KIM'S STORY: PART TWO [Kimberly Brenner, an average American teenage, woke up one night to find herself in the hills near her Oakland, California home, surrounded by strange people equipped with unearthly weapons. Within the next few hours, she was abducted to an alien spaceship, befriended a fellow prisoner, discovered she is telepathic, escaped the ship, and found herself dumped into the Oakland Bay with her mysterious new friend!] ********************************************* First things first - Kim will swim for the bridge support (towing the woman), to get clear of the water. At least the flying immersion heater has reduced the risk of immediate hypothermia! "I should never have paid that subscription to the "Weirdness-of-the-month Club", she mutters. Once on the support, Kim will force more water out of the woman's lungs until she is conscious and breathing cleanly, then see about finding a ladder up. She ponders for a moment how she will explain to her parents that she was found on the Bay Bridge, dressed in her pyjamas (assuming they've survived everything she's been through!), parboiled, soaked to the skin, and accompanied by a strange woman. She shrugs - she'll climb up that bridge when she comes to it . -Kim- <><><><><> [GM] Your friend coughs some more, and after a few minutes, she is able to hold onto the bridge by herself. You find that there is indeed a ladder heading up, though it's a LONG climb, and the ladder is one of those consisting only of metal bars jutting out from the main support. Although you still feel surprisingly strong, considering all you've been through, you are worried whether your companion can make it up by herself. But she begins climbing, at your urging, and seems to also be recovering fairly quickly. When you reach a platform on which you can rest (underneath the actual roadway, apparently a place where workers can get to the structure from underneath, without impeding traffic), you both crawl onto it and lie there for a while. Finally, she speaks. "The Sebth....none have pursued?" You tell her about the sudden appearance of the metal sphere, and the boiling water. She frowns in puzzlement. "That would be the Sebth ship, yes. But its drives would not generate heat." After a moment, she says, "It must have been their lasers....the Sebth commander was expressing his irritation at us by vaporizing the water around us." She smiles faintly. "They could easily have killed us, if they wanted to. But I do not understand why they left. I was hoping we would arrive at some point much farther from them...we came out so close, apparently, and we were virtually helpless. They could easily have sent another party out to recapture us. I wish I knew where they are now, and what they are doing." After a few more moments to catch your breaths, she says, "I have never yet told you my name, have I, Kimberly? It is Ashiya. You allowed me to escape, and then saved my life. I am grateful." She turns that intense, serious expression on you again. "There is a great deal I must tell you, and a great deal you will have to learn. But we must do something about your state of dress....I would not like you to become sickened. And I must get to my...apartment. In Daly City. Will it be possible for us to locate a...taxi, somewhere nearby?" <><><><><> Kim shrugs. "I don't know... Ashiya. Maybe if we got onto the bridge, we could hail one. Have you any money that survived the immersion?" Then she adds, with a slight grin: "I have to get back home soon, or contact my parents somehow. Otherwise they'll go spare." She shivers in the early-morning chill. "And you're right about my state of dress!" -Kim- <><><><><> [GM] Ashiya frowns (frowning and thinking carefully before speaking seems to be a ritual for her). Then she pulls a small wallet from her pants pocket. "I have....a VISA card." She holds up the card. "This is acceptable as money, is it not?" "Yes, you should speak to your parents." There's something about the way she put that that makes you a little uneasy. Two options occur to you; once you get off the bridge, you can make your way to a phone booth, where you can call your parents, or Ashiya can get a cash advance with her credit card from an ATM, and hail a Taxi. She wants to return home, but wants you to come with her, after checking in at your house. "We have much to do", she says. <><><><><> "A taxi won't take that. They like cash. But you could get cash out of an ATM machine. And I could ring home." She shivers. "Come on, let's get off this bridge. It's too exposed." -Kim- <><><><><> [GM] You manage to get to a convenience store, about three miles from where the bridge reaches Oakland. It was a long and cold walk. You stayed in the shadows as much as possible, since a teenage girl out at night in her pajamas might attract attention you don't want. It would be a longer walk to a bank, but Ashiya says she can manage. You explain to her that once you go home, your parents aren't going to let you just take off again. So she wants to stay in the area, so that she can meet with you early tomorrow. (Which is a school day, another concept Ashiya doesn't consider relevant.) She says she will use her credit card to sleep in a motel that's nearby, and tomorrow both of you can go to her apartment in Daly City. You get the impression that she's not about to say "Take care, see you later" anytime soon. You seem to be stuck with her hanging around, though you haven't yet gotten any kind of explanation for the night's events. You can't do much about where she chooses to spend the night. While you're considering how and whether you will meet with her tomorrow, you call your parents. Your mother, rather surprised to be called by her daughter who she thought was tucked safely in bed, is none too pleased. Mom and Dad get your location, and will soon arrive, ready to hear what had better be one fantastic explanation, you're sure. After hanging up the phone, you are left facing Ashiya, who regards you with her calm, serious gaze. <><><><><> Kim grins ruefully. "Well, that's that. My parents will be along soon, and they'll never believe some story about being kidnapped by aliens." -Kim- <><><><><> [GM] Your parents arrive, staring at you in your still-wet pajamas, and at Ashiya. After quickly making sure that you are all right, Mom says, "What the HELL is going on, Kimberly?" <><><><><> Kim had run through and discarded many different excuses before they came. If she made up anything about being kidnapped, her parents would go straight to the police, causing lots of problems. She considered claiming to have sneaked out to see her boyfriend, but that had at least two snags: she would never have sneaked out in her pyjamas, and she didn't have a steady boyfriend at the moment. Yet her parents would never believe the truth! She finally settles on a story that is at least *somewhere* near what really happened, and takes a moment to explain it to Ashiya. >After quickly making sure that you are all right, Mom says, "What the >HELL is going on, Kimberly?" [OOC: Her parents would call her Kim, not Kimberley - remember her quirk! Although perhaps they switch to Kimberley when they are disapproving ] Looking sheepish (which her parents will know is a very rare phenomenon ) she says: "I don't know what happened - I think I walked in my sleep or something. I didn't even wake up until I was by the Bay. Then I saw a group assaulting a woman" - she indicates Ashiya - "and I went to help her. There was a scuffle, ending in the water, and the attackers escaped." [OOC: Note that the above is technically correct, but completely misleading . If the existence of metahumans becomes public knowledge, Kim might decide to ease her conscience by telling the truth] [OOC: (What a lot of OOCs, the librarian must by around ) It's a good thing you didn't implement the defect on her teleportation I suggested - it would have been even harder for her to explain a lack of pyjamas!] -Kim- <><><><><> [GM] [Yes, I remembered the quirk. I figured when her parents use "Kimberly", it's a good indication that they're REALLY ticked off. Remember, both times she has teleported so far, she was aided by Sebth teleport technology. ] * * * * * * * * Your Mom and Dad look at each other