001 [ video ]

[curiosityvoyage]

—and, got it!

[When the feed cuts in, the first thing anyone might see is—a mop of brown curls. Wow. So exciting. After a moment, a young boy's face comes into view, blue eyes alive with an excited curiosity. Some more adjustments, and the background finally makes itself clear: the kid's in a park somewhere in De Chima, and he happens to be dressed like a Ghostbuster like it's Halloween or something.]

Hey, so, I've got a few questions. A lot of questions, actually. [So many curiosity doors, so little time.] To start with: anyone else here from Hawkins? [He hopes so. He—really doesn't want to be alone.] Man, Mr. Clarke'd have a field day.

[Eat your heart out, Hugh Everett.]

Secondly, has anyone started up an imPort A/V club yet? I'm a little curious about how it would work, especially since people from all kinds of different worlds with varying levels of technology keep getting pulled in. I think it'd be a great opportunity for us to learn about technology from other worlds, and from this one too. I know I'd love a crash course in how to use this—they called it a phone, but it doesn't really look like one. [Phones looked very different where he's from, and they definitely can't do half the stuff this device can.

Something warbles shrilly nearby. Dustin's head turns, and he bends down a little out of frame to talk to something just off-screen:] Shh, Dart. I'll feed you nougat later, just gotta finish this up first. [Turning back to the comm:] Also: Is there a species on your world that, appearance-wise, might be comparable to a pollywog but isn't? Like, pollywogs are cold-blooded and need heat and light, for example, but that particular species actively avoids heat? What kind of food would you feed it? [Beat.] I'm asking for a friend.

Comments

[curiosityvoyage]

Holy shit.

[A robot! A real actual robot! Is talking to him!! This is the single best day of Dustin's life!!! The best!!!!

Okay, Henderson, calm the fuck down.]

—what other points of view are you using, then? [He sounds so very excited to hear it. Especially straight from a robot, holy shit. This is like Christmas and his birthday all wrapped up in one.]

[snarkbot]

Language, sir.

[ Gosh. This is why he doesn't talk to kids. ]

I am currently not discounting looking at it from a technological standpoint, but am approaching it from a more holistic perspective. Are they from a version of Earth? If yes, are there any differences in climate, history, geography, supernatural, magical or metahuman phenomenon? If not, what do they call their universe, planet or galaxy?

Essentially, I've been looking for distinguishing features in order to properly categorize the universes.

[curiosityvoyage]

[Okay, points docked for telling him off about his language. He huffs out a breath, like he really can't believe that's the thing Skeets is choosing to harp on, but he'll let that pass.]

So how many universes have you categorized so far? Is there a regular trend in any of them? Besides Earth, I'd guess that's one just from sci-if alone. [A beat, then:] Do any of them have a—a parallel dimension that exists alongside them? Like, it's not totally a different universe, but it's not quite the same world either. You know, sort of like the Vale of Shadows.

[snarkbot]

I have files on at least 25 known universes, discounting my own multiverse, but I speculate based on Network chatter and those imports I've met in person that the number is much, much higher.

You are correct that the Earth is a common factor, but several either only carry the name "Earth" or are very different. The presence of humans is common, as are worlds that are very similar to a baseline Earth but with minor differences.

My own world has pocket dimensions and parallel realities, among many other things. I would not describe it as very D&D like, however.

[ Yeah, he got that reference. ]

[curiosityvoyage]

And if you add your own multiverse to the count?

[Man, Mr. Clarke would shit a brick, if he ever knew about this. And the Porter, too, powerful enough to somehow abduct people from one universe into another.]

How common are non-humans? [Like robots, aliens, dragons. Flower-mouthed monsters with sharp teeth.] What would you describe it as, then? Like the Negative Zone from Fantastic Four?

im sorry skeets is so tl;dr

[snarkbot]

As far as I'm aware, there's 52 versions of Earth including my own. While it's possible that imports all come from those 52 alternate realities, given the sheer number of imPorts over the years I've deemed it unlikely. However, there are more than a few who come from variations of my own world that I suspect are part of the 52.

[ While Skeets doesn't like children very much he's warming up to this one, who seems to actually be following what he's saying and asking interesting questions. Point for Dustin. ]

This version of Earth, aside from the usual fauna, has no sapient non-humans to speak of that aren't imPorts. Among imPorts, however, a not non-significant portion are not human.

I am uncertain what you mean by the Fantastic Four, but I admit I don't have much data on pocket dimensions myself. There was one incident with a dimension that contained aliens intent on conquering Earth that Booster and I had to stop, if that narrows it down for you.

it ok dustin loves him again

[curiosityvoyage]

[Dustin Henderson: charming robots and monsters since 1984.]

How do you know if someone's from a world that's a part of the 52 worlds in your multiverse? Is there anything that stays constant between them? Like—a person, or a landmark, or a name. And is it possible to travel between those 52 variations? 'Cause where I'm from it takes a lot of power to do that, we're only on the theoretical part of it so far.

[It's not completely a lie, it's just—he's not going to explain the Upside Down to a robot. He doesn't even know where to start, and anyway, it means having to talk about Eleven and like hell is Dustin going to blab about her over a public network.]

They're a team of four superheroes—they don't really exist in my world, outside of the comics they're in. [There's a moment's silence, during which Dustin goes more than a little pale. Distantly:] Aliens? Like, plural?

[A moment's pause.]

...did their faces open up like a flower's, by any chance? [If asked, he'll laugh, play it off as just a movie he watched one time, but the way he says it, like he's dreading the answer? That speaks more of personal experience than just a kid remembering a scary movie he shouldn't have seen.]

[snarkbot]

Again, it's possible every world is part of the 52, however you are correct; the ones I deem as part of the 52 have distinct similarities in shared geography, commonly the existence of Gotham City or Central City, as well as individuals and super-identities inhabiting those places such as Batman, the Flash, and Vibe. However, there are enough differences to make them distinct as alternate universes rather than alternate timelines.

[ An important distinction to a time travelling robot. ]
Additionally, it is theoretically possible to travel to or from them, but it's rare, and every method appears to be different.

No, these particular aliens were more closely humanoid in nature. [ He's curious at the question, though. ] There are many aliens in my universe outside of Earth, of course, so it's possible there are others that are similar.

Are you thinking of something specific?