GM: Let me know what you want to do from here. You are still pretty close to the city and still about a thousand kilometers from your ship. How do you plan to cover the distance? Jack can obviously get their fairly quickly but risks being spotted. Do you want to travel by small boat, the same way you came down? Obviously that will be much slower. It took you a total of 10 days to get here from PEBBLE.
MEK: Mek assumes that at this point it would just be rude to continue in Battle Language, so he's switching to Aslan. I mean, Imperial.
MEK: Mek's 10 cm frame floats in mid-air as he talks to the group. "Boat. Taking stuff Jack Airlines or Kyle Moving Company would take nearly as long with big risks. I can fly cover and scout ahead, just like the trip down. We load the boat and get moving as soon as possible. Surge and I can pull watches 24/7, so when Vamperina needs to sleep, Surge takes the controls and I stay airborne. If I see trouble, I'll warn you and we'll try to avoid. No contact with locals. Just keep moving until we get to our comfy, and very clean, I wonder who took the time and effort to do that, chairs. Then head into the vacuum I love to call 'space.' Plan or what?"
OMEN: Vareq, still looking pale and unwell, speaks up. "Surge, is there any way you can remote-pilot Pebble to come to us? Otherwise this is going to be a long haul and Deth's crew knows about us."
OMEN: "I don't know how they found us in the first place - probably someone told them about the meet. There weren't any mental powers involved, at least none that I was able to notice. I want to make sure they can't find us again."
OMEN (OOC): Since I got a clear mental picture of Deth's hideout, can I use that to aim Remote Viewing (clairvoyance)?
GM: You couldn't because you don't know where it is. However, if you saw the place, you would recognize it.
SURGE: "No, I cannot remotely pilot PEBBLE from this distance. Though it might be an interesting ability for me to pursue. My guess is that they were using basic scouting and noticed us entering the area. It could have been luck too that they came upon us. At least we can hope that they aren't tracking us here and beyond."
VAMPERINA (in Imperial): Vamperina shakes her head at Mek's suggestion and says, "I think at this point that speed is more important than stealth. We don't know how the three stooges found us and whether they can easily find us again."
VAMPERINA: Turning to Jack, she continues, "Jack, if memory serves me correctly, you could reach the ship in less than an hour, correct? If so, my suggestion is that Jack get to the ship as quickly as possible and I will hold on to his back and travel with him. Meanwhile, the rest of you get to our "Refugee Camp" about 20 km to the north of here on the coast quickly but without calling any attention to yourself." Vamperina frowns and then says, "although 20 km is still uncomfortably close to the city. I'd rather rendevous at least 50 km to the north of the city."
VAMPERINA: Turning to Kyle, she asks, "Kyle is it possible for you to teleport everyone to a location about 50 km north of the city in time to rendevous with us in three hours time? I'm under the impression that you have to memorize a location in order to teleport to it and if you don't have a location 50 km to the north memorized, you can't do it."
KYLE: "I could do short hops on my own or with one person to get 50 km north. It'd take time, but since it's pretty wild there's very little chance I'd run into anyone. Might take forty or fifty small hops to get there. Call it an hour or two, depending on how things go. But then you have about that time to get to your ship and make it back. And once I find a good spot I can safely move the group inside of a quarter of an hour. And if worse comes to worst, I'll always have this spot memorized."
VAMPERINA: "If you can do it, then we can plan on rendevousing there in about three hours. When Jack and I get to PEBBLE, we take off immediately and head south in time to make the rendevous. Then we quickly load everyone on board and head off planet. That puts us in space in less than four hours."
KYLE: "I can do it if you want. But we'd have to figure out a way to pick a rendezvous point and decide if anyone should go with me. I should mention for anyone who wants to come with me that with that many blind teleports I'd almist certainly emerge in mid-air for a few of them. I have a trick of doing what I call a spit exit - keeping my feet slightly out of phase with this dimension - that lets me stand in mid-air. But whomever I took with me would have to figure something out. We'd probably want to make it someone who can fly, or at least knows how to fall."
JACK: I see two good options at this point. We can either take the boat and the time to stay anonymous and try to hide from detection, or I can go leaping up there ahead of the rest of you, and pilot the PEBBLE back down here. If we do that you could all take the boat to a pre-arranged meeting spot a bit farther up the coast to be farther from the main city. I could also carry at least one person with me, but it's a tremendously bumpy ride, so it would definitely slow me down to keep them safe, even if it was someone as tough as Vamperina. I feel confident in my ability to fly PEBBLE from there to a shoreline meeting spot, so it need not be Vamperina, and you may well need her if you get attacked again. If I was to pick someone to come it would be more of a scout type that could check the PEBBLE when I get there to make sure there's no surprises waiting for me, which seems to imply Mek or Surge, and Surge gets the nod because he's also very good with the sensors and ship's computer.
