01: A thought (voice: TheOtter)

[of_bokthersa]

I find it interesting that ever so suddenly things are beginning to become unraveled. Suddenly, once people who are new and different arrive. Perhaps I've been around nobles too long, but it seems to me as if someone was waiting for just this moment to do whatever it is that they're doing.

The local's darker turn is interesting too. It takes a good bit of charisma to cause so many to defend one's honor so. I'm certain I could never do it. And yet, forgoing coin out of loyalty, or so one would suspect. After all, to many a merchant, coin is coin no matter who is offering it.

It should be very interesting to see where things go from here.

Comments

[voice]

[whiteroadrunning]

And we're just meant to observe?

In person (because he can)

[of_bokthersa]

[It didn't take Seregil long to start cluttering up their pod with nicknacks and such that he'd found while exploring the empty pods. Some jewels, a dagger or two, there were even a few of those biometric locks sitting around for him to figure out how to break into.

At the moment, he was working on Alec's biometric lock. Not that he wanted anything in the other man's locked areas, but starting with someone you knew was always a better plan than starting with someone you didn't.

It was one of the reasons he'd had Alec go after his house before taking him out with him.

When the message came through, he paused, listening, and then shook his head. Really Alec, was your Seregil so passive that he would let these people get away with this?]

Really Alec, when have you ever known me just to observe?

[This wasn't Nysander ordering him on his oath as a watcher. This was a bunch of childish people punishing others for a perceived slight. It didn't sit well with him, and he wasn't about to let them get the better of him.]

[whiteroadrunning]

You may have missed the sarcasm in that question, talí.

[Tone was difficult to convey via thought. Alec had never found it necessary to inflect in his own mind, and that made communication via implant somewhat challenging; a skill he would have to develop, like any number of new skills he would need to employ in this undersea hellscape.

Perhaps hellscape was a strong word for it. But they'd been kidnapped to an unfamiliar land, to live among unwelcoming natives, fulfilling some unclear purpose. As far as Alec was concerned, this was little better than their forced servitude in Plenimar.

Thankfully, the technology grew less strange by the day, helped along by the fact that there was plenty of abandoned garbage in the empty domes to abscond with and pick apart. Case in point, Alec had taken some silver appliance from a kitchen during their last expedition, and now sat tailor-style on their bed with the internal components of the thing splayed out before him.

He wasn't quite sure what to do next, but it was a start.]

What I mean to say is, you're thinking too deeply for this to just be idle musing.

[of_bokthersa]

[It's still odd to hear Alec using that term. It makes Seregil all the more aware of their situation and the hope that Alec is holding onto in regards to their time together here. He isn't Alec's Seregil and he won't do something like what Alec wants. It wouldn't be fair to the Alec back home or Alec's Seregil. Alec might be able to face his Seregil, but there would be no facing his Alec again if he gave into his feelings here.

Their friendship was far too important to allow being here to destroy it.]

At the moment, I think it's time for a bit of information gathering.

[He reached over to grab Alec's hand, pressing his finger into a soft substance that seemed almost like bread dough.]

I'd wanted to get a bit more acclimated first, but

[He released Alec's hand, pressing the imprint to the other man's drawer, nothing happened, and he scowled deeply.]

It seems that's not going to be an option. And I'm not going to let them get away with bullying people who have no choice but to be here. They're worse than Illia when she's in a mood.

[The little girl could be wholly stubborn when she wanted to be. She came by it naturally, what with Kari and Micum as her parents.

He picked up one of the books he'd found in one of the abandoned pods, then thought better of it and put it down before making his way to the bed and focusing on what Alec was doing.]

[whiteroadrunning]

[Alec snatched up the dough Seregil had used on his finger. That was an interesting sensation. The scattered appliance was momentarily forgotten as Alec pressed the dough back and forth between his hands, pulling and rolling it against his palms, but after a few seconds, he found that it was easy enough to play with this nonsense and survey the parts on the bed.]

At least Illia has an excuse. She's a child.

[Alec nodded to the bed and pointed out a long coil of heating element.]

I haven't a clue what the purpose of this thing is, but a current runs through these filaments to heat it. I'd venture it's for pastries, judging by the size, but it seems an awful waste of space for just that...

[of_bokthersa]

Exactly.

[He'd thought the dough-like substance would interest Alec; it's why he took several of them (ok, ONE of the reasons).

Leaning forward, he began poking through the pieces on the bed, talking absently as he did.]

Which is why I think we need to start taking them over our knee, so to speak. And we certainly need to look into that Annie. She seems to be the one who everyone was arguing with before this happened.

[He picked up the heating coil, turning it around in his hand.]

That memory of the Sphere's was clearly the catalyst of all this. Can you put it back together?

[whiteroadrunning]

Of course I can put it back together.

