The Secrets' Crusade
- Thread starter Snowfire
- Start date
- Original Sci-Fi
- Location
- Somewhere.
It was. And - darn, I was rather invested in my write-in.
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
My rule of merging close running votes together stands, you know. Your vote doing this well will have an affect.
- Location
- Somewhere out there
Remember, Snowfire's interpretation of quest voting is that the players represent the MC's thought processes. All of these things that we're discussing are things running through Amanda's head, and while she's decided on framing her response around a given statement, she's definitely thinking about the others. (I have a guess how it's going to be written. I'll refrain from actually posting said guess in the interest of not influencing it.)
I actually think this particular combination of vote outcomes is ideal, in light of that.
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What is Remembered
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
"No one deserves to be forgotten." It was easy to say, harder to mean, but you did both without pause. "No one, Tahkel," you repeated. "There's a saying among my people, that those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it. Your history is older than the evolution of our species."
"I see," Tahkel replied, confusion and something else swirling in their tone, and you found yourself smiling, despite all expectations. It was just easy to be this. To be yourself, and to speak what you believed. Here you stood. What else could you ever choose to be?
"Life is beautiful," passion surged through you with the pure truth of those words. "It's how humanity found healing, after the Shiplords came. We saw the beauty in life, in being more than war and death, and we found a way to hold on to that. It's why we are so willing to fight for a future where no one has to see less than that. And on some level," you paused, wondering if you should say it. But you had come this far. Now was not the time to hesitate.
"On some level," you continued, "you were robbed of that. Living as you do, in constant fear, no matter how lightly felt. You deserve more. Every life does." This was not hope; it went deeper than that. You were a Mender, a healer of wounds at their most elemental. The being before you had run from a world made too bleak for their race to continue. You could imagine no greater injury than that, no matter how ancient those scars might be now.
But you did not speak of it further. You had said all that was needed. They would know what more you knew, and that you had chosen to respect the edges of a scar driven through the very core of their psyche. That was enough. Healing wounds this deep wasn't easy, the closest you'd ever come to had been Mary, but the scale was so different. Yet pain was pain, you told yourself moments later. Comparing one to another missed the point. All were wrong.
"This war isn't one for conquest, that won't bring us victory," your swept out an open hand, and your soul answered the motion. Soothing radiance spilled out into the space around you, and something less than a gasp, and yet so much more, whispered beneath the light of countless stars. "This war is one for a future where we stand together, in freedom. If we do not practice what we preach, how can we expect your aid?"
"We have not," Tahkel began, and you shook your head, stopping the words with a motion cast in flickering soulight.
"You believe that your kind owes a debt," you could not fight that perception, it was too deep, too raw, even now. "But if you do, then it is one which must be remembered. And if we can add that to all that you are, besides, then I will do all in my power to see it done. And I know Adriana will agree."
"We," the Uninvolved paused, then shifted slightly, the motion translating in your mind to a simple nod. "We understand. Thank you."
"You are most welcome," you smiled. Your returned your hand to your side, and the light of your soul faded back into the shell that your mind had built to house you.
"You had other questions, we believe," the being said.
"I do."
"Ask."
On the nature of Practice itself, Tahkel was able to give few concrete answers, beyond what you already knew. They seemed genuinely contrite on the matter, but expressed a worry for your own mind, if they gave more than words. The Uninvolved possessed similar abilities, drawing power from the wellspring of their shared soul, and far less limited in its application in all ways but one. The Uninvolved could not set their power upon reality without being detected by the Shiplords. Potentials could. If this was a result of Practice's founding in the sacrifice of the Dragons, they weren't entirely sure. But in their own words, it seemed likely.
Seeking direct knowledge of the Secrets raised the same concerns. Even a single word on the matter, spoken soul to soul, could be dangerous. With all of their defences against feedback, Project Insight might be capable of it now, but only just. You had none of those defences, and you were needed to carry far more pressing messages. This wasn't a risk you could take. What Secrets the Shiplords possessed, however, was a far more positively received question. It remained so for as long as it took Tahkel to explain that, as far as the Uninvolved were aware, the Shiplords possessed every Secret known. Including Practice as a Secret reduced that count by one.