and back at you and Ashiya, raising their eyebrows at this improbable story. Mom clears her throat and says, "I suppose we need to call the police, then." Dad is looking at you carefully, inspecting you for injuries. (Your skin feels somewhat scalded, from the vaporizing water, but it's not actually blistered.) He's also looking at Ashiya carefully, and Mom looks none too pleased...Ashiya's figure isn't hurt by having wet clothes draped over it. Ashiya says, "That is...not necessary. I am unharmed. I will stay at a motel and go home tomorrow." At your parents' questioning, she explains that she lives in Daly City. Your father offers to drop her off at the nearest motel. On the drive there, they question her some more, asking for her name and phone number and address. She gives this information to them, though once again you can tell Mom is perturbed by the fact that she gives no last name. They also urge her to call the police, but she politely refuses. Ashiya also speaks to you telepathically, while carrying on the subdued conversation with your parents. **Kimberly** [you'll have to break her of that habit ], **It is very important that we meet tomorrow. I would prefer you come with me now, but I understand your familial obligations. But if the Sebth are still in-system, they will be back. Even if they left, they or another Sebth ship may return. I do not know when my people will send a ship. There is a war...I do not know what the situation is now.** **Kimberly,** [it's really starting to grate on your nerves] **I will be honest with you now.** [and from the way she avoided your parents' more direct questions, and looked VERY uncomfortable doing so, you get the impression she has a hard time being anything but honest] **Your life is going to change. You possess psionic abilities- teleportation AND telepathy, that we know of. I cannot begin to explain the significance of that combination to you now, but it is...important. The fact that you have active psionic abilities at all is what is most important to you now.** **You are no longer the same as the rest of your people. And you cannot stay among them.** !!! [Assuming Kim doesn't do anything drastic, like grab her by the throat or declare that she's not going to meet with her and plans running away:] Your parents drop Ashiya off at a Best Western, make sure she'll be all right for the rest of the night, then head back home. Your mother asks you questions like, "Have you ever sleepwalked before?" and "Do you think you can recognize any of those men?" And you're picking up thoughts from her too; **This doesn't make sense...it's such a wild story....I really get the feeling she's not telling us everything...** and from your father: **Is Kim making this up? I don't want to accuse her of lying, we've always trusted her before, but... I wonder if I can get a chance to talk to this Ashiya alone.** Dad's perceptions of Ashiya are also very disturbing....he's not supposed to notice things like that about other women! Logically, you know he's only human and his thoughts aren't ranging towards any actual desire to behave improperly...but emotionally, seeing an image of Ashiya's breasts, under a clinging wet garment, playing over repeatedly in Dad's mind is not making you happy, and it's a darn good thing Mom isn't telepathic! You hope you can learn to turn this mindreading off... <><><><><> >"Have you ever sleepwalked before?" "I don't know. I don't think I've sleepwalked before, but perhaps I couldn't tell if I didn't wake up." >"Do you think you can recognize any of those men?" "I'm not sure if I could recognise them. It was dark, and I wasn't exactly concentrating on remembering their faces. There were three of them, two men and a woman. All three were black, and had their heads shaved, except for a single braid, a bit like a topknot. Maybe they were from some gang or other." >**This doesn't make sense...it's such a wild story....I really get the >feeling she's not telling us everything...** Inwardly, Kim smiles ruefully - now she knows what Douglas Adams meant by Telepathy being a vicious punishment! She can't blame her mother - if someone had told her the same story a day before, she'd never have believed it. >Dad's perceptions of Ashiya are also very disturbing....he's not supposed >to notice things like that about other women! Logically, you know he's >only human and his thoughts aren't ranging towards any actual desire to >behave improperly...but emotionally, seeing an image of Ashiya's breasts, >under a clinging wet garment, playing over repeatedly in Dad's mind is not >making you happy, and it's a darn good thing Mom isn't telepathic! [ROFL! ] Kim toys with the idea of sending her father images of divine retribution, but figures this might have a deletrious effect on his driving... Thinking ahead, Kim decides how she will meet up with Ashiya again. She'll go jogging after school, but take in a different route from usual, and head up to Ashiya's place. [OOC: I don't know if this is practical - if not, Kim will go out jogging, but hop on a bus once she's out of sight of her parents] -Kim- <><><><><> [GM] Your parents bring you home. The next day, your mother drives you to school, asking more questions about the previous night. She tells you to come home immediately after school...you get the feeling you're not quite grounded, but she's obviously not satisfied with the story she's gotten so far. The mental yammering of people around you quickly becomes very nerve-wracking. You are starting to get the hang of blocking it out, but you'll need practice. And the thoughts you get from people are sometimes startling. You'd always heard (especially from your father! ) that teenage boys have nothing on their minds but sex, but you're almost starting to believe it. Not that a lot of girls aren't also spending lots of time staring into space thinking unwholesome thoughts. Bits and pieces of thoughts during the day leave you praying that Ashiya can tell you quickly how to shut it off- From a teacher you'd always thought was pretty nice; **damned niggers, all drug-dealing hoodlums, wish I could teach at a private school** From a casual female friend of yours; **maybe if stop taking baths, Dad will leave me alone** From a couple of guys you pass in the hall; **kind of cute but no tits** (you almost turn around and deck him, until he realize he didn't say it out loud) You learn a rather nerdy, overweight boy in your math class has a monster crush on you (kind of sweet, until he starts fantasizing about what he'd like to do with you!), and your best friend really likes you but thinks maybe if you stopped acting like a boy, you'd get more dates, and your English teacher is cheating on his wife, and an assistant principal is concerned about his brother, who has a drug problem.... not all the thoughts you get are this negative, of course; most are not very coherent, and the vast majority are mundane, like what class is next and what we're going to eat for lunch and wonder if it will rain etc. etc. But what you do pick up could easily test your ability to withstand depression. Ashiya is waiting for you when school is out. She looks tired. "I was hoping to meet you this morning," she says. "I waited outside your house, until you woke up, but I didn't expect your mother to drive you. Then I considered communicating with you telepathically, but long-range sendings are not wise...the Sebth might have psi-detectors, if they are still about." "I MUST return to my apartment now...there is equipment there I need, and information devices I must inspect. You must...you should come with me, Kimberly. I can test your psionic potential, and explain your situation now. Although your situation is rather unstable, like mine, as I do not know who will come for us or when. And there are other odd things occurring on this planet." She looks at you, and her serene expression seems not as serene. Fatigue and stress and other emotions are starting to show. Other kids flow past you, and her eyes briefly flicker towards a pair of jocks as they saunter past, before refocusing back towards you. It's not hard to imagine what the jocks likely were thinking about Ashiya, and you wonder how well she is able to screen out mental