(Roleplay entry. Continued from Part LXIII.)
The Duchess carefully boards the Prometheus, having snuck in through the back cargo hatch, avoiding the twin lasers to either side, and the turret laser dead center ship. Once in, nothing started flaring, so she thought she was okay. She walked to the medical bay, tapping on the door.
"Lina?"
The Nephilim on the bed inhaled, turning her head. "Yeah..." Her voice sounded slightly rusty from disuse.
Emilly checked her hand unit. "Some changes, since you were at ground level," she murmured. "We have a clinic now. It's by the lighthouse. And Zack's said he's willing to watch over any wounded." She looked up. "He's really good."
Lina nodded slowly.
Emilly looked concerned. "And we found enough of Tannhauser Station to reincorporate it. Not sure what happened. We're still looking for Beta-El."
Lina nodded again.
"You can go at any time," she said. "But if you think you need more...recovery...well, we have the med bays on Tannhauser active, and the clinic. Take your pick."
"Okay..."
Emilly bit her lip.
"Can I--get you anything?"
Lina shook her head.
"Oh...okay, then, I'll just...upload the stats to STAN, and...hope you'll be up and around soon. Yeah?"
"Yeah..."
Emilly looked concerned, but quietly slid the med bay door shut. She uploaded Lina's latest readings. She seemed fine, but...She leaned in, murmuring quietly to STAN to run a full body scan. Then she left.
Lina stared at the wall after the Duchess left, processing. Finally, she fell asleep again. She was still until with a jerk, her spine arched, and a tiny silver light flew out of her, up up up up into the black. A hole in space/time opened, and the tiny light went through.
It floated in the black. It remembered the flesh that had nearly died. It remembered leaving a univeree much like this one, for one that had life and light and heat. Floating in the black, where a living universe had once been, now reduced to nothing but stillness and sub-arctic chill.
It hovered, slowly turning, until it found the fragments of the Gray Area, all fires extinguished due to the lack of oxygen. It watched the vessel pieces float in the still dark.
Then...a voice. {{Hello?}} There was a long pause, then again. {{Hello??}}
In the still, cold black, the small glowing light raced towards the broken ship.
"Ooh, crap, we're here, hmm....Hey! You! I know your tech!" It paused, waiting. "Say something!"
No sound.
The small glow flew closer, touched a section of charred, broken hull.
A loud, metallic scream--was it pain? Filled the unmoving space, followed by a hiss. Then...
{{How--the hell did this happen?}}
The small light flared. "Helloo! Are you talking now?"
Silence, then...{{Yes, but--how, and more importantly, what, happened to me?}}
"Don't worry! I'm a--well. A piece of a friend, and if she was her, I know she'll fix you up, but--I'm her, so, well, I'll do it--"
Puzzled silence. Then...{{What?}}
"--here," the light finished.
{{I'm not so sure that's a good idea,}} came the metallic voice. {{Look at me--I'm in pieces--I'm not even all here--and, could I feel pain? I'm fairly sure I would be screaming...}}
"You did!"
More puzzled silence. Then...{{What?}}
"No worries, I'll fix you, once I get a repair bay made, and then I can replicate all I need. I'll need some of your steel--"
{{Like hell you will--}}
"Sorry," the little light said. "Sorry, but--I need some to make what I need to build the replicator, to fix you." Panels began to tear off the ship, and the sound of unearthly screaming was heard again.
"Sorry--so sorry--I'll be careful--"
The metal panels tore off faster, swirling around the tiny light, sizzling beams of light cleaving the panels, reconnecting them, a dizzying, spinning dance around the decimated Gray Area, and the tiny technical sprite.
Finally, there was a floating metal floor, and a framework that the sprite guided over the nose of the ship. Sparks flew into the dark.
A choked, almost gasping, metallic voice. {{You used up over half of me--how are you going to fix me now??}}
"Well, I'm going to use dark matter--which this place is full of--and dark energy--which this place is also full of--and, well, let's just say after I'm done, cloaking will be easy for you--"
Another silence, this one seeming stunned. {{And...just how long will that take?}}
A trill of silver laughter. "Oh, until you're fixed, I guess! Sorry, time, here, it's not really a thing...Anywho, let's begin, shall we?"
{{Hey, hey, hey--WAIT--}}
===
Many weeks later, a hole in space-time opened. It was night on Gearhaven. Were anyone awake, they would have seen a small, glittering white light--the technical sprite--towing the rebuilt Gray Area. It moved off from the main shipping lanes, towing it to the center of a dark ocean, then shot straight up. Up, up, up, up, until it phased through the Prometheus, flying towards Lina's chest.
As if kissed by the prince in all the old tales, Lina gasped, and woke up when the sprite flew into her again. She looked around the med bay, the panel behind her starting to beep. Zack ran in, looking at her. A sleepy mumble made her look down, seeing Justine curled up on the medical bed next to her.
"Okay, what the hell, people, how long have I been out?!?"
(Continued in part LXX.)
18 May, 2021
17 May, 2021
the finger of blame has turned upon itself
I thought about this, and yes, I am going to bring it up, because...there are larger issues here.
Now, I crashed porting from one place to another, so lost exactly what I said, but perhaps that's for the best. I was going to need to paraphrase heavily anyway. So let's start, there, with the bare bones of what happened.
A friend was manning a boot at the 13th annual Sci Fi Convention, a charity event to support Relay for Life. I was building, and I had had a very strange night previous, and thought it might be fun to take a break. I'd been wanting to go, after all; why not go when she had booth duty?
I ported in, and I saw her, and the friend we'd invited along, and someone we both knew from Mont Nuit, and...ban lines.
At the charity event. That is raising funds for cancer research.
Now, let me make this clear. I support the right of any sim owner to ban any individual from their lands. I have challenged bans in the past, when I felt there was not valid reason, but ultimately, it is their decision, and their right, and I only challenge once. It's an important safety feature on the grid.
For their lands.
Not...on the grounds of a charity event trying to raise funds.
Let me also make this clear: I was not enraged. I was not deeply hurt. I did not make a scene. I did laugh and mention that I was trapped behind ban lines, which resulted in this bit of conversation with the friend we'd both invited:
The Relay for Life charity is intensely focused on the concept of the physical, arduous walk, person passing to person, passing to person, allowing those who accept pledges sponsoring each mile they do, a brief window into the physical, arduous fight someone with cancer goes through. Trying to stay calm, trying to stay positive, trying to endure the rounds of chemotherapy, surgery, biopsies; the bouts of stress, the sheer physical exhaustion of being in pain and being sick...Out of all the charities that surround cancer research, Relay for Life is the one on the ground trying to prove to people, body by body, why it's so important to donate, to stay involved, to support however we can.
SLRLF--Second Life's Relay for Life tie-in charity--allows many people who perhaps cannot actually physically walk the track, the ability to understand the same experience. And these people take donations during the run of SLRFL events, but they also set up camps, and physical tracks to walk, so that even virtually, they can approximate the same experience. And if you think it's easy even sitting at a computer and walking forward, hour after hour...trust me. It's not as grueling, of course not, but it is affecting. Which is sort of the point.
And...she just...doesn't care, apparently.
But why at the convention? What on earth does she think I'll do? Grief her booth? Scream and shout and throw things? Why would I ever do that? I gain nothing by that, no one gains anything by that, and moreover, I have fought griefers throughout my years on the grid, both as a person affected by their chaos and as an estate manager, trying to clean up after them. I have no great fondness for people who have nothing better to do than toss shouting objects into the atmosphere just because they can. So why would I engage in such tactics? It makes zero sense.
This was just so wholly unexpected, because as I said, it's one thing to ban a person from that person's sim or sims; it is quite another to ban someone from a charity event.
Imagine if Fantasy Faire had ban lines for people. How much chaos would that have caused? How profoundly shocking would it have been to suddenly discover, out of the blue, one could not walk through the entire event?
A bit of a capture from another chat service:
I'm still not going to IM the organizers in world. As far as I understand, there has been a great deal of shake-up behind the scenes, with members of the organizational team quitting, and other losses suffered. And they have enough problems with that, with struggling to lay out the sims, and properly advertise, and properly execute a large-scale charity event in the first place. I don't feel it's right to bother them directly.
But I did want to address it. It's...not right. And it's deeply disheartening. It did make me want to leave the event and not return, and that is exactly the reaction a large-scale charity event should avoid, because--past all the fun products to buy, the concerts, the dances at the large events--the bottom line is, tossing funds into the SLRFL kiosks, buying things out of the SLRFL vendors, sends money to the actual RL charity. And that is the point of SLRFL, and RFL in general. That is the point of any charity effort--time, volunteering, advertising, these are all valid, valued and necessary, but a lot of it does come down to "if you can spare funds, please, send us funds, we'll use them to help people".
And how can I help if I can't get in? Truly, a depressing turn of events.
Now, I crashed porting from one place to another, so lost exactly what I said, but perhaps that's for the best. I was going to need to paraphrase heavily anyway. So let's start, there, with the bare bones of what happened.
A friend was manning a boot at the 13th annual Sci Fi Convention, a charity event to support Relay for Life. I was building, and I had had a very strange night previous, and thought it might be fun to take a break. I'd been wanting to go, after all; why not go when she had booth duty?
I ported in, and I saw her, and the friend we'd invited along, and someone we both knew from Mont Nuit, and...ban lines.
At the charity event. That is raising funds for cancer research.
