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.]

[wantedittobeagame]

...do you think EXE's drink? That would explain sudden blue screens...

[purseownerisme]

...

I'm not going to ask.

[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.]

[wantedittobeagame]

What?

Don't you get on a computer?

[notinthecards]

I'm still myself.

[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]

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.

[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.

[betrayedblade]

[Golem and automation were in his vocabulary, at least, even if they were far-flung whimsy at best. However, that still left much to be desired in fully understanding, unfortunately.]

Then they're not living beings? They're tools? They certainly seem human enough... they act as people, more or less. I don't believe I follow your explanation very well. [Or rather, it didn't sit very well with him if his two questions were any indicator.] And what do you mean by "circuit"? These are common words and yet their meanings here differ so greatly.

[professorwolf]

They would have originally been created as tools, yes, but somewhere along they way they either developed self-awareness, or else they are far more detailed in their protocols than any other program I've come across. They aren't scripted in any way, that I can tell.

[He pauses to think a moment, then asks,]

Where and when are you from, sir? That might help me explaining things properly.

[betrayedblade]

Hmm.

[An interesting concept if he were interpreting it correctly. It was something to think upon, perhaps. He tried not to dwell too long on it at the moment though and eventually got back to the conversation at hand.]

Italia, 1476.

[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.]

[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.

[prolificarse]

Anyone would react poorly to that. The question remains, is the risk that they might react violently, or that attempting to break the illusion ensnaring them may damage their minds?

[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.

[tealeafs]

Um.. I don't think I have seen a case where it broke anyone's mind before, but.. I also don't know if anyone has ever tried telling one of them.

[ She sure hasn't, when it came down to people she knew suddenly not remembering themselves. ]

Although I don't know if it's a good idea to just try..

[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?

[betrayedblade]

It is not your fault, do not apologize. However, I am grateful for your sympathies and I extend mine as well.

This whole experience is quite overwhelming. [Except, he doesn't seem all that overwhelmed at all. His mental voice is calm and controlled, and gives an impression of confidence backed by skill and wisdom.]

[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.

[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]

Of course I do. I'm just not techno savy like talking about programs and codes.

[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.