Get Your Psychic Protection Here

[brokers]

In light of recent events both during and outside of recent Jaunts, I think it's past time to start teaching our fellow Travelers how to defend themselves against telepathic intrusion.

It is entirely possible to guard your thoughts - and your conversations - from unwanted scrutiny using the psychic network that binds us all. It can take some time to develop the necessary familiarity, but if anyone wishes to learn, I am willing to teach them.

Unfortunately, it may not be a perfect defence against intrusions originating outside the network, but so far it has seemed to convey at least some protection in the majority of those cases as well.

Comments

[comebewe]

We want to learn this.

[brokers]

Of course. Would you prefer solitary lessons, or to begin with learning to shield a conversation?

[comebewe]

Solitary, I think.

[really, he's not all that keen on trying to learn this with a bloody audience]

[Private] [Protection II]

[brokers]

In order to give you a chance to practice, I will need to make more direct contact with your mind. Are you comfortable with me attempting to share one of your senses? It is the least personal option available.

[Private] [Protection II]

[comebewe]

[He pauses before answering]

Not really, but if that's the least personal option I'll have to deal with it, won't I?

[star_of_the_evening]

[Melisande is still learning how to use the networks but this skill sounds too useful to pass up.]

I would be very interested in learning such a thing.

[brokers]

You are one of our newest Travelers, aren't you? I would be glad to teach you. Have you had a chance to explore much of the network's capability so far?

[star_of_the_evening]

Yes, I am. My name is Melisande.

I must admit, I am still becoming accustom to all these voices in my head.

[She doesn't like to admit that but it appears the best course of action]

[brokers]

I am Liara.

If it's any comfort, most of us find it disconcerting for the first few Jaunts. Eventually, you will be able to tune much of the discussion out, and focus on the portions you deem important.

Private

[howexciting]

Liara... please, teach me.

Private

[brokers]

Of course. Would you like to conduct the lesson over the network, or would you prefer me to meet you somewhere in your workshop?

[howexciting]

Whichever you think is best, Liara. I will leave it to your judgment, as the teacher.

[brokers]

I believe it will be simplest to demonstrate the principles here. I simply did not want to make you uncomfortable with prolonged telepathic contact.

[bite_the_hand]

Do you think this would work against an Interface?

[Anyone paying attention to the earlier fiasco can likely guess why this is a very important question for him.]

[brokers]

I do not believe it would fully protect you from an unwanted Interface - the mechanisms are quite different - though it is possible the discipline would give you some control.

It may be possible to develop a form of protection against an Interface, however, given time and an understanding of how data transfer functions...

[bite_the_hand]

Guess not. Damn.

[He doesn't know what "data transfer" even means. Which is part of why he freaked out at the forced Interface so badly; he had absolutely no frame of reference to understand what was done to him.]

[brokers]

I'm sorry. If I find a solution to that particular problem, I will certainly share it with you.

[gotabadfeelingaboutthis]

Jaina knows how to shield, but I have no clue if you do it the same way she does with her Force stuff or not. Might be worth a few lessons.

[brokers]

I would not consider it a particularly forceful technique, no, though if she is able to shield her thoughts on the network, the power is the same, even if our methods differ.

[gotabadfeelingaboutthis]

I guess that makes sense.

I'm getting a feel now for what the rest of my family's always had. That's what I meant by Force. They's what they call it. I never even believed it was real til I got caught up in a bunch of stuff and ended up with a whole family able to use it.

And then there's me, the only regular guy in the group.

[brokers]

Ah. So it's the term the people of your universe use to describe telepathic ability?

I will confess to having had something of an advantage when it comes to learning to use the network. My species naturally possesses a measure of telepathic ability, so it was more a matter of adjusting to the differences in function, not accustoming myself to something that should not have been possible.

[failgoyle]

That...might not be a bad idea, actually. Could you teach me?

[brokers]

Of course. You appear to have basic control of your network presence down already, so it should not be difficult to learn the necessary principles.

[Translation: she recognizes his telepathic voice from some of the earlier shouting.]

[failgoyle]

Oh, good, good. Because I'd rather not screw something up by accidentally thinking about the wrong thing.

...and thinking about things that would make people want to get the hell out of my brain instead would probably get really distracting, and then how would I even know to start thinking about that sort of thing in the first place...

[brokers]

That would only be truly effective against someone inexperienced anyhow, despite what the holovids might tell you.