Riva

Snowdrift Woods

"Depends on what you mean exactly. Most people who've learned dynamics and intermediate telekinesis learn how to fly, since it's a significant advantage in mobility, both on planets but especially in void." Mike explains as they travel.

"If you're talking about hovering 24/7 however, that's a different story. Even with increased efficiency, it normally costs energy and concentration to keep this up constantly. I bypass that by becoming so familiar with mass & gravity reduction effects that I can set them to feed off of my natural metabolism & subconscious brainpower instead, just like breathing and walking. I wasn't being metaphorical when I said I made this my 'state of being'. That includes some lifestyle & tactical changes too, like paying special attention to leg exercises so they don't atrophy and learning new fighting styles that both make up for and take advantage of the fact that I don't have the ground to take care of Newton's third law anymore."

"All of this makes my level of telekinetic control nearly on par with Dominic in some ways. Our skillsets are closer to each other than many people realize at first glance, which puts them off guard." He starts digressing. "His specialty in kinetic fields bleeds over to fluid dynamics quite a bit. He can actually get more precise with air & water manipulation than me as well, although I have the leg up in power spikes and all sorts of chemistry-based effects. I, in turn, learned some of the kinetic projectile techniques Dom uses as his bread & butter so I can fight in vacuum more easily."

Dominic's voice suddenly rings in Mike's head, not exactly pleased. Torvahk should be able to hear their conversation like he's actually there. "Did you just give out our skillsets & tactics to him?"

"Hey, it's just the basics. Besides, it's not like he's gonna remember all of it."

Bristleback Lodge

Cabin Plaza

As Mike finishes his tangent, they arrive at the cabin plaza, and Mike stops in front of Duncan & Byron's cabin. He knocks on the door. "I believe this is yours." He says loudly and hangs the peacock up to shoulder height.

Jiko, Lex & Izzie's Cabin

"Who's 'us', though?" Izzie asks Camélia for clarification. "And that sounds like some of the stuff THETA and the Jotnari use, yeah." She says to her and Kyerine, agreeing with Lex.

"As for me, Páłavon are latent telepaths by nature. Our modern society has 'activated' it with some genetic editing, and most have neural implants to facilitate stronger connections & larger networks. I'm rather different - as an AGI, not only can I process even more information at once, I can also project stronger & more precise brainwaves. I also grew up with a bunch of others like me, and I'm constantly connected to several of them as a cluster." She explains.

"Huh. Val didn't grow up with it like we did, but he actually got into a bit of trouble with Rakiri because of that particular culture clash. He sometimes forgets not everything is shared between people around him without having to ask first." She says to Lex. "I wonder how receptive Rakiri and others on the Troperia would be to being part of the network."

As soon as she says that, she realizes something, and switches to a private telepathic channel with Lex. "I don't think there's really anything stopping you from creating a link with our team, too. I'm not 100% sure about whether there are any Insight rules against that for Dominic & Mike, but even then you're probably an exception."

Seeing Kijo wake up from his stupor, Izzie goes to get him a cup of warm, strong tea, before turning to Eyala. "Knowing them, those scientists are probably already three steps ahead and trying to figure out how to assimilate it and turn it into an advantage."

Mitch, Val & Rakiri's Cabin

"It's really not that weird." Val says in a tongue-in-cheek manner to Rakiri about Jiko. "Among all those decades of field work, I'm sure you have a few interesting stories. I know I do."

"Because it's pretty." Val jokes to Zsolt. "And for all the same reasons many Alotos ships have them too."

"Of that, I have no doubt." Dominic says to Zsolt with a smile.

"That's convenient. I was going to ask if you wanted to join us there anyway, but now there's a specific incentive for that." Dominic says to Rakiri, scratching his chin with thought. "We should plan a short meeting to share information later."

Mitch stays silent for a moment, processing Zsolt's words. "...Yeah. Yeah, that'll be good. I hope."

"Do you want to talk about something related that's also bothering you?" Dominic nudges Mitch.

