Turn 23
For a house that was meant to have become quieter again, at least that was the apparent logic when a child left home, yours hadn't. It wasn't that you'd really worked to fill the time, either. You just had more of it to do things that, with Iris, you'd not had the chance to explore. Walks with Mary had turned into flights, out beyond Mytikas itself, to the little places that she'd gone when she'd been a child. All those memories, and now they were just making her stronger again. The hurt was still there and always would be, but in a way that you'd never really thought possible, even for you, the pain had drained away over the course of years.
You'd expanded the house, not for Iris, but because you could. It wasn't the Residence back on Earth, but it was far more capable of hosting a gathering of your family. Their presence last year had been invaluable to you, but it had also been…crowded. After that, it had been pretty clear that you'd needed to expand things a bit. Fortunately, there was still plenty of space to expand, but it did leave you with one thing to handle that you'd not planned for and never really had to deal with back on Earth. A garden.
The Residence had drones for that, and you could have built ones for this, but it hadn't seemed necessary. You'd only absorbed a few houses, and the extended greenspace didn't go
that far back, it was something you could deal with. You were dealing with it, that much was true, but it seemed that maintenance to area for gardens was exponential instead of linear if you wanted one that was more than just grass. And, predictably, neither of you had wanted 'just grass'. That would have been boring.
There was exactly one upside, although you were somewhat hesitant to call it one. You now had a great deal of space to exercise your use of your now integrated multitool. The artefact was well suited to work like this, if a bit lacking in some of the precision areas. You'd used it as a tool to remake cities, after all. Gardens were part of that.
"What about if we put the flowers in a line over here?" Mary asked, projecting a line of light from one of her wrists onto the ground from where she was floating, and you heaved a theatrical sigh. There was the downside. If it was a good avenue to practice, Mary reasoned, then surely you should take advantage of every change you got to do so. So why not change the layout every six months? Maybe even every season! That would be fun, right? She was lucky that you were such good friends.
"What about the fruit trees?" You called back, mentally touching a few of the relevant controls and consulting the rather dizzying design that your friend had produced for the spring. "Won't it be too dark for any flowers in their shade?" The walls of the caldera which Mytikas had been built into did a number on sunlight, which was why most of the green spaces of the city were on the slopes of the enormous ex-volcano. Putting together a real garden, even in land close to the centre of the city, was a definite challenge.
"I was thinking that maybe we could lower the grove a little?" Mary suggested, biting her lip in a way that you knew wasn't a sign of actual sudden thought. "I mean, you can do that, right?"
"You are so lucky we're such good friends," you told her severely, accessing one of the other settings that you'd become intimately familiar with over the last few months as the two of you had really gotten into the swing of things. It made for an amusing thought sometimes, how you were using your multitool now compared to the circumstances of its creation. But it was good practice, no matter how much fun it could be to tweak Mary's nose about how she was just using you for what you could do. Which had been true until about a week ago, when she'd worked out the right settings to turn her flight emitters and some associated nano into a landscaping tool. It wasn't anything close to efficient, but efficiency had never been the point.
It was kind of nice, really. Iris' presence had never stopped you from doing things like this, but you couldn't deny that there was a freedom in the sections of empty time that your daughter had once filled. Your siblings just nodded knowingly and smiled, like they know something you didn't. They probably did, too, not that they were willing to tell you. Still, that just meant it couldn't be anything truly serious. Your family liked to help each other learn, preferably in a manner as painless as possible, with the amusement of those watching being a secondary priority. A highly relevant secondary priority, but still secondary.
"Got any particular level you want the indent dropped to?" You asked, fiddling with a few final parameters. No sooner had you asked that the planning image which Sidra was projecting in space before you shifted subtly. "Thanks love." You examined it for a moment. "That precise, really?"
Mary wrinkled her nose. "Yes, really. The angles matter, Mandy."
"I feel like a few micrometres here and there could be forgiven," you pointed out, chuckling deeply as your friend took her attention off the model around her to glare down at you a moment. "Alright, alright."
You raised a hand, confirmed the parameters one last time, and let the strength of your soul rush down through your fingers into the world beyond. Grass and earth flickered as that power touched it, as if made somehow less real than the world around it, then started to flow like water. More power constrained it, sharping it into the reality of the image that Mary had given you. Then the Practice you'd extended streamed back into your cupped hand, and the section of garden you'd altered solidified. You'd even kept to the measurements.
"Thanks Mandy," Mary had dropped down beside you as you'd worked, and she gave you a quick hug as your power returned to you. You made sure to collect it all, then returned the familiar gesture, resting the side of your chin lightly on your friend's hair. "You know, I think we're really getting there."
