Scene #7765: "Like Family"

Owner	Pose
Persephone Kore	It is November 17th, 1987, at 11:30 PM. You are just outside the orbit of Pluto, approaching Sapient Heuristics on a low-profile Paladins shuttle. Your mission is investigation and, should you deem it necessary, sabotage. Out here the Sun is still by far the largest star in the sky, but it's small and dim enough that it doesn't hurt to look at anymore. The night sky yawns out endlessly in all directions, only marked by the bisecting galactic plane of the Milky Way. There are a few reasons to build something as far out in the middle of nowhere as possible. You might do it if you're working with something very dangerous that nobody wants in their backyard. You might do it if you're experimenting with extremely sensitive things that could be disrupted by the pollution and hubbub of civilization. Or you might do it if it is just very, very important you be left alone. For Sapient Heuristics, all three of these things are true. But despite their best efforts, they're about to not be alone anymore.
Persephone Kore	First: your equipment. Based on materials and data recovered in the previous mission, Paladins R&D has provided you with tidal holography-derived sensors. These come in the form of glasses you can wear to 'see' Sapient Heuristics subjects' powers in use, absolutely crucial for dodging through a nest of mind-readers; other forms, as contact lenses or discreet electronic devices, were made available on request. Second: Persephone Kore. Infiltrating the station would be flatly impossible were she aboard- so she isn't. Long-range tidal holography observation has been able to pick up her comings and goings, feeling out her schedule to find a safe time to infiltrate. Right now she's absent, but you may not have long. Third: the "lab" itself. It's a smallish space station, externally unremarkable. This world Integrated decades ago, and so the station's hull is marked with chimerized retrofits of Multiversal tech. It couldn't be housing more than a thousand people. A shimmering force-field encloses the opening of its sole hangar, keeping the atmosphere in. Part of the station is an arcology-like glass dome, with greenery visible inside. You're too far away to see any people through the glass, but glowing crimson spheres of Jungian-Newtonian interference are visible inside the glass dome to those who've already donned their glasses- a reassuring indication the technology works, and a worrying one of just how many psychics they have on board. Your pilot, a terse and professional Paladins oldtimer, pulses the retro-thrusters to sync your shuttle's speed with the station's. It's still far enough "They don't have sensors for jack," he says, "but any closer and they could see us out the windows. This is your stop." The shuttle's side door slides open to the starry void, the vacuum of space kept at bay by a light flickering field. A holographic line paints the trajectory you'll have to jump to land directly in the SH hangar. "They got grav-capture on the hangar," he says, "so don't sweat being dead-on. If you miss I'll just swing by for another pass and scoop you back up." There are space suits on a rack behind you, but if you're a real cool dude, you can just breathe deep and jump.
Ishirou	I4 can't normally see these things, he could probably work out something that uses his sensors but at the same time, that'd take time and effort for something that is probably not going to be useful beyond dealing with this group of people. Also, shades are cool. He opts for the shades...also because helped with their development due to having the data. He can run this information through his own sensors and detection for increased information. So that's good! The old-timer piloting gets a frown from I4. "Yeah, and expose yourself to cold. /Really harsh cold/. Like negative two hundred and below. You'd be dead by the time you got there. Also, I'm a robot." And not taking his own advice, he jumps out without a suit. As he said, he's able to withstand the harsh environment. With the jump vector, he can easily calculate his vector. He also has the ability to help change it should things get weird. He aims for the door, aiming a three-point drop the moment he's inside, and he hangs there to help get people inside should they need it, while also keeping a lookout with his POD. Just in case they were waiting.
Persephone Kore	"Space ain't cold, bud," the pilot guy says offhandedly. "Thermos has a vacuum in it and it keeps your drink warm." As I4 jumps, he gives a thumbs-up out the cockpit window.
Hellwarming Trio	Utsuho: "So that's what the sun looks like up close..." Rin: "Right? You think we could fly out there?" Utsuho: "Yeah, but we've got work to do first." Rin: "Fine, fine. Later, though!" Unfortunately for everyone present, the pair of easily-distracted youkai are here to aid in the mission to investigate Sapient Heuristics! Again, even, as they've actually worked on this project before, and the discoveries from last time are still somewhat confusing to the pair. They're more cautious this time around, at least, as they're actually keeping relatively quiet even during the approach. Already wearing those provided glasses, Utsuho and Rin eyeball the jump with that line to aid them, and... They are totally cool dudes, but they've also never worn space suits before. Of course they're going to go for the funny suits and helmets! Their landing is considerably more clumsy, though, since... Well. Space boots. They grunt and grumble as they collide with each other shortly after touching down in the hangar, and they fumble around on the ground for a few moments before the helmets pop off with the suits emptying on the spot. A raven and cat, both donning those same glasses, emerge moments later from the opening. <<"Hey. Do we need to bring these suits back?">> Utsuho asks the pilot from the radio, keeping her voice down and disguising it a little with a flap of her wings. With those glasses aiding them, they maneuver around the visible fields with lots of short hops and just floating right on through the gaps after Go. Rin (in cat form) goes for the wider gaps, though, to make sure her big dumb corpse cart can actually fit without tripping the mental hazard zones.
Blemishine	LAST TIME: The encounter with DYLAN CRUISE was very much successful, though it probably also could have gone better, Maria thinks. Maybe a lot better. She really hopes she's okay. Not physically, that went without saying, but...well, worrying about all of that now won't get anyone anywhere. Now that they have this information, they have to use it to get to the bottom of things, and she has to stay focused. NOW: The trip through starry space is infinitely better than view you could even get from a dark countryside, and a view of Sapient Heuristics that anyone else would find unremarkable has a wealth of things for Blemishine to find interest in. Just like the prior station, with its Multiverse-inspired construction! But she's very much all-business, despite taking care to adjust and push up the slightly thicker-rimmed than standard glasses she's wearing. This is obstensibly because it'd make them easier to keep on in a pinch, but also because she likes the way they look. "Don't worry about me. If it's just a short jump, I can handle it!" She shoots a single wave back at the pilot, takes in a deep gulp of air, and gets a running start into her leap out of the vacuum. Out in the void, her legs and arms tuck in to a huddle, with a ponytail and pony tail lagging behind her extremely slow forward spin. She breaches the station's hangar field and reorients herself in gravity enough to land on her feet, though probably with some help needed from I4. Luckily, her armor hugs quite close to form and she made sure to minimize the amount of sound it'll be making with some recalibrations and extra joint padding, so between that and her shades, she's reasonably confident in a stealth op. The first order of business is making sure the immediate area is clear, and then following in Go's wake with a lot of peeking around corners and dashing past hallway intersections with cloak-fluttering left behind her. She trusts her eyes enough to be on lookout, and be /sure/ nobody is onto them. Yet, anyway. If they can find a filing or server room, that'd be excellent - but she's also on the lookout for anything of especial interest on the way there. That's the other reason for taking it slow.
