Sunday 16 February 2014

S6.210 - Name Theory



The Story So Far: The inhabitants of Fractal City have been teaching personified math about the nature of their existence. Very soon, a decision will be made as to whether the high school functions are reunited - or recycled.

Para glided back down to the ground and released her hair, her bunny ears ceasing their helicopter spinning to stick back up into the air. "How are we doing?" she asked.


ArcCos stood up next to the 'Dial Out Device', or D.O.D., leaving his twin ArcSin to fiddle with it. "We've been able to confirm what ParaB told you. We'll be wormhole capable within half an hour. Not long after that, implosion. Which gives less than an hour for everyone to get onto Logan's Gazebo, as we set the charges this fractal Candice has created, and dial the heck out of here."

"Fair enough. Logan and the rest are already in hyperspace," Para noted. "I've also learned that Can-Tor has a portable dialing device, so we don't REALLY need the D.O.D. to work."


ArcSin's voice came from beneath the console. "I'll feel more comfortable with a backup system," he pointed out. "Besides, I want to know why it's overloading, and I might not be allowed to look at a D.O.D. once we're in Statistics."


"Have you gathered everyone together at the cliff edge?" ArcCos asked.


Para shook her head sadly. "We've got Trig and the Polynomials, but no one's sure what happened to the Conics. Elly might have tipped them off beforehand - maybe they fled to other subjects already."


ArcCos frowned. "You don't think this 'Q' got to them, do you?"


The blonde sighed. "I don't know what to think about Q." Her lips pursed. "That said... Maud has a theory..."


"Go on," ArcCos prompted off Para's hesitation.


Para began to pace. "Remember, it was Maud's recommendation that we stay in Mathematics. He was overruled. Maud now thinks it's because there were already plans to replace us. That would explain Elly's reference to 'the new order'. A 'new order' that may have been created by this Q. They're presently in math, while we're here. Perhaps secretly kept in reserve."



Better a DOD than a DOA
ArcCos rubbed his chin. "I see. But now Q has found us, and he wants HIS math characters to continue, not us? Thus engineering our demise - but isn't this a bit of a roundabout way to kill us?"

"Yeah. There's been some talk about that too," Para admitted, stopping in place. "Tangent proposed that the 'Transcendental Pi-Type Beings' have a noninterference directive. They're not allowed to destroy us directly, but they CAN make us the engineers of our own demise. After all, it WAS our choice to activate the wormhole."


ArcSin poked his head out from under the D.O.D. console. "Hold up. Are you suggesting we're pawns in some cosmic battle between omnipotent beings?!"


"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Para countered. "Though it HAS got me thinking - if this Q is against us, surely there's someone else who's been on our side." Her gaze turned up to the sky. "My ability to see the audience doesn't quite extend that way, but now that I'm looking, there is a name... tickling at my subconscious..." She smiled.


"Go on," ArcCos prompted a second time.


"Taylor," Para revealed. "I think me and my family are Taylor's Polynomials."


There was a moment of silence. "That's terrible," ArcSin said, wincing at the wordplay.


"I know!" the quadratic agreed. "Almost six series' and only NOW does the name make any sense!"



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