"I mean, if we ignore how we still need to plant everything," you chuckled, then huffed out a breath as Mary elbowed you in the chest. "Mary!"
"Yes?" she asked innocently; you both knew she couldn't actually hurt you.
"You're going in the pond for that." You told her firmly, and your hands blurred into motion before she could start to move away.
"Mandy!"
You both ended up soaked in the end, and the garden didn't exactly get any more work done on it that day. But it was worth it, and a proof that you both found deeply comforting when you had cause to admit it to each other. That life, even in a changing world, went on.
3 Research Actions
Momentum Levels
Tasting Lightning, Level 4
Lightless Circuits, Level 1
Banked Rollover
+68 to analysis of Shiplord Hull Materials
+31 to Unison Platform research
[] Inheritor's Legacy: The Elder First left much more behind in their Vault than just Vision and the Inviolate Matter shell they'd called the
Adamant. Vega's last Miracle during your time as President restored it completely, but there's still a great deal to explore. What was left within the Reliquaries could spell survival for your species.
[] A World of Secrets: Looking into the Secrets is always a complex task, and with the existence of the Directives it can be dangerous too. You need to understand more about these loopholes in reality. But which ones?
-* [M] Tasting Lightning: The Luminary's representative gave humanity an Emitter; the cornerstone of all Third Secret technology. Electromagnetic manipulation has immense possibilities if you can understand how to access the Secret that makes it possible. Who better to try and find out than you? [333/???]
-[] Wings of Starlight: Humanity has perfected a Fifth Secret drive system comparable to what the most intricate workings of Practice had been able to create before the Second Battle of Sol, but a few of Arcadia's members think there might be something more…and that it might link to the First Secret. Connections between the Secrets are possible, you know this. But humanity's yet to discover one.
[] A Clear Sky: The atmospheric conversion towers on Mars are incredible examples of Practiced technology that no one understands beyond that it involves the Sixth Secret. Adriana's government has confirmed them to be free of any Second Secret influence, but that doesn't explain how they work.
[] Practice in Unity: You talked to the Circles last year, and asked them to help you begin to understand how some small measure of Practice might be within the reach of every human. The problem lies in finding a way to bring it out. You've but one example to go on; your own actions during the Second Battle of Sol. Still, it's better than nothing.
* [] A Skin of Steel: Until now, your work on Iris' shell and the surrounding technology has proven too resource intensive to be worth extensive study. It's always been there, but more important things have been in front of it. Mary's creation from that base of technology last year has changed the variables of that process immensely. [298/???]
[] Whispers of Life: When Iris came to you with her surprise, you didn't expect for it to be a research project on the scale of any of Arcadia's current priorities. And yet, there it is. Your daughter wants to try and delve into the mysteries of her birth, how she came into being, and what the existence of her and Vision might mean for the universe. The Shiplords have AIs, you know this, but Vision's description of them was very different to how she says she sees Iris. It could be a coincidence, but equally, it might not. [131/???]
* [] The Eternal Well: Practice draws its power from a place that no one alive understands, a reservoir of energy born of the willing sacrifice of an entire race mixed with the blood of more than a billion humans. From what Metaconcert showed Mary, some of those deaths were willing, too. To truly understand what anything is, you have to understand where it comes from. That's the line the Science and Practice Ministries took, at least. And now they're asking for your help.
* [M] Lightless Circuits: The transmission of information through the electromagnetic spectrum reshaped humanity. Data transfer and analysis undertaken by devices built using that switching technology allowed your race to overcome monumental challenges, and the foundational technology is basically the same today. But there are limits to what even lightspeed processing can do. For the Orrery to truly work, you'll need more than that, and the War Office knows it. They're promising the second working model of any final design Arcadia has a hand in. [273/???]
*
New* * [] Gestalt: With the reverse engineering of the Unison Platforms finally complete, the task lies before humanity to create what the intelligences born of the first Platforms wish for those who will come after them. Although more Unisonbound will fly come Third Sol, the first generation has called for something new for the future. What the Conference called Gestalt Devices, which should be capable of growing with their Potential in ways the current Platforms simply can't.
[] Write-in
4+1 Minor Actions
[] Mother of Circles: Beyond returning to the Circles to learn and teach, there's also the opportunity to simply be part of them again. You never lost your place among them, you simply set it aside for a time. Now you can return to it if you wish, to grow and build.
[] The Spoken Word: Your success in teaching Vega to Speak, for all that you still lack an advanced understanding of the subject, led her to suggest that you begin teaching others. Not everyone is her, but the vast scale that Words act on make this a possibility you can't ignore. Even if only a fraction of the Potentials prove capable of it.
