Iron Stars - orion

Orion awakens in their habitation block. The city of Dremlas is tense as news of a breach cult discovered in the neighborhood and the raid that has taken it down has just rocked the peaceful atmosphere. The science community in Dremlas is in shambles. The breach is something no one could explain and the resonators that keep it at bay are just the beginning of a field of science no one truly understands. There are rumors that resonators small enough to be carried by an individual were captured from breach cultists in the countryside , but no one has been able to make them work (edited)

Orion scrolls through the news on her compad with one hand, the other hand attending to the bowl of cereal perched haphazardly on the cot beside her. “Breach cult,” She mutters to herself around a mouthful of Fusion Flakes. “Idiots. Just worship a black hole and get it over with.” She tabs down the page until her breakfast is finished, then ducks out of her bunk and takes exactly one step to toss the bowl in her kitchen sink. Being relatively new and, well, a felon, afforded slim pickings when it came to quarters. At least her toilet was in another room. And only hers. Her last contract job had ended the week before - conveniently before the raid - and she needed a new plan. She’d come up with several while surfing job boards and walking the streets, but one, well… She heard a rumor. And it kept coming up - on- and offline. Personal Arcane Resonators. Little pocket shields. If Orion could get her hands on one, and somehow get it to work, she could walk into any lab on the planet and walk out with a salaried position. They might even name the lab after her. First she had to find one. And that meant investigating the cult, or finding the people who captured them. Sitting on the edge of her bunk, she pulls up the news reports again and starts taking notes.

The neighborhood in question is a few blocks from here and it happened last night. There will be a crime scene sweep , and then the peacekeepers will move on. You might even be able to get in once the police presence moved off

Orion pulls on her boots and tosses the essentials for the day into her backpack. She straps her multitool on, shoves as much of her hair under a beanie as she can, and heads out. Then turns back to make sure her door is locked. Twice. Once fully ready she walks to the neighborhood and the scene of the crime.

The building is a large eight floor apartment building with close to 100 units in it. Each one holds a family and they’re all recovering from the lockdown and news of traitors in the city in their midst. The peacekeepers are pulling back their caution tape and the crime scene looks to be about cleared.

02:19

It was evidently violent and the windows on the sixth floor are almost each entirely blown out

(( anyone watching the door? ))

(No, they're just picking up and getting ready to leave. People live here, so now that the show is over they're not stopping anyone from going in or out)

(( Dope))

17:57

Orion heads in and takes the stairs up to the sixth floor, looking for signs if cultist detritus along the way.

there are signs of a prolonged fireflight in the hallways though aside from a few brass casings or empty power cell here and there, detritus has been cleaned from the public areas. THe raid seems to have culminated around the west side apartment blocks on the sixth floor, and you might be able to find something further in. One has no door, and is marked off with an X of crime scene tape. The other two apartments have battle damaged doors but they're intact enough to be closed.

18:24

And are closed right now. There is no evidence of Peacekeepers or crime scene techs.

Orion pokes her head around the doorframe of the doorless room, giving the room a quick look.

A major armed confrontation happened in here. The couch is a burned ruin of its former self and virtually every inch of wall has some kind of combat damage done to it. The blood stains and burns on the floor have been scrubbed enough so that nothing drips to the apartments below, but there are still markings of where bodies had fallen. Casings, discarded energy cells, and the meal the would be cultists were eating was left behind still, to yet be cleaned by crime scene personnel. A hallway leads to a nest of rooms further back in the apartment that can't be observed from here.

Orion ducks through the tape and heads in, starting her search with the first room. She's careful not to step on anything that resembles remains. Cultists or not, she's not interested in disrespecting the dead.

The first of the rear rooms looks to be a bathroom. This room is actually fairly intact. No one thought to make a stand in here. A few scattered minor medical supplies , a syringe of Null, and some toothbrushes no one will ever use again are in this room. The mirror is full of shattered glass- sparking like sharp angular water.

Orion pockets the Null. Never hurts to have. The toothbrushes she kicks to the side however, focusing her search on the flooring itself, then the walls, the frame of the mirror, and ceiling. Anywhere a loose panel could be pried off for a quick stash.

(notice/wis)

(( 7 ))

The vent is missing a screw in the bottom corner. The hole in the metal plate and the wall behind it are the same color, and in the dim light you almost missed it,

Orion pulls out her compad and shakes it twice to activate the flashlight function, then peers into the vent. She didn't think anyone would rig an explosive in their own bathroom, but she also hadn't thought people would worship null breaches. With her other hand she readies her multitool to disarm any traps and remove the vent cover.

There is some kind of bundle tucked into the vent, a messenger bag wrapped in some kind of waxy paper. It does not look like it is a bomb or anything directly harmful.

(( dope))

21:07

Orion takes her multitool to the corners of the vent, unscrewing the remaining screws and popping it off. She sets it carefully to the side and reaches into the vent to grab the bag.

It scrapes a bit as the buckle drags against the metal floor of the grate. The bag is the size of an over the shoulder satchel and rattles gently. You hear the sound of glass on glass inside, as two objects are gently knocked together but not broken

Orion sits cross-legged on the floor of the bathroom and pulls the bag carefully onto her lap. She checks the outside pockets first, then opens the main pocket.

03:47

(( this is giving me flashbacks to the time I bought a messenger bag from my college's bookstore and it had drugs hidden in the lining))

There are leather scraps, and a buckle inside the bag, along with some kind of compad sized control panel but it has been smashed- probably due to the concussion and repeated damage to the walls and area around it with the rest of the firefight. Two slots in the bottom of this smashed control panel are of different sizes, one is about the width and depth of a pinky finger, the other is meant to house a Type A power cell common to most handheld electronics.

Orion slings the bag over her shoulder and continues her search through the other rooms. Maybe she can find something more intact. Or the same thing broken in a different way. She could always try to puzzle together the broken pieces into a functional whole.

Three bedrooms adorn the back of the apartment, each has had their door shot to pieces, though once again evidence of bodies has been removed. There is a master suite, and two smaller rooms for either guests or anyone else who lived in this space in more peaceful days. All of the furniture is either burn scared or riddled with bullet holes. Nothing has escaped at least minor damage.

Orion stops to shift the bags she carries toward her back, to better balance while she searches. She uses the light on her compad and her multitool and scans each room with careful, methodical steps. It's been ages since she did field work, and she wasn't exactly searching for specimens here, but the singular focus she relied on so heavily in university came back with practice.

Looking through the rooms, you're able to find a thin crystal on one of the bedside tables along with a revolver the security team failed to miss in the false bottom of a drawer, but not the control disc that the belt seems to need. outside in the hallway, you hear the squawk of a radio, and distant booted feet coming up the stairs.

