Eyes of Diplomacy

Posted on Sun Dec 16th, 2018 @ 7:51pm by Commander Rita Paris & Captain Enalia Telvan & Lieutenant Commander Sonak & Rear Admiral Farenia Meowlith

Mission: Escaped Pantheons
Location: On the Worldship
Timeline: 2395

As the trio of officers left the Hera through the Starboard side docking port and headed into the worldship, they were met by a group of three of the locals that rather resembled humans, but were a bit shorter on average and wore brightly colored, paneled uniforms with trim all over them. "Greetings, Captain. Our lord has informed us of your arrival and bids us to escort you to his antechamber and to do all that we can to make your stay as comfortable as possible. As well, your people may conduct as many scans as they like, though we caution you that those summoned may be dangerous. If you will follow us..."

Motioning towards an ornate, golden tram styled after a dragon, they led the Starfleet officers aboard to be whisked away deeper into the worldship.

"I'm Rita Paris, what's your name?" Paris turned to one of the diminutive humanoids, offering her hand. Time to do what I do. Hello, local guide.

The small woman offered her hand and a bright smile. "Hello! My name is Flumia Lox! I'll be your local guide during your stay. I'm also a luck mage, if you need any luck."

One of the others elbowed her in the ribs and chastised her quietly. "Shhh... I don't think we're supposed to tell them things like that. We don't know what kind of powers they have yet."

"Oh, that's okay, I can just tell you. I'm very lucky and unlucky, that's my power. So a luck mage surely sounds like a friend to me!" Rita smiled brightly. "So who is your master? What can you tell me about the august personage are we about to encounter, so that we might know our host?"

"Flumia smiled even brighter. "I knew you were special! Well, Log'yerm/// floats off the ground about a meter, looks like a wad of meat, has thirteen eyes... He's normally a kind and benevolent lord with all sorts of ninth dimensional powers. He formed most of this ship on his own, in fact. He also saved our people from extinction when our sun was about to collide with another one several thousand cycles ago. He says our evolution has been stunted living here, but no one has really wanted to leave so we've taken to summoning spirits from other planes to try and force our own evolution. They seemed lonely there as well, so we have someone to have fun with and so do they!"

The other two stared at Flumia like she'd gone mad. "Now you really have said too much! Log'yerm/// is going to punish all three of us now!" In the midst of freaking out over the loose lips of Flumia, one of them almost fell off the tram and dangled for a moment over the railing before flopping back on the floor, rolling around in distress over the apparent situation.

"Oh hush, you two! It's going to be fine! The pointed ear one found out more and Log'yerm/// just laughed it all off like it was no big deal!" Flumia crossed her arms and pouted like a cross child at Christmas.

"Well, if anyone is going to get into trouble it would be me, because I was the one who asked," Paris insisted as she helped the clumsy one back to their feet and reassured the paneled unformed little person.

"Log'yerm///?" the crimson-clad commander asked, checking her pronunciation. "9th dimensional powers? What's that all about?"

Flumia relaxed a little as she tried to explain. "As we understand it, he comes from part of the void and can reshape reality, probability, time... But only in a localized area."

"Sounds like a powerful being," Enalia considered this new information and tempered her expectations. This may be one of the more interesting first contact scenarios she'd ever heard of, let alone been involved with.

"One would imagine that someone who is the master of all space, time and reality in the local area would be pretty easygoing, all things considered," Rita optimistically opined, looking to the other two officers. "Right?"

"We should not speculate without actual data," Sonak retorted with seriousness. "Judging by encounters on record with such beings like the Q, the Dowd, Naguile, the Metrons, the Squire of Gothos or the Organians, there is no set pattern of behavior of entities with such a high level of power. Only one thing is certain; beings with limitations as ourselves when in the presence of such entities must be very careful. They could harm us even unknowingly."

"Especially if he isn't aware of the effect he's had on New Texas or the Titans," Enalia added.

"New Texas?" Flumia looked curiously between them. "Is that one of your worlds? And what are the Titans?"

"New Texas is a world quite close to here yet somehow paradoxically far away simultaneously. A human settlement- some people of my world who came to settle a new frontier close to the heart of the galaxy, the very core itself. Which is only a geographical position as far as my star charts read," the chatty commander rambled, marveling at how much terrain and distance were whizzing by as the dragon tram flew across the landscape. "As for titans... there are gods here, yes? Beyond Log'yerm///, there are other extradimensional beings of power and ability on this station, yes?"

