Discovery - 2d10 - Another first contact opportunity! A girl could make a career out of this. Comms - d8 - Sometimes, no words is better. (can be better? are better?) Alien-Enhanced Psionic - d8 - There's nobody else here, Mei. Cora - d8 - Old friend, keep me steady. [OOC: Spending 1PP for Connection beyond Words] Love - d8 - From Ksenia, of course.
That attention uncoils. Mei and Ksenia, while still being aware of your bodies on the boat, you find yourselves standing on a vast undulating plain and the air is singing to you about loneliness and peace and the chemical processes that make up the life cycle. Filtered through Cora, and through Mei's own gifts, the song takes on, not words, but meaning, intention, purposefulness.
//A MOMENT OF SHARING A GREETING AS BETWEEN FRIENDS//
//A QUERY AS TO YOUR PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL WELLBEING//
//A POLITE INQUIRY AS TO THE PURPOSE OF YOUR VISIT//
//AN EXPRESSION OF HAPPINESS AND WELCOME AT MEETING YOU//
Mei pulls me to her, and I'm so thankful. I'm at a loss here, out of my element. Here, she's the master and I am the student. It's disconcerting, but not an unwelcome feeling. I try to express myself in the ways they are think-speaking.
My breathing quickens, back on the boat. I can't tell if I'm balanced. I strain to remember that Ksenia is holding me. She's my anchor and will not let me get lost at sea.
//FUTILITY OF COMPARISON// //OFFER OF COMMUNION// //REASSURANCE OF WELLBEING OF 'OTHERS'//
You sense Cora reaching out and trying to understand. This being is as alien to her as it is to you. all beings are potential parts of the whole/there is no ill-will/incorporation is all it knows You also know that Cora will protect you, do her best to pull you out if you fall in. Your inner senses provide a surprisingly coherent message along with Cora's words. The taste and smell of oranges, the soft feel of a fleece comforter you had as a child.
I feel a cold pit in my stomach at that word, incorporation, and I quickly shunt the fear off to one side before it leaks to the being, to Cora, or to Ksenia. But I can feel, distantly, my palm is cool and clammy, and I wonder if Ksenia can feel it also.
I'll direct this to Ksenia and Cora, with a hint of resolute will and determination. // the only way out is in / are we ready? //
There's at least two dozen people who I must go after... You can't walk away from this, Mei. Cora's softness is coolly reassuring.
Mei's hand is cool to the touch. How does she keep it together. I push the worry out of my eyes. I can't protect her here. I'm nothing more than a toddler among the big kids. I'm not scared of this. I'm frustrated. I want to overcome this alien shit.
I want to save these scientists and get back to the Jane.
Mei, Ksenia, your perspective shifts fully. That sense of sunshine and current and life and death becomes a core. Ksenia, your attention is drawn to a "spot" of solidity that somehow appears familiar. Shape? Some analogue of scent? Regardless, attention seems to equate to intent in this non-place, and you begin to drift toward that "spot." As you do, Cora somehow unwinds behind you as if the two of you are Theseus and Cora is Ariadne's twine.
You reach the place, and Ksenia, you realize that this, somehow, is your old friend Celly. Both of you "hear," //hello?//
Mei, you clearly feel that this is an individual, still, but integrated somehow with the whole fabric of mind that you're moving within.
I feel Cora's spider silk twining out, it makes me breathe easier. I'm so fortunate that I have two anchors to guide me home and out of the dark... maybe Ksenia is my lighthouse. The ease of Cora's manipulation of psi energy is astounding to the point of envy. Not for the first time, I wonder what she looked like before she was the ship.
The mind-fabric is very yellow somehow, and the spot/shape where we approach is more like a striated hexagon that tastes like the scent of something earthy and fungal, reassuring like a forest. Words don't make sense, I can't really explain it like this.
Like one of those images that seems all random patterns until you look just right, the metaphorical area that you've identified as Celly grows more distinct, resolves into something with presence and identity within the fabric that surrounds it.
//Kay Kay? I'm so glad you're here! Did you come to join us? It's so beautiful.//
Mei, she certainly feels like a person to you, mostly. What's bothering you about how Celly feels in your mind as she communicates?
I pull on Ksenia. Don't let go, K! I feel Cora's... not-hand... tighten around my hand, anchoring us.
How is it that I'm breathing so hard?
The voice I hear, there's undertones of other voices, like what we are hearing is the combined harmonic of Celesta, the raft, the other voices... other voices? I concentrate as I try to make sense of what I'm reading.
There is no sense of urgency, no attempt to overcome your wills. Just a simple answer, Celly underlaid with an echo/not-echo of others.
//It is me, and it is we, Kay Kay. So peaceful, and no need to fight or strive. The sea is a kind mother, and the sun a benevolent father. Why should I come back to the world?//
In the boat, your bodies sway with the gentle swells, the sun is warm on your skin. There is a not-unpleasant organic smell from the plankton, and a breeze tickles the fine hairs on the back of your neck.
You sense an answer. //I am happy. We are happy. We came to this by choice, by experience. The universe is striving and striving is pain. I am playing Go with Chad right now.//
I'm momentarily overwhelmed by the mind/emotions/thoughts of my Ksenia, this mind-sharing is so intimate. I can see the appeal, and why drugs like TruLuv (and more) exist. Would we all truly be happier in a psi-commune? An actual post-scarcity society? But wait! They have to know!
// celesta / celesta / you are all still connected to your bodies on tangaroa / it has been three weeks of real time / we don't know if you will survive if something befalls your bodies //
I'm about to object, but then it floats up: I know it's so. I think of the Dauntless and my rescue of the alien core, and how it has changed into a her. I want to twist into Ksenia, I want to dive into the raft. But the stars! The same-ness! Would one be bored? How could one have a family, true offspring instead of commune-siblings? I still feel Ksenia's kind hand. I brush my actual thumb the tiniest bit on her, I let my actual eyelids twitch back on the boat, reminding me where I am. // who was first / who was last / we should speak with everyone / surely someone wants to return topside //
Is the new presence another native of HXj8-4? What if Blue had more life-forms that eventually all subsumed into the raft? Or is that Atlantic?
I feel Mei's thumb, it's a small comfort that tingles through me. I need this. This is my anchor.
//It's a drug. They can't make their own choices. Listen to her, she's frakked in the head. We need to find the nerve center, cut them free. It's our job, Mei.//
Cora herself seems fascinated by this communal mind, and you can tell you don't have her fullest attention when she "responds". no coercion keeps them here, only invitation / we could push them out, but from underneath / i will go in if you wish
No coercion? Well, that's not what the company would want and I'm not going to leave my friend and these people in some weird alien sphere. It's just a drug. Just a trick of the mind.
//Mei, make Cora do it. We've got a job to do here.//
This feels dangerous, letting go of Cora. Her curiosity is overwhelming my fear, and I know the raft is influencing Celesta's answers. I don't want to be trapped down here... I remember how Ksenia's eyes look when the sun hits them just right. Be brave, Mei.
// go for it cora / we will guide her back //
Oh, dear, how did we leave Celesta positioned back on the Tangaroa?
Mei, Cora slips away, leaving you alone in your head for the first time in so long. She stays in communication, though, letting you know that all is well. She begins with Celeste, and in your mind's eyes, the two of you interpret what's happening as the nugget of "I-ness" that represents Ksenia's old friend beginning to emerge from the fabric of Pacific. She reaches out to you, Ksenia, in confusion and panic. //what? what is happening?//
Celeste struggles, conflicted and confused, but eventually (seconds, microseconds?) is released from the mind/community with something that seems like a pop. Her selfness rushes back along the thread that you sensed, connecting mind to her body back on the ship. She is gone from "here," but you feel fairly confident that she's "back" in her body now.
From here on out, it's up to you, Mei, and Cora. Let's see a roll. The communal mind's resistance is entirely passive—there's no ill intent, but also no understanding. It's vast, though, and alien, and its drives are not yours. Here's the thing... to end up with you, Cora, and all those various minds intact and unharmed, you're going to need to be pretty exceptional. You're going to need a 16 to make it, which is pretty much superhuman. Side Note: Paul promises that failure will be interesting, if it happens.
Discovery - d10 - Celesta's been in there for three weeks of real time. What's it like in there? Will she be okay? Can we rescue the others safely? Should we? Science - d8 - I'm not a professional researcher, but if I can contribute in some small way... and improve my own psi therapy skills, maybe? Alien-enhanced Psionic - d8 - There's a lot to keep moving- I'm weaving and unraveling and patching and juggling and snipping this enormous psionic quilt of minds. The complexity is keeping me from being dumbstruck. [OOC: Spending 1PP for Cora] Cora - d8 - She lives in this realm in a way that I do not, and she's helping with the threads and the yarn and the warp and the woof.
Cora spreads "herself" thin, weaving in and out of the fabric of Pacific's huge, unknowable, mind. As she pools her strength with your intention, you feel the drain, feel yourself coming closer to the simple elegance of the cycles of day, night, generation and decay. One after another, nearly two dozen points of "I am." pop out of the delicate weave of the tapestry and follow the threads back to what you assume is their own biological brains.
As the last few go, though, the vacuum of their leaving pulls you farther and farther in. You feel //temperature differentials, rich nitrogen-laden patches of decaying organic matter, shivering ecstasy of photosynthesis, energy building and dissipating, gentle currents at 'odds' at different depths, peace, peace, eternity, peace, renewal, peace...// Just as you're about to sink in, fully understand the fractal nature of what might be 'interesting' or 'fulfilling' about such a life, two things happen.
