January QnA, consolidated. (Patreon)

As one of the upcoming changes of my Patreon, the QnA will no longer be split in spoiler and no spoiler questions and will assume that people have read Retribution. I will go back and change the level of the old ones in the future, but there's a lot so it will take a while. I've got some other cool things coming up once I have finished bugfixing stuff!  

And with that, time for questions:

Hey, just wanted to say I love your work. I wasn't sure where to post the questions for the Q&A, but I just wanted to ask: How involved is the US President in the Farm, and what is the current President's opinion on the Farm activities? Thanks! 

Here is the thing. Theoretically, the Farm is not something that the current President should be aware of at all. It's a fringe thing, only vaguely connected to the US government in that way military-industrial firms often are. If a reporter would ask the question, there would be plausible deniability.

However, that is not completely true. In the past, President Ross was aware of the work going on there, if not personally involved. In fact, this was one of the reasons that he pushed for the Ranger system, and how independent he made them. 

The current president, an older gentleman named Gerard Jonas, has no interest in the Farm. He is on his last term, and seems more focused on building his legacy of economic recovery than anything else. However, his vice-president Ronald McIntyre has traveled west on many occasions, and is reputed to be relying heavily on military donations. Whether this means that he is for or against the Farm and what goes on there, is an open question. What can be said for certain is that he's certainly not unaware.

What’s the HG trio’s love language? What about Zephyr and Blaze?

HG is touch, as might be expected. Nocturne's is gifts. Jake is... hmm... I think acts of service.

Zephyr is gifts, and Blaze is words of affirmation. 

Did Locus leave any family or friends behind when she became a hero? What was her childhood like? How did she meet Porphyry, and what did they bond over? 

Locus never felt like she had close friends growing up, she was always the odd one out, bullied and estranged for being smart but not having the family that could help her use that intelligence constructively. She was a bit of a recluse, thinking she was better and smarter than everybody else. She fell into bad company, and took the boost drugs betting that she'd ace that test like she did everything else. It worked, and to her horror and surprised she could now read people's minds. It made her realize that she had utterly misjudged many of the people around her and her family, and she was ashamed that she had thought so little of them. That was what pushed her to become a hero at such an early age, to become who she wanted to be and make up for who she had been. She met Porphyry very early on, and as immediately attracted to the fact that they don't really have any insecurities and says what they mean. Honest and confident. And Porphyry felt more than a bit protective of this young powerful girl who was dead set on becoming a hero, so hey, guess she needs a backup.

When did HG and Lord Ember start to see each other as an actual threat and rival to their empire? Have they met face to face? Do they do correspondence with each other? 

They have met, back when Lord Ember was a Los Diablos villain called Emberfall. Fun fact, Lord Ember is also immune to HG's shenanigans, and an attempt or two on his life later, Ember decided that maybe he'd have more luck reinventing himself in San Francisco where he grew up. Which he did. Right now there is an uneasy truce between them.

Has Sentinel ever tried his hand at mastering lightning/thunder, or was his wind manipulation enough for him? Can he create sonic booms?

Sentinel can theoretically create thunderstorms by manipulating the winds and make clouds of that type form. He's trying not to do that though, it can be quite damaging. He can create sonic booms with enough space around him.

Who were some of the Boosts that had future vision?

There are two notable ones that are known. The oldest one was Harriet Gould, a boosted precog living in Britain in the late seventies. She became famous when it was revealed that she had helped preventing several murders and terrorist attacks by calling in with tips to the local law enforcement departments. Once she had become public she had a brief and infamous tour in America which ended with her having a mental breakdown on stage during her Los Angeles appearance. She had to be hospitalized and was flown back to Britain a month later, catatonic and unresponsive. The Big One happened six months later. She died the next day, and is credited with having predicted the disaster though nobody understood her garbled warnings at the time. Her precognition seems to have been focused on disasters, deaths and accidents.

There other one was Aaron Williams, and he was employed by the US military There is still debate whether he was a true precog, his talents depended on the information he had access to. Given enough background information he could accurately predict events, and even individuals' actions. Even with very little information his predictions were surprisingly solid, and he was considered a major asset by the Pentagon. He had an honorary rank as Colonel, and a spotless record until he failed to predict the Cavalier turning traitor and attacking the Pentagon. He died in the attack, but the record of his past predictions and analysis is still used to dictate policy today.

