I just ran across this song and I had to share it here.
https://youtu.be/Phzp3eY1U8k
((Heh. That's so cute, I love it.))
Do any of the weapons smell edible?
Well, they don't really smell like the things you
usually eat, but... you
did pretty much devour Graad whole yesterday, including his bones, clothes, implants... Perhaps your body can digest (or at least tolerate) more things than you realise. In one of your dreams you were eating shiny rocks, so maybe you're supposed to do that?
We should give her the 75 credits to get the working data pad. We should also ask her for help ordering/making a new saddlebag to compliment our existing one. Hide the weapons somewhere in the clinic and ask if we can live/work with her for the foreseeable future.
Maybe we should try finding and ordering a gift of some kind for Ali.
+1 for everything except hiding the weapons in the clinic. Eiwhyl told us they are illegal and specifically told us to either dump them or hide them away from the clinic
+1 I don't think we should dump the weapons. They're small enough that we can carry them concealed if we need to. They might be useful.
If Eiwhyl says we can stay, we should spend our new free time exploring, looking for a better place to store stuff. As well as just exploring to see what's there.
+1 we also need to learn how to use the tablet
You give Eiwhyl 75 credits and she goes to work on the datapad. She operates on the machine as expertly as she operates on her patients, methodically and without error. It is impressive how someone whose hands are almost as thick and unsuitable for fine tasks as yours can manipulate tools with such skill. Perhaps you'll be able to do so too, one day.
Items lost: 75 creditsIn the end she's disassembled the datapad to the point where its green plastic-bones and the colorful wire-guts connecting them are all exposed. She reaches into a square organ with a pair of needle-nose pliers and removes a thin black square which she calls a "datacard" (she explains it's something that contains the memories of the datapad) and places it in a larger dark sleeve. She picks up a battered old thing from a pile of discarded datapads on her desk, checks something on it with a few button presses and then slides the datacard into a slot near its bottom.
She activates the datapad, its screen filling with a pleasant monochrome red and black. You watch as she presses buttons, screens appearing and disappearing too quickly for you to understand more than a few scattered words. Finally the screen blinks red and a large box appears with some words in it: "C-O-N-T-E-N-T E-N-C-"
"It's no good. The files are encrypted." Eiwhyl says, cutting off your attempt to read the words.
"Encrypted?""Scrambled.""Scrambled?"Eiwhyl sighs and shakes her head.
"Transformed so that one may not read them without permission."That sounds weird. Why would one write something that can't be read? How can it understand if you have permission?
"How? Why?""Look, imagine its contents are written in a unique language, created just for this datacard. In order to decrypt them, to translate that language into something understandable, you need a special key."Hm. Nothing is ever easy.
"Way to read?""Besides finding the key?"She looks like she's about to say 'None', but she stops, the breath leaving her mouth as a sigh without forming words. She is thoughtful for a few moments before speaking again.
"A slicer might be able to slice through the encryption and decrypt the files.""Where slicer?""...I'll see what I can do. But no promises."Items gained: Basic Datapad (contains datacard with encrypted files)Eiwhyl shows you how to remove and insert the datacard, in case you ever want to read other datacards. She also spends some time showing you the bare minimum needed to operate the datapad. She shows you how to navigate its various screens and utilize some basic functions. A very useful function is its ability to tell you the time. A less useful function is the ability to write things in it (why would you ever need to do that?). She also shows you how you can use a wire to connect this datapad to other machines to transfer words and pictures and other things, which she demonstrates by transferring the images of your last scan to it. Some of those other things can be beneficial, enhancing the functionality of the datapad by, for example, allowing it to calculate large numbers, however others can be malicious, hurting it, making it sick or turning it against you. She warns you to never connect with anyone you do not trust and never keep something on it without being prepared for the possibility of others reading it. There are things that can be used to make your datapad better able to defend itself, but like everything these tend to cost credits. She also hints at the possibility to talk to other machines without having to be close to them, through something called the holonet, but she refuses to explain more or show you how to do so.
"Practice with this one first. Don't bite off more than you can chew."You grunt. She shouldn't underestimate you. You can chew a whole lot.
Still, if it is possible to talk to other machines from afar...
"Datapad sends words to Ali?""No, this model is not equipped with a comlink. They're really expensive.""How much?"Eiwhyl thinks about it for a second, doing the calculations in her head.