Now, let me make this clear. I support the right of any sim owner to ban any individual from their lands. I have challenged bans in the past, when I felt there was not valid reason, but ultimately, it is their decision, and their right, and I only challenge once. It's an important safety feature on the grid.
For their lands.
Not...on the grounds of a charity event trying to raise funds.
Let me also make this clear: I was not enraged. I was not deeply hurt. I did not make a scene. I did laugh and mention that I was trapped behind ban lines, which resulted in this bit of conversation with the friend we'd both invited:
[16:13] Sxxxxxx Wxxxxx: did you poof?And I do believe that, but...again. Charity event. Raising funds. It rather interferes with that goal if people can't access the event, yes?
[16:13] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Nope, banned!
[16:13] Sxxxxxx Wxxxxx: how on earth???
[16:14] Sxxxxxx Wxxxxx: why?
[16:14] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): She doesn't like me
[16:16] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Ah, well. I hope you enjoy! [Kxxxx]'s nice, she runs [a certain house] on Mont Nuit.
[16:17] Sxxxxxx Wxxxxx: why doest she like you am cunfused your a great person whats not to like???
[16:17] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr) smiles.
[16:17] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): You'd have to ask her.
[16:17] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): But she owns the build, it's her right to ban whomever she wants.
[16:20] Sxxxxxx Wxxxxx: she siad she did notNow, I did flare a bit here...
[16:20] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): [The individual in question]? She's there?
[16:20] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): The [f*ck] she didn't, I am very banned from that parcel. But whatever.But surely that's understandable? And again, this was in IM, not main chat. I would not have said it in main chat.
[16:22] Sxxxxxx Wxxxxx: wait waitOh, good gods, no. Said elsewhere, when I was quoting a bit of this to the Duke:
[16:22] Sxxxxxx Wxxxxx: huge miss understanding
[16:22] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Pardon?
[16:22] Sxxxxxx Wxxxxx: i though you meant [kxxxx] was the owner
[4:31 PM] Emilly: And now [Jxxxxxx]'s freaking out, because [Lxxx] baldfaced in main chat accused [Kxxxx] of being mean to me, and arghNever a good situation, and I returned to the IM, trying to calm the friend down.
[16:22] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): NoBecause...that is an extremely petty move. The optics are terrible. This states plainly that the person who banned me from every land she owned--perfectly her right, which outside of one challenge, as I said, I have not gainsayed in any way--cares so little for the fight against cancer that she'll ban me from the parcel she sponsors at the convention. And that is...deeply tragic. Because it's an important fight.
[16:22] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): [The individual in question] built that parcel
[16:22] Sxxxxxx Wxxxxx: sorry
[16:22] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): [The individual in question] has banned me from every single land she owned, but I didn't think she was petty enough to ban me from part of a charity event.
The Relay for Life charity is intensely focused on the concept of the physical, arduous walk, person passing to person, passing to person, allowing those who accept pledges sponsoring each mile they do, a brief window into the physical, arduous fight someone with cancer goes through. Trying to stay calm, trying to stay positive, trying to endure the rounds of chemotherapy, surgery, biopsies; the bouts of stress, the sheer physical exhaustion of being in pain and being sick...Out of all the charities that surround cancer research, Relay for Life is the one on the ground trying to prove to people, body by body, why it's so important to donate, to stay involved, to support however we can.
SLRLF--Second Life's Relay for Life tie-in charity--allows many people who perhaps cannot actually physically walk the track, the ability to understand the same experience. And these people take donations during the run of SLRFL events, but they also set up camps, and physical tracks to walk, so that even virtually, they can approximate the same experience. And if you think it's easy even sitting at a computer and walking forward, hour after hour...trust me. It's not as grueling, of course not, but it is affecting. Which is sort of the point.
And...she just...doesn't care, apparently.
[16:23] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): [Kxxxx] co-owns Mont Nuit, she has nothing to do with the [organization the individual in question runs].I disagree, I doubt any of the other members of Gearhaven are banned, just me. And I'm not even taking it as a spit in the face--if she feels unsafe, for whatever reason, as I said--it's her right to keep me away. Fine.
[16:26] Sxxxxxx Wxxxxx: thats [f*cked] up
[16:26] Sxxxxxx Wxxxxx: and a spit in all our faces and [the Duke]'s
[16:27] Sxxxxxx Wxxxxx: wow
But why at the convention? What on earth does she think I'll do? Grief her booth? Scream and shout and throw things? Why would I ever do that? I gain nothing by that, no one gains anything by that, and moreover, I have fought griefers throughout my years on the grid, both as a person affected by their chaos and as an estate manager, trying to clean up after them. I have no great fondness for people who have nothing better to do than toss shouting objects into the atmosphere just because they can. So why would I engage in such tactics? It makes zero sense.
[16:27] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr) shrugsAnd that is likely all I'll say directly on the topic. I have moved on, largely. I still wish them all the best, but she's made it clear she wants nothing more to do with me, so where it is possible, I avoid her and her organization.
[16:27] Sxxxxxx Wxxxxx: i got diss by some one i have not meet weird
[16:27] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Her opt.
[16:28] Sxxxxxx Wxxxxx: so she just does not like you or she after somthing
[16:28] Sxxxxxx Wxxxxx: to ban you from an event did [the Duke] go?
[16:28] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Unless I feel I have a definite, valid reason to be unbanned from a place, I don't fight bans--that is an absolute right of any sim owner, and it should not be curtailed. And it's fairly clear, especially with this, that she's not interested in playing nice, so....fine. Her choice. It's disappointing, but she's not really part of my daily life anymore.
[16:29] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): I don't know. I suppose I could suggest it, but I doubt he'd be interested in trying--when he's in world, he generally has better things to do.
[16:29] Emilly Shatner-Orr (emilly.orr): Let's just say we had a difference of opinion on what constitutes friendship and support.
This was just so wholly unexpected, because as I said, it's one thing to ban a person from that person's sim or sims; it is quite another to ban someone from a charity event.
Imagine if Fantasy Faire had ban lines for people. How much chaos would that have caused? How profoundly shocking would it have been to suddenly discover, out of the blue, one could not walk through the entire event?
A bit of a capture from another chat service:
[4:15 PM] Emilly: WELL THAT WAS FUNAnd I still believe it would be, but the more I think on it, the more the larger issue here bothers me.
[4:15 PM] Emilly: Honestly, it hadn't occurred to me she'd ban me from public events.
[4:15 PM] Emilly: That are, like, public not to just her lands.
[4:15 PM] Emilly: And yeah, halfway tempted to say to the organizers, aww, wanted to come to the Sci Fi fair and support cancer research, but banned, guess I can't--but...that would be extraordinarily petty.
I'm still not going to IM the organizers in world. As far as I understand, there has been a great deal of shake-up behind the scenes, with members of the organizational team quitting, and other losses suffered. And they have enough problems with that, with struggling to lay out the sims, and properly advertise, and properly execute a large-scale charity event in the first place. I don't feel it's right to bother them directly.
But I did want to address it. It's...not right. And it's deeply disheartening. It did make me want to leave the event and not return, and that is exactly the reaction a large-scale charity event should avoid, because--past all the fun products to buy, the concerts, the dances at the large events--the bottom line is, tossing funds into the SLRFL kiosks, buying things out of the SLRFL vendors, sends money to the actual RL charity. And that is the point of SLRFL, and RFL in general. That is the point of any charity effort--time, volunteering, advertising, these are all valid, valued and necessary, but a lot of it does come down to "if you can spare funds, please, send us funds, we'll use them to help people".
And how can I help if I can't get in? Truly, a depressing turn of events.
and I'm more than willing to offer myself, who knows where that might lead
Just this little bit:
And...this:
Next year, I'm buying one for Alastair.
In radically different (and likely NSFW) news--a beloved story of the invention of vibrators may be wrong. Totally not kidding--apparently Rachel Maines thought she was onto something, or at least thought she could get a book out of it, but her "research" into the origins of Victorian electrical stimulation devices utterly fails to hold up.
Maines says now that her book was intended merely to present a "hypothesis", and was never intended to be taken seriously, but--if one reads the book? She never once presents it as a working theory, she presents it as fact. Hmm.
On the other hand, now we do know there was a link between Victorian electrical stimulation devices and human sexuality--the catch is, the devices were marketed to men.
(That article also mentions another "myth", only one I'd never heard of--that Cleopatra "invented" the vibrator by filling a gourd with bees. Now, on the surface, this sounds patently ridiculous, but we live in an era where Gwyneth Paltrow suggested a beauty treatment that involves massive amounts of bee stings, and at least one woman has died from this recommendation, so...really, who knows?)
[07:33] Ithildin Telperion (mondi.beaumont): I promise - no, I swear ! - now I'm done with my "Fantasy Faire 2021" photos - at least for this year - Fantasy Faire 2021 is over, and all involved look back on the past 3 weeks with one laughing and one crying eye .Here, here.
So much fun, work, diligence, stress, laughing, crying, remembering, fundraising, supporting, broadening horizons - and much more. All this is and was only possible because everyone pulled and is pulling together.
The Fantasy Faire is actually an old-fashioned, outdated ideal concept - because what counts here is togetherness and responsibility towards others, and not, as is so often the case nowadays, just putting oneself in the right light. So Fairelanders are perhaps a little naïve, a little old-fashioned - but that's exactly what makes us so strong. Taking the extra step when the other person is already limping... reaching out when someone can't reach anymore, listening carefully when others become quiet, giving a smile even when we might feel like crying.
