And what is the best way to spend these next two days?

Continuing to build things...

...and planning. They do very much still need a plan that's not just "stay here and hope for the best" with a side of "mind-attack everyone who gets anywhere close."

Building things is important. But how about further exploration of the mysterious ruins? Ideally before two days come to pass.

Was there anything more they needed to explore there?

Well, there is a vast complex of spatially distorted structures in there. Who knows what they could find? Or the magic principles that they could rediscover?

Can't they get that information from the little not-quite-sapient protocols in there, instead of going exploring?

That could work too.

(Temperance really wanted to explore the ancient magical ruins.)

Yes, well, kid, unless the ancient magical ruins have lots of resources they can actually use they're a curiosity at best.

Temperance keeps contributing to the good of the colony.

So does Isra.

Contributing's fine, but they still need a plan.

They mentioned a portal down there...

Possibly just one of the many interesting things they can find.

But following the aboleths sounds like a terrible idea. Granted, they could aim the portal to somewhere else. Assuming they could find somewhere habitable to escape.

Why, terrible idea?

Well, what are the odds that they would gladly welcome with open tentacles the weird aliens from the home planet that they wrote off as doomed? Why risk when they can just shoot everything that goes through the portal?

That makes sense.

But they don't really know how to even make portals like that.

True, and people should go research that.

Temperance is totally going to be part of the team that is going to research the ruins themselves for important clues, that is totally thing they could and should do.

Yes, but that's a resource and they need an actual plan before committing to getting it. Are they fleeing the system with the flayers? No grand stand against their tyrannical fist?

Well, maybe they have weapons down there? Or war-based applications for portals.

Is it safe for the Federation to know that kind of magic is even possible? She guesses if they evacuate they could pretend some weird accident killed everyone and destroyed all the new mysterious magic...?

That's a possible solution, what with everyone thinking the flayers are actually evil and terribly powerful.

It all depends on what they can find and salvage from both the not-quite-sapient protocols and the ruins, though. How are the efforts with the former going?

They're mostly not. Protocols are still behind the Perception barrier, and after the mini-flayers contacted the main population and reported back, nothing new happened.

Well... shouldn't they send a second expedition then?

Sigh. Yes. They should.

(Yay!)

That sounds like a great tactical decision. Is everyone that came before coming this time around too?

It might not be a reasonable idea to waste that many people there now that they know what's there and how to deal with it.

Fair enough. Temperance will volunteer though.

As does the resident Airist.

Well, not everyone is that willing to go back down there.

Sadde is indecisive.

Isra hugs him. "It is entirely reasonable not wanting to come after the last time."

"I know, but—it's not quite that."

"What is it then?"

"Nnnnot sure it's the best thing I could be doing with my time?"

"Ah, I see," Isra squeezes. "Do you want help deciding then?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, what would the alternatives and the desires behind them be?"

"Going down there, desire being mainly—well, being with you, let's get that out there—and curiosity? And staying here—strategising, helping plan and organise resources."

"Aw." Isra nuzzles Sadde's neck. "Well, can you guess the weight of each impulse?"

"Pretty evenly matched? But—I think the latter is probably what's. Erm. Objectively better for me to be doing. Curiosity is a purely, er... selfish desire."

"Doing things for your own sake doesn't have to carry the negative connotations of the word selfish. See how I'm here with you instead of back home. One could argue there are selfish elements to following a safe path."

"But I mean, it's selfish in that it's just about me. I won't be aggregating anything, by going with my curiosity."

"Do you think the contribution that you would provide is significant enough that you can't indulge your curiosity?"

"...yeah, actually, I'm pretty good at strategy and plans."

"And after thinking about these things, what do you want to do?"

"I want," he says, and blushes a bit, "to have sex with you and then stay here and strategise."

"I approve of this decision!" Isra says kissing Sadde.

Well then! Kiss!

Do we have time though? he sends.

Well, I don't mind being interrupted. Beats the alternative of not having sex with you right now in the first place.

Well it'd be—half-sex, not an entire sex.

Well, if you want we can just stay here and snuggle, without sex too.

...nah let's do each other.

And thankfully they're already kissing in his "room" so he can start undressing this adorable tailed person.

And his tailed person can undress Sadde in return!

