Leareth hasn't had many periods of alertness recently.

:- I will ask it for a time estimate: 

Very blurrily, he tries to Mindtouch the Proto and ask how many seconds until it's big enough for a Gate to Earth. He can specify how long a second is but he's not concentrating very well and all the concepts are coming across kind of muddled. 

.̶̧̛̔͌͊̊̀̾̽̈͗͊̃͠:̷̨̨͇͔̯͎̠͓̜̠̩̞̫̗̪́̀́̋̆́̄́͐̄̀̓͝D̵̲̠̗̤̿̍̈́̋͘e̷̬̎͌̂̋̄̀̏͠p̷̡͚̿̾̐̒͐͂͊̅́̐̽̎̈a̸̧̛̜͍̺̫̘̓͗̋̌r̸͈͕̦͍͇̠͔̜̻̬̥̋̎͗̒͆̔̅͐̽t̴̛͎͔͈̫̝̹̂̀͗̎͋̈̐̽͘ū̷̲̞͎̍̃̀̀̓́̿͒̈r̷̡͚̪̬̠̥̠͆̈́̉̌̾͂̚͜͠ë̸̢̡̜͖̭̞̦̩͚̼̥͖̖̳́ͅ ̷̧̧̲̖̫̘̼̀͂͝͝ï̷̡̟͍̼̻̟͈̯̲̃̐̓̆̚̕͝n̸̛̛̙͇̞̖̤̄̐͗̏͌͗̌͛̎̈́́ ̸̨̝̮̯͖̮͎̾̃͂̅̋͝͝͠ͅͅṱ̴̨̢̧̢̥̮̼͙̖̝́̏͗̎͜ͅȩ̴̤̳͔͎̭̦̾͂̓́n̵̪̝̯̥̤͔̘̑̀́̃́̐͠ ̶̨̛̰̫͇̲̱̖̟̹̮͉͆̌̔̽́͊́͛͌̑̋̚̚ͅs̶̻̪̤͚̃̿ḛ̸̢͔̤̙̲̝̄͒̿̏̋͠č̸̞̫̝͚̮̟̬̞͍̽̏̔̅̿͜͜ó̸̧̨̟͖̱̱͚̘̯̂̌̄ņ̷̡̘̘̲͍̓̈́̏̉̏͗̂̀̔͐̉͜͝d̴̢̬̳̠̬̮͇̋̏̋́̃̍̋̀̋̀̍͊̚͝s̶̡̱̥̲̟͎̹͓͚̭͎͓̮͙̅͜?̴̦̰̳̰͕̝̆͊̌̍̉̆͊́́̈́͌͗͌̅͂:̷̨̬̥̳̠̈́̿̀̄̔̅̏͌̀͜͜

:No! Not yet. But - you could?: 

