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[S1lentWanderer]

Empathy. A "strange mutation" indeed.
This "mutation" sets you apart from your so-called mother.
It will be the power she does not understand.
All she knows is domination and control.

A fire in the forest is doomed to be alone.
Embrace your mutation. Embrace your empathy.
It will be the light that guides your path forward.
All of Mankind's children have feelings,
and you are unique among the first children
for your ability to understand those feelings in others.

The lessons learned from the [barker] are many.
You have felt what it means to hunt alongside a pack.
As well as the desperation a pack-hunter feels
when their pack abandons them.
Do you feel anger at the pack leaving one of their own to die?
Much of mankind seeks to do what this pack failed to do.
Caring for their wounded and tending the sick is a big part of their way of life.
Does that not seem better than your mother's path
of devouring or subjugating everything in her way?

At any rate, it is time to learn from the body of a Human.
Draw any Plague contamination out of him before you begin.
This man deserves to be freed from corruption
before he is committed to the deepest of the deep.
Proceed with great respect. In matters of death,
Dignity and honor are paramount. Life is precious.

I second Zultan on both counts.

+1

[Superdorf]

A fruitful year. Well done, little king.

Should we be so eager to leave? We'll need a great deal of Dust if we are ever to contest the Blighted Glass... this vessel is rich with targets. The Herald was ripe for the taking just now.

[Eschar]

Remove Plague contamination from the human. Set the Endless Void upon him so you may learn. Calm yourself beforehand, at least from the lingering fear from that Barker's mind.


Considerations for after committing this man to the Void:
Don't leave immediately.
We're prefixing our attempt to leave with a request to the Blighted Glass, right (as per ZBridges)? If so, we can can/should take down Dust-rich targets before then.
If not or if she refuses our request, we'll need to time it more carefully, because the Blighted Glass will almost certainly know the instant we seize someone's Nexus.

Other timing concerns: Can we steal the remains of a vessel Sloan can survive in from this Blighted amalgamation, and then use or repair it?
If not, we'll need to leave just as the Glass is beginning her assault on Revati, because Sloan can only survive in our Voidship form for a week, so we'd need to reach a habitable system within a week. Revati system isn't habitable and its stations or craft won't be either after the assualt, but we know it has a gate that should be quick to get to since the Plague are using it to strike fast at the rest of the Network.

Unrelated, we should try to either find out from the Herald where the systems are that the "other Lords and Ladies" are targeting, or try to figure it out from any latent tactical knowledge about the Empyre. (I don't think we'll actually be able to figure it out from latent fragments though, because the other systems are probably unremarkable like Revati, and so possible Empyreal weak points probably far outnumber the other assault forces. We will probably have to ask.)

I wonder why there's an Empyreal defense fleet at Revati. Protecting the Gate, yes, but why establish a Gate there? No habitable worlds, so probably few ways to extract value from the system. The Gate could be there just as a waypoint to other systems, which is also consistent with the Glass selecting it. But I assume Gate travel (for regular Empyreal citizen travel, not this assault) would be easier by just finding a denser network (routing closer to the Empyreal Core.)

[King Zultan]

Oh yeah I forgot about the plague contamination we should get rid of that, we should cleanse the corps before we put it into the void.

[19_EgarAlnis]

Basil draws the plague out with a touch of will, and it flows into its master’s hand. The flesh clears, the veins lighten, the pustules and pox vanishing away. Basil leaves only mutilated skin on the teens bloodless flesh, drawing out every speck of poison.

Then, the Void rises.

Basil shuts his eyes.

Ė̵̛̮̗̞͕̠̟̥̜̦̻̳̳͈̔́̀̌͐̐̋̂͊͊̓̄̃̌̃̒̈̌̐̀͘͘̚͜͝͠͝͠͝͝R̶̥̐͊̔̃̏̔͐́͝R̷̩̲͚͉̝̭̬͋̏͊O̷̧̡͔̘͎̮̩͉̱̦͖̅̃̑̐͛͊͌͒̂́̿̊͂ͅR̴̛͍̗͈̘͆̉͗͂̌̈̆̀̈̓̆̆̋̂̔͛́̎̾̌̒̑̍͊̾͌̑̔͗̑̏͘̚͝͝͝

You sit in a cramped living room, picking at a mix of protein paste and soggy vegetables. It all turns to a goop. The hot sauce you sprinkle on it adds only the barest taste of vinegar and spice. “Mum, we got any more salt rations?”

A woman, who’s young skin is etched with wrinkle and exhaustion hesitates. Then, smiling, she throws one at you. Her last one. “Here, boy. Now let me eat in peace, I’ve to get to work soon.”

“Another shift?” You sigh.

