>>23643815
<Damien, is something going to happen today?>

>>23643815
Wake Summer up (pick her up and drop her if we have to) and send messages to everyone to get to the Cafeteria NOW. We need to deal with this, we can't afford to risk it.

>>23643815
Cry.

>>23643815
Wake up Summer.

Can we technopath to the station computer and get put out an announcement for everyone to gather in the hub/cafeteria?

You take a long, deep breath, wiping the tears that threaten to spill out of your eyes as you take a deep breath. You close your eyes, and focus toward Damien, nudging him awake with your mind.
<Damien, is something going to happen today?> You ask him.
His mumbled response was wordless, but his mind responded properly.
<All I see is you dragging us all to the cafeteria.>
You nod, and then start shaking Summer. It didn't take long for her to wake up.
"What is it?" She mumbled.

Alex knocked on the door.
"Hey, I was wondering if either of you wanted to grab breakfast." He said.

>>23643905
"Yea, let's go together, right now."

>>23643905
"Alright, let's grab Anna along the way too."

>>23643905
"That sounds like an excellent plan, Alex."

Have Einstein send messages to everyone to get to the Cafeteria. Just because it's all Damien saw doesn't mean we don't still need to do it.

>>23643905
kill Alex

We should telepathically tell Max: "I just had a dream of the future that lasted several days as if I had actually lived it. The station was attacked, destroyed and nearly everyone died - things have already changed, but if the dream holds true we've got about five minutes before aliens start teleporting on board.

I'd like it very much if everyone was near an escape pod or a shuttle as soon as possible."

>>23643905
"Yes, everyone."

"Yes, let's go together, right now." You say, and when Summer rolls over to go back to sleep, you roll her back with TK. Grumbling, she climbs to her paws and follows you.
"Let's grab Anna along the way, too." You say, as you reach toward the pad to hit the button.
The button chirps up at you that it's pleased to follow its function.
You blink at that- and then hurry out of the room, Summer and Alex following at your heels.
"Woah, heather, what's the hurry?" You ask, as the pad to Anna's room refuses to open without authorization. Apparently it had been locked.
So, carefully, you persuade it that it could open just this once, couldn't it? It could open from the inside, and that's *completely* allowed!
The button thought about it for a moment, and then chirped happily, and slid open.
"Einstein, send messages to Jilly, Damien, Sarvesh, and Max to get to the cafeteria." You say, and make your way to Anna's sleeping form. You don't know how long you have, since time in the ... dream was rather strange, but you don't have long.

"... Your eyes don't look right." Alex asked, putting a hand on your shoulder as Anna started to stir. "Are you okay?"

>>23644002
"No, not in the slightest. I had a dream, but not any, it was like the ones Damien gets, where he sees the future. Everyone except Anna and Summer died."

>>23644002
"No. No, I am not okay. I"ll explain when everyone's in the cafeteria."

>>23644002
"Nope. But I'm convinced this is life or death important, and if I'm wrong, all we're losing is a bit of sleep. So humor me."

>>23644002
"My eyes? Are they black? But that didn't happen yet!"

>>23644002
"No, I'll tell you why once everyone's gathered."

>>23644002
"My eyes? What do you mean?"

>>23644026
This sounds good, then ask what he means about our eyes.

"No, not in the slightest." You say. "I'll explain when everyone's in the cafeteria. If I'm wrong, all we're losing is a bit of sleep."
"But..."
"Humor me." You say.
Alex nodded.
You shook Anna awake, and she claimed consciousness easily.
"What's going on?" She asked, sitting up.
"I had a dream." You say. "But not any. It was like the ones Damien gets."
Anna was silent for a moment.
"So what's the plan?"
"I'll explain when everyone's in the cafeteria."

You make your way with Alex, Summer, and Anna to the cafeteria, to find Jilly already eating there, and almost as soon as you walk in, Sarvesh arrives, Max panting along at his heels.
Grumbling, Damien came in as well, sporting a very nasty case of bed-hair.
"I got your message." Max said. "What's all this about?"

Everyone looked at you expectantly.
Now you had to explain like you weren't insane.

>>23644104
If I'm right about this, we are all in incredible danger right now. And it all starts when I open an encrypted message I recieved this morning.

>>23644104
Well then, try to recount the events of your dream as calmly as possible given your agitated state.

We should probably leave out Sarvesh's dying confession though, we wouldn't want to embarrass him.

Point out that some of the earliest events of the dream such as getting the email and Alex turning up to ask you to breakfast have already happened if they're sceptical.

>>23644104
"I had a dream that I think was like one of Damien's. I can't be sure because I already changed something, but it's really, really, REALLY not worth the risk."

Outline the dream from opening the message - and mention that Einstein has it quarantined - to launching Wyvern, and then mention Ishelda's rough location.

>>23644135
>We should probably leave out Sarvesh's dying confession though, we wouldn't want to embarrass him.
yea, don't tell this.

>>23644104
"This is going to sound crazy, but bear with me here. I had an unexpected moment of clairvoyance, in my sleep. I think we're all in danger."

>>23644104
"I opened a weird message and it got in my mind and it made me want to kill Alex and then these psionic creatures invaded the station and started killing people and then Damien blew up the fusion reactor to slow down the Void Queen and I got out in the Wyvern but she caught up and then I woke up and then I got the message but this time I didn't open it."

>>23644104
"If you don't believe me, I know a few things that haven't been told or discovered yet. Anna, I know you've got a shotgun hidden somewhere. There's a few other things, but more importantly, there's also a ship - the Ishelda, lost somewhere in space nearby."

>>23644196
Let's not spill about Anna's shotgun. Besides, she already believes us.

Use Einstein to project a picture of the Ishelda to ask if Damien recognizes it from his visions.

>>23644104
"I just woke up from a dream that lasted several subjective DAYS. For all intents and purposes, I may as well have actually lived it.

It started when I got an encrypted e-mail, and tried to use my technopathy to decrypt it. Something else was immediately inside my mind. It hated, and it wanted to kill - especially Alex. It was incredibly painful, but at the same time I knew it wasn't my pain. I hurt Summer a little before Damien sent me a message that reminded me who I was and snapped me out of it.

At that point, aliens with large scythe arms began teleporting on board and murdering everyone. I'm pretty sure that part could still happen at any time now.

