Open to All Investigators-Beginning of Digital Frontier Jaunt

[purseownerisme]

For those who are experiencing this for the first time, don't worry. Just keep calm and listen to this message.

If you're hearing this, you're what we call an investigator: someone who retains their memories from their home and other worlds if they have them while in a Jaunt. Some of us have blended in with the setting and are called Infiltrators; don't try and jog their memory back otherwise we'll be in a lot of trouble. They also cannot use the network we're on right now.

What we need to know now is who's not thinking they're a program and what they have noticed so far. Anything will help us try and figure out a way to solve this next issue.

Comments

[wantedittobeagame]

Yua-chan!

[Oh, that was an Adachi voice. That was a far too happy Adachi voice.]

Thisissocool! Alltheelectronicsandthelightsandthe--

[...how was he managing to mentally ramble exactly?]

[purseownerisme]

...have you been drinking?

[Because damn man.]

[leftbehindagain]

Kanji and Naoto are both infiltrating. [If you think Naoki sounds extremely grumpy about this... well, you're right. That's his go-to planning group shot completely to hell. He was very busy operating within his comfort zone, dammit.

Oh well. Just gonna have to work past that, it seems.]

They're both on the Blue Team - didn't catch a name for it, but that'll make it easier to keep an eye on them, I hope. Red Team's called the Defenders. Kanji said they're supposed to keep things safe, but he sounded pretty upset about it and didn't specify which things, so they might be a little turned around on their priorities. Either way, Red Team and Blue Team don't seem to like each other much.

I think the Green Team's something called Cryptos? They're either as new as us or they've been out of commission for a long time, or everyone else wouldn't be so excited to see them out and about again.

That's all I've got so far. [He feels like it isn't much, but it's not too bad for a day's work, really. When you spend a year investigating a murder, you get used to watching for stuff.]

[purseownerisme]

So that's a few of us...

So the Green Team...Cryptos? Might be something they're involved in that we may need to look into.

[stophamatime]

Naoto-san is? Oh.

[He's disappointed! Naoto's awesome at figuring this stuff out.

...also he just likes Naoto.]

[notinthecards]

I'm still myself.

[purseownerisme]

Oh good.

[...hey wait.]

Hey, weren't you the one who kept throwing candies overboard when we had mermaids?

[betrayedblade]

Excuse me. They keep using that term to refer to themselves: program. What does that mean exactly? Do you know the definition in this context? I'm fairly certain mine is not correct.

[Sorry on two fronts; this is his first time to attempt this strange mental-talk thing and he's a literal Renaissance man so what the heck is a computer much less a computer program.]

[professorwolf]

[Thankfully, this is an open broadcast, so have a computer geek with memories of the Victorian era attempt to explain it for you, man....]

They're a kind of construct, in this place, with set parameters and purpose, created by... well, I'll admit, I don't know who they're created by, but I've overheard a couple mention Users, so there must be creators outside this Grid place. Think a golem or an automaton, only with self-awareness and a kind of... circuit-made construction. Very advanced, here.

[flatteries]

.. well, I suppose that means at least I am not the only one out of the loop here.

[ Renaissance, meet medieval times.. Inigo has been able to at least understand what computers are because of the Jaunts he's been on, but programs? All this.. digital stuff? It might as well all be Chinese to him. ]

I am sorry it is so confusing to you as well.

[professorwolf]

I have been filled in, at least briefly... all I've really gathered is that no one has any idea what we are, and they're suspicious of us and the ones with green lights.

The ones with red lights are the most suspicious.

Oh, I'm Randolph Lyall. Biology teacher and werewolf. I haven't tried changing in here; I'm not really sure I can, to be honest. But if it helps, I have above-average senses and strength, so I could be of use there, if need be.

[leftbehindagain]

If they're the most suspicious, that just leaves me wondering what exactly they're defending. [And whether it's the right thing to defend, or in everyone's best interest.] I think we'll need someone to get in close with the Red Team to find out.

That's one heck of a skill set. Is there a reason why you couldn't change in here, aside from... well, the obvious?

I'm Naoki Konishi. Good to meet you, Lyall-sensei. [Fortunately, he doesn't completely butcher all those Ls. Come on, English, why do you do these sounds.]

[flatteries]

At least being suspicious of us is nothing new..

[ Not like they haven't endured that during a few Jaunts before, after all. But there's something else about this that grabs Inigo's attention, making him blink a little. ]

Er, though.. does being a "werewolf" mean you are part wolf?

[hakodate]

Suspicious is about how these things usually go. Best we can do is try not to aggravate it until we can get some footing.

