[IC] Strange World

[Balthazar007]

Ricardo blinked in disbelief as he stood on the sidewalk. How did he get here and- What the hell? Was that a flying car? At first he believed he was dreaming. He even tried the classical "pinch yourself" technique and damn did it hurt. Even then though, he was not completely convinced that he wasn't dreaming. The alternative would be that he had mysteriously landed smack in the middle of some futuristic world.

Taking in his surroundings a little more, something strange caught his attention. A couple blocks away he swore that he could see clay buildings that would be common in some older Mexican cities. As he walked toward this section of the city, he noticed that even the roads in the area were more rustic. Despite the elderly charm of the neighborhood, hover cars and floating holograms still filled the air.

"Well hello!" A street barterer seemed to be calling out to Ricardo from the confines of his stall, surrounded by distinctly Mexican artifacts and clothing. "Yes! You! Come on over! I got some things you might like!"

Ricardo walked toward the barterer hesitantly, "Um hi. I don't have any money."

"That's okay new boy! Everything is free here. If you see anything you like, please take it."

"What? Free? Wait, why did you just call me 'new boy'?"

"You did just arrive here didn't you? You're still wearing your grey garbs."

The reflection of an antique mirror provided Ricardo with confirmation. He was wearing a plain grey suit. Unfortunately, none of the classical Mexican clothing that the street vendor was offering peaked his interest.

"Oh, no worries my friend! It doesn't hurt my feelings at all. Tell me about your fashion sense, I'll point you in the right direction."

"Umm... okay. I like to wear black casual clothing."

After a bit more probing, the street vendor understood what Ricardo was looking for and pointed him down a street. All Ricardo had to do was walk six city blocks through a couple other neighborhoods and he would be in a place more his style. He tried to ask the vendor about where he was but the only response he received was, "Does it matter? You are here. Have fun!". Ricardo tried to push the subject but the vendor easily evaded the question by starting to shout out to others walking the street. Strange, the man seemed far to happy to be just giving things away.

Ricardo decided to take the man's advice and go where he suggested. What was going on? No money necessary, really? Was everything free in this city, or was that man just a lunatic?

[Classpet]

1
Cammila bowed near the stream bucket in hand. The water was clear and beautiful with small fish swimming in schools in the shallows. She drew a bucket of the water, frightening the fish further down stream. Three flit around in the bottom of the bucket, terrified of the new world. Cammila stared at them, entertained by their plight. The young girl went to dump them back into the stream. The bucket fell, splashing the water onto the ground along with the fish. She was simply gone.

Cammila awoke standing in a strange world. Everything was silver and reached the sky. Strange creatures floated along in the sky and she wondered if she had died and if this was Olympus. But Olympus would make no sense, she would sooner be going to the river styx nothing made sense. She certainly hadn't warented a visit to the gods.

Cammila looked around and quickly spotted a man. "Excuse me mister, am this Olympus or is the underworld this nice? I'm dead right, or am I? Where am I?" She questioned, hardly giving him time to answer. "Oh, darling its okay. Your not dead and don't worry to much where you are. Why don't you go down that way a little, things will make more sense there. " he gave a knowing smile as he pointed down the street.

Taking his advice at face value Cammila made her way down the street, soon finding familiar marble colums and goods. Her attire suddenly became important and she realized she was wearing some sort of strange grey close fitting cotton thing. It was like nothing she'd seen before and she didn't care for it. The lovely covering in the window looked much nicer. A women smiled down at her, seemingly coming out of nowhere. "Would you like something. It's all free of charge, everything is." She beamed.

Cammila stared up at the women, now sure that this was a dream. "I need to wake up and go home. My mom is waiting for the water so she can cook super," she said simply, more to herself than the women. "Why would you want that, enjoy yourself while your here instead. Everything is great, here," she offered a hand. "Let me help you". Cammila accepted the hand, and took her advice not to worry.

With her new guide Cammila got new clothes fit for an empress, and explored the city. Many of the places seemed unreal to her. They were packed with strange new inventions which Maria, that was her name, described as cars. There were many different foods as well that the pair tried: ice cream and popcorn, fruits and pastries, even pita bread and hummus. Everything anyone could was available.

There were people other than Maria around, people walking on their own or in groups enjoying themselves in mismatched clothes. Somewhere along the way Maria had left. Perhaps she had gone off to join one of the groups if people, it didn't matter she was gone now.

