Logging #BESM to 'C:\Documents and Settings\Alan\Desktop\AliceDayTwo.Aniverse'
Topper	You sleep as you normally sleep in an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar place, and you are awakened by a knock at your door after eight or so hours.
Alice 's eyes spring open and she sits up. "One moment."
Alice	[I feel asleep in my clothes right?]
Topper	[Yuppers. I don't even know if you got under the covers.]
Alice	[probably not]
Alice walks over and opens the door. "Yes, who is it?"
Topper	A short, round man with a big grin that reaches from muttonchop to muttonchop is standing there, hands clasped excitedly in front of him. "Hi! Hello! I'm Topper Lasgo, a clerk here at Guild Central. Are you Alice? You must be! Hi! I'm here for your tour!"
Alice smiles weakly. "Oh my tour. Thanks. I'm afraid I just woke up, could you give me 5 minutes to freshen up, then I should be ready."
Topper	"Sure thing! I'll just wait out here! Five minutes! We've got a lot to see today!" The little man bounces to the side of the door and plops down on his plump rump to wait.
Alice walks back inside, shaking her head.
Alice	[I have a bathroom right? Any toiletries? Spare clothes?]
Topper	[Yes, there's a small bathroom with a shower and some unmarked toiletries. There're some clothes in the closet... quite similar to what you would have worn back home.]
Alice	To herself, "Excellent." I have a very quick shower, experiment briefly with toiletries and throw on some plain clothes.
Topper	For a moment it seems the clothes may be a bit too big... but no. Actually, they fit better than just about anything you've worn before. The toiletries, of course, work just fine. They just don't have brand names written all over them.
Alice	To herself, "Adaptive clothing?" Open the door and step out. "Sorry about the delay. Shall we depart?"
Topper	It seems like the little guy just bounces to his feet. "Sure thing! Welcome to Shar Torin, home dimension of The Guild. Right now, we're standing in the Kalarta residences, located in phase unthree." You notice that the hallway is much brighter than last night, and you notice that in both directions the ceiling... if it is one, is the clear blue of sky, even to the the scudding clouds in the distance... The carpet below your feet is still that almost midnight black. Topper bounces along the corridor toward the hub Arch that you'd come through last night. "Residences are based in the three underphases, and can be reached through various Hubs."
Alice follows behind, nodding appreciatively.
Alice	... "Do most employees live in the residences?"
Topper	Topper nods enthusiastically. "Yuppers! Except for the Guildmaster, everybody in Shar Torin sleeps on one of the three underphases."
Alice	"And the room styles vary depending on family size and other factors I assume? Does it vary by status?"
Topper	"Yuppers! Generally the higher phase you're on, the higher the status. Emissaries and otherrealm Guildmasters have their residences on unone, Shargat and senior staff in untwo, and the rest of us here in unthree!" You reach the Hub arch and pass through into Hub 14. Topper gestures as expansively as his stubby arms can manage. "This is a Hub. Hub 14, in fact! Also known as Fulpast Hub, after the great Antoine Fulpast, who singlehandedly saved a dimension from collapse."
Alice	"Where exactly would one go about getting food and other necessities. I'm afraid I haven't eaten in quite a long time. "
Topper	"Food! What a marvellous idea! Sure, this way!" Topper leads you to the left through another arch, labelled 'Comestibles'. You step into a large, well-lit room filled with long tables draped in white cloths. Comfortable looking chairs are set up, and places are already set. There are a lot of people here - apparently it's breakfast time.
Alice	[Does the food look familiar? Wide varieties I assume.]
Topper	A lot of the food does look familiar. Of course, there are several animals that strips of meat could come from, and several different consistencies that the "porridge" could take.
Alice	"Should i be worried about poisonous food or allergies?"
Topper	Topper laughs, a sound almost approaching hysteria. "Only if you order something you know is poisonous!" The two of you take seats not too far away from a large aqua-blue muscleman and his slender spikey haired eating companion. Each of them seem to be enjoying their meals, though the muscleman seems to have a plate of rocks in front of him, and the spikey haired one's bowl of air doesn't seeem to appetizing.
Alice	To herself. "Guess it would be slimming at least...."