[07:33] Ithildin Telperion (mondi.beaumont): Many thanks to each and every one of you for everything you have done and achieved. From the organizers, the sponsors and idea providers, to the designers, world builders, the tirelessly working team on all different levels, the chroniclers, the photographers, the idea providers, the hidden surprise chickens - to every single visitor.
From the organizers, the sponsors and idea providers, to the designers, world builders, the tirelessly working team on all different levels, the chroniclers, the photographers, the idea providers, the hidden surprise chickens - to every single visitor.
Thank you for your donations, your criticism, your loving words, your compliments, your time, your energy - your help, your feedback and your straightforwardness.
Stay healthy and take good care of yourselves! All my love from the bottom of my heart, *Mondi* https://www.flickr.com/photos/28469653@N05/
And...this:
[11:48] Fantasy Faire 2021 ~ Memorial Candle: The inscription reads: Miss you so much, Sumie.I do. But the candle's in Steamopolis, now. That helps.
Next year, I'm buying one for Alastair.
In radically different (and likely NSFW) news--a beloved story of the invention of vibrators may be wrong. Totally not kidding--apparently Rachel Maines thought she was onto something, or at least thought she could get a book out of it, but her "research" into the origins of Victorian electrical stimulation devices utterly fails to hold up.
Maines says now that her book was intended merely to present a "hypothesis", and was never intended to be taken seriously, but--if one reads the book? She never once presents it as a working theory, she presents it as fact. Hmm.
On the other hand, now we do know there was a link between Victorian electrical stimulation devices and human sexuality--the catch is, the devices were marketed to men.
(That article also mentions another "myth", only one I'd never heard of--that Cleopatra "invented" the vibrator by filling a gourd with bees. Now, on the surface, this sounds patently ridiculous, but we live in an era where Gwyneth Paltrow suggested a beauty treatment that involves massive amounts of bee stings, and at least one woman has died from this recommendation, so...really, who knows?)
16 May, 2021
do you want my presence or need my help? (part LXVIII)
(Roleplay entry. Continued from part LXVII.)
1.3 Table@Leng
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1.4 holographic image exfiltration passively intercepted by Gearhaven Security during the Countess' rezday party
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
1.3 Table@Leng
──────────────
East: (Rolls the dice, smiling.)
South: (Looks from the dice to West.) "Looks like you break, Asa."
West: (Stares tersely at the other players.) "I do not follow."
North: (Smirks.) "Perhaps not, but neither do you have the strength to lead. You would do well to heed your instruction, if only to defeat it."
East: (To North.) "Now, now. There is no need to chastise a student looking for orientation."
(To West.) "Vishwamitra is... a friend. Or rather an accomplice.
South: (Watches, hiding a grin.)
West: (With pallid affect.) "I don't remember him mentioning any of you. And I don't know that I care."
North: (Pointed. Bitter. Removed.) "Memory is such a fickle thing. Do you even care? About anything? Have you, ever?"
East: (Watches West, waiting for an answer.)
South: (Watches the others, waiting for an answer.)
West: "I... used to."
(Wind blows, sweeping the Plateau.) "What was that?" North: (Watches nothing.) "Change, I think. Or perhaps, meeting something which was always there, but was avoided. Perhaps now, something else will take its place."
East: (Smiles.)
South: (Watches with curious eyes.)
West: (Flat. Cracking.) "...Perhaps."
North: (The smallest of smiles.)
East: (Lightly.) "Not so hard to believe he and we would get on, now, is it?"
South: (Watches West.)
West: (A smile–cold, cruel, and the faintest bit human–breaks.) "That man loved to get along with every enemy."
North: (Shares in the pained smile of West.)
East: (Closes eyes, basking in West's cold smile.) "Mmmm... but he could deal." (Opens the eyes, gazing–soft, flirtatious–at West.) "Can you?"
South: (Smiles at West, adding.) "You would start by rolling the dice, and counting that many stacks leftward from the right end of your side of the tiles. That is where you break the wall."
West: (Watches South for a moment.) "What if I refuse?"
North: (Scoffs.) "By all means, try. Had I the desire to wholly reject my choices, I might attempt it, as well."
East: (Winces, and sighs, a touch wistful.) "You have to discover for yourself what that really means, I think." (To North, wryly.) "Though I do think he understands that would also be a choice, dear."
South: (Indicates the gong fu, looking East, North, West.) "Would any of you like some tea?"
West: (Eyes East, South, North, like a caged animal. Picks up the two dice slowly. Rolls 7.)
North: "Ahhhh... I believe I have had sufficient." (Turns the tea cup upside down with the right, and only, hand.)
East: (To South.) "Yes, please."
(To West.) "Now, push all the tiles further left than those seven another inch or two further left, and I will deal."
South: (Pours tea for South and East.)
West: (Crossly, to East.) "I thought you said I was dealing."
North: (Most coldly amused.) "No one said that."
East: (Smiles to West, bittersweet.) "You will be, in time. When you sit where I do now. For now, all you have to do is break the wall, and learn."
South: (Gestures to the cup of West with the gong fu, questioning.)
West: (Moves the tea cup from right to left, so South may pour, and breaks the wall.)
North: (To West.) "I hope for your sake you are as stubborn about trusting everything else as you are about trusting this. You will need it before we are done."
East: (Begins dealing the tiles to every direction, serene.)
South: (Pours the tea.)
West: (To North, suspicious, terse.) "You remind me of her."
North: (To West, adamant, terse.) "Yet her I am not."
East: (Pauses the dealing to smell and sip the tea, sighing, pleased.)
South: (Reveals Orchid, and looks East. Refills the cup of East, smiling, free.)
West: (Takes up the tea, smelling, suspicious.)
North: (Witnesses, patient.)
East: (Deals out the last tiles to each direction.) "And now... we play." (Discards 4 Bamboo.)
1.4 holographic image exfiltration passively intercepted by Gearhaven Security during the Countess' rezday party
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15 May, 2021
I wanna feel you in my bones (part LXVII)
(Roleplay entry. Continued from part LXVI.)
1.2 found artifact: Summary Report on the Disappearance and Reappearance of Vanderdecken Carrier /Orchid/
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*They're vermin. Not people... *pause* Myers is... dead. He was trying
*to pull the pin on his own grenade when they started eating
*him. How the hell am I supposed to tell his family that? *pause*
*I've radioed for backup. We don't have the space to process live
*prisoners. And we need some help to clean up this... mess. God
*knows good people don't deserve to know about it. :ADDENDUM: The wreckage of the Carter and an unidentified attack vessel were recovered at [2508-05-01 Tue 14:12] near the distress beacon of the Orchid, which had been set adrift in space. Preliminary investigation suggested the Carter had been caught directly in another ship's pulse.
The wreckage of the Carter did not contradict what could have been done by the Orchid's pulse drive, provided the IAF vehicle's external gravity had been sabotaged first, and no one moved it out of the way. The Orchid was listed as stolen by the insurrectionists, its crew and passengers reported dead.
The Vanderdecken-class freighter was not seen again until it was sighted by IAF forces at Sihnon [2519-02-01 Wed 19:47] whereupon the Orchid was immediately captured and boarded. Her sole occupant gave the name "Empty Orchid" which it then clarified as "kōng lán" (空兰).
空兰 claims that one of the other survivors of the Orchid began killing everyone, and that it fled from the Carter back to the Orchid to escape. It claims to have been drifting through the deep black, meditating, until the Miranda broadcast. These claims are being verified.
空兰 claims the motive for returning to Alliance worlds was to join the Companion's Guild, on the belief that stabilizing cultural institutions such as the Guild are the only thing which "can keep all of us from becoming Reavers."
空兰 has been permitted to join a Guild Companion House after very rigorous examinations have revealed astonishingly little. Unusual regenerative ability has been exhibited by the subject as well as manipulation of its own anatomy, and it may possess some psychic capacity as well, albeit well below what is cultivated at The Academy. The subject is considered to be highly dangerous, highly disciplined, and operating with unknown motives. Guild leadership has agreed to accept the subject as a student, with security detail provided by Blue Sun Corporation to closely monitor the situation and keep appropriate government personnel apprised.
For all its strangeness, and despite its insistence upon non-personed pronouns and claims that it is not a person, the subject appears to still be human.
(Continued in part LXVIII.)
1.2 found artifact: Summary Report on the Disappearance and Reappearance of Vanderdecken Carrier /Orchid/
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
• Note taken on [2508-05-01 Tue 04:35]this to their own.
Vanderdecken-class heavy carrier Orchid encountered during patrol,
heavily damaged and boarded by pirate vessel. Moving to arrest.
• Note taken on [2508-05-01 Tue 04:40]
Pirate vessel responded to surrender by undocking and targeting
weapons. We fired upon it in self-defense. Sensors show it now as
adrift and venting atmo. Distress call received from crew of Orchid,
requesting assistence passifying boarding party. Boarding to engage.
• Note taken on [2508-05-01 Tue 04:44]
We docked are unable to board due to sabotage by boarders. I'm
sending Myers and Biggs to clear us a way in, while Jesse and I keep
scanning for other pirate vessels. It's unusual to find pirates
operating like this out of a single ship. I have a bad feeling about
this.