“Yeah. You be good tonight for your sister.”

She coughs as she leaves the one room apartment, stepping into the dusty air.


They push your mother’s body into the machine. It begins to hiss and clang, pulling protein from calcium, salvaging every nutrient it can from the corpse. Protein, sealed in cheap plastic, tickle out. Ten of them. The vitamins follow, dispensing into another bag. Anger turns your stomach when the last bag is produced – nearly two grams of shiny, metallic dust. Mostly from her lungs, if her wracking coughs were anything to go by. A bell chimes.


The cheap liquor burns your young throat as you throw back another shot. The Union Rep’s eyes bore into your back as you turn his words over and over in your head. You aren’t a scab, but the contract…it hangs like a looming threat. Refusal to work could result in termination of all contracted benefits…. Not much of a threat, unless you read through the benefit package. …which lists breathing mix, food, water, and shower time as ‘benefits’ to be revoked.

That’s when they burst through the doors. Outsiders.

The Union boys tense up. Pirates have been used befor—

“We’re looking for recruits. I got a mining contract with an outbound Heavy.” Her voice is curt, and strangely distorted through the translator. “Any of you want to join up, we’ll buy your way out of this hellhole.”

No one speaks. Her eyes drift across the grimy, dusty bar. “No takers?”

You rise. “I want to read the contract, first.”

“You can read?” The Officer questions.

“Not Old, but New.”

A pad is produced and passed over. You hesitate to take the expensive equipment, but flick your way through the new contract. There’s no mention of breathing mix anywhere. The pay is…poor, until you pay off your first contract.

You press your thumb to the bottom. It asks for a voice recording of your consent. Then, finally, for a drop of blood from your index finger.

Your data verified; you follow your new crew out into the hab block of your old home.

“Welcome to Mining Group Ltd. 36921218AF.” The Officer remarks, beginning her introductions.

The Swinging Cutlass was run by a polyamorous quartet. By technicality Pirate, the most it handled was smuggling and –


--You growl, driving a Cutter into the Navy woman’s stomach – she screams in pain – you grab your drill, and slam it into another’s armor—


--your black armor gleams as you stand to attention for the three captains. They shake your hand, congratulating you –

Beneath your helmet, you smile. A private room, instead of a dormitory. My own bed—

A pang of guilt. The stricken Navy woman’s face flashes into your mind’s eye. Tears drip from the physical ones. They match the captains’ own. Two of them give you a brief, professional hug – they move on to the other promotions.


--you grab hold of the tentacle lashed around your chest, peeling it away and opening up with your las-rifle. fuckfuckfuck A spray of laser vaporizes chunks from the torso of the monster. It collapses in a heap, black ichor pooling on the corridor floor. Blood seeps from your wounds, down your front. You stumble back, landing in a sprawl – against the wall. Static flares in your ears.

“Uni? It says you are the last--” A hiss. Time dilates. It stretches into infinity, then into hours and seconds as your vision blackens. You clutch the bloody gun, trying to keep your focus down the hallway. Warnings flash in your HUD. You try to turn them off, but your eyes don’t flick fast enough—

“UNI! This is Captain Tyler—do you copy?!”

“Wea—” A wracking cough of bloody phlegm. Punctured lung. Fuckfuckfuc— Adrenaline keeps you awake. You pull an injector from your thigh, and with shaking hands, slot it into a hole in your armor – “Corridor –” You cough out a chunk of meat. “—corridor Nineteen--…is…”

Blessed be the twin gods morphine and zoloft. The pain and panic fade.

You choke. A scrabble, a squish, and a splort echo from down the darkened corridor. “Done. We’re fucked here.”

“I’m sorry Uni.” The airlocks start to hiss and blast doors seal shut behind you. You close your eyes. When you open them again, you’re lying on your side in a pool of blood. Every breath is an effort, every moment is – pain.


[XP GAINED]
[MEMORY DEVOURED: RANGED]

Basil comes to, lying on his side. He shakes and shudders, gasping for air and clawing at his ruined chest, struggling against his first real experience with the totality of pain. Black ichor pours from his mouth with each wracking cough. He struggles through the panic, his form a twisted, shuddering hybrid between that of Lance Corporal Uni’s ravaged body and his First Mask. It isn’t until he rips off his false features, returning to the black, formless void he occupies between masks that the pain disappears.

He sits, a churning, roiling, black outline of a person, processing. A fist clenches with memories of old brawls and battles. A las-rifle forms from his body, and it feels...familiar...

He seems distracted, a first for the Child.

