@rey.solo

[forcevisions]

i made a mistake


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ETA
Riverstone is interested in cooperating with the Displaced to learn more about the people who brought us here. They figured out who I was when I put in the paperwork to change my name back. Apparently, I'm still on the UN's most wanted list, but someone prevented the UN from acting to bring me into custody. 

I don't know who, and neither does Riverstone — in fact, they asked me about it.

But they know that I'm one of the Displaced, which actually explains a few things. I've been working for Riverstone for months. After I went to Everest, I was gone a bit longer than the rest of us, well beyond El's coverage. They gave me back my job anyway. I don't think this was news to them. If you ask me, that's a sign they're not out to get us, but I realize not everyone will agree there.

Now they want to talk to all of us, or as many of us as are interested. Riverstone is offering to pay travel expenses in New Beijing for one week for anyone who wants to undergo observation and testing of their power, and who's willing to answer some questions. I know that sounds scary. I know scary. The UNA had me in custody for some time, running "tests." But Riverstone claims that what they're offering is different, that we'll preview everything first.

Before you decide, I should mention ... they think they might know something about who's been dropping us off. In return for our cooperation, they're willing to exchange that information. 

I'm not telling anyone what to do, and no one else should try to do that either. But if follow (this) link, you can register your information with the Riverstone employees in charge of this, and they'll reach out to you to arrange the trip.

Comments

[voicelog]

i'm not
however i look at it, this isn't a fair trade off
they want us to expose our identities and let them experiment on us
but what are we getting in exchange exactly?
the possibility that they MIGHT have answers? that's not good enough

[forcevisions]

They seem quite confident that we'll fill in the gaps they need.

[voicelog]

sure
but where's the evidence to back up their claims?
are we supposed to just blindly trust that they're not lying through their teeth in order to get what they want from us?

[forcevisions]

They claim they won't run any tests we don't agree to, won't do anything to hurt us.

So we're not losing anything either.

[voicelog]

that's just one more claim
you can't guarantee that they won't do more than what they've promised you

[...]

that's an unbelievably naive thing to say
do you think they'd be asking us to do this if they weren't gaining something from it?
we would be giving them data on us, on our biology, on what we can do
that kind of information can be extremely dangerous in the wrong hands

[forcevisions]

If they've been watching us, they already know plenty of it from street footage.

[voicelog]

analyzing street footage can't even come close to what they can achieve by having actual test subjects

i'm pretty sure the only gaps we will be filling for them are the ones they have on us

[forcevisions]

If there's a chance they can tell us more about where we came from, are we really going to pass it up?

[voicelog]

when it comes to this? yes
it isn't worth the risk and it shouldn't be something decided upon by a few
you don't know what they're going to do with the data they collect
you don't even know what data they're going to collect
and i highly doubt they want it out of simple curiosity

besides, if they REALLY knew where we might have come from or who's behind the drop offs, why didn't they come to us with this offer until now? why wait until they specifically had something on you?

[forcevisions]

They didn't have anything on me.

Someone ELSE stopped me from going to jail. Maybe if we work with Riverstone, we'll find out more about who.

[voicelog]

still doesn't change the fact that they waited until that exact moment to offer their pitch

you're putting too much faith in a maybe
maybe if we work with them, we can figure out who brought us here
or maybe we can get the same result by working with a different company
or maybe we can get the answers on our own without any corporate or outside help

it can go in a number of directions, but if we're just basing our decision on a maybe in exchange for once again potentially sensitive data that can 100% come back to bite us all in our collective asses? not worth it

[forcevisions]

It's not our collective choice.
Some of us are going to do it.
People were willing to do worse for less when it was Cassius asking.

[ and that's just the facts. rey may be an idealist, but she can be practical when it suits her. ]

[voicelog]

actually, it IS our collective choice
it became a collective choice from the moment you presented it to all of us
and by going through with this, you're essentially risking all of our lives on a maybe
i think that is something ALL of us should have a say on

[forcevisions]

Try to tell people that you get a say in what they do with their own bodies if you want, but all you're doing is ensuring they won't tell YOU if they signed up or not.

[voicelog]

i'm not trying to tell people what to do with their bodies. i'm trying to tell you that this isn't a decision that should be made by a few people when it effects everyone as a whole.

when it can ENDANGER everyone
emphasis on ENDANGER btw

this isn't like going to the dentist to get yourself braces or going on a group skydive on mt everest in the middle of a fucking blizzard to get your shot of adrenaline junkie thrill

you aren't only impacting yourself
you're impacting every single displaced in this world

[forcevisions]

That's true of every choice we make, any time we use the powers we were given. We've always been accountable to the worst of the Displaced. And because of the way we come and go, we've never been able to establish the kind of community that could make the kind of collective decision you're asking for.

Maybe that could change, if we knew who was dropping us off, how we were coming here.

[voicelog]

look, i'm not opposed to working with riverstone on investigating who's behind our arrival, but i don't think it should be at the expense of our safety, especially not on a maybe

let's negotiate with them

[forcevisions]

I told Quentin I'd go back to ask for more from them.

If there's something you want to be included in that, I'm listening.
Or if you give your name, and you decide not to stick around for tests, you can come to New Beijing and talk to them yourself.

[voicelog]

i'm not interested in asking for more
i want to change the terms

if you plan to meet with them, i'd like to accompany you

[forcevisions]

You don't think that'll make them take us less seriously?

[ like she needs her dad to come negotiate for her ?? ? ]

[voicelog]

i don't think they're taking us seriously right now

if they were, then they would have at least given you a smidgen of evidence to back up their offer

[ also who're you calling dad?! he's only 35!!! ]

[forcevisions]

I think the way they seemed aware of the person who kept me out of jail was supposed to be their proof.

[voicelog]

that isn't solid proof
they could have found out through a number of ways
and they could have done it without knowing who did it
or that the person they have in mind might even be the one who's responsible for our place here
you know, if they even have a person in mind

[forcevisions]

That's a lot of suspicion.
Is it that hard to believe that someone might want to help us?
Morningstar does. Ball's followers do.

[voicelog]

it would be less hard to believe if they weren't asking us for our biological data

that doesn't sound like they want to help us
it sounds more like a business transaction