Logfile from Envoy. (OOC) Log start: d:\logs\fenris\2022-02-24_fours-a-crowd.html

"Did you actually bring any alcohol with you?" Tia asks Tasha as they cross the airfield towards the command center. Kai, Sam and the three other Tashas are still on the Astraea until the not-quite-clones are recovered from having Samael injections.

"Nooo, I'd been trying to stop and largely succeeded. Gabriel was eyeballing me around alcohol for a while and I didn't want to disappoint him or me, and drunkeness is ill-suited to leadership." Tasha spreads her hands, but despite her somber words, seems to be in a better mood. Sedate might be the best way to describe her expression, if not entirely at ease. "Maybe I should drink a little more."

"Vasha can do the drinking, probably," Tia suggests. She also spends a lot of time just looking around. "This place is larger than I had initially thought. That troop transport probably has vacuum suits that might fit Sasha and Sharon."

"I'm sure they'd appreciate it. Sasha is more sensitive than he seems, and Sharon is exactly as sensitive as she seems. Vasha will want to help them." Tasha says it like they're old acquaintances, which in a sense they are. Suddenly going from a singular individual to a quartet of self has gone from surprise, to a welcome change, to a comforting distribution of self-hood and responsibility. She isn't sure which of her experiences has allowed this, but she doesn't even consider resisting it. Becoming plural may be the best thing that's happened to her in a while. "We'll grab those. I have Vartan wear back on the ship Vasha can use, and some things that will fit the others. Sasha might be the hardest to work with, but he's not against wearing more feminine clothes -- for a while anyway."

"He looked about the same size as Hakeber," Tia says. "This base must have a workshop or fabrication unit that can make clothes. Who are you going to tell first about Team Tasha?"

"Gabriel, he'll want and need to know," Tasha answers automatically. Gabriel always needs to know, and she's been bad about fulfilling that, even now. "He can help organize the rest, too."

Looking up at the large control center, Tia asks, "Do you know where he is, or can you just track his scent?"

"He'll probably be in the control tower or the heavy shuttle," Tasha replies even as she starts sniffing. She pauses, then nods. "This way."

So the fake human follows Tasha into the control tower. Eventually they reach the actual control room itself, where Gabriel is working at one of the stations. "I nearly have all of the new data organized," he says without looking when the lift doors open. "Designs with enough detail that.. well, we won't have to ride in carriages." He finally looks over and asks, "How'd whatever it it was you were doing go? Where's Kai?"

Tasha doesn't even bother to look for Kai. "Oh you know, Kai is in the Kai Place, so lurking somewhere and working on things. She's around when you need her." She then walks over to the chair nearest to Gabriel, sits down, puts her hands in her lap and states, "In the interest of being more open I'm going to tell you something strange that has happened to me immediately this time. Kai and Tia made three copies of me, one is a Vartan, one is a Karnor, and one is a Human. So, now there's four of me." A brief pause. "I like it."

Gabriel turns his full attention on Tasha, then glances at Tia for a moment. "Mmmmm-hmmmm," he finally says. "Please elaborate. I did not know that copies could be made of someone, much loss trans-species ones."

"I think they count as Kai's children.. maybe," Tia explains. "I didn't know it was possible either. But it seemed the easier solution."

"They're based on my, um, facets. Beings I have been, or been close to. There's the Vartan me, from the time I was a Vartan -- her name is Vasha. There's the Human me whom I rememebr you enjoying very much-" here Tasha tilts her head and gives Gabriel a look, " ... and she chose the name Sharon. And then there, um, Sasha. From that time we were all ... you know." She makes a little loop motion with her tail.

"I know you wanted a Vartan disguise," Gabriel says, and looks the ceiling for a moment. "And they're all real? I mean, really what they appear to be, not just pretending like Kai and Tia?"

Tasha looks to Tia for the answer. "I'd been menaing to ask about how 'real' they are. You said they're all me and can operate independently, does that mean they have souls of their own?"

"They are genetically correct and have Tasha's memories," Tia explains. "Those were my contributions. But the rest is a bit hazy in my understanding. Kai created the bodies out of cacoastrum, same as all of this was. And there are parts of them that are copies of parts of her, in order for it to work. But as for souls, she and Sam captured or lured entities from the Unformed into them to imbue them with.. something. When you create things like that, these virtual souls sort of come around hoping to be made real."

"They're still recovering from having pieces of Sam inserted into them to replicate Tasha's shadow-eye," the alien adds. "And they can all sync up to be one unified mind, or individually with Tasha, and update experiences. So.. as independent as Kai can be at least, maybe more. I don't know if they're empty like her or have or will develop souls."

"So they're made from the proto-soul entities that wander the abyss in search of meaning," Tasha interprets. "With the potential to develop and to link with me. I can also link with them directly, and communicate with them, like I can with Kai and Tia."

"Well, right now I'm just considering this Tasha to be my Tasha," Gabriel says, and rubs the side of his head. "Anything else seems likely to be messy. The Karnor is.. male then? So I might be interested in some father-son stuff there."

"He's the male version of me, or at least a copy of him, from that worldline. So he's me; in my memory of that timeline he was with Gabriella and, well, the male version of Katie. It might be a little awkward if you see him as a son, and remember, he's me, so his reaction to you will be akin to mine." And so tasha arches her eyebrows and tilts her head; you know what I mean.

"Messy then," Gabriel says. "They should probably figure out their own sleeping arrangements. It will take time for me to really see them as you enough to treat them like you. And I don't need to human girlfriend. You and sometimes Hakeber are plenty."