Will Step get the chance to make public examples of HG and Lord Ember if they angered Step enough?

Yeah, I think that would work.

On that note, can we kill either Jake or Nocturne (or both) in retaliation to HG if they did? 

None of the HG trio has plot armor.

Does Sidestep have any forged ID? Passport, birth certificate, social security number etc. Or do they rely on their powers to get by in situations where they need those types of documents?

And if they do have forged documents, what name is written on there? Their old names, or a fake one, just incase the farm looks into things?

While Sidestep prefers to avoid being remembered, they do have paperwork just in case. A simple forged ID is handy to have around, and since the Free Western Territories doesn't have much of a paperwork record (no social security numbers and stuff) it is easy to be just as legitimate as everybody else. Many people go to the west to disappear and reinvent themselves. What name there is on the forged documents is up to Sidestep.

Will there be any new RO's in future books or are you sticking to the current amazing ones?

I do have at least one new RO (maaaybe two) planned on the villain side, but nothing is solid until it is in the book. I want people who embrace the villain side to have some more choices than Dr. Mortum, and I had hoped to introduce them earlier, but I ended up cutting the book in half.

Has the Farm ever considered creating a standard regene? For example if a regene was created with enhanced strength and durability would they consider cloning that individual to serve as shock troops and grunt work for the SD?

The boosting process is too unreliable to be able to create a standard one, but it is one of the Farm's goals. They want the reliable grunt, but keep getting weird individuals.

Now that you've reached a sort of "halfway point" in the story (finished writing 2 books out of 4), have any of your characters developed in unexpected ways or are they more or less the same as you first envisioned them?

Ahahaha they have all gone weird except Ortega and Mortum. Developing the rest of the Rangers as RO's has meant I had to add a lot that wasn't there from the start, and think of them as people and not just opponents. They are still the same, but just with more nuance (Chen's dog, Danny's art, Argent's softness).

Has any character had an impact on you as a writer? If so, how?

Hmmm not Fallen Hero characters. But I would say that Hawke from DA2 really helped me write dialogue, since DA2 fanfiction was where I first started to write seriously in English and push my boundaries. I hated writing dialogue before.

What is Tina’s organization focused on?

Reclaiming the West Coast for nature and letting it heal uninterrupted.

If Sidestep in some cases lied about losing their powers to the Rangers, is Mortum aware of it? What would they think of the possibility of someone losing their powers? 

Mortum doesn't think it is possible to lose your powers, however, repressing them is. And the results can look similar up to a point.

Mortum mentioned to HG they researched them, where did Mortum get the information? Did Mitchell give it to Mortum or did Mortum get the information somehow else?

Mortum has contacts, but not gonna tell you who they are here. That will most likely come up in game.

How did Nocturne come to notice Ortega’s potential danger? Was there any particular situation/reason or did she decide to take a deeper look due to maybe discussions with HG and/or Jake?

Nocturne is very good at seeing people for who they really are, and Ortega's bullshit facade doesn't fool her. If it was up to her, Ortega would be dead already.

On the precious QnA mentioned HG feels like they messed up with their younger sibling because of the way they had been, what kind of shortcomings/flaws does HG consider themself to have had then?

Working too much, being too much of the overbearing older sibling, being too protective, or too pushy. The flavor changes by the day.

What kind of narrative voice would Nocturne, HG, and Jake have?

I won't know that until I write them. Often it takes a page or two before the voice clicks, and then I need to go back and correct the start.

What would HG's younger sibling's mindscape looked/felt like?

Hmm. Constrained and stormy. 

What is the initial response once the ROs find out Sidestep has been kidnapped in that arc? 

Since at that point they know about the whole ReGene thing, utter panic hidden to varying degrees. They will not let Sidestep stay lost this time...

Do you have an estimate on how many different branches there are for endings right now?        

There are four major branches of endings, and inside each of them there minor branches. I would say about 11 or so when it comes to functional starts of the new book, but there are variations within them all.                               

The rat king is putting in the work, do they have an initial reaction to sidesteps accident?

Depends on whether they are a part of it or not. But they would be very worried!

You've mentioned that the new flesh cannibalized boosted individuals in n attempt to gain powers - did this work? are there rumors, whether or not they're true?

In some cases, it did work, yes. There are a lot of rumors about it, slightly overblown, but they are grounded in facts.

Considering the timing of their hallucinations, and their vividness, I'm willing to bet Ortega has a mindscar of their own. Is that right? And if yes, is it a HB scar, or a Sidestep scar?

