It takes some time for Fringe to collect and bag her samples from the remains of Tasha's failed pod-clone. These are given to R'kshaw to carry, before the group is ready to venture further. There other 'tunnels' leading away from the clearing, and after delving deeper in they begin to come across more debris from the old dome. Shards of thin, clear crystal, masonry stones and twisted metal support beams. Then they reach an area with different vegetation, less overgrown but similar to jungle. It reminded Tasha of the park areas inside the Orpheus.

"This looks like an planned artificial growth area," Tasha notes as they enter, her eyes scanning their new surroundings. Its been an hour since her meeting with her pod-copy, allowing her time to recover from the shock and unpleasantness that entailed. Part of the memory lingers in the back of her mind, however, and while she can push past it she has the feeling she'll be remembering what happened for a long time to come.

"Yesss, thiss was one of the comfort parks," R'kshaw confirms. There are even animal sounds in here, if odd ones. "We had many, before it all became a park."

"And less comforting too," Tasha quips, though she doesn't smile. She, too, has found little comfort here. "You all know what to do, keep our marching formation and your eyes focused. Note anything of interest. Fringe, see anything you want?"

"Isn't that unusual?" The hybrid woman asks as she peers at a nearby clump of vines. "Dos it seem like the growth is avoiding this area?"

"Yes, that's exactly what it looks like," Fringe notes. "We should look further.. there should be water."

Tasha nods to this. "I agree. It didn't spare the Dome, so this is worth investigating. Hokay, everyone! Look for water," she then directs, doing exactly as she says.

The pond is clearly artificial, since it's more for swimming in than anything else - there are no plants or fish, and there are floating toys. There collections of shallow bowls in the ground around it.. and thick vines with glowing sparks digging into the dirt next to each bowl, each sprouting a glowing flower.

Tasha pulls out her datapad and kneels down to wave it over one of the sparking vines that bury themselves near the bowls. After manipulating it for a moment, she waves it over the vines in a search for electromagnetic activity. "Be careful around the water, as we don't know what's causing these sparks and the pools may be electrically active. Careful with the flower too, Fringe, but we may be able to get one safely with non-conducting tools."

There's definitely electrical power flowing through the vines.. and the reason is clear as soon as one touches one of the sunken bowls: they're heated.

"Heated pools; The vines appear to be converting thermal enery to electrical energy," the commander explains, gesturing to a nearby pool with a hand. "That explains why the artificial construction -- the stone, heating elements and so on -- weren't destroyed: The Holy Seed is using them for a source of power. Fringe, use some non-conductive tools and see if you can get a sample of the glowing flowers and vines. I think that flower may be detecting heat or EM activity and acting as a gague. Be careful -- and I mean all of you. The Holy Seed may react to our interfering with its power."

Tasha then pauses, gesturing towards the pools again. "They may also be tapping in to the power heating the pools themselves -- in fact now that I think about it, that seems more likely. That means whatever is powering them is still online," the hybrid woman then adds. She stands, putting her pad away and moving clear so Fringe can advance.

"Miss," R'kshaw hisses. "There iss no power here. All power generation wasss dissrupted by the blooming," he explains. "Pleasse do not report thiss. The Seed is providing the power. It isss a secret."

"It's warming its own pools ..?" Tasha's brows raise, then she turns to peer at a nearby pool again, frowning for a second or two before asking, "But why? I knew Holy Seeds could produce power, that they could generate an unknown form of energy from an equally unknown source. This Seed is different though, and I thought it might need additional power, given its size. But if it's not drawing power ... then ... " The hybrid looks up, then around. her eyes widen and then she smiles a little. "It's the garden! Maintaining appropriate temperatures, protecting it, preserving it! That's not something a mindless being would do. This is an act of appreciation, or at the very least, cultivation for a purpose. Perhaps the Seed respects plantlife like we respect organic meaty life, and synthetic life?"

"It givess us power, and water, and fresssh air and warmth," R'kshaw admits, and then curls up in one of the bowls. "They are heated for uss. To relax in. The flowerss are used for communication, with the proper equipment."

Tasha turns towards the Naga guide, arms folding around her halitool as she looks down at him. "You mean you let us hack our way in to it when you had some sort of alliance?"

"Some areass are wilder," R'kshaw notes. "We have not expanded back into thiss area yet. There is much debris. Older, central areas are less affected. Thiss is not alliance. The Seed became a new Life Dome."

"It became what you needed then, or else this is some example of what the Seeds bloom in to? I always wondered if 'seed' was just being poetic or if it meant they actually bloomed in to something," Tasha notes, turning to look up at the overarching canopy. "But if it's trying to be a Life Dome, why is it cloning us? Personnel?"

"Nobody knowss.. the ssuspicion iss that the alien mage iss the reason," R'kshaw notes. "But there are endlesss rumors and speculations. There wasss no record of a Seed blooming before."

