5107/A Strange Non-Dimensional Being in a Strange Dimension

A Strange Non-Dimensional Being in a Strange Dimension
Date of Scene:	10 February 2021
Location:	Main Room - Titan's Tower
Synopsis:	Kian and Mary properly meet Nihil. Nihil meets an apple.
Cast of Characters:	Nihil, Kian, Mary Bromfield

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Nihil has posed:
    It has been a strange 24 hours.  Well, for everyone.  In a way, though, it is hard to tell if it was truly strange for Nihil.  Nihil doesn't really know strange for everything is.  It just is.  At least to Nihil.  It's all molecules and such.  Why would it be any different?  So, after being told there was a room for it, it considered that and simply agreed before it was left there for five minutes, it turned and promptly left that room and came to this one.  Now, it is staring at various parts of the room, looking from spot to spot as it moves, seemingly taking in the scenery… of a wall?  Just a plain wall but it appears to be looking closely at the wall, examining it before moving to the next part of the wall and continuing.

Kian has posed:
    Perched on the back of a couch, Kían is having a go at the remote, flicking channels.  He's seen almost all the other Titans do this at one time or another, and now it's his turn.
    Truth be told, he's not really paying attention to any of the channels as they flicker by, and eventually leaves it on NASA-TV, just because space travel is at least interesting… if terribly primitive by his standards.  Really, chemical rockets.  How quaint.
    A flicker of movement catches his eye, and he turns to see that it's the new arrival, the one who appeared during the capture of otherGar.
    "Kié?" he greets uncertainly.

Nihil has posed:
    It pauses and turns without blinking to regard Kian and then offers a smile and then nods.  "Kié," It states to him in return and doesn't really know what else to say.  It is, in a way, simply mimicking what is 'supposed' to be here.  So, Nihil then turns to look back at the wall and continues staring for a moment longer before turning back to Kian and starting over to him, "You have a strange energy field," it states simply enough.  "Your parts interact in a way that is different from the others."

Kian has posed:
    Kían blinks at that.  "I haf a rhy'thar… nnh.  I haf what this worl' calls powers.  An' they haf to do wit' atomic an' nuclear forces," he explains, hopping down from the back of the couch and simply allowing the other to approach.  In a way, he likes the newcomer's direct manner.  None of the circumlocutions and evasions he's noticed in the way Terrans talk.
    He holds up a three-fingered hand; it glows with Cerenkov radiation.  Harmless, blue, flickering.  "Also, the others… nnh.  Most of the others are from this worl'.  I am not.  So there is much differen' about me."  It's a statement, no more, no less.  "I thin' they say you are call' Níil?"
    English is not Kían's first language.  He's working on it.

Nihil has posed:
    "Nihil," it responds simply enough.  "Worlds.  Yes, you all have different worlds within your universe.  I have knowledge of such things.  I am not from reality as you know it.  I do not know what a rhy'thar is."  It nods its head before looking down at Kian as it steps into closer talking range.  "To me, you are all three dimensional beings."  It nods its head.  "I have lost much coming here."

Mary Bromfield has posed:
    Speaking of people from this world!  When Mary Bromfield isn't actively engaged in fighting evil (or going to and from fighting evil, or looking for evil to right, or…) she looks pretty much like any ordinary Earth teenager, and so it can sometimes be a little disconcerting when she wanders out of the womens' dorm wing dressed in jeans and cute slippers and a t-shirt with a happy cartoon rainbow smiling brightly out at the world.  Her brow is furrowed, and she has a copy of Charlotte Bronte's "Villette" in one hand, about halfway through it; this is probably the cause of the brow-furrowing business.  She's so distracted she doesn't immediately notice that other people are present, pacing her way into the kitchen with her nose still buried in nineteenth-century English prose.

Kian has posed:
    "Rhy'thar, it iss our word for what they call 'powers' here," Kían explains.  "It means "Gods' gif'", or "gif' from the Gods".  They are not as common on my worl' as they are here."
    The phrase 'three dimensional beings' piques the mathematician that lurks in the birdman's mind.  "Three dimen-sion… do you come from a place of more than three?"
    He does not comment on losing much from coming to this world… but he certainly understands the feeling.

