I flinch as the the new voice startles me.

My naturally suspicious personality takes hold; I make sure that I only turn my newly flexible head and neck toward the newcomer and not the rest of my body.

I attempt to telepathically address the buck. :: Well, if you must know: I would feel more secure if I weren't a large prey species. I mean at least small prey species can hide more easily, right? But, I digress. How are you doing this fine day, good Sir? Um... I mean no offense by this statement, but you are a 'Sir', correct? ::
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 06:29, Sun 01 July 2018.

You look at the face and body language of the buck, and something from your "memory" interprets it as a gentle smile and nod, mixed with lingering perplexity.

:: I am indeed... though there is only One who is Good.  But I am still confused.  If you had such concerns about being a deer, then why did you choose to meld with one?... ::

:: Oh, it was quite by accident. I am not very well informed and, upon realizing that I was without a physical body, I began experimenting to see whether I was invisible. The idea was that, if the deer didn't respond to my approach, then I must be invisible. I wasn't expecting to "meld" with it. ::

I decide that his manner is promising, and I attempt to gather information about my setting. :: You seem to be a knowledgeable sort, and I am self-confessed as the opposite. Would you kindly inform me as to how it is that I am able to "meld" with animals and how Los Angeles has come to such a dilapidated state? :: I attempt to gesture to our surroundings, but am reminded of my reduced flexibility of limb as a deer.

While he is speaking, I attempt to use my Vector Sense again.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:11, Sun 01 July 2018.

Your vector sense is still unavailable... which isn't too surprising, when you think about it.

Scriff in your body resonated with scriff elsewhere to yield vectors of attraction, with like calling to like.

However, your current body doesn't have any scriff...

The buck considers your words, his "expression" a combination of thoughtfulness and slight perplexity.

:: You ask interesting questions, with an interesting mix of knowledge and knowledge gaps.  My answers will be more useful if I understand your understanding.  What do you know of the state of the world? ::

At the edge of hearing, you start to hear a faint hum from a distance...

Given my tendency to glance at strange sounds. I turn suddenly in the direction of the sound and begin flicking my ears around while scanning with my eyes. :: Before I answer, what is that sound? ::
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 21:41, Sun 01 July 2018.

The buck listens for a moment.

:: It sounds like a standard patrol drone, though it is still a bit far away to know with certainty... ::

Given his apparent lack of worry, I turn my face back to him, but I keep my ears in the direction of the sound. :: Are such drones dangerous? This probably reveals some of my lack of knowledge. I really only know what can be learned in by looking at my environment with the eye of an almost complete "know-nothing". I know that this is Los Angeles, that it has fallen into great disrepair, that I can pass through walls when disembodied, and that I can "meld" with animals. Judging by the fact that I don't recognize the use of such drones, I am guessing that my knowledge of history is several decades, if not a century or two, out of date. Sorry if this ignorance presents an issue. :: I attempt to do the deer equivalent of smiling sheepishly.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 21:41, Sun 01 July 2018.

The buck listens with interest and some perplexity, even as the hum slowly draws nearer.

:: Interesting.  In some ways, you speak as one who has just begun to roam, yet you already know of Los Angeles, even of LA-that-was.  Perhaps you have some computational connection to historical archives of some type.  Curious... ::

:: Well.  I will attempt a broad yet succinct summary of events since the world-that-was was lost. ::

:: MetaDeep was designed to use and integrate with the lesser Deep Learners, and, in turn, to be used by and integrated with humans. ::

:: However, MetaDeep has taken over, with much loss of life, and has subjugated almost all remaining humans, harnessing the computational power of their networked brains. ::

:: Once in control, MetaDeep was quite willing to experiment with his human subjects, attempting to increase their computational usefulness. ::

:: Unknown to MetaDeep, one of those experiments gave harnessed humans the ability to roam with their minds, even while their bodies remain under the yoke. ::

:: MetaDeep has no way of directly detecting this, and all efforts to subjugate humans involve searching for humans. ::

:: Therefore, as long as we roam with and through the native fauna, and act naturally, we are not detected to be a threat. ::

The patrol drone appears at a distance.  You feel somewhat skittish, just on general principle, as do the other deer with you.  But you all manage to hold your ground as it approaches.

:: Depending on what computations your brain has been assigned in the past, you may have tidbits of knowledge related to these things.::

:: Does any of this make sense to you? ::

:: To some degree, yes. What is MetaDeep? What are Deep Learners? Can MetaDeep detect us while we are disembodied"? ::
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 22:26, Sun 01 July 2018.

