maskormenace | 01

Current Mood: contemplative
Current Location: De Chima 007

Entry tags:

01 | Video

[The camera turns on, a bit unsteady at first, though it gets adjusted to give a better view after a moment. The man operating the camera is older than the average imPort, with a streak of white in his hair that's clearly from actual aging as opposed to the normal white haired pretty boys of the imPort population. Though faint, the camera's audio picks up the rain of De Chima in the background, which serves as background noise when the man speaks with what is very clearly a Russian accent.]

Hello, everyone. I am Doctor Anatoly Eldarov, and I would like to start off by apologizing if this video is poorly done. I am still very much getting used to this. Not just this as in the States, though that is obviously a massive change in and of itself, but the technology. This place is a good sixty years in the future from when I am from, so, well - I know they say you cannot teach an old dog new tricks, but it seems to me a prudent thing to attempt to catch up on all that has changed, if only so I don't become a burden on other people or make egregious errors when attempting to operate technology or talk about modern current events. If anyone else has come from the relative 'past', and can advise me on how to proceed in learning about what I have missed, I would be incredibly thankful for that.

And if anyone could tell me if there's a synagogue in De Chima or near enough for me to regularly attend, that would also be appreciated. I tried but I am afraid I am still woefully unskilled at looking these things up on the internet. Hopefully I will improve on that front with time.

Thank you in advance for your assistance. [And with that, he carefully turns the camera off, smiling slightly, as if relieved that went well.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I was born and raised in England, but my mother is from Yekaterinoslav. I've never been, myself.

You speak very well for a man not from Russia; I wouldn't have been able to tell if you had not told me. Myself, I am from Novonikolayevsk, in Western Siberia. I am sure it's been renamed by now, though.

[Russia: where everything got renamed every revolution and every revolution ran together.]

Well, I'm half, aren't I. My mother spoke Russian with me when I was growing up.

You've heard about Porter travel, yeah?

It is the lack of accent I find remarkable. I used to try quite hard to get the Siberian accent in my words out of it, but after a while I gave it up as a lost cause and decided anyone who would judge me for it is simply not worth my time.

I have, though I have not done much of it yet, just what they did to escort me to De Chima. I must have looked like an idiot gaping at the wonders of science, then.

[Hopefully no one took a picture of him looking a fool with their 'camera phones'. He would hate for his first impression here to be of being stupid or ignorant in any way.]

[Then it's time for Alfie to share what he considers to be the number one piece of wisdom for navigating this world.]

The only way we know of to get home is through what's called Porter glitch. They happen at random, and there's no guarantee you won't be brought back later, but they're frequent. You just need to get lucky.

I will keep that in mind. However, I have not yet ruled out that I may have been brought here for a purpose. After my youngest son died in World War Two, I... did not deal with the grief well. I have been asking God to show me a way in which I can help people, to honor my son's memory, for that was all he ever endeavored to do.

This may be a chance to do that. If I can help people here, then perhaps it is worth it for me to consider my options before attempting to leave.

[Oh, he's one of those. Alfie emphatically isn't, but for once, he isn't going to comment. He can be a little more understanding of a guy who's trying to deal with and make sense of grief.]

My sympathies over your son, to you and yours.

[He is, and he was to a degree before Evgeniy died, but the news was so sudden, and the death so brutal, that it likely would have turned most towards a higher power for solace. Parents should never have to bury their children, especially not their youngest child.]

Thank you. May I inquire as to if you have children, sir?

Nieces and nephews. It's not the same, but I do miss them while I'm here.

It has its' similarities. I miss my grandchildren a bit already. Mostly, though, I miss my wife. She always wanted to travel. If she had woken up here alongside me in the States you would have heard her happy screaming from here to the Ural Mountains.

And what would she have thought of being in the future?

Her parents never allowed her to pursue her dream of being a teacher, as in Siberia it is considered man's work. Here, I have noticed that even government officials are often women. Miryema would likely have gone after her dream in this future, and I am sure she would have accomplished it.

[It's nice, to see women in De Chima in working clothes, going to offices, clearly a part of the same jobs as men. Although Miryema loved being a homemaker, it was unfair of the world to force her into a position where she had no choice but to take on that role. Anatoly knows she would have been a great teacher; kind, patient, good at reading people. For all the issues the future may or may not have, it warms his heart to know everyone can go after their dreams now.]

Sure, women do all sorts of things here. I've seen women working in construction on the streets.

[He's not offended by the idea, but it's pretty odd to him, especially since he'd never thought of women as wanting to work jobs like that.]

I must confess I was surprised by how common it has become. Though if it makes them happy, then that is all that counts. Besides, it likely makes raising a family easier if there is more income. I have four children and it was not always easy to provide for all of them, though I did my best.

Yes, but who would take care of the kids?

Grandmothers, I suppose.

I had much of my extended family near me where I lived. They likely would have been willing to help out, had I need of it. Cities like this can be good for building communities, as well.

Yeah. I'm from London myself. Big city. Most of the family's around me, too.

[And god, he misses that.]

I imagine it must be hard for you to be so far away from them. I know I missed my family terribly when I served in the First World War, and that was mercifully brief.

May I ask how long you have been here, sir?

Nine months, now. I arrived in September of last year.

We served in the same war, you and I. I fought for the British.

I see. I wasn't told we could remain here for that long.

I didn't fight the British in my own time on the frontlines, but I hope your side did not suffer the absurd and pointless level of losses mine did. It was a senseless war, in my opinion, one that had far too high a cost. My view of history may be biased, however, since my brother Timofei died in that war.

[And compared to some families he knew, they'd gotten relatively light in terms of personal casualties.]

There are people who have been here for years. They're outliers, of course, but they exist.

How long do people normally stay here for? This is hardly how I envisioned spending the later years of my life.

Well, you've got the Porter solution to try for, if you like. But it's random, honestly; it's all over the fucking place. Some are here for less than a month, others are here for five years or more. Something in the middle seems to be more common, I think. Yeah.

If I stayed here for five years my wife would beat me to death immediately upon my return home.

[He loves Miryema but when her wrath is invoked, God Himself couldn't stop her.]

It's said that time doesn't go on without us while we're here. None of them will know that we're gone.

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio] whoops pretend "porter" up there was unitalicized/ICly in English

[audio] Can do!

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]