Cammila felt very alone in the new place. She was lost in someplace far ahead of her own time, somewhere in a dream.

[Airalin]

Back when Abby was in high school, some of her classmates - inevitably the popular people who would spend their weekends drunk with their friends - told her that she ought to lighten up. Life was full of surprises, they said, and that was what made it worth living.

Those people were idiots.

As Abby squinted up at the too-perfect, metallic looking buildings, she knew she was screwed. The hover cars, the holograms floating in midair - they were right out of a sci-fi movie. Some of the kids she used to talk to would probably view waking up here as a dream come true. But not Abby. No; she had fallen asleep in her room, and when a girl woke up in a different place than she expected to, it was very rarely a good sign.

Naturally, the first thought that came to mind was that she was dreaming. The second was that the first was bull. The cool ground beneath her, the vivid swooshing of vehicles as they flew by - they were too precise, too distinct, to be a part of the hazy world of a dream. No, this was real.

She sat up, found herself on a large, metallic surface resembling a street, but without cars. There were a few strangers walking in the distance, but if they were surprised to find a girl lying on the ground, they didn't show it. Abby rose, brushing at the ugly gray sweatsuit she was wearing. Someone had changed her clothing while she was asleep.

"Great," she muttered, "These surprises are getting creepier by the minute."

None of the passersby seemed in the least bit interested in her. Her abductor - someone had to had moved her - was either absent or hiding. Maybe he'd left her behind, expecting her to still be asleep when he returned. All the more reason to explore.

The first thing she'd want to do was get something else to wear. Her current gray was distinctive, too much so. An outfit someone might actually choose to wear would go a long ways toward helping her blend in. Once she'd traveled a few blocks from the place she'd awoken, Abby ducked into a shop displaying a mannequin in a chic dress in its windows.

"Hi! I see you're new here!"

Abby's eyes narrowed as she spotted the woman who had cheerfully greeted her. Probably an employee; she certainly looked the part.

"Do you memorize all of your customers' faces?" asked Abby, "You're right, I haven't been here before - but I'll be alright on my own." She approached a rack of clothing when that insufferable voice interrupted her again.

"No offense, hun, but I doubt that. You just arrived here - I can tell by how you're dressed - and the stores where you're from probably don't work like this one."

Abby turned, scowling. Figured that the first person she'd encountered would be a nag! "Fine, give me your spiel and get it over with," she said harshly.

The woman smiled as if oblivious to Abby's rudeness. "Well, first of all, this isn't the world you come from. I can tell you just woke up - you have that groggy look in your eyes - but you aren't hungry at all, right? Well, that's because people don't get hungry here!"

Abby chewed at her lip. As much as she hated to admit it, the annoying lady was right - her stomach didn't seem even the slightest bit grumpy with her, even though she'd retired early the previous night, and now, it was clearly day.

"So you're telling me this is actually a sci-fi world?" said Abby, "Do you really expect me to believe that?"

"Oh, dear!" said the woman, "It really is hard for you newcomers to adjust, isn't it? Well, tell you what. I can convince you that at least one thing is different. That dreadful outfit? We'll help you get rid of it, find something better to wear. And you won't have to pay a cent for it - um, people do pay in cents where you're from, right?"

Abby blinked, plans to steal her clothing unraveling in her head. What was this place? Her eyes swept over the store, at the colorful variety of garments on display, and, begrudgingly she was forced to admit it to herself - maybe some surprises weren't so crappy, after all.

[rechonq]

Grey was stunned as he entered this new world. Trace amounts of adrenaline still flowed through him as he was just looting a wealthy trade vessel. He stared at the gray world. Spots of strange colors and shapes stood out against the bland ground and buildings. There were others walking about and around him as he stood cluelessly in the middle of the sidewalk. It appeared as if the signs scattered everywhere meant something. People walked certain ways and avoided certain spots. This was certainly a lot to learn about this world beyond his imagination.

He noticed above him that lines of odd metal bubbles were flying about. He watched as one of them landed and a person got out. They carry people? They're like small metal bubble ships. he thought to himself. After a few minutes of taking in the surroundings, a pretty woman came up to him. "Hi. You must be new here. I noticed you're still wearing the gray sweatsuit." He was speechless for a moment trying to gain his bearings. He looked at himself and noticed he was wearing some weird gray clothing. They were pretty comfortable, but what was bad was that his weapons were gone. "Umm, yes. I am new here. What is this place?"