Go Shijima	Go will have gone for the holography-derived contact lenses. He is indeed a real cool dude. The wizened pilot gets a cheerful two-fingered salute. Go, clothed only in jeans, sneakers, and a red t-shirt, leaps from the shuttle into the yawning abyss of space. He is spot-on. When he passes through the energy field meant to keep the station's atmo contained, frost clings to his skin. He brushes his arms off, shakes loose the clingers to his shirt, and musses his hair up with both hands. He then adjusts the strap of his backpack. His camera, and the Mach Driver, are tucked safely inside. Using the information conveyed by the contacts to keep out of Jungian-Newtonian interference fields via unnecessary flips, tumbles and rolls, Go attempts to find his way to the nearest place where there might reasonably be either computers, or, preferably, given the time this world occupies, your classic manila folders and filing cabinets.
Hellwarming Trio	With the word to dispose of the suits, meanwhile, Rin doubles back to shunt them right back out into space. Hopefully, it doesn't collide with anyone trying to jump on board.
Lilian Rook	Lilian has spent the majority of the trip in something ostensibly like meditation, sitting on her knees, hands in her lap, focusing intently on the inside of her eyelids, and making the best of a flight with no turbulence. She wakes up as if she were merely staring out the window when the thruster burn first eases in, feeling the tip of the deceleration earlier than anyone but the pilot. <Tac-Paladins> 4 Lilian Rook says, "They know we're coming anyways, but leaving evidence isn't ideal." <Tac-Paladins> 4 Lilian Rook says, "Foureyes, obviously I want you to get into their main database ASAP. You can query anything you want after you meet our basic objectives." <Tac-Paladins> 4 Lilian Rook says, "I want to know: Where and how they got these children, what they're doing to cultivate and indoctrinate them, what the Concord is paying for and their terms, and what those power codes are." <Tac-Paladins> 4 Lilian Rook says, "And You Two; human forms are probably a bad idea for now." <Tac-Paladins> 4 Lilian Rook says, "Shijima. Objective?" <Tac-Paladins> 4 Lilian Rook says, "Good. Stay on physical evidence. We're not walking out with just what's in I4's head." <Tac-Paladins> 4 Lilian Rook says, "Dame Blemishine, we haven't had the chance to work together in any real sense, so I'm leaving things to your best discretion. Keep in mind that everyone here likely knows each other's names and faces." <Tac-Paladins> 4 Lilian Rook says, "If something happens, I need you to protect I4. Shijima can handle himself better under these circumstances." <Tac-Paladins> 4 Lilian Rook says, "Keep in mind our window could be anywhere from half to twice as long as our estimate. If Kore shows up, do not engage. Focus on exfiltration and protecting our assets. Keep in mind that if there are other telekinetics with even a fraction of that control, they may seize or destroy those assets themselves if you make it obvious; same with telepaths and what's in your head." <Tac-Paladins> 4 Lilian Rook says, "I'm the only one here suited to be engaging in any kind of mental warfare, but even then, I can only completely conceal my presence or nothing." <Tac-Paladins> 4 Lilian Rook says, "And watch out for Cruise. She knows your faces now." Under ordinary circumstances, Lilian would just put on the suit and be comfy. However, she can't move around easily in one of those bulky things, and doesn't trust her luck finding a locker somewhere to stuff it in. Her combat skin has temperature regulation and an incidental degree of pressurization, but she still hooks a small reserve oxygen tank to it and affixes a breathing mask because Lilian Rook doesn't take stupid chances. Given her ability to simulate flight, the jump itself is easy. Rather than any sane place to be, Lilian's goal is straight up the arcology dome itself. With her SERE skills, her suit's stealth functions, and ample mental preparation to smooth over even the tiny chance someone might notice her thoughts, she goes navigating the hallways in the direction of the dome she'd seen from outside. She doesn't insist on following the map, but instead makes selective teleports past any cameras or roving blobs of people, including through walls, floors, and ceilings, to speed up her trip.
Persephone Kore	Fortunately, the gunmetal-gray hangar you land in is devoid of prying eyes. Artificial gravity here is exactly 9.8m/s^2, just like standing on Earth. Cables and boxes are neatly bundled and stacked; walking-paths are gently recessed into the floor, meandering around logistical equipment, docked ships, and potential workplace hazard zones. Their curves subtly suggest where you ought to go. The ships themselves are all relatively small: there are a couple similar to the one you fought Dylan over, basic logistical transport to bring in supplies. Just one looks designed for transporting people, and it only seats a dozen; for a station of nearly a thousand, they clearly anticipate that people will rarely be coming or going. The passenger shuttle has a little hand-sewn teddy bear carelessly left on one of the seats, plus a few scattered clipboards and to-be-processed paperwork. Mitigating the low transport capacity is a small artificial Warpgate in the far corner, currently shut down. The power draw of something like that being turned on would absolutely set off alarms no matter what, but if the alert's already raised, it could make for a good escape route. Further ahead is the only way forward, unless you're getting very creative: a heavy airtight door at the back of the hangar. It's not a two-part airlock designed to cycle, but a safety measure in case the atmospheric forcefield at the hangar's entrance fails. Unfortunately, the door opens before you can reach it. Two people step out. One of them is familiar: it's Dylan Cruise, projecting a thirty-foot-across sphere of flickering translucent-red energy as viewed through your glasses. That's her mind-reading aura, now made visible, and stepping inside it will immediately blow your cover- if she doesn't recognize you on sight. Fortunately, the hangar is big enough to maneuver around it, and the two of them- the other is a young man in an obnoxiously formal sweatervest, with immaculate blonde hair and no aura of his own- haven't spotted you yet. But the door is slowly closing behind them, with no guarantee it'll open again for you if it manages to shut. The pair walk through the hangar towards the atmosphere barrier, that encroaching red sphere penetrating walls and cover and forcing changes of position to both stay out of mind-reading range and stay out of sight. "I dunno. I guess I'm mostly over it," Dylan says to her companion casually. Her hands are stuffed in the pockets of a leather jacket. "But doesn't it worry you? What they might do?" "Of course it does. I'm exactly the right amount of worried." "You don't feel worried enough, Marc." "Think of the children, Cruise. How would it affect their development if we brought that stressor into their environment? For their sake, we can't panic." "... Yeah. But it's hard."
Ishirou	A gate! That'll be useful for extracting, and coming again if they need to escalate things. Hopefully, it won't come to that, but still... Of course, the glasses give him the size of the barrier. Also coordinating their field of range based on what he knows...he uses his analysis to try and plot multiple optimal courses that will keep them out of sight and out of that red sphere's range. He sends these across the local connection with the others, to have them overlay their vision with his projected pathing. He can update this in real-time with some effort, but he also can't stand around either. He makes for the first set of supplies to break the line of sight. He has a place he needs to be. Which is to say 'not getting caught here'.