"I... yeah. Like I said before, no use delaying." Mitch replies, before turning back to Rakiri, Val & Zsolt. "Us Prometheans, we're expected to be exemplars and trailblazers. To lead into glory. Part of me feels like I also failed as that. I... cracked. Under that pressure, I didn't live up to my potential." Dominic and Val waste no time embracing him. "Now that I think about it, I probably should've told you earlier, Rakiri. You know all about it."

edited 5th May '18 10:52:19 PM by AqueousBunnies

Snowdrift Woods:

Torvahk tried his best to listen to what was being said, but between the sheer volume of what Mike had to say, the imperfect nature of Torvahk's translator, and the fact that was clearly not as well-versed of a scholar as the Promethean was, only some of what was said would sink in. What Torvahk was able to gather was that Mike and his kind were not to be taken lightly in a fight, and were clearly a more genetically and technologically advanced race than his kind were, perhaps even during the Golden Age of the Crimson Imperium. The more he learned of the extent of Promethean abilities, the more he came to feel simultaneously threatened and impressed by them, and admittedly it would have probably affected his sense of self-worth if Torvahk were able to manifest a sense of egotism that he and most Mehketaran Kahmandra were denied by over a decade of growing up exposed to harsh, militant utilitarianism.

"Kind yours, way this born...or made?" Torvahk ultimately asked, still wishing to know more of how such a race even existed before adding with his translator slightly glitching, "Much study before things doing? What powers are there? People powers none are there? Projectile kinetic what is, energy? " He paused for a moment before also asking, "Kind yours, space live in can...else talking who?! Us just here is..." After looking around a bit he then added with a brief, unexpected moment of clarity that was currently a rare occurence usually brought about by a translation "error", "Where are we? Where go?"

Troperia Laundromat:

Meanwhile Lugo continued waiting around bored, refusing to leave the room he was in both out of a sense of personal security and not wanting to get lost...although the way he refused to move much of anywhere made one think he was paranoid of someone stealing his laundry. After going through what might as well have been a montage of taking all sorts of weird sitting and lying poses, he eventually found himself saying aloud while looking upward, "Never thought I'd say this, but I almost wish I had someone to talk to..."

Well you always have me, especially when you start rambling on some kind of tangent that's sometimes substantial... The symbiote in his brain replied before Lugo pointed out, "No offense Jimmy, but I'm not in the mood right now. I mean you're good company, and I'm not just saying that because you're stuck inside me, but I'd rather not have someone thinking I'm a schizophrenic psycho talking to their imaginary friend right now."

Were you ever actually diagnosed for any mental conditions? Jimmy wondered before Lugo replied, "Can't say I have, but it wouldn't surprise me if my mind's fucked up. It's been through Hell and back enough times to have its own parking space...where was I going with this?"

edited 16th May '18 12:24:38 AM by ParadoxialStratagem

Living The Fever Dream

Reinhardt Cabin

Byron smirks at Duncan changing colors and he reaches out to stroke his hair, "You've always managed me just fine before~." he chuckles, running his hands lovingly through his hair before turning in a huff toward the knock at the door as it catches him by surprise.

Standing up, he straightens up his robe as well as he can before opening the door to Mike, Torvahk, and their catch, "If you're expecting an invitation in, I'll need you to leave the animal corpses outside." he says, turning his eyes to the peacock, smirking slightly, "Don't like your present? I thought it'd be a good pet for you. You look so alike, after all."

Mitch, Val, and Rakiri's Cabin

Zsolt chuckles lightly at Val's quip to Rakiri and conjures a pair of Hard Light hands to massage at Dom's shoulders. He nods to Rakiri as he says he might share some stories eventually, "I'd love to hear them."

At Mitch's reply he moves over to sit next to him, telekinetically keeping himself level as he does so, and wraps him in a tight bear hug, rubbing his back, "It's not fair of the system to hold anyone to that high of a standard. The system might have worked well for Ariadne and your brother, but that doesn't mean it's perfect for everyone. It should be a personal choice, not something thrust upon you." he tells him softly, gently nuzzling his snout against his shoulder.

"I'm as free as the dust in the solar wind."

Lex, Kijo's, and Izzie's Cabin

Lex inclines her head toward Izzie as she suggests introducing the crew to telekinetic clusters, "From what I've gathered from his mind, Rakiri doesn't have a lot of psionic experience in general. The same is true for quite a few members of the crew, but something tells me he would be more reserved than most and would need practice blocking access to certain bits of information, so it might be best to start him off with those closest to him and work him into a wider network."

Even if Dominic has no problem with it, I'm worried what Insight and the Coalition might think. But I would really appreciate forming one, so I'll be sure to bring it up next time I see them. Being mostly confined to my own consciousness recently has been...lonely. she says to her, in reply to her latter offer, before turning toward Camelia, a pensive look on her face.

"Indeed. But I find that the good-hearted are more common than the awful. You can usually find at least a spark of good in anyone if you look hard enough. Likewise, the most precious seeming heart usually has a hidden blemish or two. It's not usually in the nature of anything involving sapients to ever be as clear-cut as entirely 'good' or entirely 'bad'."

