The rain patters on your poncho lean-to as you rouse from your slumber. Although the sound is deeply soothing, your heart hardly stops roiling in your chest. The dream you've experienced just now was absolutely perfect, and most of you would have preferred to stay in it, to finish off that beautiful moment.
Right now, you wouldn't mind staying in there forever.
Instead, you've been dragged back to reality along with the cold, hard truth of loss. A bittersweet pang shoots through you, causing you to sigh at length. It hangs on your heart heavily, as though the thing is filled with bricks or lead.
Despite how snug you are in your sleeping bag, and how comfortable your moss-leaf bed is, you find it impossible to go back to sleep. Your heart and your mind are spinning at the recent memory of your dream, and you can't help but relive those amazing few moments. Even if they aren't even close to real.
The melancholy is crippling, without a doubt.
You glance down towards your feet, right where you've piled up most of your things. Just at the foot of your bed is Noir, curled up into a fuzzy ball. You can hear her very lightly snoozing.
Then, you roll over onto your stomach and angle your head outward. There, you see the forest getting soaked all around you. Judging by the sounds around you, the rain is still coming in heavily from above. Every drop hits the sweeping canopy, trickles down whatever leaves and branches it comes across, then falls further to the forest bed below.
You can't really see much of the dirt itself, or how muddy it is. Simply, there's so much leaves and moss and grass and shrubbery covering it all.
At least you can tell through the few gaps in the trees that the sky is still rather bright, but perhaps a couple hours away from twilight. It shouldn't be long until the rest of the caravan wakes up and gets back on the road.
A quick Scan reveals that most are still sound asleep, with two pairs of two keeping a watchful eye on your perimeter. One pair is up in the trees, while another pair circles around the camp itself. They seem to have everything pretty much under control.
A wider Scan reveals nothing much out there, except perhaps a bunch of critters snoozing or resting or otherwise hiding from the rain.
You then spin back around and sit up in bed, then grab your water bottle from among your things. It's pretty much empty at this point, so you pour in some of your electrolyte powder in there and fill it up with one of your water bottles. You shake it up and stow it away for later, then slug down whatever water's left in your open bottle.
Taking a cue from the townsfolk's rain catchment barrels, you put the empty water bottle out to hopefully catch a bit of rain. But the tiny mouth does little to actually catch water. Only a few drops get in there for the handful of moments that you watch. Perhaps you can borrow a funnel from someone to make this easier.
Since you've got time, you decide to clean up a bit. It has been a few days since your last shower, and you're already starting to get a little grimy. You decide to shuck off your boots and socks, then stow everything in your pockets away carefully into one of your messenger bags' pouches.
Then you climb out of your lean-to with your shirt and pants still on, out into the rain. It's heavy enough that your clothes get heavier with each step, as they soak up more and more water. You circle around the rocky outcropping until you're on the other side, out of view from anyone else in the caravan. There, you strip down to nothing and set your clothes on the outcropping itself.
While the clothes soak up more and more water, you enjoy your rain shower as best you can. Although you don't have anything like soap or shampoo, you still scrub at your scalp and body a bit. Just doing so breaks up whatever grime and dirt and dried sweat that's on you, and allows it all to get washed away into the earth.
The way the rain feels on your skin is deeply relaxing. This is one of the few pleasures in life, without a doubt.
As you cleanse yourself, you find your own heart and mind calming down and returning to earth as well. Though the pangs of loneliness still remain, it's dull and weak and not enough to stop you from continuing your day.
You do your best to remind yourself that this is a big reason why you're on this journey altogether - to help you get rid of this dream. Or get past it. Whatever it takes. Because whether it ends normally, or ends beautifully, the ache still remains inside you.
Death still haunts your reality.
Once you feel as clean as you can get, you pick up your clothes and wring them out as hard as you can. As you do so, brownish gunk gets squeezed out along with the water. It seems that they've hung on to quite a lot of dirt since you last changed them out.
You do your best to clean out whatever you can by simply rubbing the cloth against itself. Though this works to loosen a bit more grime, in no way are your clothes pristine. You resolve to scavenge a bar of soap somewhere, at some point in the future.
Happy with how much you've cleaned up your clothes, you wring them out one last time to get the last bits of dirt out, then put your underwear and pants back on. You roll up your shirt and carry it under your arm, then head over towards the clearing where the carts are.
Or more specifically you jog towards the shack, hoping to find a bit of shelter you can try to dry up in.
