TR-219 In reply to ??? [2017-05-05 22:38:10 +0000 UTC]

"Ok, good to know that I can still get contact with you, Vira... and no, I am not ok. I am going to stay put for a little bit, until you are done processing the info. I can confirm that the temple seems to be the cause of the earlier interference, though I am not sure how. Send"

I stop for a moment in a small clearing within the collapsed tunnel, and sit down on the first bit of rubble I find that is at roughly chair height.

"As a secondary, I am considering moving back into the present, having seen what this alien temple is like in the past. Before that, I should probably describe what I felt, and what seemed to cause my new... vision. Send"

I find a small rock, and begin tossing it between my hands, as I continue.

"As I was phasing through the rubble, into the alien temple, it felt strange, like the rock was sticking to me, and felt as if I had eaten a popping candy, though the sensation was all over my body, in addition to being blinded by light. On the return trip, the sensation was lessened, but still noticeable, and seemed to finalize the adjustment... Send"

I stop tossing the rock for a moment, thinking back to the statues of the creatures in there... their bodies were 90% mouth.

"I also might have an idea on what is causing the tremors, though it is speculation more than anything else. You will have seen the statues of those creatures in there. And how most of the front of them is a mouth, their hands sharp... they seem to be creatures of the darkness, of down here, as unfamiliar as they are, and designed to dig. Send"

The rock tossing continues.

"A second theory is that the manager, the guy on the phone from earlier, is making sure to collapse as much of this place as possible, so nothing escapes... note that none of the temple collapsed, but more of the tunnels have. Though we both know it isn't enough... send" 

I pause the rock tossing, and continue shortly after, before sending one more message.

"Do you know what is inside the temple, beyond what I have seen? If not... I figure I am a relatively safe way of exploring it. Send"

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

ZephyrStranded In reply to TR-219 [2017-05-07 04:58:07 +0000 UTC]

"From what you have seen, and from the previous data on other dig sites, which is minimal, we can say that this is a phenomenal example of alien civilization.  The best known.  I don't know if the workers got into the temple, but it seems that you have seen the best example of alien civilization ever seen by humanity.  Those statues were in prime condition.  Further analysis of the statues, assuming they are anatomically correct, shows that they could have been adapted to many different things.  THe problem is that they show so many different variations, at least on these 'specimens' --if you can call them that-- that we can't tell what sort of environment they are best suited for.  Underground is a good guess and at this point we will have to stick with that.  The mouth-like opening at the front honestly looks like it could be used for reproduction OR for eating, my systems are inconclusive.  

About the manager, it seems there is a level of corruption on this planet that is unexpected.  As you may know, the psychic ability has been around on Ceres as well as Charon II for a couple generations and generally people have associated the advent of this with a change in attitude toward humanity in general-- one where shared responsibility and caring are universal.  This is at least stronger in psychics.  However, we see in this case that the idea that there has been a universal shift away from selfishness is false.  That is my assessment, anyway"

As she spoke, you noticed that your abdomen felt strangely warm, as did your groin.  It was as if you had been through some kind of massage that left you all refreshed.  You could also feel a sensation like an ache in your hips.  It wasn't in the sides, but between your hips, in the joints where they were combined.

"About the eyes.  This is most unusual.  I can now see what you are seeing, however I was not able to see the light you were seeing before.  Nor was I able to detect the source of the sensation you described while you went through the rock"

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

TR-219 In reply to ZephyrStranded [2017-05-07 05:20:15 +0000 UTC]

"Speaking of... I feel strange. Like a massage over most of my lower torso, sort of... though I feel an ache in the joints between my hips... Send"

I stop tossing the rock, and stand up, looking to the rock I had been sitting on.

"Is that the same stone as I passed through to enter the temple? It all looks the same to me... Send"

I drop the rock I had been tossing (or at least try to) and consider my options.

"It seems as if whatever is going on here isn't done with me yet, which means I am on a timer before whatever is happening to me finishes. So, I can see two options. This temple, as it stands right now, is in near pristine condition. How the psychic has an idea of what it looks like, I am uncertain. I can continue to document it further, see what I can find deeper inside right now, or I can switch back to the present, and do the same. Though I can't say for certain, it's possible someone could have dug through the rubble... Send"

I glance towards either side of me, both showing me the small open area I had been resting, rubble on either side.

"It would take time, tools, and a reasonable amount of people to clear out this mess... or a few of those aliens, assuming they are an accurate depiction of the aliens that made the temple below. Send"

Almost unconsciously, I look at the palm of my right hand, the familiar lines and almost A shape I can make out thanks to the night vision.

"You can talk to the eggheads, right Vira? What information do they want me to gather, with what we know at this time? Send"

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

ZephyrStranded In reply to TR-219 [2017-05-07 06:04:32 +0000 UTC]

"Analysis shows that it is all the same rock.  I can't tell which rock caused your popping sensation and which is glowing from the normal kind of stone around there.  It seems to be the same on this end.  We don't doubt what you are experiencing, we simply can't read it with our instruments..."

As she spoke, you noticed that the glow that had been so common on your way in was now completely gone to you as well.

"We need you to stay calm as you are our only contact with this world.  A normal person's mind is able to be enhanced with the VR interface to create a fairly accurate representation of the world.  Using a psychic's memory allows us to not only transport you in time and space, but also allows his subconscious to be transported and project for us as well.  That's why he's so valuable to this working.  He's also on a clock, it sounded like, according to his premonition.  Incidentally, it would be very helpful to have you go to the present but I would advise that you be extremely cautious, as the anomaly is in full swing there. "

Vira crackled for a moment and then replied, "yes, the egg heads have come up with a plan for helping the psychic, once you are able to find out what is causing those tremors, that is.  Dr. Bernstein will give me more details once that is done.  However, it may involve jumping into the psychic's premonition and it could be another dangerous situation"

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

TR-219 In reply to ZephyrStranded [2017-05-07 06:17:31 +0000 UTC]

"Guess I should head back to the surface, or deeper. Surface first, and if I don't see anything that could cause it, then I will explore the temple further... for the record, suddenly gaining night vision is usually cause for alarm, I thought it was a glitch with the VR, though you don't seem to know what's causing it on your end. As a secondary, I can't tell what rock is glowing anymore either... possibly an effect from the temple? I noticed, while inside, it looked like it was light up quite well, though I didn't see any light sources in there. Send"

I begin heading away from the temple, vaguely in the direction of the surface elevator, or as much as I can given the disorientation of passing through rock, but stop.

"Here's hoping I don't get lost on... wait, what? Ok, so explain how the psychic's premonition is dangerous... You said I couldn't be detected, unless I wanted to be seen. And even then, only psychics can see me... Send"

If I receive no imediate response, I will continue with my plan to head to the surface, phasing through rock as necessary, until I reach the elevator.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

ZephyrStranded In reply to TR-219 [2017-05-08 17:07:26 +0000 UTC]

Shifting and phasing, you reach the elevator in no time and begin going up the humming lift. 

"The lack of light might be that your eyes have adjusted to the anomaly's effects on them.  I'm surprised that the rest of your body hasn't seen more of an effect.  Keep giving us reports.  About the premonition, it could be dangerous because one of the effects of the anomaly is the endowment of psychic ability.  In both present day and in a future premonition, you would have to deal with people infected, possibly, by the anomaly.  They would not be able to detect you unless you revealed yourself, true, but if you did reveal yourself, you could be the target of an attack almost immediately.  That poses a danger to your VR body."

The elevator stopped with a shudder and the gate opened.  You noticed the construction drones and human-operated machines working.  They seemed to be removing stone and transporting it like before.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

TR-219 In reply to ZephyrStranded [2017-05-08 22:18:54 +0000 UTC]

I walk around the site, looking for explosives, and more importantly, the manager. If I find neither, I will begin heading towards the elevator once more.

