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

[nightwild]

Sounds right. Annoying, pain-in-the-ass humans.

[southernchere]

[ she chuckles a little. ]

Aw, c'mon. They ain't all that bad.

[nightwild]

Some of them.

Most of them are liars and hypocrites who won't ever just say what they mean plainly.

[southernchere]

That's more of an "everybody" thing than a human.

[nightwild]

Humans are the ones who do it most.

[southernchere]

... Have they been treatin' ya unfairly where you're from?

[nightwild]

Only one has treated me fairly.

And that person is...

[how does she describe Rin.]

... More human than me, anyway.

[southernchere]

I understand what that's like, more than ya know. But there are some good humans out there, though. I know it's hard to see it, but they're there.

[nightwild]

... That person wants to save everyone she can. So there must be something in all those humans that's worth saving.

[Cryptic? Maybe a little. But if Rin wants to save everyone...

It reminded her of her own childhood dream. To be a hero.]

[southernchere]

There is. Which makes this whole dang talk all the more frustratin' to me...

[nightwild]

Yeah. All these people here are totally useless.

... How do you do that thing where you make a conversation private? So no one else can hear?

[on one hand, making it obvious that such a conversation is happening is... probably a bad call. On the other, she's really bad with technology.]

[southernchere]

Do you wanna have a private conversation with me, Sugah, or with someone else?

[nightwild]

You. Maybe someone else too? But right now...

private.

[southernchere]

There ya go, Honey.

private.

[nightwild]

Thanks.

You agree with me, right? We have to prevent that reset and break this whole place.

private.

[southernchere]

I do agree with ya, but someone did brought up some new information that I didn't know beforehand. — About how the first group of folks tried to break through before, and it ended badly.

So dependin' how the first group went on about it, we can try it a different way.

private.

[nightwild]

Of course. These bastards won't ever tell us anything unless we force it.

Are you strong?

private.

[southernchere]

This all could've went finer than peach fuzz if somebody would've just filled in us new folks of what they know, but that's water off my backside now.

I am, but I'mma do nothing 'till I hear more about this hoedown the first group went through, plan around that way.

private.

[nightwild]

They're not gonna tell us anything. And there's no outcome where I'm going to agree with resetting. Breaking the place is the only possible way out.

I got everyone's attention. Everyone who wants to do the reset should be occupied with me. And I'll be kicking their asses. Finding anyone else who wants to do the reset and stopping them.

While everyone's busy with me, you should find the terminals and wreck them.

private.

[southernchere]

[ ... ] — Sorry, Hon. I know you're angry, and all of this has gotten me in a horn towson mood, too. But... my comrade thinks wreckin' it ain't the way. And while I got my own personal feelings on it, I... gotta trust him.

private.

[nightwild]

... All right.

But even if I'm doing it alone, I am going to go out there and start destroying them. And I don't intend to hold back- We're all going to do what we think is right here.

So warn that comrade of yours that if he doesn't want to get hurt, that he needs to stay out of my way.

private.

[southernchere]

You're right. We all gonna do what we think it's best. But I'm lettin' ya know now if you lay a finger on my team, you're gonna hafta answer to me.

— And believe me, Sugah, whippin' me is gonna be about as easy as nailin' jello to a tree.

private.

[nightwild]

If they stay out of my way, then I won't touch them. But if they try to stop me, then I'm going to do everything I can. That's why you should warn them.

And if it comes to it... There's only one person who can beat me. And she's not here.

private.

[southernchere]

Well, things can change, Gumdrop. Don't underestimate who can make ya pick up your teeth with your broken fingers.

private.

[nightwild]

If you think that's you, then you're welcome to try me.