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Blemishine 1:12 PM / Clear Skies / Visibility: Excellent
Terra, South-Southwest of the Ursus border, Rhodes Island Landship

    A certified industrial behemoth, Rhodes Island (indeed belonging to the organization of the same name) is a boxy titan that gives off the impression of being able to strongarm itself through even the worst of terrain with the many massive treads that it trudges forward on. 'Landship' as a word might even be an understatement; it puts conventional waterborne vessels to shame at somewhere around 800 meters in length and a little over 300 in width, although against a backdrop of primarily empty wastes and expanses of dust, it'd be easy to misconstrue exactly how large it actually is.

    If one ever has to ask why a pharmaceutical company needs a mobile base this big, the answer is clearly that they're much more than that.

    The simplest way to get there is by air, and so long as you don't mind a very chatty pilot clearly excited to make small talk with Multiversal visitors, a Rhodes skyborne transport already waiting at the nearest Warpgate is more than willing to ferry any and all to where they need to go. Landing is done on one of the two exterior docks that span either side of the hull, and from there, it's straight into the hangar and loading bay at the center of said dock.

    Inside the sizable space, numerous aircraft and more than a few cargo payloads of various sizes rest, undoubtedly to be moved off in the near future. Engineers go to and fro on their assigned duties, whether it's safety checks for flights or working terminals on gunmetal gray walls emblazoned with RI's logo, communicating with other sections of the ship. However, at least two individuals in particular stand out as a greeting party.

    One is quite obviously Blemishine. Or perhaps right now, just Maria Nearl, minus the usual regal family armor. She gives off an almost way too casual air when an operation isn't a concern, clad in a plain black tanktop with a pair of utility pants and boots, complete with a toolbelt strapped around her waist. She looks as if she was working on something all the way to the last moment, and had not a single thought of dressing for the occasion.

    Her companion, standing at her side with folded arms, must be the fabled 'auntie'...albeit she truly does seem more like an older sister than anything else, undeniably only a few years older than her niece. And unlike her right now, in breastplate and cowl, and with sword at her side, the woman cuts a fairly striking figure - the sort that, no matter if it's combat or casual outing, would probably do so with ease.

    Though very much in the vein of a parent more than an aunt or a sibling, she seems to be right in the middle of chewing the younger of the duo out for something. There's some light cheek tugging involved.
Ishirou Ishirou hasn't actually gotten the chance to see the Rhodes Island before, so is taking his time enjoying all of the sites, and of course, asking a million questions of the pilot that is taking them aboard.  Once discharged and shown the way toward Blemishine, Ishirou makes the trip until they come across the pair.

Apparently, something is happening between the two...and he looks from one to the other.  He has to do something to break this up before it becomes too much for Maria's cheeks.  

"So...you must be Auntie..?"  He says, giving a sly thumbs up to Blemi.
Futaba Nuki If anyone was hoping for a quiet ride over, they're not going to get it today. Futaba's present, after all, and she's alternating between providing commentary on all the sights from the window and feeding into the pilot's chattiness by going on about how cool all the other Elites on board are. She's got trivia about almost everyone, too, although a lot of it might end up being unsubstantiated rumors that have been blown way out of proportion.

Indeed, the first moment of peace might actually come when it's time to disembark, although her energy hasn't dampened in the slightest when she scurries right past Ishirou to take in the new sights waiting for everyone at Rhodes Island's dock.

Well, right until she sees 'auntie' scolding Maria for something. Tugging her scarf around her neck a bit tighter and keeping one hand in her jacket pocket, Futaba raises her free hand to wave lightly at the duo with a curious grin plastered on her face. "Hey, Miss Blemishine! Hi-" She takes a cue from Ishirou. "-Miss Auntie Nearl! Thanks for having us today. We're not late, are we?"
Tamamo     Tamamo has been having to wear a big fluffy coat outside a lot, recently. Taking advantage of not being somewhere in the dead of a harsh winter, she arrives today with only the many-layered outfit most usual to her, the blue, white, and black folds loose enough to be shoulder-baring, but warm enough for many occasions. She listens politely to Futaba's endless trivia while making vague sounds of interest, "Oh?" and "I see," heedless of how this might fuel her.

    Upon arrival, she says, "Ah, Blemishine... or do you not use that name, when out of your armor? And this must be..."

    Futaba and Ishirou greet her. "...surely not? This must be the elder sister, no?"
Dimokratia The great mobile Landship-base Rhodes Island has two enormous landing areas and massive docking-structures explicitly to service 'inter-ship commerce' and remote resourcing and logistics as a mothership-base for the functional equivilant of a mobile country. While Operators ferry the incoming group in to meet, the approach highlights a large, sleeked-industrial white and silver star-freighter pattern on the opposite deck.

The freighter, laid out like an H covered across the parallel lines and oriented down, is oriented around a core cargo block within the brackets. From the sides swoop out an array of raised smooth nacelles that sit idle.

Material visibly transfers down the extended gantry extended from the front of the blunt-cornered freight pod, carried by obviously mechanical and chrome drones clad lightly in semitransparent white shells. Crowds of Rhode Island Operators linger and watch in their own characterful ways from the periphery as the great landship receives a grand delivery procession.

In the unified hangar space, where Maria and 'auntie' await, there are multiple gross of foreign-marked matte grey crates stacked neatly before a presentation area before a rather enormous mecha that had been wheeled in by the drones on a gantry-dolly and left in the hangar besides the receiving logistics zone. Gold and mechanically silver, with a helmed head of sensor-antlers and ornamentive rises, swept-out shoulder-pauldrons and reinforced arms with golden-armored upper and forearm. It's not clear if it is a pilotable mecha, or an autonomous weapon, but it does loom head and shoulders over the supplies being piled in by the simple and headless cargo drones.

Dimo approaches, an eight foot tall and clearly synthetic woman of pale and paneled produced perfection 'wearing' a wrap of shifting carbon-black veined in silver, with diaphanous silver tails of material falling like a halfcape from her lower back in two jellyfish wings of material. Her silver-white hair frames proud cheeks and bright, glowing blue optic-ring eyes under a precise trim of her bangs, smiling at the assembled friends. The deck plating beneath her gains a soft warmth and glow, a smell like cast sunlight, and a pleasant heat radiates from her. She is, clearly and palpably, happy to see everyone, and hums with a reactor-buzz pleased tone.