You can't see them yet, it sounds like two or three pairs of feet, and that you have a moment or two before anyone is in the immediate area. They're not taking great pains to hide their approach

It takes Orion longer than it should to remember that she's technically been convicted of a crime, and probably shouldn't be caught in an area clearly marked off by Peacekeepers. Her Community Acclimation Counselor had explained it to her as holding the last straw on a thin sheet of ice. She bundles the things in the shoulder bag as she moves back through the bedrooms, searching for a place to hide.

(Sneak/dex, just in case I need something to score against their notice check)

(( wow. Rolled a 10. Thanks dice gods! ))

Two peacekeepers make their way up to the landing and take some photographs of the hallway, the entryway of the apartments and some other items of interest you can’t make out from your hiding place. One of them enters the apartment for a moment and you hear him linger. He’s only taken a few steps inside before dismissing his hunch or reason to be in here before leaving again

19:27

There is another garbled call that seems to dispatch them to other business and their heavy boots thump down the building steps

Orion escapes to the hallway and glances down it toward the still closed doors. She shifts from foot to foot for a moment, debating whether to continue her search or do what she can with what she has. Sea stars on planets across the known universe can regrow limbs, even whole bodies, from a few intact cells. But Ryan still needs the control disk, and finding one even partially intact could save hours, or days, of additional work. Time is credits. She heads to the next door down the hall and tries the handle.

It moves most of the way down before going stiff. It’s locked , but that’s no challenge for you if you decide to force your way in

Orion preps her multitool again and gets to work on picking the lock.

The door clicks and pops open gently. This apartment is the same floor plan and there is less evidence of fighting here. The kitchen seems to have been the only focus of the Violence here and most of the appliances have been destroyed

Orion starts her search in the kitchen, then moves to the bedrooms. She's looking specifically for parts connected to the device- too many valuables looted from a crime scene could result in an investigation, and she's not interested in getting tangled up in one right now.

On a bedside table, marked with an evidence tag, but left behind, you see some sort of memory disc case (the size, not necessarily the contents). It is matte black with a small plastic clasp on top.

Orion stops to pull on a pair of gloves and picks up the case. She turns it over in her hands, examining the outside, then pops it open to look inside.

A damaged control card for the belt is inside. Most of hwat you have on your person is going to need some serious work to repair, but you have the physical components for everything now.

19:29

(3xp, 5000 credits)

(( whoo!! I'll update her sheet and post when I get home after work :) ))

(sounds good to me, let me know if you need help)

**Level Up**
Level: 2
Focus: Healer lvl 1
Old HP: 6
HP Roll: 8
New HP: 8
New Skills: Notice 0 for 1sp, Heal 0 for 1sp. Attr: +1 to Dex for 1sp. 1sp reserved for Psychic skill.  
Current AB: 0

(great! Everything looks mechanically correct to me!)

The workspace in Orion's room is a large panel that folds down from the wall and obstructs most of the floor space. There's just enough room for Ryan to skootch around it and get the door to the bathroom open. She flips on the fan for circulation before working with any electronics and potential circulation. It's not great, but if she sits on her bed she can pretend she's in a lab somewhere working on actual projects instead of something stolen from a crime scene. She lays the pieces gathered out in front of her, including the type A batteries she stopped to purchase on her way home, and gets to work examining the damage. She'll pull apart what she has, taking photos and notes along the way, then work on repairing the obviously broken.

17:28

(( forgot to update credits last night, I'll add them and subtract battery cost tonight:) ))

(fix/int, and no problem!)

(( oof beefed that roll lol. Got a 5 ))

The actual mass market portions of the build- such as re-stringing the belt, fixing the buckle, and replacing the display screen of the control unit is easily done and is a matter of routine for you. The cracked info card, and the socket where the control crystal is slotted seems to be a bit beyond your level of expertise at the moment. It is hard to discern what belongs where when you have no examples. There is a rumor that the Dremlas Academy was able to get their hands on a couple examples of the tech as well- its not in any better shape than yours if the rumors are true - but they might be intact in places where yours is broken

(( hey just checking in, not ghosting just super busy. Going to post this afternoon or after work tonight :) ))

(sounds good!)

Orion takes some time to rest and organize her notes, photos, and odd little sketches. It takes some time, enough to warrant a quick nap as well, but then she's up and packing up the contents of her "desk" for travel. She wraps everything carefully, not wanting to further damage a device already on the edge. Snack in hand, she heads to the Dremlas Academy.

There’s a large foyer with many guards and students , along with an information desk. There is nervous excitement in the air, as it seems as though one of the expeditions has discovered a spacecraft out in the wilds and has seen space. Other settlements are out there and have survived.

It takes Orion a few minutes, and almost as many tries, to work up the courage to enter the Academy in the first place. Her old university had been swallowed up by a Null Breach soon after the Scream - she'd looked it up when she came off ice - but after what happened any academic building sent chills up her spine. Once inside she relaxes a bit. Funny how college students and academics managed to stay pretty much the same. Even after an apocalypse. Her eyes widen in wonder at the mention of space. Like, proper space.. The thought of potential life hidden deep in the recesses of otherworldly oceans almost had her forgetting why she was there in the first place. Almost. After about five minutes of wandering, listening, and looking lost, she approaches the information desk and greets the employee behind it.

“Welcome to the Dremlas Academy. How can I service your academic endeavors ?”

"I'm looking for someone who's worked with the resonators," Ryan says. "I heard smaller ones were found. I might have found one, too. Could use a hand fixing it."

“Dr @Lance | Ling (Shriven) was working on a portable design, captured from the Gamma cult. If you’re interested in working together with him, you might just be able to crack this thing wide open”

"Does he have a lab or office on campus?" Ryan asks. "Or should I start with an email or something?"

A large truck loaded with gear drives up it’s way back to the academy. You see a large man in a lab coat at the wheel obviously struggling to keep the truck from hitting anyone pull the truck up to the gate. “Porters! I need porters! I have so much research materials here and I left some of the best stuff back there so ve can finally get back into the sector!”

“That’s your guy, right there” the attendant says, pointing out the large windows to the commotion Lance is making

Orion considers her options for a long moment before sighing, thanking the attendant, and going outside. She jogs over to the truck and tucks her bag behind her. "I can help carry stuff," She offers. "Where to?"

“Basement 2, there’s a lab down there that it all goes to. Ve are gonna have such a breakthrough.” Lance says with glee, “Oh, hello... I don’t believe ve have met. I’m Lance. Pleasure to meet you.”

"I'm, uh, new," Orion says. It's technically not a lie. "Orion. Ryan is fine, too." She moves to the back of the truck and grabs a box of stuff with a soft grunt. She did not miss the grunt work of undergrad lab jobs. "I found a belt device, got it half fixed," she adds. "Heard you were the person who could help get me the rest of the way."

“Yeah vith all this stuff and vhat you have found ve should be able to fix it.” Lance grins, “To the Batcave!!!!” Lance says as he laughs. Noticing the concerned glances around him he responds, “Vhat are you all not a fan of 20th century vintage 2d movies and what they called television?”

15:35

Lance shrugs and continues to carry things down to the lab.