(The following assumes I find nothing)

"Doesn't look like there is anything up here... which means those tremors were caused by something else. I am willing to bet it's a self defense mechanism of the temple... though how that works, or recognizes its under threat, I am unsure. Send"



(Assuming I find explosives)

"Do these look like enough to cause the tremors I felt earlier? not the amount, but the type... I am not familiar with explosives. Send"


(Assuming I find the manager)

"Time to listen in..."


(A generic follow up to the previous statements)

"The people up here... seem to be trying to clear the rubble, not collapse the tunnel further. Take that as you will, but I think that whatever is causing the tremors is underground... Send"

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

ZephyrStranded In reply to TR-219 [2017-05-09 01:18:50 +0000 UTC]

(I love your thoroughness)

You don't find the manager.  It appears he has gone home for the day, from the snippets that you overhear as you ghost around from place to place.  You notice that it's much brighter out here at first, but your eyes adjust to it and with a little squinting, you are okay.  You still feel that smooth, warm, wet feeling on your abdomen.  It seems to have spread from just above your belly button to your groin in a line.  You also notice that as you walk, your gate has changed slightly-- your rear end wiggles more than it ever had before.  

You do find explosives, which have been used throughout the excavation.  

"These could be responsible for a collapse in the tunnel, but the data we have is showing that these are not likely to cause long-lasting tremors, but sudden blasts.  I think they make an unlikely candidate at this point.  I thikn you are correct that whatever is causing this is down below."

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

TR-219 In reply to ZephyrStranded [2017-05-09 01:37:47 +0000 UTC]

()


I am beginning to get concerned... I saw firsthand what those statues looked like... something is going on inside of my virtual form. Though I can't exactly stop it at this point. I head back to the elevator, and head back down into the darkness, to ease the strain on my eyes. But what I am more interested in is the tremors, I will try to head in their direction. If the tremors can be felt more through rock, it's a good thing, and I will continue to follow them.

"This seems promising..."


If it's in the direction back towards the temple... I will stop before entering.

"... Damn it. I was hoping it wasn't the temple..."


In either case.

"It appears you weren't wrong, whatever is affecting me is doing so slowly... there is a line, roughly central on the front of my body, from my belly button to my groin, that is warm... and wet... and I am definitely walking differently, like there is a weight on the back of me. Send"

I look down towards my front, roughly where I feel that strange sensation... and then back over my shoulder, towards my ass. If I don't see anything, I use my hands to feel for any unfamiliar protrusions.

(Assuming something's there, I get the feeling I won't like what I see)

"Ok, that's new..."

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

ZephyrStranded In reply to TR-219 [2017-05-09 03:09:51 +0000 UTC]

As you go along, you notice that you are heading right back along the way to the temple again.  Along the way, Vira begins to speak, "that's...part of the danger as well.  we're...the team is worried that you will eventually become incapacitated and unable to function because of your changes.  It seems the anomaly is affecting you, but not quite as it affects regular people.  Usually the symptoms are psychic related and cause psychological affects.  There are physical changes in the later stages, but for some reason you are being affected rapidly, physically, seemingly without any psychic effects.  We'll need you to continue to report your mental state, especially."

As you walk, and check behind you, you notice that your butt has expanded quite a bit into an almost feminine shape, except for the fact that there is a strange spike sticking out of your tailbone area.  It is not hard, but flexible and cone-shaped.  As you feel in front, you notice that your hips have widened immensely and your projection's suit seems to have a ridge under it along your skin on that line.  You also notice an irritation between your legs and your abdomen, as well as along symmetrical lines just under your rips.  Strangely, your waist has narrowed.

You are near the temple again when you hear a scratching noise among the rubble in front of you.  The rocks are moving around a bit.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

TR-219 In reply to ZephyrStranded [2017-05-09 03:25:29 +0000 UTC]

(prior to getting near the temple)

"OK... that's not good at all. I still feel fine, but I am worried about these changes. What is even their purpose anyway? That weird spike... is it the beginning of a tail, perhaps? Let alone the rest of my lower torso... short version, I don't like this, but am continuing on anyway. Send"

I continue walking, having noticed the gradual physical changes, until I reach the temple. 

"Ok, is there any similarity between the markings near my ribs, and the patterns on those stat... uh... right. Something's alive in there... send"

I grin.

"It's not like they can see me, anyway..."

I phase through into the temple once more, still feel uncomfortable from the strange popping sensation, as little as it is, as I pass through the rubble, and come face to face with whatever was scrabbling at the rocks.

(If I don't feel it, I am more worried)

"Hi there little guy..."

(If the creature isn't little, but bigger than me, or there are multiple of them, I will still say that, but back away slowly, further into the temple. More out of instinct than anything else)


(Regardless of size, if it follows me, I will be torn between running deeper in, or back out. If it charges, flip a coin to decide where I go. Tails is deeper)

(If, however, the creature/creatures show some sign of... affection or non hostility, I will be extremely confused... and I may pet it, if it seems like it wants it)

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

ZephyrStranded In reply to TR-219 [2017-05-10 04:00:46 +0000 UTC]

(it's outside of the temple)

You notice the creature emerge from the rubble.  It looks nothing like the statues.  It simply has two legs and a long tail.  It's arms are bulky at the elbows and short after that with claws on the ends.  It's neck is short and it's head is narrow and comes to a point.  You notice that it occasionally has a long tongue that darts out.

"Oh, that's extremely rare.  These are some of the indigenous life forms that were here before colonizers arrived.  It's unfortunate really because we had declared the planet lifeless and then began aggressively making it an earth-like as fast as we could before realizing that many subterranean species like these existed.  They won't hurt you by the way.  Unusual that they should be so close to an alien temple."

The creature made no sound, eerily, and it's myriad of tiny eyes dotting it's head made it seem like something from a horror movie.  Nevertheless, it hopped harmlessly around, it's arms scraping the rock for loose areas.

"about your lines.  we can detect that you have fissures in your skin going all the way down into the cavity of your body.  It hasn't connected to your viscera yet, but it seems to be going there.  This doesn't look a lot like those statues at all, no, except for maybe that mouth thing on the front of them.  Your vertical line looks almost exactly like theirs.  If I were you, I'd be excited to be a part of such a fascinating transformation"

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

TR-219 In reply to ZephyrStranded [2017-05-10 04:48:59 +0000 UTC]

"Exited... right. Granted, it's only to this virtual form, so maybe I could enjoy it a little more... business first, pleasure later. Just as a quick question, I should be able to contact you if I cease to exist, right? Send"

I wait for her reply, and then pass into the temple regardless... and head towards the mysterious doorway I ignored in my earlier visit. I imagine it is still lit up like it was before, though I take a moment to stare at the walls. 


(If I see any sort of carvings or pictures)

I will walk around the outskirts of the room, effectively recording the interior, and continue to do so as I head deeper.


(If the walls are plain, and unadorned)

I will go through the doorway within the temple, and continue to follow the tremors...


If I can, I will mark with a bit of charcoal, or anything that can make a mark on the stone, unless it is a single passageway, a single path. While I am walking, I continue thinking about the changes to this virtual form...

"Whatever this anomaly, as Vira describes it, is having  an effect on this form... my only query would be if it is affecting my real world form as well. No matter, I am of the same mind regarding that. If exposure to the anomaly in here is affecting my real body, I can't do much about it right now... and if it is when I am done here?"

I stop in the next room, looking around for a minute, before continuing my last train of thought.

"... I don't know what I would do... if whatever is here makes it off-world, through me? There will be hell to pay. No... worse"

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

ZephyrStranded In reply to TR-219 [2017-05-10 16:09:19 +0000 UTC]

"You will still be in contact while unprojected in VR, or ceasing to exist"
When you phase through the temple wall, you feel only a little popping, hardly at all this time.  Finally, you pop out and you are in the area of the temple with the statues.  As you walk by you notice a LOT of carvings on the walls.  They are a little more ornate than the drawing you had scene earlier with all the notes nearby.  While looking at them, you see a lot of pictures of things that don't make any sense and some swirls and circles.  But they are stored because of your looking at them now.

