"I just got here. They said that there was another one like us and one of them gave them a hell of a fight."

He smiled. "Carmine. I can give you that name, because they already know it. She was in a sociopathic state when she versed, having just finished up with a deep cover assignment elsewhere. She followed me through the chaos between worlds when I versed out, found herself surrounded by those demanding her surrender, and didn't switch herself faster than her situation evolved. She made a swath of death and destruction, leaving me holding the bag to explain everything."

He shrugged. "I told them directly what happened. They didn't believe me, so I'm just drawing amusement talking them in circles. They are pretty good at resisting it. There's someone else here who could give me lessons that they deal with on a regular basis; I just don't know who he is. Yet."

"Hmmm... They freaked out when I mentioned that my name was Magnus.
Who's Carmine?"

"My wife, although I'm not sure either how that happened or why that is still the case. She's exceeded me by far, and really doesn't need me anymore. Yet she still cares, when she's someone other than the psycho she is last I heard from her. Even now, though, she would regard me in a possessive sense."

He sighs. "I hope she switches soon. I rather like her more when she isn't like that, no matter who she is."

"As for your given name, I'm not sure why they would care. They didn't react to Mentat or Carmine, so perhaps in the past, you do something terrible? Who knows why? I suspect you'd get better answers from them on that topic. Hopefully they will be in an explaining mood. I've been stealing secrets from them all day, because they won't talk to me. Not major secrets, mind you. Little ones, like this city's life and who it used to be."

"Perhaps I did something terrible in the past?... I hope that is not the case...
huh? The city is Alive? What do you mean?"

"I mean exactly what I said. The city is an artificial life form. I haven't been able to get more than that, but I have a bit of an affinity for technology since versing, and this city is alive. It is sizing us up, too. It has noticed it can effectively kill me whenever it feels like it. You - it would have to work harder on."

He tapped his chest. "You sensed a powerful energy source on me...before." He seems to be using the term carefully. "My heart is artificial. You have no idea how hard achieving that is for us versers, by the way. I quite proud of it. Most of the time, it is a nasty surprise for my foes. Every now and then, though, something like this happens."

"Hmmm... Staying alive though a surgery like that would be very hard.
They are quite skilled at making artificial life forms though.
I was a bit surprised that the one I saw was not a robot.
And now an artificial life form that is a city.
It's a bit unusual to see magic and technology together like this."

"You only explored the edges of the world I was in last. Emerald Scythe was not powered by anything our sciences would have accepted. I think we are in what I have designated a 'shard.' That is a collective of related but separate dimensions. Apparently, we are also in a low-caliber gather as well. Relative to me, your signal died two months ago, I arrived here and shortly afterwards you showed up on my wall. To you, this is likely immediate and rushed."

He shook his head. "Stupid temporal shenanigans. Carmine laughs at those things, though. Says they are easy to figure out. Maybe for her and her fourth-dimensional existence. I'm still getting used to dimensional hopping."

"Fourth-dimensional existence?... She can mess with Time?"

"Messing with time would not explain what she can do. She's multitemporal, capable of existing in multiple time lines simultaneously, which often allows her to do moronic things like jumping a few seconds into the recent past whenever she makes a mistake. I never notice when she does it, but she sometimes let's me know. She's exceeded me by far; I follow her from world to world, not the other way around, as it used to be."

"That's the least of her tricks. I can't do it so easily, because being multitemporal is a natural state for her. I have no clue how to mimic that state, and I'm not sure I want to. I've done a lot of alterations to myself on levels most would not empathize with, but I don't think that one would bring us closer. I think she likes how constant I am."

He shook his head and awkwardly changed the topic. "Annoying they speak a different dialect of Old Realm here. They thought I was a Fair Folk spy at first. The point is, we might be seeing a lot of each other soon. You just won't be seeing much of me until I can talk them out of this cell."

"Huh? Old Realm? They where speaking English. Or do they call English Old Realm?"

He sounded annoyed. "They aren't speaking English. You are hearing that language somehow, but they aren't speaking it. Maybe you picked up a mutation or something that enables you to understand them, but they aren't speaking English at all. They probably wouldn't know what that is."

You feel something small shift in your pocket.

Huh? The Ring... It has Something to do with this.

"When do you think they will talk to us again?"

"Probably when they either hear what they want to hear, or realize they won't hear it. Whichever comes first." Mentat goes strangely silent for a bit after that.

"Not yet. Our time can wait." You hear that in your mind, and instinctively know it comes from the Ring.

I'll sit down, rest and meditate.
I'll try to get a fell for what mana flows though the city.

I'm not really surprised that the ring is sentient and can talk to me in my mind.

I think back to it
You shut up. I don't want to hear anything from you.

You don't sense another mind in your pocket, and the ring doesn't reply in any event. You sense living power through the city, something logical and bureaucratic almost to a fault. You also sense it shifting, and you sense it studying you right back, and reinforcing the cell walls around you.

Hmmm... White and Blue...Not the best mana combination for me...

I'll continue to study the city, Trying to feel out what I can.
I do have a flash of curiosity, I wonder if the city would want to talk to me.

The screen on the wall allowing communication goes out, becoming a golden opaque wall once more. You see pictograms going across the wall, but your mind somehow understands them, recognizing them as words.

<ONE MOMENT PLEASE>

It pauses, and resumes.

<I AM AWARE>

"Hello. My name is Magnus.
What is your name?"

<I AM SOVA METROPOLIS, THE CITY YOU TOUCHED>
<YOU ARE AT THE DELIBERATIVE HOLDING CELL, AWAITING INVESTIGATION>
<THEY WERE NOT SURE IF YOU WOULD TRY TO TALK TO ME>
<THEY, AND MYSELF, WISH TO KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD WISH FROM HERE>

"I would like to know what is going on. I've gathered that Autochtonia is at war with somebody. Who are you at war with and why? If it is a reason I'm agreeable to, I would be willing to help. "

Instead of a reply, golden light flashes around you. You find yourself in a darkened room with a single column of light shining down on you. A soft, sarcastic and deep voice chimes in.

"Guys, do we really need to do this whole 'dark and spooky court' thing to the only one of the two visitors which hasn't been giving us a hard time? I don't think the other one actually cared, and I doubt this one will either."

A deeper voice joins in. "The prisoner can hear you, and we are live, fool. Sova saw fit to bring the prisoner to us right now." The voice seems to come from everywhere. "Sova briefs us on your questions, but we have one for you: do you know why you are here?"

"The first one is right. I don't really care. But I have to admit you have a nice sense of theatrics. If I was less experienced, it might actually intimidate me.

Anyway, to your question.
I think I am here because you want to determine if I am a threat to Autochtonia.
Is that correct? "

"That is correct. We assume you will try to explain to us why you are not a threat. However, that isn't what we asked. We asked if you know why you are here." He put some emphasis on the last four words, almost like he was asking it again.

"Are you Asking what My purpose here is?
If that is the case, I don't know yet. I generally like more information before I decide what I will do in a world.

if not...Then I'm not understanding what you are trying to ask.

That Captain Dace Reacted oddly when I said my name is Magnus. I never got a reason for that..."

I'll activate my chi sight to see what I notice.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:31, Sat 16 May 2015.