They're in flat empty tundra. There are some tents. Some worried-looking people bustling around. 

:This way: the strange woman says. :We are avoiding direct Gates to the area where he is - the Proto feeds on them - how sick is your patient...?: 

:Not in critical condition but not great: Shavri tries to follow the woman and focus her Sight on Julie at the same time. 

Julie is looking around in fascination. Julie's proto is indeed enthusiastic about the Gate.

They cross some sort of mostly-invisible but slightly shimmering barrier, and suddenly there's a small hut and a door! And then stairs. The Adept mages with Nayoki carry Julie's litter down said stairs. 

The stairs go down for a while. 

There's a door. Then another door after a short hallway, almost like an airlock. 

There's a set of underground rooms. 

In one of them, a man is lying on a mattress, sweaty and shivering, clearly feverish, his skin colour ashy. He doesn't seem aware of their arrival. 

Oh gods, Shavri thinks, quietly in the back of her mind. 

There are a number of Healers around him, not wearing the standard uniform but it's still not hard to tell. 

She squats and dives into her Sight. How sick is this mysterious person? 

He has less of the protomolecule than Julie but it seems to have done more damage, maybe because it took root a lot faster and took more out of him in the process? It's also not as organized as the protomolecule in Julie, buzzing around anxiously rather than forming tissue and crystals; this might be because he's mounting a very strong immune response, whereas by the time Shavri even met Julie she mostly wasn't doing more than running a futile fever.

Honestly the immune response is actually more life-threatening in the short run, but the local Healers seem to be trying to work on that. 

She Mindtouches Julie's Proto again. Pushes across a brief skim of how Leareth's body looks to her Sight. 

:Causing damage. Can you - tell it to stop that...?: 

:̸̜̃͗́͑̐̿̔̔̔̓̒̄̿͝*̴̨͎̞͍̲̗̣̯̱̜̍̈́̊̿̈̾̂͘͠.̸̡̪̩͈͖̻̝͇̯͎̟̬̮͈̅̿̑͜ǘ̴̲̼̗̲̰͊́̾͋͠ņ̴̛̦͖͕͇̼̲̙̘͗͂̽̈́̋͛͑̽̂̊͘͜͝ḑ̶͖̺͎͙̼̬͌͌̈́̄͘ě̸̲̝̝̭̺̜̪̦̦͙̀͒̾̋̀͌̊͝͠ͅr̸̳̍̀̈́͛̏̀̌̈̾̑͝͝ ̴̧̜̳̖̣̪̂̄̀͋̕͝ǎ̷̛̮͔͋́͂̈́̃̊̃̾̌̐t̶̛̹͈̞͓̻͎̤͓̩͒̾͐͆̒̄̄̇̽ͅt̸̢͙̠̠̗͚̭̦͈̄͂̐̌a̶̡̢̫̪̤͍̘͆̅̿̋́̇͜c̵̟̟͛́͊͑̎̚̚͝k̸͚͗̌͗̉̃̇͘̚͜͝.̷̨̞̱͖̥̖̥̟̠̠̝͚͔͋̂́̉̀̈̔͝:̸̡̨͙̹̹̭̻͈̩̮̪̿̄ͅ

:We'll stop attacking. ...Er, unless you mean his immune system: she tries to push across some of the gestalt-concept of this along with her Sight. :I can - try to stop that - but he's dying so I, er, I can't really blame his body for fighting back...: 

.̸͙͈͇͇͎͓̘̙͠/̸̢̠̝͔̙̟͔͙̰̣̺̲̞̳͐̎̀̍c̵̨̛̹̯̯̗͚̩͆̾̇͌̇́̆̽̈́̑̕͝o̸͇͇̮̬͔̫͈̍̎̃̌̈́̓̄͂̾̃̽̚̚̚n̷̠̱̂̈̈̽̈̏̋̚f̶̢̧̛̛̼͈͓̬͑͒̄̏͗̉̆͘͝͝u̵̘̤̪͙̦͕̲̙̲̦̙̹͐̈͛s̶̨̤̺͎̳̲̖̣̥͍̬͚̙͈͒̀͗̽̀̓i̷̢̢̙̣̠̩̪͍͇̟̱͚̼͑́̑͂͑͠͠o̶͍̪̫͎̜͕͂͌̌͒̔̍̉́̇̈̒̌̉̀͘ͅņ̵̭̜̳̻̭͚̺̦͖̠̭͗͂̈̅̓̊̀̂̓*̷̗͔͙͚͖̤̣̈́̀̕͘|̵̨̜͈̩͆̑̓̆͒̿́̅̑̐̋̄̊̓̈į̷̦̱͉̹̤̯̘͎͎̮̝̦͐̿͌̔̎͑̓͜!̶̢̱͉͙̩̮͍̣͎̣̩́̓̀́̄d̶͉̻̮͈̟̰͙̥͌̃̌͋̇̄͌͘̚å̶̜͍̙͚͔̫̋̍̇̑̈́͗̍̚̕͠ņ̵̢̖͇̼̲͍̖̈̋̀̎͘͝g̵͔͇̜͓̦̋̌̓́͘͝ę̴̧̛͙̫͈̻̻̗̥͔̥̺͒̌̓̈́̽̀͊͗̌̂̊́͠r̶̡̧͚̤̠͉̗̂̿̌̒̐̓̈̍̚ͅ?̷͙͙̗̻̺̤̆͛̎̐͑̍̊̀̉̓͛͘.̴̡̧̯͙̠̟̖̱̘̠͔͉͙̏́̆͝