Topper	A young man - a teenager, really - with a halo of dusky rose hair approaches you. "Good morning Mr. Lasgo, ma'am. What can I get for you?"
Alice	"Could I get a Miso soup, a bowl of cold rice and a fried herring?" I turn to Topper, "My old land lady was Japanese and used to cook me breakfast. I got used to it."
Topper	"Hey, that sounds good! I'll have the same. Yeah. And I'll have the bacon and eggs - chicken eggs today I think! And a coffee and an orange juice and some toast - whole wheat. And oh! Hashbrown potatoes. Mmm.... oooh, can I get a couple pancakes too? And some sausage! Yeah!"
Alice	"Could I also get some Jasmine tea and a bottle of water."
Topper	The young man grins at you. "Sure thing. Anything else? No? I'll be right back." He walks away toward the kitchens.
Alice	"So how would one go about experimenting with food from other cultures? Are they pretty good at telling you what is likely to eat its way back out of you?"
Topper	"Yeah, they'll let you know if you probably won't be able to handle it. But if you ask they can usually make a pretty decent replica out of non-hazardous materials."
Alice	"Good, eating is an interesting way of learning. You said you were a clerk with the guild. What exactly does that entail?"
Topper	"My job is to chat with visitors and help them find their way around. I keep appointments, run messages, keep people company, act as a go between, that sort of thing."
Alice	"Ah I see. Must be an interesting job. So you quite often explain the system to newcomers then?"
Topper	"Oh, I do! It's a great job. I know every nook and cranny of The Guild, 'cause it's my job to know! And since I know, it's also my job to let other people know!" The young man comes, bearing a large tray of food, which he deals out skillfully between the two of you. "Enjoy your meals Mr. Lasgo, ma'am." "Thanks Geggy!" Topper rubs his hands together gleefully and digs into his food with relish.
Alice	"Thank you."
Alice starts eating somewhat delicately
Alice	"How often do people come who have never heard of the Guild before like me?"
Topper	Around a mouthful of pancake, Topper says, "Every once in a while. Usually any place that's got people worth recruiting has a Guild Office, but there are always exceptional people to find in the low tech dimensions too. They're just a lot rarer."
Topper eats quickly, and it seems that despite the disparity between quantities, he will finish before you.
Alice doesn't rush particularly. This is her version of comfort food.
Alice	"So how much of a briefing do you normally get before you escort someone? Is it detailed or do they rely on your natural charm to see you through."
Topper	"How much of a briefing do -I- get? Not much. You are you. You share what you want, I share what I want and we both get along! That's how it goes around here. The people who need to know things already know things, and that's enough for me!" The food is good. It isn't exactly like mom made it, but it's still good.
Alice	"Very interesting. You must excuse me but I am a very.... nosey person. I don't like not knowing things and so I tend to ask a lot of questions."
Topper	"That's fine, that's why I'm here!" That, and eating apparently. He's almost half done his huge meal.
Alice	[Does he seem normal apart from the eating?]
Topper	[He's abnormally short and roly poly. Almost like a little ball with arms and legs. He seemed to bounce rather than walk.]
Alice	I set about finishing me meal.
Topper	There're seven phases to Shar Torin - Center, which is where we are right now, and then there's unone, untwo and unthree, the residences, and one which is bureaucratic offices and Facilities, two, which is Shargat facilities, and three which is high security and the Guildmaster's offices and penthouse."
Alice	"Do you know where I will be working when I am not on assignment?"
Topper	"Nope! What assignment will you have, do you know yet?"
Alice	"No, not exactly. I was simply told I would be doing field work. However, I will at some point need construction/research facilities if I am to be useful."
Topper	"Really!? Are you going to be... a Shargat?"
Alice	[I don't believe I was told so?]
Topper	[Nope.]
Alice	"I wasn't told so."
Topper	"Hmm. Maybe you're going to be a Traveller. That'd be neat, eh? But you don't know. Maybe you're going to be a bureaucrat at another Guild Office. Who knows!?"
Alice	[Am I done?]
Topper	[Yup.] Topper finishes up his meal. Surprisingly, he doesn't really need the napkin he dabs his mouth with. "Shall we continue with our tour?"