It would be a Sidestep scar.

You said "Ortega lost a lot of trust that day" about Ashfall and his encounter with the Void. We know from the game that Ortega will end up stranded with Sidestep with their mods fucked up. Did Ashfall's behaviour / temptation directly bring about Ortega's demise there?

Ortega sees it that way. It might not be entirely fair.

You've said that Chen's "I can't tell you yet" hinges on him being "not sure [about what he found]" (or what it means). Does it mean that Chen is back to work on that particular piece of information? In that case, wouldn't that mean that he'll quickly go back on the radar of the people who attacked him last time?

That can certainly happen....

Was Chen's attack orchestrated because he dug into Sidestep, or into Anathema? Or is that the same thing?

I would call that the same thing, since it was the Heartbreak incident.

Can the Void appear to people as things other than human?

Human-adjacent for sure. Things that should not be human. Things that you hope are not human. Things that might not never have been human. 

Void lore: what happened the last time Sentinel went up against the Void?

Sentinel is sadly not invulnerable to Void, and more susceptible than Hood was. It's not an easy thing to keep control, and Sentinel would not like to get into close quarters unless he had no other choice.

Are we going to be able to upgrade our bases in anyway? Personalize them in how we choose to modify them?

Not sure yet. I'll see what makes sense to write, and what will be left to headcanons.

What was Argent's vigilante outfit like?

One of those no arms and no legs wetsuits you use for surfing. It was pink and grey.

How often do real names slip out when on the job? Do heroes often know each others civilian identities to get these types of slip ups or is it mainly just friends? Has somebody like Ortega ever accidentally called Step or one of the other Rangers/heroes by their name when in suit? 

It slips out easily, sadly. Some are better at it than others. Ortega is rather good at it, but it has happened once or twice in super stressful circumstances when the mouth acts before the brain does. This is one reason why Sidestep was so secretive.

Do Ortega and/or Chen have a Heartbreak scar of their own?

Chen does, Ortega doesn't. Just Sidestep trauma.

 If so how high or low would theirs be?

Hmmmm about 50 or so.

Building on Anti's question - is Chen more certain of what he found after an mc crash regene reveal?

Yes, he is.

Any additional information you're willing to share about Sledgehammer?

I don't have much information there yet, there haven't been any need for it. Some people pop into life with tons of trivia, most are just a name.

Void Viewpoint Spoilers Sentinel mentions a “hero?” he dismisses immediately when winding across the field. Are the Rangers powerful enough to… get rid of other heroes without consequences, if for example Rangers and independent vigilantes happen to attack the same villain, but not in a coordinated effort? Has that happened to Steel or Ortega before? Have they ever had to get rid of a hero not in the midst of battle, but because they were going after the government / the rangers?

Yeah, that has happened. Sometimes it even comes to fighting. Rangers have very specific goals and rights, which might contrast, especially with vigilantes, but also with independent or corporate heroes who might not have access to the same information.

Will the original sibling always have a set personality, or is it going to change from Sidestep to Sidestep?

I will be vague about it, but there will be some common threads. I am not sure how much yet, but it will vary.

We've heard of a couple he/they's and a couple they/them's so far, any she/they's you could tell us about? 👀✨

Well... there is one in game where it haven't really come much into play yet. Mayor Alvarez actually uses she/they. She mostly used they back before she became mayor, but there are some conservative forces there so the media treats her as pure she. Some things gets sacrificed for power. She didn't really wear skirts much before...

Was Mitchell a member of the cult of the green sky?

Nope.

The Void seems to have a particular interest in boosts that tap on dimensional planes, or ones that involve some change to the human body. What then was it about Ortega, a mod, that captivated Void so much?

This is going to sound so base, so mundane compared to all the other Void lore. But the fact is that Charge is hot. That's at the heart of it. A villain/hero crush. Not that Void would ever admit it, far better to turn Ortega into something worthy. Also, Ortega's mind is weird, even to Void.

What would void think of current Sidestep ?

So close to their full potential.

Does anyone of the information gatherers (Vernon, Mitchell, Marek, Mortum) know who Angie really is?

No.

Void Spoilers if their third eye shows them the truth, did The Void see that Sidestep was a Regene? Was the Void aware of the farm? Are they now?

No. But they saw the AI chip. The Void was not aware of the Farm.