"We don't have any record of it either, as far as I know. Well." Tasha looks down, the glancs over to check on Fringe as she asks, "Since you know more than you let on, is there anywhere that would help us understand the Seed better than this? You said you can communicate with it?"

R'kshaw points to the nearest glowing flower. "Not with it," he explains. "Through it. If the sscientists have managed to communicate with it, they are keeping it ssecret. There is a technique for manipulating the flowerss to carry signalss."

"Like the code readers at the train stations, or maybe something digital?" Tasha leans over and peers at the flower a moment, head shaking. "Not much use to me, but maybe of use to our more general research. If you don't mind, I'll have Fringe take samples."

"The flowerss grow back," R'kshaw claims, but doesn't seem all that happy about having one taken. Fringe removes it near the base, and there's a spark when the clippers cut through it, but no electrical smell or burning. The flower stops glowing once removed, unsurprisingly.

"Once Fringe has finished packing the sample we can move on, although I'm not sure what else we can do here. It seems like your government would prevent us from going too deeply, and it seems like we've seen everything we're going to. Opinions?" Assks the group leader, who turns her head to each person to see what their response is.

"It hardly seems like a wilderness from this point on," Shojo agrees. "Which may make it more dangerous to proceed, if there is debris and other hazards."

Fringe is all grins. "I'd like to come back at a later time, to see what's changed. We've seen people pods.. but what prevents it from duplicating animals? Nagas need live, wiggly prey. If it's really catering to their needs, it should eventually start producing food for them."

Tasha follows Shojo's gaze deeper in to the comfort park, nodding at what he sees. "I'd like to have a look at the Dome's inner structure, but I doubt we'll be allowed to do so. The ancient ship would have been something to see, but it was probably scavenged clean long ago." She then turns to Fringe. "We can do that. Lets head back to camp, sort out what we have, and then return tomorrow. After that, we'll head back home. Returnign early will give us more time to prepare, at least."

Imperial Life Dome, Rim Forest
The outer layer of the new life dome is made of gigantic, nearly transparent leaves. The stems of these are thicker than tree trunks, and create a high-canopied forest around the inner parts of the dome, where the jungle is still wild in many places. The giant leaves move ever so slightly, but all in cadence, to produce a constant low breeze and pressure differential.

It takes a bit longer than expected to make it back, since the path that they cut through in the morning had already closed back up. But at least those vines weren't carrying power. Back at camp, Malachite helps unload the many samples from R'kshaw's saddlebags and his own, while Shojo starts going through the rations.

Fringe is still a little buzzed it seems. "I can't wait to get this stuff back to a proper lab!" she chirps. "I hope it doesn't rot or anything. We can't fit it all into the cold-case.."

Tasha makes herself busy by tending to the camp fire and getting it restarted. As she clicks at her flint and tinder, she turns to glance at Fringe and asks, "How soon can we expect some results once testing begins?"

"Well.. what sort of results are you hoping for?" Fringe asks, taking out her notepad. "I can prioritize tests if I know."

"I had hoped to be ableto communicate with it, but since we can't get any answers, I'll need to focus on the other area." Dropping her voice so low even she can't hear herself, the expedition leader murmurs, "The Holy Seed died once. I want to know what could do that again, and if it can be carried by a person. I want that knowledge kept secret and provided to the JEF command, with the recos related to the destruction of a Seed destroyed except for our copy."

"That's.. well, nobody knows what killed the Seed the first time, right?" Fringe whispers back. "Did it have all of its power drained somehow? All I know is that when it was recovered it was small.. the size of a kick-ball. But it must have been bigger at some point, right?"

"I've never seen the core of one, but what you're saying has merit. I heard that some form of device was used to drain it, one produced by a Human scientist, to operate some sort of machine. It seems possible he had no idea what he was doing, and injured the Seed rather than drawing its full power. But they're tight-lipped about what the machine was, where it is now, or who the man was," Tasha whispers back as she focuses on the fire, thinking.

"What? It's that big mechanical dragon in the museum in New Zion," Fringe says. "They even made a movie about it. The prop they used looks better than the real thing. I have a picture of it somewhere. The Leviathan."

"Wait, you mean that dragon? I've seen that dragon. It was impressive, but it didn't look like much technologically and there wasn't much explaination what, if anything, it was supposed to do," the hybrid woman notes, head turing to give Fringe a rather surprised look. "I don't think we can borrow it. Do you know how it worked?"

"Nobody does, except maybe the curator," Fringe says. "The whole Holy Seed thing only came out when it was rediscovered and returned, along with a bunch of other stuff the inventor had stolen."

"I may need to take a quick trip to the museum then. While you and Shojo are getting ready, I'll see if I can get out there before we leave." Tasha then reaches over and pats Frnge on the shoulder. "You did very well out there! And you didn't even run off! There'll be more to see, tomorrow, and after we're off again. Lets check the samples, and then you can get some rest."

