going to 'let' us go.

when it comes down to it, we're going to have to fight our way out of this hellhole of a neon eyesore.

( TEXT. )

[herocomplex]

honestly tho im pretty sure they abducted us and brought us here!!!
so yeah im gonna have to agree with some other ppl here i doubt it’ll be easy as just letting us go

don’t q me man i know all about aliens

the language thingy is all their doing cuz how else can we moonlace with ppl without communication?? i mean ya i know a few sexy gestures butt it’s just easier to talk

[asaqueenshould]

What makes you so certain?

[Hey, if he's questioning her assumption of good faith on the part of the locals, she's going to question his assumption of bad faith.]

[asaqueenshould]

I had already expected it to take some time before this was even a remote possibility.

Given the prerequisite of physical contact, I do have to wonder to what extent they could artificially generate Chroma, or whether attempts to do so would simply produce the less effective version they already have. But I suppose that would be a component of the research, one way or another.

[asaqueenshould]

We certainly don't have the necessary information to push back anything like effectively now. Building knowledge and resources would likely take about as long as producing the means for us to return.

I haven't seen anything so far to suggest a diplomatic solution is entirely off the table.

[asaqueenshould]

I would think a mass abduction would either be more consistent in our places and times of origin, or involve less surprise on their part that we arrived, if not both. [Sure, there's the chance the locals are faking their surprise, but all of them being in on that cover story?]

The lack of communication barrier does make things more efficient. On the other hand, unless anyone can report language difficulties before those examinations, I doubt it was a deliberate act on their part.

[takingchances]

There seem to be a lot of 'what ifs' at the moment. I get the feeling they've never really run into people like us who can produce large amounts of Chroma so they're still feeling out how exactly it works and the potentials of it.

If they can't artificially generate it then they can at least collect and store it. Not that that makes it any easier for them to let an inexhaustible sort - the Moonblessed - go for a limited supply either.

[asaqueenshould]

The amount of protocol they're still putting in place is a strong indicator they didn't bring us here deliberately, as I see it. [Whether Hifumi should otherwise be assuming so much goodwill... well, that's a question she's not going to debate here and now.

Right now, there's really only one person she trusts to give her an honest answer anyway.]

They'd either need a success with artificial generation, or enough of us willing to stay to sustain things, or yet another alternate power source. It's going to be a long process no matter what.

[acquittals]

Now that I think about it, you're right. Ther is no language barrier.

Do you think the technology here allows us to bypass all that? Then again, all this technology is beyond me so it affecting how we communicate doesn't seem like it'd be that hard to imagine for a simpleton like me.

[sometimespawnskillkings]

Well, I plan on staying.

And if anyone tries to send me back to where I’m from, I’ll make sure they’ll regret it.

[Temple has no idea how he’ll do that but if the time comes, he supposes he’ll find a way. Or try to, at least.]

[takingchances]

There's a whole lot of needs to happens and whatnot that can only really be solved by time. Here's to hoping if enough of us join the Lunar Scientia and help with the research, we can be out of here quicker. Or at least those of us that want to get out of here.

[princessascended]

Okay, I get everyone being kind of suspicious, but I think there's a much simpler solution to your question here.

Look, you said it yourself. This actually isn't too bad of a place, random transformations aside. What if, when they said they plan to send us home, what they actually meant was they plan to set up permanent two-way portals to our worlds?

Sure, that'd probably be more difficult than just popping us back home, but it'd be worth it for them if we could travel back and forth between here and our home worlds whenever we want... And just maybe, bring other people with us. Who would probably be decent sources of Chroma themselves, even if they don't get "Moonblessed". That earns them a heck of a lot more than just keeping us trapped here does.

[asaqueenshould]

The technology isn't dissimilar to what's available at home. Well, other than the magical elements.

[asaqueenshould]

There's a reason I acknowledged 'all of us leaving' was a large assumption.

[The only reason Hifumi's not necessarily planning on it herself is because Ren was able to tell her how the situation she left behind resolves. Even then, her mother's not here, and that's still a very strong selling point.]

[asaqueenshould]

I admit that possibility hadn't occurred to me. It would solve a number of potential problems.

[sometimespawnskillkings]

Yeah, it is but if it’s what most of you are working toward, it might have a larger chance of happening than you expect it to.

I mean, some of you are wizards and some of you can do weird things with ice and some of you come from technological worlds like mine and others can do alchemy so... I’m sure, between you all, there probably is a way to send us all back and if you work hard enough, you’ll find it.

And who even knows what powerful stuff is possible on this planet.

[asaqueenshould]

I'm not working toward anything in particular yet - just overthinking logistics that are far away from reality right now. [She also doesn't consider her skill set to be all that special, in comparison to other people here.]

The best solution is one that allows each of us to choose what we want to do, if and when the time comes.

[princessascended]

I just thought of what I'd do. If they can set up some kind of cross-world resort, which this place really is set up for, they'd end up with more Chroma than they'd know what to do with.

Trying to keep us stuck here would be small change in comparison.

[sometimespawnskillkings]

I agree with you there. We should all get a choice.

But if only some of can get what they want, I would prefer myself to be one of them. Sure, it will suck for the people who don’t but...

I really don’t want to go back.

[asaqueenshould]

This is very true. And it would allow the people who'd rather go home the chance to do so and not come back.

This is probably still as far out of reach as any other solution to our being here, but it's very much worth considering.

[princessascended]

Oh yeah, there's no way they're going to be able to do it anytime soon, even if they put all their research into doing it. I just think it makes the most sense.

Of course, that means it's going to be a long while before we see any progress. And seeing the way people are thinking already... Well, I hope they've got good PR people.

[yakiniku]

It would be foolish of them to let go of such a sustainable resource. Sending any number of us home will result in less for them.

[Oh he has more than enough pessimism to share with the whole class.]

[asaqueenshould]

I'm not in any great hurry myself, really. I know my biggest concern will be resolved, but that still leaves the fact that there's little I can do about it.

Given that, I can't fault anyone who'd rather be here.