Was  Cornelius Vaughn from the same military squad as Cavalier?

No.

If the puppet releases the Catastrofiend, the Fiend seems to recognize them ("you?"). We've previously conjectured that it recognized Sidestep, but the Catastrofiend is not supposed to be telepathic. So, does the Catastrofiend recognizes Sidestep (and if yes, how?), or does it recognize the puppet? 

It recognizes Sidestep... as for how. We will see ;)

Following up on that, if the Catastrofiend recognizes Sidestep, is it because of telepathic or psi-sensitive powers, or could it be tied to something else? Say, for example, if Sidestep and The Catastrofiend have both been tw experiments, blood dosed with Void blood, would they be "connected" in some ways, ways that the Catastrofiend would be sensitive to? Or would Void Blood make it psi-sensitive by default? 

Void blood can make you psi-sensitive, but I would more say that it makes you sensitive to other...things. But yes, their "bond" it is more tied to Void than telepathy.

Did the Void Compound have stained-glass windows?

Nope.

When they modded Ortega, did the military mess with their brain, or... even edited their genome?

No genome edits. They did mess with Ortega's brain, that was necessary to hook up the mods to allow that kind of fine-tuned control.

Void lore spoilers: If Void deemed Sidestep an unsuitable candidate, why did they still choose to "kidnap" Sidestep alongside Ortega? 

Because Sidestep might be a nice snack for the other cultists to feed on once the Void blood had been filtered through.

Did HG's youngest sibling know what HG's powers were?

No, they didn't.

Have there ever been any experiments/projects Mortum regrets conducting or being apart of? If so, what was it/were they? 

A few. Mortum says that they don't do regrets, but that's not true. They have done some work for Psychopathor that they would rather have undone.

We know that physical gestures can help with telepathic power usage/moves, but do colours and patterns have any influence as well?

It all depends on the person. Like with all powers, getting in the right mood is important. Some people use music, for example.

Did Void show the same interest in Hood that they showed in Ortega?

Nope.

What’s Locus’s mindscape like?

Blank clouds filled with whispers and projected text bubbles.

Could HG make it so somebody wouldn't be affected by a Heartbreak 2.0?

Possibly, with proper preparation.

What does each member of the team feel about the return of the Catastrofiend, if it’s out? What did Argent tell them? 

Argent told them she ran across it heading into the sewers and cornered it there. She tore off an arm, but it managed to escape. As for what people think, you'll have to see that in game.

What access do ReGenes have to hygiene at the farm? How in control are they when it comes to keeping themselves clean? Is there any consistency to it? Does the acess differ depending on the job they have, their behaviors, or not different at all from ReGene to ReGene?

Hygiene is mandatory and enforced. It's a standard health issue, not up to the individual Regene.

tw: body horror, cannibalism Question: We know that the organs of boosts are sometimes harvested in the black market for transplants into other people, but has there ever been a particular villain who would kill boosted individuals and then eat said organs in order to gain their powers? or at least attempt too? 

Yeah, hello Cult Of The New Flesh, among others.

Chen seems to allude that the "pressure" in heartbreak ended before the bomb. However, not all Sidestep's would have gotten the "Bullseye" achievement in Heartbreak. 

Exactly.

Does this imply that the "pressure ending" is independent from whether on not Sidestep shot Heartbreak?

Yes, the cause of it can vary.

Will there ever be ways we can proactively lower sd_clue in the future?

Possibly, not sure yet.

We know about HG’s mindscape: what do Nocturne’s and Jake’s look like?

Nocturne's is a richly furnished apartment with tinted windows and many rooms. Jake's is a beautiful tropical beach with a thick forest further inland and the sound of people in the distance.

What would Void have thought of the nanovores?

Oh wow. I have not considered that, but now my mind is buzzing with possibilities. I am not sure yet, I need to think.

There can be several instances in Retri where we can use Bo's driving speciality, so will there be upcoming instances where we'll get to use Rosie for muscle or another type of speciality she may have we may not be aware of yet? 

Yeah, sadly Rosie got a bit cut when I cropped the book. However, she's got some nice stuff in the final chapter depending on path. But yes, she will have.

When’s Cavalier’s birthday? And his famous opponent- Skybright’s?

I honestly have no idea!

What does the Catastrofiend eat? What's their favorite snack? 

Everything. It used to love Doritos.

Are Five Pennies' pennies sentient?

