Edwin Shade

Edwin Shade is a googologist whose reputation is known throughout the googological community. He is described by one person (who may or may not be himself) as "one of the greatest googologists who has ever lived, second possibly only to Sbiis Saibian or P-bot".

History
Edwin Shade was once an ordinary user on the googology wikia. After seeking to uncover the identity of Andre Joyce however, a supposedly mythical googologist who was said to be a "20th century pataphysician", he found himself at the Brooklyn residence of a certain Andre Thaddeus Meyerweather Joyce, an 83-year old man who had no clue who the other Andre Joyce was. After conferring with him, Edwin shared pictures he had obtained of the other Andre Joyce. Noting that the pictures of this 'mythical' Andre Joyce and the real Andre Joyce were in fact of the same man, Edwin realized there were two Andre Joyces.

It turned out these Andres weren't related to eachother by blood but by meaning. It is akin to how a sentence or phrase can have double meaning, except instead of words the human body itself is a sentence, and the meaning is the life that body lives. Somehow, in a wholly inexplicable fashion, the body which Andre Joyce had occupied for the past 83 years had a double meaning, and therefore lived two completely separate lives. Going through birth records and family history, Edwin Shade realized that Andre Joyce's entire existence was actually foreshadowed through the work of another Joyce, namely, James Joyce's Finnegan's Wake.

After realizing this astounding news, Edwin Shade knew he had to tell the googology wikia, and share with them his findings. If he could gain their help in locating the real Andre Joyce, then perhaps The Notation Above All could finally be uncovered, a number notation so powerful that even the upper echelons of set-theory would not suffice to describe the least of its symbols.

So with blog after blog (they have since been deleted), Edwin Shade sought to share the truth about Andre Joyce with the googology wikia. Assuming he was trolling however, they banned him for an eternity. This ultimately led Edwin into a deep and dark spiral of depression, until one night as he was gambling away the last of his cash at a casino in New Orleans, a weathered man with a raspy voice sat down next to him.


 * The Stranger: You been losing this whole night.
 * Edwin Shade: Yeah, it sucks.
 * The Stranger: Some say it's in the dice. But I don't think so. I think it's in the player.

The man's eyes seemed to glimmer a deep blue like the type of blue you see when looking at the center of the sky on a cloudless day.


 * The Stranger: I can see inside you, you've given up in a way.
 * The Stranger: That spark you had in finding The Notation Above All is gone.

Edwin jerked upright. - How did he know?


 * The Stranger: I know many things. In fact, I am the man you've been looking for all along.
 * Edwin Shade: Y-you don't mean to say--
 * Andre Joyce: I'm the other Andre.

Just then there was a brake screech of the decidedly gangster variety as a large car from the 70s (think that one car in Kris Kross' Jump music video) braked to a sharp halt outside. A group of masked intruders carrying assault rifles entered the casino while The HampsterDance began playing. Someone swore before saying "sh*t, that was the wrong entrance song". The leader of the group shrugged and said "we're doing it anyways".

Edwin tried to throw himself in front of Andre Joyce to protect him from the bullets, but ended up tripping over a bar stool and hid under the table while tending to his twisted ankle. Very soon after, Andre Joyce hit the floor next to Edwin. The intruders had made quick work of the joint, although the one playing the music had dropped their phone. This would later serve as forensic evidence for the police to prosecute the gang with.

A dozen people lay on the floor bleeding, either dead or toward the irrecoverable journey to death. As the room filled with the moans of the nearly deceased and the stench of blood, the shrill voice of Hampton the Hampster could be heard instructing patrons how to do the do-si-do.

Edwin Shade saw Andre Joyce whispering and bent over to hear him.


 * Andre Joyce: They came for me.
 * Andre Joyce: I know something they don't.
 * Edwin Shade: What do you know?
 * Andre Joyce: I know where Bower's ruby simplex is located.
 * Edwin Shade: Bower's what?
 * Andre Joyce: Mythical artifact... powers beyond understanding... another world...

Andre Joyce's voice was fading out. Edwin shook him as tears ran down his face.


 * Edwin Shade: Please tell me. I promise I won't let you down. I'll do anything.
 * Andre Joyce: Go to Thorton's Thrift Shop. Ask for...
 * Andre Joyce: ...the Vase.
 * Edwin Shade: The vase? What vase?
 * Edwin Shade: Joyce, answer me!

There was silence as Andre Joyce's eyes closed.


 * Edwin Shade: I... I can't believe this happened all fast.

After this, Edwin went the thrift shop owner and asked for the vase, whereupon he was escorted into a back room and the owner and Mr.Shade descended in a rickety elevator to an underground museum of unusual artifacts. The owner explained that long ago there had been a geometer by the name of Jonathan Bowers who searched for multidimensional polychorons, and had made quite a name for himself. One day though, while exploring the Land Of The Broken Penteract, he came across a rare gem with cosmic powers. This gem allowed Bowers to visit even more worlds, and become known throughout the multiverse.

Bowers was not without his detractors however. His own brother, Abel Reeves, was a jealous and spiteful man who sought the gem for himself. He knew that with the gem he could finally complete the Infinity Plushie, a toy that told Yo Mama insults whenever you squeezed it. Oh, and it would also have the capability to destroy all life in the universe.

Abel Reeves sought the gem but Bowers evaded him at every turn. Then Abel began targeting those who knew where the gem was and those who were close to Bowers, like Andre Joyce himself. One day though, Bowers would not be able to run anymore. There needed to be a new protector of the gem.

As of 1 April 2020, Edwin Shade has been the protector of Bower's ruby gem. He has engaged in numerous missions to preserve the gem of which this page is too small to contain. Lauded by googologists and polytopists alike, Edwin Shade remains the most influential mathematician within the sphere of googology, and ultimately, perhaps even the universe itself.