All of the entanglement was lost at the same time. We couldn't get bubble drives working either

The only people who made it off the station were myself, Anna, and Summer. We made it to the Wyvern, no one else so much as made it to an escape shuttle before Damien set off a thorium bomb in his room.
I only made it because Sarvesh chose to teleport me there instead of himself."
Might be a good idea to start actually crying at this point. Shouldn't be hard to do.
"But all of those aliens who attacked were one incredibly powerful psionic entity. According to the note Damien left on his body that Anna picked up on the way out, he said she wouldn't suffer any other psionic to live. I'm pretty sure that's the Void Queen he mentioned in his most recent episode.

We drifted for a few days until coming upon a ship called the Ishelda. Another one of those scythe aliens attacked and I woke up - with that same goddamn message waiting for me. I deleted it immediately, so maybe things are different now. I'm not sure if we're safe yet though."

"If... If I'm right about this, we're all in incredible danger right now." You say. "This is going to sound crazy, but bear with me here. I had an unexpected moment of clairvoyance, in my sleep."
They all gave you a Look.
"I just... woke up from a dream that lasted several subjective days." You say. "For all intents and purposes, I may as well have actually lived it."
And then you start your story. Explaining how things started, about how it... messed with your mind, and then finally, what happened when the scythed aliens appear.
Here, you start tearing up, and you're sure you're probably not doing anything more than babbling, by this point, and when you get to the point that you left the station, Damien raised a hand.
"You mean that in your... dream... I saw the future in it? And I changed things? That... doesn't make sense. It shouldn't work like that."
Then he bit his lip, and rubbed at his eyes. "And you... saw this from your own perspective? Not an outside one?"

>>23644270
"Yes. Do you see things differently in your visions?"

>>23644270
"It was from my own perspective, yeah. I wish it HADN'T been, that might've been easier to handle."

>>23644270
"I'm not sure if you managed to change anything, but yes, I saw this as if I was living it."

>>23644270
"I know...a few things that haven't been told. I can talk to those people and they can confirm it if you like."

>>23644270
"You said in the note that you could see what fate becomes if you change it. I don't understand it either."

>>23644270
Maybe we should manifest one of the alien things. Not a solid one though, in case our subconscious decides to make it act like they did in the dream.

it was too real to be just a dream. I also picked up several details that I had no way of knowing unless my telepathy is dipping far more deeply then I thought.

Several details we can use to confirm, we can do this telepathically to avoid outting secrets if needbe.:

Sarvesh saying that our hair is ultraviolet. (sidesteps the issue of the
Anna having a shotgun.
Ishelda's appearance.

Then there is the file itself. We can get soemone to trace where it came from instead of opening it. I doubt many things get a Classified rating.

>>23644378
to Sarvesh: <You think my hair is pretty, and you're not clumsy.>
to Anna: <You've got a shotgun hidden somewhere.>

>>23644397
A shotgun and armor.

>>23644270
"I saw it from my perspective, yes. I know it may be nothing but I just...I'm not willing to take that risk."

>>23644397
Probably better to be specific, tell Sarvesh he said it was his favourite sheen of UV.

"Yes. I know that it may be nothing, but I just... I'm not willing to take that risk." You say. "Do you see things differently in your visions?"
"I always only see one path." Damien said. "One way, if nobody, not even me, changed anything. But... no matter what, I always see from an outside perspective. As if I were a viewer, not a participant, even in the rare times I've been in my own visions."
"If your dream doesn't cooberate with how Damien sees things, then I don't think-" Max said, but he was cut off when Sarvesh raised a claw.
"When I died and teleported you." Sarvesh said, his W-shaped pupils met your eyes. "I told you something, didn't I?"
Silently, you nod.
He turned to Max.
"I would stake everything on her word." Sarvesh said.
Max was quiet for a moment. Then he extended his uplift interface and started tapping out messages.

>>23644440
"Do you have any weapons onboard, Max?"
If no, look directly at Anna.

Summer if you had for example, a shotgun, could you manifest copies?

>>23644440
"I already got the message. And Alex asking if we wanted to get breakfast was the same. It definitely had *some* prophetic quality to it. And there was a colony ship. The Ishelda. We could confirm it by finding that again."

>>23644440
Take a deep breath.
"From now on, I think everyone should go everwhere in pairs or more, with at least one weapon or psion who can fight in each group."

"Do you have any weapons onboard, Max?"
"We have a security office, but that's it." Max said.
You look to Anna, and she nods, making her way out of the room.
"Summer, if you had, for example, a shotgun, could you manifest copies?"
"I - I can't." She said. "They had me manifest guns. They'd just go bang and not shoot bullets. It doesn't work right."
"And there was the colony ship." You say. "The Ishelda. we could confirm it by finding that again."
"I'm already on it." Max said. "And we have a shuttle full of marines on their way here right now."
You close your eyes, and take a deep breath. "From now on, I think everyone should go everywhere in pairs or more, with at least one weapon or psion who can fight in each group.

With hissing, powered legs, Anna's exoskeleton stomped into the room, carrying a heavy bag on her back filled to the brim with weapons.
"... None of those are authorized, you realize." Max said, eying her guns.
"Old habits die hard." Anna responded.
Max just sighed.

And then Jilly covered her ears, going bright, bright green, so bright it almost looked like she was glowing. Just as a test, you close your eyes... and tendrils were throughout the room, brambles making it impossible to use telepathy.
Sarvesh seemed to sense it as well, and buzzed - but nobody was able to understand him.

It was happening, you realized.

Rolled 39

>>23644541
Protect everyone

>>23644541
"IT'S HAPPENING, SHE'S HERE!"

>>23644541
"It's happening. We need to get to the shuttles NOW."

>>23644541
Activate Einstein's translator so Sarvesh understands
"It's started! Anna, relay this to Jilly! If anyone starts to act weird, remind them of who they are! Telepathy won't work!"

>>23644541
"It's starting! Telepathy's not working. Anna, try and encourage Jilly, remind her who she is, all that stuff."

Rolled 37

Right, They're coming, Everyoen who can hold a weapon take one. We head to the shuttles immediately...

And I need to try something.

Use technopathy to connect to the fusion reactors. Don't do anything yet but make sure you can do it. Route through nearby consoles if you can't do it directly.

