Arise, minions, and welcome to this Unmade Gaming production. Join the crew
of the Defiant as they journey through the Third Horizon at the Mercy of the
Icons, trying to understand just what's happening to the mystics in this Coriolist campaign.
Void, the show you were about to listen to, was originally a
livestream actual play on twitch dot tv slash on Made Gaming. Bertha. Arise,
minions and welcome to Unmade Gaming. We are here. We're back.
You saw nothing. We are here for that episode of Void. This is
episode nine of season three. I named it Something you guys saw. It's
right there. You'll see it right below the stream. If you guys like
we do here and you want to see the restart streams multiple times, or
you don't want to see that, patreon down below. It's the best way
to support that and my habit of doing very poor audio checks. While you're
down there, join us in the discord and come hang out and be a
part of the conversation. As always, in the bottom right hand corner,
you will see the corruption bar. That bar serves two purposes. One is
when that bar fills dogs through the house. She wants to us so far,
it's been very terrible for basically three seasons and two Every single doll that
goes into that bar goes back to these wonderful, amazing faces that you see
here before you. Hashtag that being said, dot take us into space,
hashtag it everything. Hashtag space is big. Hashtag space is big. They're
fine. I don't always use the darkest points for bad things. I want
to think last time I cashed darkness points in to assure let Lamara did not
crash the ship and saved all of you from drowning. I can think of
two times used it, right? What was the other one? When you
jettisoned the evil goo out of the ship? And and when when? When?
When? When I saved our screw putinum droid, our little Yeah,
Oh yes you did. Yes, I did a generous gm of all three
specific examples right there off the top of our heads. So I need say
more. I don't think we need we need to say more. Fucking norm
get out. I don't know that so much has gone down with this crew.
Uh. Most recently they were sent on a mission with some help to
retrieve what they believe to be an emerald disc from inside of a lost vessel
that had been lost for a year. Oh boy, did they find that
and more underneath the icy surface of this moon. On the dark side of
this moon in Uharu. Some things went down with their helping hands, like
one of them killed with mother, and things kind of escalated quickly. The
special Branch agent was shot directly in the face by one of the additional commandos
I think is what they were that were here with you, that didn't simbarel
with the crew at all, and a fight ensued and the rest of the
evening was spent in pursuit of this character, which led them back into a
hidden vessel, a potential white butterfly that seemed to kamakazi itself into the side
of this largest ship, which they came to actually investigate, And there they
found something a ancient possibly vestal, who well they didn't really talk very long
with. They kind of just upset, and it retaliated by consuming matter around
it and compressing it into a small black hole. Our crew deftly managed to
escape because dotspit a darkness point to assure that Lamara flew the ship down to
get all of you by dropping the cargo bay down into the water to quickly
elevator you up. A lot of things happened in between all of that,
and yeah, when they made it back off the planet's surface, it seems
that the Vestal sent word to sleeping agents between the portals, and they sent
out a blast that hit you Haru, destroying the ships causing mass wreckage,
and our crew had to do a daft thing. They had to make a
blind jump where we don't know, but with a critical success from the pilot,
a blind jump was made and our crew of the Defiant are the only
survivors from the event in Uharu. But they don't know that yet because our
camera picks up with towel. It left off with towel, eyes creaking open,
matted shut from day's worth of sleep. You can feel yourself a little
drowsy, probably from medicine. You can smell herbs and incense. Thank you
for that. Corruption, snowdo right now. I've dumped all my darkness points,
so corruption is the only and keeping us going. All of them zero
all. Yes, I told you last time I dumped all my darkness points
to assure that I dumped ever all of them. Seventeen is what we totaled
last time. Into the remaining events of this season. That will be some
hard things put on your plate. Fresh start ISHU, let's start fresh start.
So basically moving forward from this point forward, we'll be building fresh darkness
points. Four. Did have we announced Mike season four? Yeah? Season
four coming soon to a twitch near you. So uh for season four,
these darkness points will be will be basically building for season four but for the
remainder of the season. So corruption is all we have to go off of.
Last time I used the corruption to play a couple of cards. I
believe. Oh heyby yes season four. All right, let's let's pick up
with Tao. That sound of a medical bay. You kind of look over
as your eyes continue to adjust to the dim light in this room from candles
and incense and sun coming through these beautiful draped curtains. There is a woman
that stands at the edge of your bed. She was the same woman that
spoke to you last week. But also at the end of your bed is
a man. He is holding a data pad and you can see past him.
There are other beds in this circular room, and the light comes in
from kind of a centralized hole in the ceiling and you can see your crew
one, Alia to Malik, but you do not see Lumara or ta mirror.
The first thing Tauth says is Tamir. Where's Tamir. She says,
sit back rest rest, doctor, and he kind of looks over and he
says, ah, no, she's gonna like you're very weak and she can't
hold you down. She says, no, no, no, no,
no. You don't understand. You've been under extreme cryo sickness over the last
few weeks. You were lost in space. You and your carew Tamir is
safe. He's just in a different wing. The doctor, the man very
clearly in charge. He nods and he says it is true to me.
He's fine. He just needed special medical attention. Uh houth starts actually again,
tries to get up. He says, at least let us check your
vitals. Okay, where are we You're in the top medical facility on Koola.
How long have we been here? Well, you came to us from
a different system, he says. I know. This is a lot to
take in. And you hear the same kind of beeping start again from a
machine as Malik and Alia start to kind of wake up. You two have
are into this extreme grogginess, that same kind of beeping and noise. And
as you all come to, you see there are these droids that they can
float above you. They have these arms that reach down and they are finishing
up healing the tissue on Malik's leg, printing it three D printing. There's
kind of like a piece of flesh that's still being healed. And the doctor
says, ah, the party wakes interesting. He makes a note on his
data pad, noting that you all woke at kind of a similar time,
and this is how is everyone feeling a step? How long have you have
you been out? Good question. We suspect you were lost floating in space
for roughly two weeks before they found you amongst the debris that's shot out of
the portal to Uharu. To our knowledge, you are the only survivors.
The system is officially dead. No millions, just lost, he says,
we don't know entirely. The portal was destroyed on both ends, and it
is a very long journey straight there. I'm sure you all know. But
two weeks and that kind of sleep, it put your body bodies under great
duress, and the ship happened to the shit, well, the ship was
all but destroyed. It was towed back. It's kind of a miracle all
of you weren't actually sucked out into space. The icons were looking over you.
Some would say, why is my leg being rebuilt? Some of you
sustained heavy injuries, and we had to bring you back here and put you
into a medical coma to assure that you're her bodies could heal. We have
given you the best medical treatment in all of the Third Horizon. In a
week's time, maybe even by tomorrow, you'll be feeling right his rain.
He says, this seems this is a lot. I know, He says,
I may not be the person to tell you all this. But the
woman, the other one you were traveling with, the doctor, she's quite
something. From what we can tell, her body heals at an unnatural rate.
She was not at all affected by the extended hyper sleep. Where is
she? The door like open and you hear go, you're all awake.
Cayl finally kind of like relaxes slightly and just under prese Iconsmara, you're gonna
help me out of this bed? Oh. She comes over and kind of
helps you up, and she says, you're never gonna believe what happened.
You know what, Why don't you tell me the story while we go see
Tamir. We can't see Tamir yet? Why not? Well, because camera
cuts to the other side of this medical facility. Tamir, your vision kind
of comes to with the sound of technology and uh, spinning vials and advanced
computers and hummings and these these robots kind of are off in the side and
they're mechanically and perfectly like tumbling a syringe. As you wake up inside some
kind of medical facility, you're connected to, uh, you know, a
basic like ivy unit and uh, but you're you're you're all alone here.
There's glass everywhere on all around you, as if this is a viewing receptacle
here. Doesn't say anything. I think he's just trying to see what's going
on? Is are there any people, any humans around you? See Like
a woman, like a little like what you imagined to be like an assistant
of some kind, uh, in her like white jumpsuit, kind of runs
by and she looks over to like check you and sees that you're awake,
and like starts. You can't hear her as if maybe are in a soundproof
room, and she goes and she runs over to a desk, and you
see your present aircom and she says something again you can't hear her. And
then she comes over to your door and boops in like a code, a
pass code. Uh, and the door slides open, and this kind of
quaint, little petite five foot woman in a jumpsuit simply says, I'm glad
to see you're feeling better. Where am I? Well, you're a koula.
Where's ta? The rest of your crew is resting in a different medical
facility where I need to get to them, just a couple of floors away.
Don't worry, they're fine. In fact, the doctor expects a full
recovery once their bodies have healed. What happened to their bodies the same thing
that happened to your body, what happened to my body? And like he
like looks like he looks down. It looks normal. You're shirtless. Of
course, they have you in like a kind of like a scrub pant.
It's almost like scrub issued medical pants. And she says, well, don't
panic, but you and your crew were lost in space for a couple of
weeks. You were picked up in a different system outside of you harbor as
the only survivors of what we believe to be a catastrophic event. Your bodies
were well, they sustained heavy damage, as did the ship. They tried
to treat you locally, and the station's medical facilities just weren't good enough,
so they called in the best of the best, the Consortium. Of course,
you're all heroes. I need to get to my crew. I need
to a Fortunately, I can't let you do that. It's going to require
high security clearance to assure that you can lead our facility. Upon from your
medical inspection, we found some we found some extra parts. I have a
few audio and visual grades. You've required special treatment. There's actually somebody that
has been waiting very much to see you. Once you woke up, I
should let him know you're awake. Okay, don't worry. You'll be out
of here end no time. Plus the banquets tomorrow night. And she kind
of pats you on the shoulder and turns to leave, and you look over
and see maybe like a clock or some kind of calendar on the bedside.
You realize you have been out almost two weeks. More importantly, the most
important celebration, the annual cyclic kids like celebration is happening tomorrow. It is
literally a year. It has been one year to the nose pretty much since
you and your crew met that fateful year ago. Actually a little well just
over a year. But yeah. But the bank's basically coming gone and it's
come back around and it is tomorrow. Eve, who wants to get out
of here like any of this, he needs to actually see his his crew.
What you're a very small voice, ta mirror, Tamere. I've been
hiding, steading so they couldn't find me. I won't let them get you.
Okay, stay hidden. Okay, I'm glad you're okay, me too.
