2024-10-13: Lullaby for a Dead Man

From Dream Chasers
Jump to navigation Jump to search 
======================<* Saffron City - Paella Avenue *>======================

Saffron and Celadon City both stand side by side in the Central Kanto Plains, only divided by several highways and tunnels that connect them -- and where Celadon is known for its centre of government, Saffron has been long known as the bastion of science and development in Energy Nede. Saffron City boasts a significant majority of all white-collar jobs within its innumerable skyscrapers, and cutting-edge development happens within highly-guarded venues. The most well-known company in Saffron City is Silph Co., whose headquarters is seated at the very centre of business centres within town.

Paella Avenue -- so named for the rice dish that famously uses saffron to produce its lavish golden colour -- cuts a straight path across the meticulously planned city, and sports a no-nonsense business chic of groomed hedges and tastefully coloured metallic plates and accents, adorned with many restaurant chains, electronic and computer stores, and net cafes. Some of its detractors find it stifling, but many see Saffron City as the city where the future is born.

BGM: Pokemon: Heart Gold & Pokemon Soul Silver - Viridian City, Pewter City & Saffron City - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43rbMuaGsg8

<Pose Tracker> Chisato Madison has posed.

Energy Nede is brimming over with secrets. For all it is a place that has set itself to penance, many sins lie buried in time, forgotten even by those who have made it their vigil. It's been a good few weeks of work for Chisato Madison, but finally, she's ready to do some presenting. Maybe people have a thought that she's some super cool spy with a big penthouse suite full of cigars and cool suits, since she's apparently an Intelligence Agent, and all, and she does work out of Nede's foremost information management agency.

It's just that that's the newspaper.

"CHIEF!" Chisato yells as she walks through the open-plan office of the Saffron City Times, waving over the wall-less desks because Japan circa 1995 hadn't invented cubicles and has inflicted that on millions of innocent worlds ever since. "I'm using the conference room!"

"Yeah, sure - HEY where's that article on the League battles picking back up!?" a gruff voice yells from a desk fully ensconced in monitors.

Chisato gestures vigorously to the trail of Drifters behind her. "I've been busy cracking state secrets with a succession of colorful characters! I'll get to it!" she yells back, and then pushes a double-door on one side of the room open to a somewhat cramped conference space that manages to smell a bit of cigarettes despite the Nedian air filtration.

<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.

Claude moves to take a seat at Chisato's invitation, sitting in the conference room close to her. He's had a lot to do lately, of course. But this is important, and so when Chisato mentioned she'd finally found everything out...

"League battles sound fun," he quips, but mostly he's going to listen.

A doozy...

"Well, I'm listening." 

<Pose Tracker> Kaede Akigiri has posed.

On some level, Kaede feels like she should try to protest being a colorful drifter. While wearing bright greens and oranges. And frequently playing with illusions and strangeness and... she can't really deny that can she?
 
 Instead she offers a cheerful wave.
 
 There are a few copies of her that keep appearing and waving intermingled with the others as they sneak in. She couldn't help herself.
 
 All things told though, she definitely wants to be here. If she's stuck here, she might as well touch base with other intel sorts on some level or another.
 
 There's almost a look of nostalgia when she enters the room and takes a seat. The more things change, the more they stay the same. She does.. try to find a seat the least in the way of the others. She doesn't want her tail stepped on or to be all fuzzy too close to others. 

<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.

    Dias is partially aware of Chisato's whole Deal, after the two of them traveled together, just the two of them, for a while after the Calnus crashed. He's sure he doesn't know everything, but he knows enough to understand how much this means to her.
    
    He did not know enough to understand how bad the Saffron City Times's office plan is, but that's something that needs to be experienced to truly comprehend. He looks around at the various desks and the people working at them with furrowed brows. Then he follows Chisato into the conference room.
    
    "Your boss keeps you busy, huh," he remarks dryly. At Chisato's invitation, he opts not to sit down but to find a wall to lean against with folded arms. It's the same thing, surely. He glances at Claude when he comments on the League battles, but otherwise, well--they all came in here together, and they're all here to hear what Chisato has to reveal about the Ten Wise Men. Dias focuses in on her as the others take their seats and/or positions, either at the front to better hear or at the back to better protect their tails. 

<Pose Tracker> Chartreuse Spinosa has posed.

Hidden, buried secrets... That's exactly in Chartreuse's wheelhouse. So, naturally, she has of course accepted the invitation. She's among those trailing through the office of the Saffron City Times though she has, mercifully, elected not to arrive in full adventuring gear as she so often does. Her heavy backpack, hat, scarf, and coat have been left behind.

Still, the Saffron City Times... maybe after this she should buy an actual subscription.

"Okay, I'm ready." Chartreuse says, seated at the conference room table. She's also ready to take notes - this could be important. 

<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.

"Chisato really has a tough job." She asides, listening to the chatter from the Chief telling her to go get some photos of Spaceman-
 
No.

Rena indeed accepted the invitation as well, seating herself down next to Claude, as she tells him.
 
"They do sound pretty fun." Rena echoes after him, but then, "But nevermind that, we're here to take this seriously."
 
The Ten Wise Men though? Rena looks towards Dias, then Claude in... mild concern.
 
"Okay. What have you found out?"

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    "I want to stand closer to the door," Ethius helpfully offers. It's a comfort thing for him, standing there with his arms folded behind his back. Other than that, he offers little of consequence. He makes a side-glance to Dias' particular wall-leaning preference, and internally follows some sort of standard Pangalactic Federation Guideline for ideal, respectful distance between mutual wallflowers.
 
     Whether this makes the area more secure given the floor plan is highly debatable, but in strange times and stranger potential futures, clinging to some shred of normalcy does wonders. 

<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.

Several workers at the newspaper get greeted to a, "Piii Pikachu!" as a pair of black tipped, yellow ears pop up from above and the sides of their work stations, but she's distracted and gone before there's barely chance to react. A zigzagged tail can be seen scurrying around here and there, heralding mischief like a Sharpedo's fin.

Chase manages to gently grab her and scoop her into the conference room as everyone's meant to filter in. He immediately wrinkles his nose and drags the collar of his t-shirt up over his face. It does not filter out the smell nearly as much as he wishes it would.

As he takes an actual seat, his Pikachu hops up and sits right on the table in front of Chisato with an unblinking, bright smile.

<Pose Tracker> Misty Kasumi has posed.

More information on the Ten Wise Men. They definitely need that right about now. Misty is feeling grateful that she's managed to encounter them several times at this point with the worst injuries being to her streak of 'not having her life imperiled.'

Misty could probably speak to League business in some fashion... but that's not what she's here for today. Though, she is curious... "League battles, huh?" she asides to Chisato. "What's that all about?"

