Private The Catalyst Protocol: Simulated Mindscape

[Liin Terallo]

"I am not so sure that my spirit has anything to do with the nosebleeds. Afterall it is not my spirit with the synthetic abilities. It is my body. And most importantly, my mind. Those are what are strained. I am sure of it."

How much education she has had, I am unsure. But more than likely her field of education was far different than mine.

Yet she gave me the go ahead. And so with a nod of determination, I look at a branch on the ground. It was no bigger than my arm. But still it was bigger than anything else that I have tried to move with my mind. I focus solely on it and the molecules inside of it; shifting them and stirring them from within the bark. They move faster and faster, increasing their energy. A field of static energy takes hold, crackling with a near life of it's own. Not just around the branch but around me as well. It seems to center on me and extend towards the branch like a bolt of invisible lightning that takes hold of it and lifts the branch upwards from the ground. Slowly at first it rose, until it shot up through the air as though it was attached to a rocket.

Thunder clapped in the distance, followed by a whirlwind of sounds. Some were the sounds of battle, some were of people giving speaches, and others were of people enjoying song and dance. All of them blended together. Their sounds echoed like a spiral; moving further and further away with each orbit taken.

"Quantum entanglement. Does it exist here too?"

Tag: Delila Castillon

 

[Delila Castillon]

Watching the attempts to lift the branch, an eyebrow raised. Still didn't quite understand this entire Force bit. Either way it was encouraging to see someone realize their dreams through hardwork in the laboratory. Or, perhaps not. Liin Terallo did not seem like she was a slave or an unwilling experiment and already spoke about testing on herself. Dells assumed it was safe to guess all this was of the woman's doing.

Ghostly hands clapped when the branch was raised....only to realize there was no sound. Right. A flush of embarrassment went through her and she quickly stopped before she looked more of a fool. The other ghosts out there were probably making fun of her.

"Quantum...entanglement..." Delila said it slow, as if she was unsure if she was even saying it correctly. "Remember when I just stated I never finished my schooling?"

 

[Liin Terallo]

My mind was no longer on the branch that disappeared far above our heads. As far as I was concerned, it has ceased to exist in this simulation.

Instead my attention was drawn to the spiraling sounds of noise. As the static energy around me dissipated, I could hear the shouts, screams, songs and laughter all the better.

"Quantum entanglement is the phenomenon that everything is connected," I responded to her. "Not by some magical Force, but by energy. And one small thing affecting a linked molecule on one side of the Galaxy, has the exact same effect to another molecule on the other side of the Galaxy." For some it is a difficult concept to grasp. And it certainly was to those that had discovered it. I had just never really observed it in person before. At least not until recently.

However in my case the effects of quantum entanglement vary. What starts of as something small around me has an even more powerful effect the further away from me that it gets.

"Let us follow the sounds to see where they lead."

Tag: Delila Castillon

 

[Delila Castillon]

"Like the butterfly effect? Or endless energy return? To be frank, that makes more sense to myself than the Force. I know the irony of saying this as a literal Force ghost standing in front of you. Yet we can debate these things later...perhaps not debate, given my limited knowledge..."

Either way, they would be following the sounds as Liin Terallo mentioned. Hands went into her ghostly pockets, gliding along the forest floor as they went along. Despite the fact nothing could really happen to her, she was still being cautious. Old habits die hard and besides, if something could see them Delila didn't want that 'something' to be startled.

Crouching down behind some vegetation Delila heard voices. She could make out shapes, trying to lean in and out between the leaves.

"You know them? Friends of yours...? I know little of this planet..."

 

[Liin Terallo]

I give her a polite shrug of my shoulders, not exactly knowing if there even is a polite way of giving such a gesture. "How do we know that you are a Force ghost at all? It can be that you are a normal ghost. Afterall the old ghost stories did not involve only Force Wizards. Not on New Cov, at least. It would be entirely unfair."

At least I am not alone in this. In truth I find the simulation amusing for it seems that I have a guide of sorts; albeit with one lacking the knowledge required. Still, she could hold knowledge that could be vitally important without even really knowing it.