The first sample Fringe unpacks is.. Tasha's head. It's the Karnor head, but that's the one she grew up seeing in the mirror all the time. "I can't wait to see if has a brain like a Karnor," the Eeee says. She raises and lowers it a few times. "Feels about the right weight.. but wood is heavier than bone isn't it?"

"I, um, wouldn't know," Tasha mutters uneasily as shae stares in to the glassy eyes of her severed clone head. "But I'd prefer its brain be destroyed after being researched; I'm not comfortable with having a copy of my mind where anyone can poke at it."

"But.. do you really think it has your mind?" Fringe asks. "From just a drop of blood? Magic actually can do that?" She looks a bit frightened by the prospect.

"I don't know. We should find out though, so we know where we stand. And if that's the truth, we will know what to do. Remiel might be able to help there, and perhaps a mage will help us with the spirit side of things, and we can have our answers. I've seen other copying technologies though, so I know it's possible, but at this scale it's a lot more disturbing." Tasha shakes her head, having had enough Noras, meta-Noras, Tasha-Noras and Nora-Tashas for a lifetime already. "I'm not a scientist though. Once that side of things begins, I may be informed, but I won't particpiate directly."

"I forgot there were mages out by the Gateway," Fringe says. "Maybe they've already studied these things? You could take one of the heads there... would be nice to know if they each have separate bits of your mind. Like, just the Vartan ones in one and Karnor ones in the other. What do you want to do with the black thing?"

The half-Vartan shakes her head. "I'll ask Remiel to do it, he'll be better able to make sense of the thing, and I really don't want to carry around my severed head. Remiel has better relations with the Mages than I do, anyway." She then turns to stare at teh container holding the 'black thing,' eying it with a mix of trepediation and pain. At length she says, "Bring it over here. I should have a look at it."

With the Karnor head doggy-bagged again, the black monster is brought forth. It's a lot floppier, certainly, and looks more plant like at least. Fringe wiggles the tentacles around. "I don't feel any structure in these," she notes.

"Harrowers don't seem to like light, and they do seem to take to being observed differently. They're other-universal beings, and may not have a physical body as much as an abstraction of one. So, this is unique," Tasha notes, staring down at the closet thing to a child she may ever have. She reaches over, gingerly, and pats it with awkward affection. "Uncomfortable, but unique. The light might have been what killed it, or, our looking at it. It may just be unable to exist as a copy, because Harrowers are made from dark matter, gravity, and who knows what else. The Seed might not be able to produce those."

"Because some part of my spirit is mixed up in them," is the hybrid's answer, a hybrid of more than Karnor and Vartan it seems. A realization even Tasha isn't quite certan what to make, or howfar it goes. She knows she was touched, that she has an ability because of it, but not how deeply she was touched and what it might ultimately mean. "I just don't know how much. But Harrowers can speak to living beings -- to many beings. They understand quickly, if not in the same way we do. They have, well ... inuition of some sort. And I think I share it. I just don't know how much I share. I was as surprised as all of you were when I saw this." The baby Harrower gets another uncomfortable, somewhat stiff pat.

"How'd you get it though?" Fringe asks. "Was it some dark ritual on a mountaintop at midnight with lightning crashing around and ominous chanting?"

"Just words and deals," Tasha answers the Eeee, turning to smile at her. "Words and deals in the dark."

"Are those the only details you're going to give me?" Fringe asks, looking disappointed.

"I'm afraid so!" The reddish, bemohawked woman lifts her fingers and wiggles them, pushing a grin to her face. "Or the dark will haunt you in the space outside of time and light." She then wings, fingers falling, shoulders shrugging. "But I can't, to be honest. I made a deal, and I don't want to strain it more than life demands. I will say this though: I like the Harrowers. Or, I like what I've seen, and understand. I may not know them, mabe not even a little, but they've been fair with me, and even though they are hard to look upon, and maybe frightening in the way they look, I've never felt any malice from them, and we've talked for a while and managed to find common ground. Sometimes I think they're easier to get along with than some people I know."

"They do exist in the space outside of time and light, I wasn't joking about that though," the hybrid woman adds in afterthought, head tilting.

"It doesn't sound like they'd have anything in common with beings like us," Fringe notes, and shudders. She packs the black mass back into its bag and seals it. "Now I'm afraid this will come back to life and scuttle into my tent to eat my head."

"It might. I don't think they eat people though. We'd be made of light time, and light space. It might be like you or me eating condensed gravity and dark matter," Tasha notes, but then she shrugs. "Or not! I don't really know. I'm just hoping one doesn't pop out of me. I may have nightmares about that."

"But if they aren't made of matter.. then wouldn't it just pass right through you?" Fringe suggests.

"A real one would ... probably," the hybrid hedges, shrugging again in what feels to her like a marathon of uncertainty. "One I met didn't even have dimensions in our universe, and could move even within a stasis chamber, within its own time. When it departed, it didn't even disturb the air. Reality just sort of ... swept its presence under teh rug and went right along like nothing happened. If this happens to me, I hope it's as pleasant. I just wouldn't know what to say to the Captain!" And then the commanderbarks a laugh.

