Louise followed Gadge through the corridors of the Telicherry and couldn't help but notice how much qiieter the ship seemed. There was almost no humming, vibrations, and no sounds of distant work or people talking, and it made the corridors feel longer than they likely were.

Eventually though they came to the ships maintenance hanger, the same room she and Montmorency had entered the ship by when saved from the Grey's. it was empty now, making the room feel large and imposing with boxes and crates of metal all over the place.

"Good no one else is here," Gadge said with a nod as he hurried over to the largest pile of stacked metal boxes and began climbing up the sides of them via a number of built in handholds in the crates. "Come on up and we'll begin.

"uh, okay, but why in such a place?" Louise asked as she awkwardly climbed the ladders on the crates until she was up at the top with Gadge.

"It will make sense eventually," Gadge said with a grin as he sat down with his back against another crate and gestured to a similar spot across from him. "First we'll start with a question. What is magic?"

"What?"

"What is magic,"

Louise looked at Gadge for a moment incredulously before speaking. "Magic is the ability to manipulate the energy that-"

"Nope, totally wrong!" Gadge suddenly said, interrupting Louise with his words and a smirk on his snout. "That might be how its seen by Mystics, but that is far to wide and mystical an understanding. Dumb it down a bit."

" . . . . . an inborn ability to cast spells?"

"Nope, wrong direction. Wanna try again?"

"um, no, I don't understand what you are getting at," Louise admitted sourly.

"Not surprising with what Talcu told me of your culture he heard. I'll make it simply this time. What is magic used for?"

"Well . . . different kinds are used for different things."

"Such as?"

"Well, earth magic is usd for making roads and building foundations, while water magic is used for healing and potion making," Louise said, before recalling what she had been told by Talcu about magic in the universe." Well, it is on our home I mean."

"That's fine. So knowing that, what is magic? What else is it used for?"

"Well, combat."

"so is a sword, or a gun. They are the same after all, so what are they? What is magic? At its simplest?"

Louise looked at the metal grate she was sitting on. it was uncomfortable, but it did allow her to think in a way because it wasn't conformable. If magic was the same as a gun, or a sword, what did that make it? Was this some sort of trick question? Some sot of test? If only she had some paper and a pen or something to help her - . . . . . . . .

Wait.

"Is it," Louise stopped for a second. It couldn't be this simple could it? "A Tool?"

Gadge's snout curled up into a horrid looking smile. " Exactly that! Magic is just a tool, no different than a rake, a sword a gun, or even a spaceship. They are all, nothing but tools that serve a purpose, and in that understanding, is where a Technomancers true capabilities come from!"

"But, how does that make a difference?"

"Surprisingly simply actually. You have been told that Technomancy is related to technology, and so you believe you need more than just the extremely basic understanding you have been given, yes?"

"Y-yes, that is correct."

"Utterly worthless," Gadge said as he took out a small metal cube and dropped it onto the metal between the two of them. " I guarantee you will have no ideas what this is, but tell me what you think it is."

Louise gingerly leaned forward and picked up the cube. Kit felt heavy in her hand, and was covered in markings and runes. "A runestone? Or some sort of item to summon something?"

"Nope," Gadge said as he took the cube an poked a spot on it, causing the center to pop out to reveal a cylinder of metal. "A battery, and now, it has no power,"Gadge then continued as he, with a mere motion of his hands, pulled out an arcing line of electricity that pulsed and ebbed into the form of a sphere of energy that floated in his hands. "Now, if you look behind you, that crate had an opening, open it and pull out anything within it. A few things actually."

Louise did as she was asked, pulling out a rune stone of some kind, a gun of some form, as well as what looked like a small metal disc.

"Oh good, perfect even, so you see that gun?"

"Y-yes," Louise said as she held it awkwardly. Being made of metal it felt off in her hand, though with the knowledge in her head she could tell it was not armed due to no lights on it being lit.

"Good," Gadge said as he flicked the ball of energy, causing it to streak toward the gun and into it without any resistance, a glowing light and a low beep emanating from the gun a second later. "It's charged now."

"What, how did you-"

"Hold that thought," Gadge said as he made a gesture, causing energy to streak out of the gun into the nearby Mystical rune stone, making it glow vibrantly. "There, now the energy is magical,"

"WHAT!?"

"And now-" He motioned again, sending energy into the metal disc, where it began floating in the air lazily, "Now it is both magical, and technological energy. Magic is magic, and technology is technology, is the foolish idea that separates most people from understanding that both have use, and it is only we Technomancers that can make objects of both technology and magic all in one. We use magic to altar and manipulate technology, and technology to manipulate magic. To us there are merely two sides of the same coin, and while knowing how each side looks is easy, it is not necessary, as a coins sides are always similar to the other, even if engraved differently. ultimately, Technomancy is knowing that everything, magic and technology, are all connected, and it is using the tools we have on us to do whatever we need, regardless of if other people think it should be possible or not. Perception, imagination and Recklessness are our gifts that allow us to indulge in such power, and tempering these with understanding is how we do not lead ourselves to ruin. Whether it is hacking machinery, or bending the rules of reality, we can do it!"

Gadge stopped for a moment, having gotten to his feet during his tirade that, honestly, made Louise feel a little worried and terrified in equal measure. After a second he sat back down and took out a strange looking bracelet that looked equal parts mechanical circuit board and gemstone, and held it out toward Louise as if offering it to her. "So, are you up for learning, or does the idea of hacking the very bonds of reality and your understanding of the universe make you hide away in fear like a shrew in a hole?"