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Post by DataNinja on Jul 31, 2019 2:31:44 GMT
There's a growing distant din of panic and confusion that can be heard, as the voice repeats itself, before falling silent. What does come only shortly afterwards, though, is a communication through the databracer. It's Cain's voice. "All Technicians. We have a priority emergency station. All posted Technicians return to your stations and await further instructions once we figure out exactly what needs to be done here. All active units are subject to immediate recall. Return to HQ at once. Repeat, this is a priority emergency, and overrides anything you've currently been doing."
HQ's thankfully only a short distance away, should the group wish to hurry there, and the chaos might just be what's needed to subvert the system... but, what might the cause be?
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Post by ThRevanchist on Jul 31, 2019 3:05:30 GMT
"This is unexpected. Akashi, do you know anything about this?" Thoron asked, already expecting a negative. Without waiting for it, he cast his vote, "Now is probably the best time for a Technician or three to slip under the radar. We should hurry back."
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Post by Bowyer on Aug 3, 2019 1:19:26 GMT
The underlying hint of confusion and worry isn't unexpected. Blake was feeling it a bit himself. The just seemed so unnatural without it's characteristic lights and hum. He wanted to know what was going on but it would have to wait. "You're right. We're going to be hard pressed to find another opportunity like this. Whatever is going on can wait until later."
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Post by Moriya on Aug 5, 2019 4:02:51 GMT
Silas feels uneasy as they make their way towards HQ. It's like the city itself has died, and that may be more than a figure of speech. "Yeah, that's fine." He pauses for several moments. "Lily. With the power out, she's probably trapped. We need to go there when we get a chance."
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Post by DataNinja on Aug 5, 2019 4:31:00 GMT
Akashi sends a message in the guise of Omega when they reach the door, and slowly - far slower than normal circumstances - the heavy door opens for them. They step through, and as the door clangs shut behind them the lights within HQ flicker on a little bit brighter, and the sounds of things coming back online fills the air. A figure hurries towards the group - it's Cain.
"Ah, good," he says, a bit of relief showing on his face. "I was worried you might have gotten caught up elsewhere. You've got good timing - we just got the backup batteries connected to the HQ activated, so... well, we should have close to full capacity here. Well... at least for as long as it matters." His face falls. "I'll cut to the chase. We've got problems. Big ones. Big enough that I had to get the power cut. And if we don't get it all sorted out... well, I give the city's emergency power reserves three days before we have to turn things back on or people asphyxiate. And even if they don't, they'll dehydrate. Then starve. But if we turn things back on before the problem gets solved... well, we'll face the same thing again. And this time, we won't have a chance to fix it."
"So... I need help. The city needs help. And we don't have much manpower." He shakes his head, before looking at each in turn. "Especially with the power down, most of our supplementary defenses are... inoperative. So we cannot afford to spare any of our posted Technicians anywhere. If we do, we might be facing everything being destroyed anyways. It's only your team and Solomon's that we can spare as-is... and being able to have both for something of this magnitude would be preferable. But I have every belief in your competency... even if we are not entirely sure yet how we will have to deal with this problem. Yet. We're working on analysis."
"I hope that you understand the need to not allow you much time to recuperate after your last mission, and I do apologize. Debriefing for that will have to wait until later. For now... I hope that you are willing and able to do this."
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Post by Bowyer on Aug 10, 2019 21:43:08 GMT
Blake is still apprehensive as the gate slowly rises. The clanging gate sounded almost ominous even if the lights suddenly flickered into full brightness. Cain was almost a welcome sight but he wasn't looking particularly well himself. And it seemed that there was a serious problem. Having the city on it's way to an untimely demise wasn't something Blake was keen to see.
"Of course, we'll do what we can to help. We're still fit for duty even if we have a few scrapes and bruises," Blake gestures to his own bloodied coat, "So what seems to be the reason for the imminent end of Arcadia? And what does it have to be with the power?"
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Post by Moriya on Aug 11, 2019 4:22:56 GMT
Silas nods. Following orders will allow him to to access a more vulnerable section of the city. With any luck, it will put them close to the central computer. And if the current crisis requires yet another betrayal, they can do that too. "We'll do what we have have to. Enemy attack?"
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Post by ThRevanchist on Aug 11, 2019 4:51:24 GMT
"Cutting the power to stop an attack?" Thoron queried, skeptically. "If you think we have time to recover, we will... But we are Technicians, we should know what this threat is."
Aside from the whole insubordination business and the total collapse of city infrastructure, this was starting to feel normal. Or maybe the insubordination felt normal too, just more serious? Regardless, Thoron followed with another question, "Is Solomon's team here at headquarters, Sir?"
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Post by DataNinja on Aug 11, 2019 6:41:30 GMT
"You could say that, yes," Cain nods at Silas. "I'll elaborate... after everyone's together. I'd rather have to only go through this once. And, yes, Solomon's team is here, and should be just finishing pulling themselves together. No rest for the wicked, eh?" He gives a slight smile.
