[Jaunt][Late Week 2] Thanks a lot, Katsuragi

[carbonatedscientist]

This is Sento, I've been brought back to myself.

[There is a deep psychic sigh.]

In the future, save us all some trouble--if I am fully infiltrated and my name is Takumi Katsuragi, please do us all a favor and have someone come de-infiltrate me immediately. There are certain patterns of behavior that seem to be repeated across universes, and none of them are good.

At any rate, let me know if there's anything Katsuragi's information would assist with--I've started decrypting all of his files, including the remarkably incriminating ones, and they should dump on Dr. Durante's computer very soon, if they haven't already. Thorne, you're welcome.

I've already had a meeting with the Admiral in which I claimed to have given myself a sort of Jekyll and Hyde complex via an odd strand of X-Pression, and I confessed to some of Katsuragi's more heinous crimes, but there's still much to be done.

We need to extract the Aurigan Consort from the Philia Core--did you all figure that out yet, I'm still going through everything--but in such a way that doesn't involve tipping AEGIS off or doing something that would upset the Aurigans further. I'm also working on some form of cure for the X-Pression virus--if we can cure the afflicted Aurigans, that would hopefully give everyone a reason to call the war off.

...and all of this is being done under guard, because, well, Katsuragi's now confessed to a remarkable array of crimes, ethical and otherwise.

Comments

[carbonatedscientist]

How do I keep getting myself into situations like this...

I've created weapons before. In the right hands...they've been used to protect people. To do good. But I'm not really sure I've seen any evidence of anyone here being ready to handle that. I'm trying to at least leave them something they can use to defend themselves, but I suspect the best "viable alternative" I have is curing the Aurigan manifestations of the X-Pression virus. I'm working on that as well, but I need more Aurigan samples--and samples from other afflicted species.

[brokers]

I doubt many of them would willingly allow you to experiment on them further, and I cannot blame them.

I am not a member of any of the species native to this universe, but I share...certain similarities with the Aurigans. If it would help to find a cure, I will allow you to infect me with the virus and observe my immune response - it should provide insight either into how it can be fought off, or how it adapts to infect other species.

[carbonatedscientist]

Oh, this overlay has a legitimate body count when it comes to research subjects. Asking for samples is inherently difficult, even if all I want for the moment is a cheek swab from the infected.

It might help me pin down how it's jumping between species and give me something different to look at from all the human samples I've taken from myself (which is less than ideal because Katsuragi has been experimenting on himself for years and I'm not quite sure what he's done to himself), but only if you're sure--I can't guarantee how it might manifest, and you might be stuck with it.

[brokers]

I don't relish the prospect, but I would be no less stuck with it if I were to contract it from another Traveler, and at this may at least serve a valuable purpose.

I do have one condition, however: promise me you will destroy any samples you take before we leave. I would prefer not to have to worry about what your overlay might do with them once you're no longer serving as a tempering influence.

[carbonatedscientist]

That's true--I caught it shortly after I arrived, though I can turn it on and off at will.

[There's a long pause.]

I wonder if I can turn my strand back on and leave Katsuragi with rabbit ears and a tail as a parting gift.

[And a long sigh.]

I will absolutely dispose of those samples--only data would be left behind, and even then, I'll strip as much identifying information out as possible. Possibly even mis-file it as Aurigan, and even then, it would only be in the interest of allowing others to continue researching the cure if my genius alone isn't enough.

[brokers]

I can agree to maintaining the data. Even if you do achieve a breakthrough, maintaining records will be important to continued testing and replication.

[carbonatedscientist]

Good, good. Is there any way you can swing by Katsuragi's office? My leaving will be difficult, as will portaling in. I'm under constant guard.

[brokers]

I can. Have you put out a request for volunteers to provide blood and tissue samples, or should we arrange a pretext for my visit?

[carbonatedscientist]

I actually have put out such a request, but I've had very few takers. It's unsurprising, given Katsuragi's reputation and general demeanor. It's possible more have gone to medical to give samples there and that medical hasn't gotten back to me, but I hesitate to agitate too much for more samples at this point in time--I'm on thin enough ice as it is.