StarDestroyer.Net BBS

"I am not employing a translator charm," said Hale. His gaze swept the hall, searching for disruption in the fabric of reality that would indicate such a charm was in use.

The tiny Gestalt of minds sensed the mental presense searching. It was a diffuse linking of minds, but it held the potency any group of Wanderers did. The mage's seeking was noted and turned away as gently and as subtly as possibly, but the raw psychic power that had been prized above all else was not the best at dealing with subtle movements to avoid noticing.

Ambassador Felsith could be described of as a collection of about a hundred people looked up to computers working in such perfect synchronization that individual identities were lost to the whole. And depending on how you counted, he was between two and three hundred years old, a diplomat for most of those years. His empathic abilities made him perhaps the only Straltoc that had a chance of even noticing the intermind chatter amongst the gestalt.

The "subtle" push was enough to clear his mind of the whispers, obviously whoever it was "switching channels", so to speak, but it was also distinct enough that he could tell the general direction of where it came from. Noticing what looked like a group of newcomers, he made a mental note to talk to them about this sort of things. Wasn't polite to listen to other people's thoughts afterall...

After he had had a chance to go over the Polish proposal and confer with his diplomatic staff, Envoy Zegular Kesreg rose to speak.

"Honored President Anton Wiśniowiecki, may your gold flow on and on for all time, the constitution you have proposed is most pleasing. His Majesty, King Mistem "Hammer Blessed" Enshallogem, may his beard never thin, believes that secure and free trade is the cornerstone of galactic peace and prosperity. Therefore, I believe the most important things that this Coalition of Nations could do would be to enforce provisions I and II to the best of it's ability.

"With this is mind, the Kingdom of Isdenestilom agrees with you, President Anton Wiśniowiecki, that there must be some way for the Coalition to enforce its decisions. If not, what is to stop a nation from leveling unfair tariffs, or giving aid to pirates who plague another nations star lanes?

"On that last point, the captain of the starship that brought me here informed me that a ship from the 'nation' of Bootswellington jumped into this system and sent out a comm signal asking to be allowed to attend this meeting. Might I remind you, delegates, that Bootswellington openly admits to committing acts of piracy. I think the first act of this Coalition, should the constitution be ratified, is to seek a way to end to the illegal activities committed by this so called Pirate King and his 'subjects', by any means necessary."

"There is something here," Hale said rising. "It's hiding. From me," The words were savagely bitten off. Before this day he wouldn't even have considered it possible. His expression smoothed. "Tell your master he is correct. We are being spied upon." He could attempt to find it, but unleashing sorcery of such power in the chamber was a potential diplomatic catastrophe."

Republic Presidential Security Temporary Headquarters
Sant Tomas
Polish Republic
Earth

The Command Unit was holed up in an office down the hall from the main conference chamber. A dozen operatives, most wearing plain but tasteful civilian garb with government lapel pins, were monitoring the variety of intstruments used in guarding the President of the Republic's person. Presidential Security had the best equipment the intelligence services could offer- including an imported psonar suite, complete with active and passive modes.

One operative looked up from a display. "Sir, I'm picking up some active seventh-dimensional disturbances in the conference chamber."

A nearly emaciated gentleman walked over, looking over the agent's shoulder at the screen. "You're sure it's not just background from the telepaths or that magician?"

The agent shook his head. "I can't be certain, sir- this isn't an exact science- but there's been a sudden spike and increase in activity. In fact, it looks sort of like some sort of focused psonar wave... sort of."

The director straightened.

"Hmmm. I'd like visual on the conference chamber please- and just in case, have the response squad go on alert."

There was a group of Army commandoes on alert a floor down, just in case. An event like this had required the highest security the Republic could offer, compounded by the fact that the President was present.

"Oh, and make sure the other sections are checking everyone's papers."

Shocked by this revelation, the apprentice quickly rushes back to Felsith and gives Hale's account. Puzzled and angered by this, Felsith tells his apprentice, "Discretely point out that group to the Logos Centrality. If it is as he says then whether or not it was an innocent mistake we still must talk to them about the finer points of psychic ettiquette at diplomatic functions."

They seek papers. The thought drifted through the Gestalt as the little group watched through the glass. We lack papers. This eventually was missed! This was the youngest of the minds, who had not yet learned to control his outbursts and instincts. The eldest of the six minds stirred. Be calm. The message made no mention of papers. We will assuage fears by being truthful. Our purpose here is to observe. They allow others to observe for news, and we will carry information back to the whole of our civilization. This is 'news'.