"Everyone. I'm so glad you've come here to meet with us. I could think of no better introduction for ourselves than here, out in the field, and in what we aspire to be." She lifts a silver-knuckled carbon-black hand to her collar, indicating herself. "I am Dimo, of the Silver, champion of the culture that lives among the crystal branches. I - we - are here to help, and there is no better way than to become kind neighbors to the needful, and protectors of the sick."

Her hands move and come together, off her collar and up from her side, to press palm to palm. She continues, beatific. "And this organization, Rhodes Island, is one that exists in just that same way. To give succor, and culture, and society to the needy, and to support life." A dark-lipped grin takes the vaguely greek robotic woman. "Are there any questions, before I begin the presentation?"
Lilian Rook     Why does the pharma company have a tank-city with nine times the space of a nimitz?
    Start Asking Questions: [Easy: Failure] - "My, my, your employers must have hit upon something revolutionary to meet this much financial success. It makes me want to ask what their secret is." says Lilian, upon first spotting Blemishine, who happens to be the first person she runs into whose answer she gives a tenth of a care for. "Really though, you're hosting a convention, and that's what you're wearing?" she says next, eyeballing Maria as she strides past. "Do I have to bring you something? We're nearly the same height, even if you have a surprisingly light build underneath that armour. I could--"

    Lilian's eyes wander to the figure she has at her side. She wears a smile like a pleasant summer day by the next heartbeat. "Ah, you must be Maria's older sister. I've heard only a little bit about you, but it's a pleasure to meet you." says Lilian, extending her hand. By which she means she has heard enough to already know how to get on her good side. "I'm pleased to see that she has someone responsible looking out for her as well." The fact that this might save her from further cheek damage is incidental at best.

    Of course, as Dimo comes out, Lilian's attention is inevitably drawn to the mecha in short order. When she first sees it, her breath stops. Her fingers press to her breast, below her collarbone, and squeeze into a fist, trembling fist. Her spare hand drifts up her neck and to her cheek, fingertips gliding over the dark line of her scar, and lingering on her temple.
Blemishine     Ishirou and Futaba both get less a thumbs up and more of a reach for help, even though she's in the middle of getting her cheek tugged on even harder. With her mouth otherwise being yanked out of shape and reduced to muffled 'owowowow's, it's the huffing woman who answers them both.

"I had thought I had gotten on her case enough for being distracted all the way up until five minutes ago. But this is how you've been talking about me when I'm not around, is it...honestly. Let's all make sure to clear up any misunderstandings ahead of time here."

Tug. "Maria does call me her aunt, but that's only because of family dynamics. I'm not even that much older than her."

Tug. "I'm still very young."

Tug. Should faces stretch that far? "In fact, I'm not even married. Are we clear?"

    Snap. The thoroughly destroyed niece is finally freed, so that she can place a hand on her hip and put on a much more professional smile. Maybe a little more than just professional. "As this pair of highly fashionable and learned ladies have mentioned, just think of me as her big sister. The Whislash Knight, Zofia, is what I went by once. But just Whislash or Zofia is perfectly fine these days, please and thank you."

    Lilian gets a firm and concise handshake. "Really, I should be the one thanking you all - again - for watching over her as she continues to get herself into trouble. It's no end of stress, but what can you do?"

    "A-Ahaha...aun--...sis! Sis! Let's not talk about all of that right now, it's not what we're here for!" Maria rubs at her face while idly nodding towards Tamamo and giving an apologetic-sounding chuckle to Lilian as a response to her questions, hasty to change the subject...especially as Dimo properly arrives to join in, and it's hard to tell what her eyes, the same as several other Operators, are lighting up at the most.

    It might (still) be the giant robot. It might be the host of today's presentation in all her synthetic glory being here in the (sort of) flesh. Probably both. "Miss Dimo! I couldn't agree more! Rhodes has always been about mutual cooperation for the sake of helping those who need it the most, so I'm really excited to do this! There's going to be so much to go through!"

    "I have to admit, I was skeptical about the...well, you know. All of this, at first. Not quite an everyday event. But I'd say I'm rather looking forward to learning all about it...now."

    The older of the pair only pauses, briefly, at Lilian's body posture. For whatever reason, she didn't miss that.
Lilian Rook     'In fact, I'm not even married. Are we clear?'

    Lilian's smile shifts an alignment square. "Crystal~"

    Of course, Lilian introduces herself warmly as "Dame Commander Lilian Isabelle Rook." and says "It's always a pleasure to meet fellow knights from other walks of life." with sincerity. She's 'dressed down' for what amounts to a semiformal event between friends, wearing a wine red side-button top with detached sleeves fastened by cross straps, baring tasteful slice of middle above a knee-length black ruffled skirt laced to her waist, over dark tights and buckled heeled shoes. It's smart, flirtatious, breezy, and secretly just an improved version of something she wore only once before.

    "Oh I hardly mind. And it's always a bit stressful. You can't avoid that, I'm afraid." Lilian continues, sympathetically. "If they're fortunate enough to find their true calling at that age, you can try to deny them all they want, and you still won't stop them; you'll only lose their faith in you by trying." she sighs. Then, she turns on Blemishine, and traitorously sides with the pretty lady. "Maria. Need I impress upon you the importance of respecting what people ask you to call them?" says Lilian. Her eyes quickly flicker to Zofia's smile and back. "Besides. She can't be any older than I am. I'll start to feel you might have something to say to me, at this rate."
Futaba Nuki Perhaps calling her 'auntie' was not the best idea, in retrospect. Straightening up in her stance, Futaba nods quickly with each tug on Maria's face. Even though nobody's actually touching her, she still winces just a bit with those tugs.

"Unmarried older sister, got it!" Futaba repeats after she, Tamamo, and Lilian all make that same point painfully clear while once again not realizing how badly that might be construed. She turns her head briefly to (badly) hide some snickering when Lilian scolds Maria for her appearance, then back again. "It's good to meet you, Miss Zofia. I'm Futaba, a ninja warrior working with Mister Ishirou and Miss Tamamo and Miss Rook here. I haven't known Miss Maria for long, but I've heard lots of great stuff about her inventions!" She affirms, eventually shifting her attention to Dimo when she approaches.

That, too, gets a long gawking spell from Futaba as she tries to absorb everything she's seeing between the incongruous freighter on the other landing area and the massive synthetic woman approaching the group. It's not until she speaks, though, that the tanuki's eyes light up a bit more in recognition.