chatter... <><><><><> After the initial surprise at each of the overheard thoughts, Kim is more amused than depressed. It's one way to work out what people *really* think! Then she cautions herself: she might only be picking up surface thoughts, which may not match a person's real beliefs. She wished they would shut up, though. She worried that she would start to pick up dreams as well: would she be able to get any sleep? [OOC: OK, I know she no longer needs much, but she doesn't know that yet!] She'd always known that teenage boys thought constantly about sex; she'd seen the way some of them looked at her when she was dressed skimpily for some sports event. Actually knowing what they were thinking and fantasizing, though... Kim was very glad that she wasn't the blushing kind! Intruding on other peoples sex fantasies smacked of voyeurism to her; she hoped Ashiya would be able to tell her how to block them out. *Kind of cute but no tits* - well, that was pretty much her own description of herself; she wasn't that surprised that others saw her the same. And her best friend should learn that there's more to life than dates! So nice Miss Powell was a racist, and one of her friends was being abused, and her English teacher was commiting adultery. That sort of mind-reading did depress her; she wondered if there was anything she could do to help. Some way of paying back the two teachers and the father. What depressed her more was the feeling that she could do nothing about it. .. When she meets Ashiya: "I didn't expect mum to drive me either. Neither of my parents fully believe my story - I've got to tread a bit carefully with them." "There are some very odd things going on, all right. Yesterday, I wasn't telepathic." Kim sends Ashiya a telepathic message: *Can you help me screen out other people's thoughts? Or do I have to live with their incessant chatter?* -Kim- <><><><><> [GM] Ashiya says, "That is why you need my help. Your telepathy and...other abilities, have just awakened, rather than being with you from birth as is normal. You will need training. And you need to know about our society...although technically you are entitled to join Sebth society also." She sighs. "Except that you present a unique problem that has never been seen, in twenty thousand years. I do not know what will be done with you." "Blocking out the thoughts of the mind-dead is not difficult, though it takes some practice. It may actually be easier for you than it was for me...those who grow up in Shabaali society are accustomed to being totally open, mentally. I had never been to a place where I actually needed to shut out the thoughts of those around me. I did not do that here either, at first...even though I had been warned how sick these people are." She shudders, and you note that she apparently doesn't classify you as one of "these people". "Here, I cannot teach you even rudimentary mental techniques. We need someplace where we can concentrate. Again, I MUST return to Daly City. And you should come with me. Can you not tell your parents it is important that you be gone for a while?" Yeah, Mom will love that, you think. On the other hand, she seems inclined to follow you around and camp out outside your house until you comply. Collapsing from fatigue and/or stress seems to be in her immediate future...you're not sure how you know that, since outwardly she looks just a little tired, but your new heightened awareness of people's feelings (though unlike everyone else, Ashiya's actual thoughts don't seem to be open to you) tells you she's pushing her limits. You have a strong suspicion she came straight from her hotel back to your house last night, and waited for you. <><><><><> >...even though I had been warned how sick these people are." "I don't think they would think such thoughts if they had grown up in a society of telepaths" Kim points out. >"Can you not tell your parents it is important that you be gone for a >while?" Kim shakes her head. "No - certainly not after last night. They'd be convinced I was doing drugs or something. I could probably manage one evening, then I'd be grounded indefinitely. I'd have to do it without them knowing." She thinks for a moment. "I don't sleep very much at the moment, so I could come at night - but you look exhausted enough already. Otherwise, it would have to be at the weekend. I could try sneaking away early." -Kim- <><><><><> [GM] Ashiya looks at you gravely for a moment. "This should not be delayed," she sighs. "Very well...I will find a place to rest. I will meet you tonight? Outside your home." You go home, where you get another round of "Would you like to tell me anything more about what happened last night?" from your mother. When you slip out your window that night, you notice once again your supernaturally-improved night vision. You can see Ashiya very clearly, waiting across the street. "I don't understand why you have so little autonomy", she says when you catch up to her. "You are clearly capable of making decisions for yourself; do all parents mistrust their children so?" She still seems fatigued, but not as bad as before. She must have gotten SOME rest. The two of you head for the BART station. [Bay Area Rapid Transit: a commuter rail system that circles the Bay Area, sometimes running above ground and sometimes underground, and it also passes through a tunnel beneath the Bay.] You barely make it to the last train running to Daly City. Ashiya sits down carefully on one of the padded seats, and you take up a position opposite her. There are only two other people in this car, both towards the other end. She looks at you with eyes half-lidded, and you sense not only fatigue but sadness, and something like despair. **You seem to take the existence of extra-terrestrials very calmly** she says telepathically. **As well as the manifestation of your psionic abilities. From what I have observed of your culture, most Terrans would be much more distraught over these events. Do you not have any questions?** <><><><><> >"You are clearly capable of making decisions for yourself; do all parents >mistrust their children so?" Kim smiles. "Mine are more lenient than many. They've just had a bit of a shock." >**You seem to take the existence of extra- terrestrials very calmly... Do >you not have any questions?** **What's the point in not staying calm? If I can't do anything about it, there's no point worrying about it; if I can, I should be doing something rather than worrying about it** replies Kim - wondering if she can grin telepathically! **I do have a question, though** she continues, **Why do both you and the Sebth consider that my powers make me one of you?** -Kim- <><><><><> [GM] [This is all telepathic, I just don't feel like mixing a bunch of '**'s with the text. ] "Yes, it is time I explained a bit of what is going on to you, isn't it?" she replies. "It was my understanding that a new Functional on this world should have things explained to him or her gradually, as your...culture, does not prepare you well to assimilate these concepts." [Feelings and attitudes accompany every telepathic "word", and you get the sense that for your "culture", Ashiya feels nothing but revulsion and contempt, though you can also tell she doesn't want to offend you and is trying to hide it.] "You are much more flexible, mentally, than most Terrans I have encountered, and you have already been inside my mind, though not on a deep level. I hope you trust me enough to believe that I am telling the truth." "You have already gathered that I am not a Terran?" You don't need to answer explicitly, she sees that it's obvious to you. "My people are called the Shabaali". [This word has particularly strong telepathic overtones, so strong that they seem to be intimately connected to the concept that the word expresses. 