Writing Prompts

[novius]

New part is up. Beryl doesn't need to be physically separate from Alex as it is, a secret like this is a terrible burden on her and would definitely weigh down the bubbly Listel. So yes, I could see her withdrawing herself a bit because of this, in addition to the talking-to she got from Brightshield.

And Alex? Well, he's got another problem, too

[dragoongfa]

Hmm... Hadn't really thought of that angle; that memories would need to be properly copied before Beryl could access them. Like how a computer can access something from the cloud but once the connection is cut it has to rely on the local storage.

Makes sense. Although I will have to make some changes in regards to the unfolding events.

[novius]

Hmm... Hadn't really thought of that angle; that memories would need to be properly copied before Beryl could access them. Like how a computer can access something from the cloud but once the connection is cut it has to rely on the local storage.

Makes sense. Although I will have to make some changes in regards to the unfolding events.

It was something that always bugged me a bit. While the human brain (and the Loroi brain - they are similar enough to be compatible, after all) doesn't work like a hard drive, wild-ass guesses about its storage capacity range from several terabytes up to one to three petabytes.

This is a lot.

And while we do presume that sanzai can transmit information much quicker and much more densely packed than speech may do it would definitely take its sweet time to transmit that much information. Especially when it would have to run as a 'background task'. Thus, and to explain the bit about her not accessing the information... biological cloud storage.

In addition, if Beryl would have been intent on pulling a complete dump of Alex's brain, there'd be the question of storing the information next to her own wide-ranged knowledge. Had she tried that in earnest, she would have ended up with a massive migraine or some burst blood vessels, I think.

[entity2636]

I was expecting the farseer to be something between Alex's expectation of a wizened, withered, white-haired old crone and something similar to someone plugged into the Matrix or the psychics from Minority Report - pale, bald, either in a control chair of sorts with cables plugged into her skull, or inside a sensory deprivation tank or her at least wearing (or being located somewhere inside) a giant psi-amp. IIRC in canon farseers only function when amplified and the rooms they work in are large psi-amps themselves.

[novius]

I was expecting the farseer to be something between Alex's expectation of a wizened, withered, white-haired old crone and something similar to someone plugged into the Matrix or the psychics from Minority Report - pale, bald, either in a control chair of sorts with cables plugged into her skull, or inside a sensory deprivation tank or her at least wearing (or being located somewhere inside) a giant psi-amp. IIRC in canon farseers only function when amplified and the rooms they work in are large psi-amps themselves.

Perhaps that room serves in that function. Alex did notice that it looked rather ... bland, as if not to distract her from her job. And, an amplifier of that size might not even need physical contact - or it was indeed her private room, since she did already sort of expect him and was curious enough to focus all her attention on to him, with fewer of the 'voices in her head' distracting her.

Perhaps we should opt for the latter, imagine Alex's Lotai being amplified to cover a good chunk of the Union - Nah, they wouldn't risk it.

And while Farseers do need amplifiers to do their jobs, they were chosen for their formidable telepathic powers and sensitivity. So she'd definitely be no slouch even unamplified.

[dragoongfa]

I guess that I will have to be creative with how the Farseer works and how she is 'jacked in' when amplified. This is undoubtedly her living quarters and not her amplifier.

[novius]

I guess that I will have to be creative with how the Farseer works and how she is 'jacked in' when amplified. This is undoubtedly her living quarters and not her amplifier.

Somehow I'm thinking "EvE Online", now... Data ports along the spine, starting with the base of her neck, and immersed in a capsule.

[entity2636]

Indeed. While Loroi in general frown upon cybernetics, augmentations and even prostheses (having the medical tech regrow limbs), it all goes out the window when it comes to farseers. Plus I think that she must have some sort of direct neural link to the ship's computer to feed what she "sees" into the computer to calculate distances and locations if she is to function as "long range radar". I don't see her telling Tempo "I saw X many umiak minds in this star system" while pointing out the window.

[Siber]

I distinctly remember a reference somewhere to 'room sized' amps for farseers...

[dragoongfa]

And the Farseer realizes something important.

