Lurking Shadows

[tsundullahan]

WHO: Celty, Open!
WHERE: Around Temba
WHAT: Another new...face?
WHEN: This week
WARNINGS: N/A


Around Temba
There's no warning, other than the light crunch of gravel beneath tire treads, or the scattering of loose stone and dust from a tight turn. And yet there it is, a black motorcycle speeding around the wider avenues of the ruined city. There's no growl of an engine that those familiar with such models would expect, and yet it can't simply be powered by gravitational momentum as there are obvious times it speeds up or slows down.

Its rider is difficult to discern given they're likewise dressed in black, a full bodysuit and gloves to match. The brightest thing is the yellow helmet with its blue trim, with molded cat ears and a dark visor. Where they're going is anyone's guess, but if there's someone out on the road or somewhere nearby, they'll make a stop.


SPACESHIP?!
I've been kidnapped by aliens.

She's been trying to deny this as fact ever since she'd touched that horrible glowing ball thing at the fountain, but even then it had been a slippery uphill battle. And now she's found her way to the hangar, filled with actual spaceships. In her thoughts she might be screaming, just a little bit.

Slowly, hesitantly, the helmeted rider walks her motorcycle along towards one of the closest shuttles, the Starduck. Maybe they're just...movie set props? Yes! They've gotten really good at models! That's all this is! Wariness bleeds away from her shoulders at this prospect, and she steps over to the hull to run a hand over its surface.

Eeeh. It's...very solid for a set piece, she notes, pulling her hand away. That hesitancy has returned as she starts to circle around it, and she just about jumps when the shuttle opens up as she nears its hatch. Shoulders hunched, she backs away hurriedly with her bike, looking on the verge of panicking.

No way! It's not real! Aaah, why did it open up?? Are there aliens inside?!

All the while she's silent, her thoughts a nervous swirl as she edges back a little more, looking just about ready to vault onto her motorcycle and speed away for whatever reason.


Network - Text

I found this device when I arrived. If it belongs to someone, I'll return it. It's a lot different than what I've used before.

I seem to be missing my phone, but I guess it probably wouldn't work here anyway. Still, it's important...

Is anyone else here? I really hope the alien thing is a joke.

Comments

[demjiin]

"Not exactly, more like there are things that have been left out of what it says initially. All the Datapoints download information straight into your brain. You'll find that other Datapoints will delete any knowledge you gained from one Datapoint and trying to use another. Meaning whether you like it or not, you are limited to one Datapoint at a time."

Kaz shrugged.

"I'm not a fan of them at all and resisted using them for a while. Eventually, I had to take one just to try and make sense of the alien tech around here. But you've already learned of the reason we're supposed to be brought here, but what it doesn't mention is that the Agrii were invaded and conquered a long time ago. Now there's a question of whether or not this is even the planet they started out on, or if the conquering species, the Atroma, transplanted them here along with a third species, the Graq."

[tsundullahan]

There's more? she wondered, but then there were probably specific places for the things. Her helmeted head cocked in confusion as Kaz continued to explain.

[I'm not sure I understand. So if I were to touch one of the other...data points? I would not remember whatever I learned about the purpose of our being here?]

This was all too much already, and now she was learning there were more aliens involved in all this. She seemed more and more uneasy with all this talk of conquering species and invasions. None of it made much sense.

[So then what do we do?]

[demjiin]

"There's more than just this one, but consider the one near the fountain a freebie. Every Datapoint that you find afterward will have these as rules. And there are many."

Kaz shrugged again.

"As far as what we do that will come down to speaking face-to-face as we are."

Or face to helmet in this case.

"The device you are using to write text also has the ability to access the Network. Under no circumstances do you mention this on the Network. Always assume you are being watched when you write something there because it is very likely that you are."

[tsundullahan]

She wasn't so sure that she liked what the boy had to say about these data points. One was bad enough. Touching any more wasn't anything she was terribly eager to do again.

As Kaz changed subjects to focus upon their devices and the network, Celty looked down at her tablet thoughtfully. Had she the means she would have frowned.

[I suppose it isn't too different from access to the internet, back home. You can't guarantee that things will remain secretive once it's exposed to the internet. Anyone with the means and the intent can likely find anything you've said there, or anything someone's said about you.]

[demjiin]

"Yes, it isn't going to stay a secret for long. But I want to get as much ahead before we're found out by our collective captors. Using the network would make a secret last an even shorter time."

Kaz was already trying to put together a team to go beyond the city but that was not what he would speak to a new person about.

"I don't know what the internet is but I do know there won't be any way to even keep a secret about me if other people are talking about me to each other."

[tsundullahan]

[It's like this network, but bigger. It spans the entire world so long as there's a signal to connect to it.]

If the boy hadn't heard of motorcycles then it was no surprise to her that he knew nothing about the internet.

[Surely people already know about you if you've been here for a year. But I guess everyone has their secrets.]

She shrugged.

[demjiin]

Kaz snorted and smirked a bit at Celty.

"I tend to think that there has probably been some talk about me already but I rarely use the network myself. And whatever people do know about me is what I let them know."

Kaz had always been secretive by nature which had worked out for him in the early days when he was new to the city.

"So how about it? If I can find a person to act as a mechanic, could they look at your machine?"

[tsundullahan]

Celty shook her head.

[I don't think it'd help them very much.]

She seemed content to leave it at that, already clearing away the lines to type something else.

[Thank you for your advice. I guess I'll continue to have a look around.]