[week 1] Empty Chairs at Empty Tables

[capital_asset]

I've been speaking with Claudia's overlay - she's called Hypatia here; she's the Calculator Council's Prime Factor - and she's hoping to take a group to the High Tables to see if they can find something that can help this world survive.

For those who aren't familiar, the High Tables are located on the plateaus that surround the Vale on three sides. They were the home of the Ancients, and the Mystics built towers there after the Ancients destroyed themselves and the world with fire. There are ancient ruins up there, and those are probably what she's interested in. However, the air on the High Tables isn't breathable and hasn't been since the time of the Mystics, and 'strange chemicals' would sometimes wash from the Tables during those times when rain was still possible, whether naturally or from the psychic efforts of the Umbrians. So that complicates matters. There were rare occasions when the Umbrian Protectors would send expeditions up to the Tables, and some of the people on those expeditions would survive, but it would never be very many people, and that was with the presence and assistance of the Overmind. Without it, other strategies will likely be necessary.

For what it's worth, my Questing Sense was what led me to Hypatia, so she's definitely important to the Jaunt.

Comments

[reallymean]

My armour is designed to withstand hostile environments. If there are a handful of other Travelers with similar equipment Investigating, maybe we can convince her to send us as an expendable advance party.

[letsgetdowntobismuth]

I am designed to withstand zero vacuum environments. Anything with an actual atmosphere is easy mode. I'm happy to volunteer myself for that.

[reallymean]

That's two of us so far, then.

[letsgetdowntobismuth]

Two space-farers, too. Even if up top isn't the same as out there, we're way better equipped to know what to look out for. And to make sure anyone else who comes along learns how to as well!

[reallymean]

And hopefully to fix whatever we might find - centuries of neglect can be hard on technology.

[razorblade_empress]

I think there's a few of us that don't technically have to eat or breathe anymore - hell, I can probably teach people how if they want, although it's not the most comfortable ability to have.

[reallymean]

I doubt it's that simple - if the air really is that toxic, there's a good chance any contact will be dangerous.

[razorblade_empress]

Plus there are those 'strange chemicals' to worry about. I've got a Hecatite form, but I don't know that that'd be enough to protect me either.

...Although now I'm wondering if we might be able to make equipment that replicates at least some of your armor's safety functions. I might even be able to come up with something, if I break out the Constructive Enlightenment.

[reallymean]

Possibly. I can create a copy of the armour so you can experiment with it without risking damage we won't easily be able to fix.

[razorblade_empress]

Yeah, I'd feel more comfortable working with a copy.

[reallymean]

I'm working in the terraces right now, but I should be able to slip away in an hour or so. Meet me in the Castle?

[razorblade_empress]

Can do.

[reallymean]

I'll see you there.

...Don't mind the lion, if you get there before me. She's friendly to visitors who mean no harm.

Switch to action?

[razorblade_empress]

Good to know.

Sure!

[reallymean]

[It's a little more than an hour before Allura's able to make her escape unnoticed. Inside the Castle - the main hall of which is unlocked as always, the better to serve as a haven for anyone looking to escape whatever Liminal Space has dreamed up to throw at them - her Spirit Companion is nowhere to be found, though the mice are lurking in the lighting.]

I hope you weren't waiting too long.

[razorblade_empress]

[She'd noticed the mice, yeah.]

Nope - not long at all.

[capital_asset]

The equipment might be hard to explain at first. Then again, given that the local population also has psychic abilities and there's already been talk about our abnormally high energy reserves, I'm not sure we can maintain any sort of cover for very long.

How difficult do you think it would be to duplicate some of the armor's protective functions?

[reallymean]

With what we have in Liminal Space? Hard enough that we probably won't be able to outfit more than a handful of people. Duplicating it entirely would be easier, but a lot more risky.

[capital_asset]

And coming up with technology that's similar in function without duplicating the armor itself would probably take more time than we have, even with Constructive Enlightenment.

[reallymean]

Possibly not - the environmental protection systems are the same as we used for explorers. They can function without the more defensive features.

[tookashirototheknee]

I could probably borrow Shiro's armor. It seems to change size depending on who needs it.

Also, I could bring some of my equipment to see what's up there and what might be able to be used or fixed.

[capital_asset]

I think that would all be very useful. Shiro is Infiltrating?

[leftbehindagain]

What if we make them equipment that can survive this expedition?

Also it sounds like I'm making radiation antidotes after the jaunt. A-fucking-gain. [Can they not have radioactive jaunts so often. Never would be nice.]

Incidentally, we can funnel some meat in by way of Kleio - it's Chie, she's the one who led the caravan into town. She has a reputation for good luck hunting. The real problem is that we're almost certainly making more food than these people can conceive of existing at once.

[capital_asset]

They'll likely have questions about the technology, but given their existing psychic abilities and the fact that this is a return trip - to say nothing of half-Infiltrations - the likelihood of us not being found out sooner rather than later is probably zero percent anyway.

Although they'll almost certainly have questions about how any equipment we make is powered and what effects that might have on the environment, so there might be some resistance on that front - not necessarily from the people who would actually be going on the expedition, but possibly from the higher-ups.

[leftbehindagain]

We're probably as good as caught already. [They're definitely as good as caught already.]

That's true, but it's still another axis we can help on. It may require some of us backing off on the surplus food - I'm not sure how the weight limit's going to factor in - but we're the ones who at least know what the options look like.

[capital_asset]

Probably.

[Definitely.]

Surplus food is also only going to help up to a point - if we can't find a way to stop or reverse this place's decline, it's only going to end up prolonging the inevitable.

[leftbehindagain]

That's true - of course, we may only prolong the inevitable anyway. Still, it's better than nothing.

The equipment would at least open up some opportunities for them to get other places on their own.

[capital_asset]

True on both counts.