The Salvation War: Pantheocide. Part Forty One Up

[Simon_Jester]

And this isn't true on Earth? We still have a core, and "deep underground" on Earth is still lava.

I was actually thinking more along the lines that the "outside" of the bubble is the equivalent o the Earth's core, but I don't think that would change anything. After all the end of the universe keeps it in.

My understanding is that all directions in Hell wrap around. Fly straight up from a given point and you reach another point on the ground. March in a straight line from the same point and you reach the same antipodal point. Dig straight down from the same point, and again you reach the same antipodal point. It's not a hollow space with the habitable surface pointing inwards; it's a complete universe with non-Euclidean geometry.

If Hell were a bubble physically immersed in lava, that would make it even more difficult to justify it being habitable; it should have long since warmed to the ambient temperature.
________

Here's what I'm getting at: Hell seems to have disproportionate geological activity, more than Earth-normal levels. There shouldn't be so much ash and crap in the air of an Earth-sized planet, even given that nothing escapes into space, unless that were true.

Volcanic ash doesn't traditionally escape into space. It eventually settles down out of the atmosphere.

Exactly. That's my point. It should settle out of the atmosphere sooner or later. For the atmosphere to be constantly full of crap, to the point where it poses a silicosis hazard to unprotected humans, there must be some constant source of crap getting blasted into the air. To my way of thinking, this suggests that Hell has a lot of volcanic activity.

Wind isn't enough to explain it alone; you'll notice that Mars does not have eternal dust storms. Dust eventually settles out of the air, and on a world with oceans, rivers, and presumably rain, it gets washed onto the seabed and is taken out of circulation eventually. Sooner or later, the supply of dust must be replenished.

[Darth Wong]

Why are you talking about how the air pollution "suggests" that Hell has heavy volcanic activity when it's explicitly stated that there's a giant caldera constantly spewing material into the air?

[Shroom Man 777]

Maybe Micheal should allow Belial to go on a geological survey, or pour through scrolls of information, to find some single tiny volcano that's not really spewing ash into the air but is still active.

Don't those Hawaiian volcanos constantly ooze magma without spewing ash into the air?

Maybe Micheal Lan will find the Heavenly equivalent of those Hawaiian volcanoes, and then lament the loss of awesome beachfront property.

[Junghalli]

To clarify this, Hell and heaven are not "universes" per se; they are parts of a single universe whose characteristics are an almost mirror-image of ours. The best way to think about it is to imagine the Hell/Heaven universe as a glass of soda with hell and Heaven being two bubbles within that soda and the inhabitants living on the inside of the bubble. They can't get out of the bubble because any attempt to do so simply brings them back to another point on the inner surface of the bubble. We can push the analogy further. The whole Hell/Heaven universe is roughly the same size as ours but is shrinking at roughly the same rate as ours is expanding.

Having the bubble worlds be part of a larger structure definitely helps. They make much more sense as open systems than as closed systems.

[R011]

Minor nitpick: Isn't the designation YW-551H instead of "YWH-551"?

I suspect the "H" is for "Hell" and designates one that has been modified for that environment.

[starslayer]

Dude, you're talking about bubble universes where an electrical discharge can be hurled like an arrow, and parallel lines meet. It goes without saying that some of the natural laws there are different.

This reminds me of the guy who complained that there's no way the laws governing electromagnetism could be different in Hell. I can't help but think "Have you bothered reading any of this story?"

The laws of physics are definitely quite different in Hell. That is really beyond dispute at this point. However, these universes are still rational, ie- they seem to obey some kind of rules, and while many laws of physics vary, certain fundamental principles still appear to be in play, like the first law of thermodynamics.

Of course. I don't have a problem with the fact that the bubbles' background radiation is not at all like our own, nor with any of the other seeming impossibilities in the story. I find it an interesting question as to why many natural laws are different in the two universes, is all. Even more interesting is how the demons and angels seem to be able to "port" characteristics of their universe into our own, like the lightning bolts.

I wonder if the background radiation spectrum has anything to do with the border of the bubble itself. If so, it could help explain why it is neither a blackbody, grey body, reflector, nor a line emitter.