She's in her usual garb of a crop top, shorts, and red sneakers, her orange hair in its sideways ponytail. She enters the room, frowning a little at the lingering scent but goes ahead and takes a seat. "I'll be happy to learn something about them that doesn't involve a face-to-face confrontation, at this point."

She slips her phone out to take notes with. 

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

    Ida follows in the middle of the Drifter train, glancing about as discreetly as she can as Chisato leads them onwards. This looks like... a normal newspaper building, even when she takes into account Nede's technology. But then again, with no outside contact, and a relatively peaceful society, does it need a separate intelligence apparatus?

    She glances between Chisato and her boss, then files into the conference room, taking a seat near Chase. Her backpack rustles as she takes it off and sets it aside; Catastrophe Sal the Butterfree pokes her head out, antennae perking. (Ida slides her a tiny vending-machine cup of nectar, then opens a canned vending-machine coffee for herself.)

<Pose Tracker> Chisato Madison has posed.

The main difference between this and a normal newspaper is Chisato has a little card that says she's allowed to shoot people. Come to think of it that's pretty common for Filgaian reporters, too...

Chisato gives Phwee a little grin, and then on to the others. "Hell if I know, barely read the brief yet," she quips to Misty. "You get many challengers lately?"

For Dias, she gives a vigorous nod and then a giggle, brightening up as the social energy comes in.

"Alright, so, some preamble," she says, and produces a small object - a piece of paper held between two pieces of red plastic. "THIS is the password to a database in the North Town neighborhood of Pewter City. Right by the Psynard Research Facility. Unless you've recently read about ancient Nedean military history, you may not realize that this," and here she turns it sideways to indicate the encasing plastic, "is what they used to do to preserve documents that absolutely must not be either lost or misused."

"So anyway I found it and misused it a little," she says, and slips it into her pocket, "and that got us some of the access. I'll get to the rest later. For now..."

She pulls her notepad out of her pocket, flipping through pages. "The database seems to be preserved documentation from the end of the Nedian Empire period. It talks about the original theories of Symbological augmentation that underlie the Ten Wise Men. Turns out, that whole operation was being headed by a guy named Doctor Lantis."

She looks up. "During that period, Nede was under an expansionist Supreme Council, and being opposed by rebel planets that had been leaked Nedian technology. Most of our remaining records don't talk about this period other than that it was a mistake, so you may already have a guess where this is going. This Ten Wise Men project was essentially their attempt to find an unstoppable solution to," she consults her notes for the exact words, "quote, 'bring order to the rebellious systems,' unquote. For what little it's worth, I should note that it sounds like at that time, they were not quite as...the way they are."

Her eyes flick up to the group. "Which we'll get to in a moment." 

<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.

    Dias sees Ethius respecting his personal bubble while also taking up the Cool Loner spot on the wall next to the door on the other side of the room, and gives him a slow nod of acknowledgement/gratitude. They may have both opened up more as people after the Four Fields, but they're still fundamentally themselves.
    
    For Dias, this is especially so after what happened to Arlia. Two steps forward, one step back. But that's not what today is about.
    
    He does smile slightly at Chase wrinkling his nose and covering his face at the smell of cigarettes. Dias is not a smoker, but the smell is common in taverns and inns in Filgaia; he barely even noticed, and only realized it might be a problem upon seeing his reaction. (And Misty's, technically, but Dias barely knows her.) Poor kid.
    
    That smile travels to Chisato and becomes sincere rather than rueful as she nods energetically. It fades soon when she gets into the preamble. 'Misused it a little,' huh. That sounds like her. His eyebrows rise at the news that Nedian was itself once essentially a territory-hungry empire out to conquer planets upon planets, but given the current atmosphere of penitence, he can't say he's surprised.
    
    So the Ten Wise Men were essentially weapons to bring planets that fought back to heel... That doesn't surprise him either. It's not something he would have guessed, but knowing it now, it makes perfect sense. Dias nods her on. The way she talks about it, it sounds like this isn't the part that's supposed to shock them. 

<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.

Rena peers Chisato as she says that 'it must not be misused, then she misused it a little.' "Uh, this isn't going to get the cops called on you right?"
 
She seems somewhat uneasy about that fact, but then asks, "Like I'm not sure all of what... you're allowed to do."
 
She means the 'Secret Agent' thing, but doesn't harp on it any longer, to let her to talk on.
 
"Empire? ... Supreme Council?" She repeats the words, quietly, considering 'Dr. Lantis', then squirms in her seat some.
 
"Wait so- they were made just to be weapons to put down rebellions? That's terrible! No wonder they hate Nede so much."
 
Unlike Dias, Rena doesn't realize that Chisato's about to get to the more shocking part, enough that she asks...
 
"There's more?"
 
She kind of already doesn't like where this is going, and the implications of what it means for... Nede's history.
 
It fits, the more she hears it, it fits with what she did know... but the more she learns, the more she likes what she learns less.

<Pose Tracker> Kaede Akigiri has posed.

Kaede has her notebook out. Her important notebook, the one she actually keeps useful notes in and doesn't usually flash to the public as a means of communication. She's settled back in her seat, one leg crossed in a way to use it as a writing surface. Sure she could use the table, but she's a creature of habit in more ways than one.
 
 That said, the other notebook is out and she writes a message out in bigger letters to be visible and flips it around, holding it up, <Think they were smart enough to slip in a deadman switch?> Not that it got used, clearly, but it's a good question she thinks. There's something of a scowl sneaking in though, they'd certainly have found their own off buttons by now surely.
 
 That Nede was an empire at some point, doesn't at all surprise her. She doesn't even note that part down. She looks to Ethius briefly though, that's his area of expertise and he might have insight?
 
 She also takes a quiet moment to jot down names and rough sketches of the ones she doesn't know so she can make a dossier later. Or at least learn their name. Probably both.
 
 They're useful when you meet a lot of people.
 
 She also sneaks a small handful of raspberries out and sets them in a little tin for the pikachu even if she doesn't let Bunko out. Yet. That's for later.
 
 Also she waves to Misty, but they're both in note-y mode. 

<Pose Tracker> Chartreuse Spinosa has posed.

A data base in Pewter City's North Town neighborhood... Chartreuse looks surprised, for a moment. She missed something like that, practically in her backyard...? Well, trust a reporter to be that good at snooping. And what's more, the contents of that database...

"Fascinating..." Chartreuse murmurs, leaning back. She taps a finger against her chin, even as she takes notes with the other hand. It's really quite horrifying stuff! But as someone with an interest in history, and in a way it's her own history(or her people's, at the very least) at that, it's interesting to actually hear it.

"I can see why we've never heard about this in school... but it's incredibly irresponsible, not taking every effort to keep this information alive. How are we supposed to avoid repeating our mistakes if we don't know what they are?" Chartreuse asks, shaking her head.