There was a big explosion. We'll talk about later, he nodes,
like, you know, of course we will. Yes. So, uh,
you wait for just a little bit, and it's about ten minutes or
so before you see a couple figures, two figures in fact, one that
you know, one that you do not a jolly rotund man, your patron.
Yeah, I know, look at those faces, somebody out there,
give every one of those disgusted faces. Every one of them made a disgusted
face. This madicin did anything to do you know in my defense. I
was actually burfing in that oh so perfect. So your patron walks in.
You're the gentleman who's always interested in the artifacts, who funds whatever you need
in equal exchange of you bringing artifacts, and it's been a relatively good relationship.
He's not tried to cheat you. You've not technically tried to cheat him
that he knows of, so you know. And he comes in and he's
got a big smile. You can see he's dressed leading up to the annual
celebration is kind of a week long event of preparations and food events and giant
decorations and family celebrations, and you can see that he's dressed in kind of
his most exquisite attire, much nicer than probably what you usually see him in.
And he says to me, it's good to see a familiar face.
He goes, you, look, you look like you've seen some things a
bit, because my boy, he kind of comes over and he has to
like hop to get on the bed, like the end of your bed with
his because you know, he's kind of a short squat man, and he
kind of pats your leg and he says, my boy, you and your
friends are what we consider it to be true, true heroes. I very
much look forward to toasting in your honor tomorrow. Eve. I don't understand.
He goes enough of that what I'm really here for. Let me introduce
my friend to you. And he gestures to a much taller, kind of
broad shouldered man. He's middle aged, but he has a rather kind face
the way like you know, uh, like a really warm dad mite.
He's got a very welcoming face and uh. He also smiles, and he
says, it is a true pleasure to finally meet you, Timir. The
pleasure is mine. Then he kind of like like, who are you,
kind of like lingers on that. Yeah, He's like okay. Uh.
He your patron simply says, this is a good friend of mine. We
call him Sahit. It's a pleasure to meet you, Sahi. He smiles.
Ah no, no, excuse me, the pleasure is all mine to
mer. You are an artificer, right like you like artifacts. I'm gonna
let you roll. I would I would say it is a you can roll
a culture check, roll a culture check. It's got to be culture.
I for got no culture. It's got to be culture. But I'll take
a one Okay, one's good. You stop for a second. You run
this through and you're like, okay, he's why does that name rang a
bell? And it's kind of like you're trying to piece things together as you're
still a little foggy around the edges of your eyes, and you realize that
name it's only been mentioned a few times, and it's actually been mentioned by
your patron occasionally when you and Tow would bring things in that you might find
amongst the junk and the asteroids. His auctioneer, the other person he buys
the items in his great museum from uh and Ashen's emporium is the massive emporium,
the kind of like high end artifact emporium that he runs. That auctioneer
basically, or the man who runs everything. So your patron simply says,
this is my good friend, this is the man that I acquire my very
rare collectibles from. Understood, He says, I don't think you do,
do you meet any kind of gestures And the two of them take a moment
to decide how best to deliver the information, and your patron kind of makes
a decision that maybe he could be the spoonful of sugar to help the medicine
go down, he says to me, when we rescued you and your crew,
Well, when they rescued you and your crew and brought you back here,
I assured that the vessel was at least stocked privately until measures could be
taken to fix it. It became known amongst certain folk that the hospital here
on Kua had acquired a young gentleman with interesting and unknown technology embedded in his
head. Now, I thought to myself, that's a rarity I must see.
And to my surprise, when I arrived, it was you and your
crew that laid under these nanites that fixed your body. And I saw you
and the hospital here is very interested in treating and helping people have special technologies.
In fact, with the right doctor, they may not consider this problem
at all. I don't understand. There's nothing wrong. I'm fine. It's
just communications device. He kind of now looks over to to Sahed. I
got it down in the cellar. It's not the best. It kind of
it took a lot to get through, but I mean it works. This
kind kind of gentleman says, it's come to my attention that you and your
crew are very good at your jobs. You've acquired interesting and vital information to
keeping the people of the Third Horizon safe and correct. In any of this,
that is a primary objective. I imagine that amongst all of this you've
learned quite a bit of information about the political mechanitions, what's going on behind
the scenes. I try my best to avoid politics, except you find yourself
in the middle of what could be an all out war. We try to
warn people. Nobody says, I've no doubt, he says. In fact,
it's one of the reasons why I'm here, He says, I am
a friend of a group called the Drakenites. In fact, your dear patron
here has been scouting you for me. I believe that you and your crew
are beacon of hope. When nobody else survived, you return with a single
bit of information needed. The icons are watching you, and so are we.
I would like to assure that you receive confidential medical treatment and can join
the rest of your crew here on this facility. To do that, I
would like you to work for me as an artifact, fact hunters and information
gatherers. Think on it. I cannot make that decision, Like I said,
crew, think on it. The items you were trieved from the strange
vessel, the one lodged inside the Zenith, and he kind of reaches into
a pocket on the inside of his beautiful robes and he pulls out one of
the scarabs, and he says, not this, this is something that not
the average hunter would be able to find. It survived, they all did.
What is it? I didn't even have a chance. We had to
get out as soon as again. He pulls the kind of sheets back near
your feet, off of one of your legs, and you can see the
burn scars, the ones that have kind of been left behind that Lamara couldn't
quite take from you all those years ago. He smiles, and he places
the scab flat side down, this kind of it looks almost like a pendant,
a flat side down on your skin, and he says, wait for
it, and right before your eyes, a scarab, like a scarab type
beetle, claws its way out of what seems like a fragile eggshell and it
begins to feed on the scar tissue. It doesn't hurt, there's no pain.
It eats away at this scar tissue, leaving behind it kind of a
pristine, clean, smooth baby skin. He says, it is an ancient
creature of healing. He says, there is not a single droid in this
place that could have done that. It is a creature. It is an
oddifact, something that powerful could help so many people. I was thinking the
same thing about the what's in your head? But that is a discussion for
another time. I will sign your paperwork. I will release you from this
facility. I'm sorry that you had to be separated. They wanted to take
precautions. I told them once you were awake that it would be a simple
conversation tomorrow evening. I'll look forward to your answer. I would suggest that
you take me up on my offer. I have the power to keep your
records out of wrong hands, not your hands stacking your friends. They are
on the third floor. It seems that they have recently awoken themselves. A
lot of you seem tied to some unnatural rual energy. He kind of smiles
and looks over at your patron. Your patron's like he's like paging his teeth
a little bit. He goes, Uh, so, uh, you can
keep using the private docs, but from now on you're gonna be dealing with
uh. Well, that is if you take the deal. Of course,
we'll take it. They kind of smiles and waddles out after him, and
you see them both stop at the kind of station that's not too far away.
Uh. He signs something with a stylust and uh uh. The same
little cheerful woman comes in and says, well, the doctor said you're ready
to go, and Tamer just like springs up whatever he does this. Would
you like me to escort you? No, I'm fine, I'll find it
myself. Thank you. Okay. Uh. She kind of what she goes,
She goes, are you sure, yes, I will be fine,
thank you. At the third floor. Okay. She kind of waves.
As you walk like out of this facility, and the glass opens up and
it opens you up into a massive indoor medical facility inside of a white sandstone
building. It's fucking huge. There's like gardens everywhere. The whole place feels
like a kind of like an indoor rainforest almost. It has its own kind
of natural, beautiful atmosphere. There's these heavy smells and aromas of spices and
incense, and the whole place has this vibe of calm and serenity about it.
Some people are out in chairs like beaming with these these probably artificial beams
of sunlight. You're not entirely sure. You can hear birds living in here.
Part of the wildlife may even be growing out of the building to touch
the external world of Kua. It seems kind of intertwined in some way.
People walk around in bus past you in medical uniforms. This is a really
really big place and as tam or may even have to stop to check a
directory, uh, to get their bare pants and pants you have, no
you you still have like I imagine you're did you pull your IV out yourself?
Ou? Yeah, okay, I'm okay. Well if that's the case,
I'm gonna need a roll. Oh, because this is a metacourgy check
on yourself to rip it out without doing any damage or pain to yourself.
So give me a metacurgy check. If you don't have it, it's just
a wits check. Okay, you at least knew how to pull it out.
You did manage to, so you're not connected to anything. I'll give
you that. You might be bleeding a little bit from the arm where you
just didn't like cotton ball and band aid. It kind of a thing,
you know, like minor, but from what you can tell you're you're good
to go, and the camera kind of zooms past you and follows the trail
that you will eventually take up and down a flight of stairs, a beautiful
coy pond with a little park, and left and then right and down to
the third floor, where we find the rest of the crew sitting there and
somebody. Lumara said, he's in a different facility, a facility that treats
people with extra extra parts. She kind of points to the spot where Tamir
has tech, like a legal tech. Y'all okay, oh right, okay,
well we need to go there. Then it's kind of a confidential lab.
He's going to have to be signed out by the person that put him
there. That's just how it is. He'll be out in no time.
He's not even awake yet. I don't think, how are you fine?
I don't know. I just won't go up. You all didn't. They
tried to put me into a sleep cooma, but the doctor said the medicine
wasn't working. But I wasn't really sick to begin with. I felt fine,
huh, what have you been doing for two weeks? Taking care of
all of you? Oh huh? Makes me feel a little better, very
concerned, she comes. I mean, she says, I wanted to make
sure you got the best care. And nobody cares for all of you like
I care for you. It's true. She looks a little crazy, dot
when doesn't she? The Doctor's like, yes, in fact, doctor Lamara
has been of great help. The last time her medical records came through here,
we're unable to treat her and sent her to Coriolis. She says that
was a long time ago, because yes, a year in fact, the
doctor says, oh yeah, well, you know a lot could happen in
a year. He says, it's true. So can I see my ship?
I may not be the person to ask for that. Uh, we've
informed well, we've informed the right parties that you are awake. There are
several dignitaries that would well, they've inquired quite a lot about when you all
wake up. So I imagine you have some visitors rather shortly. Uh,
I'm min ash Al Harem your doctor the doctor. Okay, hello, Mineesh.
