The tech-priestess and the other priestess (who Nekshi, G.S., and Lirassa have already met) lead the party into what appears to be a conference room and gesture for everyone to sit at the large, circular table. As they do so, Bina comes in accompanied by Keil'i and Gaima, who shut the door behind them.
As the tech-priestess looks on passively, the four priestess separate and assume equidistant positions along the circular wall, facing outward. They then assume prayer positions and start chanting. The tech-priestess then holds out her hand and says, "Show," as Mey'Luskar did earlier. An identical point of light appears. However, the tech-priestess starts to sing to it in the strange, priestly way (i.e. providing a psychic harmony to accompany her audible voice). The point of light then blossoms into what looks like a glowing crystal floating in the air in front of her. At the song's conclusion, she makes a gesture, and the crystal flashes blue before vanishing. The four priestesses then turn and face into the room while still maintaining their positions.
The tech-priestess then fixes an intense gaze on Mey'Luskar and pulls something from the folds of her robe, something which she places on the table with a loud thunk.
The dataspike.
"Let's start from the beginning," says the tech-priestess in Yangae. "Tell me everything you know about this."
Mey'Luskar glances around at the party, letting her gaze linger on Mon'Fargret.
"I don't think you need their help!" snaps the tech-priestess. "I'm interested in what you know, not what they think! Start from the beginning!"
Mey'Luskar gulps and says, "First my lodger told me it was 'something really cool' that we needed to see. He didn't say anything about it until it was playing." She starts playing with her hands anxiously.
"Only the two of you were watching it?"
"The first time, yes."
"What did he say about it after that?"
"I asked him where he got it..."
"And?"
"He...told me he got it from Mek."
"Mek?"
"Mek'Logen. One of our co-workers. We were all working for Morva Free Channel. For Mas'Vellaf. We were helping promote the Talent Round-Up."
"What else did he tell you?"
"He said it was a clip-job. A spliced bootleg. The market copies are sealed, and you have to get a special code to see the whole thing. This one was hacked so you can bypass the code."
"And you don't know how your lodger or Mek got it?"
"He didn't say. But Mek works with the coders, so I figured he ran it off himself and sold it, or whatever. He's always done stuff like that. He's good at it. That's why Mas'Vellaf hired him!"
The tech-priestess picks up the dataspike and brandishes it almost like a weapon. With flashing eyes, she says, "If this is just an ordinary clip-job pirated by some thug hoping to make an extra BMU, why does it have a built-in teleport tracer with a code-triggered transponder?"
Stunned, Mey'Luskar tries and fails to speak.
"Par'ai," says the high-ranked priestess calmly, "this is not her doing."
"Forgive me," says the tech-priestess, "but it's not every day that someone tries to abduct me!" She tosses the spike on the table again. "This is no clip-job. It was made from the start with a deliberate purpose! The question is not so much why as who, as in who was the intended target. Right now I have two theories. Either Mek wasn't supposed to have it, and its passing to her lodger and then to her was a matter of blind fate, or we've all been played. There's also the question of who they thought they were teleporting out of here. Maybe the real operators didn't know she had it till now, and they thought they were 'porting her out. Or maybe the whole thing was a trick aimed at us! After all, it started sending out a signal as soon as it was in my hands...a signal that was answered almost immediately by a strong meson scan beam tight-focused on my position. They could have locked on and 'ported me out in an instant with no hope of a trace!" She glances up at the intricate ceiling fixtures and huffs with contempt. "They didn't know what they were dealing with!"
"But there's something we need to find out here and now," says the high-ranked priestess, strolling toward the table. "The source of the poison!"
"Yes," says the tech-priest, picking up the spike again. "The dream was a hint. Now I'd like to test a theory." She passes a hand over the table and says in Her-Galad, "Spike." A glowing spot appears. She presses the spike into it as if it were a port.
"No," says Mey'Luskar, jumping to her feet. "No, no, don't! You CAN'T!"
"Sit...down..." hisses the tech-priestess. "We've warded the room. None of you will be harmed. But it will probably be unpleasant."
"But you don't have to suffer it if you don't want to," says the high-ranked priestess, eying the tech-priestess firmly. "This is very important, possibly a matter of life and death for many, but it's your right. If you want to leave, now is the time."
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Zeton allows a few moments for the implications of what they've learned to sink in and then speaks in Her-Galad,
"Wait.., someone, or something, planned.. or allowed Mey, or whoever came into contact with the dataspike,to get it... so the dataspike would work its way to the Temple in order to abduct someone? Is Mas'Vellaf that powerful? I doubt it..."
Zeton trails off for a moment, lost in his thought process briefly before continuing.
