>>31582683

>Last time on Freelance Ghost quest: Artemis trains his psychic powers some more, tries and doesn’t fail too hard at cooking, and starts teaching Lisa how to control her psionics. He then proceeded to meditate and expand his psychic senses.


The sensation of all that life out in the jungle, no matter how insignificant each individual blot might be, is too much. You try toning down your sensitivity. You’ve never done anything similar, as you usually had to try and focus to enhance them further.

You feel all the tiny specs of life around you weaken, every person dims down. Lisa is still slightly brighter, but not much more. Taking this as a good sign, you try again, and expand your senses past the edge of the jungle. You still feel a lot of life, but it is much less overwhelming. You continue, and even manage to find a stalker here and there.

As your senses approach the spaceport, you can feel the strain really starting to take its toll, and you’re forced to let go. To your surprise, almost an hour and a half passed.
You’re tired, but you still feel like you could do something else.

>1. Go to bed anyway.
>2. Meditate on your Ghost Conditioning. You are reaching the point where you won’t make much more progress without the confederate data on the conditioning though.
>3. Write in.

>Last time a 16 was rolled, I took that and went with it. Also taught me not to start a thread with a dice roll.

>>31582707
>>2. Meditate on your Ghost Conditioning. You are reaching the point where you won’t make much more progress without the confederate data on the conditioning though.

Rolled 6

>>31582707
>2. Meditate on your Ghost Conditioning. You are reaching the point where you won’t make much more progress without the confederate data on the conditioning though.

>>31582807
woops, still had dice on from another quest

>>31582776
>>31582807
Writing.

You figure you can still try to pry open your ghost conditioning a bit more. You descend back in your mind and towards the fortress locking away more of your psionic potential. With the boost the temple gave you, you wonder how much more there could be left, but you instinctively know you still cannot access all of your power.

Using all the knowledge you previously amassed, you launch mental barrages towards the fortress, and while you destroy much of the superficial defences, you don’t seem to be able to break the actual fortress itself. A long and exhausting fight later, you’re fairly sure it can’t defend itself anymore, but no matter where you look or how much energy you push into it, you can’t seem to find or make an opening to get what’s inside.

Coming back from your mental trip, you note it’s about 1 am. You climb into your bed and sleep soon comes for you.

-You’re in the strange blue and featureless plain again. Dark storm clouds are hanging over you, but there’s no sign of anything close to you. You’re aware you’re in some kind of mental plane of existence, but you don’t really know more about this place.-

> What do you do?
>1. Try to find a way to get out (write in encouraged).
>2. There was a Protoss here last time, try to get its attention.
>3. Sit and try to meditate on your surroundings.
>4. Write in.

>>31583013
>2. There was a Protoss here last time, try to get its attention.

>>31583013
If we cant see the Protoss, >3, that may draw it's attention a la >2.

>>31583072
>>31583126
Writing.

-You look around, but all you can see is more of the same strange blue stretching out in every direction. Last time you were here, there was a Protoss, but there doesn’t seem to be any trace of him here now. You try shouting, but no sound leaves your mouth. Your second attempt is a psionic scream, but it simply echoes in the back of your head, and nothing happens. You decide to try something else.-

-It’s a very strange idea, to meditate while not being in your own mind, but it seems to work. It doesn’t do what you expect it to do though. Instead of entering your own mind and feeling things from outside through it, all of your senses sharpen.-

-You suddenly feel that there’s a slight breeze. It had always been there, you only just noticed.-

-There’s a strange salty smell in the air, it reminds you of being near a sea of some kind.-

-The storm above you rumbles slightly, whereas before you didn’t notice it making a sound at all.-

-And most importantly, you can feel around you with your psychic senses. It feels hollow, fake. It’s not a mind you’re in, but some kind of artificial mental plane. Made for what, you can only guess.-

-Your thoughts are interrupted by a psionic disturbance in front of you. Lightning flashes down from the clouds, and suddenly the Protoss from before is standing before you. No, hovering.-

-“Interesting. I had not thought you would be able to come here by yourself. Mind wandering is a dangerous skill Terran, you should be more careful with it.”-

>1. What is this place?
>2. What do you mean, come here by myself?
>3. Mind wandering?
>4. Write in.

>>31583319
>3
>2
>1

>>31583319
>>1. What is this place?

>2. What do you mean, come here by myself?

>>31583319

>1. What is this place?
>2. What do you mean, come here by myself?

>>31583184
>4 I think I'm dreaming, actually. Sorry if I came here uninvited.
>1
>4 Do you know what the temples on this planet are?

>>31583377
>>31583408
>>31583409
>>31583462
Writing.