Nihil has posed:
    A look over at Mary when she arrives and the being stares for a long moment.  It considers Mary before considering her outfit and then itself.  It hmms before suddenly there is a pair of jeans and a T-Shirt on Nihil, its plain marble like body suddenly covered before it nods and then turns to look back to Kian and then states, "Yes."  And then tilts its head, "Technically."  It then considers.  "When one exists outside of reality, you do not care about time or about normal spacial constraints."  It taps its chin and then looks up to the side.  "It is difficult to describe in terms constrained by the language that was most commonly spoken in the area that I interacted with most."  It then looks back to Kian.  "I am quickly adapting to that language but it is difficult to think in terms that would make more sense until I read more."

Mary Bromfield has posed:
    Absorbing though the prose of the eldest Bronte sister might be, Mary is not so entranced that she can completely miss the presence of others in the living area, and, closing the book with a light snap, she raises a hand to wave to… that's interesting.  "Hi," she says to both of the two, and then to Nihil, "I don't think we've met yet, have we?  I'm Mary."  Opening the refrigerator, she asks, "Can I get either of you anything while I'm here?"  Apparently she's not concerned that there's someone she doesn't recognize present, or else trusts Kian's judgment enough that if he's not alarmed, she shouldn't be either.

Kian has posed:
    "Kié, Mary," Kían says, bowing slightly in greeting.  "This is Ni-il—"  Nope, not doing that much better on the pronunciation yet.  "—an'… an'…."  He studies Nihil: in simple fact, he's stuck for the right pronoun.  Ultimately, he punts: "…an' Ni-il appear when we were takin' care of the other Gar.  Has help keep people nearby from harm when other Gar threaten them."
    He regards Nihil again, and finally just up and asks, "I do not know if I shoul' call you he or she or it or they?"

Nihil has posed:
    There is a questioning look at the question from Mary.  "Get anything?"  A look at Mary and then Nihil immediately walks in the direction of the kitchen.  "You can get anything in there?" it asks as it walks toward the refrigerator.  "Is that not a device simply for making things cold?"  It approaches and looks around the device as it walks.  "Is it truly possible to make anything in there or is it that anything is in there?"  Then it pauses.
    "What to  call?" It then looks at Kian before looking to the fridge again and states, "I do not know if that is relevant?  He?  She?  It?  Is Nihil not acceptable?"  It seems to consider that before it considers the fridge more.  "It seems… normal as far as refrigerators go…."

Mary Bromfield has posed:
    Well, Mary is at least pleased by Kian's description of Nihil, so that's something!  She brightens right up, gives Nihil a friendly smile, and says: "Nice to meet you.  Anyone who's helping keep people out of harm's way is okay in my book."  And then, reconsidering her turn of phrase, she amplifies: "Is a good person worth being friendly with, I mean.  Oh, um."  She's slightly taken aback to be taken so literally, but it's not that hard to figure out where she went wrong.  "No, not really.  It's a figure of speech.  What it really means is, out of the things that are inside already, is there anything you'd like.  To drink or eat, mostly."

Kian has posed:
    Kían already has a tumbler of his usual—purple Kool-Ade.  "Thank you, no, Mary, I haf a drink already."
    And again, Nihil puzzles him, especially since his own command of English is still a work in progress… and then there are his own beliefs about names and their importance.  "If you prefere Ni-il, then you will be Ni-il," he says, satisfied.  Some of the other Titans have asked Kían about adopting a codename, and he has resisted every time, so he understands.
    And then something clicks about what Nihil had said earlier, about coming here, the importance of which he missed in his curiosity about higher dimensions.  "You haf said you los' much comin' here… are you stuck on this worl' too, now?"  This, he asks with genuine sympathy—he knows that feeling.