>>23644541
you wouldn't happen to have a spare shotgun or small rapid-fire weapon in that bag of goodies would you anna?

cause it sounds like the party is staring...

we're gonna need a lot more bullets...

SUMMER I think we need the knight of burgundymore now, how are you at manifesting crossbows? their simpler than guns? and he'll need something longer range than a sword

>>23644589
>Use technopathy to connect to the fusion reactors.

Well at least the Void Queen won't have a chance to kill us, I guess.

"It's happening! She's here!" You call, and scramble to your feet. "We need to get to the shuttles NOW."
Sarvesh instantly leaned out of the doorway, and looked this way and that. He came back and buzzed again, as if to report there was nothing there, while Anna pulled out her weapons, laying them across the table.
"Anna, try to encourage Jilly. Remind her who she is, all that stuff."
Anna nodded, grabbing her hand...
And the tendrils, slowly, carefully... thinned, pulling away.

All except for one, hovering there, pointing at you. It was waiting.
An outstretched hand, waiting for a handshake.

Rolled 89

>>23644589
Also try and use technopathy to set of the evacuation alarm.

>>23644541
"Bless your old habits, Anna."

>>23644626
Don't touch it, not even to smack it away. It may try to grab hold.

>>23644626
Shake the hand.

>>23644626
"Not falling for that trick again."

>>23644626
Keep an eye on it, but don't interact with it in any way.

>>23644626
Don't touch that tendril.

Rolled 100

Send to the tendril we're not dying today.

>>23644626
Yeah, we're not going to shake that hand.

>>23644675
Well, this should be interesting.

>>23644626
What.
"No, you're a big meanie."

>>23644675
.... god damnit.

>>23644675
Oh wow.

>>23644675
Dammet, Red! A bad idea is still a bad idea, nat 100 or no!

>>23644675
Good job, now it will definitely wait until tomorrow to kill us.

>>23644675
Davedavisdavidsonbrandidea.jpg

>>23644626
personal comm to the good doctor manus.
"EVAC NOW EVAC NOW I AM REASONABLY CERTAIN THIS IS NOT A DRILL."

"COMPUTER SOUND THE ALARMS"

Rolled 19

>>23644675
>Exabutt Quests: Source of Dave Brand Ideas™ since 2012

>>23644713
Do you put any thought into what you post

>[] We're not dying today.
>[] AVOID THE TENDRIL OF THOUGHT.

>>23644790
>[] You Died
>[] You Died
FTFY

>[] We're not dying today.
I wanna see what that 100 does.

>>23644790
>>[] AVOID THE TENDRIL OF THOUGHT.
is that ever a question

>>23644790
>[] We're not dying today.
?

>>23644790
[X] AVOID THE TENDRIL
>Our technopathy is probably what allowed her to fuck with the quantum entangling and left us stranded with no bubble drive. If she's that powerful, she might be able to emulate it from contact.

>>23644790
[x] Avoid the fucking tendril.

Because JESUS FUCK, that would be retarded. Yes, let's touch the mind of an OMNICIDAL ENTITY.

>>23644790
That depends, is the 100 going to have any effect on the first option?

>>23644790
>[] We're not dying today.
cmon, it's nat 100, this should be awesome.

>>23644790
[X]AVOID TENDRIL OF THOUGHT

>>23644743
really, really?
you're pointing out that 'I' am making bad suggestions?

>>23644790
I... uh...
>[x] We're not dying today.
Because it's waiting rather than attacking, which is promising, and a hundred hopefully can't go too wrong. Maybe we can get it to back off.

>>23644836
We are not Dave Davidson with his ability to not die without large chunks of vital bits. How about let's not do stupid shit and count on the dice to save us?

>>23644844
Okay, admittedly, this one was one I would have expected of you.

>>23644790
Yeah I really don't know here but I bet even with a 100 this isn't good.

Avoid it.

>>23644819
Then why wouldn't she touch us and steal our powers instead of just hovering there?

>>23644790
>[] AVOID THE TENDRIL OF THOUGHT.

It's bad idea, 100 or no.

>>23644825
>OMNICIDAL ENTITY
Hey, it's only psychicidal.

boring cowards.

>>23644870
Because it's probably easier if we make contact.
If she makes contact, we can try to block her out. If we make contact however, there's no way to block her out since we are the one opening the connection.

>>23644790
No, do not fucking touch.

>>23644790
>>[] We're not dying today.bitch

>>23644790
This is basically
>Open a fight with a hyperpowered psion, even with a 100
>live

Avoid!

Steadfastly, you close off your mind, fixing the tendril with a glare, refusing to make contact.

Reluctantly... it faded.
You can swear you hear a chuckle as it does.

Jilly held her head, while Max looked this way and that.
Everyone was silent for a minute.
"Jilly, are you okay?" Anna said.
Jilly took a deep breath, and then nodded.

Everyone was silent for another minute.
"... I thought you said it had started, Heather." Damien said. "Nothing looks like it's starting right now."

>>23644927
>Open a fight with a hyperpowered psion, even with a 100
>Wait and let the hyperpowered psion fight you on its own terms when we don't have a 100
Fixed that for you. She's out to fucking kill us. And last time she succeeded.

>>23644967
"...She just left. You wouldn't have noticed, but she had just blocked our telepathy."

It tried to.

>>23644967
It has retreated.

>>23644967
"It was. And then she pulled back. You didn't notice that telepathy was blocked?"

>>23644967
"Didn't you see the big psychic tendril things? Didn't you notice that our telepathy stopped working?"

>>23645011
>why the fuck do I keep thinking of refinements after I post?

"She tried to get me to...I don't know, to touch her mind? I think? And then pulled away when I refused to. I think that's what the message was, actually. A way to make herself a back door."

>>23644967

maybe the tendrils need some sort of first contact, like that message we got earlier, before they can exert influence on our space.

"It... It was." You say. "And then she pulled back. You didn't notice that telepathy was blocked?"
"No, I didn't." Damien said.
"I-I did." Jilly said.
"I... didn't smell anything." Max said. "No psionic powers at all."

"She tried to get me to... I don't know, touch her minds? I think? And then pulled away when I refused to. I think that's what the message was, actually. A way to make herself a back door."
"A back door to what?" Alex asked.

>>23645066
"To me. It was probably my technopathy that she used to break the quantum routers, and the manifestations followed me."