Go Shijima	Oh, boy. He said he had a plan in case Dylan showed up--he wasn't expecting her to show up -immediately.- Well... Go turns and motions for I4 to hide himself--while also pantomiming the act of typing at a keyboard, as if to say 'work on that door.' There's got to be something he can prod at to open it, right? Then, one highly dramatic and unnecessary backflip places him behind a storage container. If there's anything in the hangar that'd permit a ridiculous, verticality-minded stealth platforming segment to get him over to that door, then he'll assuredly pursue it, and drop down as soon as Dylan's not going to detect him. Otherwise... he doesn't like his options, which essentially amount to 'pray that I4 has a quiet, subtle way to open the door,' or 'just fucking book it as soon as Marc and Dylan aren't looking and try to jam his hand in before it closes,' which is a terrible idea for reasons of broken fingers. Luckily, I4 does have something in mind, and he quietly lets out a breath he'd been holding. Go follows the suggested path with acrobatic flair. All he's missing is a stand-up bass and a pair of bongos to accompany him.
Blemishine	'I hope we won't have to run into her again...or her family, at all. I'll be looking out as best I can.' It seems Blemishine spoke much, much too soon. The moment the sound of the door whirring into action before anyone has reached it spurs her into swiftly crouching behind one of the nearest stacks of boxes. The immediate sound of surprise she'd otherwise let out is kept securely in her throat, only leaning out just enough to catch sight of the pair. Dylan again. And...'Marc'? Since he doesn't look to have a reading of his own on the glasses, is he one of the researchers here? She mentioned that name before, along with Persephone and Carpathia... With I4's projections, she keeps an eye on the pair themselves--to visually account for any changes in where they're looking or walking in order to help make sure all the planned-out courses remain safe. That requires keeping them in sight though, which she does with tightly pursed lips and waiting for opportune moments to move forward along the route and glance out. Low to the ground, the color of her armor at least blends moderately well with the color scheme of the hangar, and she moves from cover to cover, box to ship. Small as they might be, they should be enough to remain out of sight...even if she might have to step off whenever the crimson sphere draws close enough to force her off towards the wall. Quietly as can be though, she continues moving ahead towards the door, with her eyes locked on the pair even upon reaching a point where all she can see is their backs.
Lilian Rook	<Tac-Paladins> 4 Lilian Rook says, "Do you see that? In the corner." <Tac-Paladins> 4 I4 says, "The gate, yeah." <Tac-Paladins> 4 Blemishine says, "...Mhm." <Tac-Paladins> 4 Lilian Rook says, "Consider that our emergency exfiltration, if we encounter the need for it. In the worst circumstance, it'll be too risky for the shuttle to get close. I can destroy the Warpgate behind us." <Tac-Paladins> 4 I4 says, "Mmm. How bad is a gate explosion?" <Tac-Paladins> 4 Lilian Rook says, "I didn't bring a brick of C4, come on." <Tac-Paladins> 4 I4 says, "Right right...also optimize foot path avalible." <Tac-Paladins> 4 Lilian Rook says, "Once you have an area scan, send the map data to everyone here with your best routes." <Tac-Paladins> 4 I4 says, "Already uploading." Cruise, and someone called 'Marc', come into the picture immediately. Lilian's plan was always to move independently from the rest of the group, intending to maximize her unique advantages that won't be useful if she sticks to the blob. However, her reason for going to the dome is easily applicable here as well; at least before moving on. Plus, she intends to use the practice for her theoretical new tech. With the tidal holography glasses, the sphere that surrounds Dylan also allows Lilian to pinpoint her location without line of sight. In the rudest possible fashion, Lilian remains concealed from the moving pair, and focuses on them without seeing instead, remaining perfectly still to maintain that mu state and instead opening her senses to every little feeling, thought, and secret, from those two. She especially wants to know what Dylan is thinking. What she did and told people after coming back home from the last time they crossed paths. What exactly she's worried the Paladins will do. Which part of the station she is the most worried about. And if she is thinking about Lilian herself specifically, or simply 'home invaders in a general sense'. She tries to get much the same from Marc, in terms of what they really think about the situation, given their stiff way of speaking.
Hellwarming Trio	Utsuho: "'Do not engage', huh? We could take her." Rin: "No, nononono. She knows her shit, remember? If even she's afraid... Right, you heard the knight horse lady! You remember how much trouble that one from last time gave us." Utsuho: "Meh... Bet we could still take her anyway." Exercising an abundance of caution (by their standards), the youkai continue moving along, Utsuho flapping her wings lightly while Rin just floats along with her cart somehow moving behind her without her even touching it. It's definitely not because of the fairies inside, pushing it along and peeking through little holes in the sides. It is totally because of the fairies inside. Also, they are totally forced to come face to face with that same person from last time. Spotting Dylan's DANGER SPHERE, however, means it's actually pretty easy for the pair to break off and stay well out of the big red range. Spotting that closing door, meanwhile, means they're already anxious to hurry through before those doors shut and close off their approach vector (which is technically a word they don't know yet despite understanding it as a concept). Luckily, I4 feeds them useful data to work with, and they just go along with it. Rin's more confident in her movements thanks to actually being used to sticking to shadows and the like as a cat, but even Utsuho can manage a little easier being bird-shaped instead of staying in her big chunky human form. Even the cart full of fairies, foreign-looking as it might be, is shoved along to follow the raven, occasionally stopping if it looks like anyone is actually looking their way.
Persephone Kore	Go can, in fact, do some dumb vertical platforming over the cargo crates and tops of ships! Nice. In conjunction with I4's analytical mapping, the whole group successfully avoids the pair's notice. When Marc and Dylan reach the edge of the hangar, they stand together just a few feet from the atmospheric forcefield, staring out at space. "... It just all feels so serious, all of a sudden." "Did it not before, Cruise?" "No. I mean, of course I believed our dream could change the world. But I didn't expect the world to change us." "It won't." "You don't know that, Marc." "... Aren't you always the one talking about believing in things you can't prove?" Reading the pair of them, for Lilian, is remarkably easy. When she got back to SH, Dylan cried. A lot. It took Persephone a couple days to get her back to her usual plucky self. Of course she told Carpathia and Phony everything- Lilian's opinions on "family" included. The source of her worry is the Paladins, and her anxiety is focused on the idea that the younger kids might be hurt- though a secondary anxiety is for Carpathia herself, whose office is pinpointed as being directly across the station. Marc's concerns are simple. He implicitly trusts Persephone to somehow take care of everything, but he frets about the idea that the adults' worry and stress might contaminate the kids' "ideal upbringing", especially the mind-readers. Where's the balance between worrying too much, and not enough? It eats at him, even though he does his best not to let it.