SpoilerShow

I picture the Farseer's amplifier as a Matrix like pod (without the liquid), the Farseer steps inside and the pod closes and 'docks' in place at the midst of a small, inaccessible room that is the amplifier. Farseer's amplifiers are passive according to word of god, they enhance passive sensitivity but not active telepathy like sending.

[orion1836]

Outstanding job, Dragoonfa.

For what it's worth, I always visualized the farseers as being in a liquid pod like the Guild navigators from Dune.

[novius]

Beautifully done!

SpoilerShow

Of course it would be her who recognizes the depth of these bonds and the subconscious connection. So far, she, Beryl, Tempo, Winterbloom and Alex hold pieces of this puzzle - wonder how long it takes for them to compare notes And Tempo just recognizing how much she had lost? Almost pitied her

Maybe Winterbloom's scientific curiosity would be raised - if she, say, specialized in exobiology/medicine this would be a one-in-a-million chance for her to study - And of course Stillstorm and Duskcrown would be interested in this, too, if they ever learn of this...

Outstanding job, Dragoonfa.

For what it's worth, I always visualized the farseers as being in a liquid pod like the Guild navigators from Dune.

Or, as said, as depicted in EvE Online - there the pilots - called 'capsuleers' - are immersed in a gel-like substance, wearing a breathing apparatus and are connected to the ship's systems via the data ports along the spine.

I had that picture because Loroi are vain for all it counts - they disdain cybernetics and they do count their hair as one of their most important features, after all, they see it as a badge of honor to wear it long. So I reasoned that if they had to use cybernetics, it would be in places which are normally not seen or shown. And since they would have to do with cerebral/neural activity, the base of the neck or the spine would fit the bill.

[novius]

I distinctly remember a reference somewhere to 'room sized' amps for farseers...

Hmmm... Room sized doesn't need to mean an actual room. Imagine a refitted cabin stuffed to the brink with tech, most of it being the amplifier, and in the center a capsule or tank, filled with liquid or gel to induce sensory deprivation and with a bunch of arm-thick cables running into it, maybe complete with a breathing apparatus and urogenital systems to facilitate a longer stay.

Perhaps the room itself is layered with an extra armor plating that could withstand some serious battering - as for the location, it would be in a heavily protected area as well, perhaps near the ship's computer core.

[novius]

New part.

Sorry, I simply couldn't resist,
Hopefully you like the new twist.

Hey, that rhymes

[Werra]

60 extra hoppers a day...plus whatever 40 Loroi need. That seems like a lot for one area for two years. Then again, we don't know how big or ubiquotus hoppers are. Rabbit sized?

Hope they're chubby bunnies.

[Zarya]

You’re right, Deinar itself doesn’t really have wildlife. I think that everything, including the hoppers and game, has been introduced, and during the course of their trial they may need to venture out when they deplete resources.

SpoilerShow

Regarding the diral trials I got a “Truman Show” feeling. The elders may have known everything and more about Natan even before sending Argent’s group into the area.

[novius]

SpoilerShow

Regarding the diral trials I got a “Truman Show” feeling. The elders may have known everything and more about Natan even before sending Argent’s group into the area.

Maybe they did? Offering up a whole new level to the conspiracy thing. For example, Nathanial's translocation wasn't quite a freaky coincidence... Imagine someone fiddling with a Soia ruin on Deinar and thus setting a trap on Earth, for example.

[Zarya]

Better not dig too deep here and avoid making things too convoluted.

Anyway, big beasts and game on Deinar are not canon, so when featuring in this environment they must have been introduced. And I'd not be overly surprised if the initiation is somehow monitored.

[novius]

Better not dig too deep here and avoid making things too convoluted.

Anyway, big beasts and game on Deinar are not canon, so when featuring in this environment they must have been introduced. And I'd not be overly surprised if the initiation is somehow monitored.

As far as I've read, Deinar has little in the sense of native life - everything above the microbial stage is introduced by the Soia themselves, and how much is 'conveniently' omitted in that article.

So it stands to reason that they built at least one food chain starting with plants, over herbivores, to apex predators for the system not to break down over the the span of several hundred thousand years.

[Zarya]

Ah, okay. I missed that.

Next question is what to do with these large animals. They might be a good source for arianesin-wool