[text] [aka no way is he showing his face right now]

[rebells]

Is everyone all right?

I think it's safe to say that this changes things considerably.

Comments

[deem]

If they were trying to harness something they couldn't control, it's not surprising.

But what would've given them the idea to start with? They seemed so primitive.

[rebells]

Did they? We couldn't communicate with them, but they had tamed the wildlife and were capable of basic strategy.

In any case, they lacked power. Maybe it's as simple as that.

[deem]

Based on their patterns of attack, I wouldn't call them sophisticated. Not compared with the Palai anyhow.

Lacking power is one thing, but harvesting this seems a little... In most situations I'd think it was being weaponized.

[rebells]

Do you know what they are?

[deem]

I think I do, but...

[He's reluctant to believe it, but he's a Scanner. He knows what his readings tell him]

[rebells]

What is it?

[deem]

They're bones.

Which...answers what they wanted with the Eltos they took.

[rebells]

. . . I suppose it does.

[deem]

There's so many, it makes me wonder just how long this has gone on for.

[rebells]

[There's a noticeable pause.]

A long time, undoubtedly. But we knew that already.

[The Uvi have been taking Palai bodies for a long time, after all.]

[deem]

And their abduction rates were higher before we came along.

Still, looking at these numbers is just...

[He trails off, stifling the thought. There's no need to say it]

What do we do with them now?

[rebells]

[Well, we're about to get one answer from Qri . . . . ]

Ask the Palai. If they don't have any objection, we might as well make use of them, but . . . .

[deem]

[They sure are...of the headache-inducing variety]

I guess so. Don't waste your resources and all that...

[He comes from a story in which harvesting your own fallen corpse is a thing, after all]

[rebells]

. . . could they be used against the barrier, I wonder?

[deem]

The energy might be able to overload it, based on what these are giving off.

If you had enough of them and could focus it, I mean.

[rebells]

Well, we've got a lot of them now, although collecting them will be . . . difficult.

I don't know how we'd direct that energy against the barrier, though.

[deem]

There should be ways to gather them.

But we might have to put some thought into how they'd be used... Magic's not really my forte.

[rebells]

It's not mine either, really.

I wonder if this kind of magic is anyone's here. Besides perhaps the Eltos'.

[deem]

Do you mean producing energy, or something intrinsic to their biology?

Or I suppose there's both... Can't say I know anybody like that.