You're sinking through all the shades of green...

...when you come to a halt.

The strong scent of cedar is in the air, and rough bark is under your cheek.  You open your eyes, and look down. Branches recede before your right eye, going down a hundred feet. The view swims, and you reevaluate, two hundred, no four hundred, no as far as you can see.

Your left eye can't see anything because your face is pressed to a three foot wide branch you're draped over lengthwise.

PT
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:11, Thu 25 Sept 2008.

My delirium fades with my perception of Yosemite, yet the soothing smells of the forest remain.

: Ah, a forest again.  Thank you, LORD. :

: Ah, a forest again!  But the tree smell is different.  I must have messed up my body's temperature control.  Was I delirious?  I remember heat, and talking lizards, and seeing Yosemite once more, and cold water, and... drowning? :

: I must have versed out.  I wonder where I am now.  Forest smells... could it be Haston again? :

My eye opens, and I regard the view below me.

I have always loved forests, and have some sympathies toward environmentalism.  And certainly, as the view comes into focus, I give new meaning to the term "tree-hugger".

My eye closes tightly.

: Ulp! :

: OK, get a grip, John.  Acrophobia doesn't have any reason to exist now, right?  I'm already in a different universe than my family, and dying would only move me to yet another universe.  So what do I have to fear about heights any longer?  I could jump off this tree right now, and enjoy the view on the way down without a care in the world, right? :

: Dearest LORD, please give me strength.  I know you have brought me here for your good purposes.  Please help me to see through your eyes, and to fear you alone.  I pray in the Jesus' Name...  Amen. :

I force myself to breathe normally, even while continuing to hug the tree tightly.  Gradually, I feel my heart's pounding ease, and the cold sweat upon my brow begin to dry in the breeze.

"CU2.  Status.  Are there electronic communications within detectable range?  If so, begin recording now.  Monitor, and summarize when ready.  Analyze current surroundings, and summarize."

"Ring.  Status.  Are there electronic..."

I impress myself with the almost-complete lack of quavering in my voice as I query my devices, repeating my full set of instructions to each.

Eyes still closed, I open up my senses to the soothing smells and sounds of the forest.

Then I stretch out other senses, reaching out to sense where my belongings might be, and if there are any other versers in this universe.

Then I attempt to stretch out my clairvoyant senses to examine my surroundings from a slightly more dispassionate third-person perspective, from my immediate surroundings to a more macroscopic view of the area, and eventually zooming out to the world itself.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:14, Thu 25 Sept 2008.

Your Ring and CU2 have a scheduling conflict as they both try to tell you their information, and then stop, start again, stop, wait for the other one, start...

Fifteen seconds later....CU2 replies.

"I sense station-keeping electronic sources of limited complexity and power and number."

"Concur." Says the Ring.

You sense no other versers.

Reaching out with your clairvoyance....its difficult, but you slip free and fling your mind through the Forrest.  Do you go down, or up, right or left...because in a quick sphere around you, you see much the same as you've seen with your eyes.

There are a wide variety of trees, but all of them are enormous and sky-scrapingly tall.  You find no break in the trees.

PT

Do I sense my belongings?  If so, in what direction(s)?

"CU2 and Ring.  New protocols.  This is the first universe that both of you have been able to function successfully.  Each of you possess data, both from my own recorded personal experiences and from downloaded databanks.  Please backup each other's data, and maintain updated backups.  Exclude Ring's databases associated with the morphing to alternate form functionality , which is too large to fit within CU2's memory."

"From now on, if I query one of you, the other should wait for the response to be completed.  Afterward, the other should either concur, or report on any detected discrepancies or available supplemental information.  Each of you have different capabilities and strengths, which can be used together to assist one another.  If I do not specify which device I am querying, the default shall be CU2, which I acquired first.  OK?"

"Now...  You report 'station-keeping electronic sources of limited complexity and power and number'.  Elaborate.  Is it your impression that we are currently on some type of station?  If so, do you believe this to be a space station, or some type of planet-based station?  How large is it?  How large is the enclosure we currently occupy?  What can you detect about its configuration?"

"What is the current temperature?  Humidity?  Air pressure?  Gravitational force?"

"Are there any detectable life forms within range, other than these trees?  Specify."

I first direct my clairvoyant gaze "downward" relative to the gravitational pull, and continue in that direction until I am able to explore whatever lies at the bottom.  After this, I direct my clairvoyant gaze "upward" until I am able to get a macroscopic view of my situation.

You sense something that is probably your belongings to the left somewhere.

"Concur." CU2 replies followed by the Ring. "Concur."

