@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

@goro.akechi

[impede]

What if they didn't use a Caesar's cipher for a reason?

@vee.blake

[verselet]

An easy cipher so that we may all read it, you mean.

[ex_dictator317]

Could be.
But it's just as likely to be symbolic.

Caesar's cipher was used to coordinate with his generals. Whoever DAWN is, they don't see themselves as the Casear of this world.

@loki.odinson

[selfimage]

Then who's the alternative?

[ex_dictator317]

Maybe they think of themselves as the Senate.
Power was taken from them, and now they want it back at whatever cost.

[selfimage]

Perhaps, but it's not as if we're missing the meaning, but the complete context.
Without that, we're left guessing.

[ex_dictator317]

Guessing is all we have right now — unless you have any better ideas.
People are working on trying to get into contact, but getting into contact doesn't mean they'll just hand us the answer to their riddle.

[selfimage]

Lucky for us, if we get into contact, the riddle will be the least of our concerns.

[verselet]

Perhaps, but then the question is this — why a cipher at all? If it’s a simple thing, meant to be unraveled with no symbolism behind it, we may be dealing with red herring.

[ex_dictator317]

It's not impossible.
The people here treat AI like they're the bogeyman.
If they were going to mask themselves as anyone, they'd choose what these people see as their biggest threat.
Easier to sow chaos and fear that way.

[verselet]

If that is strictly their only goal, then yes.

But it’s a message to us directly. The farce of an AI is a strange one in that sense. I simply feel that there is more to this than we’re truly discussing.

The mention of north, for example. Are we to head somewhere?

[ex_dictator317]

I never did have the patience for riddles.

North could mean North America.
There was a message sent to me earlier. Something meant for Gill-Jade's eyes, not mine.

[ message.txt ]

Shot down by "unidentified assailants."
How much do you want to bet those assailants have something to do with DAWN?

[revlon]

[ She feels — breathless, for lack of a better word. This revelation sends her reeling a little because it was only a month ago that she was grappling with the grief of knowing her war hadn't done any good for the generations after her own. That the losses only mounted to an astronomical scale.

And now this? ]

As far as anyone knows, the North American continent was destroyed in the mid-21st Century — it was deemed a "necessary sacrifice" to bring about the end of World War Three.

There shouldn't be anything out there. If that report is legitimate, then it completely contradicts every historical account available in this reality.

[ And if Gill-Jade and the UN are corresponding about it, what other documents exist regarding these recon missions out into the wasteland? Can she access them through her own work? Bloody hell. ]

[verselet]

[Hm, well. Basically: yikes.]

Secrets care very little for historical accounts. Especially the well-kept ones.

This may also be something of a new development; there's no date to speak of. And if we're flirting with the idea of AI life existing in this world, hiding out in a place where no one can feasibly survive nor visit seems like the best course of action.

If "north" truly refers to this, then we have a lead -- one difficult to chase, but there all the same.

[revlon]

You're saying it's possible the unidentified assailants aren't human?

[ex_dictator317]

People like to hide the truth.

It looks legitimate enough to me. The question is what we're going to do about it.

[revlon]

I'm all too familiar. Especially when it comes to history being narrated by the victors until it's the only truth we know.

[ As it so often is. ]

We can try to look into it. UNA information is extremely privileged, but if we can get our hands on further correspondence on Gill-Jade's end, we may have something. I have it on good authority that she's barely in her office these days.

[impede]

Farce or not, we are the ones who would be less frightened by the aspect of an AI. Perhaps even more believing that they could still exist. We have no way of knowing how impossible that is, or how possible it is.

[verselet]

I've heard mention of AI being of our number. Strange to use their claim as an AI themselves as a way to instill fear, if they know this to be true.

At any rate, I think the focus should be more on what this message is trying to say, rather than who it comes from. The latter can be tackled when the former is solved.

[impede]

That's assuming they know.

I can tell you that the tone of this doesn't match the notes I was left with when I was first dropped off. It's far more dire.

[impede]

The "solution" is phrased as a question. I'd be willing to guess that that's where the answer lies.

[verselet]

Then we delve into the realm of Shakespeare, as seems to be the popular opinion according to this post. If there are bigger implications behind the name Mark Antony in this world, then we've yet to do the proper research to explain how.

As far as I'm aware, at least.

[He's still new, maybe someone's already got an idea?]

[impede]

Leave it to an AI to drop a game on us when we're least able to contextualize it.

As it is, I'm still very new, but the name doesn't ring any bells.

Unless it's commentary on us in some way. Speaking of absolute power.

[verselet]

Symbolism is often the mainstay of literature, poetry, plays, and everything in-between. I would say that's correct. So... Who offered him the crown, and thus who offered him a symbol of absolute power? Who offered us the same?

[Ironic. V doesn't feel much more powerful at all, being in this place. He has been absolutely drained of it.]

Who gave us the glow in our chests, perhaps?

[impede]

But why draw a line between the two sections? We know that the first part has to do with us. But why the second one? Typically someone laying down a game has a reason for it.