Precognition versus prediction [D1LA] (Expecting)

[Dare Shah]

For her next experience, Dare required the service of someone able to perceive the short term future, preferably someone she had never interacted before to avoid any bias. A quick inquiry had revealed a non charlatan offering that kind of services, among others, could be found in this mysterious establishment.

So here she was, dressed as lady-like as usual, and carrying a huge package, wrapped loosely under a piece of clothes, and from which could be heard... squeaking?

[L'Orr-hui]

The establishment was silent and it's waiting room empty aside from the furniture...and a rat on the counter.



''Squeak?''

Then a voice spoke into the visitor's mind

''I will be with you momentarely''

[Dare Shah]

"Certainly."

A rat uh? I hope I am not about to trigger a diplomatic incident.

Thought Dare.

Which, with a telepath in the vicinity, might be the same as saying it. How much could be read in someone depended on a lot of factors, and telepaths usually loved to play with that ambiguity.

[L'Orr-hui]

A door at the other end of the waiting room opened silently and the Illithid, in their customary purple-ish robes, passed throught before the door closed itself once more.

''Welcome the the Extended Tentacle. What can we do for you today?''

[Dare Shah]

"Good day to you citizen."

Dare used spoken words to answer, a bit for decorum, a bit to better organize her thoughts.

"I heard you were selling peeks in the future as a service. Have I been informed correctly?"

[L'Orr-hui]

Citizen?

''That depends on what you mean by peeks into the future. I can grant a limited precognition for a time but I am no fortune teller.'' replied the illithid

[Dare Shah]

"Oh, this is for but a simple experience."

Dare removes the cloth, revealing both a cage hosting three mice and a labyrinth devised for their size.

"See that maze? It has one entrance and three exits. For some time now, I have studied the behavior of Alice, Charles and Eve – the three mice you're looking at – when they are to get through it. They each have developed their own little habits, preferring some paths to others, though they sometimes change their mind depending on clear or more mysterious environmental factors.

The idea is simple. I put one of the mouses at the entrance. Then you use your powers to determine which exit they'll try to reach. Meanwhile, I will also note an exit on paper, deduced from present and past observation. Finally, we roll a die, that will also give us a potential exit. Then we wait a bit and observe which exit A, C or E did choose.

We repeat the experiment about a dozen times, alternating between the three mice, until we have enough data to draw conclusions about the efficiency and reliability of each method, that is precognition, deduction, and luck."

[L'Orr-hui]

''I doubt you will find what I can give, as far as precognitive abilities are concerned, useful for this situation but I respect the effort you put in this project, please proceed.''

[Dare Shah]

"Well, how do your own precognition work exactly then? I can tinker with the experience to make it more suitable. Do you target a specific point in space and time? Fast forward through a person's life until a brusque change shows up? See time as non linear from the start and try very hard to simplify it for less temporally apt species?"

[L'Orr-hui]

''The precognition I grant is triggered by combat or other extreme situation. The beneficiary receives glimpses of what is to come so they can ready itself. Most precognition works in a similar way and I know none that could serve your experiment.'' they admitted