...Well, they're finding out now, at least. She sits back and gets back to listening. 

<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.

Claude is quiet, taking notes too now that someone looks at him again--but his expression is thoughtful, and he focuses on Rena as much as on the revelations themselves.

After all... 

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    Ethius listens intently. This looks the exact same as him staring ahead blankly. Never mind that. He doesn't visually move or react to Chisato's preamble about misbehavior. He inwardly wonders if there's some sort of subtle Symbological soundproofing or ambience spoofing that might make this locale a bit more secure than lets on, but that's less important than what's being shared.
 
     "An expansionist power, then." Ethius inwardly wonders if maybe the likes of the Vendeeni were compelled to their more isolationist tendencies because of an ancient encounter with something of Nedian make, but there's no way to know since the Vendeeni and the Federation have never been on talking terms from what he is aware of.
 
     He looks up a bit more sharply at the idea of 'leaked' Nedian technology. The 'Sleeping Lion' of Rixia - that would explain how something of such great interest to the Kanto Police Department got in her hands, and his memories of a strange briefing for something above his clearance level for a mission he was ultimately not selected for. These are matters that may yet have resolution one day, but for now, with the present discussions at hand...
 
     "I suppose any theories we could state about what's been shared up to this point are fruitless in comparison to information about to be shared," Ethius remarks. If The Ten Wise Men rebelled against Nede to save others, they wouldn't be endangering the Kepler-186 system's sole(?) habitable worlds.
 
     He makes some hand signals Claude- and Kaede-ward. 'If deadman switch existed, an enemy could have used it. Doubt existence of easy answer.'
 
     Ethius holds further thoughts back, looking to Dias and Rena for a moment in knowing how much they suffered in recent times with Arlia's annihilation. He doesn't know if this information will bring them any peace for what happened. 

<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.

With her front row 'seat', Pikachu opens her mouth in a small 'o' of admiration when Chisato presents the physical evidence of a password. Her ears shoot straight up, and then she claps her paws together with the discussion of misuse.

Oh sweet raspberries. Pikachu wags her tail and uses both paws to grab as much of them as she can to shove into face. She is now smeared with raspberry red around her lips.

Chase, for his part, is trying to ignore the smell and pay attention. (His hand and shirt have not moved.) Ancient military history is well outside the sphere of his usual interest, but it's important right now. The Ten (Nine) Wise Men and their Symbological abilities... and a 'Doctor Lantis'. Chase pinches his eyes shut a moment and repeats the name in his head a few times to try and remember it.

He blinks his eyes back open to stare at Chisato as she continues. His shirt drops from his face, mouth left slightly open as his eyes dart around with his wandering thoughts. Pikachu takes this opportunity to stick a raspberry in there, which he absently eats.

Chisato is not done explaining. There's still something missing, but....

Chartreuse says an important chunk of what's bothering him, and he glances to her with a grim nod. Isn't this knowledge important, if they're supposed to be preventing history from repeating...?

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

    Chisato holds up the packet. Ida peers at it, wondering how much trouble she went through to get it, and 'misuse' it. At the words 'Nedian Empire', Ida's brows rise slightly; she finishes sipping from her coffee, and sets the can on the table. Empires, she knows, tend not to be kind or gentle.

    More than just that," Ida says, her voice dark. "Did they bury this?" She does not look surprised, at all, regardless.

<Pose Tracker> Misty Kasumi has posed.

Has she gotten many challengers lately? "Yeah. Every time I get back from Filgaia or Lunar I tend to get a bunch that've been waiting for me to get back. I try not to keep them waiting too long for their matches, though." She dismisses that topic with a wave of her hand. "But you know how to reach me if you want an interview or a quote though."

Misty is not versed in Nedian military history. She shoots a questioning glance to Chartreuse, though, who might have a more credible reason to have waded into that topic.

To keep it from being misused, and so of course she misused it. Misty sighs. "Please tell me this isn't going to get us all locked up. I do have a schedule full of Gym Challenges to keep up, you know."

But she pipes down as Chisato gets into the actual details. From the end of the Nedian Empire period... a period she'd like to see gone for good.

Bring order to the rebellious systems. Misty winces at that.

"I'm gonna guess that something went horribly wrong with their plans, considering where Energy Nede ended up." She glances to Rena at the remark about the Ten Wise Men hating Nede. "I kinda get the vibe that they hate everyone, honestly."

She does give Kaede a wave and a somewhat strained smile, though. She's not up for projecting cheer at the moment, given the topic.

"Maybe they wanted to focus on the future and not the past," suggests Misty to Chartreuse's question. "Or... they wanted to keep some information from getting out, to keep it from eing misued. Though... we have changed, but... yeah, I think I still agree with you."

But she sees Chase having difficulty with the smell... She rummages through her backpack and pulls out a small container "Chase," she says quietly. "Would this help?" She offers it to Chase--it's Wave Incense! 

<Pose Tracker> Chisato Madison has posed.

"It's fine," Chisato says to Rena with a little grin. One gets the sense for all the airs she puts on this is quite genuine lack of concern, "the guy who puts the watch lists together owes me a favor."

"But yes, that seems to be the sorts of people we were back then...we're all taught this stuff in school, in principle, but it's ugly stuff to read a solid example." She gives Chartreuese a sympathetic look, in particular. "Preaching to the choir on that one." She waves her notepad. "Sounds like this Council was a lot less forward-thinking than the leaders we've had since. And...Silph Co. only recently made a breakthrough that made cracking all this possible. I'll get to that in a sec."

"Anyway, the first batch of Wise Men were a rousing success, so they ordered two more. That seems to have included the data experts, Zadkiel and Camael, the even more upsettingly titled Citizen Reeducation Unit Haniel, and the overall supervisor, Lucifer." Her eyes dart up. "Gabriel isn't here yet. Note that."

"Dr. Lantis had a daughter, a young lady named Philia. Only person he loved in the world, as near as I can gather. So the rebels, figuring they'd break the Wise Men project by aiming for its weakest link, killed her."

She sighs, and puts her notepad down, and marshals her composure, and doesn't even try to smile as she looks across the room. "The Council proceeded to keep that event a secret so that Dr. Lantis would be of normal disposition while completing work on the final, most destructive of the Wise Men, Gabriel." She gives a deeply sad smile. "Sorry, kids. The most depressing part about journalism is finding out how predictable some people can be." 

<Pose Tracker> Kaede Akigiri has posed.

Kaede.. chooses not to comment on the smear of red. It's amusing on some level. She leaves the pikachu to make a mess of things though while she continues documenting things. There's a flip of a page and she begins to work out something of a connection tree between names. She's not sure just how useful that will be, though the reeducation unit gets a wry look. <How literal is that title for Haniel?> She holds up the talk-y book for that question. There's a second quesiton under it that asks, <Do we need to worry about converts and sleepers?> Might as well chase down her own speciality first.
 