"Nekshi is much better at logic than I am, but it seems there may be some truth to this theory. If whoever controlled the dataspike could have teleported Mey back whenever they wanted, they obviously weren't interested in getting her, or the spike back. The only reason I can think to wait until now to spring the teleportation device was to abduct someone. Wow."
"Wait, that means whoever orchestrated this, knew all about Mey's little "secret". Amazing. To risk their entire operation by setting the plans free... talk about the dark side of open copyright, its brilliant."
"But, could this not all be a diversion for some other plan? I remember one time when an info pirate made off with an entire planets worth of marketing info while dazzling everyone with a slight of digital magic. But I digress, sorry."
Zeton looks a bit embarrassed as he realizes he has completely wandered off topic at such a serous moment. He quietly clears his throat and says, "Par'ai, I do not relish what comes next, but I think I understand why we must do this, I will stay."
Nekshi looks satisfied with Zeton's explanation.
"You give yourself too little credit, my friend. You lack only my ability to retain information and thus suffer from seeing all the myriad pathways and connections. There is nothing wrong with your cognitive facilities. In fact, your powers of observation are superior to mine."
"Be that as it may, Zeton is correct, this was a 'setup', a preplanned method to kidnap Par'ai or at least another highly ranked Priestess. Mey was released with the item in hopes of finding her way to this very Temple, or at least to a representative. Since I'm not well-versed in the intricacies of PSY coding, I cannot make any decisive conclusions on the true target."
She looks to Par'ai, "You said the Spike activated immediately upon your handling of it, if its intended target was you, who would know how to code the device? Is it simpler to program it to act when handled by a person within a certain PSY range? I think we should discuss this before you activate the Spike."
"Also, I think we can absolve Mey of any part in the scheme. A fisherman does not tell the bait of the fish it is intended to catch. The hook is to blame. The worm is the unfortunate witness to the crime."
Nekshi continues, her brow knotted and a familiar sparkle in her eye.
"By releasing this Spike, this 'hook', Agency X uncovered a part of its plan, but we may deduce that it expected to receive a far greater reward, a tech-priestess of unknown rank (she looks at Par'ai) or perhaps another high-priest(ess)of the Temple. We must find why this is important to them!"
"I cannot believe that the coded information on the Spike is unimportant, yet our adversaries were willing to part with it (because all plans may fail, as we have seen) to secure an individual or Avantar of the Temple."
She looks to Mon'Fargret, "The disappointing reality of the scenario is our 'participation' in it. We were willing rubes and perhaps an orchestrated variable from the beginning. I'll need to review and analyze all our Comm records and interaction from the last month or so to be sure."
"That's a good idea, but I doubt we were all expected to play a part. My guess is it was only one, Mon'Fargret. Whoever is behind this probably knew of his connection to Par'deth. The rest of us were just random numbers factored into the equation as their plan played out."
"But the universe and her wonderful ways of balancing life worked to even the odds. Somehow I don't think whoever orchestrated this expected the Loyal Daughter to be accompanied by a Constellation like our group."
Par'ai (the tech-priestess) listens to the exchange with intense interest.
"Perhaps I should have called you in sooner," she says. "Yes, the Hergoth do have a recognizable psy presence, but I doubt that's it. I say that because Mey'Luskar has it, too, and she didn't trigger it. Actually, I haven't ascertained whether the trigger was a psy code or not. I let my Bann emotion cloud my Gl'iem judgment. That was foolish of me."
The high-ranked priestess says, "Right now Pu'Laru here is wondering why Mas'Vellaf would mobilize half the city to look for Mey'Luskar if he hoped all along she'd come here."
Pru gasps and then glares.
The high-ranked priestess adds, "My own senses tell me that Par'ai was a target of opportunity rather than the intended prey. Perhaps they realized Mey'Luskar was coming here and, instead of taking her when they could, waited to see if they could put the spike to more sinister use."
"Mountain-Eye's senses are far better than mine," says Par'ai, "but I still had a feeling that someone...or something...had its eye on me. Whether it was a grand scheme or pure serendipity, I was, and still am, a target."
She gestures toward the table, a holoprojection forms in the middle of the table, and the lights dim.
"I'll examine the spike more closely later," she continues. "For now, I need an answer to a much bigger question. Show spike."
The spike's main menu appears.
As Par'ai moves the selection to "Full-version - Chapter list", Mey'Luskar begins to cry softly.
"I'll say it again," says Mountain-Eye. "None of you has to stay and watch this."
"Show me Nekkrie," says Lirassa.
Zeton sighs after hearing Lirassa speak and adds reluctantly, "After Nekkrie, may I request Enjulie?" I shall spare Adulie the grim details, but someone needs to tell her what happened to her sister."
