video @nina

[neversmall]

[ You can make VIDEOS ON THIS THING.

Now that Nina knows this, no one is safe. Well, okay, not true, because she's still got to get the hang of it. You, the viewer, are once again treated to a vision of... the Aid Station wall.

Nina: "Where's the camera again?"
John, her long-suffering patient who isn't suffering as much as he is laughing at her: "On the corner, there."
Nina: "But that means I have to hold my wrist like--" Abruptly, the picture changes and now Nina's squarely in view, "--oh yes, you're right. That's a better idea."
John: "...so are you gonna say something or?"
Nina: "Oh Saints, is it recording already? Blast--"

Bright smile is go! ]

Hello, everyone! If we haven't met yet, I'm Nina Zenik.

There are so many of us here from so many different places. It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly two months, and now more of us are coming. I’m not used to making announcements like this [ some noise from beside her, Nina looks toward John and corrects: ] -- or, posts? Apparently they’re called posts. -- but even some the Adament crew I’ve spoken to are interested in my questions, so they’ve assured me they don’t mind if I - post - with this.

So tell us - what’s it like where you’re from? What are the legends that are most popular? What are the courtship practices? [ She’s absolutely not crafting this whole post because she’s searching for ideas on this, nope. ] Are you one of those of us have been fighting a war -- excuse the question if it’s rude, there just do seem to be a lot of us. I’d ask you to talk about your favorite foods instead, but that might be more depressing than helpful. Oh - here’s one: If you’re from an Earth, how do you know it’s a different Earth than all the other Earths? And if not, does your planet have a name or is mine the only one that doesn't?

Comments

all good!

[neversmall]

[ ...okay, she can understand why someone would name a planet after a goddess. Just the thought of a goddess is kind of cool - they don't have them where she comes from.

But then-- ]

You hope? Things aren't going well in your world, then?

[cleaningsolutions]

Something like that. Human civilization ended, and humans stopped being people until the Krakau came and started trying to fix us. I don't like to think of that as going to happen in a hundred years or so to these other versions.

[neversmall]

[ ...humans stopped being PEOPLE?

Humans STOPPED being PEOPLE.

THAT sounds like volcra and that sounds... bad. ]

Oh -- that's... terrible.[ But then... fixed? ] ...when humans stopped being human in my world, they turned into creatures of darkness who destroyed anyone in their grasp. That was the result of something that never should have been. But - what do you mean, fix you?

[cleaningsolutions]

[Apparently it's a Thing across multiple timelines, in some form or another. Mops isn't super happy about it. Humans-as-people are fragile in more ways than one.]

I'm sorry to hear that. Feral humans are more like ravenous animals, I think, but harder to kill.

Krakau can pick individual feral humans and put them through some kind of chemical/surgical treatment to restore higher brain functions. It happened to me - I'm a "cured human".

[neversmall]

I see! That sounds... incredibly painful. But I can't help be glad a process like that exists.

[cleaningsolutions]

It might be, but we don't remember the process or our lives before it, and in any case we don't feel pain. It is very confusing.

I wish I knew how it was done and if it could be replicated, though I'm sure your creatures of darkness aren't the same.

[neversmall]

It sounds very confusing. I'm sorry if this is a rude question, but -- do you mean that you *still* feel no pain?

For the volcra to turn human again... yes, that would be the best of any number of possible outcomes. But they have been warped by magic, and if there is any cure for it, well - it's beyond our understanding, I'm afraid.