JACK: Personally, I think time is of the essence now. I would rather not take the 10 days by boat, since it can be avoided. Anyone else see a flaw in my plan?
VAMPERINA: "Jack, the main reason that I suggested that I go as well is that we would be flying south nape-of-the-earth at 500 kph. I know that I've done that pretty often but wasn't sure how comfortable you would be doing the same. I know that holding on to your back is going to be a very bumpy ride, but I'm up for the challenge."
OMEN: "I think Jack's plan of getting to Pebble quickly and then flying it here is best. You might need this," he says, unslinging his blaster rifle with the words 'Little friend' etched into the barrel. He hands both the rifle and extra power packs to Vamperina. "Deth doesn't seem to be much affected by physical attacks."
OMEN:"The rest of us should stay together. Stay in radio contact. I can keep an eye on Deth," he says, pointing to his head. "So if he's headed your way I can warn you."
OMEN: "Godspeed, Jack."
KYLE: "I'd advise against using radios unless absolutely necessary. We can't be sure about it, but our guesses are that the satellites above us are set to detect radio transmissions. It's one reason we've stuck with a wired telecommunications network. Best not to set off any official warning lights until we have to."
SURGE: "I agree that speed is of the essence. While I could be of great use on PEBBLE, it's more important that Vamperina pilots it back. Once PEBBLE takes off we don't want to delay any so having her fly as fast and as low as possible will be key. I think we can get 50km north of here without too much trouble in three hours. I'm not sure if we'll need it but I can fly fairly fast now. I believe I can maintain a speed of 192 kph indefinitely carrying another person. Though Kyle's teleportation is much more discreet."
SURGE: "Kyle, can you help me to understand your range on your teleportation? How far can you jump in a single hop by yourself and with another person? What about more than one person at once, if possible?"
KYLE: "I can hop about a kilometer and a half fairly rapidly if I had to - say four or five in a minute - though I'd probably want to take it a little slower - maybe one a minute. That makes about a hundred kph at a slow measured pace - potentially up to five hundred kph if I was hell-bent for leather. And I should be able to keep that up for a reasonable amount of time - though I must admit I've never tried it before. I can take one person easily with me, and maybe one or two more." [TECH: I have 2x mass now; i think I'll have 4x mass when I'm done - best keep with 2x for the moment].
KYLE: "At longer ranges it takes correspondingly longer to prep for the jump. I should be able to manage over fifty kilometers, but the equations are pretty complex for those, and I'd guess we're looking at about a minute per. And I haven't managed to figure out a method of solving those equations to avoid materializing inside of other matter. So for the time being I'm limiting my long-range hops to places that I've committed to memory. I have the same mass limitations with this version of travel."
KYLE: "So to answer your question, about a kilometer and a half blind, up to 50 or 60 kilometers if I know where I'm going. And for the moment I'd like to limit it to one other passenger at a time."
SURGE: Surge nods, "Okay, then it sounds like the initial trip there will be the most difficult. Once you've memorized the new location you can quickly bring the rest of the group there, right?"
SURGE: Turning back to the group, "I suggest that Kyle and I go for the initial trip. Midnight can start breaking down the weapons, while Dalag and Mek keep watch. That leaves Brandon, Vareq and the Rickets to lay low. Sound good?"
GM: Brendan is not willing to sit around doing nothing. He will definitely lend a hand as well. He is an extremely capable agent. The Rickets are also quite willing to help out in whatever way they can. They are not dottering old brainy types. They are moderately young by imperial standards and, after getting over the initial bewilderment at this sudden turn of events, prove to be extremely level headed and intelligent.
KYLE: "Not as much difficult as tedious. Now if it were other than wilderness - well, I wouldn't suggest it. But here the worst we'll do is startle a deer. But yes, once we get there I can commit that site to memory and ferry people back and forth pretty quickly."
SURGE (OOC): If Dalag's camp isn't well concealed then Surge will see if he can find a very close by spot to conceal Brandon, Vareq and the Rickets. That would leave Midnight, Mek and Dalag 'out in the open'.