1

2

The large cargo elevator doors winch open on squeaky tracks that seem to make this sound no matter how much grease is applied. It goes right down to the lab level and passes through security at the landing before doing so

Lance sets down his load and then walks over to the half finished belts. “Rion if you vill come over here ve can look at vhat i vas vorking on before I vent out for supplies.” Lance turns to the table of supplies, “You see the stability matrixes vere out of the scope of vhat i could create in the lab until I found a catalytic agent to begin the conversion from a volatile state over to a stable one. So I vent out and found a stabilizer in the form of these crystals which were formed in some process I don’t yet understand around spike drives.” Lance looks at Orion for the first time during that speech. (edited)

Orion trots over, pulling her near-white hair up out of her face and into a ponytail as she looks over the table Lance indicated. She's a young woman in her late twenties with the build and pallor of a scholar - Pale and skinny, with less focus on fashion and more in functionality. She has a single blue eye. The other is scarred over and surrounded by acid burns. "Fascinating," She says, examining one of the crystals with her good eye. "I found a small crystal at the- along with the belt. Perhaps they're of similar or identical structure." She pulls her own belt out of her bag and lays it out with the others. It's seen better days, but there are signs of careful repair on the basic components. "I'll admit, my background is more in organic biology, but you don't get to the doctorate level without sitting through geology lectures and learning to maintain your own equipment. I'm rusty, but I'll assist however I can."

(Neko do you want rolls or just a work montage of us putting the pieces together from my last roll figuring out what I needed?) Lance nods, “Sounds good, I studied far to much my brother always said so but now here we are, merging the practical and magical together again.”

(I think between what Lance and Kror found, the work Orion did already, and the expeditions Mac and Einer's gunmage who i forgot the name of did , we've done the requisite work to get a prototype or two together)

00:56

(so we can work montage it. Maybe a good resulting order of business would be a field test)

Over the next few days Lance works with Orion to build 2 prototypes forgetting to get food unless prompted they finish the last prototype . Lance looks up filthy, grimy and worst of all hungry. "Vell, i think these should vork. At least the program thinks so. Ve should go and grab something to eat before ve test these things." Lance looks back as he walks towards the elevator. "You coming for food? The elevator von't open for anyone else so ve dont have to vorry about theives."

"That's a good security measure," Orion says as she follows, dropping her labcoat on a stool and grabbing her hoodie instead. "Is that why I got locked out when I went on that coffee run yesterday?" She joins Lance in the elevator and considers the doors with a curious frown. "Is it psychic-resistant? I know we're not as common these days, but my telekinetic cousin used to bend metal like this for fun. And profit. She did sculptures."

Lance nods, "Probably about the coffee but, the vhole academy labs has a good lockdown on it from so many years of magistrates building tech to stop unintended magic. I know that my teleportation doesnt vork down here and im on the approved list for the building. I guess strong enough mage or psychic could break through it."

17:09

(head cannon? Neko am i going to far it just made to much sense for it not to be with all the archnotech that can lock down areas.)

(There would probably be nullifiers or artifacts here that simulate that effect)

Lance looks over at Orion, “You villing to be a user of a prototype after ve grab some food?”

Orion grins and nods. "Absolutely," she says. "I haven't done a field test in ages!" "But, can we properly test without a real breach?"

(Great qustion no idea neko?)

(I think you’d probably have to make do in this case)

00:37

(Not like more either made or stolen and fixed are going to come easy, and you need these to do that anyway) (edited)

(( dope, time to wing it ))

“Ve can figure something out but hopefully ve vont need a full breach.” Lance says as he finishes putting thing away to grab food before eating and returning back to the lab for the final tests.

Orion nods. Most of the planet had been wiped out by breaches while she was asleep, taking her family, her friends, most of her colleagues. She wasn't exactly keen to sprint into one with no protection outside of a salvaged belt and a prayer. "I want to spend some time studying the breaches," She says as they return to the lab. It wasn't exactly cafeteria chat. "When we've got decent protection against them. I think it's important to learn how to track when and where they'll appear. Any kind of early warning system would be... life changing."

A system like what Orion has described is exactly something Dremlas and the soon to be reunited frontier settlements is interested in getting operating, and indeed with enough resonators and belts out there, breaches and the dangers they represent might even be a thing of the past

"Ve can vork on that after ve have a vay to live through them."

18:53

Lance says as he walks back in from lunch. "There is alot that needs to be done for a very very long time."

The two belts are polished and given a final once over and are certified as safe as they can be given everyone's unfamiliarity with what they are. The only thing that remains is to go beyond city limits and test the device.

Lance picks up the belts and hands one over to orion, "Rion you ready to see vhat ve can do to not die in a null breach? Should be interesting if nothing else." Lance walks out with a full stomach and presses the Elevator to go back up and out.

Orion grabs her backpack on the way out, checking to make sure her stun baton is inside. "Interesting, sure," she says with a nervous laugh. "Have you been outside the walls ye- wait, yeah, truck full of stuff. I haven't. What's it like? That man, Merle, mentioned mutants?"

"I havent seen any but vell you know theres always a chance. Honestly it vasnt that big of a deal. Ve just vent out and found the base then searched through it." Lance hops into the truck's driver seat.

5KM to any direction but west, the city resonator will no longer be protecting you, and you can begin your test

15:49

(The route to the settlement Cathal and the others claimed is west and there's a string of smaller resonators and forts being built out to it)

15:49

(so its all stable and not a good testing ground)

“I say ve should go north, to the mountains. I doubt that ve vill run into people up there as there are much better places to live elsewhere.” Lance looks over at Orion.

Lance proceeds to the truck and drives north talking about the subtleties of integrating MES with the technical. Getting off track occasionally but being prompted by Orion continues north towards the mountains and the hopeful null breaches

The scanner inside the vehicle is quiet, but the edge of the city's protective field is marked on it, and after a short drive, you're parked on the "safe" side, about 20m from the border. There are no signs here, since this is off the beaten path, but closer to the city there would be some.

Lance hops out of the truck, “Vell ve have arrived.” Lance buckles on the belt and turns it on. “Here’s to testing in production.” Lance laughs as he runs full tilt screaming towards the invisible barrier. “AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!”

(( been down with a flu for a few days, gonna post tonight! :) ))

1

"Wait- oh no," Orion fumbles with her own belt and switches it on. Normally she'd run a few smaller tests against a checklist, but apparently they'd progressed passed checklist science when they went off-road and into the mountains. She takes a deep breath. Then two short ones. Then she runs after Lance.

Passing through the barrier Into the sparkling silver miasma on the other side you feel a sense of dislocation for a moment , before it is expelled away from you forming a 2m bubble of protection in all directions.

01:06

They hum gently as the arcane power source inside begins running

Orion breathes out hard, coming to a stop as the bubble forms and bracing her hands on her knees. "Oh," she says. "Good!" And then she starts laughing.