"Why do they forbid them, then?" You asked, as that answer came to an end. "Removing the First Secret removes easy interstellar travel, and the restrictions on post-Tributary races ensure that no race can challenge the War Fleets. Removing the Second…well, the Dragons make a good example. But is it just power? Nothing more?"
"We," Tahkel paused, considering the answer carefully. "We, Tahkel, do not believe so. The Uninvolved as a race, if you could call us that, are split on the matter. But if it was power the Shiplords wished, domination without challenge, the Tributary system is…flawed. It instills fear, certainly, but we believe that the Shiplords possess the ability to ensure that any rebellion would be detected or stopped. If nothing else, they could simply exterminate any race that they came across, and they don't."
"Why, then?"
The figure of the Uninvolved shook its head. "We do not know. One of the reasons we're here now lies in our hope that you will be able to discover the truth."
"Those systems?" You asked. "The ones that you can't see anymore?"
"Yes." Tahkel nodded. "There must be a reason for their secrecy. What has been passed down through our own generations speaks of truth hidden there. Whatever it might be, if it offers the chance of ending this war without setting the galaxy afire…" they trailed off, leading words in the silence.
"That could be worth the risk." You finished.
"Just so."
The conversation returned to this place twice more, first when asking about the seeming fascination of the Shiplords with sacrifice, and again as it came to a close.
With how Uninvolved formed, and how the Dragons gave humanity Practice, that there was power in sacrifice could not be denied. The Shiplords knew this; you had confirmation beyond any doubt of that now. But they didn't force races down that path. They made it available, encouraged a species to choose the way, but it was not absolute. And it could have been. Mastery of the Secrets made them more than capable of enforcing that.
Their first words to you shook Tahkel when you recounted them, proof that the Uninvolved had not seen that. But they did not change that any answer to the question you'd asked remained hidden. There was too much focus on the Secrets in that line for it be simple coincidence. More than that? The Uninvolved couldn't tell. They lacked the knowledge to do so.
Something they did not lack was information on where the Shiplords were, however, and that your host shared freely. Not all, but as much as they safely could, which on its own would be worth a debriefing. Mary was not going to be amused if this led to your needing to vanish less than a day after you'd gotten home. You resolved to try and not think about it for now, which was easier than it might have been. The coordinates of relays stations and fleet bases scattered across the outer spiral made for effective distractions. They even had some knowledge of deployment figures, including the location of the currently active Shiplord War Fleets. That you actively avoided for now, worrying about how little time it would take for them to reach you, if the order came, served no purpose.
"We've tried to find out as much as we can," you explained, as the conversation moved forward. "But we've had to be much more cautious since rebuilding the Project." As a leading statement, it served its purpose.
"You encountered a place where there are more active defences," the Uninvolved's gently glowing eyes narrowed in focus. "We believe we remember that. The Shiplords thought it might have been us, for a time, but we had made no incursion. Some among our kind would say that you put us at great risk, through that action." Their figure tossed its head. "We would call them short-sighted, to blame a young ally so, when nothing came of it."
"I hope we will prove worthy of that trust," you said, "but if they have active defences like that, why don't they deploy them everywhere? Would that not remove the threat your existences pose?"
"No." Tahkel laughed, the sound far darker than anything you'd heard so far. "Those defences are a deterrent to us, Amanda Hawk. If we chose to act fully, the Shiplords could not stop our actions with such things, only slow them. But we are too large, compared to your Thoughtcasts, and we would be inevitably snared until weapons capable of harming us could be brought to bear."
"Then," you stopped before you could finish the question, realising the answer. "Ah. Of course. Given the reality of Uninvolved society, just the threat is enough to keep you out." There was no judgement in statement, you made sure of that. It was simply stating fact.
"Fear is a powerful motivator," the Uninvolved agreed, sweeping a hand around them to take in the world beyond the hall of lights. "If you can truly offer a way to protect our memories, it will lose much of that power."
"They have these around the systems you think we should visit, don't they?" It wasn't really a question. If the systems had been made hidden, this had to be part of their protections. If they had not, well.
"If they didn't, we'd already know what was inside," there was something in Tahkel's voice as they stated that. Curiosity, yes, but also desire. A wish to know what the Shiplords had hidden, maybe even the hope that there might be some meaning to their pain. "Some of us remain curious enough to risk Shiplord ire. The shield they've built prevents our access, and the defences ensure that our community will not allow action to be taken. It is why you are so important."
