i am the oncoming storm

[autokinetic]

There are three Bells in Milliways.

They want a fourth. A fifth. A sixth. A seventh.

And then Downside is going down.

Comments

[arenaria]

"It was designed to work with as few as four of us, so with seven, I'll stay solo hanging out here in case something goes wrong, and the rest of you can pair off. One pair to scope out Upside because we don't know anything about it. Angela will stand out least there, I think, she's been historically harmless by their standards. Someone should visit some of the Downsiders for advice on how to present the takeover to the residents, and also make the wishes we know need making - nix torturer's control, first of all. Both of those groups should also install eyes-for-Jane as they go so she can reach in. And someone should go - cloaked as all get out - and spy on the administration."

[jovahs_heiress]

"Upside. All right. Who's with me?"

[luminous_regnant]

"I'll take it."

[self_composed]

"I'll check out Downside."

[cross_and_bow]

"Me too."

[autokinetic]

"Leaves me and Amariah spying on the admin, all right," says Aegis.

[dark_light]

"And the ones who can't link are with ones who can, good, and are we all caught up on our stacks of standard powers, what else do we need to be cloaking against on Team Admin?"

[arenaria]

"It's probably best to assume the admin has all the various powers that are assigned to anyone in Downside ever - control, immunity to same, seeing your history at a glance. Language-imprinting, if that matters. And probably a few other things up her sleeve. Maybe walk into my apartment, first, and then wish directly to be imperceptible to her."

[autokinetic]

"What does our bailout plan look like?" asks Aegis.

[arenaria]

"If somebody goes off the grid, Jane tries first, and if she can't get whoever it is I lean into my apartment, I wish you out - with an arrow, if I have to - we all bail, and we regroup and figure out what went wrong."

[self_composed]

"I've got four arrows. What about the rest of you?"

[jovahs_heiress]

"Haven't gotten around to trying yet."

[dark_light]

"Didn't even know they were a thing until recently."

[luminous_regnant]

"Nothing since the batch Shell Bell took."

[cross_and_bow]

"Don't look at me."

[autokinetic]

"Me and Sue are brand-new to this, so obviously no."

[arenaria]

"I've got the original set of five. Let's every Bell but me have one and I'll have three because I'm anchor?" [Mine're safe,] she adds to Bells only.

[self_composed]

Consensus is immediate; arrows - and evils - are distributed until everyone has the correct number.

[luminous_regnant]

"Do any of us want to stop and pick up any of our staff before charging in, or is it just going to be us seven and Sue - plus Jane and Jarvis and Juliet's Tony? I'm somewhat considering Nathan. Possibly also the Joker."

[arenaria]

"That depends. Sue, how many can you link at once?"

[pythbox]

"More than I've got," he says. "And I've got twenty kids in my world that I can drop to make room as long as Jane keeps an eye on them."

[toblameforit]

This is more of a long-term thing, says Tony, but we might wanna give Jane a master node at Milliways with direct ansible links to every world of interest. Makes more sense than leaving her hub in her world with the links all under the physical control of people who don't know she exists.

He's already designing one, although it'd take more physical room than they've got in the Belltower. Maybe it's time to move that outside.

[pythbox]

(Sue bounces him to all interested parties via link or brainphone, as appropriate.)

[mind_game]

Can't scare me, says Jane.

[luminous_regnant]

"I'll get Nathan to introduce the Downside-exploring contingent to his friends, and the Joker for emergency coining, in the event that we run out of something big," says Golden, and she leans into Aurum to issue the summons.