>>23645066
"A way in. In the dream all the quantum modems and bubble drives stopped working after I opened that message... That's something I would be able to do with my technopathy."

>>23645066
"Us. This station. It would have allowed those manifestation in."

My... technopathy? Last time she blocked a lot of things that would require it. The bubble drives, the extranet connections? I'm not sure. But maybe my ability to talk to machines is somewhat unique.

>>23645066

"our... dimension? reality? i don't know."

"A way in." You say, quietly, shaking. "In the dream, all the quantum modems and bubble drives stopped working after I opened that message... That's something I would be able to do with my technopathy."
"... And if you didn't take it, she can't stop our entanglements." Anna said.
Max started to think.
"Heather, do you still have that message on Einstein?" He asked. "If you do... I'm going to need a copy of it. And we're going to use the technopathy computer, so under any circumstance, do not contact Elysium."

>>23645153
"I do. I'll send Einstein there now."

>>23645153
"Einstein, move the quarantined message onto Elysium."

>>23645153

"right away, i hope it's still there though. Einstein?"

>>23645153
Lets ask Eistein if he still has it. We did quarentine it afterall. It is a risk however, do we want to risk it?

>>23645153
"Alright. Make sure Elysium is disconnected from the network before you try and open it though. Einstein, move quarantined message to [futureUSB]"
Then...I don't know how Max would carry it? Attached to his collar? In his mouth? Whatever, hand it to him.

"Einstein, do you still have the quarantined message?"
"Yes. Current data is that the message is from Confidential. Quarantined, recieved half an hour ago." Einstein said.
"Einstein, move quarantined message to external storage."
The hovering drone beeped, and a small chip slid out of his side. Max took it in his mouth, and carried it out of the door.

"Well... while we're here, we may as well eat." Alex said, and made his way into the kitchen.

I just had a thought. What if Damien's visions of people dying across the galaxy are actually psions that the void queen is targetting. It would explain why Damien has had so much trouble saving them. He's being actively thwarted.

>>23645236
"I demand a hug from each and every one of you some time today."

>>23645254

>my mind!

it is a possibility, a damn near big one.

>>23645254
This is...a pretty damn good theory actually.

>>23645236
"I hope I just I freak out about a nightmare. If it was a vision then ... terrible things await us."

"Sarvesh, we need to talk. Alone.

Well lets ask Damien if in his visions the people being killed showed any sign of psionics.

>>23645343
no

>>23645343
Let's not, at least not right now.

>>23645355
Look, even if you don't want anything to 'happen' with Sarvesh, we do still need to address the issue.

And frankly I'm a little put off by the fact that you're so adamant that nothing ever happen that you're not even willing to talk to the guy.

>>23645343
why? There is no need.

"I demand a hug from each and every one of you, some time today."

Jilly pulled you into a tight hug almost immediately, as Alex started cooking pancakes for everybody.

Then you sigh, and take a seat.
"I hope I just freaked out about a nightmare. If it was a vision, then... terrible things await us." You say, and the rest of you started eating.
"This is what we're going to do." Max said, coming back. "We're going to... continue on as if nothing is wrong. We're going to keep a few squads of UPA marines here, and we've set up an emergency entanglement. If the entanglement is broken, it will alert a larger force of marines not far from here, and they can be here within an hour."
He turned to Anna. "You're permitted to keep weapons in your room, as you have firearm licenses, and use the exosuit as need be. Just.. try not to punch holes in the hull."
"I'll try not to." Anna said. "Frankly, with all the new food I've been trying and the gravity exercise, I've been feeling better lately."
"I'm glad to hear it." Max said.

>>23645236
Let's tell Max to cancel the marines.

I have a feeling they're going to be mindcontrolled

>>23645370
What do you excpect to get from talking about his love? To reject him? To accept? What?

>>23645396
Max probably wouldn't believe it, since as far as they can tell, psionics can't do direct mind control.

>>23645347
re-iterating this

>>23645396
Rather than cancelling the marines, warn him about the mind control. Highlight Anna being controlled long enough to almost shotgun Alex in the head, Heather barely resisting the command to kill Alex, and Alex's girlfriend trying to stab him in the gut.

>>23645402
We need to tell him that now's not the best time, at the very least. And maybe hug him and thank him for, I dunno, BEING WILLING TO DIE FOR US?

>>23645388
"Thank you. Thank you all. I am glad that I have you all by my side to hold me when I need it."

>>23645436
So you want to ignore the pink elephant in the room and to give him hope of something in the future.
Yea no.

>>23645388
"Screen them periodically in case of mind control, please. Carefully. If the strands come in contact they can take control."

Whimper.

>>23645388
"Einstein, send an email to the doctor informing him we've had some terrifying dreams that reek of premonition. Request any information on the Demiurg and the Crows he can give us, specifically appearance, and anything about the fauna on their homeworlds. We're trying to identify some of the things we've seen in our dreams, and we've reason to believe that these might be involved."

>>23645388
"Anything on the ship, Max? I remember we were travelling for about three days at twice light-speed. That should narrow down the search radius hopefully."

>>23645543
We gave him a position.

>>23645472
Also have him check the data at the institute we have access to for anything on alien psionics in those two races, known alien manifestations of psionics, 'wild' manifestations that might match what we saw.

>>23645396
just tell them they need a personal mantra of who they are at there core something deep and personal, and if they ever get the urge to kill or general do something fucked up scream it at them selves asap, also a list of these for every one, on bored and reedy to be sent to a personal computer,comlink is best

>>23645388
Pet Max behind the ears.

"Thank you for believing me."

"Screen them periodically in case of mind control." You say. "Please. Carefully. If the strands come in contact, they can take control."
Max was silent, but he nodded.
"That would be good training for Jilly." Max said.

"Einstein, send an email to the doctor informing him we've had some terrifying dreams that reek of premonition. Request any information on the Demiurg and the Crows he can give us, specifically appearance, and anything about the fauna on their homeworlds. We're trying to identify some of the things we've seen in our dreams, and we've reason to believe that these might be involved."
"Message sent." Einstein said.

"Anything on the ship, Max?" You say.
"Nothing." He responded. "I did check the oldest Terran records, and they tell me that the Ishelda was an ancient colony ship that was lost. It was sent this direction, but the marine shuttle didn't find it where you said it would be."

>>23645572
Find Damien. Give him a hug. "I'm sorry for leaving you, you were the one to snap me out of it and tell me what to do and I couldn't save you!"

