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Apr 23, 2021 3:12:04 GMT -7
Post by Gummy on Apr 23, 2021 3:12:04 GMT -7
Ziggy rolled her eyes and folded crossed her arms at the instructions of not seeing the collector as he is too busy. She knew this all too well. The same roll of eyes happened on the 'difference' comment as she shook her head and sat down.
"My DNA is back to how it should be. If you want to test my powers I can't do anything in here... unless..."
She reached into her pocket and took her hand out and sighed.
"Nope! Still nothing."
Looking down at her hand she looked sad. Part of her wanted to cry and she knew that as soon as she was left alone again that would happen.
"What tests do you need?"
Sitting down she rested against the back wall.
"I could always tell you what it is. Although part of it is locked in my mind and even I don't know. I have know I have the ability to be really smart, like super smart. That is part natural and part mutant powers. Then there are my modules. They can... become anything I want them to.. mostly it seems limited. I have a little telekinesis with them in liquid form but I am not able to do that when in solid form. What else... due to my increased thinking I can focus on more than one thing at a time meaning I can be out running around like a kid at the same time as thinking about the homework set in a previous lesson. I do have some control issues with my modules which can make problems but I have improved in that over the past.... ermmm year? years? oh I don't know how long! It helps that I am able to understand technology and a lot of other things easily just by looking at them BUT I love to tinker with things and test things I think about out in my head. I have been told that the modules are linked directly to me and recently from my experiment earlier I now know that if they are taken from this dimension without me... that is all of them... I get sick. I have promised that I won't tinker with any of Sir's things again and I keep my promises."
She shrugged. Yes, Ziggy was saying two different things at the same time. One was her intelligence, the other her modules. What she didn't say was that her promises usually get stretched or bent or warped or misshaped just a little.
"There you go. Questions?"
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Apr 23, 2021 11:15:30 GMT -7
Post by Gordy on Apr 23, 2021 11:15:30 GMT -7
"We both covet things we don't have. The difference between us, of course..."------------------------------------------------------ The alien leaned back and sat down on a chair, which, you guessed it, had seemed to simply appear with a flash of bright light. She pulled a pen from her lab coat and began to jot notes down as Ziggy spoke, presumably writing down an abbreviated version of the girl's explanation. All the while, she looked fairly bored. "Riiiight," the Guardian responded, clearly bemused. "That doesn't explain the growth in your power potential as of late. Have you been experimenting on your brain functions since coming aboard? The Collector would not appreciate tampering with his project beyond its natural state, without his consent. You better hope that the Revival project isn't ready within the next 300 years."The Guardian rose up, moved closer to Ziggy and eyed her with big, yellow pupils. Up close, the alien seemed to have a brighter tint to her skin, and her eyes were less... weary, in a way? "We might have to perform some psychic surgery to inspect your mental state. Your mind's limits seem to be receding."------------------------------------------------------ "...is that I have almost everything anyone could possibly want. Including you."
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Apr 23, 2021 12:06:02 GMT -7
Post by Gummy on Apr 23, 2021 12:06:02 GMT -7
Ziggy raised an eyebrow trying to make sense of it all. Was there something else? hummm.... What Revival project? 300 years?!? What was it talking about . Curiosity spiked her.
"Revival? As in like the Renaissance period where it looked back on previous eras in music or the fact that fashion on the world seems to be stuck in a stupid loop? I won't tinker unless he approves or needs something. I already said that... 300 years? Will I be alive that long? 300 years is an awful long time! How long have I been on board recently? Why psychic surgery? I have had enough of people prodding about in my mind! Is it open skull surgery? If it is surgery doesn't that mean dissecting? Wouldn't that ruin what is already there? Unless you are trying to enhance me? I don't know what my limits are! I haven't had chance to push myself while onboard apart from learning more about the wonders that are here. Did you know it is an amazing ship! There are so many different areas that are just unique. I'm amazed at what is onboard. I could spend a human lifetime just studying everything that is here let alone the things which are still being added!"
Ziggy was looking even more excited and was talking WAY too fast.
"I mean there are these resisters that are nothing like the ones on my home planet but they still act like a resister apart from it seems to be alive! Or at the very least liquid. Then there is the section where a load of mounts litually shift every few seconds in order to adjust for the demands of the user at the time. Most I haven't even touched but looked and observed. When maintenance is needed I just sit and watch. The way people work here is so different. So... efficient. I could get used to a world like that. So much less... chaotic!"
Did she breath during all of that who knows! If she did then why was she now seemingly out of breath as if she had ran a marathon and then climbed the eifel tower before running back down the Burj Khalifa!
