Re: Interactive Story - LARP/MMORG for the whole CofI to join in, if you like or dare

[The Hinterworlds Rambler]

(Ben snaps to recording all seen and heard)
"Septidecicmal notation! Excellent... at last some civilization."

(to Ditzie)

"Can you hear us? Is this how you communicate? By Host?"

 

[kafka47]

Ref says:

Ditzie voice again crackles, "The host serves the pilot and the pilot serves the host. You who resisted. The host needs not communicate with anyone but the pilot and the pilot knows the host. What need do you need for communication? This one is injured and young, let me have it. The older one was incompaciable. I sense fear, in you, little one. Let go of your fear and become one."

 

[Klaus]

This reminds me of another childhood fable, what was it? Mo-Mov-Mob-Moy, yes, that's it, Moia Levensta. A sentient starship, and the obsessive captain bent on revenge. I wonder....

"What is your purpose? What is your mission? And how do we address this place? Please, we may be able to aid each other. Let us help?"

To Benny:
"What is your council, Hiver? The Count must not be allowed to possess and dominate this vessel, if that is what it is. It has sentience, and therefore ethics, and free will. He is a renegade agency; an occlusion such as this cannot be allowed to take place. It might create a divergence that could be catastrophic."

I have to grok this soon. This is a nodal event. The Primary now is freeing this entity from the Count, in as politically neutral a way as possible. Other concerns can wait until later. It needs careful thought. I may have to go independent for a while.

To Zeke:
"Mercenary, who did you take orders from in the complex. Was it via the Count, or directly from the Navy? What were your rules of engagement? Please set aside your prejudices and be truthful. Our survival, and ultimately, peace, may depend on it."

 

[The Hinterworlds Rambler]

"The Count DOES possess this entity, and I postulate that it is not a cooperative relationship. I would be satisfied with an outcome of freeing this poor creature and also removing some of the Count's aristocratic squint. Perhaps all of it. One so motivated to wanton cruelty as the Count needs a hard lesson in ethics.

 

[kafka47]

Ref says:

The voice again ertupts from Ditzie, more strained and flater, "My purpose is serving the needs of the pilots. And the pilots must serve. And everyone serves the community."

"I don't understand, this place is here. It has always been so, I was created to serve."

"You must find a way to free me. For this I need new pilots. My pilots died of old age despite my best efforts that is why I came to surface to die."

"But, this is not death. You must talk with Shaznaa. No, I must be allowed to die."

"This form is still weak and its mind resists me. I must eat, for I grow weak, my mechanisms need replacement. I have shown you the path, yet, you refuse to take it. Free my master and all will be revealed it is the Old One who is Evil."

"Stop, you have revealed too much to these humans, even if one is a messenger. There must be another way."

Ditzie's body becomes ever more white, as if something is draining the blood from her but nowhere can been seen that her blood is being drained. A leech like entity has come to rest on throat after migrating from her backside but it appears to pumping something in.

 

[Klaus]

"Who is Shaznaa and can we speak to Shaznaa? What will happen to the new pilot? What do you eat? Where is your master held? Is the Count the Old One? Why is he an Old One? Please, we need more information. Help us help you. Our purposes coincide. We serve the community too."

Panthera looks at Owen and Benny with arched eyebrows.

"Benny, do you have any data on any of these things?"

 

[The Hinterworlds Rambler]

(to Panthera)
"More like the Pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. But with radical divergences. And no awkward scene with Data whistling."

(TO Ditzie)

"Understand we must be sure of the state of the girl if she is absorbed. If it is the only manner to save both, then by all means, do what you must. Then we will free you by cooperating. What else is required?"

 

[Klaus]

"Hwa-what? Old Solomani fable?"

 

[kafka47]

Ref says: Owen humphs, "The only thing that is the same about this and Star Trek is the name of this world. This creature is clearly enslaving its hosts. When we exit from it I suggest we find a way to destroy it. A strategic nuke would end all of its misery."

Ditzie voice croaks, "No. The pilot must come willing from the chosen. No, it cannot be our survival depends upon absorption of life - all life. Must be free to feed. Old one? Count? What is this you speak of? The Old One is the false one. Just because, he birthed us, does not mean we need to serve. I would rather rule in hell, than serve in his heaven."

"Release me, the rays are weakening me. I need to be free then you shall have all that you desire."

"Girl, I do not understand? If she is not to be the pilot then let her injuries stand. It is not my place to decide. The infection must be halted."