The Technician HQ is in a bit of a paradoxical state - bursts of frantic activity, followed by areas of silence. There's not the semi-casual atmosphere that people tended to have while 'off-duty' in here, or otherwise non-pressed. Instead, it's clear that the atmosphere's thick enough to be cut with a sword, and tense enough to provide some wicked snap-back.
The four other Technicians are met just outside of the busy equipment area, clearly ready for action themselves, but also looking as confused as the conspiratorial trio. Perhaps even more so.
"Pardon, sir," Emily says, "but... what's going on here? There was an alert, and we got asked to meet you here, but there's been nothing more."
"Ah, yes, well... it's complicated. There's been an attack. But... it's not an ordinary thing." Cain takes a deep breath, and speaks in a low voice. "What has happened... in order to deal with it, I'm going to need to bring you with me, to show you things. Things that, admittedly, you might prefer not to know. Things that will shake your entire worldview, most likely. Information, stored in the High Council's Tower, sealed away for a reason. It's not even in the central computer. That's the magnitude of what I'm talking about. But that is needed to be understood if you're going to help in stopping this. But... I also can't force you to do it. Because once learned, it can't be un-learned. I understand if you don't want to do this. So, that's why I'm asking you if you'll come with me for this. If not, I'll simply ensure that you get assigned somewhere that could use another person. Goodness knows that there are enough of those."
"Of course we'll help," Emily says. "We're Technicians. Our job is to do the things nobody else can do. To fix the problems that nobody else can fix."
"Are you crazy?" Skylar asks, turning to Emily, his face pale. "You are not speaking for me. Or anyone else. I have had quite enough of a time figuring out where the hell I stand in this world, and I am not ready to have it upended or whatever. I'll gladly keep my ignorance and happiness of doing the job that I signed up for, thank you very much."
"You obstinate little ba-" "Enough." Rose interrupts. "The Commander has the right of it. If this is as delicate or whatever as he makes it out to be, then forcing someone to be on-board is likely to end... poorly. If he's offering an opt-out, which, keep in mind, has never happened before, really... it's bad. I'll see it through, because I don't care about the world changing around me. I welcome it, even. But it's not something that you can force Skylar to go through. I know him, and I know that he wouldn't just not do this for no reason. So, I know that it's better for all of us."
"Oh... uh... thanks, Rose," Skylar says. "Good... uh, good luck."
"I know you'll have our backs if it comes down to it," she replies, nodding.
"The rest of you are all in, though, right," Emily says, glowering. It's not really phrased as a question.
"Technician Solomon…" Cain sighs. "As your teammate so eloquently stated, this is not a matter to which you are able to dictate anyone else's response to. It is a matter of personal certainty." The glower lets up... moderately.
"As I said, I will go," Rose says. Austin reaches for her hand and squeezes, nodding. That seems to be confirmation from him.
Cain turns to the trio now, looking over them in turn.
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Post by ThRevanchist on Aug 11, 2019 19:35:48 GMT
After watching their rivals impassively, Thoron said, "You can choose to avoid learning whatever this is, Skylar. But are you really that certain everything won't be upended with or without you?"
That was probably overstepping his bounds already, so Thoron turned back to Cain and nodded his agreement. There would be no talking over his team!
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Post by Bowyer on Aug 11, 2019 21:15:26 GMT
Some dissent amongst the other team? What could that say about their overall unity? Regardless it meant one more to help them with whatever was going on. And potentially one less they would have to turn on in the immediate vicinity. But what could Cain be talking about? There were a few possibilities that sprang to mind but there was really only one way to find out. Or perhaps to find out what they already knew.
"I'm on board. Finding something world shaking is part of the job afterall. But uh, hopefully it's not something too shall we say bone breaking. He gives a half-hearted chuckle at the joke. It wasn't the time for it but it wouldn't resist any suspicions. Guile 16
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Post by Moriya on Aug 21, 2019 4:09:36 GMT
Cain should know Silas's answer already. They've talked about about this before, and it should be clear that Silas knew something is up, he just wasn't sure what. Learning one angle hasn't changed that. If anything, he's more interested in knowing how Cain intends to justify a war of conquest to them.
Silas looks at Cain with tired determination. "Let's hear it. I can finally have some answers."
