[network] @guardian; day 57; [open]

[phaseshifter]

Good morning. Last night, I managed to break open a deactivated tablet.

[ Angel sounds less triumphant about this than you might expect. She's a little subdued, if anything. ]

They seem to be reinforced with the same material as the doors and windows are, so I had to get it trapped in a doorway at lockdown to finally break through it. I - hm. I suppose that means the tablets can be thrown at anomalies if you get desperate? I'm not sure how much time it would buy you, but. There's that. Anyway, inside - there was a battery. Pretty ordinary, no weird alternative power source. And there was a whoooole bunch of computer chips. See attachment number one.

[ Attachment #1 is just a picture linked after the recording ends - chips.jpg - nothing too interesting at all. ]

Rhys got a text from the administrator account after that, saying that the chips would be collected for recycling? And - and, um, we kinda wanted to get a better look first, so we kinda. Took a few anyway. Tried to hide them in our pockets and, uh, our stomachs. It didn't work - we got paralysed pretty much straight away, and when we could move again all of the chips were gone. All of them. Attachment number two contains images of post-surgical scarring, so... don't look at that one if you're squeamish.

[ Attachment #2 isn't actually as gross as that might imply. It's just a picture of Angel's midriff - pale, half-covered in swirly glowy tattoos, and sporting a fresh livid scar just above her stomach. AWESOME. ]

I checked again this morning, and the wound has already faded. With that and the lack of any tracking device visible in the remains of the tablet, I'm... maybe ninety percent convinced that we're being tracked via neural implants and not through the tablets. And that we are definitely being monitored constantly, not just over the network. I mean - the recording of me turning on my beacon proved that it was likely, but the instant response as soon as I managed to break the tablet casing kind of cements that. Don't you think?

Um, anyway. I know that's not the coolest thing to hear, but. I thought people should know. Sorry.

[ And with that, she ends the recording. ]

Comments

@hjack69; voice

[youarethebandits]

[Okay, Jack is feeling all kinds of buttmad over this. At the admin for daring to touch his little girl and for pulling this kind of shit, and at Angel for endangering herself like that. So much buttmad.

He does his best to rein it in, though. He needs to play his cards right in order to make sure this doesn't happen again.]

Are you okay?

video;

[phaseshifter]

[ Ah. Figures her dad would be the first to jump on this.

But at least he isn't flipping out, right? GOD IT'S LOVELY HAVING SUCH A REASONABLE FATHER. ]

Yes! I'm completely fine. Like I said, I'm already healed up. And it - when we were paralysed we couldn't feel anything, so it isn't like it hurt, either.

And just so you know, Rhys didn't know what I was going to do until I did it.

voice;

[youarethebandits]

Doesn't make it okay.

[Is he talking about her doing it or the invasive surgery? Who knows!]

Are you back with the group yet?

text, @totheark

[0thingsonmymind]

neural
im pla nts
?

video;

[phaseshifter]

Yes! Like - hm. Okay, you know how I talked about the ports in mine and Rhys' heads before? Kind of like that, but just inside your skull. Not outside of it. In this case, it would be a basic tracking chip sending out pings to some kind of receiver? Presumably drawing power from our brains so that as soon as we die, the signal stops coming and the admin knows that they need to retrieve our bodies.

@zd; voice

[swatsflies]

Whoa! No. That is pretty cool. You both did great!

[Even if the chips are gone, they got pictures of it! And confirmed no spiders inside of the thing. That's pretty awesome in Zell's book!]

Are you both okay?

video;

[phaseshifter]

Of course we're okay! The admin doesn't want to hurt us, or - well. She'd have been able to punish us for trying to steal the chips pretty easily. Aside from being a little creeped out, we're both doing perfectly well!

voice; @blacksuit

[luckystarlimit]

Hmm. Sounds like they're pretty protective of their technology, too. And that they think it's something someone here could do something with, otherwise why go to those lengths to make sure they didn't leave any behind.

[She doesn't like the idea of being tracked but she's ignoring that in favour of...well. Not more cheerful things. Less immediately disturbing, perhaps.]

Though I'm not sure I'd recommend throwing our tablets at anything unless we're sure we can get them back. This place can be lonely enough even with them.

video;

[phaseshifter]

Weee-eellll, I don't mean to brag, but Rhys and I could almost certainly have done something with those materials. Maybe. So I suppose it makes sense that the admin would be very... thorough in their retrieval if you're right! Though there are other, um, possibilities.

And I lost my tablet a while ago and found a new one the very next day! So I wouldn't hesitate to lose another one if it kept me from being eaten.

video; @lockhart

[powersouls]

[That is... absolutely terrifying. Tifa is unconsciously touching her temple, as if feeling for a scar, and she has a billion questions. But first thing's first. Her voice is soft and a little anxious.]

How are you two doing?

video;

[phaseshifter]

Hi again! We're fine, don't worry. Completely healed, no lasting ill effects. I think Rhys is still a little shaken up -

[ Read: Rhys has been freaking the fuck out, because he is Rhys ]

- but there isn't even a mark any more. And it isn't like we felt it happening or anything!

