Fifth Howl [Video | Wednesday morning]

[professorwolf]

Good morning, everyone. It's Lyall.

[See how far he's fallen: he's not even putting up both names anymore. It's been a while since he's come up on the network of his own accord, rather than replying to someone else.]

I have a few things here I need some help with, and I've come to the end of my direct contacts. First, I have a list of numbers that are apparently some kind of directional coordinates-- from space. Destination unknown, origination point unknown, though I have a few guesses I could make. Are there any pilots who might be able to assist in finding where they lead to?

Also, I've got a piece of glass here that I'm told is potentially full of data. If anyone would like a crack at translating it, do let me know? It could be fairly important.

Thank you.

Comments

[Action!]

[professorwolf]

Lyall stands up as Wes makes it in, offering a smile and stretching out his hand for a handshake.]

Randolph Lyall. Originally of London, Earth, eighteen seventy-five.

[He's gotten the first-time greeting bit down, it seems.]

Here, have a look, the papers are right here with the coordinates.

Re: [Action!]

[kettchmeifyoucan]

Earth. That planet seems to pop up a lot in these places for some reason.

[Never quite figured out why, but he wasn't oblivious to patterns. He takes the paper.]

Let's see. Earth's not in my galaxy, but we can't be sure Verdana's in Earth's either.

[professorwolf]

It does, I admit. I think most of us are from one version or another of it.

[He leans over a little to watch Wes look them over. Not so much as to get in the light or be too close, but enough to see, anyway.]

I'm fairly sure this is not Earth's galaxy. Those space-farers I know who are aware of Earth have never heard of Verdana at all, or Antiqua, or even a planetary configuration like this one.

[kettchmeifyoucan]

There are stranger configurations.

Where the coordinates are relative to is likely to come down to what sort of galactic situation there is. Whether there are a lot of inhabited planets and a centralized interplanetary government.

[professorwolf]

I think it might be safe to try and use references like Earth itself, Verdana, or Antigua. I do believe the Oracle was trying to be helpful, and she has to at least know that we don't know of any other local planets....

[He's hopeful, but not too hopeful, that his guess is right. The venerable lady was difficult at the best of times, after all.]

[kettchmeifyoucan]

Do we know if she's from Verdana originally?

[professorwolf]

She isn't, I'm afraid. she's from the ship, same as the rest of us. So it is possible the references are completely alien to all of us, but I'm hoping they're not. It at least gives a starting point to guess from.

[kettchmeifyoucan]

Assuming she was trying to be helpful, it probably makes sense to use Verdana as the origin.

[professorwolf]

That was my thought, yes. What do you make of it, with that in mind? Anything? Or should I make you a copy to think on for a while?

[kettchmeifyoucan]

A copy would be good. It might be in lightyears, but it could be smaller units if it's meant to be in the same system. And there's still directions to work out.

[Space being three dimensional is pretty inconvenient sometimes.]

[professorwolf]

Certainly.

[Lyall leans over to sift through the stack of papers Wes is looking at, and pulls out a fresh sheet with the numbers on them. He thought ahead!]

There you are. Let me know what you make of it?