 She's not about to fault anyone for not looking cheerful at least.
 
 The rebel's target is another angle she starts to slowly consider. Signing to Ethius and Claude, <Controls let go instead of slipping?> She isn't sure if they were ever under control admittedly. 

<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.

    Leaning on the wall means, among other things, having a good view of the door and everyone in the room. When Kaede holds up her sign, Dias reads it. Ethius handles it, though, so he says nothing. Still, if something like that ever existed, the Wise Men wouldn't have had to get sealed away in that timeless space. Irresponsible? That's sure a word for it.
    
    Rena supposes that being weapons is why the Wise Men hate Nede, and Dias frowns. Is that really true? It doesn't feel right to him. He doesn't know what would be right, though, and it's possible they're about to find out, so he keeps silent.
    
    Chisato continues on with her informational. It's a little surprising to hear that the Ten Wise Men weren't created all at once, but rather one and two at a time. But that also makes sense once he thinks about it. Weapons that powerful... You can't churn them out easily.
    
    "Philia?" he echoes, eyes narrowing as she explains the tragedy that took place in that era. "But that's..."
    
    He falls silent. Then he nods her on. Better to let her explain it directly. 

<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.

"Well if it's fine..." Rena murmurs, but then her look changes somewhat as she says softer, mostly to Claude, "It really doesn't sound fine though."
 
She's still getting used to this idea that Chisato is a Journalist/Secret Agent/Pokemon Trainer/Martial Artist-
 
An image of Chisato pops into her head, astride a mountain, taking pictures of what she imagines to be Arceus, 'I can do anything!'
 
Suddenly Rena feels a little insecure just because of how admirable she is.
 
Misty points out however that 'they hate everyone' but Rena looks to her, "I get the impression they hate Nede most of all though, they've said as much."
 
Chisato keeps going, and Rena blinks, "Reeducation Unit?" Her stomach twists at that word, "Wait... Philia?" She remembers the woman who was a part of the effort to go to Marduk but... her eyes look towards Dias, as if he caught the same thing, before murmuring to herself.
 
"... No it really couldn't be."
 
Just a coincidence, obviously.
 
Hearing the rebels however, killed this man's daughter just to break him? Rena's heart turns in knots...
 
"... I know they had every reason to hate Nede but..."
 
She can't help but think of Dias, what killing Cecille and his family did to him. She can't help but hate this thought.
 
But... Chisato reveals they kept that secret while he was completing Gabriel.
 
"Wow. Our Ancestors were... the worst."
 
That comment on Journalism being depressing because of how predictable people can be... well she makes a sound as she squirms.
 
"Nngh. So... what happened when he found out?"

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    Ethius starts signaling again in response to Kaede's question. 'Estimation. Assumption of absolute confidence in weapons,' he gives to Kaede and Claude alike. You have times where people give all trust and confidnece to an extreme solution, however novel and idealized, and having it go awry by either doing the job too well or doing their job... in ways unintended.
 
     The Demetrioi incident, for example.
 
     But now for actual discussion and verbal weighing in, on his part.
 
     "If Lucifer was the overall supervisor... he'd know if something was wrong among his own number." A hand to Ethius' forehead. (His hand. He's not borrowing anyone else's for that. He can re-use that animation by himself, over and over and over!)
 
     "...As he did when he confirmed the death of Jophiel." The one silver lining of the assault of Phynal is that there's definitive proof they aren't immortal and invincible.
 
     'Philia,' though. The name should ring a bell... he takes note of Dias' shock and surprise. Then again, how many combinations of consonants are there to mix into novel names and labels after nearly forty-thousand years...?
 
     He shakes his head at the mention of Journalism and how predictable some people can be. After all, his actual line of work is... one that requires discretion on multiple levels.
 
     "We do know of at least Cynne as someone aligned with the Ten Wise Men," as of Mt. Moon, "so I would not be surprised if there were others." 

<Pose Tracker> Chartreuse Spinosa has posed.

"That's not really a good excuse..." Chartreuse replies with a shake of her head as Misty floats a good suggestion. "The future is built on top of the past... It's like trying to build a house, but no one's told you the local Larvitar have been eating away at the soil underneath it. It's all going to come crashing down at some point."

She looks toward Chisato at her comment and sympathetic look - who seems to understand the sentiment all too well.

A recent breakthrough, hm...?

"I see..." Chartreuse murmurs thoughtfully - and goes quiet to keep listening. And then...

Chartreuse clasps a hand over her mouth.

"That's horrible..." She shakes her head. She was killed to try and break the project - and no one told him, because the project was more important.

She shakes her head, then looks toward Rena.

Their ancestors were the worst...

...It doesn't seem like there are any winners, here.

She goes quiet, then, to continue listening. 

<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.

Misty offers him a Wave Incense...! Chase's eyes light a little, but then his gaze dips, embarrassed. He accepts it with a guilty nod and huddles up with the incense, head down on the table and arms curled around with it with his head. The assumption is, of course, he will take up less space and be less noticeable, even if the first part is not achieving the second in this context.

Pikachu sniffs at it too while he wipes the raspberry smear off of her mouth. Oh! Thoughts of Mantyke...

Chase's brow knit together. It's consistent, at least. The leaders now want to remember, to avoid it, but once the ancient history was buried, those going toward the future never even had it. Would it have changed something if they did...?

...But then Chisato gives the real reason why they hid it. His eyelids lift wide, then fall. Even Pikachu's ears and tail lower as she looks down. "Pika..." Oh. 'Predictable' she calls it, when it's a completely unthinkable concept to Chase. He glances out over the Drifters in the room, trying to gauge their own sense of surprise.

Some of their surprise goes toward the concept of Philia in general.

In the end, he looks to Ida, hoping her own reaction is the most telling.

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

    Chisato reassures them all that it's fine. Ida decides that she trusts her. Her face settles into the slowly-deepening frown she tends to adopt during these sorts of meetings--as she braces herself to hear the worst, and might even know where this is going--but feels angry and appalled anyway. Kaede is asking some very good questions about operational security. Rena and Chartreuse sound horrified, and Ida doesn't blame them.

    Ida feels eyes on her. She glances back at Chase, managing a grim little smile. "And let me guess," she says, turning back to Chisato. "He found out anyway, and reacted poorly."

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

    'Poorly'. Ida regrets that, a moment later. How would one be supposed to react, after finding out their superiors covered up the murder of the only person they loved?

<Pose Tracker> Misty Kasumi has posed.

'Citizen Reeducation Unit.' There is a tiny little shiver at that thought. "Don't like the sound of that," she mutters.