"If they're seeing them from New Texas, it's a high likelihood that's bleedover from whatever's happening here. So," Paris fixed Flumia with one of those smiles that made people feel good. "Gods and titans and legends come to life, striding the stars, perhaps of the stars themselves, for is not all life made of naught but stardust? Yes, Flumia. Primordial beings who dwarf the local manifestations, apparently. Dark matter brought to motion and sentience and sinister purpose."

Sonak raised an eyebrow at the rather ecclectic and broadly generalized statement of the first officer but did not say anything about it. At this moment, she was more qualified than he was to deal with their hosts; and, as a good scientist, he was first concentrating on gathering data and testing hypothesis before making any claim or offering any theory to work with. So far, they had so very little information, most of it highly conflicting and incoherent; but that was to be expected when dealing with beings farther beyond them than they were from Terran termites.

So he stayed silent and listened attentively to what they were saying and observing closely the reactions of the aliens of this strange place; and everything else around them. Again he did not take his tricorder out, not knowing how these people would react to such overt intrusion. For the moment, his senses, his memory and his mind would suffice.

Especially now that he was feeling something a bit odd since the psionic surge that had hit him on the bridge; as if he had eyes but couldn't see because they were shut and he only had to open them to see again... yet didn't know how.

It was... intriguing... like everything here.

Before the Elfin-like trio could respond, the tram finished its trek across the surface of the worldship and entered a rather large tree-like structure that seemed to be lit from within with crystals. "We're almost here!" Flumia was clearly excited as she hopped up and down. Slowing, the tram eased into the central chamber - the inside of a giant hollow tree lined with aquamarine crystal latticework.

Hovering above the central dias was Log'yerm///. "Greetings, travelers. I am Log'yerm///. I welcome you to the worldship of my children."

Addressing a roughly spherical life form that had one central eye, surrounded by a halo of smaller eyes that protruded from the central mass on stalks that looked not dissimilar to Andorian antennas was a new one on the experienced explorer. But as the captain was staying back and observing, Rita took the cue to step forward.

“Greeting, Log’yerm///. I am Rita Paris, of the United Federation starship Hera. We thank you for your hospitality and your welcome to this worldship. This is Captain Telvan, commander of our vessel, and Mr. Sonak, our chief science officer. We are explorers, who greet you in peace and friendship,” Rita inclined her head in slightly, offering a small bow to the alien life form that eyed her so.

"As you say and as I have confirmed with your thoughts and intentions passing through my outer skin. If it were otherwise, your negativity would have prevented your entry. Similarly, if you have negative intent upon leaving, it will prevent that as well. Please do not take that as a threat, but merely as a warning. I and my children mean you no harm while you are here. The ones they summoned may be a bit more difficult to deal with, however." The floating meatball chuckled softly, revealing more of Log'yerm///'s pointy teeth than they may have been inclined to see. "My children do enjoy their past time though, so I allow it."

"That's actually what we came to investigate, if we're to be completely honest." Enalia had recovered, having had a bit of a dizzy spell once they had entered the chamber. Apparently the mere presence of this being wasn't the kindest to her symbiont's health if it's movement was any indication. "We've been having visitations from those that your children have apparently been summoning and beings more powerful called Titans are being summoned into the galaxy. We traced the energy feeding them here."

Frowning, Log'yerm/// thought on this for a moment before responding. "This is troubling news that you bring and an effect that I was not aware of. Would you be so kind as to explain the full situation to me, as you know it?"

Given the situation, Rita looked first to Sonak, who cocked his head slightly and both eyebrows rose almost imperceptibly. This was the point where he had inconclusive data, and could not reasonably draw a hypothesis of the situation without resorting to the creation of a considerable amount of connecting unknown, unverified and unknown data. Also, it was a diplomatic negotiation, in which he tended to follow her lead and support her efforts. Glancing to the captain, the pirate princess of Starfleet nodded her head in the direction of the floating eyeball, her unspoken order loud and clear. You're the 'people person', so you go people with him with your 'we come in peace'...

"The full situation..." The charming commander stepped forward to address the alien intelligence who had dreamt a world into being. "I cannot offer you as we understand it, but I can speak to my impressions of it all. Which is admittedly flawed, through my limited perception and having only witnessed parts of this cosmic mystery." Pivoting to the left, Paris began to slowly pace as she spoke, as she often did to organize her thoughts as she worked through a challenge.

"What your children can do here has happened elsewhere. These are beings that once existed, or apparently never existed and were dreamed into being. Belief became a palpable energy that could bring forth the gods of legend. And as the gods returned to take host amongst the stars, apparently the titans, the greater beings that begat even those gods, have begun awakening."