>>23645572
>the Crows
Memories on the Vale Quest much?

>>23645572
"I don't know if that's good or bad."

>>23645572
"Maybe it was a nightmare afterall. I am glad. But we shouldn't drop our guard until it is confirmed."

>>23645633
It wasn't. She just tried to fuck with us, and Jilly and Sarvesh both noticed it.

>>23645572
"Mind you, we found the ship there after a few days from now. Maybe it hasn't yet arrived to that location."

>>23645572
"Are we just going to continue with classes today?"

>>23645572
It might just be really hard to discover given it was found with a broken shuttle during a panicked flight.

Or maybe she manifested it in the dream as a trap.

>>23645572
"I was waking up then, maybe that was less accurate."

>>23645572
"I think she needs, at least at this distance, our.. permission, some sort of mental contact, to attack. We'll all need to be careful."

>>23645572
"Well, it could be that it's still on its way there and appear only on the third day from now"

"I don't know if that's good or bad." You say.
"It's different than the dream, which means it's something we changed." Max said.
"Are we just going to continue with classes today?"
"That is the plan, yes." Max said. "Don't worry, you'll all be safe."
You nod. "Maybe iy hasn't yet arrived to that location." you say. "We found the ship after a few days from now."
"That is a good point, yes." Max said. "But you should eat. I need to speak with Manus about a few things."
"I think she needs, at least at this distance, our ... permission, some sort of mental contact, to attack. We'll all need to be careful."
"Yes. Everyone, be careful." Max said.

He made his way out of the cafeteria again, and you sat down next to Damien and Alex, both with pancakes.
"I'm sorry for leaving you." You say, quietly. "You were the one to snap me out of it and tell me what to do, and I couldn't save you!"
"But you did." Damien said. "You dragged everyone up and out of bed, and that... changed things enough to save me."

Alex frowned. "The idea of mind control bothers me. You think Nat had the same thing happen to her?"

>>23645715
"Probably. I doubt she was the type to suddenly go all glazey eyed and homicidal."

>>23645715
"Black eyes right? Then yes, it's probably the same thing."

>>23645715
"Undoubtedly, the black eyes is the immediate giveaway, I saw the same thing happen to Anna, but managed to snap her out of it."

>>23645715
"I'd say it's a fair guess that that happened to the planet, yes."

>>23645715
"Almost definitely. She had the same sort of empty eyes and things-moving-under-her-skin that Anna did when she was mind controlled."

>>23645715
Probably. It'd explain a lot if she wanted everyone to kill you since she couldn't reach out and do it. We saw all those weird manifestations that didn't show up on film, like worms under people's skin. Could be a sign of possession.

Attempt to manifest a piece of paper with an image of the scythe alien on it.

>>23645715

"it's very likely, i was filled with an almost overpowering urge to... do very unpleasant things to you... sorry. on the bright side, people can turn back to normal from it!"

So, some ideas to enhance our survavability.
Get close combat training
Find a way to use tk to enhance speed and strength, combine with rocket boots so we don't have to waste energy propelling ourselves in zero g
Find way to make tk more efficient as an attack, maybe concentrate the point of the attack and reduce power, go for stabs instead of smashes.
Analyze Alex's shielding and attempt to replicate it.

>>23645715
"Yes, defiantly, on the bright side It probable wouldn't work on you," (now eat, and eat and eat if we get fat that means more energy storage)

"Einstein, start downloading ship schematics, I want to build one soon make them fast and durable please

>>23645715
Hug Damien. "I'm taking my hug now."

"What was wrong with my eyes before?"

"Almost definitely." You say. "She had the same sort of... empty eyes and things-moving-under-her-skin that anna did when she was mind controlled."

Then you turn to Damien. "I'm taking my hug now."
"I don't mind." He said, and you pulled him into a hug, before turning to Alex again.
"What was wrong with my eyes before?"
"You were kind of freaked out. For good reason, I know now." Alex said. Then he took a deep breath, and sighed. "So apparently this makes me the key or whatever to defeating the void queen. She poured an entire world at me to get rid of me, after all."

>>23645887
pretty much, so what you going to do now mighty hero?

>>23645887
Then if something happens, don't be a butt - instead, touch it and hope it acts like Summer's manifestation. You probably can't see it, though, so don't panic if I use something to grab you telekinetically and pitch you at the monster.

>>23645887
"I don't doubt you'd be useful as all hell, but I think she would've done the same for anyone psionic she couldn't get at.
Damien's note said that she wanted to be the only psionic being in existence. She wouldn't suffer any other to live if she could help it."

>>23645887
"Probably. Your powers are weird."

"Damien, do you think the people you see in your dream could be psions who're being targeted?"

>>23645887
Continue hugging Damien.

"In the dream she forced Anna to try to kill you with a gun, maybe her manifested... things couldn't touch you?"

"How long can you interact with one of Summer's people before it disappears?"

>>23645887

"don't let it go to your head." try to lighten up a little bit.

Rolled 21

>>23645887
"Well, you do mess with psionics, and I'd bet that psionics is the only kind of power she has... Actually, I wonder if you could disrupt her thought tendrils."
Try and project a thought tendril
"Wave your arms through there." (Where the tendril is)

>>23645887
"Hey Damien, I've just had a thought. You saw me, Alex, and Max in your visions, right? What if everyone you've seen is potentially psionic, and the Void Queen has been actively undermining your efforts to save them?"

>>23645924
>Continue hugging Damien.
nah, one hug is enough.

>>23645887
"You know Damien maybe you should try the isolation chamber again. Maybe we will learn if my nightmare was true or not."

>>23645931
We pointed out this before Exa, ask this.

>>23645931
This is a very good point, we should bring this up.

"Hey Damien, I've just had a thought. You saw me, Alex, and Max in your visions, right?"
"Right." He said.
"What if everyone you've seen is potentially psionic, and the Void Queen has been actively undermining your efforts to save them?"
Damien froze.
And thought.
"I don't... I don't know. I haven't seen any of them use any powers..."

You turn to Alex.
"In the dream, she forced Anna to try to kill you with a gun. Maybe her manifested... things couldn't touch you?" You ask. "How long can you interact with one of Summer's people before it disappears?"
"The last one vanished instantly." He said.

>>23646037
"You didn't even get to shake her hand?"

