[network] @Technicalities; Experiment; DAY 3: 10AM [open]

[tadashiwashere]

[His second morning here hasn't gone well. It shows from the bags under his eyes as the video feed starts for his network post. He's exhausted from his searching yesterday -- even if he didn't go very far. The doors locking last night put him ill at ease, and he had stayed up late, just listening for any signs of life outside all night.

This is Tadashi Hamada.

[His voice is scratchy from grogginess and he presses a hand over his eyes to try to relieve the burning that comes from not having enough sleep.

And this is day two for me. 10AM, if the clock is working. Looking at the posts made this morning, I'm going to assume I'm not the only one who received an injection. Did anyone see a face--notice anything misplaced or different from when you went to sleep until when you woke up?

[Off screen, there's a crunching sound and Tadashi glances down and to the right, reaching out a hand toward where the sound is coming from. Mochi, for one, is able to just enjoy the breakfast Tadashi found him. Tadashi actually feels a little bad for taking the cat food, but he assumes if anyone actually lived in the house, he can pay them back once he gets out of this mess.

He focuses on the screen again, opens his mouth like he's about to saying something else, then seems to decide against it. He's not sure who to trust, but this at least is a start -- he's reaching out and trying to get a feel for what's happening.

After another hesitation, he cuts the feed.]

Comments

video; ID: Sakuraba

[feelingepic]

[... someone else that's Japanese?]

I didn't see any faces. But there were definitely a couple of people. No idea who they were or what that injection was.

ID: Technicalities

[tadashiwashere]

[He frowns.]

Well, this at least confirms that there's a group behind the kidnapping. And they don't want us to see their faces. That could be a positive. Either they think there's a chance we'll escape or they plan to let us go in the future.

[feelingepic]

If there is, why haven't any of us seen any of them until now? Rrgh, this makes no sense...

[What is the benefit of kidnapping so many of them like this? And in this kind of place?]

[tadashiwashere]

It's hard to say.

[He doesn't want to bring up that it doesn't need to make sense -- not every human behaves logically. He's clinging to the idea that this has to be a massive operation. And that a large group is less likely to be entirely psychotic--they could still be morally bankrupt, but they might at least have reasons for what they do. Reasons they can all find out and use to find a way out of this.]

We all need to look for anything we can find -- and documents. Records. A working phone line might be too optimistic, but...

[feelingepic]

[It all reminds Neku of the Game, to be honest. Waking up in a weird place, being forced to survive... But here, the place isn't at all familiar. And he's not having to rely on a partner. And there are people that may or may not actually be there, giving him an injection of something against his will. Fun times.]

I did find a room full of equations. But they were all wrong. Not even the level of not getting algebra, but like they didn't even pass basic math. All the addition and subtraction was wrong. And I found a weird sketchbook yesterday. Instead of getting better, the drawings got... worse.

voice; ID: tiro

[fataliteas]

[Oh cool, someone else that's Japanese.]

I heard footsteps and whispers in the night, only for the sounds to taper off as soon as I awoke. That's it, I'm afraid.

[Her voice is young, tired yet calm.]

voice; ID: Technicalities

[tadashiwashere]

Whoever they were, it sounds like they just got in and out.

[He appreciates the calm in her voice. Talking logically about this seems like the best way to go right now. Panicking won't get any of them anywhere.]

I'm not sure the footsteps and whispers weren't a sound bite played in all of the shelters last night. Seems a little convenient that everyone so far heard the same things.

[fataliteas]

If it was a sound bite, don't you find it odd how attuned it was to the ebb and flow of our sleep?

Not to discount the idea entirely, of course. Maybe the administrators can monitor such things.

[tadashiwashere]

It's a little early to rule anything out. The technology to monitor REM sleep and varying states of consciousness is definitely out there.

Voice; ID: max

[feralone]

What is that?

[He means the crunching sound but does not specify, sorry. He probably should have used the video function so he could at least have pointed to indicate the thing off-screen, but he was more comfortable using the device as if it were a radio instead of a tablet.]

