opnet [OpNet] Me: an Introduction

[Fortuna]

This is an introductory thread.

My name is Adélaïde Bernadette. I am a 37-year-old French-English woman with dual citizenship. I also run on clockwork, and have a bronze outer covering.

I'll give you a moment to process that.

Okay? You're all robust novas used to odd things, so I shall assume no one fainted or laughed aloud. Moving on.

I've been rather starved for interaction; there are no nova clubs/societies where I live and the baselines are, frankly, not worth my time and too intimidated by my appearance regardless. So I got a terminal. May it herald great things to come, or at the very least warn me of any approaching unpleasantness. Probably it'll end up between the two extremes and I'll be able to get a few nice chats out of it.

Thank you.

[Long]

Welcome to the boards. I hope you find what you're looking for here. We've got a pretty good group of novas around here for the most part, from all walks of life.

[Machina]

Sexual innuendo out the window, I gotta take a look under your hood and see what makes you tick-tock, kitten. You know, on second though, let's bring the sexual innuendo back in. I like it better, that way.

A clockwork dame. This, I gotta see. You should come over to my lab, sometime, darlin'. I'll show you my Tesla coil.

[Fortuna]

Long: I sincerely hope my time here will be fruitful. And thank you for chatting with me the other day

Machina: Not really much I can say to that. I get the feeling, however, that making do with my own electronic devices might be preferable. If you're genuinely curious about my design, I suppose I could send you the précis I wrote for my family.

[Jager]

Hello there, Automaton. Maybe you can hook up with a transportation specialist and see more of the world. I'm sure if we ask around, someone can make some time.

[Fortuna]

Thank you for the thought, Jager. I'm simply too busy at the moment, but at some point in the future I may request your assistance. You work for some travel agency?

[Jager]

I'm not a travel agency, but I know some novas who could help if needed. What keeps you so busy? I'm sure that with a nova of your seniority (were have the years gone?) it must be interesting.

[Fortuna]

I construct elaborate clockwork devices for stupid rich baselines. It really isn't as exciting as you'd think, but I'm quite good at it and so have managed to carve out a niche for myself in the "expensive novelty item" market.

And why do you comment on my seniority? How do you know when I erupted?

[Jager]

A biographical search gives your eruption date as 11/10/01. Since this is 2017 ...

[Fortuna]

Interesting that you would bother to search.

[Jager]

Time shapes us all. Its good to see how much time we've put in, as well as figuring out were it has left us, wouldn't you agree?

[Fortuna]

I would.

[Machina]

Aw, you're no fun, Tick-Tock-Tina. Forward me the design schematics, I guess, but I'm more of a hands-on type, myself. You should understand, as a fellow engineer; you gotta get your hands dirty to really understand a thing.

Originally Posted By: Jager

Deep, mystic bullshit.

Jesus tittyfucking Christ, would you shut the fuck up, you pretentious fucking windbag? Every time you talk it's like someone vomiting partially-digested feces in my lap. And I know what that's like, I've been to Singapore.

[Fortuna]

Machina: Very well, I'll send you the précis. And please refrain from starting a fight with Jager in my introductory thread. He's been very polite so far. Far more polite than you.

[Jager]

Its okay, Automaton. I'm very used to his abrasive discharge.

[Ward]

Hello Automaton. You interest me. I tend to notice unusual novas but your data trail is so faint as to be virtually nonexistent. Were it not for the information in your post, I would likely never have noticed you at all.

Please do not think me forward but I am an engineer with more mental time than necessary to meet my responsibilities. Would it be possible to examine your hands? There is a project revolving around prosthesis development and I have been running into problems with it. Perhaps in return there is something I could do for you.

Do not be overly concerned with Machina or Jager. Neither seem to be bad men. They simply warn each other away with varying degrees of subtlety. Reasons unknown.

[Warren Verona]

We've had balloon novas, animal novas, and now a clockwork one. Nothing is really suprising anymore. I've seen it all, some things twice.

Welcome to the place. It'll take some getting used to.

[Neil Preston]

Welcome Automaton.

A clockwork nova isn't all that hard to conceive. There is a whole fiction genre based on such things and our eruptions are based somewhat upon our subconscious desires. I've met and treated a novas made of solid stone, liquid water, and flaming basalt. I've taken their damaged flesh into myself and healed it. We are not as different as we appear to be on the surface.

[Fortuna]

Ward: Hello, and thank you for responding! I'm sure we can work something out; PM me and let's see.

Warren J. Verona: Yes, one does begin to lose one's sense of wonder after awhile. Thank you for the welcome.

Neil: Hello! I agree. We (that is, novas) are not so very different, and in the end we're all searching for the same things. There's no reason why together we can't find them.

[Machina]

Originally Posted By: Ward

Please do not think me forward but I am an engineer with more mental time than necessary to meet my responsibilities. Would it be possible to examine your hands?

Do not be overly concerned with Machina or Jager. Neither seem to be bad men. They simply warn each other away with varying degrees of subtlety. Reasons unknown.

Oh, that's cute. It thinks it's an engineer.

Jager's a pretentious fucking jerkoff, not an inch more or less. My enmity for him stems from the vast wellspring of hatred I have for every Big John mutant stud who believes himself to be vastly more important than he is. Jager is a goddamn fraud. He's a fucking counterfeit comic book character, and I'm sick of his bullshit, false egalitarianism.

[Jager]

Automaton, maybe you, Ward and I could get together some time. We could just talk about science, and the world, and whatever strikes our fancy. I spend a great deal of time at work and it would be nice to step out for a bit.

[Ward]

Automaton, thank you for your considerate reply and I will contact you in a day or two after I complete an upgrade to the air scrubbers in my facilities.

Machina, yes I am an engineer. In my case it is a necessary survial skill. Thank you for explaining your position.

Jager, I think I would like that if Ms Bernadette were willing. I have never been to France but understand the exhibits at Le Musée de l’Automate et de la Robotique are exquisite.

[Long]

count me in for any meetings, it's been far too long since i've actually met face to face with another nova beyond those I already know.

If needed, I can even provide transport to those who require it.

[Fortuna]

I am well-disposed to Jager's proposal.

[Ward]

My work is done.

Shall we meet in a public place or somewhere private at least at first?

[Jager]

As long as none of us have a problem in public places, I'm okay with something public - maybe someplace in France?

[Fortuna]

I do have a slight problem with public places.

Would my home suffice?

[Jager]

Sure. I'm game.

[Long]

sounds good

[Ward]

A private place it is then, Automaton. I'll bring some necessary equipment but its all very compact and nothing too esoteric. Of course I'm not entirely certain what a clockwork woman might find esoteric.

I do look forward to meeting you.

[Jager]

Automaton, if you would choose the time please.