To clarify this, Hell and heaven are not "universes" per se; they are parts of a single universe whose characteristics are an almost mirror-image of ours. The best way to think about it is to imagine the Hell/Heaven universe as a glass of soda with hell and Heaven being two bubbles within that soda and the inhabitants living on the inside of the bubble. They can't get out of the bubble because any attempt to do so simply brings them back to another point on the inner surface of the bubble. We can push the analogy further. The whole Hell/Heaven universe is roughly the same size as ours but is shrinking at roughly the same rate as ours is expanding. So, in 14 billion years or so, its going to collapse to a singularity. This implies that each phase of the expand/collapse cycle takes around 28 billion years for a total cycle time of 56 billion years.

Thank you for the clarification, Stuart.

[Serafina]

Wow, nice solution for the "lava-rivers" - i had wondered about that for some time, and it not being lava at all is the best solution.

[Stuart]

Minor nitpick: Isn't the designation YW-551H instead of "YWH-551"?

Actually, to the Thai Army it's YWH-531 (actually they have their own designation but I don't think anybody uses it). I accidently mixed up the designations of a wheeled and tracked APC (both operated by the Thai Army). The original production version was built for the Chinese Army as the YW-531 or Type 63. There are a number of minor sub-types that have a designation suffix eg YW-531C, YW-531D etc. The difference between these variants are very minor, for example, the YW-531E has two radios not one. The version supplied to the Thai Army has a MTU diesel in place of the Chinese one, a .50 machine guin instead of the 12.7mm, Western radios and communciations equipment and can be distinguised by having an extra roadwheel on each side. The Chinese later put it into service as the Type 85 APC using the designation YW-531H but the Thais use YWH-531. Whether this is simply a clerical error at the Thonburi cavalry depot or a meaningful designation change, I don't know. I do know the Thai Army love the vehicle, they think its much superior to the M113.

Edited Addition. I got an answer on the YWH vs YW issue. The addition H to the YW bit indicates a vehicle equipped with a weapons station rather than a simple pintle mount. The Thai YWH-531 has a machine gun mount that can be fired from beneath armor and had an electro-optical sight. The YW-531H used by the Chinese Army has a simple pintle mount that requires the commander to expose himself to incoming fire. Therefore YWH-531 is correct and not a clerical error. Well, we live and learn

[Buritot]

I suppose I will never understand all the arms and weapons porn in this work. I can retrace it but it doesn't make me swing. Oh, well.
Thank you, Simon_Jester, for the clarification. I had forgotten that part.
I suppose for telepathy to work there ought to be the same prerequisite like for the portals. So no easy telepathy... a pity.

As for the perception part: It was my understanding baseline humans have the same process in their brains which translates what is physically there to how we perceive it. It works like that only to the point in our brain where we process what we see - which is still subconscious. Besides, I hardly think you would see the same things I see if we could interchange our eyes, simply for your and my eyes have the generally same make-up but the exact placements and diversity of the specialised cells (for example rod and cone cells) are different. The same applies in my opinion to the process handling the signal translation and interpretation. Largely the same structure but ever so tiny fluctuations.
By stating the exchangeability of thoughts, however, these variations become moot. Plato's Allegory of the Cave is no mere proposition - its a fact.

On a side note, what can be transferred by telepathy? So far we know of voice - so to speak, and intonations (I think Tucker once said kitten sounded stressed or soemthing) . This is probably due to our familiarity with speech as a means to transfer information between individuals. I don't see any reason, though, not to include other senses as well. Images come to mind, but sound and smell as well.

[Stuart]

On a side note, what can be transferred by telepathy? So far we know of voice - so to speak, and intonations (I think Tucker once said kitten sounded stressed or soemthing) . This is probably due to our familiarity with speech as a means to transfer information between individuals. I don't see any reason, though, not to include other senses as well. Images come to mind, but sound and smell as well.

To clarify on telepathy. Calling the daemonic capability telepathic is a bit misleading. What daemons can do is to form thoughts (images or words) into coherent entities in their own mindsand then use their biogenerated electromagnetic resources to duplicate that image/thought in another mind. Some are better at it than than others, some can only work on a single subject, some can affect whole groups. Succubae are very good at the image side of things, they can visualize an image of how they wish to appear and then project that around them so that people see what the Succubae wishes them to see. That includes a null image, one that shows the Succubus as not being there at all. What daemons cannot do is read minds, they can possess a mind but they can't read it. The transmission is purely one way.