"Well, about 250 for a comlink that can cut through the grey and about 1000 for proper encryption so no random sniffers can listen in. Add to that about 1250 credits more if you want a datapad and communicator that can transfer voice and images. Times two because Ali would need one as well, it comes down to about 5000 credits. And even then you'd only be able to communicate with her when you're a few floors away from her and maybe when you can see the tower from outside, if you're lucky and the grey isn't too thick at the time. You'd need at least twice as much to get any decent range from it."Wow. That's really expensive. That's more credits than you've ever seen. No wonder people rely on public communication consoles to call the security force. Still, 500 for two comlinks might be expensive but you can afford it. If it can help Ali reach you whenever she needs anything and vice versa, then it would be very helpful, wouldn't it? Not to mention how happy that would make her. On the other hand, you can always just go visit her whenever her parents are not around. Maybe those credits would be better spent on something else?
...
After a while Eiwhyl gets up and gets ready to continue her daily routine. As she's about to open the door and exit her room, you grab her attention.
"Eiwhyl?"She pauses.
"Yes?""Can I live here?"She turns around to face you.
"Why? Don't you have a place to stay?""No."Eiwhyl thinks about it for a couple of seconds, then shrugs.
"Sure, I guess. But! Don't make a mess, don't mess with my stuff and don't mess with my sleep. If you do, you're out of here. Got that?""Yes.""Good. You can stay in the storage room. I'll see about setting up a mattress or something."That doesn't sound so good. You look around. Her room is nice and warm and smells lived-in, safe. You wouldn't dislike sleeping here.
"Stay this room?" you ask.
"Ha. No way, this is my room."You whine and swish your tail.
"I said 'No'." she says and points to the now open door.
You whine in protest but acquiesce and exit the room with her.
You make your way to the storage room to take a look around. After a while Eiwhyl comes and helps you set up a spare mattress. You spend some time investigating the area, dragging the mattress this way and that, trying to find the best spot for it. This place is not as good as Ali's room. The machines here make noises, whirring and bubbling and occasionally beeping, it reminds you of sleeping in the maintenance tunnels. The temperature is not that great either, it's not a problem but you'd have preferred it to be somewhat warmer. At least the mattress is good, nice and soft and warm. And the walls keep the wind and the noise of the outside away. But the most important thing is that this is a safe place. It's so much easier to sleep deeply when you don't have to keep your senses on edge all the time.
When you're satisfied, you curl up on the mattress to take a quick nap. As you lie there, you think about the past and the future. You feel that what you did was good, right, correct. The one that dared enter your territory and mess with your Eiwhyl had to be punished. Perhaps if you had interfered sooner, you could had stopped Eiwhyl from being so sad but if you had done so, you would be putting her life at risk. Better scarred and alive than a pristine corpse.
Then there was Iseng'ela... Not helping her must have been the right choice. She's not yours, helping her would just cost you and put you into more danger without any kind of reward. But perhaps you did help her, indirectly. With Graad dead she might be able to live free from him and his friends. What she does with that freedom, whether or not she's able to survive, that will be her choice. Then again, they might pursue her even harder with him gone. If they catch her, could she lead more of them back here? Hm. If she does, then you'll just have to defend this place. This is your territory. You are stronger than them. You won't let them scare you away or take what is yours.
But even you must recognize there are forces you can't yet compete with. From what you understand the security force lays a claim to all places as its territory. That stretches it thin, makes it unable to maintain its hold to any one place in this vast city. But should you openly challenge it, then it will pursue you with power you cannot hope to defeat. Maybe one day you'll be strong enough. Maybe if you amass more wealth and treasures, more knowledge of how their world works, more territory, more people who accept you...
It is risky. You know that. It cost you Ali. Your home. The first safe place you ever knew. It was not unexpected. Deep down you knew her parents wouldn't let you stay forever. Even if they had, their rules wouldn't. You can't stay trapped there with so little food, so few things to see, to do, to have. But still, the loss hurts. Perhaps you should had fought harder. Perhaps you could had reasoned with them. Maybe there is more you can do. You'll have to think about it.
Your final thoughts before drifting to sleep are about you yourself. Your body. Your dreams. What you are was not that important in the past, what mattered was the present, but now... There is nobody here quite like you. Nobody knows anything about what you are. Nobody knows how you are changing, how you are going to change, how your body is going to react. Even if you disregard the danger of those unknowns harming you or catching you off guard, there's always the chance there's something you're missing, something that is holding you back, keeping you from becoming more. The memories of your hatching still burn brightly. Perhaps it would be of worth to follow them, to search for the past that led you here and through it discover your potential future. Or perhaps the answer lies in your dreams. They were always interesting, even helpful, but these last ones... In them you saw things that you've never seen before. Hunting unknown prey. Running from shadowy enemies. Strange worlds of caves and forests and great blue skies. They teach you things. Maybe in time, they'll teach you more. If only you knew what dreams were. If only you could somehow... gain more. Yes... More... always... good...