Nihil has posed:
   A blink and then a nod to Mary. "I see."  It seems to accept this answer as if it were simply the correct thing.  It then looks with a surprised look and then it steps back and considers something neither of them can see.  "I have not experienced eating or drinking.  I am not sure that I can."  Nihil blinks slowly at that before looking to Mary.  "Pick something for me to eat and drink."  And then it turns to look at Kian with a confused look.  It stares at him.
    "You do not speak the language of this area.  Is this because you are not from here?"  Then it pauses a moment and then blinks.  It considers the question before it looks to the side.  "Yes.  I am stuck here.  I believe.  I am not sure what the sensation is that I am having because of this.  It is not good.  At least, I believe it is not."  And then it looks to Kian.  "I cannot access the universe anymore.  Cannot fix it, cannot change it.  Cannot…."  It seems to try to find the word, searching the air before it with its eyes, "I cannot do a great many things.  No longer."

Mary Bromfield has posed:
    "Sure thing!" Mary says, with a smile, and ducks back into the refrigerator (metaphorically, of course—not literally), where she rustles around looking at this and that while the other two discuss being from elsewhere.  "Oh, no!" she exclaims, sounding dismayed—her voice floats out into the room slightly muffled due to her location.  "Stuck here?  I like the Earth, but I'm sure I'd want to get home too if I were from somewhere else."  She emerges with (how predictable) two glasses of milk and two apples, setting down one of each on the counter.  "Try those.  If you don't care for them, well, we'll find something else."

Kian has posed:
    Kían nods.  "No, this iss not my worl'," he says, shaking his head once.  "I came here by ac-ciden', too.  At… aroun' this time of year?  I do not know.  I thin' the days here are shorter an' I do not know how long a year iss here."
    He hops back up onto a perch on the back of the couch, and seems to relax a little.  "I guess I do not really think of me as bein' stuck here anymore.  I am get use to here.  Here, I am not the only one wit' powers, an' I haf made new frien's here, an' even a new home.  I woul' go home if I coul', but I do not thin' that will happen, so I will make a life here."

Nihil has posed:
    "Technically, I am not away from home," it states and then takes the apple and stares at it, looking it over before looking to the milk.  It picks it up.  "My home is simply just there," it states and gestures to the left and then the right, "Just unreachable."  It then considers that a moment and looks over at Kian.  "It is difficult, as I have stated, to describe."  It then takes a sip of the milk and considers it.  "That is very coating."  It nods and then bites into the apple, eating it from all the wrong angle but simply biting an entire chunk out of it and holding it in its mouth for longer than probably necessary before it considers masticating.

Mary Bromfield has posed:
    "Three hundred sixty-five days," Mary says brightly, vis-à-vis the length of a year here.  She pauses and then adds: "And a little bit extra but we don't usually count that.  A day is one complete revolution of the planet."  She smiles across at Kian, and says: "We'd miss you if you went home, but even so, I hope you get to one day."
    Nihil's difficulties with the apple rouse some sympathy, but she tries not to be too obvious about showing it.  Instead, she just nibbles steadily on the apple she kept for herself, sipping periodically at her glass of milk… just snacking, and, not coincidentally, also making it more evident what the best way to eat it is.

Kian has posed:
    Kían nods at Nihil.  "So, you are from a dimen-sion a little to the side of this one," he says, thinking he understands.  Maybe he does, maybe not.  Certainly it's occurred to him that he might not even be in his home universe, let alone his home galaxy.
    He gives Mary a little smile.  "If my people fin' me, I can not take one of our star-ships home.  So I may be force to stay here.  I think I woul' be happy jus' to let them know I am alife, an' well.  Or at leas' well enough."

Nihil has posed:
    Swallowing the apple piece it has taken, Nihil looks over at Mary and, well, smiles.  It then blinks and tilts its head as it looks to the side.  "That is strange."  It then turns again back over toward Kian and blinks.  "Perhaps that is the best way to describe it."  It states before it considers and walks over to where Kian is as it drinks the rest of the milk.  It then considers the glass the milk was in and looks to Mary.  "I am to believe that the vessel that carried the milk is not to be consumed, yes?"  It then turns back to Kian.
    "I believe the best description is another dimension, however, it is not correct.  You have rooms here."  It gestures and walks over to the wall.  It points.  "On the other side of this wall is another room."  It gestures around.  "One dimension."  It then gestures to the wall.  "Other side of wall is another dimension."  It then gestures at itself.  "I am from the wall."