"Enjulie comes sooner," replies Par'ai, "so I'll play her first. Bear in mind that, after this, you might not want to see any more."
"Understood," retorts Lirassa.
Par'ai selects Enjulie in the list and hits play.
Mon'Fargret steels himself for the unpleasantness. He murmurs to Dabid, "Here we go, Old Root. Hang fast to the soil."
The holovid show begins with the view of what is apparently a nightclub. The sounds of a crowd can be heard from beyond the image. Then the lights go up on the stage, happy, Yangae-style music starts to play, and an off-image announcer says:
"And now...the moment you've all been waiting for! The Scarlet Revival in cooperation with Morva Free Channel are proud to present Second Chancer Night! Now here is your host, Pal'Morris!"
There is a round of applause and hooting as a rather flamboyant-looking Yangae steps onto the stage and flashes a very artificial-looking smile.
"My dear lords and ladies, welcome one and all to the Gene Pool Game. No, I mean Second Chancer Night! Ha ha ha. What was I thinking? Ha ha ha. But seriously, honored guests, as you all know, tonight is the night when a Second Chancer, selected during the Yanda Talent Roundup, is given a chance to show you what he or she can do. It's also the night when you, honored guests, can help decide his or her future! Will tonight's Second Chancer get what he or she truly deserves? We'll find out soon!
"Anyway, tonight's special guest is definitely a rare find. She's a post-Sarkon beauty, but please don't hold that against her! She apparently hails from the Alibodae people. Don't worry if you've never heard of them. They're an Ehrlathagi protectorate, or were anyway. From what I understand, most of them live in a primitive, pastoral society, but our guest tonight is a member of their Overlord caste."
There is a chorus of "Ooh"s.
"Yes, that's what I thought, too, honored guests. But being an Overlord meant she had access to technology and spaceflight, which is why she is able to be with us here tonight. Oh, and by the way, I also understand that she actually spent most of her childhood living among the Hergoth on Yurinova! What do you think of that?"
There is a chorus of dead silence.
"Yes, well, she's here with us tonight, honored guests, so let's give her a nice, civilized welcome and see what kind of entertainment she can provide for us tonight!"
He steps off the stage to the sound of applause.
And then Enjulie appears.
As with Adulie, she shows her Sarkon lineage clearly with her tall, shapely figure and golden tresses, but she doesn't have a very Sarkish face; it's too gentle looking and dominated by large eyes of deep brown but with otherwise delicate features. Her hair is tied back with a jeweled ornament (similar to the one Adulie had), and she is dressed in a gorgeous dress of silver and blue.
"Good evening lords and ladies," she says in Yangae with an accent that sounds strangely Hergoth. "Thank you for your kindness in giving me this opportunity tonight."
Soft, lilting music starts to play.
"I'm going to share with you a song I've treasured all my life. It comes from my homeworld, and it has a lovely message I hope you'll all appreciate!"
And then she begins to sing. She's not the most talented singer in the Orion Arm, but she does have a lovely voice. What's more, she puts her whole heart into her performance. It's clear she loves what she's doing.
The song continues for a minute or two without incident. But then, when it starts to build in emotion, something about the image starts to look strange. The light in Enjulie's immediate vicinity starts to take on a filmy look, almost as if the air itself were starting to gel. Then it seems as if she herself were surrounded with a faint aura.
And then she starts to melt.
It starts slowly, but gains in speed as the milliseconds pass. It's as if her whole body were spontaneously turning into dust.
So caught up is she in the building passion of her singing that she is totally unaware of what is happening. Then, when she spreads her arms wide and hits a strong, high note, her frame literally starts to collapse. Her voice crumbles along with her body, taking on a hideous, raspy quality. Then, finally realizing her doom, she utters one ghastly, inhuman fragment of a scream before blowing apart like dry sand in the wind.
The audience erupts in unholy laughter.
Mon'Fargret utters a weird moan and clutches his head.
Lirassa half springs, half falls from her chair and lands on the floor.
"FREEZE PLAYBACK!" barks Par'ai with widened eyes. "ISOLATE IMAGE!"
The other priestesses leap into motion.
Granite Spear, Widjgleeby, and Zeton look about in confusion. Mey'Luskar cries softly behind her hands.
Nekshi, Ham, Dabid, and Pru are sitting motionless, staring blankly at the space where the image was. In fact, their wide-eyed, gaping faces look totally vacant...as if they were masks. Mountain-Eye and the three lower-ranked priestesses each move to one of those four, touch their heads, and start chanting quietly.
Par'ai looks at Zeton, Widjgleeby, and Granite Spear and says, "I've found it." She motions for the three to approach.