JACK (OOC): Correction, we are already at our base camp, per the previous turn, having moved here from Dalag's camp with a similar strategy, Jack and Kyle went tandem teleporting to set up his location, then he moved the group. The civilians can lay low in the shelter or pack some light supplies, either way.
SURGE: "I suggest that Midnight keeps a few good weapons handy in case Deth and his friends arrive. There might not be a lot we can once we split up but it would be foolish to pack away good defensible weapons until Kyle has started the evacuation which could be twenty or more minutes from now." Surge seems completely neutral on if you decide to blow up the munitions instead of packing it with us. We have more than enough supplies on PEBBLE and ROCK so we shouldn't need much in the way of food/blankets.
KYLE: "I'd bet on more than 20 minutes. In theory I could rush up north in a mad dash of blind jumps. I'd rather go at a more measured pace and give myself up to an hour. I don't intend to dawdle, but I don't want to be foolhardy. Once we get there it's about 15 minutes to get everyone moved - a bit more if we have some equipment to bring."
SURGE: Surge will confirm the load zone with Vamperina on their maps. He'll then wish Vamperina and Jack luck on their trip.
SURGE (OOC): I also agree with Jack and Vamperina getting a few clicks away and then doing the launch off.
MIDNIGHT: "So, Mek and I will organize packing and/or destroying any weaponry we have at camp. That leaves Surge and Kyle to find our rendevous point, Jack and Vamparina to get Pebble and Varq to watch our backs (and the Rickets) as we pack. Sound right, Jack?" (Midnight's obviously trying to move things along without ruffling any feathers.)
MEK: Mek grows to about a meter and a half, "Got it. Let's get moving then," he shouts. "If they found us in a clearing, they can find us here. Midnight, we'll have to neutralize the missiles and the recoilless rounds. I'll take care of the Gauss and the rifle itself. The gauss rounds are inert, so that's not a problem. I'll leave the dismantling of the blast-mines to your capable hands. Try not to kill the wildlife unless it kills you. Figure out a way to blast it when we leave. Vareq, work with our guests to pack a few light loads of food and supplies for the trip back home, but no heroics. Don't leave energy or shrapnel rounds behind. Pack'em out. Guys, when I'm done with the guns, I'm heading back up to CAP this place. No more surprises, if we can help it. Kyle, what mass can you carry in your magic wormhole?" Right now Mek is all activity.
KYLE: "Up to 300 kilograms with some effort. A hundred without."
MEK: "Got it," Mek snaps back. "Hear that folks. Pack accordingly. We're gonna make as few trips as possible. So if it ain't necessary, leave it. Let's get a move on. We don't wanna spend any more time here than we have to." He then heads off to the recoilless rifle.
MEK: Mek will disassemble the recoilless rifle and remove and keep the firing mechanism. He won't bother trying to assemble the pieces. Then he'll shrink and head up to treetop level for recon. If you need it, Stealth with one level, 13-, [rolled 7] and Normal Sight PER, 14- plus 12 vs range, [rolled 14].
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GM: I left out the conversations about how you are going to get your equipment back to the ship since there was nothing particularly relevant. Your group simply did not bring so many weapons that it would have been an issue. This didn't have as much to do with the STR of the people on the team so much as what could be carried in the inflatable boat. You brought a recoiless rifle and two .50 caliber machine guns, as well as some ammo for them.
With a plan in place, Vamperina and Jack spend some time talking to Surge and Kyle, who is still busy tending to Vareq. Once Kyle is satisfied that Vareq is going to stay resting for a few minutes, the four of them discuss what they know of the terrain north of the city about 50 km or so. Jack, Surge and Vamperina know the area only from their trip south, and Kyle has only been that way once or twice. However, they all remember some common landmarks and they choose a likely one for a rendevous point. Both Surge and Kyle seem to have amazing facilities with memory, remembering even tiny details of places that they may have only seen once.
With a rendevous point and time determined, the group splits up. Jack and Vamperina take off in the forest to put some distance between themselves and the base camp before Jack begins his gravity defying leaps. They put a good 5 km behind them before they stop and prepare for the first leap. Vamperina holds on the Jack's back, locking her arms and legs in front of Jack. She also activates her Densified Subdermal Layer to protect her. At the same time, Jack activates his protective force wall to further hold her in place and then takes a few deep breaths, followed by a few bounding steps before rocketing into the air. Vamperina holds on with all of her 40 strength.
JACK: To reiterate, he starts off at about half speed and checks with her after one bounce, which is the worst of it, and then starts to increase speed until she's starting to feel unsafe, then backs off a bit. Going through the mountains he's a bit more careful, finding a likely hilltop to start from, bounding to it and then over the mountains into a cleared area on our map so that he doesn't have to pick a small landing spot that he could easily miss.