Alice	"How does one go about paying?"
Topper	"Paying! Ha ha ha ha! Yeah, we don't pay. Food is plentiful here. That's a good one! C'mon, let's go!"
Alice gets up, putting her bottle of water into pocket.
Topper	"THANKS GEGGY!!! SAY HI TO YOUR MUM FOR ME!!" Topper yells across the cafeteria. The rose-haloed kid raises a hand and waves. Walking back the way you came, you see that the wall is lined with different arches to choose from. People come and go with regularity. "Anything in particular you wanted to see first?"
Alice	"Yes, I would like to see the library facilities. There is a lot I need to learn." As I am walking, I'm gonna pull out that PDA I was given and see if there is anything interesting about it. Is it connected to any sort of network.
Topper	"A self-starter! That's great! Sure, I can show you the library." He guides you to a different arch, and a moment later you're standing in a dimly lit library. ... Nope. In fact, it seems like the schematics for the teleporter have been wiped off. There's nothing to personalize it at all, no data of any sort. Though your name is set as that of the owner. The library... is disappointing. It is a large room, almost exactly the same as the one you left in dimensions. Small tables and chairs and couches dot the spaces between sparse standings of bookshelves, only half-filled. The outer walls are lined with shelves only about eight feet high, and are interspersed with large fireplaces. For an outfit this size, the library should be much larger. "The library is phase one of the central phase Comestibles," Topper supplies.
Alice looks around. "So, how would I go about finding a book on the fundamentals of mathematics as they apply to modern theory?"
Topper	"You'd have to ask the Book." Topper points to a large book on a pedestal, not too far from where you are. There is a thin man in grey perusing it's contents.
Alice	"Do I wait or can it deal with multiple tasks?"
Topper	"It's usually polite to wait, I think." Soon enough the man moves away.
Alice	"Do I just ask it my question?"
Topper	"Yup! Uh... are you going to read now? 'Cause, like, you can't bring books out, you have to read 'em here, and since we're on a tour, you know..."
Alice	"Ah I see. That is a pity. We can leave then. Are books the only medium for information here? You see I learn much more quickly than most people and I am looking for a quick way of catching up on what I don't know."
Topper	He stares at you for a moment, then grins. "The Thinkers!" "You don't know about them?"
Alice	"That sound promising. No, I'm afraid I don't."
Topper	"Come with me! We'll see if we can get you connected right now!" He eagerly grabs your sleeve and bounces toward another arch along the wall, through which a number of people dressed in very plain grey clothes come through. He waits for them to pass then passes under the Arch, which reads "Shargat Psionics."
Alice follow wordlessly. As I go I am building my mentals maps and lists. Mostly I am interested in species and jobs right now.
Topper	Entering a place unlike any other, small and closed and cramped, the walls, floors and ceiling all made of huge blocks of a uniformly grey stone. There are no exits except the one archway through which you'd come, just a cube room.
Alice	As I am walking I am trying to be very concious of my own mind, looking for abnormal thinking patterns, stray thoughts, etc. To herself, "I need to learn more about psychics...."
Topper	Species vary greatly, from minor humanoid differences to greater and lesser forms of creature. Though most of the people in the library had been human, there had been a couple large slugs sitting on a table and perusing the reading material as well.
Topper	A voice inside your head whispers sibilantly ~You would like to join the Thinkerssss? Hmm? You want to beeeeee a Thinker?~
Alice	"Someone is chatting with my brain... is that normal here?" ... "Let me put that another way, something is ask me to become a thinker, is THAT normal?"
Topper	Topper looks startled. "BECOME a Thinker? No no!" To the room in general, he shouts, "SHE JUST WANTS TO BE CONNECTED LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!!!" A few seconds later, he nods, speaking more quietly, to himself. "Yeah. Sorry." ... The sibilant voice inside your head whispers again, ~The Dearith clarifiesss. You are authorized for Thinker Receptivity, do you accept? Yessss... Noooo...~
Alice	Thinks. "Yes"
Topper	You feel something, like a headache you never realized you had has abruptly disappeared. It's almost frightening, like your mind has suddenly filled with new air. After a moment, the feeling is gone. But something is different...