Aaaand yet again Shavri is wishing she DIDN’T feel sympathetic to the alien weapon infection...

And yet.

:...I’ll keep you safe. I promise. I - I won’t let anyone kill you - I know you want resources but you’re taking them from him and he could die and then -:

(A sudden intuitive inkling of - well, one of many many things the Proto might not yet understand...)

:If you cause too much damage here: mental image of her Sight on Leareth’s body, :then resources will be - will be permanently lost...:

.̸͙͇͈̬͒͊̎̑̐͋̑̓͝͝/̶̝̗͔̳͙̬͊̄̂̔̏̈̉̕͠c̶̢̬̣̼̝̣̏̚o̵͔̜̜̘̜̠̗̹̟̭̜͙͕̭͕̒̇̿͒̿͒̇͛ṇ̷̮͕̮̻͇͍̻̈͐͜f̷̨̺͚̱̝̰̈́́̓̀̐ữ̴͇͕͉̼̟͖̣͠s̴̢͖̣̈̔̉̂͑̓̉̆̚͝͝i̸̢̯͇̩̠̣͔̹͂͌̈́͌̽̄͊͋̀̓͌͠o̶̡̧͓̮̻̟͈̻̫̗͓̝͑͗͆̇̆̑̓̓̾͌͌͊͠ͅn̴͙͓̭̾͗̓.̸̨͉̬̈́̿̌͒̀̄̓̎̽̿͜ͅm̴̜̟͙̝̟͚̞̠̠͓͚̣̜̫̪̐̑̚e̴͈̍̊́̃̂̔̽̇̓̑̆̽̂̚̕m̷̡͔̮̜͍̤̞͍̟̥͎̌͠ǫ̸̮͖̺̖̩̩̲̞̀͐̎͊̓̐́́͛͒̈͌̒͝r̶̡̡̢̛̭̝͈̩̱̩̜̤̎̏̋̐́̀́̒͋̋̊͘̕͝y̶̧͉̼̘͈̲̌͑͌ͅ.̸̥̳͖̼̃̅̀̔̆̎̓̄̐̎̊̑͒̇͘i̶̛̲͒̈́̆͒̐́̎s̷̼͈̼̹̗̈́͗͂́͊̾̇̀̉̇͛̚͝͝.̸̘̜̠̠͖͋͌ả̴͓̝̰̈́ͅd̴̬̗̪͈̺̓̈́̉̒̎̈̓̔̕͝͝e̵̢̿̾̏̂͋͌q̴̧̢̛̮̜͈͙͎̫͓͍̪͔̳͎̈́͑̒͒̈́̕u̵̩̰̝̪̺̇̒́̅͗͛̄͂͗̈̕̚͝a̸̩̹͊̆̀̓t̴̖͉͎̭͌̑̍ȩ̷̯͇̖̖̣̮̘͉̑̒͋̈̕̚̚͝ͅ,̵̢̛̛̱̃͊̅̃́͘̕͝ṯ̶̯̤̀̒̓̊̽̎͆͆h̸̤̰͙̗̬̥͙̦̘̱̦̱̏̌̂̍̚͜ę̷͕̗̙͈̟̍.̵̫͉̝̮̭̩̥͔̪̳͈͇̄́͜͜c̵̹̪̲̋͗̌̃̄̐̓͌͠ŏ̶̧͚̯̻͖͉͖̺͍̼̞̲̳̉͐̍̚n̸̦͇̠͙̤̥̹͉̝͍͓͙̫̠͛̿̾̑́̏̒́̍͗̈́̕͘͘s̶͎͑̀́͗̑͐̕t̴̳̑r̵͖̮̫̞͇̬̣̻̬͚̦̼̤̻̄̽͆̂̾͋̏̃̓͝ͅa̵̬̤͌̄̈́̄̐̃́̚͜͠͠͝ͅi̶̢̨̡̨̛̼͔͉̣̫͎͈͌̀̔́̓̐̾̍n̵͎̙͔̟̖̬̖̖̖̜̜̪͖̽̔͋͛ţ̴̬̘̦̳̭͈͇̈́̀͆̎̀s̵̖̦͂̔͝.̶̡̜̫͉̠̟͓̯̳̤̩̮̣̈̒͆̈́̄̉͊͘͜ͅa̷͙͌̿̈̓̊͘r̴̡̺̲̹̭̞̾̏̈́̈̚͘̕͘ę̷̡̢̪̖̬͙̺̩̝̩̭̥͒̈́̂̈̅̋̅̃͊̏̂̈̊̿͜͝ ̴̮́̀̌͆̋̀̎͝͠ë̴͔̼̮́̅̒ĺ̵̡̡̡̡̘̱̩̜̲̰̩̝̘̽̽̒͒͒͂̌̈́̈́̋͐̉͠s̶̡̛͈̫̘̓̃͌̍̎̇̊̄͗͠e̵͎͕͉͚͇̤̬̼͚̝͐̇̍́̌͗̀̾̊̈́͘ͅͅw̶̭̺̺̩̤̟̌̔̃̓͋̅̐̑͝ḩ̷̛͕̪̬̘̔͒̒̄͊̇͌̽̿̔̈́͂̚͠e̴̡͚̹̗̳̳̱͉͈̪͎̝͘ͅŗ̶̪̣͖̻̰̻͇̘̤͇̰̇̈́͗̎̇̔͒͂͗̒̋̕ȩ̷͔͓̫̩͍̬̯̝̫̮̘͆̽͛̍̓̓͑̔͂̅̚͝.̷̺̹̺̮̳̞̀̄͗ͅ*̴̰̼͝