...
With you no longer having to worry about getting back home on time, Eiwhyl has extended your working hours. Fortunately, even with the increased responsibility she has given you, there is some empty time here after you finish your chores, times when you are just staying awake, waiting for something to happen. Unfortunately, there's not that much you can fill your time with. Eiwhyl doesn't have a holovision installed, so you can't watch things. Talking with the patients is hard when they are sleeping or trying to sleep (none of the current ones are nocturnal, unfortunately). You try to find things to do, but none of them are really fun. Practicing reading labels in the storage room. Practicing walking around on two legs (suddenly it feels a lot easier). Trying to decipher the various lights and noises the machines make. The datapad was interesting for a while, messing with all the little menus and trying to read them, changing a light here or a colour there, but after a while it run out of things to do. Maybe you could ask Eiwhyl to give you one of those things she's always reading.
You check the clock. It's time. With your shift done, it's time for Eiwhyl to take over. But as you approach the door, you have a better idea. Ali always loves it when you hug her while she sleeps. She makes pleasant noises and pets you. If you hug Eiwhyl while she sleeps then surely she'll love it too. She'll see that you sleeping in the same room as her is a great privilege and ask you to stay. Yes. Another expansion of your territory. What a perfect plan!
You press the button and the door slides open. Eiwhyl shifts in her bed but it doesn't look like the noise woke her up. You very slowly and quietly walk closer. She's lying on her back, half covered by a sheet, snoring slightly, her hand still softly touching the datapad beside her pillow. You've never seen her so relaxed. Never seen that expression on her face. In the past she'd wake up for the slightest noise, run out to see if you needed help. If she's sleeping so deeply... perhaps you working for her grants her the same peace you feel while sleeping here, the safety that gives you a deep sleep. And now you'll make her feel even better.
You carefully get on her bed, very slowly putting your weight on it. You then lie down and extend one of your wings over her, covering her like a blanket. Finally you gently nuzzle her cheek (making sure to avoid the jagged edge of her broken horn) and lick her a couple of times. She smiles and makes a pleasant noise. Success! Then her hand reaches up and pets your head, the motion slowing down until it stops. And then with a gasp her eyes are wide open and she grabs you like a vice.
As you're running out of her room, dodging a pillow and the shouting accompanying it, you come to the conclusion that this is not a territory you'll be claiming anytime soon.
End of Chapter 4: Territory...minutes the remotes concluded the standard search pattern and were all recovered.
The search proved fruitless. We did not find anyone suspicious enough to arrest and none of the Gran residents we interviewed were willing to admit they were the ones who notified the security force. It might be that they are afraid of retribution, the Crosstalk gang has been known to operate in the area and they might consider this killing to be gang related. However, I'm not as certain. Gangs don't make messes like these. They either leave the bodies out in the open, to send a message or they do things so cleanly you never know what happened. It is this officer's opinion that whoever did this was an amateur: they killed messily and only later realized they had to hide the body. That or there were two killers, one brutal and impulsive, the other organized and willing to help cover up the first one's actions.
The brutality of the crime points to a personal motive for the murder, however all valuables had been removed by the bodies. I'm unsure if that shows that the murderer also had a need for credits or if it was merely a poor attempt to misdirect us, making us think that the killing was opportunistic instead of personal.
An interesting fact is that while there is blood from three victims, only two were recovered from the bottom of the shaft. With the amount of blood found, I doubt that it could belong to the killer, however its absence could be significant. Perhaps that body was the one most likely to lead us to the killer. Someone they knew personally or someone who would be easily recognized. We are still trying to understand how they could had dragged an entire body out of there without leaving any trace or how they could move through the shaft without using any of the obvious exits.
We will continue to analyze the evidence recovered and await any missing person reports that could shed light to the identity of the victims but as much as it pains me to say so, without more evidence there is not much we can do. Overall, there are too many unknowns. I fear that we may come across more victims soon, someone with this murderer's temperament will likely find it hard to...
Fame: 7+15=22: How prominent you are in the public's attention
Notoriety: 10+30=40: The public perception of your actions and the threat you pose
Fear: 17+30=47: The public perception of your power and abilities
((Next chapter starts tomorrow or the day after that, probably. Actions I got for the timeskip are explore, find hiding place, learn stuff. If you wanna change/add/remove anything about that, now's the time.))
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Topic: Surviving in an Alien World [Suggestion Game] (Read 106909 times)