QnA for October with spoilers! (Patreon)

Is what Chen found, when he went looking for Sidestep, related to what Vernon Browne had found too?

Nope, that's not connected.

Did Shroud ever come across Dave? If not, did she get any help from anyone we know in her escape?

Hmmmm not from anybody you know yet.

When Sidestep's telepathy is dormant in the puppet, are the nanovores psi-sensitive enough to interface / sense / taste Sidestep's mind? ie: would Ximena's nanovores recognise us if they met us while we're in the puppet?

Nope, they would have no idea.

Have Ortega and Vernon interacted again since Sidestep's funeral?

Not apart from glaring at a distance.

Is Shroud a double boost?

No.

Probably won’t get an answer for this one……… but has Ortega ever suspected or wondered if Sidestep could possess someone? Does the possibility of possession factor into their conspiracy board depending on the path?

That thought has not crossed Ortega's mind.

How likely is it that  Mortum is going to release the Fiend (on accident or otherwise) if the catastrofiend doesn’t get released in Retri

Very, very likely.

In regards to ReGene memories: are ReGenes eventually able to differentiate between what memories are and aren’t theirs? Is this something that improves over time or is it just… a core part of their mind that’s been etched in?

It varies for every ReGene. Some see them as alien, and does their best to partition them and bury them. Some see them as their own, and see no difference whether they really happened or not.

Before the start of Rebirth, did Argent know that the Rangers had nanovores stashed in their vaults?

Yes. Argent knows everything that's stashed in the vaults.

If the answer is yes, has Argent ever thought about stealing these nanovores?

No. She thinks they are safer there. They are different from her own, they are still the "wild" variety.

Aside from the nanovores, is there anything in the Rangers' vault that would benefit Sidested? Like a weapon, armor, etc

Oh there is a LOT. A vault raid could yield some nice toys for villains... (imagine an avocado emoji here)

Can we kill both Teddy and Tina? Murder couple special?

I think so, yeah. Just not until book 4.

Is HG's sibling the same gender as Sidestep?

Not necessarily. 

Will we see Dr. Finch again? Will she be able to influence the plot in any way?

Yes you will, but I don't think she has a major plot significance. Just one on Sidestep (which I suppose is plot in a way).

Has the new member of the Guardians ever been considered to be a villain?

Yes. 

With Shroud's draining abilities, was she originally considered for combat (assassination) use until it was discovered she retained the memories of her victims or was she always designed to be a cuckoo?

She was always designed as cuckoo, but was meant as an assassin variant. Yes, they are cuckoos meant for silent killing as well. The memories was a bonus.

So, on the topic of Argent: how dangerous is the possibility of her using the Regenerator? As of now, the Nanovores have been breeding and multiplying and filling the spaces and skin she needs for her—while using the Regenerator, once it starts replacing the pieces she’s been using them for will that force them out of her or just push them aside/to the surface? Can she use it while fully conscious and either way, will she be able to keep control of the nanovores while it goes? 

This will be a very dangerous thing, and exactly what happens depends on what is done with the regenerator. There are a few options, it is not a single yes or no. Even at the most evolved option, Argent will have some tough choices to make. It would not be safe for her to use alone.

Are there any kinds of food/flavor argent's nanos really don't like? 

They are not fond of green vegetables.

Are regene tattoos inked, a separate layer adhered/stuck firmly onto the skin, or something else? 

Something else.

When Jake phases in and out, does he move planes / dimensions?

Yes.

Is Argent's apartment postively or negatively pressurized?

Negatively. Making sure things don't get out.

What determines whether the  Rangers or Guardians are chosen to handle a threat? Where were the Guardians, for instance, during Heartbreak and the Nanosurge?

The Guardians were not yet created during the nanosurge or heartbreak. This is a new project of the current Mayor. The best description might be that the Guardians are the local cops, and the Rangers are the feds. Different bosses, and sometimes there's conflict.

How does the farm memory erasure procedure look and feel like? How effective is it and what determines the criteria? Would the one undergoing it know to some degree their memories were missing?

It works by connecting the ReGene to the Core and basically rebooting them back to the base memory layer. Most people would not know that things are missing, but remnants might bleed through and confuse things early on. But the brain adapts fast.