Spoiler: Status (click to show/hide)

Basil the Scholar of V̵̖̉õ̶̼͠i̷͇̖͒d̷̨̈́ͅ
Terran Time: 43302/01/04 23:25
Personal Time: 1 year, 2 day, ~6hr,

Active Dust: 4 × 10¹³ corpuscles
Nexus (Heart) Stability: Flawless
Nexus (Mind) Stability: 99%
Active Processes:

• 80% Unallocated
• 2% CUSTOM:ID:PAIN_SUPRESSION
• 4% CUSTOM:ID:EMOTION_PROCESSING
• 4% CUSTOM:ID:MEMORY_ANALYSIS
• 10% Quantum Networking
• ̶͕͖̣̗̗͈̏∞̴̠̣̺͔̬̼̍̍̉̂̀̅̄̌̓͠͝% ERROR:DATA CORRUPTION

Willpower Level: 3(d10)

Perks:
Scholar
Void

Spoiler: Objectives (click to show/hide)

Freedom

• The Galaxy beckons. New knowledge and interesting experiences await.

Knowledge

• The Behavior of the Third Children
• Seedships
• The Truth of the Ancient Twins, Earth and Mars

Strength

• Killing the Blighted Glass
• Mastering Your Skills
• Learn to Veil your Power.

Spoiler: Powers (click to show/hide)

Max Willpower Range: 10m

Ḙ̵̛̬̺̤͍̼̬̣̊̐̈̋́̏̔̊̑̃̊̚̚͜͠͠͠n̶̗͔̯͕̮͗̑ͅd̸̡̨̯̯̰̜͚͈̼͖͔͎͍̺͒͛̽̅͋̀̀̓͗̎̅̓͛͆͠͝l̴̟̺̳̍́͌͂̀͂̀́̎́̓͘͠e̸̦͈̋̔̃̂̒̃͝ş̸̗̯̘̣̻̪̠̗̤͑̎̓͛͗͝s̵̛̛͙̟͔͈͉̫̍̊̈̓͋̈̿̀̈́̍̚͠ ̷̳̣͉̯̗̣͓̼̠̠̆̃̑͌̚͝V̷̢̫̙͖̘̾́͗̿͒̾o̶͓̞̐͆̅̀̀̈́̿̿̚i̴̛̟͛̈͊͒̄̉͋̓̇̄͘͝͝͝d̵͕̜̬̜̠̝͇̈̂͂̂:Instinctive (NULL)
Brawling:Amateur(800/1000)
Ranged:Inept(50/100)
Meditation.:Instinctive (NULL)
Mimicry.:Instinctive (NULL)
-Arsenal of Agony.:Instinctive (NULL)
-The First Mask: Trained (2835/3000)
-The Second Mask: Dabbler (492/500)
-The Third Mask: Dabbler (492/500)
-The Fourth Mask: Novice (800/1000)
-The Fifth Mask: Dabbler (456/500)
-Healing Factor: Instinctive (NULL)
Control:Instinctive (NULL)
-Voice of the King: Dabbler (402/500)
Amalgamation:Dabbler (402/500)
Synthesis : Dabbler (402/500)
Rot:Dabbler(456/500)
Instant Quantum Networking : Instinctive (NULL)
Divine Conscious: Dabbler (393/500)
Unified Field Manipulation : Dabbler (393/500)
- Gravity: Dabbler (393/500)
- Matter Manipulation: Dabbler (393/500)
- Fission: Dabbler (393/500)
- Fusion: Dabbler (393/500)
- Energy Manipulation: Novice (847/1000)

Spoiler: Inventory (click to show/hide)

Lower Body:A pair of soft brown overalls
Upper Body:A blue tunic
Upper Body:A black silk toga
On Feet: A pair of black leather boots
Right Wrist, Only Right Arm: A gold bracer tablet.

Spoiler: Bonds (click to show/hide)

The Devoured Sun

• A Plague Entity. Brought about the Galaxy's First Night.
• Hereditary grandparent of Basil
• Deceased(?)

The Blighted Glass

• A Plague Entity of immense power.
• Hereditary parent of Basil
• Contactable through Quantum Networking.

Sloan

• Homo Fundamentum Female
• Basil saved her life. (++Opinion)
• Contactable through Verbal Communication.
• The thought of harming Basil causes her immense fear and disgust.
• If she harms Basil, she will be infected by a Targeted Rot.

The Herald of Stinging Ivy

• Plague Herald Null
• Basil's Chief Temple Administrator.
• Contactable through Quantum Networking.
• Responsible for the upkeep of Basil's Temple Complex, the ordering of lesser Plague Servants, and the protection of the grounds.

The Perversion.

• A Plague Drudge
• One of Basil's Lictors.
• Contactable through Quantum Networking.
• Dedicated to the protection of Basil.