[] Valkyries: The Two Twenty Three were the only force to emerge from the Second Battle of Sol intact, after facing the most lethal of the FSN's enemies in that fight. They brought down the
Medicament, and faced Shiplords in direct combat aboard
Calypso. Yet there is much that can still be done to temper the blade of the Unisonbound, and you are part of that weapon. It must not be marred by imperfections.
If taken, will primarily involve reconstructing the synchronisation trials, allowing new Unisonbound to be trained.
[] Tinker: Being free of your old role changed many things, but one that didn't was your interest in creating and understanding your own Practiced creations. Two of those remain unknown to you in full, and you finally have the time to study them. You also now have the time to dedicate to creation again, with all your new understanding of Practice. That's going to be interesting. (May be taken multiple times)
[] An Uncertain Grasp: The Lady in Fire Enfolded is a group within the Circles that seems dedicated to confounding you. On the one hand, they believe in you to a degree that is far more than you're comfortable with. On the other, they've refused to jump to conclusions as to your presence on Mars when the Restoration occurred. How to deal with them, and if you even should, is a question that you're not sure there's an answer to. But if there is, you know who to ask.
[] The Past is Prelude: The Olympus Colleges were more than just research centres. They were places of learning as much as science, and Arcadia is still an Institute. That means it, too, is a place of learning. You know far more than you like to consider, but there's no reason that that knowledge can't be put to good use. You've never been that sort of teacher, but there's nothing stopping you from learning.
[] Web of the World: Arcadia has stripped the time to truly focus on government policy, but that doesn't leave you without ways to support or influence it. A few words from you still hold considerable weight, and you've no lack of ears open to them. [Please write-in your general intent when choosing this action.]
[] Caliburn: Iris has more than a body now, she has a shield against the world that the Shiplords make so hostile to her very existence, married to a humanity she's still learning to understand. Exploring that could be dangerous, however, and that leaves you with the final part of Mary's plans for her frame. One day, not now, or tomorrow, your daughter will need a sword. [470/500]
[] A Healer's Fire: You're a Mender, you know that. Conflict is difficult for you, if not as much as Mir. But when you spoke Purify the first time, at the height of the Second Battle of Sol, you weren't trying to fix something. You framed the logic of the action in the manner of excising cancer, but it wasn't that simple. What you did that day was use Practice as a weapon, something you've only done once since and the second time is an edge case. You don't want to explore this, your very Focus rebels against it, but what you did that day might need to be understood. [110/???]
[] Sketching a Path: The Unisonbound understand the connection that exists between Potential and Platform better than anyone else. You helped create the second Platform and all the others that came after. Thanks to Mary, you've also forgotten more about Practice theory than most scientists have ever learnt. The Ministry of Practice could probably use a hand from someone like you.
[] The Fourth's Path: With the fourth wave of Potentials coming suddenly far faster than had been expected, there's a new need for teachers. You've taught before, and you have a great deal of experience in unravelling the deeper meanings of a Focus. You can help as few others can.
[] Write-in
2 Personal Actions
Mentor is locked until further notice.
[] Unison Training: Training with the entire Two Twenty Three is one thing, but you can get just as much personally out of dedicating time to work with your own small part of it. Vega, Kalilah and you represent three of the organisations most powerful members, and a high level of synchronicity between you will reflect on the rest even without full group training. Of course, combining the two will make that effect much stronger.
[] Bonds of Blood and Laughter: Although your sabbatical has ended, you won't be missing your friends or family as much as you did before. Lead Director of Arcadia is a big job, but it pales in comparison to the Presidency. Still, you could always make more time.
[] Of Words and Melody: The web that surrounds humanity is a powerful force, one that you now know for certain was the vector for the power that filled you at the Second Battle of Sol, a power that would have been useless without your ability to channel it into a word. To sense and act through the Web is a skill. To Speak with Practice in your voice is another. Bringing them together has brought about arguably the most influential single acts of Practice ever worked. Mytikas, Purify, they stand as new titans of the capacity of Practice to change the world. Now, at long last, you have the chance to set your feet upon on their shoulders, and in search of what lies beyond. [352/???]
[X] Mentor: When Iris found her first friends in Aya and her sister Nei, you had been glad. You'd not expected that, most of a decade later, you'd be teaching one of those friends how to understand and use her Focus. But what Aya might be able to do, once she does know those things, would make the effort worth it regardless. That it lets her be near to those she cares for, well…that's just a happy side-effect.
*New* [] Those Great Creations: You've been part of some of the largest acts of Practice in history, and yet for all that, there is a part of you starting to wonder if all of them were simple spoilers for a truth that could lie at the heart of the power that allowed you to bring the will of humanity together during the Second Battle of Sol. You created the Circles with Practice, you know this. But there's a difference between a creation of Practice and an Artefact. Which is it?