[Maybe. Either way, Alec had the decency to look insulted by the implication. Will it ever toast again? Will it conflagrate and burn the pod to cinders? WHO KNOWS!

But Alec had been loitering around the market stalls, between stale bread and weak tea. He'd caught bits and pieces of gossip during their frequent trips to the abandoned domes. The merchants were tight-lipped with encroachers about, but certain strains of conversation seemed to proliferate despite suspicion.]

That memory... No one seems to think it's possible to breach the glass. I wonder how hard they've tried. Oreska magic can phase solid objects through each other, gate people to other locations... Who's to say that power doesn't exist here? So I suppose the question comes down to, who has that ability?

[Alec caught Seregil's hand, and examined his palm and fingers closely.]

Can't you get into mine with your fingertips?

[of_bokthersa]

Good, I want to try it.

[There's a moment where Seregil's fingers start to slightly curl in toward Alec's palm before he flexes them a little, making the action look natural.]

Only my own, and no traditional locks to speak of.

[There's a slight growl of frustration in his voice. Picks would be useless here; they have to figure out how to ply their trade with these finger press locks.]


Unless they have strong spells to ward against it. They have those sort of spells all over the Orëska. I wish Nysander were here to look into it. I'd even take Thero at this point.

[He snatched back the dough and rolled it into a ball, throwing it at the far wall only for it to bounce back into his hand.]

[whiteroadrunning]

Alec smiled sadly, and set to work piecing the appliance back together. It was never the easiest part -- reassembling what one had essentially torn asunder -- but Seregil compelled him to parse so many damned locks in their time together, and Alec had developed something of a knack for it. A bit of curiosity and determination didn't hurt either.]

They would probably have about fifty more theories and no answers more solid than our own. Though I wonder...

[Alec looked distant, gaze fixed on the far wall and eyes narrowed in concentration.]

I wonder if whatever entered it, was able to enter because it was like the thing? Or able to be part of the thing, by nature of what it was?

voice: un: moveslikejagger

[jaglikethecar]

[TheOtter?]

I wonder if I should break out the tin foil hats yet, or keep the crazy conspiracy theories to myself.

[of_bokthersa]

[Hey! He's not making fun of your name.]

Clearly, you should share.

[He's going to ignore that sarcasm.]

[jaglikethecar]

Well, we're all connected to the same network, here, and that means we're all connected to the Sphere. We're literally at its whims and not too long ago, a memory that belonged to it was broadcast to everyone. Someone violated it and then disappeared. We're at the whims of a weird, completely alien, corrupted sentience, which means they are too.

And, according to this memory, someone is controlling the Sphere. Scary, yeah?

[of_bokthersa]

Ah, but that doesn't explain why it's only those that just arrived that are seeing the benefits of such suspicion.

Annie did say that it was from before any of us were ever thought of by the Sphere.

[jaglikethecar]

But it was right there in the memory. Time doesn't mean anything to the Sphere.

Also, has anyone taken a look at the model numbers on these implants? Are we sure they're the same sort the older folks have?

[of_bokthersa]

[A lot of those words make no sense to him. Model numbers and implants - that sort of thing seems to be something very different in his world.]

As far as I'm aware they have not. Though I admit, I have no idea what those are.

[jaglikethecar]

Uh...right. So, model numbers were created when people started manufacturing items in bulk, yeah? When you make a lot of...daggers for instance, use the same shape and whatnot, but different materials of different qualities, you assign each different series, or daggers with the same attributes, a model number. That way you know which is which, even if they look the same. They may be completely different things.

What if we all have one series of implant and the older residents have another. What if those different series can be used separately to influence us?

[of_bokthersa]

[Ah, so a bit like a maker's mark, if the maker were building in bulk (which, in Seregil's opinion, would probably degrade the quality of the weapon.)]

So you're saying that you think people are being influenced to do things based on the things clinging to our heads?

[Odd, but not the strangest of ideas. Especially when you take into account what they're working with.]

voice: un: justaaron

[customplates]

It's...possible they all blame us for what happened to the Sphere.

Re: voice: un: justaaron

[of_bokthersa]

Entirely possible.

[customplates]

It would make the most sense, right? Their lives, like you said, were pretty undisturbed until we showed up.

[of_bokthersa]

It's something you could make a compelling argument for.

[Seregil can't help the pleased hum in his voice. It's like when he drags a logical conclusion out of Alec. There's something very satisfying about it all.]

Do you think it's common for them to be so organized about it though?

[That is the key, in Seregil's opinion. So many of them at the same time. Not one here or there followed by others, several at the same time. That takes malice and organization.]

[customplates]

Honestly? Probably. These people have built a community here. We're the outsiders.

[of_bokthersa]

A transient community where people disappear without a moment's notice.

[customplates]

There's still a system in that, though.

[of_bokthersa]

And your explanation for the speed of their gathering forces?