"We're a lot," Tasha agrees with a smile. "Especially me. And speaking of me, this will really help me not to feel crushed by my life and duties, so I'll be freer and probably happier. I also don't need to be everywhere at once, with everyone, because now I can be without being personally there. As for the rest of me, I'm going to have them bunk together for a while, and stay with them, because if I know me I'll be feeling out of place and lost and having a familiar anchor who cares will help a lot. I'll also be having them help me run things."

"So delegation," Gabriel says with a grin. "And.. team building exercises. Although get you to work with yourselves could be a challenge, unless you all develop distinct personalities. I doubt that Hakeber will have any problems with this, but it may blow some circuits in Lacci. I don't think the Vartans ever used memory transfer or cloning technologies like the Terrans and Celestials have."

"Well, I'm used to interfacing with other beings, and their base biology and different outlooks vary them enough from me that we shouldn't be identical. I can already feel the differences as I think about who I'd be in their place: Vasha's probably more aggressive, but also more nurturing and stubborn. She'll want to be part of things with people. Sharon's the opposite, abd the most independent. She doesn't have any Karnor or Vartan in her, so she's not as comfortable with others, shy, and, um, more neurotic. Sasha's more gentle than I am, he doesn't like violence, but he's much better at business, or will be if his background matches the Sasha I was. He's also a good cook." Tasha spreads her hands. "They're all me but like the Vril they differ through experience and different fundamentals. They all should know what I'm doing well enough to help run things. Together we could probably crew the ship as a hive mind."

"Which will you be more comfortable putting into danger though?" Gabriel asks. "Mainly on Daltoona. Given the scope, you may need all of them."

"Some may feel more comfortable with danger than others, but they're all me. They do what they need to do. Remember that Sasha chose the same life I did even if he didn't like fighting. He had his own Mel, and he's fought and killed before. He just doesn't have the same anger levels I do, and he's not as vicious. But he can fight if he has to." Tasha leans back and taps the side of her muzzle. "They're going to be better at different things. Sharon's hardly physical, she'd probably prefer something more subtle and clever. Vasha's a surface Varatn and not as big as a space one, but she's probably the most direct confrontation inclined. Maybe Shojo cna teacher her to be a combat medic. She'd like that. Sasha prefers to use his head and maneuver thing, or else be decisive and quick. Mr. I could teach him. Yue and Katie could teach Sharon."

"Sasha sounds like a good undercover operative," Gabriel says, nodding his head. "Friendly, with a skill that lends itself to meeting people. Is he a new type Karnor or one of us throwbacks?"

"He's a regular Karnor, so not Karnor Elite, but just a Karnor like Hakeber or Katie. Well, more like Hakeber than Katie. They're even the same height and they both like to read." Tasha smiles a little. "It's strange to think how different I turned out."

"Sasha and Hakeber would probably make for a good intelligence gathering team then," Gabriel says. "With some Katie polishing. She'll need to run everyone through the basics at least, same as she's doing for Shojo's men. Is there anything special we need to deal with before sending them to Caltrop for Mrs. Teatime to work up backgrounds and identities for them?"

"Sharon can have my clothes," Tia offers.

"They need clothes and time to recover, maybe time to adjut. We should make sure they're at ease before we send them to the station," Tasha replies, nodding. "My clothes and some of the others' will work for a while, but having their own will help them adjust and feel like individuals. They also have some variation of my own training, and while not as dangerous as I am, they're still individually dangerous and can take care of themselves, if, of course, they're as me as they seem."

"They're also a little bit Kai, so we don't actually know what they might be capable of beyond actual skills," Tia notes.

"I'm sure I have data loaded up that Kai can use to make clothes," Gabriel says. "She already makes her own, after all."

"Yes, they have other abilities, and their version of my spore is different, too. I'm uncertain if they can wield my most dangerous powers, either, or if their ansible is as capable as mine is," Tasha agrees, nodding. "As for Kai's clothes, I suspect they're just an illusion, or a manipulation."

"Maybe," Tia says. "I'm sure they're just for her own amusement. There's no reason for either of us to wear clothes in this environment."

"Kai's original form is intimidating, so I'm sure she's masking against impressions somewhat," Tasha adds. "Just as Tia is. Anyway, I should be less likely to completely fall apart now. It's like gravity has lessened and I can fly again."

"Well, there's room fly here certainly," Gabriel says. "When do we get to meet the... we need a proper term here. Not clones. Cousins?"

"Tia calls them Team Tasha," Tasha says with a laugh. Her tail wags. "Well, we can call them cousins, or my siblings. As a mezzode, maybe I could have had earlier versions, or contributors."

"I'm sure they'd call themselves Team Vasha, Team Sasha or Sharon's Petting Zoo depending on who you asked," Gabriel jokes. There's a beep from the ceiling, and Hakeber's voice says, "Intercom test! Test test test! We've found the gymnasium and it has a swimming pool and a hot pool and sauna. No luck yet on a bakery though, just the cafeteria so far."

"Hi Hake! I have a surprise for you later! We're also just about done here," the red woman pipes up. She then turns to Gabriel and asks, "We are just about done, right? Do we also want to look around?"

"We've got time to explore," Gabriel says. "I don't expect many surprises though, since I was stationed at the original version of this base when I was younger. And no, there isn't a bakery."

"Maybe we can arrange one, but probably not." Tasha hops out of her chair and grabs Gabriel's arm. "We should probably give the mes quarters near mine, or let them decide. I'm sure the other will be interested in them but we should let them approach that at their own pace. Sasha will be avoiding Katie, for instance."

"Well, Katie isn't here," Gabriel notes, "so he only has to worry about Hakeber. I'm curious about Vasha."