Meanwhile, Kyle and Surge have begun their own expedition to the rendevous point. Using hops of about a klick and a half each, they slowly cover the distance. Kyle's teleportation includes a safety mechanism that prevents him from ever materializing inside a solid object (TECH: Safe Blind Teleport advantage) so he is not too concerned about the numerous blind teleports. About 15 minutes later they have arrived at the rendevous point. Kyle carefully scouts it out with his dimensional window before spending the short time needed to memorize it for his long range teleportation. His two anchor points are now this location and Base Camp. He returns to Base Camp with his long range teleport leaving Surge to keep watch.
By this time, the rest of the team has gotten everything of importance packed away into backpacks. Much of this task fell to Midnight, Professor and Nanci Ricket, Dalag and Brendan as Vareq was still resting and Mek was maintaining a carefull watch for the three super villians that had attacked them earlier. However they see no sign of them by the time Kyle returns and begins teleporting equipment and people to the rendevous point.
Once Mek arrives at the rendevous point, he immediately begins flying air cover and looking for anything out of the ordinary. Surge remains at the rendevous point, maintaining watch. Dalag points out the most likely location where PEBBLE will land, based on a description of the ship that he gets from Midnight and Surge. The gear is packed nearby.
After that, it is simply a matter of waiting nervously for PEBBLE to arrive.
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Vamperina arrives at PEBBLE resolving never again to ride on Jack's back while he leaps at full speed. Even as she resolves this to herself, however, she knows that she will not hold herself to the resolution if another emergency comes up.
JACK (OOC): In short, Jack gave her the ride of her life, but not in the good way ;) I am curious how close Jack got to full speed, and again, if it ever got really uncomfortable for her, he backed off the speed a bit. His maximum non-com leap is dozens of km, and that's not even pushing his strength to uncomfortable levels. (23,552" at strength 40). He still can't leap into orbit though ;)
While Jack quickly clears away the camoflage netting and stows it in the hold, Vamperina goes through her preflight checks. Presently everything is ready to go and, after Jack climbs aboard, secures the airlock and straps himself in, Vamperina lifts off and begins the equally harrowing trip back to the south. She stays very close to the earth, hugging mountain canyons until she reaches the sea and then stays low as she follows the coast south. (TECH: Combat Pilot on 16- [rolled 15]).
JACK: Jack tries not to make his handprints on the armrests leave TOO deep an indentation... She's obviously trying to pay him back for the ride up north...
They arrive at the rendevous point ahead and schedule. As the ship approaches the landing spot, both of the Rickets stare at it in surprise. They walk over to where Surge is standing and the professor asks, "Do my eyes deceive me or is that PEBBLE?" Surge immediately understands where the conversation is going and answers, "Yes professor, it is PEBBLE. ROCK is the ship that we came here on and, in answer to your next question, she is safe and sound on Regina and staying with Nanci's brother." Both the Rickets looked quite relieved at this and would obviously like to press for more details but both understand that this is not the time or place to do so."
The ship lands and loading begins. Equipment is carried aboard and quickly but securely stowed. With five extra acceleration couches built into the cargo bay, PEBBLE can safely carry 11 people which is exactly the number needed (Jack, Surge, Midnight, Mek, Omen, Kyle, Vamperina, Charles Ricket, Nanci Ricket, Brendan Pierce, Dalag Thompson)
Dalag's eyes positively shine as he climbs aboard the small ship. He runs his hands over the steel plates and fixtures as a man might run his hand over a woman that he loves. It's obvious to all that he was born to be in space and these last few earthboard years have been just as tough as the zho interrogation methods. He yearns to return to space. He would obviously love to pilot the ship up into orbit but knows better than to ask. At this point, the group simply doesn't know him well enough to trust him and Vamperina obviously enjoys her role as pilot.
Surge does a quick check of the engines and auxiliary systems as the ship is loaded. Once everyone is aboard, Vamperina lifts off and heads northeast out over open water. Once she reaches the point where they originally descended to Qantseqr, she wastes no time going vertical and rocketing into orbit at an acceleration level that is uncomfortable but not too dangerous for those not used to space travel. Surge keeps the passive scanners going and quietly sends occasional course corrections to Vamperina to keep them out of range of the orbiting sensors. Once they get beyond the orbit of the sensors, Omen and Vamperina start picking up the occasional mental scans emanating from the orbital sensors. Knowing that they are no danger to anyone inside PEBBLE, they do not worry about them.