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Apr 30, 2021 22:45:32 GMT -7
Post by Gordy on Apr 30, 2021 22:45:32 GMT -7
"We both covet things we don't have. The difference between us, of course..."------------------------------------------------------ The Guardian continued to write down on her clipboard, seemingly unfazed by the girl's questions. "Revival Zero, mass-rebirth. A plan to revive as many dead beings as possible, to bring back extinct flora and fauna, resurrect certain people. Might involved a shared collective conscious if physical forms aren't feasible. I wouldn't worry about it; you'll hopefully die long before it's even initiated, and come back once it's already done."No doubt about it, this woman was... not all that nice. But then again, she wasn't here to be nice. She was here to work, and dwelling too much on Ziggy's irrelevant queries and troubles just wasted precious time. "Now calm down and try to limit your questions. Yes, the Orchid is very efficient," she continued in response. "The Collector has had thousands of years to establish order wherever he can. Psychic surgery requires no physical alterations to your body. You have been drifting in and out of consciousness for a few days - or weeks. I think 10 of your Earth years, but my math could be off. Now, are you satisfied? Because all this time talking could have been spent on opening up your head with painful psychic surgery."------------------------------------------------------ "...is that I have almost everything anyone could possibly want. Including you."
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May 1, 2021 7:37:57 GMT -7
Post by Gummy on May 1, 2021 7:37:57 GMT -7
Ziggy nodded at the first bit but her nerves were getting the better of her and also having someone outside a barrier she couldn't get through helped. She was thinking of the opportunities that might have been had over a thousand years! IT was immense to think of. The excitement and nerves of this intimidating person in front of her was enough to make her heart race. Then... the first shoe fell. 10 Years! Her jaw dropped. Her mind raced thinking of how old everyone would be. How she had possibly stayed the same but everyone else had moved on. They really were not looking for her or wanted her back. She didn't say anything to his question as she looked vacantly in the mid distance. Tears came to her eyes and she couldn't stop them. Hugging her legs she wanted nothing than to be held. This teenager only wanted to be home but knew it could never be.
Now she knew the expressions of those captive like her, only she had a little more freedom ... well had. The rest of the conversation went quiet as she withdrew into her own world. A world in her mind limited by the walls as much as the loss of powers. In those few sentences the spark vanished from Ziggy. It didn't matter what would happen next, painful or not, Ziggy closed her eyes and let whatever happen happen.
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May 3, 2021 19:35:56 GMT -7
Post by Gordy on May 3, 2021 19:35:56 GMT -7
"We both covet things we don't have. The difference between us, of course..."------------------------------------------------------ The Guardian rolled her eye, clearly more annoyed than sympathetic to the girl's plight. Still, it would be beneficial to appease the human in order to keep her docile. Plus, the sad energy waves she was giving off were annoying. So she would step out of Ziggy's field of view, disappearing to parts unknown.
After a few Ziggy could find her containment pod rise ever so slightly. She was adjusted back into a standing position. Before her was the familiar, aging face of the man who had been keeping her as his hostage. He looked fairly bemused to see her, though his face failed to express any true malice or anger. "I was told you were not doing too well," he told her. "Do you not want to explore your powers and become more than you ever thought possible? If the surgery happens to fail, we can simply put your mind into a new body; a stronger one."He didn't get the problem, did he? ------------------------------------------------------ "...is that I have almost everything anyone could possibly want. Including you."
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May 4, 2021 11:01:15 GMT -7
Post by Gummy on May 4, 2021 11:01:15 GMT -7
Ziggy curled herself up in her pod. It all seemed so... final. This was her life. This was what she was stuck with. It didn't matter anymore. None of it did. Her tears dried up as she started to doze off. Only when she was moved into a standing position did she open her eyes to see the man in front of her. She let out a deep sigh. The thought of doing what he was saying was intreaging but she didn't want it. Her voice showed no emotion.
"I do want to explore my powers but I don't want to make it stronger or help it become what it will be. I know I'm not ready for what is to come. I don't need to have my powers heightened if I don't have the knowledge then it won't help."
She frowned and shook her head.
"Sir, my powers come from my knowledge of things. Even transplanting my mind into another body won't help. I need my body as well as my mind to make them work. You know when you caught me tinkering? That is part of it. I have high intelligence and find out how things work quickly but I need part of me to be able to make components or items. I knew if I told you, you would put me in one of these and I loved working around the ship seeing everything and helping to make it all better. Before I got the piece of me which had been taken, I couldn't do it. Now... when I am not in here I will be able to. It means I could, in theory, make almost anything without actually taking to bits anything only it is not permanent. I don't want to be in one of these. That's why I'm not doing well... I was held prisoner in a shipping crate and I started to lose control of my mind. I don't want that to happen again."