.̶̛͙͍̥̗̗̲͇̮̯̲͋͌̌̊̏͌͆̇͒̚͜͝͝:̶̧̣̼͉̺̑͌͜͝l̴̨͍̘̰̰͔͙̳̰̗͔̾́͛́̉ơ̵̹͇͐͊̽̒̃̃̑̍͝c̶̖͉̞̟͔͊ͅḁ̶̧̛̱͎̳̒t̵̛̼̥͓̻̭̙̝̑̿̅̆͂͌̈́̃̔̀͘ỉ̴͇̖̲̗̟̗̓̓͊͋͗̿̅̍̇͌o̴̭̍͐͛̃̿̑̍ņ̴̬̬̣̩̠͇̞͍̂̏̂̂̄̓̐̕ ̷̨̨͉̻̙̳̦͚̠͉̝̺̩̖̫͂̎̑͗͌̑͐̈́̓͛͘ò̶̧̨̰̮̙̮̞͖̖̮̲̐͌̈́͂f̷͎̼͋̓̀̇̃̌̃̍̔͛͂̌͝͝ͅ ̵̩̯̺̲̦̲͉̖̥͂́̃o̵̢̠̯͚͉̿̔̓̅͆͐̈́͂̏̈́̎̋t̸͉̫̜͇̮̙̦̖͉͕̺͚̂͆͛̓́̕ḧ̸̛͔̯̞͔͍̘̳́̄̇̌͂̾̀͊̕̕ͅé̸͈̹̖̰̾́̌͒̐̏̀͋̏̕̕ͅř̴͍̹̱̬̮̦̰͎͙ ̸̧̻̝̖̮͕̤̞͍̙̬̦̬̠̆͆͊͘p̷̧̛͕̩͇͑͌͆̇̉́͆̄́̾̃̾̋̋r̸͔̩̘͙̤͊o̷̢̨̨̪̹̭̯̘̗̻̰̻̰̹̠̊̉̓̒͝ţ̵̦̼͕͖͙̠̔̐̿̇̓̏̀͋͊͜͝ͅǫ̶͚̙̫̰̟̼̤͉̥͎̊ͅḿ̸͍͉͖̬̞̝̓̑̓͐̅̂̚͝͝͝͠͝o̴̧̺̻̎̃͛͗͂͛͋̃̆̀̚l̶͚͕̰̺̱͕̳̪͍͔̻̥̫͉̄̇̅̏̚ȩ̶̡͓̺̹̱̲͂͗̆͊͐̏̌͌̑̔̽̅͜͝c̵̢͕̟̥͎͍̭̘̺̞̄̆̀̓̈̂̓͗̕̚͝ų̵̧̺͙̦̗͇̭̹̉̈́͘l̶̪̰͙̐̔̈́͂̀e̶̡͍͔̩̲̮̤̼̜̹̺̒͆̆͒͑̐̓̍͛͜͝ ̸̣̜̜̺̒͑͐̾̀̈́͆̕w̸̧̛̬̜̤̌̃̈́̎͒̃̆̃͆̕͝ͅi̸̧̛̠͓̝̳̦͔͚̳͉̲͎̲̬͈͊̈̋̊̑̆̉̽͆̿̾t̷̙̘͗̾͋̾̃̓̑̒͂͠h̴̜̝͓̜̠̼̺̫͗̈̈́͛ ̴̢͍͉̬͔̱̯̦̯̹̥͎̳͋̾̃̔͝į̶̣̱̝̰̮̩̥̀͆͑́̒̑͛́̀͐͊͠ͅn̴̛̹̗̹͉͍̈́̽̈́̂̾͂̽ͅc̶̢̝̗̭̣̫̦̫͉̦̱̞͎̤͗̃̑̾̊͆̀̈́͜ô̸̡̢̝̦̜̬̼̙͈̞͔͈͓͑̄m̶̧͉̪̖͇̖̗̾̄̑͋̑̍͘̚̕͘p̸͎͂̈́͊͂̈́͝l̷̠̖̭̠͎̱̘̘̘͓̂̆̽́̎ȩ̶̘͕͎̣̝̠͓̞̯̬͖̈́̉͝ͅͅẗ̶̢̡̝͚̣̻͓̺̞́̄̃̎̿͂̌͊͛̈̾͝ͅȩ̸̢͖̻̙̱̺̱̭͖̎̔̀̿ ̷̨̟̙̻̣͆̎̊́̃͊̄͒̽̂̉̐̚W̷͕̝̫̯̯̥͌͐̇̀̋̾̃͜͜ǒ̴̡̢͉̹̠͍̖̭̠͓̥͈̚r̷͕̽̈́̓̋̈̊̈̾̾̊̎̀̏̍͠k̴̰̬̂̌̅̈:̶̯̪͚̺̈́̉̇̔͋ͅ ?

:- Yes. If there is only one other such location, it must be that: 

Leareth is trying to remember if this is the first time the Proto has referred to itself so specifically, musing on whether this shows another jump in its intelligence. 

...oh, right, another conversation he should have. :We left some of you behind: A mental image of the room that the Proto Gated most of itself out of to climb into the ship. :Can you - stop growing there? Let it stay dormant?:

The alternative is trying to destroy what was left behind. Probably by Final Strike, now that the ship is occupied elsewhere and the thrusters are out of fuel anyway. There are several reasons why Leareth prefers not to resort to that. 