Vira answered quickly, "Ah, there's nothing to worry about there.  Your mind is totally in tact and you are psychically unaffected by this.  Your VR form seems to be absorbing the anomaly in a way that we would not have predicted.  It will take a while to sort out the data from what you've done here so far, but when you are done, even if your VR form dies...you will simply be here on Ceres, safe and sound.  Don't worry."  

As you walk into the doorway, you notice that it slopes down to the floor.  It's sealed off at present.  Just then, out of nowhere, there was another large tremor.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

TR-219 In reply to ZephyrStranded [2017-05-10 20:55:01 +0000 UTC]

"Ok, that's promising... though I barely felt the popping sensation... if anything, that is a little more worrying. send"

I consider passing through the doorway by phasing through it, and test it a little, by trying to stick my arm through the stone. The tremor goes off, and I maintain my footing, having the archway to brace myself against if necessary.

(If successful)

"Guess I should continue onward..."



(If unsuccessful, and I am somehow repelled by the stone, at any point)

"That was... strange. I suppose I should find a way to open this up... normally"

I being searching for anything that remotely looks like a means to open a door, a key hole, code input panel, anything... even going over the statues once more to look for anything that might be pressed.



(If I find something that might work)

"Hmmm... how does this work?"



(If I find nothing)

"DAMN DOOR... OPEN UP"

I punch the door not thinking it will work, nor at full force (Which would probably break my fingers) and sit on the floor with my back to the doorway, leaning up against the sloped stone blockage.




(In any situation)

"Vira? Why do I still have reception with you... last time I was in here, the anomaly seemed to cause interference. If anything, it should be stronger now, and this virtual form is... absorbing its energy? That can't be good for it, for me. Send"

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

ZephyrStranded In reply to TR-219 [2017-05-11 03:49:00 +0000 UTC]

You were unable to get through the door as you pounded on it.  

Vira responded in the same crackle as if you were outside the temple, "You have already gone in?  I thought you weren't able to get reception in there either...this is strange."

There was a long pause.  "Yes, it seems you are absorbing the energy of the anomaly, which is odd because you aren't physically there in the sense that your atoms are there.  We have virtual particles arranged in space to approximate your body.  It is 99.99% correct, but still, you aren't there...however, if the energy has somehow tapped into our communication, then that would explain why we suddenly have reception.  The anomaly is listening..."

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

TR-219 In reply to ZephyrStranded [2017-05-11 04:10:40 +0000 UTC]

"You might want to revise that figure... and listening?That's a new one. I wonder..."

I stand up in front of the doorway, looking at the seemingly immovable stone... and kneel

"I humbly request entrance deeper into this place... to learn more about it's creators"



(If it somehow opens...)

"Wait, that worked?"

I stand, and pass through the doorway once the way is fully clear.

"Let us see then, what this place has to teach us"



(I doubt it will work)

"Well, it was worth a shot. Though I am probably missing something. Surely not... what was the name of the aliens that built this place again? Send"

I head back up to the room with the statues, walking around it, somewhat lost in thought.

"There might also be some insight from the carvings in the walls. Send"

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

ZephyrStranded In reply to TR-219 [2017-05-12 04:45:39 +0000 UTC]

"That figure is correct for approximating a body, but not your current body, true."  She paused as you began talking to the wall. 

"We have tried to come up with their true name, but the one that seems to have stuck in English is an old Native American word for ancient peoples, Anasazi.  We sometimes use that in the literature.  Incidentally, the team here has been coming up with a theory for how to save the psychic.  I know it might seem unrelated, but it might actually be quite related to this place.  Let me put Dr. Anderson on the line, one moment"  Strangely, there was a beeping and a scratching sound before a voice came in, not as clear even as Vira's somewhat scratchy voice.  A middle aged male voice.  Dr. Anderson said, "we've been analyzing the data on Charon II and it seems that Psychic phenomena are only widely accepted and scientifically verifiable on that planet.  This should be no accident.  We think that the anomaly has actually been at work for generations.  If you could find a way into there, you might see whatever is causing the anomaly, sure.  And perhaps going into the present day would be the best way to do that.  But the psychic you met earlier had a premonition-- we posit that he is in fact receiving a possible future selected by the agency of the anomaly to lead his choices.  In this case to his harm.  But it has led him in the past, we know from his report, to success in his career, etc.  It could be that if you travel to that future and alter the events, he will remember his vision of it differently, and it will alter the anomaly's meddling on his life, possibly stopping his demise.  Indeed, his predictions are 99.99% accurate."

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

TR-219 In reply to ZephyrStranded [2017-05-12 05:07:03 +0000 UTC]

"Note to self... talking to walls is a silly idea... How would I go about altering his vision of the future? Vira mentioned it was dangerous before"

I moved back into the main chamber, and stare at the statues for a moment, before continuing.

"And the chances that his premonition actually is the future? Call me sceptical, but seeing a definitive version of the future, 99.99% accurate, seems... impossible. Then again, what happened on Charon II..."

I pause for a moment, and turn back to the doorway...


"Surely it wouldn't be that simple..."

I attempt to phase through into the next room, through the un-moving stone wall, likely to no avail...

(How am I repelled by the stone?)

"No... I already tried that..."

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

ZephyrStranded In reply to TR-219 [2017-05-13 04:26:57 +0000 UTC]

As you tried to phase through, you notice that you simply lose power to move forward and are redirected backward with the same force that you use to go forward.  It's a strange sensation.

"You need to enter his memory of the vision, just like you entered the memory of this area.  It's that simple" said Dr. Anderson. "I have a theory about what is going on that I'm working on, but I'd like to run it by my colleagues more before we give it to you.  We want it to be absolutely correct.  But getting into that chamber likely will confirm or eliminate any basis for the theory.  I believe it's some sort of psychic incubator...like a means of keeping the legacy of the anasazi alive...but again I can tell you more when we know what is in there"

Vira beeped in, "thank you, Dr. Anderson.  Isn't he a peach? He's a handsome one.  Anyway, since the anomaly hasn't completely happened yet now...maybe this door is shut because of that?  If you come back in the present it might be open.  However, the risk is high for being exposed to mission-ending levels of anomaly.  About that chamber...I'm not sure why you can't phase through it.  But it seems to be the same energy that was causing popping before, only much stronger.  there is a sharp spike in energy as soon as you push through.  There must be some kind of field in the stone that emanates from the source."

You noticed that your spike felt pulsey.   Yes.  that was the word.  It was pulsing involuntarily and it seemed to have fattened up when yo ufelt it with your hand.  It was longer and fatter, almost like the broken off tail of some lizard trying to grow back.  You could feel the oddest sensation in your waist as it was now very thin, your viscera seemingly moved to some other compartment.  You noticed that when  you breathed hard, your chest area and the clam-shell like opening that extended down to your groin seemed to open a little.  There was even a little moisture that came out.  It was very real seeming.  

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

TR-219 In reply to ZephyrStranded [2017-05-13 04:50:22 +0000 UTC]

"So two choices. Go to the present, and see what is behind this door... and probably die, or save the psychic by altering his premonition... and I will probably die. Not much of a choice, either way. And... I was told that you wouldn't have much emotional capacity, or ability to judge beauty. That said, I prefer you this way. Send"


Without pause, I cease to exist, and bring up the slideshow of images again, only this time it looks a little stranger, the edges of the images warped, unfocused. I try to find the most recent one, seeing seemingly from the psychic's perspective. Seeing this strange, warped image, I unintentionally breath in sharply, noticing the strange phenomena of my lower body seemingly opening... and the pulsating spike attached to the lower part of me...


"For reference... I feel like I might have gotten the working version of the statue's mouths, and I don't particularly like this. I can feel the... saliva, for lack of better terminology, that came out when I breathed in too hard. Not to mention the unnaturally thin waist, like an extreme corset or something. And the beginnings of the tail thing... is pulsing. I can't control that, and it has grown, from contact with that stone, or the passage of time, I am uncertain. No mental changes thus far, as far as I can tell. Send"

I sigh, before reaching out to the image, and just before my hand touches it, I mutter under my breath.

"Here goes..."