"Someone that you can contact, of course." That made sense, but something was missing. "But even the closest of those systems would take months or years to reach with our own limited drives. And you've already said that you cannot supply us with new ones," and you stopped quite suddenly, as your host raised a single, ephemeral hand.
"That," the wrappings of calm around their voice frayed as they spoke, "is not quite the case."
"Pardon me?"
"The crystal you created with your sistersoul, during your youth," Tahkel explained, speaking quickly. "There is a reason that your attempts to understand it have continued to fail, more than simple luck. Simply put, it is a creation of two worlds. Yours, and ours. Just like you are capable of working power like we can without detection, that creation could allow us to act in your world without setting off the grid."
"Only in limited ways," they added quickly, before you could suggest something far grander than what you suspected of their intentions. "Highly limited, in truth. But enough to grant you the wings required to reach those worlds, long before they could ever expect it. And your predecessors left behind a ship perfect for such an endeavour."
"The Adamant," you whispered, and your head jerked up, sharply. "Did they find you?"
"No," Tahkel shook their head. "But they found pieces of the puzzle and left behind what they thought you might require. That ship was the largest piece." Only literally, you joked in the privacy of your own mind. But wait, if they could create a drive capable of reaching those worlds so quickly, then-
"You can create a drive that breaks the First Secret limitations?" You all but snapped, even as you took care not to ask how.
"We see the Secrets a little differently to yourselves," Tahkel explained in way of reply. "What is a limit to one, is sometimes only a barrier to another. Like how the defences around those systems would prove unbreachable to any group that lacked your presence. The Adamant, as you called it, will not be enough."
'Time, and your growing wisdom, will unlock the rest.' The words echoed in your mind, the voices of the Elder First granted but an echo of their will. Voices you'd heard last almost twenty years ago. Could it truly be so simple?
"Do not give us your answer now," not that you'd intended to, but the offer from your host was appreciated. "Simply…think, please. There is little we can do with the anchor of your creation, but if you feel as we feel, and are willing to believe in the hope of victory without devastation. Then please, think quickly."
"I will," you promised, and something flickered at the edge of your perceptions, a flickering presence like a dream, yet so much more than one. Something real, you realised a moment later. "I'm going to wake up soon, aren't I."
"You are," they bowed their head. "We are sorry to take this night from you so completely, but we possess only a minimum of control over the interactions of time in these conversations. Perhaps your fellows could find a way to do so." The vision backdropped in starlight began to ripple and tear. "You will carry our messages, yes?"
"I will," you said again. "And I will be there when we give you our answer, too. And mine."
What time passed between that promise and the light of the late Mytikas dawn waking you, you never knew. But you did wake, to find Mary curled at your side, her sleeping face gentle and serene. You didn't want to wake her, but-
:Amanda!: The voice of Sidra, the intelligence housed in your Unison Platform, echoed suddenly in your mind. :What the hell was that?:
Pick a course of action:
[] Explain things to Sidra.
[] Wake up Mary to talk.
[] That didn't count as sleep. Get some rest first.
[] Write-in
"I see," Tahkel replied, confusion and something else swirling in their tone, and you found yourself smiling, despite all expectations. It was just easy to be this. To be yourself, and to speak what you believed. Here you stood. What else could you ever choose to be?
"Life is beautiful," passion surged through you with the pure truth of those words. "It's how humanity found healing, after the Shiplords came. We saw the beauty in life, in being more than war and death, and we found a way to hold on to that. It's why we are so willing to fight for a future where no one has to see less than that. And on some level," you paused, wondering if you should say it. But you had come this far. Now was not the time to hesitate.
"On some level," you continued, "you were robbed of that. Living as you do, in constant fear, no matter how lightly felt. You deserve more. Every life does." This was not hope; it went deeper than that. You were a Mender, a healer of wounds at their most elemental. The being before you had run from a world made too bleak for their race to continue. You could imagine no greater injury than that, no matter how ancient those scars might be now.
