S6.197 - Mind Over Matters

SERIES 6 INDEX

The Story So Far: The personified math-tans have been cast out of mathematics. Seeking probability in order to return, Logan and his crew made it to Fractal City - but not without cost. As his group try to understand the fractal inhabitants, the other mathematical relations struggle to come to terms with the repercussions of losing a primary function.

"It's okay. We understand your reluctance," Dr Weierstrass said soothingly. "Your beliefs are being completely turned around. No one is expecting you to suddenly be okay with that."

"I can't see it..."

"Except here's something I don't understand," Logan said, speaking up again. "I just tried to see Can-Tor as white. I couldn't. Is that because she really IS brown, or has my mind simply closed off again?"

What are your
expectations?

"Bit of both," Can-Tor answered. "How I look to you now comes from the vibe I'm giving off - the vibe of how I want to be perceived. You're presently open enough to accept the difference, but are perhaps still closed to anything outside normal expectations."

"So you coming in here off Weier's remark was a test," Radik realized. "To see if we were open enough!" He made a face. "Well, open to it or not, I don't like the implications!"

"Then you'll hate this," Howie said. "The way you look now, it's simply a mathematical projection... literally. You've had your own points and lines transformed from one plane into a human image. Yet your PREFERRED state may NOT be how you currently appear."

"Whoa, what? It's not like we can change what we look like now!" Cosecant protested. "We're invariant!"

"Why?" Weier asked.

"Oh for... fine," Heaviside said. "We are math. We can apparently go super deformed, if you're any indication, so I'll buy we can change appearance. But this means, what? Deep down we're all from the asian plane?"

Several of the others winced.  "Ooh, 'Evvi," QT said.  "No... just no, math stereotypes bad."

Not so invariant?

ParaB hummed. "I think I get it though," she said slowly. "We have the ability to re-map ourselves. To be perceived in a different way by outsiders. Perhaps even to be perceived as a different gender."

"That's chaos though," Cosecant pointed out. "If anyone can look like anyone else... well, I could steal your identity!"

"Don't misunderstand us. There's limitations," Weierstrass said. "And if you try to change yourself without being careful, you could Glitch. So we don't recommend it." She smiled. "For now, we merely wanted you to be aware of the issue, before you met the other fractals."

"Especially Koch," Howie put in.

"Oh yes," Weier said. "The Koch snowflake. For the record, even we're not actually sure what his - or her? - appearance is... Koch wears an encounter suit at all times."

"I think I met him!" QT gasped.

Weier nodded. "Koch is one of the earliest fractal curves to have been described. He manages to be very mysterious, despite the fact that much of known mathematics, including you, is older than him."

ParaB's mouth twitched. "Let's not talk age. After all, even if I'm over two thousand in human terms, I was only generated a couple of years back."

"It's fine. You don't look a day over 21," QT soothed.

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