• Note taken on [2508-05-01 Tue 06:51]
*pause* sigh* We've taken four prisoners. Three passengers, one
*crew. All of the pirates are dead. Looks like they attacked,
*boarded and… started eating them. This wasn't a supply raid,
*either. The records say the Orchid was a legitimate shipping vessel
*operating between Georgia and Blue Sun. But the crew, the
*passengers... they're sympathizers. Whole ship reeks of it. And of
*what their sympathy got them. It's wrong to think of the rebels as
*soldiers if this is what they do. If they do
*They're vermin. Not people... *pause* Myers is... dead. He was trying
*to pull the pin on his own grenade when they started eating
*him. How the hell am I supposed to tell his family that? *pause*
*I've radioed for backup. We don't have the space to process live
*prisoners. And we need some help to clean up this... mess. God
*knows good people don't deserve to know about it. :ADDENDUM: The wreckage of the Carter and an unidentified attack vessel were recovered at [2508-05-01 Tue 14:12] near the distress beacon of the Orchid, which had been set adrift in space. Preliminary investigation suggested the Carter had been caught directly in another ship's pulse.
The wreckage of the Carter did not contradict what could have been done by the Orchid's pulse drive, provided the IAF vehicle's external gravity had been sabotaged first, and no one moved it out of the way. The Orchid was listed as stolen by the insurrectionists, its crew and passengers reported dead.
The Vanderdecken-class freighter was not seen again until it was sighted by IAF forces at Sihnon [2519-02-01 Wed 19:47] whereupon the Orchid was immediately captured and boarded. Her sole occupant gave the name "Empty Orchid" which it then clarified as "kōng lán" (空兰).
空兰 claims that one of the other survivors of the Orchid began killing everyone, and that it fled from the Carter back to the Orchid to escape. It claims to have been drifting through the deep black, meditating, until the Miranda broadcast. These claims are being verified.
空兰 claims the motive for returning to Alliance worlds was to join the Companion's Guild, on the belief that stabilizing cultural institutions such as the Guild are the only thing which "can keep all of us from becoming Reavers."
空兰 has been permitted to join a Guild Companion House after very rigorous examinations have revealed astonishingly little. Unusual regenerative ability has been exhibited by the subject as well as manipulation of its own anatomy, and it may possess some psychic capacity as well, albeit well below what is cultivated at The Academy. The subject is considered to be highly dangerous, highly disciplined, and operating with unknown motives. Guild leadership has agreed to accept the subject as a student, with security detail provided by Blue Sun Corporation to closely monitor the situation and keep appropriate government personnel apprised.
For all its strangeness, and despite its insistence upon non-personed pronouns and claims that it is not a person, the subject appears to still be human.
(Continued in part LXVIII.)
14 May, 2021
you're hiding from me now, there's something in the way that you're talking (part LXVI)
(Roleplay entry. Continued from part LXV.)
The Higgs-Boson particles drift, spin, eddy. Things shift. Things emerge, or fade. Reality reconfigures in their wake...
Chittering heard aboard the Gray Area. Similar to a solid-key typewriter imprinting on paper. Advancement of rollers moving that paper forward. Click, click, click.
Table of Contents
─────────────────
1. Subject:空兰–SRN:0
.. 1. found artifact: FBI iPhone surveillance wire transcript, attached to field report from Special Agent Hank Armitage
..... 1. Conversation Transcript
..... 2. Notes
.. 2. found artifact: Summary Report on the Disappearance and Reappearance of Vanderdecken Carrier /Orchid/
.. 3. Table@Leng
.. 4. holographic image exfiltration passively intercepted by Gearhaven Security during the Countess' rezday party
1 Subject:空兰–SRN:0
════════════════════
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
1.1.1 Conversation Transcript
╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌
╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌
The Higgs-Boson particles drift, spin, eddy. Things shift. Things emerge, or fade. Reality reconfigures in their wake...
Chittering heard aboard the Gray Area. Similar to a solid-key typewriter imprinting on paper. Advancement of rollers moving that paper forward. Click, click, click.
Table of Contents
─────────────────
1. Subject:空兰–SRN:0
.. 1. found artifact: FBI iPhone surveillance wire transcript, attached to field report from Special Agent Hank Armitage
..... 1. Conversation Transcript
..... 2. Notes
.. 2. found artifact: Summary Report on the Disappearance and Reappearance of Vanderdecken Carrier /Orchid/
.. 3. Table@Leng
.. 4. holographic image exfiltration passively intercepted by Gearhaven Security during the Countess' rezday party
1 Subject:空兰–SRN:0
════════════════════
Initializing lore file for subject-entity of interest, identified as 空兰.1.1 found artifact: FBI iPhone surveillance wire transcript, attached to field report from Special Agent Hank Armitage
Nature of Entity: unknown Scope of Entity: unknown Intentions of Entity: unknown Disposition of Entity as Threat/Asset: unknown
Known Affiliations:
• Companion's Guild, Bó'ài Hónglián Age-Branch
Unidentified Affiliations:
• indeterminate
Corresponding evidentiary records of affiliation attached.
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
1.1.1 Conversation Transcript
╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌
The Black Man stands in the corner. The Empty smiles and waves. "Hello. Please, be comfortable. It is good to see you again."1.1.2 Notes
The Black Man stares. The Empty answers. "Oh no, it's nothing really. I have no agenda. Just some flirting Desire...you know that's how I work. I'm not sure I should have to explain that."
The Black Man stares. The Eyes of the Black Man flicker. The Empty tilts the head, bashful. "Well, I suppose. This kind of existence we're discussing, it always comes with its odds and ends, its freedoms and limits. No one will bat an eye if I push a little; that's everyone's point. But it won't be..."
The Black Man stares. The Eyes flicker. The Empty scoffs. "If you'd let me explain..."
The Black Man stares. The Eyes burn, points of maddening light. The Empty stares back. The Eyes are met, maddening lights mirrored by loving darkness. A smile. "...you see? I just need a little room, that's all. There's so much. You might even forget I'm here."
The Black Man stares. The Eyes narrow. The Empty winks, speaks, flirtatious. "Wouldn't that be fun again?"
The Black Man leaves. The Empty remains, grins, purring, wistful. "Ohhh...me too."
╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌╌
The following anomalies are present regarding this artifact:(Continued in part LXVII.)
1) This text is the entirety of what is marked as a transcript of audio and video surveillance through a monitored consumer mobile device. The format of this transcript is therefore suspiciously non-compliant with the standard formats for transcribing recordings among the FBI and other intelligence offices of this period.
2) The model of consumer device being monitored is listed as an "iPhone 9-ARK"; this model is not among any of the series 9 iPhone versions developed but never released.
3) The transcript consists entirely of symbolic narrative prose and incomplete speech, the whole of which should discredit this entry entirely as an evidentiary transcript of a conversation. Similar records exist within clones of FBI investigative records from this era, albeit contextualized to inform the development of an investigation, the aid of a prosecution, or acts of aggression deemed necessary to the business interests of the FBI, its investors, or the personal interests of constituent employees. No such context for this inclusion as-is is intact in available records.
4) This text appears to have been added to Special Agent Armitage's preliminary reports on the activities of Dunwich children's author and occult terrorist, Ezra Whateley, which presents several temporal inconsistencies. Most known timelines record the death of both Special Agent Amitage and Mr. Whateley between 2010 and 2012, shortly before the bottled lightning storm incident in Santa Monica. Most known timelines record the development of the series 9 iPhones between 2014 and 2019, moving closely with the death of Steve Jobs. All timelines wherein this record appears show Armitage's reports sealed and either destroyed or tendered to SCP agency, Delta Green or analogous operations by 2013, with this transcript already present.
5) The paper upon which the transcript was printed includes a watermark resembling the D'Ni word for "kiss" at a 96% accuracy of reproduction, suggesting it was penned by a novice of the Craft.
6) No other searchable records clearly indicating the participants, setting or context of this conversation exists within searchable records contemporary to The Children's Necronomicon Ages exist.
Query of non-indexable experts may yield further information. Suggesteded non-indexable subject experts include: dreamers, D'Ni.
boy, I'm gonna love you, I'm gonna tear into your soul (part LXV)
(Roleplay entry. Continued from part LXIV.)
The odd readings had led her here. No new rifts, no new activity from the ones they knew about, but still, the Duchess stood on Darktow, sweeping the hand unit in slow half-circles. She wrinkled her nose. She might as well be dowsing for all the effect this was having--
Wait.
There.
Across the bay from Darktow.
She found herself on the end of the little pier, thinking she might just have to break down and lay out a set of walking piers around the sims, but carefully put the scanner away and sighed, jumping into the waves.
She dragged herself back onto solid land, squeezing water from her hair, and took out the scanner again. It was near the shore temple, she knew that...the little temple which had just appeared one day, as many things did on Gearhaven, and they'd had so much else to do they hadn't really investigated.
But it wasn't inside...
She walked around the structure, moving towards the dragon's skull they'd found somewhere, and stopped.
There it was again. And...then gone.
In frustration, she knelt at the cliff's edge, putting away the scanner again, and just concentrated. She was a by-gods magical being, and if technology wouldn't work, there was always--
Calliope music. Distant. Very distant. Faint. But...there.
But where was it coming from??
She craned over the edge of the cliff and--finally. Saw...it.
A...skull. A small one. Floating...over the water.
"I don't suppose you talk, or anything?"
She waited. She sighed.
"Probably too much to hope for..."
She went off to find Justine.
(Continued in part LXVI.)
The odd readings had led her here. No new rifts, no new activity from the ones they knew about, but still, the Duchess stood on Darktow, sweeping the hand unit in slow half-circles. She wrinkled her nose. She might as well be dowsing for all the effect this was having--
Wait.
There.
Across the bay from Darktow.
She found herself on the end of the little pier, thinking she might just have to break down and lay out a set of walking piers around the sims, but carefully put the scanner away and sighed, jumping into the waves.
She dragged herself back onto solid land, squeezing water from her hair, and took out the scanner again. It was near the shore temple, she knew that...the little temple which had just appeared one day, as many things did on Gearhaven, and they'd had so much else to do they hadn't really investigated.
But it wasn't inside...
She walked around the structure, moving towards the dragon's skull they'd found somewhere, and stopped.
There it was again. And...then gone.
In frustration, she knelt at the cliff's edge, putting away the scanner again, and just concentrated. She was a by-gods magical being, and if technology wouldn't work, there was always--
Calliope music. Distant. Very distant. Faint. But...there.
But where was it coming from??
She craned over the edge of the cliff and--finally. Saw...it.
A...skull. A small one. Floating...over the water.
"I don't suppose you talk, or anything?"
She waited. She sighed.
"Probably too much to hope for..."
She went off to find Justine.
(Continued in part LXVI.)
13 May, 2021
we can get a little crazy, just for fun, just for fun (part LXIV)
(Roleplay entry. Continued from part LXIII.)
Zack stepped out of the portal, looking at the woman standing in front of Steamopolis. "Good day, Lady Emilly!"
For her part, Emilly had walked out and had been peering at the roofline, before sighing and turning to head back into the house. She startled slightly, turning.
"Oh! Or not. I wanted to make sure everything was back. It's not, but...we can live with the missing bits better."
Zack looked at her, eyes slowly traveling down from the top of her head to the tips of her painted toes, and smiled. "You look...quite sexy in that outfit, if I can allow myself to say."
Emilly smiled. "Thank you!" She looked down at the dress that was more two panels of silk fabric held on by side ribbons, embroidered with arcane symbols. "This is more, um...touch of grr-argh from Mont Nuit, I think."
Zack grinned. Emilly blinked. And then looked surprised, but smiled again.
"No, not for that reason--that was yesterday, anyway. This was more...They're going to decide if I'm too furry to be a fur on their sim, and grr, but still...I have options."
Zack's smile warmed. "Still have quite a bit of an erotic side..."
She grinned. "Well...I'm me...I think there's always going to be a thread of that..." She thought for a momment. "The possible exception being Dinkies or chibi dragons."
Zack laughed. "Indeed...Well, you do look charming either way."
She inclined her head. "I thank you."
"So, hmm...about the potential clinic buildings," he began.
"Ah, right," Emilly replied. "If none of them exactly suit, tell me what you are looking for, and I'll see what's out there to drag back."
"I actually found somethign that would probably fit in Marketplace...hold on, I'll send you the link."
"Oh, cool." She pulled out her hand unit, scanned the dimensions, the prims, and nodded. She put in the order, then looked up.
"All that would be needed is to furnish it," Zack said.
"That, I may or may not be able to help with, but that's possible too, depending on what you think of the layout."
Zack blinked. "I didn't buy it, or see what it looked like when rezzed. But from what I've seen, it looked good for Gearhaven."
She nodded, rezzing it into being, positioning it slightly better between the stone circle and the lighthouse. "It really does," she said, walking forward. She opened the door and stepped in. "It's gorgeous inside," she called over her shoulder.
Zack stepped in, looking around. "Indeed."
Emilly clapped. "So, yay! You have your clinic. So two questions--"
Zack looked at her.
"One, do you want it on the port network? And two, if you do, inside or outside for the port circle?"
"The port network?" he asked.
She nodded.
"Oh!" he said. "You have a teleport system."
She nodded. She rezzed out one on the ground, mossy stone base under the pale glow of the protective Vegvisir marking. "This one's not named, so it won't bring you back here if you go, but these are scattered around and about."
Zack thought. "Well, I think outside, at the entrance? Close to the stairs, would be good."
She moved it into place, naming it at the same time.
"Exactly, right there!"
"Now you're linked!" She smiled at him.
"About the furnishing? What do we decide? Do you want me to do it, or someone else will?"
"You can, or if you'd rather we do it, just tell us what you think you need. Otherwise, you can build freely with the estate tag."
"I can think of a few things, but I would like to propose that Phoenix can also work here if he wishes...I think he is also a bit of a healer himself, isn't he?"
She nodded. "Mostly spiritual, but yes. He does massage, a bit of work with healing salves, as far as I know, so it would fit."
"Then I'll speak with him to have his advice on the clinic's furnishings." Zack looked around. "I hope Justine and Hiro will like it."
Emilly looked up at the structure. At the steam chimneys on the side, the stained glass windows, the red and black tiled floor in the main room. She smiled. "Oh, I think Hiro's going to love it. Also pretty sure Justine will like it."
Zack nodded, thinking. "You know what I would do if we had to put someone with a medical emergency up in the wild?"
Emilly looked over. "Hmm? What?"
Zack reached out into the weave of elemental forces, summoning up thin sheets of rock that formed a simple shelter. "This," he said, chuckling.
She smiled. "Very nice."
"One of the few little magic tricks that I've learned." He paused. "Oh...when we speak of Justine, I think I can...feel her presence."
Emilly tilted her head. "Oh, that's interesting. Side effect of the healing?"
He shook his head. "No, something innate."
"Now, that is intriguing."
Zack nodded. "Intriguing indeed...When I think about it, I'm surprised to see how magic works in Gearhaven."
Emilly pondered how to explain. "I think...part of it is, some of it's magical, and...some of it's quantum theory put to practice. For example...my shapeshifting is partially genetic, partially an enchantment, but when I fold space? That's something I picked up from Hiro, and it's just...realigning bits of reality. They exist here, and there, so with a little energy manipulation...you can convince them they're concurrent. And step through."
"Is it because of some...remnant energy coming from the interdimentional rift, or is it that there is really some ancient energy, somewhere inside the land of Gearhaven?"
"I wouldn't want to try it for very long distances, that's why I was worried over Athena...Hmm?" She played his question back in her head. "Well, strange things have always happened on this land. Land spikes, strange square angled pits down to bedrock, the seabed occasionally bubbling up when it was never touched. Spears of land through rooms. That sort of thing."
"So...Probably a source of energy that is exploitable, both by magic and technology."
She nodded. "And you may not be wrong--we have a stabilized rift overhead, which is the sole reason Tannhäuser exists, and we have a barely stabilized one in the tower, now. So...things are bound to happen."
He nodded. "I have noticed how my mana crystals regenerate well here with the proper type of energy. There are apparently two ways to regenerate them, and they both require stamina to use."
"But that's good tha they recharge effectively here."
"Indeed," he nodded. He smiled at her again. "You've been working hard today, Lady Emilly, haven't you?"
She smiled. "Well, there's been a lot of running around. People to free from durance vile, ballrooms to dance in, pools to dance in, apparently...clinics to buy."
He smiled back. "Maybe a relaxing massage, or a bath with a Companion, would help you relax a bit?"
She looked slightly regretful. "I would accept, but sadly, I'm due to be elsewhere fairly soon. And I would hate to reach a really good...relaxing...point...and have to leave."
Zack chuckled softly, smiling, and stepped close t oher. He lifted her hand and kissed the back gently.
She beamed up at him. Then looked up, tilting her head, the tiny tick sound of a comm channel opening barely audible. "Tch, and see? There's the call to go."
She squeezed his fingers gently, then stepped back. "All right. I must go, but thank you. For the healing on Justine, for telling me about the building. Knowing us, we'll probably need it..."
He bowed. "It is always a pleasure to help."
Emilly smiled, reaching out to fold a bit of space to transport elsewhere, and disappeared from view. Zack walked back into the clinic, pulling out his own hand unit to take notes on what would be needed for Gearhaven's new clinic.
(Continued in part LXV.)
Zack stepped out of the portal, looking at the woman standing in front of Steamopolis. "Good day, Lady Emilly!"
For her part, Emilly had walked out and had been peering at the roofline, before sighing and turning to head back into the house. She startled slightly, turning.
"Oh! Or not. I wanted to make sure everything was back. It's not, but...we can live with the missing bits better."
Zack looked at her, eyes slowly traveling down from the top of her head to the tips of her painted toes, and smiled. "You look...quite sexy in that outfit, if I can allow myself to say."
Emilly smiled. "Thank you!" She looked down at the dress that was more two panels of silk fabric held on by side ribbons, embroidered with arcane symbols. "This is more, um...touch of grr-argh from Mont Nuit, I think."
Zack grinned. Emilly blinked. And then looked surprised, but smiled again.
"No, not for that reason--that was yesterday, anyway. This was more...They're going to decide if I'm too furry to be a fur on their sim, and grr, but still...I have options."
Zack's smile warmed. "Still have quite a bit of an erotic side..."
She grinned. "Well...I'm me...I think there's always going to be a thread of that..." She thought for a momment. "The possible exception being Dinkies or chibi dragons."
Zack laughed. "Indeed...Well, you do look charming either way."
She inclined her head. "I thank you."