Would you happen to escort us or could you escort us to our final
crew member who's not here? We just want to see him. I can't
As per Consortium code. He is under watch at least until until they release
him. And when it's that, when they have either, can you at
least let us know his condition, because oh, he's stable as well from
what we can tell. His body just needed a different kind of diagnosis and
diagnostic why because, as your dear doctor Lamara pointed out, your friend had
extra tech, and all individuals that come into a consortium hospital and use consortium
resources and have ilegal technology must be treated as as fugitives. Good news for
your friend. He has friends and high places, and somebody very quickly bought
the right to assure that he didn't go anywhere until they saw him. Oh
so that's for sale now, He says, it's cool, everything is for
sale, and you kind of patch you on your leg and he says,
I will, I will come check on you all soon. You seem to
be doing well. He looks at all of your you know, diagnostics very
quickly, and he says, we'll give you some time. I imagine you
won't have much to speak of, as blood pressure has been subtly rising.
Time and as the door kind of slides open and he goes to walk out,
he almost bumps into TAMR who is unharmed. Mir is unharmed, standing
there, medical pants stared at all of you, and he says, h
it seems that you are awake and you have He just moves right past him.
Yes, I care who the fuck he is? He says doctor Lamara,
Uh, we'll check in after this, and she kind of nods like
yeah, yeah, go away, nice pants. Are you okay? Are
you okay? We all woke up in the same room. My leg was
blown off in an EPIK space battle, and he kind of like looks over.
Is it it's a stumping? Like Lumara leans in and goes, that
wasn't all that was blown off? Jesus Christ up, he checked. It's
okay. They fixed you though. Yeah. Corruption number one. Why why
is my credit account like real low? What did you pay bowling balls?
This feels heavier. Samir had extra parts. Lamara wanted to have her.
You know, it's too extra extra parts is an Alissad trade apparently one half
four. But Lamar is like doctor dead serious about the whole thing, just
dead serious. That was she was very concerned for you and your health.
Okay. Alia runs up or not runs up, She like purposely walks up
goes up to uh, Tamir, she I'm assuming that like already, like
she's done this with Ariss's I mean not air sorry sorry tell where she kind
of because right now she's in pretty much mother mode. She's like checking over
everybody just she doesn't trust like technology, she doesn't trust doctors really much.
So she says, has already done a once sober on her. Now she's
in like teacher mode and mentor mode. So goes up and like does like
a once sober of of Tamir just to make sure, and she goes,
are you doing okay? There's a lot to take in. I'm just so
relieved that you are all okay. And who kind of like like cup Alia's
face for a second, just like like it's just good to sit there.
They're really there. Yeah, Yeah, this isn't like some dream. It's
not the tech going like wonky or something. This isn't like yeah, an
astro projection. She gives a gentle hug. No hug her back, leak
tall, You're all okay. They won't let me get up. He's still
sitting in bed, looking very mad. I can't get up any points to
his leg. Can really want that moment of like in Milan where it's it's
yow like just sitting there all angry, and then he picks what's his face,
picks him up because it's chicker. Laara says, your leg will be
fine, just give it time to finish printing. Samir is going to do
one of these to the leg gently, but it's like we're aw me,
Laura gross, I hope it leaves like a sticky substance on because it's like
being like re stitched. Right, so it's this exposed wound like plant.
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, so we're both uncomfortable about it. Lumars
says, uh, this is well, this is like the best medical facility
there is. It's called Proona Quay. You would all know immediately what this
is. This is the largest hospital facility in the third Horizon that's not on
like uh, Coriola is proper. It is on Coula, and it is
inside of the It is part of the monolith itself. Remember the monolith,
the big giant thing that you can see from space. Yeah yeah. La
Mars simply says, uh, you know, they kind of woke us up
on this other space station and they tried to put us under medical como so
they could ship us here because they weren't really uh well, I didn't have
the technology to say print malika lower half, so like I mean with the
whole lower half. Pretty much basically, she's saying he's a ken doll.
I'm saying that he was. He was. He was not an every kindle
uh he. All of you sustained extreme injuries, so they kind of put
you back together and and and and built your back. You're like brand new
dot with this information, like everything sort of law started to click in Malik's
head because he just woke up and his legs and parts. Can I look
around this room? Is anyone else in here? Is there security? Like
Malik is now room? Yeah. You start to look around. Your sheets
are satin, There is not a hole or a tear, and a piece
of furniture, the curtains hanging from these beautiful windows. This place is pristine.
You are probably being held in the top of the line medical facility and
getting top of the line cared that you in your lifetime would probably never be
able to afford in like ten lifetimes. Is are stuff around you look around.
From what you can tell, you all seem to be in like a
similar like hospital type scrub types scenarios. They have backs. These aren't like
backless gowns. Lamarases. You're looking around and she says, oh, you're
stuff. There's well, there wasn't a whole lot left when it was all
said and done. Well, they took the drive off of your body.
And uh, you know the ship is docked at corel list. What are
you looking for, Lamara? How much of the ship is left? O''s
face just falls. I can't just throw it at my feet. I thought
that was a sound of a sound effect playing in my ears. Definitely not
definitely my cat. No, we're good. I'll clean it up and just
we're good. Don't step in it, yeah, don't. Oh god,
no, I can see it. Okay, we're fine. Bonning a cat
yep, so she okay, So she says, ask me that question again.
How much of the ship was left? She says, it's before or
now now. I don't know a whole lot because I've not seen it.
But it's under reconstruction at the moment. About sixty percent of the vessel's original
construction was lost in the explosion the reactor. It is no longer functioning.
I guess. And we lost a lot of you know, the exteriors,
so they're replacing most stuff and putting it back together. When we blasted through
to the other side, they said that it was like being shot out of
a cannon kind of into space, and it kind of tore the vessel up.
It's pretty much a miracle that we aren't just lost in cryogenic coffin floating
towards the sun somewhere. What about the bridge, I assume it's still fairly
intact because Towel's here. Tal Everyone looks over at Towel and she just has
tears just streaming down her face, trying really hard to like ease into this,
and she says, the good news is your patron already started to rebuild
it. You know how much of it was done, the bridge, I
don't know. Uh. They said that the second floor kind of core of
the vessel was the only thing not injured, which were the cryopod rooms part
of the bridge, and that's about it. Everything else spaced and lost.
A lot of the cargo was strapped down, so some of it was left
remaining. How can feel two Mere's fingers kind of interlaced with hers? I
don't like this existing as ship that's over half gone. Well now it's over
half back. I bother rebuilding a ship that's over half gone because it's the
Defiant, it's our ship. I don't And Malik's eyes kind of dart back
and forth between talent and mirror. I don't mean to be insensitive, but
we might have a problem if they're just all over the ship taking the liberty
to rebuild it. I downloaded my apartment, Malik, don't say anything right
now? Uh is there something to write on? Uh? Sure? Yeah,
cool. Tamir is going to let go of Till's hand for a moment
and just like scribble on like his bed sheet. Oh you know what,
Lamara hands you a stack of folders because she's some more she trusts. She
hands you, she like hands you a stack of like paper folders for you
to like scribble on. As you go to write, you realize that it's
a stack of all of your medical recordship I don't quick examinations over the last
few weeks. But she doesn't even think about it. Go ahead, right,
work, you're gonna write, Okay, hospital pooch here for picts.
Yes, Hey, everybody needs a good hospital. It's true the best heels
and so he'll he'll he'll scribble down on it and like rip part of it,
part of the folder off and to hand it to uh Malik. And
it's basically like was in a high tech facility. Do not trust could be
bugged. You hand us over to your brother. As you tear this piece
off, the actual records from underneath the folder on top are now revealed.
They're lamaras Uh. There's a series of redacted things with a big fat black
marker basically from redacted pieces. But you do see something if you want it,
Yeah, I want it court than you roll me a perception check.
I must how much you can get and how quickly you get it. Like
I want to see if it's obvious that you're looking at the medical record.
If it's like observation, I'll take an observation. Yeah, give me an
observation. You see it at damn, you rip it away and you hand
it to your brother. As you look back down, you can't your eyes
can't help but pick up this data, this piece of information. It seems
that she does heal at an unnatural rate, that there's some kind of cell
regeneration happening, which is kind of unheard of, and they located when they
did scans of her body, they located extra glands that humans don't have,
special glands at specific points on the body. From what they can tell and
the tests that they have won, there's some kind of pheromone gland, some
kind of pheromone gland. From what they can tell, it makes people,
regardless of really who they are, like adults, people that are of mature
age, rather enamard with her like a sexual pheromone, which makes total sense
coming from a succubistian to me or you see this just momentarily it says,
yeah, it's just like right there, like extra glands. She's got six
extra ones all over her, like at different points in her body. You've
not actually got to see her like pepula pew the place up. But but
can we not with the pepe Yeah, but that's not at all what it's
like. She has no idea either, Like you can tell based on the
notes alone that like she's completely unaware, like they haven't maybe even told her
because like she just she was like, here's our medical records, like she's
been playing they've been letting her play doctor for a week more than likely,
or two weeks for all of you to like keep her quiet so that they
could keep he around, keep her around, a run test on her.
But these are the things that they found. That she's got some kind of
fast healing processing. A lot of the drugs they give her don't seem to
be working. And they found these extra pheromone glands. Okay, Tom,
I'll just kind of tuck that info. That's a that's a brother kanfo for
The one thing they don't know is what what causes the like the glands to
uh, what's sort I want to use release the pheromone? They don't know
what the trigger is. You guys interesting but the he doesn't want to say
the word, but like he gestures, don't worry. I took care of
that. What does this? Who does these gester? This tourt all of
them? He was asking where's the gin ball? Where'd you put it?
Lamara? Oh, it's safe. I made sure that nothing was going to
happen to it when all of you went down into that scary ice moon.
I went looking for it. I found it. And this is I asked
you all if you left her on the ship or not, and the next
question she asked you was do you still have that? Where did you put
it? Hit it? Yeah, she's like, hit she's alone. You
left her go. Y'all left Lamar alone for quite a while, a few
hours. Oh, don't worry, I hit it. It's safe, okay?
Is it? Thank you? Hyar? Why are they bothering to rebuild
a ship that was only forty Why not just get a new ship? At
that point, I told them that you would want it back. Plus,
you can't live up to its name if you don't at least defy fate once.