:Then what is the constraint. I - I can try to help:

She tries to push across the feeling of - goodwill, of wanting-to-help, of understanding why this is hard -

:̶̧͕̌̈́͊͆̇̿͂͝.̸̼͍̰̖͚͆̂̓̀̀̾̔͊́̂͘͘w̷̰̩̭̬̼͈̱͊e̶̼̭̥̺͚̪̪͎̘̜͇̩̎̈́̎̈́̏̂́͋͛̈́̌̈́̈́͠͝ǎ̵̡̖̦̥̝̩͇̏̑̈́͛̕ͅḱ̵̼̞̬̮*̶̛̱̪̩̐̓͗́̑̍͛͂̀͑͆͘͠s̵͕͕̗̺̮̓ḿ̸̧͚̗̩̜͉̗̳̱̓̋͑͛̂̒̍͛̍̋̀̌͝å̷̝̫͑̊̇̐̍̌̓͗̏̏̔́̕͜l̸̨̧̰̱̰͖̞̙͙̖̟̝̙̅͂͛͆l̵̪̹̣͉̙̱̣̘̀̀̑̉̚*̶̡̡̗̼̟̺͎͙̬̀l̶̩̏̍͛̈̔̈̈́̀̅̈́͗o̸̡͕̻̅w̵͕̭͕̘̭̖̰̺̘̅͑̈́̔̈́͒̔̑̕͠-̵̘̬͙̳̦̯̝̉́͐͐̽͜͠͝r̵̲͇͉͕̺̀̐͌̀͂̀̾́̐̓͐͘̕͝e̷͇͍̹̬͙̞̥͕̯̤̼͚̰͆͊̕ş̶̢̡̛̦̲̝̳͇̗͑̓̑̎̂̈́͛͋͘ǫ̷͙̲͓̥̲̻̪̪̏̈́͊̑̓̽͂̒̎͑͒̏ǘ̴̢̢͇̰̹̭͚̳̼̼̼̪̳̹͕̒͊̿̈̓̀̅̒̕͝r̷̩̐͗c̴̨̨̘̼͚̝͕̫͚͔̠̖͗͘ȅ̶̫̗̆̀ͅs̴̞̜͉̮͇͚̖͚͎̪̉̆̊̅͋͆̌͝ͅ|̷̢̡̝̮͖̞̯͙̘͙̗̩͕̯̠͛̓́̅͊̋͂͒̀́̿́̚.̵̢̡͍̫͎̮̘̞̺͉͔̻͎̩͐̄̈́̅̀̐̐̆̌̚ͅ

:I’m...sorry? Can you - slow down?:

.̴̛̥͕̮̜̜̭̘͖̠̖̅͂̉͝!̴̡̢̥̗͎̝̞͖̹̹͈̗͔̞́̈́́̐̋͂̑̎̊.̶͎̯͚̹̜̥̬̫̦̦̠̂̚

It - does seem to slow down? It's - more floating in Leareth than buzzing in him. It does the same thing in Julie, even though its activities there are less disruptive.