But you did not speak of it further. You had said all that was needed. They would know what more you knew, and that you had chosen to respect the edges of a scar driven through the very core of their psyche. That was enough. Healing wounds this deep wasn't easy, the closest you'd ever come to had been Mary, but the scale was so different. Yet pain was pain, you told yourself moments later. Comparing one to another missed the point. All were wrong.
"This war isn't one for conquest, that won't bring us victory," your swept out an open hand, and your soul answered the motion. Soothing radiance spilled out into the space around you, and something less than a gasp, and yet so much more, whispered beneath the light of countless stars. "This war is one for a future where we stand together, in freedom. If we do not practice what we preach, how can we expect your aid?"
"We have not," Tahkel began, and you shook your head, stopping the words with a motion cast in flickering soulight.
"You believe that your kind owes a debt," you could not fight that perception, it was too deep, too raw, even now. "But if you do, then it is one which must be remembered. And if we can add that to all that you are, besides, then I will do all in my power to see it done. And I know Adriana will agree."
"We," the Uninvolved paused, then shifted slightly, the motion translating in your mind to a simple nod. "We understand. Thank you."
"You are most welcome," you smiled. Your returned your hand to your side, and the light of your soul faded back into the shell that your mind had built to house you.
"You had other questions, we believe," the being said.
"I do."
"Ask."
On the nature of Practice itself, Tahkel was able to give few concrete answers, beyond what you already knew. They seemed genuinely contrite on the matter, but expressed a worry for your own mind, if they gave more than words. The Uninvolved possessed similar abilities, drawing power from the wellspring of their shared soul, and far less limited in its application in all ways but one. The Uninvolved could not set their power upon reality without being detected by the Shiplords. Potentials could. If this was a result of Practice's founding in the sacrifice of the Dragons, they weren't entirely sure. But in their own words, it seemed likely.
Seeking direct knowledge of the Secrets raised the same concerns. Even a single word on the matter, spoken soul to soul, could be dangerous. With all of their defences against feedback, Project Insight might be capable of it now, but only just. You had none of those defences, and you were needed to carry far more pressing messages. This wasn't a risk you could take. What Secrets the Shiplords possessed, however, was a far more positively received question. It remained so for as long as it took Tahkel to explain that, as far as the Uninvolved were aware, the Shiplords possessed every Secret known. Including Practice as a Secret reduced that count by one.
"Why do they forbid them, then?" You asked, as that answer came to an end. "Removing the First Secret removes easy interstellar travel, and the restrictions on post-Tributary races ensure that no race can challenge the War Fleets. Removing the Second…well, the Dragons make a good example. But is it just power? Nothing more?"
"We," Tahkel paused, considering the answer carefully. "We, Tahkel, do not believe so. The Uninvolved as a race, if you could call us that, are split on the matter. But if it was power the Shiplords wished, domination without challenge, the Tributary system is…flawed. It instills fear, certainly, but we believe that the Shiplords possess the ability to ensure that any rebellion would be detected or stopped. If nothing else, they could simply exterminate any race that they came across, and they don't."
"Why, then?"
The figure of the Uninvolved shook its head. "We do not know. One of the reasons we're here now lies in our hope that you will be able to discover the truth."
"Those systems?" You asked. "The ones that you can't see anymore?"
"Yes." Tahkel nodded. "There must be a reason for their secrecy. What has been passed down through our own generations speaks of truth hidden there. Whatever it might be, if it offers the chance of ending this war without setting the galaxy afire…" they trailed off, leading words in the silence.
"That could be worth the risk." You finished.
"Just so."
The conversation returned to this place twice more, first when asking about the seeming fascination of the Shiplords with sacrifice, and again as it came to a close.
With how Uninvolved formed, and how the Dragons gave humanity Practice, that there was power in sacrifice could not be denied. The Shiplords knew this; you had confirmation beyond any doubt of that now. But they didn't force races down that path. They made it available, encouraged a species to choose the way, but it was not absolute. And it could have been. Mastery of the Secrets made them more than capable of enforcing that.
Their first words to you shook Tahkel when you recounted them, proof that the Uninvolved had not seen that. But they did not change that any answer to the question you'd asked remained hidden. There was too much focus on the Secrets in that line for it be simple coincidence. More than that? The Uninvolved couldn't tell. They lacked the knowledge to do so.
