expiationnet | TEXT | sender: [ unknown ]

TEXT | sender: [ unknown ]

[ 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! ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Hey, Morph. I got some new information, if you're up for hearin' it.

You mean someone finally coughed something up? Yeah, lay it on me.

Yep, and it would've been nice to know beforehand, then we would have avoided this dog and cat fight we've been havin' for the last hour.

— A fella told me the reason why he's against breakin' the system 'cuz there was a first group of Chosen who were here before us did somethin' similar, and it ended badly for 'em.

So knowing that, we just gotta figure out how the first folks went on about it, and not repeat it.

Edited 2024-09-16 00:22 (UTC)

What?!

An entire other group of Chosen? But - how the hell are we going to figure out what they did wrong?

Did he know anything else?

I don't know, but I'm waitin' on his response now...

Tell me everything you find out. If there were other Chosen here... just how long has this simulation been running?

[But was that something anyone had looked into? With all the bits and pieces filtering in from the older residents, it was getting hard to piece it together into something coherent.]

Sendin' you a recording. Hold on.

[ she sends him an audio file and whenever morph presses play, they will hear miller's voice: ]

'You're right. But by now it's too late for that. I have to admit that even I don't know enough to give you a clear answer. At least not where the details are concerned. What I learned directly from the AI is that previous cycles were wiped out through total system failure. This system is the only thing keeping us "living" in this simulation. Someone who has been here far longer than me compiled a list of evidence for a personal theory some months back. That was the first I'd heard of it. He said they were shown gravestones of Chosen who had died here before us. I don't know about you, but I'm not willing to bet on annihilating everyone just on the off-chance it turns out we're right.'

[ and the recording ends. ]

[There's a brief moment of silence, and then,]

Thanks, Rogue.

It's still not a lot, but it sounds like the simulation breaking down now is this system failure he's talking about. Which means the program restarted with new Chosen afterward?...

So something is both restarting the simulation and putting new Chosen in it. The first part could be automatic, the second part... I have my doubts.

... So what should we do? I thought we get rid of the terminals would fix up this mess.

But with everyone havin' a twist in their britches, and all this talk about maybe we're just copies, teachin' the AI how to be good and saving it, how I don't give a flip about the dead folks around here and how it oughta be up to 'em, and we live ones shouldn't get a say —

[ somehow during her little vent, her words trial off into a tiresome sigh. ]

— All of this has gotten me as lost as last year's Easter egg. ... I just wish the Professor was here, Hank, Erik, or our Scott, just anybody who's got a better mind on what we oughta do. 'Cuz I ain't got the slightest right now.

... Yeah. I wish they were here, too. We always work better as a team.

[Morph had given a lot of thought to destroying one of the terminals, but though they'd have the physical strength to do it, experience has told them that they're not terribly strong in a fight all on their own. It was bound to go badly, and they didn't even particularly think it would be worth destroying a terminal at all.]

I asked for people to tell me why they thought shutting the place off would kill us, and I only got one actual tidbit of information and a whole lot of jumping to the worst possible outcome. The guy that told you all that didn't bother to tell me. Either no one really knows what's going on, or the ones that do don't want to share it.

I'm not going to do anything. I'm going to sit at home, and maybe I'll get shitfaced before the world ends. If no one wants to tell us anything or try to work with us, what's the point? There's plenty of other people eager to keep living in a simulation to pull off whatever the hell they're trying to do.

[ there's a few seconds of silence on her end even after they've spoken their peace. and when rogue finally does, her voice is slightly hard as stone. ]

Back home, I chose Erik's side 'cause I was done with our people dyin'. And every time we've tried to do good for others or simply live like everybody else, we get pushed in the mud. But when we banded together against Bastion, then comin' here and meeting some of these folks who were kind to me, I thought... maybe I was lil' wrong about humans.

— But after all of this? ... Now I'm startin' to think I might've had it right the first time.

[ another brief pause. ]

Maybe I lost my way of what it really means of being an X-Man, or maybe I haven't at all and this place has gotten my mind hotter than stolen firecrackers. But I do sho nuff know one thing. And that is, this place and the folks here don't need me.

So if ya want, Sugah, we can fly off somewhere far away from this city and can just drink ourselves stupid together.

Edited 2024-09-16 05:06 (UTC)

[It's hard to argue with that, possibly harder than it's ever been for Morph to take the side of humans before.]

It's not about us being mutants this time. We're just newcomers that don't know anything, and they're either too comfortable here or too afraid of the unknown to see this situation any other way.

[But then they suck in a breath and add,] They don't need me, either. If they really want our help, they can ask for it. Until then, let them handle their own problems.

[It's harsh, but it's already hard to save a bunch of people who doesn't want to be saved. Frankly, Morph is totally unwilling to entertain the theory that the Chosen might only be minds inside of a computer - they've stared death in the face before and it was less daunting than the idea of being a shapeshifter without a real body.]

Let's find a place with a good view. If we're going to be thrown into some fresh chaos, I don't want to be able to feel my face when it happens.

[ it is harsh, and she can just feel xavier's disappointment hovering somewhere from wherever he is. but... what are his "students" to do in a situation like this? probably to not give up and find rhyme and reason until they pass out from talking too much.

rogue has a half of mind to just shed off her team jacket and toss it in the nearest garbage can. but in despite of the frustration swirling in her gut, she doesn't have the heart to do that. ... maybe hang it up in the closet and let it collect dust, at least, but not throw it away. and she may do the same with remy's trench coat, too, because who knows what that swamp rat might be thinking right now about all of this and her decision. ]

All right. Want me to bring snacks, too, or skip it? — And I'd bring company along with us so it'll be a small get-together, but... I think the lil' friends I did have, I might've burned them bridges tonight. And Fauna might be too far gone to be convinced to settle.

Edited 2024-09-16 05:32 (UTC)

[Morph would step in if they know someone's life is directly in danger, but... there's plenty of Chosen with powers or fighting ability, it's not like they need any extra babysitters. They're still convinced that breaking everyone out would be doing the most good here, but the fact that no one was willing to seriously consider or investigate that angle is galling.]

Let's bring snacks, we don't know how long we're going to be there. ... I might invite someone over, depends on if he's busy or not. It'll be a pretty small party, but that's fine.

All right, Hon. I'll meet ya at the house.

[ and fast-forward to the whole scott, morph, rogue thing in the other thread. my brain is too shot from days of work to make this narrative all flowy. the end. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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