Mitch Visits Mt. Shasta

Index

• Mitch Meets the Beehives

• Lunch at Lalo’s

• Mitch Arrives at Shasta Abbey

• The Voice of Healing

Mitch Meets the Beehives

---

Michael

So right around two weeks after Mission 1 ends, at the end of February, the URIEL offices have a pair of visitors from Granite Peak (I use "Granite Peak" synecdochally to represent SANDMAN Central here; they're probably not coming directly from Utah). They check in at the gate and the main URIEL phone rings on the Librarian's desk. She takes the call, nods, and heads to Archie's office.

"There's a couple of folks from central office here to see Mitch."

The two visitors are a pair of women in their 30s, dressed fairly conservatively (at least compared to Sophie and Jocasta). Likely Archie will know them by reputation and Jocasta might know them with an Occultism roll, hell maybe even Mitch has heard about them after spending time in the psi section of URIEL's library. They are Sheila Ostrander and Lynn Schroeder, a pair of roving SANDMAN agents whose bailiwick is human potential and psi abilities. Back in the late '60s they traveled behind the Iron Curtain under the cover of a pair of "women's magazine" journalists doing research on psychic research behind the Iron Curtain. In reality they were working for the CIA to put together a book saying how far ahead the Eastern bloc was in psychic research; in even DEEPER reality they were working for SANDMAN to act as both a spur to US military-intelligence psychic research AND for their book to act as a useful honeypot for psi active individuals in the United States. While their primary mission has been one of disinfo and confusing the informational battlefield, they did see some real examples of History B-touched psychic ability back in Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union, so they're as close as SANDMAN gets to field experts in psi research.

Anyway, after introducing themselves to Archie and the rest of the team and some preliminary pleasantries, they settle in on who they really came to see: Mitch.

Jeff, it's up to Mitch (and the team) whether Mitch wants to speak with these two ladies privately (in the URIEL library) or out here in the common area. Ostrander, who's been doing most of the talking, says, "We're here because Central wants to help Mr. Hort and Central thought we were the two agents who would have the best ability to do so."

Jeffrey

Ok, well. Wow. What time of day is it? I suggest unusually early, because Mitch isn't usually in this early, but he happens to be today, which works out nicely inasmuch as these two women in the unfashionably-dated-even-in-1973 hairstyles don't have to wait for him to stumble in.

"Out in the common area" is still deep in the URIEL bowels, right? Just to confirm. I think that's the case. Then the common area is fine, if Mitch becomes uncomfortable he'll be able to flee more quickly and it's not like he has any secrets to speak of from Archie or Roger.

So, yeah. Mitch is doing what he usually does when he finds himself at the lab before noon: drinking coffee and poring over the day's newspapers, all spread out in front of him on a reading table. Looking for anything that catches his eye.

Michael

Yes, I meant the common area of the URIEL offices — the cube farm, neither the library nor Archie's office.

The newspaper thing is something that the Librarian and Mitch have in common, so I'll say they've been working together on that whenever Mitch is up early enough to be in the office for the morning papers.

And yes, early morning works fine for this drop-in.

(And yes yet again, Sheila and Lynn are hopelessly square)

Nothing is popping out at either you or Sophie upon this morning's read-through, however.

Jeff

Mitch is reviewing the comics pages when they come in, then.

Michael

Eerie.

Jeff

Look man I don't know what to tell you Mitch is a wizard.

Anyway Mitch responds to the news that there are people here to see him with resignation. "All right," he says. "Yeah, I'll see them." He makes no move to get up from the table where he's been reading the papers, though, until they come in. Then he rises, to shake their hands, and mumble that it's nice to meet them, before sitting back down.

Michael

"Mr. Hort," Ostrander says in her broad Prairies accent, "I'll get right to the point. SANDMAN knows you've been very hard done by in the years since... discovering your abilities. We know that various intelligence and SANDMAN spin-off projects, as well as … enemy actions have been part and parcel of this ill-treatment. What we've been able to discover in the Eastern bloc — in the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia — is that these abilities are best measured in the lab, but they're best trained elsewhere. With real psychic mentors who have had either personal or folk experience with their own abilities. The Russians are obsessed with measuring and recording, but the advances in psi power and control they've been able to make have been weak and negligible."

Schroeder speaks up now, one of the first times she's done so. "The psi-capable individuals we've met with in North America oftentimes have family histories of this sort of thing, much like the Soviet subjects we've observed. It's one of the reasons why unexplained psychokinesis with spontaneous combustion was often thought in the past to be part of poltergeist activity. Whether it's genetic, or cultural, or due to familial exposure to History B, or some combination of all these, we're not sure. While this is all not necessarily germane to your case," Schroder says knowingly, "it does mean that there are both individuals and organizations out there who have had decades of experience in honing these abilities."

"Mitch," Ostrander says in a newly familiar way, "We don't want you to go back into a lab and be a guinea pig. We want you to meet knowledgeable, SANDMAN-friendly psychics who can help you find the best way to control these powers. For your own good, for the good of your teammates, and the good of everyone around you. There are plenty of impostors out there — Lynn and I know, we've talked to a bunch — but we know of a place where there are real, secure, expert psis who can help you."

Schroeder says, after this, "They're on Mount Shasta."

Jeff

"Mount Shasta?" Mitch looks dubious. He scans the newspapers in front of him but nothing helpful jumps out.

Michael

Ostrander: "If you believe in geomancy, it's a hotspot. If you have access to SANDMAN records, lots of intriguing coincidences and possible glimpses of transhistorical incursions pop out. And over the past couple of decades, it's been a magnet for channelers, healers, believers in Lemuria, and all sorts of esoteric types, both legitimate and questionable. But there's one thing that SANDMAN's long-term agents at Shasta can agree on, it's a place that provides tremendous calm and focus for psis. Amongst all the false prophets and spiritual leaders, SANDMAN personnel with psychic potential have found it tremendously clarifying of their abilities."

(Jeff, does Mitch have Occultism? If not I guess we can do a Default roll. History B Hidden Lore doesn't really apply here. Everything you know about History B intersecting with Mount Shasta you just learned from Sheila.)

Bill

Roger is around, using his usual racial invisibility to his "advantage", and a newspaper in front of his face as needed. But as soon as they mentioned "family histories;" he started listening very intensely.

Michael

(Occultism defaults to an IQ-5 roll.)

Jeff

Mitch nods awkwardly. He isn't getting a strong vibe, positive or negative, about the concept of going to Mount Shasta. Usually he gets a vibe of some kind, so that in itself is a little worrying — but it's also like watching a pot boil or trying to spot a rainbow, when he's focused is when it tends to not work, and he's certainly focused now. "What exactly are you proposing, a camping trip?"

Bill

Roger suppresses a laugh.

Michael

Ostrander smiles. "Something like that. Call it a retreat. A week around the mountain, with some visits to the mystics (and mountebanks) who dwell there. Conversations and training sessions with our SANDMAN personnel who call it home. Meditation." With this Sheila looks at Jocasta. "Peace and rest and fresh air. This may all sound a bit hippy-dippy but I really think it'll give you some clarity and some focus."

So I guess it's a Will roll to keep Pyrokinesis under control?

>>>> SUCCESS

Your Will is a 15, you're fine!

Jeff

Ok then!

Michael

So yeah, it's definitely stressful for Mitch and he feels somewhat cornered but he doesn't trigger his low-level pyrokinesis.

Schroeder will probably add at this point, "There's nothing mandatory about this, Mr. Hort. It's your choice. We just want to help. SANDMAN's psi personnel are spread a little thin right now," and with that Ostrander kind of shoots her a Look, but Schroeder continues, "and Central wants you to have just the level of training and aid you want."

Jeff

Mitch wipes his brow nervously. "Sure," he says. "Sure. Why not? Be a good time, probably. No reason not to..." He takes a breath. "you keep speaking vaguely of personnel at Shasta, what's the situation on the ground there?"

Michael

Ostrander sighs with relief, and then gets into brass-tacks all-business intel mode. "Like many places rife with... Aquarian activity, SANDMAN keeps its hand in to ferret out Irruptor influence. There are a couple of lone observers who've been up there since the war, and a couple of front organizations that have proven invaluable in seeding the kind of ideas that will keep the histories separate. But even the free agents who live and visit there are pretty harmless. Occasionally these folks have had fresh insight into things that our long-term observers and station chiefs have missed." Schroeder adds, "It's one of those places where one or two dedicated Sandmen can very easily keep tabs on a number of people who'd otherwise get seduced by the blandishments of the Irruptors, while also learning exactly what those folks might know."

And again, I won't move on from this scene until the entirety of the present PCs has a chance to weigh in … I mean, obviously it's all Mitch's decision but if Archie or Jo or Roger want to pipe up. Sophie's been very quiet and attentive this whole time, btw.

Jeff

Mitch is willing to be talked into making this trip but wants to be walked through the plan in a little more detail. Is it camping, is it a cabin, are meals provided, are there restaurants, is Mitch going to be expected to kill and eat fish and birds, is there a guy or guys there expecting him, what do they know about him, do they have experience dealing with people like him, et cetera. He'll try to aura sight and detect lies on Ostrander while she talks -- mostly he wants to get confirmation that she believes her own bullshit, at least, the specifics of the answers to these questions doesn't really matter (unless they paint a picture of Mitch being tied to a tree for a week and pelted with mud, or something).

Michael

Cool. I'll expound upon all that when I get back from taking Jenny to work but for now start me off with a Detect Lies roll. You can also do your series of Aura Reading rolls now if you want and I'll cover that as well when I get back.

Jeff

>>>> ACTIVATE … SUCCESS

>>>> DETECT … SUCCESS

>>>> ANALYZE … SUCCESS

Not a critical but a nice high margin of success anyway.

