@abel.navigator

[adsero]

Hello everyone,

Unless I’ve missed something in the past hour or so, it seems like our network hasn’t been compromised by whatever has caused this massive security failure. I have at least five messages in my inbox that I’m certain aren’t for me, but everything seems clean here.

I think, as the group of people with the (apparently) only properly functioning network (and various talents, in a manner of speaking), we’re obligated to use it to organize ourselves and assist. The entire city is facing more problems as a result of this breach than I’ve ever seen before from one event. If you’re not particularly interested in helping those that could be trapped in cars or victims of accidents right now, consider that the external temperature has been rising. I don’t know about everyone else, but I’m personally certain that once it gets around 55C I’m going to start dying.

The network has apparently been used before to coordinate teams of Displaced, let everyone know what’s needed and who to meet with, and I suggest we do it again. I’ll keep an eye on this and provide hotlinks to pertinent discussions, so anyone with particular skills or interests can volunteer themselves.

Stay safe everyone. Don’t spend too much time in the heat without decent protection, you can only help so much if you pass out in the middle of it.

Comments

[retravel]

If you were one of the last of your kind, destroyed in a war sanitised to make the victors look just, would you describe yourself as a mere "blemish," invoking the pre-existing fear of artificial intelligence, only to issues a specific challenge to powerful individuals — with a cryptic question and riddle ⁠— that's seemingly unrelated to the history of AI?

And would you use the weapon that resulted in the mass destruction of your fellows just for the dramatic irony? It's a high-risk move. The AI themselves would have to somewhere safe to use it. Out of range or within a Faraday cage. Not impossible, to be sure, but not too compelling, either.

It strikes me as someone capitalising on humanity's piss poor decision-making, especially when their use of EMPs caused significant collateral damage to any human communities within the dropzones.

@markus.manfred

[saviorexe]

The point doesn’t solely have to be “revenge”, though it’s the easiest assumption to make. It might be an underpinning beneath a larger goal, which does seem to be getting the attention of the Displaced. To light a fire beneath us, for some reason benefiting them.

That being said, yes. I think dramatic irony and high-risk actions are not out of the realm of possibility, especially if you feel like you haven’t much else to lose.

[Like most of your kind being destroyed and dead.]

[retravel]

I wouldn't say the motive has to be revenge, but why invoke the AI concept and then diverge so quickly? Just for the added attention?

[ he's curious mr robot ]

[saviorexe]

If I had to guess, I would say for the potential of making us, specifically, aware of their existence. A means to an end, even if we can’t see what that is yet.

Think about your question in reverse. Why even reference AI in the first place if it’s a tangential addition at best? To invoke fear of something that’s long believed to be extinct? To what end?

The mention is too purposeful to me. But I’ll concede that it’s also too early to say.

[retravel]

Purposeful, definitely, and it sets the tone of the message to begin with that fact and the remark about humanity's questionable work in this world. Could be they want us to identify with them, as fellow outsiders.

[ fitz will be on the #fauxbot #conspiracy train until cool, metallic hands close around his throat probs but like he Hears You Markus ]

What's your read on the riddle?

[ artist boy markus is good at this right... he reads... ]

[saviorexe]

[Is this really the hill you want to potentially die on, Fitz?

Also if you’re asking Markus be nerdy, then yes.]

According to what’s been solved, I’d say it reminds me of Shakespeare. “Who offered him the crown”, a reference to Mark Antony and Julius Caesar; and his thrice refusal of said crown.

If you’re asking what that means in relation to the Displaced or what’s happening to the city, that’s... nebulous. Probably up for interpretation.

@clarke.griffin

[strove]

I'm sorry. Can you explain why you think they diverged?

And let's just say that I knew an AI who liked to use tamer terminology like that.

[Clarke absolutely believes that an AI would do this if they had something to gain in the long term from it.]

[retravel]

I'm not saying an AI couldn't or wouldn't use this terminology, I'm asking why they would.

[ are they part of yet another mysterious group? are their causes interlinked? in the field, he and jemma were always asked to profile their opponents and suspects. ]

As an opener, chucking a "I'm the AI you thought humanity destroyed" at the start of a message is a hell of an attention-getter, sending the locals into a frenzy and quickly drawing our focus, especially if the sender knows there are AI among our people. Could have diverged because the line acts as a smokescreen for the rest of the reply, which likely — and know that I hate admitting this — seems meant for us, not the locals at large.

[ THIS is the bad place ]

[strove]

Do you think the entire message is meant for us? I agree on the part that isn't in code, but do you think that the separation might be for another reason? And I doubt that reason is encouraging newcomers to read up on Shakespeare.

For once, I agree that most of it's meant for us. Even the bit about the blemish sounds as if it's acknowledging how we'd see it. The birds. The talk of birds is concerning for a lot of reasons. I've seen some people suggest that it's literal. That we're meant to go somewhere. But what if going due north means that we're on the right track in some way?

And if so, how would this DAWN know that?

[revlon]

[ She's keeping a curious eye on the chat with Markus because they have a better working knowledge of the nuance that comes with AI debate. ]

I agree; every aspect of this message from the ID, word choice, date, and assault have been carefully chosen to carry some manner of significance or double-meaning. The fact it seems addressed to us specifically stood out to me as well.

