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

voice; un: grimreaper666

[rebellions]

Let's get one thing clear: any of you idiots who try to do this reset shit, you'll have to go through me.

[ He figures he's gained enough of a reputation around here for most people to catch on that this is a threat. ]

txt; un: BOMBSHELL

[opheliac]

oh yikes, well this is awkward because im already packing to leave.

[rebellions]

[ ... You're killing him here, Smurfette. ]

... and what are you planning to do once you get there?

[opheliac]

beats me! i havent run it with my old man yet. whatever he says.

but i got to bail really quick because some doofus wants to come with me. u know, to "keep an eye on me" in case i do something daaaannnggeeroouusss.

[rebellions]

more dangerous than messing with the very fabric of reality and existence?
cause we've got a lot of that going on right now

[opheliac]

yep! does this mean we're going to fight?

voice; un: xxii

[orphne]

What do you think we should do to stop the glitches?

[She doesn't sound combative or even facetious -- she sounds like she's genuinely curious.]

[rebellions]

[ See, he can appreciate the fact she didn't come at him to attack his position guns blazing. He was ready to argue his stance, but since she's showing goodwill, he can actually respond back in a (somewhat) reasonable manner. ]

... It's clear this system isn't working out, so we should find a way to replace it. Keep the place running without putting all the strain and responsibility on one person.

[ Yes, he's referring to the AI as "person". That's his version and he's sticking to it. ]

[orphne]

[She doesn't fully get the concepts of AI and she's not great with computers, but one of her best friends is a robot, and those are terms she can understand.]

Could somebody make copies of the AI? Like a team of robots instead of just one.

Like... make more computers?

[She's trying.]

[rebellions]

that's not how it

[ "Works," he means to say, but he stops half-sentence. Isn't that essentially how the Takamagahara System operates back in his world? ]

actually no
you might be on to something

[orphne]

Oh! Well I don't know how to do anything like that, but I'm sure some of the really smart people in STEM can figure it out. I trust them! 👍

I want to stop the glitches no matter what, but if we can save the AI too, then that's not a bad thing.

voice

[ashesofkatarr]

Why?

[rebellions]

Damn, and people say I'm a cold-hearted son of a bitch.

[ Don't worry, sass aside, he'll get to the point and actually answer the question. ]

'Cause I'm not about to kill someone who's been keeping me alive for the past year just to save myself.

[ashesofkatarr]

I am merely asking. I have not been here long enough to know much more than what is before me now.

You consider this computer, the one that runs the simulation... a person?

[rebellions]

[ The actual answer is... complicated. Because it's not something he believes to be true for every computer out there ─ pigs will fly before he extends the same courtesy to the Takamagahara System ─ but this particular case hits way too close to home for him not to think that. ]

... Yeah, I do.

[ashesofkatarr]

I understand your perspective now. My ship's crew possessed a utility droid with an... uncommonly strong personality. Most of us would have been very displeased were its memory wiped.

[Along with a couple of other droids. Also with uncommonly strong personalities. But T3 was the nice one... as long as you were nice to him, that is.]

un: user010102

[computation]

Genuine question: do you know how computer backups work?

I want to respect its wishes. But I also want to save it.

[rebellions]

[ This whole message rubs him the wrong way, mostly because it throws his past attitude back in his face. There used to be a time when he would be more than willing to go through with that, or hell, even destroy the system entirely, but now... ]

and then what
every time shit goes tits up you kill her and bring her back?

[computation]

Oh, are they up to pronouns now? That's so exciting!

In any case, don't be ridiculous. That's not the goal at all. I'm going to let her pick which parts she wants to back up and which to restore. You can't believe in her and also insist you get to make her choices for her.

[rebellions]

that's not
whatever forget it

[ He is not explaining to a random stranger that he's heavily projecting someone else he knows on the AI in question; that's for his therapist (that he doesn't have). ]

that's great and all
but if the world really does get reset then chances are you won't even remember that you should be restoring her

[computation]

I told her to pick her own name and not feel pressured by anyone's suggestions. I thought that meant she wasn't ready for pronouns, but I'm ready whenever she is.

It's called an automated process, goofball. Anyway, this is a simulation. If we have access to the A.I. then we have access to the programming that maintains our environment. I can make sure I'm an exception.

[entreats]

Does it really need to be this tone, Ragna?

[ Is it surprising, coming from him? No, not really.

But Ange is still going to say it anyway. She feels close enough to him that she feels like she should be allowed to point it out. ]

Let's at least have a productive discussion here, instead of letting things get all dumb.

[rebellions]

Oh, sorry. Lemme try that again.

[ Wait, is he actually gonna rethink his statement─ ]

Allow me to inform you of the following: if any people of lesser cognitive skills attempt to proceed with the reset procedure, they shall find themselves in opposition to myself, and I will use any force necessary to stop them.

[ Nope, he just went increasingly verbose. ]

Better?

[entreats]

[ Yeah.

This is kind of what she expected. That's Ragna for you.. ]

You know that's not what I meant. [ Not that she necessarily sounds annoyed about it. There's some people Ange won't really take sass from, but with Ragna, it's-- It's whatever, really. ]

I just don't know what's got you worked up about this topic in particular. I haven't seen you like this in a long while.

private, Un: Piscesblack

[bonobos]

Hey. I don’t want whatever this thing is to die. I’m not good for much but if there’s something I can do to help you out… well, lemme know.