"This is a utopia. It's a perfect world with no money or hunger or war. Everyone is taken care of and works to take care of others. Everything is free, so if you find clothing store you can find something you like."

Grey thought about what she said for a moment. A world where everything is free and there is no war. He had trouble grasping it, but he did understand that he could get whatever he wanted as long as he found it, and that he may not need weapons in a world with no war. He was excited that he wouldn't need to wear leather anymore, but not having a weapon made him feel a little vulnerable.

"Wow, this place is really nice. Would you mind showing me the way to a clothing store?"

"Sure, just follow me, and I'll show you there's one very nearby." After following her around the corner and down the block, she stopped in front of a glass door and held it open for him. "Here you go. The manager should be able to help you with anymore questions." With that he marveled at the transparent door, as he passed through.

He looked around the store at all sorts of odd clothes. Some looked vaguely familiar, while others were very new to him. He saw a pair of pants and marveled at how many pockets they had. Fortunately no one was around, because he took his sweat pants off and put the cargos on right there. He left his old pants and moved onto the shirts. He found some t-shirts and was amazed with the colors and designs they had. He eventually found a white shirt with a cutout of Cyrano de Bergerac.

shirt image

An older man came out as he was changing from his gray track jacket into the t-shirt. "May I help you sir?" The old man asked.

"Hello, I was told everything was free and that I could find new clothes here." The old man looked him over and noticed that he had just about finished changing, other than his shoes.

"Well that is true, except that we do ask you don't leave your old clothes lying about. I can take them for you if you don't want to keep them. It also appears you haven't found our selection of shoes. If you'll follow me you can help yourself to a new pair of those as well." Grey followed the man into another part of the store, where aisles of shoes were displayed for all. He began wandering the aisles, amazed at the different types of shoes available. He had typically worn boots, but that was only for utility sake. He had seen sandals before, but had no real use for them. The selection here were more durable than sandals he had seen before. He found a good pair of hiking sandals and traded the for the sneakers he currently wore.

The old man found him a belt, seeing that his sense of style was very null to begin, and offered it to him. "I believe you may want this as well." Grey took the belt, looped it through and sealed it. "Thank you."

With this final touch his new look was complete. He felt awkward in his new garb, but it was a good awkward. Like he had discovered some grand new thing, that would change his life. Maybe that's because he had and it would. He left the store to explore this new world.

[Balthazar007]

It was supposed to be simple, just walk strait for about six blocks through two neighborhoods. The Mexican merchant should have warned Ricardo about the second neighborhood. The streets here were laid out in anything other than 'blocks'. They would be better described as a maze, straight out of Venice, Italy.

Just like Venice, there were merchants and buggers shouting out for attention. Except, the merchants were practically shoving their products onto people while the buggers did the same with their art work. The effects of it all were quite dizzying.

When Ricardo finally escaped the madness, he found himself in some ancient Greek neighborhood, complete with toga wearing pedestrians. Spotting a stone bench, he decided to take a break. He looked quite pathetic as he sat there, curled over with his face in his hands, ppondering about how he could have arrived in this strange place.

"Hello Ricardo, you seem lost. May I be of assistance to you?" The man's voice sounded strange, like a person speaking through a microphone. Ricardo brought his face out of his hands and immediately sat up straight in surprise. Floating in front of him was a hologram of a man, just like in the movies. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. Can I be of assistance?"

Ricardo stuttered out his response, "Wha-, who are y-you?"

"My name is Adam. I am artificial intelligence program designed to help all inhabitants of this city. I notice you seem to be lost, may I assist you in finding your way?" If this was actually ancient Greece, the sight of a floating glowing man should have caused a panic. Instead, the people passing by would simply glance over with mild amusement.

"Um, yes... I guess. I spoke with a man earlier about finding a place that has clothing I would like. He gave me directions, but I got lost." Ricardo felt weird talking to Adam, a feeling that would not subside anytime soon.

"I have found your conversation with the merchant in my data banks. It seems your destination is quite a ways away from here. If you would like, I can lead the way."

"Y-yes. That would be helpful." Adam stood up slowly, uneasily.

"Okay, follow me."

Adam turned his holographic back to Ricardo and started gliding through the air, slowly. Ricardo followed closely behind, still dumbfound by what was happening. This place was getting weirder and weirder by the minute.

[Classpet]

2
Camilla walked through the streets, bare foot, searching once again for her home, or at the very least a place that resembled it. No stray merchant or friendly stranger bothered her as she walked with a purpose. Perhaps she looked in place enough not to warrant such coddling.

