video. UN: JAKKU

[forcevisions]

[ Everyone's camping. That's fun, isn't it? Well, before people get ahead of themselves, there's some more news that's waiting. Following Keith and Rey's conversation—and Keith being set right about their shared misconceptions thanks to some clarifications from ALASTAIR—they've finally regrouped enough for … this. If you've ever wondered how good Keith is at sharing information, it's probably along the lines of "not good."

So, this should be good, basically. (At least he has Rey to back him up.)

The two of them are sitting side by side on the outskirts of camp so that they can make their announcement undisturbed. Keith's sporting a warmer jacket and Rey was all but swallowed in the hood of her ALASTAIR uniform, which fit ill now in the light of the doubts that the holodisc shed on them.

After a beat of them … sitting there, Keith awkwardly clears his throat in what sounds like an ineffectual manner: ]

Uh, hey. We have something to tell you all today. [ A beat. Another beat. He glances toward Rey, as if he suddenly feels like she's the one who should talk.

While Rey clearly doesn’t appreciate the hand-off, her shoulders rustling as she composes herself, she can’t deny the responsibility. She directs her gaze towards him for a moment, wrestling with something, before she relents. ]

I made a mistake. [ It seems the simplest place to start when most of them had seen precisely what happened with the Reverend. ] We need to make sure that none of you repeat it. When I killed … [ She can’t muster that admission, not properly, not in this context. So she starts again. ] When the Reverend died, something came out of him. Some kind of parasite.

[ Right, he knows Rey's body language enough to realize where he should probably help. If if were anyone else, that might not be the case, but somehow, they've become friends. It's an odd thing for him, and when she finishes speaking, he preps himself. All right, he can do this. He can do this. ]

The parasite is called the Taraxa. I didn't get a chance to look at a holodisc I found until after the fighting war over, and um, I'm sorry for not coming forward sooner. We wanted to check back with ALASTAIR first. [ He pauses here, but briefly. ]

Anyway, the Taraxa are supposed to be a peaceful group now. They've worked with ALASTAIR via some temporary hosts as spies, but obviously, none of us would call the Deemers peaceful. Rey and I don't know what happened, or if these are some … special branch that decided to go rogue. I don't know. But I think we've got a bigger mess to deal with here than just the mines and mining. [ He offers Rey a brief glance. Keith can't even begin to guess what the Deemers are really doing. He can't. But between the fires and disappearances, he figures they can't just ignore this. ]

They’re also supposed to have hosts that they build instead of steal, but that’s obviously not the case. It’s possible but dangerous to communicate with them because they follow a hivemind they consider their Mother, which is red instead of ... [ Grimly, she raises the dessicated carcass of the beige slug she’d evinced from the Reverend’s corpse. It seemed an odd thing, now, to hold onto it like some kind of trophy, but she hadn’t been ready to let it go, as if holding onto the horror of what she had done. ] Though there’s no clear way to tell when you’re dealing with a Mother while she’s in a host, as far as I can tell.

Until we know more, travel in pairs, and try to avoid lethal force; the Deemers aren’t acting of their own free will.

Or … their hosts aren't, anyway. I guess it's really the same thing, huh? Most importantly, if you have a way of scanning people's brains, let us know. It wasn't clear in the file how to stop them exactly, but heat and salt seem like our best bets. Uh, death and decapitation work, too, but I think we're gonna try to avoid that from now on.

[ Sulky silence quieted Rey, on that note, and she ended the transmission abruptly. ]

[ ooc; if it isn't clear, Rey and Keith. ]

Comments

[strictdiscipline]

[Better get on that, Miles.

It's good to know they have options for who to tap and who to reach out to, but ultimately it's no use unless they can all gather in a room and plan their course of attack (so to speak).]

It looks like we're still waiting for the full recording of whatever was on the holodisc [she sees Fiona down there, asking for the full record] but we should meet once the information's been released in full.]

[ex_adept136]

I'm in agreement with you there. The more information we have, the more effectively we can actually plan concerning this situation.

[strictdiscipline]

We'll wait until all of Keith's information is released and then work from there.

[In the meantime....]

You're very calm about this though.

[It's appreciated.]

[ex_adept136]

In my line of work, I'm accustomed to something not dissimilar, in some respects. I deal with a predatory species you couldn't tell apart from a human until they attack.

This isn't entirely the same, but it gives me some precedent. Not to mention, so much of what we've seen is completely foreign to me.

[Ghouls aren't body-jacked by worms controlling their bodies, but the idea of not knowing what someone really is certainly isn't new to him.

After all, there's the fact that most don't know his own circumstances]

Aside that, I'm...relieved that I'm here before a decision's already been made about how we respond. It wasn't the case during my first mission.

[strictdiscipline]

Ghouls, correct? That'll be an asset then, for certain.

[If she's recalling her conversation with him and Arima correctly. It's a relief to hear that he has some experience in all this, and that he's got a good head on his shoulders to slot all this information into its respective buckets. (The fewer people to worry about, the better—)

His last comment gives her pause though.]

Which mission was that?

[ex_adept136]

Yes, you're right. I'm hoping I can apply what I know productively.

[He has to imagine that he should be able to, but there are foreign elements at play he won't discount. Taking things one step at a time should help, so long as they don't delay in their groundwork]

My recruitment came late in the Nalawi mission.

[strictdiscipline]

[Nalawi still lingers fresh in her mind, even after so many months. The destruction of nearly everything on the island, Nalanni and Ryba's deaths, her own past resurfacing for a brief but painful moment.

She'd had months of build-up to make a decision. Haise had not. How difficult must it have been for him?]

That must not have been an easy time to have started with ALASTAIR. Things were something of a mess at that time.

[To put it lightly.]

[ex_adept136]

It struck me as a complicated situation, especially since not all relevant information had been made available.

[There had been the ruin Nalanni once caused to defend her people, but nothing from her side or perspective. None of her thoughts, nor her regret.

And there was surely yet more they hadn't the time to find out...like a way to redistribute the world's energies without destroying its goddesses]

But here, I have the chance to do something about it.

[strictdiscipline]

[His determination to make a change now, cautious though it might be, brings a faint smile to her face. Her own hopes aren't so easily lifted, but hard to stay pessimistic when those around her keep finding ways to move forward.]

You do. [They all do.] If there's anything you need from me to carry out those plans, don't hesitate to let me know.

[ex_adept136]

Thank you, Riza. I'll be sure to take you up on that, once I have a solid lead.

[That is, something to work with, so he doesn't just occupy her time]