:Thank you. That was good:

(It feels important to communicate this, even if it's so far from enough.) 

She tries to Mindspeak all of the Healers. :Don't fight or damage the infection. I'm...trying to negotiate with it...: 

Okay, put in words that sounds INCREDIBLY STUPID, but still. 

Shavri's Mindspeech isn't very directionally-shielded, and Leareth's instincts are pointed at tracking his environment even when his conscious mind is mostly out of commission. 

- trying to negotiate with it - 

Leareth is able to notice that he's feeling very slightly less terrible. 

He opens his Thoughtsensing fully. Attempts to search for any second mind-like presence within his own body -

That sure is a mind! A really deeply unfamiliar confusing mind, but a mind!

Even semiconscious, Leareth can follow that the deeply-unfamiliarness of the mind means it - probably? - won't understand human language...

He wordlessly pokes at it.

Tap. 

Pause. 

Tap tap. 

Pause.

Tap tap tap. 

.̶̨̢̡͚̼̤̳͓͔͚́̍̈́́̍͑̋͘*̷͍̖̘̫̥͔̖̩͚̪̥̪̄͒̈̐̈́̎́͊͊̏͜/̶͉̥̟̍͌͐!̶̜̩͓̠͔̜̌ͅ  .̶̨̢̡͚̼̤̳͓͔͚́̍̈́́̍͑̋͘*̷͍̖̘̫̥͔̖̩͚̪̥̪̄͒̈̐̈́̎́͊͊̏͜/̶͉̥̟̍͌͐!̶̜̩͓̠͔̜̌ͅ  .̶̨̢̡͚̼̤̳͓͔͚́̍̈́́̍͑̋͘*̷͍̖̘̫̥͔̖̩͚̪̥̪̄͒̈̐̈́̎́͊͊̏͜/̶͉̥̟̍͌͐!̶̜̩͓̠͔̜̌ͅ  .̶̨̢̡͚̼̤̳͓͔͚́̍̈́́̍͑̋͘*̷͍̖̘̫̥͔̖̩͚̪̥̪̄͒̈̐̈́̎́͊͊̏͜/̶͉̥̟̍͌͐!̶̜̩͓̠͔̜̌ͅ .̶̨̢̡͚̼̤̳͓͔͚́̍̈́́̍͑̋͘*̷͍̖̘̫̥͔̖̩͚̪̥̪̄͒̈̐̈́̎́͊͊̏͜/̶͉̥̟̍͌͐!̶̜̩͓̠͔̜̌ͅ !    .̶̨̢̡͚̼̤̳͓͔͚́̍̈́́̍͑̋͘*̷͍̖̘̫̥͔̖̩͚̪̥̪̄͒̈̐̈́̎́͊͊̏͜/̶͉̥̟̍͌͐!̶̜̩͓̠͔̜̌ͅ .̶̨̢̡͚̼̤̳͓͔͚́̍̈́́̍͑̋͘*̷͍̖̘̫̥͔̖̩͚̪̥̪̄͒̈̐̈́̎́͊͊̏͜/̶͉̥̟̍͌͐!