[] Write-in
Hero Units
Hero Units may be assigned to Research Actions to support you, adding relevant modifiers and the opportunity for synergy bonuses if you choose wisely. Hero units are assigned by adding a sub-vote of their name to the action you wish to assign them to. Only one Hero unit may be assigned to each Research Action.
Mary Alessandra D'reve
A genius in a way that goes beyond the normal definitions, Mary's understanding of science and the Secrets is like no other. The Restoration of Mytikas has left your friend fragile, but she's healing quickly now, and you can see the strength returning to her with every day that goes by.
Special: Applies a blanket bonus to all Research Actions if left unassigned. If not directly assigned, she may apply her stats to any or all Research Actions, bypassing standard limitations.
It is advised that you limit the number of actions that Mary can apply to if this option is taken. Do so by including a [/] Mary: [number] in your plan, which I will take as the limiter for how many actions she can apply herself to.
Iris
The first AI that could be said to have been born of humanity, Iris developed with incessant speed until the early months of last year, when she found a few friends her own age. Her rampant growth has slowed since, to more human levels, but she's still an AI. And she was designed to coordinate and oversee research.
Special: Lowers synergy thresholds of all Research Actions. Cannot be assigned. May apply her stats to any one Research Action into AI or similarly advanced computer science per turn.
Phoebe, The Iron Eye
Phoebe lost everything to the Sorrows, and almost lost it all again in a deadly misstep just before the Second Battle of Sol. Yet she recovered, and with your help Insight was rebuilt newer, and far more capable than before. Phoebe isn't a scientist in the same way you are, but she is the leader of Project Insight, giving her the ability to access the knowledge of the universe in a way no one can match.
Special: Cannot be applied to any research directly into the Secrets.
Occupied with Project Insight
Vision
In many ways Iris' true mother, Vision's birth was far more accidental and went unrecognised until much of her development had finalised. Vision is a fully developed AI, possessed of a powerful intuition and a truly comprehensive library of knowledge. Specialises in heavy duty data processing, modelling, and intuitive design concepts.
Vega Cant, The Proven Miracle
Vega is much like yourself but of the Third Awakening's generations, a nexus point for thousands, now millions, often used as a touchstone. The most capable Harmonial known, Vega is personally responsible for the creation of the Unisonbound, and it was her work trying to unlock the complexities of her Focus that gave humanity the Restoration.
Special: Massively increases the chance of synergy with the action she's assigned to. Applies an additional bonus to research into Unison Platforms or where her Focus would conventionally apply.
Planmakers, please label your plans with the [Plan] tag so that it separates. For the sake of my sanity it is preferred that you build your [Plan] vote in the following manner, with only a single X in the Plan vote, nothing more. I'll build the rest from there.
[X] [Plan] Plan Momentum
Research (3)
[M] Olympus Unleashed
* [] A Clear Sky
[M] Clairvoyance
Minor (3, 1 changed to Personal)
[] The Spoken Word
[] The Past is Prelude
[] Caliburn
Personal (1+1)
[] Powerful Words
[] Science and Potential
Hero Units:
Mary: Limit to 1 Project
Phoebe: Clairvoyance
Vision: Olympus Unleashed
Answers With Amanda
Each turn, you (the questers) will get the opportunity to vote on a single question to ask Amanda about the world that she lives in, her past, etc. A warning: attempts to ask 'waifu' questions will result in you wasting a question if it wins. I should not need to tell you what classifies as one of those. The response will come in the manner of a reply to a friend, a diary entry, or something along those lines. Do not expect more than a paragraph or two per response (this may be lies). I'm doing this so that you can start learning more about the world if you like, and hear about it from the PoV of Amanda, who will be the primary point of view of the quest from this point onwards.
A note: Due to my not actually being a philosophy major, please do not be surprised if asking deeply philosophical questions leads to incomplete or unsatisfactory answers.
[] [Answer] How has the Sixth Secret, Practice, and other advancements impacted fashion?
[] [Answer] What trends are popular in entertainment? We've seen one popular sport and some hints at video games.
[] [Answer] What is a typical Practice User curriculum (what do they learn and how), and how is an apprentice's learning experience different?
[] [Answer] Who are the people Amanda and Mary most often visit as guests? What are their homes like?
[] [Answer] Of the Two Twenty Three, what does Focus distribution look like? (i.e. 11 Harmonials, 47 Menders, 75 Destroyers, 35 Protectors, and 55 assorted with less than 8 on any given Focus; an average circle has X, Y, and Z roles that are fit by so-and-so Foci.)
[] [Answer] Does Iris have any significant others in her life?
[] [Answer] Write-in
There will be a six hour moratorium on this vote