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May 17, 2021 17:06:43 GMT -7
Post by Gordy on May 17, 2021 17:06:43 GMT -7
"We both covet things we don't have. The difference between us, of course..."------------------------------------------------------ This was all for her own good, of course. If Ms. Karst was able to open her mind and unlock her full potential, much of his plans could move forward; she could bring the Revival project ahead by 300 years, saving many species. She could prepare him with weapons to use against the other Elders of the Universe, whenever they tried to get in his way. Yet a fear of power - or rather, the unknown that comes with power - was understandable. And, admittedly, keeping her captive and limited would be just as horrifying. Perhaps they could hold off on the surgery, so long as she could still prove useful in her current state. If not, he'd have to channel the High Evolutionary and bring out her full potential. "If that's how you feel, then maybe returning some of your freedoms will be beneficial for both of us."The lid of Ziggy's prison rose up above her. A wave of warm, fresh air flooded into her lungs, and the bright lights seemed to shine and burn ever-brighter against her eyes. "You will have access to my library and tools again," the Elder continued. "But every week, we'll be meeting to discuss various plans for your powers, and how we can best use them. The Vohlber has missed you this past week, too - you'll need to make it comfortable before it gives birth." ------------------------------------------------------ "...is that I have almost everything anyone could possibly want. Including you."
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May 18, 2021 16:06:46 GMT -7
Post by Gummy on May 18, 2021 16:06:46 GMT -7
Ziggy took a deep breath as she felt the air but shut her eyes as the lights hurt. Getting out was a lot better, she stood up and took more than the couple of paces she could do. They felt odd and she knew she would need to exercise a lot to get them feeling better. The other thing which happened was a sudden noise of thoughts in her head. Opening her eyes she tried to think straight. Putting a hand into her pocket she smiled as she pulled out what resembled to be a washer. Her mind released the form and it turned into a metal blob no bigger than a pea.
Just doing that for a moment was exhausting. She caught the piece of metal and put it back in her pocket. She grinned from ear to ear and leapt at The Collector giving him a massive hug.
"Thank you!"
Letting go she felt colour rising in her cheeks, the smile still there.
"Wait... week? The other person said 10 Earth years. It is all so confusing."
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May 30, 2021 9:03:32 GMT -7
Post by Gordy on May 30, 2021 9:03:32 GMT -7
"We both covet things we don't have. The difference between us, of course..."------------------------------------------------------ A hug... Not something he expected, nor appreciated, which made him visibly grimace. Such a brazen, unpleasant act from something he saw as nothing more than a curiosity. It brought back unpleasant memories of his past - things that were better to be ignored and dismissed. But there was nothing he could do about it. Though, in a rare moment of emotional honestly, part of him didn't regret the physical contact. But he had no intention of letting it happen again. At her statement, the Elder raised an eyebrow "10 years? Where in the Galaxy did you get such a ridiculous number? Did you not wonder why you are still a child?"Putting aside her bizarre comments aside, the Collector turned to the door and began to walk, hopefully leading Ziggy out of the room. She would likely be hungry, thirsty or tired, but supplies could be delivered to where they were going. "I would love to hear about your ideas for the future," he went on. "Though, do make room in your schedule for some trips off the ship. I'll be stopping by several planets and adding to my collection; I'm sure you would appreciate the chance at exploration and discovery. You'll also undergo various forms of combat training, be taught in diplomacy and survival. If you want to stay alive in this universe, make sure to take every opportunity I give you."------------------------------------------------------ "...is that I have almost everything anyone could possibly want. Including you."
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May 31, 2021 12:21:53 GMT -7
Post by Gummy on May 31, 2021 12:21:53 GMT -7
Ziggy sighed.
"I thought stasis... never mind. What matter's is that it isn't.."
She let out an even bigger breath she hadn't realised she had been holding. Then he spoke to her about going off ship. The smile and glint in her eyes was enough to make her want to dance with joy but she didn't. The addition to the collection comment didn't pass her by. There was something that slightly made her skin crawl about having so many locked up whist there was a far easier way. Yes, save the last of kinds, that was important but there were far better ways... There had to be. She followed in his steps leading further away from her 'captivity' into a much larger cage.
"I can kinda fight already. I use my mind but I have a tendency to panic. I was training to work on it and that is part of why I meditate. Although other forms of training would be welcomed. I don't know if I am any good at diplomacy. Never tried. Just a thought. How do you decide who to collect? Is there a certain type of creature? What about personality? Are they good people or just annoying and nasty? I mean, how do you pick?"
There was more to this as she tried to grasp more of what he was intending.
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Sometime later Ziggy was looking at a panel and frowning. There was something wrong about it. She couldn't place a finger on it but there was something off. Being good was so frustrating as it meant she was unable to touch anything to figure it out. She also couldn't open any panels up to have a look deeper inside. To her it was like being in a candy shop with a VERY strict parent but if she followed the rules then she was to remain as free as a bird in a giant Avery at a zoo. Trapped but able to keep fit.