Persephone Kore	Beyond the hangar, the interior of Sapient Heuristics immediately has the vibe of a community space, like a library or a coffeeshop or a particularly cozy mall. Despite this being the inside of a space station, there are few hard angles; paths meander gently, walls slope and curve. The default color of the floors, walls, and ceilings is a soothing deep crimson, like the skin of a perfectly rich apple. It doesn't seem like it ought to work as a monolithic background color, but your eyes adapt to accept it with remarkable ease. That complements the lush green plants growing from pots, trellises, and wall nooks beautifully; the color fatigue of the red background makes the plants seem impossibly vivid by contrast. It's the late evening, so the lights are dimmed to encourage healthy circadian rhythms. The hallway off the hangar stretches away to the left and right, but it gracefully diverts to either side into nooks for quiet conversation, play-spaces for energetic children (now mostly in bed), benches for people-watching, and even a little "coffee-shop" (albeit self-serve, with no way to pay) with bookshelves, plush seats, and little wooden tables, where some people are unwisely staying up late- psychic kids and older researchers alike, with no sense of separation between the two. Everything about this place- the reinforced doorframes in the hangar where they expect someone to bang a heavy crate, the copper self-disinfecting access panels, the emulated day-night cycles- feels obsessively over-architected and planned, then spotlessly well-maintained. But it also feels natural, if you let yourself forget how artificial it all really is. This is a happy place. Even on a mission as tense as this, it's hard not to let that atmosphere seep into your bones.
Persephone Kore	I4's mapping determines that the station's datacenter is located right in the middle, to minimize the odds of cosmic ray corruption. The shortest path between here and there is holographically displayed to the other Paladins, swerving off to the left. That's also the path Lilian has to take, although she'll keep going past the computer center. Those omnipresent decorative plants, various maintenance closets, and uninhabited cozy occluded off-hallway nooks soon become their best friends. By ducking into one of those, it's possible to avoid the sparse foot traffic present this time of night. As long as they aren't seen up too close, it's possible to avoid being recognized as a stranger- like Lilian had said, everybody recognizes everybody around here. The most salient obstacle is a set of identical triplets, early-teens and obviously inseperable, sitting at a table by the side of the hallway and chatting or giggling with one another while playing some weird card game. They seem in high spirits, but their overlapping mind-reading auras fill the entire narrow hallway; they aren't distracted enough not to notice if someone foreign enters it, and they don't seem inclined to move. What's the play for getting around?
Ishirou	The inside of this place was not what he was expecting. He was expecting to greyscale everything, more doctors than children...kind of like a child soldier program than...this. The environment was engineered, but in a way that tried to hide what it was. Worse, it could do so quite well. Warm colors with items that clash with that, to draw the eye away. Places that were more community than...science lab. He records the data as he can, filing it away for later. Things can be sorted through after full consideration could be given, and not in the middle of an op. Even if it's hard to not be relaxed, I4 keeps his head on task instead of trying to determine if a crimson red sweater might be comfier. Of course, his path would take him along towards the core...which makes sense. If anything happened to the place the data could be recovered with little damage due to cosmic radiation. He makes sure have ways to go if they need them, but right now their biggest trouble is the triplets. How to get past them without causing a scene..? <Tac-Paladins> [4] Lilian Rook says, "Just create something more engaging than whatever they're doing. Even some loud noises might help. Kids playing games are less likely to move than alert guards, but you get the idea." I4 has an idea! <Tac-Paladins> [4] I4 says, "Ok I got an idea. Rin! Chase Utsuho away from our location!" <Tac-Paladins> [4] I4 says, "Don't get in their field." <Tac-Paladins> [4] I4 says, "Then separately you can circle back to us." He's putting a lot of faith that the two won't somehow set the plan on fire, but Go's got some faith in them...so he should too.
Go Shijima	Go is used to being in places where the average person might feel tense. He's even, unfortunately, used to feeling tense in places where the average person wouldn't. It isn't because he's worried about what might happen if they get caught. Or even worried about what might happen to I4--he won't let anything happen. If she's put in a position between getting what she wants and the safety of the people here... will Lilian make the right decision? I can't stop thinking about what she told Dylan. About 'family.' Her feelings towards this place... it seems like they go beyond just healthy suspicion. He's trusting her--and hoping that it isn't misplaced. He has to, or else the whole mission falls apart and they leave with nothing. Children do love colorful, noisy toys. So as a plan is discussed to get the triplets out of the way, Go reaches into his backpack and hands Utsuho and Rin one Signal Bike each. Utsuho gets STOP, a yellow mini with a red lightning decal and a stop sign on the rear hubcap. Rin gets TURN, a green bike with visible engine and a blue 'upcoming turn' sign on the rear hubcap. "Just run with them in hand," he explains. "They kind of honk on their own. I don't really understand it."
Hellwarming Trio	Rin: "Swanky place. It's pretty cozy even though it's big." Utsuho: "Right? You think they have any good food around here?" Rin: "Oh, totally. Come on, Okuu. They're gonna catch us if we stick around." Despite the urge to just lounge around, Utsuho and Rin keep moving along at a brisk pace to proceed through all the hallways and past all the quiet spaces, pausing only briefly every now and then to peek through any open doors or windows in case there's potential files to be snagged. Utsuho in particular is distracted by the coffee-shop area, and it takes Rin headbutting her a few times to get her to move along. The real obstacle, is a trio of children the puts the infiltrators at risk of being detected. With a plan formed, however, the pair of youkai get into position as they nod at Go, waiting for him to get things started. They take the cars that are offered in their mouths, and then they get themselves psyched up for the running plan! They're actually a little startled when the toy cars start making noise, but it should make it extremely easy to begin the chase. Utsuho flies out first, taking it a little slower as she passes by the trio of children, and then she's followed by Rin running after her shortly afterwards. It's likely to be a confusing thing to see and hear a raven being chased by a cat with toy cars in their mouths while wearing weird glasses, but that's exactly what happens! The pair start heading away from that central location of the datacenter, making sure to move just a little faster than standard youngster speed to stay out of their mind-invasion range. They'll wait for a signal from their allies before splitting up abruptly and speeding up, circling around the long way to try and regroup before too long.
Lilian Rook	§Funny. I hadn't really taken her for a crybaby. But I guess that's how wannabe tough guys are, so maybe it shouldn't go differently for tomboys. Still, what's with the obsession between these two on child rearing? A little bit of worry is going to 'contaminate' their precious samples? This place really is a science experiment and nothing else.§ Or so Lilian tells herself. The cozy colours, the gentle curves, the lush plants, the little nooks and benches, coffee corners and bookshelves; everything about it puts her intensely on edge. She's more tense here than she was in Nevada. For the brief moments her allies get to see her at all, it shows in the stiff way she holds herself. §This is so creepy. Every single detail oozes this kind of vain perfectionism; I can only imagine the bridezilla that commissioned all of this. All this obsessive compulsive effort, like they were self-conscious about it being a lab. Or I suppose to try and instill the sense that this experiment is supposed to be 'home' for all their little subjects, and pass themselves off like their parents. Too creepy. Way too creepy. Seriously, how expensive is square footage in space? And it's being used for community reading nooks? It's like neurotic slime.§ The sound of children enjoying themselves in the hallway causes her to freeze, then split off immediately. She gives the rest of the team her sound advice, but leaves as if she can't bear to even lay eyes on them. Instead, she goes the opposite way around the data core. Since she doesn't have to respect the age old problem of 'two people standing in a hall' that has plagued secret agents for time immemorial, Lilian's goal is to continue all the way to Carpathia's office. After all, Dylan had thought Carpathia was someone so important that she needed to be told everything; including some very irrelevant details. If she's worried about it, then that's all the more reason for Lilian to go there.