Now, living humans, even ones with a strong Nephilim presence can't do any of that. However, once ESM (electronic support measures) had isolated the signal that the daemons use to possess minds, digitized the characteristics of that signal and then put that signal into a threat library, that record becomea available for use. Using the same technology used for deception jamming, we can duplicate that signal and retransmit it, using it for our own purposes. This is what kitten does. She uses that signal to contact people who are receptive (we'll come to that later). One other thing, pour enough power down that signal link across the barrier between the Hell dimension and our own, and a portal opens. Same phenomena, different power levels, The most powerful power source available to daemons (and to angels) is to get naga or their Heavenly equivalents to sing in a chorus (singing helps get their minds into phase). Humans, faced with a power deficit just crank up another diesel generator. Old story, daemons have capabilities humans can't match by themselves so humans analyse the phenomena using science and duplicate it using engineering. Of course, having duplicated it, they can then move far beyond daemonic capability. Note that daemons - and angels -think hard before opening portals, humans do it very casually.

Now deceased humans have an inate sensitivity to contact. They can be contacted. They can also generate their own communication but, not having the electrocytes that give daemons their power, that signal is so weak its useless. However, when contacted by somebody using the GSY-1 portal forming equipment, the GSY-1 can boost that signal to the point where it is useful.

[GrayAnderson]

You know, I'm wondering...Yahweh made those comments about "The chorus must not be interrupted". I know I was interpreting that as, in light of how things are going for that side of things, the equivalent of yelling "Freebird!" in a hurricane. In light of the power that those pure notes have (blowing planes apart) and that the chorus has, I'm wondering if he's not using the chorus for some other power-related purpose.

Of course I'm not going to set aside egotism in light of the story in general, either. Just a thought.

[Chad]

What daemons cannot do is read minds, they can possess a mind but they can't read it. The transmission is purely one way.

Isn't this a change from the way things worked in Armageddon? I thought I recall that there was a scene where daemons would very primitively read the mind of the recently deceased to find out which circle of hell they belonged in? (ie they could feel what the dead thought of themselves and get a general feel but not individual thoughts or something like that. It has been a while since I read Armageddon.)

Also didn’t lugasharmaska (or however it was spelled) have the ability to tell if someone was lying and used that to create a talk show with people like Michael Vick?

[Baughn]

It may be different for the undead.

We already know that they've all got some basic sensitivity, where live humans don't.

[Chad]

I realize that this conversation is long past but I only recently started reading this and had an idea that might be cool to implement for the dead tree version. Instead of using a scifi author to do the creative thinking/crazy idea person on the Red Team Review how about using catholic priest who is also an expert in astronomy/cosmology?


I think the irony of priest using both his knowledge of the bible and his knowledge of science to help find a way to reach god and kill him would be pretty funny. I don’t know about today but I know in the old days the church had priests who also worked in the fields of science. Enough of the bible appears accurate that a knowledge of its contents would be useful to the team.

[Stuart]

Isn't this a change from the way things worked in Armageddon? I thought I recall that there was a scene where daemons would very primitively read the mind of the recently deceased to find out which circle of hell they belonged in? (ie they could feel what the dead thought of themselves and get a general feel but not individual thoughts or something like that. It has been a while since I read Armageddon.)

The daemons who were doing the allocation worked on an aura, they could sense what sort of person somebody was (the presumption being that some of the humans who claim to be able to see such auras are telling the truth and suggesting that such people are nephilim) but they couldn't actually read people's minds. It's a critical point; daemons can control minds but they can't read minds.

Also didn’t lugasharmaska (or however it was spelled) have the ability to tell if someone was lying and used that to create a talk show with people like Michael Vick?

That was just the network hype. However, the pheremones that Succubae emit make people around them want to please them. So, if pleasing them means telling them the truth (or offering them your left arm for a meal) you'll do it. Their pheremones aren't irresistible, people who are on their guard can note when they're being affected and snap themselves out of it but they are very powerful and there is no defense against them except being on one's guard. Succubae are dangerous

[Gil Hamilton]

The daemons who were doing the allocation worked on an aura, they could sense what sort of person somebody was (the presumption being that some of the humans who claim to be able to see such auras are telling the truth and suggesting that such people are nephilim) but they couldn't actually read people's minds. It's a critical point; daemons can control minds but they can't read minds.

I wonder if daemons can read each others minds.

Human beings, of course, do generate bioelectric signals that can be read, but its weak. In fact, with modern medicine, getting a strong specific signal from a human brain involves drilling through the skull and placing an electrode directly in the area of the brain that you want to monitor (incidentally, this is alot less painful and invasive a procedure than you'd expect from the description).