Ksenia shines like a beacon, bright and fully herself, even with the connection you're both sharing with Pacific. You may Ask Ksenia one question about anything, which Rich must answer honestly.
Cora speaks to you more clearly than she ever has, with the scent of vanilla and orange, and the sound of windchimes. "Be well, my love. I am tired of striving, seeking. It is my time to be at peace. I am leaving you with gifts, though, which you will discover."
I'm paying you three PP for the Complication: "Cora Is Newly Gone," which will last for the rest of this scenario and all of the next.
It is bittersweet, Cora's leaving. I feel the seabreeze drying tears on my cheeks even as I kiss Cora farewell, her fractal tastes drifting away. All I ever wanted was to save her, months and months... has it been years? back on the alien hulk... I know she's just a shadow of that ancient Core, and I was amazed she could fit in me.
I feel a little bit emptier.
I feel a little bit lighter.
I feel a little bit more free.
// i love you cora / be strong / be your self / grow and flourish / remember mei //
Ksenia's light pulls me back from the raft before I'm drawn too close. So many thoughts flit through me, but one shines through, bubbling up with sudden surprise: Will you ever be ready to start a family with me?
If we both make it out of here alive. If we finish our tours and you're not sick of me yet. If we could have a house on some planet to live and raise them. If I can keep functional without destroying the creds we'd need to take care of them. If you give birth to them since I'm not physically able. If you're still listening and still interested. Then yes. I'd be ready.
I rush back "up" and "out," Ksenia is my anchor and my compass. I feel like this is harder, without Cora's power and subtle guidance... It's like slipping out of a skintight power armor. You're less but more. I hold tight to Ksenia, following our own threads back to the boat, wishing that our closeness would last, fearful that I'll never see her this clearly again. I cherish it. I want to give back to her. A part of me is grinning like a schoolgirl getting the attention of her crush, a part of me is all steel resolve to get back, a part of me is a swimmer without a lifejacket... But I know Cora will be happier, be more. I was like a small pot, enough for her to take root and live, but not enough to thrive.
Be strong, Mei. Bring Ksenia back. She's counting on you. She trusts you.
And soon/later, we're back on the little boat, bobbing gently in the waves, the ripe earthy smell of the raft all around us.
I've drawn a little blood with my nails in the hand that's not holding Ksenia's. I hide it so she doesn't see, letting out a big sigh full of loss and lean into her. I feel the crunchy tracks on my face where the tears have dried and I try not to think about low grade solar radiation poisoning. You wore sunblock, Mei. Shush.
"It's done," I say to whoever's listening. I sound hollow even to me.
Frak the regs, I'm sitting on our little dinghie holding my girl's hand. I slip my free arm around her and let her lean into me. "We did the right thing. You were... you were amazing, Taban." I kiss the top of her head. I feel so incredibly close to her right now. That distance that was Cora, that invisible weight I never fully understood, seems no longer there. "Is she... really gone?"
I simply rest into her, staring off into the horizon where the raft meets the sky. It's so huge and I'm so small. No surprises there. "She found a better landlord, I guess." I remember to blink.
I hold her for a few moments, but the words surge to my lips, I'm barely able to keep from saying, Good. Now I can move in. But I don't. I can't. She needs to mourn the loss of her, she needs time to remember who she was before Cora.
Hell, I barely remember who she was before Cora. The cute Ensign with a world of promise in her eyes. Alright, it's coming back. Frak me, I had the hots for her even then. That shining beacon of life and hope I needed, I craved. and yes, the way she looked up to me, made me feel worthwhile, that didn't hurt. Not a bit.
I slip my arm from her shoulder to softly rub her back, smooth, comforting motions. "It's going to be okay, Taban," I finally speak aloud, to the top of her head. "We're still here."
I know she needs time, but I cannot abide those thoughts in her head. I reach down with my left hand to lift her chin, pulling back so she can look up at me. "No way. No way I'm leaving you, Mei Mei. Lovers, friends, handler and handled, whatever we are. I'm here for you. I'm not some uber powerful frakking alien. I'm not going to leave you."
A bit of a smirk plays at my lips, "I'm frakking Ksenia Cribbage, Taban. Hard and nails and stubborn as a mule. You're going to have to kick my ass out the door before I go." Then, I'm kissing her. Nothing to stoke a fire of passion, more like a promise.
As always, I get lost in her dark eyes. They're better than the stars. She pulls a quirk of a smile onto my face with her lips. I still have doubts, but they are quieter right now. Cora's leaving will change so much...
I shut up and hug her back, fiercely, holding in my emotions, just nodding, not looking. We'll talk more later. I need time.
After some long moments, I mumble into her, "We should probably get back. The others will need us." I don't want to work right now.
She's right, we should. I disentangle myself from her and get to work, starting up the boat and heading for the base. "Can you raise the Jane? We need to check in." I'll open up the motor a bit, get us there quickly. Idle hands are the devil's workshop and I know she'll be better for now if she's working.
Loathe to be disentangled, I move next to her as she drives the boat, resting a hand on her back as I hail the Jane."Stalker Jane, this is Mei. We're heading back to the Tangaroa." I take a breath and try to sound like my words. "We are optimistic about the status of the crew."
As the two of you pilot the boat back towards Tangaroa, another boat becomes visible in your peripheral, on an intersecting course. There are two figures on the boat, one slumped across the gunwale, the other managing the navigation.
I've got the comms. "Jane, be advised, we have an approaching unknown bogey. Two visible crew." I whisper to Ksenia, "Are they still bogeys in the water?" Surely there must be binoculars or some sort of imager on this tub! I fish around in the... glove compartment, I suppose, and whatever other boxes of kit I see. I can only imagine they're from the Tangaroa. The alternative does not bode well at all.
"Bogeys works." I answer her. Her confidence is shaken, I have to keep that in mind. Guide her back to her strong self. I can worry about that later, need to focus on the threat. I pull a magnum from the storage compartment in this little boat, but I'm not bringing it up to plain view. Are they armed? Are they looking to hail us or ram us?
The driver of the oncoming boat is female, slightly dark-skinned. She sees you and waves both arms in wide arcs. No weapons visible, and the boat (identical to yours), slows as it approaches you. She calls out across the last hundred yards of water separating you. "Vinita Partin, Psi-Corps. Please identify yourselves." Over that long distance, the voice comes to you weak over the sound of the ocean, but the words are clear. She's got some projection.
I stand up, magnum pointed down, finger off the trigger, but I'm pretty sure Vinita Partin can see it. "Ensign Ksenia Cribbage and Ensign Taban Mei, Psi-Corps." I am bellowing it out like a Corps Sergeant. I'm watching her close, not challenging, but ready.
I wave one arm back, still close to Ksenia. I shout, "Are you in need of medical attention?" I can't bellow like she can. Hopefully my words are not lost at sea.
The other boat changes course about 70 yards away, taking a parallel course toward Tangaroa. Mei, you receive a standard Psi-Corps mental recognition signal. It's a combination of code words ("Brillig and the slithy toves"), scent (cloves and cinnamon), and math (the 314th through 1519th digits of pi). Vinita also opens up her mind. She seems "all there," as far as you can tell.
Vinita relaxes visibly when you give her the countersign, Mei. The boat approaches, then turns to parallel your course toward Tangaroa at a distance of about ten yards. The Psi Corps officer calls out, "Dr. Yeng is fine, conscious, but a bit weak. Just a touch of shock, I think. We can talk more once we dock with Tangaroa. Okay?"
I'm glad to hear Dr. Yeng is okay. I hope we can say the same for the rest of the crew. I sit down on the.. gunwale? poop deck? ... on the bench area near Ksenia and watch the waves go by, glancing occasionally at the others.
It's not long before the your two boats reach the lower dock. The sea is calm, so you leave the craft tied up. Vinita helps Dr. Yeng out to the platform, gets her seated on a bench, then turns and crosses the distance to the two of you, hand out to shake. "Lieutenant Commander Vinita Partin, Psi-Corps. I seem to have recovered from... whatever happened... better than Dr. Yeng. Perhaps we should get her settled and check on the rest, then do a mutual debrief with whoever's up to it? While we walk, you can tell me who you are and how you came to be on Blue." Her voice does show that she's accustomed to command, but she's not pulling rank here.
I start to salute, but shake hands when she offers.
"Ensign Taban Mei, Psi Corps. Lieutenan Partin, the Tangaroa has been radio silent for three standard weeks. Ensign Cribbage and I were dispatched on the Stalker Jane to do what needs doing." I look off to the horizon, find my arms have folded close even though the wind is not that strong.
"Your entire crew was psionically... entangled... with the mind in the raft. We had no way to determine how... voluntary of a process it had been. Action needed to be taken."
Yeng is clearly distressed... but Partin seems totally fine. I look at the bulkhead door to the boat's interior, drawing my thoughts inward as well.
"Even if it was voluntary, the Polity and the Psi Corps had interests. We all have a duty to her corps." I add, reminding them of the why's and wherefore's. Mei's one of the "them" right now, sadly.
Partin waves her hand. "Yes. Let's get inside and see to the crew." As you make your way entirely through Tangaroa, it seems that about a third of them are unconscious, but stable, a third are weak and disoriented but recovering, and a third are (as Lt. Cdr. Partin) just fine.