How are the memories implanted in a Re-Gene preserved for future generations? Is there a telepathic procedure that takes the memories of past agents/soldiers/etc and stores them in a database to be extracted when a new batch survives the boost?

Yes, there is what might be called a "bio boot drive" connected to the core where all the various memories are kept. It is from this that memories are chosen to implant, and various sequences are cataloged for efficiency. 

Back in their farm days, was sidestep ever on a mission to capture another escaped Regene?

No. That was a thing that was human only, would not want the knowledge that regenes could escape to spread.

How versatile can the commands of HG's threading actually be? With complex enough threading, could HG command a mind to believe it is comatose/to remain comatose - essentially keeping them in a coma when they should have awoken?

It can be very versatile, but it also depends on the mind in question. Let's say that HG threads someone with "you are asleep". This might be taken by the mind as that everything that happens around them is just a lucid dream. Or it might cause the person to lie down and sleep. It depends. So what in some cases might be easy threading, might be very complex for others. But yes, that is something they could do.

Shot in the dark but are the reasons Ortega’s generator is failing in any way linked to the reasons why the Core is also failing / the infection? 

Nope, not connected.

Building on the previous question - if not the infection, is Ortega's mods causing them trouble due to the overstrain on their nervous system?

Yeah. That's the thing. Close to maxing out their neural load.

Does Shroud like Regina? Does Regina like Shroud?

Nobody likes Regina. Or shroud.

Was Argent being comprised of Nanovores always something you planned for her character? Or did the ‘skeletons in her closet’ part act as a placeholder first while you figured out the secrets she’d have been hiding?

Originally in the book, there were no nanosurge. There was another cataclysm. But since that one was in a different universe, I needed a replacement. And once I came up with the Nanosurge, Argent fitted perfectly into it. So yes, she has been nanovore infested since I started writing the interactive fiction version.

How long ago did Regina get promoted director?

2014.

If the core was responsible for monitoring, cleaning and sanitizing memories to be implanted into regenes and now the core is failing, does that imply that memories in new regenes are more unreliable?

Oh yes, but it also implies so much more.

Can the core be replaced, or only repaired?

Unclear. The Farm hopes for either.

Was Step's wiping attempt what caused the Core to begin failing or was it already having issues before hand? Or is it unrelated and the problems began more recently? 

It had issues beforehand, but Sidestep didn't help.

Does Lord Ember know Shroud is a regene?

No.

How much harder is it for argent to maintain control of her lil pals if her enemy has been blooded?

Harder. But she can handle it.

If the imposter ends up in Sidestep's body, will they be able to open the gates?

Depends on which flavor of imposter.

Has Rat King ever noticed someone/something (not Step) piloting Step/Puppet's body? 

Not that they have reacted to.

HG saw the Void as being able to “influence and bind their followers to them”.  Would that influence be stronger than their threads?  Has HG ever tried to thread a void follower?

Yes. It did not go well. Didn't take.

Does the "protected" HG variable mean that HG is/will be reacting to or seeing Sidestep as if they truly are their missing sibling? And are hence protecting Sidestep, the same way they would their sibling? 

Similar but not exactly.

How heavily threaded is deadeye compared to before and after her demotion?

About the same.

Has Mitchell ever obtained intel for his files from Dr Finch’s records, given she’s known for treating heroes?

Yes.

Is there any equivalent to dealing with technopathy that telepathy has (numbers/dampeners)?

Not that Sidestep is aware of. The issue here is that tech is something the technopath might influence, and chemistry works on biloogical things.

Does the Farm have uniforms/a dress code for its employees? For Handlers, Scientists, the Administration in the above ground facilities, other employees? 

Yes they do. Very military in that way.

Is Mitchell a technopath, or has access to one?

Nope, other means.

If Sidestep's telepathic classification code is currently T12345678, will opening all nine gates make them T123456789?

Yes.

Hypothetically speaking, if you were to lay your head against Ortega's gut, would you be able to hear their generator working? Or feel it buzz?

It doesn't buzz, but you would be able to hear it faintly. It's more of a thrum.

Since telepaths have been disappearing - has HG been safe thus far because (1) they are not a good candidate, (2) the government needs HG alive, or (3) the farm doesn't even know that HG is telepathic?

