Psychic Ability (not-so-mini) Mini Update (Which may end up been longer than the full update, but oh well)
Is it possible to disrupt Vanguard communication, example just by broadcasting junk data?
Is there a reason why the two other Slinkar commanders didn't attend beside racial prejudice?
You tell the gathered to meet tomorrow for your tie breaker vote. The gathered agree and leave to get back to what they were doing.
As you make your way back to your makeshift accommodation, you start thinking about ways to disrupt the Vanguards communications. The trouble is, you dont know how they work, and without any of their captured, in tact, technology, you wouldnt be able to do anything significant.
You think you may be able to rig up a portable jammer the size of a small vehicle that would flood all known ways of communicating with junk and/or try and disrupt everything from simple radios to advanced super-speed comms units as used. You give it more thought and eventually come up with a design you think will work.
Unfortunately, when you come to build it, you find you dont have the materials available. And the supply raiders who attack the Vanguard positions and vehicle depots for parts and supplies aren't due back for a few days, if indeed they do come back.
Your mind then wonders towards the Slinkar commanders. You decide that the best way would be to hunt down Kaleetra and ask her.
You find her happily eating a rather large warthog like animal skewered on a long, strong stick, a look of utter contentment on her face. She notices you approach. She offers you a bit of the meat, knowing now that your bodies digestive system works best on meat-heavy diets and think you were visiting due to hunger.
You realise you are pretty hungry, and accept, taking a still raw leg off of the dead beast, your mouth starting to water despite been partially repulsed by the raw meat. You take a big bite, your sharp teeth making short work of the flesh. It tastes good and you happily tuck in. Once you finish your portion, you ask Kaleetra about what you originally came for.
"Kaleetra, is there any reason why the Slinkar commanders didnt come to the meeting? Their input would be nice. They are, after all, pretty important to this fight."
Kaleetra is quite for a moment looking deep in thought, chewing a piece of meat. She eventually swallows and answers.
"From what they told me, they do not trust you or the Vat-Born and they despise the Morey. I think you need to earn their trust some how. We Slinkar are not very trusting creatures. In fact, i am an exception. I am far more amicable than my compatriots.
To earn their trust, you have to prove yourself. I am not sure how they would want you to prove yourself though."
'
Interesting' You think.
'So i need to earn their trust. Makes sense. But how?' Your thoughts start to fill with ways to earn their trust, but you just cant seem to think of a way to do it. You hardly think the Slinkar themselves will tell you.
**
What is the range of our possession? Is the effect lost if it moves outside that range after initial possession? Is our own or the possessed body's perspective used for further possessions and range?
What can we possess? Insects? Plants? Any machines? Do we have tech to make a possessable interface for tech?
*
were you able to control yourself while possessing?
Did Talli notice? Do they care? Did the subject's brain-friends notice?
*
see how much work you can do while possessing a person, whether you can hop from a possessed body to another, and whether you can see their memories.
Your mind drifts back to your developing psychic abilities. You really want to test them out, but you need someone to test them with. You then have an idea. Your turn towards Kaleetra, still eating her meal and humming happily, with the occasional endearing chirrup of happiness coming from her. She has to be the most laid back Slinkar you've ever met. Mind you, she is probably also the only Slinkar who doesn't hate you.
"Kaleetra....erm....can i talk to you about something? Sorry for interrupting again...." You ask.
Kaleetra stops eating and looks at you, seeming to sense something different.
"Of course. What do you need?""Thanks! But first, i have to have you promise what we talk about here stays between us, OK?"
Kaleetra gives you a curious yet intense look, as if analysing you.
"I will. Whatever it is seems important, and you can trust me, Pandora, you know that." What she says is true. She is one of only a handful of Slinkar that fight alongside the Vat-Born. She's saved you more times than you can count from been discovered during the early days of the campaign, her extensive military experience been useful.
"I....I have psychic powers."
Kaleetra's eyebrows raise, her delicate mandibles situated beisde her mouth clicking in surprise. She looks at you, again seemingly analysing you.
"As surprising as that is, i take it that is not the entirety of what you want to tell me?"You shake your head. "No, it isn't. You see, I havent had much of a chance to test them. I played a little prank on two of my brood sisters the other night, taking possession of one...." Kaleetra's eyebrows raise even further, so much so you are worried they'll disappear into her hairline.
"Possession? Total possession?""Yea, i think so. I could move her body and operate pretty normally inside of her."
"Fascinating.....How can I help?""I would like to test a few things. Can I talk posession of animals and insects? Plants? Possibly machines? I'd also like to test range and also see if I can daisy chain posessions."
Kaleetra nods. Her eyes then snap back onto you.
"You would like to try and use me for this. That's why you are asking me?"Again, you nod. "May I?"
Kaleetra is silent for a few minutes, deep in thought. Eventually nods her head.
You focus on her, trying to do the same thing you did the other night. You make the lights appear, and then you focus on Kaleetra's. It begins to flash, each time Kaleetra winces slightly, until you feel the familiar feeling across your body. Suddenly, your consciousness enters Kaleetra. You gasp. It felt different, possibly something to do with cross-species control. The gasp was most certainly in Kaleetra's voice, so the possession was a success.