The diver whose leg was being set is among the "just fine" category, as, fortunately is the doctor that was working on him. Ksenia's friend is in the "unconscious but stable" group. Mei, you still feel the tug of Pacific, that sense of possible peace, a zen-like end to striving. Ksenia, you have a touch of the same, a niggling itch at the back of your mind.
After you've surveyed the research vessel and organized care for those that need it, Partin calls a meeting of senior staff, both civilian and Psi Corps. While you're waiting for then to assemble, she asks, "So, we've got a few minutes. What's your impression of this... incident? debacle? Quick hits, top of the head. Is it too dangerous to keep studying these... beings? I know you're junior to me, but you're outside of this, didn't get pulled in. You've got a few minutes to be honest before I pull rank."
I stand at ease, but I'm still alert when I report, "That is a clear and present danger. It was not insignificant getting you out. I doubt we can repeat that effort. We should mark this place as unsafe. And move the hell on."
I'm about to answer, but Ksenia goes first, surprising me with her recommendation. I look at her to see if she's serious, which of course she always is. "It's dangerous to study anything in ignorance. But that's how we learn. It's how we must learn." How is it possible that Ksenia is more scared of the raft-minds than I? I turn to face Partin. "She's right, though. I doubt... I... will be able to pull out another person that readily." I look briefly at my hands, considering Cora and Ksenia both, before meeting Partin's eyes again.
The raft-minds are dangerously fascinating. I know. "How did everyone on board get drawn in? I didn't think a non-psionic person would be able to make that sort of connection. I don't mean to sound insubordinate, but perhaps someone on staff was more... enthusiastic about studying these beings?"
Partin shakes her head. "To be honest, I would guess that with prolonged exposure to the background psychic activity from the two colonies, only a complete psychic null wouldn't feel some pull. It's almost like gravity, eventually." At that point, a few others start to trickle in. All told, four of the more senior staff and crew show up. Chad Guzman, the ship's civilian first mate; Dr. Sandy Wong, the ship's doctor; and Ensigns Dean Stahl and Elene Briscoe from the Psi-Corps contingent.
Lt. Cdr. Partin assumes her command stance as people begin to arrive. "Okay, we need to debrief and come to a consensus on our recommendation to Psi-Corps Command. These are Ensigns Mei and Cribbage, sent by the 'home office' to see what happened to us. From what I can tell, we must all have succumbed within a minute of each other, at most. I know we'd all been feeling a certain tug for a time, but I'd like to find what the tipping point was before we report in, if we can." She pauses and gives the two of you a significant look. "Because all of us were affected, and thus not necessarily objective, I would like for Ensigns Cribbage and Mei to lead the inquiry. We'll let HQ know our status immediately following this meeting, but I want a firm recommendation regarding Blue and a full after-action report within twenty-four hours."
I take a breath and look levely at the assembled officers. "Our first concern must be defense. We can't have all of us succumb to the raft minds again. I am not certain that Psi Corps would risk a second cavalry."
I am not quite terrified that I can't muster a defense... but the rafts aren't nearly as overwhelming as the artifact on MV-589. It's a more subtle attractor.
Partin pulls up a list. "Ensigns Briscoe and Stahl are reasonably strong Psi. Will a triad be sufficient, you think, to at least lay the foundation until the other three Psi actives are fully recovered? I'm afraid I'm not here for my giant brain... more of a tactician than a talent."
I nod at Partin. It's all we've got; therefore it must be. Her brain joke sails past me before I realize that she was joking. I can only imagine how detached and emotionless I must seem right now. I force a small smile in acknowledgement, but I feel it doesn't go very far. "Ensign Stahl, Ensign Briscoe, where is the best place on board to proceed?" I make to stand up. They can proceed or hold without me.
Mei Mei's being badass. I admire it. I see it around her eyes, the uncertainty, the feeling of loss. Cora was an important part of her. Well, in her head, she was. I give her all the support I can without making her look weak. "The sooner the better, of course." I say to our comrades.
I don't look forward to another siren's call from that weird alien mind.
Your two fellow officers seem to defer to you, Mei. Stahl gives a shrug. "I've never formed a linkage except for during training. I assume you have?"
Ksenia, your personal comm buzzes in your ear. Zoo comes over the audio. "Boo, is everything okay? Been a while. I've been thinking about taking in some 'sun' while we're waiting for you."
I'm keeping an eye on Mei, Briscoe, and Stahl when Zoo comes in on our private channel. I step away from the others to find a hallway. "Hey girl, we're working on a solution for this problem. I would love to see a friendly face. Or, you know, more."
I carefully do not frown at his unhelpfulness. I glance at the ship schematic and pick a nearby unused room where it will hopefully be quieter. If Stahl's never done this in the field proper, then the silence will hopefully help his concentration. "Yes, I've done a few linkages before," I say, thinking of sweeter times. "Let's get set up in this room over here and we can build a basic psi-shield. Between the three of us, I'm certain we can build one to cover the whole vessel." Do not doubt, Mei. There's strength in numbers. As we get up, I ask Briscoe, "What sort of experience do you have?"
Mei, Pacific seems to be passive, working on incorporating Cora into its matrix, like your digestion coma after a big holiday meal back in the arcology. The pull is still there, but simpler, less intense.
Let's see something from you here, to establish a link with these two, and a defensive wall around Tangaroa. You have a situational advantage here, as Pacific is having its "conversation" with Cora, so the bar is pretty low. Let's call your target a 9. "Alien Enhanced Psi" still applies... any other "Cora" related advantages, we can renegotiate.
Duty - d10 - I have two dozen and one people to protect. I can't let them down. We're not going to get drawn back in. Leadership - d6 - Um, I can show them what to do. I suppose I can mentor. Alien-Enhanced Psionic - d8 - My psi is still strong. A triangle is a strong and rigid construction. Ksenia - d10 - Nobody is taking her away from me.
Your barrier takes shape, the three of you forming a stable three-legged stool to hold it in place as you pour strength into it. It's different without Cora, but as a first attempt to do this on your own, it feels much more "you" than anything you've done in the recent past. You feel the constant echoing murmur of Pacific and Atlantic begin to fade, like a craving that has passed. You're aware, though, that this won't last forever. You've bought time, but likely less than a day.
I'll buy that 1 for a Plot Point, to give a d6 Complication on this scene, "The Clock is Ticking," which will apply any time an action might be made more difficult by having to hurry.
Mei, Ksenia, you realize, of course, that this shield protects Tangaroa, not the Stalker Jane.
Once it's done, I get on the horn to Church. "Zeke, the Jane is at risk out there. If you can get close to the Tangaroa, then haul ass over here. If not, we need you to get orbital."
It's a fine thing, to do something own your own. The speed of the thing surprises me, but I try to bury it from the other two. You're the badass, Mei. Don't forget. It's like flying a suborbital- once you learn, you never forget and the old habits and reflexes are just there, behind the scenes, waiting to surface. The structure of the thing is different than from the way I've done it before. I have a nagging desire to sketch it, which might be impossible.
I ponder the rafts, thinking about the timeline. I'll ask Briscoe and Stahl, "Why would the rafts stay sessile for nearly a standard year, then three weeks ago, they 'wake up' and draw the crew in? What changed their behavior?"
Ensign Stahl answers first. "Don't you think it's more important to decide what to do next? Unless your ship can ferry two dozen people off-planet, we need a plan of action."
Ksenia, Church responds. "It's going to be difficult to station-keep close enough to the Tangaroa in atmosphere without risking one vessel or the other. I'll have Zoo take us up to orbit, but leave a drone circling your position so we have video."
"Understood." I answer, a tiny bit sad I won't see Zoo. "Keep safe while we work this out. Also, can you get a call out, see if there are any ships nearby that might help with evac if we call on them?"
I cock an eyebrow at Stahl. "Understanding how we got here is a first step to getting out." I breathe through my nose. "How far, how fast can Tangaroa move?" I don't know if we can put the whole planet between us and the rafts, but surely distance would be a factor. Plus, the rafts must be beholden to the currents. We have engines.
Ksenia, Church responds again. "Lifting off. I'll get on the horn as soon as I can, see who I can find."
Mei, Stahl looks up and to the left, as if to think. "I think I heard something about sprint speed of 40 knots? We could go back and ask the First Mate, though. There are a lot of people out of commission, he'd be the one to know if we can even drive this thing at the moment."
I listen in to make sure Church and crew are up and safe, then I get to work. I want to check on all the staff, make sure everyone's accounted for, schedule some evals for them, check-ups, see if there are any ill effects from their "exposure". Mostly I want them working and not dwelling on what's happened.
Mei, once you return to the conference room with Briscoe and Partin, the meeting starts in earnest.
The two of you, along with the assembled members of the station's complement, come to some conclusions about the sequence of events, although any conclusions are more speculative than certain. Shortly before the first crew member (the diver with the broken leg, as it happens) "succumbed" to the pull of Pacific, a storm had been moving through the area, and it seems that several lightning strikes occurred in the very close vicinity of Pacific. This appears to have momentarily increased the signal, and once the crew started communing, each additional mind upped the gain, making it harder for the others to resist.