Michael

Ostrander says, in response to Mitch's desire for more details, "There are two esoteric organizations on the mountain that we'd like you to visit with: the Radiant School for Seekers and Servers, which is influenced by the Ascended Masters/channelling tradition dating back to the 1920s and '30s, and a Zen Buddhist monastery called Shasta Abbey. Both are SANDMAN-aligned and have had some experience dealing with psis and sensitives in the past. There are also individual gurus and transient schools not directly affiliated with us that could provide some useful direction. We were thinking a retreat of about a week's length, with an option to extend if you find what you're looking for up there. Expenses are on the Project, and we'll be staying in lodges and inns and in the Abbey while we're up there. It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to grab some cold weather gear and some good hiking boots. There... might be some camping, too. I guarantee one of these folks, if you hit it off with them, are likely going to want you to try a hike to the top of the mountain. Most everyone who's had an 'experience' on the mountain has done so while they were on a ritualized ascent to the top."

Schroeder follows this up with a very quick, "We know that you'll find what you're meant to find up there, Mitch," which seems like a very clear reference to her and the Project bigwigs having assessed and quantified Mitch's Serendipity/Oracle/Illuminated qualities.

(Not even "We believe you'll find what you're meant to..." It's "we know.")

Jeff

Are these two planning on going to Mount Shasta with Mitch, then, not merely dropping him off?

Michael

They say they'll be up there for the whole trip. They're not going to be attached at the hip to Mitch 24/7, but they're there to act as Granite Peak's representatives, to make sure Mitch gets everything he needs. "You're important to the Project, Mitch," Ostrander says. "Moreover, making sure your body, mind, and soul are in alignment is important to the Project."

Jeff

I was going to go into length about Mitch’s feminist politics but I think it’s enough to say he’s as sexist as your typical early-70s burnout and likes casual sex as much as your typical early-70s burnout, which is to say, having these two around him for a week probably pushes him towards being more interested in the trip. So that probably seals the deal, he’s in.

Michael

(Heh, all right. Like I said, Archie, Jo, and Roger should feel free to poke their heads into this whole thing if they want. I know one thing that happened as Ostrander was explaining the orgs involved on Shasta was that the Librarian scurried off to the URIEL stacks to find a book. But again, I'll wait to move that along until we hear from everyone else present.)

Bill

Roger is now not sure how to insert himself into the trip up. He’s not digging having these two chicks in his car; not quite the road trip female companionship he would have liked to have. But it’s a buddy, so he’ll awkwardly forge ahead. “Hey my— uh, agents, you got your own transport? I’m happy to ferry my man Mitch here up and drop him off.”

Michael

"That's fine," Ostrander says to Roger. "We were planning on heading up tomorrow, and I'll give you directions to the first hotel we've booked."

Bill

Are either of them giving off anything other than a supremely professional, square vibe?

Because that line...

Red-blooded American males of the period would find it hard to leave alone. No training otherwise.

Michael

I would assume that they were planning to drive Mitch up themselves, but they don't have a problem with Roger giving Mitch a lift up (and picking him up at the end of the week). I mean, if you want to give me a Psychology roll at a -4 as a Detect Lies, roll, go for it!

Bill

Mostly he’s trying to, in 70s caveman style, trying to figure out if this is flirtation. Hell, roll or not, he’ll go there. Roger winks, smiles, and says “Oh, got a good restaurant in mind, too?”

Michael

Ahhh, right. No. They're square and professional. So square that they make really good SANDMAN agents, actually; even though they write about Weird Shit now, 6 or 7 years ago they were writing for the likes of Good Housekeeping and McCall's.

But they are, to a certain extent, Liberated Women, even if they are conservative. Man, this is one of those times I wish I'd watched that Phyllis Schlafly mini-series.

Bill

OK, I’m sure Roger realizes his mistake in the first bit of body language either gives off. “Sorry, that was unprofessional of me.”

Michael

"It's fine, agent," Lynn pipes up and says. "Hell, we won't let you drive back to Livermore without a good meal. Probably will end up being health food, though. Hope you like sprouts." She smiles.

Bill

“Damn. Well, still, they say it’s about the journey, right? Steak dinner or no, I’m happy to escort my fellow agent here.”

Michael

Ostrander and Schroeder seem like pretty astute observers of character, honestly, and given the kid gloves they're handling Mitch with, having him be escorted up there by his teammate for a 5 hour drive is probably gonna be WAY less awkward than the trip up with the two of them would be. I can have the ladies say their goodbyes at this point and say they'll meet Mitch and Roger up at their Mt. Shasta hotel in the late afternoon tomorrow. I did want to make sure I pointed out what Sophie was doing after they've left.

Bill

Given pairing your agents is both FBI and Mormon standard operating procedure, I’m guessing Archie approves.

Michael

So after the two of them leave, the Librarian comes over to Mitch and says, "I thought you could use some reading material. For the trip. It might help explain a few things about some of the groups you're likely to meet up there." It's a small volume, with a cracked and flaking leather cover. Looks like it's from the Victorian era by its look and feel. On the cover in gold inlay is the title, "A Dweller on Two Planets by Phylos the Thibetan."

Bill

Once the two have left, Roger will check with Mitch on permission. “I’m not cramping your style, man, right? Just figured you shouldn’t take a trip to Wack-town without backup at least for the initial scout. But it’s your trip, man.”

Jeff

Mitch figures there’s a decent chance he’ll get laid over the course of this trip, if not by one or both of the CIA beehives (who aren’t really his type but they’re in his target demographic and apparently planning on being in a servile role), then by hippie chicks that live on Mount Shasta in the free-love astral sex pavilions they no doubt have there. Mitch makes little attempt to hide this theory from Roger, and if Roger wants to come with, Mitch has no problem with it — if Ostrander and Schroeder turn out to be negative-energy types who drive away the astrally sexy chicks with their bad vibes but offer nothing in return, then maybe he and Roger can team up and run interference for one another. There’s the issue of Mitch also being kind of racist, but he’s worked with Roger a while, he can mostly see him as a person rather than an abstract Other.

Mitch looks at the paperback, leafs through it without reading it, and says to the librarian “you know what this reminds me of? The Altamont thing, you remember. Whatever came of that?” He also glances over at Roger in case Roger has a cogent answer to his question.

Michael

Sophie says, somewhat nonplussed, "I'd assumed you'd popped down the road to check it out already." (Ftr, Altamont Speedway is like a 5 minute drive from Livermore.)

Jeff

Mitch just looks baffled by this, for several seconds if no one else says anything, before responding.

"When did I do that?" Mitch is 95% sure he didn't but that leaves a 5% he did and immediately forgot he'd done it

Michael

Sophie says, "You seemed quite eager, I'd just assumed..." (I'm enjoying picturing the blank looks on everyone else's faces at this exchange, to be honest)

Bill

Roger is definitely lost. “Altamont? I wasn’t even in the country. Glad I wasn’t. Bad mojo for sure. “

Jeff

"Yeah, Frank was there. Or something. We were going to check it out, I was just asking, I never heard what y'all found."

Mitch is saying y'all, he rarely does that, he tries to be a cool California guy not a hick from Alabama.

Bill

Roger takes another full minute, but then a light dawns. “Wait, Frank pyramid bomber Frank was at the Altamont Speedway? Recently? Were we supposed to sweep it for bombs or something? Sweet St Peter!”

Jeff

"No! He was there at the concert! Like four years ago!" Mitch is now thinking that this is another one of those "Rex Harrison as Emperor Norton in 1966 roadshow musical" things.

"Hell's Angels, and the Grateful Dead walked? Tell me you know what I'm talking about."

Bill

“Yeah, the bad mojo. Man with a guitar should never be invoking the Devil. OK, so Frank was there then. What this mean, we think he got the rider there? I thought he got it in ‘Nam?”

Roger looks at Sophie in hopes of getting the straight dope. “We worried about the raceway?”

Jeff

"I told you about this, didn't I? Frank and Altamont. Or his parasite and Altamont, or his recruiter or handler, if he had some Red King contact, then maybe they were at Altamont. Somebody was at Altamont!"

Michael

Sophie looks at Mitch pleadingly as if to ask if it's okay to tell Roger how Mitch deduced this.

Jeff

Uncontrollable pyrokinesis 1 activates on a 15+ (not a 14-, whew!)

>>>> SUCCESS

Michael

Oh no. laugh

Jeff

Mitch nods frantically, because he misremembers it as Roger being there, hearing about it at the time, because Mitch is wrong.

Michael

Sophie says, "Mitch saw it in the cards. Right after you all got back to Livermore after taking care of the subject of the most recent mission. The Devil, The Tower, and the Ace of Cups. While the radio was on and they played 'Gimme Shelter' and 'Sympathy For The Devil' back-to-back."

"The magazine article I found about Altamont said that the Stones' groupies drew the Devil and the Tower the night before the concert. And Ace of Cups was the name of an opening act that day. So Mitch thought there might be a connection between Frank and Altamont."

Jeff

"No might about it," Mitch grumbles.

Michael

Sophie is usually respectful of and curious about Mitch's abilities, but the lacuna in Mitch's awareness might have her a little freaked out.

Bill

“Did any of Frank’s books or notes mention it? I mean, I’d love to flash my badge and get a couple laps in at the track, but the bosses gonna want something for the expense report.”

Michael

Nothing on Altamont in his papers, maps, or books, no.

Jeff

Mitch sputters, irate to the point of inarticulate that now all of a sudden his mystic visions aren't good enough apparently

Michael

(It's true, we've gone off halfcocked on much less than this from Mitch in the past couple of weeks :D)

Bill

Roger remembers the Hulk Rule and the sight of a burning corpse and says “Well, it is only five minutes drive, and Mitch’s juju is never wrong.”

Michael

You could go now, or go on the way to Shasta tomorrow. Your call.

Bill

“Let’s check it out quick today. We got hours to drive tomorrow.”

Lunch at Lalo's

---

Jeff

Mitch is ready to go, sure.

Mitch has adopted the position that this trip is one of those universe-pulling-him-in-a-direction things, maybe, and is somewhat more willing to follow others' lead in general compared to his usual attitude (which, now that I think about it, isn't especially obdurate anyway).

Bill

No need for banter here. Sometimes it’s just about enjoying the road and the drive (without irony and innuendo, yay 70s.)

Just to note: Roger brought Obvious Military Signifiers to try to aid with rural racism. Keeping it real obvious, like wearing the actual green beret.