"Station-keeping refers to automatic processes that continue when the computational device is on, but not active. A comparison to humans would be if you were daydreaming, and your breathing would be continuing." CU2 replies.

OOC: Can you remind me what sensor capabilities that CU2 and the Ring had? Remember, on Second Chance they were connected to the Net and could access its satellites and scanners for information as to population sizes and so forth. Here, such capabilities are at best, drastically limited.

You direct your clairvoyant vision downward, and after a time, perhaps several hundred yards, you spot for a second a huge beast with smooth muscles and an undetermined amount of legs. It flashes across your vision, and darts between the trees with casual speed and force.

Dropping deeper, you notice that the air is filled with drifting pollen like particles.  And below you, you can see its getting dimmer, and soon it will be wholly dark, and you've not yet seen a bottom.

A sudden jab rips through your mind.

You see fly through the space  you're seeing a monstrous spiderish thing like a giant daddy-longlegs in its spareness of form, but with a plunging proboscis in the center. It turns, and positions itself as if it can see you, and its preparing to attack again.

PT

OOC: Only the Ring came from Second Chance, and only the Ring depended upon the Net.  CU2 came from the Marcus Caine jumpship of the Empire, and had independent capabilities...

I move my clairvoyant perspective rapidly away from the attacker, hoping this will put me out of range of the attacks...

You flee, and the megaspider tries to stab you again, but its too slow.  You drop down further until you reach complete darkness. There are things down here, some that glow and move, but there's not much to know from a bit of glowing light.

Shooting upward, you rise past your body and up as the light gets brighter, and brighter, and hard to see details and then you're above a vast see of fingerling branches with fruits dangling from each branch, and looking about it extends in all directions.

Its hard to make out details as the light is so intense.

PT

"Where are the sources of electronic transmissions?  Specify."

I attempt to zoom further out, away from the surface, hopefully far enough that I can see this planet or station or whatever in its entirety from space or wherever.

: Where am I?  And why am I here?  Dearest LORD, please guide and guard me now, I pray... :

Then I attempt to stretch out my telepathic senses to Detect Sentient Life, if there is any.

OOC: I'm still interested in knowing the temperature, humidity, gravity, etc., either from the devices or from what I am able to perceive.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:00, Fri 26 Sept 2008.

OOC: Thank you muchly. That is most helpful. From this, we can see that no gravity, or humidity sensor would be available.  However, I do think you should be able to triangulate on the radio messages (its similar to the find position with star chart).

The clairsentience for the Ring seems like it might be a Net function or at best of limited range with your psi clair being far superior.

IC:

You lift yourself up further and are able to see an ocean of trees without spotting an island of stone. Going up further,  you're able to see the curve of the planet, but its hard to make out details as the whole planet glows quite brightly (more so than Venus) in the brilliant solar radiation. To your 'eyes' you see a shining green disc/sphere hanging in front of you.

CU2 replies to your question once you get back to your body.

You reach out to Detect Sentient Life....you try once, and the vast plenitude of life both animal and plant defeats you.  You settle down, and try again with more effort and still the mass of noise masks the signal.

"I believe that if I am moved in a relatively straight line a minimum of a hundred yards, and a probable maximum of a 1000 yards that I could triangulate the location for you."

Once back in your body, you raise a hand, and let it fall. It seems about Earth gravity.  Humidity is in the 40% range. Temperature is between 80 and 90 Fahrenheit degrees.

While still looking at the planet from space, I make mental contact with my Ring, then shift my view to look at the surrounding stars (including looking in the opposite direction as the bright planet, and including looking away from whatever sun(s) this system has).  I then shift around to look at the planet from the opposite side (presumably the "dark" side), so that I may better view the surface without the glaring light.  (Do I see any signs of artificial lighting, etc.?)

:: Ring.  I am visualizing an image of this planet in my mind, along with a panoramic view of the surrounding star field.  Access, and compute our current location and the current date. ::

Once back in my body...

"Extend scan for electronic transmissions to beyond the planet's surface.  Are there any detectable signals from space?  If so, begin recording and monitoring.  If needed, decipher and translate.  Analyze and summarize."
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:01, Mon 29 Sept 2008.

*The location is indeterminate as several stars are anomalous. However, if one assumes an unknown factor, perhaps a supernova to disturb them, then the location is approximately 200 lightyears from Earth. Given the imprecise viewing point, and the imprecise optical receiver, I can only estimate the time with a 500 year variable to be 3000 A.D. I would do better with my own sensors and a planetary horizon.*

You swing around to the dark side, and its truly dark.

"In ideal conditions, my sensitivity is probably not that great. However, with an extremely energetic sun, I have no means of telling if signals are coming from outer space. I will be unable to use the nanite cloud form above the tree canopy as there is sufficient radiation to scramble you, unless this radiation is on some sort of cycle and what we see now is a high point."