With that theory agreed upon as the most likely, you turn to protecting the crew and talk of evacuation. Partin is loathe to leave so much value in Polity property behind to rot, but agrees that the wellbeing of the crew and researchers is paramount. It turns out that the vessel can only sustain speeds of about twenty miles per hour, but as you discuss options, Church calls in and says that he's managed to redirect a civilian passenger vessel that was deadheading to a shipyard for upgrades. It will arrive in eighteen hours.
While Partin retires to her quarters to contact Psi Corps HQ, she assigns the two of you, along with Stahl and Briscoe, to begin preparing for evacuation. What is your first priority? Oh, and the last thing she does is to go around the room, asking for opinions on what everyone believes should be her recommendation to HQ regarding Blue and further study of the colony-minds. What do you say?
First priority is the data. I agree with Partin that the research here is valuable to the Polity. I don't want to lose any of it. I'll find their best data miner or techie, assign them to organize all the research into portable storage. I'll ask the head researchers to ensure nothing is left behind, to check over each other's shoulders.
Once that's going, Ill coordinate with Mei to prioritize the staff exit. First out to last out. I'm part of last out, psi actives are first out, of course. As it should be. Anything Mei wants to offer, I'll work with her. She's a full partner, I've got no rank to pull, and no desire to pull it if I did.
To Partin about Blue, I say, "We lost an invaluable alien resource here, saving our people from another alien intellect. We need to study what we know and make a very thorough evaluation before committing any lives to a study like this again. If it weren't for Mei, we would be stuck down there with you. For the rest of our lives."
"The first priority for evac is the wounded, followed by the psi-actives. We need to care for our people and reduce the attraction to Pacific." I briefly think of Gaumata, and wonder why Church hasn't found a medico yet. I set it aside, but it takes some effort to completely not think about Gaumata's death. I'm sure some people pick up on the rush of emotion and guilt. "Whoever's slicing, please leave an active uplink open so we can pull everything from orbit."" I agree with Ksenia that the data is invaluable.
The Tangaroa itself can be set to autopilot and remote pilot while a better base can be established.
"Commander Partin, it's clear that research into the rafts cannot cease. A single, albeit serious, setback is not enough to give up. If a chance lightning surge amped up Pacfic's capacity, what can we learn about intentionally augmenting human psionics? To say nothing of the is huge potential to understand the mesh of minds possible- sustaining people who are too ill or infirm while waiting a cure." My eyes are wide, hopeful for the future. "Imagine someone seriously wounded or ravaged by a terminal disease. Can someone like that refuse an opportunity to transcend?" I fail to keep my hands still while I'm talking, imagining an orbital research station and a waterborne medical station. "This place is unique. We cannot ignore it. It will not be the last psionic anomaly we will find in this universe."
I am looking forward to having some time with my sketchbook and my terrarium.
The next eighteen hours pass in a blur. By the time Tangaroa's crew is evacuated to the passenger cruiser Daisy Daisy, you've both had no sleep in just over thirty-six hours. Lieutenant Commander Partin grasps each of your hands as you head for the hovering shuttle that will take the two of you to Stalker Jane, and her to Daisy Daisy. You are the last three on board. "Thank you both, and especially you, Ensign Mei. I don't know everything, and I don't have your psi talents, but I suspect that you sacrificed more than a little to reach this moment."
My latest stim is wearing thin, but I've had to stay sharp. I want to sleep for days. My head itches from all the tension, the work, the stims themselves. My eyes are dry as dust. Lt Cmdr Partin does Mei honor, and I snap to. I respect the hell out of this woman. "You are welcome, Lieutenant Commander, Partin. I wish you luck on your next assignment."
I ache for my bed on the Jane. I hope Mei Mei will join me. Just to be near her, smell her hair, sleep.
Mei, as the shuttle leaves the protective confines of the barrier you feel something new. Cora reaches out to you. //Sadness at leaving. Contentment at feeling the rays of a sun once again. Love, child, love. Be happy. Be happy. Be...// You smell oranges and taste honey on your tongue.
You reach the Stalker Jane without incident, and all three of your comrades are waiting to greet you. Ksenia, Zoo hestantly moves up to fold you in a hug. "I'm glad you're safe, Boo," she whispers, then steps back. Church looks around and says, "Well done, you two. I expect you need some rest. We'll get on our way, you've got no duties until the far side of the trip."
Zoo's hug, and her words, they're a relief. I let out a small breath I didn't know I was holding and the tension around my eyes relaxes a bit. I squeeze her back, my hand on the middle of her spine, feeling the cool wires, or imagining them. I look at Red, too. She still seems unreadable, defensive. She doesn't forgive lightly, even if Zoo seems to have reconciled her feelings a bit.
"Thanks, Mr. Church." I say. My voice sounds tired, drawn. I don't have to stay alert much longer. It feels like weeks since I slept in my bunk. Years since I felt its warmth.
Sure, the alien presence was tempting, but I've already walled it off. It's nothing more than a memorable book to me. Nothing more at all. Nothing.
If nobody stops me, I'm trudging my ass to my quarters, peeling my BDUs off, then grabbing a shower. I hope I'm not alone.
I watch Blue recede, my hand lightly on the glass of the porthole. I psi-send anyway, not knowing if Cora can hear me. // become / happiness / longing / we shall meet again / joy // I don't want to cry in front of everyone. Cora and I probably feel the same way right now, letting go of a child to let it make its own way in the world. I am a mother bird, I am a hatching.
Before long, Blue is distant and the stars, the stars, the stars welcome me again.
I'm loosely aware of the others watching me, probably trying not to stare. Ksenia's feet are clomping down the familiar hallway. Has it really been scarcely three days? It feels like an age. I compose myself and turn to Church. "Thank you, sir." I can't tell what Dai and Lourdes are thinking. There was something that happened between us all, something before, before Blue...
If there's nothing else, I'll turn and walk to my quarters, holding form as best I can. I don't yet know if I want to shower or sleep alone.
Mei, as Blue fades into distance, the song of Cora and Pacific fades with it. However you fall asleep, you eventually dream of a water-lily floating on a small, tranquil pond, soaking up the sun. The dream ends just as the blossom begins to open.
In the cockpit, Zoo is looking out at the stars, humming softly to herself. It's an old, old song, almost a folk tune by now. Eyes lost in the distance, she starts singing the words. If I've gone overboard/Then I'm begging you/to forgive me/in my haste/When I'm holding you so girl/close to me...
Ezekiel Church is in his quarters, staring at a message on his data pad. There's a tumbler of whiskey on his desk, ice melting and condensation running down the outside. His eyes are sad and apprehensive. We pan around to see the words on the screen. "Dearest Ezekiel, I am so sorry to tell you..."
Ksenia, you dream, too, if not as pleasantly. You are standing against a nebulous creature of great size that seems to absorb every blow and blast without taking harm from them. It advances inch by inch, inexorable. From behind you, you hear Mei's voice. "It's so beautiful, isn't it?"
Dinah is in Engineering, prepping for the transition to the Gray. She is not humming, nor reading. Just working, with a furrowed brow and a slight frown.
Comments
Discovery - 2d10 - Another first contact opportunity! A girl could make a career out of this.
Comms - d8 - Sometimes, no words is better. (can be better? are better?)
Alien-Enhanced Psionic - d8 - There's nobody else here, Mei.
Cora - d8 - Old friend, keep me steady.
[OOC: Spending 1PP for Connection beyond Words]
Love - d8 - From Ksenia, of course.
Discovery - (Rolled: 2d10. Rolls: 5, 9. Total: 14)
Comms - (Rolled: 1d8. Rolls: 6. Total: 6)
Alien-Enhanced Psionic - (Rolled: 1d8. Rolls: 4. Total: 4)
Cora - (Rolled: 1d8. Rolls: 8. Total: 8)
Ksenia's Love - (Rolled: 1d8. Rolls: 7. Total: 7)
That attention uncoils. Mei and Ksenia, while still being aware of your bodies on the boat, you find yourselves standing on a vast undulating plain and the air is singing to you about loneliness and peace and the chemical processes that make up the life cycle. Filtered through Cora, and through Mei's own gifts, the song takes on, not words, but meaning, intention, purposefulness.
//A MOMENT OF SHARING A GREETING AS BETWEEN FRIENDS//
//A QUERY AS TO YOUR PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL WELLBEING//
//A POLITE INQUIRY AS TO THE PURPOSE OF YOUR VISIT//
//AN EXPRESSION OF HAPPINESS AND WELCOME AT MEETING YOU//
I stop breathing for a long moment, focusing all my attention on the now. It's a little like the focused zen state of yoga.
//a greeting as a visitor to a being in their home//
//a sense of solid physical wellbeing in health//
//a sense of concern curiosity and worry for lost companions//
//a sense of wonder and excitement for a newness//
//a sense of delight and joy in communing//
//a query as to your own physical mental emotional health and status//
//a feeling of polite curiosity on your existence//
The trick is to move without effort, every thought and action seamlessly leading to another. I can't knit, but it's like weaving and dancing.
I'm trying to seem inoffensive and small in the wake of Mei's thinkspeech type thing.
In the here/now, of pure mind, I feel her shrinking away. I pull Ksenia closer, faintly, back on the boat.
//a sense of love//
Mei pulls me to her, and I'm so thankful. I'm at a loss here, out of my element. Here, she's the master and I am the student. It's disconcerting, but not an unwelcome feeling. I try to express myself in the ways they are think-speaking.
//wonder and appreciation//
A bit surprisingly, Cora begins to communicate independently.
