The transition between page 18 and 19 seems to suggest that Alex could sense Fireblade even before the mind probe.
So why her? This is my guess:
Assuming Loroi were indeed uplifted from humans, the most basic lizard-brain instincts (pain, fear, ect...) may have been left unaltered because why fix what already works? After his near death experience, captivity, and constant uncertainty about who he can trust, Alex is brimming over with such emotions.
Meanwhile, Fireblade is telepathically "louder" than anyone else due to her combination of trauma, implants and Unsheathed training.
So they both have an overabundance of the emotions that are most similar between Humans and Loroi, are regularly in close proximity, and in Fireblades case is being actively amplified. Could this be enough to pierce Alex's telepathic block?
Another theory:
While Alex was unconscious, several loroi tried to get in touch with his mind and were surprised to find that he was using a "lotai".
Fireblade was simply the most powerful to attempt mind delve while he was still unconscious, and he woke up before they could gather the other unsheathed.
The argument between Stillstorm and Beryl was that it was unnecessary to attempt a "deep delve" now that he'd woken up and Beryl knew she could communicate with him through speech, while Stillstorm was like "nah, deep delve him anyway, I want answers"
I had to check the insider to get myself up to date with the terminology. For those who do not know what lotai is:
"An individual's mental signature can be detected even if that individual is not actively sending, though at reduced range and with less ease than detecting an active signature. In most Loroi this purely passive ability has a range of only a few meters, but very sensitive individuals, especially when enhanced by amplification devices and drugs, can detect the presence of minds at very great (read: interstellar) distances. This detection works to various degrees with non-Loroi minds as well, and being able to know the location of enemies in both tactical and strategic situations is, of course, one of the key Loroi advantages. The ability to consciously disguise or hide one's signature, referred to as lotai, is very rare and difficult, even among Loroi." https://well-of-souls.com/outsider/forum_telepathy.html
As for the pages 18-19, the following page 20 shows Alex naked and strapped to bench (what would correct english be?). The instruments in the background clearly indicates that he have gone through thorough medical investigation. I always assumed that the experience from 18-19 indicated some lighter version of probing. Alex telepathic "pressense" is so weak, as he could be virtually non-existent even at direct touch. It's hard to think that medical personnel treating him would not, at the very least, do some smaller investigations. Maybe the organism is brain-dead?
The transition between page 18 and 19 seems to suggest that Alex could sense Fireblade even before the mind probe.
So why her? This is my guess:
Assuming Loroi were indeed uplifted from humans, the most basic lizard-brain instincts (pain, fear, ect...) may have been left unaltered because why fix what already works? After his near death experience, captivity, and constant uncertainty about who he can trust, Alex is brimming over with such emotions.
Meanwhile, Fireblade is telepathically "louder" than anyone else due to her combination of trauma, implants and Unsheathed training.
So they both have an overabundance of the emotions that are most similar between Humans and Loroi, are regularly in close proximity, and in Fireblades case is being actively amplified. Could this be enough to pierce Alex's telepathic block?
Another theory:
While Alex was unconscious, several loroi tried to get in touch with his mind and were surprised to find that he was using a "lotai".
Fireblade was simply the most powerful to attempt mind delve while he was still unconscious, and he woke up before they could gather the other unsheathed.
The argument between Stillstorm and Beryl was that it was unnecessary to attempt a "deep delve" now that he'd woken up and Beryl knew she could communicate with him through speech, while Stillstorm was like "nah, deep delve him anyway, I want answers"
I had to check the insider to get myself up to date with the terminology. For those who do not know what lotai is:
"An individual's mental signature can be detected even if that individual is not actively sending, though at reduced range and with less ease than detecting an active signature. In most Loroi this purely passive ability has a range of only a few meters, but very sensitive individuals, especially when enhanced by amplification devices and drugs, can detect the presence of minds at very great (read: interstellar) distances. This detection works to various degrees with non-Loroi minds as well, and being able to know the location of enemies in both tactical and strategic situations is, of course, one of the key Loroi advantages. The ability to consciously disguise or hide one's signature, referred to as lotai, is very rare and difficult, even among Loroi." https://well-of-souls.com/outsider/forum_telepathy.html
As for the pages 18-19, the following page 20 shows Alex naked and strapped to bench (what would correct english be?). The instruments in the background clearly indicates that he have gone through thorough medical investigation. I always assumed that the experience from 18-19 indicated some lighter version of probing. Alex telepathic "pressense" is so weak, as he could be virtually non-existent even at direct touch. It's hard to think that medical personnel treating him would not, at the very least, do some smaller investigations. Maybe the organism is brain-dead?
Oh man I doubt they thought he was brain dead they would have done much more if he was.
Oh man I doubt they thought he was brain dead they would have done much more if he was.
Fair enough. My point however was that they were sure to find that something about him was incredibly wrong. Since they would expect to see a signature, they would likely look for it.
Hi there,
Love the comic and been reading it for a long time, but I just have to bring up something that bothers me here: In the panel on the lower right Alex is looking at the right, and in the panel above he's looking to the left.
This might be because he's looking at the panel on the left on the screen, but in the actual situation he should be looking the other way.
Anyway, I'll go back to my pedantry corner here...
I though it made more visual sense if he were looking toward the panel containing Fireblade to the left; I tried it the other way and it seemed to me that he was looking away.