Blemishine	There's a quiet sigh out of the knight as they make it out of the hangar and into the rest of Sapient Heuristics. Part relief, part something else hearing the two of them. Not expecting the world to change them...that must go double for the children here, especially. If she had more time to sit and listen to the two of them chat, maybe she would. After everything from before, the heated exchanges... But they don't, so she presses onwards - mostly all business, aside from a few curious glances in the direction of Utsuho and Rin's cart now that she has a chance to get a better look at it. But she'll leave the comments for later! She's equally interested in the architecture of the place; it's not one of her specialties, but it'd be hard not to understand the kind of place this is clearly built to be. Even just from the stark contrast between the gunmetal grey hangar and the wash of red dimmed by the lights in the curved hallways. It's...a very particular atmosphere. The 'warm and familiar' vibes, the lack of feeling artficial at all, even the relaxed air of those still out and about at the hour. It's a wonderfully feeling place, by any measure of it. It'd be hard to imagine it's that bad--but is that genuine, or just engineered to feel that way? ...She works to keep her attention from wandering too much, and resolutely sticks close to I4 as she had promised as they proceed stealthily. When they're confronted with their obstacle. Three obstacles, really. Ideas are swapped back and forth, and the solution they all come to is an extremely clever one! The pair of Signal Bikes and their new holders both get a thumbs up of encouragement before they go darting off. She'll believe in them. With them doing that, and Lilian heading off, she'll have to stick to her role of lookout and defender.
Persephone Kore	The triplets stare at the raven and the cat, then glance at each other wordlessly. Their red auras flicker rapidly, shifting intensities; some opaque nonverbal conversation is taking place. Then they all drop their cards and scramble after the cat and raven, laughing and even getting in each others' way to try and be the first to lay hands on the novelties. Of course, these are psychic kids, and Rin and Utsuho soon find themselves having to put in real effort to dodge their auras- the world twists ahead of them, gravity reorienting itself in inconvenient ways, and automatic doors shutting right in front of their noses. They can rejoin the rest of the group, but they'll probably be winded when they do. Finally moving past the triplets' table and around a bend, the hallway opens up into the arcology-like Arboretum Dome. This is a glass-roofed arboretum that shows the starry sky and Milky Way overhead; a genuine wizened, drooping tree is the centerpiece, surrounded by smaller bushes, lush grass, and benches next to meandering walk-paths. Instead of soil, it has translucent cyan hydroponic gel that refuses to stick to shoes or clothes. It has a luxury of space, too; over a hundred feet from one end to the other, and thirty feet up to the apex of the dome. People are spread out here, resting on benches, playing silly games along dirt footpaths, or sitting in the shade of that central tree. Some of them have mind-reading auras, but in the wide-open space that's less of an issue. Marc is here as well, having arrived from the hangar by some alternate path, and obviously not slowed by stealth mechanics himself. He looks tired, resting on a bench with his eyes shut. As before, he lacks an aura of his own. You can make it through without issue just by staying far enough away from everyone to not be singled out as a stranger, but if you're willing to risk talking to someone, this is the best place to do it. The data center isn't far past that; just an inconspicuous utility door branching off a hallway. It is- surprisingly- really high-tech; like a lot of other things, they must have gotten the technology from some other world where it isn't the mid-eighties. Mainframes are arranged densely like bookshelves in a too-small library, almost scraping the ceiling; they're sheathed in glass cases that swirl with foggy coolant vapor, shining bright indicator lights through the mist. Cables like vines weave across the floor and into the walls, branching out into workstations across the facility. I4's answers are here, and aside from requiring direct physical access, the security isn't even tight enough to delay him. The only thing in the way is an ordinary researcher sitting in an office chair at a desk, who turns around in surprise as the door opens. He's getting old- probably mid-fifties- with russet hair and a thick beard. His eyes sweep the party with more hapless confusion than alarm. "Ah... I'm sorry. I don't- recognize you? Can I, uh, help you with anything?"
Persephone Kore	Lilian isn't slowed by much of anything, apparently not even a desire to sight-see. Carpathia's office, past the central Arboretum, lacks physical security; even if it did, it wouldn't impair her. Down a cozy hallway like many others, and across from a free-use childrens' playset, there's an ordinary sliding metal door marked J. CARPATHIA. It isn't locked, if she feels like using it instead of simply phasing through. The room is small, in contrast to the station's communal spaces. There's a modest mahogany desk with a laptop on it and sheaves of papers. There are two comfy faux-leather seats for guests; one sized for an adult, and one sized for a child. Carpathia looks like she could be someone's tiny grandmother, in her big knitted sweater and scarf- maybe that's where Persephone got that fashion sense. Graying blonde hair hangs down to her jaw, blunt-cut with sharp bangs. Small, white-knuckled hands are folded on the desk in front of her, and blue veins are visible through her delicate skin. Behind her is a small window to space, and several framed, crude crayon drawings made by children, obviously dearly treasured. She's startled by the arrival, but not surprised. "Lilian Rook," she enunciates, and though she's trying to put on a brave face, her voice quails just a little. (Her odd, practiced non-accent sounds familiar from Phony, too.) "What could you want with an old woman like me?"
Ishirou	I4 is surprised that the idea worked as well as it did. With a breath, he stands up and moves once the circles start moving, and getting through to the hall. Lilian's going past where they are...and the next big area is the meeting area. A message comes to him directly, and he sort of side-eyes the server room. He can't connect from here, which is a bit sad. Worse, the message asks him to not go off towards it. He pauses, frowning a bit because he wants to see the data so bad! He sighs but agrees to hang near Go. Though I4 is...sure that 'near Go' would count as the door to the server room. and if he's at the door to the server room...then he might as well go inside. And if he's inside... The door opens and the man looks shocked to see someone there. Oh sorry, I think I'm lost I'm looking for..." he starts to say as he closes the door. A hand shoots out to release a biohacking bolt to try and force a command. 'Sleep.' The second command is just scanning entry codes from the man so that he can save time accessing things.
Persephone Kore	The man relaxes, sighing in relief. "Ohhh, okay. Hey, look, it happens to all of us. You're new, right? You just-" Zap. The poor guy slumps to the floor instantly, probably in danger of bonking his head on something if I4 doesn't catch him. He snores peacefully. The staff here definitely are not fighters. Extracting access codes from him is easy, but the amount of data stored here is immense, and only so much of it can be retrieved at one time. I4 will have to be specific; downloading all of it would take days, if not weeks. What questions does he want answered?