The rain is unimpeded by the tree canopy here, you can see that it's coming down in sheets. Somehow, you feel even more waterlogged in the few seconds you spend out here. You duck under the awning on the front porch to escape the rain, then head inside the shack itself.
Inside is a bit of a mess - mostly emptied bowls and spoons littered on all the tables and every flat surface. Over in the corner with the stove and prep table are the two large pots where Frank and his team had been cooking the communal dinner.
One of the pots is almost completely empty, with only small pools of thick broth at the bottom. The other still has a few servings of stew in it, though the meat and potatoes are pretty much cold.
Not that you care much - your stomach rumbles hungrily at the sight. You had fallen asleep so quickly yesterday that you completely missed out on dinner.
So you search around for a clean bowl and spoon - there are stacks of them on the prep table. You fill one up about halfway before you start munching down on a spoonful. It's a bit salty but it's also very tasty. And now that it's cold, the stew itself is thick while the meat is soft. In all, you find it quite pleasant to eat.
You then lean halfway out the doorway and gaze out into the rain-soaked clearing.
The four carts are all abreast of each other, and their hitches have been turned to face towards the exit out of the area. More than that, it looks like they've all been covered in waterproof tarps which have been tied down tightly. They seem to cover everything except the corners where the rain collection barrels are.
You're happy to see that the rain catchers are working perfectly. The wide funnels catch plenty of rain, allowing the barrels to gather up plenty of water. A quick glance at their semi translucent plastic walls reveals that they're about a fourth of the way filled - you think about 50 liters?
Now you definitely have to find a small funnel for your bottles.
Once you're finished with your meal, you use your Telekinesis to move the bowl and spoon out into the rain. You then grab one of the few ratty sponges from inside the shack, then use even more of your Telekinesis to scrub your bowl down.
You bring them back inside and stack them next to the only other clean stack of bowls and utensils.
Then, realizing you've still got a bit of time before everyone wakes, you decide to clean up everything in here. And so, with your Telekinesis, you pick up the next bowl and wash it out in the rain. And then the next, and the next, and the next.
It doesn't take you long, but the task itself is relatively mundane. Practically mind-numbing. But that's perhaps the point you're trying to ingrain into yourself - all of your powers need to feel like second nature to you. Doing repetitive tasks ought to make doing specialized tasks that much easier.
Like lifting weights to gain muscle, reading books to gain knowledge, or practicing penmanship to gain motor skills. Washing bowls out in the rain to sharpen your mind sounds like an odd, but great addition to the list.
About a third of the township wakes by the time you're done with all the bowls and spoons. All are neatly stacked next to each other, presumably how they had looked the night prior. The rain has also slowed down and let up to some degree along the way, and seems to continue to ebb and peter out.
By the time everyone's up, the rain is down to a light drizzle, enough for everyone to ignore it and start their day. Most simply snack on whatever cold breakfast they've prepared for themselves, while the rest begin breaking down their tents and camps.
You decide to go on a short hunt instead, to further hone your Telekinesis. Cleaning up those bowls didn't put much of a dent on your energies, leaving you plenty to use for this jaunt. You're sure to tell Frank and Nance what you're doing, then head deep into the forest north of the hunting camp.
It's not that you particularly want to go north - that's simply where the wind's blowing from.
You go into a stalking mode once you get far enough in, then perform a Scan that reaches out for a few dozen meters all around you. And you find all kinds of life out here - their animalistic thoughts and emotions light up all around you, each one different in their own unique way. But there's perhaps too many, and the area around you is practically packed with animals - earthbound and alien alike.
It makes sense that everyone's out here, of course. It has just been raining and everyone is hungry. They're out scavenging or hunting for prey right now. Yourself included.
You suppose this is what is meant by the bountifulness of rain.
Some kind of small marsupial or mammal catches your attention when you emit another Scan. It seems rather fat and happy, and is munching away on some other, much smaller critter - possibly some kind of alien insect.
You reduce your presence as much as you're able, then stalk your way towards your prey.
Though you alert a few other critters along the way, you remain undetected to most others. Simply, your ability to sense their minds - to see what they're focused on - that helps you maneuver yourself around their awareness.
Not only that, but you can use tiny amounts of your Telekinesis to catch their attention, even if only for a second. All you do is rustle up dead leaves, or cause a twig to fall, or make a branch creak. Whatever small noise is more than enough to take their individual attention away. While they concentrate on nothing, you slip by unnoticed and get that much closer to your prey.
It feels a bit like cheating, honestly.
Although you can't see your prey as it moves in the underbrush, you can easily tell exactly where it is. Not just from the sounds it makes, but from the emotions it emits. You're close enough that even a light Scan is enough to pinpoint its location.