Probably not.

If yes--can Five Pennies "talk" to them? Whether yes or no, could Argent and her friends "talk" to them?

They are pennies.

Has Mortum ever been commissioned by the Mayor (for tech or armor work)?

Nope. The companies running the place don't like the competition.

Piggyback: By the Guardians? The Rangers? Other government/authorities-allied heroes? 

No heroes, but some vigilantes.

Did you choose the name Ljungstrand (be honest, is it "a strand of Jung" with an added L for pizzazz) as a gesture towards Jung at all? Is there something in Jung that might have inspired your take on telepathy and that we can dig at (I'm looking at Synchronicity and Collective Consciousness intently 

Nope, it is a swedish surname meaning Heatherbeach. I am not that into Jung.

Where was Ashfall during the Heartbreak incident?

He was working to bust a boost drug smuggling ring near the Mexican border.

How would sentinel fare in a negative vs positively pressurized room?

Better in a positively one, but if sufficiently negatively pressured the walls might be easy to crack.

Does the Free Western Territories possess military forces, even if its a glorified corporate security force, or is it completely dependent on the US military for protection against foreign threats? In that vein does the US military maintain any of their old military bases in the FWT or would that violate the agreement between the US govt and the FWT?

There is no official military force, but there are several military firms/companies working out of there. Think Blackwater or Wagner. Also, some company and city security forces are strong enough to be counted among small armies. 

The US army have a few bases in the FWT, a bit like they do in Japan and Germany. They are there to defend against foreign threats, but have their powers severely constrained under the current treaty.

If you already know, what does Five Pennies look like? What's their general mind ambiance / telepathic vibe?

I have no idea! Rancid?

Curious: can a telepath of decent strength “feel” when another telepath’s mind moves as far as body hopping goes? Or do they have to have an inclination towards that side of telepathy themself?

It would depend very much in the telepath, it's not a given that they would notice.

Which cities did HB hit before LD?

The first one where they were spotted and their powers had started working at close range was Lancaster.

Do we know how long after heartbreak the funeral for step and anathema took place?

I would say about three weeks.

Considering the farm prefers regenes not get any funny ideas about them being actual people, but a bond of sorts to the handler would make training easier, how are regenes like cuckoos introduced to their (new) handlers? Do they get handed to a handler like someone picking up a grocery store order, or does an actual introduction take place?

More like a grocery store order, but then it depends a lot on the handlers how they want to do things. There's a lot of variation there.

What made Chen decide to try to interact with and get to know Sidestep, post heartbreak? How has his perception of Step changed from when they were in their vigilante days to who they are now? (assuming Step is a nokill Step or Chen had no clue they're the villain). 

At first, it was suspicion, but very soon it turned to guilt as he started adding things up. He knows he's made mistakes, and doesn't want to repeat them. He knows he saw the things in Sidestep that he did, but misinterpreted the reason.

How really aware is Mia of Vernon's "project" and what went down during the funeral? She says to the villain that she only knows that it's smth big, while she tells the puppet that it's not her story to tell; meaning she knows more than she let on previously.

Mia knows more that she lets on, but not so much about the Funeral specifically.

Did any of the Ranger teams ever conduct missions going into other states or did they have a strict area of responsibility and jurisdiction they were limited too? if the former, did the Los Diablos Rangers ever conduct any missions in or near Nevada (with or without the approval/assistance of Marshal Dave)?

In general, they stick to their state. If they operate elsewhere, it's supposed to be in cooperation with the local Ranger's team. Sentinel was often operating in other states, as was Hood. This was due to their specialized powers, which could be very useful under certain circumstances. These days, Herald has on occasion helped other Rangers teams out. Nevada has not been on their list.

Another question: In regards to Sidestep's mental state going into Revelations, just how far could we potentially push it? is it possible that we could end up at the point where Sidestep completely snaps mentally?

I am not sure yet. Playing around with some possibilities, but I need to get further in planning the book because I know what end states I want. 

Is there any secret agenda behind why Argent and/or Daniel were recruited for the Rangers? 

Nope, just good candidates.

We know Daniel can be prone to floating when he sleeps--when he has a nightmare, does he sink?

Nope, that's also floating.

Considering his advice, how well have Joes’ relationships gone? Does he have anyone he’s currently seeing?

Joe has a long time girlfriend, yes. They are happy, but he's not the marrying kind.