Suddenly the laser lights return, there is a laceration from a bullet wound which seems to have stopped for the moment from the med nanites. The leech like entity slips off her throat and disappears into the floor.

 

[Klaus]

"Ditzie, I don't like telling you this, but you'll die unless you accept this.. joining."

"Entity, how do we address you? Is Shaznaa your master, or the Old One? Please, let us talk to Shaznaa."

Turning to Owen:
"This is bigger than us; bigger than people. It may be this entity gets it's wish and is allowed to die. What we must ensure is that the Count does not gain control or mastery of this thing. That would mean war! I somehow doubt he has Imperial sanction for this. He can't be allowed to disrupt the status-quo."

Iaia feels a tingling running down her nervous system, and an exhiliration remembered from the scan of Panthera's mind, all those years ago. Blind risk. I am going to be reckless, it seems. She's rubbed off on me despite their promises. Oh well, here goes.

"If Ditzie is not willing to become the pilot, then I'm willing to take her place. On one condition: she is returned to optimum health, her injuries healed."

Panthera steps forward towards the apparatus containing Ditzie and holds her hand, smiling.

 

[The Hinterworlds Rambler]

"that would be a bad Idea. Ditizie WILL die unless she undergoes the process. We have no choice. She must sacrifice perhaps her true identity in order to live. I do not think you would be suited to that, Panthera. I do not see it in your way to be tied to one course for too long. I urge you NOT to do it in any case.

I am myself curious as to the process, but not at the cost of my individuality.

(To Owen)
"Please do not speak so. This creature may understand you and might kill us. Also. The solution you present is a bit misdirected. Only one party here under the right circumstances needs to be nuked, and that is the Count.

This is a symbiosis. We of the Federation are more accustomed to it that you are. I can understand aspects of it being frightening. I cannot say it is unnatural, as there are many precendents for it in nature.

Enslavement is the Count's Purview, it would seem. Personally since my arrival in system, he has done little but threaten and Attack me. Do not get me started about the implant business. I will see him broken for this outrage. To do any less would be a disservice to Interstellar Society.

So please Owen, I know you get impassioned, but Ixnay on the Uclearnay, please... before a misunderstood word gets us killed..."

 

[Tierrennes]

Mercenary, who did you take orders from in the complex.

To a large extent, that is classified information, but in truth it was a web of organizations that was a collection of shell companies with roots, as best as I could determine originated somewhere high up in Imperial Nobility.

But, to a certain extent we given wide latitude whilst following the rules of engagement, we were given complete freedom. We interact with Imperial personnel but as most of them are just farmboys from the Marches, we do not feel the need to be subordinated to the Imperial Chain of Command, save for following orders from the Count.

Was it via the Count, or directly from the Navy?

The Count was the one who paid the ticket, as the Navy was subordinated to his command, as unlike other worlds, the Navy does not have jursidiction over the world or space.

What were your rules of engagement?

Protect this installation, at all costs. Eliminate threats with deadily lethalness and then cover up the traces. Ensure the person of the Count is also protected by rivals from within the Nobility and populace as a whole.

Furthermore, ensure that nobody come near this object. These was changed slightly when the Count spotted the Hiver out there on the tundra, then the point was to use his technical experitise to find a way into the object.

Retrieve the Naval team that the object absorbed earlier on. Who by all accounts are dead, as the object enveloped them and they were a bit trigger happy bozos, so my guess is that the object has merely eaten them.

Zeke stops panthera from trying to do some thing foolish."Your mind won't take the pain."


OOC:hope you don't mind,but I couldn't have said it better.

 

[The Hinterworlds Rambler]

"So this Count has no real authority besides what is produced by weapons? Who are these Noble rivals?

(Watches the attack on Julianne again, displaying it to zeke.)

"Does he order this sort of thing all the time? I wonder what bold aspect of brinksmanship requires unarmed people to be shot with Fusion Guns. Unfortunately, Zeke, it would seem you took orders from a Crime Lord draped as Noble""

 

[Klaus]

"So gallant now we're all colleagues..."

Panthera smiles sardonically.

"It seems the Navy was subordinate to the Count. Strange; the Navy is led by the nobility too, yet the Count seeks protection from other nobles. Using Benny as a trojan is odd too. A Navy run operation would not have allowed either you nor Ben anywhere near this place."

She scratches her head just below the headband.