It's been a few times, but every time I said, it's gonna
be different. Why I just replaced your body with new stuff? Are you
different? Probably? I would say no, because at the core of who
you are, you're still tell Tuma the best pilot in the third Horizon,
right, Tamir, time straight? And if I might add to me,
the Defiant is whatever it all of you are. And if this is the
ship where we are all going to be, this is the Defiant, this
is your fault te She kind of gestures to like the camaraderie like family vibe
that's happening. Malik pulls the Manila envelope and pen out of Tamir's hand and
flips it over and writes, uh, just two words all data and then
underlines data and then slides it back to t Mer or sorry, underlines all
not not data. The important word is all. He takes it back,
scripples it like a grammar. It's always a pain to me, just thoughts
we need to check this time doors. That's it. That's all he says.
The main form of what the ship the database which one you mean Coriolis
database? No, so so the so the what what what Moligue is trying
to get across is that he downloaded his whole uh all of his shit to
his tablet and then to the ship. So everything from the six months that
he was gone, everything that we illegally stole from her Murra, everything we
have minus the new blue disc was on the database for the Defiant Ye.
Granted it was locked and like it was encrypted. Yeah, it was locked.
Like he went through the ropes and locked and encrypted everything that he had.
But still best case scenario, it blew up and we're like, inconvenienced
words case scenario, someone has it. I would say, as moll Leek
did go through the database. At one point he would have found that tal
did actually do an encryption on it. It wasn't like a ridiculously good one,
but it you know, it would help hold up to a to a
decent attack. She installed spinding firewall. This is a basically you're not sure
at this point. You just don't know at this point, like right,
because these are just things Lamara can't answer. But Lamara does a I almost
forgot. And about this time she goes to open her mouth and the door
slides open, and standing in the doorway is another middle aged gentleman, a
polite smile on his face. Again, he doesn't carry a stern book.
He seems very pleased to see all of you as he steps into the room.
I am Verarn Sedona. Oh, I'm so sorry I should introduce myself.
He laps again. I am ver On Sidona, the gentleman who is
assuring you all have received the best medical care that you can oh and that
you will be honored tomorrow evening for your brave and valid efforts for the third
Horizon. You all seem to be saying this, but you haven't told us
what we are exactly being honored for. We just got shot out of and
survived well. Last time I checked, your crew not only braved the trip
to Tawan and back, as well as Hugh Chakua to attempt daring efforts to
save the life of an emissary. But you took a suicidal trip all the
way did you? Horror to the dark side of the moon to dig in
icy waters to find a single blue disc? And you made it all the
way back when no one else did. I'm sorry how many people know about
that? He He goes over to the wall and like slides his hand down
it and like a hud screen, like a TV hud screen, like heps
out of one of the walls. Uh. And he says, well,
let's see uh. Flop floop bloop. He switches the channel to the news
and there's a woman you've seen her before, she interviewed Kasha Jesus, Third
Horizon, Have we got news for you. It has come to our attention
breaking news that the heroes of the Defiant are in fact awake on Kua.
We look forward to the celebrations tomorrow night. But they're gonna honor these heroes,
true heroes of the Third Horizon out there fighting the evil Evil. First
horizon. Now back to you, Tom. He swipes the TV off.
I'd say most of the third horizon at this point. Oh, for the
first time, you just hear Alia Goh fuck it. How looks like she's
gonna be sick. She is just getting bad news after bad news after bad
news today, Why, he says, they have just let me, you
know, die. We can't let something like that happen. In fact,
the four of you have to fight, five of you have to find death
on more than one occasion. It is come to my attention, he says.
I want to know more. If it is true that the first horizon
is here and they are seeking to undermine us, we need to know why,
what has brought them here now? And the data that you brought back,
the scan of the strange vessel, the white butterfly, he said that
too? Very interesting, is it? He says, Oh, I definitely
think it is. Please, please let me give you a moment. I'm
sorry, clothe yourselves. I've said a new wardrobe in for all of you.
I'll be out in the gardens if you'd like to join me. I
have assured that you have been given permission to leave your bits. Excuse me
before you leave. How did you get that scan? Well, it was,
of course in the data banks of all of the suits you were wearing,
the suits that are property of the Defiant, which is property of Actually,
in fact, I believe those suits were paid for by the consortium,
so it was property of the consortium. Oh fuck, you were bright when
Malik the files did not lie about you. I look forward to speaking with
all of you in the gardens. And he kind of snaps and in walks.
A woman with kind of a couple stacks of clothing actually probably two stacks
of clothing kind of sets it on the end of the bed and sorry,
yes, I'll see you all soon, and the door closes, lead all
of you standing there once again, she says, isn't he so nice?
He's the man that's paying for your ship. Like multiple files, I guess.
So they said they have all kinds of files on us now, And
that blue disk that we brought back, they said I had super duper important
information on it. At least it's the whispers that I've been hearing around the
water cooler. Alia is panicking right now. She's just like she okay,
and she just sits down. All right, where are you freaking out.
No one, no one in this crew mis to reveal anything that isn't from
what we know common knowledge, like what Chyle looks at every single one of
them. Anything that you don't know other people know for sure, keep it
to yourself until we know exactly who we can trust here. They know everything
they know. They don't know everything, Alia, if they had to interview
us, if they still have questions for us. They don't know everything.
Let's not give them things that they don't need to know. Yeah, you're
right, you're right. We've been through worth, I've been through worse.
I've got them out of worse. Okay, you know, not the right
time. But you're super duper sketchy for a priestess. I think she's rather
pleasant. She's kind of like sunshine most of the time. Yeah, Alia's
Alia like a small She's like shakes out his shirt. Where did you find
it? The woman just brought in all these clothes for us, because you're
still in the scrubs. Your dress. Well, yeah, but she's like
wearing very much a white uniform that they like gave her to play nurse for
the last few days. It's the same thing she always wears basically, I
think she's always in doesn't notice it. He's just like, that's what the
that's Yeah, you're already dressed in your normal clothes. Yeah, Milike throws
some clothes over and he starts sliding a pant leg on. A lamar comes
over to you and she goes, hey, I have a question, A
hypothetical one. Uh huh. You know, uh say, I had a
friend who may have said some stuff, and then another friend's like, hey,
don't say that stuff. But it's too late because you already said it.
Is that bad? Hypothetically speaking, m corruption bar number one? Hypothetically
speaking, what did your friend say? You know? They just were honest
about that. There's some stuff I don't know, so so I didn't tell
everything. Some stuff like what stuff they said? I had to debrief.
They used military words. It was very intimidating. Uh huh. It was
official. I thought we were working for them. I didn't know what what
did you say? Well? They they they asked me what happened? Mm
hmm, And I told them that we we we did this job. And
then one of the commanders missing mm hmmm, which is true. And then
the other all of you went to the surface, and I don't know what
happened while you were all down there, but then I caught life signs and
I picked you up on the surface. And then when we got to space,
there was this like wave that kind of came out and it knocked all
of the ships, and then we did a blind jump and we snuggled in
the thing. And that's pretty much what I told them, pretty much or
exactly. No, No, that's that's that's all I told them. Hey,
you know what's good news? Though? No, Well, the the
tank of like you know, radioactive chemical uh huh debris. Uh, Well,
that tank was did not make it out the other side of the portal,
So you know, there's no proof of our lost friends. Great,
great, yep, that's great. That's a good that that is good news.
Okay, I don't I don't think you don't think's going to be mad,
do you. I don't think Twal's going to be mad. Oh,
And I gave him a blue disc. That's fine. That's what the job
was, our number two. That's what the job was. Give it to
them. Did you give them anything else? My name? Uh huh oh.
And they ran they ran some tests on they said, I'm normal.
Oh you okay, Well, they ran a lot of tests on all of
you. I pretty much know the ins and outs of your bodies now,
which is good. You know, I don't actually have all the equipment on
the affiant to run proper diagnostics on everybody's health conditions. But now now,
uh, well I'm informed, great, great, great, Yeah. I
think your blood sugar is a uh your your blood pressures are tat high molik
low carb diet. I think he just like he like looks at the mirror
and then looks back at her like deadpan, with several blinks in between,
and goes, I can't imagine why about this one? And she holds up
like a totally ship scears again to like another shirt. And all of you
are able to put on some semblance of like normal clothes if you would like,
and you've been given free rein to roam the hospital grounds, which is
huge as to me, are found out at least for now, at least
for now. This gentleman that came to you, it said that he was
waiting for you in the gardens if you would like to, if you would
like to join him, you cannot, that's fine too. No, I'm
sorry, he yeah, no, he said, there's a meeting room.
There's a meeting room nearby, which is like it's like a mess hall,
like a massive mess hall for the hospital, where there's like food and fountains
and carts of tasty eats and things like that, where people can go to
to break from the kind of hubbub of the hospital. That is where he
is located. After everybody's kind of dressed and it's starting to leave the room,
Till grabs Tamr's arm and says, hey, you actually okay, we
can't hear you. I'm muted now, I'm still, oh so weird.
Okay, I'm concerned. Yeah, me too. I'm sorry about the defiant.
I didn't think that. I thought the calculations would have been enough,
would have gotten out, you know what. Like they said, it's a
miracle. We're alive, So I'll take that. Tal laces her fingers with
tmears. But are you actually okay? I'm physically yes, but I'm in
a lot of trouble. I'm in a lot of trouble and I can't talk
about it yet. We'll figure it out. Just be careful what you say
around me. I don't trust myself right now, Okay, they know about
my communications device. M hm. Tal just looks really thoughtful and slightly frustrated.
She doesn't really say very much, but her browser furrowed and she just
looks frustrated, like she's trying to solve a puzzle that she can't quite even
grasp the edges of. Well, just if you start losing fragments of time
or something, tell me, please. Apparently we're losing half of our body,
so I mean, what more what else can we lose? Right,
don't say that's a mirror. I've already lost most of my ship. I'm
sorry. I don't know how much that home meant to you. Technically we
still have it. It'll be weird, though it's not the same. It's
not well, all right, I guess. Oh you should see this real
quick. And still holding the documents to mirror's gonna show tall Lamara's actually flip
the first page open, look for another folder, and you can see the
full thing. You also have everybody as medical records in your hands. Yeah,
oh God was not going to you like lay it open. The very
first thing that you see. You gotta see this, all right, is
like one of those like you know, like an autopsy report. It's like
the blank body, and you can see the areas of red uh that basically
were not there when your bodies arrived, or that were like heavily injured.