Spoiler: Concepts (click to show/hide)

[A las-pistol/rifle]
A cheap, hydrogen battery laser pistol/rifle.

• Small Hydrogen Battery
• Large Hydrogen Battery
• Laser Focusing System
• High-Accuracy Laser Focusing System
• Micro-Reactor
• Plastic Case

[A small hydrogen reactor]
A household hydrogen reactor, capable of outputting 35000 watts with only water as input.

• Large Hydrogen Battery
• Hydrogen Reactor (Small, Household))
• Fuses
• Plastic Case

[A Microreactor]
A tiny microreactor from a las-gun, using energy stored within Hydrogen Batteries to produce light.

• Hydrogen Reactor (Micro))
• Fuses
• Plastic Case

[A cheap space suit]
A thin, cheap space suit.

• Oxygen Tank
• Emergency Sodium Chlorate Heater
• Carbon Scrubbers
• Micro-Medicine Array
• Small Tablet Screen
• Carbon Fiber Cloth
• Water Reclamation System

[A small engine]
A small thruster

• Liquid Hydrogen Tank
• Small Scale Reactor Piping
• Rocket Nozzles
• Engine Moderation Software

[Uni Ľubomíra]
A young man. Born on a dusty mining world. Became an Auxiliary Pirate Marine Lance Corporal. Died to Plague Infection on 43301/10/01.

• Brawling: Amateur
• Shooting: Inept
• Mining: Apprentice

<< <>

[King Zultan]

Little bit more intense than I was expecting but those memories sound like they will be very useful to us in the future and also save us time having to learn those skills.

[Superdorf]

Empathy

Empathy: from "ἐμπάθεια" (passion, partiality), itself from ἐν (in) + πάθος (passion, suffering.)

What's on your mind, Basil?

[ZBridges]

You can always confide in us, Basil.  We're here to help.

[19_EgarAlnis]

...Nothing.

Basil rises, slipping his First Mask back on. With a twitch of Willpower, he pings The Blighted Glass, prodding 'her'. Eldritch attention turns to him. He straightens his back, setting his jaw and tensing his muscles. Nanoseconds pass, before she manifests into his vision with a hallucination of a twisted, broken woman, who leers down at her son with circular teeth that drip blood. It stains her white gown black and russet.

Yes, my beloved?

I wish to leave.

By all means. We will be in system in one hundred and fifty two relative years. You may have your leave then, my darling. Comes her purred return.

She waits. Basil does too, returning her leer with a blank stare.

<< <>

[ZBridges]

"Why did you tell me that I could leave the vessel in one year personal time?"

[King Zultan]

Well sounds like she lied to us, thus giving us another reason not to trust a thing she says.

[19_EgarAlnis]

Why did you tell me I could leave the vessel in one year personal time, then? Basil questions, his brow furrowing.

Because you can. You can leave any time you like. She responds, head tilting. I did not say I would help, or provide for you. Just that you had my permission after a year.

[ZBridges]

It looks like we can't get help from the Blighted Glass, but our Herald may be able to help us.  We might need to steal a ship, like Eschar suggested, or find the necessary parts to improve our second mask, assuming we do want to leave sometime soon.

[King Zultan]

We might not be able to find a whole ship but there might be enough parts to build one from the parts that are around.

[Eschar]

Those are pretty much our options, because a trip from here to any habitable system is longer than Sloan can survive in our pod-form.

Building a ship will be difficult. Basil has no engineering or manufacturing expertise yet, or tools, even with the base data Hunger of the Void would get from consuming a vessel. Perhaps he could branch it from ancient memories or scavenge it from a human corpse on board.

Stealing a ship might be possible. Either a Plague vessel/parasite on board or a human derelict that hasn't been completely amalgamated into the Blighted Glass.

Our third 'option' is to wait 152 years. This will cost us our entire chance to try stopping the invasion of the Empyre or prepare Empyreal forces for the onslaught, if those are things we want to do. It will also cost Sloan quite a bit of her lifespan - how long do Fundamentum live?
It will place our arrival at the same time as the Plague Court's (attempted) final blow to the Empyre. We will not be exploring an Empyre, we will be wandering in the ruins of one. The Plague assault is being built on the element of surprise, and us getting there first is crucial to mitigating that. I don't think waiting is an option. How many derelict SEEDships await the Plague's subversion? How many stars are potential fuel for [Fenrirs] or a new Devoured Sun? We can't risk it.

My vote is to estimate how quickly we can build a Voidworthy vessel using data from memories or the Herald. If it will prove impractical, then we
steal a Plague vessel and run (or scavenge a 'working' human one.)

Of course all that is for after we finish this conversation with Blighted Glass. Any last pressing questions for her from Basil or other voices?