̶̜̩͓̠͔̜̌ͅ .̶̨̢̡͚̼̤̳͓͔͚́̍̈́́̍͑̋͘*̷͍̖̘̫̥͔̖̩͚̪̥̪̄͒̈̐̈́̎́͊͊̏͜/̶͉̥̟̍͌͐!̶̜̩͓̠͔̜̌ͅ .̶̨̢̡͚̼̤̳͓͔͚́̍̈́́̍͑̋͘*̷͍̖̘̫̥͔̖̩͚̪̥̪̄͒̈̐̈́̎́͊͊̏͜/̶͉̥̟̍͌͐!̶̜̩͓̠͔̜̌ͅ .̶̨̢̡͚̼̤̳͓͔͚́̍̈́́̍͑̋͘*̷͍̖̘̫̥͔̖̩͚̪̥̪̄͒̈̐̈́̎́͊͊̏͜/̶͉̥̟̍͌͐!̶̜̩͓̠͔̜̌ͅ .̶̨̢̡͚̼̤̳͓͔͚́̍̈́́̍͑̋͘*̷͍̖̘̫̥͔̖̩͚̪̥̪̄͒̈̐̈́̎́͊͊̏͜/̶͉̥̟̍͌͐!̶̜̩͓̠͔̜̌ͅ .̶̨̢̡͚̼̤̳͓͔͚́̍̈́́̍͑̋͘*̷͍̖̘̫̥͔̖̩͚̪̥̪̄͒̈̐̈́̎́͊͊̏͜/̶͉̥̟̍͌͐!̶̜̩͓̠͔̜̌ͅ !  .̶̨̢̡͚̼̤̳͓͔͚́̍̈́́̍͑̋͘*̷͍̖̘̫̥͔̖̩͚̪̥̪̄͒̈̐̈́̎́͊͊̏͜/̶͉̥̟̍͌͐!̶̜̩͓̠͔̜̌ͅ .̶̨̢̡͚̼̤̳͓͔͚́̍̈́́̍͑̋͘*̷͍̖̘̫̥͔̖̩͚̪̥̪̄͒̈̐̈́̎́͊͊̏͜/̶͉̥̟̍͌͐!̶̜̩͓̠͔̜̌ͅ .̶̨̢̡͚̼̤̳͓͔͚́̍̈́́̍͑̋͘*̷͍̖̘̫̥͔̖̩͚̪̥̪̄͒̈̐̈́̎́͊͊̏͜/̶͉̥̟̍͌͐!̶̜̩͓̠͔̜̌ͅ .̶̨̢̡͚̼̤̳͓͔͚́̍̈́́̍͑̋͘*̷͍̖̘̫̥͔̖̩͚̪̥̪̄͒̈̐̈́̎́͊͊̏͜/̶͉̥̟̍͌͐!̶̜̩͓̠͔̜̌ͅ .̶̨̢̡͚̼̤̳͓͔͚́̍̈́́̍͑̋͘*̷͍̖̘̫̥͔̖̩͚̪̥̪̄͒̈̐̈́̎́͊͊̏͜/̶͉̥̟̍͌͐!̶̜̩͓̠͔̜̌ͅ .̶̨̢̡͚̼̤̳͓͔͚́̍̈́́̍͑̋͘*̷͍̖̘̫̥͔̖̩͚̪̥̪̄͒̈̐̈́̎́͊͊̏͜/̶͉̥̟̍͌͐!̶̜̩͓̠͔̜̌ͅ .̶̨̢̡͚̼̤̳͓͔͚́̍̈́́̍͑̋͘*̷͍̖̘̫̥͔̖̩͚̪̥̪̄͒̈̐̈́̎́͊͊̏͜/̶͉̥̟̍͌͐!̶̜̩͓̠͔̜̌ͅ .̶̨̢̡͚̼̤̳͓͔͚́̍̈́́̍͑̋͘*̷͍̖̘̫̥͔̖̩͚̪̥̪̄͒̈̐̈́̎́͊͊̏͜/̶͉̥̟̍͌͐!̶̜̩͓̠͔̜̌ͅ .̶̨̢̡͚̼̤̳͓͔͚́̍̈́́̍͑̋͘*̷͍̖̘̫̥͔̖̩͚̪̥̪̄͒̈̐̈́̎́͊͊̏͜/̶͉̥̟̍͌͐!̶̜̩͓̠͔̜̌ͅ .̶̨̢̡͚̼̤̳͓͔͚́̍̈́́̍͑̋͘*̷͍̖̘̫̥͔̖̩͚̪̥̪̄͒̈̐̈́̎́͊͊̏͜/̶͉̥̟̍͌͐!̶̜̩͓̠͔̜̌ͅ .̶̨̢̡͚̼̤̳͓͔͚́̍̈́́̍͑̋͘*̷͍̖̘̫̥͔̖̩͚̪̥̪̄͒̈̐̈́̎́͊͊̏͜/̶͉̥̟̍͌͐!̶̜̩͓̠͔̜̌ͅ !

....Huh. 

Leareth is barely able to track where he is right now, but he does his best to push back wordless-recognition - 

- and then form a mental image - 

y = x^2

, it responds instantly, and then something that isn't quite possible for Leareth to hold in its head but which is quite plainly the four-dimensional extension of the concept, and then the fifth.