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[001] Video

[The video feed flickers on to reveal a well-dressed young lady of seventeen, hands folded in her lap demurely. On her right hand, she wears a wedding ring that looks distinctly expensive, but her own clothing is fairly plain, and she wears no other jewelry. She gives a small smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes as she speaks, enunciating her words clearly with only a faint trace of a Russian accent.]

Good day to you, everyone. I was hoping I could make a quick inquiry as to the nuances of enrolling in a university here. You see, back home I was top of my class in chemistry and engineering, and have a vested personal interest in the subjects as well. While I know I cannot take skills acquired here back with me, I simply cannot resist the siren song of science. If anyone can help me figure out how to get more instruction in these areas, I would be forever indebted to you, sincerely.

And although I know my world is quite different from your own places of origin, I believe there is much to be said for cooperation and the sharing of technologies. Indeed, the lack of that in my world has had nothing but ill consequences for it. If others engaged in similar forms of scientific studies or simply in the sciences in general would like, I think it could be nice to talk and perhaps get to know each other better – especially women scientists, as my world has precious few of those as of yet.

I know I've just arrived, so such concerns might seem premature. However, I think looking into things early is best for me; I truly don't know what to do with myself without something to work towards.

[She gives a helpless shrug, as if to say 'what can you do', and shuts off the feed.]

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I believe most of the universities in the Porter cities at least would allow imPorts to apply to enroll. They make exceptions for us due to the fact that our transcripts from home don't follow us through the Porter. I myself am not at a university level, but I would love to have someone to talk about chemistry with, and perhaps learn more from!

Excuse my manners, my name is Yaoyorozu Momo. Welcome to this Earth.

I finished secondary school, so I should be at an entry level for university. I doubt I am terribly advanced compared to most, here, but it's great to know I can at least study.

[Indeed, her smile grows more genuine at the thought.]

My name is Olga Romanov. It's a pleasure to meet you, and thank you. Have you been here long?

I am still in my first year of high school. I have two more years before I begin thinking about applying universities.

[ How long has she been here? Momo makes a small humming noise. ]

The answer to that question is probably more complex than you were expecting. I was here for about a year, then I ported back home. I spent a few months there, but when I ported back here last month, a year had passed here. So altogether, I have spent over a year here, but it was broken up into two sections.

Fair enough. I certainly wasn't thinking much about university at that point in my life.

[Olga leans forward, eyes glimmering with keen interest. The government agent who had driven her to her new home hadn't mentioned that one could come and go repeatedly.]

So we can be here, leave, and come back? And we can be here for great lengths of time?

[That's a daunting prospect, but she'd rather have answers than not know.]

Yes, although it gets rarer and rarer, the longer your stay. There are a handful of people who have been here for several years, but most imPorts are here for shorter stays than that. There's no control over when you leave and whether you come back. And, even if you do come back, it may be without your memories of having been here before. It's all very fickle.

That's... I have mixed feelings, regarding that. On the one hand, I dislike the lack of control over everything. On the other hand, with war and the threat thereof looming over my world, it may be a kindness to be here for long stretches, much as I dislike sitting idle here.

But given it's all so inclined to chaos, I must ask - is there any chance of my fiancé coming here? Could whatever forces brought me here bring him? He is a man of science as much as I am, and has always wished to travel. He would truly treasure the opportunity to be here, much more than I.

There is a chance. There is not much of a pattern, as to who is chosen to be ported in. But it does seem that when one person from a particular world is here, the likelihood of more people from that world arriving increases.

For example, I am here alongside one of my classmates, and two of our teachers as well.

Is there a chance the more unsavory types from our worlds can come here? I can think of a few people whose presence here would only be a detriment to others as well as being a danger to myself, personally. I apologize if that sounds like a self-centered concern, but... [The only thing that could make being in a strange world alone worse was being alone with Alan Arnold or Alexis, both of whom would likely shoot her on sight.]

It's certainly a possibility. The porter does bring in, as you said, "unsavory types" from many different worlds. Though, thankfully, none from my own world have been brought here.