Alice	Thinks "Greetings?"
Topper	The sibilant voice returns, now more of a pleasant whisper, not even that. It surpasses a voice, for your mind registers it as a voice, but it seems to take no time to communicate. ~Greetings. Welcome to the Shar Torin Thinker Collective. Thinker Receptivity allows you to access Guild information and facilities remotely depending on authorization... ~In exchange, your untapped thought potential is borrowed during downtime to facilitate the Thinker usage of others.~
Alice	Thinks, "Please define downtime?" To Topper "Interesting. Anything I should know about this?"
Topper	~Details of Thinker commands can be memorized by 'Inquiry Thinker Commands dot Doc.'~ Topper says, "Hmm. The Thinkers are a great help. They do the facilitating and maintenance. Clerks like me use 'em all the time to figure out where people are supposed to go, when their meetings are, stuff like that." ~Downtime refers to states of sleep, stasis and unconsciousness. A small percent of unused computing power may also be used during active hours.~
Alice	To Topper, "Can I simply ask it questions or must I use a command interface.?"
Alice is smiling and looking kinda excited.
Topper	Topper grins back, glad he's made his guest happy. "Go ahead, ask it something. The command interface is for higher order stuff like actually asking the Thinkers to do something."
Alice	Thinks, "Would like information on the mathematical fundamentals required for a currently understanding of physics and the interactions between it and magic please."
Topper	And there it is. As if you've just flipped through all the textbooks on the subject and memorized their pages. It doesn't make immediate sense, but your mind, being the mind that it is, filters it rapidly.
Alice smiles oddly and brushes a tear from her eyes...
Alice	~"Will I retain this information?"
Topper	~Your mind will assimilate the information as quickly as possible. However, it is possible that not all will be assimilated before short term memory clears.~
Alice	"Thank you Topper. This is will be most useful for me."
Topper	Topper nods happily. "I'm surprised whoever brought you in didn't get you acquainted with it right away. Now, uh, did you want to go? It's kinda... eerie in here." You notice he's edged his way nearer the Arch.
Alice	"Certainly. Are there rules about communication with the thinkers."
Topper	"What do you mean?" Topper steps through the archway and back into the library. As you pass through, it's almost as if you know which books you'd picked up to learn the information you learned.
Alice	"Well two things really. Are there limits on how much information I am allowed to access. I assume information is classified..." "and is there a different form of communication with the thinkers? When I first entered they communicated with me differently."
Topper	"Oh yeah, sure. There's classified information, sure, but the Thinkers won't tell you stuff if you're not cleared for it. They're pretty strict about stuff like that. Sometimes if you try to pester them about stuff, they'll actually report you." "A different form of communication? You mean, like talking in your head? Yeah, they do that. How was it different?"
Alice	"Sorry, I think I was just confused about the way they communicate. Shall we continue?"
Topper	Topper bounces along the wall, pausing under an archway with the legend "Shargat Engineering." "I think you'll like this one. I got a feeling we'll be in the box though. Still, it's neat to see!"
Alice	~Have you analyzed or tested the capacity of my mind since I joined the system?~
Topper	~Yes.~
Alice	~Information is then sent to me at a rate appropriate for me?~
Topper	Topper heads through the arch and you follow, finding yourself in a room with light mauve walls and an intricate tile floor. While the archway wall has three arches, the other three walls are entirely clear, and you can see out over a HUGE workfloor, so big that it seems you can't see the far walls in any direction. Every square inch is taken up by something or other... ~Appropriate for you and the Thinkers...~ ...everywhere you look there is some sort of machinery being stared at by figures dressed in plain grey. You see tables and tables of tiny parts. You see what seem to be washers and dryers, cars both familiar and alien. You see humanoid frames being built, even in the distance you see the shadowy hulk of some massive.... behemoth.
Alice switching into high gear rubber necking
Topper	Topper runs to the window, looking out at the really big thing in the distance. "Wow, they've done a lot of work on the ship since I was here last! It was just the ribs before, now they've got plating and everything!" He turns back to look at you. "It's gonna be a new Guild Office in an multi-galactic dimension!" "And oh! I think that there, see the table with the yellow pile of cloth on it? The thing next to it with the little black globe on the top of it is the next generation of shielding technology I think. That little thing will generate a shield big enough to protect a whole city."
