synopsychic | [Jaunt] Shortly after Liminal Portals start appearing

Entry tags:

[Jaunt] Shortly after Liminal Portals start appearing

What the hell is going on!?

[Eren has evidently found a secluded enough space to start literally yelling at the Network. Enjoy the extremely loud and slightly panicked voice in your heads, Travelers.]

I'd heard some people could get back into Liminal Space on a Jaunt, but no one said anything about these doorways opening up and letting anyone through! I thought it was supposed to just be Investigators! Is this normal!?

[Now the worry in his voice gets a lot more obvious.]

I thought going back into Liminal Space was what turned Infiltrators back into themselves. But I've already seen some of them go in and not turn back! This doesn't mean they're all stuck like this now, does it!?

((ooc note: I really wanted to make this post, but Real Life is probably going to delay my replies until Monday. Sorry about that, I'll get back to this as soon as I can!))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

...This is a disturbing precedent. As far as I am aware this is a phenomenon unique to this Jaunt.

I wonder...could this be related to the storm?

Wait this really hasn't happened before!? So we don't know what this means for the Infiltrators!?

[Sorry Shuu, Eren's never been one for scientific hypothesis. He doesn't care why it's happening, he just wants to know what this means for his friends.]

[Sigh. Maybe he can find someone willing to ponder this possibility with him elsewhere.]

As far as I am aware, the answer is no. To both your questions.

So what are we supposed to do!?

I have no idea. I was going to ask if we could put more people in Liminal Space and run the ships on a smaller crew. Given apparently we're at risk for having the engines cut out and take time to get us going again. And make us less constrained by supplies.

[Really, if Jade had known this was going to occur, she would have had the Empress taken on more passengers, even if they had to strap outriders to the hull with rope.]

If we do that we should only have Investigators wait there. We don't know how long these portals will stay open. What happens if an Infiltrator gets stuck in there!?

[Eren pauses a moment, forcing himself to calm down and thinking about some of the points she brought up.]

At least if there's anyone here and themselves that can make supplies, this might be a good way to restock without needing a way to explain where it came from.

It would be better than the ship breaking up on them or the storm catching up if the engines stop working. But probably not if the ships stay moving and in one piece.

I'll see if we can get a map and an evacuation plan.

How do you make supplies over there? I can't.

Yeah but what happened if they all get stuck over there? There's people on these ships that aren't even Traveler's right? So... what, everyone that can make food gets sent off somewhere else and the people we "rescued" get to slowly starve to death!?

[He gives a frustrated sigh.] But okay, I guess if the ships start breaking apart it'd at least give people a chance. But I have don't know how we'd get them back out.

No idea. I've seen someone do it but even though I've been trying I can't figure it out. [Because he's trying to jump straight to Liminal Manipulation II when he hasn't even figured out Portals yet, not realizing there's an order to these things.]

[Jade is just going to growl at that] I feel like we can use this somehow, but I don't know enough about how liminal space works.

I don't either. If someone that does know has a better idea on how to use this, good! But we have to be careful.

[Even if Eren is the last person that has any right to tell people to be careful, considering how impulsive and reckless he can be.]

Or get to a point where it's worth the risk.

[let's face it; when have they been lucky on this Jaunt?'

...Yeah.

[He gives a tired sigh before ending the auditory stream. If she asks him something else he'll start it back up again to answer, but he assumes the conversation is over for now.]

This is new. I'm not sure what it means.

But I'm pretty positive it's why the Trumps sent us here.

What if this isn't a game at all? What if they're raiding technology?

Who, the Trumps? What could they even want here?

How to hack Liminal Space. Even if they only want it to upgrade their security.

Who cares what those bastards want!? I just want to make sure I'll get my friends back!

[Well, he wants to make sure he'll get his friends back and punch the Trumps in their faces. Repeatedly. But he promised Armin he wouldn't say stuff like that for now.]

So wouldn't you like to have some leverage on them, so wwe can make sure that happens?

I didn't say do what they want. But I want to know what they want. I need to know what they know.

If you have anything besides wild guesses I'd love to hear it! So far I haven't heard anything from anyone that would actually help! [Then more quietly, to the point it's unclear whether he meant to broadcast it or not.] Fuck, I wish Armin were Armin right now...

[Then his tone changes back to the one he was using a moment before, obviously meant to be heard again.] Good, because I'm not going to just give in and be their slave without a fight.

[A short pause, then.] What do we know?

Edited (Defeated by HTML again...) 2016-02-06 00:25 (UTC)

About the Trumps, about what they want, or about what we're doing here specifically?

[There's an angry, frustrated growl from Eren. But at when he speaks again he's not yelling, even if he's definitely annoyed.]

Start with here. I can get the rest later if I have to.

The Trumps have repeatedly sent us to places where factions compete for a goal. They have win/loss conditions. And sometimes those revolve around scientific or magical technology.

If this is the same place as Questing Country, we've already seen unusual Liminal manifestations. If this is connected, then they might be sending us here to learn more about Liminal Space.

Speculation, I know. It might be faster than light technology, or the alien races, or anything that makes this place unique.

[He mentally sighs at the shouting in his head, but does not broadcast it.]

No, portals that allow Infiltrators access to Liminal Space are not normal. But Liminal Space does not inherently change people back.