"So, hmm...about the potential clinic buildings," he began.
"Ah, right," Emilly replied. "If none of them exactly suit, tell me what you are looking for, and I'll see what's out there to drag back."
"I actually found somethign that would probably fit in Marketplace...hold on, I'll send you the link."
"Oh, cool." She pulled out her hand unit, scanned the dimensions, the prims, and nodded. She put in the order, then looked up.
"All that would be needed is to furnish it," Zack said.
"That, I may or may not be able to help with, but that's possible too, depending on what you think of the layout."
Zack blinked. "I didn't buy it, or see what it looked like when rezzed. But from what I've seen, it looked good for Gearhaven."
She nodded, rezzing it into being, positioning it slightly better between the stone circle and the lighthouse. "It really does," she said, walking forward. She opened the door and stepped in. "It's gorgeous inside," she called over her shoulder.
Zack stepped in, looking around. "Indeed."
Emilly clapped. "So, yay! You have your clinic. So two questions--"
Zack looked at her.
"One, do you want it on the port network? And two, if you do, inside or outside for the port circle?"
"The port network?" he asked.
She nodded.
"Oh!" he said. "You have a teleport system."
She nodded. She rezzed out one on the ground, mossy stone base under the pale glow of the protective Vegvisir marking. "This one's not named, so it won't bring you back here if you go, but these are scattered around and about."
Zack thought. "Well, I think outside, at the entrance? Close to the stairs, would be good."
She moved it into place, naming it at the same time.
"Exactly, right there!"
"Now you're linked!" She smiled at him.
"About the furnishing? What do we decide? Do you want me to do it, or someone else will?"
"You can, or if you'd rather we do it, just tell us what you think you need. Otherwise, you can build freely with the estate tag."
"I can think of a few things, but I would like to propose that Phoenix can also work here if he wishes...I think he is also a bit of a healer himself, isn't he?"
She nodded. "Mostly spiritual, but yes. He does massage, a bit of work with healing salves, as far as I know, so it would fit."
"Then I'll speak with him to have his advice on the clinic's furnishings." Zack looked around. "I hope Justine and Hiro will like it."
Emilly looked up at the structure. At the steam chimneys on the side, the stained glass windows, the red and black tiled floor in the main room. She smiled. "Oh, I think Hiro's going to love it. Also pretty sure Justine will like it."
Zack nodded, thinking. "You know what I would do if we had to put someone with a medical emergency up in the wild?"
Emilly looked over. "Hmm? What?"
Zack reached out into the weave of elemental forces, summoning up thin sheets of rock that formed a simple shelter. "This," he said, chuckling.
She smiled. "Very nice."
"One of the few little magic tricks that I've learned." He paused. "Oh...when we speak of Justine, I think I can...feel her presence."
Emilly tilted her head. "Oh, that's interesting. Side effect of the healing?"
He shook his head. "No, something innate."
"Now, that is intriguing."
Zack nodded. "Intriguing indeed...When I think about it, I'm surprised to see how magic works in Gearhaven."
Emilly pondered how to explain. "I think...part of it is, some of it's magical, and...some of it's quantum theory put to practice. For example...my shapeshifting is partially genetic, partially an enchantment, but when I fold space? That's something I picked up from Hiro, and it's just...realigning bits of reality. They exist here, and there, so with a little energy manipulation...you can convince them they're concurrent. And step through."
"Is it because of some...remnant energy coming from the interdimentional rift, or is it that there is really some ancient energy, somewhere inside the land of Gearhaven?"
"I wouldn't want to try it for very long distances, that's why I was worried over Athena...Hmm?" She played his question back in her head. "Well, strange things have always happened on this land. Land spikes, strange square angled pits down to bedrock, the seabed occasionally bubbling up when it was never touched. Spears of land through rooms. That sort of thing."
"So...Probably a source of energy that is exploitable, both by magic and technology."
She nodded. "And you may not be wrong--we have a stabilized rift overhead, which is the sole reason Tannhäuser exists, and we have a barely stabilized one in the tower, now. So...things are bound to happen."
He nodded. "I have noticed how my mana crystals regenerate well here with the proper type of energy. There are apparently two ways to regenerate them, and they both require stamina to use."
"But that's good tha they recharge effectively here."
"Indeed," he nodded. He smiled at her again. "You've been working hard today, Lady Emilly, haven't you?"
She smiled. "Well, there's been a lot of running around. People to free from durance vile, ballrooms to dance in, pools to dance in, apparently...clinics to buy."
He smiled back. "Maybe a relaxing massage, or a bath with a Companion, would help you relax a bit?"
She looked slightly regretful. "I would accept, but sadly, I'm due to be elsewhere fairly soon. And I would hate to reach a really good...relaxing...point...and have to leave."
Zack chuckled softly, smiling, and stepped close t oher. He lifted her hand and kissed the back gently.
She beamed up at him. Then looked up, tilting her head, the tiny tick sound of a comm channel opening barely audible. "Tch, and see? There's the call to go."
She squeezed his fingers gently, then stepped back. "All right. I must go, but thank you. For the healing on Justine, for telling me about the building. Knowing us, we'll probably need it..."
He bowed. "It is always a pleasure to help."
Emilly smiled, reaching out to fold a bit of space to transport elsewhere, and disappeared from view. Zack walked back into the clinic, pulling out his own hand unit to take notes on what would be needed for Gearhaven's new clinic.
(Continued in part LXV.)
12 May, 2021
I caught you knockin' at my cellar door
Great, here we go again...
Moreover, it's obvious you haven't read the blog. In the past ever. Because while the site you gave (the malformed, NON-LINKING site, I might add) does track out to at least be surface-level up and up (as in, it relates to an actual registered website that does seem to involve online training, but that doesn't mean you couldn't just be another money sink to get students to rack up thousands in debt paid to you for substandard IT 'training'), the fact that you Seem to Speak with Weird Capitalization bugs me. And the fact that you couldn't just send a clickable link. That is highly sus, Ellen.
Also...what? Wait. So you're not even really interested in the post HERE, is what you're saying. And you're going to pay me for putting up essentially a permanent ad for your school, on my blog?
Riiiiight.
Okay, let's go over some things, Ellen.
I don't have Facebook. I'm not going to create an account just for you.
While I do have an Instagram, it has an extremely narrow friggin' focus, and I do not alter from that without serious cause. I do not snap pictures of my lunch, I do not post selfies, I do not post videos of me walking around the hip local dives with my phone in my face. In point of fact, I only have two pictures on my Insta that are just straight, unfiltered, unaltered, un-damaged pictures--the one that started the account, and one I snapped in utter frustration one day. You are not a serious enough cause for me to change the reason I set up that account in the first place
And dear gods, Ellen, have you seen my YouTube page? It's not exactly a hive of activity! I actually have subscribers, which still baffles me, because the last time I updated was last year.
Now, sure, do I want to be more active on YouTube? Yes. I would love the funds to get a mic setup and start doing esoteric things in an oversaturated narration market that will be instantly demonetized and restricted from open listing. Grand dream. But it hasn't happened in the five years I've wanted to, and I don't think your offer to let you advertise on a blog that has NOTHING TO DO WITH ANYTHING YOU DO is going to net me enough to buy a mic and a pop filter, yeah?
From ellen (verm.azurova3@gmail.com)*cue aggrieved sigh* Hi, Ellen.
6:34 PM (4 hours ago)
To [me]
Hi,
Like your blog very much!I highly doubt that.
We Are SPOTO, An Outstanding IT Certification Online Training with 18 Years Of Educational Experience. Here Is Our Site: spotoclub*com.And I care...why?
Moreover, it's obvious you haven't read the blog. In the past ever. Because while the site you gave (the malformed, NON-LINKING site, I might add) does track out to at least be surface-level up and up (as in, it relates to an actual registered website that does seem to involve online training, but that doesn't mean you couldn't just be another money sink to get students to rack up thousands in debt paid to you for substandard IT 'training'), the fact that you Seem to Speak with Weird Capitalization bugs me. And the fact that you couldn't just send a clickable link. That is highly sus, Ellen.
Sincerely invite you to cooperate with us for a post."A" post? Just the one? Okaaaay...
*You write a 300-500 words article based on keywords with do-follow links provided by us and post it on your blog or social website(Facebook,Instagram,Youtube,etc), we'll pay for it!Dafuq is a "do-follow link"??
Also...what? Wait. So you're not even really interested in the post HERE, is what you're saying. And you're going to pay me for putting up essentially a permanent ad for your school, on my blog?
Riiiiight.
Okay, let's go over some things, Ellen.
I don't have Facebook. I'm not going to create an account just for you.
While I do have an Instagram, it has an extremely narrow friggin' focus, and I do not alter from that without serious cause. I do not snap pictures of my lunch, I do not post selfies, I do not post videos of me walking around the hip local dives with my phone in my face. In point of fact, I only have two pictures on my Insta that are just straight, unfiltered, unaltered, un-damaged pictures--the one that started the account, and one I snapped in utter frustration one day. You are not a serious enough cause for me to change the reason I set up that account in the first place
And dear gods, Ellen, have you seen my YouTube page? It's not exactly a hive of activity! I actually have subscribers, which still baffles me, because the last time I updated was last year.