Sadde is continually fascinated by Isra's body. His kisses are... much less tentative than they were when the two of them first started this, exploring all of Isra's body with hunger.

Does he? In all this exploration is there a favorite part?

Yep. This one here, which he will use his mouth to appreciate.

Isra likes Sadde's appreciation, so much that he wants to reciprocate in kind.

He is welcome to do so!

Hmmmm, reciprocation.

They are, however, interrupted before getting very far into the reciprocation.

The team is getting ready to leave, which of you's going?

I am! Just give me a second to put my clothes on! Isra sends interrupting the reciprocation.

I'll stay, he says, blushing a little.

Do you two ever stop touching? she laughs. Team'll be waiting.

Isra kisses Sadde goodbye and meets up with the team.

Dr. Kei is there, as well as a smaller crew than before.

Well, the small crew still includes Temperance.

That it does! And when Isra arrives they are all ready to depart.

Cool, any incident during the journey downwards?

Nope. Everything goes just alright, and then they're through the Perception barrier.

...stuff is different.

Different how?

For one, there seems to be a flurry of activity the Navs can pick up on, and then everyone else once they're close enough: the mini-flayers are running this way and that through the structure, merging in pairs and trios before separating and taking whatever information they'd gotten to their destinations.

Has any of those got in contact with the submarine?

Nope. Zip and zoom this way and that.

What if she tries to communicate with them?

They will communicate back! It's what they're for, an interface.

Okay.

Why is everything so active all the sudden?

The Anti-Extinction Protocols have been reactivated based on information from the surface and measures need to be taken to ensure the continued survival of the world's population.

Oh, right. What are those measures?

Building decision trees about what to do depending on this threat's capabilities, inventorying and gathering resources, obtaining more information, activating old enchantments, booting up servers.

Oh, we're actually here to figure out ways to help with that.

What resources do you have access to?

Temperance contacts Dr. Kei about this question.

She lists the kinds of magic they have specialists for on hand, as well as the systems already installed on their ship.

The mini-flayers start spreading this information around.

Cool, do the mini-flayers have information that they can share with this expedition?

They have access to various spells and enchantments the expedition may not have discovered yet, according to what the population at the surface has communicated them.

Cool, what about the space-distorning magic and the portal?

Yes, some of the enchantments registered are space magic that they can probably use.

Cooler, Temperance will start researching space magic and the portal right away. How hard it would be to make it useful?

Quite. It's absolutely incomprehensible.

And what is causing this incomprehensibility?

The fact that it's unlike any other enchantments she's ever seen, makes references to dozens of different concepts and runes at the same time, and is bizarrely complex and interwoven.

Is there an indication this complexity is something that only one of the starfish aliens could've understood? Or can Temperance work hard and believe in herself until she manages it?

She can definitely understand it if she studies it a lot.

For like a few weeks, maybe months.

That is barely any time at all!

...they do kinda have a potential war...

Oh, right, priorities. Are the flayers capable of using or altering those enchantments?

The ones down here are not sapient, and are themselves merely enchantments, so they cannot do magic.

Have they tried to get help from the larger flayers?

...that question does not make a lot of sense. They are not sapient. They are computer programs.

She meant the surface population, they can totally do magic.

Those perhaps could, but the way they do magic is also different.

Alright, Temperance will do more research and try to compliment the mini-flayers efforts to inventory their resources, at least until she finds something more interesting to do.

More interesting like what?

Ideally, magical principles that they (or the Feds) wouldn't know about and that could be implemented right away.

The first part exists, the second, not so much.

Well, Temperance will keep searching and help as she can.

By the time she needs to return to the surface, she will have found a lovely array of new magic that no one ever managed before to her knowledge, all of it taking a long time to be understood and implemented.

Well, this is a long term mission, isn't it? Still, Temperance will talk with the other mages and figure out which things they should prioritize.

The Captain would like a report.

Which Temperance provides.

"It would seem that you were right," she admits only somewhat reluctantly.

"Yeah, nothing immediately useful, but we should take a look regardless... I was wondering if we could leverage some trades with the Feds using this, but it's probably not feasible."

"If they figure they can overwhelm us with force they'll do it. It's unlikely trading will be on their mind."

Shrug. "What do you want me to do now?"

"Possibly figure out how their incredible magic works over the next few months so we can use it."