Talking to the Wanderers was an experience no non-psychic would wish to go through again. They didn't make any attempt to disguise the fact they thought and acted as one; one of them was looking at the individual seeking credentials while another spoke.

"Our intentions are observational only. Inspect our pockets, you will find only sufficient monies to ensure our stay will be bearable. Your message sought the outermost stars and found us. We found you. We wish to know more of the Coalition Humanity seeks to build, nothing more. We represent cousins of your species."

Sol System
Terra
Polish Republic
Sant Tomas

Hale activated his communication implant sent a message to the Polish security forces. "This is Speaker Nathan Hale of the Logos Centrality. There is an active and clandestine psychic presence in or near to the conference chamber."

Almost as an afterthought, Felsith turns to one of his other apprentices and says, "Oh, and could you ask the guards who those people are? Don't want to miss them later."

Just as his apprentice moves off Felsith has to avoid the urge to recoil from the burst of fear coming off one of the minds. What was going on?

"Thank you, Ambassador. We'll look into it immediately." The director hung up the antique phone and turned to address the room.
"The Logosian Ambassador just informed me that his private... uh, security systems have detected a covert telepathic source directly outside the convention chamber. Section four, handle the issue- and handle it quietly."

"Agent Sisnowski reports he has a group who don't have papers out there, they are claiming to be some sort of delegation."

"Without proper registration? They didn't contact Katowica or the State Department?"

"As far as I can tell, No, sir."

The Director grabbed the comm unit pleasantly disguised as an antique, and spoke briefly with the Logosian in hushed tones.

He straightened and hung up again. "Bring them in, promptly. And Central is going to have our hides for this."

Outer Concourse

Four tall and unpleasant-looking men and women with the telltale tracery of augmetics beneath their skin came up behind Sisnowski, before the Wanderers.

"Gentlebeings, I apologize for the interruption, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to come with us."

"It matters little. The Coalition seems unwilling to make the one move that would have compelled our swift return." The Wanderers turned as one. Military precision was an understatement, and they focused on the four unpleasant individuals. They weren't imposing, the psychics. They felt not need to be. The Gestalt quietened as they waited, and made no attempt to resist, or even do anything to the minds.

"This is a secure area, gentlebeings. This way. Now."

The little collection of individuals moved. The presense of the Gestalt vanished from the audience chamber. The 'Delegation' of the Wanderers were speaking amongst themselves, lighting up the psonar as they ruminated on their possible fates.

Now that he was focusing on the confrontation between the Polish security guards, Felsith felt a chill run through him as the group went cold and silent, sealed to his admittedly limited powers. They were either going to go quietly or they were planning something. Considering how powerfully they would have had to have been broadcasting for him to hear voices, they clearly had the capacity to do a great deal of damage.

Brushing one of his tentacles against one of the amorphous blobs, Felsith instantly communes his concerns and intent to the twenty minds contained within, and they all agree. Preparing themselves, Felsith begins to twitch his head tentacles in very specific ways and subvocalize some very strange words. If anyone found out what he was doing, it would be a problem, but fortunately the only one who had a good chance of realizing it was in on the situation. And if he did have to use his abilities... well, then all hell would have broken out already.

Fortunately they went peacefully and Felsith immediately dismantled his construct. He also immediately sent the apprentice back to Hale to apologize if his actions startled him in any way and to invite the Logos delegation to dinner at their convenience in the hopes of making amends.

-::We have increased interaction::-

-::Danger level?::-

-::Levels are minimal-background psionics, no aggressive tendrils::-

The four agents herded the Wanderers out of the concourse, down a few levels. Powerful implanted sensors embedded inside the agents were aggressively searching the detainees as they moved, mapping their internal configurations and looking for weapons.

The Wanderers were brought into a windowless room with a thick door. One of the Army commando fireteams was waiting, faces hidden behind combat visors.

Inside, the Director sat.

"I apologize for the disturbance, gentlebeings. I'm going to need to ask who you are and what you were doing in the concourse."

"We observe. Nothing more. We observe because you yelled to the cosmos, come and see! Come and see how enlightened Humanity has become! Come and let there be justice and prosperity!" The 'speaker' of the group said. The background psionic activity remained constant, never waning.

"What could we do, but come and see? We wished to know if there would finally be justice." A pause of several moments. "What we call ourselves now cannot be accurately rendered in the languages of the audible range. Call us 'Wanderers'. We are the psychic legacy of Humanity."