But the scientist's daughter was killed by the Rebels to disrupt the project... and then it was covered up. She frowns, deeply, at that, but can't think of anything in particular to say. It happened so long ago... but shouldn't the death of any person matter, no matter how long it's been?

Misty nods to Rena. "Yeah... Now that you mention it, they're not exactly impressed with what Nede's turned into since... their time." She huffs. "I'm not letting them bring those days back, though."

Rena calls their Ancestors the Worst. "No argument from me on that one."

Ethius mentions Lucifer confirming the death of Jophiel. "Is it just me, or did it seem like Gabriel calling the shots, though?"

"Not saying it's an excuse," Misty notes to Chartreuse. "Just a reason. Not good reasons, but..." That metaphor, though... is a pretty good one. "Yeah, that's a good point. Maybe I'll leave the opining on history to the archaeologist," she adds with a wry smile.

Misty switches to her text messaging app and drops Chase a brief message.

<It's okay. I'm not a big fan of the smell either.>

She adds a sticker of a Vaporeon beaming a great big reassuring smile.

<Pose Tracker> Chisato Madison has posed.

Chisato shakes her head at Kaede. "I doubt it. That might have been a concern back then, maybe? But after what Lantis did next, I doubt it."

She huffs. "This next part of the files had an entire separate security system, some kind of self-instantiating firewall we had to crack. For which purpose the professor of cryptography at Princebridge very kindly gave me a referral to a man at Silph Co. to release a decryption algorithm he called Pandora's Box."

Chisato rolls a Great Ball onto the table, which pops open to reveal a strange pink and blue creature of jagged angles that looks almost, but not quite, entirely unlike a duck. It squawks, "Pory!!"

"I call him Buddy because I thought it sounded better," she says, puffing up with pride. The new Porygon spins its triangular implication-of-legs 360 degrees in a little dance.

"This let us get past that Kline Firewall thing and get to the meat of it," she says. "You're right, though, Lantis did not, uh, take it with grace. He locked down the lab and used the security to chase everyone but himself out, then started modifying the Ten Wise Men he had access to. Apparently he was working on specifically Zadkiel and Camael at the time, but they were all present for..." Grimace. "Maintenance, I guess."

"They figured out what he did when they all burst out of the lab and started killing and destroying indiscriminately," she says, and looks up from her notes to cast her eyes over the room. "Basically, their new order was probably no longer anything 'productive' like bringing order or protecting Nede or whatever. Maybe it was to destroy outright, maybe they were just set loose with an impulse to ruin..." Shrug. "Hard to say. But that's why I doubt they're doing any long-game plans, here. There's not much to them but malice, now. They'd have trouble tolerating a 'mortal' long enough for something like indoctrination." 

<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.

    Dias and Rena's eyes meet. Looks like she caught on to the same thing he did. Ethius raises a good point about Lucifer, too, and Dias thinks briefly about how he had reacted to Gabriel's lack of reaction to the death of one of their own. He looks back at Chisato in time for her to bring out her Porygon pal and segues into the next leg of the story.
    
    "...I see." So it indeed wasn't being weapons that made them hate Nede; it was... Lantis's grudge, passed on to them through reprogramming. However, Chisato hasn't explained a certain thing, and this seems like a natural point for questions, so:
    
    "So who exactly is the Philia we've met before? They're connected to the Wise Men in some way, and if that's the name of the daughter of the creator of the Wise Men, it can't be a coincidence." 

<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.

"They're not, no..." Rena answers Misty quietly, and while she has her own criticisms of Nede, it's definitely not to that same level of vitriolic hate.

"A firewall!?" Rena sounds a little shocked, "That's a pretty brutal security system... did you get burned?"
 
Part of her just imagines a wrong button being pressed and a hatch opening in the floor, where a Charizard spews flames.
 
... Four Charizards. It is a Fire Wall after all.
 
She then looks towards the 'Duck' like Porygon, "Hey Buddy, it's nice to meet you."
 
Chisato reveals they're the one that got past the firewall and... "You're... not the one that got burned right?"
 
Chisato keeps explaining that Lantis didn't take it well, and Rena grimly thinks this is an entirely expected outcome.
 
"So they're... programmed this way?" Rena considers all of her interactions with them, including Gabriel's... recent one, to Jophiel's death, "Just to... conquer and destroy? They can't even help it?"
 
That certainly sheds some light on why they were... not really receptive.
 
"Well, they do say they want to conquer the universe but... they haven't really done any conquering." She qualifies, grimly, "So they went on a rampage and... how were they dealt with?"
 
'Imprisoned in the Sorcery Globe' certainly seems like the answer, but probably an incomplete answer.
 
She then falls quiet as Dias asks the question, part of her thinks 'There's no way' but if there's another answer... she absolutely wants to know.

<Pose Tracker> Chartreuse Spinosa has posed.

Chartreuse smirks, just a bit, at Misty's comment.

Chisato explains some of the trouble she had to get through in order to access the next part of the information.

"They really didn't want anyone to be able to access any of this..." She murmurs thoughtfully, before looking toward Porygon. Chartreuse can't help but laugh, just a little. "Well, I'm glad you were able to make a new friend out of it, at least."

...But, indeed. As anyone would expect, Lantis did not take the news well, and it ended poorly for everyone. Chartreuse breathes in sharply with a grimace.

"...So that's why their intentions changed so drastically from what they were originally designed for." She considers. She taps her chin thoughtfully before looking toward Dias.

"You met Philia?" She asks, surprised. "Or... a Philia."

That's news to her - and now she's curious, herself. How are they connected? Rena's question is pertinent, to - and may provide answers on how to proceed. 

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    Misty raises a good point, as Ethius looks up from his thoughts. "That is true, he appeared to at Phynal."
 
     As Dias asks the question, Ethius looks to the Nedians present as a few other things light up in his head. Even if it ultimately *could be* a coincidence, it is worth sharing.
 
     "I will give some context. I profess I had some important work I was focusing on during it, but..." Hand to forehead, again.
 
     "Someone who introduced themselves as... 'an oracle,' who foresaw... I believe, 'the arrival of ten individuals, and a ship going to the sky to meet them.'"
 
     Is it a coincidence?
 
     "She offered assistance as we were working to recreate an ancient spaceworthy rocket on Filgaia as to reach an artificial satellite, following a few of the Ten Wise Men making themselves known to Filgaia and their eventual plan to escape to said artificial satellite where others of their number were held."
 
     "The events that followed our arrival there is... how we ended up on Energy Nede."
 
     This explanation and context given, he verbally steps back to allow further discussion to follow about the introduction of Buddy and his role in helping get all this information out. 

<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.

That grim smile tells Chase all he needs to know. This isn't something unheard of. Still considered terrible and unacceptable, but not unheard of. But the fact that this first half is at least true eases some of Chase's tension.