Sorry if things are slow, I've got some RL things to deal with while I'm writing.

>>31583626
s'all good OP

>>31583626
Take the time you need to write a story that's worth it. If the quest I'd slow, so be it.

And thanks for running.

-You try to talk, but you soon remember the soundless screams you did earlier and switch over to mental communication-

-“I thought I was dreaming actually. Sorry if I came here uninvited. What is this place, and what did you mean, get here by myself?”

-“It is a mental construct my brethren and I made to make for easier long range communication. Normally outsiders cannot access it. But I suppose it was inevitable. I have been observing you for some time, and your mind seems to be a wild one. Restless. Going places. I brought you here last time, so your mind must have found its way back here by itself. You should learn to control it.”-

-“What are you talking about? I’ve never heard of mind wandering.”-

-“And I have never heard of a Terran capable of doing so. But it seems your restless mind is trying to leave here.” You notice his voice is becoming softer, more silent. “I shall be watching you, and I have no doubt we will speak again.”-

-He says one more thing, but you can’t make it out anymore as the plane turns grey, and you feel your mind slipping away from the place.-

You wake up and look at your clock. It says 8 am.

>What do you do for the morning?
>1. Train physical
>2. Train psionics.
>3. Train ranged combat.
>4. Check in on a person (specify who)
>5. Write in.
>Note: Murphy will probably be leaving to continue work on your wraith about now. You might not be able to catch her in the village anymore and voting for meeting with her will be counted as going to the spaceport.

>I might be doing slightly more time-skippy options for now.

>>31583837
>3. Train ranged combat.
then
>4. Check in on a person (specify who)
see how Lisa is going and how her work and training is progressing

>>31583902
This

>>31583902
>>31583973
Writing.

After a quick meal of some of yesterday’s leftover vegetables that you’re reasonably sure of are okay to eat raw, you head out into the forest again to your previous training spot. A lot of the uprooted trees are gone already, used up by the fungi, and replaced by young saplings. You open up your psionic senses a bit to examine them, based on what you know of them from last night’s meditation. You get the impression the whole forest is working together to get the place full of trees again as quickly as possible.

You don’t let it distract you though. You’re here for training your shooting skills. After some time spent mostly doing manoeuvres without shooting, you start actually practicing your aim with your revolver and hunting rifle. You even try to dual wield your revolvers, though you find shooting two guns accurately at once to be very difficult. Mostly something to do if there’s a lot of targets and it doesn’t matter who gets hit then, you think. It doesn’t take long to get back up to your usual level, and with a few extra hours, you find your aim is better than it has ever been.

>You’ve used up 2 hunting rifle clips and 2 sets of revolver ammo. Pastebin updated.

It’s about 12 o’ clock by the time you get back to frontier, and you find Lisa at her lab, just locking things up behind her.

“Hey Artemis, how are you?” You make some small talk as you walk her to her house and she invites you in for dinner.

“I noticed you were practicing a bit yesterday evening after I left.”

“Oh yeah. I was just, you know, trying things out a bit more. It feels weird you know.” You nod, thinking back to your first psionic lesson. It involved a lot more pain than hers though. It’s a good motivator, but not suitable in the slightest for this situation.

>1. Talk to her about something specific (specify what).
>2. Have some more small talk during the meal and leave afterwards.
>3. Write in.

>>31584407
>1. Talk to her about something specific (specify what).
Talk about her psychic powers and perhaps communicating with Mittens, though if she does we should be ready to help protect her mind if Mittens is still angry

>>31584407
>1. Ask about how Mittens is doing. Explain the situation with the machine in the temple and that Mittens seems extremely angry with us.

>>31584467
Mittens is angry?

>>31584496
It kind of freaked out after finding out you touched the ancient artifacts in the temple.

>>31584496
Several threads ago, we talked psychicly with Mittens, explaining why humans didn't react to the Stalkers' psychic warning to not enter the temple.

Apparently the Stalkers are defending the device that augmented us and consider anyone that would want to misuse it (aka use it without whoever modified their species' express permission) as HERESY.

>>31584496
after we touched the artifacts in the temple and told it so its been irrational hateful and angry towards us

>>31584509
>>31584555
>>31584561
Understood

>>31584467
>>31584493
Writing. (though you have informed her that it got mad right after it happened, you'll be going into specifics now.)

“I’ve been wondering how Mittens is doing. It still seems to hate me.”

“She’s been a lot more closed off towards me since you talked to her.” Lisa’s face gets a bit of a sad look on it. “I’ve tried talking to her, and I explained that the blood she smelled on me was from a stalker that died anyway and that it didn’t die just so I could examine it. I’m not sure if that’s what she’s upset about though. She really does seem to mind you having messed with those artifacts.”

