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

[mightymorphin]

I'm not saying it won't be a risk, but out and out assuming we're just part of the simulation now is pretty extreme.

[solitarysoul]

Okay, but it kind of sounds like you're saying to break it and everything will be fine.

[He doesn't really want to argue, nor does he know what he believes on this issue, but the apparent logic gap stood out enough for him to say something.]

[mightymorphin]

I just think we'll come out the other side in our own bodies. I don't know if there's side effects, I just don't think we're going to die.

[solitarysoul]

I don't think I have a body. And I know people here who died before they got here. I'm not saying breaking it is the wrong idea, I'm just saying there's no way its that easy.

[mightymorphin]

You don't...?

[Well THAT'S new!]

Well... I don't know. But if you were dying or dead, something must've whisked your brain here before you fully died, right? There's no reason it could've have grabbed your body, too.

[solitarysoul]

N-no...I don't think so in my case. But that's different. I'm not sure about anyone else. But if turning this off puts people back in their bodies, do the dead people just end up in dead brains?

[mightymorphin]

I can't even begin to guess. This simulation must be pretty advanced tech, but that doesn't tell us whether our jailers have access to advanced medical tech or not.

[solitarysoul]

Tech or magic or whatever.

But my point was that whatever breaking this does it probably won't effect us all the same. Some people are going to be worse off somehow no matter what you do.

[mightymorphin]

Living here isn't sunshine and roses, either. Staying means we're at the mercy of the simulation and whatever other crazy things it decides to throw at us for fun.

If no one wants to take risks, I'm worried we're never going to get out of here.

[solitarysoul]

No, its not. Its okay sometimes, but its been pretty terrible more than once. Neither option is certain to be a good thing. Just...just make sure that if you make a decision you're ready in case you find out it was the wrong one.

[mightymorphin]

Yeah. I know.