(Also serves as hippie repellent.)

Michael

(Good call.)

I was reading about Mt. Shasta's sheriff in 1973 and how he tried to strike a balance between locals and hippies. Sounds like it took a lot out of him.

So it turns out that Mitch's first meal at Mt. Shasta isn't at a macrobiotic health food restaurant or some kind of abbey; it's at a perfectly normal, Mexican restaurant, named Lalo's, housed in a broad, lodge-like structure with a sizable patio. Of course it's far too inclement to eat outdoors, so the ladies, who've evidently been here before, get the four of you a table.

"We've got three rooms in a very nice motel between here and Weed tonight. Our first visit will be tomorrow at Shasta Abbey. We're set to meet the abbess, listen to her speak, and engage in some meditation," Sheila says. We're set to retreat there silently for three days, over the weekend. On Monday I've made an appointment to speak with Nola Van Valer, founder of the Radiant School of Seekers and Servers. And then on Tuesday and Wednesday, two days of camping and mountain hiking with a group assembled by an ecumenical council of 'New Agers' here in town. That's when we'll actually be on the mountain."

"Thursday and afterwards, Mitch? You'll have the chance to follow your instincts," Lynn says. "You can even leave then if you're ready. We don't have any other official plans after that but we'll stay if you're still seeking something and need our advice or assistance."

(I'll leave the minutiae of ordering food and other elements of the dinner conversation to you guys.)

Bill

Roger will take an opportunity to excuse himself, and go around to the back to say hello to the staff and chef, trade simple food stories, and ask them what their specialty is. If they can, he’d ask for some tapas style little samples. And maybe if they have some, edible by Anglos, will he share.

Also, getting the staff right is the number one place CIA fake-outs fall down, so just in case this is all a façade …

Michael

Yeah! Okay, first Roger should give me a straight Psychology roll: it's basically Detect Lies but with bonuses to reflect Roger's cultural affinities. And then give me a Reaction roll (remember, you want to roll high on this one), at a +4, or a +6 if you passed the Psychology roll.

Roger's paranoia about this being a trap being smoothed out into wanting to get some chef's specialties is really nice.

>>>> SUCCESS

Solid.

>>>> 3d6+6 … 14

So the folks at Lalo's definitely feel authentic. The place is family-owned. And while the menu has been bland-ified considerably to appeal to the palates of folks in essentially what's a tiny ski town, the owner Lalo is appreciative for the opportunities to try to whip together some Sonoran specialties.

Bill

Gracias!

Michael

When Roger comes back to the table, the plates come out soon afterward. Lots of off-menu deliciousness, heavy on the beef: not just steak but cabeza and lengua. A couple of pots of very spicy salsa verde, some pickled onions, lots of grilled wheat tortillas. Hearty stuff. I won't say that Sheila and Lynn are taken aback by any of it—after all, they're world travelers—but I can definitely say they're overwhelmed and surprised at how Roger was able to manage it.

Bill

And it tastes even better for knowing the suits are picking up the bill.

Michael

(By the way, these folks seem solidly Catholic, not a bit of folk art or indigenous tradition to be found on the walls; the place, unlike taquerias and Mexican joints today, is trying very hard to be "respectable members of the community" and that means a very bland interior.)

Sheila and Lynn are enjoying their margaritas, and Roger even looks a little more relaxed now that he's had a chance to mix with Lalo and his cooks. But Mitch... well, we'll see what Mitch does in response to the private message I just sent Jeff.

Jeff

In response to Lynn noting Mitch would be allowed to leave Mount Shasta on Thursday, Mitch will point out that he expects he's free to leave anywhere at any time. Then Mitch shuts down a little, mulling over the schedule that's been laid out for him. I presume none of the proper nouns mean anything to Mitch. He sucks down his first margarita quickly and orders another.

Michael

Lynn, noting both Mitch's demeanor and his reaction to her own words, becomes less animated and says, "Well, of course. I'm sorry, I misspoke. I was only talking about our itinerary as it's planning out."

Jeff

Mitch tries and fails to project a sort of louche affability, of course, of course, he was just joshing ya, but for whatever reason his guard is up now. He drinks his second drink nearly as quick as the first.

Yeah, if no one is stopping him Mitch wants a total of three margaritas with dinner, the last one a double, or a Texas, or whatever they call it here.

Michael

As Bill/Roger mentioned, SANDMAN's picking up the tab. Might as well get the top shelf tequila.

Bill

Roger will take it easy on the booze, nursing a cerveza, both to keep wits about him and to be able to drive. At some point if the ladies go to powder their noses (and however mainstream this place is trying to be, ladies wouldn’t want to go alone), Roger will try to get out of Mitch a go/no-go.

Jeff

Mitch will take the opportunity to lean in and conspire with Roger. "You see that guy?" he whispers. He points at a guy at the bar, thirtyish, vaguely hippie, white, extremely nondescript. "There's something up with that guy, man. He's just ignoring me."

"So I'm ignoring him."

"But maybe that's playing right into his hands. I don't know his game, man."

He takes a sip of margarita between each of these statements.

Bill

“Yeah, OK, man, we can check it out. But you still think our two girls are on the up and up?” Roger will try to size up the guy at the bar.

Jeff

"Huh? Yeah, no, I don't think they're part of it, they're just square, it's fine."

Michael

Streetwise roll first for Roger.

>>>> SUCCESS

This guy has been down and out for a while. This is no dilletante rich hippie, he's got that long-outside look to his skin, weatherbeaten and honestly a little dirty. His body language is guarded; while his vibe doesn't make you think military or intelligence, it conveys someone who's been around the block a few times. He's got enough money to keep his drinks coming though. He also seems to be on fairly familiar terms with the bar staff; if he's not a regular he's close to it.

Bill

“Just looks like a colorful local to me, man. But I can ‘engage’ him while you take a good look.”

Jeff

Mitch considers this. If he can get his hands on the guy for a few seconds--but nah. Mitch wouldn't want a stranger grabbing him in a bar. Maybe if the stranger was Meredith Baxter. And anything short of handling the man isn't going to get him anything, he's pretty sure.

He shakes his head no. "He hasn't approached me, I'm not going to approach him." Mitch pulls his weathered Rider Waite deck out a pocket and starts shuffling it in his hands.

Michael

Sheila looks at Mitch's cards with interest. "What's going on, Mitch?"

Bill

Seems to Roger like Mitch is OK — hell, finally among his own ‘people’; but he is curious about Mitch getting miffed by the guy, so he’ll keep a weather eye out.

Jeff

Hup, if the CIA beehives are back Mitch clams up, saying it's nothing and putting his cards away. He drains his remaining tequila and declares that he's ready to roll out when everyone else is.

>>>> SUCCESS

Michael

Forgot you had that skill.

I thought for a minute Mitch was going to drunkenly do free Tarot readings for everyone in the restaurant

Jeff

Maybe if I'd critically failed the Carousing roll

Michael

Hah, that could be an icebreaker in Mt. Shasta, honestly.

But yeah, that Carousing success should give you a +2 to social interactions while you're boozing it up.

Bill

Roger gets the sense he needs to hang around at least to help carry Mitch back to his room.

Jeff

Oh, hey, there is one other thing. What's the guy-in-question drinking? Well tequila or top-shelf?

Michael

Well tequila for sure. He's probably only on his second drink (at least as long as you've been watching him) but he hasn't eaten anything while he's been here.

Jeff

If he's not already buying himself Patron or something like that, Mitch wants SANDMAN to pick up his tab for the night. Drinks, whatever food he wants, et cetera. I'm reasonably confident the ladies will agree to that with a minimum of concern.

If their situations were reversed, Mitch would appreciate the guy doing it for him, after all.

Michael

I think given their trust in Mitch's intuitions they'd be quite amenable to that. Lynn can go talk to the maitre-d' about that if you'd prefer a buffer.

Jeff

Yeah, again, Golden Boy hasn't approached me so I'm not going to approach him. It's not like there's something specific I want from him, anyway.

Michael

Sheila will ask, "What's the deal, Mitch? Got a hunch about him?" She's valiantly trying not to be overly curious about Mitch's powers, but of course failing.

Bill

Roger can put in the word with the bartender. He’s gonna need another beer anyway if he’s sticking around.

Jeff

Mitch shrugs. "We were in Book & Snake together. Technically the rule is we empty our pockets and pool our cash and divide it 50-50, but that's a hassle."

Michael

Sheila nods, and smiles conspiratorially, as if she understands on multiple levels. "Well, I think the Project can open its pocketbook for a Yale man."

Bill

Roger heads to the bar, and within earshot of the weathered man asks for another cerveza, and says "Oh, and this guy's tab is on us." Then he watches for a reaction.

Michael

The man has a puzzled look cross his face, and then asks Roger directly, "Thanks, friend. To what do I owe this?" He then goes on to order the largest plato on the menu, a tall glass of ice water, and another marg.

Bill

"Sorry, man, no offense, but you look like you could use it. And my amigo wants to help, for whatever reason." Roger rattles off to the bartender in rapid Spanish that this man should get the same special they got, if there's some left.

Michael

Bartender nods to Roger, who passes it along to the waiter and kitchen staff. The man's eyes sort of melt in relief, in genuine appreciation. "Many thanks and blessings, friend. Pete. Pete Kraus." He extends his hand to Roger.

(I did a Reaction roll in secret here, boosted by Mitch's Carousing success and SANDMAN's generosity, just so both of you know.)

Bill

Roger can't help but take it and give it a shake. "Glad to meet you."

"Rogelio Martinez."

Michael

"I won't say I'm not desperate for a good meal like this. Money's tight and I'm much obliged. You folks up here for the..." Pete sort of gestures noncommittally around in the air, giving a sense of "all the Weird shit."

Bill

"Just passing through, myself. But my amigos are. What's your story, man?"

Michael

He sort of sighs and rolls his eyes, "It's a story of seeking, my friend. Seeking and not finding." There's a streak of melancholy in his voice, "I've been on that long road to India, Tibet, and then back here, to San Francisco, learning under gurus, climbing mountains to secluded retreats... all for nothing. Finally, they told me to come to Mt. Shasta, said that I'd find what I'm looking for here." He looks down at the bar. "No such luck so far. Just a lot of cold nights and rough sleeping."

