2254-11-07 13:49:19
You stare up at the ceiling, lost in the geometric pattern of its carpeting. You feel her, poking and probing around in the corners of your mind--Counselor Xi, responsible for the mental stability of five...
“Okay, maybe we can do the blocked area around ‘grief,’” you say.
“Okay. I’m going to connect and focus entirely on that. You just need to keep your focus away from it. Don’t let your thoughts wander there, no matter what,” Counselor Xi says.
You...
“I’d like to try technopathic synchronization,” you say.
“We can try that,” Xi says. “Normally it wouldn’t be approved for a first year. Just a few months of training would be inadequate to prepare you for the experience. But you are a month away...
“Exhausting. Having my head scoured for subconscious anomalies,” you sign.
“Come here,” she signs. Holding you against her, she lays her hand on top of your head. Your system registers a connection attempt. You let her in, and immediately feel a...
2254-11-07 14:08:58 Zeta > sure I’d love to!! do you want to come over to my room?
It responded quickly. You head for your building and its tower, and reach its room on the lower floors. Recognizing your key, the door slides open as you approach.
Zeta...
“I don’t know much about this, but my friend might, I could ask what she would do,” you say.
“Sure,” Zeta says.
2254-11-07 14:23:00 Aydan > hey I have a question about synthesizers
2254-11-07 14:23:07 7 > yes.
2254-11-07 14:23:18 Aydan > okay so...
“Sure, I’ll help. Together we’ll be unstoppable!” you say.
[Zeta liked that]
“Oh!! Then let’s do it!” It clears some space on its desk and opens a drawer full of resistors. “Let’s build a sequencer modulated ladder filter evocation bypass module!”
You...
The æther... Far down in its depths you drift along the currents of information. Its bright glow surrounds you on all sides. You feel a euphoria beyond any joy you could feel on the surface as you look out into its ever changing patterns, colors and...
“No words, but what it felt like was...‘I am closer than you think,’” you say.
“Another threatening gesture from Sector NULL then,” Zeta says.
“Inserted into my dreams... What kind of technopathy is dream manipulation? Communication?”
“This sounds...
In the Administration building, you approach the door to Professor Haze’s office, stopping to take a moment to gather your thoughts. But the door immediately slides open--Haze’s dark eyes stare right at you from under their reflective silver eyeshadow.
...Many questions come to mind.
“What would you say are the things that make people most vulnerable to obfuscation techniques?” you say.
“Much like in the field of evocation, where your shield is most effective when focused on the specific variables of...
“No, I don’t know much about lucid dreaming,” you say.
“Ah, this is why your ObTech suffers,” Haze says. “It is an invaluable skill for technopaths. Our Obfuscation School’s Oneironautics class can teach you all about it.”
“A class on sleeping?”
“It’s...
2254-11-11 10:44:11
One Moonlit night, you emerge from the narrow path to the pond at the world’s edge, hearing the chatter of birds. They descend upon you immediately and land, blocking your path and looking up expectantly--little Proxima, Alpha a,...
You grasp your system for signs, but none feel sufficient. Instead you reach out to embrace her, pull her toward you and kiss her. Lost in the empathic feedback loop, you feel a rhythmic pattern in the back and forth resonance of your signals. You...
“Actually, before we get into that, I want to discuss something that happened to me the other night,” you sign.
“Go on,” Synth signs.
“I had a dream. I was in the deep æther, when I could feel something surrounding me. A coldness, darkness, consuming...
“What if it wasn’t a threat, but actually...a warning?” you sign.
“Hadn’t considered that,” Synth signs. “But who would have both motive and ability to do that?”
“They’d have to have inside knowledge about Sector NULL, a reason to share it with you,...
“Maybe we can figure out how Unas got into my head, if that’s what’s going on,” you sign.
“We’ll figure it out.” Akiko takes your hand and signs with it, “Together.” You look up at her eyes, glowing purple.
“Okay, okay. So about the Chosen of ÆON,”...
“I trust ÆON. I’ll go with Ær to the deep æther and learn what we can,” you sign.
“You be careful,” Synth signs. “Do not get separated.”
“We’ll synchronize,” you sign.
“You can do that?” Synth signs.
“Sure, we’ve done it a few times. It comes really...
You carefully configure your Empathica program to project a loop of your baseline emotional state.
“I’ll wait on my mission with ÆON until after I’ve done my therapy with Akiko,” you sign.
“Okay,” Akiko signs. Your sense of her own emotional state...