And so the ship rockets out of Low Orbit, past High Orbit and makes its way toward Qantseqr's L5 point where ROCK was left so many weeks ago. Many hours pass during which Jack and Vamperina trade off piloting duties. Some people get some rest while others engage in conversation. The Rickets express their thanks for their rescue and look forward to getting back to Imperial space. Once things have quieted down somewhat, the two approach Surge and asks for more details about their daughter. Surge reiterates that she is safe but also goes on to tell him of some of the things that went wrong when ROCK initially departed Zeycude after the Rickets were arrested. It's clear that both are well aware of Rockora though neither are aware of the history of the ship and who it belonged to before they bought it. This could lead to the next sticking point but Surge decides not to bring it up at this point, but to wait until they are safely away from the Qantseqr system.
The rendevous with ROCK goes smoothly. Storm contacts Surge long before ROCK comes into view and they use that communications channel to avoid radio communications. Vamperina remotely triggers the docking hatch and pulls PEBBLE snuggly into the docking bay. She shuts down the engines and closes the docking bay doors. Moments later, the group exits the tiny confines of PEBBLE for the greater comfort of ROCK.
KYLE: What kind of medical facilities does have? Vareq could really use some extended care. Also, I'd like to give Brendan, Dalag, and (to what extent possible) Kyle a physical exam using some of the modern diagnostic tools not avaialable on the prison planet. (Assuming ROCK has any) There's a lab listed on the map, but no sick bay. Does the lab have any medical equipment? Or do we just have a well-stocked medkit?
KYLE: And while we're on the subject, what kind of a lab equipment does ROCK have? PResumably it has some kind of focus.
GM: ROCK does not have a sick bay. The best you can do is use on the of the staterooms as a temporary sick bay.
---Map of ROCK to follow---
GM: I'm going to stop at this point to give people a chance to interject. Also, do you plan to go entirely NJP to NJP until you are back in neutral or imperial space? What is your ultimate destination? Jewell? Regina? Black Moon? I'm assuming this will be a topic for discussion.
MEK: The last question is the easiest. Rio. We left both a Fleet Battle Group and Sir Jon there. Mek also has a vested interest in making a call on Rio (he has an adopted daughter there) and getting back to his unit. He's still on loan from The Imperial Army. The other questions are beyond his ken. He will help unload PEBBLE and stow cargo back in the cargo bay of ROCK. Given the problems we had on arrival, he's prepared to spend time in PEBBLE to avoid the mind scans. And, though WE may have forgotten, he checks on Curt or asks Jack to, first thing. "It's not healthy to spend this much time alone."
JACK: (OOC): From what I can dredge up from old turns, we have four hops to get back to Rio if we wish, and software that gives +2 to Astrogation, which gives Surge a 17- roll even NJP to NJP.) It seemed safe enough going NJP to NJP on the way here, I see no reason to risk a Jump Point ambush when we don't have to. The real question is where do we want to end up. Sir Jon may not even be at Rio any more, in fact I would assume he's not. For that matter Rio may well be in Zho hands now, or currently under siege, so we cannot count on being able to refuel there. I would think Enlas-du would be a reasonable place to try to refuel, even if the war's going badly and it's occupied by the Zho, it's far enough off the beaten path that we should be able to sneak into the gas giant and refuel.
JACK: Were we given any contact protocol by Sir Jon to use when we return? We do need to deliver the refugees before going on to where we need to go, whether that's Cape Goliath (that's on Regina, right?) to check up on Scout and Aeria, or Black Moon to try to rescue/help Etienne. Hmm, if we return to Sir Jon though he will take the ship from us, which precludes our trip to Black Moon, right? Was there a reason people wanted to go to Jewell?
GM: Good question and yes, that would have been worked out. You were expected to go to Rio JP first and check in with the fleet there. If Sir Jon was not there, then they would tell you where to rendevous with him, but it was expected that it would probably be Jewell.
MIDNIGHT: Midnight perks up at the mention of Aeria, and he agrees checking in with her would be nice after this long rescue trip.
MEK: If'n i recall, SJ said that IIS would help secure funding for a new ship, if it came to it, but that you wouldn't be shipless. mek doesn't have that worry as he's got a combat transport with his name on it. HEY! Y'all should join up! The water's fine. :-)
GM: You will have to show me the turn where this was mentioned. I definitely don't recall it.