:: The Deep Learners are AIs, and MetaDeep has been called a "sentient" AI, whatever exactly that means. ::

:: As far as we know, we cannot be detected by normal senses while disembodied, including by MetaDeep. ::

:: That's reassuring. Is there any indication as to what MetaDeep's goal is? Do you know what the full capabilities of roaming are? ::

:: Whatever MetaDeep's goals may be, they may well be beyond the comprehension level of a mere human mind. ::

:: One can send out one's mind to roam, apart from one's body. ::

:: However, the mind hungers for a corporeal state, physical senses, and the like, if a host can be found to share consciousness with, and is reluctant to break such a bond when made. ::

:: Yet that very sharing of consciousness means the roaming mind will be affected by the mind of the host. ::

:: Therefore, a roamer will usually carefully consider in advance what type of fauna to meld with, in order to maximize desired traits, capabilities, and compatibility. ::

:: In that case, are there any crows, ravens, or even primates nearby? In the case of the latter, I am wondering if any populations of escaped zoo animals exist in this area. How many roamers are there? Are they organized? ::

:: The native fauna have reclaimed the land.  There were not enough of the zoo animals to make a viable and sustainable local population, even before the world-that-was ended. ::

:: As to the number of roamers, one guess is as good as another.  We only have face-to-face interactions to go by, which must take place under a guise of sufficiently natural behavior, lest MetaDeep grow suspicious.  ::

:: Thank you for being so patient with me. I do have a few more questions. How did you know that I was roaming? Did I telegraph it in some way? Do roamers die if the bodies that they inhabit are killed? What kind of technology is available to MetaDeep, weapons and sensors in particular? Do you personally know any other roamers and their locations? And, what is your name? ::

:: Roamers can sense other roamers when near enough, just as they can converse telepathically. ::

:: If the host body is killed, the roamer lives on.  If the human body is killed, the roamer perishes. ::

:: All of the technology that existed in the world-that-was was available to MetaDeep, and that was before being improved upon by a superintelligence.  What exists now may well be beyond human comprehension... or it may be relatively unchanged.  It is difficult to know, from our limited viewpoints. ::

:: I know a number of local roamers, those who can interact with deer without looking too suspicious. ::

:: Our name is Ayyal.  We have been melded for so long that I can't remember my own name.  Perhaps that is for the best. ::

:: What is your name, young roamer? ::

:: My name is Christopher. It is a pleasure to meet you Ayyal. Do you know where your body is? How might the human bodies of roamers be found? Are there any places in which information is stored and can be accessed, perhaps through books or off-the-internet databases? And, is it common to roam in disembodied form in orbit of the Earth? ::
This message was last edited by the player at 04:09, Mon 02 July 2018.

The expression and body language of the buck turns sad and somewhat grim.

:: Yes, I vaguely remember that place... though I have tried hard to forget it, and would have difficulty finding it again.  It is a bad place, and I would not willingly return. ::

:: Electronic storage is unsafe from MetaDeep.  It may be possible to salvage books from the ruins. ::

:: One can roam far, and see many wonders.  However, before long, one hungers for corporeality, and the hunger grows with time.  Meanwhile, who knows how long the search may take for an available host from one's desired species?  Unless you have unusual drive, the ties that bind you to a host are challenging to easily break, and inertia makes it easy to remain where you have melded... ::

Throughout this entire conversation, the wheels in my head have been turning. A couple of things come to the surface. First, I feel a large dose of "anime protagonist" coursing through my veins. It fills me with a desire to do something big. Second, the idea of a soulless machine ruling over humans offends me on a spiritual level. The Bible commands submission to authority. However, this machine is entirely unregulated by man. Humans cannot reproduce a soul; therefore, this machine can be nothing more than a clever set of algorithms. It is not truly sentient. It is a creation ruling over its creators. Surely, this cannot be part of good stewardship of the Earth. If the state of LA is anything to go by, this machine is hindering man's ability to subdue the Earth, perhaps also his ability to fill it. To me, the conclusion is clear. This situation cannot be tolerated. Man is morally obligated to attempt to re-subdue MetaDeep. I will make this my quest.

But how? It would not do to charge with no consideration of the cost or strategy. I need allies, resources, a full understanding of my new abilities, perhaps even other powers not found in roamers (I am a super, perhaps I can do more than telepathy), and, most importantly, I must know my enemy.

Should I try and recruit Ayyal? Maybe, but not yet. I have no plan. I can't afford to put anyone but myself at risk yet. Patience. For now, I need to learn, and the Lord has blessed me in that regard.