Do any of the named heroes and villains (from the books) share a familial connection that we are still unaware of?

Not that I remember on the top of my head.

Does Lady Argent ever hear fans say, "I thought you'd be taller." and if so, how often does it happen?

It happens on occasion, one reason she tends to wear very high heels when being official.

Does the Farm have spies within Hollow Ground's organisation? Or are HG and their organisation not significant enough to warrant keeping tabs on?

It is not in the Farm's current interest, no.

Is Mitchell threaded? 

Only lightly.

Has Herald had to lift anything on the scale of that bus (or more) since that incident?

No, thankfully not.

To what extent outside of flying do his powers come into play during his day to day Ranger work?

He basically does it everywhere. It's an integral part of how he lives his life.

You’ve said he does a lot of training his powers (enough that Ortega chides him for being too lazy to go for a proper run), what does that boost training workout routine look like?

Basically precision flying and lifting, speed and agility.

Danny says he almost didn't survive his boosting. Was it all because of Josh's powers going out of control or was he also having trouble controlling his own? If the latter, what was going wrong with his powers? 

Mostly it was because of Josh, Danny was actually pretty okay with his powers from the start.

Was the death of HG's sibling not put in the records? Did the police cover up their death? Ortega doesn't seem to have found out about it. Unless it was actually registered and they did find out, but just brushed it off as untrue...

Oh it was put in the records, but Ortega thought it looked utterly faked.

Will we, in game, ever return to the Heartbreak site?

In book three!

Was there any particular instance that made Blaze realise how sneaky/underhanded Ortega can be? 

Just many cases of recognizing a bullshitter when he sees one.

Has the Guardians ever worked with the Special Directive?

Nope, not yet.

Who is the best and worst wingman/wingwoman in the main cast?

Best: Chen. Worst: Argent.

Did Mitchell bring their own sources/connections to HG's operation or did they only gain access to them after joining? 

Mitchell had a lot of sources, but got even more after joining HG.

Is Mitchell a real name or a pseudonym?

Real name.

How many, if any, of the rangers know Heartbreak's civilian name? 

Chen and Argent.

What were the first thoughts that went through Nocturne’s and Jake’s minds when they first saw Sidestep in the flesh? 

Nocturne: Oh. That's interesting. And then she mostly focused on HG's reactions.

Jake: Wtf, this might complicate things.

Did either of them think that HG wasn’t entirely honest with them about their little sibling/family at that point? 

No, they trust HG to tell the truth.

What kind of cars does the cast (who have a licence) drive?

Dr. Mortum drives a prototype, it's a one of a kind custom build.

Ortega mostly drives motorcycles, something in the style of a 2022 Honda CB650R for action, and the classic Indian Chief for cruising.

Argent drives something small and cute, like a MINI hatchback.

Danny doesn't drive.

Chen drives something like a Land Rover Discovery. Whatever he gets sponsored, as long as it's good for Spoon and got a four wheel drive.

What were the scope of Special Directive operations outside of US soil, would the cuckoo's like our dear Sidestep be used to infiltrate foreign governments?

On occasion yes, and it has happened in the past. Like all shady organizations, they are not bound by international laws and treaties. That being said, the foreign incidents have mostly been on Canadian and Mexican soil, not going very far from the Americas.

Has argent ever visited her own grave?

No. That would be creepy.

Do you plan on giving Chen other opportunities to talk about the pictures he found in Book 3?

Oh yes, he needs to bare his hear.

Which of the Rangers, past and present, have the biggest/most active fanclubs?

I mean we all know it's Charge...

Is Mortum a boost?

If they are, they haven't admitted to it or shown any sign of it.

Does whoever orchestrated the nanosurge have any other plans for LD?

Oh yes, definitely. Maybe you'll find out more about that in book three...

Is anyone else who has been named in the book also threaded?

Honestly, probably yes.

How have those who pissed Hollow Ground enough to be on their kill scope really died?

It varies, mostly shot, that's usually the quickest way.

How would HG take a Sidestep (little sibling) joining Lord Ember’s organisation because they thought he offered a better deal than them? 

A massive personal affront, and if there wasn't war between HG and Lord Ember before, it certainly would be now.

If there weren’t dampeners on the Carter property, would step have been able to sense the mind of the person who set the explosion?  Were they still there when step arrived?

Nope, not there any longer.

Was the person who set off the bomb in Carter's mansion also a telepath? 

Nope, they were not.