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

[incorrigibles]

wasn't trying to be sweet, was i

just trying to be fair. but i guess killing people doesn't matter when they've already died once

or killing all the locals, or this ai. just cause they all might be, what, digital? doesn't mean it's not real to everyone who's here right now, does it

Private

[computation]

I know. That's what makes it sweet.

Ending a consciousness always matters. No one gets to tell someone else how to find meaning in their existence.

I've killed a lot of people. I used to think it didn't matter because the universe was falling apart anyway. Bad things happen and there's no plan, no one looking out for you. It's fundamentally cold and chaotic and uncaring.

But when I found the Machine I realized that we're responsible for creating order.

perma-private

[incorrigibles]

right, it doesn't matter how it is that you're existing... that you do makes you matter.

and i can't say that what you thought then was right... but i get why you thought it. it's real easy to lose faith in the world sometimes. but other times, well, there's a lot of good out there, yeah? and if we don't try and be that good then what's the point

[computation]

I don't think there's a lot of good out there. I think it's extremely precious when you find it, and worth protecting.

By the way, if you want me to block someone for you, just let me know. Free service.

[incorrigibles]

think there's more of it out there than you might imagine... but i agree, it's all worth protecting.

i mean, you never know when the good you do will come around again, yeah?

... wait, you can do that?

[computation]

I guess I'm just too cynical to believe in nice stories anymore. I'll do what I can but I'm not expecting anything in return.

Doesn't seem like there's an in-built feature, but I could make one. I'm pretty good with computers.

[incorrigibles]

that's okay. it's never too late, you know? and in the end... well, it starts with us, don't it? all anyone can do is their best. you don't do good because you expect to get it back, yeah? you just... do. cause it's the right thing to do.

oh? well, sounds aces, that. i'll keep it in mind

[computation]

You would think that, you're dead. But it is nice to think it's never too late, even after the end. That what we do with our lives and our deaths means something.

Any time.

[incorrigibles]

of course it means something. you can always make a difference. hell, even if it's you making a difference for just one person, or two, then... well. that's worth it, innit?

[computation]

I'm less the one person at a time type and more the big picture type. Go big or go home.

Why not save everyone AND the AI, right?

[incorrigibles]

go big or go home, is it?

not bad. if we're gonna try... well. might as well go for six runs

[ excuse the cricket metaphor ]

[computation]

[ no she doesn't get the cricket metaphor ]

Is this a baseball reference?

[incorrigibles]

nah, it's cricket. you not a fan, then?

[computation]

I'm not much of a sports person. Unless I need to be for an identity.

[incorrigibles]

so what i'm getting is there's not an abundance of sports people, here

might be a good thing, though. and not like i've really been one since i died, anyway. there's no cricket team for dead people, at least far as i know

[computation]

Don't let your dreams be dreams, Charles. What's stopping you?

Apart from reality crumbling around us.

[incorrigibles]

yeah, that's just a slight hiccup in my plan to form a city-wide cricket team

nah, i'm good. i don't really miss it all that much. besides, i get to whack stuff with my bat enough anyway

[computation]

Do you? Are there ghost cricket bats?

Hitting some kneecaps, I hope.

[incorrigibles]

no, just regular cricket bats that are magically fortified

i mean, metaphorically, yeah. sometimes literally

[computation]

Ghosts AND magic? Wait, can I get a magically fortified cricket bat?

[incorrigibles]

well, yeah, just lump it all under "supernatural stuff". there's demons and witches and psychics too

uhhh, i guess? i could try and get one for you if you want one

[computation]

I so, so want one.

Can I hit demons and witches and psychics with it? Does it do anything apart from hit really hard?

[incorrigibles]

course you can. that's the whole point, it's enchanted to hit supernatural shit, and it hits hard.

[ it also hits stuff that is supposed to be incorporeal, like ghosts! and you can throw it around like a boomerang. it has all kinds of fancy applications... ]

right, well, as soon as we're done with this whole saving the ai thing, i'll put getting a bat for you first on my list

[computation]

[ As a total normie, she so wants something that can hit supernatural shit. ]

I change my mind, I'm absolutely a cricket fan. Pip pip tally ho and whatnot.

[incorrigibles]

oh bloody hell

just never say that again and THEN i'll promise you to get that bat