"... Oh! Hi, Miss Dimo!" Futaba waves excitedly with a focused look in her eyes, clearly studying her movements and her posture with great interest as though that might somehow be important for something. She doesn't even remember to respond right away to her query about questions, and it's not until she notices Lilian's wordless reaction to Dimo's presence that Futaba finally snaps her attention back to the present.

That look still has her curiosity piqued, but she's not asking about it just yet.

"Yeah! Um. So is this like some kind of joint project between you and-" She gestures at the behemoth they're standing on, then looks between Dimo and Zofia a few times. "-Rhodes Island? Or... Uh. What kind of stuff can we help with, anyway? A lot of stuff on the way over looked really dreary."
Ishirou Ishirou looks confused by the calls for help and the lack of a thumbs up.  It looks like that wasn't helpful...what did Blemishine say about her auntie...

She drinks a lot.

Okay, that might not be helpful right now.  THANKFULLY both Lilian and Tamamo sweep in, making things slightly clearer (and somehow more confused,) as he tilts his head.  "I get it but I don't get it...I don't see why Auntie makes you sound older, but I guess I can accept that it does for some reason and then not call you that..." he pauses, "Family dynamics are weird.." he mutters.  

"Huh..?  Oh, Blemishine is a big help!  She's a really good friend of mine who's helped me design a few things, including The Recon, Exploration, Surveying, Combat, and Unified Environmental Unit.  Or R.E.S.C.U.E. Unit for short!  Also uh...helped talk me out of some bad ideas...she's a good role model!"

This might not be at all helping her, given Ishirou...but it's from the heart!

Of course, the things get his attention in short order.  First the mech.  "Oh my gosh it's a mech!" he says, and starts repeatedly jumping from place to place around it, trying to use his eyes to gleam all of its secrets.  The Black box with arms hangs around too, seemingly flanking the robot with Ishirou to provide more angles of looking at it!

The OTHER thing that catches his eye, is of course Dimo walking in.  It's a less excited curiosity because she's not a giant mecha, but it's a curiosity because of a similar shared origin, even if he's not an android anymore.  Also, there is something striking about her that demands his attention.  That was combined with the various readings and her welcoming voice.  

"Uh...hi, I'm Ishirou.." he says, perhaps bashfully.  
Dimokratia > Mecha: Be looked at intensely by someone immediately having a neck-and-scar based emotional reaction.

Lilian can tell, gazing upon the mecha, that it senses the direct attention and comes increasingly more alive in reaction. Warm bubbles, like the lapping of a jaccuzi, float about her psyche experientially, the tassels of scarves and ribbons trembling electrically and synaptically warm against her nerves.

The pulse of awareness, of being-seen like an eye opening from restful sleep, flows outward from the large mechanical antler-helmed humanoid - as palpable as Dimo's warmth. A being-seen.

Beneath, Dimo wears a wide smile, pleased and cheered by everyone's greetings. She raises extends her hands welcoming to the group while Lilian is enraptured for a moment. "The Infected -- no, those blessed with the power to help others among Rhodes Island, as a group that represents the bright hope for the Infected of Terra -- and the Silver both have a shared goal, to allow for people to live in a dangerous world, to give to people as their needs, and lift them from their burdens, their barriers, and their problems to live more fully, more completely, longer, better. These are holy tasks, and divine gifts. So, of course, the Silver makes a commitment, with us, to remove the terminal barrier of Oriopathy from Terra, and provide a path to curing this land and growing something good in this soil that could be so rich."

Skepticism has Dimo stride right up to Zofia and lift the shorter woman's hands in hers to hold and press thumb to the soft backs of palm and smile. "It is alright to tremble, if in excitement or fear, for the thrill is possibility's calling. Listen to it, and allow it to turn inside you until you calm." She husks, warm and whispering. Her synapse-flow pours down like a bucket of warm water down the forebrow and away, splashing and tumbling down in rivulets of nerve-feeling. "Give it. . . ten seconds. You'll feel better after."

Still holding Whislash's hands, Dimo turns her head and smiles at Futaba, blue optics bright aglow. "It is a joint project between all of us as neighbors. As companions! Rhodes Island, the Silver, and the Common Wealth. It is of course something you may help with. Terra is a needful land, and there are many monsters to destroy."

Ishirou catches a low finger-wave, one hand coming off Zofia's to roll her fingers at the bio-android boy. "Hello. I am Dimo." She laughs, low and soft. "Is that your question?" She hums.

At the mention of 'a mech', finally, the mech's optics come alive.

Stepping over -- right among, really -- the group wth extreme precision, the whole mechanical being leans right down, greened optics lit beneath the helmpiece. A hum, like Dimo's, but higher pitched, and deeply mechanical, puffs out with an exhaust steam.

The helmed mecha, leaned all the way down to Peer Closely at Lilian speaks sourcelessly with a higher pitch than Dimo.

"Like what you see, Lilian?" Kratia asks, purring-rolling.
Tamamo     Tamamo takes Zofia's compliments (which are wholly true) with grace. Her eyes are drawn to Dimo's entrance, the appearance of both person and mecha being new to her, though they are just as quickly drawn to Lilian's reaction. A quiet, "Hmm...?"

    She's already been introduced to most of those here, but not to at least one, and so, Lilian's introduction is followed by her own. "I am Tamamo-no-mae, bunrei of Amaterasu-omikami, She of the Pale-Gold Face, Goddess of the Sun, and also, now, Chevalier of the Paladins. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. The mission of Rhodes Island is one most pleasing to hear, though my experience in your world is limited."

    Taking her nod to mean 'yes,' Tamamo says, "I can take no credit for guiding Miss Maria, but for others, I expect that it is no trouble. It is ever the case that the young require guidance, no? Even those that have found purpose and cause for enthusiasm, as I have heard in her discussion of mechanical matters, are still oft in need, though a lighter touch be warranted." Though she's not criticizing the cheek-pinching.

    To Dimo, "Though we have been introduced, as this is our first meeting within sight, allow me to again say that it is a pleasure. I shall warmly anticipate learning of your efforts and achievements."
Blemishine     "The pleasure is really all mine, Dame Commander," the reply comes easily, with the distinct impression of someone very much used to formalities but who Actually Means It on this occasion. The brief moment of vulnerability she had noticed is smoothly glossed over. "I have no regrets in leaving my competition knight days behind me, though perhaps it's the instructor in me that still gets a kick out of seeing up-and-comers and those making the most of their potential alike."

    She's definitely pegged the other woman as one of those. A smile with a fang included is certainly a charm point. Once again, directed to both Lilian and Tamamo in particular. "You understand. Just when I had thought I'd be able to keep a close eye on her here, off she goes again. But I can rest a bit easier knowing she has excellent role models out there, as well."