Steal their food.

>>23646056

as soon as Winter touched Alex's hand she went poof.

I wonder how well it works on bullets.

>>23646037
"You didn't see Alex use any powers, either. And you wouldn't have seen a psychic or clairvoyant using their powers. Or they could have been psychics who didn't know they had powers."

>>23646037
"I guess we just need to prepare for...whatever is coming."

>>23646037
"Maybe we could use you as a shield, Alex. They can't get through you."

>>23646037
"Have you tried focusing your powers? Like an anti-psy beam?"

>>23646163
Let's rephrase this.

"Maybe you should work on actively blocking powers, Alex."

>>23646182
>>23646163
I like the first one better, it makes less sense.

>>23646037
Theory: the void queen specialized in hijacking other psions powers. There are two levels of control: the mind-slave one we know of and a more subtle one, where people still think they are in control.
She used Heather to untangle the quanta.
She used Summer to create the monsters.
Maybe she even uses Damien, who only has visions of psions, to find more psions. In a weird kind of causal interaction most psions he sees are dying because he sees important things in the future and the most important thing after he sees psions is the Void Queen killing them because she saw Damien's vision!

By the way. What happened to the girl Max was trying to recruit. The one Damien saw dying and whose life was the only one he could save. Maybe he could save her, because the Void Queen didn't want to be detected by Max' ability to detect psions.

>>23646137
>>23646163

Alternatively, he could make a shield? Similar to anti-psy beams, I guess.

"I guess we just need to prepare for... whatever is coming."
"Hopefully... Hopefully I'll see what's coming." Damien said, with a sigh.

"Maybe we could use you as a shield, Alex. They can't get through you." You say, and take one of his pancakes.
"Yeah, me, the human shield." Alex said.
"Have you tried focusing your powers? Like an anti-psy beam?"
"It's easier said than done." Alex said. "I can't like... go pew pew and do things like that. I don't see anything, and I can't tell when it works and when it doesn't. It just isn't that easy."

Rolled 21

>>23646208
Point our finger at him and go 'Pew Pew!' But also with TK

well, maybe work with Summer? Her manifestations are quite solid.

>>23646208
Lift a bowl or something with TK.

"Try focusing on me, or the bowl, or both, even."

>>23646208
Try doing something, Alex!

>>23646208
Maybe we could pair you off with one of us? Like, have one of us practicing Telekinesis and you try to cancel it?"

Levitate a piece of cutlery for illustration.

>>23646232
This

He should try to cancel/destroy your TK on the bowl, making it drop.

Rolled 72

>>23646208
Let's play a game. It's called stop me from stealing all your pancakes with TK.

>>23646208

"I'll gladly help you if you do figure out what's what"
"summer could make some targets for you to practice on, it might not work but its worth a shot."

>time to sleep
>goodnight.

>>23646232
Should start lifting a pancake with a big grin.

"Hey, let's try this. Try and stop me from eating all of your pancakes."

>>23646249
>>23646262
Flapjackmind

"Maybe we can pair you off with one of us? Like, have one of us practicing Telekinesis and you try to cancel it?"
You hold out a hand, and levitate a small bowl into the air.
"Cancel it how?" he asked.
"Try doing something, Alex!"
"Like what?" He asked.
"Try focusing on me, or the bowl, or both even."
"Focus what? Like, my mind? I don't even understand how I'm even supposed to start doing this. Explain how you use telekinesis."

"I just... focus." You say.
"Focus what?" He asked.
"... F... focus." You say.
"See?! I don't have anything to focus. It's just not there."

>>23646284
"Um... Think about making the bowl stop floating. you have to want the bowl to stop floating. Want it really hard!"

>>23646284
Try smacking it down with your mind!

Rolled 92

>>23646284
Well I don't know, but until you figure it out I'm going to be stealing and eating all your pancakes. So you'd better be quick or you'll go hungry.

Try reaching out with your arm without reaching out with your arm.

>>23646284
"Just...focus on making it stop working. It's like moving your arm. You don't focus on the details of your muscles contracting, you just -move your arm-."

Rolled 29

>>23646284
Use Technopathy to make Jilly's wrist communicator say "I feel atracted to you Alex"

>>23646284
"You get headaches when you cancel too much psychic power. It must take some sort of mental effort, even if you're doing it subconsciously."

>>23646284
"Think that you really hate the bowl or something."

>>23646284
Imagine an invisible limb reaching from me to the bowl. Imagine the limb withering and disappearing.

Imagine the bowl being as it should - firmly on the table, because my TK doesn't work.

Imagine the shield surrounding your mind. Lumpy, weird, entirely too small - because you are a stupid butt - and.. crack it open, just a little bit. (Try and slip a tendril of thought into him during this)

>>23646284
Just try to cancel the bowl. There is no.. how about it. Just do it. That's the easiest way to explain it. It'll be eaisier once you know what you're doing."

>>23646319
Alternatively, this.

Guys. This is the job for the scientists. They can brainstorm ideas for this better than we can. They have access to all the info collected from testing us.

>>23646284
"Project your nothing onto my something."

>>23646374
How lewd.

"Just... focus on making it stop working." You say. "It's like moving your arm. You don't focus on making the details of your muscles contracting, you just *move your arm*."

He focused on the bowl for a while, just staring at it.
Nothing happened.
"Imagine an invisible limb reaching from me to the bowl. Imagine the limb withering and disappearing."
Nothing happened.
"Imagine the bowl being as it should - firmly on the table, because my TK doesn't work."
Nothing happened. The bowl continued levitating in the air.
"Project your nothing onto my something."
He didn't even try this one. He just got to his feet.
"Classes should start soon." He said. "Eat up so we can make it in time."

Rolled 32

>>23646404
Throw the bowl at him.

I'm a good teacher! Look how good Anna got at futurecraft. You must be a poor student.

>>23646404
"Don't be frustrated. I had difficulties with the tech stuff at first!"

>>23646404
Tell him you're going to use telekinesis to turn him into a bowl of cereal.

Try to use manifestation to create an illusion of the scythe monster in front of him.

>>23646404
>Maybe Alex can't control his thing. Maybe it's only an emotional sort of control, or something.

Set the bowl down and give up. Who's with us besides Alex?

>>23646447
no no no no no no. No manifestations inviting angry monsters into the ship

>>23646452
Just Damien, I believe.