Eyala cringes slightly, "I hope for their sakes they never let our scientists know that. The Hestians might get a spike or three jabbed where the sun doesn't shine."

edited 6th May '18 9:38:55 PM by GhostElm

"I'm as free as the dust in the solar wind."

Riva

Reinhardt Cabin

As Byron goes over to the door, Duncan decides to get up and follow, wanting to be nosy and see what's going on as well. He stands behind him, and peers over Byron's shoulder to Mike and Torvahk on their doorstep. "Oh. It's Birdman...and Torvahk." he says, giving a simple wave before his eyes focus on Mike and Torvahk's catch. "...I hope you aren't expectin' to cook that in here."

---

Rakiri, Mitch, and Val's Cabin

Rakiri's smile falters slightly at Mitch's statement, and he unconsciously rubs at his arm. "...Um. Yeah...Believe me, I know how that feels..." he says with a nod, walking over to him, Dominic, and Val. "But...who cares about all that? About what you're supposed to be? People aren't shapes you can just force into a mold." he replies walking closer and placing his hand on Mitch's chest. "Yeah, I was bred to be a soldier...an elite...but, that's not the only thing that defines me. I'm so much more than that...just like you are. So, stop letting yourself get hung on up definitions and expectations...or else, you're gonna keep coming back to this. And that's not gonna do you any good."

Old habits die hard, especially when no one else lets them die either.

JIL Cabin That is a super handy abbreviation

"Oh...thanks," Kijo says, taking the offered beverage and sipping from it lightly, continuing to listen and making some notes on what's said, and in general trying to put off a pleasant vibe. He isn't entirely used to social gatherings of this nature, just as Jiko isn't, but with his more...gruff way of thinking, he feels a little out of place. The effort is there, though.

Troperia

Laundry Room

The room's intercom lights up, and from it Troperia's chirpy voice rings throughout the room. "Do you have someone you're connected to? Some people here look like they sometimes talk to themselves too when they're alone, usually the ones with internal communicators. It's not that weird. There is also a list of local psychiatrists I could look up for you."

Riva

Bristleback Lodge

Rakiri, Val & Mitch's Cabin

Mitch wraps everyone around him in turn with his large arms in a tight hug, taking a moment to just enjoy the warmth and feel their support. "Thanks, guys. I mean, it's nice to have access to cutting edge technology and luxuries in return, but... yeah. I mean, really, the worst they could do is dock my pay." He jokes. "I still like fighting, but I might end up fighting for different reasons. And I'm more than that too. I'll have to figure it out."

After another moment, Val speaks up. "The food's gonna get cold if we leave it for much longer." He points out with a chuckle.

Dom flexes and relaxes his shoulders as Zsolt massages them, and smiles as Mitch takes comfort in the group. "Right." Each of them takes a wrap to eat.

"So, you were planning to talk with Peter soon?" Val asks Dominic.

"Yeah, but there's no need to hurry."

Lex, Jiko & Izzie's Cabin

Izzie appears momentarily confused by the first part of Lex's statement, before she realizes they're still on the same page. "Right, we don't use the terms 'psychic' and 'psionic' interchangeably. Connecting Rakiri to Mitch & Val would probably be the best way to go about it." She chuckles at Eyala's statement.

"I'm hoping it might actually be a step towards reconciliation, both practically and as a diplomatic gesture. And it's no problem. Actually, I'm a little bit surprised you haven't formed a link with Jiko yet."

"Oh, did you see my holograms of Íridhen?" She turns to ask Kijo, turning the projector in the middle of the table back on.

Cabin Plaza -> Reinhardt Cabin

"If you mean whether all of this arose naturally or artificially, made." Mike gives an initial answer to Torvahk's first question before he elaborates. "It's all technology and science. There's a massive catalog of niche abilities out there, but I guess you can boil it down to what we're taught in basic training - the manipulation of energy and properties of matter. Our powers are dependent on exotic materials in our bodies, usually packaged within nanites & proteins for Hestian and Jotnari citizens in particular."

As Mike keeps up and answers Torvahk's questions one by one, he charges up a bluish-white orb in his hand, then throws it at a patch of snow a short distance away, blasting it as if he was throwing a baseball. "Like so. And, not exactly - it varies between individuals, moreover. We still need to breathe, but people like me can use gases besides oxygen for metabolism, at least temporarily. That's Dominic - he's just talking to us telepathically. We're meeting some friends." Mike answers a moment before the door is opened.