"Should the titans awaken, apparently they are prone to overwriting reality and starting over. We believe we encountered one in the roiling formation stage, an ion dark matter storm." Paris paused raised a finger and nodded. "Vaemyn figured out how to map a dark matter storm, which means he figured out how to identify dark matter. Clever fellow. Point being," Paris redirected herself, wagging that finger out before her as she resumed her pacing. "The energies that leak out of here definitely seem to make it conducive for those out there in our galaxy to engage in that past time your children are so fond of. Hera said she'd been back for a hundred years, so it seems to be a long term plan of some sort coming to fruition, someone playing a very long game."

"If there is a singular guiding intelligence behind it all I could not say. Perhaps the titans themselves conspire together, I don't know. Did I leave anything out?" Rita Paris turned back to her shipmates, inviting input.

"Succinctly and accurately put, Commander," the Vulcan science officer confirmed. "What we are dealing with here is the willful limitless transmutation of energy and matter without instrumentality. There is little probability that this is a random event, or of natural occurrence, as it seemingly defies all the laws and principles of established reality. Therefore, there is a specific source to all these manifestations... and a definite intent."

"What he said," Paris offered to keep it going. She had spoken the truth as she knew it with a bit of guesswork and likely an incorrect fact or two, but if this Log'yerm/// was as old as he was purported to be, the human adventurer suspected he knew when someone was lying to him. "So that's what we know."

Log'yerm/// looked a bit distant for a moment as he considered what had been said. "I sense much from your words... And there is much yet I must know, but this I must investigate myself. I will do my best to cease these disturbances in your areas of influence, though. Of this, you have my word. Does this include the ones that you brought with you aboard your starship?"

"No, great Log'yerm///," Enalia piped up to explain the situation with them. "The one known as Hera, though we think that your people summoned her about a hundred cycles ago, and is aiding us for now. As for the one in our computer core... We ask that you ignore that one. He's there to help keep the ship safe from... Extradimensional intrusions."

"Hmmm... Very well... This is a very dangerous game that your people play using a being such as him, but I will not interfere." Log'Yerm/// eyed the smiling leopard skinned captain for a few minutes before moving on. "I sense many questions in all of you. Please, if there are any more I may answer, feel free to ask them now."

"How do the titans form of dark matter and ionic energy?" Rita Paris began, then began ticking off questions she'd apparently either been considering for a while or was coming up with them on the spot. What is their final form? How do these gods manipulate energy so effortlessly that it appears magical to us? Is the superhuman endurance and durability common to all of them or just some?"

"They appear humanoid in most documented cases so far, is the body an avatar or is it the adapted form of the entity? They reproduce with mortals and produce demigods who in some ways outshine their godly parentage because of their popularity, which equates to energy- which we'll get back to that in a second. Question being, does that mean that the superiority of the physical and energy manipulation adaptation that they seem to possess is genetically hereditary? And how does that worship into energy work? How do they absorb the supplication in one form or another and transform that into palpable energy?" The human adventurer paused, glancing about as she realized she might have gotten a bit carried away, then decided to own it.

"For now, at least. Mister Sonak, anything to add?" the cheerful cosmonaut half-turned to the chief science officer with a smile.

Of course the Vulcan did not smile back. But he nodded to her and started to speak looking at her but then exchanged a glance with captain Telvan before ending looking at Log'yerm///.

"As fascinating as all those questions are and their answers eagerly wanted, the most important one remains; why are they here?"

"The beings you know as deities?" Log'yerm/// asked with a bit of a chuckle. "My children are tired of nothing changing after millions of cycles so they've found the power from my aura to summon them to try to spur their own evolution forward. As I understand it, most of the population favors this, though there are of course some elements of the population that do not. As it has not caused too much social stress or harm to my children, I have allowed it."

The first officer waited to see if anything else was forthcoming, and when it was apparent it was not, she narrowed her eyes and smiled, a tight-lipped smile of a perfunctory nature. “Wow, nice to see some things don’t change no matter where you go in the universe,” she muttered. “So much for that.”

“So are we done here, then?” Rita Paris asked at conversational volume with professional pleasantry.

Log'yerm/// looked rather downcast and apologetic, if a meatball covered in eyestalks could do so. "I believe they use summoning stones? I'm not exactly sure of the specifics myself. My apologies, but you'll have to question my children further on the specifics that you're after. I try not to interfere with their daily lives since my aura can have a drastic effect with even the slightest of shifts. As for your other questions... They are a fair bit more complicated and require a much more drawn out answer. If you like, I can compile that knowledge and transfer it into one of your data devices."

