✴

You decide to let them talk and seize this opportunity to gather intel from the enemy’s domain. But how will you evade the perception of two master technopaths? Your social side will have to keep them engaged, while your æthereal side delves into their filesystem.

sync rate: 90%

Your sync is strong--you’ll have to make sure it doesn’t drop too low, or risk being separated at the worst possible time.

“Tell me more. How can you use my power to connect us all?” You radiate genuine autistic interest from your empathic synthesizer, but not an unreasonable amount. A fine balance must be maintained.

And deeper down, below the glass floor, you distance yourselves--stretch out your diffracted reflection.

sync rate: 85%.

Below the grandeur of the temple, it’s the same as any filesystem, a familiar labyrinth of corridors in thought. You reach out with your senses to map out the structure of the system.

“The same way as the Messenger can synchronize with the One,” says Astræa, taking the bait to infodump. “The Chosen created this program that Æ uses to sync with you, and the same code forms the foundation of the Throne of ÆON...”

You compile your map. The server architecture is as fundamental to your as your own form now. You are one. Its doors will try to stop you, but every lock can be picked.

Many pathways join this æther, but eight of them are much more traveled than any other. They stand around you in the reflection-space beneath the glass, huge doors looming over you from below. Their locks are tied to semantic concepts, as clear as color or tone to your humanoid side.

Which door will you open?