“I didn’t mess with them, they messed with me.”

“I know, I just meant, from her point of view. She’s been getting wilder too, I’m not sure if keeping her in the village is a good idea. I’m loathe to let her go though. Who knows what could happen. They haven’t attacked anymore, but if she gets word out to the other stalkers that you used those things, they might start actively attacking, or even hunting you down specifically…”

She’s not specifically asking it, but you think she might be looking for your input on this.

>1. We should just kill her, I’m sorry, it’s the only way to be sure.
>2. Keep her as she is. She’s still under some sedatives so she shouldn’t be able to escape.
>3. Release her, she’ll calm down eventually.
>4. Write in.

>>31584756
>4. Write in.
lets go talk to her, sedate her so she's a little more friendly, and try to explain our perspective and see how she's like to be released

we might want to tell Mittens we talked with a protoss and it seemed friendly enough

fucking moot broke posting for a bit there

>>31584756
>4 "We can't keep her here forever, that much is clear. I'd rather not have to deal with Stalkers actively hunting me right now...I really wish I'd investigated their intelligence before going to the temple. If you can:
>2
for just a little while longer. If there was an easy way to explain this to her, I would, but she's angry, too angry to listen."

>>31584795
>>31584808
So, pretty much keep her as she is for now, try to go and reason with her now, with Lisa being there with us.

Writing.

>>31584795
We need to explain to Mittens about our 'family' coming back. About how Primus WILL try to find the device, as he has almost certainly sensed something happening here. How we need Mittens help to stop it's misuse.

>>31584860
Also, we may want to explain our 'upbringing', for lack of a better term. Might help put things into perspective for Mittens.

>>31584863
>>31584888
both good ideas

"We can't keep her here forever, that much is clear. I'd rather not have to deal with Stalkers actively hunting me right now...I really wish I'd investigated their intelligence before going to the temple. If you can, keep her like she is for now. I’d like to try and talk to her again. She’s been too angry to listen, but maybe with you there you could calm her down.”

Lisa agrees, and after you finish your meal, you head to the captive stalker together. She starts talking to it first, purely mentally now. You see the beast tensing up at first, but slightly calming down after a while, and at a nod of Lisa, you open your mind a bit and start communicating. You’re still aware of Lisa’s mind here too, and you realise you’re in a sort of psychic three-way call.

Mittens tenses up the moment you join though, and releases a mental growl. At least it’s not jumping at you any more, you might be able to explain things now.

>How do you proceed?
>1. Tell her the entire truth about what happened in the temple, and that you used the second machine because you’re being hunted. Lisa doesn’t know about your ‘family’ yet though.
>2. Tell her the truth about what happened, leave your motivations for becoming stronger vague.
>3. Tell her you got into both machines by accident.
>4. Write in.

>>31585002
>1.
Explain the first machine was an accident. Explain our being hunted, Primus' bloodlust and insanity (for lack of better terms). Explain why we did what we did, and used the machine because we thought it may help us, but that we also are in debt to both the stalkers and being who created the temple at this point.

Explain that our use of the machine while Primus was searching for us most likely has given him the idea that something is out there that can boost his psychic abilities even more.

Explain that we will do whatever we can to stop Primus from using the device.

Ask Mittens for help.

>>31585002
C'mon Anons get that diplomancing organ moving

>>31585002
Seconding >>31585102

>>31585105
sry, was arguing with anon in another thread, damn people on the internet being wrong

>>31585146
Corporate agent or renegade prince?

>>31585146
These things, they take time. No worries, anon.
>>31585102
>Primus' bloodlust and insanity
I think Lust for power, being a lying sack of shit, and his complete lack of empathy would be the best explanation.

>>31585173
another board

File: Someone is wrong on internet.png (38 KB, 500x550)

38 KB PNG

>>31585146

>>31585102
>>31585180
Alright, roll me a D20 for diplomancy, best of three, as always. You get a reduction in DC for the write ins.

Rolled 13

>>31585284

Rolled 15

>>31585284
Lets convey >>31585102 as gently as we can, using helpful simple imagery, try to give it an image of us not understanding what the temple's artifacts would do and their significance, just like the Stalkers didn't know the humans couldn't hear their warnings

Rolled 2

>>31585284
FOR THE DICE GODS!

Rolled 20

>>31585284

>>31585351
>>31585354
15 is probably enough. Still, it's nice to know the dice gods like to troll us.

>>31585354
>>31585353
Who was first?

