View source for 20 - People from the Tower are here

{{SessionLog
|ID=20
|Title=People from the Tower are here
|Subtitle=so much destruction
|Author=Bolt
|DatePlayed=16-06-2024
|DateInGame=Day 24-27
|Log=The Elder is no more! An inevitable fact I guess. Does that mean I am fine with it? Ready for it? I need to think about this for a bit, wrap my head around it. He was different than us, for many years he seemed immortal and all knowing. More than us in many ways. But apparently he was the same as well. Death was not different for him, just history. He was here before us and lead us. Almost lead us into doom. His downward path actually freed us. We have become more than a group grasping for survival. We have been growing beyond what he envisioned. I guess that does mean I am relatively fine with it and made ready as well. Our recent adventures made me ready, though that will not be the same for everyone. They will have to cope, but that they will have to do by themselves. Our leaders will lead and I still have many things to do.

I've been stripping the bus for parts that are not required for it to drive. Mostly. I think I know where all parts go and how I can use them for my dream. I am not totally convinced if I continue stripping it I will be able to make it work again. I need help, not technically, but as an extra memory. [[Max]] can help, but I need to start noting things down. I can make drawings I guess, but I need more. I need help from [[Octavia]]. Yes, I need to ask her to help me to learn to read and write. I've made up my mind, I'm going to ask her and I'm convinced she will help me.

<b>The Ceremony</b><br>
[[Rianna]] thinks I need to be at the burning of the Elders body. I know it's important for people, but I have already dealt with it in my way. A dead body needs to be burned obviously, but that is for health reasons. I don't care for a big ceremony, I don't want to be in a crowd of sad people. But I will be there because [[Rianna]] wants me to. We make our way there and [[Rianna]] leads me to a spot right next to [[Jo-Ann]]. Did she do that on purpose? [[Jo-Ann]] greets me with a smile and I return the favor. I guess I like her smile, it's.. comforting?

As I watch [[Octavia]] hold an uplifting speech for the Elder I also see [[Harper]] standing there, next to [[Lincoln]] and [[Elona]]. This ceremony might hold an interesting opportunity. I've got this new connection with other people's mind that might prove useful. Can I somehow leave a message inside someone's mind? A trickle of influence perhaps? I'm not quite sure if I can actually influence others? How about I create something inside the [[Harper]]'s mind that shows something in the fire. A word of influence after death? A small thing to improve collaboration between him and [[Lincoln]].

I make my way nearer to [[Harper]] and concentrate and try to find a connection to his mind. I quickly stop myself from showing the concentration on my face, don't want to be caught looking at him when he by accident looks my way. Just a small change in what he sees in the fire, a word, maybe a few more when that happens.

[[Octavia]] finishes her speech and holds the torch towards the pyre that holds our Elder. Not a small fire, but a huge fire suddenly erupts around the body. I feel strengthened by this unexpected effect and drive my mental tentacle towards [[Harper]]s brain and force him to see the Elder in his prime inside the flames. I make words appear inside his head as if the Elder spoke to him directly. The Elder tells him to work together with [[Lincoln]] and treat him as his equal and not to take steps against [[Lincoln]] authority. I feel truly empowered, this is far more than I ever expected to happen. I can see by the change on [[Harper]]'s face that it actually happened and was not a figment of my imagination. I quickly make my way back towards [[Rianna]] and [[Jo-Ann]]. I have no idea how much impact this will have, but it sure feels great!

<b>Into the fray</b><br>
It was the next day and we were in the middle of what [[Octavia]] called a class, her teaching us to read and write. This is a skill I am going to like for sure and will be extremely useful! Suddenly shouting could be heard. The people from the Tower were coming. Two busses filled with armed people. We had been preparing for this, with limited time, but with healthy fervor. This was it!

No simple fight between two small groups, but this was a lot more. There will be death and chaos and I am not sure how I will even react to something big like this. Fighting is not really my thing, the chances of me actually fighting or cowering in a corner are about the same.

As always after a fight I can only remember a little of what happened, as if something protects me from harm. I know I moved my APC towards the gate, to make sure our temporary gate has a second line of defense. I hid in my APC at first, watching what happened outside. I was afraid, that's for sure. But then the drive of one of the enemy busses decided to use their bus to breach our compound through our badly constructed gate. The bus was in flames before it hit our gate, but that didn't slow it down and it rammed through it far too easily. Somehow that action pushed me into unexpected action and I apparently decided to use my APC to retaliate and slow down their progress. 

When I returned to consciousness I saw the damage I had done to the bus, the people I killed. I know probably most of those actually died fighting when others joined in after my crash. But this was the first time my actions were either directly or maybe indirectly involved in killing someone. I was feeling horrible, both physically and mentally. Is there any way we could have prevented this? Could we have resolved this differently? We will probably never know.

Apparently it was clear to [[Rianna]] that I was disturbed by the whole situation, she was good with people like that. She also somehow felt she was not the one to help me through this specific situation and led me to [[Jo-Ann]]. I cannot exactly remember what we spoke about, it didn't matter, but we felt a need to share. It made me feel better, specially the hug we shared at the end. I was going to make it through the day.

}}