Patchwork Universe

Peri · God Joined: 29 May 2004 Posts: 70 Location: Terminus

Peri stood before the grand eastern entrance of the Museum, staring up at its imposing facade, her eyes wide. She peered into the hazy sky but couldn't make out the top of it. Shifting her capacious backpack on her shoulders, she bounded up the steps to the door.

Inside, beyond the ticket counter, she could see a fascinating assortment of displays, holding objects looking as if they'd come from many times and many worlds, the whole presided over by flying machines hanging from the ceiling. "Ooh," she said. "Shiny."

She glanced around, but no staff seemed to be about. There was plenty to be going on with in just this room, though, so she decided to wait. She pulled out her travel journal and began again on the first page, uncapping a cheap ballpoint pen with her teeth. She wandered among the glass cases, making notes. "Perfect," she muttered to herself, "something for everyone."

Dr. William T. Odom · Good Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 471 Location: The Museum

Eventually she noticed the woman at the ticket window watching her carefully. Whether she was distrustful or merely watching the only other moving thing in the room was hard to say with certainty.

Peri · God Joined: 29 May 2004 Posts: 70 Location: Terminus

She hurried over to the ticket window. "Oh, hello. Maybe you can help me. I'm writing a guide to this amazing Patchwork of ours and this museum seems like a great tourist attraction. Could you tell me a bit about it - for my research, you know? Or ask someone to show me around?"

The woman just looked at her impassively for a few moments. Peri grinned a friendly, bubbly grin and waited.

Dr. William T. Odom · Good Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 471 Location: The Museum

One of the woman's eyebrows rose half an inch. "Sorry, miss, I just sell tickets. If you'd like to pay your admission, I could call a Guide for you, someone to take you through the first few floors or someone to take you directly to exhibits related to Fabric Arts."

Peri · God Joined: 29 May 2004 Posts: 70 Location: Terminus

"Hang on..." Peri turned out one of her large pockets on to the counter, producing several more coins like the one on the thong around her neck - big iron affairs with triangular holes in them, wampum shells, feathers, a small gold nugget, a dark metal ring, and finally some nondescript copper coins which she gathered together into a little pile. "Will these do? And... is there something special happening in Fabric Arts?"

Suddenly she shuddered and closed her eyes. Recovering, she sighed. "It keeps changing. How am I going to do this?" she said quietly, though the woman was carefully counting the copper coins with her tongue stuck out at the side of her mouth and didn't pay any attention. Peri pulled herself together. "Anyway, yeah, a guide would be great."

Dr. William T. Odom · Good Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 471 Location: The Museum

"I'm sorry, miss, I thought you had expressed a special interest in patchwork." The woman handed over a ticket and waved Peri to the next window, where she took the ticket back, tore it in half, and handed one piece back. The other she dropped into a box. "I'll just get you a general Guide, then, shall I?"

Within minutes of bellowing into one of the tubes, the woman was introducing Peri to a young man in a buff-colored linen suit.

Ernest, the Guide, smiled glaringly at Peri and said, "Let's just start with the first floor, then, shall we? Right this way."

Peri soon found herself wandering through a display of figureheads from eighteenth- and nineteenth-century sailing vessels.

Peri · God Joined: 29 May 2004 Posts: 70 Location: Terminus

Ernest was very earnest, Peri thought. Right now he was explaining very earnestly and in great detail where each of the figureheads had come from. This was all very well, but there were changes afoot elsewhere and she didn't have all day. "So... how big is this place?" she asked. "And how long has it been around?"

Dr. William T. Odom · Good Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 471 Location: The Museum

"It's about 13,340 square yards -- a bit smaller, actually -- and was set up a little over thirty months ago, about the time visitors expressed a sudden interest in pirates and naval matters."

Peri · God Joined: 29 May 2004 Posts: 70 Location: Terminus

Peri blinked. Pirates? Ah. Clearly Ernest required very carefully worded questions. "I see. But the Museum - as a whole - how long has it been running? Who was its founder? People like a bit of history with their travel guides." She took out her pen again and twiddled it, eager to take more notes.

Dr. William T. Odom · Good Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 471 Location: The Museum

Ernest casually took a couple of discreet steps back. He watched his charge carefully for sudden movements.

"It's the Museum, isn't it? It's always been here."

Peri · God Joined: 29 May 2004 Posts: 70 Location: Terminus

Peri raised her eyebrows. "Really? That's amazing." She looked at Ernest with her head on one side. "Do you have a section of the Museum about the Museum itself? It's such a fascinating place. I want to know more," she said ingratiatingly.

Dr. William T. Odom · Good Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 471 Location: The Museum

"An exhibit about the Museum? No, I don't believe there is such a thing. The 240,032nd floor and part of the 240,033rd, of course, but that's rather specific. I'll certainly pass your request up the line. In the mean time, was there anything I might be able to tell you? My knowledge of history is a little patchy, like I don't really know anything past the Curatorship of Dr. Peter George Adams, but I'll try. And if you aren't interested in the rest of the exhibits, perhaps we could find somewhere comfortable and quiet to sit while you ask your questions."

Peri · God Joined: 29 May 2004 Posts: 70 Location: Terminus

Peri's eyes widened as Ernest mentioned floor numbers running into hundreds of thousands. She felt at once eager to explore and very, very tired.

"That's not a bad idea," she said. "Is there anywhere serving refreshments nearby?" She paused. "Or relatively nearby?"

Dr. William T. Odom · Good Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 471 Location: The Museum

"I've sometimes thought it rather odd that the first public annex of the commissary is on the twenty-fifth floor. I suppose that's because there are bars and cafes right out the front door. The commissary itself isn't really public."

Peri · God Joined: 29 May 2004 Posts: 70 Location: Terminus

Peri shrugged and hefted her rucksack. "Well, twenty-fifth floor it is, then. If you wouldn't mind taking me there."