Guys, its a shield not void energy, he's psychic but all his energy is devoted to shielding himself. He's not a damn pariah.

>>23646447
>Try to use manifestation to create an illusion of the scythe monster in front of him.
Hell no.

You throw the bowl at him.

It paused in place when it hit him for a full second, not even gravity pulling it to the ground. You feel your own kinetic force in the bowl... not bouncing off of him, but being drained away from the bowl.

Then it fell to the ground.
He shrugged.
"Didn't feel that." He said, and sighed. "Anyway, I'm off to class. See y'all later."

He turned and left, almost skulking out.
He was upset about something.
"He's upset about something." Damien said, and sighed, finishing up his pancakes. You steal one, but Damien didn't seem to notice.

Anna, Summer, Sarvesh, and Jilly are all talking, and you're still sitting next to Damien, if you wanted to talk to him. You didn't have much time until class, but you had at least a little time to talk to someone.

>>23646549
"talk to Jilly, we haven't talked to her much and we saw her die..."

>>23646549
Ask Damien if he's ever seen an alien in a vision. Crow, demiurg, whatever.

>>23646549
Let's go apologize to Alex, we had no reason to try and force something we knew damn well he couldn't do.

>>23646549
"He's very upset about something."
Probably that we didn't hug him.

So tell me more about your visions. Do you usually see humans? Is it always someone in danger? What's the strangest thing you've seen.

>>23646549
"I probably shouldn't have made him drop that bowl, Damien." Stare down at table. What the fuck were you gonna do? What was the next step in insuring everyone comes out of this alive?

"So tell me more about your visions." you say, turning to Damien. "Do you usually see humans? Is it always someone in danger? What's the strangest thing you've seen?"
"No, no, and an alien world where the stone was... spiked upward, kind of. It was all... levitating, and ethereal. Beautiful, but strange." He said. "Don't know where it is, and I haven't tried drawing it yet."
"Have you ever seen an alien in a vision?"
"Other than Nagala and Centaur, you mean?" He asked, and nodded. "Once, I've seen a tiny alien... it almost looked part slug, part walrus, hundreds of really long tongues in it's mouth. It used them to pull itself around. Nothing really happened in that vision, though."

>>23646682
That sounds really pretty. Tell me when you draw that one, I'd like to see it.

>>23646682
"Neat."
Go see Jilly now, if we have time.

>>23646682
>"Once, I've seen a tiny alien... it almost looked part slug, part walrus, hundreds of really long tongues in it's mouth. It used them to pull itself around. Nothing really happened in that vision, though."
Clearly this was a vision of the Void Queen

>>23646682
>>23646721
"We should go find Jilly, Damien, and make sure she's alright. But I don't want to leave you here alone. We have to stay together."

>>23646748
>We have to stay together."
uh why?

>>23646748
We are all in the cafeteria still.

"That sounds really pretty." You say.
"The slugrus?" Damien asked, and you shake your head.
"Tell me when you draw the planet. I'd like to see it."
"I will." He said, and chuckled.
You change tables to the one Jilly sat at, and she flashed yellow when you saw her - though her skin was much more purple than it normally was.
"Hi!" She said, giving you another hug. "Are you feeling better? You looked really freaked out earlier."

>>23646780
"And you're looking so... wholesome."

hug her back

>>23646780
"A little bit, I'm still freaked out, but I'm doing better now that I know it's not going to happen today. It was not a fun vision."

Hug her back.

>>23646780
"Yeah. I mean...I thought just about everyone was dead. I watched you die in pain, and I cried for days. I mourned."
Hug her tighter, "I'm never letting that happen again."

>>23646780
"A bit. What about you? You're looking a bit purple."

>>23646780
Hug her tigher
"you look a little pruple, are you alright?"

Rolled 61

>>23646780
"Well I am glad that my 'prophecy' didn't work. But what's the matter with you? You're a bit purple today."

You hug her tighter, pulling her close.
"Yeah, I mean... I thought just about everyone was dead." You say, quietly, hugging her even tighter to make sure she was there. "I watched you die in pain. I cried for days. I mourned. I'm never letting that happen again."
She was quiet for a time. She didn't say anything, but she... gently brushed your mind with hers. Nothing for communication, but... a caress. A symbol to show that she was here, alive, and unharmed.

A moment later, you pull away.
"You look a little purple, are you alright?"
"It was... a bit scary hearing about your dream." Jilly said. "I'll be okay, though."

>>23646937
"As long as we can all become strong and work together we'll live."

>>23646937
"Wipe our eyes."

Good. We should get to class. Try to be more yellow.

"Flash her a smile."

>>23646937
"What about the attack earlier? It seemed like it was mainly aimed at you."

>>23646978
You seem to have your quotations and your actions reversed, sir.

Statements in "" are for what Heather says. Satements without are for what Heather does, or for speaking out of character.

>>23646937
"Stay yellow my friend."

>>23646995
Fuck me, that's embarrassing. I'm going back to bed.

>>23646937
Maybe we should go talk to Sarvesh in private?
Why? Because Romantic plot. Dem bitches love romantic plots

>>23647072
>>23647072
That's precisely why I don't want to.
He's a centaur, it would never work out.

>>23647072
Eh, Summer is better wifu material.

>>23647072
>Why? Because Romantic plot. Dem bitches love romantic plots
I don't want Heather to get romantically involved with Sarvesh. Take that as you will.

>>23647072
I'd rather not.

>>23647072
no thanks, rather have anna

>>23647072
I agree on every level.

>>23647094
People are advocating going out with a tiger, I don't think being a giant crab dude is absurd compared to that.

>>23647072
Sarvesh is my preferred husbandu. But I doubt Heather has gotten around to thinking about him that way. We got to keep in character here.

>>23647139
Personally I'm advocating Anna, which is less absurd than either.

>>23647156
I'm also for Anna.

>>23647156
I support your cause.

Ok, fine, I change my mind. Let's talk to Sarvesh as soon as possible. Just talk to him, mind. Get his perspective, maybe ask him what colours he can see, etc.

>>23647139
At least they're both mammals.

Also Summer is the only npc I give a damn about.

Guys, even if we go talk to Sarvesh, it doesn't necessarily have to be about accepting or rejecting his interest.

We could (and should) just go tell him that, while we're aware and flattered, we're not really sure how we feel about him just yet.