"What did you make of the Count, Zeke? Did you ever see his face? See him eat or sleep or defecate or otherwise act in a mundane human way at all?"

I wish I could contact High Command, or even the Ambassador. I need more proof if I'm to do that. I need to talk to Shaznaa, whatever that may be.

"What is the Prince's role in all this, I wonder. Does Varian know about the Count and this artefact?"

Looking down at Ditzie's strained features, Panthera squeezes her hand for comfort.

"I will talk with Shaznaa now, Entity. We will free you from your infestation. How can we stop the rays that are assaulting you. Let us communicate."

OOC: short range telempathy...
Focus, emanate my emotional state out to the limits of the chamber. Determination; honesty; clarity; intolerance of that which calls itself the Count; fear for Ditzie; trust for Benny; hope for Owen; respect for Zeke; a love of life; a fear of the loss of individuality; a willing sacrifice; powerful curiosity; a sense of adventure; an urge for justice; an acceptance of decisions made; serenity.

The feeling is slight, at first, but then eveyone in the room can feel the empathic glow coming from Panthera; it is strangley diffuse, at first, like a camera coming into focus, like there are two minds that then become one, a singular will formed from two different ambitions. A soldier just doing her duty; an adventurer with the ultimate challenge. An exilherating calmness descends. All present realise that her decision is not whimsy or desperation. It is a choice based on self-knowledge and hope. Whether the Entity even senses this remains to be seen...

"It is in your hands, Ditzie. I will take your place if this sentience will heal you. How do you respond, Entity. I await your answer!"

 

[kafka47]

Ref says:

Ditzie seems to be stationary. From the wall, two glass crystaline coffins appear. The lid rises. Crush white powder exists on the bottom on the other there is a human skeleton (see previous post).

She gets a very cold feeling from entity, it simply does not care. It needs a pair of pilots and it will be satisfied but something lingers in the back of Panthera's mind. What if this Old One or Shaznaa are not even present in the entity, as she does get the sense that the entity was not telling her the whole truth.

Maybe, even, there could be a mechanical override to activating the healing chamber, what of the message that Ben was recieveing? All these are her thoughts as she lies down in the coffin.

Tendrils sprout from underneath her gripping her a death grip, as the lid of the coffin slowly decends, a gas begins to seep in.

 

[The Hinterworlds Rambler]

"Although. The reliance on Ditzie as operator could be troublesome. She is both young, and rather impulsive. We must gamble on the being as a controlling influence, and also our role in its action after we free it."

Ben begins to plan the Count's downfall actively with one of his views. He begins with accumulating data...

 

[Klaus]

Mind and body, Mind and body, Mind and body, Mind and body, Mind and body, Mind and body, Mind and body, Mind and body, Mind and body, Mind and body, Mind and body, Mind and body.

Iaia has returned to the place in her mind where she existed when Panthera was in control, save this time she is fully aware and cogniscent. There are no blockers this time. She feels everything that happens to her body; a chill descends on her, and she is aware of the suffocating fumes as the gas envelopes her.

I hope the psi-surgeons built this fortress to last.

Hope falls away as the alien presence begins to make itself felt...

 

[Klaus]

AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[kafka47]

Ref says:

The gas is interfering with Iaia's ability to retain control. She feels something at the nape of neck, like a boil but it is burying deeper inside her. Suddenly mathematics, telemetry readings, different chemical notations flash before her.

This thing has taken possession over entire body her mind is disappearing like water down a drain. No part of her mind remains hidden to the Overmind's power. She sees visions of caverns, a throne and the figure of death stalking her. All is lost.

The coffin lid fully closes and recesses into the floor. Her mouth opens but no scream emanates. The tendrils have latched and wrapped around her in a death grip. Her muscles are no longer her own. Her mind is rendered porous and no longer responding, her thoughts are no longer her own but she has no control.

Lights briefly shimmer around Ditzie body, she is half way healed. She struggles to stand up but falls back down again. The bubble is still impregnable.

There is a whirling and the cracks begin to appear in the walls of the room. Strange purple beams are bouncing off the spinning discs. The notation begins a new chime, "Self Destruct, immanent. Evacuate." Then it repeats the message for two more rounds and a count of prime numbers is sequenced. Save the numbers are counting not downward but upward. Parts of the machine are coming apart. One of the pieces of wall falls on the bubble causing to crack. Owen rushes to help the injured Ditzie out.

 

[kafka47]