[network] @jwatson; video [Morning 383] [open/semi-open] [shadownet]

[jumpthegun]

((OOC: The first and third parts of the message is OPEN. The second part is SEMI-CLOSED to anyone with access to the Shadownet - a text only app created by Winter. It works within the Bunker. Please see this post about Shadownet distribution.

John's death price is that he can't interact with anyone. He won't see/hear messages, so he won't be responding to anything.))

Part 1 - OTA
[John wakes with a start inside his body bag. There's a momentary sense of absolute panic as he claws his way out of it, and gets off the slab he's been lying on. It's a moment to get his bearings and realize that he's in the hospital morgue. That's... not as bad as it could be. And he's fairly certain all of his memories are intact. At least one of the most important ones. John goes for his tablet first.

It doesn't even occur to him that Mary's been silent since he woke up. He can occasionally see her standing off to one side, but other than that, he's focused on the present, not the past. John double-checks the network, but there don't appear to be any new posts. Good. That means he's probably woken up the morning after being killed. As far as inconvenience goes, that's a minor one.]

Everyone, this is Dr. John Watson. Please listen closely. Rhys is in severe danger. His last known location was Building 317 on Dr. House's map. Please, if you're anywhere near there, go and check on him. He was injured during a fight a few days ago and Mr. Beckett attempted to kill him last night. I tried to stop him, but was killed in the fight. I don't know if Beckett succeeded. If Rhys is dead, Beckett may be a danger to others, particularly Enoch. Please watch out for him and please someone check on Rhys and Enoch, physically, if you're able to do so.

[He sends that out and waits for replies. And waits. John gathers his things and leaves the morgue, heading upstairs. When there still isn't a reply, he decides that maybe everyone has... somehow headed to the bunker.

'Or there's something wrong with the network,' Mary suggests. It's the first time she's spoken since John had woken up, and he glances over at her with a furrowed brow before switching on the Shadownet.]

Part 2 (half an hour later) - Shadownet Access Only
Hello? Is anyone there? This is John. There's been a serious incident. Beckett attacked Rhys last night. I died while trying to defend him. Rhys may still be alive and Enoch may be in danger. Please, could someone respond?

[Another half hour goes by as John begins walking. And then another. It's two hours later before he switches over to the regular network again. Mary's close to him now, fingers laced with his free hand.]

Part 3 - OTA
Please, I don't know what's going on, but this is Dr. John Watson. I'm heading toward Residential Zone 3. If anyone can see this message, please respond. [He looks to the side as Mary speaks up, the woman only in his own mind.

'John, I don't know there's anyone there.'

But they have to be there. The whole bloody town can't disappear overnight.

'Why not?' Mary asks.

It's a simple question, but it's absolutely chilling.]

Sherlock? Please, answer me. Alfie? Royce? Bucky? England? Stephen? Tess? Kunsel?

Anyone?

Comments

[jumpthegun]

Here. Let me just...

[There are a few taps and then England is sent a copy of John's message:

'Jia, this is Dr. Watson, John. I don't know if you can still see this, but I'm trying to get access to the NIMA machine that you worked with so that we can service our medical nanomachines. The Admin won't let me, though. Is there any possible way you could provide me with a certificate of training for NIMA? Anything that would get us access?

Or even just materials on NIMA. An operations manual?']

[keepscalm]

Thank you.

[HMM.] I suppose I'll try asking them each for their specialised help. If they want to assist us, that does seem like the best way to get them to respond, even if it only comes through as interference.

[jumpthegun]

Doesn't Quark have that program named after Sparrow Langley? Or is that just... I guess it could be named for the bird, too.

[keepscalm]

I doubt it's a coincidence. [There are too few coincidences in this town to dismiss the relation.] Though I wonder what the relation is. I think Sparrow was too young to be developing her own applications.

[jumpthegun]

Was she, though? Have you seen the vids from the Columbarium? We might know Sparrow as a little girl, but she died an old woman, around the same age as Shelley.

[keepscalm]

Ah, right, I forgot she lived a while after our initial records of her.

[Though that does bring up another interesting point.] I wonder why we've encountered her so many times as a little girl, then. Back when she first appeared in Stephanie's body, and again when we all had those dreams. Was that just the last time her data was updated?

[jumpthegun]

[That's... a very troubling thought. Why are the only pieces of Sparrow left the ones where she was a little girl?]

Okay, this is gonna... this probably sounds mad. Stop me if it does. What if Sparrow Langley had two accounts? Like Shelley has that second one and she seems... I dunno, she seems more put-together. There was a different personality almost when she was responding with that one.

What if Sparrow had an account when she was a little girl up to a point, then changed accounts? Or what if- I mean, if she has that special program, what if her memories were specifically erased from the system back to the point where she wasn't 'dangerous'?

[keepscalm]

It's not any madder than Shelley having two accounts, or the entire existence of Winter and Andromeda. [At least in England's opinion.] If this were conventionally supernatural, I would just say that Sparrow's favourite self was when she was a little girl, but the technological aspect complicates things.

[Old man yells at cloud etc. His curmudgeonly complaints aside:] Her parents were involved in the protests against the town administration. It's not out of the question that she followed in their footsteps and became a threat to the system, as you say.

[jumpthegun]

[John is very okay with it not being supernatural, England. Thank you.]

Mm... I wonder if Riley Sung could've told us something about her. He died before Shelley and Sparrow, but if Sparrow was famous like Shelley, he might've known her. Especially as a journalist.

[keepscalm]

No harm in asking. [Unless it's one of those special Norfinbury triggers that makes Riley violent, but England sort of doubts that.] I'll put it in my message and perhaps we can get his real answer at a later date.

Really, if Sparrow did happen to be involved in the protests, it's a miracle she survived to old age. [Considering how poor Riley met his end...]

[jumpthegun]

Yeah. I've talked to Stephen and Flynn about doing another seance. Maybe that'll go somewhere. Particularly if we can't reach them any other way.

I just... if they are gone, a part of me is hoping it's permanent, y'know? No getting cycled back on after this ends. However it ends.