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

[southernchere]

[ she chuckles lightly. ]

I see why they made you Colonel. You're a good man, Miller. ...Maybe I can learn a thing or two from you.

— It just hurts my heart that we all gotta stay here longer than we ought to. You, me, and everyone else don't deserve to have our minds toyed with. We should be able to think freely and live how we want with no worries.

I know I haven't been long, but I don't got to touch none of ya'll to know the pain this place has put ya'll through. ... I see it in your eyes, and hear it in your voices.


It just upsets me.

[melnik]

[ Speaking of things one doesn't deserve, he's unsure how to accept that compliment... but if he ignores the context that only he knows, it must mean he's doing a decent job at getting his point across. ]

If you really think I have anything to teach you...

[ So he'll leave it there.

But it's strange. As much as he's been fighting for all of them to break out of this place, Rogue attaches this sentimentality to it that he never has. If that's how she thinks of it, it's no wonder she was so quick to jump on the plan to break the terminals. ]

Dwelling on that will only hinder us. If we live our lives trying to force the world to be a fair place, it will only lead to people giving up, one after the other. This isn't the first time I've seen it. When the situation seems hopeless, it is all too easy to wallow in your own misfortune. But as long as we are still alive, there's still a chance we can do something.

[southernchere]

[ there's a small pause from her side of the phone as she takes in his words, but she does speak after a little while. ]

I still think livin' in a simulation ain't really living or us being alive, but... if it's important to all of ya'll, and to Scott, then... — I'll do what I gotta do.

[melnik]

Thank you. That is enough.

[ Far be it for him to tell her how to feel about this thing that's very clearly happening to all of them. ]