'Shabaali' seems to translate, roughly, as "(our) (peaceful) (telepathic) society/people"] "Those we met last night are the Sebth." [There are no particular telepathic connections to that word, aside from Ashiya's personal feelings of antipathy tinged with fear.] "The Sebth possess the teleportation Function." [Function = psionic, and some other meaning you don't quite get.] "There are a number of other races," [telepathic clarification: HUMAN races] "each with their own Function." She looks at you gravely. "NO human possesses more than one Function. Not in twenty-thousand years has this happened. Until now. You possess the telepathic AND teleportation Functions. I have observed some evidence, which I have not yet had the opportunity to investigate, that other anomolies are manifesting among your population" "This world is a...at some time in the past, we have not learned when, or by who...this world apparently became a dumping ground for the mind-dead of more than one race. It is a tragedy and a crime, and worse that your people were permitted to become wild and uncivilized. Normally, all the Galactic civilizations maintain worlds which are preserves for their unfortunate mind-dead, but they do not simply abandon them to struggle on their own! Somehow this world escaped notice for millenia. Eventually we rediscovered it, and began the task of collecting the occasional Functionals who manifested here." Ashiya sighs. "I do not know why the Shabaali Unity chose to leave this world in its savage state, but that was a decision made centuries ago. When I return home, I intend to look up in our archives what the reason was. At any rate, we administered this world for several centuries. Then, approximately seven hundred years ago, the Sebth invaded Unity space, and drove us out of this region. They had been administering your world until now." She looks fierce for a moment. "And they have done a reprehensible job...I will also file a formal Grievance to the Arbiter's Council when I return!" Then her look returns to her usual solemnity. "The Sebth began another war with us a few years ago. Although I do not know the current situation, I know that our Peaceforce had forced the Sebth to retreat from this region. I was sent to help determine this world's status." Her eyes fill with tears. "We were only a small team of geneticists and anthropologists. Our ship was minimally armed. The nearest Peaceforce fleet was several light years away...they thought the Sebth had abandoned this star system completely. It has no strategic value, and no valuable resources. We weren't expecting a Sebth raider to sneak through our lines and strike here! I was the only one on the surface." She looks down at her hands, clenched together in her lap. "The Sebth killed them all, then tracked my communications signal and captured me." Finally she looks up. "That is when you arrived, apparently becoming Functional when you sensed the pull of the Sebth teleport beacon. Which brings us to now." "Under Galactic law, you could claim your rights as a Shabaali or Sebth citizen. However, the law also prohibits you from staying here, unless you choose to have your psionic abilities completely removed, and all memories of your contact with Galactic civilization also removed. A Functional who grew up ferral cannot be allowed to live among the mind-dead, who are helpless against psionics. Once you have been assimilated into Galactic society, you could conceivably return here, if you chose to be one of those assigned to monitoring this world for new Functionals. But there is no precedent for a multi- Functional human, really." "Multi-Functional humans would have vast power over the existing nine races. I do not know if you are...some kind of genetic fluke, a one-in-a-billion, non-duplicatable occurence. Or if you somehow have regained the DNA code of the original human race." "If that is the case...you are possibly now the most important human being in the galaxy. And wars would be fought over you." <><><><><> Kim is beginning to wonder if the Shabaali are any better than the Sebth! Both seem to treat normal people with contempt, both want to take her away from Earth... and there is no sign that either were any good at "administering" the planet. "Seven hundred years ago... let's see, that would be the end of the 13th century. So the Dark and Middle ages occurred under Shabaali administration, whilst the first event under the Sebth administration was the Renaissance? What is this `reprehensible' job they have done?" [OOC: OK, so Kim's knowledge of history is Western- centric ] Her thoughts remain level, but there is an undercurrent of determination and pride that Ashiya can (presumably) detect. "I am not a Shabaali or a Sebth citizen; I am an American, this is my country, and this is my world. I don't recognise this Galactic law you speak of - and if this law demands exile or surgery to rectify an accident of birth that it doesn't like, it is not a law worthy of respect." Ashiya can have a visualization of Hitler shouting "The Galactic Civilization shall be kept pure" . -Kim- <><><><><> [GM] Ashiya winces. "We are not like that at all!" she responds, to the Hitler comparison. "We do not kill people, we do not oppress and enslave them! Even the Sebth are not nearly so barbaric as most of your governments, particularly the one you are picturing, these 'Nazis'!" You sense she is genuinely hurt...she doesn't understand at all why you're being so hostile. "You misunderstand what I meant by 'administer'. At no time did either the Sebth or the Shabaali rule your planet, or play any role in influencing your governments or the development of your society. We SHOULD have...your people would not have been suffering from genocide and enslavement and poverty and starvation and disease for all these millenia...even under direct control by the Sebth, every Terran but the priveleged few who oppress the rest would be FAR better off!" "Please, Kimberly, I know this a great deal of shocking information for you to assimilate so unexpectedly...but we are not the tyrannical supremecists you are imagining us to be! Our laws have been developed over the course of twenty THOUSAND years....longer than your planet's recorded history! They are for the good of everyone, ESPECIALLY the mind-dead! All Galactic societies are built on the assumption of Functional psionic abilities, down to our most basic technology. It differs from society to society; a Shabaali on a Sebth world would be as helpless as a Sebth on a Shabaali world. And Functionals are removed from mind-dead worlds for their own safety AND that of the mind-dead!" "You will be more positive, I think, when you see what our society has to offer. Our technology is miraculous by your standards. We have eliminated disease and poverty, and no Shabaali has starved in many thousands of years. And you will be a full and equal member of our society!" The BART pulls to its final stop, Daly City, and you and Ashiya disembark. Ashiya looks at you sadly, seeing you're still not buying it. "I don't have the power or the desire to force you to do anything, Kimberly," she says. "But, assuming my people do return and regain control of this system, they WILL collect you. So will the Sebth. I want to help you, to make things as easy as possible for you, but you really have no choice. If you hate me for that, I understand. But I cannot change Galactic law, even if I was willing to. And I am not, because I see things from a broader viewpoint than you can." <><><><><> As Ashiya suspected, Kim still isn't buying her "we are the wondrous saviours of the Galaxy" line . She shakes her head. "A law that is in place without the consent of the people is no just law, merely tyranny. You may see yourselves as benevolent, but what has this benevolence achieved? *Your* society may be free of disease, poverty and starvation, but ours is not. And what is your response? To dismiss most of earth's population as `sick' and `mind-dead'. If this is your idea of a perfect society, then I want no part of it." -Kim- <><><><><> [GM] "Perfect? No, our society is not perfect." Ashiya shakes her head sadly. "Shabaali society is close to perfect, at least for Shabaali, but non- telepaths....mind-dead, among others, would not be happy among us. Usually are not. And Galactic society is obviously not perfect, or we would not still be warring amongst ourselves." She frowns. "First you were upset that we would dare to intervene in your affairs at all. Now you seem upset that we have not intervened, and thus allowed your people to suffer. We could end the mass suffering that afflicts your world, but not without taking away