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

ZephyrStranded In reply to TR-219 [2017-05-13 19:26:21 +0000 UTC]

There is no animation or sudden change to you as you switch to that memory.  Only the sudden shift of what is holding your weight.  Your feet seem to be doing a good job of keeping you, despite the fact that you are standing on a metal grate high in the air in the dark.  You can feel that air is thick with a sort of windless pressure that holds everything in place.  You are on a service deck halfway along a roller coaster in the the amusement park.  Your legs seems to be wider than you remember, though it could be the fact that they are having to balance on this grate.  You definitely have a feminine shaped lower half, even if it isn't human.  Strangely, your upper half was only more wiry and your arms felt longer than normal.  Your hands felt larger and thinner than normal.

Vira responds in the quietest, crackliest voice you've heard yet. "-----in there.  ----mind-----corrupted----VR form yet.  In fact--------------will ever happen---.  ---ease try to--------etend you are part of his vision, and stop him from ----.  -----ake sense?"  

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

TR-219 In reply to ZephyrStranded [2017-05-13 20:40:22 +0000 UTC]

"You're breaking up... I get it, I need to act a part, and save him. I need to find him first. Send"

Using the night vision I had been "Gifted" I search around for the psychic, first looking around on top of the roller coaster catwalks... then the around the base of it, if I don't spot him or whatever is attacking him.

"Why couldn't I have been given IR vision?"

As I am doing so, I begin to notice my upper half had changed, particularly my arms, when I can almost touch the ground with their length. 

"The hell? I don't remember my arm's being that long... or were they?"

I briefly stop searching for the psychic, and hold my right hand up in front of my face, like I did in the caves, and inspect the back of my hand, then my palm, then down at my legs, then feel behind me again for the pulsating tail thing.

"That looks... different. I think it's different anyway... can't worry about it right now, I'm here for a reason... right, the psychic. Save  the psychic. send"

I continue looking around, first limiting my search to the area within the amusement park, then expanding the search beyond that. This roller coaster provides a good vantage point, at least for now. While I am at it, I find a bit of rusty, easy to rip off bit of metal from the roller coaster, that I might be able to use as some sort of weapon, that hopefully won't disintegrate when I hit something with it.

(Ideally, the bit of metal I am trying to rip off would be from the track or support structure, one end already detached, the other exposed and rusted with time)

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ZephyrStranded In reply to TR-219 [2017-05-14 22:45:25 +0000 UTC]

"-----signal.  Yes, do---- "  There was a pause, "Talk to ----------chit-chat.  -------sure he turns around----".  

You noticed that being here there was a strange feeling of nakedness, like something very personal about yourself was being exposed.  It could have been the fact that your body was so distorted now and it was pulsing and moving in odd ways.  Your body seemed to have lost it's humanity such that when you looked at your hands, you could swear that there were extra joints in your fingers, that the tips were devoid of nails.  The prints on your fingertips had been replaced with a strange chitinous crust.  The front of you, like a clam-- a strange thin set of flaps extending out from just below your rips all the way down to your groin-- seemed to pulse and exude moisture.  You noticed that if you so chose you could open it up by simply thinking about it, though it was hard to coordinate at first, stretching the skin and opening up your whole viscera.  Inside was a strange round concave area with a sensation that resembled that of wanting to eat, but not to devour.  It was like you wanted to put valuable things in there that you should keep.  It was a strange sensation.  You also noticed that your tail had expanded into an abdomen like an ant or a spider, no doubt where lots of your internal organs had fled.  all in all you felt slimier and warmer.

It wasn't clear how your face had changed, but somehow you could feel that your cheeks had become far more gaunt, your eyes larger, your jaw pointier in places.  You couldn't see anything on your own face, however.

Just as you extracted the piece of metal from the track, you noticed at the top of a nearby ride that there was a creature much like the statues and a little like you looked now, but only remotely.  It was all mouths and teeth and eyes.  There were tentacles and pinchers and many many legs.  The number of arms was probably three, though there could have been more.  It's front open, facing down like an enormous set of toothless jaws.  Below you could see a figure climbing, pausing on occasion to rest.  He wasn't very far up from the bottom of the enormous tower.

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TR-219 In reply to ZephyrStranded [2017-05-14 23:09:15 +0000 UTC]

"Talk to who?... damn it... and I am naked. Great. Just great.... do I distract the person down there, or the centipede from hell... Send"

I look at the creature, then down at the humanoid figure, seeing maybe a glint of metal attached to them, then back to the creature... and I store the metal bar inside of me... and shudder involuntarily as the cold metal touches my insides. And given the garbled message, I walk over to the other creature, and make myself apparent to it.

(This is going to end badly, isn't it?)

"Hi there. I was wondering what you're doing up here..."

I keep my gaze on the oversize centipede, internally hoping that they don't look to the psychic, and continue on if I don't receive a response. I need to get it's attention away from the human, and even if it attacks me, that would be preferable.

"... I... think you were human once too... how did you change?"

I shift slightly, and feel the metal bar inside of me shift in turn, but make no visible outwards response to the foreign matter. I continue staring at the centipede from hell, even going so far as to reach out and touch it if I don't already have it's attention. Internally, I think to Vira.

"Why am I here again? Why am I saving that human? Send"

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ZephyrStranded In reply to TR-219 [2017-05-14 23:35:05 +0000 UTC]

As you approach and begin to speak, that feeling of nakedness-- of complete vulnerability-- grew sharply.  It was as if the air around you was suddenly looking at your new form, and at the fact that you had no clue what you were doing there, on Charon II.  
 
The answer didn't come at first, but you could tell that the creature was staring at you now, because the mouth closed and the sum of the eyes seemed to be settled on your nooks and crannies.  Your imperfections, even your age felt out of place.  You noticed that you began to daydream about your childhood, about talking to other little kids about what you would be when you grew up.  Then you remembered the statues, the pictures on the walls.  You could remember the pictures with crystal clarity as if the VR assistant was showing them back to you.  The pictures seemed so significant and important, and not only just important to humanity, but to the anasazi.  The feeling left you and you noticed that you had stumbled up very close to the creature, and it seemed to be sitting very still.  It seemed to breath through multiple orifices but just like any animal you had come across it breathed in and then out.  You suddenly got the clear impression that it had never been a human.  It seemed to be relieved to have met another like itself.  You felt distinctly that this didn't refer to your body, though that would have made sense.  Strangely, it was referring to the fact that you were a virtual being.

Vira crackled in, but somehow it didn't ever become coherent.

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TR-219 In reply to ZephyrStranded [2017-05-15 01:34:33 +0000 UTC]

"Are you... some sort of guardian of the Anaszi temple... or something else? And... you were... just looking through my memories, weren't you?"

I sort of stand their awkwardly for a minute, as I am now extremely curious about this being. Vira's voice is little more than an annoyance, at least to the possible Anaszi. As for me, I ignore what little of her comes through, she isn't important right now.

"You don't speak, do you? Or at least, you don't speak the way I do. You... give thoughts, impressions, the same way I am looking into the mind of another, to see how Charon II fell"

I take another look at my hand, and sort of see through it, a reminder of what I am in this world.

"... to say I am in awe of this, world, is an understatement. But... did you give the premonition to the psychic to draw the attention of someone like you? Or perhaps you didn't... or there is some other reason, that I don't yet consider? No matter"

I consider sitting down, but that doesn't quite work when you have something akin to a spider's abdomen, so I sort of kneel, looking down to the psychic, then around the ruined amusement park.

"Heh... I went to a place like this once, in my youth. A little larger, but the same sort of thing. Made for people to have a good time, through machines like the one we are currently standing on"

I take out the metal bar, and check where the psychic is. I don't plan on dropping it on him, but if I can get them to look up to where it fell from, see us, and hopefully run away... then hopefully, his premonition will change. I look back to the other, and attempt to smile.

"He must live... let him go. It is through him, that you found me, I think. Or I found you..."

I drop the steel track, so it should land a long distance away from him, a good 50 meters or more.