Rob

Meredith Baxter

Jeff

(Mitch watches "Bridget Loves Bernie" fairly religiously. It's the only show he considers appointment viewing. He's going to be heartbroken when it's cancelled.) Mitch is watching Roger talk to the guy but has no intention of joining the conversation.

Bill

"Hey man, I hear you. It just goes on and on, and there's just silence. But don't stop. Just being ready is all. You never know when they'll come to your patient call."

Michael

Very interesting. I'd like a Religious Ritual (Voudun) roll at a +4 to Roger's skill. (That feels like the best fit for Roger showing off a bit of his own peculiar duende in this context.)

Bill

>>>> SUCCESS

(huh, weird. success by... 9?)

Michael

With those words, Pete's pained look seems to dissolve a little bit. "That's... just what I needed to hear, Rogelio. Thank you. I'm going to stick around a little longer. Maybe get out into the woods at Dunsmuir for a few days by myself. It's just all these...." Another sigh. "Charlatans. This town's full of them!" he says with actual strangled rage. "None of these masters or gurus seem to actually want to help people!"

"Money. Money and power. It's all the same everywhere. It's so sad." Pete polishes off the dregs of his last marg as the new one (with the expensive booze) arrives.

Bill

"I hear that! Everyone's always got an angle, for sure. But the world is bigger and scarier and will always have more power, and powers, than those assholes (sorry). Just keep yourself open, man." Roger will pat the guy on the back and take his leave, head back to the table.

Michael

"Thanks again, brother." Pete says with legitimate relief and thanks in his eyes. He digs into his various special order plates voraciously.

Bill

To the table, Roger will shrug, and say, "Seems like he's had a hard time. Nice to do something for the little guy for once."

Michael

Unless we have anything else pressing to do in character, I think we could get Mitch to his accommodations for the night and Roger can decide whether he's sticking around overnight or driving back down to the Bay.

Bill

Roger will probably have to crash in a chair in Mitch's room, to head out in the morning.

Michael

That will mean that Roger will likely get back to Livermore right around the time Archie and Jo get back from Altamont.

Mitch Arrives at Shasta Abbey

---

Michael

Arriving the next morning at Shasta Abbey. The dozen or so buildings that make up Shasta Abbey are made of stone and wood, like most of the architecture around Mt. Shasta. Some of the buildings are even built around older trees, with their trunks reaching up to the sky through open roofs and gables. There is a rock garden and an outdoor gathering place, as well as a series of prayer rooms and temples, and the main cloister area, where the two dozen or so resident monks live as well as visitors.

As Sheila, Lynn, and Mitch get out of the car at Shasta Abbey, they are greeted by a male junior monk. All the monks, men and women, are in full tonsure, heads shaved completely bald.

"The Reverend Master Jiyu is expecting you. She's currently in meditation with novices but she'll be available in a half-hour or so. Please, I'll show you to your rooms in the cloister."

After unloading their baggage, Sheila, Lynn and Mitch are led by the junior monk to the Grand Buddha Hall, where about 60 seats have been arranged facing a dais upon which stands a heavy-set white woman in grand dark-red monastic robes.

"Sheila, Lynn," she says with a plummy upper-class English accent, "How good to see you both here again," beaming a wide smile at the women. Sheila says, "Likewise, Reverend Master. This is Matthew Hearst, our guest who we told you about on the phone." Master Jiyu looks deeply at Mitch. There is no one else in this Hall from the monastery but the Reverend Master and her junior monk, and Master Jiyu beckons to Mitch.

"How fortuitous, the Gospel of Matthew is the most dear to my own heart. The tax collector who turned from his life of sin and serving Mammon to following the Christ. Please, sit with me, good Matthew." She beckons Mitch to sit opposite her, lotus position, on the dais in front of this empty theater of awaiting seats. With a gesture she dismisses her junior monk, and Sheila and Lynn walk to the back of the Hall and sit as far away from Master Jiyu and Mitch as they can.

Jeff

Mitch is unsurprised to see the ... whole deal, of this place. "Hi," he says, a little later than he shoulda. "Thanks for, uh, seeing me." He'll try to read Master Jiyu's aura, hesitating only briefly (it takes him two seconds) before sitting where she indicates.

Michael

Master Jiyu's aura is powerful; not Illuminated like our friend Pete from the Mexican restaurant, but potent. Her Will is tremendous. While the aura which extends from her body does ripple with a tremendous amount of psychic (not literal, you know what I mean) power, the elements of her aura closer to her physical being are tremendously unhealthy. Locking your eyes on how her aura extends from her power points and chakras, you can tell that the illness that plagues her is systemic and has been at her a long time, a couple of decades or more: a combination of diabetes, other endocrine dysfunction, and some sort of long-lasting autoimmune disease. Moreover, one of the interesting things is how you can see her physical unhealth and spiritual health affecting one another. It's clear that the pain and discomfort she is in is having a detrimental effect on her spiritual aura, which would be even more powerful (and tranquil) were she not suffering physically.

One more bit: you wouldn't be surprised if Master Jiyu has been near death's door before and/or is likely to be there again soon, that's how serious her health problems are.

Master Jiyu takes a long gaze into Mitch's eyes. After a good 10, 15 seconds (as Mitch is himself examining her aura) she says, "What have you done to your karma, Matthew?" Her voice is raspy, yet confident. But as Master Jiyu goes on, she begins to sound like more like a strict upper-class British headmistress taking demerits than a Buddhist nun. "You are bruised. Battered. You've been through much suffering. And yet, you seem to have learned nothing from it. Have you taken the easy path? Do you surround yourself with bodhisattvas... or with demons?"

Jeff

Faced with a vice-principal, Mitch struggles to resist his instinct to revert to an insolent teenager. "That which goes into the mouth doesn't defile a man," he says, a little more sourly than he meant to. "I do the best I can."

Michael

Master Jiyu smiles. "What do you know about zazen, Matthew? The art of remaining rooted and remaining silent. I sense that you are a restless wanderer. More a tumbleweed than a redwood."

Jeff

"Different strokes for different folks ... and clearly you're quite well-traveled, yourself ... but I've gone wherever I've been pushed, and done what I needed to, when I got there. Or at least, I've tried."

Michael

"The wind buffets the leaf upon the branch. And the leaf does flutter and land where it must. But if I asked you to remain rooted and silent—for three days—in silent contemplation of self and universe—could you do that? Could you direct that gaze you so expertly trained upon me inward? Because if so I welcome you to this abbey and will be there for you when the breakthrough happens, to help you understand your kenshō. If you are not brave enough to take on this challenge," she says dismissively, "then to hell with you."

Jeff

Mitch can tell this is, like, her thing — coming down on petitioners like a schoolmarm and challenging them to be their best, and stuff. He’s still a little touchy about it, though, because he resents being treated like an insolent teenager and he resents being put in a position where acting like an insolent teenager is his instinctive response.

But he stops himself and says he’s up for whatever and, sure, if he’s going to sit for three days to prove a point about whether he deserves teaching and help, then fine, it’s not as if a test of worthiness ran counter to any major religion’s tenets about charity or anything — and then he stops himself again halfway through that thought, and tries to clear his head.

Michael

In effortlessly sinking into a meditative state, Abbess Jiyu is somewhat taken aback (of course Mitch doesn't really notice, as he has gotten into alpha wave territory very quickly). In moving into this state, Mitch is able to sense further around himself, essentially pushing his Aura Reading out of this little Buddha Hall, through Sheila and Lynn (who Mitch can sense now don't have anything near the aura of himself and Master Jiyu) and into the web of life outside the door. The trees, the bugs crawling in the dirt, the distant cloisters full of novice monks in prayer and eager visitors settling into their rooms ... Mitch can feel it all. And he's never had this kind of trip from meditation before; in fact, Mitch believes it might have something to do with the place, the genius loci of this tiny sanctuary running alongside Interstate-5 in the shadow of the Mountain. But it's the Mountain that really hits Mitch hard in his trance state. It's ... both there and not there, if that makes any sense. In its massive presence it is a quivering needle in the body of the World, expertly tuned into dragon currents and ley lines stretching across California and the American continent. But it's also not there at the same time! Mitch wonders if he's also accidentally triggered his Detect (History B) ability through this web of meditation, and he's seeing through to the Other Side, but it's at that moment that the trance ends suddenly.

"Matthew." Jiyu's voice says. "Matthew, it's time to release yourself." When Mitch comes to, the sun is shining through the louvered windows from a completely different angle. It's been over an hour.

Jeff

“There and not there” sounds like a History-B leak thing, Mitch is unnerved by that, in a whole additional layer to his meditative experience.

“That was more than I was expecting,” Mitch says after a few seconds. He’s probably ready to stand up and walk around, now, but if Master Jiyu remains unimpressed he’s prepared to drink a few swallows of water and go back to it.

It wasn’t three days, Mitch can tell.

Michael

A tiny patchwork-coated cat comes up to Mitch and rubs against his leg. "That's Ophelia," Jiyu says with a (somewhat) astonished smile at Mitch. Jiyu stands up and offers her hand to Mitch. "Go get settled in. We'll have lunch in a bit, then a welcome orientation to all the retreat participants, then our first group meditation."

Jeff

Mitch moves to let the cat sniff his fingers, which is a habit he got as a kid around dogs, then pets the air over her back. Then sure, he stands.

Michael

It seems from the look Jiyu gives to Sheila and Lynn that Mitch has definitely passed some kind of test in the Abbess's eyes.

Jeff

He will walk around rootlessly a bit, no doubt ending up at some little tucked-away side garden or shrine or something.

Michael

Sheila will come up to Mitch after he's had a moment or two to relax at the Zen garden. "So what do you think of Master Jiyu?" Sheila says with a smile.

Jeff

Mitch thinks a moment before responding, because on the one hand, she initially rubbed him the wrong way--he felt like she was talking down to him--but on the other hand it's far from the first time he's had this reaction to gurus of all stripes, and if you meet nothing but assholes all day...

