to all;

[stations]

Hey, guys. Good morning, or... afternoon. Evening? Does Abraxas have different time zones? I'm not actually sure how that works here, so I guess good whatever time of day it is wherever you are in the world. I'm Jack.

Some of you might have seen me around the libraries in Castle Thorne, and for good reason. That's mostly what I do. I'm a reader.

Well, and a blogger, and a gas station attendant-slash-owner, but I haven't really figured out how to translate those last two things over just yet. There's something especially horrifying about the idea of refueling horses at gas pumps, and I'm pretty sure none of you guys would like it if I slammed you with a wall of text in the middle of your day like I would when I updated my blog.

Which is exactly what I'm doing now. The irony is not lost on me. Sorry.

The point is, I'm looking for stuff to read. The libraries here are great, don't get me wrong, but the contents aren't my usual style. I'm more into the campy two dollar trash fiction of the sci-fi paperback persuasion, but I'll also take the classics! Agatha Christie, JK Rowling (at least, before she turned out to be a horrible fucking person), Tolkien. Anything from Chronicles of Narnia to Killer Clowns from Outer Space Visit Erin Brockovich 2.

"How are we supposed to lend you a book that isn't written here?" you may be asking. Well, as it turns out, I've been re-reading tons of old books in the Horizon when I find myself there. I just can't seem to summon up anything new. I guess it only works with memories, or something? Anyway, if you have anything to share, I'd really appreciate it if you could swing by my gas station. I'll give you a discount.

Thanks.

-GasStationJack

Comments

[scrappyjedi]

What?

[ What's an iPad?

Luckily, Jack's confusion begins to make sense as Cal watches him poke at it, realization dawning on him as he remembers all the books in the library, and how some people rose a questioning brow when he mentioned being surprised that there was no console at the very least. ]

Oh...you were...expecting, like, a book— [ his hands make a gesture of opening, as if he needed to remember how a fucking book works— ] weren't you?

[stations]

No, this is great! This is good. This is fine. This is... totally okay.

( He says in a rush, because he doesn't want to be a dick. Beggars can't be choosers after all, he can hardly be picky about the delivery method. )

Who needs all those pages, am I right? All the... turning.

( God he loves the turning. )

[scrappyjedi]

[ Cal is so bad at people, but there's something to be said about the fact that even he can tell that Jack is lying. ]

It's fine — you don't have to—[ Maybe he can still make it into a book? But he's not sure how to translate a lot of the things you get with a datapad to...paper. ] Sorry, I...completely forget that most people around here are used to all the paper and...binding?

[ How big would Taming of the Gundark be if it were in paper form, though? Probably big enough to snap your arms in half. ]

I can show you how to use it, if you're worried. I promise it's really easy.

[ Of course it's easy to Cal, who knows no other way of reading. But. ]

[stations]

( There's a soft, faintly relieved exhale, and he holds the datapad out helplessly. )

Yes, please.

( It isn't fair to say Jack is technologically illiterate, exactly. He built a Tandy 1000 out of spare parts from a garage sale as a kid — which his foster brother promptly stole and sold — but poverty and a lacking internet connection has driven him slowly further away from those inclinations. He gets by, but he's never actually owned an iPad or a tablet, like, ever. In his life. )

[scrappyjedi]

[ Cal gives Jack a reassuring smile, though he doesn't know how reassuring he actually is, taking the datapad and holding it in a way that he can demonstrate. ]

Normally, you'd have to put a chip that has the book in one of these, but I took that step out. So you just...touch the screen. [ Cal taps it with his nongloved hand, and the screen displays a menu. He'll point to each one as he lists them off: ] That's the table of contents, that's just a list of special thanks — uh, that won't actually go anywhere because I left it out.

[ Literally never read it, so he couldn't have added it even if he wanted to. ]

—And this is the actual start of the story. It's going to ask you a few things before it starts, like...how big you want the text, or if you want pictures, or sound. [ Yes this book comes with ambiance. Probably why it held his attention as a kid. ] Or if you'd rather swipe to get to the next screen, or scroll. Then it'll take you to the first page, and you're good.

[ A shrug, and another smile. ]

Uh, easy, right?