That's unfortunate, that such people can be brought in, but hopefully it won't come to that. This world seems rather peaceful, compared to my own, and the people who have been brought here have so far been quite kind. I just hope it can be kept that way if the worse comes to pass and someone from Aeria is brought in from my home world - while I do not doubt an Aerian invasion would be stopped easily, here, how much damage would be incurred in doing so is anyone's guess.

[She doesn't know her new powers well enough to help, either, if people with ill intent arrive here. That's also something to ponder, when she's better settled in.]

You can take some solace in the fact that the Porter brings in individuals one at a time, never entire armies.

[ Since that sounds like that's a fear here. ]

And, there are hero teams of imPorts set up to ensure those who try to use their power and influence to harm others are brought to justice.

[Jane is looking at her with stars in her eyes.]

You're interested in science too? My interest is astronomy, but besides the books in the apartment I'm in, I don't know about the universities here. There should be something!

[Olga isn't terribly experienced with children, but she smiles at Jane regardless. While the world Olga was from was not one that encouraged women to pursue the sciences, she'd had a grandfather who thankfully believed in her and her intellect. She hopes she can pass on that encouragement to another girl.]

Yes, I am. I'm very adept at chemistry, but I also have great interest in mechanical engineering and aeronautics. I think astronomy is a very interesting field, and one you would do well to pursue if it interests you. With all the technological advances here, I'm sure there are books at the library on the subject that could aid you in your studies.

Do, ah, do you have someone, an adult companion or friend, who could take you to the library to look into it? I don't know if navigating a foreign world without someone else is a wise decision - it would be all too easy to get lost.

[Jane's world, in comparison to hers, would be vastly different. It wasn't perfect, but that a group of women were key to getting the first man on the moon, would probably thrill her, even though it meant that her country lost the so-called "Space Race". Science has come a long way.]

The library! I'll need to find out where it is, but it shouldn't be too hard.

[She's navigated a small town on her own before, it can't be too hard. This was the 80s. No need for stranger danger yet. But her excitement does diminish.]

But. No. I don't know. There are some adults here who know me but ... I don't know them. Apparently a lot has happened since I went to bed last night.

[Given the United States and Russia were both conquered by the same dictatorship a long time ago in Olga's world, the idea of a "Space Race" has never occurred to her, and she wouldn't have strong feelings about losing it, or about the United States in general. She'd scarcely ever spared the country a thought before being brought here by the Porter, really.]

I see. That sounds very confusing, and I don't fully understand it, myself. But it would be best to go with someone else specifically because this place is so new to you. You may not be able to find your way back to your apartment without a guide.

Are you alright, for the moment? Do you need anything?

[What? No cold war?? That is going to blow Jane's young mind, because wow. What a turn of events! And what kind of dictatorship could take over the two powerhouses of the world at that time??]

That's alright, I can use a map. My mom taught me what to do if I ever became lost. She lived in a city much bigger than this and we move a lot.

[But she does take a moment to think on her next questions. There is the concern of what to have for dinner, but she can reach the microwave with a stool and do things like make sandwiches. If she can find some money, she should be able to buy milk if she runs out.]

I think I'm okay.

If you need anything, you only have to call. I am a decent cook, and a fair hand at reading maps myself, having lived first in Isilkulsky and then in Omsk, which easily dwarf any city they've settled us 'imPorts' in. [Isilkulsky also had circular roads instead of a grid system, and frankly, Olga wasn't sure anywhere else could compare. The memory itself conjures a slight headache even now.] Though the lack of speed-trains here is quite disappointing, the teleporters seem easy enough to figure out, and I would be remiss not to come to the aid of my fellow scientist.

[It's said with a smile and a wink. You'll be a scientist someday, Jane. Olga believes firmly in capabilities of her fellow women.]

Which of the cities here do you live in? As I'm already planning a visit to the library, perhaps we can go together, if you're so inclined. Books are a treasure best shared rather than hoarded.

[Jane heard London was something like that, but that was better than the chaos other cities were. Most of them just ... grew.]

Omsk. Omsk. I think I've heard of that city before. But yeah, it's probably bigger than where I am. There's a lot of technology here that's way past what we currently have.