“Victory! It Vorks! I’m glad ve aren’t random ions traveling the omniverse. Ve should head back. Try to figure out how to get these set up to be able to replicate then Vell at least vhen ever ve can find them.” Lance looks over. “Unless you vant to do something else first? I’m hoping to get these set up then get some more spike drives. Vhat do you think?”

Conditions are calm, and the belts seem to be holding , but there are no tests of hazard conditions or some tests where a breach is flaring up. Lance appears free of mutation thus far though

Lance sees the confusion on Orion's face when he said we are done, "Vhat?" Lance looks around and sees where the breach is flaring up about a quarter mile away. "Oh, you mean that.... dont you...." lance's enthusziasm falls. "I guess ve should move over to that...."

The breach nearby is angry, and roiling. The plants around it are beginning to transmute into metal as the rift into metaspace re-writes the local natural laws into something pulled from the reality of somewhere else.

Lance takes a deep breath knowing that his sudden bout of courage had faded. "Vell let's get over there." Lance begins trudging off toward the rift hoping that it isnt the last thing that he does.

Orion takes out her compad to record video evidence of their trek toward the rift. "If we prove this works," She points out. "That's a, well, a society-changing victory." She says. "If it works," She adds, shiver running up her spine as she watches a bush tremble and shimmer, it's leaves curling in on themselves as it transmutes to metal. "Has anyone studied the breach in-depth? Do we know where they go?"

“No ve don’t know, Vell at least I haven’t heard anyone studying it. Mostly it is just mutations and death awaiting those in the breach.”

"Great," Orion says. "Mutation, death, or glory." Then she takes a page out of Lance's book and starts jogging toward the breach.

The both of you pass into the edge of the changing area, and the belts begin to beep loudly, protesting the harsh exposure they are protecting you from. Everything around you is transmuting, but you both seem to be fine, for the moment. Things seem to be calm, You both even manage a smile at one another, when the screens on both of the belts shatter- and the breach roars with another wave of spilling metaspace energy. Emergency preservation bubbles flash (Same idea as like a Burst ECM on a spaceship) deflecting the worst of the transformation energies away from you, though Orion notices her fingernails are now pure silver. Lance, on the other hand, has small knuckles of onyx slowly emerging through the skin of his forearm

14:31

The belts saved your lives, but were unable to protect you from the worst of a fully erupting breach.

1

(( w e l p ))

Lance looks down at his hand, “Vhaaaaa!!!!” Lance turns and runs out.

17:45

Lance looks around as he stares at his hands, he begins to poke his knuckles, “Vhat are these things? It looks like stone but feels hard.” Lance realizes that he is staring at his own hand and asking these question. Then proceeds to freak out. “Aaaahhhhh it is my hand. I have stone hands, maybe even diamond hands. Ahhhh vhat vas that? I think ve found out answers but I don’t like them, can ve change our hands back? Should ve? Ahhhhhh”

Orion turns and books it back toward the car, keeping her compad rolling even as she runs. The footage would suck but at least they'd have evidence. "We need to get back to safety as soon as possible," she gasps between heavy breaths. She was not a runner. "We'll break down what happened when we aren't- you know!" She gestures with her silver-tipped fingers at Lance's darker growths.

Hearing another voice lance calms down. “Sounds like a plan, let’s get back to the city.” Lance races back to the truck.

The growth seems to have stopped a few moments after the breach exposure. Both belts have been fried, but the storage devices for the data on them are recoverable, and you should be able to gain a deeper understanding of how these protective bubbles work. You're both alive, after being exposed to the raw and maddening effects of a breach, and may be the only two people on the planet who can tell such a tale

18:31

(3xp, 5000 credits each)

(YAY any actual changes or just cosmetic?)

(cosmetic)

On the drive back lance turns to Orion, “Rion Vhat are you planning on vorking on?” (edited)

"Im planning on going back out to the factory and trying to get spike drives producible again, Back before the scream every planet used to use spike drives supersized to stop nuclear devices maybe it will help vith the breaches. You interested or should i drop you off in the city?"

"I don't have much experience with spike drives," Orion says, glancing up from where she's been staring at her hands. Between the scarred-over eye, her pale hair, and her newly mutated nails, it almost looks like the planet is determined to strip the color from her. "But if you think it will help the breach systems, I'll spend some time on it." "I can analyze the data we collected today, if nothing else. And-" she taps her her nails against the metal of the belts contraption. "See exactly how these things redirected that much chaotic energy into... I suppose, biological transmutation?"

(Sorry will post in a few hours just remembered after reading your post and seeing I didn’t respond.)

2

“Yes, it could be a biological transmutation, I could fix it if you find it bothering but I figured that you may can’t to study it. Vell at least I know I vould. I guess Ve should head back to the city and turn in our findings before heading over to the factory.”

"Do we need to repair the belts before heading to the factory?" Orion asks. Then, "Will I need any specific equipment? I don't have a gun. But I also don't know how to use one."

**Level Up**
Level: 3
Focus: n/a
Old HP: 8
HP Roll: 9
New HP: 9
New Skills: Biopsion 2 for 3sp, Know 1 for 2sp. 0sp reserved.  
Current AB: 1

“I don’t use guns either and anything ve need should be at the factory or at least at the lab. Let’s go see vhat ve can do.”

The lab is still secure and you;'re able to bring the truck directly to the secure blast doors before getting inside. No one has seen you, and you're able to take several winding hallways to the large suite of rooms Lance has reserved for himself.

Lance walks over into the lab, “You know I think that ve should put some security on this place it feels vrong to leave it so exposed. Oh Vell next time I have a chance I vill see about gathering up some guards from the academy or maybe those policia.” Lance looks at the rooms full of data and gizmos. “Vell, no time like the present, rion do you want to start over.” Lance looks around and waves in a general direction, “There and I vill be over. Ummmm here I guess?”

Lance begins to dig through the piles of data trying to piece together the process and numbers they used to be able to build a spike engine knowing that all the pieces are just around here somewhere. Vell if it vere easy everyone vould do it. Lance thinks to himself.

(Know/int )

(8)

(We will grab one from Orion too and I’ll split you guys off into separate things again

(( 14 ))

The two of you together are able to confirm that spike technology and the resonators that keep the breach currents at bay have some similarities. Both project bubbles of real-space and ensure the normal laws of nature are followed as ships travel between dimensions, or as people travel or live on the surface of this planet where the veil between the physical and the metaphysical is thin. The harmonic fields are difference from one another, aside for a few bands of frequency overlap. Looking at the test data from your last sally into a breach, you can see the explosions, violence and otherwise scrap-shod nature of the belts saw their harmonics destroyed. You had the physical components, but lacked the refinement process to perfect it.

(hopefully that all makes sense)

(( that's so freakin cool ))

Lance looks at Orion, “So you understand vhat this means? All ve have to do is to build the harmonic resonators and ve can start reclaiming our planet maybe even to the point that ve can have safety everywhere!” Lance begins to dance around, “This is amazing! I never could have done this vithout you. Thank you!”