For the past hour now Kentar had been nursing a growing headache...

All Trathalans could read thoughts, this was one of the many reasons most never wished to leave Trathala. Those that did learned to 'tune out' the minds of other species. After all, they would only have to deal with 5 other species... Once learned, it didn't matter if they were in a room of 1, or 1,000 people, if they we're all the same species, they could easily be silanced.

But this, this was something she had never anticapated. Yet it was something she had to do.

"I go so others do not need to" She told herself constantly...

Since the start of proceedings she had begun to try, one by one, to tune out of the thoughts of the other races, but the longer she went at it, the harder and more tiresom it became. The worst part was absorbing thoughts that she had no idea what they may be. One at a time, should could translate easily, but this... An earth world floated to her memories..

"Spam"

At last, she turned to the Droid at her side.

"RUDI, it is time, I told you I would not last long and I have reached my limit... " The droid turned and paused before speaking.
"Are you sure? I have been mointoring the mental paths of those in here for a while.. I cannot read any of the mess, but it has spiked incredablly in just a short time.... Something is about to happen" The droid responded.

"Then it shall happen without me" she said as she stood to leave, pasuing to look up at a group of people being led away. She thought to herself...
"Why couldn't the others be more like them? So quiet and polite. I didn't even need to tune them out. Very well manored"

The Director arched an eyebrow.

This bevy of highly psionic weirdos shows up on my watch, claiming to be our long lost mindfucker cousins, poking their minds into the PRESIDENT'S convention hall? This has not been a good day at all.

"Is that the case? Well, I can assure you gentlemen there will be justice here. I'm afraid you were found tresspassing on the grounds of the most important diplomatic conference in history without any form of ID or any sort of authorization. If you really are some sort of long-lost branch of the species, why haven't you checked in with the authorities?"

"The slave freed rarely rushes back to his master's irons." The 'smile' on the speaker's mouth was clearly faked. It looked like it was learned from a book. "What authorities should we trust? What authorities would not seek to return us to the chains we once wore? This is why we came to observe. To know if any here can be trusted."

There was a brief pause. The smile became more genuine. "Though we are curious." The plural. Always the plural. "What identification would you accept? Surely not all the varied species in the great hall use your methods. Admittably, amongst us, identity is far harder to hide, when the mind is open to another's inspection.."

The Director smiled thinly.

"I'm sorry, sir, I don't know what you are talking about, there hasn't been slavery in the Polish Republic since serfdom was abolished eight hundred years ago. As for identification, well, every delegate here checked in with orbital control, meet with the State Department before landing, and were issued diplomatic passes. Even the dwarves. Which beckons another question: Where did you come from?"

Hungarian nationalists, or perhaps Cross-burners? My god, what is it this time?

A small, boxy, and fairly unassuming transport craft appears rather suddenly just outside the orbit of Mars, heralded by a rather unpleasant pulse of psionic white noise, but little other detectable radiation. The craft signals towards the nearest three planets (At the time, Earth, Mars, and Saturn) with a voice-only transmission apparently human, but one whose speaker changes unpredictably in mid-word with no disruption in the flow of speech.

"We represent the League of Thought. and hold an interest in this gathering. We are unfamiliar with the time measurement relative to this particular world, is it too late to ask for directions?"

There's a faint telepathic subtext bleeding into local space around the ship, if any minds are near enough to hear it. It mainly consists of grumbling about the precise wording of the message.

"Far from here. Light itself would take thousands of years to reach it. We cannot describe it precisely, We know not how your government measures the stars or names them. We could show you, but human minds are fragile things, and easily overfilled." The speaker shook his head slowly. "It was a long journey, even by our methods."

As one, they folded their arms. It was a creepy effect, the way the Gestalt synchronized their bodies. "You fear." The speaker said bluntly. "Yet do not beleive. The mix of fear and doubt wash off of you. I assure you what we say is all true, however. But most of all, we do not trust you, Humanity. We were wronged and see no reason to trust."

The Director was almost intrigued. Of all the crazies and revolutionaries and daring, sad, angry young men he'd had to deal with in his long and sometimes bloody career, these were the strangest.

"Humanity, hmmm? Not the Polish Republic? How were your distant people wronged?"

"If you do not know, you are not important enough for us to treaty with." The statement was simple fact. "It is not surprising, however, that one so unimportant does not know the truth. With respect, we will retire to whatever place you put unidentified observers and signal our kind of what has transpired. It is... Tiring, being around so many human minds all intent on us. Especially the armed ones."