She soon found herself in an Egyptian esc place, sandstone buildings draped with cotton draperies lining the side of the street. The sand path was uncomfortable and she was getting tired of walking. The young girl stepped inside a shop to rest. In side was filled with white linen clothes and gold jewelry, everything was dazzling and exotic. Shyly Cammila looked about, feeling the soft fabrics and admiring the gold. She found a hair band of gold with bees and flowers crafted along it. The piece was beautiful and she found herself putting it on.

"you look lovely." said a voice, startling Cammila into taking the gold off as she turned to face the shop keeper. "I'm sorry I wasn't going to steal it i promise." she blurted putting it back quickly. "It's okay dear," said the shop keeper "Everythings free, you can keep it". Eyes gleaming with a smile Cammila put the hair piece back.

Getting back outside she noticed once again that she was lost. With a frown she looked around for Maria. The women was no where in sight, however a small blue man was. The figure hovered in mid air, three feet off the ground and roughly at eye level with Cammila. Then it spoke, "My name is Adam. I am artificial intelligence program designed to help all inhabitants of this city. I notice you seem to be lost, may I assist you in finding your way?". Cammilla simply stared for a moment. "Uhm", she began "I'm looking for the Greek place, or well. Really i just want a friend." She said as she passed her hand through his ghost-like body in confusion. "I can show you to individual's who have similar experiences to you. Is this what you would like me to do?". Taking her hand back Cammila examined it. Nothing appeared to have changed from passing through the miniature ghost. "Yeah, i can follow you." She whispered to herself.

The small blue ghost started walking, and Cammila followed shortly behind. They soon came to a zone that was nearly as far futuristic as the city could get. Adam turned to look at Cammila. "Your new friend is from 2013 she is currently in that store. I believe that you two will compliment each other nicely." The hologram pointed at a store with a colorful variation of clothing within. When Cammila turned back he was gone.

Taking the advise of the tiny ghost she walked into the store and looked around. It was empty except the store owner and a teen girl. Figuring the younger of the two was the one Adam had been talking about Cammila approached her.

@Airalin
"Hi, Adam said you would be a good friend or something about complimenting each other, um. You have nice hair. Would you mind to much if i stuck around with you?" Cammila said bluntly, though not in an impolite tone. She wasn't really sure what Adam had meant honestly but no matter she wanted a friend.

[Airalin]

The world changed in a whirlwind of cotton and silk. Drab clothing that middle class parents could scarcely let their daughter indulge in - all of it was gone, along with that ugly gray sweatsuit. After what must have been an hour of trying on skirts, blouses, and whatever else tickled her fancy, Abby found herself standing in front of a tall mirror, admiring the frilly, dark dress that covered her from shoulders to knees. It was so pretty, complimented her dark hair, yet also surprisingly comfortable. Low-heeled Mary Janes and long, dark socks completed her outfit.

Slowly, her lips curved upward. How long had it last been since she'd genuinely smiled?

"And no matter what I do, injuries will always heal?" asked Abby, turning toward the saleswoman - Carol was her name - who had greeted her upon her arrival. The woman beamed and nodded in response to her question.

"That's right, dearie! Here, nothing is going to hurt you. There's nothing to run from, so you can wear whatever you want!"

Abby put a finger to her mouth thoughtfully, inspecting a longer skirt hanging from a rack. Although Carol's upbeat, squeaky voice made Abby want to press her hands against her ears, she had begrudgingly become a little bit fond of the woman. That would have irritated her if she weren't so absorbed in choosing an outfit.

The gentle chiming of a bell announced the entrance of another customer. Abby glanced upward distractedly, taking in the little girl with curly brown hair before returning to her task. But, as she peered downward at the skirt, examining every inch of it, a pair of bare feet stopped next to her.

Clearly, the child didn't know not to talk to strangers.

@Classpet

"Hi, Adam said you would be a good friend or something about complimenting each other, um. You have nice hair. Would you mind to much if i stuck around with you?"

Abby's first question was 'Who the hell is Adam?', but she didn't ask it aloud. Why on earth would some random kid want to follow her around? Abby was about to tell the kid to go away when she looked over the girl's shoulder, scanned the store for parents.

Nothing.

Abby's hand twitched. She opened her mouth, then closed it again without speaking a word. A little girl all on her own. Why was that tugging on her heart strings so much?