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ZephyrStranded In reply to TR-219 [2017-05-15 04:29:27 +0000 UTC]

As you asked the questions about what it was, your mind filled with images of how you had pictured Vira in your mind when she spoke to her.  And then vira was winking and smiling.  You could feel embarrassment that you were all mutated instead of your usual human self.  You pictured Vira walking up to you and getting inside your front mouth, the mouth closing.  It felt strangely intimate.  Then there was an image of you holding hands with a girl you had had a crush on as a teenager, and there were children running around your feet.  One of them looked up at you and it had multiple eyes.  It had an abdomen and it looked like you do now.

With the bar dropping, you hear a muffled sound of surprise and the psychic is climbing down quickly after a few sharp glances up.  He is a tiny figure, his arms and legs black smudges.

As you think about the amusement park from your youth, you notice something strange begin to happen to your surroundings-- the skyline began to shudder and the trees grew quickly.  Buildings shuffled like cards, and as you caught sight of the immediate amusement park, you could see daylight whipping into place, the ground filling with people.  The tower you were on grew a water container above you and the creature stepped into the shade.  You felt a strange wave of confidence come over you that no one would be able to see either of you, despite the fact that you had been invisible this whole time.  The theme park was the same from your childhood, the psychic was gone.

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TR-219 In reply to ZephyrStranded [2017-05-15 05:00:02 +0000 UTC]

Initially concerned about Vira stepping inside of me, then the images of... what I could only assume maybe the Ansazi's children... or were they mine? I watch as my actions do what I had planned... then everything shifting around me, morphing into a place on Earth. 

(I assume since humanity can cause an entire planet to cease to exist, that I could have been born on earth, and taken to Ceres for a job oportunity, before... all this VR stuff)

"This... this is on Earth. I... I remember that day, the only time I came... here"

I look towards the front gate, and the backside of the large sign at the front... at the spherical sign with what looked like 2 dimensional roller coaster tracks wrapping around it like the rings of Saturn.

"There were a couple of parks like this, about 2 hours travel from where I grew up on Earth. But this one... was the one we went to... the one where... why did you bring me here?"

I look to the Anaszi, as I am fairly sure that is what they are at this point, looking down from the water tower like structure... as the machinery inside began to whir, pulling up a group of humans, strapped into harnesses, trapped to the machine for another 2 minutes... as it made the climb. If I looked hard enough, I could almost see where young me was with my family, waiting in line. I think about them for a moment, wondering what they would think of me now...

"... what do you wish to see then? Or better yet, what do you want me to see?"


(Assuming nothing changes, and the Anaszi is happy right now)

As far as I was aware, there was no way to get to where we were standing... and the maintenance ladder that ran up the side was encased in a metal cage, that neither of us would fit down. Nor did the cart come all the way to the top. I sigh, knowing the basics of how this machine worked from years of mechanical study and maintenance myself, on more practical machines. More complicated too.

"A lot of the machines here make use of pulleys, like this one. A pulley to get you up... then the cart detaches. When I was younger, I was... enthralled by machines like these. I thought they were magic. To an extent, there is still some in them. Some of these machines have been running, at about the same rate as today, for decades, some even for a century or two"

I look down, towards the ground... roughly 100 metres down.

"And this isn't even the highest I have been. The machines I worked on initally, could fly up there"

I look up, towards the sky, towards the moon, somehow visible during the day.

"But this place... bad things happened here"


(This is getting pretty long for one reply, so I will continue it if nothing changes... but it's bad, at least for this poor sod. This didn't happen IRL, at least not to me. You might have heard about it though... an old ride kills people at an Australian theme park? Same deal here)


(I can't really respond to if the scene changes again, so we will see where this goes... what I can learn about them)

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ZephyrStranded In reply to TR-219 [2017-05-15 15:02:04 +0000 UTC]

Seeming to respond to your alarm, you noticed the creature pointing it's tentacles outward which seemed to be distress. You could feel it probing your memory until you thought of the disaster that was soon to occur. The creature seemed genuinely surprised but not afraid. It's many legs shifted, making a clicking sound on the metal. It squished it's body up and then leaped, landing on the disastrous ride. You could feel it calling out to you for help, but with what was unclear.

Strangely, everything mechanical on the ride began to lurch and to slow. The clicking of chain skipping under the now stopped ride continued, caused by the main mechanism continuing despite the creature somehow stopping everything near it. You could tell it was wanting to do something but it felt more confused than confident.

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TR-219 In reply to ZephyrStranded [2017-05-15 19:48:37 +0000 UTC]

"It won't make a difference. This was in the past... unless you can somehow bring back everyone on this ride who dies, that isn't going to change..."

Hearing the sounds of the machine, I look down to where the people within it are currently held. On it, I see three faces I haven't seen in a long time. It's clear to me, mostly, that you cannot change the true past, not within the rules I was given, at least. But, the creature/Ansazi/anomaly has already done some strange things. I look up to it, initially a forlorn look on my face, knowing what was about to happen... but that soon shifts into a determination. Knowing what I do now, just maybe... I would be able to see them again.


"Maybe... give me a second... oh wait, you have"


I look for one of the maintenance panels on the side, near where I can access... and find it loose, already lying on the catwalk around the structure. Inside, I can see the culprit, the worn rubber belt close to snapping, the track holding the ride in place battered from nearly a century of constant use. I can see, and understand most of the internal workings, though most of this is old tech, and a little more complicated than I thought at first glance.

"Two things are going to happen. If the people on this ride reach the top, that fan belt will break, and rip apart the insides of the ride... And the force of the internal destruction will throw the ride off of the track, allowing it to free fall..."

I look towards the ground, seeing young me staring up towards the machine, oblivious as to what was going on inside. I was lucky, in the sense that there was just enough people to go in front of us that we were separated... with one of my sisters at the bottom with me. Without tools on hand, there isn't much I can do, mechanics wise.

"You've... stopped it, completely? Ok, right then"

As I watch the machine inside continue to whir away, the fan belt that connected a motor to the chain inside snaps... and the track at the very top is ripped apart, along with the stop, from the flailing steel chain.

"Right, one problem solved. Only thing now is to get them down... without harm. How can I assist?"

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ZephyrStranded In reply to TR-219 [2017-05-16 00:28:59 +0000 UTC]

When the mechanisms failed and the ride continued to run, the engine whirred louder, having no real system for dealing with such a light load at full throttle.  The people seemed to grow silent from the obnoxious blaring sound.  You could feel an uptick in anxiety permeating the air.  or was that just an expectation you had, a result of social conditioning?  The beast had a tentacle near your face wiggling, obviously for your attention.  You had the feeling that you needed to close your front clam-mouth over this tentacle and that you would be able to then help.  The beast made an audible sound like an elk call followed by the chattering of birds.  You could see the ride was staying still now because something had moved into place, blocking it's movement.  A structural beam from somewhere was wedged in place, taking the strain off the beast.  But the people still had to be rescued.  Unfortunately with the "fix" the creature had somehow enacted, the ride would mechanically have no way of lowering the people down.  

You can feel the breath of the creature, and then there was a flash where you could see yourself, somehow quite alien looking, and oddly beautiful picturing images of mechanical things and then instead of teleporting to them like you had done in the past, traveling to a memory, you were reaching out and tearing up the memory with your hands and mind.  The gears and pieces shown floating in your mind matched large gears and pullies near you in this vision and they also tore.  You could see the ride being torn this way and gently being guided to the ground, though how the slow let-down was going to happen was not depicted.

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TR-219 In reply to ZephyrStranded [2017-05-16 02:25:03 +0000 UTC]

I take a quick look at the fix, realizing it had effectively broken the ride, and trapped the people on the ride nearly 100 meters in the air, as the creature waves it's tentacle in front of my face, grabbing my attention, then shows me the strange vision of the machine being broken.

"I think I understand... and that is a good solution... though the last part is a little confusing"

I open the clam mouth, and wait for the creature to... stick it's tentacle inside of me. Partly because I don't see what harm it could do, partly because I am curious, and partly because of how this world seems to work, I might be finally able to say goodbye to my family... That last part is forgotten about somewhat, when I remember how I look right now... 