You open your, well Kaleetra's, eyes and looks down at yourself. You find it disorientating been so tall, well over your more familiar six foot height.
First, you try moving, which is far harder when you have six legs. You trip and fall a couple of times, but eventually you get the hang of it. You get familiar with Kaleetra's body. It is powerful and sturdy. But that is not the purpose of this experiment.
You focus on a small animal in a tree near you. You can see the light above its head. You focus, trying to take possession of it. You cant. You try multiple times, but all fail. It seems you cannot daisy chain possessions. You cannot really decide if that is a good or bad thing. On the one had, you cannot easily infiltrate places, on the other, the management that would come with controlling so many bodies would be extremely taxing.
Turning to something easier, you try moving your own body whilst inside Kaleetra. You mentally signal to your body to sit down on the log you were using when eating. There is a slight lag before your body obediently moves and sits on the log. It then starts doing what you would like to refer to as idle movements, as if you were sitting there thinking. You dont think anyone would know your not mentally in there from just looking. Interesting.
Lastly, you decide to test range. You start walking around the camp, acting like Kaleetra. At some points, you think you are as far away as three hundred metres, at some of the outer outposts set up around the camp, yet you feel no strain. Eventually, after an hour or so wandering about, you return to where your body is.
You then start feeling strange, as if you are very tired. Through Kaleetra's eyes, you can see your body is swaying, as if a combination of exhaustion and alcohol is taking effect. Panicking, you quickly leave Kaleetra's head and return to your body. As quickly as it came, the exhaustion left, however you do feel very tired and very hungry.
Kaleetra shakes her head.
"That was an experience.....I could still see through my eyes, and it still felt like i was in control, but at the same time i knew i was not in control of my actions. It was strange, yet interestingly enjoyable.""I definitely learn't some things from that experiment. Now to do one or two more."
You try possessing a plant, starting with a tree. You manage it. You feel your leaves rustle in the wind, your roots penetrating deep into the ground. Your seeds been fertilised by various animals and other plants. You feel flexible yet solid. A bastion of nature in the forest.
You, somewhat reluctantly, return to your body. You then try with animals and insects. Each time you tried, starting with one of those little warthog type creatures to insects and birds, you succeeded. Yet you also temporarily took on mental characteristics of the animals you possessed.
Insects made you compulsive, your thoughts whirring past at high speed. Animals gave you a range of emotions. When you possessed a female lynx type cat creature, you felt the need to mate and attract males, then you possessed a male Warthog-creature, you felt the aggression and territorial protectiveness one would expect. You also relished combat.
And, now that you think about it, when you were in Kaleetra's head, you were also laid back and very Kaleetra-like. Interesting.
You finally notice that the light you have found is needed to enable possession does not appear over any mechanical objects. You deduce that the light must be some sort of soul-like thing, which machines dont have.
"So, did you lean what you wanted to learn?" Kaleetra asks.
"Almost. Just a few more things left." You say, contacting Talli.
'Hey Talli, have you noticed anything over the last few hours? Any changes in my mental state?""Hello Pandora. Everything seems normal and has done all day. Why? Is something wrong?"'
Oh, no. Just asking. I felt a little funny earlier on. Carry on, then.'
"As you wish." Talli says, going back to whatever it does in the background of your mind.
"Kaleetra, could i take control of your body one last time? Also, would it be OK if i tried to access your memories?"
"My memories?....." She says, seemingly caught off guard. She fidgets slightly.
"I consent, however try to not intrude too deeply." She smiles as you open your mouth to say you would never compromise her privacy knowingly.
"I know what you are going to say, and I know you'd never do anything to hurt me intentionally, but this is your first time doing this. Just be careful, OK?"You nod.
After taking possession on Kaleetra's body again, you try to carefully probe her memories. Unfortunately, you cannot seem to do it. You try again, and again you cannot do it. On the third try, you get glimpses of what you assume to be Kaleetra's childhood, but you get nothing else. You continue to try, but still you only get small glimpses and short memories that dont hold anything of significant importance.
Disappointed, you pull out.
"I couldnt get anything but minor memories even you probably dont remember." You say. "And it seemed to be mostly random. I had no control over what i saw. I either need more practice, or memory reading doesn't work like i think it does."
"Hmm. Unfortunate. We can try to improve your skill together every so often, if you'd like?""I'd like that. Thanks for your help Kaleetra". You say, genuinely thankful.
Kaleetra smiles and waves as she walks off back to her accommodation. It is getting dark.
((Right, thats it for this not-so-mini update. You can start to post again now. Also, for the next main update that will either be later tonight or tomorrow morning, please put together a list (in bold writing for ease of reading) of what you want to do.
Thanks in advance, and enjoy!))
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Topic: (SG) Starfire: War and Politics - Enemies Old and New - UPDATE 03/07/2014 (Read 87550 times)