[prolificarse]

Will we be in trouble because attempting to jog their memory will irreparably break something, or because they'll think anyone trying to explain that they actually have another life entirely is absolutely mad?

[It's an important distinction, okay.]

[seestheworld]

I'm not sure I'd trust anyone on the Red Team not to react badly to people trying to tell them they're not who they think they are.

[earlybird]

Who's worrying?

[ New voice in the mix, and he sounds equal parts confident and disdainful. And like he belongs in elementary school, instead. ]

The reds are definitely some kind of local police force, called Defenders. Blues are Miners. The assumption being they're digging for something.

[purseownerisme]

You'd be surprised.

Something? How did they sound when that was mentioned?

[foreveralawn]

Um...I t-think everyone else has p-pretty much covered what I've noticed... So I'm j-just reporting in, I guess.

[purseownerisme]

It's okay.

Glad to know you're alright.

[backwordscompatible]

[It was the first time Zatanna had entered a Jaunt while retaining her own memories. Despite the fact that she had grown accustomed to M'gann's telepathy back home...hearing another voice in her head like this almost startled her.]

I'm still me, last time I checked. For once.

Things are a bit confusing, but so far, it sounds to me like there's something called a Grid that's in need of protecting. From who or what, I'm not sure.

[purseownerisme]

A grid?

So from what I've been hearing...we might have been dropped in a world where computers are involved. Not my best kind I'll admit.

[hakodate]

Still me. Haven't had the chance to find the rest of mine, though.

[Because recently he's suddenly got twice as many from home to keep track of again, and he can already feel the headache coming on.]

[purseownerisme]

[Good to hear from him again.]

It's possible that they may be in another area of the world.

[abweichend]

Checking in. Unless there's something keeping them from responding Armin, Erwin, and Mai all seem to be infiltrating this time around.

[He's so salty you have no idea...

There's a pause before he puts a request of his own out there:]

...If anyone's seen any of them I'd appreciate a heads up. A location would be better.

[So he can keep an eye on them.

You know, so none of them get FUCKING MURDERED this time around.

SO. SALTY.

And now for something a little more useful, since he's had at least a bit of time to look around, and listen.]

From what I've been able to gather so far, we're dealing with a smaller designated 'safe' area and a much larger, mostly uncharted area surrounding that. Admission to the safer area seems... Regulated. Probably by the assholes in red, or whoever's in charge of giving them their orders.

[He's sensitive to that sort of setup, to say the least... And if he sounds a little bitter, it's because he most definitely is. Do they have a god damn toll to get in, too? He bets there is one. Bastards.]

[purseownerisme]

Let me guess...the assholes in red are the Defenders?

[sasaeng]

I'm definitely still myself! I haven't found any good leads yet, but I'll totally report in when I get something useful.

[time for her to put those reporter investigative skills to the test, however possible.] That goes for whoever we may be looking for, too!

[purseownerisme]

That's good to hear.

You're new, aren't you? I'm Yua Narukami by the way.

[seestheworld]

I'm still me. Mothman's form's been changed, but he's still himself, too. I'm thinking the Trumps probably physically changed us, too - otherwise, food might be an issue.

[purseownerisme]

Glad to know you're okay Minako.

With all this talk about programs and codes, it makes me wonder what exactly we're in right now.

[turbedon]

Robin still as Robin here.

Anyone who has no idea what a computer or a program is needs a buddy for this Jaunt I think. I get the feeling this is going to be one of those 'hide to survive' rounds, based on how twitchy those Defenders are about anyone not acting 'normal'.

[backwordscompatible]

[There you are, Tweedle One. She was beginning to wonder.]

Did you seriously just suggest the buddy system?

I didn't realize we'd all gone back to elementary school, or I might've considered bringing back the pigtails.

[She didn't actially wear pigtails in middle school most of the time, but enjoy that mental image.]

[bemyangel]

I'm not, and most of what I've noticed is that this place is really strange. I'm sorry that that doesn't help much.

[purseownerisme]

Hey, don't worry about it. You can hear us so you're not alone.

I don't think I heard you before...did you just get here?

[fuckingibuki]

[Yeah, he doesn't recognize this person, so introductions are probably in order.

He's getting better about that, at least!]

I'm still here. Ibuki Ryuunosuke, that is. I don't think we've met.

I've also kinda...not really gone out there, so I'm no help when it comes to information-gathering.

[purseownerisme]

No, I don't think so either. We've been getting a lot of Travelers lately it's been a bit hard to keep track. I'm Yua Narukami by the way.

Don't worry, not many of us have. We'll probably be able to explore along the way while we're here.