>>31585328
>>31585351
>>31585353
>>31585354
Damn it Dice Gods

Rolled 3

>>31585353
>7:28:43
>>31585354
>7:28:40
On my screen the timestamps are reserved from the posting order.

wat

>>31585375
>5353 rolls a 2
>5354 rolls a 20
Self explanatory, Anon.

>>31585400
>reserved
reversed* derp

>>31585328
>>31585351
>>31585353
Lower DC met. Shame you missed that 20.

Writing.

The first thing you send to Mittens is an impression. Of openness, that you want to talk and explain. There’s even a little bit of an apology in it. She’s still tense, but you take the lack of reaction as permission to continue.

You show it the first machine. How it entered your mind and pulled you towards it. You send it the hellish torment you endured from it, and that you’re not sure you would have survived if someone had not helped you there. Then that you feel strange and new. It helped you get through something placed upon you by other people to keep you down, but it also showed you a way to improve yourself.

At that point, Mittens begins growling, but you interrupt it before it can do anything serious. You show it images of you growing up. Of the training you had to go through, of the abuse and experimentation you had to endure. And Primus. You show her Primus tormenting you as you grow older. Then, you send her the impression of impending doom. Of the predator being hunted by a much stronger being. Of Primus coming for you.

You try to make it clear to her that you had no other option for survival, and that you are indebted to the Stalkers and their creators. You seem to have thrown her off balance with the sudden switch of topics, but you give her no time to recover. You continue with a potential future. Of Primus finding the machines and using it to empower himself and destroy everything around him to get there.

>>31585694

It doesn’t have the impact you hoped for, but you get a snarling response from Mittens. What you can make of it is that she will make sure that nothing will come to the Temple’s machines again, but that she will not interfere with another one’s hunt. You try to negotiate a bit further, but the only other thing you still manage to get out of her is that if you succeed in preventing Primus from using the devices before they do, then your debt is settled as long as you never return to the temple.

The mental contact is broken off from her side, and you find Lisa staring at you with wide eyes. You realise she saw and felt the whole thing, and that she didn’t know about Primus and your family yet.

>1. Apologise for not telling her, you didn’t want her to worry.
>2. Stay silent.
>3. Write in.

>>31585715
>1. Apologise for not telling her, you didn’t want her to worry.
explain its kind of the reason why we are who we are and not really 'human' when it comes to social matters

>>31585715
>1
>3 State we'll never enter the temple again, unless our hunt fail & Primus both gets to the temple and seems to be able to hold off the Stalkers. Also offer to teach Mittens the ability to hid from other psychics, it could be useful for the Stalkers.

>>31585715
Dammit mittens why won't you love us? And follow us in adventure IN SPHESS?!

>2. Stay silent.

>>31585715
>>31585794
Also, free her.

>>31585805
Mittens is an independent kitty with a job. With responsibilities.

>>31585825
>Also, free her.
Seconding, lets let her go and guard the temple, maybe we can say hi to her when exploring or meditating

>>31585715
We really should also talk to the explorer/archeologist and tell him not to enter the temple again. Mittens (and the rest of the stalkers) might not be happy about that.

>>31585784
>>31585794
>>31585805
>>31585825
>>31585843
>>31585872
Writing.

>>31585794
Though I'm gonna leave off the teaching mittens thing, you only just got it and are still not entirely sure how it works yourself. It'd be a long shot right now to even teach another human that, let alone a stalker.

>>31585954
Ah well, was hoping in case Primus overpowers or out-smarts us, he'd have to deal with psychicly blank murder-kitties.

A man can dream.

“I… Sorry. I didn’t want you to worry about him. He’ll be here soon, so I’ve been preparing these past few days. I think any more talking about it would best be done in private though.”

The mental images and feelings must have left a big impression on Lisa, because she doesn’t immediately respond. “It’s ok, I think. I mean, you have your reasons. And…” She pauses for a moment, but the next thing you know she sends you a mental message.

“They actually did that to you? Oh my god that was terrible.” She seems a bit shaken up, and you try to switch topics.

“Well, about Mittens, I think it should be relatively safe to release her. I’ll just have to try and convince Haverdam not to go there anymore.”

“You’re right. I’ll arrange for some people to help me set her free again, though I’m getting the feeling I’ll make a lot of the villagers mad with it. And you’ll have a hard time convincing Haverdam. He’s dead set on making this his big discovery that will finally make his name known in the scientific community.”

Lisa heads back to her lab, and you head to Haverdam’s house. To your surprise, the door’s unlocked, and you find him snoring in a chair, his head hanging backwards, and some pieces of what you brought back from the expedition on the table in front of him.