some of your 'freedom'. Freedom to "solve" your problems with violence, freedom to oppress the weak, freedom to horde the majority of your planet's resources under the control of an elite few. Your civilization is not advanced enough to solve its own problems. Your problem is not so much one of technological primitivism, as your technology is adequate to solve most of your global crises. But your society has not evolved at the same pace as your technological capabilities...you now have the ability to destroy yourselves, and not the maturity to refrain from doing so." She looks at you with a pleading expression. "It is rather a moot point at the moment, Kimberly, because *I* am the only Shabaali citizen on this planet, probably the only Galactic, and I do not know when others will return and from which society they will be. I need your help, because there are a number of Functionals that seem to be manifesting and I need to contact them. I will do so without your help, but it would be easier to have a native who understands this si- this alien society. If you will not let me help you, you will be on your own when either my people or the Sebth return. Of course, my people will be much more considerate when they collect you....but Functional humans cannot be left here to dilute their genes with the mind-dead. Also, there is the fact that many people on this world, coming into possession of active psionic abilities, are likely to use them against their defenseless mind-dead fellow inhabitants. Is this the 'freedom' you wish us to grant you?" <><><><><> [I think Kim will eventually go with Ashiya, but grudgingly. She knows that Ashiya is trying to help, but wonders if her intended plan is poorly thought out ] >"First you were upset that we would dare to intervene in your affairs at >all. Now you seem upset that we have not intervened, and thus allowed your >people to suffer." "I just wish you could make your minds up. If you want to intervene to help societies, do it properly, even openly. Otherwise, leave them alone." >"But your society has not evolved at the same pace as your technological >capabilities...you now have the ability to destroy yourselves, and not the >maturity to refrain from doing so." "True, but we haven't destroyed ourselves yet. And, for the first time in a few decades, the tension between the nuclear powers is decreasing. Maybe, having seen that we have the ability to destroy the world, we are gaining the wisdom to refrain from doing so." >but Functional humans cannot be left here to dilute their genes with the >mind-dead. Kim doesn't appreciate the implications of this comment! [both because it suggests she must never have children, and because it sounds horribly like "the major empires of the world were destroyed because they allowed their blood to become diluted with that of lesser races" from Hitler's Mein Kampf!] "So your approach to the appearance of `functional' humans is to make sure there can't be any more, in case Earth might develop enough to cease being a planet of the `mind-dead', as you call them? A nice little scheme to ensure that no other race appears to interfere with the existing elite." >"Also, there is the fact that many people on this world, coming into >possession of active psionic abilities, are likely to use them against >their defenseless mind-dead fellow inhabitants." "I know that *I* have no intention of using my powers in that way, nor would many others. Perhaps you have become so accustomed to dismissing humans as `sick' and `mind-dead' that you overlook those with better qualities? In any case, removing me will in no way prevent other `Functional' humans from exploiting their powers." "Tell me, Ashiya: supposing some foolish mind-dead madman did try to start a nuclear war, and a Functional human used their powers to stop them. Would that be a Functional human exploiting their mind-dead brethren, or someone saving the world from nuclear destruction?" -Kim- <><><><><> [GM] Ashiya looks frustrated. "You are making many assumptions, based on insufficient information!" "You don't know what our society is like. And you know nothing of psionics, or genetics. Why don't you wait until you learn more, before you pass judgement on our methods? Are you so convinced that you are right and our ways, which have worked for twenty thousand years, are wrong?" You reach her apartment, which is a second story dwelling in a very nice, upscale area. You wonder how she obtained it, if she's been on Earth so short a time. She unlocks the door and the two of you enter. The place is virtually unfurnished. In the living room there is a bean bag chair and a low coffee table. The dining room is empty, and the kitchen contains a microwave and an oven and a refrigerator that look like they came with the unit. Ashiya walks into the bedroom, which through the door you see contains only a futon. She rummages in the closet, and comes back into the living room holding a black plastic case and a dark blue bag that looks like it's made of nylon, with a small metal lock on the fastenings. She sets them both down on the table and opens the case. It looks like a laptop computer...in fact, there is an IBM logo on it. She presses the power button, and the computer boots up...but she ignores what's on the screen. Holograms appear in the air above the computer. One is an image of the Earth, with lights and lines marking various places in and above it, mostly indicating nothing that you can recognize immediately. Next to the glowing sphere, blocks of text, with many symbols mixed in, hover in the air. The text, of course, looks completely unlike any you've ever seen before. You sense something, in the same way you've been sensing people's thoughts all day. But nothing clear or coherent comes through, it's more like you're overhearing static from a radio in another room. Ashiya studies the holographic readouts for several minutes, sitting cross legged on the floor. Then she sighs and looks at you. "I am fortunate...the Sebth did not bother to destroy our observation drones that we put in orbit around your planet." "At least seven Functionals have manifested in the last day cycle, and some of them possess power readings that are remarkable, especially for this world. But perhaps more importantly; our drones detected contragravity pulses, briefly, last night. They emanated here...." she points at the Earth globe, and at some unspoken command from her, the image turns and enlarges, showing a section of the surface instead the entire globe. You see by the topography that the marked area (a glowing light with concentric red circles around it) is some place in the Midwest (U.S.), south of the Great Lakes. "That is probably where the Sebth are," Ashiya says. "Only Galactic technology generates contragravity waves. The readings are very small; either they were trying to cloak their drive, or it is from a smaller craft, a gravsled perhaps. It may be that they left a scout of their own on the surface, looking for Functionals also. I have already dispatched a mini- drone to descend to the surface and try to locate the source." "I must go there...it is my first duty to ascertain what the Sebth Combine is doing on this world. The other Functionals will have to wait, especially since alone, I cannot travel all over the planet to contact all of them immediately. I will need to take one of your dangerous combustion-powered aircraft to this...American Sub-State of Illinois." "I may need help. I probably will. I am not trained as a warrior, and someone should at least watch what happens to me...so you can tell my people when they return. If I am captured again." She hesitates. "Will you come with me, Kimberly?" <><><><><> >"Are you so convinced that you are right and our ways, which have worked >for twenty thousand years, are wrong?" "They've worked for *you* for twenty thousand years, not for us", points out Kim. >"American Sub-State of Illinois." Kim smiles, wondering what the inhabitants would think of being called a `sub-state'. "I wouldn't call it that, if I were you. Just `Illinois' or `the state of Illinois'." >"Will you come with me, Kimberly?" [The $64,000 question... ] Kim hesitates. "There will be trouble: if I just suddenly leave, my