The panel seemed to throb and a slight warmth was felt if she put her hand near it. Somehow she felt drawn to it the more she looked at it. She had looked at it with her scanners and there was definitely something wrong. She had scanned it several times now and there was a very subtle decrease in power, so minute that it was only on magnification of X10^-30 that she discovered it. Shaking her head it was really off. The thing was.... WHAT was off? Was electronic or something else? The heat could explain the slight loss in power. Time could also show it as components aged and eventually gave up. Yet, without being able to open the panel up she was getting increasingly frustrated with not being able to do anything.
The other odd thing was she had never seen anyone else in that corridor. Not a single person/servant/slave/robot came near it was as if it had been abandoned. Even when she tried to call one of them who had walked pass it was as if they had never heard her. Odd. As if the corridor was not even visible to anyone else. She really must take it up with The Collector but that was not booked for at least ten days! No this wouldn't do!
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Jun 29, 2021 7:57:06 GMT -7
Post by Gordy on Jun 29, 2021 7:57:06 GMT -7
"We both covet things we don't have. The difference between us, of course..."------------------------------------------------------ For a good while, all seemed in place: the Collector and his men succeeded in raiding an ancient temple on a planet, then proceeded to buy half of said planet with the money he earned. Meanwhile, Ziggy kept up her good behavior and kept mostly to her work. The Vohlber gave birth to three healthy offspring, and morale around the ship was slightly more positive now that the menagerie was open to the Gatherers. Now they could view the creatures during their almost-non-existent breaks. Of course, the Collector was too busy to notice much of these; between raiding the temple and working on future plans, he'd been much too preoccupied to see how the rest of the ship had been going. So the job of day-to-day operations fell to a squad of elite Gatherers. One of them would come and check up on Ziggy at that moment. "Everything alright, Miss Karst?"------------------------------------------------------ "...is that I have almost everything anyone could possibly want. Including you."
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Jun 29, 2021 8:22:54 GMT -7
Post by Gummy on Jun 29, 2021 8:22:54 GMT -7
Ziggy frowned as for once she saw the first Gather in that area. It was odd, was it looking for her or was it looking for the corridor? She pointed to the panel it couldn't see. For all it was aware she was pointing to a blank wall.
"There is something wrong here. None of you have been down this corridor for days. Something is... wrong. I can feel it."
She looked back at the panel and removed a device from her pocket. It looked a lot like a Star Trek triquarter. She held the scanner up to an area one side of where she was pointing and showed the Gather the reading then moved it to the other side. Again to the Gather there was no difference. To Ziggy she could see the difference. Then she moved to where she had been pointing at previously with the scanner and to her it showed the degrading signal she had come to recognise. There was something else there. Something... off... Something that wasn't on the scanner.
"I don't know what it is but could I please take off the panel and have a look? Or at the very least a different device which I know wouldn't be approved unless under supervision?"
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Jun 30, 2021 16:59:33 GMT -7
Post by Gordy on Jun 30, 2021 16:59:33 GMT -7
"We both covet things we don't have. The difference between us, of course..."------------------------------------------------------ Now, this seemed like an obvious trap: let the captive enter the ship's circuitry, and they'll sabotage the ship. They'd either get overthrown by their new human master, or she'd blow the whole thing up and kill them all. You'd have to be an idiot to trust Ziggy Karst with this... whatever kind of plan she had going on. "Sure, I can help!" the Gatherer agreed. And with that, the man grabbed hold of the panel with both hands, then pressed his boot on the wall for leverage. He pulled hard against the wall, grunting as he struggled to lift the metal plating. But finally, after much struggle, he ripped out the panel, along with several wires and some drywall connected to it. He tossed the metal aside and turned to Ziggy. "There you go! See what you can do to fix things."------------------------------------------------------ "...is that I have almost everything anyone could possibly want. Including you."
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Jul 1, 2021 14:10:29 GMT -7
Post by Gummy on Jul 1, 2021 14:10:29 GMT -7
Ziggy watched the Gather and once the panel was off she looked in and her jaw dropped. There was no trap just a circuit that wasn't normal. She had seen some of the other Gather's sorting out other areas but this was a mess. There was a thick ooze and something else. It felt stronger now, the need to help. The need to...No! She mustn't don't touch. Taking out her tools from a pocket she attached one end to a wire that was not covered with ooze then moved to the other side and did the same. She spoke quietly trying to block out the thoughts.
"Thanks."
This was odd! Removing a vial from her pocket she thought for a moment before taking a small sample. Ziggy flew back from the area looking singed as the vial exploded as did some other areas. She hit the wall behind where they had been and looked dazed. For along with the explosion there had been a psychic scream. As if someone had suddenly stood on something sharp. A throbbing pulse rippled through the ship which gradually subsided.
Quickly thinking she bought up the files of all telepathic creatures that were discovered and on board. She looked up to the Gather.
"You have a stowaway!"
She shouted as her mind was throbbing loudly.
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