I have been sleeping badly. This is not due to physical discomfort. What I conjure can rival any luxurious bed. I would like to experiment more to understand why I can store some conjured constructs, but not others, but my lack of understanding in that regard does not impact the quality of the stuff I make.

I guess part of it is that inside my vehicle I just feel safer than in a tent. Well, it is simply true. My vehicle is safer. However, my conciensce is also making itself known. Technically I do think that things I’ve found in an alien base are mine and mine to distribute as I see fit. Yet that is a formal position not suitable for a group fighting together.

Do I have logical reasons to keep those books and awakening stones to myself? Sure. Whoever authored them is unlikely to be happy I took them. Letting people I am easy to associate with use them is a risk in that regard. Their base was damaged and abandoned. The people who did that may not be happy with any remainder of their enemies surviving. People interested in them may conclude that the people who know something about the abandoned base should be questioned thoroughly.

That a justification is just a justification, not a true reason, does not mean that the justification is wrong. I am too old to just assume that if you do something for ulterior, emotional reasons, doing the opposite would be the rational option.

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

Yet I should be honest to myself. I am keeping these books because I am afraid that they will leave if they become too powerful. Am I wrong?

----------------------------------------

JC: You are saying that the receiver was mounted on the wall.

P: Yes, it was. However, it was damaged and the damage looked quite recent going by the dust.

JC: Yes, I got that. Did you see how the device was powered?

P: No, there were cables … Damnation.

JC: You did not look behind the thing, did you?

P: Well, no, I did not.

JC: How many people can you transport by teleportation now?

P: I don’t know, but can we shift this to tomorrow? I have to meet the head of the adventure party today by our schedule and the guy may be hiding.

JC: Sure, I am not completely restored anyway.

P: You said you can use skill books?

JC: Yes, I can. And I did say so. Why?

P: How common is that ability?

JC: That depends on your essences. And possibly your species, now that I think about it.

----------------------------------------

I found him readily and he asked to return to the camp with me. Now he is in a meeting with his team for which they have taken a walk away from the camp.