♤ Network - [Video]

[deal_me_in]

[It's around dusk, the faint glow of a lantern casting a wavering light about that reveals the Exo so he's more than just glowing eyes. He seems to give a dry look at the communicator before turning his head and then the feed itself outward towards the city and its few lit up buildings. ]

So. That direction would be where the tower is. Just trust me on this since there's no blinking light.

But if we look out this way-

[The feed shifts again, passing over sparse furnishings and old, rusted gears of the clock tower before looking out another gaping hole where there's fewer buildings grouped and lit, but the most noticeable thing is a light winking on and off in the darkened distance.]

I think someone's funnin' with us.

Comments

[demjiin]

It seems like some sort of automated signal.

[ Kaz looks thoughtful for a moment. ]

The question is what is it signaling to.

[deal_me_in]

The million glimmer question for sure. Not that it seems we'll have any chance of checking that one out.

[demjiin]

[ Kaz raises an eyebrow. ]

If it's in visual range, it wouldn't be that hard to send someone out to take a look at it and see what they can find out.

[deal_me_in]

In a world where physics behave the way they should, yeah, I'd say you're absolutely right. Except we're dealing with some unknown fellows who happen to ignore things like that in favor of making things interesting.

Anyway, we got a kid who can run that supposed distance in an eyeblink and he's already given it a shot- except that even after over half an hour he's not gotten any closer to the thing.

[demjiin]

[ Kaz is leaving the subject of Tommy alone for now. Besides this guy doesn't even know Kaz's name so it's doubtful he's lying to Kaz now. ]

If the laws of physics don't apply here, then it becomes more complicated. Does the light blink steadily or is there any kind of pattern to it?

[deal_me_in]

Kid, this whole situation is complicated by default.

Pretty steady so far as I can tell. Just like the old one before.

[demjiin]

Old one?

[deal_me_in]

Can't see it now that it's not lit up, but there's like, a radio tower out on the northwestern fringe of the city. Had a blue light blinking up top for the longest and I'd always see it from here.

[demjiin]

[ Kaz isn't very clear on what a radio tower is, but a blinking light on top of a tower seems too be the same. ]

And was the distant light on at the same time?

[deal_me_in]

Nope! This one's new. I'm pretty sure I'd have noticed if there were two.

[demjiin]

So whatever a 'radio tower' is for, there's a second one that's new. Is a 'radio tower' hard to set up?

[deal_me_in]

It's tall, it's made of metal- here, hang on, I'll just send over a picture.

[And after a brief shake and some tapping, he sends over...what basically amounts to a selfie of an upshot of himself and something that looks unfinished for all the metal bars crisscrossing between each other to form a narrow structure that stretches up high above.]

[demjiin]

[ The structure looks like it should be rickety to Kaz but Cayde hasn't mentioned anything about that. Kaz also isn't clear on what it's supposed to be for. ]

An automated light on top of a really tall tower.So...doesn't someone have to turn the light on to begin with?

[deal_me_in]

Yeah, they would. I don't know how long's been on, and if it was on even before whoever was here earlier than us had managed to figure out the power. Then again I guess I wouldn't be that surprised if it was, really.

But kinds of magic are a thing. Also thank you for pushing Kaz out of his comfort zone

[demjiin]

[ Kaz is feeling way out of his depth throughout this conversation. Where he comes from people still use lanterns, so electricity is considered a luxury. ]

So you don't know what it's signaling, if it's been there very long or how to get to it.

[ Kaz doesn't say it but the "is there anything you do know?" is implied. ]
Still seems to be a lot of work just to leave an automated light flashing.

Hahaha

[deal_me_in]

[The Exo somehow manages a crooked sort of grin.]

Yep! Exactly. Same for a lot of things here, as you'll find out. It's all very frustrating.

It's not really much work if someone's got a consistent power source running. I wouldn't be surprised if the tower back there was running on its own source apart from what the city's on, either.