@rey.solo

[forcevisions]

i made a mistake


-------

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

[wittingly]

So often. It's a product of years of inbreeding because everyone wants albino rockets. It's actually super tragic.

Jesus, I can only imagine what impact the implants play in shit like this now

I think the other issue to worry about is the cost. Good representation isn't gonna be cheap. We can probably do a resource pool but

You know what

Thinking about it, this might be a good gauge for how invested Riverstone is in us exactly, if we float the notion that they cover a portion of the legal fees. See how that goes over. No matter what they answer, it gives us some insight. In any case, I'd rather chew my own foot off than sign up for this, but I'd make a donation help cover it and I'm betting other people would, too.


also I thought you were a shark-punching pirate, since when do they care about the law?

[nonscriptum]

the arc (american rocket club) has a lot to answer for in their questionable practices

that's a good idea. they foot most of the bill, it's a good faith exercise. not like they can't afford it, and they clearly want us to trust them to some extent.

i worked in marine salvage after an extensive career as a thief with some dabbling in illegal marine archaeology.

[wittingly]

You know I used to volunteer at PETR

if they're willing to provide all expenses paid vacations to a number of displaced they haven't even QUANTIFIED yet, yeah, I'd say they've got enough to shell out for a lawyer. the only reason they wouldn't is because they didn't want to, which is a red flag.



dude your resume just keeps blowing my mind

[nonscriptum]

i'll add it to the list of shit to bring up to rey, i'm not sure she's familiar with any of this based on my previous experience working with her.

and i don't know why you're complimenting ME, you're the one who just spewed a bunch of well thought out legalese

[wittingly]

I'm glad you know her well enough to work with her on it, she's gonna need the guidance I think.

Don't take any of that as gospel. hell, I'm not sure half of it is even the right terminology let alone whether or not it's still relevant. It's just a bunch of crap I've picked up on through contracting and patents. getting work from a municipality is like moving fucking rice from one bag to another with a set of chopsticks sometimes.

or

you know

it was before the end of the world

[nonscriptum]

i don't know her that well, but i know her well enough to think she's not getting as much credit as she deserves here. we'll see how it all pans out provided she gets the opportunity to challenge riverstone's terms and counter with some of our own.

[PRIVATE]

really going to want to hear about that end of the world thing someday

ᴘʀɪᴠᴀᴛᴇ

[wittingly]

Sure, man. Fire away any time.

[ Strangely enough, it's a little different than the other things he jealously guards. Maybe because it's less personal, at least talking about it from a high level perspective. If they start getting into feelings and coping mechanisms, that'll be hit or miss. ]

ᴘʀɪᴠᴀᴛᴇ

[nonscriptum]

i know it's broad, but
dude
what the hell happened?

[wittingly]

Aliens, man. Really. Showed up one day out of the blue, no warning, just... landed smack on top of almost every major city on earth.

Took a couple of days to decide whether or not we deserved our planet and

well, have you met humanity? We're terrible. There's literally an island made out of trash in the pacific ocean.

[nonscriptum]

yeah, i guess if i were a self-righteous being who thought i could judge everyone i'd probably find humanity wanting
we're killing the great barrier reef and the ice caps are melting so i'd say we suck something awful

so what did they do?

[wittingly]

Rounded up everyone they could find and put them into massive labor camps, so long as they didn't have any kind of visible physical defect
started ripping up anything they could repurpose for their fleet
metal, mostly, but once that's gone they'll probably move onto something else until the whole planet's stripped out
five, maybe ten more years if I had to guess
I don't know what they'll do after that, or if anybody'll be left alive to see it

I think I might be like one of the only people that woke up immediately stoked to be here, with sub-zero intention to go home

[nonscriptum]

believe me, you're not the only one.

[ Which is about as much as he wants to go into that right now. More importantly: ]

but holy fuck. i don't think there's a hallmark card in the world that could communicate the right kind of consolation.

i'm just sorry you got the short end of the universe's stick.

[wittingly]

[ Just gonna tuck that little comment away for later. ]

I mean, they have a 'sorry for the end of your world' section between 'world's best grandma' and 'happy bat mitzvah' but it's easy to miss

It's cool man
It could be worse
I could still be there
Granted I thought the monster apocalypse we just had was about to be round 2 and almost lost my fucking mind, but crisis averted

[nonscriptum]

please know that i haven't said this often in my 2+ years of experience being kidnapped to other worlds, but
i'm glad you're here

[wittingly]

Hey, thanks. Me too.
Sorry you been stuck away from yours for so long.

[nonscriptum]

i wish it was that simple. it was more like a year there, a week and a half back home, another year there, and then we all managed to leave

a few hours back home

and then i was here

it is what it is

[wittingly]

Jesus Christ, that's a mess
I mean it pretty much eliminates the possibility that your being here is the product of random chance, the statistical odds of that happening to you repeatedly without some kind of direct reason, or tether, or... pattern...

Lance told me about that place you guys were before, a little. That there was a rumor about it having to do with people who are either from chaos or are prone to chaos. I wonder if it's the same here.

And you didn't remember anything when you made it home, right? That's one consistent theme.

[nonscriptum]

[ Nate's life was about as chaotic as it could get. ]

the universe either really likes me, or really hates me.

and yeah, didn't remember anything until i got back.

[wittingly]

I'd say the fact that you're alive after half the crazy shit you've told me is an indicator of the former

that's probably for the best, if I get sent home to die I don't want lemon juice on the paper cut

[nonscriptum]

i'm just lucky.

you made it sound like you'd joined up with some people. survivors?

[wittingly]

Fuck yeah, have we met? I'd be dead sixteen times over on my own. Yeah we got a compound going at Crater Lake.
When I brag about my PVC pipe shower creation it's because we can't use almost any metal and it was a group showers installment
People smell fucking terrible at the end of the world, if you were curious
Or they did
Still kind of do a little because it's lake water but beggars can't be choosers

[nonscriptum]

ah, this explains why you're so talented at applying siding.

[ Mystery solved. No aluminum-sided homes in an apocalypse where the invaders are sucking up all the metal, he supposes. ]

i have to ask
have you used a gun before?

[wittingly]

Yeah, I have a rifle
or
Had one
I'm not exactly a fucking cowboy like SOME OF US but yes

[nonscriptum]

i'm only a cowboy on days when giant rats are chewing through the concrete
are you a decent shot?

[wittingly]

Yeah, I'm alright
as long as there's a nice fucking distance between me and whatever I'm shooting at, anyway
when they started getting a little too close for comfort I didn't stick around to find out, seemed like a better idea to book it than risk getting caught and processed