Alice is quiet cause her eyes are looking everywhere at once. Then she visibly pulls herself together and tries vainly to look less interested.
Topper	Topper looks back and sees her look of disinterest. "I... oh. I thought you'd like this stuff, since you seem all brainy and... We... uh... we can go if you want."
Alice	"...........huh? Oh sorry. Ummm... what was that.....errr......" Starts rubber necking again more keenly. [Only a blind man would fail to notice her interest now.]
Topper	Topper grins and nods, turning his attention back to the floor. "The Shargat have so many projects going on at once, some of this stuff has been out on the floor for years and nobody's touched it 'cause everybody gets reassigned to more pressing matters."
Alice	"hmmm... sounds like a management nightmare. Yes, I think I can see somewhere where they appear to be using some older projects as work tables."
Topper	"Ha ha! Yeah. Like that thing there, it's got the Manite converter on it? That used to be the arm of that mech over THERE," He points to the far side of the room, where a tall humanoid robot stands, "But they scrapped the whole thing for some reason and just left it there." "Left the arm. I don't know if they've scrapped the mech, but I don't think it's moved in a while."
Alice	"So this is the primary build area for the whole guild? All projects are authorized from above I take it?"
Topper	"This is the primary build area for Shar Torin Shargat, yeah. I don't know too much about project authorization and stuff, since that's dealt with mainly by the Shargat themselves, I think. They're kinda wierd. They do their own thing, it's not like they're part of The Guild at all, except that everything they do they do FOR The Guild."
Alice	"I will need to learn more about that at some point and what exactly is it I will be doing. If nothing else I think I could be useful here. Execpt.....hmmmm"
Topper	A red light flashes in the distance, and a pillar of brilliant red fire appears, blindingly bright. But the light disappears and, though there's smoke, it too rises in a narrow column, boundaried by some invisible force. "Wow! Did you see that?!"
Alice	"Something went wrong? Or is someone testing a weapon do you think?"
Topper	"I don't know, but that was great! Boom! And here, not a rattle!" Anyhoo...
Alice	"Yes, I can see that they have an effective partitioning system. Is most of this equipment sold or used would you say?"
Topper	"Probably. I don't know. Like I said, a lot of it just gets abandoned for other more pressing projects. I guess it all eventually gets come back to. Most of the stuff here is experimental or prototype stuff, or unique design like the Office there in the distance, so I don't think much is sold."
Alice	"A researchers paradise... Where to next do you think?"
Topper	"Hmm. How about Scrying and TransLoc? They're two of the most commonly used Facilities here, I think."
Alice	"Yes, I am very interested in TransLoc."
Topper	"Alright! I'll take you to Central TransLoc, it's easier to access and the people there are friendlier than in plus one." He takes one of the other archways out, and you find yourself in a Hub. Through another arch and you're in the Chamber - the big chamber you arrived in yesterday.
Alice	[How am I doing absorbing the math I asked for?]
Topper	[With your photographic memory it's pretty much absorbed. You'll have to sit and contemplate it for a few hours to actually make all the required connections between the formulas to actually understand it all.] In the Chamber, there's a large group of people gathered, and shouts and sounds of something going on. Occasionally the group rustles up some applause.
Alice	[Cool :D Inside she is such a happy camper]
Topper	[:)] [You'll have spent character points on your Thinker Receptivity, as well as for skill points for that data, of course. :) ] [I don't know how T.R. is going to count for points yet though.] "Something's going on. Lemme see. A Hekan Tea Fight! Neat! Wanna go see?"
Alice	[Okay. The way I have been thinking about most of this is that she didn't actually have a full mind of 18 when she arrived. Instead she had something like 18 but with defects on her knowledge or other things which would limit her to be about 12 or 14. What she is doing is patching herself up to 18] "Tea fight?"
Topper	[Makes sense. Carry on. :) Oh yeah. I mentioned to Cam that I may change the way stats are done, depending on how the character's come out. Probably not, but I figured I'd mention it.] [Using the scale instead of straight 2 per level] "Yeah! Each fighter holds a cup of tea and has to knock their opponent's cup out of their hand!"