    Poor Maria, who has not suffered nearly enough, flags underneath the intense gaze. "E-Eh!? Miss Rook!? It's nothing like that, I swear! I'd never even think of it! I haven't thought of it!"

    Futaba and Ishirou with their compliments in her favor are probably the only reasons she's not a small speck you'd need to squint to see right now. "T-Thanks, you two...being a good role model is one of the best compliments I could get..." Well, that and two other things. One of them being her sister-aunt having her hands gently taken, which is an act that seems to take the older woman plenty off-guard as well. The 'wordless' brand of momentarily stunned.

    And perhaps surprisingly, once she takes a moment to get over it, actually does as Dimo requests and slowly closes her eyes. "...Ten seconds, you say? Hm..." She well truly does give it that long, even as Dimo's grip rolls off momentarily. Not one to write things off out of hand, it seems. Though the attempt at internal contemplation is only a little ruined by--

    --the second thing, which is Maria's even louder 'eeeeeeehhhhhhhh!?' at the giant robot. Also known as... "Kratia, that's your voice, isn't it!? Are you in there!? Wait, no, is that you!?"
Ishirou Ishirou is all smiles for Maria, who he does look up to.  Probably more now that she's set some things right for him...it probably won't stop him from still trying to be something more, but it might cause him to spend less time in the medical ward in the short term.  Assuming Eggman doesn't do something /more/ to him.  

Dimo catches his attention back, to which he looks very embarrassed at forgetting she asked for questions.  "Uh...nooooo...I was just...um, introducing myself formally...you know in person..?" Ishirou is sinking fast.  Alright, Ishirou, you have to recover, you have to swim up and not drown.  You can do this very thing!

"YOUR SISTER IS A MECHA?!" Way to go, idiot.
Lilian Rook     Lilian notices the 'mecha's awareness in an instant. Her breath refuses to come, for long moments, as it wakens and stirs. The tingling, effervescent presence, electric and examining, thrumming and inquiring, finally has her release it in a sigh with such warmth that it surprises her. It feels like easing into a hot bath, she thinks. Burdens of the mind shedding some of their weight as they are embraced by steamy buouyancy. She wonders if she should reach back. She wonders . . .

    But of course her thoughts cannot be so clear to her present company. Any company. It's almost as if her psyche isn't there, but not quite. A fine crack in the smooth and blank surface of space, clean and sharp. Easily missed, until one runs their fingers over it, and it catches. From that split, a faint glow, like radiation. The light of thought in the gap; a razor thin sunbeam of cool warmth and prickling actinic tingle, tasting of metal and floral sweetness. It sweeps quietly like a spotlight across its object of focus, and reflects inward even more in contemplation. A sliver-gap in a sun-sphere, from which to peer out at the universe. Metal skin hinting at beautiful light, and scorching, secret fire that can only turn-to ash. It's so very 'Lilian'. And also, someone who is Lilian, but also somehow not quite, right on the borders of her consciousness.

    "I quite like your sense of style." says Lilian, the tinge of banter on the edges of her sincerity. "I'd dare say we might have a thing or two in common. It feels as if we could be friends."

    Dividing her attention with Zofia, an eyebrow of Lilian's disappears into her bangs. "Oh my, you used to compete? In what, might I ask? That sounds rather exciting. Knights aren't exactly common where I come from, after all." A sly smirk comes to the fore as she contemplates the word 'role model'. "I wouldn't mind sparing a little time to get her some extra training, if you have concerns."
Futaba Nuki Dimo explains the role of Rhodes Island and Silver, and all those honeyed words are taken at the faciest of values to earn her an awed gawking from Futaba. "Amazing... You've really got this figured out! I don't know much about curing people's diseases, but..."

She furrows her brow slightly as she settles back into her thinking stance (consisting of slowly squatting down), trying to wrack her brain for ideas until Dimo gives Zofia those ten seconds of vaguely intimate hand-holding. She stops moving downwards to just stare at the two, half-cluelessly and half-entranced by the new ritual she doesn't quite understand until Dimo turns to her. Once that happens, the tanuki stands right back up, returning that smile and gaze with a blanker stare and grin of her own. "R-right! If you need extra hands with any kinds of physical stuff or beating back nasty things out there, I've got plenty to go around!"

Naturally, she demonstrates by sprouting more arms from her sides and back for a moment. It all looks rather odd because her jacket's in the way, though, just kind of flaring it out at the sides and at her shoulders before she pulls them back in. "What kind of monsters are we talking about here, anyway? And what's this Infected disease about?"

Turning back to Maria, Futaba laughs and moves over to clap her back firmly. "Well, why not? I've heard plenty about you going out to fight all sorts of big bad guys, and you've even got that classic knight look to go with it!" She explains despite the fact that Blemishine is most certainly not wearing knightly armor at the moment. "Very cool stuff. Wonder if I could even-"

When the mech approaches, Futaba nearly jumps out of her skin in surprise at first. It's only after the initial shock wears off that she lets herself stare at her wide-eyed in awe, circling around Kratia slowly and jumping again when she finally speaks. "Oh, wow...! You're huge! And so..."

Practically darting around Kratia's legs now, she joins Maria in freaking out respectfully, and she forgets her tact for a moment to instead tap against her leg. "Hey, Miss Kratia! Can you feel it when I do this?"
James Bond      The blades and drone of a helicopter are carried on the air. Soon enough, it's in sight. Bulky, the kind of thing that'd be used for transport, with clear Paladins livery featured in the paint job. The bubble cockpit gleams in the sun as the craft comes down for a landing. Out steps James Bond, discarding a pilot's headset as the whine of the cooling-down engine fades.

     Dressed in a snug navy polo, cream-colored slacks and matching loafers, he strides confidently up to Maria and Zofia, offering each a handshake as he pockets a pair of dark sunglasses. "Good to meet you. Chevalier James Bond. Sorry I'm late. Car trouble." The people who know him may either take that to mean a joke, given that one can't exactly drive here easily--or a euphemism for his car being blown up on a previous assignment. Or maybe both.

     There are, besides Zofia, a few people here he hasn't met. Dimo and Futaba get the same greeting, the same professional handshake--though neither of them, nor Kratia (he'd been uncertain of how to shake *her* hand) escape his wry, knowing smile. What does he know?
Dimokratia Dimo returns to Whislash with a wink. "There. Isn't that better? If you are willing to consider your problems, and apply positive energy and thought to them, they will cease to be terrifying, and you will be left with your truth on the matter. And the truth is far easier to deal with than the shadows of negativity."