“That would be most appreciated,” Paris replied, somewhat mollified that at least he’d recognized that she had asked questions. “So where would be the best place to ask your children about these summoning stones and such? It’s a big worldship,” the clever commander observed.

"Actually, young Flumia is a priestess of one such faction, as I understand it. Perhaps she will be willing to aid you in that endeavor?" Log'yerm/// shifted his attention to the talkative young elfin woman and though her head was bowed, the pressure of the polydimensional being's attentions upon her were clearly visible. The other two stepped back respectfully, though from their earlier interactions it was clear what they thought of Flumia's talkativeness.

Her breath quicker and clearly excited to have garnered her master's attentions for a good reason, Flumia blowed deeper. "I will endeavor to do so, Great Log'yerm///."

“That would be a great boon to us, thank you so much. Have you any questions of us about our culture, our ship or our mission, Great Log’yerm///?” Rita offered, offering what they had as a diplomatic gesture.

Log'Yerm/// was thoughtful for a moment before responding. "I do have great interest in your peoples. You seem to be a diverse mix of cultures among your crew and with any culture, comes literature. If you would be willing, would it be possible to do a cultural exchange involving that literature? I will share the collected works I have collected over the millenia and you share the greatest works of your Federation?"

"I believe we already have such a package already prepared in the ship's computer, great Log'yerm///," Enalia replied, smiling brightly. "We'd be honored to share our cultural works with you."

"Cultural exchange is the Federation way. To receive your collected works in exchange would be greatly beneficial to our scholars and cultural scientists, great Log'yerm///. We would be most appreciative of such an exchange. Is there any other aid or assistance we may offer you or your people while we are visiting your realm?" Paris added, slipping in the concept that they did plan to leave, to see how it would be received.

"I hope that you enjoy your visit and learn much from your interactions, but any assistance you provide to my children would be a boon to both them and myself. Personally, I can not think of any assistance I require at this time, but if that should change, I will contact you." Log'yerm/// seemed to shuffle a bit on his podium. "Do you have an idea of how long you're planning on staying? A few day cycles? A fortnight perhaps?"

For that answer, Commander Paris turned with an upraised eyebrow to Captain Telvan, who was the one who made such decisions for the USS Hera.

"As long as our investigation takes, I suppose. Though with your cooperation into our search for knowledge and possibly resolving the issue of these summonings happening outside of your sphere of influence..." Enalia did some quick mental calculations, hoping that she wasn't too far off or vastly miscalculating. "One of our weeks at most, I think."

The giant floating meatball grinned as benevolently as he could. "Then I will treasure our time together and do all I can to speed you on your way. Flumia, my dear, please aid them in any way that they require."

"That'll be swell! Say, Flumia, might you happen to know where we could find Commodore Meowlith?" Rita turned to their diminutive hostess with a cheerful smile and turned on the charm.

"I believe she's been staying at one of our inns while her crew perform repairs on her vessel," Flumia replied, looking thoughtful for a moment, one finger to her chin. "She's been spending a lot of time at one of our universities so finding her might be a bit tricky."

"Maybe not," Paris quipped with a smile, tapping her comm badge. "Commander Paris to Commodore Meowlith- do you copy?"

As clear as day, the Vulcanoid Rigelian's voice rang through the air, surprising the elfin people. "I'm here Commander. I see you made it to the worldship. How was your trip?"

"Much easier than it would have been if not for your report ma'am," Paris reported cheerfully. A breifing would probably benefit all parties involved, and since the captain seemed to be waiting for her to take the reins, Rita pressed on. "How would you feel about a meeting, some sightseeing and taking in a meal all at the same time? By now you've been here long enough to get the lay of the land, and we have a delightful guide to lead us," Rita paused to offer a grin to Flumia. "So if you've the inclination for an indulgence, Commodore, how about a party of five for brunch?"

"I know just the place. They cater to taller folk like us and the summoned ones and they have a wonderful array of steamed pastries. Have your Flumia bring you to the Golden Donut next to my inn and I'll meet you there."

"Wow, she even knows the name of our guide. She's good," Paris muttered before finishing the report. "Aye ma'am, we're on our way."

Turning to the assembled diplomatic corps of the USS Hera, Rita Paris spread her arms wide and radiated enthusiasm. "So... Brunch?"