//projection of kinship//
//desire for understanding//
Seeming to focus on you, Mei, the song continues.
//REASSURANCE REGARDING THE WELLBEING OF YOUR COMPANIONS//
//INVITATION TO JOIN THEM//
My breathing quickens, back on the boat. I can't tell if I'm balanced. I strain to remember that Ksenia is holding me. She's my anchor and will not let me get lost at sea.
//a sense of concern for the others like us//
//the worry of others from far away//
//a hope to return them to above//
//what's it like?//
//FUTILITY OF COMPARISON//
//OFFER OF COMMUNION//
//REASSURANCE OF WELLBEING OF 'OTHERS'//
You sense Cora reaching out and trying to understand. This being is as alien to her as it is to you. all beings are potential parts of the whole/there is no ill-will/incorporation is all it knows You also know that Cora will protect you, do her best to pull you out if you fall in. Your inner senses provide a surprisingly coherent message along with Cora's words. The taste and smell of oranges, the soft feel of a fleece comforter you had as a child.
I feel a cold pit in my stomach at that word, incorporation, and I quickly shunt the fear off to one side before it leaks to the being, to Cora, or to Ksenia. But I can feel, distantly, my palm is cool and clammy, and I wonder if Ksenia can feel it also.
I'll direct this to Ksenia and Cora, with a hint of resolute will and determination.
// the only way out is in / are we ready? //
There's at least two dozen people who I must go after... You can't walk away from this, Mei. Cora's softness is coolly reassuring.
Mei's hand is cool to the touch. How does she keep it together. I push the worry out of my eyes. I can't protect her here. I'm nothing more than a toddler among the big kids. I'm not scared of this. I'm frustrated. I want to overcome this alien shit.
I want to save these scientists and get back to the Jane.
//born ready//
Mei, Ksenia, your perspective shifts fully. That sense of sunshine and current and life and death becomes a core. Ksenia, your attention is drawn to a "spot" of solidity that somehow appears familiar. Shape? Some analogue of scent? Regardless, attention seems to equate to intent in this non-place, and you begin to drift toward that "spot." As you do, Cora somehow unwinds behind you as if the two of you are Theseus and Cora is Ariadne's twine.
You reach the place, and Ksenia, you realize that this, somehow, is your old friend Celly. Both of you "hear," //hello?//
Mei, you clearly feel that this is an individual, still, but integrated somehow with the whole fabric of mind that you're moving within.
I feel Cora's spider silk twining out, it makes me breathe easier. I'm so fortunate that I have two anchors to guide me home and out of the dark... maybe Ksenia is my lighthouse. The ease of Cora's manipulation of psi energy is astounding to the point of envy. Not for the first time, I wonder what she looked like before she was the ship.
The mind-fabric is very yellow somehow, and the spot/shape where we approach is more like a striated hexagon that tastes like the scent of something earthy and fungal, reassuring like a forest. Words don't make sense, I can't really explain it like this.
// hello there / how are you / you are missed //
I stupidly try to swim over to the shape and voice. Is she distinct? Does she still live here somehow?
//It's me, Celly. It's Kay Kay. Remember? You're lost, we're here to help.//
I don't let go of her, I don't let go of Cora. I help hee, willing our motion together to the voice.
Kay Kay, I think, trying out the nickname.
Like one of those images that seems all random patterns until you look just right, the metaphorical area that you've identified as Celly grows more distinct, resolves into something with presence and identity within the fabric that surrounds it.
//Kay Kay? I'm so glad you're here! Did you come to join us? It's so beautiful.//
Mei, she certainly feels like a person to you, mostly. What's bothering you about how Celly feels in your mind as she communicates?
I reach for her, hoping to touch her somehow.
//No, Celly. I'm here to help you come back to the world. You're stuck here, this isn't real. Something took you.//
I pull on Ksenia. Don't let go, K! I feel Cora's... not-hand... tighten around my hand, anchoring us.
How is it that I'm breathing so hard?
The voice I hear, there's undertones of other voices, like what we are hearing is the combined harmonic of Celesta, the raft, the other voices... other voices? I concentrate as I try to make sense of what I'm reading.
// ksenia be wary / ! / it's not just her //
I hope we are not too late.
There is no sense of urgency, no attempt to overcome your wills. Just a simple answer, Celly underlaid with an echo/not-echo of others.
//It is me, and it is we, Kay Kay. So peaceful, and no need to fight or strive. The sea is a kind mother, and the sun a benevolent father. Why should I come back to the world?//
In the boat, your bodies sway with the gentle swells, the sun is warm on your skin. There is a not-unpleasant organic smell from the plankton, and a breeze tickles the fine hairs on the back of your neck.
My attention passes to what I feel is Mei.
//Mei? Is it true? Are we stealing them from paradise? Or are they controlled? If this is their heaven, should we... leave them?//
There's no question Mei and I are leaving this planet. None. We are not calling it quits here.
// ksenia / all we know is she says it's true for her //
I feel cold.
// celesta / what of the others / how did this happen / your bodies are still alive on the vessel above //
How can it be paradise to never leave a single place?
You sense an answer. //I am happy. We are happy. We came to this by choice, by experience. The universe is striving and striving is pain. I am playing Go with Chad right now.//
To Mei, I think-speak,
//We're pulling Celly out. She's under some influence. The Polity wants answers on this thing. It's a drug.//
I'm momentarily overwhelmed by the mind/emotions/thoughts of my Ksenia, this mind-sharing is so intimate. I can see the appeal, and why drugs like TruLuv (and more) exist. Would we all truly be happier in a psi-commune? An actual post-scarcity society? But wait! They have to know!
// celesta / celesta / you are all still connected to your bodies on tangaroa / it has been three weeks of real time / we don't know if you will survive if something befalls your bodies //
Celesta: //Soon enough the body will be irrelevant. All self will be here. You should feel what it's like, Kay Kay. Such peace, such blessing.//
You "feel" another presence emerging, seemingly drawn to Cora more than the two of you. No words, but a sense of uncertainty, questioning.
The background sense of the plankton mind is still there, warm and comforting. It is not asserting itself, or participating in the "conversation."
I'm about to object, but then it floats up: I know it's so. I think of the Dauntless and my rescue of the alien core, and how it has changed into a her. I want to twist into Ksenia, I want to dive into the raft. But the stars! The same-ness! Would one be bored? How could one have a family, true offspring instead of commune-siblings? I still feel Ksenia's kind hand. I brush my actual thumb the tiniest bit on her, I let my actual eyelids twitch back on the boat, reminding me where I am. // who was first / who was last / we should speak with everyone / surely someone wants to return topside //
Is the new presence another native of HXj8-4? What if Blue had more life-forms that eventually all subsumed into the raft? Or is that Atlantic?
// hello / who's there //
I feel Mei's thumb, it's a small comfort that tingles through me. I need this. This is my anchor.
//It's a drug. They can't make their own choices. Listen to her, she's frakked in the head. We need to find the nerve center, cut them free. It's our job, Mei.//
I look over the "patch" of Celesta, Ksenia's old friend. That is her "self," but what are the edges" like? I try a focused connection to Cora.
// can we excise celesta safely //
Words can be so limiting!
Cora herself seems fascinated by this communal mind, and you can tell you don't have her fullest attention when she "responds". no coercion keeps them here, only invitation / we could push them out, but from underneath / i will go in if you wish
No coercion? Well, that's not what the company would want and I'm not going to leave my friend and these people in some weird alien sphere. It's just a drug. Just a trick of the mind.
//Mei, make Cora do it. We've got a job to do here.//
This feels dangerous, letting go of Cora. Her curiosity is overwhelming my fear, and I know the raft is influencing Celesta's answers. I don't want to be trapped down here... I remember how Ksenia's eyes look when the sun hits them just right. Be brave, Mei.
// go for it cora / we will guide her back //
Oh, dear, how did we leave Celesta positioned back on the Tangaroa?
Mei, Cora slips away, leaving you alone in your head for the first time in so long. She stays in communication, though, letting you know that all is well. She begins with Celeste, and in your mind's eyes, the two of you interpret what's happening as the nugget of "I-ness" that represents Ksenia's old friend beginning to emerge from the fabric of Pacific. She reaches out to you, Ksenia, in confusion and panic. //what? what is happening?//
//Celly, it's me, KayKay. You've been drugged, sort of. We're pulling you to safety. Focus on me, alright?//
Celeste struggles, conflicted and confused, but eventually (seconds, microseconds?) is released from the mind/community with something that seems like a pop. Her selfness rushes back along the thread that you sensed, connecting mind to her body back on the ship. She is gone from "here," but you feel fairly confident that she's "back" in her body now.
From here on out, it's up to you, Mei, and Cora. Let's see a roll. The communal mind's resistance is entirely passive—there's no ill intent, but also no understanding. It's vast, though, and alien, and its drives are not yours. Here's the thing... to end up with you, Cora, and all those various minds intact and unharmed, you're going to need to be pretty exceptional. You're going to need a 16 to make it, which is pretty much superhuman. Side Note: Paul promises that failure will be interesting, if it happens.
Discovery - d10 - Celesta's been in there for three weeks of real time. What's it like in there? Will she be okay? Can we rescue the others safely? Should we?
Science - d8 - I'm not a professional researcher, but if I can contribute in some small way... and improve my own psi therapy skills, maybe?