parents will probably get the police looking for me. I'll be yet another face on a milk carton." Then, she comes to a decision. "OK - as long as you stop calling me Kimberley. It's just Kim." -Kim- <><><><><> [GM] Ashiya's eyes widen, and for the first time since you've met her, you see her smile. "Oh, thank you, Kimberly! Kim." She embraces you warmly. You can see Ashiya's openness easily getting on some people's nerves. You have to wonder what will happen when she meets a male telepath... You don't see her do anything, but suddenly the "laptop computer" is emitting the sound of a phone ringing, then a voice materializes from the air..."This is Kimberly" (you wince), "What city please?" Ashiya says, "San Francisco, I need to purchase a transportation pass on an aircraft to the state of Illinois." There is a pause. "What airline would you like?" Ashiya hesitates, and says, "Whichever one has an aircraft leaving soonest for Illinois." Before the poor operator loses her patience, you volunteer the name of an airline, and with a tone suggesting relief, she says "One moment please...here's your number." Followed by the automated voice reciting the phone number. Apparently receiving another unspoken command from Ashiya, the computer dials the airline. You intervene again as Ashiya attempts to purchase airline tickets, finally obtaining two tickets for Chicago on a plane leaving at 6:15 AM, using Ashiya's VISA card. You can easily see Ashiya getting herself into trouble...she has only a vague understanding of how your society and economy works. You now have about three hours before you have to go to the airport. You don't feel particularly tired, but you are left wondering what you're going to tell Mom and Dad, and if you're going to tell them before or after you leave.... Meanwhile, Ashiya is looking at more holographic displays that the computer is projecting into the air. "So many new Functionals...and at such a high magnitude!" Ashiya says softly. "There is something very unusual occuring on this planet." <><><><><> Before the flight, Kim will take some of her money from the bank (assuming she has an ATM card and there is a machine at the airport). Kim decides she'll ring her parents *after* the flight - if she does it before, they might be able to stop her. She'll tell them that she's OK, something important has happened, and she'll ring again in a few days - then ring off before they can get a word in. "I'm going to have to tell them sometime", she mutters. [Hmm, if metahuman news starts appearing, her parents may begin to put 2 and 2 together. OTOH, they may just think she's run away with a boyfriend ] [OOC: I know there are some US laws about crossing state lines - are any likely to apply in this case?] -Kim- <><><><><> [GM] [Well, Ashiya can't be charged with kidnapping if you testify that you went willingly. As for transporting minors across state lines, I'm not sure exactly what the laws are that might apply. It partly varies from state to state, but usually involves intent to commit immoral acts (i.e. having sex.) Which doesn't seem to be Ashiya's intention. Your parents could probably charge her with SOMETHING, if they really want, but it's not likely they will.] * * * * * * * * * * Your first problem occurs at the airport metal detector. Ashiya asks you what it is, and when you explain, she says "Of course I am carrying metallic devices! But I cannot show them to these security officers...it is Galactic equipment!" "Well, yes, some of them are weapons. But I would not use them on the aircraft!" <><><><><> [OOC: ROFL! How has Ashiya managed to stay out of prison? ] Kim shakes her head in disbelief, and engages in a quick telepathic discussion with Ashiya. "Ashiya, they will not let you on board with your `devices', especially if they look like weapons. Airlines take security *very* seriously. They have no way of *knowing* that you do not intend to hijack the plane. Now, if the security guards were mind-readers, they wouldn't need such strict laws." [OOC: I assume that the security points are metal- detectors for people, X-ray machines for bags] She thinks for a moment, and recalls "Star Wars". "I don't suppose you could just subtly take control of their minds, enough for the X-ray operator to pass your bag through without noticing anything amiss? If not, it looks like either you'll have to leave your equipment behind, or we'll have to travel some other way." <><><><><> [GM] [Well, obviously she hasn't been in an airport before. Yes, the setup is the usual X-ray scanner for luggage and metal-detector for people.] * * * * * * * * * * Ashiya looks very unhappy at your suggestion. "Yes, I can do that," she says. "But I do not like to...take control of other peoples' minds like that. Especially defenseless mind-dead primitives." She sighs. "I suppose we have no choice. I need my scanners to track the Sebth, and I may need my weapons if we find them." She loads her luggage onto the conveyor belt, and smiles weakly at the uniformed guard who is watching things pass under his screen, with a bored expression. As you watch (and hope none of your fellow passengers are paying too much attention), her bag becomes visible on the monitor. You see several electronic devices which a guard would normally demand to inspect, since they could possibly be explosives. And there is a dense object that the X-rays don't seem to penetrate, but looks distinctly pistol-shaped. The guard's bored expression never changes. Her portable computer passes through without incident. The guard opens the case, but as when you saw it, outwardly it looks like a plain old laptop IBM. **This apparatus** Ashiya thinks at you, meaning the walk-through metal detector, **only detects metal?** You confirm that it does, and she passes through. **Fortunately my hand laser and stunner are made of non-metallic materials**, she thinks as you follow. <><><><><> [I can see Ashiya arguing with a cop: "What do you mean, I wasn't allowed to shoot him with my stunner? He was thinking bad things about me" ] >**Fortunately my hand laser and stunner are made of non-metallic >materials**, she thinks as you follow. [I'm glad she only thought that, and didn't say it out loud! Shades of Groucho Marx's "They didn't find the cocaine" incident ] Kim will follow Ashiya, and will try to stop her committing any flagrant faux-pas. <><><><><> [GM] The trip starts out pleasantly....Ashiya told you that funds weren't a problem, so you're riding in first class. Unfortunately, you get a fat slob of a lecherous businessman sitting next to you, on your other side from Ashiya. He starts drinking as soon as they start serving, and pretty soon you're getting thoughts from the stewardesses... **I really hate this part of the job** **This is the worst pig we've had since that coke-sniffer last April** **Dammit, if he tries to grab my butt one more time--** Of course the thoughts from Frank Lichneff are worse. He tries flirting with you, using a sparkling wit that would do a second grader proud. But he immediately focuses his attention on Ashiya, leaning past you ("accidentally" brushing against your chest) to shake hands with her, hand her his business card, offer her a drink, etc. And the sight of Ashiya's bosom (you've noticed she seems to like very snug clothing) never leaves his mind, although his imagination goes considerably lower. He asks her what she does, what country she's from, what race she is ("Phillipino, right? Phillipino women are some of the most beautiful in the world...oh, I know, you're Chinese! I know a couple words of Chinese...") This is accompanied by his memories of a business trip to Thailand, where he took full advantage of the local amenities, including prostitutes that were probably younger than you. Ashiya deflects his inquiries with demure politeness, which unfortunately encourages his assumption that she's a sweet little Oriental doll just waiting for a hot stud like him to awaken her passions... You don't think you've ever met a more foul and obnoxious human being. Some of the gang-bangers you go to school with are more couth than him. Finally he abruptly falls asleep. **I should not have done that** Ashiya thinks sadly. **These people are going to cause me severe psychological distress if I must remain on this world very long.