So he puts that aside and says "I'm pretty sure she's not an agent of the Red King, I'll say that much."

Michael

Sheila says, "Well, that's for certain. I know her attitude can be ... abrasive. But if her estimation of you was such that she decided to break out the tough 'love it or leave it' approach within five minutes of meeting you ... that means she must think highly of you. Honestly, you're more likely to see her tender side this weekend; when the seekers come from Berkeley and the City for a weekend silent retreat like this one, she's certainly not going to go around slapping paying donors around."

"But most importantly ... she's got vision as well, Mitch. Maybe not as acute and powerful as yours, but SANDMAN knows she's a preternatural judge of character. And for those who have had their minds harmed by the Red King, her unique approach, combined with the energies of the mountain, have had a profound healing effect on other Sandmen."

Jeff

Energies of the mountain. Mitch lets that one bounce around in his head for a while ... Mitch looks uncomfortable, because he'd just chalked his initial antipathy towards her to being a problem on his end (NB Mitch's similar reaction to Marshall), and now Sheila is trying to reassure him about it. "I'm sure," he says, finally. "The energies of the mountain, as you say ... it's more than I was expecting."

Michael

Sheila nods. "It's a potent place. You know, there are all the spots on the map that have been fought over by the great powers over the past century or so. You know they have reverberations — throughout both our history and on the other side — from all the archaeological and geographic and historical riddles around them. Mt. Shasta is ... a little different. It has attracted over that same period a series of channelers and psychics and magicians and holy men and, yes, charlatans, and they all seem to agree that something having to do with a lost or ancient or subterranean civilization exists here, either on or inside the mountain. Any Sandman reality archeologist worth their salt would immediately assume we're talking about a giant subduction zone where ordinary non-sensitives have caught glimpses of Irruptor architecture or fauna. (Remind me to regale you with the tales of the Siskiyou bigfoots sometime.) And yet aside from some highly suggestive anecdotal evidence in the historical record—mostly on the part of those same spiritual seekers and crackpots — nothing. Folks from the Project have tramped up and down that mountain and never found anything to suggest such a massive subduction zone."

"So what's the explanation? Some psi-altering or boosting mineral in the mountain and the area around it? Some form of awakened ancient Indian meme that's persisted in human memory down to today? Just a mass delusion, as sometimes happens thanks to our Anunnaki-ruined brains? No one in the Project is sure."

Jeff

Mitch considers trying to explain to her his [noun not found] that Mount Shasta doesn't exist in History-B, somehow, and elects to save that for after he's had a chance to tramp up and down the mountain himself.

Michael

"Do your abilities seem ... stronger at all?" Sheila asks.

Jeff

"I don't know. Maybe. It's too early to say one way or the other. But I'm glad I came."

Michael

The bell is being rung for lunch. Sheila smiles. "This is a hard life we've all had thrust upon us, Mitch. Honestly, none of us asked for this. I know I didn't. We've got to take the little moments whenever they come. Serendipity, you know? I'm not saying things won't be hard when you're back on duty. But there's no reason for the Project to make your job and your life harder. Let's get us some lunch, eh?"

After lunch, over the course of which Mitch and Sheila and Lynn meet some of the other attendees of the weekend retreat (they do match what Sheila and Lynn expected: affluent folks and ex-hippies from down in the City (and Sacramento, and a few from Oregon and Washington) who are looking for enlightenment on the installment plan. Master Jiyu and five of her fellow monks call together the group after the meal to give the introductory lecture for the silent contemplation weekend.

In this lecture, Jiyu keeps her headmistress vibe but without the overt chiding. She uses numerous Christian parallels to explain basic Zen precepts, talks a LOT about medieval monasticism and how her abbey uses the Christian hours to organize prayer and meditation. She's trying to make Zen Buddhism as approachable for the Western, largely Christian-raised crowd here as possible.

"There were those during my novitiate in Japan," Jiyu says, "who didn't like it when I used Western correspondences to understand and explain my own understanding of Zen. There were conservatives there, just as there are here, who did not like the mixture of culture, of worship, of intention. But I said to them and I say to you that our only defense against the illusions that seek to trap us, that seek to bind us to this world, is to unite together not as Westerners or Easterners, not as Christian or Buddhist, but as humans, with all the basic human wisdom that centuries of seekers have provided all of us. It is the only way that we will stay free from the blandishments and evil words of the demons that exist in the universe next door." And in her rhetoric and delivery up to this point, she's been equally involving everyone with eye contact and such, but in this last bit? Her eyes are squarely on Mitch, and Sheila, and Lynn.

Jeff

Mitch sits and listens to Jiyu's lecture. He thinks about the ecumenical message in the context of the Red King's psychic lingual programming; are all religious traditions fundamentally tainted even as they speak to essential human truths? Are those essential human truths themselves intrinsic to the warrior-slave nature of History-B humanity?

Michael

Mostly Mitch's interest is in his suspicion that Mount Shasta doesn't exist in History B, somehow, and also somehow he's the first SANDMAN person to realize this despite there having been many SANDMAN people around the mountain up to this point.

It's pretty interesting that during this orientation ceremony, Master Jiyu decided to drop a hint about demons in a reality next door. Whether that means she's totally clued in or just partially, Mitch isn't sure, but between SANDMAN's trust of Jiyu and her ability to peer into people's souls... you're guessing Master Jiyu is at least a little aware of what The Deal is. In any event, after the late afternoon orientation, it's off to sequestered silent contemplation. In these "breakout groups," which Mitch and Sheila and Lynn end up in the same pod being led by one of Master Jiyu's older more senior monks. He speaks before the two-hour session, instructing the class in the breathing techniques that are used at Shasta Abbey during their own routine meditations. Sheila and Lynn seem like fast studies, and I'll guess Mitch even more so.

As Mitch drifts effortlessly into deep meditation, this time his awareness seems to travel yet again. But this time his ghostly presence does not travel to the big mountain to peer at its dragon lines more closely. After quite some time sensing the pulsing life-web of the dense pine forests around the town of Mount Shasta, the vision sends Mitch off to the smaller, conical peak that sits to the northwest of Mt. Shasta proper. It's covered in dark volcanic rock; Mitch may have seen on a road map or heard from a local that it's called "Black Butte." And at the base of Black Butte, amidst the pines, Mitch sees a tiny campsite. Army surplus tent, stone ring for a fire, some clothes and supplies hanging by a branch. And near the tent, washing his pans and plates after lunch is ... hey, it's that kid Peter from the restaurant yesterday. He's walking toward his camp now and while Mitch watches, he seems to stop short, and to look over towards where Mitch's "presence" is manifesting in this vision. And in this vision, Peter locks eyes with "Mitch" and, yes, screams. He backs off and begins to run as quickly as he can backwards, all while keeping his eye on "Mitch." And this jarring occurrence is the thing that wakes Mitch up from his trance, about an hour and a half after going under.

To be honest, I can elide the next two days of intensive meditation with a quick summary: it's not just that Mitch seems to be developing, with the help of Master Jiyu and her acolytes, some rudimentary semblance of remote viewing talent, just the sort of thing that ISOCLINE and Red Star tried to hammer into his psyche (but got pyrokinesis out of it instead), but Mitch also seems to be developing a finer-tuned talent for both controlling his ability to detect History B and over his pyrokinesis. After a full weekend of meditation, contemplating nothing, and forgetting about the Secret War Between Parahistories, Mitch seems to sense the formerly-jarring nature of his more outré abilities seeming to meld better with his body and spirit.

But before Mitch leaves on Monday morning to the next stop on Sheila and Lynn's itinerary, Master Jiyu requests a private audience with Mitch.

Jiyu's office is simple, but there are a few photos framed on the walls, mostly of her, looking a little younger, at what presumably is a Zen temple in Japan. Jiyu posing for a photo with a dozen or so other Japanese monks, dwarfing them in every way. If she catches Mitch looking at them, she'll say, "That was the toughest couple of years I've ever had in my life. Elder monks out to get me kicked out and put the brash Western woman back on a plane to London." She bites her lip thoughtfully, sighs under her breath, and begins to prepare some green tea. "Matthew, I'm very glad you came here this weekend. When Sheila called me last week and asked for a last-minute addition to this weekend's retreat, of course I sat up and listened. She told me about you, about your sensitivity and meditative mind... and something of your troubles. War. Many years lost. And a mind and heart that's almost too sensitive. When you arrived on Friday I saw you looking at me, with deep vision. What did you see?" All traces of the Zen drill sergeant are gone; after witnessing Mitch's supreme meditative soul all weekend, it seems she now looks at Mitch as some kind of bodhisattva brought into her life for some reason.

Jeff

Ok I think I want to activate aura reading and then use fortune-telling to figure out the best way to tell her that her condition is metastatic. NB I can read aura v quick, two seconds including analysis. I think that I can't attempt to use oracle for her?

Michael

Hmm, not sure, I'll have a look. Give us the Aura Reading roll, though.

I'm not seeing anything that says you can't use Oracle on a third party!

But I like the idea of using Fortune-Telling to try to get her to talk about her health issues regardless. But start with Aura Reading and we'll see where we go from there.

Jeff

>>>> ACTIVATE … FAILURE

Sigh!

Mitch is gonna have to work with what he remembers

Michael

Ah well. Matthew got a good scan on Friday, anyway.

Jeff

So Mitch pulls out his Tarot deck and shuffles it in his hands. Jiyu doesn't seem like a Tarot kind of person but

Michael

Jiyu notes the use of the Tarot deck and doesn't make any big protests or exceptions to the idea of having her cards read. Her expression is kind of neutral, though, and she watches Mitch carefully.

I've been thinking about how you use the Tarot for Oracle, Jeff, and bear with me: the Sense roll doesn't make a lot of sense! The cards are right in front of you!

So what if we said that when you use it on another person's fate, the Discovery roll is the Fortune-Telling/cold reading roll?

Because honestly, that is sensing what is bothering the person so you can zero in with the actual interpretation roll.

When you're using it on yourself, though... hmm. I might need to think on that.