Preaching, almost, the carbon-black wrapped mechanical woman smiles with Tamamo's introduction, offering a bow-curtsey with a wave of her arm to the split halfcape of diaphonous silver at her side. "My lady, you are radiant." She appraises, rising to clasp both hands palms-togehter and fingers curled about. "Presence, really, is so much different than the sound of the sun, mmm? As you spoke of proximity's direness, we also know of--"

Kratia, laughing in a bellows-amusement, grinds back to a standing posture, planting long arch-jointed and claw-tipped fingers on the outer skirt of her waistplate. "Of course I am. Why should I have the barrier of a shape like that? She's the one who wants to preach. I'm here to re-*align*. By force. . ." Excited, Kratia rolls servo-powered neck back and expresses out all of the joints of her pauldron-shoulders like stretching plumage along tensing muscles.

She continues, a bit too high, a bit too sweet, indulgent. "... If necessary."

Dimo smiles at that, chuffing. "Yes. Of course. Need. And Terra is needful, as is the Multiverse. So we are together sister-champions. For all size and shape and being of threat and monster, we are here to help you."

Kratia leans in just a bit over Dimo. "Going to bore them in the hangar the whole time with preaching and contexts?"

"I was allowing our hosts to show us inside." Dimo explains, looking to Blemishine and Whislash. "Do you have anything to show? Yes, please, I have spoken for you, let your own truth be known." To Futaba, she guides the princess closer with a beckoning hand. "Of course you can help. My, are you so eager."

Futaba poking Kratia repeatedly gets the princess peered down at, maneuvering to see down to her foot. "I'm aware you touched me, but no. I didn't feel it. I've got contact sensors, but to feel it, you'd have to hit me a *lot* harder than that. Feeling, for me, is at a different scale."

"She's insensitive." Dimo confirms serenely.
Blemishine     For what it's worth, Maria's outburst doesn't quite break Zofia out of her Silver-mandated ten seconds of inner concentration. It could be the sensations and the calmness associated. It could be she's used to her niece's screaming. Maybe both. But by the time her eyes finally open again, and she lets out a slow exhale, she does seem notably less tense. "...Huh," in the tone of one who has come to a sort of genuinely surprising realization. "That's quite the technique you have there. I might need to try that one more often...if that's what your philosophy is all about, I can't say I dislike it."

    She's still passingly reflecting on that by the time Bond enters, offering a polite handshake and introduction in return. His excuse does actually get a snicker out of her before she regards Dimo once more, after a moment of thought. "Maria, I believe that's your cue. You were the one who went through all the permissions, yes? I'll pitch in to explain anything you can't, don't worry." This is only 20% giving herself an excuse to keep making small talk on the side.

    Like to Lilian. "Kazimierz - that is, our homeland - makes a grand show of their competitions, martial or otherwise, in the Major every three years. You'll find more knights than you'll ever know what to do with, and too many events to name...though I'm not sure most of them would be the sort you'd get on with." There's the tiniest of frowns.

    Maria, who was in the midst of obsessing and feeling fuzzy inside after Futaba's compliments, perks up for both her aunt and Dima. "...Oh! Um...I'm not sure if I'll be the best at it, but I'll try! Should I show what we do at the medical ward...? Maybe the training areas? Or..." Seemingly contemplating this and working on settling something, she begins leading onwards towards one of many large hallway exits from the hangar bay.

    "Well...Miss Dimo pretty much had things on the nose," she explains as she goes. The hallways are so sleek that one can see their reflection in the floor, with computer terminals interspersed throughout and numerous forks and branches into even larger main corridors. One thing she had forgot to ask in her thoughtfulness was if Kratia could even fit.

    "Rhodes Island is an non-government organization meant to aid Infected all across the world - and that doesn't just mean medical aid, even though that's a large part of it. It means fighting for them, both indirectly and directly. Whether you're infected with Oripathy yourself, or you just want to help. Almost anywhere you go, it's harder to say if the disease or the way they're treated is worse. Even back home, where they could be knights like anyone else...it wasn't fair at all."

    "...Ah, I didn't mean to lapse into anything personal there! Um, I should answer Miss Futaba's earlier questions for context at least. To keep it short, Oripathy is a sort of terminal illness from exposure to Originium, which is an extremely useful mineral native to our world. Progression means Originium will form and grow within you, eventually outside of you...and one day lead to death when your body is overwhelmed by it, spreading it further."

    A little quieter, "Some people would say one of those 'monsters' are things like beasts that have been driven mad by their infection. But I think the disease itself and how it separates people the way it does is the real monster that needs to be defeated."
Futaba Nuki Futaba returns James' handshake with a firmly energetic one of her own, looking him over curiously as well following that car comment and disembarking from the helicopter. "Hi, Mister Bond! Did..." She looks past him to the helicopter, noting that it is more certainly not a car. "... Did it explode? Was it cool? How many monsters did you have to shoot past on the way here?"

She's already letting her imagination run wild there, but at least it's respectful imagery going on in there. Thankfully, she doesn't get distracted for too long, and she peers back up at Kratia when she explains what would be necessary for her to feel the contact. "Really? Oh, we should have a match sometime, then. I can get big, too!"

Thankfully, Futaba doesn't show that off here. Instead, she practically slides over to Dimo when she's invited over, swaying a bit and grinning cheerfully at her excitement being noticed by someone she can only assume is an old hat to all this. "Of course! I can't just coast on my butt all day if I want to catch up with everyone here."

Now that she's up close, she also takes a moment to stare a little more closely at Dimo. Futaba seems rather curious about her general appearance, looking Dimo up and down a few times before finding her attention snagged by Maria again when she follows up on that initial explanation.

There's specific words to go with the disease! There's tensions over those with the disease! There's even some implied background information about Blemishine, but Futaba has enough sense not to hammer in on that considering her own hangups. It's still a lot to take in, but take it in she does, and Futaba gestures at the hallways around her and Rhodes Island at large. "Is that why this place is as big as it is? Because it has to deal with the disease and... Uh. I guess... All the people you need around to handle it and fight off bad guys and monsters trying to ruin everything for everyone?"
Ishirou Ishirou is just in wonder of Kratia, as someone who is a fan of both large women AND Mecha.  Though he does eventually calm down when Kratia speaks to him about her form.  "That...does make a lot of sense, being larger and a robot made for fighting DOES make your role as a fighter easier, I suppose," a pause, "It's still cool as hell.." he says, more as a whisper.  