Mary Bromfield has posed:
    Mary frowns a little, at Kian's admission that he might not be able to go home; you can almost see her brain going to work on how to find a solution for that.  Unfortunately, she's probably unlikely to be the one to figure this out, but at least she's thinking about it.  It'll probably keep her up late tonight.
    "Correct," she tells Nihil.  "Most of the things that food and drink come in… or on… aren't meant to be eaten.  There are a few exceptions, but usually that's how it works.  If you're not sure, just watch the people around you."  As for the explanation of where Nihil comes from?  "I… don't think I've had enough math courses to understand how that works.  I'm not sure I'll ever have enough math classes to understand how that works."

Kian has posed:
    Kían's eyes widen.  "Oh… you are from the between-space, iss that correc', not from one universe or another?"  Now that is an interesting concept, however hard it is to actually visualize the 'space' between spaces.
    "The math works out, in outline," he says absently, nodding in Mary's direction.  "I haf taken many math courses, but not the scary ones.  Enough to do advance physics, not enough to hurt my brain."  That last, he says with a grin.

Nihil has posed:
    A look over at Mary and the being blinks.  It then considers.  "Right.  You are a being of dimensions."  It considers that a moment.  "I can see how it might be a difficult concept to grasp."  It then considers it for a moment.  "I do not know how else to explain it that would make it easier to understand without more experience with your world."  It then turns to Kian and gestures to him.
    "That is correct.  I am not from any universe.  My purposse is—"  It pauses.  "—was to seal cracks and problems in the walls of this universe.  Many have formed recently.  Now, however, I am cut off from much of that."  It then considers.  "Something I do not fully understand."

Mary Bromfield has posed:
    Mary says, a little ruefully, "I wish I'd already taken that many, and then I wouldn't have to take any more!  But that's all right; then I wouldn't really have learned anything from them.  So…."  She makes a studying-is-not-always-fun type of face, and then grins.  Nihil's explanation (so to speak) draws a mildly puzzled frown, but, shrugging, she admits: "And I'm not sure I'd grasp it even if you did know how to explain it.  But 'from another dimension' sure sounds like it captures the essentials well enough for the time being, and if there's more specific details I can try to get somebody to help you explain."

Kian has posed:
    Well, that has Kían's inner scientist engaged, even though his concentration was on particle physics rather than astrophysics… "No, now iss not the time to try to under-stan' all of that," he finally says.  "But I am glad to haf it in out-line.  I woul' like to under-stan' it better some time, Ni-il.  If it can be ex-plain.  It might even gif me an idea how I came to this worl'."

Nihil has posed:
    "Potentially."  A nod is given to Mary and then Nihil finishes off the apple by simply eating the rest of it.  It doesn't really seem to mind eating every portion of the apple.  Nihil nods as it is finished and then looks to Mary.  "It was good over all.  I do not believe all of it was as tasty as the outsides, however."  It then considers.  "Taste is an interesting sensation."  Eyes then track over to Kian.  "I believe I do need to see more of this world."  It gestures.  "To further understand it."  It then looks to Kian.  "Perhaps the more I understand this world, the more I can help you understand where I came from."

Mary Bromfield has posed:
    "Usually we just eat the outside, and not the core," Mary explains, as tactfully as possible.  "The core's just not as good.  But it's worth trying.  Oh, I think so, too!  Seeing more of the world, I mean—that almost always helps understand a little more about it.  I'm not sure it'll help in this case, but it couldn't hurt, anyway."

Kian has posed:
    At that, Kían can't help but laugh.  "Under-standin' this worl' iss a challenge; I haf been tryin' since I come here, an' it still does not make much sense.  But this iss a good place to do it from.  There iss much ac-cess to infor-mation, an' everyone here iss he'p-ful.  One way or another."