"You guys don't want big stacks of roast? More for me, then." He brings the meat inside anyway, still contained in the air cocoon to avoid making a mess of anything. "As amusing it is to you, Byron, a peacock's hard to take care of, even if it's made of shadow." He dispels the cocoon over it, placing the bird gently on the floor. "So. Torvahk, this is Duncan and Byron. Dun, By, this is Torvahk." He finally introduces them properly to each other.

Reinhardt Cabin:

Torvahk is caught by surprise as all the meat he was carrying was suddenly taken by the air cocoon, whether this was intentional or not was unknown to him. Regardless, he notices the two other aliens in the room before saying in the best untranslated English he could muster, "Hello, Torvahk I am. Is you how?"

Troperia Laundromat:

"I'm not on any communicator and I don't have any telepathic powers, if you gotta know I've got a brain symbiote who understands me best when I talk verbally. Never would have guessed since I just look like a plain human on the outside..." Lugo answers nonchalantly before suddenly asking, "Wait, are you a new voice manifesting in my head or—-oh wait nevermind, just noticed the lights. You're the ship's AI, now that makes a lot more sense. Thought I was losing even more of my sanity just now." What was worth noting was how Lugo referred to the Troperia's AI in a tone that didn't convey surprise in any sense. If anything it seemed mundane, like he's had enough experience with AI's to see them as another kind of life rather than something extraordinary or strange.

"Before you get carried away, don't bother calling a psychiatrist. It'll just end up with a waste of time, money and energy 'cause I'm too much of a Will Hunting meets Rick Sanchez with a hint of Tyler Durden to care." He then states, hoping to stop the AI before it tried to do anything.

Living The Fever Dream

Reinhardt Cabin

"<<Considering Torvahk's general physiology, I think the term Birdman could apply equally well to either of them, Dun.>>" Byron mumbles to his brother in German, before folding his arms over his chest.

"Maybe Dom wants a pet, he seems to be fond of little feathered beasties." he says, stroking the peacock's head as it nestles down on the floor.

"If you can figure out how to cook all of them in here without making a mess, than I'm sure we wouldn't protest."

"Nice to meet you again, Torvahk. I'm doing well, thank you. At least one of you has manners." he says with a joking, aside glance to Mike, "We were about to play a game if you guys want to join."

Rakiri, Mitch, and Val's Cabin

Zsolt sighs contentedly and nods with Rakiri's statement as he holds himself close to everyone, slipping a hand down to rub Dom's side and places his other hand over Rakiri's, "We'll figure it out together.". As Val brings up the food, he telekinetically summons one of the wraps and starts nibbling on it when his com lights up.

"Captain, you busy?"

"...Slightly," Zsolt sets down his wrap and sighs, more exasperated than content this time, "What's up?"

"There have been a couple reports of yet another naked crazy dude talking to trees again."

Zsolt reaches up to massage his temple, That's the third one this month... Alright, send me the co-ords and I'll head over."

"Done. Thanks boss."

"Mhm.." he says, sitting up and starting to strap on his leg.

"Sorry to cut this short, I'll give you guys a call in a day or so for a night on the town."

JIL Cabin

Lex nods in agreement at Izzie's statement, "Yeah, they're more or less one in the same in Kirina. I forget that's not the same everywhere sometimes."

One can always hope it will, but I doubt if a single link would manage that. And I have in a sense, we just don't use it much.

Seemingly taking the hint, Lex turns to Kijo, speaking to him telepathically "Thank you for trying, Kijo. I appreciate it. If you need to head out, I'm sure Rakiri and Val would like some all...er...mostly Echirean bonding time later."

edited 27th May '18 10:02:12 PM by GhostElm

"I'm as free as the dust in the solar wind."

JIL Cabin

Kijo looks over the holograms more fully as they are turned to him and his face suddenly lights up with recognition.

"Oh! I knew the name was familiar. David once spent a week there during a cybernetics conference...oh, hell. I can't remember what it was for exactly. But he showed Jiko some pictures when he returned. Couldn't have been much older than 14 at the time... he says, though the excitement starts to wane after a second. When Lex's telepathic message hits him he nods subtly, and stands. draining what's left in his cup.

"Anyway, I think I'm going to go for a walk, further clear my head a little. Sorry, he continues before steadily making his way to the door. He feels a little bad once outside, for simply leaving, but all-in-all, the cold and fresh air serves to further lift the fog he'd been swimming in. The phrase "Field of Mirrors" passes through his brain and he nods before heading in the direction of the shuttles that would take him from where he was to there. He broadcasts a brief thank you to Lex, as well as his planned destination, though he isn't quite sure if she'll get it.