Video; ID: technicalities

[tadashiwashere]

[Tadashi's eyebrow shoots up and he looks around briefly, confused.]

What?

...the injection?

[The crunching starts again and there's a moment of hesitation as Tadashi considers what he's being asked.]

Or that?

Voice; ID: max

[feralone]

That.

Video; ID: technicalities

[tadashiwashere]

That would be Mochi.

[ Tadashi tilts the tablet camera to reveal the overweight cat snacking on a handful of cat food.]

voice only ID is LELRIC

[armoured]

[Al has been throwing himself into talking to others all morning, trying to gather information and slot the pieces of the puzzle into place. He's not getting very far, but it's helping to keep him focused and stop him panicking over what could possibly manage to successfully inject him with anything.

He's about to question Tadashi about the injection and his reactions, but something else catches his attention first. The voice that responds is pre-pubescent and surprised.]

Your second day? That means we didn't all get here at the same time... you're the first person I've spoken to who didn't wake up three days ago like me.

voice; ID: Technicalities

[tadashiwashere]

[That actually surprises Tadashi, too, and he flips over to the other network posts for a moment, scanning through to confirm before he sends a voice reply to the user: LELRIC.]

Wait -- okay. This might give us all a shot at getting out. If they're still bringing people in, then there's going to be some form of transportation. They might be moving at night while we're locked in. Have you seen or heard anything -- motors, voices, anything like that?

[He's smart enough to know not to try to travel at night in low temperatures, but there has to be a way to try to catch the kidnappers in action.]

[armoured]

No, I haven't heard anything, but that's not surprising. We all seem to be in completely different locations, even if we're connected by these, uh, telephone things... maybe there is no central transportation? Maybe we're all brought individually to our 'own' houses?

[He's fired up with interest now, determined to start looking into it.]

Have you spoken to anyone else who only got here today?

[tadashiwashere]

They have to have some sort of transportation to bring us here... If we could just find tire tracks, it would be a good start.

I did hear from someone who woke up this morning. It would be nice if we could get some solid numbers.

[Or actually find one another in all the snow and emptiness. Tadashi sighs heavily. This is going to take a lot of work.]

I'm starting to wonder how big this town... or whatever it is... is. I'm starting a map, but it's still impossible to share location information until we all have common reference points.

id clem; text + voice.

[neverbitten]

no, didn't see any faces

[Clementine begins typing out the rest, but is coming to realise that it'd be way easier and less time consuming if she just explained it here.]

We had the dresser pushed against the bedroom door, in case of intruders. But whoever injected us got in and out without moving it. I'm still trying to work out how they did that...

Video; ID: technicalities

[tadashiwashere]

[Tadashi blinks when the message switches to voice, and he's a little surprised by how young the girl on the other end sounds. The LELRIC user he spoke with earlier also seemed young. It makes him more determined to find a way to help where he can.]

If you're absolutely sure they didn't move it, then there must be another way into the room. A trap door... maybe a panel.

[He runs a hand over his face as he tries to think of something helpful to suggest before he speaks into the tablet again.]

It would make sense if they're using tunnels to move unseen. As much sense as any of this can make, at least -- were you staying on a ground floor last night?

text

[neverbitten]

yeah we were

[Clementine finds this theory doubtful, but how else could someone have got in? A part of her thinks of George, the only other person in the room with her last night, but he has the same very convincing marks on him. And since it also seemed to happen to everyone else...]

maybe. I checked and haven't found any trap door but I guess it could be hidden.

there is a window, but it wouldn't open.

[Text]

[tadashiwashere]

Huh. No visible mechanisms that would make the window latches release when triggered, I'm assuming?