>>23647156
>>23647174
>>23647175
Or we could not turn this into waifu quest #59385.

I'm not advocating anyone at this point, though my preference leans toward Anna. Sarvesh I see as a really, really good friend but not one for romance.

>>23647156
Don't get me wrong, I'm not against Anna, but I'm slightly annoyed at the people who are against even talking to the guy right now.

>>23647186
In an Exabyte quest? Impossible. Absurd, even.

>>23647186
I think that ship sailed a long time ago.

>>23647195
I wouldn't be against talking to him, if it wasn't for the fact that every suggestion to talk to him so far has come from people saying we should romance him.

>>23647185
>we're not really sure how we feel about him just yet.
That would give him hope.
If we are going to address his crush/love, we should address it fully. Reject or accept it. Don't give him possibly false hope.

"What about the attack earlier?" You ask. "It seemed like it was mainly aimed at you."
"No." Jilly whispered. "It was aimed at Alex. And when it... avoided him. Went through him, it turned to you."

She hugged you tight.
"There was nothing good inside of those... brambles." She said.
You wipe your eyes, and then give her another hug, and flash her a smile.
"We should get to class." You say.
She nodded.
"We should." She responded.

You all finished up your meals, and made your way out of the cafeteria.

The moment you left, you saw soldiers with heavy weapons and plated exosuits patrolling the halls, keeping a close eye on all of you. You didn't react much, but Anna was incredibly tense, walking warily, as the rest of you make your walk to your classroom.

And then classes started.

Time passed, and the guards at the doors didn't move a muscle, all wearing their helmets and suits, guns at the ready. Hours later, you notice that Dr. Manus wasn't finishing the final class, but instead Max took his place. The clock on his desk rang, and then classes were over.
"Heather, I have to talk to you." Max said.

>>23647230
"Um, okay?"

>>23647230
"Of course."

>>23647230
"What is it?"

>>23647230
Stay and talk to Max.

"What is it Max?"

>>23647230
"Sure."

>>23647230
"Sure thing Max! I just hope I won't get yelled at me because I acted a bit ... hastily this morning."

>>23647220
Well to be frank, there is hope. There is possibility. We haven't voted on it yet, but it seems like there's enough people both for and against it that it could go either way.

But just flat out ignoring it seems even worse.

>>23647195
Yeah, we should talk to him. He knows that he told us in the dream so just pretending it never happened is... cold.

>>23647269
It would be more entertaining to be lesbians with a tiger and you know it.

>>23647285
Question is.. How DOES he know?

>>23647230
Ask Max about crows and demiurgs.

"Of course." You say. "What is it?"

"It's the message that was sent to Einstein." Max said. "Dr. Manus has been working on it this entire time, and he's just now decrypted it."

He sighed. "It was... I don't know exactly. He's babbling about brain chemistry, but... Essentially, the message was meant to... be consumed by a technopath, and then it was planned to stimulate the parts of the brain used in telepathy. Manus seems to think that it was meant for you to create a connection with whoever sent the message."

>>23647294
The tiger who can manifest as anything

>>23647297
>"When I died and teleported you." Sarvesh said, his W-shaped pupils met your eyes. "I told you something, didn't I?"
>Silently, you nod.
He guessed what he would do in that situation. We confirmed it.

>>23647308
Whimper. Shudder.

>>23647308
"That's exactly what I was talking about! Do you believe me now?"

>>23647285
This. Seriously guys, he was willing to /die/ for us and we can't even give him the decency to acknowledge him pouring his heart out?

>>23647308
"Guess I'll have to get all my mail checked from now on."

>>23647297
He guessed when we mentioned he teleported us out.

>>23647294
Bah, we already did tiger/cat lesbians with Kaliel as Ishy.

>>23647308
"That's what I said. It gave her a backdoor connection to the station and let her wreak havoc through me, she could have done it without it, but it would have taken her a lot of resources and we were prepared this time."

>>23647308
"A message tailored against me. And I only learned technopathy and decryption yesterday. She's scary."

>>23647359
>Bah, we already did tiger/cat lesbians with Kaliel as Ishy.
technically that's shapeshifting dragon bird lesbians

>>23647308
"Well it worked. And it put me in a trans for I don't know how long, where I imagined what'd happen if we got attacked by something. It was so terryfing... Who do you think sent this message? Can you track him by space IP adress or something?"

>>23647308
"That's what I figured."

>>23647308
the implications of that are scary

>>23647308
"We should probably filter everyones emails in case she tries it again."
"Max, do we have anything that could train me in close combat?"

>>23647308
"What is Dr Manus doing now? Is he still experimenting with it?"

>>23647308
>Ask Max about crows and demiurgs.
Ask Max about crows and demiurgs.
>>23647308

You involuntarily whimper.
"That's exactly what I was talking about!" You say. "Do you believe me now?"
"We do, yes." Max said.
"A message tailored against me. And I only learned technopathy and decryption yesterday." You say. "She's scary."
Solemnly, Max nodded.
"And do you know who sent it? Can you track her by Space IP address or something?"
"It... was... manually inputted by someone at the terran Nexus. Sent to Burer's Glyph, then to Heaven's Jewel, and then here." Max said.
"We should probably filter everyone's emails in case she tries it again." You say.
"It wouldn't work on anyone else." Max said. "That's why I want to talk to you specifically. I want to warn you not to use your technopathy on anything quantum entangled."

"What is Dr. Manus doing now? Is he still experimenting with it?"
"... It's a program that can make a psion use their powers." Max said. "It's... probably the most valuable bit of information we've ever found in the history of the institute."

>>23647520
Ask Max about crows and demiurgs and bizarre alien psionics he has encountered, if any.

>>23647520
"Do you mind if I ask what you're planning to do with it?"

>>23647520
I won't. I'll be careful.

Don't do anything evil with it.

>>23647520
"I'll be careful, and you guys be careful as well.

She's dangerous and she doesn't want any psychic other than her to live."

>>23647520
"I suppose it would be. She clearly knows a lot more about psionics than us."

>>23647520
I'm going to say now that I refuse to let that thing anywhere near my mind, no matter what you do with it first.

>>23647520
"She knows where this station is, do you think we should move to a different location?"

>>23647520
"Max, do you think I could get some combat training? Something I could use if I run out of juice?