Of course, our instruments are tremendously more sensitive than anything a daemon could have. The skull, after all, is more than sufficient to shield all but a whisper of the electric signals generated by nuerons firing. However, daemons generate much greater amounts of electrowhatsis energy that can even be projected to manipulate another mind. It doesn't seem to be that much of a stretch that they could project their thoughts to another daemon in a passively readable format, or even actively inducing the message on the daemons mind.

[Singular Quartet]

Odd question on the physics stuff. I recall mention that a trident made on Earth won't ball lightening, but instead arc to ground. Does that mean if a baldrick is born on earth, its electricity will arc to ground as well? Or will it ball lightening as well?

[Samuel]

I realize that this conversation is long past but I only recently started reading this and had an idea that might be cool to implement for the dead tree version. Instead of using a scifi author to do the creative thinking/crazy idea person on the Red Team Review how about using catholic priest who is also an expert in astronomy/cosmology?


I think the irony of priest using both his knowledge of the bible and his knowledge of science to help find a way to reach god and kill him would be pretty funny. I don’t know about today but I know in the old days the church had priests who also worked in the fields of science. Enough of the bible appears accurate that a knowledge of its contents would be useful to the team.

We actually have Chewie filling out that role. The army found him with the inside of his house entirely coated in tin foil.

[Junghalli]

As for the perception part: It was my understanding baseline humans have the same process in their brains which translates what is physically there to how we perceive it. It works like that only to the point in our brain where we process what we see - which is still subconscious. Besides, I hardly think you would see the same things I see if we could interchange our eyes, simply for your and my eyes have the generally same make-up but the exact placements and diversity of the specialised cells (for example rod and cone cells) are different. The same applies in my opinion to the process handling the signal translation and interpretation. Largely the same structure but ever so tiny fluctuations.

Just because the mind-image of one person is comprehensible to another doesn't mean there aren't differences. All it requires is that the similarities outweigh the differences, and they should, because humans have similar physical equipment for seeing and our perceptions of the world are similar enough that we can meaningfully describe the appearance of things to each other. For instance, I could probably still make meaning out of the mind-images of a near-sighted red-green colorblind person, even though things at a distance would look much blurrier and colors would be off.

For a demonstration of this flip on a pair of dark sunglasses. Doing so alters the visual appearance of things, but you can compensate easily.

[bcoogler]

Just because the mind-image of one person is comprehensible to another doesn't mean there aren't differences. All it requires is that the similarities outweigh the differences, and they should, because humans have similar physical equipment for seeing and our perceptions of the world are similar enough that we can meaningfully describe the appearance of things to each other. For instance, I could probably still make meaning out of the mind-images of a near-sighted red-green colorblind person, even though things at a distance would look much blurrier and colors would be off.

For a demonstration of this flip on a pair of dark sunglasses. Doing so alters the visual appearance of things, but you can compensate easily.

Especially if the glasses are tinted green, or rose tinted glasses for that matter. And our own perception of the world can change over time too.

My uncle used to think pollution must be really bad these days, because the sky just wasn't as blue as it used to be. Then he had cataract surgery, and suddenly the sky was blue again.

To me, it only makes sense if we are both looking at the same object, we are going to see the same shape. How we interpret and identify the object however is very much dependent on background knowledge.

I once had the task of trying to fish something out of a murky pool with a pole net. I simply couldn't tell what I was looking at until I had brought it up to just below the surface, when it suddenly resolved into a dead cat staring right at me. Definitely made me jump.

When Native Americans first saw the Conquistadors riding on horseback, the sight was so far outside of their prior experience they thought they were seeing bizarre man-animal creatures with four legs, two arms and two heads.

[Brovane]

That was just the network hype. However, the pheremones that Succubae emit make people around them want to please them. So, if pleasing them means telling them the truth (or offering them your left arm for a meal) you'll do it. Their pheremones aren't irresistible, people who are on their guard can note when they're being affected and snap themselves out of it but they are very powerful and there is no defense against them except being on one's guard. Succubae are dangerous

[/quote]

Would a gas mask protect against pheremones or can they also enter through the skin?

[Baughn]

Odd question on the physics stuff. I recall mention that a trident made on Earth won't ball lightening, but instead arc to ground. Does that mean if a baldrick is born on earth, its electricity will arc to ground as well? Or will it ball lightening as well?