Compassion was a sham. In this world - in any world - you couldn't trust anyone but yourself to watch your back. So what took Abby off guard more than anything was her own response.

"I'm not a nice person, but I guess you can hang around, if you want."

What was she saying? She didn't even know the girl's name!

"Who are you, anyway?" she asked, reluctant to take back her initially response. Damn it - was this new world affecting not just the needs of her body, but her very personality?

[rechonq]

As Grey left the store, he began randomly down the street. He wasn't hungry and wasn't scared of going hungry. He thought about where he might need to sleep tonight, but there was to much to explore before that. He weaved his way through the streets, in his comfy new clothes. He wasn't feeling any pains or tiredness from walking so much either. It was amazing just walking for so long. He awed at the blocks of streets as they changed times and places in the world. He had traveled quite a bit in his time and knew of several different cultures. He guessed that each block was a different culture, and that some of the cultures were from different times as well.

He was beginning to get bored of even this place. It was quite amazing, but nothing was happening. It was too perfect for his tastes. He wanted to understand it more. How did it become this way? Where was this actually at? Why did everyone just go along with everything? What would happen if someone tried something bad? He figured he wouldn't test the last one. He knew of one man who tried to make a utopian village, and basically slaughtered half the village that disagreed with him, while he had his way with the resources and some of the people of the village. This place didn't seem like any of that, but he was curious about a lot of what was going on.

He continued to wander through all of the people and sights looking for someone who seemed more important than a commoner or merchant. No one was really impressing him, that was until he saw another man. He was wearing the same gray clothes he was wearing earlier. He also had some sort of blue man leading him somewhere. He had never seen a blue man before and maybe he was important. He was a few blocks away, but Grey took off running towards the two. He caught up after several blocks, and wasn't quite sure what to say for a greeting, but he needed to do something if he wanted to figure out anything. The man looked like he was a little spanish, but very mixed or something. He was much paler than the spaniards he knew as well. He tried talking to him anyways.

@Balthazar007
"Hey, it looks like you're new here. I'm new as well, but I already changed my clothes. Do you have any idea what's going on, and who is that you're following?" He pointed to Adam, not knowing anything about him.

[Balthazar007]

Ricardo was struggling between a sense of wonder and a sense of panic. This world seemed 'too good to be true' as the old saying goes. His original guess of this being a dream was becoming less and less likely; this was far to vivid and consistent. He was now sifting through other possibilities, still shuffling behind the small holographic man.

Lost in thought, Ricardo was caught by surprise when a masculine looking man in comfortable street clothes ran up to him. Ricardo stopped to listen to what the man had to say, while Adam had already turned around, halfway lifting a hand towards the man in anticipation.

"Hey, it looks like you're new here. I'm new as well, but I already changed my clothes. Do you have any idea what's going on, and who is that you're following?" He pointed to Adam, not knowing anything about him.

@rechonq

As the man spoke, Adam's hand lowered. The man seemed just as clueless as Ricardo. There was no need to distrust him. Ricardo replied honestly, "Hi. Yeah, I'm new here too. As for who I am following, this is Adam. He's a some sort of artificial intelligence hologram. Apparently, anytime you need a little navigating help, he will appear. As for what's going on... that's a good question." Ricardo then turned to Adam, "What is going on Adam?"

"You have both arrived here today, and I am currently taking you to find new clothing."

"No Adam, what I mean to ask is, 'where is here?'.

"Please elaborate your question further."

"What is this city? What's it's name? Where is it in relation to my home?"

"This city is a city. It does not have an official name; inhabitants call it many different names. I'm afraid I am unable to answer your third question."

Ricardo was surprised by how much this Adam character was giving away. He could hardly believe that it didn't strike him before to ask the all knowing computer program. But his last response was disturbing, "Wait, what? Why can't you answer my question?" Ricardo was starting to feel slightly rude, talking to the hologram rather than the man that approached him directly. But if this guy was new as well, Ricardo was sure that these questions were also on his mind.

"I have no knowledge of anything outside this city."

"Then you don't know where I am from or how I got here?"

"I do know where you are from. I do not know how you got here."

"But you just said that you have no knowledge of anything outside this city. Then how do you know where I am from?"

"I have knowledge of everything inside this city; you are inside this city. Therefore, I know everything that you know."

Ricardo hesitated before asking his next question. "Can you read my mind?"

"I scanned your mind upon your arrival. I can do an update scan if I see the need. Currently I see no need."

