Unity grin--making sure not to show their teeth--as Scarlett and Genius greet the group. "Sorry we didn't drop by earlier, but... as you can imagine, discovering what was days for you was years for your home has been a bit much." "And sorry that part of why we're here is work, but it is good to see you."
They trot up to the pair. "Things have changed here, too," they comment, looking around three ways at the farm.
"We missed you all terribly," says Scarlett. "Part of Genius's training is in holding back her telepathic abilities, which have grown more powerful since you've been away. We'll be using speech unless telepathy is necessary."
Genius smiles and nods trying not to think too much LOVEJOYLOVE at you.
"I'm training for World XII TAROT," said Genius grabbing at some of the treats as she says, "Zellgato told me too ... I mean, well, A Zellgato. Different one. Older than you."
"Charles," Scarlett starts.
"They are Unity now," Phade corrects.
Scarlett nods, "Ah. I was going to say it's much easier to ignore you now. You're more cohesive."
Nissa’s glad the thinking happy thoughts worked because she still feels that LOVEJOYLOVE vibe coming from the ki—
Hey, waaaaait a minnit, Genius. Are you LOVEJOYLOVin’ us for the same reason I happythoughted you just now?
—to cover up an unhappy thought?
Although always eager to see Scarlet's georgeous body, Theo instead opts to stay at Boston Theoretical. The last few weeks..have shook the godling to his core. The Olympian often walks the corridors, seemingly in deep thought. One of the computer tech accidentally walked in on Theo praying to Zeus in one of the often underused conference rooms.
"Yes, we've got ourself more put together now. More unified by acknowledging our different parts, you might say," Unity state with a grin.
"Just... not trying to be something that we aren't helps a lot, we think," they add. "Acknowledging that Charles died like all the other creatures PhDestruction murdered to make us, that we're someone different even though we have his memories..." "...And accepting that, no matter how horrible the process to create us, there are a number of advantages to being us." "It wasn't pleasant, but it helped."
"But we're not here for us." "Though we should definitely get out here more often, if it doesn't bother you. Part of really accepting who we are now has involved realizing how much we don't really like being in cities or vehicles all the time."
Genius smiles and nods trying not to think too much LOVEJOYLOVE at you."I'm training for World XII TAROT," said Genius grabbing at some of the treats as she says, "Zellgato told me too ... I mean, well, A Zellgato. Different one. Older than you."
"I'm glad, it sounds like a good plan. Be sure to learn self defense as well. Physical, not just mental. Take it slow." Zellgato pats her on the head, "There are many of Zellgato. But if you meet one you can't read, walks with a left sided limp, and smiles wide. Stay away from that one.
"How has Security been here Scarlett? I assume you've been briefed on the tactis of our guest's cohorts?"
Although always eager to see Scarlet's georgeous body, Theo instead opts to stay at Boston Theoretical. The last few weeks..have shook the godling to his core. The Olympian often walks the corridors, seemingly in deep thought. One of the computer tech accidentally walked in on Theo praying to Zeus in one of the often underused conference rooms.
"You know," says the embarrassed tech, "We have a holographic skin projector in the chapel. You could probably find a holographic Greek temple to ... you know ... pray in."
Nissa’s glad the thinking happy thoughts worked because she still feels that LOVEJOYLOVE vibe coming from the ki—
Hey, waaaaait a minnit, Genius. Are you LOVEJOYLOVin’ us for the same reason I happythoughted you just now?
—to cover up an unhappy thought?
[i]"I'm not allowed to think at you but it's hard for me not to,"[/b] she says.
Scarlett starts to turn her head to look at Genius.
"HAAPPYJOYJOYHAPPYHAPPY," thinks Genius trying to cover up her thoughts with feelings.
"Yes, we've got ourself more put together now. More unified by acknowledging our different parts, you might say," Unity state with a grin.