Go Shijima	PHONE: Phoning I4, Go Shijima says, "My gut says that we don't have anything to be worried about. I feel like Lilian is scared of this place or what it represents, or threatened by it. I feel like, so far, all we've accomplished is breaking into someone's house and beating them up and belittling them." PHONE: I4 says, "Maybe, but we're here now...might as well confirm or deny any supicions." PHONE: Phoning I4, Go Shijima says, "I want to talk to that Marc guy. But I also promised I'd protect you. Do you mind sticking around for a minute while I do? I won't be long, I promise." PHONE: I4 says, "Uhhh...ok sure." PHONE: Phoning I4, Go Shijima says, "Thanks, roomie!" PHONE: I4 says, "No prob...just, ya know, be careful." PHONE: I4 says, "I'ma hang near the entrance tho." There's definitely a way that Go Shijima can do that. Confirm or deny suspicions. "Hey," says Go, approaching Marc, hand on the back of the bench. "Are you okay? You look like you've got a lot on your mind. And like you're tired," he notes with a sage nod. "Really, really tired." There's a small, warm smile. "It's the kids, isn't it? You kind of have that 'exhausted dad' look. Want to talk about it?" This is something that Go is actually good at--working people for information, to be uncharitable. Talking to people, surprisingly, to be honest--he is good at it, when he actually gives it a shot. When his mind isn't clouded by 'good guys' and 'bad guys' and 'who deserves what.' When he can see someone as another person, with their own hurts and wants and needs, he is actually pretty good at it. His strategy is simple--using those skills of his to get some answers out of Marc. If he can get it to come out naturally through conversation, why is Marc worried that stress might 'contaminate' the kids? Does he have any idea what might stress the kids out? And finally, what does he, personally--not Sapient Heuristics--want for the kids?
Hellwarming Trio	Blemishine might notice an eye peering at her every now and then from small gaps in the cart. There definitely aren't fairies dressed up in various costume inside moving that thing! There are, however, fairies dressed like zombies inside the cart. Just zombies. Thankfully, it doesn't smell like there's any actual corpses in there right now. Sadly, Utsuho and Rin don't have the luxury of psychic communication. They'll just have to complain after they've lost the kids, although the psychic obstacles present means that they have to adapt on the fly and even resort to a bit of cheating themselves: Utsuho not always flapping her wings even while ascending, and Rin just flat out flying despite being a cat demon. The doors are probably the worst part since, after hearing that fire's bad for space stations for some reason, they really have to swerve and push hard to stay away from the giant red danger zones! It definitely takes them a while to regroup with everyone else, and they're going to have to hitch a ride on Rin's cart while the fairies keep shoving it along from the inside. They consider handing over Go's Signal Bikes, but they hold off on that while he's busy talking up Marc. Utsuho: "Are all kids like this?" Rin: "N... Nah, I think it's just the ones here." Utsuho: "Better be. Geh... But would it really be that bad if they read our minds instead of anyone else's?" As they take the lazy way around with the group minus Lilian, they're content to just soak in that comfortable atmosphere instead. It helps relieve some of the fatigue, at least, but they can't relax for too long even while admiring the sights from inside the Arboretum Dome. There's a strong temptation to go bother some of those people for food, but... Somehow, they persevere through it. Rin guides the cart along from atop it, whispering into the tarp covering to keep the fairies from moving it too quickly or into one of those visible danger bubbles. They continue heading towards that data center, and it's only when I4 goes for the door that they actually split up. Rin (and her cart) sticks with I4! "Hey. Bro. Bro. You want me to just shove as much of this stuff as I can in here? We got room." She whispers, pulling back the tarp to reveal that there is indeed quite a bit of space in the cart if he just wants to physically steal as much of that stuff as can fit in there. The fairies are even scooched up against the sides to provide extra space and act like little belt buckles or something. Utsuho, meanwhile, keeps her eyes on Go and Marc. She actually seems disinclined to start blasting, but she does keep her gaze focused on the latter without so much as moving in case things start going south quickly.
Blemishine	The Arboretum Dome is a much more conventionally mesmerizing place than the crimson halls--if only because the combination of the forestry and the absolutely stunning sight right overhead is enough the momentarily /really/ make her forget they're in an artificial station and not solid ground. But the lack of real soil and the existence of several more auras to avoid ahead brings her back to reality quickly, and the fact they're on a soft time limit here before the peaceful atmosphere might end up broken. She spots Marc, tired and alone - a part of her considers what she'd even say to him, given the chance. On the subject of Sapient Heuristics, on Dylan... But - probably for the better - Go is one step ahead of her on that front. A smile comes to her face, a little bit unbidden...before she realizes that I4 is drifting off in the direction of the server room. Oh. Oh. Blemishine glances around and swiftly follows after him once she realizes what's up. And enters in behind him just in time to see the poor researcher clonk out, doing a boots-on-squeaky-floor slide forward to stop him from bruising his head with a well-timed knightly catch. "Good grief...that sure is a useful ability you have, isn't it, I4?" Carefully propping the man up in his seat, she steps away and closes the door behind them. "Don't take too long, alright? I hope Ms. Rook--er, the Dame Commander will be okay over there, too..." For more reasons than one. The knight gets to double-checking that nobody else happens to be in the room to disturb them, and then gets to work on keeping on lookout duty. And maybe possibly nudging him if he /does/ end up taking too long. She can't even blame him for the thirst for information, she gets that way too.
Persephone Kore	Marc opens one eye, then the other, and then heaves an exhausted laugh as Go talks. "'Exhausted dad'," he says, shaking his head. "Have the years really aged me so cruelly? It's true, though. I do worry." Up close, he can't be older than his mid-twenties, despite the intolerably snotty way he dresses. He isn't a researcher, though, despite his lack of an aura. When his glasses need straightening, they do so on their own, marked by a ghostly blue energy through Go's special contact lenses. If Marc suspects anything about who Go is or where he's come from, those suspicions aren't shared. That gentle, earnest concern gets him to open up in no time, though he never drops that formal way of speaking. 1: The children of Sapient Heuristics are given a scientifically ideal upbringing, or as close to one as can be managed. This is both a moral obligation and a practical one: when you're raising children who could snap your space station in half on a whim, they'd better have superhuman emotional health and grace. 2: Several of the adults are on edge because of the recent happenings with the Paladins attacking Dylan. Marc worries that the sensitive children could absorb their stress about future Paladins actions; feeling threatened by forces outside your control isn't psychologically healthy. 3: "I'd say I want them to change the world," Marc says distantly, staring up at the stars. "But that's a big responsibility to place on children, isn't it? ... I think everyone, everywhere, deserves so much better than the world can give them. If we could fix that for everyone, like Carpathia wants, it'd be best. But if we can only fix it for these kids, if they're the only ones we can make happy- that would still be worth it."
