>>5519192 >>5519199 >>5519247 >>5519257 >>5519432Takigi has been the most helpful creature so far. Losing contact with him would be harmful towards your mission. You will take preventative action to avoid such a scenario.
A mental link is a double-edged sword. It can be far more efficient than mental waves in facilitating communication, but it can also be used to cause harm. Especially when one of the souls linked is much stronger than the other. In an instant, you send as much over the link as is possible, flooding it with harmful transmissions. There is a moment of latency in which nothing happens. And then the brunt of your soul lands against his.
You are dropped on the desk. The man's head follows, landing with a thud. He is unconscious. Task done, you turn you attention to committing all the visible characters on the booklet to memory, even if you do not know their exact meanings. This may aid in later learning. Then you wait. It is an entire day cycle before the man stirs.
His eyes open first. They carry a certain blankness to them where emotion once was. It takes another tenth of a day cycle for the man to attempt to get up. He attempts this several times before knocking over the chair he is sitting on and landing on the floor. During the next day cycle, you see him attempt to stand again many times, but none of his attempts succeed, the mind so damaged that it struggles to control the body. He also attempts to crawl, but he doesn't get very far. Eventually, he simply gives up, lying there.
It isn't until three day cycles after your assault that someone arrives. A knock on the front door. Several knocks. And then it and the inner door are pushed open. Observing the door, you find that the one who arrived is one of the man's colleagues. You will mentally refer to him as Enemy Two.
Enemy Two examines Enemy One. One's breathing is very shallow by this point, having lacked hydration for three day cycles. Seemingly concerned, Enemy Two goes to aid Enemy One. But then he pauses. A few units of time later, he can be observed taking the open strongbox off the desk. He removes the currency from the strongbox, stows it in his garments, and then proceeds to assist the other enemy, carrying him away.