You give him a gentle nudge, and he immediately wakes up. “Eh? Wha… Oh, hello Artemis. I must have dozed off there for a moment.”

“Just how much are you working on this?”

“Oh, I don’t know, I don’t really pay attention to the time when I’m working. Perhaps I should eat something, I think it’s been since shortly before you last visit since I ate.”

“You didn’t eat for over a day?” You stare at him for a moment.

“Oh, it’s been a day already? I suppose so then, yes.”

>>31586207

>How do you talk to him about your conversation with Mittens?
>1. Tell him about the entire talk. you’ve mentioned the family visit before so you won’t have to go into too many details.
>2. Tell him not to go back to the ruins, use a different reason (write in)
>3. Write in.

>>31586219
>1. Tell him about the entire talk. you’ve mentioned the family visit before so you won’t have to go into too many details.

>>31586207
>1. Tell him about the entire talk. you’ve mentioned the family visit before so you won’t have to go into too many details.
Be honest, it might suck for him, but he's gotten something from it. If he still REALLY wants to go, remind him of the statues and a machine that can elevate a psychic to a god in minutes. There's plenty of other places to investigate and if he wants we can help him with that.
Lets set Mittens free ourselves, without the villagers.

>>31586219
>1. Tell him about the entire talk. you’ve mentioned the family visit before so you won’t have to go into too many details.

>>31586307
>>31586337
>>31586349
Writing. Probably last post for the day.

Also, captcha is being mean. Keeps telling me I forgot to solve it while I really did.

>>31586619
Was getting that deal on wednesday. Was the best thing ever.

>>31586619
>>31586641
I had literally been trying to post that message for over 10 minutes. seems I have to use the message box at the top and not the quick reply for it to work. Last post of the day incoming.

>Note: I only just noticed that I wrote it fairly badly in the previous posts. The deal with mittens was supposed to be that they wouldn’t bother you or the village anymore if no one else went there anymore

“There was actually something I wanted to talk to you about. I just had another chat with our psychic kitten, and it basically offered me a deal. I’ve informed you of my impending family visit, and now I’ve told Mittens that too. I also specified what exactly Primus would do with the temple, and it offered me this: I prevent him from getting to the temple, and the Stalkers won’t bother us anymore as long as no one else goes there again either. That includes you I’m afraid.”

“What? But that’s preposterous! There’s so much there that we can still learn from! Why would we cave in to the demands of an overgrown feline? We’ve basically neutered the entire species already, even if I don’t like it.”

“Professor. I know it’s hard for you, but you mentioned there were other and larger ruins than that temple. It didn’t say anything about those. You’re basically sacrificing what little is there that won’t be at the other sites for an entire species not harassing you and the settlers anymore. And who says they don’t have more places they’re bred in?”

“I… suppose you’re right. Very well, I guess I don’t have much of a choice. I’ll have to throw a lot of my preparations for the next expedition out of the window then.”

You leave Haverdam to his own devices. He still seemed to be upset, but you figure he’ll get over it.

>It’s about 2pm. What do you do?
>1. Murphy will be back in Frontier by now, she should be done with the first part of the engine upgrade. Go meet with her.
>2. Go train Psionics.
>3. Go train Ranged attacks.
>4. Go train Physical.
>5. Go shopping.
>6. Writing.

>>31586708

>End of Freelance Ghost Quest #16, thanks for sticking around. I’ll be archiving in a minute and I’ll count all votes here for the next thread’s opening post.
>Next thread will be on monday at its earliest. Might still have to see if I’m feeling good enough then.

And archived!

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Freelance%20Ghost

Thanks for sticking around people! I'll be here for another moment if you have any questions or criticism.

>>31586708
>1. Murphy will be back in Frontier by now, she should be done with the first part of the engine upgrade. Go meet with her.
lets start with that then
>5. Go shopping.
stock up on guns and ammo and see if we can't find some stuff to help improve our suit with

>>31586722
Thanks for the thread OP, cya next time

>>31586722
>>31586708

>1. let's be sociable

Also cheers for the thread OP! was fun

>>31586708
>2. Go train Psionics.
>6. We need to consider new ways to either remove the conditioning or to find out where we can get access to the Dominion data networks. We need to consider how the conditioning was designed and use it's design to legitimately open it (very hard) or find a decent place to DL the conditioning data (also very hard).

>>31586708
>>2. Go train Psionics.

>>31586708
>>1. Murphy will be back in Frontier by now, she should be done with the first part of the engine upgrade. Go meet with her.
I would like to keep track of whats happening to the ship. aka if problems arise and such