"Just... not trying to be something that we aren't helps a lot, we think," they add. "Acknowledging that Charles died like all the other creatures PhDestruction murdered to make us, that we're someone different even though we have his memories..." "...And accepting that, no matter how horrible the process to create us, there are a number of advantages to being us." "It wasn't pleasant, but it helped."
"But we're not here for us." "Though we should definitely get out here more often, if it doesn't bother you. Part of really accepting who we are now has involved realizing how much we don't really like being in cities or vehicles all the time."
"You might like the woods," says Scarlett gesturing to a fairly dense and dark wooded area at the back of the land.
Genius smiles and nods trying not to think too much LOVEJOYLOVE at you."I'm training for World XII TAROT," said Genius grabbing at some of the treats as she says, "Zellgato told me too ... I mean, well, A Zellgato. Different one. Older than you."
"I'm glad, it sounds like a good plan. Be sure to learn self defense as well. Physical, not just mental. Take it slow." Zellgato pats her on the head, "There are many of Zellgato. But if you meet one you can't read, walks with a left sided limp, and smiles wide. Stay away from that one.
"How has Security been here Scarlett? I assume you've been briefed on the tactis of our guest's cohorts?"
"Yep," says Scarlett. "It might take some time to get all set up. Why don't you go see the horses and come inside in half an hour or so?"
Nissa turns to Scarlet. What if Genius and I talk somewhere, so she can get her thoughts out by putting them in words? I mean, look at me—I’m a fairy. Do you know how badly I wanted to accidentally be awake for the tooth fairy when I was just a few years younger than your alt-grandmother?
I don’t know if that’s every girl’s dream, since I stopped growing taller a two-foot-three, and the tooth fairy was the only shorter person I’d heard of. But anyway, I think a talk would do us both good—that trip to world 12 changed both of our lives—for the better, certainly, but even a good change can be messy.
She smiles brightly, hovering next to the kid. Pleeeeeeeeease?
"If you need the time right now, the woods does sound good. Better than scaring horses with our scent, certainly," Unity say. They trot off towards the woods.
Nissa turns to Scarlet. What if Genius and I talk somewhere, so she can get her thoughts out by putting them in words? I mean, look at me—I’m a fairy. Do you know how badly I wanted to accidentally be awake for the tooth fairy when I was just a few years younger than your alt-grandmother?
I don’t know if that’s every girl’s dream, since I stopped growing taller a two-foot-three, and the tooth fairy was the only shorter person I’d heard of. But anyway, I think a talk would do us both good—that trip to world 12 changed both of our lives—for the better, certainly, but even a good change can be messy.
She smiles brightly, hovering next to the kid. Pleeeeeeeeease?
"Sure," says Scarlett. "Go ahead, Genius, but try to control it."
Make a DC 18 Will save or recoil from the blast of thought.
Eep—??
* * *
Nissa’s sunspot eyes blink a few times. She finds herself splayed on her back, looking up at the towering child. The world is spinning off kilter so she doesn’t get up just yet.
Henri looks around the farm.
"Unity, do you want some company? I'm guessing not, but you do have a target or two on your back right now."
"They are welcome to *try*." "But you are welcome to come with us."
Henri looks around the farm.
"Unity, do you want some company? I'm guessing not, but you do have a target or two on your back right now."
"They are welcome to *try*." "But you are welcome to come with us."
The forest has a trail that a runner could enjoy. Unity can smell that animals also use it. He can smell white-tailed deer.
The woods has animal life, as woods should. They didn't always. Greer said these trees were less than 50 years old, a bit of land reclaimed from the destructive 20th-century sprawl.
Back in Boston
One of the lab techs sees Theo wandering the halls and asks him if he'd like to try out the new martial weapons lab downstairs. Apparently, they've created something new that Theo might enjoy.
Theo blinks. "Sure! What is it?" As they walk, The Olympian tries to surreptitiously smell the tech for signs of pomegranate.
** spoiler omitted **
"That's why I'm not allowed to thinktalk as much," says Genius. "It's not my fault. Scarlett says her grandmother didn't have anything like this level of power. She also says her grandmother never helped TAROT track down reptilians by detecting their thoughts. She thinks using my powers for that may not have been 'good for a child.' I don't know. I just want to be able to go home again soon. My parents rarely are all here at the same time and I miss them."