Walking with the group as Blemishine explains the specifics of Originium and the disease it causes.  As she explains it, he pauses.  "That...sounds somewhat similar to the Robotization process...though a natural phenomenon instead of an artificial one.  So the process crystalizes a body, then...spreads through this vector?  Strange that metal would act so much like a virus or bacteria.  More to the fact that it can somehow convert a living person into more of itself..."

"Is...the substance radioactive?" Ishirou asks, trying to focus on the material itself.  He'd need to study it, and then maybe an infected to even start to try and figure out how it interacts with a body.  What would you call a disease that is spread by a non-biological vector like this..?  Honestly, it's the first time he's considered such a thing to be possible.  
James Bond      "R&D doesn't think it's very 'cool' when their things aren't brought back in one piece," says Bond to Futaba with the ghost of a smile. He'll let her draw her own conclusions from that.

     Led through the hangar and into the reflective hallways, Bond follows along, evidently showing no preference (at least, not in his expressions) for where to be shown first. "An extremely useful resource that's also dangerous for those who handle it," he summarizes along the way. "And I suppose there are either no alternatives, or there's negative incentive for the governments of the world to pursue them."

     Certainly, it's not an unfamiliar situation. But, as his tone of voice might imply, it's one he finds regrettable. "What are the challenges, when it comes to protective measures?" He assumes that's the avenue being pursued the most commonly.
Dimokratia Blemishine's questions about where to go draws a light smile from Dimo, gesturing towards the nearby sleek hallway. "Take us to what represents Rhodes Island most completely. Not the most important part necessarily, but the most representative."

Kratia remains behind in the hangar, waving with a lift from the armor skirting to waggle wrist joint and armored fingers, lifting from the conversation to oversee the rest of the cargo transfer from the twins' freighter into Rhodes Island.

Clasping her idle hand at her back and holding the other at Futaba's back to sweep the staring princess close. Inspected from close proximity, it becomes clearer and clearer that even if Kratia has a larger scale she operates at, Dimo is no less complex. Detail continues down to the fine across and throughout the mechanical Grecianesque figure, submerged beneath the black pools of outerlayer that are just slightly transparent up close.

As she walks down the smoothed halls, Dimo nods along at the explanation, tone lifting to aspirationally soft. "Yes. It is a change of state, but a taking one, not a giving one. The crystal becoming is consumptive, wasting, destructive to psyche. So it is a monster and enemy of the Silver, and one we wish to help address."

Ishirou's question draws direct interest from Dimo, directing her pouringly palpable attention his way. "Yes, I believe it is energetic in several ways. There is a manipulative magic of it, locally - the Originum Arts, yes?" She seeks confirmation from the blond equine locals.
Lilian Rook     "Interesting." Lilian replies to Zofia. "I wonder how many of them are any good? I think you'll really have to introduce me. Even if I have no experience with horseback riding, I assure you I'm quite the capable martial artist. I'm certain I'd do just fine. Or did you mean to say that I wouldn't get along with the other knights?"

    When Oripathy is helpfully explained, Lilian (rather drily) says "I think I may have heard of it once or twice." and then stares into the middle distance, reminiscing. "But thank you for explaining it in more useful terms. So, you'd consider yourselves a humanitarian aid organization? May I ask what this private military has to do with that, then?" It has, of course, not slipped her notice how many armed Elites are with this company.
Blemishine     "The other knights," Zofia clarifies to Lilian with a tinge of disapproval. "Most of them can hardly be called such by the classical term. Greedy hounds gunning for sponsorships or combat-thirsty fiends, though...ah, but only most of them. I do think you'd perform quite well in the sports themselves. Perhaps I'll have to run a mock setup of one sometime?"

    From Maria, Futaba gets a series of nods. "That's a pretty simple way of thinking about it! We have a huge medical staff, obviously...but also plenty of other Operators. Catastrophe Messengers, transporters, combat specialists, even just volunteers doing what they can. Rhodes actually has a lot of branches keeping presence across Terra, but the main one here does most of the heavy lifting."

    Which segues into Lilian's question to her. "...To put it bluntly, there are plenty of times Rhodes has to get involved in that sort of capacity. Almost always taking the local governments into mind, of course - Amiya and the others are actually the most amazing negotiators you'll ever see! But even besides that, there are Infected extremists like Reunion that we've had to go up against, and plenty more besides..."

    "...Oh, um. Corpses overcome by infection decompose into Originium particles, becoming a vector that passes it on through the air...if they're not taken care of properly." Maria replies to Ishirou a bit dourly, before backtracking a bit. "Mm, Originium is a raw mineral. You can mine it, Catastrophes can ruin entire areas with it, and countries like Rim Billiton thrive off the trade. It's actually not radioactive either, though the energy you can get from it sure would make it easy to confuse for that, ahaha..."

    It's a more awkward, space-filling chuckle than anything before she follows up with Dimo's explanation, and request for confirmation. "That's right. In my sword and shield, a Caster's staff, all sorts of catalysts, really. Arts manifest differently through everyone, but they all use Originium as their source. And I can confirm that even though the raw material itself can be really volatile, it's safe when used like that, and also is in most of its uses."

    This segues (again) into answering Bond, with a frown. "...Most of them. Almost all of the technology you'll find on Terra is Originium-based, and has been for a long, long time. That's part of why Oripathy is so widespread; it's been used for advancement for so much of our history, all across the world, and way before any safety measures were taken or standardized. There are some things getting in the way, like normal epidemics...lack of public awareness, being sloppy about proper procedure, some locations just not having the equipment to deal with it."

    "...Though with Oripathy, there are some other things. Originium miners worked to the bone without protective equipment for profit. Infected citizens disregarded and left to wallow, or worse, taken advantage of. So much of it can be blamed on people, rather than just the disease. That's part of why I said what I said before, about the real 'monster'.
Futaba Nuki "Really? Yeah, I guess not, if it's expensive." Futaba admits to Bond with a light sigh, her mind at war with itself over enjoying the visual impact of things exploding versus the financial costs involved in that. She's still deep in thought when Dimo pulls her over, though, drawing a  startled noise and a blank stare from Futaba as it takes her a moment to adjust to suddenly getting a better look at all those details along Dimo's face and body.

"So much detail..." She finds herself murmuring idly, not being shy about leaning around every now and then to just follow one of those lines wherever it goes, however it goes, and without seeming too worried about the potential invasion of personal space. "Did you put all these on yourself? If it's raining..."