"Just in case, better let me and Shojo carry all the important supplies," Fringe suggests.

"Of course. I'll make sure you're carring all my things, my halitool, and, hmm, half the food. A hundred or two pounds should be no problem for a strong Eeee woman like yourself!" Tasha pats Fringe's shoulder, then grins, before turning to the fire. "Since I won't be burdened, I can rest easily. I think I'll have soemthing to eat and then sleep."

"Shojo is cooking something.. probably stew," Fringe says. "That's usually safe. He does tend to like things spicy though. Oh, I bagged your liver too. I mean, the clone's liver. Livers are complicated, so a good thing to look at."

"I may need a spare one anyway. I tend to lose the old ones. Have fun with your samples." Tasha stands, then heads over to Shojo, stretching as she goes. "I just finished looking at my severed head, so of course I'm hungr now," she informs him.

"Do you like hardtack and stew?" Shojo asks, methodically stirring things in a camp pot. There are some packets of dehydrated rations on the ground nearby.

"I grew up on an airship, I'll eat anything after a day is over," is the hybrid's response. The young woman sits herself down nearb and says, "How are you doing? Still want to come with me to Sinai?"

"I'm doing fine," Shojo claims. "I'd still like to see your world. Are you having second thoughts about me?"

"No, I was just worried you might have second thoughts about me after what happened. So far, you've done everything I've asked, and you've been very helpful. I have no complaints and will say so in my report," Tasha replies. She then leans a little closer and says, "And Shojo? This is my world."

"Is it?" Shojo asks. "You've barely lived here.. not as one of us, anyway. It will take more time, I think."

"I've barely lived anywhere, Shojo. I grew up on an airship, we were always moving. But maybe you're right." The young woman leans back, spreading her hands. "Maybe not having anywhere is really where I belong, anyway. I'm sure you know how that feels."

"You understand the dangers and hardships of the world you grow up in," Shojo says, still stirring. "When we go to Sinai, Fringe and I will rely on your knowledge."

"I suppose, if 'home' is just understanding. But I won't argue with you, I know what you mean. I won't let you down -- it's not the first expedition I've lead to Sinai, or on Sinai for the matter." Tasha reaches over, then fishes out her eating supplies, putting her metal bowl and spork in her lap. "Shojo, do you get along with the other Knights?"

"I like structure," Shojo says. "The Knights are structured. There isn't any uncertainty in interactions. Predictable. That helps me. So I suppose I get along with the other Knights."

"You won't find that with us. We just don't have enough people for a strong chain of command, and in some ways we're more like a family -- because we all went through a lot to be here and before we were the JEF we were just a group of survivors. Survivors out of time, people without a place to belong. So we made one, and we decided to try to use our skills and equipment to help our ... their descendants. We're still working it all out, even now," Tasha explains, then she holds her bowl up. "Right now, I'm Pilot-Cadet Tasha. I'm not even a real officer. But I pilot a Titan, I oversee some immense technology, I have active research projects and I lead our field teams. I fight our battles. All the others wear as many 'hats,' or more."

"I should fit in fine, if my disability is not a problem," the Vartan says. "I can do any task I'm taught."

"Then you'll be fine." Tasha fills her bowl up, then stands. "I'll leave you to your thoughts then. I think I'll go to mine, eat, and sleep. Same shifts. Good night, Shojo."

Tasha stops, looking over her shoulder. "We'll escort Fringe to check on the sites and see what's changed, finish up, and head back home. If possible, I'm going to stop by somewhere in New Zion and ask some questions on the way back."

"Thank you," Shojo says, and begins cleaning up. The Nagas apparently don't need to eat yet.. and Fringe has dried bugs.

Tasha nods to the man, then walks over to her tent and sits down cross-legged, laying her halitool aside. Well, my team hasn't abandoned me after uncomfortable questions, requests, and after watching my clone explode in to an extra-universal alien entity, so I must be doing OK, she thinks as she digs in. But more to do. Early bed, if I can sleep.

The second expedition finds the vegetation has regenerated - and the pod clearing has vanished.. or else the path to it was covered and redirected. They was no way to recover any more of the clone's body. This sends them back to camp earlier, and they break camp before evening. At least the ride back to New Zion is at night, and thus much cooler (even cold), and so technically more comfortable.

Tasha's yawn is cavernous as light begins to flood the vehicle, the light of dawn waking the not-so-early bird. "Morning?" She mutters, a little disoriented fron the start-and-stop sleep she had during the trip. She blinks, then shakes her head out, then looks to the others. "Everyone awake? New Zion is closing."

"Will there be coffee?" Fringe asks as she stirs. The others stir as well, the Nagas being slower due to the chill. Shojo is quiet about it, simply opening his eyes.