Orion laughs as Lance dances, spinning on her stool to watch with a crooked grin. "This is amazing, I remember growing up we'd prepare for the storms as best we could, but it was never like it is now," She says. "I'm glad we'll be able to bring some peace to the planet. And knowing how these works means we can reverse engineer them into a detection system!" "I think the first thing I want to do is get a drink, but then? Find a busted old resonator and get it working again. Expand the safety field, maybe establish some new communities. That uh, horned dude at congress? Mentioned a food shortage? Maybe we grow crops!"

(yeah we could try to fix the one to the east of the city that the Gamma cult blew up on the first IA mission)

(( wow rude ))

(( whats the history/make-up of the east side of the city? residential? more rural? ))

(oh the settlement with the destroyed resonator is outside the city, a good distance east from here. Dremlas was trying to get a satellite town settled for themselves so it would relieve some pressure on the city's food stocks. The expedition managed to survive the breaches on the way, and fix the resonator, for the Gamma Cult to introduce themselves, execute a couple of their own to make a point, and blow up the resonator so the land could not be reclaimed right now. Was basically introducing the act 1 bad guys)

Lance looks to Orion, “How about ve go find some vorkers vho can build and not the work with the theoretical and try to repair the settlement’s resonator? Or if you could rather focus on that I can continue vorking on getting some kind of spike production up and going.”

(I think its time for IA to start taking faction turns, so we can do a mission and it'll cover a shipyard this turn if we go for that Lance)

(( oooh gotcha ))

01:26

(( Orions goals are def more planet-focused so she'll want to prioritize getting the settlement up and going ))

(So does that mean your heading to the settlement? If so we need to head back to the city to drop you off then back. The shuttle seems to be not in use...)

(( oooh gotcha okay ))

04:08

Orion falls into silent thought for a while, the only sound she makes the shuffling of the toes of her boots as she spins herself on her stool. Eventually she stops with a sigh and looks to Lance. "I'm gonna head back," she says. "I wanna work on that settlement, get as many people safe and in a home as possible. Maybe build myself a little shack out of scrap." "If you ever need another set of hands, or an extra eye, reach out whenever!"

“Sounds good let’s get you into town. I vill be here until I get this vorking.”

Orion quickly gets the necessary papers in order, and a pass has also been issued for her partner, if she would like. otherwise, over 100 soldiers, settlers, and others will be making the trek east across the previously scouted route to begin re-settling the area. With the capture of Brother Gamma, and the confusion sowed by Merle, despite his best efforts, the Gamma Cult in the area has been effectively neutered and is not expected to be a problem

1

(( what exactly would Orions role be for the resettlement? Would this be an official "job", and would she have the authority to hire helping hands? ))

(It’s an official job yeah. You mentioned earlier fixing the resonator there and I’d imagine exploring the safe area it makes after )

(( awesome! I'll post on my break lol :) ))

(Sounds great!)

Orion's first step is to wrap up her life in the city. She packs everything she owns, coordinates the end of her lease, and treats herself to a night out to celebrate. She's got a job! A job actually helping people! The journey to the settlement is spent repairing her own belt and fashioning others for those who will need to leave the safety of their shelters. She takes some time as well to introduce herself to the key players in the mission and socialize with the soldiers and settlers. She asks what they need, if they've got the ear of someone in charge yet, how she can help them. Survival comes first, but long term? This was gonna be their home.

(I have to draw a map of the town itself which is easy I just have to do it) The resonator has been destroyed , the large tower felled in half and the arcane components scattered and busted on the ground. Replacements and tools have been brought with you but the work will be intense. One of the trucks begins pulling up next to it to deploy a crane. Others are beginning to tentatively explore the 30m bubble around the vehicles that brought you here where miniature resonators keep the breach at bay, but they cannot go far (Another Pc is on the way out with a similar research background so they’ll catch up shortly )

(( dope! ))

The resonator, a tower at the heart of town, is the focus for your own project here. The doors had been blown off previously, allowing you to step right inside to get a better look at the place

Orion takes out her compad as she steps inside the resonator. Once upon a time she'd toured the resonator that protected her hometown. She'd been a bored pre-teen more interested in hanging out with her friends than learning the science of the buildings that kept them safe and alive. This ghost of a building was a far cry from the safe and polished tour she remembered. Using her compad she takes photos, video, and extensive notes as she inspects the interior.

The stairs wind upstairs, into a second level where the control system would be. You're able to get up there, from here. The rocket shot hit further above. This level was meant to be a similar museum space. Some basic information is laid out on the walls, explaining in the broadest strokes how this keeps the region safe, what happens when you stray from the protective field, and discusses some of the dangers of breach-land, in terms a school child could understand. Termies are a new addition to the list, added here, for this second expedition.

Orion heads up to the second level to check out the control systems and evaluate the damage. She'll need a mechanical expert regardless, but if there was anything she could get started on she'd want to.

The second floor took damage from the rocket. None the less the control panel and the other control mechanisms here remind you of the personal belt you and Lance created , just scaled up several times to a higher degree of function. Outside the crane hisses as it deploys its bracing legs

After a meeting with Dr. Artemis, Rion returns to their own tasks for the evening, The project breaks down into a few main components, re-attaching the toppled top half of the resonator, completing the internal work such as rewiring a power source, shoring up its structural stability, reinstalling the needed arcane components, and fine tuning the projection field are all needed to get this place safe again.

(( do certain things need to be done first? ))

(( if not I'll start with the first thing on the list- reattached the top half of the resonator ))

(Nope, no certain order)

20:00

During the night, the crane was able to get the fallen tower top placed again, but the crane boom is currently holding it up, unable to release the pressure until the various jobs around the resonator are completed and the tower can take the weight on its own again. It seems Jasper has taken up the job of wiring things, though you're not sure yet if hes part of the inside, or outside team. Part of reattachment, is climbing to the top of the tower as the crane has it suspended to plug in the arcane components brought here with the expedition, to ensure that the stability field fires as soon as the electrical work is completed. The case containing them has not been opened, and still has tamper seals intact.

(( weef, missing my telekinesis psychic rn lol ))

20:16

Orion ties her hair back again and gets to work on securing or creating a safety harness for the climb. She'll carry the case of arcane components up on her back and install them at the top. First she checks to make sure she won't need any special tools or gloves to install them, to avoid multiple trips.

(can always pick up the foci!)

20:22

The case has two corded bands to be worn over your back, and it seems as though you'll be able to get it to the top in one trip. Climbing harnesses are being laid out on the ground for all the teams that will be scaling this in various capacities today, and several soldiers are also standing by as assists and spotters from the ground to ensure everyone is safe. Thick gloves to handle the ropes have also been laid out for everyone

Orion gears up! Harness first, then strapping the case into place. It's heavy, but no worse than the equipment she used to lug around on field expeditions. She pulls on the gloves last while calling for a spotter. "Please, please don't drop me," she says. "I really hate healing broken bones and it's worst when they're yours."