Zeton feels the tingle of Fear's fingers brush against the nape of his neck as he surveys the scene in the room. It was bad enough having to watch Enjulie's gruesome death and hearing the demonic laughter of the audience, but seeing how the video broadcast affected most of his comrades twists his guts and leaves him with an achy feeling of dread.
Hesitantly, he gets up and heads over to Par'ai.
[Mon'Fargret has a real, adult sized bangeroo. (That was from an headache relief commercial)]
Lirassa hauls herself back to her seat.
"What in the infinite hells was that?" she says, holding her head.
"Something very old," says Mountain-Eye as she moves to join the group gathering next to Par'ai. "It is exactly as we feared. Something from a forgotten time has come back to haunt us."
"A very good thing, then," retorts Par'ai, "that something else from that time is protecting us."
"Which is why Mul'ein is it's first target," adds Mountain-Eye. "It knows that as long as Erweina stands guard, it can do very little."
[Why do I feel like we are going to be blasting away at Fishmen while the last traces of our sanity are consumed by The Old Ones?]
Mon'Fargret listens with one hand warming his forehead to help ease the intense throbbing. "It seemed to affect those of us with psy abilities more profoundly...with the exception of Mey of course," he says with a weak and slightly quavering voice.
"I believe I've seen our protector, but only for a brief second outside right before we came in. It looked a bit like a pulda (kind of like a cross
between a koala, a kangaroo, and a monkey); a Foldorian mammal."
"I have so many questions bubbling up in my mind about all of this. Can this 'thing' be opposed? Or fought? We need to find a way to stop and/or protect its human conduits."
Zeton asks, almost not wanting to know the answer, "What did you all experience and why were GS, Widj and I spared?"
Par'ai is clearly amazed at Mon'Fargret's comment. "The avatar! You saw it?"
Mountain-Eye looks at the tech-priestess intently, and she answers her gaze. After a second or two, Par'ai gestures understanding and says, "Your mind is open to our level! That's why you were able to resist both the dream and the Rune! That's why the avatar appeared to you!"
"But we should answer Zeton's question first," says Mountain-Eye. "It is not an easy question to answer, because so many would take issue with the truth. It's a topic that has already started wars. It has very much to do with the reason why there are so many similar species here in the Orion Arm. Of course, I am talking about the humanoids.
"Whether they are Atlan-type, Sark-type, Zorl/Tybri-type, or whatever others there might be native to this spiral arm, as different as they are, they all share the same basic shape. The chemistry may differ, but the internal functions are mostly the same. Even their DNA is compatible for the most part. Considering the randomness of evolution, there is no logical reason why this should be possible...except one."
She pauses and looks around the room. The four members of the party stupefied by the holovid are just starting to regain their senses (as evidenced by Pru's angry outburst at Bina).
Mountain-Eye glances at Widjgleeby. "The Farbetts were created by the Poldites as servitors. Your creators knew they made you too well, which is why they abandoned you. But you were never part of the Master Plan that existed before them. You don't have the Mark."
Then she looks at Granite Spear. "The Shurians are a mystery. The fact that you have an almost humanoid shape means perhaps you were part of the Master Plan in the beginning, but were never completed. You evolved into maturity on your own, so you are free of the Mark."
Next she looks at Zeton. "The Lybolts are not native to this spiral arm. Your real origins are a mystery known only to yourselves. You were never part of the Plan, so you don't have the Mark."
She glances around at the other priestesses. "The Hergoth are also not native to the Orion Arm, so we weren't part of the Plan, at least not directly. Those that set the Plan in motion are the very Betrayers that seduced Mother Ous-Galhad into flesh and enslaved her. But they didn't create us directly, so we don't have the Mark, at least not the same one. But as for the others..."
"This is pure peat!" snaps Pru. "I know what you're going to say, and it's a load! The Foldorian people evolved on their own! We weren't put together by some dead alien race!"
"Who says they're dead?" retorts Bina from behind her.
"What...?" says Pru.
"Believe what you like," says Mountain-Eye, "but look at the facts. You can't see the holovid now, but right now I'm looking at the thing that you saw that left you senseless. Would you like to see it again?"
"I'll pass," replies Pru quickly.
"Not all of the humanoid races share this origin," continues Mountain-Eye. "Some were created by other races, such as the Sarkons. Others may have come about in other ways, natural or otherwise. The majority, however..." She pauses. "Each came to be on its own world, a product of its own environment. But its evolution was guided. The result was a multitude of races, each uniquely adapted to its own world, yet of a compatible form. They were to be the perfect thralls for those that would be gods. And to ensure that free will would never be a threat to them, the Betrayers left their Mark on their creation. A switch, encoded into their very genes, which would give the Betrayers the power to dominate them at will." She motions for Zeton, Widjgleeby, and Granite Spear to look at the isolated holo-image. "That symbol you see is one of the triggers. It is a Rune, a power symbol tooled for a specific master. Coupled with a subtle verbal or psychic command, it gives that master total power over the subject's will."