So you slowly slide out one of your short bolts from your forearm quiver, then hold it up in the air with your Telekinesis. You aim it as best you can for what you think is its head, then fling it as fast and as hard as you possibly can.
The bolt whips through the air into the shrubs. It smacks hard against the critter, causing the thing to shriek before falling over with a soft THMP.
Although a handful of critters near you run out of surprise, most others simply move a few steps away from you. Or rather, away from the critter that yelped aloud.
You push your way into the brush itself and open it up just enough so you can see what you're doing. There in the middle of it all is your prey - a fat raccoon. Its legs are twitching, which makes you think it might still be alive, but a Scan shows that it's very nearly dead.
You quickly find the spot where your bolt hit - just behind the head on its spine. You grab both ends with your Telekinesis, and with a firm twist snap the neck fully. It slumps instantly, and you sense its remaining thoughts and emotions wink out along with its life.
Then, you perform another Scan around you to find your next few meaty targets. If anything, you'd like to contribute something to the caravan's next meal. A half dozen spitroasted raccoons ought to add a bit of variety, right?
Alarm sweeps through you as you sense something at the very edge of your Scan, far to the northeast. It's vague at first considering how far it is. But you decide to narrow your scan down to a cone, which also increases how far you can sense.
Your focused Scan reveals a quartet of minds, all in sync with each other. Their thoughts and emotions waver very little as they travel across the forest floor. Not only that, but they seem to be traveling in an aggressive diamond-like formation.
Most alarming of all is that the presence leading them has psionic powers.
It dawns on you that these are Crags, similar to the ones you've befriended back in your home city. Only these don't feel like scouts at all. These have a more aggressive purpose about them, and they seem larger and denser as well.
The thought occurs to you that everyone and everything has been enjoying the bounty that the rain has brought. The Crags included. They're no doubt hungry, and might be searching for food for the hive.
It wouldn't be a problem, except they appear to be headed towards you and the caravan. No doubt they've been attracted by the scent of their prey.
You run back towards camp as fast as you can, and even weave some of your Temperance through your body just to make yourself that much faster. All manner of critters run from you in alarm, but none of that is your concern now.
Not with what seems like vicious Crags heading your way.
"Guns up!" you shout out as you near the clearing. "We might have some nasties incoming!"
Everyone in the caravan immediately leaps to action, with most reaching for their longarms first. Frank and Nance both run up to you, their teams not far behind them.
"I sensed some Crags up ahead," you say. "They're more or less headed this way, and either we run away now or try to fend them off."
"Alright then, what do we do?" Frank asks. "Never come across 'em before, not outside a story anyway."
"What've you heard?"
"That they come directly from hell, engineered by the devil himself so he can reap our souls. I'm told the proof is how they smell, like rotten eggs baking under the sun. And they're covered in razor-sharp bone that rips our skin apart so bad it can't get stitched no more. I don't believe much of that, honestly speaking."
"Besides the hell bits, most of that is right. Though they aren't always outwardly hostile. These ones coming at us, though? Well I know that they're pretty damned hungry."
You spin around and point in the direction where the Crags are coming from. A quick Scan reveals their exact position, and you adjust to make up the difference. Frank and Nance peer out in the direction you're pointing, as though in an attempt to see that far.
Nance certainly attempts a Scan herself, but how far she can sense falls short.
"With their current pace, and their current trajectory, I guess it'll take them five or so minutes to get to us. Ten at the maximum.
"About what they're like - yeah, they've got bone armor, kinda. It's more like… they've got bones on the outside. If you get past it, you're in the meat. They're also about a meter tall, though these ones feel slightly taller. They move around a bit like ants. Or spiders maybe."
"Alright, so higher calibers needed," Frank says after a moment. He and Nance then instruct their teams to switch weapons, asap.
"Those 5.56's won't do a thing to these," Frank tells them. "Grab the big game guns and plenty of rounds."
Their teams run off to the carts, where they frantically untie the tarps and search for their weapons. Though they make a bit of a mess, they're able to swap out and load up quickly and efficiently. Once they're kitted out, Frank directs them into a wide defensive line a dozen meters past the clearing itself, about right at the point where you've stopped.
While they post up behind stout trees and thick logs defensively, you reach out with your energies and join Noir and Nance to your Network. Your spare energies fill the shared pool inside, temporarily boosting all your powers.