Jeff

it's how Mitch frames stuff. "I saw an uneasy balance. Your illness has plainly been with you a long time, you don't need me to explain it to you. If you seek reassurance that your spiritual mastery will keep your illness at bay indefinitely... it's metastable."

Michael

Okay, let's do that Fortune-Telling roll now, then. I will bring up the skill description because I think this is the first occasion I've had to get deep into it.

Jeff

Sounds like Mitch should make a Fortune-Telling roll (without the +3) and if it goes off, an IQ roll to oh ok

>>>> SUCCESS

Michael

(I think what's interesting here is that Jiyu probably believes things like this are hokum but at the same time realizes that in the process of reading the cards she could discover something about herself.)

Yep, success by 3.

Jeff

Now IQ?

Michael

Yes.

>>>> SUCCESS

So I won't go into the details of the entire reading and which cards went where, etc. But the upshot of the overall reading, at least by Mitch's lights, is that Jiyu is in for a very difficult, very touch-and-go near future. The Death card does show up in the reading, but in its usual meaning of transformation and transfiguration. The context here seems to be that life is going to be very hard for Master Jiyu in the immediate future, but if she gets through it (and it is if and not when), she will emerge... changed. Transformed. Leveled up.

Again, up to "Matthew" how he poses that to her.

And the cold reading: well, she knows her health is bad. She's not in denial. Meditation and prayer keep the worst of it at bay but she knows that her time is limited and that things could very well get worse, quickly.

It's clear she doesn't have much truck with Western doctors.

Her contributions to the reading over the course of Mitch and her occasional chat while the cards are coming down indicate that she is bearing the suffering because, well, that's what you do if you're Buddhist. But she also doesn't seem aware or willing to admit that It Doesn't Have To Be Like This.

Jeff

Sorry I need you to unpack that last sentence because I could interpret it in two diametrically opposed ways

Michael

(Basically what I was trying to say is that she is simultaneously Accepting of the fact she is critically ill and in Denial of the fact that a visit to the doctor might do her some good.)

Jeff

Ok.

Hmm. “I don’t think you would want me to sugarcoat anything. The cards suggest that things will get worse before they get better, if they get better. A new approach might help, if there’s a path you haven’t considered, I don’t know why I’m being coy, it’s drugs.”

Mitch shrugs. “Western medicine. Drugs.”

Michael

Jiyu finishes her cup of tea. "Yes, well." She looks uncomfortable for the first time all weekend. Some color rushes to her ordinarily quite pallid face. "Matthew, please do not take this the wrong way but I am sad to report that will not be an option for me. I don't trust doctors, you see."

Jeff

"I don't trust plumbers but if my toilet's overflowing I can't pray it clear."

Michael

"Let me ask you something, Matthew. Have figures of authority ever let you down? Ever abused your trust and your faith?"

Jeff

Mitch does the hands-up-in-mock-surrender-leaning-back-from-the-poker-table thing. “I take your point. I’m just saying, there are avenues you haven’t explored, maybe they could help you. Maybe not. This isn’t death and taxes, we’re just muddling through. You’ve been fighting your fight for long enough I know I’m not telling you anything you haven’t already thought about. Maybe think about it again, is all I got.”

Michael

Reaction roll at +6.

>>>> 3d6 … 20

Well!

"If this is indeed why the winds of the world deposited you at my door... who am I to deny such a message." Master Jiyu then lets a mischievous grin spread across her face, reaches down into a deep drawer of her office's desk... and pulls out a bottle of 18 year old Glenlivet. She grabs Mitch's empty teacup and her own and pours each of you a healthy splash. "I allow myself an indulgence every now and again, and to work up the courage to do what's necessary I have a feeling I'll need a little bit of this. To Sheila and Lynn," she toasts, holding up her cup.

Jeff

Mitch most def goes for that, he’s a fan of drinking scotch with Zen monks

The Voice of Healing

---

Michael

Sheila and Lynn both independently make note of two things on leaving the Abbey: 1) Mitch really hit it off with Master Jiyu and that never happens, and 2) Mitch seems a little more at ease upon finishing the weekend, or at least both Sheila and Lynn drop hints that they hope he's a little more at ease.

The next appointment is on Monday morning at the private home of one Nola van Valer. Sheila and Lynn knock on the door of her honestly rather decrepit clapboard home on the outskirts of Mount Shasta. A woman in her forties comes to the door, Sheila says to the woman, "Mary. We called ahead last week to see if Mrs. Van Valer would mind speaking with us and our friend?" Mary says, "She's been expecting you. I don't know how long she'll be able to stay up and about but she's been looking forward to it." In the living room is a frail woman in her seventies or eighties, in a wheelchair, but with bright blue inquisitive eyes and a merry demeanor. "Mrs. Ostrander, Mrs. Schroeder, welcome! It has been far too long, my dears. And who is this..." and upon seeing Mitch, Nola stops speaking immediately. Mitch sees the mark of the Illuminated upon poor old Mrs. Von Valer, and so too does she upon Mitch. "My.... my Lord. My Lord of Light." And she physically tries to get out of her wheelchair to genuflect before Mitch.

Jeff

Mitch rushes forward to help her, which included very gently preventing her from getting up while murmuring something like "whoa whoa whoa, it's cool." He crouches down so that his eyes and her eyes are at the same level, without kneeling. "What did they do to you?"

Michael

"I just.... I just got old." She smiles and gets back in her chair. "I haven't seen you in nearly forty years, I was just... shocked. Shocked that you hadn't aged a day, but now that I consider it, it makes perfect sense, my Lord."

"I didn't expect to see you again in my lifetime." Sheila, Lynn, and Nola's helper Mary are apprehensive, but not saying anything to interrupt the old woman.

(Just something as game-inspiration, maybe a copy of one of these old ads for Dr. Van Valer's lectures is on the wall and Mitch catches a glimpse.)

Jeff

Mitch will be double-polite, as this woman is his elder and also she's got her own bus pass. "Ma'am I'm afraid you've mistaken me for someone else. If we'd met before I'm sure I would remember." He winks.

Sheila and Lynn might note that Mitch's attitude is 180 degrees from his first encounter with Jiyu.

If he gets a chance, and I think he does, he'll aura-read (or try to).

Michael

"In 1922, I let you into my kitchen. You were hungry, and I fed you. And the idea you planted in my mind that day, eventually led me to the mountain, and to Phylos the Tibetan and the Ascended Masters, and to your heavenly presence again." (Sure, give me an Aura Reading)

Jeff

>>>> ACTIVATE … FAILURE

Sigh!!

Michael

Well, Mitch is a little shook maybe.

Sheila bends down to speak to Nola. "Nola, dear, who is this? Who did he say he was when you met him fifty years ago?"

"He never said," Nola responds with a mischievous grin, "but I figured it out. When he would preach on the mountainside, when he would give me glimpses of the future with his radiant words, of the coming millennium and of the 144 thousand, when he would confirm both Phylos's prophecies and tales of Lemuria... I knew. I had faith. I had faith You would return," she says to Mitch, "but I thought I would be in my grave awaiting the last Judgment by then."

(At that, Lynn does a very broad "cringe" face out of the range of Nola and Mary's field of vision.)

Jeff

Mitch shakes his head ruefully like he hates to disappoint her. "In 1922 my father was one year old. I'm sorry, ma'am, I'm not the messiah you're looking for."

Michael

"But.... the look of your face, the sound of your voice, the radiance and halo," Nola says, looking distressed. "They're all precisely as I recall."

Roll to see if Detect History B activates? 14-

>>>> SUCCESS

Okay, I did the Sense roll for you and it passed, so you can give me an IQ roll now.

>>>> SUCCESS

All right. Well. Kindly elderly Dr. Van Valer has the stink of History B all over her. With a success by 5, you can tell it's not like she's recently been close to a subduction zone or anything; it's more a deeper, more baked-in kind of presence in her very being. She's definitely not possessed, she's not mind-controlled; she's just been exposed to History B "energy" for prolonged periods of time. Pivoting off this, you wouldn't be surprised if she was a true psi, although you've felt nothing of any powers trying to make their way past your consciousness. There's definitely ALSO a reality shard somewhere close by, though. That's a completely separate power source. Come to think of it, that could be partially why she's so covered in History B-ness.

Jeff

"What have you been up to, Vera?" Mitch asks and immediately regrets the familiarity. "You know Peter over on the butte? Anybody coming by and telling you lies? Anything I can help you with, ma'am?"

Michael

Nola lifts up her hand to Mitch's face, beckoning him to her level so that she can whisper something in his ear.

Jeff

Mitch is already crouched down at her level

Michael

Mitch needs to give me a Will roll.

>>>> SUCCESS

She speaks into Mitch's ear, every word a mere paper-thin whisper. "You. Are one. Of the Ascended Masters. You are the World Teacher. You are the Chohan of the Sixth Ray. You are — [LOUD, UNINTELLIGIBLE SUMERIAN] — and as Mitch, Sheila and Lynn make their way back to the car on a crisp March Mount Shasta afternoon, smiles on their faces after a convivial, pleasant visit with Dr. Nola Van Valer, the long shadows of the mountain breaking the sunlight into discrete rays through the mighty pines, the three look forward to heading back into town for an early dinner and an early night before hiking up Mt. Shasta tomorrow.

Jeff

I don't suppose there's a chance I ignited her, is there?

Michael

No. The house is nicely unbroiled. But you are missing time.

Fright check at a -2 to Will.

>>>> SUCCESS

Mitch is calm and collected but the facts are clear: old Dr. Van Valer put some kind of whammy on them all and only Mitch seems to have noticed. The ladies don't seem to have noticed anything weird just happened. They're walking to the car pleasantly chatting.

Jeff

Ok first off this is an ooc question because Mitch already knows, can I usefully analyze my own aura?

Michael

I think we did it once before, so why not?

>>>> ACTIVATE … SUCCESS

>>>> DETECT … SUCCESS

>>>> ANALYZE … SUCCESS

Okay, Mitch's soul shows no taint, no foreign parasites, nothing other than the profound anxiety of this unexpected lacuna in his memory. His physical health is as it should be, with the exception of what you can only describe as some sort of cerebral event that seems to have altered Mitch's memory.