"Not everything can be fixed... something I know all too well. So we are breaking it to free those on it..."

I trail off, still not understanding the last bit where the riders were guided to the ground, seemingly by magic or some other unknown force... and nod.

"I think I am ready"

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ZephyrStranded In reply to TR-219 [2017-05-16 18:03:38 +0000 UTC]

As you allowed the tentacle into your clam-like mouth, you noticed that it quickly moved to the very bottom/back of the chamber and began to move around in there gently.  It was an odd sensation, and it sent shivers up and down your spine.  Then you felt something moving along the tentacle, like a magnetic pulse, an electric current.  The creature breathed deeply and then you knew that you could look at things as memory boxes and you can rip them up, physically destroying them in real life, if you needed.  YOu also felt that the two of you could now generate a sort of current, a mental energy that would hold something static in the air and you could guide it down as long as you saw the whole event simply as a memory, rather than as a current event, and manipulated it with your hands and with your mind.  As these realizations hit, you felt the inside of your clam mouth tighten.  It was strangely like a massage from between your hips, but deeper inside you than anything a human could experience.  A very odd, stimulating experience.  The tentacle apparently was filling up it's tip like a balloon, giving your cavity more and more something to squeeze onto.  You could feel the energy building inside you, and your mind began to race a little as the exact directions for pulling the ride from the structure was put into your mind.

The creature, though covered in teeth and mouths and eyes and claws and things in a seemingly chaotic way, made an expression.  At first it wasn't obvious, but then it dawned on you that the creature was completely focused now on your body and was waiting for you to picture and break those mechanical parts with your mind while it held the ride in place. (sorry this is so vague)

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TR-219 In reply to ZephyrStranded [2017-05-16 22:58:42 +0000 UTC]

(This is fine, actually. Both me and my charecter don't know what is going on exactly just this is apparently a thing we/I can do now"

"Well then..."

I close my eyes, and picture the ride in front of me. I then picture the internal components coming loose, screws, cogs, bolts, all of it, and ripping apart the inside of the tower, more than they already were. I pick up, and tear off the heavy motor, and fling it around the insides of the tower, smashing apart both it, and the metal support structure that the ansazi had been standing on top of earlier.

(we are both standing on the maintenance platform, mostly out of the way of the chaos I am about to cause)

I keep the train of thought going, until the water tower like cylinder atop the ride, faded red lettering on it, falls to the side, and down... I think about it not hitting anyone, about it falling safely down where no people were standing, but still hitting the ground with some force. A 100 meter drop is not something you take lightly.

"You should be able to lift it up and out of the track now, I will deal with the mess I made, then help you with that"

The internal components have gone everywhere, thrown about around the inside of the tower... most embedded in the sides of the steel, so there isn't much I can do there. The motor is then moved back into place, left loose, so I can possibly help out with the cart... and saving the people on it.

"Mess is mostly dealt with, now for the people"

I open my eyes... and observe the aftermath of destruction...

"Why did you need me to do this? You seem capable of doing it yourself... don't worry about answering that now, people first"

I am a little confused about the tentacle inside of me, and how it allowed me to rip apart the mechanical components inside the ride... let alone the electrical pulse, or how the tip expanded inside of me. The latter two things are strange, sure. But I don't see the harm it could cause... it appears to be beneficial, if anything. And perhaps a little soothing.

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ZephyrStranded In reply to TR-219 [2017-05-18 01:39:18 +0000 UTC]

As you speak to the creature, the things you recommended happen began to happen, the claws and fins on it's surface fluttering in pulses of breath as it simultaneously pumped fluid into it's growing bulb inside of you and draws from your focus and energy.  You could sense the tip of what was going on here, but it seemed that a cyclical process between you and the creature was expanding your collective ability to manipulate objects in a sort of palpable memory-space.  The pulsing of the tentacle within you caused the bulb, now the size of a basketball or larger, to be so large that the coupling between the space inside and the bulb felt very snug, all the spaces in between being filled up.  You noticed a surge of confidence pass into you through your groin and stomach area and you could feel the air around you becoming part of your memories.  The creature pulled the cart from where you had left it, the people screaming and yelling as the movement was bizarre and unearthly to them.  Soon they were on the ground beside those who were previously in line, now backed up a hundred feet or more.  The structure moaned as steel strained and collapsed.  The creature breathed and eased them down, not with internal strength, but with the force of will, generated by a partnership.  A union.  You could feel a warmth spread from your groin when it was all set down.

The anasazi skittered where it sat, turning to face you, and you could see it's face.  It was for the first time.  Nothing had changed about the creature, but you were somehow able to recognize a pattern all throughout it's eyes and parts that showed a look of relief.  Suddenly you felt it's thoughts resonate in the chamber of your mind, "I needed your help, and you needed mine.  The power we have together is not temporary.  You can draw on me as if I am still inside you, even when I'm not.  And I on you, if that's okay with you.  I won't do it without your approval.  You have changed much.  What you call the anomaly is actually a----"

"--Beeep-- beeep--- Vira, coming in--- peat, this is ---ra, coming ---beeep---"

You felt the warmth inside you expand and suddenly the tentacle was draining from the bulb.  You could feel that you no longer could hold the bulb and the pressure of the fluid that was coming out.  It was flowing out of the opening onto the grate you were standing on.

There was silence from the creature.   The world around you began to shift like static.

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TR-219 In reply to ZephyrStranded [2017-05-18 02:03:12 +0000 UTC]

I sigh internally, almost annoyed that Vira is interrupting, but she probably thinks she is doing the right thing. Unfortunately, she isn't, and with the interference, she is unlikely to even receive a tenth of the intended message. That doesn't stop me from trying to reply

"VIRA! IF YOU WAIT, WE CAN FIND OUT ABOUT WHAT THE ANOMALY IS FROM A LIVING ANASASZI. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT interfere. Send"


I look back to the Anaszi, and nod.

"Thank you..."

I glance down to the ground, seeing the people who were at risk seemingly fleeing from the structure, along with three familiar people, perhaps taking one last look towards the tower, not seeing the two unearthly creatures atop it.

"For everything. Don't hesitate to call upon me, if you need me again"

I try re-sending the previous message to Vira, knowing she did not receive the full message before. Just prior to sending the second message, I look to the Anasaszi, and ask:

"Is there any way to make sure that the AI will get the full message, without me being pulled out? If there is, we should try it now"


(Either way, after receiving confirmation of yes or no, I will try again)


"I say again Vira. If you wait, we can find out about the Anomaly from a living Anasaszi. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT interfere, let them finish. Send"



I look to the Anasazi, seeing the world shift around me, the beginnings of me ceasing to exist.

"Regardless of what happens next, whether the AI assistant got my message or not, I get the feeling we will be convening again sooner, rather than later... I should really have asked your name before now"

(If I am pulled back, I think I know what I am doing next)

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ZephyrStranded In reply to TR-219 [2017-05-20 17:06:45 +0000 UTC]

The creature stayed silent for a moment as the tower under you dissolved and the sky seemed to be above and below you now.  The world was a swirl of cloud.  This was different from when you had shifted memories through your VR software before.  The anasazi method was obviously unique.  

Suddenly the anasazi replied, "call me Nuza when you need to access our power together"  

You ceased to exist for a moment but this time instead of feeling everything like you normally did, you felt numb all over, you could feel the hardness of cold glass pressed against your cheek.  Then a spasm pulled you back to being near the statues in the temple.

"You're safe?!  You're back...I can't believe it...wow, you have changed a bit, haven't you?..."  There was a long silence.  After a moment, you it began to dawn on you that she was seeing all the records of what you had just experienced.  The silence continued on longer than was comfortable.

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TR-219 In reply to ZephyrStranded [2017-05-20 21:49:32 +0000 UTC]

"Yeah... I think I might have.... developed something, thanks to the Anasanzi"

I will wait as Vira goes through the footage, taking another look around the temple, and I sigh.