Physics has no notion of people, just of quantum waves (or equivalently small bits); even in this universe, that will be the case. In this universe, however, it appears that (some) laws of physics are attached to individual quantum waves. Oh, but a funny thing is, quantum physics doesn't even have a notion of individual waves; one electron isn't merely just as good as another, the laws are stated in terms of particle configurations. The exact modifications required to make baldricks work outside their bubble universe would be.. fun. Anyhow, ignoring that for the moment..

Given the above, I expect the answer to be that:

- A baldrick born on earth will have his lightning arc to ground
- More to the point, a baldrick who stays on earth for a long time, eating our food, will eventually have his lightning arc to ground as well, as the atoms making up the lightning-producing system get replaced with earth-native atoms.
- And of course the reverse works as well.

Exactly how long that would take.. in humans, the shortest-lived cells last about a fortnight (stomach lining, iirc), while the longest-lived ones last upwards of a hundred years (neurons); however, the latter are huge things with thousands of organelles that get replaced individually during their lifetime. There's also a large degree of matter reuse in the system; a dead cell/organelle will be broken down for parts by its neighbours.

Which is to say, I have no idea. It could be anything from a year to a century, but eventually they're going to "adapt". Severe injuries would obviously speed up the process.

[JBG]

On a side note, what can be transferred by telepathy? So far we know of voice - so to speak, and intonations (I think Tucker once said kitten sounded stressed or soemthing) . This is probably due to our familiarity with speech as a means to transfer information between individuals. I don't see any reason, though, not to include other senses as well. Images come to mind, but sound and smell as well.

To clarify on telepathy. Calling the daemonic capability telepathic is a bit misleading. What daemons can do is to form thoughts (images or words) into coherent entities in their own mindsand then use their biogenerated electromagnetic resources to duplicate that image/thought in another mind. Some are better at it than than others, some can only work on a single subject, some can affect whole groups. Succubae are very good at the image side of things, they can visualize an image of how they wish to appear and then project that around them so that people see what the Succubae wishes them to see. That includes a null image, one that shows the Succubus as not being there at all. What daemons cannot do is read minds, they can possess a mind but they can't read it. The transmission is purely one way.

Now, living humans, even ones with a strong Nephilim presence can't do any of that. However, once ESM (electronic support measures) had isolated the signal that the daemons use to possess minds, digitized the characteristics of that signal and then put that signal into a threat library, that record becomea available for use. Using the same technology used for deception jamming, we can duplicate that signal and retransmit it, using it for our own purposes. This is what kitten does. She uses that signal to contact people who are receptive (we'll come to that later). One other thing, pour enough power down that signal link across the barrier between the Hell dimension and our own, and a portal opens. Same phenomena, different power levels, The most powerful power source available to daemons (and to angels) is to get naga or their Heavenly equivalents to sing in a chorus (singing helps get their minds into phase). Humans, faced with a power deficit just crank up another diesel generator. Old story, daemons have capabilities humans can't match by themselves so humans analyse the phenomena using science and duplicate it using engineering. Of course, having duplicated it, they can then move far beyond daemonic capability. Note that daemons - and angels -think hard before opening portals, humans do it very casually.

Now deceased humans have an inate sensitivity to contact. They can be contacted. They can also generate their own communication but, not having the electrocytes that give daemons their power, that signal is so weak its useless. However, when contacted by somebody using the GSY-1 portal forming equipment, the GSY-1 can boost that signal to the point where it is useful.

Stuart, what is the relation, if any, to the exact position of the sensitive/Nephilim and the portal opened up through , for instance, Kitten's, augmented efforts? The portal could not possibly be centred on the mind of the contact.

[Jamesfirecat]

Would a gas mask protect against pheremones or can they also enter through the skin?

While I don't think Stuart has ever directly touched on this, I'm pretty darn sure that gas mask would work against the pheremones that sucubi create. We've seen their powers canceled out by good filtration systems though you are right that particular style would work regardless of if the pheremones worked based on sense of smell or physical contact. That said, when I think of pheremones I tend to think of them as smells so I think that a gas mask (while not being very inconspcious) would prevent you from being affected by a Sucubi's pheremones...

[Buritot]

To clarify on telepathy. Calling the daemonic capability telepathic is a bit misleading. What daemons can do is to form thoughts (images or words) into coherent entities in their own minds and then use their biogenerated electromagnetic resources to duplicate that image/thought in another mind. Some are better at it than than others, some can only work on a single subject, some can affect whole groups. Succubae are very good at the image side of things, they can visualize an image of how they wish to appear and then project that around them so that people see what the Succubae wishes them to see. That includes a null image, one that shows the Succubus as not being there at all. What daemons cannot do is read minds, they can possess a mind but they can't read it. The transmission is purely one way.

