Meeting at the Citadel

[Treewyrm]

In contrast to his peers Harbinger preferred to play with moral dilemmas and tribulations instead of direct confrontations. Pushing the envelope of coercion and making use of subtle mind tricks whenever possible.

"But how could I not question the alleged benefits? I have observed the results and they left me unimpressed, concerned even. A picture began to emerge in which your role had not been as benevolent as it may seem at first. You have observed my kin like no one else was ever allowed to, you have gained valuable knowledge, and while you prospered they were getting weaker. Let's not forget how you've got into the mess between two tribes, contributing to the rift between them. You are dealing with subjects you do not fully understand and cannot comprehend the lasting consequences of."

He held the artifact that Eris gave him. Before that Technocracy had considered it completely inactive, marked as 'dead' in database, yet here was a shimmering light dancing beneath the matte surface when it was held by him. A volumetric image appeared above it depicting what seem to be a the Archive before it was damaged, various glyphs ran in quick succession around it, while their meaning was elusive one possibility might be that it was a list of what the Archive contained. Seconds later the image disappeared and the object surface went dark once again.

"I see you are irresistibly drawn to such places. They were never meant for you. But did you really think there's be no consequences when you entered the Archive? That your 'friend' would permit you to scavenge around and none would notice the absence in the end?"

Passing by Revenant he stopped there for a moment to look directly at her.

~ Melia did confess. Others know about your expedition to the Archive as well. Except Melia involvement, that part I've left out. ~

Up until now Harbinger made no attempt to use telepathy on Revenant during this meeting. Each Nomad had something of an individual touch, as their physical forms were often interchangeable this was about the only glimpse into individual personalities comprising the mindshare. Harbinger's approach was different as well. Ostensibly, it required almost no effort to figure out his communication, but it was difficult to get a read on anything beyond the immediate. The effect wasn't lost on Revenant, as she might have noticed a subtle aura permeating her own thoughts as it lingered on long after the 'conversation' from the previous encounter was over.

An echo of these thoughts reached Eris as well.

Giving a broader look to everyone in the room he locked stare at Revenant again, waiting for her to process this information before arriving to the conclusion:

"I am afraid this alliance had been detrimental in its current form, irrespective of your stated intents."

He gestured Eris/Juliette to approach Revenant while observing how Audax would react. The intended outcome of this meeting had become abundantly clear.

"It shall be an oversight rather than control. A small difference to some, I know, but a world apart for others. While your mind would still be yours there would be no place for lies to hide, for misspoken details to be left out. With truest intentions you have nothing to fear. All the same your people can pursue their path, merging with the machine until they cease to exist. Or perhaps they will succeed, who's to say..."

In a rare show of emotion he had a slight smile leaving the last phrase deliberately ambiguous. The ambiance was getting a little too tense. Inciting stress was intentional at first but push it too far and someone might snap, and now was the time to loosen up the grip.

"Think of us as... shareholders instead. Yes, a majority stake, sure, but I would reckon your day-to-day operations are going to see minimal change if any at all, same for your organization. The presence within you will be mostly dormant, so much so that I reckon our brethren would not be immediately aware, even in vicinity. Similarly you won't gain benefits of the enlightenment, as this isn't meant be a reward for you. For now it will remain as a reminder and... as a future potential, should you make the right choices, the right decisions ahead. Either way the days of benefiting at our expense are over, that much is certain."

He nodded to Eris, a signal meant to be seen and understood by everyone in the room, while the other portion went into her mind instead.

~ Later do 'inquire' her on anything that hadn't been mentioned so far. You may want to leave a few trinkets around, if only to test and see where her thoughts would go. As for Melia, it's your flock, do as you will, but there are interesting possibilities you may want to consider. ~