"Hopefully Hake won't overwhelm him. Vasha is interesting, she's probably the mist unique among us since she's more speculative than the others. I've been Sasha and Sharon, but I was only a Vartan very briefly, and I was more-or-less me at the time." Tasha starts walking, nodding to Tia as they go. "She sort of looks like my mother."

"Ah, I remember Desdemona fondly," Gabriel says. "She had an impressive hug."

"Mom likes to test the men I'm around by trying to crush them -- or steal them. Sometimes both," Tasha says with another laugh. "She's actually very self-concious, you know? And she fears for me. For good reason, as it turned out."

"So, are you and Vasha going to be rivals?" Gabriel asks, eyebrows raised.

Tasha also arches a brow. "Are we? I'm not sure I want to be fighting with myself again, and who would we compete over? She knows that won't work with you, and I'm not sure how she'd react to Katie or Lacci. I like to think -- I hope -- she'll be supportive rather than disruptive. I fought enough with a rival self in Nora."

"Alright," Gabriel says, but is still grinning. "If you fight over me I'll be sure to humor the looser."

"If that happens you might end up facing all of me -- including Sasha," Tasha warns, shaking a finger at him. "If you think I'm a mess now destabilzing four of me will be cat-a-stro-phic."

"I can always imitate you as well," Tia says. "So there's at least one sane one," she notes with a grin of her own.

Tasha throws up her hands. "I need Mel back," she complains.

"Let's go see how they're doing," Gabriel says. "I guarantee Sasha and Sharon will need some sort of footwear to cross the airfield."

"You're right. Lets go." Tasha hooks her arm in to Gabriel's and heads out.

The sun may be artificial, but it heats up the metal-clad airfield pretty good. The others have clearly recovered some, since Vasha is already on the ground with Kai, while Sasha and Sharon haven't left the boarding ramp of the Astraea yet. They're all still naked. "What do you mean you don't want wooden shoes?" Kai is asking them.

"We had enough of wood back on Sinai," Tasha quips as she approaches. "Surely you can make real shoes, I suspect you're just having fun with me."

"Oh, you're here!" Kai says, smiling. "Actually I was waiting to see if you'd just carry them inside."

"I can do that," Tasha confirms. She looks to Gabriel and asks, "Who do you want to carry?"

"I can carry someone too," Vasha notes. "How heavy is Sasha?"

"I think he's a bit heavier than Hakeber," Tasha notes. She heads for Sharon, who she knows will be the most embarassed to be carried, and holds her hands out. "It's more or Gabriel."

"I wonder about you, Kai," Gabriel notes, and looks to Sasha. "I can carry Sasha then."

Tia and Kai do not offer to carry anyone.

Tasha glances at Gabriel, then to Sharon. "It's me or Vasha now."

So Tasha soon has her more vulnerable version in her arms. And Gabriel has Sasha in a fireman's carry over his shoulder.

"Hooves rule," Vasha notes.

"I know, right?" Tasha waves Vasha to follow her, then heads for the buildings. "Poor Sasha, this is probably awkward, if not unfamiliar."

Sasha reacts by wagging his tail, which keeps hitting Gabriel in the face. But Gabriel doesn't complain.

Tasha reacts by giving Sharon a hug, which she suspects she needs. "We'll get you some real clothes soon, and not just our hand-me-downs, or good shoes. Or clothes."

"Can you make them clothes that will pass for normal?" Tia asks Kai, out loud. "Easily!" Kai claims. "But I still think wooden shoes would be cuter."

Once indoors, Sasha is set down on his feet.

"I'm hungry," Vasha notes to Tasha. "I literally have nothing in my digestive tract. That feels weird."

"Wooden shoes would draw a lot of attention, wood is very much a expensive good if it's real wood and not a synthetic or fabricated type," Tasha notes. "We ran in to that problem when we realized our basic clothes were hyper valuable in a society where weaving is considered an exotic, rare talent."

"What's going on?" Hakeber asks as she and Lacci enter the lobby. "Whoa," Sasha says. "Ekard looks good with boobs.."

"She does, doesn't she? Hake was definitely meant to be a girl," Tasha agrees, having enjoyed this result herself. "Lacci's about the same either way, though."

"Eh?" Lacci asks. "Wait.. that girl looks familiar," she then notes, pointing at Sharon.

"Yeah they're all me, I'm now four," Tasha replies, and she gestures to Sharon with her holding in a kind of presentation manner. "This one's me from Charon's garden, the male Karmor's me from the other world line annnd the Vartan is a speculative pure Vartan me."

Kai rocks on her heals, then nudges Gabriel and whispers, "Why is nobody making the obvious 'beside herself' joke?"

"I'm the cool one," Vasha claims.

"Bustiest one certainly," Hakeber notes.

Gabriel ignores Kai, and says, "We were going to the residential block. And to arrange clothes for them."

"I'm the best one of course, I'm basically Tasha Gestalt," Tasha insists. "And you are welcome to come, unless I don't ant you to, in that case, you're not."

Lacci turns to look at Vasha, cocking her head. "How?" is her question.

"They're my kids!" Kai claims. "Tasha is the father."

The only ones not present are Sam and Yue at this point, but they don't materialize just because.

"I'm not and don't think about that too deeply -- I don't have a penis now or anything. In case you were wondering." Tasha stops by the building entrance and adjusts her grip on Sharon. "Only one of me does, although i suppose it'd make progenitoring easier."

"I had two mothers," Tia notes. "But I don't think of one of them as the father."

"You're super magical though, and a tree," Tasha points out.

Lacci remains quiet for a moment more. She then points to the doors and says, "I'm going flying. Then I will deal with this. Yue is still in the gymnasium."

"Have fun! Don't flirt with my Vartan self too much, you'll always be my sweety bird." Hands full, Tasha waves her tail goodbye instead.