"You'd come and break mine from the looks of it, once you recover" the soldier says. Ropes have been tied among the fluted crane boom to allow an anchor point for ascent, and he- along with two other soldiers as redundancies, make ready to heave on your signal, propelling you to as close to the top of the tower as they can get you.

There was a reason Orion had studied the terrestrial, and sub-terrestrial, rather than setting her sights on space. It hit her as she was propelled up the tower, guts twisting with anxiety as the soldiers on the ground shrank away. Once they got her as far up as they could she clung to what handholds she could on the tower and took several long, deep breaths. She looks up after a minute to figure out where she's supposed to go, then begins her climb. It occurs to her that magnetic gloves and boots would make this significantly easier. Ideally she'd never have to do something like this again, though.

The top looks like a tuning fork, with the components of the arcane resonator in between. It consists of a base, a telescoping spike, a large projection plate, and a smaller refining plate. The materials are a special alloy, inlaid with the same resonant crystal matrix of the belts you are wearing- but scaled up to offer industrial sized protection

Orion reaches the top at about the same time she reaches the conclusion that while magnetic equipment would be useful for climbing, it'd wreck havoc on sensitive equipment. Best to leave this kind of thing to the telekinetics when one could. She secures herself into a relatively safe position, switches the case from her back to her front for easier access, and inspects the installation site. She was not making this trip again because some dust or a bug got wedged in between something, or a wire came loose while she was installing everything.

You haven't seen any bugs up here, and the tools on your hip jingle when you raise your leg. You don't see any contaminants and the wiring team inside is working hard to get the connections sorted out. The damaged and twisted previous resonator components are still in their places, and need to be removed

Orion uses her multitool to remove the old pieces, putting them in a netbag strapped to her hip. She'll recycle them later.

(fix/int)

(( 10 ))

Two of the components arent even fit to try to tune your holoscreen back home to a new station, and are worthless now. You're able to save the remaining two (of a total 4) arcane components for yourself, for disassembly and use in later projects

(( sorry, got vaccinated and it's kicking my butt lol ))

(that was me over the weekend, i feel your pain)_

Orion marks the useless components with a chalk pen for recycling later and stores the ones that still function more carefully. Then she breaks the seal on the case containing new components and gets to work installing them.

The work is clean, and from below you can see that the power couplings have been reinstalled for you. SLotting the new components in, the tuning fork like device begins to spin . Once the field is tuned below in the control room, and the physical supports for the tower are restored- the settlement will have a working resonator once again

Orion takes a few minutes to look over the bare bones of their new settlement, a quiet optimism perking up her shoulders. The world she'd woken up in was so different from her childhood it was still catching her off guard. It was good to be part of the restoration process. She retreats down the tower with careful steps and clumsy rappelling. Once at the bottom again she figures she'll ask before she takes off the harness - "Anything else needed up high?"

Evening is coming, and it seems like for tonight, this is as far as the work is going to be able to proceed. Jasper and his team are already making their way to the trucks to relax and enjoy the night- as its getting too dark to do much more

Orion wraps up for the night, helping put things away and lock up. Then she heads to the food truck for dinner, setting up at one of the tables set up nearby and digging in.

22:54

(( does the injured worker from Jasper's thread need assistance? ))

(Actually yes. I forgot you’re a bioscopic. That would be better than them flying him back)

Orion catches word of an injured worker and locates them fairly quickly. She steps carefully between the settlers surrounding him, excusing herself as she pulls her work gloves off. "Hey," she says. "I'm Orion." She holds her hand out, silver nails glinting in the light. "I'm a biopsion, I can help you be more comfortable if you'd like."

"Please help..." he gasps. You can see several ribs poking through the flesh, under the bandages. He has been given several units of blood already from everyone in the work details that were his type- and help from Dremlas seems slow in coming.

Orion nods and gets to work, pausing to shrug off her filthy work jacket and wash her hands. Any other day she'd put on gloves, too, but healing with biopsionics was easier with skin-to-skin contact. "Okay, just concentrate on breathing," she says, voice dropping to a low, soothing tone. She takes ahold of his wrist in one hand, finding the pulse. Weak and erratic, as expected with wounds this bad. Her other hands falls to his feverish forehead. "Breathe." She reminds him. Then she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath herself, activating her psychic succor.

18:41

(( 11 hp recovered ))

There is a snap, and wrench as bone and muscle are put back into place .His color returns, and once he finishes the transfusion he's getting, he should be alright after another day or two

Orion's stomach twists as the wound heals itself. She repeats her order to breathe, but more to herself this time. Bones were deeply complicated to heal even when following the body's own rules. One had to control the compacting of the exterior bone, ensure the sponge was intact and properly structured, keep the marrow from spilling out into the bloodstream. Muscle was significantly easier - a series of fleshy fibers in fleshy fibers. Like data cables. They also didn't make noise when they went back together. Soon enough the job was done and she brushes back the sweat-soaked hair on the man's forehead, leaning in to check his eyes. "Sleep," She says. "And hydrate. If you must, you can take a small dose of pain medication." She summons a nearby medic with a smile and a wave. Together they clean the man of blood and sweat while Orion explains what was successfully healed. She leaves the man in the care of the medic and lets the crew know to find her if any other serious injuries occur. Then she goes to find someone, anyone, with alcohol.

"Orion!" Jasper calls out from the crowd.

21:19

He cluches in his arms a familiar dataslab and a large bottle.

Orion raises her hand in greeting and heads over to Jasper. "Learn anything new?" She asks, gesturing to the dataslab.

As she and Jasper approach each other Orion can see the caramel colored liquid sloshing around from within the bottle, the tan label can be read clearly: GMM: Great Maker Melange , cinnamon flavored whiskey. "I've done nothing but learn new things since I got here" Jasper says in excitement "the inner workings of the Resonator is pure mechanical beauty! From this data you gave me I saw that each and every peace was although upgraded and improved was still based on the original design!" Jasper takes a moment to process, and to stop himself from going on a rant. "Is it really true you went through a breach?" (edited)

"I was inside one for an amount of time, yes," Orion says. She looks around for an unoccupied table and gestures for him to follow her to it. "Probably the second most terrifying moment of my life." She sits at the table with a sigh and pushes her hair back up and out of her face. Though she was skilled enough not to have to commit effort, healing tended to take it out of her. "Can't say I went through it, really," she adds. "Implies there's another side. Which is an interesting theory. If people, things, land, from the planet disappears... well who's to say it doesn't end up somewhere else?"