** She's also pretty nervous about flying; kind of odd, from someone who supposedly travelled across light years in a space ship. But her impression of the jet is a poorly-constructed, thin-skinned contraption made of unreliable, primitive mechanisms, breakable parts, hopelessly archaic guidance systems....a shuddering deathtrap blasting its way through the air with several tons of explosive chemicals just waiting for one spark to detonate the entire plane. She tenses as you take off, winces every time the plane bucks from some minor turbulence, and is not at all optimistic about the landing procedure. The image in her mind is of a great big, metal piece of junk barely held in the air by crude aerodynamics, with a human pilot aiming it at the ground and hoping he doesn't miss, hoping the landing gear (made of primitive, easily damaged metals) doesn't break, hoping his primitive equipment doesn't malfunction...you're glad you're not phobic, or she'd turn you into a nervous wreck by the time you set down. **How can you trust your life, over and over again, to this dangerous, obselete technology?** she asks. <><><><><> [Hmm, what a wonderful advertisement for the human race ] ** Don't worry ** Kim reassures Ashiya when she sends the man to sleep, **If you hadn't done that, I think I'd have put a sleeper hold on him!** >**How can you trust your life, over and over again, to this dangerous, >obselete technology?** she asks. Kim smiles at Ashiya's nerves. **It's not obsolete to us, remember? And the aircraft is much safer than the roads below - we had a better chance of being killed while travelling to the airport. The technology has been with us long enough to be reliable; air crashes are rare, and crashes caused by mechanical failure are rarer still. No doubt your society has flying vehicles that can never fail, but we haven't got that far yet!** <><><><><> [GM] The trip finally ends. The plane lands safely, despite Ashiya's trepidations, and you both manage to ditch the loathsome businessman. You check into a hotel in Chicago, using Ashiya's credit card again. She immediately sets up her computer, while you turn on the TV and hear about Cyclone's threat to destroy Paris. "My probe is approaching the source of the contragravity disturbance," Ashiya says. "They must be moving their ship again." She looks at a holographic map, that zooms in on a section of Illinois. "The nearest habitation to the location seems to be a small city called 'Crystal Lake'. Perhaps the Sebth have discovered another Functional there." She consults her computer, which displays more alien graphs and symbols, and says "Yes! The psi-detectors on our satellites picked up psionic activity coming from that location. Very strong activity. It must be a powerful Functional. We must find him or her before the Sebth do." She looks at you. "For that matter, I still have not conducted an examination of your Functioning abilities. Nor have I begun teaching you basic mentalics. I am sorry, Kimberly. As soon as I discover what the Sebth are doing, I will try to fulfill my obligations to you." <><><><><> "Could this `Cyclone' be another Functional?" asks Kim. "And how come your satellites haven't been spotted? Have you made them invisible or something?" -Kim- <><><><><> [GM] Ashiya watches the TV gravely. "How much can be believed of this media?" she asks. "I have perceived that your 'news' broadcasts often contain distortions, inaccuracies, alarmist exaggerations and blatant propoganda. I do not think this 'Cyclone' is likely a real person....even the most powerful Lemaar cannot control a planet's weather patterns, even on a local scale, without sophisticated psi-enhancing devices, which your world cannot possibly possess. But I will have to watch these stories of what your people are calling 'superhumans'. It does seem that more Functionals are manifesting here in a short period of time than has occurred throughout your planet's history." "Our satellites are invisible to your technology, yes. We only put standard monitor satellites in orbit here, though, with a few drones stored in each. They were not heavily cloaked, so the Sebth could certainly have detected and destroyed them, if they wished. I am not sure why they did not." You sense another flash of pain from Ashiya, some suppressed grief that she is putting aside for the moment. Your parents, of course, are desperately anxious when you call them. You feel awful about having to disconnect before you can give them any kind of real explanation. Your story (whether a truthful one or not) is going to have to be a prizewinner, when you return home, if you ever want to see the light of day again before you turn 30. You and Ashiya go to a car rental place. She suggests that it would be better for you to rent the car. Unfortunately, no such business will rent a car out to a 16 year-old. So Ashiya shows a California driver's license (identifying her as "Ashiya Smith", you notice), and chooses a blue Honda Accord. (Actually, she took the first thing that was offered to her.) Then when you go to the car, you find that she expects you to drive. "I have never operated one of these machines," she says. "I am sure I could learn fairly quickly, but it would probably save time if you navigate it for now." Of course, while you know how to drive, you only have a learner's permit. <><><><><> >"How much can be believed of this media?" Kim shrugs. "I don't think they're too bad at reporting events, but as for `investigatory journalism'... Dad always maintained it was 95% wrong, and I think he got it about right. Investigatory journalists write to sell stories, rather than report facts. Maybe Cyclone doesn't literally control the weather, but can cause wind to blow - and he dresses up that ability as weather control. On the other hand, maybe I've read too many comic books." >"Our satellites are invisible to your technology, yes." "I meant, how come people don't see them? Our satellites can be spotted at night, when they are lit by the Sun but the Earth below isn't." Kim will explain the US laws on driving to Ashiya, and recommend that she learns, before cautiously taking the wheel. She will try to stick to quieter roads. <><><><><> [GM] "They are equipped with cloaking devices, which bend lightwaves around themselves. They cannot be seen from more than a few feet away. I wish I had one of our bodysuits, which are also equipped with that technology. But most of our equipment was....on our ship." She looks away. * * * * * Ashiya doesn't seem to appreciate your careful driving; she wants to go faster. Of course, she also is mistrustful of every other driver on the road. "I know even with your limited computer technology, you could have an automated transport system extending to every occupied habitat." You succumb to her urgings, ONCE- and immediately get pulled over by an Illinois State Trooper. You were going 5 miles over the speed limit. You have visions of bussing to school for the next year while all your friends are driving. Assuming that your parents ever let you out of the house again after this escapade. The trooper walks up to your window and says "License?" Ashiya says "I do not think there is a problem. Perhaps you could let us continue on?" "Sure, no problem", says the trooper. "Have a nice day." He walks back to his cruiser. "This becomes easier the longer I stay here," Ashiya murmurs unhappily. "I am very ashamed." The drive to Crystal Lake takes a few more hours. It's a small, pleasant town, the sort of town people imagine when they talk about "small town America". You and Ashiya have dinner at a restaurant, while planning your next move. "We should avoid communicating telepathically," she says in a low voice. "The Sebth do not have psi-detectors as sophisticated as ours, but at close range they might pick up such activity." The town is small, quiet and almost all white. You've got a feeling that if any six-foot-plus, heavily muscled black people with shaved heads were wandering around, even assuming they wore "normal" clothing, it would attract attention. But Ashiya tells you she has been scanning for psi activity on her own, and is not detecting any. <><><><><> "Thank you