"But that thing I saw in the dream didn't look like any of the pictures of the Ancient Lords I've seen," says Lirassa.
"Assuming those pictures are accurate," retorts Mountain-Eye. "According to our own chronicles, the Betrayers had no fixed form of their own, but they usually used a humanoid shape. But we can thank the Entity that this isn't one of them. It's one of the First Born. One of the ones left when the Betrayers fled. I don't know how long it has been awake, but now it is trying to do the one task for which it was created: to set the Master Plan in motion again."
She looks at Mon'Fargret. "You asked if it can be beaten. The First Born are much less powerful than their creators. They have been fought and defeated in the far-off past. But they can still be very powerful, and this one has already grown. We have to act fast before it gets too much stronger."
Granite stands up in anger at Mountain Eye's suggestion that the Shurians are... incomplete. She intends to voice her anger, but stops herself to let Mountain Eye finish.
"What about them", she says impatiently gesturing at Nekshi, Ham, and Dabid (and still somewhat heated). "Will they recover soon?"
"They have already recovered," replies Mountain-Eye. "It was unpleasant, as I warned, but they are unharmed."
Then she furrows her brows. "You've misunderstood my words. It is not your race that is incomplete. Rather, the Betrayers' interference in your evolution was incomplete. You are blessed because of it. Your immunity to the Rune is the proof."
"But why wasn't I affected as much?" asks Lirassa. "I know well that the Sarkons were made by them!"
"Your implant," says Par'ai. "The Atlanzi's control is through the midbrain." Then she glances thoughtfully at Nekshi. "Which means Zorlans should be able to block it...if they're aware of it."
"Zorlans are very similar to Atlanzi," reminds Mountain-Eye. "Whether that is an advantage or a disadvantage is unknown."
"A genetically encoded trigger to dominate an entire race, or excuse me, races..., OK, but to what end?"
Zeton is unsure what the gain would be, but being the external processor he is, continues to talk out loud, "So, tell us more about this 'Master Plan'. This First Born is determined to complete it, but what exactly does that mean?"
"Is Mas'Vellaf an agent of the First Born, or just an unwitting pawn? If just a pawn, what sort of agents does the First Born have at it's disposal?"
"Are we just pawns as well? The avatar Mon'Fargret spoke of, what role does it play and how much help can we expect?"
Zeton pauses and realizes he is babbling again. "Mountain-Eye, Par'ai, please forgive me, I have many questions and I'm sure you don't have all the answers. Please continue"
Nekshi comes to her senses slowly, as if awakening from a long session of emotional readjustment.
She feels an unfamiliar pressure on her hind-brain as if she had become someone else for a while, and can almost 'see' the Rune Mountain-Eye has frozen on screen.
"This Domination Key is sublime and intrusive. Our progenitors crafted their art well, but much has happened to the Zorl race-type since the abuses of the Ancient Ones."
She rubs the back of her head gently.
"I think I can 'remember' and access the changes during these fugue states. Of course, I will be completely ineffectual during that time period. But I am aware that they have occured."
She looks askance to Granite, "Now I understand the Ministry's adherence to Shurian assistants, they might know of this blind-spot, I wouldn't put it past them."
Nekshi stands and summons Granite to her side. Looking forlorn at Mountain-Eye and Par'ai she heads to the door.
"I wish you well, friends. But this has become something beyond my ken. I must contact my Embassy and seek further instructions. Please do not try and stop us."
"It is your right," says Mountain-Eye. "I doubt you are in any danger, but please be careful."
She turns to Zeton. "We'll do our best to answer all your questions, though the answers aren't always very pleasant. As for the Master Plan, it's all very simple. The Betrayers, or the Great Ancient Race, as they're usually called, simply wanted to build an empire of their own. And as rulers, they wanted subjects. In that respect they're not much different from the Sarkons, the Foldorians, the Besteengs, or any other interstellar power. However..."
"A sad fact of our history," interrupts Lirassa with a sarcastic chuckle. "We were all made to be food animals!"
"Sad but true," says Mountain-Eye. "The Betrayers feed on life energy, which was why they finally preyed on our Mother. Sucking dry fallow worlds was too slow and inconvenient for them, so they started what was basically the biggest gardening project in the galaxy...the Master Plan...to raise beings with strong souls both to serve them and to feed them.
"They would have succeeded, except they weren't the only power in the galaxy, and someone else didn't like what they were doing."