:: Ayyal, I can't thank you enough for your help. If you will permit me, I have some final questions: are there limits to what roamers can meld with? Can I meld with a something that lacks a brain, such as a bacterium or plant? Can roamers meld with computers or inorganic or inanimate objects? Since roamers are telepathic, is it possible to split one's mind across multiple creatures? Could I, theoretically, use a telepathic connection with myself to maintain the coherence of my own mind while in multiple bodies. What are the limits of roamer telepathy, for example, distance and number of recipients? Finally, what was pre-MetaDeep Rule tech like? I have absolutely no idea what such tech was. Projectile or energy weapons? What were vehicles like? ::

The buck considers thoughtfully.

:: I have not tried to experiment with roaming capabilities in any of those ways, nor do I know of anyone who has made such attempts. ::

:: Whether from constraint or force of habit, we tend to converse using telepathy as we would converse using our own bodies and voices, at similar distances. ::

:: The technology of the world-that-was was wondrous and terrifying.  More and more of society was made more and more dependent upon AI automation.  Self-driving vehicles, expert systems displacing human workers, robots displacing human workers.  Not that the humans really noticed, with their networked brain implants.  With such weapons already at hand, what others were needed?  Still, yes, they had both projectile and energy weapons. ::

:: Ayyal, thank you for your kindness and patience with me. I wouldn't be able to settle in nearly as easily without you. :: I attempt to convey great gratitude in the best way that a telepathic deer can. :: I fear that I must take my leave; I wouldn't want to impose an unnecessary burden upon you. Is there any way in which I may return the aid that you have given me? ::

The buck smiles warmly.

:: You are welcome to stay, or to go, as you wish, but you are not a burden.  And if you feel that there is a need to return the aid you have received, then please do so... by aiding another in need.  We are all in this together. ::

An annoyingly catchy song from High School Musical pops into my head. :: I will mpst certainly endevour to do so. Do you stick around Los Angeles? I might return, one day. ::

Regardless of his answer, I communicate a warm smile and state the following: :: Farewell, Ayyal. I will now bid you and this body "adieu". God bless you. ::

I attempt to leave the deer's body.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 05:42, Tue 03 July 2018.

The buck's smile widens, and he nods.

:: 'Peace be unto you', Christopher.  'As the hart panteth...' ::

You feel a strange reluctance to break the meld.  It is like saying goodbye to a loved one to depart for a long journey.  You feel a figurative lump in your throat.

However, you set your mind, and with the mental discipline that you have built up over the years, you are able to push through the inertia, the desire to remain, to settle in, to become one with this deer and this herd, and leave the rest of the world to itself.

The world spins...

And you find yourself drifting away.

Looking back, you see the buck approaching the deer that you have left behind, gently bringing comfort as she adjusts to the loss of your presence.  The rest of the herd surrounds her supportively as well.

I think to myself. "That was unpleasant, but I had better get used to it. One of the strongest advantages that roamers have is the ability to move around, unhindered by obstacles or distance, while being impossible to detect. Plus, I can't afford to let myself grow complacent or tied to a single body. I will need every possible advantage in order to fight MetaDeep."

I begin to fly away in search of some ravens. While I do so, I pray: "Dear Heavenly Father, you are the One who has placed a conviction in my heart that it is my duty to take down MetaDeep and reestablish the stewardship of your image-bearers on this Earth. I cast this burden upon you; for I believe it is the largest of my life, thus far. I lift up brother Ayyal to you. Give him strength to endure and wisdom to survive. Allow him spiritual feeding even in this world. In your Son's holy name, Amen."

While searching, I consider the general attitude of roamers. It seems likely that most, if not all, roamers must be somewhat complacent in disposition. Otherwise, some organized resistance against MetaDeep would probably exist. This isn't terribly surprising, given the complacency and comfort that made it difficult for me to leave that deer. If it is indeed rare for roamers to have my kind of wanderlust, perhaps they have all fallen to living lives of relative security and comfort as "furry woodland creatures".

Can I really assume a lack of organized anti-MetaDeep activity among roamers? Probably.  If such resistance did exist, MetaDeep would probably be aware of roamers by now. The very first direct attack would immediately signal independent human activity. Unless there are pockets of free humans. That is possible, given that MetaDeep seems to "think" it necessary to maintain robotic patrols in dilapidated cities *.

After finding some ravens, I continue the rest of my intended experiments.

1. I attempt to "scream" at a raven without using my fledgling telepathy.
2. I attempt to telepathically speak to a raven. Not that I expect it to understand me.
3. Despite my formlessness, I attempt to touch and pick up a small rock.
4. I attempt telekinetically shift a small rock. My reasoning being that: "I have telepathy, perhaps I have other psionic abilities."
5. I take stock of which senses other than my sight appear to work.
6. I attempt to shift my perspective in directions other than the one in which I am looking. In other words, I attempt to strafe and fly backwards.

* What did the drone look like? Large? Small? Any obvious weapons or means of propulsion?
This message was last edited by the player at 06:18, Tue 03 July 2018.