Ricardo turned away from the hologram, almost in disgust. He would make it a point to interrogate the little guy later, but for now, he was through with questions. Looking back to the man that approached him, Ricardo apologized, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ignore you. My name is Ricardo. What's yours?"

[Classpet]

@Airalin
3
Cammila beamed with joy, even if the lady though of herself as not nice. Adam had said she'd be a good friend, and even though Adam was a foot tall he was still an adult. "I'm sure you're nicer than you think. " Cammila said cheerily before becoming distract by a ring.

It was resting on a maniquin's finger. She took it of and slipped it onto her thumb, before examining it fully. It was golden in color but not weight with a masterwork pattern carved directly into the material. A rough transparent green stone was fixed in the center.

Returning to her new friend Cammila remembered that she had been asked a question. "Oh and my names Cammila, Cammila Thebe Ocaris. What's your name?" She asked, smiling again to enfisize her delight at the girls presence.

[rechonq]

Grey was quite shocked at what he was hearing from the little blue man named Adam. Evidently he was an artificer intelligent hollow gram. Grey wasn't sure what to make of that other than a smart creator of empty weight? Ricardo began to ask Adam questions, but the answers weren't very helpful. All he was able to take from the interrogation, was that Adam knew everything, but wasn't telling anything.

He was still in shock at the blue man when Ricardo introduced himself. After a moment longer of staring, he looked back at Ricardo and introduced himself as well. "I'm Greyken Rest, but you can call me Grey. I don't know why, but I don't like Adam." Grey turned his attention to Adam and decided to try a question. "So this mind scan, does that mean you know all of my thoughts? How big is this world? What do people do here?"
@Balthazar007

[Airalin]

@Classpet

Abby cocked an eyebrow as Cammila revealed her full name. It was an odd name - certainly not one that sounded like it came from her world. "I'm Abby," she said, not bothering with a last name. "Are you from this place?"

As the younger girl played with a fancy looking ring, Abby turned her attention to jewelry, as well. The store had a wide variety of the stuff available, some of which looked like something she might buy an a department store, and other pieces that featured a more archaic design. A pendant shaped like a sword hung at the end of one silvery necklace, its hilt adorned with a tiny amethyst. Abby tried it on, looking in the mirror. Light gleamed off the small gemstone, sharply contrasting her dark clothing. Abby pocketed it.

"I wonder what other shops are around here," she said, choosing a few other pieces of jewelry. She frowned at the little girl who seemed so pleased to be shadowing her. Would the child stay once she saw Abby's true nature - her desire to test the boundaries no matter what situation she found herself in? In this world, stealing was pointless, because everything was free... but surely there would be other rules to break. Clearly, she wasn't the only visitor in this world - what would happen if she tried to sow confusion among the others, to make them believe the entity that brought them here was up to something malevolent? A sly smile crossed Abby's face at the notion; the results could be hilarious!

[Balthazar007]

"So this mind scan, does that mean you know all of my thoughts? How big is this world? What do people do here?"

@rechonq

Adam stared coldly in Greyken's direction, seeming to be processing the question. It seemed as if a whole fifteen seconds passed in silence, but it was actually two very awkward seconds. Adam broke the silence, turning around nonchalantly to speak with Ricardo. At that very moment, another copy of Adam appeared, closer to Greyken. Both holograms began to speak at the same time.

"Do you still require directions to the clothing store?" That was all Ricardo's copy had to say.

Greyken's copy had much more to get off of his chest, "Hello, Greyken. You may refer to me if you have any questions. To better serve all inhabitants of this city, each person has their own personal assistant like myself.

"To answer your first question, no, I do not know all of your thoughts; I know all of your thoughts dating back before you arrived. To answer your third question, people do what they want, permitting no actions harm another person. Unfortunately, I can not answer your second question. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Ricardo did not respond to his Adam copy while the Greyken's copy was speaking. When the little guy did finally stop, another moment of silence began to set. Ricardo then realized the reason for this. Both Adams had presented a question and were awaiting response.

Ricardo had intended to interrogate Adam later, in order not to be rude, but it seemed that Grey was just as curious. Perhaps now was the time for answers, not manners. With this in mind, Ricardo started thinking about a next question.

Then it hit him. "How do I get back home?"

"I can not answer your question regarding the 'home' you are referring. When you start to consider this city 'home', you will no longer have this concern."

Ricardo was deeply disturbed by Adam's answer. He stood stunned and without words.