JACK (OOC): I went looking for which system Black Moon was in, to find it on the map, and ended up spending a few HOURS reading old emails, having entirely too much fun reminiscing, silly me. I did finally find it, it's the Utoland system, and kinda sorta on the way to Regina if we detour 'south' a bit, south of Jewell. Mek's point about him having contacts on Rio and needing to check in with the Fleet is well taken though, I guess Rio is our primary goal at this point. It does make for a potential conflict though, if the Rickets try to reassert ownership of the ROCK we have trouble, or if Sir Jon tries to take it away from us, because technically once there we will be free and done with our contract, but the ship still belongs to either the IIS or the Rickets, or both...
VAMPERINA: "Jack, I think we need to have a conversation with Professor Ricket and Rockora regarding ROCK and Etienne. Obviously we need to get this resolved. First of all, we need to find out who really owns ROCK. Is it the professor or the IIS."
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OMEN: Once Kyle gets Vareq up to the medical area on Rock, he has regained his strength somewhat. When Kyle turns
him back Vareq will begin to disconnect all of monitors and lines and step off of the table.
KYLE: Turning around, Kyle takes a step back. "Vareq, I don't think that's wise. You shouldn't --"
OMEN: If Kyle approaches Vareq puts up a hand to stop him.
OMEN: "Look, Kyle, I appreciate the effort, but you'd best just let me be. You don't seem like the kind of guy who likes watching someone die. So don't. Watch."
OMEN: His hands shake. He grips his right hand with his left to stop the shaking.
OMEN: "You think I'm an idiot, right?. That I'm insane. You don't understand. To you dimensions are just a set of numbers. Just math. It's more than math, man."
OMEN: Vareq's gaze softens somewhat.
OMEN: "The Power sings to me. When I open my eyes I can see the Universe naked, and damn, she's incredible. I see babies born, couples making love, trust and heroism and sacrifice."
OMEN: Then his mouth hardens.
OMEN: "I also feel hate and ignorance and murder, the twist of a knife in living meat, blood running on empty streets. Once you've seen that kind of beauty and cruelty its hard to give it up."
OMEN: He stumbles a bit on his way to the door, but catches himself. He clips on his weapon belt and pulls on his cloak with as much dignity as he can.
OMEN: "I know the power is killing me, Kyle. But I need it. The team needs it. I'm a soldier and I'm not going to let anyone down."
KYLE: Kyle nods as Vareq speaks of the power of the universe. He lets his companion have his say, but interjects his own observations before Vareq can leave the lab.
KYLE: "I understand the universe is more than math," he says in a quiet voice, "though that's the way I can best cope with its enormity. And I can see hints of the power it can offer. In fact, I have to wonder if the Ancients could access this power - it would certainly explain some of the things they were able to accomplish. But I can also appreciate the need for control and restraint."
KYLE: "Look, I've only had these abilities for the about three years, and most of that time at a level far below where I'm at now. So perhaps I'm still learning. But in my early days as I was beginning to cope with my newfound power I'd get glimpses like you talk about - snapshots of the world around me. It *is* both disconcerting and intriguing ... and, as you note, potentially hazardous. As a result, I've worked hard to maintain my own control of the power rather than letting it control me. That may limit me, but in the end I think a measured approach is better."
KYLE: "So yes, I do think you're being a foolhardy. You take the increased power without enough care about what it's doing to you." This time it's Kyle's turn to raise a hand to stop further comment. "Yes, I know you're aware it's killing you. But you discount the danger. You've determined that the possibility - no, the certainty - of an early death is justified. For my part I say that you'll do your friends no service by dying early. What about their needs after you're gone?"
KYLE: He sighs and sits down on a lab stool.
KYLE: "But I know you've thought this through, and you believe you're doing what you have to do. One of the curses of being a doctor is giving what you think is good advice and then having some patients ignore it. But in the end I'm your doctor, and I take those oaths seriously. I'm going to strenuously recommend that you be more careful in accessing the power. I'm going to strongly suggest that you take better care of yourself - resting, eating better, allowing me to treat your symptoms. But I'll also do my best to patch you up when you ignore my advice."
KYLE: "So please, at least try and make that job a bit easier for me." He gives a wry smile. "Rest when we're not in danger. Eat and drink at regular intervals. Don't push yourself needlessly. And above all, please don't be afraid to ask for help. Just as you'd have others lean on you, don't have a double standard and refuse to lean on them."
KYLE (OOC): I like the idea that Vareq and Kyle have access to what amounts to the same power source but take different approaches to it with vastly different results. |