[jaunt] [mid-to late week 1] A deepening mystery

[seestheworld]

So about Dara...

I wanted to see if I could find out what she was doing before her disappearance on the off chance that could point towards her current whereabouts, so I did a Sift on all the relevant data I could find. Which probably means I'm on a list somewhere now, but... anyway.

We already know she was working on the Phileon project - specifically, she was working on advanced biology and S. Tech research and development, in particular S. Tech containment and countermeasures. It looks like she left voluntarily and very suddenly, and went to great lengths to hide from AEGISCorp when she did so, even calling in a bunch of favors from friends working for AEGISCORP's biggest rival, Munghungwa Dynamics - who, incidentally, still have offices on Mars.

AEGISCorp is unsurprisingly looking for her, as are the ESDF, who were also pretty surprised to see her go. There's a phrase the ESDF using in reference to that operation: "Colorless green ideas sleep furiously."

This is a field Dara has loved since high school. In theory, this should have been her dream job. And she didn't just walk away: she ran.

Comments

[seestheworld]

Two Travelers actually got married during that one - I think because they wanted to do it while they had the chance. Lovers marked them both.

White Day is like an answer day to Valentine's Day. In my country, Valentine's Day is usually about girls giving chocolates to people they like - there's like an entire chocolate hierarchy; you give the best chocolate to the ones you really like and use the cheap stuff for obligation gifts. On White Day, the recipients are supposed to return the favor. It was kicked off by the confectionery industry with the reasoning that guys should "pay back" the girls who gave them gifts for Valentine's Day, preferably by buying lots of candy from the confectionery industry. This world's version didn't look all that different, aside from all the sparkly S. Tech.

[Literally sparkly, in some cases.]

Anyway, I think most of the people there didn't even notice there was anything different about us, and you've seen how good we are as a group at blending in.

[haveabiscuit]

I think I'm glad they don't have that in England. The students are hard enough to keep on task with one romantic candy based holiday and teenaged hormones.

There seemed to be some of that flash when we were leaving Earth but it's more reserved beyond that.

[seestheworld]

I'm not sure how much attention they would have been paying even without all the extra chaos.

Well, we're dealing with the military now. Although I wouldn't be surprised if they were also using S. Tech - just more serious S. Tech than things like sparkles and spontaneously blooming flowers and Moe Meters.

[haveabiscuit]

If it can create sparkles, there's probably potential to create a very effective diversion. The bigger question might be how much access to those techniques the other side has.

[seestheworld]

Yeah... especially if S. Tech and the accompanying virus really is the "bioweapon" the human side hit them with.

[haveabiscuit]

It raises an interesting question about whether it would manifest the same way in another species.

[seestheworld]

I've been wondering about that.

[haveabiscuit]

Have we managed to get any eyes out on that side?

[seestheworld]

We've got a couple of people Investigating on the alien side, yeah. At least three - four counting Ryo.

[haveabiscuit]

Ryo is sweet but I suspect his report would be... specific.

[seestheworld]

Yes, it would.

[haveabiscuit]

Then again, some of the manifestations are exactly what he would comment on, so he might be more useful than I'm giving him credit for.

[seestheworld]

There might be... aspects of a given situation that he might miss, because he's basically still a kid, but he's pretty smart in general.

[haveabiscuit]

We can at least ask him if he's seen any of the dramatic manifestations.

[seestheworld]

Yeah, that's true.

[haveabiscuit]

Who else do we have there?

[seestheworld]

Gil, Chloe, and I think Prompto. And Hajime's there, obviously. If there's anyone else, they haven't chimed in yet.

[haveabiscuit]

An eclectic collection. But I can reach out to Chloe.

[The one she knows best ouf of that crew]

[seestheworld]

There might be a few others who could be memory-restored if need be.

[Assuming they're up to that, at least.]