Temperance actually bounces, then stops herself. "Thank you. I will give my best."

"I will need somewhat continual status reports, though, so figuring out a way to lift the perception bubble underwater or bring its content outside would be desirable."

Nod. "I will talk to the mini-flayers and see what is more manageable. I do think I've collected enough to come up with plans of attack no matter their answer."

"Glad to hear it. How about the others that went with you?"

"Uh... I think I was a bit too distracted with all the new shiny magic."

"I see. I will call them, then."

Assuming that was a dismissal, Temperance goes away.

She calls Isra next.

Here is Isra!

"Please report."

"I mainly mapped the facility, the place's topography is very weird but conditions there are stable."

"Has it changed at all?"

"Not. I talked with the mini-flayers, they can't map the place as well as I do but they perceive the whole of it. The thing is growing, but on a scale of noticeable changes taking years to showing up."

"I see. Anything else you think would be relevant to report?"

Shake. "No, is there anything else I can do for you?"

"I don't think so. Go play with pretty boy. Or, pretty girl, today, I suppose."

"I will! Thanks!"

And Isra goes to find pretty genderfluid.

Pretty genderfluid is in a room surrounded by papers reading a document intently.

"Can I distract you for a moment?"

She looks up. "Oh, hi, you're back! Yeah, what's up?"

"Nothing dangerous happened during the expedition. Temperance is going to research a ton of lost knowledge. Which I only know about because she was muttering excitedly about it to herself the whole trip up."

"Well that's sorta adorable," she grins. "And I kinda wanna help but I'm also helping the Captain with strategy."

"Temperance is really adorable about magic. I am curious myself, but I would only slow her down. How is the strategy going?"

"Frustratingly. Feds have a lot of power to throw at—everything, really."

Hug. "I know. On the other hand, we are sitting on a planet that is several kinds of impossible."

Hug! "Yeah. I'm gonna need Temperance's report, if there's new magic. Figure out what and how we can deploy it."

"She is probably working on it right now."

"Hmm, I wonder if I should go poke her about it."

"I think she would've taken a break to eat something before going back to work. Granted, she was really excited about magic discoveries."

"I meant stay around her while she does stuff so I can get the information on new magic firsthand." She pets Isra's tail.

Isra's tail remains fluffy and reacts positively to the petting. "Oooh, yes, and you can update the strategy plans as needed."

"Yeah. I'd rely strictly on mental communication but I don't think I trust her not to get so absorbed in her magic she neglects to respond," she says, grinning.

Sound about right. Snuggle. "I know what it is like to be completely absorbed in things you love."

She opens her mouth to reply before the words catch up with her brain and she stops and turns red and closes her mouth and squirms a bit. "I love you, too," she murmurs, looking down at her legs.

Isra kisses her forehead and raises her chin to kiss her lips.

Yeah okay shyness time over she wants him. She wraps her arms around his neck and returns the kiss hungrily.

I missed you.

Kiss. Missed you too, maybe next trip you could come.

Maybe. I'm not sure, though, I still have a lot to do here.

Nod. I love you.

I love you too, she sighs. And we should use this time we're both here.

Tail snuggle. I would love to do that. The kissing didn't stop, but Isra gives her a longer one.

Yep she's all in favour of longer kisses. She's also in favour of shirtless Isra.

Is she in favor of naked Isra?

Heavens, yes.

Then she will get a naked Isra!

Isra's disdain for clothing is so good, she's very in favour of it. So many more places to kiss.

Good, because Isra likes to be kissed. He wouldn't mind returning the favor.

Oh but that'd require her to get undressed, too. Would he help her with that, please and thank you?

It's a pleasure to help! Look how much of a pleasure Isra has while removing Sadde's shirt and kissing the exposed skin.

Yes those are very good places to kiss, she approves.

Maybe he should remove more clothing articles and kiss the expanded skin area?

Yes, please and thank you!

Sadde is so very welcome.

She is so very a large number of things, most of them involving Isra. She is also quite happy she gets to have a larger bed here, her apartment on the ship was tiny. They can use a lot more space now.

Good, Isra wants Sadde to be comfortable and some other things.

Yep. She is all that. And then they snuggle.

Snuggles!

"I love you," she sighs, squirming a bit in his arms.

"I love you too," Isra says embracing her.