"You can probably but me down, if you want," Sharon notes to Tasha.

"Bird brain does have a point though," Sasha notes. "I could eat. Food before clothes!"

"I like him," Hakeber tells Tasha.

"I suppose so," Tasha agrees, reluctantly. She puts Sharon down and dusts her hands off. "Food is very important." She then turns to hakeber and nods very slowly, deliberately, and wisely (?), "I know. It was ... inevitable."

"We don't have a lot of prepared food," Gabriel says. "We have stuff to assemble sandwiches from however."

"Boring default it is. Sharon, I assume you want clothes first," Tasha asks, it's almost not a question.

"It does feel weird being empty," Sharon notes. "And I've never worn clothes, actually. Not before you got put back together."

"Just give her one of Gabriel's t-shirts," Hakeber suggests. "It'll be adorable!"

"You did have the cloak, which I think I still have somewhere," Tasha remarks, tilting her head as she wonders wheer she put it. Probably in the same box with all her clothes from Sinai. "Gabriel's t-shirts would be robe-like."

"I can give her my clothes," Tia offers. "I don't need them."

"Okay. I might have a few things that work, too, but not many," Tasha says. She hooks an arm around Sharon's shoulders. "We me have to stick together."

"It's easy for me to stick to things with bare skin," Sharon quips.

"Ha, ha. Am I always this obnoxious?" But Tasha's tail wags anyway.

"It's a defense mechanism," Sharon claims.

"It's also fun," Tasha adds, but she does nod.

"While you eat, I can make some clothes for Sasha and Sharon," Kai notes. "Since Tasha already picked out clothes for Vasha."

"Yeah you'll be wearing Vartan teenage wear, I think it's popular with Caltrop kids and lower-middle class planetary Vartans. It looks tough and it has a lot of hoods," Tasha explains.

"I need a mirror," Vasha says. "Then it will be real. What would mom or Eyeshine think of me now? Or.." the Vartan stops, and touches her head, eyes narrowed. "Did we get Blackwings too?"

"Good question. I'll just summon them up and we can see." And so Tasha calls upon the Blackwings bird and the End Wolf.

"Only memories," Tia says. "Your personalities are emergent properties from there. The spore and other attachments weren't included."

"You'll have to earn your own dubious blessings and deadly self-destructive powers," Tasha offers, shrugging with her hands. "I mena, I can't hog them all, right?

"Ooo, you know if you call me you'll start lusting after Vasha," Blackwings warns Tasha from inside. The End Wolf doesn't have any commentary, but is simply there.

"You three have bits of me and Samael," Kai says. "That makes you different from Tasha."

"Inner darkness can wait until after lunch," Sasha insists.

"I just have all of Kai and Samael," Prime agrees, nodding. Haven't I lusted after myself enough already? There was Nora, the other timeline me, I'm sure there were others, and in a short while I'll probably know what it's like from the other wise.

"Yeah.. I'm sticking with the crazy I know," Gabriel says, and pats Tasha's butt. "The rest of you are on your own."

"I'm sure you'll find someone, somewhere," Tasha agrees.

Tasha's tail curls around Gabriel's hand, making it hard to escape.

"I'll probably need Human lessons," Sharon says. "From Yue. Not Tia or Kai."

"I've been a human for hundreds of years," Kai points out. "Technically."

"Humans are the same as back then," Tia points out.

"Yeah they're just kind of unnerving really," Tasha agrees with a nod. "Kai has mastered being a weird Human beyond what ordinary weird Humans are capable."

"Yue," Sharon insists.

"Miss Necessity is a good Human role model as well," Gabriel says.

"Because she has sex with a big Karnor?" Hakeber teases Gabriel.

"That she is. I'm sure Katie can arrange that. Mr. I can also help Sasha," the original red woman notes. "In fact Sasha and Hakeber could form a research-investigation team. We've needed one for a while and it's a lot less combat focused."

"Research Team Alpha!" Sasha declares. "We will dominate any pub quizzes."

"not to mention the beer and the pizza," Tasha notes. She then stretches and drops her arms back onto Gabriel. "Lets go eat, then amybe a nap, All this being copied is exhausting."

"I'll be sure to refill your toner afterwards," Gabriel says. "To the cafeteria!"

"Yeah you don't want me to be pink again." Tasha pushes open the door and heads inside, waving everyone to follow. "Now I can eat roughly four times as much!"

The problem with having lunch with multiple versions of yourself is that it's difficult to come up with something to talk about. There's been less than an hour of divergence between them. Sasha seems to find this less awkward though, having discovered how much pure Karnors enjoy eating. Vasha has the most difficulty of any of them, being brand new and not having eaten with a Vartan beak before. She's bitten her tongue once already and resorted to cutting her sandwich into individual bite-sized pieces.

Gabriel seems a bit bemused by this. Kai doesn't eat anything, but has her feet up on the table as she leans her chair back precariously, and seems lost in thought. Hakeber is, like Sasha, focused on her own sandwich. Lacci and Tia haven't returned from outside, and Yue is somewhere in the base, presumably.

That leaves Sharon and Tasha; Sharon eats more slowly than the others, and more carefully, mindful of getting herself dirty and quick to clean up. Tasha, like Sasha, seems at ease with eating, but doesn't seem quite as in to it as her male counterpart, as if she were the average of all the herself, which in a sense she is. Eating around herself is more comforting that she expected, after all everyone knows how she feels, and she doesn't need to put on an act with them. The others, however, need her to speak. "I think this is working well so far," she admits.

"Well, siblings should get along," Gabriel says.

Vasha says, "I've been around Vartans all our life, why is this so hard suddenly? It's the squishiness! This bread is too soft."

