Description
A busy professor needs help with a community Encyclopedia project. Can you assist?
Start: Side Jobs, Tau Station
Introduction
You have a job: Encyclopedia Editor, accepted at Tau Station in the Sol system.
Find Professor Octavia at the University on Tau Station.
Next NPC: Professor Octavia, University, Tau Station
- Approach Professor Octavia.
The tall Professor's eyes light up as you approach.
Professor Octavia: My new editor, finally! Come quick. No time to waste, we- actually… YOU have work to do!
Professor Octavia beckons for you to follow her as she strides down an adjacent corridor, and into what you can only presume is her office. Inside, lab coats hang from a hook on the door. The shelves are lined with contraptions for measuring and observing the universe's secrets. Sensing your distraction, the Professor quickly ushers you past them to the desk slate in the middle.
She says: No time to gape at toys! You've work to do. I simply have far too much content to edit all on my own! Sit down, please!
You feel a chair being wheeled up behind you and sit down obligingly.
- Ask Professor Octavia about her encyclopedia.
Me: Sure thing. Just tell me again, what am I supposed to be editing?
Professor Octavia replies: My Encyclopedia! Didn't you read the job ad?! See, it started out as a hobby, cycles ago. A collection of snippets really. Stuff I picked up from exotic strangers in the Bar… But now it's all gotten rather big! And still growing… So much precious knowledge! See… My collaborators are very helpful, they keep sending me new articles! Quicker than I can edit them.
- "Tell me about your collaborators?"
- "Who is the encyclopedia for?"
- "Why are you making an Encyclopedia?"
- "OK, enough chit-chat, let's get to work."
Why:
Me: Why are you making an Encyclopedia?
The professor replies: Knowledge is everything, friend! And since the Catastrophe, humanity has been starved of it… So we must help each other. Share experiences and discoveries. Life's confusing enough even at the best of times… Now, when I find useful info, I add it to my Encyclopedia. And then anyone can benefit from it!
The Professor beams proudly. Clearly this project is giving her a lot of satisfaction.
She asks, nodding at the desk slate: So, any more questions? Or shall we get started?
- "Who is the encyclopedia for?"
- "OK, enough chit-chat, let's get to work."
- "Tell me about your collaborators?"
Who:
Me: Who is the encyclopedia for?
The professor spreads her arms out wide, smiling at you.
She says: Absolutely everybody! Or… at least it will be when we sort some compatibility issues. For now it's accessible from most pocket slates. Here…
She reaches over to the desk slate's keypad and types in "taustation.wikidot.com" An interface of categorized articles appears, with a pleasant background design.
Professor Octavia says: There it is! My pride and joy. Something to make life a little easier, less scary… for citizens of all stripes!
- "OK, enough chit-chat, let's get to work."
- "Tell me about your collaborators?"
Collaborators:
Me: Tell me about your collaborators?
The Professor smiles warmly, clearly fond of her knowledge-collecting friends.
Professor Octavia replies: Oh there's so many. Some of them I've never met in person! But they're some of the most experienced citizens around. From all over the galaxy. Maybe you know them? There's Shadow and Perleone, moritz, Dotsent, dualafn… Also quasidart and Xierumeng, Geoff… Others too. They send me useful info from their travels which they think others would find helpful. And I organize it all in this here encyclopedia. But it'd be nothing without them, they do the real work… Speaking of which, you wanna get started?
- "OK, enough chit-chat, let's get to work."
Me: OK, enough chit-chat, I'm ready to work.
The Professor nods with satisfaction.
She says: Very keen. I like that. I think you're gonna make a good editor. OK, so here's the deal: tidy up four article drafts, then get paid… I'll be back to check on you shortly.
With that, Professor Octavia turns and walks out of the office, leaving you alone facing the desk slate, on which there's a list of four articles displayed.
Edit 4 encyclopedia articles.
- Edit the first article.
(Intelligence check)
The first article seems to detail the workings of Galactic Coordinated Time, simplifying it for those without advanced degrees in astrophysics. Apparently, old Earth time was quite different and used things called "minutes." And a segment is equivalent to 14.4 old Earth minutes. Fascinating!
You make some edits to the text, tweaking syntax until the readability analyzer confirms improvement. You save the new version and open up the next article.
Edit 3 more encyclopedia articles.
- Edit the second article.
(Intelligence check)
The next article is bursting with travel tips for far-off systems. Apparently, it's possible to reach YZ Ceti system from Sol with only two interstellar jumps, going via L 726-8 Jump Gate! You make a note to remember that for the future, suddenly appreciative that someone went to the effort of sharing all this valuable info.
Again you whiz through the text, re-arranging sub-clauses and co-coordinating conjunctions until Professor Octavia pops in to glance over your shoulder at the display.
She says: Ooh that's nice work. It reads reads smoother than a Razorback cutting through vacuum. Our readers will be grateful! Keep it up.
She pats you on the shoulder, then scarpers out again.
Edit 2 more encyclopedia articles.
- Edit the third article.
(Intelligence check)
You continue your efforts, moving onto the next article which contains financial advice. Apparently there's a rumor that the bank's credit-bond exchange rate is not all that great. Buying a 3-day VIP pack with bonds from a market vendor and then selling it on the public market is sometimes a more lucrative way to swap bonds for credits. Who knew? This encyclopedia's not bad at all.
Despite the volume of text before you, your mind remains fresh. You snip and polish the sentences like skilled surgical-bot, cutting with precision and purpose, where necessary. Within units, another article has been tidied up.
Edit 1 more encyclopedia article.
- Edit the final article.
(Intelligence check)
Failure
Your brain feels like mulch right now and you struggle with the next article, unable to improve its confusing structure. You click your knuckles, preparing to try again.
Success
The fatigue is taking its toll now but you press on through it. The last article is about cloning, explaining the workings of the "Obi-lattice" which is used to encrypt personal data and send it safely over the Mesh to an active clone, should the owner suffer temporary death. The cryptography used seems rather mind-boggling, but you do your best to polish up the text. Shortly after, Professor Octavia returns.
Professor Octavia says: You've a sharp eye for a phrase. Nice work! You're welcome back any time. My wonderful collaborators are always sending me interesting insights from their travels. Thank stars there's always new knowledge which needs our attention! Here's your wage.
Me: Thanks Prof. Happy to help.
Professor Octavia smiles again warmly, then sees you out.
Congratulations!
You have completed the 'Encyclopedia Editor' job.
You have received 5.00 credits.
Notes
- Added as a reward for a Community Spotlight
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