"The Guardians," puts in Par'ai. "Perhaps your history records call them by their Sarkon name, the Cardians. No one knows where they came from or why, but they destroyed the civilization of the Great Ancient Race, leaving the humanoid races to develop on their own. Then they withdrew to their fortress systems."
"And after that the surviving Betrayers fled to Ous-Galhad," says Mountain-Eye. "And that's why there are humanoid Hergoth in the universe now. But we don't know where the Betrayers went after they destroyed Ous-Galhad. There is one thing that we do know, for it was whispered into the minds of our Great Parents. The Betrayers hope to return one day and reclaim their former empire. And they made preparations toward that end before they left."
"The Guardians destroyed all the Atlanzi they could find, but they didn't get all of them. Some were hidden. During the past few thousand years a number of them have been encountered, usually after they were found and released by accident."
"But the Guardians expected that," adds Par'ai, "and they made plans, too. They concealed sentries in various places all over the Orion Arm. We know that they are part living, part machine, but as with everything about the Guardians, their nature and function are rarely easy to comprehend. But their purpose is easy enough: to find anything having to do with the Great Ancient Race and prevent them from returning."
Her mouth curves into a wry smile. "The Old Sarkons knew there was something very old and very powerful buried beneath this mountain, but they chose to worship it. We, on the other hand..."
"If it chooses to listen," adds Mountain-Eye, looking at Mon'Fargret and Mey'Luskar very intently.
Nekshi turns at the door,
"Oh, by the way, I'm hereby advising all Confederation Allies to join me at Wirg's pub immediately. We might not ascertain the evolution of Evil in the Orion Arm of the Galaxy, but we might figure out why the local prefecture Police has reason to use multiple police bands in the investigation of petty crime."
She smiles and walks out of the room.
"Good point," says Pru. "Just how deep is all this sludge going, anyway? I mean, I'm still not sure I believe a word you're saying about...whatever it is, but I do read that if Mas'Vellaf really is planning on dumping that, that...whatever it is, on society, then something needs to be done about it! I mean, it hits the shelves in a few more days!"
"Weeks," retorts Mey'Luskar weakly. "It's not due to be released for a few more weeks."
"Lady," says Pru, "didn't you hear the announcement last night? Oh, I guess you were busy. Anyway, they said it's coming out in a few more days!"
"But...how is that possible?" wonders Mey'Luskar. "I'm one of the ones on the staff dealing with it! Why would they suddenly change all their plans without..." Her eyes widen. "So they didn't know I had the spike till last night! It couldn't have been planned in advance! But Mas'Vellaf isn't really the top of all this. He couldn't do it without clearing it with the top...could he?"
"You tell me, lady," retorts Pru.
Dabid watches Nekshi's departure with a frown. As the Zorlan is passing through the doors, he mutters, "Go to Wirg's to contemplate multiple police bands? Do Zorlans actually have a sense of humor?"
Zeton watches Nekshi leave the room and wonders what just transpired.
"I understood leaving the Temple was a very dangerous thing to do. There are at least three groups actively searching for us: the Peace Forces, the Night Guard and Mas'Vellaf's henchmen."
"I admit, I'm not sure what we were going to do next, but leaving the Temple was something I thought was not going to happen this quickly. The idea of going to Wirg's, a place most definitely being watched, by multiple groups, makes no sense what-so-ever."
"Did I miss something or is Nekshi acting a bit peculiarly? Is this a side effect of being exposed to the Mark, or is she serious?"
Zeton looks to Dabid, Mon'Fargret, Lirassa and then Mountain-Eye, wondering what they all think.
"Nekshi just needs to sort something out," says Mountain-Eye calmly. "Let her do things in the way she understands, and..."
She stops abruptly and looks at Par'ai, who looks very excited all of a sudden. The other priestesses look surprised and anxious.
Then Par'ai looks at Mey'Luskar and says, "We need your help. In fact..." She glances around at the others. "We need all of your help. If you want to change back into your clothes, you can do that first, but please get ready to leave. We'll be making a short trip."
"What happened?" asks Lirassa.
Par'ai grins mischievously. "The ones that tried to 'port me out? We've got them!"
"What do you need us for?" asks Mey'Luskar.
"Identification," replies Par'ai. "Something tells me you know one or both of them."
Granite follows Nekshi without so much as a backward glance.
"Yes, I saw the avatar but only for the briefest of moments," Mon'Fargret replies to Par'ai.
He addresses Zeton, "I do not pretend to understand Nekshi, but I value her presence and her contribution."