Futaba's attention returns to the presentations and explanations at hand sooner rather than later, thankfully. After getting a better idea of the extent of Rhodes Island's operations from Maria, she even refrains from speaking up right away. She's listening, absorbing, even trying to commit some of those names Maria drops to memory.

It's a good thing, too, since Blemishine helps elaborate on the uses of Orignium that even answers some of the questions she had popping up in her head. Eventually, though, she zeroes in on the matter of the crystalizing involved with the disease. "Can people just take them out? Or break them? Like... I mean, if it's sticking out and big enough to hold, you could just pull it out, right?" She asks, oversimplifying what's sure to be a complex medical matter. "Although if it's useful for doing those Original Arts... Does that mean the people here need a little bit of it around anyway?"

And then she snaps her fingers. "Or what if you had something or someone really small to pull the important ones out? Would that help?"
James Bond      Bond sighs. Everything that Maria explains to him is familiar, after a fashion. "Yes," he says dryly, "And why should anyone slow down, when there's money to be made, progress to be had, ideology to uphold, and so on." The added details, about the miners, draws a shake of his head. "And, of course, it even lets us revere the almighty job. I can see why you've got your hands full. I'll be glad to help however I'm able."

    "For a start, why don't you tell me about these 'Infected extremists,'" Bond says with a kind of professional gravity utterly absent his previous withering sarcasm. "Reunion. What do they want?"
Ishirou Ishirou listens, both to Dimo and then to Maria.  This causes him to frown...something that would violate physics.  If something was that energetic and reactive, then it should be radioactive, but it's not.  Also, something called a Catastrophe doesn't bring him much ease, considering that if this comes from there, it was a catastrophe for a reason.  Though she says it's in her weapons, and magic staves.  So it's the source of their world's magic.  

So we're already starting with something that works outside of the standard models.  Magic changes things up, but logic usually is consistent, so it's just a matter of identifying that constant, and then working your models from there would be easier.  

"So it's energy dense, but not radioactive.  It's reactive on top of that and goes wild in an organic body, so much so that it'd be considered a disease.  More than that, it seeks to propagate."

"If it wasn't so horrifying it'd be fascinating.  I mean, it still is, but in the way that plagues are..." a beat, "And how this world is acting to it.  Putting the value of a thing over the life of a person.." he sighs.  Is it really like this everywhere..?  Is this really what humanity was about..?  Was he stupid for pursing it..?  Indus, here, so many words...

Was that why the King of Heroes urged him to pursue being something else..?
Blemishine     "Ahaha...I'm no doctor, but..." Maria rubs her cheek with a finger at Futaba's question. "...If it was that easy, it'd have already been done. I think for lesser growths, you can dig them out and heal back over just fine. The problem is that it fuses with your body. Your cells. Trying to yank out a big hunk of it sticking out of someone's shoulder, or something that runs deeper...that's not ever gonna go well. Even less if it's growing on your organs, you know?"

    It's honestly a little less quease-inducing to answer Bond, though not exactly easier. She spends several seconds mulling it over. "In the easiest way to explain it, Reunion...want justice for the Infected, and how they've been treated by the world all this time. It's gone really far beyond just wanting to aid them and into something more like...revenge. Inciting riots, insurrections, even things you can't classify as anything but terrorist acts..."

    A glance is given in Dimo's direction, followed by a troubled-sounding sigh. "...Chernobog, one of Ursus' mobile cities. I wasn't there myself, but to my understanding, it's in the state it's in now not only because of the Catastrophe that hit it, but Reunion working behind the scenes to make the populace revolt against the local government. Everything I've heard about it makes it sound like...a mess. A huge mess."

    Notably, she has no answer to give to Ishirou. Only silence.
Blemishine     And, on Dimo's suggestion, Maria thinks for a long moment. Of what would represent this place 'most completely'. She has a personal bias towards a certain section, but if she had to pick one and only one, it would be...

    For such a massive ship, traversing hall after hall after corridor, they make some surprisingly good time. That or the interior is just mapped out in a neat fashion, to where they only need to maneuver along what seem to be the fringes of the hull and the same deck they're on to reach where they're going. The medical department - or at least one of them - is easy to identify as they enter it through a variety of factors. It's plainly marked as such on numerous walls, for one. And for two, what seemed to already be a meticulously maintained environment seems to feel even more sterile, right down to the noticeable 'freshness' of the oxygen.

    The third factor is the shift in bystanders, the deeper one goes. While they might've passed plenty of individuals traveling elsewhere on the vessel on busywork of some sort or another, there's a different demeanor than that overall here. The ID-marked, coat-wearing staff pushing through the halls are the ones who display that same sort of concentrated and purposeful movement.

    The rest...some are Operators coming in for routine check-ups. Others don't seem to be personnel at all; civilians, pick-me-ups, those who clearly might've had nowhere else to go, the obviously affulent, from all walks of life and from what seem to be many corners of the world.

    All of them are wearing black monitoring devices cut through with bright azure lines, whether as rings or chokers or wristbands or some other accessory. The vast majority have what look to be obsidian growths forming on the surface of their skin, though only rarely on anything more than two limbs or a few parts of their torso. A closer look will reveal the crystalline quality to it - Originium. By all appearances, raw Originium.

    The group is going to get their lion's share of looks moving through here, that's for sure, but Maria seems unilaterally focused on simply slowly moving ahead through it. "...This is one of the medical wards. When I thought about it, it was the best place that fit the full package. Sorry if I did anything to the mood with that choice, but..." The mood of the place is a little hard to pin, actually. Nothing like a hospital could ever be 'cheery', that goes without saying.

    But the doctors and assistants are doing their business with so much purpose, that even Ishirou might believe the 'crazy vampire' could be one of them on a good day. And Dimo will note that the conditions she saw back at Chernobog are a far cry from this. None of them are anywhere close to the horrid state of the corrupted, much less in a state of active suffering. Infected, yes. But by and large as cared for as can be, stable, and more than likely living their lives, insomuch as one can here, just fine outside of necessary treatment here.

    Some of them are patently treating their visits here more like routine general doctor trips than anything else. Other than the part where a gaggle of Multiversals including an eight foot tall synthetic woman are moving through.
Ishirou There is a silence that follows the group as they walk through the medical center.  People afflicted with the disease are here, being treated, suffering.  Ishirou takes a sigh, at least these people are trying to do their best for them.  It's heartening, at least a little bit.  Something that makes a bit of the last thought settles back.  