Eventually: "I should maybe go see Temperance."

Forehead kiss. "Whatever you want."

"You spoil me."

Giggles. Kiss.

Temperance can be easily located. Unsurprisingly, she is researching magic.

Knock knock.

"It's lunch time already?" Temperance says before opening the door.

It's closer to dinner.

"Closer to dinner," she echoes the narration.

"Oops, got distracted. Do you want to come in, Sadde?"

"Yeah!" She does, and finds a seat. "So I heard you found new magic."

"Yes, I did! Some principles that we haven't even heard of!" She pulls Sadde to her table. "I'm mainly organizing my plan of attack so to speak."

"Oooh, show me."

She outlines her predictions to which will be easier, and which are dependent on one another, with a decision tree exploring various possibilities.

Ooh decision trees! She likes those. She also writes down a lot of stuff.

Temperance is glad to help! She was mostly aiming to do this work by herself, but there are few notes on people that are specialized in this or that area that might help too.

Cool! Sadde would love to help, but is now mostly tallying resources.

That is entirely okay! That is how teamwork... works. Temperance's notes are good, but some details could be ironed out given that Sadde knows more about the colony's distribution of strategic assets.

At some point they should also, like, go eat.

Yup, they should!

Temperance is not prompting it. Maybe someone should arrange regular do-not-starve visits to her.

Maybe! Sadde's prompting it, though.

Alright, alright, they will go grab some nutritious grub.

Nutritious grub! Yay!

At least they are socializing.

That they are!

Eventually they're done with food and though Sadde would love to continue nerding about magic with Temperance she has a lot of things to do.

But first she finds Isra to ask, "So you're not into the whole monogamy thing right?"

Isra snuggles up. "No."

Apparently he thinks this enough on the matter.

"Then I might ask Temperance out. Or, well, not exactly out, but you get what I mean."

"Oooh, she is nice. I hope you two have fun." Pause. "Can I ask you two out some day? I think people don't do this here."

"Well if it's alright with her it's definitely alright with me."

The response to that is kissing. Or maybe for Isra the topic is already closed and he wants to do that instead. "Love you."

So many kisses! "Love you too. But I should get back to work, compile this new info..."

"Good luck."

And Sadde is aware that Temperance's preferences run hetero, so a couple of days later when he's feeling particularly boyish he knocks on her door again.

"Oh, hi Sadde!"

"Hello! How's research coming along?"

"Too complicated for words and it's going to be extremely complicated to understand and adapt any of it. It's great! How about your job?"

"Loads of fun! Coordinating everything is complicated, and with this much time to plan we're getting to explore a lot of possible strategies."

"Really, what sorts?"

"We have a whole decision tree about what to do depending on what they do, under what circumstances we'll act first, how do deal with unknown unknowns..."

"Oooh, interesting. What sorts of things? Or is some of it top-secret?"

"Not top-secret but better not discuss it out loud, just as a general precaution?" The Captain is very paranoid, commendably.

"Loose lips crash ships," Temperance says with a smile. And we can't be sure some people won't change their minds.

Precisely.

He proceeds to tell her about various possible scenarios and contingencies they've thought up, several of which taking the information about magic she's been unearthing into account.

Tactical applications of magic are very interesting too!

But eventually: "So, this is fun but my purpose in coming here was actually something else."

"Oh?"

"Do you... well, I suppose the social structures don't exist anymore, not on this planet anyway, but the sentiment is the same, do you want to go out on a date with me?"

"Of course!"

"—really? Wow that was easier than I'd expected."

"Why? You are cute, smart and know a lot about magic."

"Well... I don't know, I'd never actually asked anyone out before."

"First time for everything."

"I guess. And this is probably the first time a date has happened on this planet, so—how exactly would it even work?"

"I mean maybe the starfish dated as well? Not that that would apply to us. We could go exploring?"

"Ooh sounds fun."

"Let's check some maps then."

"Maps of what?"

"The planet. For interesting spots."

"The whole planet?" he laughs. "It's kinda big. And shouldn't the exploration be a surprise? Otherwise it's just tourism."

"Not the whole thing, silly head."

"You didn't address my second point!"

Shrug. "Whatever is more fun."

"Let's just go exploring without a map, it's more fun this way. Tomorrow morning?"