So you can see, like Tamir, your entire left arm was rebuilt.
You can see that Malik's lower half was pretty much rebuilt as well. Alia
you were missing large parts of your legs as well, and like lower like
back half tow you had a lot of damage tissue around your face, whatever
your eye implant was. They didn't feel like was like worry summed up.
That's pretty standard tech. Tamr's is not standard. I guess you could say
they weren't worried about yours. But they rebuilt a large portion of like your
face around that piece your ear, the back of your skulling down your neck.
So you can see on each one of you how much like where and
tear your body is underwent. Most of the reports say that this was damaged
due to crushing, because the tubes themselves crushed in around you. So what
actually happened is like your lower spine, Molik was damage, so they removed
your lower half and replaced it. So forth, and so on. So
yeah, they kind of found you guys crushed in cryostasis, which is basically
what left your bodies alive long enough to bring you back, put you into
medical coma and rebuild your bodies. Lumara's medical record show no injuries and extra
glands and extra glands, and they have the points like on the body you
can see heat like they went and colored in or whatever. There's two glands
behind her ears. There's two glands in her wrists, and there is one
in her lower back, like two in like her lower back area. Okay,
I just kind of note that in my head because wow, I after
I kind of finish skimming through because Charl's not going to sit there and read
note for note, but try just to get the idea of what exactly happened
to them, how they how they were found. I'm to tell you this
tamrriage medical record is not here. Yeah, this isn't a different wing.
They're not going to give that one up until he agrees to what they want.
I'm gonna just kind of close the folder and be like, well,
it looks like we're all really lucky that someone rich wanted us alive. I
only want us alive because we can do things no one else can. We've
done things no one else can. Our patron was there when I woke up.
Oh, he had a man with him. The auctioneer said, okay,
they're they're they're paying for this day. They want us alive because they
want us to work for them. Wait, that wasn't say that was just
here? That was no. He said he was paying for it. Did
I miss hear that? Or are there are a bunch of people freaking bidding
on us right now? Okay I miss here? Okay, cool, because
it could be me, it could be my memory. I just wanted to
clarify. Great, so who's actually paying? Tell us we're paying. We're
a commodity. Now we were a commodity then. That's why I didn't want
to do anything with the patron. My brother and I left ALG so that
we wouldn't so that we could be our own people, with our own choices,
not having others in powered decide what we can or cannot do. This
is everything I didn't want. That is a face to be frozen at.
That is a face to be frozen. That's how I feel too, That's
how I feel too. Yes, I know I know Aris was having internet
difficulties earlier, so the internet may have dropped. That's okay. How's everybody
doing? This is my check in point. How are we feeling? Safety
tools? We use them at this table. This is me just a feeling
feeling gimpy. Okay, well I got shopped in half you did, but
your your business functions again? Wow? Do you know you're now in the
important for half business which includes feet, hamlet, solid cover. There,
I got you, I got you. It looks like we lost ares.
How about this? The camera cuts? Do do we? Does everybody kind
of get dressed and go gather? Yeah, okay, it's a little bit
of time. And when you all kind of reach we'll say this actually to
give Aaron time to come back. Alia. Do you go off by yourself
or do you wait for the crew? I think I think she definitely waits
for the crew because at this point they're all out of their elements and she
wants to stick with them. So you're kind of standing nearby and what's just
a waiting area, oh perfect outside of here, and you're thinking through everything
that happened. Maybe you even take a minute to try to piece it all
together, you know, how like after your excuse me, you dream,
It's like things fade, but they're still there. If you can just you
just remember, you can just hook onto it and you start kind of recalling,
you start recalling the process of them, like removing you from space,
Like you see these strange flashes something here's something there, and when you're when
you kind of shake this off, This like living back through this kind of
nightmare situation that's like going into surgery, but your amnesia comes up too soon.
You know that like pain that the body will feel or those kinds of
things, Like it's like flashes of that and as you shake it off,
and maybe it's a door somebody that walks past you look down the end of
the hallway. I'd like you to roll me an observation. Okay, there's
no shoot theere you go there. It is observe, which I don't think
I have at all, So it would just be a wits roll. Yay.
What'd you get? One? One for all of our listeners at home?
A one your eyes might be playing tricks on you. There's a high
possibility because I mean, you've definitely been under a medical coma for like a
week bare minimum, But you see a nurse at the end of the hall.
She's in like a long white robe, big sleeves and something about her
maybe she even looks over her shoulder. She's bled and she pulls kind of
her hood up and over as she goes to enter her patient's room or go
down the hallway somewhere, And just for a moment, it makes you think
of showy. As the door next to you opens up and the rest of
your crew walks out, all now dressed, and you know, at tire
Talon TAMR included, and all of you head down to this mess area.
We'll say this meeting room has heavy rugs that cover the marble floors and a
comfortable a set of comfortable armchairs. You know, there's like food, there's
like a table of like really nice food that's out, fresh fruit and such,
decanters of wine, there's honey, water, pretty much anything that you
could want. And here tables for people to gather. But you can see
this man sitting in his robes on like near the two chairs. You can
see that he has two bodyguards. They're not armed, they don't carry guns,
nothing like that, but they're very clearly bodyguards. They're Ali his size
right, They're very clear, they're very very much there for a reason,
and they stand just off to the side, so you could almost ignore them
if you wanted to. And he sees all of you come in, and
he stands and smiles once again, and just just for you to join him
on these very comfy couches. I'll stand, thank you, oh Soudra,
Yeah, no one, No one sits. Everyone just kind of stands around
arms or at least tle stands around arms crossed. Alias is in our sleep
like this? Just I see that there is some tension, questions, lots
of tension, lots of questions. I was actually under I was informed that
somebody else was supposedly paying for ours day, and now you're telling us that
you're paying. He says, Oh, no, no, no, no,
I'm I'm paying for all of you, and he gestures to tell Malik
and Alia. He says, Unfortunately, Tamir was outside of my jurisdiction,
he says, and I'm paying for the well to update your vessel, beautiful
ship. Hm, why why, he says. He looks around as if
somebody else might laugh for him, and he says, why because the four
of you, five of you if you include the doctor, he says,
with a strange lilt on the term doctor. Heal's face darkens at that.
If you look at the situation, the five of you risk your lives to
return a disc to the consortium, we owe you a great deal, a
lot more than any money can buy. You do understand what the five of
you have returned to us? Yes? What he will tell us anything.
While you were all healing, we had a chance to excavate data from the
disc. Quite a bit of information that you pulled from the spear reinforced some
hypotheses that we already had in place about what happened in Tawan. The judge,
our mutual friends, spoke very highly of all of you. It seems
that you are incapable of failing a mission. Now that is a crew that
deserves at least a little recognition. The thing that I'm failing to understand is
when we ask for any recognition, I actually don't want recognition. So I
was definitely given something I didn't ask for or want. Peace, And you
expect me to be grateful. So sorry, he says, Actually I don't
need your gratitude. It is me trying to show you great gratitude. Okay,
and he says, I'm sorry if I've Afindy, but unfortunately, it
is not in my jurisdiction to say whether or not tomorrow's celebrations will be in
honor of who. The fact of the matter is that the people of Coriolis
have spoken, you are well. You, You've brought a little hope to
a time that has been very, very dark for this place. And on
the eve of the great celebration, I believe it, we believe the factions
that it will do the people some good to celebrate four heroes, five five
heroes, right the doctor, He says, I'm not asking for anything in
return. The ship payments, your medical bills, these are all compensation for
returning the disc. You don't owe us anything more a little, just a
little. Will we get to hand pick our security detail for life or he
smiles. He says, no, you have no need to worry about that,
really, because you guys blamed uh one of the council factions on the
mysticides, and you just touted us as the heroes that stopped the mysticides,
So if they actually caused them, they're not going to be fans of that.
He says, well, the good news is you returned to blue diss
that disproved the majority of that someone still caused it, and they're not gonna
like that we stopped it. Is there something you'd like to tell me,
Malik? Yes, I'd like to hand pick our security detail because I don't
trust you as far as I can throw you. Oh you're talking about the
uh insert Yes, the uh what was his name? The missing commando?
Did we ever figure that out? Oh? You mean the three missing commandos?
Well, the doctor's debrief. You scrubbed our suits, right, because
you own the suits? Is that correct? We did? So? Then
you recorded time and you recorded for Rouke or Dala saying that your special agent
was a trader, shooting her in the face and then trying to frame them,
followed by them. The suits don't record anything, really, because I
recorded a lot on mine because I could play back audio of Nadina talking shit.
So when did you play back audio? Not on you did? I'll
tell you this. You did not play back audio on your scuba suit.
Oh, it might have been the risk terminal thingy vibe. It was my
my tablet. Yeah, but that that is basically a computer. There's not
it's it's basically, you use that to scan the ship, and that's what
you sent back. It's not really it's not like a voice recorder or video
recorder. That's not how it works. What you just did was gave up
all the information to him, and he says, I see, so there
was a trader amongst you. Wonderful. I'm going to have you make a
manipulation role. But you can take a plus two because you told him the
truth. Uh, to shut your mouth. The leak he's buried over,
listens to tow to be fair, I did, I did play something back
any other episode you did? I did technically, yeah, but I think
I yet to use your data pad for that, not your wrisk thing.
But my data pad, we said, was on the scuba suit because it's
a scuba suit and my dada pad would have died underwater. But is still
a data pad. That's different than like the wrist watch. Basically, yeah,
that's what I was assuming was on this. So you had something special,
right, but the rest of every but he did not, and that's
something special. I don't know. I guess you could have recorded everything that
was put over your calm, like if you wanted to record the entirety of
everything that was sent over, which means every conversation that y'all had would be
available to them. I will give you that choice with this plus two for
this manipulation role. What's you roll? I didn't roll yet, but I'm
trying to figure out if we had any sus conversation that means they would have
heard everything, which there weren't. No sus conversations. I don't think we
had any suspect conversations on this thing on this trip, just maybe in Sassy
a lot. Yeah, because yeah, so yeah, I'll say yeah,
mine, mine had a mine had a tab that was there. Yeah,
I will also say so so he said, okay, go ahead. So
with a plus two. First of all, what am I rolling manipulated for?