Alice approaches the comfrontation
Topper	The crowd is pretty forgiving for letting you through, especially with Topper yelling "Look out! Short guy comin' through!"
Alice	I move in his ample wake
Topper	There are actually three warriors in the large circle in the midst of the crowd, but only two of them seem to be holding cups of tea (complete with saucers too.) The third, an unarmed man in sleek black, uses both hands, both feet, and any other part of his body to defend and attack against his well-armed opponents...
Alice	[btw, Alice is really quite tall, 6"1' so she isn't getting too close.]
Topper	One man, holding his tea in one hand, fights with a halberd in the other hand, wears archaic half plate armor, and still manages to leap incredibly high to deliver thundering blows from above to his opponents, all the while holding his tea out of reach of their counterattacks... [No problem. :) ]
Alice enjoys the spectacle, her eyes wide with interest
Topper	The third almost seems unfairly advantaged - a four armed female demoness (horns, wings, etc.), holding a whiplike weapon of blazing light in one hand, and a gem in another while protecting her cup with the lower two hands... The armored man makes a stunning spin attack against the demoness, who nevertheless manages to avoid decapitation, and at the same time wraps her whip around his halberd, lashing him off balance. He uses the new momentum to throw himself into a somersault, losing his halberd but miraculously coming to his feet with tea and cup intact. Applause... While distracted, the man in black leaps at the demoness as well, but her gemmed hand swings around and, though the swing doesn't connect physically, it throws the man in an arc across the ring, to land heavily on his back. But he, too, leaps to his feet and shakes it off... The man in armor attacks again, this time bare handed, the cup flowing from one hand to another so quickly and with such precision that it doesn't seem he's holding it at all. The demoness blocks the barrage of blows, but the man simply attacks quicker, faster, his strikes coming harder and with more precision, his dodging so precise that the aura of the gem can't even touch him... Finally, a single blow gets through the demoness's defenses, a pinkie finger catches her cup and pulls it out so deftly that she hasn't time to react. With a spin he tosses the cup in the air, flips his halberd with his toe into his hand and, with a flourish, smashes the cup to smithereens. The demoness bows and takes a seat in the crowd... But the man in black is back. While the armored one is flourishing, a well-placed kick disarms him of his own cup, which flips into the air. But the armored man is quick. Unnaturally quick. Sickeningly quick. He reaches out and snags the cup, whips it through the air and collects every last drop of tea before replacing the cup on his saucer, turning to face this final opponent... It is over quickly. Though he's encumbered by the cup, the armored man is much faster than the other man. After a few well calculated attacks, the armored man spears his empty hand into the chest of the man in black. The crowd gasps as the gauntleted hand bursts out of his back...an ichor-covered teacup clasped in his fingers. He tilts the cup and lets a single drop hit the floor. The crowd is silent for a long moment, until the armored man removes his arm from the man in black, and they shake hands, both smiling widely. The man in black seems unfazed by the gaping hole - which is rapidly shrinking - in his chest. And the crowd goes wild!
Alice applaudes and smiles
Topper	Topper has leapt to his feet and is applauding with abandon. "WOOOOO!!! YEAH!! THAT WAS GREAT!!!"
Alice	"Very impressive. I have never seen movement like that."
Topper	The crowd converges on the warriors, the woman now looking quite human. Topper restrains himself though. "Yeah! That's Hekan for ya, they're awesome!"
Alice	"Do they all move like that?"
Topper	"There are different schools, and I think only one of them moves like that. The guy who had the teacup in his chest was a shapeshifter I think, but he must not have been a very good one since he didn't actually change shape. The guy with the armor would've been an enhancer - the more they concentrate, the better they get. And I don't know if the lady was a shapeshifter or not. I guess so, but I don't know why she didn't absorb her cup." "I don't know why she didn't absorb her cup like the other guy."
Alice	"doesn't like the feeling of tea inside her? Maybe she doesn't like the taste.
Topper	Topper shrugs. "Maybe, I don't know. I know -I- don't mind the feeling of tea inside me!" He pats his tummy. "Did you want to stop by Comestibles before we go to TransLoc?"