[She beams at Olga, happy to hear another woman say that. She does get support from her parents, but it's rare that she meets someone like her in the scientific community.]

I'm in Heropa, close to Cape Canaveral. Are you anywhere near there? I'd love to go together!

[Circular roads were a nightmare. American cities may be subject to urban sprawl, but at least Olga can follow the maps here well enough. Small blessings.]

It's likely. Omsk is one of the largest cities in Siberia, though not the largest - thank God, I don't think I could stomach living in the industrial pollution of Novonikolayevsk. This place is both technologically more advanced and far cleaner than home.

[Olga's grandfather believed in her scientific abilities and by God, Olga will nurture and encourage Jane along the same lines. Women can be scientists as much as anyone else.]

I live in Heropa as well, actually, in apartment five. [Finally, some good luck.] It would be my pleasure to accompany you.

[Oh, definitely a small blessing. If only they followed a grid pattern.]

That kind of sounds like Los Angeles. We lived in a town outside of it once and it wasn't always great going into the city. Smog was totally a thing.

[That was wonderful that Olga had someone who believed in her like that. Maybe they could combine forces when Jane was an adult once more with some others who were working to help the younger ImPort population. Gotta start early, after all.]

I'm in Apartment ...

[She gets up and looks out a window.]

I haven't looked, but I can see your apartment building, I think.

Whether they're a woman or a man shouldn't matter. Science is science.

[Olga smiles, a small gesture that speaks to a lifetime of having to usually argue this point.]

I agree, but having so often been the only woman in the room in every science class and lecture hall in my life, it would be good to finally get to speak with other women regarding such things. To not have to spend half the conversation trying to convince men I have the right to be there would be equal parts miraculous and relieving.

[And to not have to spend time assuring men that she didn't mean to hurt their feelings by wanting to talk to women would also be nice, but. Unfortunately, the world has yet to come that far, it seems, even in this world. Never underestimate the sensitivity of male academics.]

First, you're gonna have to get your GED. That means you'll have to take an exam -- and if you're good at all that, I don't think you'll have a tough time with it, but you might wanna sharpen up on what's accepted as scientific truth here, and on this world's history. After that, once you pass some more entrance exams, you can join up, same as anyone else here.

I can't help you with the science stuff, but everyone deserves to be able to go back to their normal lives as much as possible, so long as they're here. College seems like a good first step.

[Olga nods. All of this sounds completely reasonable to her.] That makes sense. After all, it's not as if any of my test scores or past academic achievements can be transferred here, or could be verified if they had. Fortunately I am no stranger to studying, and knowing this world's history and scientific progress is a good idea for anyone regardless of academic intent.

I know better than to assume much here will be normal to me. My world was very different. But I have always tried to take action rather than lamenting things that are beyond my control. My grandfather taught me that. So college seems like a fine way to spend my time. Have you attended college here, yourself?

Then you'll be in good company. This place attracts all sorts of nerds. No offense.

[ It's said playfully, though -- from nerd to nerd, though Jaime's not the studious kind of nerd. ]

When I got here, I was still in high school. So I finished off high school, bummed around for a while, and wound up back in college. I'm still going part-time. What was your world like? Even having, like, an established education system is a lot closer to this place than some people's worlds.

I don't know what the word nerd means, but none taken, I assure you.

[She's been called similar things back home in her native tongue, and she knows from his tone he means it kindly. That said, the smile drops off her face as she answers.]

In my world, after the Aerians seized control of Europe and North America, they installed quotas that made it so that seventy percent of secondary school students must be male. It has been that way for over a hundred years. Only the smartest, most high-scoring girls are allowed into university, and though I was top of my class, I did not test highly enough to qualify for university. I had planned to reapply next year, after some more intensive studying.

[Because she's smart, damn it, she knows she is, and if she has to claw her way to the top she'll do it.]

It's just something jealous people call people who're good at school and get good grades. It's been reclaimed, though! You'll learn all about that and, like, a gazillion other things while you're here.