@Spoiler ; video

[spoileralert]

That kinda figures, that we're being watched. That's why I don't see the point of all the secrecy on the network. They can probably hear everything we say anyway, right?

video;

[phaseshifter]

Yeah, at this point I'd be more surprised if they couldn't constantly hear us.

I suppose the real question now is, um, how advanced is the bug in our heads. Assuming it exists. I mean - those things can be pretty hi-tech. Take Rhys' port: you can directly store memories and stuff on that, so...

[ So there's the potential for their thoughts to be spied on. Which is. Just lovely. Angel is used to being monitored constantly, but her thoughts have always been hers alone. ]

video; @haurchefant

[silverfuller]

[He thinks he understood most of that but-]

...Neural implants?

[phaseshifter]

Um, yes, sorry, I should really have anticipated-- okay, imagine a tiny, tiny tablet that has been placed inside your head. Except it can't access the network, its only function is to let our captors know where we are. Like a signal flare that only they can see!

audio; @standardissue

[deus_ex_phs]

I'm not sure whether to be impressed or disturbed by the lengths you went to to get those chips. It's just too bad they didn't let you keep any.

Out of curiosity, was there any damage to the door?

video;

[phaseshifter]

I'd say both. I'm pretty stubborn once my mind's set on something!

But, um, no. Not that I saw. And it sealed up safely for the night. Honestly, I was a little worried that the door would break instead of the tablet? It was a huge relief.

@CaptSteveRogers; text

[starsandtights]

[Text because Steve's throat hurts from coughing.]

Christ. You both all right?

That's... interesting, if disturbing. Risky move, glad nothing worse happened. Thanks for the info.

video;

[phaseshifter]

Yes, we're fine! Not even a scratch on us now. Rhys is a little freaked still, but he'll live.

And I knew the risks, um. Just for the record.

@CmdrShepard; video

[gtfoourgalaxy]

You mean they cut the chips out of you?

[Shepard sounds mildly appalled and looks mildly furious. Here she was thinking the best of the admin. That'll damn well teach her.]

What the hell have they got to hide that's that valuable?

[She's not expecting an answer as such, and just fumes about it in silence for a little while.]

At least tell me they used an anaesthetic, not just paralysed you and left you to feel it.

video;

[phaseshifter]

Oh - yes, they absolutely anaesthetised us first! We didn't feel or see anything at all. I was just telling someone else - it was done as kindly as possible, especially since we disobeyed a direct order.

Not that I'm saying being cut open isn't gross, but - you know. It could have been way worse.

@quark | video

[averytinyparticle]

Whoa! You thought to break open a tablet by putting it in the doorway? That's amazing! I never would've thought of anything like that. You're super smart!

[But then, there's the rest of the message. It's way less cool. The scar looks painful, but doesn't make him do much more than wince.]

I'm sorry that happened, it looks like it could've been really scary. I'm glad that it got better so quickly, though.

[And the idea that they're being recorded, well, it just sounds kind of like the game he was stuck in before he woke up here. Which makes him think.]

Do you think if they're watching us so much, this could be some sort of experiment? I never really thought about why we all got put here. And I remember the admin saying something about how we were all residents to somebody, but maybe they're watching us because what we choose to do is important to them somehow?

[That feels better than just being treated like the china in a shop where a bull's rampaging. Not that it doesn't feel nice that the admin doesn't want them to hurt. It's just good to have some answers.]

video;

[phaseshifter]

Oh - well - I tried a bunch of other things before I shut it in the door. It wasn't like I got the answer right away! Thanks, though.

[ She grins widely. HECKS YEAH SHE'S SMART. Denying it would just be disingenuous!! ]

But, um, anyway - I think that's the most likely theory. There may still be an end goal to us being here, but this would suggest that our experiences during the process are every bit as important as the final results.

It would also explain why the admin isn't allowed to speak to us about a lot of things. She can't interfere with the test data; it would skew the results.

@Mnemosyne; text SORRY FOR BEING LATE TO YOUR PARTY ANGEL

[bookofnope]

My, someone really is determined to get under the Admin's skin. [Even without voice feed, it's safe to assume that this said in admiration.]

Perhaps asking her for access is not a viable strategy. Though there is proof again that whoever is in charge doesn't mean us excessive harm. Even if this was exceptionally daring - how did you get Rhys to play along?

[Look, Angel, no fussing.]

how DARE,

[phaseshifter]

Actually, considering what happened... I think the admin is technically getting under MY skin.
( •_•)
( •_•)>⌐■-■
(⌐■_■)
(That is me putting on sunglasses to celebrate the joke I just made!!)
I'm glad that you agree that this proves she doesn't want to hurt us, though, some people don't seem to see it that way o(╥﹏╥)o And Rhys wasn't supposed to be involved, but then he insisted on coming with me even though I tried to put him off. Then when I ate one of the chips he just kind of... joined in??
I honestly don't know if he was being brave or just caving to peer pressure >__>