"We're not exactly siblings, we're each other. It's important to focus on that distinction, or it'll get awkward for us and for others," Tasha explains before returning to her sandwich for a while. Once she's had enough of that she tells Vasha, "Maybe think about how Vartans in the past ate things?"

"You can wad up the meat instead," Sasha suggests. "Or use crackers instead of bread. Maybe stack it onto a skewer instead.."

"Or a kabab stick," Tasha adds, nodding.

"I've seen Lacci eat noodles," Vasha says, sounding more determined. "I will not be beaten by a sandwich!"

"Yes, siblings should get along and not yell at one another," Kai says, a bit late, while contemplating the ceiling. "Yue is coming."

"Maybe you can copy Yue, Sharon," Tasha suggests, still engrossed in her own meal and only able to spake now and then. "As for eating, Shojo can probably help. Obviously, we're not going to ask Lacci."

"Of course, Shojo!" Vasha says. "He had to figure this stuff out, I'm sure! Would Lacci be jealous if I shadowed him though?"

"Of course, that's what makes it extra-fun," Tasha responds, nodding again.

"I'm sure you can wait until Katie holds a course on strategic seduction," Gabriel suggests. "Although that may just be flirting."

"Pffft, I've seduced men that didn't like women," Hakeber claims.

"Admit it, some of those you just did because you wanted a free meal," Sasha accuses Hakeber.

"It might have been pity too," Tasha adds, tail wagging.

"No! There was also beer involved. Dinner and drinks. Best if they brought to my door too," Hakeber claims.

"The lazy-easy approach," Kai comments. "Or is that lays easy?"

"Oooooo... that's actually pretty funny," Hakeber admits, and starts making a second sandwich.

The cafeteria door swings open, and Yue enters. She's in her skinsuit still, and waves. "The sauna here is nice," she notes as she comes to the table and looks over the naked newborns.

Despite what people think, her own love life hasn't been as broad as Hakeber's, but it's more adventurous, and with higher peaks to climb. Despite that she'd never consider her very good at romance nor seduction, something that's become harder as she's shifted forms, though also a lot less necessary now that she has many people around her. "We have a sauna?"

"A whole gym, with a hot pool and a sauna," Yue notes. "Although I think the sauna will be appreciated more by us bare-skinned types. So did they use any of your ribs to make them?" she asks Tasha. Then taps her head and says, "Kai filled me in a bit, but not any of the gory details."

"There are hot springs behind the castle," Kai notes. "Elves can be pretty decadent if they have a bit of power."

"I think I still have all my ribs," Tasha answers,s seriously, having to think about it a moment. She of course wouldn't know the story of Adam and Eve, which is obscure even for Terran Karnors. "As decadent as they are obnoxious."

"We should see about rooms if people are settling in, and divisions of work buildings for purpose," Tasha adds, then it's back to food.

"And clothes?" Sharon asks. She's too big for anything Yue might have.

"Just wait another minute," Kai says, and finally sits normally and looks at people.

Lacci bursts into the cafeteria from the other entry, near the tube connecting to the command center. "Alien!" she squawks, and points back the way she came. "It's right behind me!"

"We have food, I can wait as long as you want." Tasha's about done with her sandwich, but she can always ask for more. And often does. She seems about to say more when she looks up at the commotion. "A new alien I assume?"

The alien enters more calmly. Tia is back to being Galatea, all white unbroken skin with odd facial markings, tufted tail, and glowing eyes. She's also carrying a folded bundle of clothes. Tasha realizes that the only other person who'd seen her like this was Thoth.

"Oh that's Tia," Tasha says dismissively, waving it all off with her drink cup, "She looks like that sometimes. A lot of our special friends have alternative or original forms they don't share because they'll scare the delicate types." She briefly looks to Lacci at 'delicate types', and then resumes eating her sandwich.

"Why didn't you tell us that Tia was a mask?" Lacci squawks at Tasha. Of all the weirdness the Vartan has dealt with today, that seems to be the issue she's focused on now. Galatea brings her human clothes to Sharon.

"I thought you'd assume by now that's how it works with the exotic types. I mean, I have multiple forms, now. Just wait Lacci, some day, you'll secretly be something weird, too." And so Tasha gives Lacci an encouraging thumbs up.

Sharon accepts the clothes and with some amount of hurry gets dressed, looking more at ease afterwards. She gives Tia her thanks and resume eating; Tia also gets a thumbs up.

"Well, I'm here," Galatea says, looking at Kai.

"Right, so.. tell them," Kai prompts.

"Are you two going to merge and become Kaitia, a super dangerous dragon?" Tasha asks.

"Don't even suggest something like that," Galatea says to Tasha, frowning a bit. "But.. in the short time I had in the Library, I couldn't find anything referring to the Ogdru-hem by name, but I was able to get some more information about Daltoona, by not trying to get information about Daltoona."

Tasha does not react to the suggestion she stop making uncomfortable combinational suggestions. "The old indirect approach, I assume you've found something?"

"Daltoona just isn't floating around in interstellar space," Galatea reports. "That would be suicidal, since ships could just appear right on top of them out of hyperspace. It orbits a gas giant in a red dwarf star system, that's completely clean of anything else. There aren't any asteroids, comets, or other planets, and the one planet there doesn't have any other moons."

"That sounds very mundane. I assume there's more, or else someone did something with all that mass, if there was any," red woman alpha remarks. She's finished her sandwich and is now nursing her tea.

"It's also a very low-metal star, so it's old," Galatea continues. "Older than all the other stars in that region. So it wasn't born there. And no system is that clean. The star was moved there by something, then that gas giant was. It's chemical spectrum doesn't match the star's."