We both seemed to bend low as we neared the sounds of others. Although their voices were odd. And once the leaves no longer blocked our view; I saw at least some explaination as to why their voices were strange. The people flickered in and out. Sometimes in sync with their motions and at other times not. Some were in the midst of the throws of battle, while others were at a party. Some children were in school and others were eating summer at a campfire. It was an odd scene to behold. Different timelines, different realities all took place before us. But neither of them seemed to be aware of any of the others.

"Is that you?" I whispered to her quietly; almost as though I was afraid that they could all hear me. I saw a lady that had her face, but was dressed like a politician. She bore a commanding presence that was not so easily ignored.

Tag: Delila Castillon

 

[Delila Castillon]

I give her a polite shrug of my shoulders, not exactly knowing if there even is a polite way of giving such a gesture. "How do we know that you are a Force ghost at all? It can be that you are a normal ghost. Afterall the old ghost stories did not involve only Force Wizards. Not on New Cov, at least. It would be entirely unfair."

Delila chuckled at her doubt. She wasn't surprised - hell she doubted it a lot herself. Especially during her training with Merrill. It was a great experiment, one she didn't know would work until the moment came. Boy did that moment come well sooner than she expected but somehow also much later than expected. It was an odd situation to be in.

"Because I learned the skill from a variant of the Jedi. He taught me in a crash course as an experiment. We were unsure if it was going to work, one of those why the fuck not type of situations. His ghost taught me and now here I am. I would be happy to teach you as a just-in-case if you would like. Trouble is....its a crapshoot. Doesn't always work even if done right."

She had an eternity (maybe?) so it wasn't as if she didn't have the time.

Brows knit at the image presented to them. Delila turned her ghostly head from side to side, as if trying to get a good look. Finally, she shook her head.

"No." Voice was barely a whisper. "I would never dress like that. I had a great chest, tended to wear things with some cleavage....you know what I think? This area we're drawn to...might be some kind of nexus or energy sink."

Liin Terallo ​

 

[Liin Terallo]

I furrowed my brows in slight confusion. If she was not a Force wizard; then how could she learn to become a Force ghost? Did one not have to have their magic to be able to do it?

At the suggestion of having me learn the skill, I shook my head. Given the side effects that I am already facing; I can only imagine how horrible of a side effect would be created if I was to become a ghost like her. What if it created a black hole? Or some huge rip in the time/space continuum? Not to mention the fact that I have no desire to become a ghost at any rate. There is no reason for me to remain beyond the little time that is given me.

I agreed with her assessment, however. It could be some kind of a nexus. Similar in part to the ones that I had heard about on the holonews. I wondered just what effect it could have on my mind. Not to mention my ghostly companion as well. "Let us see if we can interact with them."

Curiosity seemed to get the better of me. So I straightened my posture and began moving towards the alternate dimensional beings. The scent in the air tasted more of static and ozone with each step towards them that I took. I could feel the hairs on my skin rise in response as though an electrical storm were about to form. And then came a shimmer. It was as though a faint curtain of light swept through. What greeted us on the other side was not the forest that we had approached from; but a desert lit by moonlight. And beyond the dunes of what looked like remnants of old cities. Everyone else had disappeared.

Tag: Delila Castillon

 

[Delila Castillon]

"Wait - "

Before Delila could stop her - well, how would she stop her either way? A deep sigh as she watched Liin Terallo advance closer to the beings. Beings that didn't see them. If she had to guess it was just trapped energy but again, what did she know. The ghost stuff didn't come with a manual for afterward.

Waiting a moment, Delila followed, getting deposited into a desert. Eyes looked around and she thought about it, trying to figure where she may have seen something like this before.

"Looks like Tash-Taral to me. Could be wrong. Been more wrong than right lately. All desert planets look the same when you get down to it."

 

[Liin Terallo]

I have never been on a desert planet very much. If at all. So it was an odd thing to be situated on one inside of my mind. I could feel the warm, dry wind; and the sand move underneath my feet as I walked. For an imaginary place; it sure felt very real.

At least it was quiet.

"I am not sure of where we are. But the old city does have a familiar shape to it."

The further that we walked, the more that I had begun to recognize the buildings all the more. I let out a quick gasp and then hurried my steps. "No! It is Ilic!" If this was Ilic City; then where we are is not some desert world. It was New Cov. And something terrible had happened to it.