[That said, this situation is certainly a bit unsettling.]

Edited 2016-02-02 07:56 (UTC)

I was pretty sure it was dying that made us change back before the end of jaunts... or maybe that's just my bad luck.

Yes, death is a known cause. As is Trump intervention. Merely returning to Liminal Space is not. [Near, you could sound like you care that she's died before.]

[ She doesn't seem particularly fussed about the lack of concern, at least. Other problems now. ]

Have infiltrators ever been in Liminal Space before, though? ...guess it doesn't matter, 'cause we can rule it out now.

[ Pause. ]

Should we be trying to keep them out or something...?

[He appreciates it when people don't let petty things like his lack of empathy get in the way of important matters.]

It has happened, but the circumstances were different. My personal inclination is that this isn't a good thing, and keeping Infiltrators out would be the wisest course of action.

[Eren gives a sigh of relief. Finally, someone told him what he needed to know.]

So everyone changing back has something to do with the Jaunt ending, not going into Liminal Space? ...Do you think it still works the same if they're already in Liminal Space when it happens?

[He's made someone feel better? That's new.]

I assume it happens when the Trumps decide it's time. There's little reason I would see for the location of the Travelers to influence that decision.

Wow, okay, first of all? Can we take it down a few decibels, metaphorically speaking?

Second... has anyone ever brought an infiltrator into Liminal Space before? Through their own portal that they opened, I mean? Aaaanyone? I'm guessing no, considering we're all trying to stay under the radar most of the time, but...

Prior to the assault staged on Liminal Space during the last Jaunt? To my knowledge, no Infiltrator has ever visited. Typically, they can neither see nor interact with the portals in any way.

Good to know...

Do you think maybe what happened last jaunt... broke something? Somehow?

I think we would be foolish to dismiss the possibility that the incursion caused lingering damage. However, it is also possible that the breakdown of the usual barriers results from our current mode of FTL travel, either alone or in conjunction with the tachyon storm.

Either way, we may be wise to minimize our use of abilities that rely on accessing extradimensional spaces, in case opening further holes in reality destabilizes things further.

Ugh. You're probably right. I guess that means I should leave my hammerspace alone, huh?

[ Grumble. All her stuff's in there. ]

Unless you have a pressing need for something, it would be the safest course. At least until we have a clearer picture of what's causing this.

What the hell is a decibel!?

[Well that request sure backfired.]

As long as it sounds like people have been Traveling there has to have been someone that's tried. Except all the people that know anything about it probably can't hear this right now. [Just because that's the kind of horrible luck he's been having with his first Investigation.]

Edited 2016-02-05 04:31 (UTC)

[ Ow okay. Heavy sigh. ] It means 'please stop yelling'.

...y'know, even the veterans can only remember so far back in this whole adventure. It's not all that long ago, either. What, maybe a dozen jaunts between Moebius and now? I can see no one ever dragging an infiltrator into this in that time, if we're all being careful. This could be new, as far as anyone knows.

[Eren ignores her request. But considering what he wants to do is get even louder and yell "make me!" ignoring it saves both his dignity and her eardrums. Especially since she's distracting him enough that he does somewhat quiet down anyway. Somewhat.]

Huh!? I haven't heard anything about Moebius before. Why can't anyone remember? Whatever the reason, that's assuming that everyone's being careful. I really doubt that even over just a dozen Jaunts everyone has always been careful.

It was a jaunt a while back. Maybe two years? I'm not totally clear on the timeline, but it's the first one anyone can remember. You'd have to talk to people who were around for it to get the details, and I don't know if any of them are investigating now...

But that really doesn't matter right now, I guess.

Even without being careful... the infiltrators don't usually notice portals, and they don't stay open all that long. Someone would have to be trying to drag one into Liminal Space until now. And I don't know why anyone would do that - unless maybe they were trying to shake them out of their infiltrator identity, I guess. Which probably wouldn't work.

Do you know who was around back then? [Two years... Isn't that about how long Armin said he'd been here? Eren has a bad feeling about this.]

I didn't know Infiltrators can't see the portals. This is the first time I've been me for a Jaunt. Wouldn't it still be possible to pull one through? I'm sure there's a lot of reasons someone would try.

Armin's the only one I know for sure. You'd have to ask him to get any more details.

And... I don't know if you could get an infiltrator through a normal portal. Like I said... no one's tried that I know of? But I've only been here--

Eight or nine months, I think. Huh. Doesn't seem like it's been that long.

[There's a soft hiss at that name, the sound of Eren drawing a breath through his teeth. A second later he lets it out as a sigh. For once, he was wishing he'd been wrong. After the way Armin had reacted when Eren asked him about his scars... He was reluctant to ask too much about Armin's time as a Traveler.] Is this something I should be careful about how I ask it?

I guess it doesn't seem as long when half that time you're not yourself.

...yeah, you might want to be a little careful about it. He didn't seem to mind talking about it to me that much, it's just... one of those things.

Yeah... I'll wait until he's had time to recover from Infiltrating then. Thanks.

[Armin hadn't reacted well to Eren asking about his scars, and that had snowballed into a tension and awkwardness between them he really didn't want to repeat.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Jaunt] Shortly after Liminal Portals start appearing

no subject

no subject

no subject

...I didn't get a notif for this, I am so sorry

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject