[network] video; @standardissue; But are they really gone? [open] [Day58]

[deus_ex_phs]

[When the video comes on, it's focused on a black SD card dusted with white marks like stars sitting in someone's gloved hand. The video feed is accompanied by Kunsel's voice, though the camera never once turns towards his face.]

We found this a couple days ago. I left a note behind in the place where I found it, hoping to contact whoever left it there, but it's looking more like they moved on to somewhere else. If they're still here.

[It would make sense if they're on the move, trying to avoid being found.]

We've already transferred the contents to the public data app, but I'll copy it out here, too. Considering the messages that are showing up, this may be relevant. I think someone from a previous group is still here, and they might be responsible for both.

[He switches briefly to text.]

I am still here
I do not know what day it is
I am hiding
but I do not know for how long it will last
I cannot speak to @ADMIN but I will keep trying

[And now to audio.]

The thing I have to wonder is, who are they hiding from if it's not the Admin? I've suspected before that there's a third party involved, but that's more based on connecting dots than concrete confirmation.

Comments

@dissect | text

[circumsutus]

Could they be hiding from us?

[He doubts they actually exist, but if they do, and they're trying to contact the Admin...]

text

[deus_ex_phs]

[That's an... interesting username choice. Kunsel stares at it for a moment, then decides not to look too deeply into what it means.]

Possible, but I'd be more inclined to suspect something that's already proven to be a threat. The monsters, or whoever is behind the anomalies and interference the Admin's reported, seem more likely.

text

[circumsutus]

It's most likely that the admin and the entity behind the abnormalities are one and the same.

[deus_ex_phs]

Do we stand to lose anything by assuming they might not be?

[circumsutus]

Who knows. The admin could be telling the truth, or it might just have told us what it wanted us to hear.

[deus_ex_phs]

With how little we know, we could easily both be wrong. Either way, we need more information. About the admin, about the anomalies, about the last residents, about the unknown third party - at this point, I'd take anything.

private text; @blacksuit

[luckystarlimit]

Hmm. You know, this makes some of the things I've heard lately make a lot more sense. Like how "guardian" seems to think the admin is on our side.

[It's specific, but it's not why this is private. She knows it's really none of her business but she's worried after seeing the obituaries.]

How is he? And how are you, I guess, since you must have worked with him too.

private - text

[deus_ex_phs]

I'm not convinced the admin is either for or against us at all. I think @guardian is drawing her conclusions about motives that aren't necessarily there based on what she wants to see.

[He pauses then. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what Cissnei's referring to. Now he's just as glad they're both using text, both for the privacy and so he doesn't have to voice how he feels.]

He's

not taking it well.

I'm fine, but I've only known him for the few weeks he's been here.

private - text

[luckystarlimit]

That thought has crossed my mind. But it had to have been drawn from something, even if only a truth that can be twisted into whatever someone wants to be.

[And, well, she's not surprised by that at all. Not with what she knows.]

I thought he wouldn't. But...at least you know, now?

[She doesn't say it to be cruel; quite the opposite. She knows only too well that the waiting and wondering is far worse than an answer that allows someone to grieve and move on.]

private - text

[deus_ex_phs]

True. But I'm still going to reserve judgment until I have something more concrete to work with.

Same for the situation with Cloud. This wouldn't be the first time someone I knew was reported dead when they really weren't. We're going to look for him, at least for a day or two.

[If he hasn't turned up by then, then chances are they're not going to find him until whoever took him decides to let him go.

But what this means is...]

We'll be late meeting up with you.

private - text

[luckystarlimit]

If that's what you need to do. Not like we haven't both been there.

[Shinra always has been trigger-happy in giving up the KIA announcements before there's any proof of someone being dead. She can't blame Kunsel and the others for wanting their own verification.]

private - text

[deus_ex_phs]

[Kunsel hesitates briefly, because he knows Cloud hadn't responded well to the news of Sephiroth's presence at all, but...

But if he's in trouble, they don't have the luxury of letting him be picky about who he gets help from.]

Would you keep an eye out for him, too? I can give a description, if you need it.

Text, @Griever

[canyouhandlethismany]

It sounds like the previous residents actually trusted @admin. Or at least this one.

The question is: if they are hiding how are they not suffering of any side effect and why aren't they compelled to leave their building somehow? And how are they surviving without getting supplies?

text

[deus_ex_phs]

Who's to say they aren't being compelled to leave, just as we are? And there's no evidence that they aren't being affected by the same things hitting us. We just might not see them.

If they've been here longer, they may know this place better than us, too. Including other places to resupply.

voice; @haurchefant

[silverfuller]

When I spoke with the Administrator I had no sense of ill intent. There were secrets, however...

voice

[deus_ex_phs]

If the admin is only a computer program, it wouldn't necessarily have any intent, ill or otherwise. It might only be following its program directives.

voice

[silverfuller]

But she has an intellect! We conversed, she and I.

She seems to be following orders as best she can whilst still helping us.

[He's learned what he knows about AIs from Angel.]

[deus_ex_phs]

Intelligence isn't the question. Any computer program can achieve that, to varying degrees. I'm questioning its ability to care one way or the other what happens to any of us.

[silverfuller]

Why wouldn't she?

[deus_ex_phs]

[There's a pause on Kunsel's end. What kind of question is that? Anyone who knows computers would know...

Wait.]

...do you even know what a computer program is?

@LELRIC; voice

[armoured]

[It's good to hear from Kunsel again after that night when Zack and he had argued, though the information given isn't quite so good.]

You really think there's someone from here still hiding in the town somewhere?

@standardissue; voice

[deus_ex_phs]

[It has been a while since they talked, but considering the note that Al left on, Kunsel had thought it best to give the boy some space. He's glad to hear from him now, though.]

I think it's entirely possible. Other than not hearing from them directly, do we have any evidence that everyone from before us died?

[armoured]

I guess you're right, it just seems like we should have found some more evidence of them while we've been moving around. There are a lot of us now spread all over the town, I'm not sure many buildings even remain empty at night for someone to hide from us in.

[deus_ex_phs]

There are buildings we haven't been able to access entirely, though. And the other night, everyone in my group could hear someone mumbling in the house we were in, though we couldn't ever pinpoint where the voice was coming from.

[armoured]

I know this might sound crazy, but... are you sure there was actually someone there?

[It's not that he thinks Kunsel is lying, just that hearing things is sort of par for the course in this place now.]