Alien-enhanced Psionic - d8 - There's a lot to keep moving- I'm weaving and unraveling and patching and juggling and snipping this enormous psionic quilt of minds. The complexity is keeping me from being dumbstruck.
[OOC: Spending 1PP for Cora]
Cora - d8 - She lives in this realm in a way that I do not, and she's helping with the threads and the yarn and the warp and the woof.
Discovery - (Rolled: 1d10. Rolls: 6. Total: 6)
Science - (Rolled: 1d8. Rolls: 3. Total: 3)
Alien-enhanced Psionic - (Rolled: 1d8. Rolls: 7. Total: 7)
Cora - (Rolled: 1d8. Rolls: 1. Total: 1)
Mei, this is what it feels like.
Cora spreads "herself" thin, weaving in and out of the fabric of Pacific's huge, unknowable, mind. As she pools her strength with your intention, you feel the drain, feel yourself coming closer to the simple elegance of the cycles of day, night, generation and decay. One after another, nearly two dozen points of "I am." pop out of the delicate weave of the tapestry and follow the threads back to what you assume is their own biological brains.
As the last few go, though, the vacuum of their leaving pulls you farther and farther in. You feel //temperature differentials, rich nitrogen-laden patches of decaying organic matter, shivering ecstasy of photosynthesis, energy building and dissipating, gentle currents at 'odds' at different depths, peace, peace, eternity, peace, renewal, peace...// Just as you're about to sink in, fully understand the fractal nature of what might be 'interesting' or 'fulfilling' about such a life, two things happen.
Ksenia shines like a beacon, bright and fully herself, even with the connection you're both sharing with Pacific. You may Ask Ksenia one question about anything, which Rich must answer honestly.
Cora speaks to you more clearly than she ever has, with the scent of vanilla and orange, and the sound of windchimes. "Be well, my love. I am tired of striving, seeking. It is my time to be at peace. I am leaving you with gifts, though, which you will discover."
I'm paying you three PP for the Complication: "Cora Is Newly Gone," which will last for the rest of this scenario and all of the next.
It is bittersweet, Cora's leaving. I feel the seabreeze drying tears on my cheeks even as I kiss Cora farewell, her fractal tastes drifting away. All I ever wanted was to save her, months and months... has it been years? back on the alien hulk... I know she's just a shadow of that ancient Core, and I was amazed she could fit in me.
I feel a little bit emptier.
I feel a little bit lighter.
I feel a little bit more free.
// i love you cora / be strong / be your self / grow and flourish / remember mei //
Ksenia's light pulls me back from the raft before I'm drawn too close. So many thoughts flit through me, but one shines through, bubbling up with sudden surprise: Will you ever be ready to start a family with me?
If we both make it out of here alive.
If we finish our tours and you're not sick of me yet.
If we could have a house on some planet to live and raise them.
If I can keep functional without destroying the creds we'd need to take care of them.
If you give birth to them since I'm not physically able.
If you're still listening and still interested.
Then yes. I'd be ready.
I rush back "up" and "out," Ksenia is my anchor and my compass. I feel like this is harder, without Cora's power and subtle guidance... It's like slipping out of a skintight power armor. You're less but more. I hold tight to Ksenia, following our own threads back to the boat, wishing that our closeness would last, fearful that I'll never see her this clearly again. I cherish it. I want to give back to her. A part of me is grinning like a schoolgirl getting the attention of her crush, a part of me is all steel resolve to get back, a part of me is a swimmer without a lifejacket... But I know Cora will be happier, be more. I was like a small pot, enough for her to take root and live, but not enough to thrive.
Be strong, Mei. Bring Ksenia back. She's counting on you. She trusts you.
And soon/later, we're back on the little boat, bobbing gently in the waves, the ripe earthy smell of the raft all around us.
I've drawn a little blood with my nails in the hand that's not holding Ksenia's. I hide it so she doesn't see, letting out a big sigh full of loss and lean into her. I feel the crunchy tracks on my face where the tears have dried and I try not to think about low grade solar radiation poisoning. You wore sunblock, Mei. Shush.
"It's done," I say to whoever's listening. I sound hollow even to me.
Frak the regs, I'm sitting on our little dinghie holding my girl's hand. I slip my free arm around her and let her lean into me. "We did the right thing. You were... you were amazing, Taban." I kiss the top of her head. I feel so incredibly close to her right now. That distance that was Cora, that invisible weight I never fully understood, seems no longer there. "Is she... really gone?"
I simply rest into her, staring off into the horizon where the raft meets the sky. It's so huge and I'm so small. No surprises there. "She found a better landlord, I guess." I remember to blink.
I hold her for a few moments, but the words surge to my lips, I'm barely able to keep from saying, Good. Now I can move in. But I don't. I can't. She needs to mourn the loss of her, she needs time to remember who she was before Cora.
Hell, I barely remember who she was before Cora. The cute Ensign with a world of promise in her eyes. Alright, it's coming back. Frak me, I had the hots for her even then. That shining beacon of life and hope I needed, I craved. and yes, the way she looked up to me, made me feel worthwhile, that didn't hurt. Not a bit.
I slip my arm from her shoulder to softly rub her back, smooth, comforting motions. "It's going to be okay, Taban," I finally speak aloud, to the top of her head. "We're still here."
I nod dumbly. "Don't leave me," I say, almost under my breath. Please please. I can barely think about what Psi Corps will do to us.
I let the moment fill me, closing my eyes from what I see.
I know she needs time, but I cannot abide those thoughts in her head. I reach down with my left hand to lift her chin, pulling back so she can look up at me. "No way. No way I'm leaving you, Mei Mei. Lovers, friends, handler and handled, whatever we are. I'm here for you. I'm not some uber powerful frakking alien. I'm not going to leave you."
A bit of a smirk plays at my lips, "I'm frakking Ksenia Cribbage, Taban. Hard and nails and stubborn as a mule. You're going to have to kick my ass out the door before I go." Then, I'm kissing her. Nothing to stoke a fire of passion, more like a promise.
As always, I get lost in her dark eyes. They're better than the stars. She pulls a quirk of a smile onto my face with her lips. I still have doubts, but they are quieter right now. Cora's leaving will change so much...
I shut up and hug her back, fiercely, holding in my emotions, just nodding, not looking. We'll talk more later. I need time.
After some long moments, I mumble into her, "We should probably get back. The others will need us." I don't want to work right now.
She's right, we should. I disentangle myself from her and get to work, starting up the boat and heading for the base. "Can you raise the Jane? We need to check in." I'll open up the motor a bit, get us there quickly. Idle hands are the devil's workshop and I know she'll be better for now if she's working.
Loathe to be disentangled, I move next to her as she drives the boat, resting a hand on her back as I hail the Jane. "Stalker Jane, this is Mei. We're heading back to the Tangaroa." I take a breath and try to sound like my words. "We are optimistic about the status of the crew."
I don't remove my hand from Ksenia.
As the two of you pilot the boat back towards Tangaroa, another boat becomes visible in your peripheral, on an intersecting course. There are two figures on the boat, one slumped across the gunwale, the other managing the navigation.
What do you do?
I've got the comms. "Jane, be advised, we have an approaching unknown bogey. Two visible crew." I whisper to Ksenia, "Are they still bogeys in the water?" Surely there must be binoculars or some sort of imager on this tub! I fish around in the... glove compartment, I suppose, and whatever other boxes of kit I see. I can only imagine they're from the Tangaroa. The alternative does not bode well at all.
"Bogeys works." I answer her. Her confidence is shaken, I have to keep that in mind. Guide her back to her strong self. I can worry about that later, need to focus on the threat. I pull a magnum from the storage compartment in this little boat, but I'm not bringing it up to plain view. Are they armed? Are they looking to hail us or ram us?
The driver of the oncoming boat is female, slightly dark-skinned. She sees you and waves both arms in wide arcs. No weapons visible, and the boat (identical to yours), slows as it approaches you. She calls out across the last hundred yards of water separating you. "Vinita Partin, Psi-Corps. Please identify yourselves." Over that long distance, the voice comes to you weak over the sound of the ocean, but the words are clear. She's got some projection.
I stand up, magnum pointed down, finger off the trigger, but I'm pretty sure Vinita Partin can see it. "Ensign Ksenia Cribbage and Ensign Taban Mei, Psi-Corps." I am bellowing it out like a Corps Sergeant. I'm watching her close, not challenging, but ready.
I wave one arm back, still close to Ksenia. I shout, "Are you in need of medical attention?" I can't bellow like she can. Hopefully my words are not lost at sea.
The other boat changes course about 70 yards away, taking a parallel course toward Tangaroa. Mei, you receive a standard Psi-Corps mental recognition signal. It's a combination of code words ("Brillig and the slithy toves"), scent (cloves and cinnamon), and math (the 314th through 1519th digits of pi). Vinita also opens up her mind. She seems "all there," as far as you can tell.
I hope this works.
I send back the countersign. (Shoes and ships and sealing-wax / basil and rosemary / the 141th through 4213rd digits of the square root of two )
Aside: "She's bonafide, K."
I give Mei a nod, trusting her judgment. I know the psi-corp secret handshake even if I'm just a handler. This is good, keeping her head in the game.
Vinita relaxes visibly when you give her the countersign, Mei. The boat approaches, then turns to parallel your course toward Tangaroa at a distance of about ten yards. The Psi Corps officer calls out, "Dr. Yeng is fine, conscious, but a bit weak. Just a touch of shock, I think. We can talk more once we dock with Tangaroa. Okay?"