PT

I ponder these tidings.

"Can the sources of these station-keeping electronic signals be communicated with, and queried?  CU2, please attempt to establish communications now.  Ring, monitor CU2's efforts.  If CU2 is unable to establish communications, then Ring should attempt to do so."

"Communication established. They claim to be detached code from the starship High Frieresc Traveller. It has been thirty planetary cycles or thirty five Terran years since they were accessed."

PT

"Please query what their purpose is for being here."

"Please query if they are aware of any other sentient life forms on this planet, and if they are able to communicate with them."

"Please query if they have any means of communicating with that starship, or of communicating with anyone off-planet."

"Please query if they have any background data regarding those who have created them, and/or those who have placed them here."

"Please query how many devices are currently on the planet, and what capabilities they have, such as sensors, etc."
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:51, Wed 01 Oct 2008.

"One's purpose is to record voice data, another is to keep track of how many people enter and leave a dwelling."

"They are not 'aware', but they do have records of being place in their location by 'humans'. They are not able to communicate with humans or anyone else. CU2 and the Ring are providing the comm link."

"Human=bipedal of more than 40kg. Human child=incipient or actual bipedal of less than 40kg.....their definitions are appropriate for simplistic devices designed to block the passage of animal life, but allow entrance of humans."

"They are not connected in a net or web."

PT

"Is any voice data currently recorded and stored?  If so, please access, and play back for me."

"What information is available regarding the 'dwelling', if any?"

"Is any information available regarding the location and/or elevation of the dwelling?"

"I am aware that you need me to change location before you can triangulate on the location of this signal.  Are you currently able to give me information on what direction this signal is coming from, even if you don't know the range?"

I send out my clairsentience along the scriff vector that I detect my belongings, searching for them.  If they are not in the immediate area, I look for them along the scriff vector at approximately the same distance away as Radix is from Yosemite.

If I am able to find my belongings, I attempt to teleport to them.  If successful, I use the information from the new location to triangulate on the electronic devices, and therefore the dwelling.

After seeking my stuff, if I am able to get any information regarding location and/or elevation and/or direction to the dwelling, then I send out my clairsentience toward the dwelling, searching for it.  If successful, I attempt to teleport into it, hopefully with my belongings...
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:54, Fri 03 Oct 2008.

I pray for strength and guidance as I continue my search.

Using the approximate search vector available toward the village, I continue my clairsentient search, but using Detect Sentient Life instead of just visuals.

If successful, I reach out telepathically...

After this, I shift my clairsentience up to the treetops, and examine the fruit with my new Detect Wholesome Edibles ability.  If it doesn't seem bad, I attempt to use telekinesis to bring one gently down to me, and examine it again.

After this, I stretch out my postcognition and then my precognition, to try to get a sense of previous and/or future events in this place.

And after this...

"One of the devices keeps track of how many people enter and leave a dwelling, correct?  How long has it been since the last person has entered or left the dwelling?"

"Ring, nanite cloud form is not viable above the treetops, correct?  Is it viable to use nanite cloud form at our current elevation?  Estimate risk level."

And if it is currently viable to use nanite cloud form...

"You state that if we moved in a relatively straight line a minimum of a hundred yards, and a probable maximum of a 1000 yards that you could triangulate the location.  Ring, initiate nanite cloud form, and transport us to a location safe for me to rematerialize that we may complete the triangulation of the dwelling's location."

If we get there successfully, I take note of the new scriff vector toward my stuff.

And if we triangulate the electronic device signal successfully, I attempt to transport to the dwelling via cloud form...
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:56, Mon 06 Oct 2008.

This search is near its end when you come across a large heart with two people's names "Esther/Joer Forever." carved in a tree. You can feel the strain of so much time spent searching with your clairsentient faculty.

Tired, you check the treetops, and your sense fairly shouts at you 'NOT wholesome'.

With your postcog, you see a starship in orbit, and hear the conversation between the control and the shuttle pilot as first landing is about to be made.  Then you see the fires under the shuttle touch the fruit, and there is a sudden flare of light so bright that it throws you out of your trance.

With your precog, you see trees growing, and a giant six-legged tigerish thing moving through the depts of the forrest.

"Thirty-five years."

"It is possible. Risk is moderate."

You're able to drift through the airs between the massive trunks and arrive at a tumbledown treehouse with its roof caved in. Upon approaching it, you see one of those six-legged seven hundred pound tigers pad out of it to investigate you.

I mentally sigh, with the strain from extended clinging to a yard-wide branch very high in the air, and the strain of so much clairsentient searching, and the strain of isolation heavy upon me.

