Cloudsea - The Chronicle of Alice Van Vaugen

"I've read a lot of books. Not all of them are fictional- and there are always dangerous with... this sort of thing."

Alice indicated herself and the haze.

"I'm hoping you could tell me about any of those kinds of things before we go any further with all this."

And where would you have me start? Of course there are dangers, Alice of Vaugen. I am a strange entity of unusual power, and you are sharing your mind with me. The problem is, as I previously stated: The danger is based on knowledge. The more you know, the greater the danger, both to you and myself.

"Well that's real damn convenient, then isn't it? Does that mean you can't tell me if there's a way to... cleanse Qhen? Banish whatever it is that they are suffering from?"

The haze floats there.

Simply answering that question could be enough to advance our understanding of one another. It is not a question of simply being able to tell you these things. It is a matter of trust. Can you trust that my goals will always be aligned with your own, Alice of Vaugen?

"Well- Of course not! I don't even know what my own goals are, right now! You told me I was dead- and then you brought me back to life- I think? I was barely awake long enough to register it even as a dream, and then there was Qhen... I can't even really remember what happened previous to all of this. If you asked me, I'd say I've gone crazy. But I need to know-"

Do YOU need to know, or do the voices that speak to your urges need to know?

"You know what? Don't know. Don't care! That's on the list now. I need you to tell me about these voices."

... If haze could look defeated, this is probably what it looks like. Or annoyed. It clutches it's hands and 'stares' at them, then starts staring a hole through Alice. Alice briefly considers what the consequences of pushing her luck could be.

Very well. Tell me then, what is more important right now? Knowing more about the dangers, knowing about the voices, or knowing how to 'save' this Qhen? I'll answer any two questions you ask, if they are within my power to do so. I'll wait for you to decide, with your... vocal thoughts. After that, whatever happens will be out of my control.