[Torg] Fish in water with bicycle (Four-case contradictions)

[Kansas Jim]

Benn writes:

> I need a reminder (because I looked it up and am still a little 
> confused), what happens when a high tech axiom device is in a low tech 
> axiom world and an inhabitant grabs the device and tries to use it.  The 
> user knows how the device works, having seen the PC use it.

There's three character types to consider: the inhabitant is an Ord who
is capable of creating contradictions, he's an Ord who is not capable of
creating a contradiction (such as an Ord newly transformed to that
reality or an Ord who is disconnected) and last would be a P-Rated
inhabitant. I'll call them Ord+, Ord- and PR.

Simplest situation, they're in a pure zone: none of them will be able to
make it work because pure zones don't allow contradictions. (Though PR
could put up a reality bubble, then he's treated as being in a dominant
zone of his reality so see next.) My ruling, which is what's in the
R&E, is that a pure zone will automatically disconnect you if you try to
create a contradiction. Not everyone agrees with this though. Some
people say that it just won't work but you don't disconnect, others say
that the pure zone will prevent you from even thinking to attempt a
contradiction in the first place so they wouldn't try using the tool in
the first place.

Dominant zone: Ord- still won't be able to make it work no matter what
he does. Ord+ and PR can make it work so long as they do not roll a 1-4,
if they do then they disconnect. (Of course PR can then reconnect and
try again.)

Mixed zone: if the tool is still a 4-case contradiction in the mixed
reality, then it's just like Dominant. If the mixed axioms have changed
it to a 1-case contradiction (ie, it only contradicts the native
inhabitant's personal reality) then Ord+ and PR can make it work so long
as they do not roll a 1. Ord-, you guessed it, still won't be able to
make it work.

> conditions, and what's the best-case worst-case options?  In any of 
> those situations, is there any chance for the user to Transform or 
> Disconnect?  Or is the down side in each possible instance limited to 
> Transformation of the tool (ie, from a phaser into a slingshot, or 
> something)?

There is no risk of transformation to either the user or the tool in
attempting a four-case contradiction. Odds of disconnection are as
above.

However, contradictory tools do run the risk of spontaneous
transformation if they are not in the possession of a character capable
of supporting a contradiction. If the tool is in the possession of
Ord-, if Ord+ or PR disconnect, or if the tool is left sitting out on
a table then there is a chance that it will transform. But in most
cases the odds of it happening are very slim until a significant amount
of time has passed, it's generally not going to be worth bothering to
make the check unless the tool has been exposed for an hour or more in
a pure zone or a day in a dominant zone.

(Using the Transformation Table and the R&E's suggestion of shifting
down two rows to find the transformation probabilities for objects,
one hour in a pure zone carries a 5% chance of transformation and one
day in a dominant zone carries a 4% chance of transformation.)

-- 
Kansas Jim, Torg guru (ksjim (at) sdc (dot) org)
Torg website: http://www.sdc.org/~ksjim/index.html