[ His levity completely drops from under him when she continues speaking though, and he stares slack-jawed at her. He knows about misogyny throughout the years and that girls were denied schooling, but for such a decision to be reversed and restricted to only the highest performing of them... ]

Holy crap. That's awful. I'm sorry. I'm from a world with Europe and North America too, but I've never heard of an Aerian.

I'm glad that people have reclaimed it. It's petty, but I always enjoy it when people take words meant to insult them and wear it proudly. I just hope I can keep up with all the terms a new world undoubtedly will bring, among other things.

[Olga stares back with a stony face, unable to maintain a casual air when discussing this, though she's good at not showing her frustration outright. She has to be. Stereotypes or hysterical women are inevitably used against women in her world, so she's learned not to go on rants about this, but God, it's satisfying to have someone react with the appropriate level of horror and disgust.]

Around a hundred and fifty years ago, a group called the Brotherhood of Freedom emerged from Britain with airships unlike anything the world had ever seen. They founded an all-white utopian nation somewhere within the highest mountains of Africa, and took over Europe and North America in order to spread their values to the world. Those values do not include much in the way of the rights of women, needless to say. Regardless, I believe the genesis of the name is that they see themselves as people of the air, hence naming their country Aeria.

I am not Aerian, so my knowledge of them is limited, but I cannot help but be relieved they are not common across worlds. And though I miss my fiance and wish he were here, I have to admit a reprieve from Aerian rule is a welcome one.

Aerian... sounds a whole lot like Aryan to me.

[ He doubts that's a coincidence, either through the Aerians being directly inspired by past wars, or simply the odd similarities between worlds that seem to trickle through the gaps. Ugh. The idea of people like that managing to seize control like that... ]

Maybe your fiancee will show up here too, and you guys can have a chance at a normal life. I hope -- I hope things change where you're at, though. I know there must be people fighting for it, even though a group that big sounds hard to fight.

But most of the smartest people I've ever known are women. [ A pause. ] And most of them aren't white either.

[Olga's smile is thin and humorless.] That was my thought, too. But the official party line is that it refers to air supremacy. That their nation was founded by a mix of Germans, Englishmen and Nordics is, according to them, coincidence.

[It's the most obviously bullshit thing the Aerians have ever said, which is impressive given they say a lot of wildly untrue things. The subtext is practically text, in this case. He's not wrong, though he's quicker to voice it than most would be.

Her expression softens. The idea of starting over is - she doesn't want to pin her hopes on it. Dreams can be foolish, but... God, that would truly be wonderful.] I hope Sergei can come here. He would adore it, he's always wished to travel, and the opportunity to pursue his academic interests would delight him. Back home, however, we are the last ones fighting to overthrow Aeria's rule over our home country, and even that is merely in the planning stages. We have to be cautious. We both lost our parents to Aerians bombing places alleged to have dissenters - and Sergei's parents weren't even involved in any dissent or resistance, they were just there in the marketplace that day.

[If Sergei ever gets here, she'll see to it he gets some kind of therapist. The way he tenses up in crowds and clutches Olga's hand betrays a panic and a wound as of yet unhealed. For now, though, she needs to focus on the present.]

Finally, a bit of good news. It's nice to picture worlds in which science is the domain of all genders, and all races. Particularly since my grandmother was a native of the far north - I think the English term is 'indigenous person'? - and markedly not white.

[She makes a mental note to acquaint herself with modern terminology for such things. Language was ever-evolving, for one thing, and for another, her English was Aerian-taught and not terribly inclusive of others.]

I hope he can too. Not everyone here wants to be here, but -- I've known a lot of people who come from worlds that are hard to live in, like yours. They've all got their own problems, but one thing they all had in common was that they were able to make something good here and get to experience all the stuff they wouldn't be able to back home. A lot of dumb stuff happens here, but it's possible to live a normal life here too.

[ A little wistfully: ] We haven't figured out how to let us remember it when we get back home, but if we did, it'd be so much easier to bring our experiences and the stuff we learned with us. So... I hope that this place is good to you.

And if you wind up going to school in Heropa, maybe I'll show you around. It's not like we've actually got equality here or anything, but it's closer to it than what you've had to work with.

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