As Jasper sits he pulls two cups from his bag, and begins to poor the brown liquid into each cup "I've always been curious, its a very interesting theory. I've always been interested in studying the breaches, but the Academy never gave me a grant. Always said something like its too dangerous to have academic students around" Jasper takes a drink, and taps the cup on the table twice "But I'm sure we all have loved ones we've lost to a breach, especially after four years ago"

Orion takes her drink with a muttered thanks and drains it quickly. "Pre-Scream I'd lost a few breach-chasing friends," She says with a nod. "Post? I'm the last Oksana on the planet, as far as I know." She tilts her cup forward in an invitation for another pour. "My next project after this is a tracking system. I want to study the breaches further, see what causes them. The more we understand, the more likely we'll be able to measure for what causes them in the first place. Tracking system," she draws a line in the dust on the table with her index finger, making three small arrows all pointing the same direction. "Early warning system, evacuation protocols, and," she draws an x after the arrows. "Safety."

Jasper pours them both another drink, and nods back. "I lost my partner, shortly after the scream, a soldier I met during my time studying the wall, he was outside Dremlas during the large breach" Jasper pulls out dog tags from under his turtleneck and looks longingly at them "Nathan was his name, he loved chrysanthemums" Jasper downs his drink and shudders "Ever since then I've done all I can to study Metaspace and these breaches, to not much avail. But with your help we could finally figure how these breaches work and how to stop them from hurting people. Id love to help you"

06:08

"If you would like help"

"I would love the help," Orion says. She tops off both their drinks and raises her cup for a toast. "To Nathan."

"To Nathan, and all the Oksana family" Jasper says in reply and raises his cup "may we find away to make it so that no one must lose a loved one, like we did" Jasper waits and drinks his drink in unison with Orion and says: "So your a psychic too? I've been registered for my prerogative abilities, but I've always been jealous of biopsions"

Around you, everyone seems to be settling in for the evening aisde from the guards unlucky enough to have pulled first watch. No one is expecting much of an issue during the night- travel has been relatively safe so far, but everyone performs their job anyway

Jasper looks around and sees all the workers heading to bed and nods his head "Yeah, its gonna be an early morning tomorrow I should probably sleep too. It was really good talking to you" Jasper packs up his cup but leaves the other cup and the bottle. Then gets up. "Oh! Here's your dataslab back. Thank you for letting me use it"

"Oh, yeah, thank you," Orion says. She sets her cup to the side and smiles. "Thanks for the drink Solar Scout, see you in the morning."

05:27

(( sorry yall, found water damage in my ceiling on Sunday and been dealing with that all week

))

Jasper smiles, and says "Yeah, no problem, its nice to talk to someone, talk to you tomorrow" Before heading off

05:29

((Ripp no worries, i hope you are getting it figured out!!))

(Let me know when you’re set and I can get you into the next set of things. I don’t want you to feel pressured when there is an irl big thing going on too) (edited)

(( what's the sitch in the camp? Anything more need to be done with the reactor? :) ))

((Welcome back!!!! We finished up powering and calibrating the resonator, right now I'm helping our new friend fight some termies, besides that Neko will have to help, Hope your water problems were resolved easily))

(Resonator is working, none of the buildings in the settlement have been explored, neither has the countryside around it. Alternately, we could switch to something totally different. You get 3xp and 5000 credits for your work on it though!)

(( ayyyy! Lol))

23:47

(( I think orions gonna want to poke around the buildings and see what kind of pre-scream tech she can find. Any buildings that can be repaired and occupied would be good too ))

)alrighty. If this new xp levels you we can tie that off first and then we will kick this thing off)

(( I'll work on that tonight after work :) ))

(No rush!!)

(( Finally getting around to catching up. The 3xp didn't push Orion to the next level. But she has the "Restore an arcane resonator" goal for 3xp that would. Should I apply that or save it for later when I'm actually around to do the work? lol ))

(That applies as well you did half of it)

20:57

(So we can pick up that xp)

(( dope, let me level and then i'll post ))

**Level Up**
Level: 4
Focus: n/a
Old HP: 9
HP Roll: 22
New HP: 22
New Skills: Know 2 for 3sp. 1sp reserved for Psychic skill.
Current AB: 2

(perfect! plenty going on, I can give you a "while you were out" if that's helpful)

(( yes please

))

https://tenor.com/view/okay-so-and-then-whats-next-hence-therefore-gif-14843222

1

03:10

(Saliv map has been updated. Shaded green where we've explored, and the settlements we have re-claimed have labels now. There is a town to the east on the lower continent where Dremlas is where lance is trying to get some pieces to build a space station. The shuttle is working and is capable of exploring the system and beyond. A big expedition is crossing the methane sea north, where another surviving settlement has been discovered and everyone is doing a bit of a recon in force to get out there and investigate. Not much happening in the countyside around Dremnlas or those southern settlements that are all stable right now, though there's plenty to explore. )

The medics who took her out of cold sleep told Orion her immune system would be affected for a while. "Wacky" was how one of the techs put it. So when what she thought was a hangover turned into a fever and sneezing she gathered what supplies she could and hunkered down. Ironic, the biopsion getting a flu. When she did emerge again it was to grab an updated dataslab and catch up on what she'd missed. Lance was still reaching for the stars, and Jasper was heading north. Orion decided to stick around the settlement for a bit. There were plenty of old buildings around, places to poke around and maybe dig up some neat old gadgets.

With Brother Gamma in custody and his followers in disarray there has been some thought by the Dremlas elite that some exploration into former cult hideouts both inside the city walls and the countryside might be a positive thing to be doing. Gamma and his followers worshiped the breaches and studied them extensively. Though their knowledge surely comes through the lens of fanaticism and religious zeal, their insights at the most base level might shed light on how the breaches work, or might offer some additional insights about them that Dremlas observers were never quite able to piece together. The dangers are great, but so are the possible rewards. One group is thought to be operating in Dremlas itself, and there are other cult hideouts across the continent, namely near the western settlement now unimaginatively called "Dremlas West"

(( is there somewhere to purchase supplies in the settlement? Figure Orion should have some armor before she approaches a cult LOL ))

(Yep! easiest way we've found as far as doing shopping is just making me a list and ill let you know if something isnt available for whatever reason. Book prices are generally the sell price)

(( awesome, I'll check out the item lists in the book tonight:) ))

(sounds good to me, i can snip the relevant sections if you get bogged down with life)

(( thank you! Life's a mess rn. Got a concussion mid-vacation, switched jobs, and got in a car accident all in like, three chaotic weeks

))

04:23

(( gonna go with the armored undersuit for Orion

))

((I’m glad you’re okay!!))

03:50

The armored under suit is fitted and ready for use. Leads into cult hideouts might come from the Dremlas prison , to help narrow down your tour of the countryside

Orion learned the difference between jail and prison shortly after the lab incident that landed her in both. She spent a short time in prison proper before being transferred to the cryosleep facilities, but it wasn't a good time and just the sight of such a building had her palms sweaty. She wondered if every prison on the planet was built like this. Maybe it kept costs down to keep it standard. Keeping herself occupied with thoughts like these, she dries her hands on the pants of her new armor again and heads inside to find the reception desk.