Because you're trying to keep the truth from him? Okay, got it?
Cool. But you're getting a plus two because inevitably you've told him the
truth anyways, I am going to invoke another plus two, I think.
Okay, So this says when trying to scare or threaten somebody, I think
this is as close as Malik gets to either one of those uh those things.
So it's someone that knows that you have a faction association. So I
will ask you dot, if this guy's file is worth a damn and knows
Malik's previous employer, would I be able to get a plus two because my
talent is faction standing syndicate member. If he wouldn't, if he would not
know my background, then then I won't take it. Okay, I would
say he didn't. He knows a lot about all of you. So would
that be a plus two based on my So I will give you the I
will, I will give you the plus two. But yes, I will
give you the plus two. Then in that case, uh, I'll wait
submit Okay, critical success for critical success. So I will say this you
You you're like, what did you not listen to the blah blah angsty Malik
comment blah blah, and he says uh, he says uh. In fact,
we decided that since your data pad did not belong to us, that
we would leave that up to you. But like I said, the blue
disc which belongs to us, had all the information that we needed. I
understand your weary and concern. We sent an agent with you that was it
kind of looks around part of the Nazarene. But you already know that,
don't you. Elik. Here's what I know. I know that the last
time we worked with your security forces, the officer that was set with us
tried to kill us. And then this most recent time, the three people
sent by you to work with us tried to kill us. So I restate,
I don't trust you as far as I can throw you, and my
brother is the strong one I understand. Looks over at your brother. Yes,
Tamir, Yes, sir, he supells. There's no need for such
formalities. I'm gonna say, Malik, with your plus two, you're going
to know this man. You're going to know a couple of things. This
man is the operational manager of several of the Foundation stations throughout the entirety of
the Third Horizon, including Station twenty one, which is on Pire, which
is Empire in the Uhiu system. So they would have been the first to
find out about what you're all doing, and probably the first to know that
you are all going to be there to begin with, more than likely decided
the paperwork that says you could go and do this mission. It has long
been a fear of mine that the Forgotten Faction may return. I recognize that
we may not have handled our business with the utmost quality. In fact,
we have trusted far too many. But it seems the one mistake that Consortium
has not made is in all of you. I would like to offer all
of you a chance to continue working with us. If it is true that
this, if it is true that the Nazarene sacrifice has returned and they are
trying to undermine us in any way, then it does not matter what faction
you are part of. It doesn't matter if you are a first come or
as Anythian. It does not matter what planet you hail from or how many
portals you have jumped. We all have a common enemy, or at least
we should. We want to show you our gratitude, and I recognize,
based on all of your files that this is not something that you've received very
frequently. You have until tomorrow night's banquet to let me know if you'd like
to continue working for us. We would love for you to continue fighting whatever
malicious force is out there. We'll give you whatever security you want, even
if it's your own security. But the fact of the matter is the Third
Horizon needs all of you. This crew of the Defiant and we are willing
to assure that well, I am willing to assure that whatever is offered to
you, we can beat that offer. Well, I guess apparently we've got
a line then, so I'll let you know this is wonderful. Well,
I look forward to toasting with you all tomorrow eve. And he says,
oh, and I have assured that you will all have suitable attire for an
evening such as this. I don't have your exact sizes. And he kind
of looks at all of you, all of you ending with like alia,
it's all you know, and he says, so I thought maybe it would
be better for you to choose yourself. He pulls out a card and hands
it to you. It's like a hollow card, and he has it to
you and he says, this is a shop you can be said Starbucks.
I've already paid for everything, and you can suit yourself for for tomorrow Tomorrow's
ball. And he says, I'm again sorry if we have offended you.
Tau Tuma. We're not expected to dance, are we, He says,
You're not expected to do anything but show up. You are the guests of
honor, are all of you? He says, you'll sit at the front
table. The factions will probably honor you. There will be a speech made,
no doubt, and you may have to have your picture taken at least
in a couple places. And again of smiles. But I can tell you
that the people of Kula of Coriolis, and he kind of gestures to the
sky, knowing that it's up there, floating in orbit of the planet that
you're currently on. He says, all those people need to see you,
all of you. They need to see people just like you fighting the things
that's trying to rip us apart. He says, you know what, even
if nobody else buys it, you all give me hope. He stands.
It has been a pleasure to share time with all of you. Not many
people say that about us. Well, I'm not many people, says,
have a good evening. I hope you'll really consider my offer. The people
of the Third Horizon need you, he says. No more working in secret.
I know that the Crew of Defiant works best in shadows. But it's
time to come out of the darkness and shed a little light. I'll see
you all tomorrow, Eve, Like I said, stress for the occasion.
He stands when he does, the guards kind of straighten up and they fall
in behind him. A lot of people can oh, whisper because he's very
very clearly important. This is what he looks like. Here has blue robes.
Oh there is some pretty blue robes. Yeah, pretty pretty teel robes.
Quock question dot. Based on the conversations that the crew has been hearing
and the news, I'm sure that they've heard more tidbits from news like around
has has the mysticide ended? Has the has the prejudiced? Like? Is
that in reverse now that they know more of the truth reversus hard right,
Because if the mysticides were technically being done by not by the order of the
pariah, but done by the Nazarine's sacrifice, they're still out there. What
they did was like insert their political agendas. So as long as the Nazarine
sacrifice in the first horizon are coming back, more than likely the mysticides will
not end. In fact, Ali, you would know at least from your
time. Was surely that in fact, more and more mystics are being are
awaken, awakening some mystics. Actually you don't. We'll hold on this on
that note. This is nope, this is perfect on that note, you
get that sensation again and you look over your shoulder and you see this same
nurse like long draping sleeves and their hands are tucked and they look over their
shoulder, this time the hood down and you swear it shurely. She disappears
at this woman into a room. Oh yeah, towns Racers, I'll be
right back. He don't mind go too far. No, you can hear
the more like, oh my gosh, can we match tomorrow Nightmily? What
do you want to wear? A teal purple? And she's like going on
and on and kind of like getting really excited about the fact that you can
pick both. Really yeah, wear it? Sure, great, And she's
kind of like very exciting. Now she's like, this is it, and
so all you kind of get up and you don't walk very far. It's
as if you're kind of in a common space and there are four exits out
of this room, and one of them goes down this kind of long hallway
and you see the the room she kind of jutted into. Do you do
you follow in pursuit? Yeah. When you get to the room, you're
you're kind of met with that same like noise of like a lab in the
background. This seems to be a workspace. There are no patience in here.
It's a smaller lab where like medical stuff is running. There's like diagnostics,
you know. There's some kind of drolling in the corner. That's again
he's like, uh, you know, tipping blood in a vial or something
like that. In the back corner. A beam of light comes through naturally
and hits this white robe and as the woman turns around, it observation,
Okay, it's gonna tricky for you. I think once again, it's going
to be I'll give you a plus one because you know Shirley, Okay,
yeah, it doesn't look like her, but it does look like her.
You don't know if she's using some kind of technology to like alter her face
or if she actually has prosthetics. But the voice is really of no question,
and she says, very simply, it is so good to see you.
Alia. Alia walks forward, doesn't really say anything at first, and
then just like hesitantly at first, but just go on, it's real.
She kind of puts her very bald head kind of forward so you can touch
her face if you'd like. Yeah, and she goes in like just lightly
touches her cheek. She says, unfortunate necessity living in is difficult and technology
only goes so far. Means that helped me find a new face. I
guess you could say. Alia immediately says, starts bawling. She breaks down
and just like like you just see her like crumple into her arms. She
goes my child and kind of takes you in. You're much bigger than she
is, and she kind of wraps you in and embrace, and she says,
what is it that troubles your mind so much to bring you to weeping?
You just she's not like coherent, and she just it takes her a
moment to just kind of recoup, and she is, I'm I'm sorry.
I don't I don't I don't know what came over with me, And sorry,
she says, for what. Just just I could never compose myself like
you have. She says, Alia, I just told you I had to
change my face to survive. You don't want to be anything like me.
She kind of tips your chin up and wipes the tear away, and she
says, I saw your face on the news all these years, That's what
I've been avoiding, and here we are. I missed Sture so much.
I have missed you as well. It seems that you've taken good care of
the crew. I mean not much I could have done. They are already
so well accustomed. And you do not You do not believe in yourself enough.
I'm actually not trying to be humble for the first time. She actually
laughs a little bit at that, and she says, good being too humble.
It's affraided. I'm learning they are. If anything, they're the ones
teaching me, and they are far more capable than I ever was at their
stage. Again, you undermine yourself. You're much stronger than you know.
And I don't mean these And she kind of squeezes her arms a little bit,
like your muscles, and she says, I, as much as I
would like to say I am here on a social occasion, you and I
both know that's not true. There's so much I need to catch you upon.
If you didn't know already, I don't knowing you you might already,
she says. We will have time. Many of the fears that I had
seemed to be coming into reality. I thought out an old wise woman tried
to look into the past or the future, anything to give us more insight
than we have now. She saw an ancient clock break crumble, whoops,
sorry, from it poured both light and darkness. I found it interesting read,
and no matter how many times I went back, it was always the
same, a crumbling clock, light and darkness that spilled forth. But this
last time the vision did not end in the light, as it lasted forth
and dissipated. She saw. She saw great destruction and ruin. I have
long feared that the Nazareiam was not as asleep as we thought, that the
wars did not in fact read us of them. It just calls them to
go into hiding like rats in the floorboards. And they've bred and multiplied,
and now there are too many of them for the floorboards to hold. Perhaps
it's time that we pull them back the boards, I mean, and expose
them. I am so tired of running, and it seems at this point
I don't have the option anymore. We don't. I would call that a
blessing. Nobody deserves to run their whole life. Aliah knowes that mean they're
coming back. I can't yet. I understand that you have an opportunity.
The mysticides aren't gone but really more light has been shed on that issue.
If it was in fact the Nazarine sacrifice. The majority of my life has
spent been spent in pursuit of the wrong thing. This is will be the
last time we see each other for a while. Life in the light means
that you don't have to walk with mascot anymore, Alia. I think.
