~Doing so right now.~ ~Good. Keep me updated on what's over there. I might not be going, but I'd prefer not to be left in the dark.~ ~I will.~ (Hee. Katie's wondering why she's stuck being leader again. Eric seems capable enough.) (Heh. "Mr. Roboto" on WinAmp. ;p) (And Katie just has that natural leadership quality! ^_~) (She doesn't liiiike being leader. ;_;) (I know. But she's stuck with it! ;p) ~Smack Eric for me.~ ~...okay, yeah, that was bad.~ ~Thank you!~ ~You're welcome.~ ~No sign of anyone yet. There's one ship in here.~ ~All right. Do you suppose he (gender-neutral) might be on that ship?~ ~I think that's what we're going to check.~ ~Don't let Haruko take it for joy-riding. You know she'll try.~ * Katie sounds only partially serious. ~She's not going anywhere without all of us along. And I believe it.~ ~...Eric might beat her to it. This is disturbing.~ ~Well, *that* would explain why he hasn't taken charge like I half- expected him to.~ ~I think Daegal and I can hold them back if the temptation becomes too much for them to resist.~ (There's a slight tone of amusement in his mental voice.) ~Yes, but can he glow?~ ~Daegal glows, Eric makes stuff glow. We don't glow. I wonder if there's an Arcana that does. And we're trying to open the ship's door now.~ ~Sounds like whoever we're looking for is in the ship.~ ~And those robot things are apparently called Slivoids.~ ~Slivoids? What were they designed to do?~ ~Aside from kill things? I'll have to ask once we meet whoever.~ ~Okay. For some reason, I have a hard time grasping the thought that someone would make a machine solely designed to wipe out a space station. At least, there has to be some sort of motivation behind it.~ ~Well, yeah.~ ~One guy in here. Bloody leg. He looks human.~ ~Great. Maybe he knows what we're doing here. And hopefully Haruko can heal him, a little.~ ~I'll find out.~ ~He wants spare engine parts.~ ~Spare engine parts? Hrm.~ ~Does he say where we can get some?~ ~We're asking. And he says we were 'activated.' I'm not sure what that means.~ ~... Activated?~ ~He's claiming we're clones. Or something. This is confusing.~ ~I can't be a clone. Clones don't have memories, unless they fed them to us or something.~ ~And I have *no* idea how that would work.~ ~That's what Haruko said.~ ~And if we are clones, we wouldn't be Arcana... would we? Does genetic material determine whether or not you're representative of the card?~ ~I thought it was a soul thing. Clones wouldn't have souls, I'd think.~ ~It's a headache. We'll just say that you're Satoshi and I'm Katie, and that's what's important. Who cares where we came from.~ ~... He still deserves to be slapped, though.~ ~And the Slivinoids apparently just showed up out of nowhere when they activated one of their... experiments? And then keep coming back. And he deserves whatever he gets. But I want to get out of here.~ ~So we're fucking experiments now, huh?~ ~*I* don't think we are.~ ~I just couldn't think of a better way to put it.~ ~Right. Well, I don't feel indebted to him. Let's make sure he won't die and be on our merry way.~ ~Except that we've got at least one other thing out there that's linked to the Slivinoids. Controlling the station systems, and apparently undectectable.~ ~Interesting. If we could take out the core, that would stop them in their tracks.~ ~But even if we do, where do we go from there?~ ~I don't know. I think our first priority is taking out the core. Once that's done, we won't have to worry about crazed robots trying to kill us. Hopefully.~ ~Yeah, but *then* what? Can this guy guarantee us a place to go or stay, or a way home? I don't want to owe him favors, but he'll be owing us. At least that much.~ ~I'll try and find out. Apparently he modified himself somehow.~ ~Do tell.~ ~...he's got *my* telepathy! He used *ME*!~ * Katie is silent, then her laughter rings in your head. ~Oh my god!~ ~This is officially freaking me out now.~ ~Freaky, but hilarious! Talk about your poetic justice.~ ~Means I can yell in his head if I want now.~ ~Have fun!~ ~Oh, I will.~ * Katie sounds incredibly amused. ~Let's not tell him how to work his powers. He doesn't deserve the convenience.~ ~Oh, I'm not planning on it, believe me.~ ~Good. Heheh. This sketch is shaping out nicely.~ ~He says we came from J system. I guess that's what our solar system is called. So if we can get back there, we're good. And what are you drawing?~ ~Home.~ ~He says he'll show us how to work the navigation systems once we get the engine parts. Should I demand he do it now?~ ~If you'd be so kind.~ ~I would be.~ ~Of course, we have no way of ensuring he's telling the truth.~ ~I can read his mind.~ ~So you didn't come with a way of blocking it? Interesting.~ ~Um. Actually, I've never tried that. It's possible. But if he doesn't know how to use his powers, chances are he might not know.~ ~It'd be less likely for him to know than you.~ ~I should freak him out.~ ~Heh. Go for it.~ ~..um. We have a problem. The earth appears to be... not there anymore. If what he's showing us is the right solar system.~ ~You... can't be serious. Earth not there?~ ~Only an asteroid belt.~ ~Shit.~ ~That's an understatement.~ ~That... can't be...~ * Katie sounds distant, now, even in your head, ~I hope it wasn't the fault of the Arcana.~ ~According to him, it happened in the past, several generations ago... and I don't think so. I'd stop it before it came to that. Or I'd go down trying.~ ~I know. I would, too.~ ~Let's... not think about it too much, until we're safe and can see it with our own eyes. The ship isn't functional if we don't get those parts? We'd better get them.~ ~Yeah. The good doctor seems to be getting angry. We should go.~ ~He's our ticket out, and in a way, he's just a messanger. Mad at him's okay, but we shouldn't let him die.~ ~Get back here. I'm not traveling to propulsion alone.~ ~I know. We're heading out.~ ~We're coming back. Open the door.~ * Katie listens to a song in Satoshi's head, possibly just to keep the link open. There's words, in English, but they're impossible to make out. Probably because she doesn't remember them. ~I'm still here.~ ~Thanks.~ * Katie pauses, then continues, fear finally showing through. ~I don't want to be alone.~ ~We're planning what to do with the pilot. We're *not* leaving him alone with the ship. ...and you *won't* be alone. I'll make sure of that. I promise.~ ~Thanks, Satoshi. I think I've been brave so far, but everything's hitting me now, and...~ ~I know. It's... it's a lot.~ ~I can't even think that this isn't happening anymore. It's so insane! Before, all I had to worry about was Saki eating me.~ ~Maria! She's in here!~ ~And not looking very good. She's bleeding.~ ~Haruko's checking on her.~ ~Okay, okay. Good. Damn, I wish we had more suits.~ ~I'm coming back for you right now.~ ~Okay. Tell me what's wrong with her. Maybe I can identify it from here.~ ~I don't-~ ~Don't what? What is it, Satoshi?~ ~Ow. There's something wrong with the guy. Something wrong with his head.~ ~I think we already figured that out.~ ~No, it's pretty bad.~ ~Oh, shit. It's *really* bad. He's glowing.~ ~I need to be there. *Now.*~ ~I'm coming!~