"Of course. Malachite and Shojo, I'd like you to get some food and keep watch over our samples and supplies. Fringe, we'll be getting soem food as well, then heading in to the city. If for some reason we don't make it back, check with the authorities, then return to The Pit without us. We'll take the next train." Tasha then looks down at herself, head shaking. She didn't pack much else, and all of her other clothing is designed for dealng with exploration, not socialization, and she'd rather not scandalize New Zion by wearing her undersuit alone. So, armor it is; She hopes being with the Knights will explain the fact. "Get ready to disembark."

The vehicle pulls into the main transit and industrial area outside of the dome. From Tasha's previous visit, she remembers the museum also being outside, since it had it's own airstrip. Things are bustling already, as cargo is loaded and unloaded via other vehicles and cranes. There are, of course, food wagons to serve everyone.

"I feel like a corned dog," Tasha remarks to no one in particular as she leads her team through the dock area. As they go, she stops to meet the team's needs as they show interest: Coffees here, bugs there, and even a live animal for Malachite. Currently they're at the hot-dog cart, with Tasha squeezing on mustard while trying not to drop her halitool. "Food is so much more convienent on this world," she tells Shojo, not realy expecting him to care that much. "And safer. And you have more drnks to chose from."

"That part hasn't changed any," Tasha remarks as she stuffs her corn dig in hr muzzle, grinning around it at the other Vartan and shrugging. After she's had her fill, she points the mustard bottle towards the train loading area. "You two can relax, eat, marvel at the trains, regret your luck -- whatever you'd like to do so long as you keep our stuff in sight." She then looks to the Eeee and asks, "Ready to confuse some locals?"

"Oh, I always confuse people when I show up. It's just inevitable. I'm just helping you to be prepared for it." Tasha winks, then wolfs down the rest of her corn dog before ordering a bag of something called 'curly fries' and a 'raspberry fizz' soft drink, the fries getting tucked aay for later and the soda held in her free hand. It gets shaken at Fringe, "Unwrap those wings, we should hurry if we want to get back in time."

Tasha nods towards the distant structure, then turns to begn getting some speed. "Off we go!"

It doesn't take many questions before the pair are given directions - and told that it's safe to fly outside of the dome itself. This lets them quickly get to the low, wide structure that is the Museum of Antiquities near the very edge of the city, surrounded by open grounds. Once inside, it's easy to find the Leviathan Wing. The movie prop from Curse of the Leviathan takes up most of the entry area, along with lots of other memorabilia and still frames from the classic movie.

Tasha shoulders her halitool, craning her neck up at the massive movie prop. "I should see this movie some time," she asides to Fringe as they walk, waggling her free hand up at the beast's face. "Maybe if Katie Kaboom ever gets in movie, she'll let me see how they're made? Oh ... " Her head drops, and the wagalling hand gets waggled down an isle. "It should be that way."

Sure enough, behind a partial wall is the real thing: a huge mechanical dragon made of brass and steel and glass and crystal, looking more like a fanciful sculpture than anything that might actually move. Clutched in the forepaws is a control panel the size of a cathedral organ.

"My brother had a toy of this," Fringe notes. "It was powered by a wound up spring."

Tasha stops before the monsterous, well, monster and plants her free hand on her hip, staring up at it. "That sounds cute," she says in response to Fringe's sharing, sounding a little distracted. "So, lets see ... The superstructure suggests it wasn't movable, and its holding a massive control console. So if it does move, it moves remotely, and it was clearly designed to have its control system placed in a large structure -- which would make controlling it locally difficult if it were a weapon. So may either be a long-rangd remote device, or, maybe it was never meant to move at all? or not far, anyway. And why are they always in the shape of dragons?"

Hybrid head gets shaken, then Tasha lays her halitool aside, ducking under the railing ropes to get a better look. "Holy Seeds have an aura, they can warp space, they produce energy ... These can all be used for many things. There may be more to the Seeds, too ... personality ... will ... hmm, hmm hmm ... " She stands on her tippy-hooves, peering trying to find a Seed holder.

Nothing is apparent on the outside, but there is a clear hatch in the chest, behind the control panel. It even has a turn-wheel for opening it.

"If you want something ominous, why wouldn't you use a dragon?" Fringe asks. "Everyone knows what a dragon is, after all."

"A haughty reptile filled with problems," Tasha quips back as she makes her way over to the hatch, then begins to turn it. "So you think it was designed to intimidate? A weapon and a scare tactic? A Holy eed's power could probably generate some dangerous weapons. Hey, hand me my halitool?"

Fringe gets nervous. "Uh.. are you sure you should be on the other side of the rope like that?" she asks, looking around. There aren't any other patrons this early. "Shouldn't you.. ask permission or something?"

Half way in to turning the wheel, Tasha pauses and looks back. "I probably should, shouldn't I?" She stares at the Eeee, thinking for a moment, then she resumes turning the wheel. "I'm sure if it's not allowed we'll be told! But right now I can get answers, and I need answers, and my Titanian teeth are telling me, "Tasha, ya, you should turn wheel!" So I'm turning the wheel."