I'll watch for anything unusual in the places I stay at. There has to be some answer for how they're getting in unseen...

video. ID: aldraper

[ployboy]

[Heck-

sure, he'll bite. Tim only took a minute to huddle back into a corner of the building he'd woken in- finding a very bland and untelling wall and reclining against it. He's pulled back his cowl- his cheeks still flushed a slight bit red from a brief expedition into the outside world. Another second's wasted before turning on the feed where Tim purposefully dishevels his helmet-hair-- and then Tadashi's got a blue eyed older teen peering earnestly at the camera. The camera itself only shoots above the boy's shoulders. He's wearing some high collared tight black shirt, and is very obviously lacking the fatigue Tadashi radiates.

Well. Time to dive right in, Timbo. He hikes a brow.] Can I add "myself" to the things displaced? I just woke up in this winter wonderland earlier today, like a few hours ago. Uh. You were going to say something near the end. I think I somehow pressed Mute. What was it?

Video; ID: technicalities

[tadashiwashere]

A few hours ago? Huh.

[People are still coming in, then. Right under their noses while everyone scrambles to get their bearings and shove through the snow to find something -- anything that might give them a clue as to how they got here and how to get home. Tadashi is out in the snow himself at this point, trying to juggle the backpack, his heavy messenger bag (loaded down with about fifteen pounds of cat), and hold up his tablet at the same time. He lifts an eyebrow at the last question, but then realization dawns.]

No, it was just something I decided not to say. You didn't hit mute.

[Awkwardly, he rubs the side of his face, trying to get some warmth back into it.]

Obviously whoever kidnapped us left these tablets. They're in no way secure.

[A pause as he offers an apologetic smile, then:

I didn't get your name. How is everything where you are? Food, water? Are you hurt in any way?

[ployboy]

[Tadashi gets a nod, short and small like from someone who's used to just saying 'yes' instead. Tim could just leave it at that- he isn't supposed to know so much- but there had to be something he could do to distract from how curious he is about whatever might be slung over Tadashi's shoulders. That 'something', obviously, is to keep chatting.] Right. That's weird on its own but when I had to log in to the network- I didn't really have a choice- I saw some things were already archived. So I know people have been here for like, three days. That's the longest I've seen. Whoever got us here is intent on keeping it secret, don'tcha think?

[A wrinkle of his nose at his own thought, and then Tim huffs- something light and airy that would condense outside. Some sympathy for seeing the guy in the conditions Tim only barely made it in from.] Sorry. My tablet's kinda sensitive. Maybe I'll even end up figuring out how to work a private network by how much I mess with the settings. But it's weird, right? [He really should stop with the right, right?] Why even let us have tablets in the first place? Hoping I don't jinx it, keeping us without a means of communication would ultimately benefit the kidnappers.

[So. Tadashi Hamada. Good guy.] My bad- my name's Alvin. Alvin Draper. I found some food when I woke up- a coat, too. I'm fine. Am I talking too much? You must be freezing and I really don't want to just start rambling.

[tadashiwashere]

Don't worry about it, Alvin. I think I can see some sort of shelter up ahead -- I'm going to stop in there for a while.

[He pulls his own coat tighter, but it's not doing much against the temperatures he's still not accustomed to. Truth be told, he's reluctant to end the video call. While he feels paranoid about everyone here, the silence and loneliness are even worse. And despite his concerns about them and about how safe the tablets are for communicating, he knows teamwork has to be the answer in this situation.

His eyes widen when he sees the building in detail and his expression is immediately one of disappointment. He squares his jaw, though, pushing on as he answers "Alvin" again.]

Yeah, a few others got here a day before I did. There's not a good way to count how many are here, though. There's no way to tell how many aren't using the tablets -- and I can't really blame them.

[As for why they'd been allowed the tablets at all, Tadashi shrugs the shoulder not weighed down by his satchel.]

I've been wondering the same thing about why they left us a means to communicate. [He won't say it out loud, but as soon as he finds some tools, he plans to take the tablet apart and attempt to get a message out to the police and to his family.] Best I can come up with is social experiment? Or maybe it's a way they're tracking us and they needed us to have an incentive to not abandon it?