[Classpet]

@Airalin
4
"hi Abby" Camilla said as soon as she knew the name "I'm from Thebes under Flavius Theodosius Iunior Augustus's great rule, that's what my mom says anyway." She looked outside the window, searching for more things to do. Camilla thought ice cream was a cool thing to eat, it was exotic and new, and maybe Abby hadn't had it before.

Just then Abby suggested looking for another store. Or maybe she'd just said something about another store that seemed like a suggestion, there was no telling. But Abby was smiling now so that was good. "Do you wanna go try ice cream, it's pretty much supposed to be frozen milk but i don't really think it tastes like milk at ll. Its still good, you should try it." She proclaimed hoping Abby wouldn't mind trying the new thing. It didn't occur to her that Abby might already know what ice cream is or that being from anywhere other than the Roman empire was an option.

[rechonq]

@Balthazar007
Grey speechless when he saw the next Adam appear. For some reason it made him a little angrier. He listened carefully as he gave his answers and he really did not like that he knew his thoughts, even if it was only from before. He was fine knowing he could do what he wanted as long as it didn't hurt anyone, but him knowing everything and keeping information from him made him even angrier.

Grey wasn't exactly sure what was angering him, but something about Adam made him want to punch him. He didn't think it was his fault he didn't like him and there was the rule of no hurting people so he restrained himself. When his Adam finished he waited for a moment just staring at him. He wasn't sure what he wanted from him, but before he decided, Ricardo asked another question. Knowing how to get back would be very nice information, but unfortunately Adam withheld it again. Now Grey was livid. How dare he assume, he would want to live in this new place more than home. Home is home and that wasn't going to change. He finally figured out what he wanted from Adam.

"Yes, there is actually something you can do for me, and that's leave. Please don't come back unless I ask you too. Thank you." He only spoke to his own Adam as he thought it would be rude to tell Ricardo's Adam to leave too. Once his Adam left, he walked over to a sign and punched it, leaving a dent the size of his fist. Once he had done this he was completely calm again. He looked back to Ricardo with a friendly smile. "Sorry about that. Just venting some frustration. I'm pretty good at controlling myself. I'm very careful of what I destroy."

[Airalin]

@Classpet

Augustus? Abby had never taken much interest in history, but she had passed all her tests with flying colors, and she was most certain Camilla was referring to a Roman emperor - one who had lived thousands of years ago. She bit her lip, desperately searching for an answer aside from the obvious - and impossible - one. But when the girl spoke of ice cream as if it were some foreign object, Abby suspicions heightened. This place was stealing people from different times.

"Hey, Cam," she said, casually assigned the girl the nickname. "You've never heard of the United States before... have you?" Abby grabbed a handbag off of a shelf and led her companion out of the store. Ice cream sounded fine - Abby hadn't eaten any in months, and she had once been quite fond of the stuff. She scanned the shops they passed, eventually settling on what looked like a restaurant with umbrella-covered tables outside. As she took a seat, Abby struggled with the implications of her plight. If Camilla really was from ancient Rome, then Abby, too, had probably been plucked out of her time. Suddenly, the trial she'd been awaiting didn't seem like such a big deal. What was a few months of house arrest compared to being lost in a temporal abyss?

"All of this... why is it happening to us?" Abby wondered aloud. People taken from throughout history, to this odd city, all wearing gray clothing when they arrived... if there was one thing she was certain this wasn't, it was coincidence. Someone was doing this very intentionally. But who?

[Classpet]

5
As the pair walked down the street Camilla reached up and took Abby's hand. The young girl didn't know quite why herself but it simply felt like the right thing to do. Abby was new and possibly needed showing around, and holding hands was a good thing in general. It reminded her of a simpler time. A time that wasn't so long ago. To be fair it reminded her of her mom, but she didn't make that connection.

"If your talking about Thebes, Sparta, and Athens they're technically called city states. But they're kinda united." Camilla said with a grin, her brother had told her all about the city states, mostly about Athens, so Abby couldn't possibly trick her on this one. She knew what she was talking about.

The ice cream place was nice. The two were served fresh frozen milk outside, under colorful parasols. Everything was so pretty in this place. Camilla's ice cream was topped with fruits she'd never even heard of "pineapple" and "peaches", and drizzled with honey, the only substance she'd known about on the entire dish. As she ate she answered Abby's question, however with another question. "Why don't you ask Adam? He's really nice and knows everything,". She continued eating as though this information were common knowledge. "Do you think there are any cats here?" She asked after another bite. "Or dogs?". She seemed equally interested in this new found hope for animals as she did the ice cream.
@Airalin

[Balthazar007]

Ricardo was slightly surprised by Grey's actions, but not terribly so. He seemed to be simply expressing the same frustration as Ricardo, just with a bit more gusto.