The wheel isn't stuck or jammed or even squeaky - it must have been oiled recently. The hatch opens on a chamber lined with cables of different types of metal with flickerings of crystal. At the center is some sort of support structure rising from the floor and ceiling, with a spherical cage embedded with various crystals, Sifran and non-Sifran. It looks like it would hold something less than two feet across at most.

"Ah-ha!" Goes Tasha, whose voice sound hollow and metalic due to her head being inside the machine. "Sifran crystals and regular crystals, which are usually a disaster waiting to happen, but a platform is there too. So! A Holy Seeds, Sifran crystals, optical crystal interfaces and .... what else ... " She slides in to the doorframe, then reahes back to close the door. before closing it though, she says, "Keep an eye out! If anyone asks, I'm somewhere else. Oh and hand me my tool." She holds her hands out, waggling them for expediency.

"Don't break anything," Fringe hisses as she hands over the bulky tool. "Someone is sure to get upset if you do!"

"I'm very delicate, my mother says so!" Tasha insists with a big, encouraging smile that still looks rather dangerous and things-breaking due to her elongated teeth. She then slips inside, closing the hatch from the inside and making her way towards the platform. Her datapad gets pulled out, and she initiates a deep scan of the area, as well as a uplink. "Haaaarmoooniaaaa?"

Whatever the chamber is made out of - or the presence of the crystals - blocks the signal. The device itself is even having sporadic display glitches that it never had before.

"That's odd," Tasha murmurs, ears going askew. She debates turning the device off, then simply lets it continue and hopes for the best -- she isn't going to be able to analyze and get accurate inetrnal measurements with her hands and a tape measure after all.

She lays the datapad down so it can get an undisturbed scan, at least undisturbed by her, then she walks towards what she thinks must be a containment device. There must be high levels of SPF interference here ... The crystals maybe? Is this chamber magnifying them somehow? She looks around, then steps closer. The effect would probably be centered on the containment unit. Are the crystals still active?

The crystals seem to glow in the darkness, but lack the full on, kaleidoscopic effect of active Sifran crystal. The datapad is still having issues, but at least can tell that the metal used is familiar - nothing exotic or necessarily Expedition era.

After glancing back, Tasha then decides that if the materials aren't the source, then maybe something about them is. She walks to a nearby wall and peers at it closely, searching for any signs of magic usage. And while she's far from an expert on that taboo topic, she's seen enough magic being worked to know it comes with strange symbols, peculiar accountrements, and a vareity of other specialized stuff and nonsense to stand out.

There are patterns etched into the cables and tubes, but they look more like circuitry diagrams or actual decoration than anything mystic. After all, Abaddon only learned of magic when the Pit appeared.

It doesn't look magical, so it might be safe to say the scientist wasn't a genius in the department of developing magic, at least. Tasha studies the diagrams for a moment, trhn studies more of them. She keeps doing so, trying to search for some clue as to how the device worked.

There is just so much present that seems.. decorative. There's no way of telling what the cables do. Some of them seem secured to the wall, others pass into conduits. There's too many to get a grasp of any sort of order to them. And yet the support structure for the Holy Seed barely has any cables or wires that would obviously be for power transmission.

If she didn't know better, Tasha would say the machine ran on magic. Even Titanian devices made more sense to her than what she's seeing, and she has the sinking suspicion some of the cables don't actually do anything except make the chamber look more ominous. Shaking her head, she turns towards the dias and walks over to it, leaning forward. The distortion would center here. The crystals appear to be dormant, and there's probably an optical connection between them and the crystals, which could contain or do nearly anything. The Seed may not even need cables to transmit power, as it's capable of broadcasting it somehow, like with space distortion for Overspace. She leans in closer, seeing if the dias will reveal any secrets.

It seems just as mysterious as the cables, looking like it is meant more just for supporting the Seed than anything else. Although, if the entire chamber is actually part of the power system, then it might have functioned like an electric motor, with the Seed creating some sort of field that sent power through the cables via induction.

All this for an induction motor? But there's Sifran crystal here too ... Tasha shakes her head. None of it makes sense, which means none of it is helping. Time is running out, and she has the sinking suspicion she may meet Lord Yama again with nothing more to back her up than what she had last time. Maybe even less.

After what happened with Abaddon, Tasha is less inclined to see things just 'work themselves out;' She barely survived Abaddon, and even now has no real understand or means to fight what he was, save reliance on mysterious beings only slightly less unknowable and yet even more distant, and their technology. It makes her feel small, and helples, and she has never stopped hating that feeling. "Stupid thing," she growls, thumping the dias with a fist in frusteration. "How did you do it?"

The chamber rings like a bell, which isn't very comfortable when you're inside of the bell. The key to it all must be in the Sifran crystals. Those certainly wouldn't be part of the normal system used to harness the power of the Seeds, after all. And if the Progenitor 'matter' could disrupt Sifran crystals, it might be that Sifran crystals could disrupt the Seeds somehow.