3. HG is smooth.

Is there any kind of security system that could actually keep argent out? Are some harder to sweet talk than others? 

There are hard ones. Mortum's lab would be HARD.

Which year did Chen obtain Sidestep's autopsy pictures? 

In 2015.

How long after obtaining them did he stop looking for Sidestep?

Maybe 2016. He needed to double check they were real.

Does Ortega realise that HG had kissed/flirted with them in the past? If so, how do they feel about it?

Yes, and they feel used and angry.

If you steal the jewelry successfully during the Blaze meeting without getting caught/noticed, what was Blaze and the politicians reaction when they saw the case was gone/found the calling card if it was left behind?

Well, they felt pretty stupid, like any victim of a theft. Also, ruined that deal.

Why does step think they can leave their body from inside the dampeners in guilty reveal? Is this ability somehow different from most telepathy?

Yes, it has been in the past. Possessing someone through the dampeners is how they got out the second time.

A while ago you talked about how it would be possible to turn the rangers and it would be different for each of them. How big of a role would the doubt stat play in it and would it be possible to turn all of them in one run?

The doubt stat is the most important one, and yes it is possible with everyone in their own way.

Does Deadeye work exclusively for HG?  Has she always since she joined them?

Yes, but can occasionally freelance with permission.

Could argent interfere with ortega's spyware mods if she wanted to? 

Oh yes.

In a lore post we saw that the government could and would "deactivate" Ortega's mods, including their leg mobility, if they chose to. could Argent override this? 

Yes.

Would Ortega have a heart attack if Sidestep (that they had a thing with) started dating Blaze.

No. But they would be miffed.

Had Sidestep told Chen and Ortega about being a Regene pre-HB, would they have been as "tolerant" and understanding as now? Or could Sidestep's fear of being sent back to the Farm have been correct?

They would have been tolerant. Things are always different when you know the person in question. Also, the Farm worked hard on making their ReGenes feel apart from the human world, and make sure they knew everybody hated and feared them. So every little clue would have been taken as proof by Sidestep.

When you're in his mind with him, what does Chen see? He replies to your mental questions easily--can he hear your mind in that moment?

Yes, he sees Sidestep when they talk. How Sidestep looks to Chen varies. If Sidestep focuses, they will be their own shape, but it is easier to allow themselves to be influence. Like, be in uniform among the soldiers and so on.

Will we ever have a chance to meet/find out about Bo’s child?

Yes.

Does Blaze have any particular resistance to fire/heat? Not only against enemies, but his own powers?

Yes, he is resistant, unless someone chooses to mess with his powers. 

Let's say in an alternate universe Sidestep has a thing with Ortega, jumped out of the window, survived and the Farm never found them. The Rangers get a doctor who takes care of Sidestep and keep their mouth shut about them being a Re-Gene. After months of recovery Sidestep tells Ortega that they want to get out of the hero life and live a life of retirement as far away from Los Diablos as possible and so they ask Ortega to retire and go live that life with them. Ortega has two options in front of them, 1. live a life of retirement with the love of their life or 2. continue to seek revenge on Hollow Ground but that comes with the fact that they will have to end their relationship with Sidestep. What do they choose? 

The first, but it is doubtful that it would last.

Does Blaze ever need anything for his bad knee? Wheelchair, crutches, etc?

He usually uses one of those knee-support things. He avoids crutches if he can.

Building on that - Could the regenerator restore Blaze's knee back to normal?

Not in the base configuration.

Could Sidestep's telepathy be able to help Nocturne's mind in case the red threads were to disappear permanently? 

Hard to say, Sidestep is not used to using their power in such a permanent and fiddly way.

What topics do Nocturne and Jake enjoy talking about together?

People. Movies. Books. They both read a lot.

If HG's older brother had survived, how different would the crime organization look like? Would HG's brother have been the kingpin instead?

It would have been very different, and yes, the brother would have been. It would probably have been a lot more straightforward and open.

Did it affect Jake’s reputation much if he lost against Sidestep? 

Yep, it will.

How complicated might things end up if Sidestep ends up having a close rapport with both Ortega and HG, considering the history there?

Oh that will be complicated as hell.

Did Vernon happen to find the same arrest records as Ortega?

Yes, he did.