for helping out with that patrolman - that would have ended our journey very quickly." [In the town] "If we're going to stay here a couple of days, we need to find a motel or something. And I'll need to get a change of clothes - Illinois is colder than California! "How will we detect this Functional, anyway?" -Kim- <><><><><> [GM] "I will be able to sense him or her, probably, when he or she uses his or her abilities. Why is your language so gender-complicated anyways?" After dinner, Ashiya has you drive out to an unoccupied road in the farmlands surrounding the town. She begins using her computer again. "I have a small drone skimming above the town," she says. "Its sensors are attuned to search for both psionic emanations and fluctuations in the gravity field. It will not be seen by the residents; it has a cloaking device also. Hopefully it will not be detected by the Sebth." * * * * * While you watch Ashiya watch her holographic readouts, her eyes suddenly widen in surprise. "The drone has been tractored!" she exclaims. "It has been caught within an opposing contragravity field. But....it did not detect any high energy emissions or other signs of a nearby Sebth ship. And it is directly above the town's residential area....there can't be a Sebth spaceship located there. And I doubt they would attack the drone in such an exposed area." Then she glances at another holographic icon, and her eyes widen further. "Psi activity coinciding with the drone's capture....at least fifth magnitude! This can't be....." <><><><><> "Could this be the Functional?" asks Kim calmly. "Where exactly is the drone? If it wasn't invisible, could it be seen from here?" [If Ashiya says yes, Kim will go outside and look for anything unusual happening in the skies - like someone flying around] -Kim- <><><><><> [GM] "I...don't know. Even a royal Lemaar cannot directly manipulate gravity fields." Ashiya looks concerned. "No, the drone is approximately four miles from here. I am not sure if we should attempt to retrieve it or not. It is technology that cannot be given to these barbarians...but it is not likely that anyone here will be able to open it and analyze it. But I think we must find out who this Functional is." You start up the car, and cautiously drive into town. <><><><><> "The Functional may well be close to the disturbance, even if he or she isn't causing it directly" suggests Kim. She drives where Ashiya directs. -Kim- <><><><><> [GM] As you enter the town, Ashiya says "Wait!" You bring the car to an abrupt halt, as Ashiya says "The drone has been released!" Her computer puts out another holographic image; this one is of an attractive blonde woman, wearing glasses and a nightgown. She seems to be flying. "This is an image recorded by the drone," Ashiya says, as you hope no one out for an early morning stroll peeks into your car and sees this "Star Wars" display. The woman continues flying until she comes to a halt; the image only shows her, not her surroundings. The image speaks, with a small but perfectly- reproduced voice broadcast from Ashiya's computer. "Why don't you just talk to me?" The blonde woman sounds tired and frustrated. "I'd like to communicate, if we could. There's no reason for all of this. I'm tired, I'm cold, and I want to go back to bed." "How could she have captured the drone?" Ashiya says. She looks at her displays. "It was being held by a contragravity field." She looks back at the woman in her nightgown. "A Lemaar can't do that." The woman seems to be concentrating. She keeps looking at the "camera" (the drone, you assume), then finally sighs in irritation and seems to take off again. She travels for several minutes, then stops, and seems to be thinking. "Fine," she finally says in an edgy voice. "Look, just go back where you came from and don't bother me any more, all right? I don't want to have to deal with this again." The image suddenly recedes, then fades. "The drone was released," Ashiya says. "It immediately retreated and activated its cloaking device. Its programming has it heading back to the satellite in orbit, but I am overriding that to bring it here." You wait several minutes, then Ashiya rolls down the car window. You see a blur in the air, then a rippling effect, kind of like when the Predator becomes visible in that Arnold Schwarzenagger movie. A silver donut, seamless, a little over two feet in diameter, appears just above Ashiya's lap. Again, you wonder if Ashiya is considering the possibility of spectators. "I should have been directly monitoring its reconaissance," Ashiya says. "But I did not anticipate anything like this." She sighs. "I can pinpoint where that woman was when the drone was first halted. But I hesitate to deal with a Lemaar. We are on fairly good terms with them. But Lemaar tend to be somewhat capricious, and temperamental, though not as bad as the Asgur." <><><><><> "Ashiya, you should take more care with your technological bits and pieces" Kim cautions, "It would cause more than a little interest if someone spotted the drone or your computer display." [After they watch the drone's image, and Ashiya talks about the Lemaar (Kim resists the temptation to make `heady' jokes )] "Perhaps the woman isn't a - what did you call them? - a Lemaar? Maybe she's like me, just a human who's suddenly found herself with strange powers. Can you find out exactly where she was seen? That's the best place to start looking, I should think." She laughs. "And, at some point, you'll have to give me a run-down of what all these names mean. Remember, I've never heard of these `Lemaar' or `Asgur'" -Kim- <><><><><> [GM] Ashiya says "Those 'strange powers' you are referring to are Functional genes. You are a Shabaali, although you also have active Sebth genes." She says the last part reluctantly. "This woman seems to be a Lemaar. Lemaar possess the psychokinesis Function, and Asgur are electrokinetics." You drive according to Ashiya's directions, and soon find yourself outside a pleasant, average looking house in the suburbs. "She is in there, I believe," Ashiya says. "She is not manifesting her powers right now, but this is nearly the exact spot where the drone was intercepted, and our satellite detected powerful psi emanations." She concentrates and says "Five people are inside. I think some are children." She sighs. "I am not sure what to do now. I do not want to provoke a hostile reaction from her, and she did not seem happy about discovering our drone. And I really have no legal authority over a Lemaar. But she should be warned about the Sebth." <><><><><> "Well, we can either knock on her door and ask to speak with her, or wait and hope she comes out. If she has children, perhaps she'll take them to school. Either way, we need to approach her carefully. Something like `You said you wanted to speak with us', perhaps." Inwardly, Kim is thinking - if the woman's happily married, she's going to be even less interested in joining Ashiya! -Kim- <><><><><> [GM] Ashiya agrees that waiting may be the best strategy. So you sit in the car, all night. You don't feel tired, though boredom starts to get to you. Ashiya seems pretty good at staying awake herself. She transfers her holographic displays to two-dimensional displays on the computer screen ("primitive" she sighs.) Several times she notes that psi manifestations of unusual magnitude are occurring around the world. In the morning, a man, the woman you saw in the hologram (looking rather tired, now), and three young children emerge. The man and woman kiss each other good-bye, then head off in separate cars, the man with the youngest child in his car, and the woman piling the other two into hers. Ashiya begins to follow the woman. <><><><><> [Kim suggests that she stays in the car ] Kim will follow the woman in the car, taking care not to get too close. Once the woman has stopped at the school to let her kids out, but before she drives off again, Kim will attempt to send her a message telepathically. **Please don't be afraid. We mean you no harm.** If that works, she will get out of the car and walk towards her, wearing a friendly smile. "Hi, I'm Kim" - adding telepathically, **You spoke with one of my friend's drones this morning, and said you wanted to talk**. -Kim-