Lilian Rook	§She's here. I can't tell if I'm frustrated or pleased.§ Lilian slides the door shut behind her with a nice, soft click. Of course, she is already fully tuned into Carpathia. This is exactly when vulnerable people are cornered by malicious fairies and their hopes and secrets are all twisted around and used against them, after all. Just not usually in space. However, even being human herself, Lilian has a way of moving towards the adult chair, squeezing the fake leather in her hand, and slowly pulling it back, that manages to radiate a certain amount of uncanny menace, even though it wouldn't be out of place for an interviewing parent. "I'd be flattered you know my name, but I'm aware that Cruise already blubbered everything to you not long ago." Lilian replies, without answering. "Though, I'll still apologize, just this once, for the way that things happened then. I'm unfortunately working with some less . . . experienced, allies, and miss Cruise seems to enjoy picking fights. Rest easy that I'm not here to pick another one." Lilian spreads her hands out with a slow shrug. "Though, really, since my hands are tied a little bit by everyone already showing their faces, I might as well accept the fact that there's no point in banking on coming back again later." Lilian audaciously seats herself across the desk. "Come on, let's talk." That would be the time for an ominous fade to black and skip to somewhere else. However, Lilian is a perspective character. "I could say 'I want you to stop', but I suspect you'd rather die first. So let's instead be adults about this; even though your obsession appears to be children, I'm sure you can manage it. So, rather than that, I want you to tell me why. Why this insane idea? Why this overdesigned terrarium? Why the Concord? And why get your quaint little experiment involved with us if you had no plan to even try and keep it secure?" "Everything about what you're doing is a contradiction. Claiming to want to help everyone while being paid off by imperialist psychopaths. Playing at being a cozy little orphanage while grooming children into walking weapons. Thinking you'll honestly change the world but leaving your back door unlocked. Studying all these fantastical powers and then not getting anything out of them yourself. Acting like these adoptees are your own children and then putting them in danger. What in god's name do you think you're doing?"
Go Shijima	"Yeah," says Go, surveying the arboretum, watching the comings and goings of everyday business. It really is quite pretty. "It is a pretty big responsibility for a kid. I come from a..." He scratches the back of his head. "Pretty weird family situation. The long and short of it is that I have a whole lot of half-siblings, and I can say with confidence that there's a lot of pressure on them, too." He leans forward, hands clasped, then laughs. "It's a science thing, before you ask. Small world, huh?" The weird science crowd does always seem do rub shoulders. "Anyway, it may not seem like it's fair to put that on kids, and maybe it really isn't. But whether we mean to or not, we're leaving them with something. Maybe," he says, glancing towards Marc, "We can make that an inheritance instead of a burden." "These kids are amazing--but have a little faith in yourself. They didn't get to be this way in a vacuum, you know? That is, aside from the one outside." A little dad joke never hurt anyone. "I can tell that you're still a little worried, and I don't need any Jungian-Newtonian holography to see it. Don't be," he says, patting Marc on the shoulder. "Have faith in yourself, and in those kids--not because the alternative is worrying them, but because people are basically good. Even if the Paladins come back here, even if the same ones do..." He pauses, nods once. "Even if they come here trying to hurt us, and I think you know the way I mean..." "I think we can reach them. Carry /that/ around in your heart, and you won't have to worry about the kids." He lets it percolate a moment, then: "How is Dylan? Have you spoken to her since the last time they were here?"
Persephone Kore	It's easy to see the way Dr. Carpathia's jaw clenches, the way she straightens up in her chair in response to Lilian's menace- the actions of someone trying not to show fear, but inadvertently revealing it anyway. It figures that someone who raises psychic children would have little occasion to practice masking her feelings. Reading her mind is almost superfluous. Of course she knows better than to lie. "'Weapons'," she says scornfully. "Perhaps you've misapprehended. The Concord pays us for cuttings; the bits of power we can sustainably gift. Not for the subjects who produce them." "I tried to stop Persephone from joining field operations; you know how impossible she is to persuade." She gestures with the pen clutched tightly between her fingers at Lilian. "I was so scared to lose her. And I was right to be scared, for the wrong reason. Look what their dirty work's brought to my door." She pushes herself up to standing, but Lilian can tell that there's no intent to escape. Carpathia knows better than that, too. Instead she turns around to stare out into space through her window, fidgeting with the pen behind her back. Evidently she finds that more bearable than looking at her. "But one might as well critique your family for making you a weapon. They taught you 'magic', didn't they? Ah, but I'm sure that's different somehow." The pen cracks in her too-tense fingers, starts trickling ink. Stained hands. She doesn't seem to notice as she turns back around. "I feel guilty enough for putting the burden of 'changing the world' on these children. Don't guilt me for things I haven't done." Having found the gall to make eye contact again, she finishes: "If you'd think for a moment, you'd realize why the 'terrarium' is needed, too. A dozen children here could rupture this station with a thought. If we can't raise them with kindness, how long do you think we'd last?"
Persephone Kore	"I think we can reach them," Go says. Marc heaves a sigh; not exactly one of relief, but of something adjacent. He lays his hand on top of Go's, holding eye contact for just a moment. Something in his gaze says he might have figured things out. But if he has, he isn't going to narc. "I think you're right," he says, clearly trying to convince himself of that. His smile is lopsided; the only uneven thing about him. "And even if it isn't true, I need to believe it, for their sake. Phony, I think she'll understand. She can't not understand, you know." At the mention of Dylan, he leans back on the bench and laughs while looking up at the stars- a shallow, wry, tired laugh. "Cruise is... impossible to deal with. She cried a lot about it at first, you know. Especially about losing that bat of hers. But nothing ever sticks to her. She messes up a lot, but when she apologizes she means it. And when she gets hurt, she's hurt, but she does convalesce." "In other words: she'll be as insufferably okay as she always is, once all this is through."
Ishirou	I4 whistles something fierce. He could literally spend months here learning everything that was there. I4 literally would spend all of his time here. Saaaadly, he can not. This is the worst. He can only get so many things right now...so let's see what he CAN get. Lilian had some things she needed to know. Specifically, how the children were collected. How they are cultivated and indoctrinated. What the Concord is funding and what terms they have on said funding. And what the various meanings are behind the words in relation to the powers being manifested. If he gets time for his own personal curiosity, he looks for just how they managed to draw out the powers from children. Is it invasive? Is it more about developing what is already there?