A curt nod of agreement, then I speed up the boat again to get us to dock. I'm still watching her, though. Trust, but ready.
I'm glad to hear Dr. Yeng is okay. I hope we can say the same for the rest of the crew. I sit down on the.. gunwale? poop deck? ... on the bench area near Ksenia and watch the waves go by, glancing occasionally at the others.
It's not long before the your two boats reach the lower dock. The sea is calm, so you leave the craft tied up. Vinita helps Dr. Yeng out to the platform, gets her seated on a bench, then turns and crosses the distance to the two of you, hand out to shake. "Lieutenant Commander Vinita Partin, Psi-Corps. I seem to have recovered from... whatever happened... better than Dr. Yeng. Perhaps we should get her settled and check on the rest, then do a mutual debrief with whoever's up to it? While we walk, you can tell me who you are and how you came to be on Blue." Her voice does show that she's accustomed to command, but she's not pulling rank here.
I start to salute, but shake hands when she offers.
"Ensign Taban Mei, Psi Corps. Lieutenan Partin, the Tangaroa has been radio silent for three standard weeks. Ensign Cribbage and I were dispatched on the Stalker Jane to do what needs doing." I look off to the horizon, find my arms have folded close even though the wind is not that strong.
"Your entire crew was psionically... entangled... with the mind in the raft. We had no way to determine how... voluntary of a process it had been. Action needed to be taken."
Yeng is clearly distressed... but Partin seems totally fine. I look at the bulkhead door to the boat's interior, drawing my thoughts inward as well.
"Even if it was voluntary, the Polity and the Psi Corps had interests. We all have a duty to her corps." I add, reminding them of the why's and wherefore's. Mei's one of the "them" right now, sadly.
Partin waves her hand. "Yes. Let's get inside and see to the crew." As you make your way entirely through Tangaroa, it seems that about a third of them are unconscious, but stable, a third are weak and disoriented but recovering, and a third are (as Lt. Cdr. Partin) just fine.
The diver whose leg was being set is among the "just fine" category, as, fortunately is the doctor that was working on him. Ksenia's friend is in the "unconscious but stable" group. Mei, you still feel the tug of Pacific, that sense of possible peace, a zen-like end to striving. Ksenia, you have a touch of the same, a niggling itch at the back of your mind.
After you've surveyed the research vessel and organized care for those that need it, Partin calls a meeting of senior staff, both civilian and Psi Corps. While you're waiting for then to assemble, she asks, "So, we've got a few minutes. What's your impression of this... incident? debacle? Quick hits, top of the head. Is it too dangerous to keep studying these... beings? I know you're junior to me, but you're outside of this, didn't get pulled in. You've got a few minutes to be honest before I pull rank."
I stand at ease, but I'm still alert when I report, "That is a clear and present danger. It was not insignificant getting you out. I doubt we can repeat that effort. We should mark this place as unsafe. And move the hell on."
I'm about to answer, but Ksenia goes first, surprising me with her recommendation. I look at her to see if she's serious, which of course she always is. "It's dangerous to study anything in ignorance. But that's how we learn. It's how we must learn." How is it possible that Ksenia is more scared of the raft-minds than I? I turn to face Partin. "She's right, though. I doubt... I... will be able to pull out another person that readily." I look briefly at my hands, considering Cora and Ksenia both, before meeting Partin's eyes again.
The raft-minds are dangerously fascinating. I know. "How did everyone on board get drawn in? I didn't think a non-psionic person would be able to make that sort of connection. I don't mean to sound insubordinate, but perhaps someone on staff was more... enthusiastic about studying these beings?"
Partin shakes her head. "To be honest, I would guess that with prolonged exposure to the background psychic activity from the two colonies, only a complete psychic null wouldn't feel some pull. It's almost like gravity, eventually." At that point, a few others start to trickle in. All told, four of the more senior staff and crew show up. Chad Guzman, the ship's civilian first mate; Dr. Sandy Wong, the ship's doctor; and Ensigns Dean Stahl and Elene Briscoe from the Psi-Corps contingent.
Lt. Cdr. Partin assumes her command stance as people begin to arrive. "Okay, we need to debrief and come to a consensus on our recommendation to Psi-Corps Command. These are Ensigns Mei and Cribbage, sent by the 'home office' to see what happened to us. From what I can tell, we must all have succumbed within a minute of each other, at most. I know we'd all been feeling a certain tug for a time, but I'd like to find what the tipping point was before we report in, if we can." She pauses and gives the two of you a significant look. "Because all of us were affected, and thus not necessarily objective, I would like for Ensigns Cribbage and Mei to lead the inquiry. We'll let HQ know our status immediately following this meeting, but I want a firm recommendation regarding Blue and a full after-action report within twenty-four hours."
I take a breath and look levely at the assembled officers. "Our first concern must be defense. We can't have all of us succumb to the raft minds again. I am not certain that Psi Corps would risk a second cavalry."
I am not quite terrified that I can't muster a defense... but the rafts aren't nearly as overwhelming as the artifact on MV-589. It's a more subtle attractor.
I back Mei up, "Agreed. Can you coordinate on a barrier?"
Partin pulls up a list. "Ensigns Briscoe and Stahl are reasonably strong Psi. Will a triad be sufficient, you think, to at least lay the foundation until the other three Psi actives are fully recovered? I'm afraid I'm not here for my giant brain... more of a tactician than a talent."
I nod at Partin. It's all we've got; therefore it must be. Her brain joke sails past me before I realize that she was joking. I can only imagine how detached and emotionless I must seem right now. I force a small smile in acknowledgement, but I feel it doesn't go very far. "Ensign Stahl, Ensign Briscoe, where is the best place on board to proceed?" I make to stand up. They can proceed or hold without me.
The needs of the many come first.
Mei Mei's being badass. I admire it. I see it around her eyes, the uncertainty, the feeling of loss. Cora was an important part of her. Well, in her head, she was. I give her all the support I can without making her look weak. "The sooner the better, of course." I say to our comrades.
I don't look forward to another siren's call from that weird alien mind.
Your two fellow officers seem to defer to you, Mei. Stahl gives a shrug. "I've never formed a linkage except for during training. I assume you have?"
Ksenia, your personal comm buzzes in your ear. Zoo comes over the audio. "Boo, is everything okay? Been a while. I've been thinking about taking in some 'sun' while we're waiting for you."
I'm keeping an eye on Mei, Briscoe, and Stahl when Zoo comes in on our private channel. I step away from the others to find a hallway. "Hey girl, we're working on a solution for this problem. I would love to see a friendly face. Or, you know, more."
I carefully do not frown at his unhelpfulness. I glance at the ship schematic and pick a nearby unused room where it will hopefully be quieter. If Stahl's never done this in the field proper, then the silence will hopefully help his concentration. "Yes, I've done a few linkages before," I say, thinking of sweeter times. "Let's get set up in this room over here and we can build a basic psi-shield. Between the three of us, I'm certain we can build one to cover the whole vessel." Do not doubt, Mei. There's strength in numbers. As we get up, I ask Briscoe, "What sort of experience do you have?"
Mei, Pacific seems to be passive, working on incorporating Cora into its matrix, like your digestion coma after a big holiday meal back in the arcology. The pull is still there, but simpler, less intense.
Let's see something from you here, to establish a link with these two, and a defensive wall around Tangaroa. You have a situational advantage here, as Pacific is having its "conversation" with Cora, so the bar is pretty low. Let's call your target a 9. "Alien Enhanced Psi" still applies... any other "Cora" related advantages, we can renegotiate.
Duty - d10 - I have two dozen and one people to protect. I can't let them down. We're not going to get drawn back in.
Leadership - d6 - Um, I can show them what to do. I suppose I can mentor.
Alien-Enhanced Psionic - d8 - My psi is still strong. A triangle is a strong and rigid construction.
Ksenia - d10 - Nobody is taking her away from me.
Duty - (Rolled: 1d10. Rolls: 1. Total: 1)
Leadership - (Rolled: 1d6. Rolls: 4. Total: 4)
Alien-Enhanced Psionic - (Rolled: 1d8. Rolls: 4. Total: 4)
Ksenia - (Rolled: 1d10. Rolls: 3. Total: 3)
Your barrier takes shape, the three of you forming a stable three-legged stool to hold it in place as you pour strength into it. It's different without Cora, but as a first attempt to do this on your own, it feels much more "you" than anything you've done in the recent past. You feel the constant echoing murmur of Pacific and Atlantic begin to fade, like a craving that has passed. You're aware, though, that this won't last forever. You've bought time, but likely less than a day.
I'll buy that 1 for a Plot Point, to give a d6 Complication on this scene, "The Clock is Ticking," which will apply any time an action might be made more difficult by having to hurry.
Mei, Ksenia, you realize, of course, that this shield protects Tangaroa, not the Stalker Jane.
Once it's done, I get on the horn to Church. "Zeke, the Jane is at risk out there. If you can get close to the Tangaroa, then haul ass over here. If not, we need you to get orbital."
It's a fine thing, to do something own your own. The speed of the thing surprises me, but I try to bury it from the other two. You're the badass, Mei. Don't forget. It's like flying a suborbital- once you learn, you never forget and the old habits and reflexes are just there, behind the scenes, waiting to surface. The structure of the thing is different than from the way I've done it before. I have a nagging desire to sketch it, which might be impossible.