"I'll do what I can to 'em, like I always do," you say. "I don't want to have to kill them if I don't want to - but if we do, we've gotta kill all four of them. If we kill three and let one live, that one is going to remind the rest of the hive of us, who we are. We'll be… imprinted in their memory, so to speak. They're likely to hunt us down wherever we go, as long as we're in their territory. That's the kind of vibe I get from Crags in general."
"How'd you know this?" Nance asks. "Or is that your powers talking?"
"No, nothing like that. Well maybe a bit. You could say that I kinda made friends with the city Crags. Maybe more like a nonaggression pact now that I think about it. Like I said, they're like ants - expansionist and warlike and methodical. They wrecked entire city blocks on their own, just to make their hives."
"Can you try to befriend these ones, then?" Frank asks.
"I can try, but I don't think it's going to work. Crags are a hive mind. Every splinter group carries the general mood and thoughts of the main group, and in this case, it's an aggressive need to subsist. The ones I befriended were in a mood of… curiosity and gratefulness."
"I see. So we're forced to put 'em down. All of 'em."
As Frank ponders what's in front of all you deeply. You sense his apprehension at the coming fight. You sense old memories bubble up in bits, of times when he's had to fight against armored targets.
You decide to extend Frank and his team an invite into your own Network, though they don't share the primary Network between you, Noir, and Nance. Instead, you've placed them into a Subnetwork that all three of you could access at any time. More than that, they're all linked to you as a group… no, a Fireteam.
Nance, did you see what I just did? Try to make one yourself, but with your team.
I don't think I could… Even if I did, it won't turn out very good.
Better than nothing, and that always makes a difference.
You're right…
You sense Nance reach out with her energies Telepathically at first, but then morphs and shifts them into what resembles Network. It takes her a good minute to get the shape just good enough to take hold. But once she does, she's able to smooth out many lumps and flaws quickly.
With her Subnetwork more or less solidified, she invites each of her team into it. Which of course, they happily do.
Great job! you tell Nance. As you know, using your powers affects everyone in the Network. Kinda. Only if we're psions, too. Anyone who isn't… well, they get a bit buffed up in general. But you otherwise still have to actively use your powers on them if you wanna make a difference. I hope that makes some sense.
So like, I do a Scan, but they don't sense it like you do? So how do I tell 'em what I need to?
With your Telepathy. You can even send them pieces of your Scan or your Foresight if you want, almost like an attachment. They'll sense what you sense, if only for a moment, and for that specific thing, such as targets around corners or hidden in bushes. They just don't get it automatically like we do.
As you instruct her as best you can, Nance reaches out and adds her team to her Subnetwork. You sense their mood and morale elevate instantly, as they subconsciously realize that Nance is connected to them. That they're connected to each other.
You even sense her sending them Telepathic messages directly, which causes them to become more unified than ever.
Wait so I can talk to them Telepathically, but they can't reply? Nance asks after a few moments.
No, not exactly. They aren't psions, so they can't use Telepathy at all, you reply. But they can bring their thoughts clearly and concisely to the forefront of their minds. It would be up to you to Scan them to find out what they're saying.
Got it. Thanks!
Nance then turns back to her Subnet to further discuss things with her team. You watch as the team itself adjusts physically - they spread out just a bit more so they cover more area, and with Nance herself pairing up with the teammate in the middle of them.
From there, they have their guns at the low ready, and scan the forest ahead of them for any movement.
You do something similar with Frank and his Team, though you're not anything like the leader Nance is. You don't exactly have a deep rapport with them to make such a deep connection. Frank being psionic would be the ideal thing, but he's just a regular guy. Definitely a good one though.
So you perform a subtle Surge at their direction, with it echoing Frank's brand of stoicism. That feeling fills further inside of each of them, giving them a deep sense of determination and camaraderie. You also send in a sliver of your own emotions, specifically that of your enthusiasm.
It's an odd feeling to fear what's coming, while also inviting it at the same time. There's a kind of joy in it, as though life is richest and densest and most satisfying in moments like these - collisions. This feeling imbues itself somewhat in each of them, helping their hearts settle and their minds sharpen.
You then take a cue from Nance and send Frank and his team a Telepathic message.
Hey everyone, please don't freak, you tell them through the Subnetwork. It's like when we briefly connected against Carl and them. But that connection only lasted maybe a second. This one's gonna last this whole fight.
You sense their awe rising, along with some of their superstitious fears. But mostly they're curious and eager. This isn't something they've felt before, not really, but you know that it feels empowering. Every psion in the Network is contributing their energies into the whole, boosting and buffing every member within.