He returns his attention to Par'ai, "I would like to return to my normal attire. To be truthful, with alarms going off in the temple, I feel a need for tangible protection in addition to the spirtual. Shall we reconvene in XX time units (15 minutes Earth equivalent) outside our accommodations?"
"I have business of my own to attend to," says Par'ai. "I'll leave you here."
"The mission circle will accompany you back to the dorm," says Mountain Eye, "just to be safe."
"Are you sure I should go?" says Mey'Luskar anxiously. "I don't understand Nekshi at all, but Zeton's right. I'm still the main target in this group!"
"You won't accomplish anything hiding here," replies Mountain-Eye with a tone that suggests there's no room for discussion. To Pru she adds, "If you decide to contact your people, use audio only. Keep visual and psy off. We still have no idea how far the Rune has already spread in Ekr'in."
"I'll deal with it," replies Pru. "But is there any way to tell if someone has been...infected...without having psy?"
Mountain-Eye looks at Par'ai, who replies, "I'll have something ready for you by the time you leave."
Zeton listens and nods in agreement with Mon'Fargret's decision to return to normal attire before helping to identify the two would be abductors. Before leaving Zeton turns to Mountain-Eye and speaks to her quietly.
After the conversation, Gaima, Keil'i, and Bina accompany the party out of the conference room, down the hall and out of the Seminary (using a different exit from the one Nekshi and G.S. used), and along the shortest path to the dorm. Once there, Gaima says, "We will meet you in front of your rooms in fifteen minutes."
[Harry Potter says, "If Voldermort's really back, I want to fight!"]
As the party heads through the lobby toward the stairs, a Foldorian woman wearing trainee robes approaches from the other direction. As she comes nearer, she looks up at the party and gasps.
"Lord Mon'Fargret!" she says. "Have you come back here?" Noting Mon'Fargret's apparent puzzlement, she smiles and says, "You've probably forgotten me. But it's a blessing that you're here! Could you spare me a moment? I have something important to talk about."
Mey'Luskar suddenly looks as if she has seen a ghost...and is answered only by a quick, stern glance from the newcomer. Nodding quickly, she moves close to Mon'Fargret and says quietly, "It's okay. We'll go on ahead." Then she nods toward the newcomer again and urges the others to continue on.
Mon'Fargret searches his memory...maybe the face is familiar...he's not sure.
"Thanks Mey," he says quietly before falling out of line with the group.
"I apologize. Perhaps the stress is affecting my memory. What can I do for you, my lady."
"I would like a gun; laser, pneumo, explosive charge, slingshot and a bag of rocks. Widjgleebe does not mind being a shield. She is big and her hide is tough but I would like to be able to shoot back. Cooking knives are no use against snipers.
(Who is Widjgleeby talking to?)
Zeton follows Mey closely and as the party becomes separated from Mon'Fargret and the Foldorian trainee, quietly asks her in Yangae, "Mey, it's obvious you know the Foldorian woman. Who is she and why are you so interested in letting them speak?"
Zeton speaks in a calm, persuasive tone wanting to ensure Mey does not feel the need to become defensive in her reply.
Widjegleebe is just talking out loud. She doesn't care if anyone hears her or not.
Mey purses her lips until the group is well on its way up the stairs. Then she replies quietly, "That woman is a Stelleron."
Overhearing her remark, Lirassa, who is walking just ahead, pauses and looks back. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure of it," replies Mey'Luskar.
Lirassa hums thoughtfully. "First he builds that Seminary, then he sends his top agents. Ty'Klemmo is obviously very interested in what's going on here."
Zeton is tempted to turn his head to get another look at the Foldorian woman, but decides against it. In Yangae, he replies, "Mey, thank you for your honest answer and for saving me from making a fool of myself."
Zeton still isn't sure if he can trust Mey, but he realizes he has little choice at the moment.
As they draw near their quarters, Zeton says he'll be just a moment and makes his way to change into his normal clothes and collect his gear.
The various members of the party except Mon'Fargret (who is still downstairs chatting) and Nekshi and Granite Spear (who are still out in the temple grounds somewhere) split up and head into their respective rooms.
In less than a minute someone can be heard bolting out of the room Mey'Luskar and Lirassa are sharing, taking off down the hall and into the stairwell at a mad sprint.
This is followed soon afterward by Lirassa calling down the hall from her doorway, "Hey, you! Come back here! It's alright! Don't be such a damned coward!"
Granite pokes Nekshi lightly. "So, are we going back to our room, or should I get geared up for battle?" She moves her staff into a battle stance, to emphasize her question.
At that moment, from behind Nekshi and Granite Spear, there comes the familiar sound of a certain verbal translator. It says, "And what's up here? Where are the others? Is there some kind of trouble? Or have the priestesses somehow made everything safe again?"