Lilian Rook	Lilian initially scoffs at Carpathia's nervous objections. "And what do you think they do with the cuttings? I assume you're not stupid. Wilfully ignorant, probably. Unable to accept the fact that the people who benefit from your research now aren't these children; they're conquering soldiers who use them to pillage and rule and conduct their own, far less humane experiments. So you look away, and pretend you aren't involved. But this is exactly what you got involved with when you let those people in." Only a derisive sniff follows. "'Tried' doesn't count for anything, doctor. Even if she hasn't harmed anyone herself, she's helped and enabled plenty of others to do so. The good little girl you raised in your perfect little doll house is like that. Trusting to the point of gullible. Desperate to be everyone's friend. Willing to help the worst people. No common sense at all. She's happy, and naive, and and vulnerable, and dangerous, like you're raising the rest to be. Cutting them off from the world, smothering them with this saccharine circus, keeping all the bad things away, teaching them nothing, and eventually leaving them to make their way without being equipped for anything. So well done. You set out to see if you could. And you did! And now it's everyone else's problem." Which is the point where Lilian's own tone gradually becomes hard and bitter. "Is that my burden? To argue that my family is perfect or else your failings don't count? They're not. But they taught me everything I needed to know. They prepared me to make it on my own. Made sure I had everything I needed to exceed everyone else. And also, what matters. The right things to do and the wrong things to do. The right people and the wrong people. You know, like children are supposed to learn." "And now I'm with the Paladins, helping people, saving lives, making a difference. And your favourite is with the Concord, holding hands with despots and arming radical tyrants. My family isn't on trial here; yours is the problem. And I'm not just here because I felt the need to ask, Doctor. I have to do something about it." "So, Doctor, what is it going to take? How much am I going to have to pay for you to cancel your contract with the Concord? Or are you going to force me to put a stop to this research? Despite what you might think of me, I'm not out to hurt you or your children. I want to fix this before anyone else has to."
Go Shijima	"I'm glad," he says. "There's someone I know who can be impossible to deal with, sometimes. She's actually the reason I'm here, if you think about it a certain way." He smiles. Yeah--it looks like Marc has figured it out. So he might as well come clean. "That person gets it in their head that someone, or something, needs to be stopped... and it can be very hard to change her mind. I used to be the same way, and I know what it takes to get someone out of that mindset." It takes a direct refutation of your prejudices, often from someone you trust--and sometimes even that isn't enough. That night seems like so long ago, now... <X-Paladins-Chatter> 4 Mr. Belt says, after a long moment, "Your father was...cruel." <X-Paladins-Chatter> 4 Mr. Belt says, "Awful." <X-Paladins-Chatter> 4 Mr. Belt says, "He had a vindicative streak a mile wide. If he didn't like someone, he'd model a Roidmude after them and abuse it." <X-Paladins-Chatter> 4 Go Shijima says, "That can't be true! He wouldn't have made something just to feel strong by hurting it..." <X-Paladins-Chatter> 4 Go Shijima swallows. "But it is true... isn't it." Go gingerly removes his hand from under Marc's, but doesn't break eye contact. "I need a black and white, on paper way to show her that this place isn't the bogeyman she thinks it is. Something she can read over, and hopefully realize that. If there's something like that here, what I'd really like is for you to take me there, or at least point the way, so I can get some pictures of it, and we can put this to bed." "Can you help me with that, Marc?"
Persephone Kore	I4's answers come quickly and readily; the system is, thankfully, fairly search-friendly. 1: The children are orphans, or unwanted. These are legal adoptions, even if the circumstances are fairly unusual. Each child is assigned to two legal parents; these are usually researchers, although the fact that no name appears more than three or four times implies they are genuine family units. The youngest adopted are just four years old; the oldest so far, "Emery Heller", was seventeen, with most being between six and nine. 2: There is no specific belief system being inculcated here, nor any particular loyalty- Phony and Dylan's love for the project seems to be a byproduct of the artificially utopian conditions. Instead the focus is on teaching the children emotional health, conflict resolution, meditation and mindfulness; if a superpowered child threw a temper tantrum, it could be disastrous. 3: The Concord is responsible for much-needed expansions to the station itself, acquiring additional staff, more efficient hardware and algorithms for testing and enhancing psychic powers, and the slow increase in the number of subjects from thirty to fifty. They're paying for Concord personnel to be enhanced with secondary "gifts" handed out by Persephone, a project that still seems to be in its infancy. 4: Roughly, "Type Red" refers to mind-reading and mental influence, present in 80% of subjects- not coincidentally, this matches the color seen through those glasses. "Type Green" refers to 'manifesting the ideal self', which seems to also function as a kind of regeneration, present in 60%. "Type Yellow" to psychometry, 40%. "Type Blue" refers to telekinesis, present in 20%. "Type Purple" to terraforming, 10%. And "Type Orange" to... bestowing powers on others, 2%. Out of 50 subjects, two percent would be just one person. His last question, borne out of personal curiosity, turns up something interesting. These children are instilled with a fragment of an alien idea, from which they build an internal mental framework that encodes their unique powers. They're then trained in "Decompression Chambers", spaces that 'make reality more flexible', to hone this framework until they can use it to affect the real world even outside of said chambers. The Decompression Chambers aren't too far away, in fact.
Ishirou	Well, that's...interesting. The other information is interesting and is filed away. Not just specifically that data, but related data that proves what the data says. It makes sense that the Concord could get someone who acts as a force multiplier... The various power types make sense now. The files that away, but the last question gets his full curiosity. He puts in a search for 'the alien idea' because of curiosity. What is it, where did it come from, the pertinent information? The NEXT one though...well if the Decompression Chambers are nearby... "Hey come with me," he says towards Blemishine. "I found something interesting." He says, before getting up and walking towards the Decompression chambers. If he gets there...well, he obviously tries to scan them to see how they work and if they can be replicated.
Persephone Kore	"I could give you an itemized bill," Carpathia says to Lilian, obviously irritated. "Believe me, my loyalty is to this work, no matter who gives us the funding. But you can't just assume the Concord would-" ---- Marc smiles at Go, and it feels more sincere than before. "Look at this place. The children are happy. Everyone is well-taken-care-of. If there's a better argument that what we're doing is benign, I don't think-" ---- I4 starts to search where the alien idea came from. Due to the number of references for it, this one's irritatingly taking a few seconds longer than most. Sixty percent done. Eighty percent. Ninety- ---- It's all over.
Persephone Kore	There is a distant, understated blip as the artificial warpgate in the hangar activates. Every tidal-holographic contact lens, every special pair of glasses, shows a bewildering and horrifying storm of colors. The storm is bigger than the station, big enough to engulf the waiting Paladins shuttle, big enough that looking out the Arboretum's glass windows one can't even see the edge. The glasses all shatter simultaneously from the pressure. Why are you trying so hard to hurt me? Why are you trying so hard to do things I don't want you to do? There is a vast, crushing presence of gentleness and warmth here. It is as if you are suddenly subjected to the gravity of a new celestial body, heretofore unknown. Don't you know that both of those things are impossible? This voice knows you. It sees you, even through walls, even across space. You cannot run. You cannot hide. It sounds confused, and a little sad. I'm almost flattered you wanted to see my home. But you really should have asked. Even if I don't hate you, I think I have to punish you for that. Nobody else is alarmed. They seem soothed, if anything. That sorrowful attention is focused solely on you. All throughout the station, doors begin to slam shut. They cannot be opened again.