Ethius is able to explain the Philia mystery and Chase stares blankly. He never thought to ask how the Visitors got here in any details. But now it sounds like someone... meant for it to happen. Chase chews on his bottom lip as the tension sneaks back in.

It's little wonder the Energy Nede of today is afraid of repeating mistakes. The details may be hidden, but the ramifications haunt them regardless. The stagnation and lack of change... Maybe Nede does need to evolve, but not back into what it was.

His phone vibrates against him and he discreetly checks it, then glances to Misty with the faintest of smiles. Before he can respond there is. suddenly. a. Porygon! Chase's smile is decidedly less faint as he sits up straight and his Pikachu's ears perk high. She offers Buddy a raspberry.

Unfortunately, talk of killing and destroying knocks Chase back to the reality of the present conversation. Creations made to destroy out of one man's anger. Or... grief. Chase absently plucks one of the poke balls off of his belt, gripping his fingers as he feels the heat flickering inside of it.

This... really isn't at all how he imagined his journey going.

Chase snaps the ball back into place and looks to Buddy again, with focus he was struggling with before. Buddy is fighting hard for Nede, too.

<Pose Tracker> Misty Kasumi has posed.

What Dr. Lantis did next. This does not fill Misty with optimism.

A decryption algorithm... and a Great Ball. Misty blinks and reflexively pulls out her Pokedex as the Porygon comes out to scan it. "I shouldn't be surprised Silph had something like that hanging around. Their R&D departments are always up to something."

"Hi, Buddy," Misty says by reflex as Chisato introduces the Pokemon's name.

'Maintenance.' Applying that to a person is... "Ick."

But what Dr. Lantis did... Misty frowns deeply. "So all this was caused by... grief or despair over a lost daughter..." Well, there were a lot of things that led up to it, but that sounds pretty strongly like a thing that precipitated the current situation.

Misty looks to Dias with some incredulity. "Wait, you met someone named Philia? That's... an awful big coincidence, isn't it?"

"A firewall is just part of a computer's security system." But Rena brings up conquering the universe. "Oh yeah, I remember them mentioning that, too..." She looks to Chisato. "Was that part of Dr. Lantis' plan, do you think? Or is that new?"

Ethius provides more context. "That's... an even bigger coincidence." She frowns as she thinks on it. "I mean, the Ten Wise Men are still around, but... she, um..."

There feels like no graceful way to ask this. "... was definitely confirmed as being deceased, right?"

Misty meets Chase's look with a smile of her own. 

<Pose Tracker> Kaede Akigiri has posed.

Kaede glances to Dias, moving her pen like she's ready to answer a question herself, but that goes unasked. She holds a finger up for 'later' if he wants to compare notes or something. Not like she's got much to hide any more at this point. Mostly.
 
 There is some reassurance to the idea that they probably won't need to watch for worrisome things. She makes a note to worry about those things anyway. As a professional courtesy. Better to have a bit of operational concern than to be completely bushwhacked.
 
 The rest of that story does, rather handidly, answer her question about whether they slipped control or were let off. There's something of a grimace at that. The pokemon though, that one's given a curious look because it looks so... off. She tilts one way, then the other trying to figure out the angles it sits at.
 
 Then, she stops focusing and leans back to get back to notes time.
 
 Ethius mentions some backstory she hadn't been privy too. She perks up and signs, <Think she was a projection?> This was a long time ago right? Maybe some kind of construct or recording? Though that does raise some concerns about time, causality and whether their actions actually matter. That gets shoved into the 'later' bin in her head that so many other things get filed into and hopefully forgotten about.
 
 Chase is given a concerned look. She hadn't really thought how far out this would spiral, but at this point, it's probably too late to make a suggestion of getting rice snack donuts for everyone before it got particularly bad. She'd been a bit wrapped up to even try to consider it, truthfully. Maybe something later.
 
 Misty's question is given a strange look. <Cryo?> She asks. She's to understand this was some time ago. That's the best she can think of. Right?
 
 That the Porygon is a bit of a hacker friend is... she can't help it, she looks to Claude and Ethius. One of the three of them should conspire to get one too probably. Right? 

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

    Ida has picked up enough computer science to understand what an 'algorithm' is in its Nedian context. "It's not a literal wall of fire," she says, to Rena. A brief pause, then, as she reconsiders. "Probably." There's always the possibility that the ancient Nedian cryptographers decided to be extra, since apparently they were capable of far greater feats.

    She is not prepared for the algorithm to be... a Pokemon. "Aw," she says, her face brightening despite the grim circumstances. "Hello, Buddy!" Her enthusiasm dampens, slightly, as she remembers something--the presentation at Silph after the break-in, and Dr. Harriet Chujo mentioning 'artificial Pokemon' created by Silph. Is Buddy one of those? How long has Silph been making them?

    The rest of the pieces fall into place. Lantis decided the answer to his grief was violence, and he reprogrammed the Wise Men to be his agents. "And is there any record of what happened after Lantis after that?" The others have covered Philia in adequate detail, she figures. "Did the Wise Men kill him, too, or...?"

<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.

Misty mentions that it's part of a computer's security system and Rena...
 
... says quietly, with a sense of caution.
 
"I really need to be more careful around computers..."
 
Ida clarifies 'It's not a literal wall of fire. Probably.'
 
"Oh I figured. I thought it was more... a Flamethrower, like how Shorty does it."
 
What does she think defends computers!?

<Pose Tracker> Misty Kasumi has posed.

Ida mentions it's not a literal wall of fire.

"Right. It definitely isn't." 

<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.

"Yes, that makes sense."
 
It's definitely a Flamethrower.

<Pose Tracker> Chisato Madison has posed.

Chisato's eyes sharpen as Rena and Dias and Ethius progressively bring up their own experiences with a Philia associated with the Wise Men. But it's not the shock of someone startled by the impossible: "You don't say," she murmurs, as if something were now explained. "...let's loop back on this."

Buddy wiggles his little tail-triangle at Rena to indicate he is in fine shape. "Yes," Chisato confirms. "It's a security program that prevents people from getting into computers they're not supposed to. It did know something called Armor Cannon, though."

She seems completely satisfied to not address the fact she has now made things even more confusing.

Buddy chirps in unusual beeping as it is praised and greeted. It wobbles over to Phwee and cheerfully pecks at the raspberry, which does not 'get bitten' so much as it sort of, abruptly ceases to be present? This one might still have some animation work it needs. Meanwhile, Chisato continues: "Long story short, the army called in the entire rest of the Nedian Empire's army, and the Ten Wise Men wiped out most of it in the exchange before being pushed back to the lab. They locked it down again, and by the time the Nedians breached, the Ten Wise Men were trapped in what at the time they called an Eternity Space, and had been launched offworld. And Dr. Lantis was dead..." Her eyes set. "At his own hand."