"I was so close... to hearing the purpose of this place from them. Though the way they showed it to me... it seems akin to a time capsule... Like this place has great importance to them, historically. There is more to it than that, but I was returned by you, I think, before I could hear it's purpose"

I unintentionally had been leaning on one of the statues, and upon realizing, I remove my hand from it.

"I think I know what the clam mouths are for now... I might have experienced it first hand"

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ZephyrStranded In reply to TR-219 [2017-05-21 21:11:42 +0000 UTC]

As you looked around the temple, your eye caught the statues and you could see like you did with Nuza that each one had a different expression.  The one you were leaning against seemed to be meditative and calm, as was the one nearby it.  Another one was in a state similar to prayer, specifically for the future. You could see it on their faces, on the many different parts of them all interacting.  One of them had it's clam mouth open and you could see that it was in a state that gave you tingles.  It was in a state of ecstasy, as if it were in the deepest state of pleasure.  But there was no other to love it, making it ironic and desperate.  There was another statue that was leaning forward, it's clam mouth open a little.  It was contemplative and sad.  You had the deepest impression of loneliness from these last couple ones.  

"Excellent, you stopped the psychic from rendezvousing with the anasazi.  This means that whatever the anasazi was going to try and tell him that made him think he was going to be fully infected was prevented.  However, you disappeared completely after you started talking to it.  Looking at your recordings it seems that you somehow were on earth, but we have no clue how that's possible.  You also engaged in some kind of full-body interaction that would have put you at full risk for mental infection.  Running a diagnostic on your speech doesn't pick up any indication of anomaly, however. You obviously exhibited symptoms of deep infection since you were engaging in the characteristic psychokinetic movement of things..  We're still trying to determine what the purpose of that vision was.  We can only guess at this point that the anasazi has used you to surmise more information about humanity's homeworld, earth.  There may be consequences for your actions today.  I do not know what yet, but I recommend being completely upfront from here on out.

You could feel several people at once being anxious.  There were apparently three of them.  Two of them human.  One of them Vira.  "What do you think the clam mouths are for?"

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TR-219 In reply to ZephyrStranded [2017-05-21 22:21:54 +0000 UTC]

"... I will try to be upfront, though this is still all new to me. As for the clam mouth, I experienced it firsthand... It seems to have two functions. The first, is like how I would use a pant pocket, to store items of value... don't ask beyond that, this form is all new to me, with new feelings to go along with it. The second... The Anasazi created a sort of... psychic link with me, when it stuck one of it's tentacles inside of my clam mouth. It expanded inside of me, constantly pulsing while I was tearing apart the machine. Stronger combined than apart, or something, and the link seems to be maintained without physical contact. A question, because I have explained as much as I understand. Did I impact anything on Ceres?"

As I say without physical contact, a small stone begins floating in front of me, by my own doing. After I finish speaking I will wait for a response... and continue on regardless afterwards

"By the way... These statues are expressing emotions, forever locked in stone. I... can sort of see what they were feeling like now, after that link with the Anasazi, and becoming more like them, I guess. These first two, are in a sort of meditative state... the next two, one is praying for the future... the other in a somewhat familiar state, though it's... desperate... from there, as they get closer to the door... their expressions become generally sad, then lonely... those last few ones remind me of the Anasazi I met. Lonely, isolated... They haven't seen anything similar to their own kind for quite some time"

I sort of kneel on the ground, as it is more comfortable than standing, and continue.

"To answer how I was on Earth... It was a similar way to how I am currently in the memory of the psychic. I was... thinking about my childhood, thinking about where I was born, and grew up for most of my early life. You should have access to my records, you know most of my life until now. And how..."

I stop speaking for a moment, still remembering how things happened in reality.

"... The Anasazi wanted to go there, though I can't fathom why. From it's actions, it seemed like it wanted"

I trail off, unconsciously looking down at the clam mouth, then back up at one of the statues... the one in Ecstasy.

"...What did it want? I can't say for sure, not now. A friend, maybe? Or something else..."

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ZephyrStranded In reply to TR-219 [2017-05-22 02:06:31 +0000 UTC]

"Hmmm... I have always appreciated your candor and the thoroughness of your reports, as have the researchers here.  You asked if there have been any problems on the Ceres end of things.  Buckle up.  Since you left to earth there have been numerous psychic events around your physical body in the lab.  Most recently you actually moved and you banged your head and hand against the glass pretty hard, though we could tell you were unconscious when it happened.  That's not technically possible until we close the link.  However, we did read that you almost woke up in the lab.  That means that your consciousness returned if not just in part to your body here in ceres for a second or two.  Let me connect the dots for you.  You immediately came back here and yes, we can see that you are moving that stone through the air.  Somehow your uplink was hijacked by alien forces and then returned to us.  However, since then we've had none of the characteristic interference at all.  Sir, I think our comms channel, and the channel that keeps you existing on Charon II is completely compromised.  "

There was a pause.  You could actually sense a bit of worry and stress again from the others and then Vira was speaking with them, though it was difficult to make out her actual words.  Just a feeling came across, like she wasn't connected to you directly.  You knew that she could talk to the other researchers this whole time but it wasn't so obvious before that she was having a two-sides conversation.  The feeling you got was that they were scrambling to prepare and very anxious.

"It's as if you were deliberately returned home to Ceres after your visit to earth.  Your location, our signal, earth's location, signals there.  One of the psychic events here that we've noticed is that while you are exercising your new...abilities, it seems that the nearby radio tower stops transmitting.  Also we are unable to pick up any radio signals immediately around your body.  It's like a vacuum of electromagnetic energy.  Are....are you okay?"

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TR-219 In reply to ZephyrStranded [2017-05-22 03:03:13 +0000 UTC]

"I feel ok... mostly. Still don't quite agree with this Virtual form"

I stop moving the pebble, letting it drop to the floor

"If you think it nesescary, pull me out. We can be fairly certain that this temple is what is the source... though how, I don't know yet. While I would like to know whats further in.. maybe that would not be a good idea, since I am probably still linked to Nuza, the Anasazi I met. and in order to go deeper, I will have to use my... abilities more. At least, that is my suspicion"

I stand, waiting for Vira to respond. I... don't know what to do, and that is clear in how I am standing, now roughly halfway between the wall and the statues.

"This is all well above my pay grade anyway..."

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ZephyrStranded In reply to TR-219 [2017-05-23 03:04:34 +0000 UTC]

After a long pause, Vira came back, "No, at this point we would like to see what's behind that door.  If you have any means of opening it at all, please do it.  Our signal is not affected by you use of the powers.  I'm still not sure how my attempts at communicating with you knocked you out of sync with this Nuza.  It could be that whatever you did together interrupted the alien-uplink?  We aren't sure, since the anasazi was using technology that we don't understand.  So far we have only been able to detect the anomaly and it's infection on people through a psychic metric developed by one of the scientists here.  That was one reason for your mission, among the other things we've been discussing.  We would like to utilize your unique situation as long as possible in order to find the source of this whole mess.  Another thing we are not clear about is the location of the anasazi's transmission.  If our theory is correct, you should be having a brief reunion with Nuza as soon as you open those doors."  You could feel that she was somehow anxious, worried about what to say.  It felt different than a human worry though, it was obvious to your empathic feelings that her psyche was an artifact from various echoes of human experience, trained and grown together with the unique feeling of a true, emerging A.I.  She finally started again, "I need to tell you something... the island on Ceres where we and  your body are, is set to be dropped into subspace and crushed into a singularity if we find any infection spreading from your body.  I...we need you to understand how bad this truly is"

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TR-219 In reply to ZephyrStranded [2017-05-23 03:35:41 +0000 UTC]

"Like Charon II is... yeah. I understand. Though there is nothing I can do on my end to prevent it at this point... what's that old saying? We dug to greedily and to deeply... and now I will pay the price. Send"

I look to the doorway, seeing the massive stone slab still blocking further exploration of the temple... 

"Don't suppose I am in the present now, instead of in the psychic's head? Not that it matters either way. Send"

I head over towards the doorway, and close my eyes, like I did before...