He looked back to Ricardo with a friendly smile. "Sorry about that. Just venting some frustration. I'm pretty good at controlling myself. I'm very careful of what I destroy."

@rechonq

"Well, that's good to hear. So... Grey was it? Oh wait, I forgot to say my name I think, oops. My name is Ricardo. Anyways, do you want to walk with me? I still have to get out of these clothes. Though, we will have to put up with my copy of Adam a little longer, since he seems to know the way."

The two would only have to travel through one more neighborhood before reaching the modern 2016 like neighborhood for which Ricardo was searching. Of course, this all hinged on whether Grey could put up with seeing the back of Adam's head the whole way. If Grey did not wish to go along, then Ricardo would have to say goodbye. Right now, he really wanted out of the bland track suit.

"We are continuing our rout to the clothing store I see. I shall lead the way." Adam started floating backwards slowly, waiting for Ricardo and perhaps Grey to follow. When everyone would be ready, Adam would turn around to start traveling at a more respectable pace.

[rechonq]

@Balthazar007

Grey did realize that Adam was useful for at least this much. "Yeah, I can deal with following him since he knows the way. It's nice to meet you Ricardo. Maybe I can help you pick out some good clothes, they have so amazing and weird clothes here." At a second glance at Grey anyone from 2016 and would see his outfit as lazy and borderline that of a homeless man.

They began to follow Adam down the blocks with a few twists and turns. The blocks were very well laid out and seemed to cut off quickly and start a new culture, with streets to divide them. One of the blocks was almost entirely a majestic castle. Some stands were located all around it and it had several entrances to the castle. He had seen a similar fort before, but it was odd to see one here. He then realized that everything he saw was strange and out of place. He then noticed a place that was very beautiful with architecture he had never seen before. It even had a lot of pools and waterfalls spread throughout it as well. He decided to quickly talk to one of the vendors.

"Hey, what is this place."

"This is supposed to represnt Atlantis." The vendor quickly responded.

Grey didn't really have time to respond to the vendor as he kept walking with Ricardo and Adam. He was very suprised to hear that was Atlantis. He thought it was only a myth, but there was a block for it. This place got even more interesting. The three finally reached the store. The buildings in the area were all shaped in the same way, and seemed like several vendors were a part of one building. They went into the clothing store for the area. It had a lot of the nice weird clothing that he had been talking about earlier. Maybe Ricardo knew of these clothes already.

[Airalin]

@Classpet

"Adam? Who is Adam?" asked Abby, taking a bite of her chocolate ice cream. She picked up another scoop with her spoon and slowly moved it toward her mouth as she awaited the younger girl's response.

She flinched back, almost knocking her chair over, when something impossibly blue appeared on top of the ice cream approaching her mouth.

"Hello! My name is Adam. I am an artificial intelligence who can assist you in adapting to your new surroundings. How may I help you?"

Abby's jaw hung open as she stared at the little man displayed in a hologram. She blinked, then pulled herself back into the moment, feeling dumb. Why shouldn't glorified computers with bodies made of light walk around in a technologically advanced city like this?

"Where the hell am I?" demanded Abby, her embarrassment fueling anger.

"You are here, sitting at a table outside an ice cream shop in the middle of this city," said Adam, infuriatingly calm as he spouted useless information.

"But which city?" Abby asked, "And why are there people from different time periods here?"

"This city," repeated Adam, "it doesn't have a name. People from a variety of eras are present because they were sent here."

Abby clenched her teeth, tempted to dump her sundae onto Adam's head. She refrained, mostly because she knew it wouldn't actually affect him. "But why were they sent here?" she asked.

"I cannot answer that question for you," said Adam.

Abby shot a frustrated glance at Cam. "How do you deal with him?" she asked. Focusing her attention back on Adam, she asked, "Are you good for anything?"

Obviously unperturbed, Adam prattled, "As the AI in charge of monitoring this city, I am responsible for a wide variety of tasks, including -"

"You deal with him," said Abby, raising her eyebrows at Cam. She leaned her head against the table and buried it in her arms, clearly at wit's end. It was so unfair that Adam could be so annoying, and there was nothing she could do to wipe that stoic expression off his goddamn face!