Something they did not lack was information on where the Shiplords were, however, and that your host shared freely. Not all, but as much as they safely could, which on its own would be worth a debriefing. Mary was not going to be amused if this led to your needing to vanish less than a day after you'd gotten home. You resolved to try and not think about it for now, which was easier than it might have been. The coordinates of relays stations and fleet bases scattered across the outer spiral made for effective distractions. They even had some knowledge of deployment figures, including the location of the currently active Shiplord War Fleets. That you actively avoided for now, worrying about how little time it would take for them to reach you, if the order came, served no purpose.
"We've tried to find out as much as we can," you explained, as the conversation moved forward. "But we've had to be much more cautious since rebuilding the Project." As a leading statement, it served its purpose.
"You encountered a place where there are more active defences," the Uninvolved's gently glowing eyes narrowed in focus. "We believe we remember that. The Shiplords thought it might have been us, for a time, but we had made no incursion. Some among our kind would say that you put us at great risk, through that action." Their figure tossed its head. "We would call them short-sighted, to blame a young ally so, when nothing came of it."
"I hope we will prove worthy of that trust," you said, "but if they have active defences like that, why don't they deploy them everywhere? Would that not remove the threat your existences pose?"
"No." Tahkel laughed, the sound far darker than anything you'd heard so far. "Those defences are a deterrent to us, Amanda Hawk. If we chose to act fully, the Shiplords could not stop our actions with such things, only slow them. But we are too large, compared to your Thoughtcasts, and we would be inevitably snared until weapons capable of harming us could be brought to bear."
"Then," you stopped before you could finish the question, realising the answer. "Ah. Of course. Given the reality of Uninvolved society, just the threat is enough to keep you out." There was no judgement in statement, you made sure of that. It was simply stating fact.
"Fear is a powerful motivator," the Uninvolved agreed, sweeping a hand around them to take in the world beyond the hall of lights. "If you can truly offer a way to protect our memories, it will lose much of that power."
"They have these around the systems you think we should visit, don't they?" It wasn't really a question. If the systems had been made hidden, this had to be part of their protections. If they had not, well.
"If they didn't, we'd already know what was inside," there was something in Tahkel's voice as they stated that. Curiosity, yes, but also desire. A wish to know what the Shiplords had hidden, maybe even the hope that there might be some meaning to their pain. "Some of us remain curious enough to risk Shiplord ire. The shield they've built prevents our access, and the defences ensure that our community will not allow action to be taken. It is why you are so important."
"Someone that you can contact, of course." That made sense, but something was missing. "But even the closest of those systems would take months or years to reach with our own limited drives. And you've already said that you cannot supply us with new ones," and you stopped quite suddenly, as your host raised a single, ephemeral hand.
"That," the wrappings of calm around their voice frayed as they spoke, "is not quite the case."
"Pardon me?"
"The crystal you created with your sistersoul, during your youth," Tahkel explained, speaking quickly. "There is a reason that your attempts to understand it have continued to fail, more than simple luck. Simply put, it is a creation of two worlds. Yours, and ours. Just like you are capable of working power like we can without detection, that creation could allow us to act in your world without setting off the grid."
"Only in limited ways," they added quickly, before you could suggest something far grander than what you suspected of their intentions. "Highly limited, in truth. But enough to grant you the wings required to reach those worlds, long before they could ever expect it. And your predecessors left behind a ship perfect for such an endeavour."
"The Adamant," you whispered, and your head jerked up, sharply. "Did they find you?"
"No," Tahkel shook their head. "But they found pieces of the puzzle and left behind what they thought you might require. That ship was the largest piece." Only literally, you joked in the privacy of your own mind. But wait, if they could create a drive capable of reaching those worlds so quickly, then-
"You can create a drive that breaks the First Secret limitations?" You all but snapped, even as you took care not to ask how.
"We see the Secrets a little differently to yourselves," Tahkel explained in way of reply. "What is a limit to one, is sometimes only a barrier to another. Like how the defences around those systems would prove unbreachable to any group that lacked your presence. The Adamant, as you called it, will not be enough."
'Time, and your growing wisdom, will unlock the rest.' The words echoed in your mind, the voices of the Elder First granted but an echo of their will. Voices you'd heard last almost twenty years ago. Could it truly be so simple?