Theo blinks. "Sure! What is it?" As they walk, The Olympian tries to surreptitiously smell the tech for signs of pomegranate.
[dice=Perception]1d20 + 11
The lab tech recoils a bit at being sniffed. He takes Theo down to a new lab. It looks like a large empty room with a locker full of weapons off to one side. He takes a bow and some arrows from the locker and then says 'activate borders'. Before Theo can stop him, he fires an arrow at the wall. One foot away from the wall it slows and stops and then sits there as if stuck in jelly. "Deactivate," he says and the arrow falls. "Temporal slowing. Some of the Atlantean tech Kai brought back. We've got a holographic skin too ..."
The tech shows Theo how to have an AI generate settings, targets, and a number of different combat simulator programs. Weapons can be used against targets in the 'border' zones of the room and the user will feel them hit or miss the holographic targets.
It's the closest thing to a real fight you can get without hurting someone or using combat droids.
"That's why I'm not allowed to thinktalk as much," says Genius. "It's not my fault. Scarlett says her grandmother didn't have anything like this level of power. She also says her grandmother never helped TAROT track down reptilians by detecting their thoughts. She thinks using my powers for that may not have been 'good for a child.' I don't know. I just want to be able to go home again soon. My parents rarely are all here at the same time and I miss them."
Nissa meekly flutters up to eye-level. “Oh, Genius… I think Scarlet loves you very much. What you did on your world saved lives… but it came at a cost.”
She wonders if Genius remembers that Nissa was once flesh and blood. My cost for fighting the reptilians was my body. She doesn’t point that out to the child.
“Aside from your parents not visiting all at once—” Nissa remembers them. One mom. Two dads. Both biological dads. “—do you like it here?”
Unity raise their snout and sniff at the air. They look about at the underbrush. They listen for movement.
They're not going to hunt or anything, but just focusing their senses on *life*, on nature, feels soothing to them.
Henri strolls along with Unity, just soaking in the scene.
"Wow. This looks... nice. That word is inadequate, but I don't remember seeing a place to unsullied by man's presence. Not counting the deserts of home, of course, but it always felt like it actively hated you and would erase your presence as soon as you left - this is welcoming."
"This is welcoming because it isn't unsullied by man's presence," Unity reply. "It's planted, managed, controlled for people."
"It still feels good, though."
”I guess that makes sense, that it’s not actually untouched. But I appreciate it. That trail is begging for a run.”
“Aside from your parents not visiting all at once—” Nissa remembers them. One mom. Two dads. Both biological dads. “—do you like it here?”
"I do like it here," she says, "It's just kind of stupid that everyone is trying to turn on their powers and I have to 'tone it down'. What about you? Do people ever tell you to go back to your normal self or do they let you be Firefly all the time."
Genius calls Nissa by the name Henri gave her when they met back on World XII.
"I do like it here," she says, "It's just kind of stupid that everyone is trying to turn on their powers and I have to 'tone it down'. What about you? Do people ever tell you to go back to your normal self or do they let you be Firefly all the time."
Genius calls Nissa by the name Henri gave her when they met back on World XII.
Nissa gives the child a warm and empathetic smile.
And she answers the question truthfully. “The Firefly is the only Me that remains. That is the price I paid to save your world.” Part of the truth: the child has a point, and Nissa can relate. “I did have more than one person tell me ‘don’t worry, we’ll get you back to normal.’
“And maybe it’s hard for a normal person to understand this. I don’t want to be normal. This body is a gift from the Dawnflower, and it’s a second chance at life. What an ingrate I would be to even attempt to reverse this!”
There is another truth too… and maybe this is the one Genius needs to hear. “The Dawnflower gave me some new rules for my new life. And… they are for my own good. I think Scarlett is doing the same for you. I think if you have practice ‘toning it down,’ that will lead to control. And then when you amplify your power, you’ll be able to do more than overwhelm. How far can your think-talk reach? How many people? Can you establish a hub? Can you catch a villain in the planning stage, saving lives before the victims are ever in danger?