When she says that, Alia stands a little taller, reaches out, and
then like you just see like a like a depressure sound or whatever. And
then she finally takes that mask off. She says, there you are.
I must go. I think one thing, one thing, so knowing all
yeah, because I'm hurt, true. Sorry. She has taken notes this
entire time, like documenting that because that's her job, or at least part
of her responsibilities, was documenting everything that she's done. She goes, I
know that we don't have much time, and I know I might not be
able to cover everything that has happened. But these are a copy of my
notes that have taken so far, of everything I've done, everything I've seen.
Perhaps you can make sense of it better than I, or maybe find
something in here that I have missed. She says, Alia, it didn't
come see you to take your notes. I will copy. Oh okay,
she goes, I will take them, but I believe that you are fully
capable of interpreting those yourself. She kind of takes the papers or whatever you
have, the stack of information or a journal or however you have written this
down. I think actually it would be something written down like archaical you simply
because that's less likely to be yea like hacked. Or can I imagine that
maybe it's something that you and Shureley used to do, like that is how
information is passed. And I think it'll be written in something like a code
that only they might understand, simply because they don't want the wrong guys to
see or interpret it. Yes, and she says, I'll be around through
tomorrow evening. You don't think I came all this way not to watch you
get honored in public. I'm so proud of you, Alia. I am
what you made me, or at least helped me. I guess I need
to stop taking me. She smiles once again and puts a hand on your
face, and she says, you mean the thing that you made until our
next meeting, Alia, And she kind of tucks her hands back into this
and pulls the hood up and almost unrecognizable as shurey to somebody that may not
know her. But you you know those eyes, you know that voice.
Some things will never change. She looks of her shoulder once more and smiles
at you to reassure you that it's going to be okay. And before she
leaves, one last thing that Alia says, is I think also it is
time perhaps maybe if she allows it, I think you need to talk with
Semina as well, Samira, Sorry, yes, Amrah, Amirra, well,
yes, Amira, Semina, Yes, yeah, Amrah Semena. She
kind of stops and she looks over her shoulder and she says, yes,
she may need you more than I need to. She smiles, and she
says, no, I think she needs you more than she needs me.
She'll be at the ball tomorrow night, no doubt. She never misses an
opportunity to get dressed up. You are right, she says. Remember,
you cannot save everyone, Alia, but it doesn't have to stop you from
trying. Yes, go forth, bring light where you can. She kind
of like nods as the hood falls down even farther, blocking her eyes,
and she turns and leaves and kind of files in line with a group of
other nurses wearing similar kind of robes, and she almost disappears into the crowd,
and then like under her breath, she goes, see you soon,
mama, and then turns around and walks out, and as you do,
I imagine they're still collected, just there, maybe even getting up to leave.
The doctor, the gentleman who was originally in the room with all of
you, comes out to meet you and he says, I'm glad to see
that you're all up and on your feet. Look at you and real clothes
and everything. Yep, that's what happens, doctor mnash. He says,
well, I can't keep you here any longer, but you're welcome to stay
as long as you'd like. The rooms are at least available to you for
the next twenty four hours until, of course, tomorrow's big celebration. Let's
see sorry gay, bless you, let's see you, thank you, and
ah. He hands you all like a slip of paper, which is or
like something that has been signed or has the right barcode. That's basically how
you get out right so that you can check yourself out, and he hands
each of you, one Lumara included. She's like, I don't need this,
she needs that. She doesn't think that she's being held here, so
she doesn't think. She means that it's it's fine, I'll take yours,
Lamar okay, it's like an extra and she like hands it over to you,
and uh, he says, I look forward to tomorrow evening. Have
a wonderful time. Great, excuse me before you leave. We're we already
given somewhere to stay that's not in the hospital. Oh you gotta pulls up
his dada Patt and he scrolls through. Oh yeah, actually there is a
note here. You have all been put up at the local hostel five star.
Any idea, what's the name on that reservation? Tell Tuma, any
idea? Who made the reservation? It looks like private funds. Maybe let's
see here. Oh uh. The reservations seemed to be under the name of
uh Fadina Fadida. No, I'm gonna, I'm gonna have to say this
one. Mm fider din Harama is her name. We'll call her fider Yeah,
No, I'm kidding. No, that was terrible, Commander, don't
say yep to that. Yeah, Fadiyah din Harmara seems to be in charge
of that, and uh, he says, it looks like somebody in this
Nithian Homogeny has their eyes on you. Sorry, come again, I was
gonna say, do I recognize that name at all? But I will take
a command rule from Tao or a culture role from the rest of you.
Is that an an or situation or end situation I will take or the other
high whichever one is couple because for too let's okay, okay, oh wait,
let me relo roll that once more, because I accidentally still have the
positive oh the plush. Just we'll take the last die away just on that
role, which is a two. So your success, you succeeded anyways,
Okay, so you're good less, Yes, of course, Uh, Commander
her Herrama is well the commander of the flagship fleet of the Synathian Homogeny TEW.
You would kind of recognize that, especially with my dad's military background.
At least the name sounds familiar. Yeah, you're like, uh, oh
cool, we don't really work with homogeny. You know, they're like out
there on the rim doing their thing, right, but you know, okay,
well, I guess we got another bidder. All right, yeah,
well, when your name's everywhere, people want to be around you. That's
why I didn't want to be famous. Didn't we discuss this and taltersmir We
talked about this, right, this is why we didn't take any eyes on
us. Yeah, okay, and now the whole but I no mind.
All right, Well thank you doctorminsh yeah, yes, he goes, yes,
well until tomorrow evening, and he says, thank you again for your
help, doctor Lamara. She beats from ear to ear? Does he look
sarcastic when he says that? He looks sarcastic in the perfect bedside manner kind
of way, Like he doesn't mean it to be patronizing, like he genuinely
means it, like thank you for your help. But he definitely treats her
like she's maybe twelve or thirteen. Unfortunately, everybody kind of died here.
That's why it's like, I don't think he kind he's genuine in his thanks,
how about that? But you can definitely tell there's a little yeah,
there's some undermining there. Yeah. Okay, she's clearly been the joke for
the last week here with everybody, because that's how they got her to like
participate probably was like giving her free reign of working in the hospital and taking
care of her friends. All right, uh, I guess let's go figure
out what we're doing. Who wants to go shopping? Each of you like
boop boop boop your cards on the way out, right, like scan scan,
all of you exit, You get the green light. There's no issues.
Yes, before Ali your heads out, like just because she's such a
big empathy, I'm pretty sure she picked up on his sarcasm. She goes
just to let you know she could probably run circles around you with a scalpel
and you wouldn't even know. So a little bit of respect and what is
this they say as a medical person was a hypocratical Maybe that doesn't apply,
but something about compassion. Perhaps you needed a little more young man, and
then walks out. He's definitely older than you, and he kind of looks
back like, oh he doesn't care, like what he what he? Why
you're so upset about it? Because like they treated her nice. She doesn't
know they're making fun of her, right, so like all of the usual
horrible people, thinks she waves by to every bye bye as she leaves with
all of you. She seems very happy, like she knows everybody. A
couple of people snicker, but Alia. I imagine Alli's actions in the middle
of his waiting area probably severely skew most people from saying anything loud enough where
you could hear at this point because they saw that happen. And as all
of you exit, you don't get very far because you are met by the
sound of pattering feet of a young boy. He's in uniform. He's a
cadet of some kind. There's only yeah, one young boy we've ever based
and no, no, no, that's not true. It's not true.
Well he might if fifteen or sixteen, you know, he's like budding.
You might say, I'll take a culture test from anybody that wants to make
one book calls for one, so I don't have culture. Yeah, that's
all right, Hey, okay, you would know based on the pins that
he's like wearing on this cadet uniform that he is a recent graduate. He's
got a star for being a recent graduate, and he's in he has like
a squadron pin. He's in the elite Nighthawk squadron, which is like the
flight squadron of the third horizon, which is wait, he would know what
that pin is? Like thy city this, I would not say, you
would know how about this? You would know that he's a pilot, but
you would not know that it is for the Nighthawk Squadron, because that's very
much a homogeny thing, and unless you have a homogeny background, you wouldn't
know that because it's there, it's their fleet, if that makes sense.
But you would definitely know. He's clearly young, but he's in training and
he's already got some medals, which means he's probably accomplished in some way.
I would give definitely give you that much for sure. I will say tal
is Zanethian and her dad is an ACE pilot, so okay, not completely
unfamiliar with I would say, then you saw these same pins, Well,
you did your dad fly for the Nighthawk Squadron. I would imagine what if
he was an elak, if he was elite. I don't both the timeline
lines up for that, but we'll say, no matter what, maybe you
saw an image or something in the past where your father, a young image
of your dad, where maybe he also wore these pins, more than likely
during the Portal Wars. Yeah. I'm sure she might not know exactly where
he comes from or anything like that, but she recognizes it as a pilot.
He's definitely official, Yeah, for sure. And it kind of comes
up and he clicks his heels and uh, he says, I I bring
order orders for all of you, and he kind of hands over a kind
of shiny it's not even a piece of paper, it's another like holographic.
Uh, very nice. Note notice note, Oh will we take orders now?
Oh, I'm sorry. This is a woman, not a man.
I am so sorry. It's just a young cadet. And I assumed that
is so wrong. That is so wrong of me. I should have read
for you better. Now. Yeah, well they didn't give the pronoun until
three quarters of the way down the paragraph. So she introduces herself. She
says, I am cadet Samma Aristides and she kind of and she says,
orders for you from the mode more time s A N A R S studies
A R I S T I d E s one more time A R I
S T I D E s dot mm hmm. Just to clarify, you
said the doctor, right, the one we were just talking to, said
that our hostile was paid for by who well was paid for by the fleet
commander of the entire homogeny, which was what was the last name, uh,
which was Harrama Harrama dope. So he hands it over and he says,
Commander Harama, request your immediate presence. She kind of says, and
she stands up straight, she would like private audience with you in the hospital
gardens over a. Yeah, she's very clearly nervous, like maybe this is
the first major job she's been given. Ah, you know, you don't
have to say over if you're not on a radio, right, I'm sorry
that was a mistake. Oh what is? Commander Harrama also said that they
would like a brief that a brief moment of your time would be a great
honor. Parama or arithides she is Aricides. Oh, she's aides. She
is Sauna Aricides. Who is bringing all of you a message from the mogyny.