"Do not give us your answer now," not that you'd intended to, but the offer from your host was appreciated. "Simply…think, please. There is little we can do with the anchor of your creation, but if you feel as we feel, and are willing to believe in the hope of victory without devastation. Then please, think quickly."
"I will," you promised, and something flickered at the edge of your perceptions, a flickering presence like a dream, yet so much more than one. Something real, you realised a moment later. "I'm going to wake up soon, aren't I."
"You are," they bowed their head. "We are sorry to take this night from you so completely, but we possess only a minimum of control over the interactions of time in these conversations. Perhaps your fellows could find a way to do so." The vision backdropped in starlight began to ripple and tear. "You will carry our messages, yes?"
"I will," you said again. "And I will be there when we give you our answer, too. And mine."
What time passed between that promise and the light of the late Mytikas dawn waking you, you never knew. But you did wake, to find Mary curled at your side, her sleeping face gentle and serene. You didn't want to wake her, but-
:Amanda!: The voice of Sidra, the intelligence housed in your Unison Platform, echoed suddenly in your mind. :What the hell was that?:
Pick a course of action:
[] Explain things to Sidra.
[] Wake up Mary to talk.
[] That didn't count as sleep. Get some rest first.
[] Write-in
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Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
Not much to say about this, just thanks to @Coda for the beta, and I hope people enjoy getting a little more information on what's hiding behind the curtains. It's not much, I understand that, but it is something. And you now have the shape of what the Uninvolved are wanting you to do, and how ending this war without galactic scale devastation might be possible.
[X] Explain things to Sidra and Mary, together.
Humanity's greatest scientist and a mind that can literally look through Amanda's memories should be able to piece together a better idea of everything Amanda's gotten from Tahkel than individually.
Humanity's greatest scientist and a mind that can literally look through Amanda's memories should be able to piece together a better idea of everything Amanda's gotten from Tahkel than individually.
- Location
- Hot Springs
[X] Explain things to Sidra.
[X] Wake up Mary to talk.
[X] That didn't count as sleep. Get some rest first.
I suggest all of the above.
[X] Wake up Mary to talk.
[X] That didn't count as sleep. Get some rest first.
I suggest all of the above.
Thebigpieman
I've got this, I think.
- Location
- United States
[X] That didn't count as sleep. Get some rest first.
-[X] Explain things to Sidra and Mary, together... once you wake up.
Sleep is good.
-[X] Explain things to Sidra and Mary, together... once you wake up.
Sleep is good.
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I'm... strangely disappointed that we're being offered a way around a galactic war and concomitant megadeaths. Given the shape the overarching narrative is taking so far, diplomacy may even be the superior option. I really wanted to kick Shiplord ass. But that's my humanity 1.0 views talking.
Perhaps 2.0 will prove more enlightened and commit to a less bloody course of action. I definitely don't want to undo any of Amanda's work or unnecessarily traumatize her.
For people who lack context from The Practice War, the Shiplords are a very old, hyper-advanced civilization that tends to commit xenocide first and ask questions later. They invaded Earth without warning, abducted and murdered billions of human beings, using the collected biomass (and soul energy) to construct particularly grotesque bio-ships. They have done this repeatedly to other races since time immemorial, so their bodycount is at least in the trillions. They do this for the vaguest of reasons which I can only imagine makes sense to them -- nobody really understands because the Shiplords haven't talked about it in literally millions of years.
So it pains me to vote for a course of action that leads away from their unconditional surrender. All the same, I'll vote for what's best for Amanda, and by proxy, Humanity.
Perhaps 2.0 will prove more enlightened and commit to a less bloody course of action. I definitely don't want to undo any of Amanda's work or unnecessarily traumatize her.
For people who lack context from The Practice War, the Shiplords are a very old, hyper-advanced civilization that tends to commit xenocide first and ask questions later. They invaded Earth without warning, abducted and murdered billions of human beings, using the collected biomass (and soul energy) to construct particularly grotesque bio-ships. They have done this repeatedly to other races since time immemorial, so their bodycount is at least in the trillions. They do this for the vaguest of reasons which I can only imagine makes sense to them -- nobody really understands because the Shiplords haven't talked about it in literally millions of years.
