[He says that immediately, earnestly. Jayce having his trust wasn't a lie, and Pom wants him to know it.]
Not everyone here would be so altruistic. And she and I, we've both been used, here and back home. You get real wary of folks when you spend your life being seen as something other than—
[A pause, a breath. It's hard for him to talk about, though whether he's talking about Northly or himself goes unsaid. He finds his voice again after a beat.]
Other than a person. Just a tool to be used, and nothing more. I don't think she's gotten to protect someone like this before. Not sure she was allowed to.
[ He does want to help people. The thing is, he's seen the consequences of his own good intentions. It's so easy to make things worse. Pom and Northly have every right to be distrustful of someone like him. ]
Hopefully, we can do both. [ Help people by getting them safely out of Patho-Gen's reach. They're a long, long way from that, but maybe with more time... ]
I do think it's safer to keep Northly away from the lab for the time being. And you, if it's going to cause her more distress. With how many imprints are out there, we're bound to find more like you.
Unfortunately, it's impossible to say until we have more data. It really could be anything: Natural Soul compatibility, the amount of time spent together - and there's even more variables within that. The types of experiences you've had together could factor in as well, the intensity of them...
[ It's a big question mark right now. A pause. ]
You were with Mel and Hubert in the tunnels beneath Kelesis? Do you remember the piece of the Augmenter that was retrieved? [ Killing that feral Terra in the process... ] I had someone else examine it. They were able to tell that the device had been in close contact with Katalyth at some point, enough to leave behind a weak trace of it.
[ He doesn't know if this detail is specific to the feral Augmented down there, or if the same can be said for their own Augmenters. ]
[Well, at least that's more information that he had to start with. It could be any one of those things when it comes to him and Northly - proximity, Soul compatibility, time spend together during duress...
The rest is unnerving, though. Yeah, he remembers that Augmenter part, recalls all too well helping Hubert get it.]
What's that say for those of us who've been in close contact with it? You folks at the cabin, or someone trying to use it for magic and whatnot?
[Because if they have any chance of turning out like the Augmented under Kelesis... well. He doesn't like what he'll have to do, but he knows he has to do it.]
[ Jayce pulls in a deep breath, then sighs, shaking his head. ]
Truthfully? I have no idea. The last time I asked Patho-Gen for medical records of the previous Augmented, they denied my request. And without previous records, or any data to compare, we're running blind.
[ That's been the case for a year. He frowns again. ]
But - there's some similarities between Katalyth itself and the imprinting process. The overlap is a desire to connect, to be understood... [ he holds up a hand ] I'm not saying that it's something to be worried about - [ yet ] - but... whatever is wrong with this world, that seems to be an aligning force.
[Pom hmms on his end of the line, making a mental note about those records, should there ever be another opportunity to wander the halls of Patho-Gen. One never knows.]
Makes me wonder if the world really is trying to reach out to us in some way, with whatever's in our Augmenters drawing us toward one another. Had a thought like that with Mel a while back.
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[As an intense individual himself, he says that apologetically.]
She's just protective is all.
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[ Said with at least a slip of humor, if a little weary. He's not angry with Pom, anyway. ]
Sorry, the accusations had me taken aback. We would never build anything with the intention of... using anyone like that.
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[He says that immediately, earnestly. Jayce having his trust wasn't a lie, and Pom wants him to know it.]
Not everyone here would be so altruistic. And she and I, we've both been used, here and back home. You get real wary of folks when you spend your life being seen as something other than—
[A pause, a breath. It's hard for him to talk about, though whether he's talking about Northly or himself goes unsaid. He finds his voice again after a beat.]
Other than a person. Just a tool to be used, and nothing more. I don't think she's gotten to protect someone like this before. Not sure she was allowed to.
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I'm sorry. It shouldn't have to be like that. For anyone.
[ Another pause. ]
Thank you, for trusting me.
[ Even if it's mostly because of Mel. He'll do better to earn that trust. ]
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Hey, you saved my life. It's about the least I can do. That and, you know. You are altruistic. You wanna help people. And I...
[Another quiet breath on his end, as though he's parsing out his own thoughts.]
I mean, I want out of this town as much as anyone. Probably more than most. But I think I want to help people, too.
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Hopefully, we can do both. [ Help people by getting them safely out of Patho-Gen's reach. They're a long, long way from that, but maybe with more time... ]
I do think it's safer to keep Northly away from the lab for the time being. And you, if it's going to cause her more distress. With how many imprints are out there, we're bound to find more like you.
[ Those with energy readings off the charts. ]
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[If he's going to be used, might as well be for something worthwhile. He'd better not say that where Mel might overhear, though.]
Any idea why some Imprints are stronger than others? It some combination of Souls, or just the people themselves?
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[ He sounds grateful for it.
As for the question - ]
Unfortunately, it's impossible to say until we have more data. It really could be anything: Natural Soul compatibility, the amount of time spent together - and there's even more variables within that. The types of experiences you've had together could factor in as well, the intensity of them...
[ It's a big question mark right now. A pause. ]
You were with Mel and Hubert in the tunnels beneath Kelesis? Do you remember the piece of the Augmenter that was retrieved? [ Killing that feral Terra in the process... ] I had someone else examine it. They were able to tell that the device had been in close contact with Katalyth at some point, enough to leave behind a weak trace of it.
[ He doesn't know if this detail is specific to the feral Augmented down there, or if the same can be said for their own Augmenters. ]
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The rest is unnerving, though. Yeah, he remembers that Augmenter part, recalls all too well helping Hubert get it.]
What's that say for those of us who've been in close contact with it? You folks at the cabin, or someone trying to use it for magic and whatnot?
[Because if they have any chance of turning out like the Augmented under Kelesis... well. He doesn't like what he'll have to do, but he knows he has to do it.]
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Truthfully? I have no idea. The last time I asked Patho-Gen for medical records of the previous Augmented, they denied my request. And without previous records, or any data to compare, we're running blind.
[ That's been the case for a year. He frowns again. ]
But - there's some similarities between Katalyth itself and the imprinting process. The overlap is a desire to connect, to be understood... [ he holds up a hand ] I'm not saying that it's something to be worried about - [ yet ] - but... whatever is wrong with this world, that seems to be an aligning force.
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Makes me wonder if the world really is trying to reach out to us in some way, with whatever's in our Augmenters drawing us toward one another. Had a thought like that with Mel a while back.