Alice	[How am I doing?] [And how much does he look like he want to go?]
Topper	[You're fine, it's only been a couple hours since breakfast. He looks like he wants to go, but he looks like he's trying not to look like he wants to go.]
Alice	"Sure, I am always interested in trying new food. Maybe some fruit."
Topper	Topper suddenly looks like he could hug you. "Sure! Let's go!" And so you go back to Comestibles. It's not as busy this time. Topper gets a tea, and oh, maybe some biscuits, but some cheese too, and maybe some sliced meats.... .
Alice	I am for some fruit which I haven't tried before. I don't really care what kind.
Topper	The server (a cute, plump, short haired blonde girl with a decidedly rebellious look about her) looks at you, trying to decide what you wouldn't have tried before. Then she shrugs and heads to the kitchen. She comes back with Topper's stuff, and a something that looks like a prickly green barbell. "Oooh," says Topper, "Garnsibalt. The narrow section in the middle is what you peel and eat."
Alice	"Thank you. I have never seen fruit like." I peel it and have a taste.
Topper	It's kind of salty and bitter, but it's... interesting enough. You suppose in small quantities it might be an interesting flavouring for other things.
Alice	I finish it. "What is normally done with Garnsibalt? Is it eaten straight or cooked into things?"
Topper	"Some people like it straight, but mostly it's cooked into stuff. There are some creatures that eat the ends of 'em, too, but I don't think they're good for you to eat."
Alice	"Shall we continue on?"
Topper	"Yeah, sure!" He dabs his mouth with his napkin and leads you out of Comestibles through another archway, conveniently labelled "Central TransLoc."
Alice	"So how does one go about requesting transit to somewhere?"
Topper	The room is like a big Hub, but there is a large depression in the centre of the room, like a shallow bowl. Every few seconds there is a flash and a person appears, and heads out one of the archways, or is met by a clerk who ushers them out. Other times people walk into the room and stand in the depression for a few seconds before a flash makes them disappear. "So this is TransLoc. People from all over the multiverse come through this room."
Alice	"So this is both arrivals and destinations or just arrivals?"
Topper	"Arrivals and departures. That big arch over there leads directly to the Chamber, where most people go. If there's an overflow here, then people start popping up and out out there."
Alice	"I can request transit to anywhere?"
Topper	"Generally it's just between Guild Offices from here. Interdimensional TransLoc is a little more complex so they don't like doing errant point TransLoc to another dimension."
Alice	"Okay. There isn't anywhere I particularly want to go, anyways."
Topper	"If you ever do get some time off... after you've started working, that is... there's this resort planet called Hawaia that you should really go to. It's pretty awesome."
Alice	"Good to know. I haven't really had a decent vaction in .... years."
Topper	Topper grins. "You've probably got a while to wait anyway. So... is there anything else you can think of that you'd like to see? The bureaucratic offices? The Zoo? The Mercantile zone? I have to go back to work soon though."
Alice	"I think I can make my own way around for a bit if you need to go. Especially now that I have the Thinkers. Thank you very much for showing me around. It has been delightful."
Topper	"I'm glad you had a good time, so did I! If you ever need any help getting a meeting with anyone you let me know, okay?" The roly poly muttonchop man grins bigly, offering his hand for you to shake.
Alice	I shake his hand warmly, "I'll remember that, Topper. I hope you have a good day."
Topper	"Yeah, you too! It was nice meeting you! I'll see you around!" With that, he bobbles off into the Chamber and is gone.
The_Guild	So Topper Lasgo leaves you standing in Central TransLoc, with a new voice in your head and new food in your belly.
Alice smiles again. ~Now, I think it is time we got to know each other a little better.......~
Alice	yeah, one quick question before you head out. I wanted to buy several points of bonus body for her through guild enhancements. Is that cool?
The_Guild	Yeah, that's fine. There are treatments for it. You have to keep working out though.
Alice	working out or getting treatments? or both
The_Guild	Either, really. You can get treatments to increase muscle tone and stuff, but it'll go away without maintenance, in the form of working out or getting treatments.
Alice	okay, thats cool. I will let you get some sleep then. ciao
The_Guild	Alright. G'night!