The closer that we approached it, the colder that it got for me. A chill in the air began to move and snake it's way across the sands, giving me cause to shiver. I look to my ghostly companion to see if she could feel it too.

Tag: Delila Castillon

 

[Delila Castillon]

Brows furrowed. She was a ghost, no such chill could be felt but she had questions. Multiple questions. One of them was why Liin Terallo seemed so keen on running into danger. Especially because, as far as she could tell, the woman had zero combat training. No survival skills of any type - like a small kitten. How this Terallo got so far in life was beyond her, dumb luck perhaps.

"Ilic? Never heard of it. What's Ilic all about, besides deserts?"

 

[Liin Terallo]

"There are no deserts. That is the strange thing. Ilic City is the capital of New Cov. It is a jungle world with our cities under domes. So this makes no sense."

Why did my mind create this? Is it because of it's occupation by foreign powers? New Cov was always my home until the occupation. Perhaps it is my mind treating it as though I had deserted it. But I know that if I was to go back there; I would seek to cause a rebellion and liberate it.

"Maybe it is a warning? I am unsure if we should investigate or turn back...."

Tag: Delila Castillon

 

[Delila Castillon]

Delila went silent for a moment, thinking things over. Surprisingly as a ghost she could still think, wonders of wonders. She wasn't aware of Liin Terallo , this New Cov, or the woman's life. This, however, could be a massive advantage for trying to figure out this current....dream? illusion?...the woman found herself in. Was this her guiding ghost moment? Her very first one? Perhaps.

A lot was unclear. Time to be as wise and sage-like as possible.

"The desert is your life? Many associate deserts as lifeless but if you look below the surface, it is teeming with flora and fauna. An amazing ecosystem many write off. Perhaps you are an ecosystem many are writing off? This is a sign to let people think what they will but also to continue your work under the surface. Under the radar of those who do not understand."

This was about as philosophical as she could get in the moment. Again, she wasn't that smart in her living years, the ghost years would most likely be no different.

"Investigate? I cannot advise either way. I am already dead, can't get much worse for me. It's you one has to be concerned about."

 

[Liin Terallo]

My eyebrows furrowed in concentration while I processed her words of wisdom. Is this really what it could mean? Am I this desert that is before us? Already I knew her to be write. And whether or not she was a figment of my imagination; she certainly seemed to know me and how I felt when it came to the Galaxy.

I lost my home and had to walk away from everything that I knew. My voice was as silent to those that could help New Cov as this abandoned desert landscape. Perhaps this could also be a glimpse of it's future.

But New Cov is strong; much stronger than I could ever be. It had survived an occupation many times in it's history, only to regain it's freedom not long thereafter. I just will not be there when it happens for I am not powerful enough, and I cannot do it alone.

"Well alive or not, I have nothing to lose. So I say that I choose to investigate. Though you do not have to come with me if you do not wish to."

I stepped forward, letting my feet carry me along the sand. It was odd in the way that it moved under my feet, for I am far more used to walking on solid ground. But sand is not solid. Like little balls, they roll away from the pressure as though they were being pushed; carrying one's foot slightly backwards with each step.

But as we drew nearer to the ruins, the tremors began causing the sand to vibrate so rapidly that it became liquified like water, pulling me downwards.

And I did not know how to swim.

Tag: Delila Castillon

 

[Delila Castillon]

"Just think, if you die you get to join me in eternity a little sooner than expected."

Delila chuckled at her own dark humor. That was the trouble being dead, so many serious faces out there. Most that could see you were scared to be seeing you. Or sad. Other ghosts were surprisingly pompous. There weren't many opportunities for joking around or telling jokes. Such an incredible waste in her eyes. Perhaps in time things would be different. Or, she would give up and fade away. A bit too soon for all that though.

Floating along, she followed Liin Terallo .As she had mentioned, Delila had nothing to lose. Terallo didn't think she did either it seemed. Sad for one so young. What was the phrase? Youth was wasted on the young. Floating along, the ground began to shake and swirl a bit. It was dragging them down into what could be described as kinetic sand.

Drug down, it was pitch black for a long time. Delila realized she could have maybe just floated to the bottom instead of allowing herself to be pulled. Yet that didn't seem as fun - it was nice to be included as if she was still alive.