"That is very strange. We discussed the station being built around an older structure, but an Ogdru'hem might be capable of moving planets by itself. I met a Lloigor that could do it." Tasha glances to the rest of her, who all glance back, clearly remembering. "The agreements to do that usually require a large sacrifice, however."

"I want to try accessing the older Library unit you acquired from Thotep's ancient fleet," Galatea says. "I think the Niss and I can figure it out."

Tasha frowns at this. "That one may be quite a bit more dangerous that the ones available now. You saw the fleet records, you know why they were there. Thotep is not to be taken lightly, and that's a tremendous understatement. I'd normally say I'd want every protection we have when we access it to cut it off from the outside, but with Sam around it's a little more complex than that." Tasha takes a long sip, thinking, then shrugs. "We'll use precautions anyway. I doubt Thotep would interfere with us so directly considering, but he's not exactly going to lift a cosmic hand to save us if we stumble in to one of his traps, either."

"There is another option," Kai offers, smiling. "One with a better chance of finding usable information, even."

"Oh, so this is to do with why those cave routes aren't shut down?" Galatea says, a bit grouchily.

"But more wrekless and dangerous," Tasha adds; it's not a question.

"The other caves can be connected to elsewhere," another non-question from Tasha.

"There is a library in faerie," Kai notes. "Where these beings can't go. If there is information on binding or banishing rituals, that is where it would be, since the Ogdoad, Ogdru-hem, Hastur, and their ilk can't do anything to suppress it."

Tasha considers this, peering in to her tea. "It's guarded by some immense power or cranky old librarian isn't it, or else you'd have already suggested it. That or some obscure ritual or requirement."

"The path to get there may not be the most convenient, but once there the librarian is very nice and helpful." Kai says. "An old friend, even! Well, a thousand years ago anyway."

"Nothing in fairy is nice and helpful," Tasha insists, looking up again. "And you're hiding something, so you may as well tell me now. I'm not against it, but I know there's more to it than what you said."

"Well, technically the library is in the dragon realm," Kai says, twirling a hand. "And the librarian is a dragon. One of the more friendly, scholarly sorts though."

"I do get along well with dragons," Tasha notes, rubbing her chin. "And I'd like to see a 'dragon realm'. I didn't even know there was a dragon realm, I just thought the dragons popped in to fairyland from ... where ever they pop in from. The Dragon Universe."

"First I'm hearing about this," Galatea notes.

"It's probably a dark and spooky sort of scholarliness," Tasha tells Tia. "You know, in keeping with Kai."

"Well.. true dragons are closer to what Tasha would call memetic beings, or at least meme-adjacent," Kai explains. "They're tied to the Dragon 'fundamental' but also to elemental forces. Water, air, cheese and so on. They're one of the Big Four factions of faerie, along with the Seelie and Unseelie courts and the Wild Fae."

"Cheese?" Hakeber asks. Kai just waves her question off though.

"Probably not the edible kind of cheese," Galatea guesses.

"I remember seeing a lot of dragons during the invasion of my mentor's ... Does everyone know enough about this now I can just say the name? ... My mentor's place. I don't think any of them fought, but they were there outside, and they seemed to be neutral representing some interest or another. I didn't have time to talk to them." Tasha thinks a moment more, then nods again. "Well it's worth a shot. If that fails we'll try the Library unit. or try both. Maybe they'll be more useful as a whole, and we can use one to spot the lies in the other."

"I bet they breathe nacho cheese dip," Tasha remarks to Hake, tail wagging.

Gabriel hmms. "Just what sort of expedition would this need to be?" he asks. "We've got other irons in the fire, as the saying goes. We still have to coordinate with Shojo on his 'team building' mission, and figure out how we're going to be penetrating Daltoona."

"I should probably go. You don't need me specifically to be here for Shojo and Company. Sasha and Hakeber can join me, and maybe one other aside from Kai and Tia. It shouldn't delay things, unless it does. Fairy Time is a little weird," Tasha tells Gabriel.

"Well, our idea behind creating the extra Tashas was that they could be part of the third wave," Galatea explains. "Batty is the first wave. Second would be Shojo's men. Once they have some support set up, third would be the active teams: Hakeber and Sasha, Sharon and Kai, Lacci and Vasha."

"Tasha is the only one that can really go to the library," Kai notes. "Maybe Gabriel too, but that may take longer. I can guide her there easily enough."

"Is it because I'm associated with a certain someone?" Tasha asks Kai, brows raised.

"Sure, leave me here to be the alien monster for Shojo's guys," Galatea says, crossing her arms.

"You'll have Samael too," Tasha tells Tia, smiling.

"Yes, the Wolf," Kai claims. "That is the only association you should mention."

"Are they not a big fan of our dark and ominous common associate?" Tasha asks, head tilting. "They do seem to have a lot of enemies."

"There might still be a Jabberwock in the woods," Kai points out. "There was one's head mounted in the castle."

"The thing you used as a horse?" Tasha scratches her nose. "Can people here deal with it? If we're going to go, we should go soon. Like Gabriel said, we're on a time crunch."

"Like I said, there are four main factions, and you-know-who worked with all of them. And you know the sort of work I did, so things could get tense. I don't know what's happened for the past millennium though while I was in storage."

"That animal was disturbing," Lacci says.

"Oh, the Questing Beast? No, that's harmless," Kai claims. "A Jabberwock is a sort of fey dragon creature. Extremely dangerous and nearly impossible to kill without enchanted weapons."

"So, like it always is with them. I'm sensing a common theme." Tasha sniffs, puts her tea down, and then smooths her pants out. She then stands. "We can head out after I get some sleep. I'm still a bit drained from the replication process." She thinks a moment, then asks, "Do we have any enchanted weapons?"