So it pains me to vote for a course of action that leads away from their unconditional surrender. All the same, I'll vote for what's best for Amanda, and by proxy, Humanity.
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- Location
- USA
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Explain things to Sidra and Mary, together.
Let's tell them everything while it's fresh
Let's tell them everything while it's fresh
- Location
- Poland
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] That didn't count as sleep. Get some rest first.
-[X] Explain things to Sidra and Mary, together... once you wake up.
[X] Explain things to Sidra and Mary, together.
Fresh info or refined info, I don't want to deal it twice.
-[X] Explain things to Sidra and Mary, together... once you wake up.
[X] Explain things to Sidra and Mary, together.
Fresh info or refined info, I don't want to deal it twice.
- Location
- Deep in a bog
[X] Explain things to Sidra and Mary, together.
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
It's currently dawn. So plenty of time left to sleep, but it won't be tomorrow
- Location
- Somewhere out there
If I haven't really slept yet, it's not tomorrow!It's currently dawn. So plenty of time left to sleep, but it won't be tomorrow
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
Something to take into account here, mind, is that those megadeaths won't just be Shiplord lives. They won't even mostly be Shiplord lives. Fighting a to-the-knife war on this scale will inflict near-catastrophic damage to the galactic community. Humanity and the Group of Six (Seven now, I guess) knew this going in, and were willing to accept that price. But if there's another way? One that doesn't inflict such truly awful casualties? Humanity will pursue it. I think even our humanity would do that. This humanity is entirely committed to the price of war, in a way I don't think ours ever could be. They're just...still open to other options.
Because the only one they have right now is horrible. Necessary, yes, but still horrible.
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[x] Infodump to Sidra under accelerated perception in order to get a recording, then get some bloody sleep.
Making species altering decisions while tired is a terrible idea. That said, just going back to sleep risks forgetting something important. So, make a record first, then make sure you're mentally competent to do something productive with it.
Making species altering decisions while tired is a terrible idea. That said, just going back to sleep risks forgetting something important. So, make a record first, then make sure you're mentally competent to do something productive with it.
Vortex279
Changer of Fate, Seeker of Donuts
- Location
- Del Rio, Texas
[X] Explain things to Sidra and Mary, together.
This honestly feels like the best option here. Yes, Mary will probably be worried given how much she cares for Amanda, but the analytical side of her will quickly see just how much possible benefit there is with what the Uninvolved have to offer.
Also, the notice that the Ship Lords DO have defenses that can stop practice though-casts and Project Insight at least somewhat is a welcome notion, as it gives the members of the project caution, but points out that it is possible to bypass since the protections were meant for the Uninvolved. Being physical entities, humans can more than likely make there way around these protections much easier than the Uninvolved. Of course, that raises the topic of just what is hiding behind these shrouds. I had a sudden premonition when the shrouds were first mentioned that this particular point will be extremely important for the future of the crusade.
The information that the void crystal from way back when being an Uninvolved action towards possibly better than First Secret Drives is one thing that really gets my interest. Given what we know currently about the first secret war fleet drives of the Ship Lords, I can't help but wonder just what the drives referenced by the Uninvolved would be capable of. Their plug about:
This definitely makes me curious. So many possibilities! I can't wait to see where this goes!
This honestly feels like the best option here. Yes, Mary will probably be worried given how much she cares for Amanda, but the analytical side of her will quickly see just how much possible benefit there is with what the Uninvolved have to offer.
Also, the notice that the Ship Lords DO have defenses that can stop practice though-casts and Project Insight at least somewhat is a welcome notion, as it gives the members of the project caution, but points out that it is possible to bypass since the protections were meant for the Uninvolved. Being physical entities, humans can more than likely make there way around these protections much easier than the Uninvolved. Of course, that raises the topic of just what is hiding behind these shrouds. I had a sudden premonition when the shrouds were first mentioned that this particular point will be extremely important for the future of the crusade.
The information that the void crystal from way back when being an Uninvolved action towards possibly better than First Secret Drives is one thing that really gets my interest. Given what we know currently about the first secret war fleet drives of the Ship Lords, I can't help but wonder just what the drives referenced by the Uninvolved would be capable of. Their plug about:
This definitely makes me curious. So many possibilities! I can't wait to see where this goes!