Frusteration and aggression -- like so many times before -- produce epiphany for Tasha, giving her a sudden insight. As she stares at the dias, her gaze slides to the crystals, ears slowly unfolding from where they had hid from the noise. It always comes down to you, doesn't it, crystals? She thinks, thens she gets an idea and carefully reaches her left hand in to teh center of the dias. If it's still functioning, maybe it will still drain ... If we're compatible ... She cringes, but she knows the answer is worth the sacrifice.

There isn't any sensation from placing her hand into the cage, nor a reaction from the crystals.

Tasha withdraws her hand. She doesn't have a Holy Seed laying around to test the device on, and wouldn't risk the Origin Markers. So, she instead sees about the Sifran crystals themselves, to see if they might slide out, and if the array can be removed in whole or in part. Even one might be enough, they may be tuned for this purpose and the crystals are not likely to rely on the superstructure to work, she thinks.

The crystals are held fairly firmly in the framework. There aren't any screws or clamps holding them - the metal was clearly worked around them, possibly even cast around the supposedly indestructible crystal.

I really do not like you mysterious mad scientist. If I were more of a Titanian I'd be cutting right now! Tasha leans back, then just shakes her head. She's done everything she can do here, and so she'll have to rely on Fringe and the lab to handle the rest -- and maybe see if she can get a Sifran crystal to bring along just in case.

Trning, Tasha walsk back to check on her datapad to see if it came up with anything else, picking it up ass she walks for the hatch.

The screen of the device is still glitching.. and the battery has been drained far more than usual. It typically lasts for a month on a charge, but somehow has burned through half that in just a few minutes inside the chamber.

It's like it's taunting me, Tasha decides, the woman turning to give the chamber a once over. It will drain my battery, but not me, and there's no reason why it should be doing any of this except for the Sifran crystals. They must be absorbing the energy and conducting it, or, everything in here is aimed at absorbing and conducting the energy through some means. I just don't know how, or, not well anyway. Nothing I can use ... Unless a Seed can be drained dry like a battery.// Her head shakes, then she starts back for the hatch, squiriming to see if she can peeer out before opening it.

Fringe is still pacing back and forth nervously, looking very suspicious and guilty should anyone come by.

So much for Eeee being the masters of subterfuge, Tasha thinks with an inward sigh. The hatch is opened and the hbrid steps out, closing things up after she steps out. "'Mixed results' would be a polite way to describe my experience," she calls back behind her.

Tasha grimaces, quickly spinning the hatch and then leaping down from the platform. She ducks and rushes undr the rope, then skids to a stop and shoulders her halitool, spinning to smile at Fringe. "Exciting isn't it? Think we could find the curator?"

"Do you know where to look?" Fringe asks. Tasha had met the man before, when they brought the three crystal pieces to try and figure out what they were for. The museum did have crystal samples of its own, after all.

"Well, probably in the back area staring at something old. Lets find the staff offices," Tasha suggests, thumbing towards an ominous 'employees only' signed door.

They don't get far before they run into a guard.. who helpfully takes them right to the office they want, belonging to Professor Ford Jameson, the rather thin, tall and overall gangly human Tasha had met before. "Ah, good morning," the man says, standing up. "I've met you before, haven't I? Tasha? You look different somehow.. you've changed your hair, haven't you?" he asks.

"Hair, teeth, hand, face, it's all the same!" Tasha says with a grin, extending her Karnor hand. "We hate to bother you, but we have some questions about the Leviathan and Holy Seeds."

"Oh, yes, the Leviathan," the man says, and offers his guests a cardboard box filled with donuts. "And the Holy Seed? Oh.. yes, Envoy did tell me that was the original power source for it.. if it ever was used. The details seem fuzzy. What would you like to know?"

Tasha peers in to the box appreciatively, tongue lolling a moment before she picks up a chocolate donut. Smiling, she looks up and says, "The interior of the Leviathan drains energy, or so I've heard! The Holy Seed was probably killed by the effect, but it seems to drain other kinds of energy as well. The interior is made up of common materials, tubes, wires, a center cage, optical crystal units and Sifran crystals -- do you have any idea how they work together to cause such an effect? And what the energy was used for, if not motion?"

"Well, the Leviathan does move.. or did at one time," the Professor notes. "According to the transcripts, Dr. Von Bronson did power it briefly, but the lack of 'senses' and the effects of background radiation - what you'd call 'quantum uncertainty' - in the brain caused it to just thrash about. We've tested powering it by other means, but it seems to have a lot of rather delicate systems that require a very specific sort of power modulation. Mage Envoy reported that she has solutions for the other problems, but no viable power source yet."

"Interesting, I've spoken to the Mage as well, but not about this," Tasha notes, head tilting. She then shakes her head and says, "And while interesting, it's not really of use to me. I'm interested in the power draining function, the means by which it could weaken a Holy Seed and if there's any recording or data on how that functions, or any other insight. Is it uniuqe to the crystals involved? Can it be replicated?"

