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Post by Evangeline on Aug 29, 2010 21:21:55 GMT -5
"OK, Rihanna we already met." Zack nodded. "She came across as all right but we definitely wanted to know more about the others. What we know for sure, though, is that this cult leader sounds like pretty bad news even without all his power. Millions of people have been snookered by a lot less."
"It's scary when you see it happening to people you know." Cissy spoke up. "It's like they w-were changed overnight, and then POOF! they were gone."
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Post by elizar on Aug 30, 2010 6:52:45 GMT -5
Gideon nodded, remembering just how alien Ian had been when he first saw him. But he was going to get help. "This whole 'be who you really are' thing is very dangerous." Gideon said. "It panders to people's escapism and their minor delusions that they're some sort of special and precious flower."
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 1, 2010 14:04:57 GMT -5
"The "Special Snowflake" thing again." Zack chuckled dryly, being able to find some sort of humor in the situation. "Except that this guy has built a cult on it."
"It's what academics would call "solipsism, carried to the extreme." Elena, now fully re-assembled, walked over. "In the time before, they had these "furry" conventions where people gathered who were enthusiasts of anthropomorphic animals and whatnot. Some people, the "lifestylers", got carried away and started thinking they really WERE wolves or dragons in human skin. Some let's-pretend is harmless as long as it stays confined to costumes and games, but Ceasarion is consuming these people with their own fantasies."
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Post by elizar on Sept 1, 2010 15:45:39 GMT -5
Gideon shook his head sadly. "This is bad situation." He said. "And we're going to have our hands full with people recovering from the shock when they get back to normal." He didn't voice the part where he would expect a rather high percentage which would meet an unfortunate end by their own actions within a year.
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 1, 2010 19:07:03 GMT -5
"Dylan and Annalise are going to see if they can rig up a suspension field to keep everyone from rioting when things go down." Elena answered. "That won't do anything for the mental trauma, not just yet, but it'll keep people from hurting themselves or others when the control inevitably breaks."
"They seem l-like really fragile people." Cissy remarked.
"Unhappy people, who for many reasons don't like themselves, or hated their lives." Elena shook her head. "Many didn't have family or friends to look out for them."
"After hearing about this, I decided I like myself and my life just fine." Cissy jerked her head, generating small wavelets from her bow. "I-I don't need some con man promising me a perfect life, because there is no such thing."
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Post by elizar on Sept 1, 2010 19:12:33 GMT -5
"That's a bit pessimistic view, but unfortunately it's what keeps your head attached during all this." Gideon said, glancing back towards the cult's grounds.
Jonathan came down to the rest of the group. "So, how are things over here?" He asked.
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 1, 2010 19:34:23 GMT -5
"Well, for one thing, we can say there's nothing wrong whatsoever with Cissy's instincts." Elena said to Jonathan. "Everyone else ready to start planning?"
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Post by elizar on Sept 2, 2010 4:29:34 GMT -5
"I'll go fetch the rest of the team here." Jonathan said and headed back to the main camp. Within moments, he returned with everyone following.
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 6, 2010 14:59:01 GMT -5
Kelora came up beside Gideon and Sandra as everyone gathered. Elena had a tablet ready, and it had projection capability to display to a crowd. She set it on a small stand and called up a file with a terrain map of the area with her revisions and the layout of "the realm" added in, from all the cumulative info gathered from their little incursions.
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Post by elizar on Sept 6, 2010 15:06:45 GMT -5
"What, no magical maps with magically rising mountains and valleys?" Gideon chuckled, lightening the mood a bit.
"No budget for it." Sandra picked it up. "Just look at the mess of misfits we have for this one."
"So, here's us now, the mooring that Caesarion has a smidgen of power, and then here's the temple." Jonathan pointed at the appropriate points at the map, just to make sure.
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 6, 2010 15:48:04 GMT -5
The temple complex turned transparent, exposing floors, staircases and exits. "This actually did have a bit of "magical" help." Elena stated. "The users are feeding data into it, but using magic for a display might have given out a big, lovely signature that His Nibs would have noticed." She highlighted the chamber where the astrolabe was kept. "Annalise informs me that her contact is still good, and Dylan knows of some other people who seem to be getting disillusioned. The spell doesn't work forever or on everybody, it seems. One has to cut corners and take shortcuts when building things up this fast. They can provide another distraction while Annalise and her new friend help out with moving the great McGuffin."
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Post by elizar on Sept 6, 2010 16:06:09 GMT -5
"So a lot of things are going to go wrong at the same time." Jonathan said. "So, what about our quick get-a-away? Where can the helicopters be without drawing attention to themselves?"
"There is this spot over there." Gideon tipped a blade towards the spot. "But it is quite a way from the temple. Getting there might be trouble. Any place nearer is more risky, but if you can rig up some better invisibility shields, I could feel more comfortable being there."
"I could go nearer." Sandra said. "I haven't been there often enough for the shielding to fail on me."
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 6, 2010 16:13:17 GMT -5
"Shields are a given, though we'll have to modify and renew them." Elena nodded, "We still have Viktor and Yuki to contend with. Viktor was partially neutralized, but Yuki could still pose a problem, especially as she is far from rational."
Kelora frowned. "If she wasn't Elsa's mother, I wouldn't be too bothered by dealing with her."
"Anyway, we start the shield work right after this meeting." Elena steered the conversation into less contentious waters. "So how to "deal" with those two will be a lesser concern."
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Post by elizar on Sept 6, 2010 16:18:49 GMT -5
"So, about the timing of this all." Jonathan began. "I think we need Caesarion out of the temple before we bring Dylan's contact into where the astrolabe is. Then we need to be out of the temple before really opening the eyes to those who are a bit disillusioned now, so we don't get stuck in the middle."
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 6, 2010 18:01:59 GMT -5
"Makes sense." Julian nodded. "That's where Cissy would come in, right?"
Cissy was peering intently at the display, then looked over to Elena. "Can you get a shoreline view?"
Elena toggled a few buttons on the GUI, and another view came up, one of the shoreline from half a mile offshore. The temple and landmarks were visible, as well as a landing. "We'd presume that landing is where Caesarion will come when he sights you. You need only stay there a few minutes, and delay him a bit. He'll expect a bit of hesitancy on your part."
"And we'll be moving in at that time." Julian nodded.
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