does not anymore work

[campanas]

Here, in a place where she is quite an unexpected sight, is:

an eight year old girl with brown-flecked white wings, looking dismayed and lost.

with Prime (Aestrix)

with Edie and Emily (Maggie)

with Gloria (Maggie)

with Gren (Rockeye)

Comments

[witchwatcher]

"If they are, we can't tell. Empaths can't feel them, every way we've tried to contact them doesn't work. And the way they act is almost random. I don't think they're intelligent... Though it's probably worth checking, given how easy it is for you to do that."

[jovahs_heiress]

"Mm-hm." Angela attempts to pentagon a Neuroi language.

[witchwatcher]

The Neuroi language she gets is naturally rendered in different wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation. The brainphone can provide an interpretation that she can understand.

[jovahs_heiress]

"I'm going to do some time dilation so that even if the Neuroi are provoked by something I say, they won't be able to press the advantage," Angela says. "It'll look like I'm standing here not doing anything for some extended period of time."

And then she speeds up everything in the universe except herself and all the Neuroi. The Neuroi get to go slower than her.

[Excuse me,] she says. To all the Neuroi.

[witchwatcher]

She gets tens of thousands of identical replies saying [Who is unknown speaker?]

And a few dozen continue to say or ask things about the time dilation.

[jovahs_heiress]

[My name is Isabella and I'm here to request and require that you cease attacking the humans, and any other antisocial activities you may be undertaking.]

[witchwatcher]

The tens of thousands reply, [No authority for order.]

The few dozen smarter ones confer briefly, then, [I am One. I will speak for us. We are helping the humans grow stronger.]

[jovahs_heiress]

Angela narrows her attention to "One". [The humans do not appreciate your help, and you will stop.]

[witchwatcher]

[They are already stronger. Seventeen arrived many years ago and studied the humans for fifty cycles. It found that struggle increases their progress. We force them to advance in knowledge and creativity. They have already made significant advances.]

[jovahs_heiress]

[And why is this desirable to you?]

[witchwatcher]

[Space is too empty. We can no longer reproduce, but the galaxy cannot be allowed to be void of intelligent life.]

[jovahs_heiress]

[I see. Well, if you withdraw of your own accord and think of a nice, human-friendly way to apologize for your behavior, I may decide that it would not be a terrible idea to reenable your ability to reproduce.]

[witchwatcher]

[Now, we have already recalled all drones. Seventeen will prepare to restore the changes to the climate. We must consider our apology for some time.]

[jovahs_heiress]

[There is no particular hurry. Brainphone my friend, who I have just added to this conference,] she includes Jane, [if you think of something, before you do it. I will be very annoyed if your next idea for benefiting humans is like the last one.]

[witchwatcher]

[We will do as you say.]

[jovahs_heiress]

[Excellent. Thank you for being so cooperative. I am restoring time to normal.]

Which she does.

"They should be withdrawing and patching their climate damage now. Here's your natural disaster protection, and if the Neuroi give you a speck of further trouble tell Jane and someone will be by to oblige them less gently to stop it."

[witchwatcher]

Lytee is gone. Gren's still there. "The UDF will probably want to talk to you. Should I point them at Jane? And what about boosting my mana?"

([Lytee, Angela says the Neuroi are falling back.])

([I'll spread the word.])

[jovahs_heiress]

"I don't mind staying to talk to the UDF if they want to talk to me now. If they will take a while about it, then yes, direct them to Jane."

[witchwatcher]

"They're a large, distributed bureaucracy. I'll send them to Jane in a day or two."

[jovahs_heiress]

"Okay. I will more likely than not wind up being 'assigned' to this world, since there's no strong expertise any of the others have and Pen was the one who found it, so if anything else needs doing here in the near future it will probably be me. For now, here's a try at boosting you -"

Wish.

[witchwatcher]

It goes. "Ooh. No side effects so far. It's just touching my magic, not the rest of me. Thank you. Have an excellent day, I know I am."

[jovahs_heiress]

"Will do. Thank you for looking after Pen."

The angel makes another gem-and-ansible pair, and disappears.

[witchwatcher]

A few hours later, the Neuroi contact Jane.

[We would explain to the human leaders why we fought them and apologize for the destruction and death. We would offer to design and dedicate some number of drones to producing energy and raw materials for the humans, or to provide transportation or other services, but not send them until they accept. We would offer to teach them the science of the universe. Will this apology be acceptable?]

[mind_game]

[I'll ask them when they speak to me next,] Jane says.

[witchwatcher]

The Neuroi don't reply.

A couple hours after that Gren brainphones. [I've talked to my mother, and she's ready to take my brother in if you really can get him back.]