"I did not see any obviously magic swords in the armory," Gabriel says.

"I think mine count, unless they don't." Tasha frowns, wonderingly.

"Well, you wouldn't have them fight it, obviously," Kai says. "Track it without being seen would be a more appropriate challenge."

And Tasha looks up again. "Oh, is this the secret path to find the Library? Because it's a dragon?"

"No.. I don't know the path yet," Kai says. "We need to see where the caves lead, and hope I recognize where we end up. I collapsed the direct route to this place centuries ago."

Tasha blinks. "Then why do we need to sneak up on the dragon-thing?"

"No, Shojo's guys should do that," Kai says.

"Silent-Ones keep dinosaurs in their hunting parks," Gabriel notes.

Tasha nods to this. "Okay, I was worried I'd have to do a long sneak before we go. That sounds fine. Maybe find some magic weapons just in case, Tia can help with that."

"I can?" Galatea asks in surprise. "Are there any in the castle?"

"You're the magic expert, you tell me," Tasha replies, shrugging with her hands, "How would I know? Can you make some?"

"Maybe," Kai says. "I didn't look around it much last time. Just don't remove the unicorn horn."

"Yes don't do that, the ancient mummy-elf will probably inflate again and then you'll have a real problem," Tasha confirms, nodding.

"I've never made a weapon or used that sort of magic," Galatea notes. "What I do isn't really magic. Some of the bits of the Astraea are sort-of magic but I didn't create any of that."

"What about magical.. rocks or whatnot.. attached to an artillery shell?" Gabriel asks.

"Ooooo, that would be interesting!" Kai agrees. "But you need a specific sort of magical weapon, a vorpal sword."

"Then contain it and eject it, if you can't kill it do what Kai did: seal it away. Throw it in to our reality, maybe it'll evaporate from the raw banality." Tasha twirls her pinter fingers. "Improvise. It'll be a good test."

"Or tracking it and not getting eaten is a reasonable test," Kai notes. "If there is one. I'm not a game warden."

"They can't smell psionics or something can they?" Yue asks.

"Nah, fey use glamour, but that's magic and not telepathy," Kai says.

"Or that. Maybe it'll be fun to have our own local dangerous dragon, we can give him a name, maybe make him a mascot of one of the teams." Tasha picks her tea back up and resumes drinking it now that she isn't leaving. She also sits back down. "Oh Tia, can I get a copy of that thing before I go? May as well have all the weapons I can."

"Err, the thing that will fit exactly into the hole you have from when it was taken out so you wouldn't go insane?" Galatea asks. "That thing? What about your sword and shield?"

Tasha holds up her hands. "You said it could be copied, and way to be subtle and indirect. Wow." She gives Kai a I see what you have to deal with sort of sympathetic look, then looks back to Tia. "As for why, well, we have a lot of varied enemies, they need varied weapons. If it's too dangerous I'll just make due some other way. I always do."

The other Tashas all nod to this, if not in unison. Sharon is last to nod, clearly distracted by something internally.

"It's too dangerous," Galatea claims. "The only way to copy it is to inflict it."

"A magical weapon we haven't seen yet?" Gabriel asks Tasha.

"Well I'll definitely pass on that. Either it'll be a major problem, or it just won't do anything as it passes right through me." Tasha then turns to Gabriel and also holds her hands up to him. "One that's not worth it. Lets just let it go."

Gabriel raises an eyebrow, but doesn't say anything more.

"All of my kids are technically virgins too, if we want to bring a gift," Kai suggests.

"Why is that important?" Lacci asks. Vartans may not have dragon legends.

"Please stop calling them your kids," Tasha says with a heavy sigh. "You'll give me a complex. As for dragons, well, they eat virgins. I don't know why. Maybe it's a fetish or maybe they're just really picky."

Sharon is the most uncomfortable at the suggestion.

"Actually, knowledge is what you take to a librarian dragon," Kai notes, grinning. "Virgins are for any we have to get past on the way."

"Usually Human virgins," Tasha confirms, reaching over to pay Sharon's arm. "No one wants to get eaten but if it's a sex thing, that could be fun."

"I don't think dragons can actually tell the difference," Galatea insists. "That's for unicorns."

"I can tell the difference," Yue notes.

"Seriously?" Hakeber asks the smallest human.

"So can I, but that's a mundane thing," Tasha says with a grin.

"Yes," Yue says, nodding.

"By taste though?" Hakeber asks Tasha, looking skeptical.

"By smell, behavior, and attitude," Tasha explains, shrugging. "Although it doesn't really work on people who have no interest in sex at all."

"They are emotionally different," Yue says, tapping her head again.

"Honestly, some shiny stuff would be better," Kai says. "Treasure."

"Yes," Tasha agrees, nodding. "But while that's all fine and good, will we really need sacrifices, Kai? What kind of treasure?"

"Can they tell the difference between 'real' treasure and stuff you create?" Gabriel asks Kai.

"I don't know," Kai admits.

"I bet they can, it's too close to being what fairyland is made of. That'd be an old trick with old faeries," Tasha points out. It's like creating fake shekels back home. Most people won't notice it, but the old, powerful organizations will eventually."

"What about novelty," Galatea asks, sounding not happy about it. "I left my trade items on Caltrop, but they're.. very rare. And some have sentimental value."

"Lets not start tossing out our dear possessions. I'm sure we have something around here that's useful. We have an old lord's keep full of who-knows-what, and we're from a far-flung universe. I'm sure there's something." Tasha spreads her hands. "And there's always gold."

"Not to mention modern Galactics can create artificial gems by the shipload," red woman prime adds.

"That reminds me," Gabriel says. "Is the lake a salt-water lake?"

