image+text; < thearchitect >

[emet_sulk]

[ Sometime during the month, an image is uploaded (the infamous LONG BREAD), accompanied by the following caption: ]

Assist me in proving a point to my unrepentant friend: this is not how one slices bread.

Comments

[patchricide]

You're thinking of the wrong sort of space. I do not mean a void, but the space-time continuum. The universe that contains all things.

[There has to be an easier way to explain this to someone who might not have grown up with basic astrophysics.]

The fabric of existence itself.

To warp it so thoroughly, I believe they employed a special gravity generator. The exact science is beyond my own understanding.

[emet_sulk]

[ This is made more confusing by the fact that their worlds function on quite different scientific principles. ]

Yes, that was what I was referring to by 'space'. That endless expanse which contains the stars, life, and all aether.

[ Gravity is something he understands at least. Though how gravity is supposed to assist in folding over the universe continues to elude him. ]

I suppose the point is moot as I shall never have the chance to test this for myself.

[patchricide]

Are you certain? You said it was empty. From what I've seen, space is anything but.

I imagine not, given the current state of space-time. You could possibly run experiments here in Avalon, but I doubt they would appreciate anyone tampering with it until the problem of frozen time is solved.

[emet_sulk]

Indeed.

Allow me to clarify: I'm aware of other stars beyond my own but crossing the vast expanse betwixt them is an impossible feat for mortal man as they are now. A single dragon managed the journey once, pursued by a mindless machine, but neither were in a state to repeat such a feat from what I last recall.

Thus when I speak of 'space' I refer to the cold, empty expanse. Not the distant - and thus far unreachable - worlds which lie on the other side of it.

[patchricide]

That is precisely my problem with your definition, though. The expanse isn't as empty as you suggest.

The distance might seem immeasurable for us because we exist on such a small scale compared to it. But that touches upon the other reason why I would not define space by its emptiness: If you focus too much on how large the distance is, you will never overcome it.

The key to space exploration lies in looking for ways to negate distance. Space is a medium, a fabric upon which reality itself is built. There are ways to manipulate it, to create wormholes that will cross from any point to another without traversing any points in between.

Once you've done that, you can jump from point to point and see that there is far more than lonely worlds waiting out there. Such as the Weblum, the giant space worms for which we named the wormholes in the first place.

[emet_sulk]

[ He sighs and pinches his nose. His reply takes a while to compose. ]

Just because you negate the empty space in order to travel it, does not mean that space does not exist. Again, I reiterate: man as they are now has not the capacity nor the technology to traverse the distance. I did not say 'twas impossible at all - only that it is impossible as they are now. If they can find a way to breach the metaphysical barrier between worlds as well as turn back time itself, I've no doubt that one day they will turn their gazes to the distant stars and travel beyond their native realm. But until such time, they've enough problems of their own to solve.