"They did some research in the aftermath. They found what appeared to be mental transferrance data for Dr. Lantis...and for Philia. How he could have possibly gotten her data under those conditions, I couldn't begin to guess, but that's what the report says." She flips a page in her notebook, and glances to Buddy, who wobbles reassuringly. She nods and looks up to scan across the room. "They also found evidence Lantis had uploaded his own data into the unfinished Gabriel. I couldn't tell you how much Gabriel is still Dr. Lantis. But it's not zero."

A glance to Ethius. "There was no record of what he might have done with Philia's mental data. They'd have mentioned if they'd found an unplanned Eleventh Wise Man, uh, chassis. But it's conceivable he used it to create a clone of some kind, at least." 

<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.

Rena wiggles her fingers back at Buddy, "You're such an adorable little guy, Buddy." Chisato explains that it's a program but that it knows... Armor Cannon? "I see! Okay. Now I understand."
 
With a Fire Pokemon as her starter, she certainly knows fire moves.
 
The story continues, and Rena flinches at the thought of the losses, part of her goes 'Serves them right', but it's not like the other side didn't do wrong too?
 
It's just that... it's not on the same scale.
 
In the end this is a story about Nede's failures. About the things that Nede's darkness pushed people into doing, which caused them to move towards... change.
 
But that change isolated them into a strange sort of collective penance.
 
How are people supposed to learn and grow in that environment?
 
"Terrible." Rena says quietly, thinking back to the way Gabriel looked at her. Thinking back to how Gabriel reacted to Jophiel's death.
 
"That explains why he wasn't... upset."
 
However, at the same time, this is the man that murdered Arlia, her mother. It's difficult trying to get herself to empathize with him, with the man that lost someone.
 
Her only conclusion is that he needs to be stopped, but before she can dwell on that subject too much, one thing does stand out, since Chisato said 'let's loop back'.
 
"You said... Philia's mental ... da-ta... was transferred but, what happened to her? Did they ever find out? Was she sent to Eternity Space too?"
 
It's... a longshot but, given what they know, she's reassessing the idea that it was merely a coincidence.

<Pose Tracker> Dias Flac has posed.

    Dias frowns at Kaede as she holds up that finger. Not knowing her intentions and with the context seemingly being that he just interrupted Chisato's story to ask a question, it looks to him like she's telling him to shush.
    
    But, combined with Ethius's explanation of the Philia he's talking about, it seems like Chisato doesn't know about that other Philia--or at least didn't until ust now--and suggests they loop back anyway. Fair enough. Dias nods and shushes.
    
    To Chisato, at least. "It's like Ethius said," he tells Misty, nodding to his party companion. "*A* Philia, yes," he adds to Chartreuse.
    
    He returns his attention to Chisato and listens to the rest of her story. His frown deepens. Eternity Space... an entire army almost annihilated... and Dr. Lantis killed himself, after making something called 'mental transference data.' In other words, or so Dias guesses from the term, putting their minds into something else--in Dr. Lantis' case, into Gabriel, apparently. At least in part.
    
    As for Philia... "Hmmm." He glances over at Rena as she asks in more detail. He gets now what had occurred to Chisato, but how to confirm it? But... it *does* explain why Gabriel wasn't upset. If his mental state is influenced by or simply just is Dr. Lantis, then he only cares about one thing, apparently.
    
    It's not like Dias doesn't understand the intense grief of losing a beloved family member. But Dr. Lantis's reaction to it was--is--appalling. Dias has no sympathy at all. 

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    Further words are given about events that led up to their imprisonment into an 'Eternity Space.'
 
     Ethius meets Chisato's glance as she points out the gaps in the record but nonetheless gives useful threads about how any of this got out to endanger the greater cosmos, left as a ticking time bomb until it just had to go off on Filgaia.
 
     Why, exaclty, does so many things just seem to keep happening on Filgaia and its satellites... he might have aged an additional ten years on top of the span of time he's been stranded in the Kepler-186 system.
 
     "That... could be one way to assert a new 'overseer,'" Ethius muses aloud. Though, the whole thing has become a lot more worrisome as to whether or not the Philia they met might have put them on a path that's favorable for the enemy they are now all struggling against.
 
     ...
 
     'And Dr. Lantis was dead... at his own hand.'
 
     Ethius mentally backs up there. There's no way to know on that front for sure, and yet...
 
     OCCASIONAL FLEETING NIGHTMARES
 
     From time to time, there are strange, frightful dreams that seem to combine various Drifters and their memories together. The dreams are always fleeting, and finer details are scarcely ever retained. The brain usually wastes no time reassuring the rest of it that whatever transpired during a time of rest was simply not 'real' and simply not worth retaining information from. This is no different, and yet, a specific scene has happened at almost every instance.
 
     Staring out to a tiny fragment of a world left over, beyond a single dome. A feminine voice, angry, and the report of a handgun.
 
     ...The color blue, in the periphery of sight.
 
     ...These scant memories do not coalesce into coherent, spoken thought.
 
     THE PRESENT
 
     "There may be another actor in play, perhaps," Ethius shakes his head and focuses back on what's being said. "I would advise we not repeat what we've learned today." They're all said to be due for a trip to a restricted place that might give the final piece of the puzzle as to how they'll defeat the remaining Ten Wise Men, maybe. "Just as a precaution..." 

<Pose Tracker> Chartreuse Spinosa has posed.

Dias confirms, and Ethius elaborates, and Chartreuse nods thoughtfully.

"I see... An oracle..." She murmurs.

Chisato continues, then, and Chartreuse leans back, folding her arms in front of her with a thoughtful frown as she listens.

Dr. Lantis's fate - and the fate of the Ten Wise Men. And the mental transferrance data... Is that where this other Philia came from?

"...I wonder how much of himself is left in there." Chartreuse considers. "...After all this time... and how much he's done."

She taps her fingers against her chin again, before looking toward Ethius. Another actor...?

Her brow furrows, and she considers his words for a moment.

"...I don't like withholding information. These are things people deserve to know..." She says, and there's some hesitation there that suggests she's trying to put her thoughts together. "But... I don't like when incomplete theories are spread around as fact, either. If there are pieces of the puzzle missing, then maybe it would be best... at least for the immediate future. Until we know more - or until the Ten Wise Men have been stopped. Whichever comes first." 

<Pose Tracker> Kaede Akigiri has posed.

Kaede's reaction to that frown is a look of confusion. She focuses, looking down briefly, trying to sort out what- then she holds her hands up in apology, palms out. She pulls her notebook up, unclipping the pages she'd been taking notes on and offers them over, her own misunderstanding compounding.
 
 She'll probably find this funny. Later.
 
 She sets the papers down though, adding a few notes to the relationship tree she was trying to sort through. Innocuous as that word sounds. She can go... fishing for some details later, maybe with some guidance in the right directions to parse some information that might be of benefit to the others.
 