"Perfect!"

Then she kisses him.

!

!!!!!!!

When Temperance breaks away she giggles at his face. "You are adorable."

"Thank you! It's completely accidental."

"Let's call it a natural talent."

He grins. "I thought the kiss was meant to come at the end of the first date, though."

Temperance giggles. "Oops."

"But I don't think I like the traditional way much, compared," he adds.

"I must say that I agree with you."

"So—tomorrow, no destination?"

"Sounds like a plan."

"Cool!" Peck. "I need to go do things, now! Until tomorrow!"

"Can't wait!" Temperance gets back to her research.

And the next day there is presumably breakfast.

And look who is here: Temperance!

"Good morning!"

"Good morning! Are you well rested for our date?"

"Naturally. Are you, or did you spend all night studying magic?"

"As tempting as that would be, no, I slept well."

"Good," he giggles. "Then let's eat and go."

"Sure thing." Hmm, delicious grub.

(Well, Isra is stretched thin but he is working on eventually getting orchards.)

And after grub:

"Should we bring anything in particular? Hiking stuff, maybe? Do we have hiking stuff?"

"We do actually! Many people have been taking it up as a past time here!"

"Oh, cool, then lead the way."

Temperance leads to where the equipment is, and leaves a note with their general itinerary and when they should get back.

"So, where to?"

Temperance points at the map. There are a few possible interesting places which are at a hiking distance; one is even a good exploration site since those rock formations could be used for tactical advantage.

"Do you expect us to need that tactical advantage?"

"I expect that the captain will complain less if we take breathing equipment to explore something with a tactical advantage."

"She probably will," he agrees. "Let's go?"

"Lead the way!"

He does!

"...I don't actually know where to get breathing equipment. I wonder if Isra does?"

"We can ask. I think they liberated something from the Fed ship?"

Isra does in fact know where the breathing equipment is being kept and tells them so. He also kisses Sadde, which could be considered rude to do when someone else is in a date with him.

...does Temperance consider it rude?

Color her mildly confused but intrigued.

"Let's go, then?"

"Sure thing. I am curious about the," she waves, "the Isra situation."

"What about it?—had you thought we'd broken up or something?"

"Nah, just occurred to me just now, that I was supposed to ask what I am supposed to expect."

"Well... he's pretty open? And I don't really have a lot of experience with this, but monogamy always sounded like... a drag, really."

"I never tried other options besides monogamy, but it sounds like a thing to try."

"You dated much?"

Temperance does a so-so gesture. "Had a lot of first dates? My longest relationship was just six months. You?"

"Er, I'd never been with anyone, actually."

"Shy?"

He laughs. "Not exactly. Merely weird."

"...Why exactly?"

"Why what? Why I'm weird? I'd hope it was obvious by now."

She giggles. "Well, you could be hiding a multitude of interesting facets. A girl can dream."

"I'm incredibly interesting! How does that preclude being weird? Or vice-versa."

"Hey! I never said it precludes. If anything, I believe quite the opposite!"

"Didn't seem so, what with those judgy eyes." He raises both hands to his eyes and wriggles his fingers there, pointing at her and squinting.

"Judgy? My eyes? I think you need to take a closer look!"

She comically bats her eyelashes at him, then giggles.

"I could, couldn't I."

"Of course you could," she bats her eyelashes again.

So he takes a step closer, and then another, until his nose is barely an inch from hers.

Temperance makes a serious face, until she cracks up and kisses him.

!!!!!!

"You're adorable."

"Am I? Gosh, how did I never notice?"

"Clearly, you were too distracted being adorable to stop and notice."

"Ah, of course, I should've thought."

They reach the location of their date proper. The scenery is quite spectacular.

Not quite as spectacular as Temperance is, he thinks.

Flattery can get you anywhere! And can get Temperance to kiss you and return the compliment.

Oh good!

What else is there to see, then?

Well, there is this rock formation, almost a cave. Very private, you know.

And they have this nifty piece of equipment that creates a bubble of breathable air around them! How convenient.

But convenient to what? One must wonder.

Surely nothing untoward.

Clearly. But very non-untoward things can happen. Can't they?

Yep, they can.

After a delightful amount of non-untowards things it's time for them to return to their tiny spot of civilization.

"So that was fun."