Though, deep in his head, something else turns.  Ishirou focuses his attention on the bits of dark material he can see.  He looks at the patients.  His eyes look through to what he can detect from them, trying to catalog the data and information.  Not just of the raw material, but how exactly it works on the body.  Does it grow like cancer, or does it originate somewhere deeper in the body and then be released to collect on the parts of the skin..?  

He has to know how this works.  He has to know how it affects these people.  He just has to know.
James Bond      Bond seems, if not 'at home' in the sprawling ship, then used to it in some half-familiar way. Maybe he's accustomed to large, sprawling complexes like this. Feeling the weight of stares upon him, there are times, along the way, when Bond stares back.

     "There's no need to apologize," says Bond softly. "It's easy to say you want to help. But it's necessary to know who you're helping, isn't it? It keeps you from getting too... detached. From making a job of it. Take it from me--helping, protecting, should be a calling, I think. Not a job."

     He watches, with a small frown, as the doctors hurry back and forth, his eyes fixed afterwards on a patient with those crystal growths. "Does it hurt?" he asks softly, an aside to Maria.
Blemishine     A cursory scan reveals quite a bit to Ishirou. Nothing he probably wouldn't have learned consulting Rhodes' medical databases, but it certainly satisfies the immediate urge for information.

    What precisely he scans and detects depends on the individual. One whom seems to have been infected only recently contracted Oripathy displays black growths below skin level, in the process of fusing with cells and tissue and crystallizing upwards to break the surface. One might think that simply removing the growth would be enough, and it would help. But he can pick up trace amounts of it circulating within the bloodstream as well, and that's not so easy to simply remove.

    Which likely explains why patients further along in its progression show Originium lesions on different parts of their body, rather than what can be presumed to be the point of initial contact with particles. An extremely consistent trait between them is spots of crystallization on various internal organs, though generally still too minor to inhibit their function. Right now, at least.

    There are none of the truly ill just walking around, after all, and they're likely a very different case.

    Maria, at Bond's question, grimaces slightly and seemingly unconsciously clutches lightly at her side. Thinking about 'what could be', maybe, given she's not Infected herself. There's a long moment where she mulls over his words, apparently trying to find some sort of response, but can only manage a nod and a belated reply to his question.

    "...For the Infected in the later stages...it varies a lot, especially without treatment. Anything from nearly nothing to discomfort to chronic pain. It grows through your body, after all. But the surface ones that don't go that deep...no, I think it's sort of like rubbing across a fingernail. Or a tooth. You don't really...'feel' that itself either way, you know?"
Ishirou "It...grows like some sort of cancer.  It grows on the spots it is, but if you were to remove it, it still is /there/ somehow.  I wonder if this happens to be an infection from the material that effects at a deeper level.  I would have to study the effects in a lab itself, and figure out how it takes hold...if we can figure out the specifics of how it works, then there might be a way to prevent it..."

"As for removing it from an infected...that's an entirely different story," Ishirou admits.  "...Though I suppose that's what Dimo is here for?"
Futaba Nuki Today, Futaba learns a little bit more about organ-infecting diseases! She grimaces lightly at first from the mental images Maria gives to her, then audibly cringes and shuffles around uncomfortably when the thoughts of pulling crystalline substances out of an internal organ. "Oh, that's...! Ow, no, I don't... Oh, that's nasty. I hate it."

Sucking some more air in through her teeth, she lets out a low grunt before going back to listening again, raising an eyebrow slightly at the description of Chernobog and Reunion's involvement both there and in everything else surrounding the Infected. "Sounds like Reunion's making things worse, then. Ugh. Even if it started out okay, if the ones in charge are just letting it get this bad, or just doing nothing at all..."

Strangely enough, Futaba's mood doesn't seem to worsen one bit when they're led through the medical ward. If anything, seeing the work at hand actually seems to improve her mood, and she even laughs lightly at Blemishine's apology while stretching her arm out and reaching waaay over there to pat her shoulder with a gentle shake. "Hey, it's fine! Really, seeing this kind of work going on when these doctors and everyone could be doing way cushier stuff anywhere else..."

She forgets to finish that thought, but there's definitely an approving look in her eyes. "Huhu... Just make sure to let us know if you need more hands to do the heavy lifting!"
Dimokratia Moving along with the group, the somberness grows in the air, the tonal change from 'a place where people tried to have their best time at work', to 'a place where people received treatment'. The representative of the Silver clasps her hands together and falls quiet, eyes closing as she walks. Her focus is among the people, and her hum is distant and nonpresent.

She is here, though. Deeply here. Listening.

As Blemishine explains the later parts, her otherwise serene expression turns darker... And she's indicated.

The tall woman's eyes open slowly. "Yes. You can see - now - feel - now - the weight of Oriopathy, and the weight of this disease on the very souls of the people and land. It is a curse, in the shape of a blessing. It is a power that consumes the people unchecked, it is a terminal thing..."

Dimo smiles, kindly, down to Blemishine among all. "Yes. It is what I am here for. Our commitment is to use our advanced cybernetic skills to begin a no-cost permanent solution to terminal Oriopathy, to preserve Terran life. Because my people have experience with advanced brain uploading and digitization, as well as advanced neurological interfaces and medical replacement bionics, you may see our efforts in Ursus as a pilot program: a deployment of Originum-consuming medical stabilization matrixes and bionic support lattice that would use the inherent energetic power of Originum itself to affect a matter-matter conversion, and allow for direct, healthy bionic conversion of all affected areas and rapid return to function for affected individuals."

At the core of the hospital at Rhodes Island, Dimo of the Silver says this, confidently, clearly, factually as if speaking about the release of tested medicine.

"It has already been deployed. The test was successful. Terminal, 'berserk' Infected have been returned to docility, and the best cases have even returned to speech already. Their oriopathy scans are 100% negative. They have been cured - but the cost, of course, to them as people was terrible. In the coming days, weeks, and years, I hope to be able to offer Rhodes Island a way to enshrine that which they have always sought to protect: The life of their companions, as doctors, and healers."

"With a cure... Your burdens can be lifted. This, my friends of the Paladins, is our mission." Dimo intones, lifting her expression and gesturing to each in turn. "Some will not wish this cure. Some will wish to take charge of their own path. But a cure exists. And we can improve and specialize it with all your help, and offer it to a world in dire need of healing. To add to the Common Wealth, because becoming wonderful, again or for the first time, is the divine right of all."