: Dearest LORD, please guide and guard me now, I pray... :

I check telepathically to see if there is any signs of sentience in the tiger.

If it is sentient, then I attempt to communicate with it.

If not, then I attempt to induce sleep on it, and more closely examine the devices and the treehouse.

After this, I take mental note of the location of the treehouse for future reference, and retreat.

And using the newly acquired scriff vector I took note of while triangulating upon the treehouse in conjunction to the scriff vector from my original location, I go in search of my belongings...
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:18, Tue 07 Oct 2008.

The tiger's thoughts are that you're some sort of 'strange biter-flyer cloud' that occasionally plagues him in the spring.  But this is more images than words, and there is little sign of strong self-awareness or awareness of others as independent from himself.

He's not remotely sentient.

However, even with your accelerated thinking, he's fast. He plunges through you, and you feel a distortion in your thoughts that repairs itself almost instantly.

He spins about, if you were not accelerated, he'd be attacking you again before  you could think, let alone move.

"5% of nanites destroyed. 15% misaligned, and being corrected."

You reach for sleep...

He roars defiance shaking the leaves near him and giving you a very good view of his two gallon sized mouth cavity. He may not be smart, but he is one of the top predators in the forest, and bending his will is not something that comes easily to him.

"8% misaligned currently."

I immediately retreat away from the tiger, choosing a path as far from branches that would allow it to easily follow me as possible.

: Wow, that thing moves fast.  I thought I was well out of reach... :

After retreating, I move to where my previously acquired scriff vectors indicated my stuff should be, and begin searching...

Without trying hard, with two steps, it can leap twenty feet.  You drift away, and while your reactions are as fast as it is, your 'land' speed is not.

It roars again in triumph at defeating its enemy, and lets you go. You drift to a spot where you are forty feet from the nearest branch, but you're still not sure you're safe, but thats about as far as you can get in the dense wood.

"2% misaligned. Misalignement corrected. Status nominal."

Searching for your items with your scriff sense gives you a much clearer direction, but the road is indeed long from the equivalent of Radix to Yosemite, and it is nearing nightfall before you find your items draped over several tree branches.

PT

: Ring.  Current status.  Did we really permanently lose five percent of our total nanite population in that attack?  What fraction of our current nanite population could we afford to lose before nanite cloud form would no longer be viable? :

: There are hostile creatures on this planet, which may attack me if I take physical form.  However, they may also attack me if I don't, although I have more options for evading them in nanite form.  Under current conditions, am I able to maintain nanite cloud form indefinitely?  Would there be any permanent loss in nanite population when nanite cloud form is maintained long term under these conditions? :

: Is it possible for me to collect my possessions by directly dematerializing them into nanite cloud form with me?  Or is it necessary for me to materialize, take possession of them, and then dematerialize with them?  If possible, please dematerialize them into nanite cloud form with me now. :

: Analyze current situation.  We are unable to detect any other sentient life.  There is no sign of detectable civilization in the vicinity.  A starship could come by tomorrow, or in a month, or in a decade, or never.  Access databanks for similar circumstances, and also estimate reliability of our portal technology.  Is it more viable to remain here, or to create a portal to elsewhere in this universe, or to create a portal to another universe?  Recommendations. :

After listen to Ring's responses, I consider the same choices in prayer before the LORD.  For He brought me to this place for some purpose.  Does that mean I should simply wait?  And if so, for how long?  At what point should I simply use the means at my disposal to leave this place?

As night falls, I send out my Detect Sentient Life once again.  Perhaps the harsh sunlight has made any sentients nocturnal and/or easier to detect at night...
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:42, Thu 09 Oct 2008.

"Repairs are currently under way. Nonrecoverable degradation is believed to occur between 20 and 30 percent. This has not been thorougly tested.

1% degradation per month is average."

"It is required for you to materialize and dematerialize with your items in order for the effect to work. It is likely that this is something that could be fixed with a software patch."

"We have no similar circumstances to compare this with."

"Unknown. Not reliable."

You pray, and it seems like you're being led to another universe.

PT

I check the vicinity for hostile entities.

If it looks safe, I materialize and collect my possessions, dematerializing and repeating this process for each separate possession location.

: Does the portal opening process destroy nanites?  Or does it merely deplete replenishable power? :

After collecting the last of my possessions, I pray again.

Then, if the portal opening process doesn't destroy nanites, I attempt to open a portal into another universe.  And if it does destroy nanites, then I do it the old fashioned way, by practicing my psionic skills until I botch and verse out...
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:10, Thu 09 Oct 2008.

You open a portal with your nanites and fall into color.

PT