Without turning, Nekshi smiles, "The Priests and I have had a minor disagreement over certain points of protocol. I'm sure it's nothing you'd be interested in, Kuluf."
"We are all completely safe, that is, until the local Yangae crime syndicate with support from an ancient Demonic presence realizes all their targets are in one place, and attacks."
She nods to Granite, "Let us see if we can't locate the Temple's Hyperwave unit, and beg some broadcast time. You can gather your kit afterwards."
*out of character*
Poor Widj! Somebody give her a bag of rocks. We are listening, but we tend to talk too much, sorry :( .
(I assume Nekshi, as well as most members of the party, has visited the temple complex before and has an idea of its basic layout. Information is also freely available on the net. If you want to see it, consult the wiki page.)
I'm going to wait in the hall, because I don't wear clothes and I would never have left my cooking knives in the basement. I'd hum and tap my feet, but I know Farbetts are tone deaf, so i'll just tap my feet.
(cool Rocks!)
Philippa
(Tap your feet while pretending not to listen in to the conversation between Mon'Fargret and the mysterious female visitor or watch the three priestesses while they silently "converse"?)
After the conversation between Mon'Fargret and the woman ends, she leaves, and he starts up the stairs. A short time later running can be heard on the stairs followed by some shouting and a messy thump. Then there's some talking, and someone else can be heard running down the stairs.
Aroused by the crashing sound, the priestesses cease their "conversation" and start heading toward the stairs to investigate.
Zeton finishes changing his clothes and getting his gear together. He neatly puts the Temple clothes he was wearing on the bed and then leaves to investigate the sounds he hears coming from the stairway...
Zeton finds Pru, Dabid, and Ham also out in the hall.
"What in the swamp was that?" wonders Pru.
Dabid strolls to the room shared by Lirassa and Mey'Luskar and peeks in the open door. "It was one or both of them," he observes. He steps into the room. "Neither of them changed back into her clothes."
All at once, from the direction of the stairwell, comes what is unmistakably Lirassa yelling, "SAY IT!!!" in Yangae.
Zeton looks at Dabid and replies, "Lover's quarrel?... Maybe we'd better investigate."
Zeton cautiously makes his way down the stairs, on guard for any flying objects or foul language that may be lobbed his way.
As Zeton starts to make his way cautiously down the stairs with Dabid behind him, Pru sighs impatiently and charges past them. Shrugging, Dabid increases his pace to match.
It isn't long before they find Mon'Fargret stomping up the stairs with a very clear "irk me at your own risk" sign written in his face. Not far behind him comes Mey'Luskar, whose face is unreadable, followed by Lirassa, who sports a wry grin.
Half a level back, Gaima is trudging up the stairs with her gaze lowered. Keil'i looks worried. Bina looks irritated.
"We heard shouting!" says Pru.
"What an interesting coincidence!" retorts Lirassa. "I was shouting!"
Mey'Luskar giggles.
"What was this all about, anyway?" inquires Dabid, glancing at Mon'Fargret warily. "Was there something in the ladies' room?"
Zeton waits for Bina to come level with him on the stairs and asks as politely as he can in Her-Galad, "Is everything all right?"
Mon'Fargret stops as Dabid speaks. He pauses. He takes a deep breath. He takes another.
Then he replies, "The Protector, in the form of a glowing pulda, is in their room. We are burning up time here. We ought to be on our way."
With that lame excuse, he continues on to his room to change his clothes and get armed for the trip.
Dabid looks after Mon'Fargret quizzically, shrugs, and mutters, "I didn't see anything..."
"Well, you probably wouldn't, purple!" huffs Pru. Then she turns to Lirassa and asks in a low voice, "What's with him?" She nods in Mon'Fargret's direction.
Lirassa grins. "No reward for the gallant!" she whispers.
Pru nods and mouths a silent "Ah..."
Mey'Luskar turns a fetching shade of red. "Oh, come on, you two! He's just being honorable!"
Lirassa throws Pru another wry glance and says, "Well, I don't know about you, but I know I wouldn't mind having someone gallant and 'honorable' defending me!"
"Sounds more like the poor sod'd have to defend himself from you!" retorts Pru.
Lirassa ponders this for a second or two and then replies, "Probably!" Then both women giggle.
Mey'Luskar manages a shallow grin.
While this exchange is going on, Bina approaches Zeton, rolls her eyes, and says in Her-Galad, "I think we just showed the reason for the Covenant."
Covenant Quick Link
Nekshi, with Granite and perhaps Kuluf in tow, leads the way through the Temple (from the dormitory). She's heading towards the main Priest quarters in hopes of finding a hyperwave transmitter.
(Okay...new post time!)
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