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

[entreats]

[ ....

She ponders telling him that explanation makes absolutely zero sense to her, but this probably isn't the time to get into that. Not in the middle of an important discussion like this. Her own lack of knowledge when it comes to weird technology - and how it, apparently, intersects with his powers - has to wait for some other time.

Instead Ange has to focus on what's important right now. ]

Are you really sure that's such a good idea?

It is still part of what's keeping us trapped here.

[spidermenaces]

Yeah, it's just a copy. It should be fine, we can back up the back up forever and tweak it a bunch, or at least try

It's better than just resetting it without a plan b, right?

[entreats]

If you're sure it's fine.

[ A pause, mostly because Ange feels awkward about what to say here, or how to put her feelings into words, but-- she's trying, since it's Peter. ]

I'm just worried about screwing everything up now, after I've already been stuck here for so long.

But it's hard to make an informed decision when I hardly even understand what's going on anymore. This stuff is not like anything I've ever had experience with before.

[spidermenaces]

We can't know either, just make the most informed decisions with what works for us

But hey. When this thing is over

Do you want me to teach you? Then you'll have experience.

[entreats]

Are you sure you want to offer to teach me?

I kind of feel like I might be a hopeless case.

[ Not that she doesn't want to learn. Ange desperately wants to learn! But all this technology stuff often feels pretty overwhelming, and she doesn't want to make Peter of all people feel bad.. ]

[spidermenaces]

Ange!!! No one is a hopeless case

If you want to learn we can totally go over things as many times as you need to get it

I have faith!

[entreats]

Okay.

Then I guess we can do that.

Just as long as you don't make it embarrassing. I'm trusting you, you know.

[spidermenaces]

Thanks Ange
But what would make it embarrassing
You gotta tell me first

[entreats]

You tell me, Peter.

What do you think would count as embarrassing? What sorts of things couldn't you possibly do to me while explaining stuff?

[spidermenaces]

Honestly Ange
If anyone is embarrassing anyone
Is me
To me
I am not good at this talking thing
So I think you're safe

[entreats]

I think you're pretty good at the talking thing.

I mean, you make more sense than at least half of the people present in this place, so I'm not too worried about that part. It's just that teenage guys tend to be embarrassing. Like Scott. And like Hanamura-san.

[spidermenaces]

Scott Summers? I like him, why does he embarrass you

... Who????

[entreats]

Yosuke Hanamura. He only talks about how attractive he thinks girls are.

Scott thankfully doesn't do that, but he's very big on the friendship thing, and that's almost just as embarrassing to talk about.

[spidermenaces]

And you don't think I'm embarrassing???

[entreats]

Not as much as either of those two.

You don't really force me to do anything I don't want to do, for one.

[spidermenaces]

It's not fun if you don't wanna do it

[entreats]

See, that's what I always try to say.

But even though I say that, everyone just ignores it! They think I just don't know what I'm talking about, and that I need to just force myself and that it'll be fun then. But it never ends up being fun!

I mean, if we're all about to maybe die anyway, I might as well say that it just makes me feel dumb and miserable whenever I get forced.

[spidermenaces]

Yeah see
That's what I don't want
I'm never gonna force anything out of you
Why would I wanna make you miserable
That said I do like a lot of stuff mostly movies so if you wanna just hang out we can do that

[entreats]

[ ... ]

Movies don't sound so bad, I guess.

[ She has to sound reluctant about this, okay! Ange can't ever sound like she likes being social!! ]

But I guess we'll have to see this entire thing through first before we can really think about movies.

[spidermenaces]

Yeah, that's
That makes sense actually
So I'll see you later?

[entreats]

Sure.

[ At first it seems like that message is all that arrives.

But a moment later - as if with a hesitant pause in between - another one arrives. ]

Stay safe.

[ Do you now understand why she will be so pissed off when you're suddenly gone on the other side of this, Peter—— ]