Sheila and Lynn are completely silent and stand watching Mitch with concern.

Jeff

Aura check on Sheila and Lynn

>>>> ACTIVATE … SUCCESS

>>>> DETECT … SUCCESS

>>>> ANALYZE … SUCCESS

Michael

Sheila and Lynn also both look perfectly normal and healthy (their only streaks of anxiety are coming from being worried about Mitch) AND they also both seem to have evidence of a recent neurological "blank" in their short-term memory.

Jeff

Mitch stands there looking thoughtful for a few seconds. He's thinking about Frank Senior and how the guy was dying anyway, and how he's pretty sure that ol' Vera isn't a bad person and if she is then there isn't much harm she can do now, and anyway he shrugs and mutters that a cat walked over his grave, then starts walking again, away from Nola Van Valer.

If he tells Sheila and Lynn, they'll tell somebody who'll tell somebody who'll get her with a sniper rifle or a firebomb and who would that help? That's his thinking anyway

Michael

That is the kind of sage decision characteristic of Ascended Masters. :)

So as you and Lynn and Sheila are in town getting some last-minute supplies before your hike up the mountain, Mitch happens to see our friend Peter from last week also replenishing his camping supplies at the general store. Now given that Peter didn't talk to Mitch all that much at the restaurant last week, he sort of gives a half-familiar, half-uncertain wave to Mitch.

Jeff

Mitch approaches him the way he would an old high school friend who was mostly a friend-of-friends: a mix of cordial and intimate. "Hey, man, how's it going?"

Michael

"I'm doing... all right. Had a..." and he sort of drifts off for a few seconds, "Had a weird thing happen out in the woods the other day, though. Right around sunset. I've had my share of experiences around here, but this one... a couple dozen yards away from my campsite..." and with this he makes his voice VERY low so as not to be overheard, "I saw a Bigfoot. Clear as day. Just sort of... standing there, looking at me. Somewhere around seven feet tall, its hair was sort of... moving and undulating on its own—in the wind, I guess—and it looked at me almost... quizzically! It was absolutely the closest encounter I've had with anything while I've been up here. I am not sure what it meant but Lord did it have me awed and frightened." Peter doesn't seem as glum and hopeless as he did a few days ago at Lalo's.

Jeff

Huh. Between the two of them Peter and Nola are definitely challenging some of Mitch's beliefs re Illumination

He nods thoughtfully and makes a little grunting sound

Michael

Peter, obviously excited to be able to tell someone who he thought might be copacetic with Sasquatch stories, sees Mitch's relative disinterest and sort of dorkily says, "Well, nice running into you again," and heads to the checkout aisle.

So Sheila and Lynn have planned a series of easy to medium trails today, going to check out a few interesting spots on the mountain where contact, spurious or otherwise, with "the other side" has happened in Mt. Shasta's rich past. There are also a couple of Out-of-Place Artifacts—mostly petroglyphs and stone circles of uncertain origin—that Sheila and Lynn wanted to check in on.

All right. The first stop on our itinerary is a spot on the low northeast side of the mountain, where in 1931 the friend of a local man named Abraham Mansfield had an encounter with a Lemurian while lost on a deer hunt. Here is the hoary tale that Sheila tells on the first leg of your hike:

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"Most legends of Lemurians seem to say that they live inside the mountain—whether physically or metaphysically—it's either a home or a waystation/liminal zone that allows the Lemurians to interact with us." Lynn looks pointedly at Mitch. "You can see why that would set off alarm bells at the Project."

Sheila says, "And always gold, never platinum or silver or bronze. Nola's vision of the Ascended Masters' sanctuary was also plated in gold. This doesn't match up with the visions our psychics have had of History B population conurbations. More often than not there is a sense in History B of things being made of copper, of glazed ceramic, of crystal. And while there are mentions of resonant crystals in some Lemurian/Mt. Shasta tales, more often than not these seekers cite gold as the main building material and material from which Lemurian objects are made." Mitch, give me a Detect (History B) roll.

>>>> SUCCESS

As Mitch peers at the gently sloping hillside at the base of the mountain, concentrating on the presence of History B, he absolutely is able to see a fracture in the barrier between worlds that takes the form of a now-visible crack in the side of the hill, large enough for an adult human to squeeze through. From that crack Mitch can clearly see some kind of faint golden glow. There is a weak spot in between worlds here; a stable subduction zone, for sure. Physically Mitch isn't sure what would happen if someone walked into that crack—that gap in the mountainside is not really there, of course—but it does give credence to the possibility that at the least this mountain is honeycombed with all kinds of weak spots between histories... or at the most, that perhaps the mountain itself doesn't exist at all in History B.

Jeff

I would like to attempt to meditate onsite. Investigatory meditation is not something Mitch has a lot of experience with but he was getting some v strong results at the abbey.

Michael

Yeah, super! Let's do a Meditation roll. And also let me know how you're communicating this to S & L, where and how you're setting yourself up for it, etc.

Jeff

Okay. Mitch gestures vaguely in the direction of the subduction and tells the beehives “there’s something there. I dunno exactly, I want to think about it for a while. Meditate. I got some good results at the abbey, more than I was expecting. I’d like to try the technique here. Not sure how long it’ll take; when I was doing it at the abbey I kept feeling like I was getting close to something and then somebody would tell me it was dinner time or something. We’re not on a timetable, are we?”

Michael

Sheila says to Mitch, "No, not at all. We're here, and we'll keep watch, whatever it takes."

Jeff

He’ll position himself fairly close to what he perceives as the crevasse, like if it was a TV show there’d be an over-the-shoulder shot of Mitch looking at it, they’d both be in frame. Maybe twenty feet back, maybe a little less? Then he sits down in half-lotus and goes for it.

>>>> SUCCESS

FWIW Mitch does not say anything like “wake me up before midnight for my soul will be forever trapped on the astral if I do not return afore the witching hour” or even “don’t let me die of dehydration,” he’s pretty taciturn about it to the beehives

Michael

So with Meditation your Detect ability seems to be a little more powerful, allowing you to sense and detect at a little greater distance. Moreover, it lets you safely sense beyond just the opening of this crack in the mountainside. And as you extend your Detect beyond the barrier of the wall of rock, you find your"self" suddenly in a corridor. The floors, walls, and ceiling are made of panels of what looks like solid gold. Fright check time. +3 to your Will.

>>>> SUCCESS

Cool as a cucumber.

You are inside History B right now, for certain.

Or, your meditative presence is.

Jeff

And IIRC rolling a Fright Check triggers Mitch’s uncontrolled pyrokinesis 1? I don’t recall, whatever you say I’ll buy in that regard.

Michael

Yep, another Will roll.

No bonus this time.

(That bonus was for observing the Scary Thing from a distance.)

>>>> SUCCESS

The ladies are feeling cool and crisp out there on the mountainside.

So... does Mitch want to press onward, in either direction down the corridor? You're not sure how much more "oomph" the Meditation will give your Detect ability but you are in the thick of History B right now. This space occupies the same space as Mt. Shasta in History A, confirming your theory that the mountain either doesn't exist or is riddled with tunnels in History B. The gold is glowing of its own accord, softly enough to read by, a sort of low ambient glow.

Jeff

I suppose lacking other options Mitch will move forward. I’d love to get a sense of what exactly this hidden city of gold is. Is Mitch able to perceive a light source? I realize he doesn’t need light to ‘see’ right now, but...?

Michael

The walls are painted in liquid sunshine, obviously.

Ah, give me a Hidden Lore (History B) roll, why not.

>>> SUCCESS

Gotta look up GURPS Vision rules, one sec

Given the corridor is lit along its entire length, Mitch can peer all the way to either end! In front of him at a distance of about... 150? 200 feet? (It's tough to judge distance in an out-of-body experience with no idea if this corridor is human-sized or otherwise.) is a large door set into the end of the corridor. No visible knob or hinges, just a thin line denoting a portal. Behind Mitch at a distance of about 60 feet is another door. That direction, on some instinctive level, Mitch can tell, leads back where his body is.

Jeff

Is the corridor horizontal or is it a ramp down? Either way Mitch will attempt to move further in.

Michael

Oh, without feet or a body it's tough to tell for sure but it looks pretty level! Mitch's presence floats down the hall to the more distant of the two doors. As he moves to the door it slides away into the wall like a door on Star Trek. Behind the door is a brilliant domed chamber with a large rectangular table in its center. Here the golden walls aren't just dimly illuminated from within, they're bright, almost blinding. There are seven massive golden chairs pulled up to the table, three along one side, one at the corner, and then three along the other side. There are vague humanoid figures, flooded with light, one vaguely male from its general shape, one vaguely female, sitting in two of the chairs to either side of that corner seat. The light is too blinding to see details of their faces or bodies but you can tell from your Detect History B ability that neither of them are Irruptors. The two figures gesture to the corner seat, which you can see is topped with a mighty purple crystal. When you look at the crystal, you are suddenly flung back to your body and awaken from the meditation. You are now sitting in shade where when you went into the trance you were in the sun. Sheila is looking at you, Lynn looking at her watch. "About 90 minutes," Lynn says calmly. Sheila takes a deep breath. "Everything all right? How did it go?"

Jeff

"I bounced off something," Mitch says, trying to process what just happened. "My consciousness went to the other side of that rift--" He gestures vaguely as he recalls that the beehives can't see the rift. "Into whatever's there where the mountain is, here. Gold-lined tunnel, sunlight as paint, and a purple crystal. Really consistent with Mansfield's supposed friend's supposed experience. Either there are Lemurians in History-B, who aren't working actively for the Red King, or else the Red King set up some kind of smokescreen to make it seem that way." He sighs. "Or something, I might have misunderstood what I was experiencing. The gold-and-sunlight filter might have been in my own brain, trying to interpret the phenomena and latching onto the imagery of the Lemurian story."

"I think to get anything remotely resembling solid answers I'd have to stay out here for, God only knows. Months. Do more research, get myself exposed to more imagery. If you'd told me the plot to Snow White this morning, would I have seen dwarves mining diamonds and singing hi-ho?"