“I don’t know what your mind can do, Genius… and I don’t know if Scarlet is trying to train you, or just give you a happy childhood while you’re young enough.”
She then considers the kid’s age. “You could be in high school. I loved high school. It wasn’t really that long ago—Class of 2216… I’ll bet most of my teachers are still there.”
L.C. is my reason to work on expanding my size. Maybe if Genius has a clear goal, she won’t feel like she’s just stifling her power. And of course, I’d see about school-choicing her into Bromfield.
Theo spends an afternoon testing out the new temporal slowing arrows, happy for the distraction from his own thoughts.
Theo spends an afternoon testing out the new temporal slowing arrows, happy for the distraction from his own thoughts.
What are Theo's thoughts? What's on the big guy's mind?
”I guess that makes sense, that it’s not actually untouched. But I appreciate it. That trail is begging for a run.”
"You'll find that more a test of your ability to change direction quickly than your speed, we think," Unity say.
"We'll take it slower. We want to see and hear and feel and smell."
"Be at peace, my friend. I'll not run off today - but I might return to the farm later for the express purpose of exploring that trail."
With everyone splitting off. Zellgato opts to double check security, in so far as he is allowed to. Getting a feel for the perimeter, distance it would take him to sprint from one area to another, points of interest or overwatch. Lastly, he'll help keep an eye on their guest.
"Scarlett. Mind if I walk around, check around. Ideally there won't be issues, but with the guest in waiting here. I'm paranoid."
if she happens to take a peek on him, she'd see a quick replay of the Greece-affair.
Theo spends an afternoon testing out the new temporal slowing arrows, happy for the distraction from his own thoughts.
Theo's workout is interrupted when Theo smells weed. The dank scent is drifting down the halls of grav-variable and temporally-isolated holo-labs that BT has built for testing and training heroes for transdimensional adventures.
Unity raise their snout and sniff at the air. They look about at the underbrush. They listen for movement.
They're not going to hunt or anything, but just focusing their senses on *life*, on nature, feels soothing to them.
[dice=Perception]1d20+10
Unity smells the soil. The trees. The squirrels and birds above, the worms below. The mice that live under rotting stumps. The rotting of the stump. Unity smells the scent of distant wildflowers and nearer deer. Unity smells that something big came through here in the last month, but has left little of its scent behind. Unity smells life, big, small, curious, and secret.
She then considers the kid’s age. “You could be in high school. I loved high school. It wasn’t really that long ago—Class of 2216… I’ll bet most of my teachers are still there.”
[dice=Pass Secret Message]d20+6
...
"I want to go to Witch Mountain. I know mom says I'd overwhelm the other children, but I want to go. I want to go where I'm normal," says Genius, catching the hint.
Theo sets down the experimental weapons and turns his head. "I didn't realize Boston Theoretical experiemented with The Sticky Icky?" The Olympian chuckled as he followed the familiar smell.
"I want to go to Witch Mountain. I know mom says I'd overwhelm the other children, but I want to go. I want to go where I'm normal," says Genius, catching the hint.
Nissa asks, “Is that a witch school on Witch World, orrrr..?” …it could be in our very own Salem, Mass, she ponders.
“I was always different in high school. No powers at the time. I was just… short. But if I was like this, I’d probably’ve wanted to do my schooling among the fey.
“You want to be normal, not by repressing your powers, but by going where your powers are close to the norm.” Considering Scarlett is a mind-reader, Nissa assumes she already knows. So she asks, “How does Scarlett feel about this idea?”
"Be at peace, my friend. I'll not run off today - but I might return to the farm later for the express purpose of exploring that trail."
"It wouldn't bother us if you went for a run," Unity state.
They frown. "Something large came this way some time ago... we do not recognize the scent. We'll have to ask Scarlett about it."