 She slips her phone free and begins to order herself a.. unhealthy amount of something caffeinated fully expecting a long few nights of reviewing and researching. It's got her attention, it's not going to let go.
 
 Rena asking about Firewalls does pull her out just long enough to consider how to answer that. She'd never thought of how to to explain the term before. Others handle it well enough though.
 
 There's a more relevant question though and she writes in the talky book, <Or their restraints were removed and this is who they are?> She's not sure. They seem to have their own plans and goals, even if someone's trying to predict the future. That gets her tapping her pen a few times one she's offered her first thoughts up. <Maybe they're still on a leash and they want to break that before they branch out?>
 
 She looks to Chisato as she writes the next words, but it's more of a reference to Chartreuse, <These kind of secrets have a habit of surfacing eventually regardless.> Usually with the help of others digging.
 
 <Who made the ancient rocket?> She signs to Ethius when he's looking her way again. Claude too, but she doesn't know if he was there or not.
 
 He would have had to be though, right?
 
 Ethius mentions that the good doctor is gone. <With what we've seen, both of them, their pokemon and here. Think he made a backup?> Always assume the worst that you can both come up with, and reasonably place in the realm of possibility. 

<Pose Tracker> Chase has posed.

Chase glances at the others, not sure to handle how any looks of concern, and eventually averts his gaze from everyone. Energy Nede's situation is all so... precarious right now. What's left of it. Where it came from. Where it's going.

Pikachu wags her tail at Buddy, beaming happily at him. "Piiikapika!" But with her berry gift given, she waddles back to Chase and hops into his arms, easily caught and hugged to his chest. Porygon worked hard for this information, and Chase is doing he best to process it, and how it might help in the battles to come.

An entire Empire's army wasn't enough. Chase gives his Pikachu a small squeeze, but remembers that Ten is now Nine. The Fields were also left behind, and their influence had a tangle effect. It's all ugly and tangled, the things that happened... but Chase just wants to protect Nede, the home to the Pokemon he cares so much about.

He scrunches his brows at the mention of mental data. The possibility of a clone... He shakes his head as he sorts through his thoughts, then holds up his Pokedex (a feat right now, with Pikachu still situated in his arms) and flips through entries of various fossil Pokemon.

...It's not quite the same, if someone's thoughts, feelings, and memories are actually copied, though.

Ethius mentions more secrecy and Chase sighs audible, but nods. Though it makes sense, it doesn't feel great, what with hiding information being part of the problem. But they still don't know everything just yet.

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

    Sal nestled down in Ida's hood when Buddy came out, to get a better look at the new Pokemon friend. As Buddy eats the berry--or processes it, or however Porygon eat--she trills, impressed. "Butterfree," she says, with a wave of greeting. But even Sal seems subdued. She knows how to read a room.

    The entire rest of the army was wiped out. How many people was that? If the Nedians had an empire spanning multiple stars, and each star had a population numbering in the millions--or billions, as hard as it is to conceive--then... "And the only person who knew their weakness was Dr. Lantis...?" Who did something even more extreme. Ida falls silent. Something she can't quite remember scrabbles at the edge of her brain--a feeling of urgency, and personal danger. It doesn't feel hers, precisely. Is it one of Fafnir's memories? Is it a half-remembered dream?

    "You're right," Ida says, to Ethius and Chartreuse both. "The people deserve to know the whole truth, and their fellow Nedians deserve to give it to them."

<Pose Tracker> Misty Kasumi has posed.

Misty looks to Kaede and gives a shake of her head. "Cryo can help a lot of things, but I don't think it can help being dead... anything they would have done medically I'd think they'd have done at the time."

But it turns out Chisato has a solution... sort of. Mental transferrence data, but no clear explanation of how.

Lantis died by his own hand. Wince. But his mental data... was transferred into Gabriel. "... Maybe that's why it seemed like Gabriel was calling the shots in Phynal. If there was anyone they'd still be willing to listen to, it'd probably be Dr. Lantis."

"So it's possible Philia survived in some form... Assuming for a moment that is her, you said she offered you assistance, right? But... isn't it possible she's aligned with her father or the Ten Wise Men? She's the one who was killed, if anyone was going to hold a grude..."

It's not a pleasant thought, but... they need to consider all the angles.

Keeping it a secret... "Hmm." She nods to Chartreuse. "I'm not fond of keeping it a secret either. But it's also worth considering what the Ten Wise Men think we know. If they're unaware that we've learend this information, it might give us an edge in dealing with them."

Misty might not be up for projecting lots of cheer, but she is still taking the temperature of the room. Chase gets another text message.

<I know this is heavy stuff. Feel free to contact me if you want to discuss it. I've found talking about it with others helps me.>

There is an implication that Misty has been struggling with dealing with some of the events, too. 

<Pose Tracker> Chisato Madison has posed.

Buddy has been helpful and is entirely happy to wobble on his rocker-like not-quite-legs in dutiful happiness. He takes into a small hover to give Sal a little greeting dance. Everyone's stressed, but Buddy worked hard! Analysts are just like that sometimes.

"Yeah," Chisato agrees with 'terrible,' more or less without needing to know what. It's all bad. This sucks. Horrible though they are, she sure understands why they'd be so hellbent on trashing the place, at least. Even beyond the probability that their minds were bent that way by a man mad with grief.

She shrugs at Chartreuese. "No way to say," she admits. "Could just be the man himself, could have been...a seed around which the person who is now Gabriel grew. Rena's right, though. Whatever the truth is, maybe he doesn't see the Ten Wise Men as comrades as much as the rest of them see each other." Then she shrugs and throws up her arms in surrender. "Or maybe it's something else! Who knows! It's magic cosmo-wizards from the dawn of civilization! Maybe he's mad about spheals!"

She gears down from the slightly performative surrender of her expertise but she does turn in another shrug at Philia. "Unfortunately, that's all the solid info I have. They found an imprint of her and didn't mention it again. Considering what you're all saying, though, it seems obvious he did something to create...something, that currently answers to Philia. And that individual has shown up a few times to help. For now, all we can do is run with that."

That all said, she yanks a chair out with her heel and flops down into it. Buddy floats over and leaps into her lap, and once the chair finishes revolving she's got her arms wrapped around him. "Not exactly pretty news, but..." She looks to Chartreuse and Misty, Chase and Rena, nodding to each. "This world can't move on properly if all we let ourselves see is the good. Fixing this is going to require more than hiding from it."

She digs her heels in to stop revolving, noting to Ethius, "I'm not exactly a fan of keeping things under wraps...but this isn't going to publication soon, at least."

Retrieved from "https://dreamchasers.space/index.php?title=2024-10-13:_Lullaby_for_a_Dead_Man&oldid=13898"