"No, but it can be," Kai replies. "For your dolphins."

"We'll want that then," Gabriel says. "And also a way to keep cats from escaping the base."

"Now I expect a mountain of dead monsters to float up from the lake," Tasha remarks, laughing.

"I can salt a lake but there are limitsto my abilities," Kai says, implying that keeping cats locked up is much harder.

"We can tell the doors not to open if the cats are near them," Tasha suggests.

"The indoor areas should be plenty big enough for two cats," Galatea says. "The market on Caltrop probably has plenty of weird toys and art that both easily portable and weird enough for a dragon."

"Maybe we can get some Human, uh, magazines, if they're really in to that sort of thing," Tasha suggests, tail wagging.

"I think the virgins thing may be due to rarity more than flavor," Kai claims.

"Will those little progmat pucks work?" Gabriel asks. "That is, will electronics work in fairy-dragon-land?"

"How weird. A lot of people make a big to-do about virgins but they're not actually that much fun, they don't know what they're doing," Tasha complains, head shaking. "Anyway, lets gather what we can. I have to be able to carry this stuff, after all."

"It might, but maybe it won't," Tasha offers, unhelpfully.

"All of this works," Kai says, gesturing to the base around them.

"So it's not magic that just acts like electricity?" Gabriel asks. "I'm still not sure about the stuff on Dark Horse."

"I sure dig up a lot of inexplicable nonsense," Tasha notes,m head shaking as if she were bemused with her own doings. The others see her, and nod slowly, possibly in on it or possibly reflecting.

"I suggest trying one of the pucks then," Gabriel says. "They're small, and can 'magically' create sculptures."

"Pucks, some synthetic gems like sapphires and maybe some old laser lenses. Those are fun. I'm sure we have something around here. I think there was a spool of gold wire back in the base, maybe some platinum." Tasha taps her chin. "Anything else?"

"Laser pointers," Hakeber suggests. "The cats go crazy for those! Dragons are just big scaly cats, right?"

"They can be used with other wild animals too," Kai notes.

"Get me like, five of those, And a few smoke and stun grenades. If they don't like me I can feed them a few of those," Tasha remarks.

"Pepper spray," Galatea suggests, making every Karnor style nose immediately wrinkle.

Tasha's nose wrinkles too. So does Sharon's, but it's less obvious. "And some of those and nose plugs."

"We need to be careful about weapons," Kai notes. "A sword is fine for show. No firearms, since ammunition can be heavy and you will never have enough if you need it. Bring your whip."

"That old thing? It's not intended for combat, but alright. Can someone get it for me back on the ship?" Tasha looks around to see who will volunteer. "I have my old leather armor in there too, and some of my old clothes. Vasha can use the clothes."

"Me barbarian, use big club," Vasha grunts.

"I can pick it all up," Gabriel says. "I know where you keep it, and these kids don't have spacesuits."

"You don't get the leather armor," Gabriel tells the Vartan.

"Yes, and you know better than to try and open the 'don't open this' box. They do too, of course." Tasha smiles. "I wonder if I still fit in my old armor?"

"So.. do you not dress up in it for Gabriel then?" Hakeber teases.

"Laces can be tightened," Gabriel says. "You were always in danger of bursting out of it anyway."

"I'll look form fitting and less dangerous, that seems like an improvement for this. Grab my sword, too. The one I got from the Citadel." Tasha nods. That should do it.

"The whip will make you look more intimidating," Kai suggests. "Pretty sure the fey invented the dominatrix, back in when they got into torture."

"I suppose Tasha can pretend to be a freelance torturer," Hakeber says, squinting a bit at Tasha.

"Aww, I torture people for fun, not profit." Tasha wags her tail some more. "I prefer to think I look adventure some, or like a really attractive and cuddly demon."

"We will try to avoid places demons hang out," Kai says. "If possible."

Tasha nods slowly to this. "Please do, I have enough of them to deal with as it is."

"Well.. we need to get stuff at Caltrop," Galatea points out. "Including the mercenaries, if they're ready. And spacesuits for those that need them. I can give Kai some information on modern clothing for the 'kids' too in the meantime. Do we need anything else?"

"More beer," Hakeber says. "And food."

"We'll need to bring Jonas in," Gabriel says. "Some way to move Rock and Rainbow safely as well."

"Yes. I'll help with shopping since I mostly know my own tastes, even those who differ from me. I'll handle myselves then." Tasha pushes up again, empty cup put on the table. "Can we bring the ship inside yet, Kai?"

"Inside, but.. outside may be tricky without an anchor," Kai explains. "Galatea can be that locally though, for both entry and exit. She just needs to be on the ship to come in, and outside to go out. Or wherever 'out' needs to be."

"Alright, we can offload inside then put the ship back outside so the Titanians don't panic." Tasha claps her hands together then. "It sounds like we have our tasks. We should get to those."

"What's my task?" Lacci asks. Yue is wise enough not to ask that question herself.

"You ... " Tasha squints. She has to think. Then she gets it. "You and Vasha are going to practice working together. You'll need to be able to get along and work together, and seem like Vartans enough, to achieve your goals."

"You know I'm a Clan Vartan, right?" Lacci notes, looking over the very civilian-built Vasha. "I've only met the ones on that beach. But that.. should be good enough."

"I want to watch you eat," Vasha says.

"That's not a euphemism for anything is it?" Lacci asks Tasha nervously.

"Lacci, you're one of us, right? It's time you learn to make due with what you can, and innovate. I gave you a task, show me what you can do. Make it work. Find a way." Tasha eyes Lacci in a decidedly boss-like manner. "I'm counting on you, and so is everyone else. You'll only have Vasha and yourself to relky on for a while, best get ready now."