"Nuza, I assume we are still linked. I could use your strength right about now"

Initially, I try to slide the slab upwards, but that fails, the stone merely bouncing off of the ceiling, and nothing more than a crack between it and the floor forms. Instead, I push or pull the stone, and hopefully it moves in either direction. While still thinking about it in my head, I image the stone to slide to the side of whatever corridor it had been blocking, once it had been moved into a larger room, like the one I was currently in, or whatever was at the other end of the previously blocked corridor.

"That rock slab can't be light, 30 tonnes, minimum... but it feels lighter than it should... even with psychic abilities"

I shake my head for a moment, more of a twitch than anything else, as a shiver runs down my spine.

"That... can't be good"

I turn to look towards the doorway, expecting the worst.

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ZephyrStranded In reply to TR-219 [2017-05-31 01:15:47 +0000 UTC]

"Fortunately it's not the whole planet, it's just the island and the surrounding continental shelf, and into the crust a few miles.  This time it's no pocket-dimension for us, it's spaghettification.  We'll all be reduced to hawking radiation"  You could hear a little bit of an edge to her voice as she spoke.  Strangely, you could feel real desperation.  "...good luck" she finally said.

As you moved the slab, you noticed that the feeling inside your clammouth returned for a moment and you could feel a warmth spread outward from there.  A feeling came into your mind that you would have a few seconds of power.  The slab moved swiftly, it's momentum ignored for a moment.  A draft of warm dry air hit your face.  It smelled oddly of ozone.  A moment later you could feel the absence of Nuza, even in front of you.  Just inside was a statue of an Anasazi, it's body upright, the clam opened, but in the clutches of the clam you could see a tear-drop shaped black stone.  

"--left us for a moment there.  Did you read my last message?  You knocked out the radio for a moment.  But I wanted to answer your question-- we are still in the psychic's memory.  Since you came back he has been in communication with us via his planetary uplink in the compound where he's holed up.  He said he's no longer getting signals from the anasazi psychically like he was before.  He also doesn't remember the previous iteration of his vision, which is probably for the best.  We can only sit and wait to see what happens now that his premonition has been interrupted.  We suspect that it's a self-fulfilling prophecy in-part, so he might be safe for a little while longer. "

As you looked at the stone, another tremor came on and you could feel the area shaking, but this time you noticed that you were feeling it somewhere inside you, rather than just feeling it as vibration.

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TR-219 In reply to ZephyrStranded [2017-05-31 03:16:43 +0000 UTC]

"Yeah, I got your last message, I thought you said I wouldn't knock out comms with my psychic abilities? *Sigh* Never mind... thanks for the terrifying nightmares that will probably not come if I am... infected. And the psychic? Never mind the physic, if I am infected, we die, with no way of averting that. And it's not even just us, everyone else on the island will die, even those not involved in this project... it's not fair"

I pause for a moment listening to Vira and seeing the black stone, held within the statue's clam mouth, before feeling the tremor from within me?

"Umm... right then. This might be a little difficult to explain, but the tremor that is going off right now... It feels like it's inside of me? no, that can't be right... but how else do I explain this sensation? Perhaps due to..."

I take a closer look at the statue, looking for any familiarity between it and what I saw of Nuza, and then look to my feet, closing my eyes as I do so. 

"This is all so messed up anyway... and now this?"


(If similar, or identical)

"That's... not good"


(If completely different)

I consider reaching into the statue, and retrieving the black stone, but stop when my fingers brush up against the edge of the statue's mouth.

"No, this is stupid..."


(In either situation)

"Don't suppose that, is the source of the anomaly?"

I walk around the statue, both looking at it and the room it is in, looking for any other doorways, carvings in the walls, anything that could give me any information about this black tear-drop shaped stone. 

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ZephyrStranded In reply to TR-219 [2017-06-03 05:51:11 +0000 UTC]

Vira responded quickly, "Don't forget that finding the source of the anomaly, whether this team survives or not, can save humanity from being infected."  

As the tremor passed, you could sense the floor under you had been shaking as well.  

The statue seemed to be an almost perfect replica of Nuza.  Looking at the features, you could see an aged, tired Nuza.  Some the parts of it were larger than you remembered, the effects of centuries of aging perhaps.

"The stone doesn't seem to be registering anything to us.  We did register that your body had a reaction during the tremor, a burst of progesterone and estrogen...hormones usually associated with childbirth in women...this doesn't make any sense..."

As you walk around the room, you see carvings on the wall depicting what seems to be more of the anasazi language, which is heavy in pictographs.  Some of it seems readable somehow.  You notice that there is a prominent section with pictures that almost looks like an amusement park ride.  
 

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TR-219 In reply to ZephyrStranded [2017-06-03 06:37:49 +0000 UTC]

"Ok... not sure how well these carvings are understood... but... that looks familiar. Send"

I point towards the carving of the ride ride... does it look like a large tower, with a slightly wider cylinder on top? (the tower of terror, the ride that broke down in "my" past) Either way, I stop observing the carvings, realizing what Vira had said.

"Hold up a moment. Childbirth? Send"

My eyes go wide, and I look to the floor.

"You may not be able to detect it, but I can be damn certain that I am not supposed to have hormones relating to childbirth in me. My best guess, from what I have seen so far... the Anasazi were dying, becoming fewer in number as the years progressed without contact. They made temples like this, sort of like time capsules from earth, to preserve their history... Send"

I pause for a moment, before sitting where I stood.

"I am probably infected, with the purpose of re-creating their race. You mentioned yourself, it starts with... what was the old word to describe it? telekinesis? Telepathy? Either way, physical changes occur later, at least normally, and are typically able to be ignored, at least for the most part. Correct me if I am wrong... but if my guess is right? We are already doomed. Best make the most of it then. Send"

I get up, and read over what I can of the writing on the walls, to see what what I can discern from them, and pass on the observations as I make them to Vira.

"I guess I will do what I can to translate this, though I can only imagine I can read this thanks to the link with Nuza. Send"

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ZephyrStranded In reply to TR-219 [2017-06-04 00:46:43 +0000 UTC]

"Interesting...please not that your physical body here has begun to be pretty quiet since the last incident.  Even your usage of Nuza's link seems to have been safe on our end.  And...though we don't have a monitoring system inside your physical body's glands, we're not getting any changes there.  You seem pretty stable.  But if what you say is right...that they are spreading by telepathy...by a psychic signal...then you might be right about us being doomed.  We're going to run some calculations and see from your story of what happened what the best course of action here is.  It might take a while...but be advised that I can be speaking to multiple people at the same time because of my nature.  Another note...I've noticed...that you are very brave."

The drawings on the wall seem to be readable with great effort, but not like writing you are used to.  They have the familiar pattern of speaking with Nuza, without Nuza's presence being near.  Strangely, the longer you read the writings, the more you can feel Nuza's presence, like the connection is growing.  The story it left, as far as you can tell, is that there is a word, or signal sent from somewhere beyond.  There is an image of a circle and a cycle.  the signal is taken by purely minds and hatches our people.  the signal is received as poison by many crying beings who are dying because of their physical bodies and are wiped out, except for some that have built a great civilization and have powerful minds, they dig under ground. They build a temple, they create a partnership with our people.  The animals and plants begin to be effected by the word from somewhere beyond and instead of creating our people, it poisons them.  The great civilization is poisoned by the signal and cannot build anymore.  Starvation.  Old age.  Loneliness.  Visions with new civilizations that will come. then is something about partnership, a mating from someone in a vision making Nuza pregnant.  The vision has the tower, it even has what you look like in your strange almost waspish form as a stick figure.  the next panel is that the signal, or word from somewhere beyond is concentrated in the person in the vision, and drawn into an egg.  The egg brings people from far away to come who are related to the Mate.

There is a strange feeling that earth is indicated by the next pictograph, though it looks less like a globe or circle, and more like an eye.  It seems to be inside a vision only.  You get the impression that Nuza was living mostly through visions rather than the present, that you were central somehow.  The writings seem to stop after mention of the mate.

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