"We've no real record of it draining power.." Jameson notes, frowning. "And nobody understands how the Holy Seed functioned. It was kept in the Shrine of Adoniranakh, where the Celestials worshipped it.. and it may have powered their city. That's mostly conjecture, of course."

"Frusterating," Tasha mutters, then she pops the donut in her mouth and chews on it until the feeling fades a little. She then glances over to the professor and notes, "I'll just be honest: I netered the machine in an attempt to figure out how it works -- and it drained half a month of Expdition-era technolgy batter in a few minutes. It's also disrupted its functions so much I almost shut it down because I thought it might be damaging it. There's still light in the Sifran crystals, so those are active, if probably dormant. None of the tubes seem to conduct energy directly, but migth through induction or some form of radiancy. I just don't know how, so I can't replicate it."

Tasha pulls out her datapad -- donut held in mouth as her hands are occupied -- then hands it over. She retakes her donut, but not without taking a bite first. "Khattan Harbinger datapad, Expedition Era," she explains after swallowing. "The batter is the large rectangle housed in a compartment on the back."

"Ah, I've studied one of these before," Jameson says. "Non-operational, of course. He turns it over to look at the battery. "Hmmm. Molecular-distortion battery. Basically lots of nearly atomic-scale quantum capacitors that store electrons if very dense virtual atoms. When Envoy inspected the chamber herself, her crystal device detected quite a lot of activity. It may not effect our current chemical batteries, but your quantum battery is more susceptible to interference from those crystals I wager."

"That's good to know. I had a feeling the crystals were the real cause -- the catalyst to make the whole thing work. A bridge might be a better way to say it. This also suggests the Holy Seeds are in some way quantum-level operators, using some method of that type to live or draw power. Perhaps they can interact with quantum states directly? Alter them with fixation-perception?" Tasha takes another bite of donut, somewhat ruining her scholarly review as she munches away and tail wags. She then tilts her head and asks after swallowing, "Do you think I could borrow one or more of the crystal array pieces? Or do you have any spares?"

"The Seeds are certainly some sort of organic power reactors," Jameson notes. "The report on the on still operating one on Ashtoreth confirms that.. also that it is a much larger Seed than the one Abaddon, unless it shrunk over time for some reason. As for 'borrowing' something out of the Leviathan.. I can't really authorize that. There is.. ah.. well, I can't really talk about certain things at the moment. Why do you need the crystal? We have many samples, certainly, but no way of knowing what they do, if anything. We're a bit dependant on Mage Envoy to tell us such things when she gets around to it."

"I how how it is, relying on mages, mysterious forces and so on for answers -- and stumbling around in the dark when they're busy or can't be found," Tasha admits. She then pops the rest of her donut in her muzzle, staring at the Professor for a long moment, guaging him and her choices. At length, she says, "This is between us only, do not share it. A secret, right? There is another Holy Seed. I have been asked to deal with it. That may go peacefully -- I hope it does -- but if it doesn't, well, you see the Leviathan don't you? It's ... " The young woman gets an odd look, but then shakes her head. "Well. My Holy Seed will be a lot more of a problem than that. I don't know. The last time I fought a god, I nearly lost everthing. I don't want to face that again -- so I am trying to be ready. Just in case."

"Well.. we know that they don't explode, at least," the man says, with a quick smile. "The.. incident.. with the Celestial Life Dome also seems fairly conclusive proof that they can be affected with Earth Magic, which seems to specialize in plants."

"Unfortunately I don't have an Earth Mage, and I'm not sure I ant to risk bringing more people, in case that alarms the Seed. It's not happy to be found, except by me. It was hostiel before, but we made an, um, an accord. But things have changed somewhat, and I no longer know if it wil continue to be safe. Other beings have taken an interest in it, as well." Tasha shakes her head, frowning as she stares off in to space. "This seems like a situation of trust, doesn't it? But it's hard to trust something that tried to kill you. I had hoped to learn more about the Seeds in the new Dome, but I couldn't find anything."

"The Seeds were tended to by the priest-engineers, and everything about them was kept secret," Jameson explains. "And I doubt even they were expecting it to do what it did upon being revived. However, it is my understanding that mages can enchant items with the powers of their spells. So that might be an alternative to bringing an actual Mage along with you, wouldn't it?"

Tasha's brows go up, and she turns to peer at the man. She has heard of enchanted items -- who hasn't? On Sinai, legends of enchanted this-or-that are common parts of legends, myths, and an assortment of other odd tales, even when the story didn't have a thing to do with magic or mages. They came in many forms: Pieces of dire beings, dusty relics found in old crypts, weapons of rulers and leaders of men, cursed baubles that brought ruin ... She always regarded them as half-fable, half something a good Vartan shouldn't think too much about. Then she forgot them, as legends gave away to truth. "Magical objects? Now there's an idea! You may have something there!" She reaches over and pats the man on the shouldr, grinning -- maybe she won't be unarmed after all.