You know I don't ascribe to the belief that everything has to do with the Displaced, either. But I have to admit it read to me as someone (or several someones) daring us to show ourselves. We still have no information as to why we're here or were given abilities, but sometimes I can't shake the theory that these events could be tests — and New Amsterdam is the playing field. Why would the AI care if our arrival is well after their time? Why now?

@jon.snow

[998]

It could be a reference to Morningstar, using the name of the Dawn AI. Or having them be the ones sending the message.

It sounds to me like they want us to go north, following the stars.

[revlon]

But even if we could see them, the stars and a compass would both point to the same north. The message seems to indicate it isn't north as we believe or perceive it to be.

[998]

Then it sounds like what we need to know is what leads you one way when you follow it with your own eyes, and another when you find it with your implant?

[eyes or magnetic bird senses]

[retravel]

Even DAWN is evocative of imagery relevant to Morningstar and Elysian (the AI whose rogue actions are said to have triggered the war, if you're playing along at home) both. They got the style memo, it seems.

To play devil's (or Markus' :) advocate, perhaps they believe we're crucial to a paradigm shift that could work to the benefit of the remnants of their people or the cause they've seemingly joined (that seems overtly interested in us). Our profile has elevated in the wake of the dreams and a series of indiscretions as well.

[revlon]

It makes sense. We were deployed to assist New Tokyo because rumours had spread through other Morningstar chapters about what we're capable of. No specifics, as far as I'm aware, but our reputation has certainly preceded us in many cases.

Especially if you think about the group who believes we're a sign of the divine.

[ Or whatever. She'd encountered a follower or two at the market who'd recognised her from murals or a video and she had no bloody idea what they were on about until they'd explained further. She's a spy, for God's sake. This is the opposite of discretion. ]

So we're back to where we started all those months ago. Are we a symptom or a solution?

[retravel]

And if we're a solution, are we one designed by a group or found by one? Perhaps we're different things to different people.

But we're something to this DAWN, and they have the means to reach us, apparently.

If this were a SHIELD case, we'd already have a list of suspects, so I'll put it out there: The third party who drops us off (who may be the engineers of us as a "project," in the first place), the cultists who worship us, the Insomniac Ball host, the Insomniac Ball artist who dabbles in shrinework with the cults, some combination thereof, or another group entirely.

There are a surprising amount of power, connections, skills and credits to go around between those lots, but I reckon we've got added clues in the message itself.

[ god, he's tired ]

[revlon]

[ She has a headache. ]

The cultists may be tied to the Ball, if only for the similarities in their artwork and symbology, but I'm no expert. Do you suppose the third party could be working with, if not masquerading as DAWN? I may have found a link between the two, although I'm aware it's tenuous. Our mysterious kidnappers like to remain discreet and this is the very opposite of discretion.

[retravel]

We don't believe in coincidences, do we.
The third party do tend to be less flashy than their counterparts, but it's not outwith their MO. If we're not doing what they intended — or if we are, and they're pleased their subjects have become self-aware — they have reason to escalate their contact levels and efforts.

I like the look of the link. DAWN, larks, little birds.
So we just need to open our damn eyes.

[ he said bitterly with a bitter expression ]

@jon.snow

[998]

I don't know what the old AI were like or what they wanted, but this person wants us to use our eyes for navigation instead of tools like a compass. Why would an artificial intelligence care about something like that? It seems to me they'd want us to think made things were just as good as what we're born with.

Perhaps whoever sent this hates machines, and wants us to hate them too.

[retravel]

I agree that there's an interplay here between the reputation of AI and the rest of the message.

It's certainly a highly figurative approach, but the AI of the time would have been advanced enough to wield metaphor and codes capably. Can't rule out that they'd make an elementary cipher just for the dramatics, either. And you're quite right, Jon, we're being addressed and asked to act, so it's safe to say this isn't strictly about the AI cause.

Given the firepower of this technological shutdown, I have to wonder if they're working in tandem with other forces or on behalf of a group.

So perhaps we stop asking why and start asking who?

[998]

[fitz....what. google's down buddy]

I know they'd have to think like humans to last any time in a war against them.

I'm just saying what they said seems to go against their own interests. It sounds like something someone who'd want us to hate them would say.

Plus, like you said, nobody calls themselves a blemish in earnest.

It could be connected to the new faith Rey was talking about. People on this world have fought wars over faith and gods more times than I can count. Even on my world the Faith Militant fought Maegor the Cruel his entire reign. And before that, in the Dawn Age.

But on El's post they said Dawn was on a space ship sent on a one-way journey outwards. It could have navigated itself home by following the Earth as the ancient people followed the North Star, and now it wants us to learn. That one I don't see the why of, though.

[crisised]

i think you underestimate what someone who is the last of their kind would do
i'm not saying i'm 100% convinced DAWN is an ai, but...

[retravel]

It's not that I think they'd do less if they were the last.
I'd think they would do more.

[ not @ dawn but his robot gf was way more hardcore ]

[crisised]

this could just be the start

[retravel]

Could be.
Suppose we'll find out, one way or another.