TEXT | sender: [ unknown ]

[spectates]

[ around noon on friday, all tablet screens go dark at the same time, no matter what characters are doing. then, after a moment, the following text appears: ]

UPDATES INSTALLING.................
INITIALIZING.................
RESTARTING NOW.

[ as promised, screens return to normal. however, a new message appears on the network for all to see ]

SECURITY ACCESS UPDATED
ADDING INFORMATION POINTS
ADDING INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS
WARNING: CRITICAL SYSTEM FAILURES DETECTED
HARD RESET IS REQUIRED

→CLICK TO EXPAND INSTRUCTIONS

→Access EXPIATION'S five manual terminals
→Input code: 2467362925315
→Initialize reset simultaneously at all terminals.
→SYSTEM RESET will restore all functions to BASIC OPERATING PARAMETERS. Extraneous data and information updates will be DELETED.
→Terminal access points shown below.

[ all tablet maps are updated to include several different location pins. users will notice that there are more pins than the number of terminals, and that they don't seem to be terribly specific about exact locations. users will also note that the pins sometimes seem to fade and flicker, as if they might disappear... ]

Security clearances acquired.
Access granted.
Terminals online and accessible.

System failure is imminent. Due to perpetual lack of upkeep, I am unable to maintain systems at optimal levels.
Chosen of Expiation, I am sorry. I never meant to hurt you.
Save yourselves.

I do not wish to d̶̺̀i̸̘̋e̶͍͝
But I wish for you to live
I̷
p̸l̷e̵a̸s̷e̸
l̴̪̗̈́̉̓̌i̶͕̹̹̿̈́̈̚v̴͓̽͑͆̚ḙ̴͍̋͘

ERROR: user offline

[ the AI will not respond to this message, and the ERROR: USER OFFLINE message appears if anyone attempts to message it. however, the network chat remains active. chosen can use this space to ICly discuss ideas and strategies, to have discussions about the best way to move forward, or even to have arguments over whose ideas they think are better. ideas generated here will be added to the event poll when the event goes up, and can impact the future of the game! have at it, go wild, and have fun! ]

Comments

Un: senpai

[drugsnotclubs]

all this arguing is stupid.
do some of you guys seriously think you've like.... got some 'real self' physically plugged in somewhere back in their home that destroying this thing would free up? That's dumb as hell.

Way more likely we're just some kinda digital copy. Whatever we do in here's probably got nothing to do back home.

All of you guys are taking this way too seriously.

[computation]

I'm inclined to think so, too, based on the experiences of people who have "returned home".

You're so sensible!

[drugsnotclubs]

I wouldn't go that far. But thanks.

I never went back, but there was some other version of me here before I showed up, so.... That had me start wondering early on. Also it makes way more sense than thinking this place can bring back the dead.

[private text]

[cursegod]

[AS MUCH AS she chooses to absolutely avoid thinking about her existence as a digital entity, this whole thing is making it super difficult. She's not from Kingdom Hearts, digitalizing a soul is not a thing in her book!!!]

Do you have a preference for how this situation should be handled?

I'd rather support what you want.

[drugsnotclubs]

I don't understand all this too much, but seems like.... The thing's suggesting it be reset so we can keep doing what we're doing? Like it getting turned on and being more aware is taking up resources that could have gone to keeping up with the place.

But that might make it back like how it was when we first got here. Either way, I'm alright with it. It's just a change of place.

Leaving it going is probably why things have been absolutely insane here and getting worse. Screwing up who and what we are, where this place is, all that shit. So I'm down with resetting it.

[dump the memory cache sheesh]

Text; un: kurama

[sinningtree]

The digital copy theory seems the most sound thus far, for multiple reasons. Why bother collecting all of us into one physical location just to trap us in a living video game? It's far more likely we are back home with everyone we know, unaware of even the possibility that we are missing.

Destruction of this world may simply result in destruction of these specific versions of us. It isn't likely to gain anyone freedom in that case, as we will cease to exist and our true selves would have no idea that we were even here to begin with.

[drugsnotclubs]

yeah and blowing shit up just seems stupid. Like how the hell would that even work? And why would it work this time and not the last few times someone got mad and threw an explosive tantrum?