It looks to be Captain Dama or I'm sorry Harrama herself. So maybe
we should just s wait in the gardens and let everybody come to us.
Apparently we're such a big deal. Now she goes, let me escort you
because it would be my honor. Sure, it is laid the way.
If I can say, off record, not like any of your keeping records,
off record, I think you are all the coolest. Oh god,
I can't. I heard what you did blind jump out the other side and
your crew made it. You're the best pilot and all the Third Horizon towel
is beat red is arm on her and just like you know, when I
was a little girl, I always wanted to be a pilot, and everybody
told me that women can't be pilots. But look, you're the best pilot
in all the Third Horizon. And you didn't even train with homogeny. Wow.
Oh well you know, uh, and there's somebody luck involved. But
just get to know your ship. Get to know my ship? That is
so wise. Yes, how do you get to know your ship? Spend
a lot of time on it? Yeah, a lot of time on the
ship. Yeah. Wait, has been a great honor. Tautuma and crew.
May I escort you to the gardens? Yeah? Please? They like
turn u right click, their heels spin and like march in front of all
of you and like excuse me coming through the cadets, like pushing people out
of the way to escort the four of you to the gardens. Kaw looks
kind of mortified and is kind of trying to hide inside of Tamir's arm as
they walk, and the cadet like walks right up and as you reach the
gardens, all of you might even have to stop for a moment. The
gardens have been cleared of people. There's nobody here. This is the first
time in this massive hospital where you've not been met with people. This space
has been cleared of folk. Around this garden, which is beautiful. It's
a sand garden that's been raked to absolute perfection. Stones in place, stacked,
and standing in the center is the commander. She has ten I repeat
ten very obvious homogeny guards standing around the gardens. And the commander says,
or the cadet says, commander yeah, salutes. She says, at ease,
soldier, I present to you the crew of the Defiant. She seems
so proud to be able to say it, as if she might explode like
a little firecracker when she smiles and she turns and she looks at Tow one
more time with kind of like wanting of an approving grin, as if she's
like doesn't even want to leave the presence of her hero, and she smiles
and turns it and walks out, leaving all five of you. I love
her too, but tw is not award yep, exactly. She thinks you're
the coolest god. By the way, why did you have to specify the
bodyguard so well? Like you're just like, do you expect us to pull
some ship that predictable? To be transparent about the level of security that was
brought to this meeting. That's it. It's a symbol. Yeah, they
find us powerful enough that they need Thanks. All right, welcome and raiders.
Hello, and you all see a very very beautiful woman, an elegant
uniform standing in the middle of this perfectly raped white gravel circle. A discreete
gold lapel pin of the Homogony fleet insignia which you saw on the cadet,
is also on her, and as well as another set. I'm not going
to make you roll an observation, but you can roll. Oh no,
I think you would all know this because this is like general third horizon.
It's like, why are there fifty stars on the flag? Like everybody frickin
knows this, right, Okay, So she's got her fleet pen. But
then she's got a stylized crescent moon cut through with a thin line and topped
with a three point star, each point of that star representing Kua Coriolis and
the remains of the zenith. Each one has like a historical reference. But
those are the only adornments, right, There's no jewelry. There's not a
lot of gold or flash. These kind of very elegant rogues with only the
insignia pins that she wears as well. So these ten judicators kind of stand
around and as you all walk in, she addresses each of you by your
full names. She knows them through and through. She also smiles. This
is her, she know what since since she knows our full names, this
would be the first time that the rest of the crew ever hears tal being
referred to as Talia Tuma. Yes, she says, Talia Tuma, right,
the olives brothers, right. She just kind of goes down the line
and Lumara has a last name, and I don't know it off the top
of my head. On thank you, don't tell, don't ask me how
I know that tells the best? Tell is the best is the best?
I'm bad? Actually six tracks. Please have a seat if you would like
of course, If not, I understand, I prefer to stand it.
Balance is the space better? Don't you think she stands right in the middle
of the gardens? I guess so. One thing, by the way,
I wanted to say, if anybody was observant enough, this would also be
the very first time that Alia like doesn't recede or doesn't receive when her full
name is said, like she actually like stands her ground. She doesn't like,
she doesn't like basically like flinch or any sign of like discomfort at the
fact that people know who she is. Hey, this is not your game.
There's a space kitten that wanders a space cat soldiers. She's holding a
white cat, and she's just like, oh no, now we don't trust
her. Now we can't trust her at all. Did we trust her before?
Well, it doesn't trust anyone, don't even we don't trust nobody.
I could be like, here's this innocent kitten missing a leg that literally can't
do harm to anybody who literal devil trying to screw us over. Excuse me,
I have seen a three legged cat fuck some ship. Op Okay,
So she simply says to all of you, it is a great honor to
meet you. Let me introduce myself properly, she says. I want to
give you her whole name again, but I have to read it off the
page because if I don't, I get it wrong. She says, I
am Commander Din Harama. I managed the fleet for the Homogeny. I I
have traveled a long way in your wake. I believe I was investigating a
strange occurrence at a prison on the other side of the third Horizon a few
weeks ago. Regardless of if you know anything about that, I have to
say I am thoroughly impressed. She looks right at town. I've spent my
whole life training fighter pilots. I've spent my whole life training regular pilots,
very very few of them, she says. I can say that I train
a lot of freighter pilots, but maybe I've been doing it wrong this whole
time, because I have never seen a pilot successfully make a blind jump as
well as you did. I saw how much of my crew I actually lost,
at least most of that, She says. The fact that she came
out the other side at all is what some would call a miracle. I
like to call it skill. You know, if you ever decide you want
to retire from being a freighter pilot. I have a place for you at
my flight school as a teacher. But that's a conversation for another day.
Today. Today, I want to talk about something else. It has come
to our attention that your time with this consortium has resulted in a fair share
of unknown factors that have left all of you in quite a lot of danger.
Kasha, am I wrong in that kind of looks around when she says
Kasha at all of you. Of course, Lamar is like Hal's eyes narrow
just slightly, she says, and the Special Branch agent that was claimed to
be a traitor h I uh, don't mean to be rude, but what
exactly is your point here? My point is that all of you have seen
with your eyes something that I cannot get my hands on the inside of a
white butterfly. You can continue to work for the Consortium if you like,
but I want you to know it would be our great honor to be patrons
of the work that you do well. She says. In fact, I
have some work that needs to be done by a DAFT crew. When I
didn't think that I had. She's like, I can't promise you silk sheets
or the medical know how to rebuild your limbs, but I can promise you
that we won't give you an agent who is out to kill you when they
are sworn to protect you. She says. All along the outer systems things
have been crumbling. I would like to send a cru to begin investigating some
of the odd happenings amongst the first come in these outer systems, find the
weak spots in the consortium, figure out why it's crumbling. This would be
the first queue to all of you that she does not know about the Nazarene
sacrifice. Very clearly, the mo Homogeny has not gotten the blue disc.
Yeah, only word that there's a white butterfly. Now you know that her
ship fleet has spent the majority of their time on the outskirts, so there's
probably maybe whispers of a white butterfly. You know that there. You definitely
saw one exiting Kua a year ago. So they're flying about and if that
more have gotten through that people don't know about. Her troops could be the
ones that may be seeing them or interacting with them. It's very clear that
the Consortia's rule is crumbling. We would like to figure out why all of
you have yet to fail them and they have failed you on multiple occasions,
and give you my word that that would never happen with us. I will
be at the banquet tomorrow, Eve. I look forward to honoring you and
the work that you have done. You can tell me then if you'd like,
or I can open up the floor now for questions, or you can
tell me what it is that you know. You know, it seems like
a lot has happened since we last had consciousness. We're going to take a
little bit of time to kind of process everything before we start making decisions about
our entire future. I completely understand you did just wake up today, and
I imagine that I was not the first person that came knocking at your door.
The Margarets you were not. You were the third. Thanks Lamar.
She goes, well, just know I also deal in secrets of information.
I'm happy to make a fair Well, Billie just stares at me. I'm
gonna make a roll to see if she heard you say that. She did
not. She hears you whisper something and she kind of looks over and she
says, like I said, the Consortium has tried very hard to keep us
out of matters, but they have no problem putting me and my crew on
the far edges of the reach to protect them from whatever it is that's out
there. I don't want their lies or their redacted paperwork. I want a
first hand account of what these ships are capable of, and the pairs of
eyes in front of me are the only ones that have ever actually seen it,
at least from my records. I am willing to trade you a great
deal of information for what you know about the white Butterfly. I'm willing to
trade you a lot more if you decide to join our calls. Well,
my time has come. She looks around the guards kind of again check posture,
and she says, I would say that I would go, but in
fact I need all of you to go. Yeah. Well, have a
good day. We'll see you tomorrow. As you all exit the garden,
the smell of fresh real fruit, like real fruit is growing here, beautiful
flowers and orchids, and the sound of a koi pond just off in the
corner. As you all walk away, maybe there's a silence, or does
anybody have anything to say? I feel like it's the most heavy silence heavy
silence amongst the group. As you walk in your feet carry you to the
largest and most exclusive shopping district and all of the third horizon inside the monolith.
It's beautiful. It takes you a while, but your travels are Your
travels are fine. Your conversation is tense, and all of you arrive outside
of this shop exclusive, it says on the front, the doors are locked.
You're gonna have to be like escorted in the whole nine yards to this
tailor. There is a TV or a screen in this shopping district, big
on a billboard, you might say. Back behind you, it flashes all
of your faces. All of you can't see it. It's behind you,
but all of your faces are lit up on this screen. Heroes. They
call you to be honored. They say, the light the first horizon has
been missing. Saviors of Coriolis, just like you and me, says the
propaganda. And as the four of you, five of you reach for the
door to go to side your exclusive outfits for the banquet next week, well,
hell froll fucking done. Yes, holy shit, yeah, holy shit.
Way to make us choose, dude, y'all only get to choose one.
I told y'all. I dumped all my darkness points yep. Oh,
and you don't have to choose. So here's the thing. You don't have
to choose until the end of the banquet, so I can give you all
the week, or we can kick off season four with the choice. Void
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