Mitch is working himself up, getting frustrated. He stops when he realizes this.

Michael

"Mitch," Sheila says, "it's all right. First off. You've just proven two very important things. First, you've proven that beneath the subduction zone on Mt. Shasta there is substantial stable History B presence, enough to leave an enormous physical structure. That's important. With that much presence on the other side and the mountain itself and the local area being filled for the past 50 years with gullible cranks spreading their memes, you've proven that belief alone can't cause a reality quake. It would take a concentrated group of hundreds—or more likely thousands—of people here on the mountain believing the same thing to jar loose the subduction zone. "And second, yes, I understand why you'd be convinced that perhaps those memes had... imprinted on you before your vision, but trust me; you're just seeing what Mansfield's friend saw. There are other reports of structures made out of gold and precious stones in the record, like this one from an astronomer in the 1910s:

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Lynn adds, "Let alone the site of King Solomon's Mines in Rhodesia, a known fracture to SANDMAN since 1899, where the gold was so plentiful it was poured onto the walls. See, Mitch, this is why SANDMAN keeps fomenting schisms between the various esoteric groups in Mount Shasta. We really don't want a whole bunch of people believing the same thing. Guy Ballard's group was the closest thing the Shasta mythology got to a high priest, and the pre-SANDMAN groups in government and popular opinion manipulation in America in the '30s infected the I AM Activity with just enough of the "American exceptionalism" meme to render its History B mythcycle neutered."

Sheila says, "Oh, and I almost forgot, third.... you're controlling that Detect History B psi ability much better now, aren't you? After all that is why we brought you here."

Jeff

Mitch is not 100% convinced that there isn't some kind of memetic implantation skewing his perceptions but he's partially mollified. "There's something there," he says, staring at the glowing rift. "Even now I feel like I could just walk into it... but nah. I don't think I'm getting anything more here, not today. We should get, uh, get moving, see some of these other sites-of-interest. Maybe the Lemurians put up a visitor center somewhere further up the mountain."

Michael

Give me another set of Detect History B rolls for Mitch. As we make our way around the landmarks I want to see what he sees.

>>>> SUCCESS

I make the Sense roll.

And it's passed.

Jeff

Do I roll IQ?

Michael

Yes.

>>>> SUCCESS

Michael

Nice. Okay. The rest of the day is spent at relatively low altitudes around the base of the north side of the mountain. While Mitch isn't put upon to go into a full meditative state at any point during the rest of the day (although he is welcome to try again if he likes), he does at different points during the afternoon peer closely at various crevasses, plateaux, groves of trees, and suspect mounds along the mountain's face. And literally at every single one of these spots talked about in a story of a crackpot from around 1910-1940, Mitch senses "entrances" "into" the mountain/History B. In an effort not to taint the results or "prime" Mitch as they did with the initial exploration of the Mansfield site, Sheila and Lynn do not let Mitch know when they are approaching a site from Shasta folklore. They just let him explore and remark when he finds a weak spot. All afternoon, the two psi researchers dutifully make note of Mitch's "hits," in psi parlance, and when the sun begins to dip over the rocky western horizon, they announce that on this particular trail, Mitch is 6 for 6. Fortune-Telling roll, please. Additionally obtained from your Detectery, no signs of alien life, Red King or otherwise, accompany the sensation of History B at any of these spots. More importantly, now that Mitch has personally surveilled a good chunk of the mountain, he can deduce that all the various weak points between histories are part of a larger complex. Within this mountain, on the other side of the Ontoclysm, is a giant structure, seemingly entirely made of/plated with gold, containing alien resonators and crystal structures and other oddities. But there isn't an Irruptor—or indeed a Lemurian—to be found.

Jeff

Can I order a read for the fortune-telling role or is it purely reactive

Michael

This is reactive, sort of Mitch sensing if Sheila and Lynn are up to any forced-cards/cold reading shenanigans. But you can also Aura Read if you like. In fact, now that I think about it, I'll roll the Fortune-Telling roll right now secretly.

And Mitch senses their body language and they are trying to be completely neutral, he doesn't notice any evidence of them trying to feed him information to warn him where the subduction zones are.

Mitch's hits are legit.

Jeff

So, then, Mitch’s best guess is that on the other side, instead of Mount Shasta, there’s Mount Golden Tunnel Network with Eerie Crystals. Why here? Some kind of big telluric, ley line thing? Is this a dream-resonator that vibrates and broadcasts docile dreams to the Red King’s human slaves in a thousand-mile radius? Mitch clocks himself using the present tense to describe the other side, which he’s pretty sure is technically incorrect, or at least inappropriate. “Was going to have been” maybe would be the better tense, whatever that is.

The lack of detectable entities is, I won’t say worrying because it’s not like Mitch would have been reassured if he’d sensed a series of strong irruptor presences... but maybe it’s suggestive of the site being some kind of passive resonator of energy?

Can Mitch roll Hidden Lore (History B) to guess at the site’s purpose?

Michael

Sure!

>>>> SUCCESS

Jeff

Is that a crit?

Michael

Rolling well today! 6 is a crit on a 16 plus.

But that's still success by 8.

Bill

(Embassy or honeypot?)

Michael

In intel terms, what's the difference?

So here's Mitch's (set of) theor(ies). Resonator, energy collector/distributor, sure. Those all seem reasonable, especially considering how amped up Mitch's own abilities seem to be around here. But it was that mention by Lynn of the earthly cults and SANDMAN trying to keep them from all believing the same thing that makes Mitch wonder... what if the mountain is an embassy. All these people—from Frederick Spencer Oliver to the various treasure hunters of the '20s to Guy Ballard and the late-model Theosophists (including Nola) to even poor old Peter—they are desperate for belief and for contact. And in a lot of these anecdotes, the "Lemurians" use practically-impossible-in-History A visuals (like corridors and tables and pillows of gold) to entice and dazzle the humans who make their way here. All those stories that have been told since A Dweller on Two Planets are ultimately memes—even if none of them seem to be using the Anunnaki source code. And they bring seekers to the mountain like a worm on a hook.

One more bit obtained from the success-by-8 Hidden Lore roll: Mitch would not be surprised to see evidence in the records of a historical kulullû presence on the mountain, as they are the Irruptor caste who are most often charged with helping cults get off the ground.

Jeff

I shoulda fished for a +2 to skill for something, ah well. It's tempting to go back to ol' Vera, now that I'm armed with this knowledge, press for some answers sans mindwipe, but Mitch made his choice re: engaging with Nola van Vale, and it'd be playing with fire anyway. The way Mount Golden Tunnels doesn't seem particularly evil or Red Kingly, that's got Mitch wondering what he's missing. Are the Lemurians from History C? Seems unlikely. Are they Red King agents in a pleasing form, the better to subvert poor humans? Maybe. Is Mount Golden Tunnels something that would-have-been-existing in History B specifically to interact with History A, or is it the results of an unrelated Red King ultra-terrestrial contact project, and the interactions with History A and Mount Shasta purely an emergent property derived from the 'reality quake' without having been created with that in mind? Mitch knows the answer to none of these questions. The only questions he knows the answers to are 'does he want to get drunk tonight' and 'does he want to try to get the beehives drunk too' and 'does he suspect the chances of getting Sheila or Lynn to let their guard down are pretty much nil regardless' are yes, yes, and yes.

Michael

I think Sheila and Lynn will be good-natured about having dinner and drinks with Mitch but I don't think either of them are going to over-indulge. At a certain point during dinner, though, Sheila will, a couple of highballs in, ask Mitch, "So... have you seen enough up here, Mitch?"

(We could certainly make a Carousing roll here if Mitch wants.)

Jeff

I was gonna say!

>>>> CRITICAL FAILURE

Auuuuugh!

Whammy!

Michael

Well, at least my narrative prediction that neither of them will over-indulge comes true.

Jeff

Mitch drinks too much and makes a shitty pass at Sheila and then doubles down!! It's a train wreck and he has to write a formal letter of apology the next morning!

Michael

I figure Mitch will over-indulge but I want Sheila to ask him that question above before he gets too messed up. Maybe she's only on her first highball and Mitch is on his fourth whiskey.

Jeff

Ok so Mitch is still conceptualizing his terrible plan to seduce Sheila and probably Lynn too in a threesome, that's how badly he screws up, but that's all still a few minutes into the future... "Seems silly to come out here without hiking up to the top. I read a pamphlet that suggested the ascent is easier starting in May, though. I'm from Alabama, I don't know. You two are so well-prepared I'm sure if it's viable you've got a better plan you can pull out and if it's not, eh, I can come back in the summertime. You two are always... thinking ahead..."

Michael

Sheila: "I think a summit assault might be a little ambitious for us, especially in March. No, we had one more site, that has some petroglyphs, that we were thinking about hiking to tomorrow, but... well, Mitch, this week seems to have done a lot for you. Not only is your psi much more under control, but you've gained a deeper understanding of History B." Lynn adds, "Mitch, your abilities make you a crucial part not just of URIEL but of SANDMAN itself. But the Project wasn't going to want you to be traumatized either by those abilities or by their ability to see into History B. It seemed like a good idea to bring you somewhere relatively ontoclastically stable and let you peer across and practice." These two are all business.

Jeff

"Petroglyphs, sure, sure. Sounds like a hoot... but uh, yeah. It's been eye-opening, I gotta give you that. Really great of y'all to come out here with me, show me the sights." A weak pun occurs to Mitch. "The sites. Sites? Never mind." He drains his drink. "So yeah this has been great and the only question ladies is how're we gonna top it?"

Michael

Sheila and Lynn actually look blankly at each other, and then to Mitch. Sheila says, "What did you have in mind?" she says, quite neutrally.

Jeff

Smash cut to the next morning, Mitch sitting at a table in the hotel lobby writing out his letter of apology while he waits for the beehives to come downstairs?

Michael

I think Sheila and Lynn are quite keen to drop Mitch back off at Livermore now.

Jeff

(Aw, well, that makes sense I suppose.)