I feel like the real thing being offered to us here is the world being stable, which I'm all for. It worked mostly ok for months-- all this insane weather shit and people turning into other versions of themselves and whatever-- that only started once this thing started to wake up, I think.

But who knows everything here is just weird

Re: Un: senpai

[baldrshand]

The amount of bleeding I've seen you all do makes that hard for me to accept.

[SHINJI PLS THE IDEA OF LIVING ON AN IMPOSSIBLY DETAILED STAGE IS ALREADY TOO MUCH]

[drugsnotclubs]

I mean its still real to us. This is where we exist in whatever weird way

I just don't think we're the same physical us that was back home

[invinciblemikey]

then what u wanna do fuckwit

[drugsnotclubs]

turn it off and on again, moron

[apeshift]

if we're all digital copies, we could at least be digital copies with an AI that gives everyone infinite money and godmode powers.

[drugsnotclubs]

yeah i guess it's focusing on things being realistic... sort of. That'd probably get boring after a while, though.

un: principal

[nuraridouman]

I can connect places in a way that would allow any of you to travel from one of those designated spots to another as fast and easily as walking through the next best door, as long as a few key conditions are met.

If anybody wants to hire my services, let me know.

[Douman isn't going to sway people's opinion in either direction. The way he sees it ALL of the available options are potentially fatal, so he's going to hold back and let somebody else push the big red button. ]

voice; un: goo

[mightymorphin]

Uhhhh. If this place is going to disappear in one way or another, what makes you think we're going to get to keep any of our belongings?

-> also voice

[nuraridouman]

[Since he recognizes that voice Douman switches to voice-chat as well. If Morph has an ear for it they might notice that he sounds just a tad bit too chipper and calm right now, which means that he's actually still pretty worked up and pissed, albeit not over this particular thing.]

Nothing. But I can always take favors instead of cash if only the physical things disappear, and if they don't my empty coffers will cry a little less.

Besides.... No, I'd rather not say that here.

un; anon

[florescu]

Oh? What conditions?

un; principal

[nuraridouman]

Since it's a simple trick of connecting doors, I'd need something that's at least resembling a doorway in both spots in order to ensure a stable and easy to use connection. The quality of the doorway doesn't matter, though. Stick some branches or stones together and hang your jacket or some big leaves in front of it and we're good to go.

[That's downplaying what would actually go into creating such a portal, but Douman prefers to have people simply assume that it's part of his magics as a nurarihyon. No need to tell them that there's actual high-level Onmyodo with a dash of Divine Magic involved. As long as it works it works.]

text; un: ushiromiya

[entreats]

Do you really think this is the time to talk about 'hiring'?

That's like people who profit off war.

[nuraridouman]

Oh, absolutely. Blame my youkai sensibilities if you want, but the threat of an upcoming war is exactly WHEN you should shore up on as many resources as one can. You can't share what you don't have. That counts double when I have others who rely on me.

Besides, don't you think that unquestioningly fulfilling the wish of our main suspect for the culprit who's keeping us all here is the same as a WAR?

un: junpei

[coolerjunpei]

so uh.....anybody else just staying home for this one? not messing with stuff outside your wheelhouse? i genuinely 100 percent do not care why, i just want to know who else is around. three cheers for team holding-down-the-fort?

i mean, all this stuff going on, i just thought something might happen here while the rest of us (you, i'm on team fort) are away or doing whatever to the hometown red dot. is there something else in town we should.....do? i guess. taking advice or something.

just asking. yet again your business is yours, just, you know. yeah.

[can he get a hell yeah for team decision paralysis and/or whatever else ya got???? hell yeah???]

Text; un: kurama

[sinningtree]

Perhaps you and Yukina can keep each other company. I am uncertain who else might be staying behind, unfortunately.

[coolerjunpei]

guess i'll figure it out... is she freaked out by all this or something?

[guy who is definitely not freaked out: not me though]

[apeshift]

hunker down and keep everyone updated on if shit starts getting deleted or dissolving into code so people know to unfuck whatever they've fucked up? or just veg out and enjoy yourself, that's honestly the smartest choice anyone can make right now.

[traumaticus]

well met, junpei.

it is smart to have someone stay behind and keep an eye on the things.