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

audio; un: user010102

[computation]

Love the energy. I have a plan and I'm trying to get organized.

How do you feel about organizing the squads and I take care of the tricky technical parts?

[melnik]

[ This is a new voice, but hey, he likes the enthusiasm, too. And this is the time to put their skillsets where they're really needed. ]

Great idea. Those with technical knowledge like yourself will be the most vital part of this mission. I'm prepared to do whatever I can to get you where you need to be, so you can count on me.

[computation]

Call me Root. I don't mind directing teams but I'd much rather focus on the computers.

I'll see who else I can recruit and let you know the final list. We should have enough to send out five teams, and I'm going to see if I can come up with a way to make locating the terminals easier.

[melnik]

Excellent. I will do the same then, Root. Let us reconvene when we've gathered more people.

[ In the meantime, he has another thing to discuss. ]

What is your opinion on creating a backup of the current system?

[computation]

That's the plan. I'm looking into the best way to do that and writing a virus to ensure I can get direct access to its core programming and take a look around first.

It's said a lot of really nice things but I'd just like to check for myself, you know? Trust but verify!

[melnik]

Hah! You really know your way around this stuff! Think they made a mistake dropping you into this simulation?

Well, I, for one, am glad to hear it. Anything that that takes the guesswork out of what happens if we pull this of is something I'm in favor of.

[computation]

I'm not sure it was by mistake. My boss might have put me here on purpose. She's an AI and it's exactly the kind of thing she'd do if I could help people.

Speaking of taking some guesswork out of the equation, turns out regular old telemeters should work to detect the terminals. In other words, we should be able to equip the teams with devices that'll tell them when they're getting close.

[melnik]

[ It was a joke, friend, but her taking it seriously did give him some... interesting insights. The AI thing, the usage of devices he only knows as espionage equipment... ]

I'm not sure that's the ordinary feat you seem to think it is! Not that I can complain when it works so well in our favor.

Very well. It sounds like the task is in the right hands. I won't make you waste your time simplifying it to me. We can reconvene when we have everything squared away.

[computation]

[ Root is extremely serious about all things AI, and she can't reconcile with being stuck here if she doesn't believe it was on purpose. That she was sent here with a purpose. It can't be disproven, and it keeps her shaky mental ground solid. ]

No -- it's not ordinary, even for me. [ Root smiles wryly. She'd much rather have the Machine's voice in her ear, following her directions.

But she can't argue with getting an assignment she knows she's capable of handling, maybe uniquely better than anyone else here. She appreciates immensely that Miller knows it's not a good use of her time to try to explain the plan piecemeal. Seems like she impulsively picked the right person to ask to lead the personnel organizing side of things. ]

Thank you. I'll do everything I can to prevent loss of life or consciousness as we know it, and to leave the AI in a better place than it is now.

[ It's what the Machine would want, however that was accomplished. ]

[melnik]

[ As intimately familiar as he may be with working strictly classified operations, Miller was never an engineer. Perhaps some part of him would like to have all the details laid out purely so he might certify his trust is well-placed, but the reality is that they don't have time to make sure of that. They just need to trust each other for the sake of hopefully getting this fucking thing done. ]

I am with you. I will make it my utmost priority that our people make it to those terminals without interference. Godspeed.

[computation]

[ Taking up with people she's never met before and having to trust they're the right person for the job is kind of Root's M.O. lately. Normally she has the Machine providing backstop assurance that these are the right choices, but even she isn't infallible, and Root herself is a pretty good judge of character.

You kind of have to be, in order to be good at covert assassination.

So she's completely on the same page as Miller. After a certain point, you just have to trust the other team members know what they're doing and focus on your own role. ]

I'll be back in touch with details. [ And she cuts the conversation off. ]