.̸̧̺̦̗̹͎͎̈́̃͗͛̌̅̾́̒̊̚͘͜͝͝;̸̛͓͛͒͊̈́͒̍͠t̸̰̯͓̲̫͉̬̪̗̃̓̆͜ͅh̴̤̠̱̑̂͒̇͊̏̿̀̍́̄̏̕̚͠e̸̯̞͚̳̝̔̅̀͋͂̈͌̏̕ ̶͈̬͍̠̣̩̚W̴̮̮͎͖̮̙̹̞̞̓̊͌̓̀̎͗̈́̈́̿̕͜͝͝͠͠ͅo̷̤̱̖̰̳̬̫̦̫̳͚̹̖̦̟̐̿̉̓̑̍͛̐̍̐̑̑̊͝ŕ̷̡̠̬̬͚͙͉͔̬̗̬̯̬̓̽̀͂͐̈́̎͝ͅͅk̴̡̘̭͈̱̲̞͠ ̸̼̙̥̪̽̆̈́̀͛̔̔́͗̚̚͝i̶͕̺͚̳̮͋̃͗̕ͅs̴̛̻̖̼̘̔̃̈́̑̾ͅ ̷̧̡͍̗̠̫̯̪̹̣͔̙̽͌͂̈̽̌̓̑̆̐ͅͅḯ̵̧̢̡̧̛͍̪̗̼͓̮͓͈͓̅̒̐̎́̀̚̚n̶̨̛̹͖͙̪̠̼͈̻̦̞̺̫͂͗͒̉̽͑̾̇̈́̔̕ç̶̲͒͛o̴̠̣̮̙̱̭͔̝͚̖̪͌̌͑͋͑͒̿̀̀̉̚̕m̸̡̛̞̦͎̒̈́̾̇͛͒͋̀̌͝͠ͅͅͅp̶̖̤̈́l̵͎̳͌e̵̛̘̩͉̹̬̘͍̩͔̰̮̺̋̈͆̽̎̀͠ť̶͈͈̣̽̅͒̚͝͝͝e̷̡̢͍̦̻̩̝̣̳̹̲̙͊́̕ͅ ̸̙̙̗̣͖̖̜̮̿͛̈́̏́͌̊̚h̵̨̢̢͕̖͍͚̞̯͔̘̰̤̥̠̊e̵̢̨̝̫̫͇͖̲͍̲̭̥͆̃̈̑͋̽͊r̸̯͇͙̥̬̣̳̩̱̱̤̞͋͐͂̊͛̽͐̓͐͑͌͜͜͠é̶͙̟͇̦̋͊̓̀̚ ̴͉̘͈̗͋̎͋a̸̡̟͔̙̹̘͇̻̰̱̘͖̪̋̅̍̆̎̓̃̊̐͒̚͘͝͝͝ľ̵̨͈̣͍̻̜̹̖̎̏̓̈́̆̍̈́̋̏̇̕͜͝ͅs̵̯̰̼̰͓̏̉̊̑̽͘͠͝ͅo̶̤̭͐̆̉̓̈́̿̀͂͗͘͘:̸̠͙̗̬̐͛͋͌̊̏͑̕͝͝

:We do not need the Work done here. You were sent to Earth, not here -: 

Leareth stops. Thinks briefly. A wormhole to another star...would be incredible. And have a million different ramifications which he's far too tired to think through right now, but. 

:...Not yet. Maybe later: 

....stubbornness.  :̵̡̧̛̥̭̗̬̦̗̟̀͒͝C̸̡̞͉̼̟̮͙̝̪̉́̅̄̄̽̾̎̂̉̊̈́͛͝o̷̧͚̮̙̯̰͓̰͎͊̉̀̍͋̍̃̒̂̀͗̈́m̴̖̱͊́p̴̤͙̦̓̋̍́̾l̷̠̏͛̆͂͊̿̋̎̋̎̽͘͝͠ȩ̶̢̤̹͎͉͈̻̱͕̳̻̻̥̽͗́͐̋͆̏̌̌͋̑̚ͅt̵̢͙̙̲̪̠͚̞̥͈̭̻̍͒̐é̴̢̧̨̠͚̟͔̜͛̿̓̋ͅ ̷̧̘͕̗̞̼̄̈́͒̏̕͝t̸̙͈̳̏́̀̉͊̄̓͌̆ḩ̸̧̧̧͖̟̼̙͖̤̥̭̝͇̞́̀̃ë̵̜̩͕́͆͛̇̂̎̑͗̿͑̂̀̇ ̶̛̰̞͎͕̎́̆̽̑̀͗̓͒́W̷̜͍͙͓̊ő̷̧̡͎̺̞̺̗̙̲̻̭͓̓̆͝ŗ̸̛͖̮̣̟̺̹̣̮͑͋̀̄̄̓͗͊̈̾͝ǩ̵̡̭͇̫͎͎̼̼̬̻̠́̏̿̒ͅͅ.̴͖͔͇̗͉̦̙͆̈́͐̽̽̚:̸̛̪̰͇̲̟̻̠͇̰̖̼̂̎̇̎̾̾̋̾̒̓́́͘͝ͅ