"I want to go to Witch Mountain. I know mom says I'd overwhelm the other children, but I want to go. I want to go where I'm normal," says Genius, catching the hint.Nissa asks, “Is that a witch school on Witch World, orrrr..?” …it could be in our very own Salem, Mass, she ponders.
“I was always different in high school. No powers at the time. I was just… short. But if I was like this, I’d probably’ve wanted to do my schooling among the fey.
“You want to be normal, not by repressing your powers, but by going where your powers are close to the norm.” Considering Scarlett is a mind-reader, Nissa assumes she already knows. So she asks, “How does Scarlett feel about this idea?”
"Witch Mountain is a place back home. It's where I was heading originally," she explains. "I mean, before you came in and changed the timeline. Zellgato explained it to me. It's not your fault. That timeline gets changed a lot."
Theo sets down the experimental weapons and turns his head. "I didn't realize Boston Theoretical experiemented with The Sticky Icky?" The Olympian chuckled as he followed the familiar smell.
Boston Theoretical doesn't experiment with the sticky icky. The scent of it leads Theo, as if it was intended to, down a few side corridors and then down a corridor he doesn't remember seeing before. As soon as he enters, he hears music and laughter, both men's and women's.
Before half an hour has passed, you get a mental invitation from Scarlett to join her in the large central building, the training center.
Within this building, you find the PhDuhminion sitting, unrestrained, in a chair. He is smiling dumbly and staring straight ahead. He seems unaware of his surroundings. You would not be surprised if he started drooling.
Scarlett is sitting across from him. She has a metal circlet on her head. Beside her is a holographic ring. The circlet looks familiar--Nissa had gotten a Moroccan device that could project thoughts onto a screen. The holographic ring is obviously intended to replace the screen in this scenario.
Theo carefully, but optimistically, crept down the hallway; hoping it's family, and they are in a good mood.
Unity enter and nod to Scarlett. So we are to question him, and his thoughts will be displayed? they think at her.
"Witch Mountain is a place back home. It's where I was heading originally," she explains. "I mean, before you came in and changed the timeline. Zellgato explained it to me. It's not your fault. That timeline gets changed a lot."
Nissa is a little confused. “Is Witch Mountain still…” Her confusion turns to worry. Saving World 12 didn’t wipe Witch Mountain from existence… did it? “…there?”
Unity enter and nod to Scarlett. So we are to question him, and his thoughts will be displayed? they think at her.
"I hope so," says Scarlett. "I've been poking around in his mind ... he's split in a way, like you used to be. It's like he has a second intelligence within, and that intelligence is alien and hidden from him, revealing itself only when certain states are triggered. He may not know everything, but we can find out as much as he knows, and maybe some things he doesn't. What do you want to know about him?"
"Well, we'd rather like to know what this whole 'Unity must reign' thing is about," Unity state, "Given we have no intentions to conquer the world and we'd rather not become part of an attempt to."
"Knowing where they're trying to return to would be useful as well," they add, "Not to mention how many other clones they're aware of."
Henri is in scientific observer mode. This is fascinating.
"May warrant asking what, if any, retrieval policy they have on captured PHDs. As well as their methods of travel." Zellgato adds.
"Well, we'd rather like to know what this whole 'Unity must reign' thing is about," Unity state, "Given we have no intentions to conquer the world and we'd rather not become part of an attempt to."
"Knowing where they're trying to return to would be useful as well," they add, "Not to mention how many other clones they're aware of."
Scarlett begins to probe around in his mind. The holographic projector bursts to life and flickering images appear and disappear as she looks for answers. She begins to center in on images of Unity ... Unity on the newsfeeds, Unity fighting PhDuhminions in MOTEL, Unity before they became Unity. And, then, an image of Unity that could not be Unity. Unity stands atop a stone column while robed humans bow before him.
"He doesn't know what Unity Must Reign means ... He only knows that he must find a portal to the Shuffle and get you into it. Only then will he find out where to go and what happens next," says Scarlett.