"Yes, let's do that again someday," kiss.

A few days later, the ship with Temperance's brother arrives. Weeks go by. They run out of planning to do and move on to building and getting more resources. A small nonflayer village forms around the skeleton of the gutted ship, and they collect more resources and figure out more magic. Each new breakthrough means they have to redo some part of the plan to take the new resources into account, but that's better than the alternative. And still no sign of invasion from outside.

Temperance and her half-brother don't have the warmest reunion. And many might interpret Temperance's tendency to work in her room for days as a means to avoid contact with him. These people clearly don't know Temperance well enough.

Then one day, people hear a high-pitched excited squee coming from Temperance's room. Followed shortly after by Temperance hastily leaving the room while shouting "Portals! Portals!"

This is probably not the most dignified way to announce these news.

She sticks her head out of her room to watch Temperance run. "Wuh?"

"I figured out portals!" Temperance says pausing a little but jumping in place. "Got to tell the Captain."

"Ooh! Yes, go tell her!"

Temperance giggles, but leaves to do just that.

The Captain is poring over some maps.

Temperance does have enough presence of mind (and a limit of how much she can run before needing to catch her breath) that she politely calls the Captain's attention and then announces. "Figured out portals!"

She blinks. "Well! That changes just about everything, doesn't it!"

"It does, and we can hook it up to the existing infrastructure and achieve interstellar transportation with the resources we have."

"Can we. Sounds like you've got it all figured out."

"I have!" And Temperance launches a very technical explanation about the entire process. It makes absolutely no sense to Monica, but mostly because she can't grasp most concepts.

"And how do we put this in practice?" she asks after indulging Temperance.

Temperance produces more opaque arcane jargon, but one that translates more easily to "go to that underwater place, input some coordinates and turn the thing on."

"So, are we ready to move to uncharted waters, then?"

"Uncharted waters? I actually think we shouldn't open the portal to a planet even on an ocean."

"Ancient expression never mind, I meant just go elsewhere."

"Oh, right. That we are. Well, I would need some fancy calculations to pick a destination first. Any place in the galaxy that you would like to have nearly instantaneous access to?"

"Anywhere far from the Feds."

"Hmm, the farther way the harder the calculation... but I will think of something."

"I trust you."

"Thanks! If you don't mind I want to give everyone the good news and maybe eat something."

"Of course. You've earned your rest."

"Thank you!"

She leaves and searches for people to share the good news. Maybe Sadde wants to hear the good news?

Sadde has kinda heard but wouldn't object to an elaboration.

And Isra is hanging out with Sadde and wouldn't mind hearing about it as well.

Actually a lot of people might want the details.

Temperance is glad to provide. Her explanation gets very opaque, very fast though. And soon Sadde is pretty much the only person that has any grasp about it, at all.

Sadde however finds it fascinating and wants to go visit the underwater lab next time she goes.

Adam showed up after the crowd formed and stayed when it dispersed. He is listening from a distance.

"There is no hope we can return to our lives. But I guess we could at least offer the option to become a fugitive to whoever cares to take it?"

"Maybe. But... I think I can aim this well enough to hit a ship in orbit, but I don't think I can make it so discreetly enough that people in the ship or space station wouldn't notice and they would see the mysterious portal and likely tell everyone ...unless they are kept hostages. ...Better than nothing."

"Pretty sure everyone here is already a fugitive no matter what."

"Yes, but there is a difference between a fugitive in a distant star system and one in a known location inside the Feds' reach."

"I don't want to go back there... but if you could aim at the Above-Zenith Station I don't think they would tell the Feds and would negotiate peacefully for the safe passage..."

"—we don't need to go there, we can find elsewhere—"

Everyone to station immediately, a voice sounds in their heads.

Adam is the first to react. He stands up and is soon followed by many others.

—well then. To station.

This is your Captain speaking. The planet is currently surrounded by Fed ships. We do not know how they managed to bypass the magic fields—we do know we've been infiltrated, and the culprit has been captured. If you desire to flee, the option is open to you. We are all going somewhere they cannot reach us—even if they try. And they will try.

Temperance freezes - for just a moment, then runs back to her room to get all her notes.

Any and all earthists and waterists and airists willing to come are wanted. We are waiting at—and she sends the mental impression of the loading bay.