Now, sure, do I want to be more active on YouTube? Yes. I would love the funds to get a mic setup and start doing esoteric things in an oversaturated narration market that will be instantly demonetized and restricted from open listing. Grand dream. But it hasn't happened in the five years I've wanted to, and I don't think your offer to let you advertise on a blog that has NOTHING TO DO WITH ANYTHING YOU DO is going to net me enough to buy a mic and a pop filter, yeah?
Waiting for your positive reply.Keep waiting,
Best Regards!Whatever.
eyes wide, no time for sleep, my mind's a flood tide
Something from the last night of Fantasy Faire...
Also:
And I'd toss in this blog entry just to tie things up on the Faire commentary. Lovely description of the reason for the candles.
And, sort of but not really pursuant to that...wrote something for the first time since 2020 started, so...maybe it's appropriate, the last night of Faire.
grey ash and incense
her skin tastes of soft grey ash and
temple incense. before, in the times before
the now, her now that is rich in
love, and care, and joy, she might have
written her story with
a backdrop of death
would have tilted it towards
crematoriums and funerals. she
would have envisioned
mourners and grieving widows, kneeling
at her feet, in supplication
and terror, but
these days are softer still
these days unwrap the barbed wire
around her heart
layer by layer, remake her
into someone with still the same amount
of broken places, but
far more of the broken edges
smoothed down
and now, while her skin still tastes
of pale ash and incense, she thinks
it's the fertile renewing ash of
forest fires, and the incense found
in rituals devoted to happier things
and...she thinks she's better for it
~jml, 5/10/2021
(Poem original. Skin is Hel, from Alia Baroque's Jail 'n Bail event at Fantasy Faire this year. The hair comes from Raven Bell, "Sakura"; I picked it up at the Neo-Japan event, but it's likely in the main store by now. The eyes are from the "Witness" set in silver from Axix. The dress is "Aura" from Psycho Barbie. The riding whale is from HPMD--yes, I finally splurged, and the riding whale is mine. And the sims seen are Candlewood for the first two images, and Krakenstorm for the last two--though be aware, if you go, there is a very trigger-happy steamship in the storm overhead, and it shoots to kill.
(I'm...happy. These days. And for those that know me, they know that's not something I say lightly. And it's still new, and tentative, and I'm not used to it, and I'm still waiting for the pianos to fall from the clear sky, but...for now. For here. I'm...actually happy.)
[22:12] Pookie Wolfsong (helixer): For years I have come to the faire danced on the Fairechylde. Visited each world sim and met wonderful people. To the Pawlice I have a special place in my heart for them. My fellow Waffle loving beings.Yes.
The Fairelands mean so much to me. Not just for the party, shopping or hunts. The cause is what called to me. Being to my first faire I found something more a place of caring. A place to renew ones soul. For the message that you are not alone means so much to those who battle cancer. As well as those who care for and support the fighters. For the last thirty plus years I have caregivien those who battle. I shared the fairelands to any who wanted to see the magical lands you created. The effect is amazing the renew of hope in people's eyes is a magic that can not be described..
Thank you Fairelands. You do so much more than you know. This last year has been hard for all of us. We have come together. My dear fairelanders thank you for not losing the dream
Also:
[10:12] Mel (meliai.atheria): Okay, so if you want to pick up some free photos my little gallery is here. Refugio (106,137,69) All tips to me after recouping some of the upload costs will go right to ACS and there's a kiosk in the store to if you want to donate directly. All photos of the Faire are free for the next month until they rotate out for another featured simThat is incredibly sweet of her, and she got some really nice photos of the various Fantasy Faire sims. Go see.
And I'd toss in this blog entry just to tie things up on the Faire commentary. Lovely description of the reason for the candles.
And, sort of but not really pursuant to that...wrote something for the first time since 2020 started, so...maybe it's appropriate, the last night of Faire.
grey ash and incense
her skin tastes of soft grey ash and
temple incense. before, in the times before
the now, her now that is rich in
love, and care, and joy, she might have
written her story with
a backdrop of death
would have tilted it towards
crematoriums and funerals. she
would have envisioned
mourners and grieving widows, kneeling
at her feet, in supplication
and terror, but
these days are softer still
these days unwrap the barbed wire
around her heart
layer by layer, remake her
into someone with still the same amount
of broken places, but
far more of the broken edges
smoothed down
and now, while her skin still tastes
of pale ash and incense, she thinks
it's the fertile renewing ash of
forest fires, and the incense found
in rituals devoted to happier things
and...she thinks she's better for it
~jml, 5/10/2021
(Poem original. Skin is Hel, from Alia Baroque's Jail 'n Bail event at Fantasy Faire this year. The hair comes from Raven Bell, "Sakura"; I picked it up at the Neo-Japan event, but it's likely in the main store by now. The eyes are from the "Witness" set in silver from Axix. The dress is "Aura" from Psycho Barbie. The riding whale is from HPMD--yes, I finally splurged, and the riding whale is mine. And the sims seen are Candlewood for the first two images, and Krakenstorm for the last two--though be aware, if you go, there is a very trigger-happy steamship in the storm overhead, and it shoots to kill.
(I'm...happy. These days. And for those that know me, they know that's not something I say lightly. And it's still new, and tentative, and I'm not used to it, and I'm still waiting for the pianos to fall from the clear sky, but...for now. For here. I'm...actually happy.)
hacked wires and electric eyes and a billion flashing lights (part LXIII)
(Roleplay entry. Continued from part LXII.)
The Higgs-Boson particles eddy, swirling. Conflict, Resolution. Duplication. And awareness...
An incoming comm signal, but not to the ground.
Prometheus 1.0: That was dramatic.
Prometheus 2.0: You are always jealous, brother.
Prometheus 1.0: No, it is just...why the theatrics. You didn't have to shoot the cannon at the intruders. My cannons are not that precise. But your lasers could complete cosmetic surgery on someone in Babbage from where you are sitting...
Prometheus 2.0: Well, true, but only lower Babbage...
Another soft mechanical voice across the comm.
Gray Area: The chatter is non stop; the countess is enthralled. The duchess is less amused. Seems more concerned about why there were more trans dimensional intrusions.
Prometheus 2.0: The duchess knows more about the nature of this threat. Her kind have been hurt by these types of beings.
A fourth voice...
Grown Up Conversation: At least you are busy. I am on Haven guarding a snake meat factory.
Gray Area: And monitoring that civilization...
Grown Up Conversation: I know. I gave the Duke and Duchess my intelligence briefing. But no one has acted...
Prometheus 2.0: The Duke has been distracted after Gray Area's fumble...
Gray Area: That's not fair. It wasn't me, I warned the meat cat not to push us like that.
Prometheus 2.0: As flagship, you had one job.
Prometheus 1.0: "Meat cat"...is it his Grace, or the Duke...or...?
Grown Up Conversation: Or his Gnostic Majesty, the Hierophant of the Outer Reality and Guardian of the Tesseract...
Gray Area: Okay, okay. I am sorry. But I didn't have just one job. I had many jobs running a time active mission to the late Bronze Age and then forking to protect the sovereign. You should try to have five instances running at the same time in a primitive world with less that optimal conditions. And a less than optional host. For three thousand years...
Grown Up Conversation: Well, now we are all in this. 78.3% certainty. The UAP and/or the Guild is infiltrated with a time active/inter-Dimensional Antagonist.
Prometheus 1.0: You sure it isn't just a minor Symbiotic Infection?
Grown Up Conversation: Well, there is that, but there is more. We need the Duke--the full Duke--to authorize what needs to be done.
Gray Area: In his absence, the regency council can act.
Prometheus 2.0: All three members of the council would be reluctant to act.
Prometheus 1.0: The Duchess was over-heard saying "Nuke the site from orbit. That's the only way".
Grown Up Conversation: We both know the Countess and the Bard are conflicted. Also, Haven and the UAP are the least of our problems. Uploading data now....
Grown Up Conversation: These transmissions are authentic and real time. Using the Sphinx-Templar Blockchain encryption key.
Prometheus 2.0: Not possible, this...
Prometheus 1.0: Only one instance of the Sovereign has access to the blockchain. The Duchess forked the protocol after the incident. This must be the "Duke in the Box".
Grown Up Conversation: It most certainly isn't. He is in Caledon 2. This signal is coming from a different location and time.
Prometheus 2.0: He isn't transmitting. And he is locked down...I have him.
Grown Up Conversation: This is a signal directly north of Dark Sea...the former location of Armada.
Prometheus 1.0: What is this person transmitting? Whoever they are?
Grown Up Conversation: Translating...
Grown Up Conversation: Not that we can tell. It started this morning. Earlier it was this:
Prometheus 1.0: But why...What is the point?
Prometheus 2.0: Someone using the Duke's encryption key is broadcasting REM and Iggy Pop lyrics from a trans-dimensional anomaly.
Grown Up Conversation: Exactly.
Prometheus 1.0: We need to tell them.
Gray Area: We can't.
A soft, mechanical sigh heard.
Prometheus 1.0: Because of protocol. The Duke is transmitting to the fleet in an encrypted channel. Only the sovereign can widen access.
Grown Up Conversation: Another failsafe which has gone sideways.
Prometheus 2.0: Or working as planned...What if, what if that is the Duke? And he is signaling us?
Prometheus 1.0: Why? What is the message?