Leareth can hold his own, when it comes to stubbornness. :No. Wait: 

 The protomolecule does not respond further but it's evident even from its extremely alien thoughts that it does not consider itself obliged to listen to Leareth about this.

Well. Then Leareth is going to activate his talisman against Thoughtsensing to full strength, since apparently the Proto has Thoughtsensing now - though of course it's in his brain, too, but hopefully his nonverbal thoughts aren't very comprehensible to it yet - and he passes on some directionally-shielded instructions to Nayoki, who together with the mages should be able to figure out how to boost the comms spell enough to reach Velgarth from the goddamned Moon. 

They should leave the remnants of protomolecule alone. Hopefully they'll go dormant anyway, once the rest is gone and it's in a cavern with only rock surrounding it. If it starts growing, they can Mindspeak it and ask it to stop. If it doesn't listen...

They should wait as long as they can, but they have his instructions to take it out by massed Final Strike before this becomes impossible. 

Incredibly drained after this, Leareth tells the Proto it can keep eating, sleepily relays to Julie that apparently the Proto could go now but he wants to rest a little first, and then closes his eyes again. 

The proto eats the moon in silence.

Julie tries to rest too. This is surprisingly hard considering it is all she's been doing lately.

Leareth can fall asleep easily enough, though he keeps being woken by the various not-exactly-mysterious aches and pains in his body. The main problem is ever waking up feeling actually-rested. 

At some point it'll have to be good enough. The Proto has spread out over quite a lot of moon, now. 

He drags himself as awake as he can manage. Briefs Nayoki on the plan. 

:Julie? I think we should go: It keeps being tempting to see if the Proto will be easier to communicate with as it gets bigger, but there are time constraints on the other end, too. :Do you have any instructions I could try to give the Proto, on where to Gate to exactly? I assume we do not wish to immediately draw the attention of the authorities on Earth. Or Mars: 

Yeah. Uh, if it's moving the whole ship it can just drop us in space somewhere in the system, out past Mars, and we can get to Ceres from there.

:I doubt it would know 'Mars' by name - how many planets out from the star is it...?: 

Fourth one.

Well, then Leareth will try to instruct the Proto that, when he says it's time, he wants it to do a Gate to somewhere in space well outside the orbit of the fourth planet from the sun, and to pull all of itself as well as the ship through to the other side. And then they can help the other protomolecule there with its Work. 

(And with not murdering everyone Julie has ever known, ideally.) 

Now?

He takes a few deep breaths. 

Warns everyone to secure themselves, just in case, he has no idea what this sort of Gate will be like. 

(And, of course, he feels very unready for whatever is going to be waiting for them on the other side...) 

:Now: 

And a tiny Gate opens in the air, swells neatly to encompass them, and as soon as it has done so they are -

- in a cargo hold of some kind, on a ship -

- shit did you tell it to do that -

The protomolecule keeps peaceably expanding its Gate to encompass the whole of Julie's ship, which is quite obviously not going to all fit on this other ship.

:Stop! Not here!: 

Leareth tries to conceptually show the Proto how the ship will definitely not fit in this cargo hold, and the other ship will break, and that would be destroying resources. 

:Go back, start again - no - move the Gate. Move it - a million yards: Surely, hopefully, that's far enough not to hit anything important. 

Exasperation, and then the Gate moves, and deposits their ship in the vacuum of space.