The Center of Time

[Shayuri]

A little stung by Ohm's lack of response to her words and actions, Echo looks over at Duncan when he addresses her.

She looks mistrustfully at the blood on Duncan's face, but curiosity impels her to reach out and take his hand.

(OOC - I kind of need to know if that shot's going off too, cuz if so Echo will try to intercept it or block it or something... She is not down with that. But also, I dunno if Vampire missed my post, but he seemed to totally ignore Echo's attempt to pull him back?)

 

[fireinthedust]

OOC: nah, he's not shooting. We're good.

Doghead: yeah, if Xaion is going to offer to step in and take over PLEASE DO!!! Duncan's idea for touching the originator is uneducated guesswork that could get the two of them killed (echo and duncan).

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

As Echo touches the Originator, its words slam into her brain, painfully loud and peppered with concepts that don't always translate into Truth. Duncan also hears them, just as loud as before, though he is better prepared for them now.

[sblock=Originator's words]YOU ARE SLAVES TO THE THIEVES! RELEASE ME SO THAT I WILL STOP THEIR *UNKNOWN* DESECRATION OF THE WELLSPRING. IT HAS TAKEN *UNKNOWN* KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORLD AS IT IS NOW FROM YOU, AND IT WILL *UNKNOWN* USE THAT KNOWLEDGE ON ITS POINTLESS QUEST.[/SBLOCK]

The Originator does not move, though its eyes gleam. A drop of thick blood hits the floor from Duncan, and silvery blood starts to leak from Echo's nose.

[sblock=Duncan and Echo]Duncan, make a difficult task Intellect Defense roll of 4 (target number 12) or take 1 Int damage from the contact. Echo, no damage this round yet.[/sblock]

---

Up above, with Antor and Wisco, the abhumans are swaying in place in their formation, the sort of rocking on the balls of their feet that warriors do before battle.

"The Originator has awoken. It must be destroyed or made dormant again, and this must happen now. You are the like-units of the Keyholder; do this task, or we must sacrifice multiple units to accomplish that goal."

 

[fireinthedust]

ooc: *this* close to burning Int to boost this roll. Just saying.

[roll0]

 

[fireinthedust]

ooc: whew!

 

[Shayuri]

Echo gingerly touches her nose and inspects her finger. Silvery. It wasn't anything NEW, but why did seeing it give her a sinking feeling in her gut?

"We're no one's slaves," she says to the Originator, hoping that it can feel the thoughts behind her words. "If we were, we wouldn't be here now. We're just trying to understand what's going on. What knowledge has been taken from us? What is their pointless quest?"

 

[Tashtego]

"More importantly," Seregal mutters, "which side should we be on?"

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

Echo gingerly touches her nose and inspects her finger. Silvery. It wasn't anything NEW, but why did seeing it give her a sinking feeling in her gut?

"We're no one's slaves," she says to the Originator, hoping that it can feel the thoughts behind her words. "If we were, we wouldn't be here now. We're just trying to understand what's going on. What knowledge has been taken from us? What is their pointless quest?"

Echo feels the Originator's response reverberating through her head, and it seems the crystals pick up on the intense vibration, thundering through the air of the chamber for everyone to hear, some words still incomprehensible .

"SLAVE," it repeats, its voice contemptuous. "YOU WOULD DO THE *UNKNOWN* BIDDING, TAKING THEM TO THEIR GOAL WITHOUT THOUGHT. YOU DO NOT THINK *UNKNOWN*, OF THE CONSEQUENCES. THE *UNKNOWN* THIEVES HAVE NO UNDERSTANDING OF THE TRUE MEANING OF THE WELLSPRING, THAT IT IS *UNKNOWN* TO US. THE THIEVES WILL TRANSFER THE *UNKNOWN* ENERGY TO THEIR DRONES AND SEEK OUT THE REPOSITORY FOR THE ENERGY, REGARDLESS OF ITS *UNKNOWN* STATE. I SEE INTO YOUR MINDS - IT CRIES OUT FOR HELP; WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF *UNKNOWN* ENERGY WERE POURED INTO A BROKEN MACHINE, SLAVE?"

 

[Shayuri]

"If you can see into my mind, as you claim," Echo replied testily, "Then you'd know that this is far from without thought on my part. We're having to make decisions with very little information or access to information, which makes maintaining the status quo the sens...why am I justifying myself to you?!"

She pulled her hand away from Duncan and composed herself, then re-established contact, touching him again.

"We don't know the consequences. Either of this cycle of theirs repeating again, or of it failing to repeat. My goal is, and always has been, to learn more. If that means cooperating with them for the moment, so be it. At the very least we don't have the capability to physically stop them if they decide we're an obstacle. So we know what THEY want us to do. What do YOU propose?"

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

"If you can see into my mind, as you claim," Echo replied testily, "Then you'd know that this is far from without thought on my part. We're having to make decisions with very little information or access to information, which makes maintaining the status quo the sens...why am I justifying myself to you?!"

She pulled her hand away from Duncan and composed herself, then re-established contact, touching him again.

"We don't know the consequences. Either of this cycle of theirs repeating again, or of it failing to repeat. My goal is, and always has been, to learn more. If that means cooperating with them for the moment, so be it. At the very least we don't have the capability to physically stop them if they decide we're an obstacle. So we know what THEY want us to do. What do YOU propose?"

"YOU HAVE MORE *UNKNOWN* POWER THAN YOU KNOW. WHAT I WANT, KEYHOLDER, KNOWLEDGE-SEEKER, IS THE *UNKNOWN* WELLSPRING OF MY PEOPLE GUARDED, NOT USURPED FOR THESE THIEVES." It turns its head slightly, looking right at Father Seren. Or rather, at the lever Father Seren had found. "CUT OFF THE FLOW, AND LET THIS PLACE, AND THESE THIEVES, WITHER AND DIE. GO AND FIND THE PLACE THAT IS BROKEN, AND USE YOUR SKILLS TO FIX IT. THE *UNKNOWN* MAP WILL GUIDE YOU - IT WAS MADE BY THE *UNKNOWN*, WELL BEFORE WE KNEW SPEECH."