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

[endeudado]

I don't know who the Boy Scouts are, but I'm going to guess they're a lot more boring than a gang.

[ HE IS A CRIMINAL!! ]

[competing]

They're probably the boringest gang in existence, yeah. But they get cool patches.

[ anyway... ]

You, uh. You shoot people for fun or what.

[ #subtle. ]

[endeudado]

Sounds cool.

[ Jesper would love collecting patches?? ]

But yeah, that. Mostly for profit, though.

[competing]

[ yeah that's. that's way less cool, man. ]

Well, uh. Hate to break it to you — but we don't really do that kinda stuff here.

[endeudado]

[ Jesper laughs. ]

You mean you guys don't run missions for people with dubious morals and questionable reasons? Cause ALASTAIR kinda sounded like that to me.

[competing]

[ lance just frowns deeply. ]

Uh, I dunno who you've been talking to, but ALASTAIR's whole deal is fixing things. You know — saving timelines and all that jazz? What part of that sounds questionable to you?

[endeudado]

I dunno, I guess the part where we kinda impede on people's lives and tell them to stop doing what they're doing.

[ Like, what are you, Fjerda or something?? ]

Don't get me wrong, I've got no problems following orders. You just seem to think your perspective is right because it's yours. You ever stop to think about how the other side feels?

[ Is Jesper really having this conversation or is he trying to fuck with Lance, I don't know. ]

[competing]

[ i mean it's a FAIR POINT and lance fully acknowledges that... but in this particular instance? he doesn't see what's not to get here. to him, there is a very clear line between right and wrong. ]

You mean how the other side feels about completely destroying a planet? Or how the other side feels about taking over other people's bodies and using them for their own means?

I don't know how they do things in your world, but I'm willing to bet my Blue on the fact that that kinda stuff is wrong everywhere.

[endeudado]

[ Jesper shruuugs he's not big on morals, sorry. ]

Sure, that stuff is wrong. But a little crime here and there isn't gonna destroy a planet of brainwash a town.

[competing]

Nah... [ lance just shakes his head, reaching up to rub at the back of his neck. ]

But I don't think it's gonna help, either.

[ so much for team salt spray... ]

[endeudado]

[ team salt spray will live on, just give em some danger, you'll see. ]

Well that depends on who you ask.

[ SORRY LANCE........ ]

[competing]

Who'd you ask? Whoever gives you a favorable answer?

[ luckily that's coming up?? ]

[endeudado]

[ He will gladly shoot aliens for you, Lance. ]

People who need money, mostly. Crime pays the bills.

[ Or the gambling debts.... ]

[competing]

[ th...anks....??? ]

I mean... so do jobs... Did you see the bounty board? They're a pretty easy way to get some money.

[endeudado]

[ Even "bad people" can do nice things! ]

Yeah, there aren't a whole lot of legal jobs for people with my skills.

[ He's just really good at shooting?? What else is he supposed to do? ]

Bounty board? Now that's what I'm talking about. I'll definitely check that out, thanks.

[competing]

[ pls do more of them... ]

Yeah, you're welcome... [ maybe directing some of those, uh. skills... towards something else might do them all some good? maybe?! ]