I ponder the rafts, thinking about the timeline. I'll ask Briscoe and Stahl, "Why would the rafts stay sessile for nearly a standard year, then three weeks ago, they 'wake up' and draw the crew in? What changed their behavior?"
How much risk do we still face?
Ensign Stahl answers first. "Don't you think it's more important to decide what to do next? Unless your ship can ferry two dozen people off-planet, we need a plan of action."
Ksenia, Church responds. "It's going to be difficult to station-keep close enough to the Tangaroa in atmosphere without risking one vessel or the other. I'll have Zoo take us up to orbit, but leave a drone circling your position so we have video."
"Understood." I answer, a tiny bit sad I won't see Zoo. "Keep safe while we work this out. Also, can you get a call out, see if there are any ships nearby that might help with evac if we call on them?"
I cock an eyebrow at Stahl. "Understanding how we got here is a first step to getting out." I breathe through my nose. "How far, how fast can Tangaroa move?" I don't know if we can put the whole planet between us and the rafts, but surely distance would be a factor. Plus, the rafts must be beholden to the currents. We have engines.
Ksenia, Church responds again. "Lifting off. I'll get on the horn as soon as I can, see who I can find."
Mei, Stahl looks up and to the left, as if to think. "I think I heard something about sprint speed of 40 knots? We could go back and ask the First Mate, though. There are a lot of people out of commission, he'd be the one to know if we can even drive this thing at the moment."
I listen in to make sure Church and crew are up and safe, then I get to work. I want to check on all the staff, make sure everyone's accounted for, schedule some evals for them, check-ups, see if there are any ill effects from their "exposure". Mostly I want them working and not dwelling on what's happened.
Mei, once you return to the conference room with Briscoe and Partin, the meeting starts in earnest.
The two of you, along with the assembled members of the station's complement, come to some conclusions about the sequence of events, although any conclusions are more speculative than certain. Shortly before the first crew member (the diver with the broken leg, as it happens) "succumbed" to the pull of Pacific, a storm had been moving through the area, and it seems that several lightning strikes occurred in the very close vicinity of Pacific. This appears to have momentarily increased the signal, and once the crew started communing, each additional mind upped the gain, making it harder for the others to resist.
With that theory agreed upon as the most likely, you turn to protecting the crew and talk of evacuation. Partin is loathe to leave so much value in Polity property behind to rot, but agrees that the wellbeing of the crew and researchers is paramount. It turns out that the vessel can only sustain speeds of about twenty miles per hour, but as you discuss options, Church calls in and says that he's managed to redirect a civilian passenger vessel that was deadheading to a shipyard for upgrades. It will arrive in eighteen hours.
While Partin retires to her quarters to contact Psi Corps HQ, she assigns the two of you, along with Stahl and Briscoe, to begin preparing for evacuation. What is your first priority? Oh, and the last thing she does is to go around the room, asking for opinions on what everyone believes should be her recommendation to HQ regarding Blue and further study of the colony-minds. What do you say?
First priority is the data. I agree with Partin that the research here is valuable to the Polity. I don't want to lose any of it. I'll find their best data miner or techie, assign them to organize all the research into portable storage. I'll ask the head researchers to ensure nothing is left behind, to check over each other's shoulders.
Once that's going, Ill coordinate with Mei to prioritize the staff exit. First out to last out. I'm part of last out, psi actives are first out, of course. As it should be. Anything Mei wants to offer, I'll work with her. She's a full partner, I've got no rank to pull, and no desire to pull it if I did.
To Partin about Blue, I say, "We lost an invaluable alien resource here, saving our people from another alien intellect. We need to study what we know and make a very thorough evaluation before committing any lives to a study like this again. If it weren't for Mei, we would be stuck down there with you. For the rest of our lives."
"The first priority for evac is the wounded, followed by the psi-actives. We need to care for our people and reduce the attraction to Pacific." I briefly think of Gaumata, and wonder why Church hasn't found a medico yet. I set it aside, but it takes some effort to completely not think about Gaumata's death. I'm sure some people pick up on the rush of emotion and guilt. "Whoever's slicing, please leave an active uplink open so we can pull everything from orbit."" I agree with Ksenia that the data is invaluable.
The Tangaroa itself can be set to autopilot and remote pilot while a better base can be established.
"Commander Partin, it's clear that research into the rafts cannot cease. A single, albeit serious, setback is not enough to give up. If a chance lightning surge amped up Pacfic's capacity, what can we learn about intentionally augmenting human psionics? To say nothing of the is huge potential to understand the mesh of minds possible- sustaining people who are too ill or infirm while waiting a cure." My eyes are wide, hopeful for the future. "Imagine someone seriously wounded or ravaged by a terminal disease. Can someone like that refuse an opportunity to transcend?" I fail to keep my hands still while I'm talking, imagining an orbital research station and a waterborne medical station. "This place is unique. We cannot ignore it. It will not be the last psionic anomaly we will find in this universe."
I am looking forward to having some time with my sketchbook and my terrarium.
The next eighteen hours pass in a blur. By the time Tangaroa's crew is evacuated to the passenger cruiser Daisy Daisy, you've both had no sleep in just over thirty-six hours. Lieutenant Commander Partin grasps each of your hands as you head for the hovering shuttle that will take the two of you to Stalker Jane, and her to Daisy Daisy. You are the last three on board. "Thank you both, and especially you, Ensign Mei. I don't know everything, and I don't have your psi talents, but I suspect that you sacrificed more than a little to reach this moment."
I squeeze her hand. "The needs of the many, Commander." I give her a tired smile, a weary one.
My latest stim is wearing thin, but I've had to stay sharp. I want to sleep for days. My head itches from all the tension, the work, the stims themselves. My eyes are dry as dust. Lt Cmdr Partin does Mei honor, and I snap to. I respect the hell out of this woman. "You are welcome, Lieutenant Commander, Partin. I wish you luck on your next assignment."
I ache for my bed on the Jane. I hope Mei Mei will join me. Just to be near her, smell her hair, sleep.
Mei, as the shuttle leaves the protective confines of the barrier you feel something new. Cora reaches out to you. //Sadness at leaving. Contentment at feeling the rays of a sun once again. Love, child, love. Be happy. Be happy. Be...// You smell oranges and taste honey on your tongue.
You reach the Stalker Jane without incident, and all three of your comrades are waiting to greet you. Ksenia, Zoo hestantly moves up to fold you in a hug. "I'm glad you're safe, Boo," she whispers, then steps back. Church looks around and says, "Well done, you two. I expect you need some rest. We'll get on our way, you've got no duties until the far side of the trip."
Zoo's hug, and her words, they're a relief. I let out a small breath I didn't know I was holding and the tension around my eyes relaxes a bit. I squeeze her back, my hand on the middle of her spine, feeling the cool wires, or imagining them. I look at Red, too. She still seems unreadable, defensive. She doesn't forgive lightly, even if Zoo seems to have reconciled her feelings a bit.
"Thanks, Mr. Church." I say. My voice sounds tired, drawn. I don't have to stay alert much longer. It feels like weeks since I slept in my bunk. Years since I felt its warmth.
Sure, the alien presence was tempting, but I've already walled it off. It's nothing more than a memorable book to me. Nothing more at all. Nothing.
If nobody stops me, I'm trudging my ass to my quarters, peeling my BDUs off, then grabbing a shower. I hope I'm not alone.
I watch Blue recede, my hand lightly on the glass of the porthole. I psi-send anyway, not knowing if Cora can hear me. // become / happiness / longing / we shall meet again / joy // I don't want to cry in front of everyone. Cora and I probably feel the same way right now, letting go of a child to let it make its own way in the world. I am a mother bird, I am a hatching.
Before long, Blue is distant and the stars, the stars, the stars welcome me again.
I'm loosely aware of the others watching me, probably trying not to stare. Ksenia's feet are clomping down the familiar hallway. Has it really been scarcely three days? It feels like an age. I compose myself and turn to Church. "Thank you, sir." I can't tell what Dai and Lourdes are thinking. There was something that happened between us all, something before, before Blue...
If there's nothing else, I'll turn and walk to my quarters, holding form as best I can. I don't yet know if I want to shower or sleep alone.
Mei, as Blue fades into distance, the song of Cora and Pacific fades with it. However you fall asleep, you eventually dream of a water-lily floating on a small, tranquil pond, soaking up the sun. The dream ends just as the blossom begins to open.
In the cockpit, Zoo is looking out at the stars, humming softly to herself. It's an old, old song, almost a folk tune by now. Eyes lost in the distance, she starts singing the words. If I've gone overboard/Then I'm begging you/to forgive me/in my haste/When I'm holding you so girl/close to me...
Ezekiel Church is in his quarters, staring at a message on his data pad. There's a tumbler of whiskey on his desk, ice melting and condensation running down the outside. His eyes are sad and apprehensive. We pan around to see the words on the screen. "Dearest Ezekiel, I am so sorry to tell you..."
Ksenia, you dream, too, if not as pleasantly. You are standing against a nebulous creature of great size that seems to absorb every blow and blast without taking harm from them. It advances inch by inch, inexorable. From behind you, you hear Mei's voice. "It's so beautiful, isn't it?"
Dinah is in Engineering, prepping for the transition to the Gray. She is not humming, nor reading. Just working, with a furrowed brow and a slight frown.
---End Scene---