In other words, there is ONLY emission. What I'm getting at is what would a sensible deaf-mute be emitting? Surely not audio information. More likely what in its mind registers as speech or thoughts. I could imagine being on its receiving end I would see text in my mind/inner eye.

Now, living humans, even ones with a strong Nephilim presence can't do any of that. However, once ESM (electronic support measures) had isolated the signal that the daemons use to possess minds, digitized the characteristics of that signal and then put that signal into a threat library, that record becomea available for use. Using the same technology used for deception jamming, we can duplicate that signal and retransmit it, using it for our own purposes. This is what kitten does. She uses that signal to contact people who are receptive (we'll come to that later).
(...)
Now deceased humans have an inate sensitivity to contact. They can be contacted. They can also generate their own communication but, not having the electrocytes that give daemons their power, that signal is so weak its useless. However, when contacted by somebody using the GSY-1 portal forming equipment, the GSY-1 can boost that signal to the point where it is useful.

Well, I can't imagine a way to provide the energy for the sensitive to emit thoughts strong enough. But if we employ quantum physics (and I suppose entanglement doesn't work that way) I'm willing to suspend my disbelief. Its just harder to do if you have a direct line to the author and can actually influence the work you are enjoying. (Baughn yould probably expand on that)
Btw, I propose there is a kind of antenna in the support equipment that will be tuned to the link and therefore be able to receive the emission of the other side. On the other hand this would allow very easy spying on ongoing emission if you have the right frequency, so my suggestion might be bad.

You know, I'm wondering...Yahweh made those comments about "The chorus must not be interrupted".

Maybe he is superstitious and think when the choirs praising him falter he will fail? Like the ravens in the Tower of London.

Just because the mind-image of one person is comprehensible to another doesn't mean there aren't differences. All it requires is that the similarities outweigh the differences, and they should, because humans have similar physical equipment for seeing and our perceptions of the world are similar enough that we can meaningfully describe the appearance of things to each other. For instance, I could probably still make meaning out of the mind-images of a near-sighted red-green colorblind person, even though things at a distance would look much blurrier and colors would be off.

For a demonstration of this flip on a pair of dark sunglasses. Doing so alters the visual appearance of things, but you can compensate easily.

I would really like to agree with you, honestly, but I can't seem to properly convey what I'm trying to say. For the whole length of this argument I can't help thinking of David Brin's "Kiln People". In this story a photograph of the soul could be transmitted into clay clones which in turn would work while you relaxed. The clay clones would have all your memories and be essentially you. Over their lifetime of approximately 24 hours their soulstamp would change. After finishing your day you could decide on loading the acquired memories back into you brain. You always wanted to do bungee jumping but have been afraid to do it? Send in a clay copy to jump and do an inload later. The copy however will be just as afraid as you would have been.
In this universe inloading memories of a different clay clone will make you a vegetable if not outright kill you. This was the proof of the world being all you perceive, not all that is. If it would be there would be a common ground. After some more technological developments linking minds wouldn't have been able to establish, either.
In the Salvationverse however it is entirely reasonable to link with / emit to one or more persons (I think of The Message as a broadband thought emission afflicting all, even nonsensitives). This makes me joyous and sad all the same.

[qoute="JBG]Stuart, what is the relation, if any, to the exact position of the sensitive/Nephilim and the portal opened up through , for instance, Kitten's, augmented efforts? The portal could not possibly be centred on the mind of the contact.[/quote]
If portaling evolved naturally there would be a biological mechanism which pushes the connection outward or otherwise every portal would kill, which is a nice way to breed that feature away.
The same applies for implementing that ability artificially.
There is probably a limit to the distance between an establishing portal and its anchoring individual. Fetal portals (ripe to open) can be moved and need no minimal distance since it detached from its anchor.

The gas mask made me think... I want Succubi to have aphrodisiacs contracted by touch. They would be magnitudes more effective than mere smell. Along with the pheromones I want the chemicals to be analysed, broken down, watered down and made into a beauty line that has your desired sex literally fall head over heels for you. Next I'd like to see it in regular use and therefore either being nullified, messing with all heads and finally its prohibition by the DEA or whatever drug enforcements you residential area has in place.