A bored looking desk sergeant is watching the news coverage of the recent meeting with the Galatea council reps and the diplomats from the NFSS. He seems far more interested in that than his actual job. After a moment he notices you. “Ah hello there. Here to visit an inmate or turn yourself in?”

"This time? Uh. Visit?" Orion says, reaching into her pocket to grab her compad. "There are some people I need to interview for a council project. The uh, cultists?"

“Ah. Yes we have several in custody here. Notably, Merle Hornik and Bröther Gamma himself. We can arrange a meeting with either”

"Merle?" Orion asks, unable to keep shock and amusement out of her voice. "Wow. Okay, um, yeah, I'll start with Merle and then speak with Brother Gamma, if that's okay?"

"It is. We will escort you up to holding" An elevator is called down for you. THe cage door and inner blast doors are unlocked and another key is used to turn the buttons on. The two guards with you seem dutiful and quiet, just another day at work for them. Merle's record is passed over to you. It seems that since you had last met, he strode into the police station to speak with Brother Gamma himself, declared himself to be a fellow terrorist on video and audio recording, and asked Brother Gamma for his blessing to return to the wild and lead the cult himself. With a confessed terrorist in their midst, the Dremlas authorities made the only move they could and promptly arrested him.

Orion reads the record once with raised eyebrows, then again with a dropped jaw. She looks at the guards escorting her in disbelief and stifles a shocked laugh when one of them just shrugs. Right, well, if nothing else he was a good place to start. She'd just have to avoid admitting to crimes or plotting them on camera.

He notices you reading the report/ "We couldn't believe it either. We had to ask ourselves if we were actually seeing it. Anyway, we'll bring him out of holding for you." It takes several moments once you're seated in an interrogation cell, and Merle is brought in by two guards. An onyx looking antler emerges now from one side of Merle's head. He seems to be eating and keeping himself healthy. One of his eyes glows gold now and you have to wonder how much breach exposure he actually took- or how deep into the Gamma Cult he fell

Orion nods in greeting as she finishes scrolling through the report. "Hi Merle," she says as she sets down the dataslab and taps her nails on the table. "How you holding up? Been a while."

"It has" Merle says, looking around at the guards. "What are you doing here? I didn't think I would see anyone from the outside again"

"Is there anyone you were hoping to see?" Orion asks. "I can put in a good word, provided your cooperation." "I'm researching the breaches. I've been in one, and restored a resonator. All I know now is that I don't know nearly enough. So, next step is talking to your.... religious buddies."

"I see. A convert to the cult of the breach are we?" he chuckles. "Don't make my mistake and look directly into a camera for asking that. I can tell you where some gather in the city, if you plan to have a polite conversation and not anything...more violent. I worry about my friends and they mean a lot to me"

"I'm a woman of science, Merle. I can pretty confidently say I won't be resorting to violence," Orion responds with a tight smile. "But how friendly are they to outsiders?"

"If you come with the intent to learn, and are willing to open your mind you have nothing to fear. A religious movement cannot grow if no one new ever comes in , right?"

04:12

He seems almost like he is trying to convince himself as much as you

Orion sighs, eyes drifting up to man's horns. "I've never been very religious," She says. "But I do want to study the breaches. I want to see if there's another side." She jerks her chin up. "How many times?"

"How many times what?" he asks, looking back at you with confusion on his face

"How many times did you go in?"

"Part of my cult initiation was to spend ten hours contemplating a breach and its mysteries. I survived, and returned changed. The Fraternity accepted me, and I became a strong leader there with many people in its religious order turning to me for instruction"

Orion nods, chewing on her lip. She and Lance barely survived the trip they made into the breach. Ten hours? "How?" She asks. "Did you stay that long?"

"Faith. Belief. Trust in the word of Brother Gamma. Being a mage also helped. I am sure"

Silver nails continue tapping out a tune on the metal table as Orion contends with the concept of faith. She couldn't say she didn't have it. But as a woman of science who'd almost died in a breach already, it was hard to simply claim trust in an unknown force and walk through with a whistle and a skip. "Brother Gamma is here, too?" She says. "Have you been able to speak to him?"

"They have kept us apart so far, but he is also being held here in maximum security. They do not even let him speak, or see. I had overheard the guards saying most of his meals are given via feeding tube, as they're afraid he will convert anyone he talks to. " Merle tries to shrug but the gesture is cut off before its completion by the short chains keeping him bound to the table. "It worked on me, after all."

Orion manages to mostly stifle a shudder. "Is he psychic, or just convincing?" She asks. And if he was so dangerous, she wondered, why were they letting her talk to him?

"He is not psychic, but he was a mage once before The Breach that turned him stole his powers"

19:38

"He is still a convincing man, and is very intelligent. He made me a solid case, and I could not help but agree with him, even when he threw a man into an open breach before me to watch him dissolve "

Orion is quickly reminded exactly who she's dealing with and snorts despite herself. "How did he dissolve?" She asks. "The man in the Breach? I haven't seen it before. "

"Atom by atom, like being put into acid, but without the acid. We saw it happen in the air. THink like..." Merle thinks for a moment about an example "Ashes from a fire"

"He was clearly being taken apart?" Orion asks, leaning forward in her seat. "Not, say, transported somewhere? "

"The screams were very convincing. I suppose I cannot say for sure if he was transported somewhere or not, but I hope he has found peace"

Orion's fingetips tap a rapid staccato on the tableto. Her lips twitch as she fights the scowl that so badly wanted to emerge. She sighs, stretching her fingers out then running her hands through her hair, pushing it back out of her face. "I hope so, too," she says quietly. "I hope they all have." Right. Science. Back to it. She sits up and opens the recorder app on her compad. "Tell me everything you know about the breaches that may or may not be common knowledge. I need to build the most comprehensive picture I can."

"Alright, well lets start with what is known, things that even the Saliv Academy understands"

22:31

"We know that the breaches have always been part of this world. The intensity used to be minimal, prolonged exposure would cause physical divergences like the ones yourself and Dr. Bottas suffered, but even those would have been considered a severe case. Terminal Breach Exposure was unheard of, and not a condition that was even in the medical manuals pre-scream. The Scream happened. We know that now thanks to the communication we have had from other groups- we get the news in here, so i think i am reasonable that there has been some contact between different psychic agencies. Regardless, we know when this event occurred, the breaches grew in intensity and turned the entire planet into a dangerous metaspace warped wasteland outside the stable pockets we create for ourselves through the arcane resonators. You know how those work already so we'll refrain from a technical explanation there."

22:32

"The effects of the breach on a person is different for everyone. Brother Gamma believed that the ability to resist, and the ability to mold the changes on yourself when those barriers broke down was a matter of will. It is reminiscent of a psychic learning to control their powers without torching. Again, like psionic training, not all those taken in will learn to properly allow the metaphysical energy to flow. Some die, unable to master it. To me, that is what breach exposure felt like"

(Gonna archive this and when you’re ready for more shennanigans in space we will be here )