[ ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ ]

[oddbod]

I have a question about nanites.

[Said casually, but with a certain amount of self-importance. Clara Oswald opens conversations as though they were great doors to be flung.]

They're what bring us back when we die, yeah? They repair what's malfunctioned, like... like a pit team. [She thinks that's what they're called, at least.] But what if nothing's there to fix? That's what I want to know. If there's no body left, there are no nanites left, so the Porter just... rematerializes you? Plops down a backup file? If there's too much damage to fix, what exactly happens?

[It's all asked in a very matter-of-fact, academic tone. Clara could maybe use a lecture on morbidity from her past self.]

Comments

video

[rathercommon]

Morbid set of questions. What's set them off?

permavid

[oddbod]

[Oh hello, new face! Clara definitely looks too chipper for the topic, but she always was an excellent liar.]

Pure scientific inquiry!

[rathercommon]

All right.

[ Her head tilts to the side. ]

But why's your scientific interest focused on this?

voice.

[magnitudes]

( She is, perhaps unsurprisingly, drunk. )

Paddington.

permavoice

[oddbod]

Dundee.

[She can practically hear that icon-usage.]

+1

[magnitudes]

Why are you asking about dead things on the network. Where my sister can hear it.

( why what a flattering shade of hypocrisy that is, pot. have you met my dear friend, kettle? )

video;

[helpline]

Oi! No getting vaporized until after Christmas—you've got a party to attend!

permavid

[oddbod]

Stop spoiling my plans on the network, Doctor.

[She's joking. A little.]

permavid ditto!

[helpline]

Is it really spoiling your plans if you'll do it anyway? I think it's more preparing for the inevitable.

[ please do not get vaporized, we know how many bad decisions the Doctor makes when bffs die. ]

voice;

[reek]

[ Theon has understood approximately nine words out of this. Maybe ten. His poor medieval brain is still having some trouble adjusting to the modern lingo of this world.

His response is simple, well thought out, and straight to the point: ]

No.

[ Applaud, gentlemen. ]

[oddbod]

[...

. . .

Clara waits a moment, to see if there's going to be more. And when there isn't, she poorly conceals an amused little snort.]

Excellent insight, Mr. Greyjoy.

text

[mischiefsmith]

Thermodynamics? Conservation of energy? There must be dozens of laws and theories out there that talk about how nothing is created or destroyed or how disorderly you are when you are not orderly.

If all else fails you can turn to magic, magic explains all the things.

permavoice

[oddbod]

So a person would just stick around as energy, and then... [A vague little hum.] Who makes the new body, though? Does it just... reform?

permatext

[deadtective]

They probably just grab onto the body bits right before total elimination and spend the regen period smashing it back together. Nothing too exciting.

[when you're on your second death this kind of stuff just doesn't really strike you as macabre]

permavoice

[oddbod]

I'm not sure I like the sound of "body bits" and "smashing", but if it gets the job done.

voice;

[textualhealing]

[Such a heavy sigh.]

Porter brings you back. Not sure how it works, but that's what it does.

[oddbod]

An exceedingly helpful answer, Mr. Winger. I appreciate your input.

Permavid

[governorkang]

Well, if I die, you'll likely get your answer.

Doesn't mean I'm about to volunteer, though.

ditto permavid

[oddbod]

[Oh. Okay. This is... an interesting reply.]

And... why is it that I'd get my answer?

voice

[curada]

[Corpse science! His favorite thing.]

I would concur with those whose belief is the Porter manifests the subject before their demise. There is a question of memory, however; while a body can be recovered from an earlier time - what explains a memory extending to the point of death? Ah! Perhaps the body is not recovered whole?

[And thus everything's frankenstein'd together. No jokes, Doctor.]

[oddbod]

Yeah, that's where it gets a little complicated. I suppose it depends on your concept of body and mind. But in the process, something comes from somewhere. Memory is recovered, or form regenerated, and I want to know how it happens.

voice; UN: Superman

[andaway]

That's actually a very good question. I guess nanites must either be really resilient to be able to withstand whatever destroys our bodies or have a way to self replicate?

The other option is that there's some kind of database of us somewhere to replicate us but that's... not a reassuring thought, if you ask me.

[oddbod]

That second conclusion's actually what piqued my curiosity. If some physical memory of us is saved somewhere, maybe it's accessible.

video until further notice

[heroforhobby]

Wait--when people die here they get brought back?

[If this was ever mentioned to him by officials he clearly wasn't paying attention. Was probably trying to see if his new communication unit had games on it or something.]

ditto permavid

[oddbod]

[A couple of slow blinks.]

Yes, to my knowledge. It's happened to quite a few people.