I know it's weird having someone else talk in your mind, alright? you continue. But the best way to fight a hive mind is to kinda have one yourself. I'll send you what I can about what we're facing, a bit like this… Noir?
Noir pings you and Nance, then performs a Scan while high in the trees. She's also a few dozen meters ahead of you, giving you a wider sense of the land than otherwise. A shiver passes through all three of you as you sense the Crags pass closer towards her, towards you.
When you glance up and out to the forest, you can just see the shrubs and other foliage shake as the Crags themselves trample over them.
You send a portion of Noir's Scan to Frank and his team, specifically the locations and general shape and size of the Crags themselves. You also send them the surface thoughts attached to their psyches, though muted down quite a lot.
Injecting raw thoughts and emotions into non psions probably isn't a good thing, especially from an alien source.
But they get the picture easily. They can practically sense the Crags' density through what you've sent, and it unsettles them a fair amount. You sense a spike of fear course through them, but another low level Surge helps them control it with ease.
You don't feel the ground rumbling at first, at least not until they get close enough for you to see with enhanced sight. You pour in a bit more of your Temperance, just enough to properly focus that far a distance.
But you're able to better see the Crags themselves, as they skitter between the trees.
Alarm sweeps through you the moment you see their chitin - they aren't bone. In fact, they look like stone. Granite, specifically. Though they don't have sharp ridges like the Bone Crags, their segments are thick and robust and far more heavily armored.
You try your best to observe their movements and note that they don't skitter like Bone Crags, but instead lumber forward smoothly and steadily. They do seem like little tanks to you, which worries you a great deal.
At the same time, you send snippets of what you see to everyone in the Network, every Subnetwork included. Everyone needs to know what you're up against, and hopefully someone will figure out a tactic against these things.
You quickly follow up with a Surge covering everyone in the defensive team, and infuse everyone with a bit of resolve. But that isn't enough to counter the spike of anxiety that shoots up around you. Even you can't tamp down your own fear.
The fact is, the Stone Crags are definitely headed in your direction. Two of them begin to splinter off, as though attempting to flank you from both sides. This you also transmit to your Network, which causes Frank and Nance to adjust their firing lines.
They all eventually come into everyone else's visual range about a dozen meters out, which causes them to tense up ever so slightly. Everyone raises their weapons up and aims down their sights. You can feel them breathe in and out, as they do their best to tamp down their drumming chests.
I'm going to try something, alright? you transmit across the Network. Don't do anything just yet. But be ready for if they attack.
You transmit a Telepathic greeting out towards the Crags, mixed in with a focused Surge filled with calm. The psionic Crag halts the moment it senses your greeting, causing the rest of them to halt as well.
Like you've done with the Bone Crags, you follow up by sending a second Telepathic message, a kind of invitation to exchange. More an experiential exchange than anything - it's not like you have much to negotiate with in the first place. Even if they don't agree to such a thing, you hope to at least hold them back for a second.
Your heart skips a beat when the Crags do stop moving. But whatever hopes of a peaceful outcome is wiped away when you sense the Crags' anger rise. Their aggression also rises, and you get a sharp sense of their killing intent.
Their thoughts immediately focus squarely on you, though you're unsure why. How did a passive Surge invoke that kind of anger?
I think I mighta made them pissed off instead, you tell everyone through the Network. You send along muted versions of the Crags' emotions along with the message.
"Probably they're always angry like some folks we know," Frank replies aloud.
Probably they thought you're a City Crag, Nance adds Telepathically. Maybe them two hives don't get along.
It dawns on you that Nance is very likely right. They only got angry after the second Telepathic message - the one that you use to communicate with Bone Crags. Meaning they think you're a Bone Crag. In their territory. You're their version of a 'ganger'.
You slap your forehead with your palm on realizing your bone-headed mistake.
I've gotta go out there and fight, you tell the Network.
"The hell you say?!" Frank yells out.
They've zero'd in on me now, and if I fight at the firing line, they're going to be all over everyone. Best I fight from over there, only way to win. I'll do what I can to give you all openings to shoot.
You step out from behind a thick tree, then start walking towards the Stone Crags. As you do so, you pour your energies into your Temperance and ESP, empowering your physical self as much as you can. The very act of you doing so causes the four of them to take a step back.
But the psionic Crag sweeps through you with a Scan of its own, sweeps its team with a powerful Surge, and takes hold of their collective fear. Each of the four of them sidle and flank you as you approach.
Then, you draw your katana from its saya with your Telekinesis, and have it dance it defensively in the air in a circle around you.
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GOT IT