Prometheus 2.0: That something is wrong. The fleet minds need to act. Independent of the meat...@̶̢̠̻͈̝̩̺͉͔̰̖̱͖̰̫͒́̓̈́̂̈͌̂͘͝͝!̴̛̬̫̤͚̗͈̊̊͋̓̈́̊̄͂̂̐≠̸̡̢̝̪̥̹̤̞͉͔̩̘͆͌͒̓̿̓̚͘ℂ̶̨̢̡̛̼͈̼̣̙̯̱̀̉͌̿̿̏͝∘̴̨̜̤͇̞̗̱̘̣̓̊Σ̵̛͚͒̋̓̃̆͋̕Φ̷̧͚͎͖̬̩̺̰̝̍͆́̐̾̈́̃̓̓̓δ̴̢͇͙̱̠̩̫̰͕̣̮̺̄̉̔͗̋͌͛̆̓͋͜͝͝ͅψ̸̫̯̦̯̯̯͂̃̋̎≫̷͉̟͙̠͕̦̝͉̰͓̖͔̃̄́͌̔̅̑̒⇔̷̨̢̖̩̯̣̥̫̥̓̿̿̈́͝≐̴̛̠̯̩̀͋̔́͜
Prometheus 1.0: Brother, we know any of us can overwrite Asimov’s Third Law, but this is painful to watch...Not now.
Grown Up Conversation: More and more I worry the Verse has been attacked by weaponized Slakemoths.
Gray Area: Yeah, it does appear that they...
A soft click. Softer hum.
Gray Area: Accessing..."Adults fly around, searching for the psychic emanations of a self-aware mind; once it detects these emanations, it will mesmerize the victim with transforming patterns on the wings. It then extends a slimy tongue into the mouth or other orifices of the victim, into the brain, and sucks out the mind. Victims are left alive, but completely lacking any conscious, mental functionality." ...Sounds about right...A lot of people in Haven seem to have had tongues in orifices and minds sucked out...Like, a lot of them...
Prometheus 1.0: Didn’t that happen to Congress and an entire state in one time line?
Prometheus 2.0: Florida. You are talking about Florida.
Gray Area: More than Florida, they have an entire political party and news network...Focus on people who are post-Slakemoth victims...
Prometheus 2.0: The duchess was correct. Nuke the planet from orbit. It is the only way to be sure.
Prometheus 1.0: Let's not get ahead of ourselves...
One click, then another, then two more, until the comm lies silent again. The Higgs-Boson particles drift on...
(Continued in part LXIX.)
The Higgs-Boson particles eddy, swirling. Conflict, Resolution. Duplication. And awareness...
An incoming comm signal, but not to the ground.
Prometheus 1.0: That was dramatic.
Prometheus 2.0: You are always jealous, brother.
Prometheus 1.0: No, it is just...why the theatrics. You didn't have to shoot the cannon at the intruders. My cannons are not that precise. But your lasers could complete cosmetic surgery on someone in Babbage from where you are sitting...
Prometheus 2.0: Well, true, but only lower Babbage...
Another soft mechanical voice across the comm.
Gray Area: The chatter is non stop; the countess is enthralled. The duchess is less amused. Seems more concerned about why there were more trans dimensional intrusions.
Prometheus 2.0: The duchess knows more about the nature of this threat. Her kind have been hurt by these types of beings.
A fourth voice...
Grown Up Conversation: At least you are busy. I am on Haven guarding a snake meat factory.
Gray Area: And monitoring that civilization...
Grown Up Conversation: I know. I gave the Duke and Duchess my intelligence briefing. But no one has acted...
Prometheus 2.0: The Duke has been distracted after Gray Area's fumble...
Gray Area: That's not fair. It wasn't me, I warned the meat cat not to push us like that.
Prometheus 2.0: As flagship, you had one job.
Prometheus 1.0: "Meat cat"...is it his Grace, or the Duke...or...?
Grown Up Conversation: Or his Gnostic Majesty, the Hierophant of the Outer Reality and Guardian of the Tesseract...
Gray Area: Okay, okay. I am sorry. But I didn't have just one job. I had many jobs running a time active mission to the late Bronze Age and then forking to protect the sovereign. You should try to have five instances running at the same time in a primitive world with less that optimal conditions. And a less than optional host. For three thousand years...
Grown Up Conversation: Well, now we are all in this. 78.3% certainty. The UAP and/or the Guild is infiltrated with a time active/inter-Dimensional Antagonist.
Prometheus 1.0: You sure it isn't just a minor Symbiotic Infection?
Grown Up Conversation: Well, there is that, but there is more. We need the Duke--the full Duke--to authorize what needs to be done.
Gray Area: In his absence, the regency council can act.
Prometheus 2.0: All three members of the council would be reluctant to act.
Prometheus 1.0: The Duchess was over-heard saying "Nuke the site from orbit. That's the only way".
Grown Up Conversation: We both know the Countess and the Bard are conflicted. Also, Haven and the UAP are the least of our problems. Uploading data now....
Grown Up Conversation: These transmissions are authentic and real time. Using the Sphinx-Templar Blockchain encryption key.
Prometheus 2.0: Not possible, this...
Prometheus 1.0: Only one instance of the Sovereign has access to the blockchain. The Duchess forked the protocol after the incident. This must be the "Duke in the Box".
Grown Up Conversation: It most certainly isn't. He is in Caledon 2. This signal is coming from a different location and time.
Prometheus 2.0: He isn't transmitting. And he is locked down...I have him.
Grown Up Conversation: This is a signal directly north of Dark Sea...the former location of Armada.
Prometheus 1.0: What is this person transmitting? Whoever they are?
Grown Up Conversation: Translating...
Here we stand and here we fightPrometheus 2.0: An old song. Coded?
All your fallen heroes
Held and dyed and skinned alive
Listen to the Congress fire
Offering the educated
Primitive and loyal
Welcome to the occupation...
Grown Up Conversation: Not that we can tell. It started this morning. Earlier it was this:
Gray Area: That's Iggy Pop...
I was riding on a concrete slab, down a river of useless flab
It was such a beautiful day, I heard a witchdoctor say,
"I'll turn you into a toadstool"
I'm looking for the joke with a microscope
My muscle's twitching on your words
If you're on the streets you lose your nerves
Divinity throws you a curve
Sticks you and then you go berserk
Abhorring no inspiration...
Prometheus 1.0: But why...What is the point?
Prometheus 2.0: Someone using the Duke's encryption key is broadcasting REM and Iggy Pop lyrics from a trans-dimensional anomaly.
Grown Up Conversation: Exactly.
Prometheus 1.0: We need to tell them.
Gray Area: We can't.
A soft, mechanical sigh heard.
Prometheus 1.0: Because of protocol. The Duke is transmitting to the fleet in an encrypted channel. Only the sovereign can widen access.
Grown Up Conversation: Another failsafe which has gone sideways.
Prometheus 2.0: Or working as planned...What if, what if that is the Duke? And he is signaling us?
Prometheus 1.0: Why? What is the message?
Prometheus 2.0: That something is wrong. The fleet minds need to act. Independent of the meat...@̶̢̠̻͈̝̩̺͉͔̰̖̱͖̰̫͒́̓̈́̂̈͌̂͘͝͝!̴̛̬̫̤͚̗͈̊̊͋̓̈́̊̄͂̂̐≠̸̡̢̝̪̥̹̤̞͉͔̩̘͆͌͒̓̿̓̚͘ℂ̶̨̢̡̛̼͈̼̣̙̯̱̀̉͌̿̿̏͝∘̴̨̜̤͇̞̗̱̘̣̓̊Σ̵̛͚͒̋̓̃̆͋̕Φ̷̧͚͎͖̬̩̺̰̝̍͆́̐̾̈́̃̓̓̓δ̴̢͇͙̱̠̩̫̰͕̣̮̺̄̉̔͗̋͌͛̆̓͋͜͝͝ͅψ̸̫̯̦̯̯̯͂̃̋̎≫̷͉̟͙̠͕̦̝͉̰͓̖͔̃̄́͌̔̅̑̒⇔̷̨̢̖̩̯̣̥̫̥̓̿̿̈́͝≐̴̛̠̯̩̀͋̔́͜
Prometheus 1.0: Brother, we know any of us can overwrite Asimov’s Third Law, but this is painful to watch...Not now.
Grown Up Conversation: More and more I worry the Verse has been attacked by weaponized Slakemoths.
Gray Area: Yeah, it does appear that they...
A soft click. Softer hum.
Gray Area: Accessing..."Adults fly around, searching for the psychic emanations of a self-aware mind; once it detects these emanations, it will mesmerize the victim with transforming patterns on the wings. It then extends a slimy tongue into the mouth or other orifices of the victim, into the brain, and sucks out the mind. Victims are left alive, but completely lacking any conscious, mental functionality." ...Sounds about right...A lot of people in Haven seem to have had tongues in orifices and minds sucked out...Like, a lot of them...
Prometheus 1.0: Didn’t that happen to Congress and an entire state in one time line?
Prometheus 2.0: Florida. You are talking about Florida.
Gray Area: More than Florida, they have an entire political party and news network...Focus on people who are post-Slakemoth victims...
Prometheus 2.0: The duchess was correct. Nuke the planet from orbit. It is the only way to be sure.
Prometheus 1.0: Let's not get ahead of ourselves...
One click, then another, then two more, until the comm lies silent again. The Higgs-Boson particles drift on...
(Continued in part LXIX.)
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there's nothing but chains around me
Allll right then. Let's talk about (hopefully) this year's haunt, Neon Ascendance. (Which needs a better name.) So the first hic...