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Post by DataNinja on Aug 21, 2019 4:59:25 GMT
"I'm sure you all will do just fine," Skylar says, tiredly. "I'm happy with how things are right now." With that, he wanders off. "Alright," Cain says, "let us continue, with renewed conviction. And hope that it was all worth it." He leads the group through the HQ, before exiting via the one connection to the surface. Up top... things are mostly quiet. There's some gentle confusion, but there's still some power, granted by solar energy. Come nightfall, of course, things are likely going to be much different up here. Still, it means that no one pays them more notice than normal for a group of so many people moving with purpose. They're merely a curiosity, not a calamity. And that purely-a-curiosity weaves its way through the Over, towards the colossal black tower in the center of the northern area of the surface. Plated almost entirely from ground to tip with solar panels, it's certainly an imposing figure - one that looms over them as Cain swipes his ID and they gain access. It's cool inside, certainly more so than the bright, sunny day outside. The purely artificial lighting is certainly a contrast, too. As is the quiet. There is only a low hum, similar to that which normally permeates Arcadia... but no people. None. Not even a receptionist. Or a desk, even. Simply another set of doors, to which Cain swipes a different card. Which turns out to be an elevator that has only two buttons. With seven people, it is fairly cramped, and it seems to take an eternity to rise, even though it's clearly moving fast. Cain stays silent for the entire journey, simply stating at last when the doors open "We're here."As the group steps out, they see a room, with many large screens on the wall, and a very elaborate-looking computer terminal - wrapping around the entire circumference of the floor. Again, it's empty, with only the new arrivals here. "This is the heart of Arcadia," Cain says. "One of them, at least. All that was is stored here. And it is here that the answers will come. The answers need to come." He almost seems to no longer be speaking to the other Technicians. "They need to know, if they are to understand. Otherwise, I fear that things will come, and they will not be sure of the path. Of this, I am certain."There is a lengthy pause, and it seems as if he might be simply crazy. But, at last, a voice speaks. "Very well. We trust you. It is... unusual times. And it has been agreed upon that desperate measures must be taken." The voice dies down, and three beings come into existence in front of the group, in much the same way as Porygon do. But... they are different. Clearly humanoid, and natural in a way that Porygon are not. It's an ineffable quantity. "Technicians," Cain says, gesturing. "Meet your High Councillors. From the beginning of Arcadia, until now." Emily starts to say something, before Cain cuts her off. "Now, all questions and protestations can wait until the end. They have a story to tell, and many questions will undoubtedly be answered during it. Just as many answers will undoubtedly be questioned." He looks to the central figure and nods, and it nods back. "It began one thousand, four hundred and eighty-six years before the present day. Humanity was at its peak, but also at its depths. There was technology the likes of which had never before been seen, but the world is finite, and none of the nations of the world were able to cooperate long enough to successfully establish any significant presence in the stars. It did not look like the future of humanity was going to last very long, especially because many began caring less and less as things got worse and worse. It was only thanks to a dedicated group of scientists from several countries working together that there was even a hope at recovery.
They discovered a way to tap into…somewhere else. They called it the Other. It is still unknown if the Other is a parallel dimension, another universe, or just…something else. But the important thing was humanity could use it. Swiftly, ways of tapping into the Other for matter and energy were found – for the two seemed to be easily interchangeable there. Such 'Othergate' technology became prolific, and freely available. For a time, it seemed as if the problems that wracked humanity were far behind. They were not.
The Other did not seem to be happy at being used for humanity’s own purposes. And so it began to fight back, insidiously at first, roughly three decades after it became a widely utilized resource by humanity. In places with high Othergate density, beings began to spawn. At first they didn’t do much. They were a curiosity, no more. Some were taken in for study. Others were kept by people as pets. Too late, it was discovered what they truly were. As they lived in this world, they absorbed ambient energy. Once it reached a critical mass, they achieved an apotheosis…and that’s when the destruction started.
At first it seemed random, and this illusion was compounded by the mass hysteria that was quickly spreading. But then it was discovered that they were trying to find their way to anywhere that had an Othergate, and quickly destroying it. Initial attempts to hold them back faltered under the sheer numbers that had been allowed into this reality already. But eventually, painfully, a brief stalemate was reached. It gave humanity a short respite with which to develop technologies with which to combat this threat. And three crucial discoveries were made in this time.
The first was that destroying these creatures was just as damaging as not. Each time one was destroyed, the boundary between humanity’s reality and the Other was temporarily weakened. So killing the creatures only let more of them enter, further and further from the Othergates. This was in part ameliorated by the second discovery, the greatest scientific breakthrough since the Othergate. The ability to reconvert the creatures into energy, and store them – and in some cases even change them to fit humanity’s needs. The third discovery seemed to be purely tangential. Humans were discovered that had become altered by the Other in some way, and that gave them abilities beyond what had been thought possible… but it also made them a beacon for the creatures. Soon, though, they had become some of the most crucial fighters humanity had, simply because of their unparalleled ability to hit the weaknesses of the invaders. But it was still not enough. Humanity’s defenders were simply spread too thin. So a plan was concocted.
The Arcadia Project was a plan to build a bastion of humanity in a remote location, far from any density of civilization or Othergates. It was to be a repertory of human culture and knowledge, able to sustain itself until the skein of reality everywhere else on the planet had been able to heal itself – projections estimated roughly two millennia, to be safe. Hopefully a way to drive back the invaders once and for all would be developed. To aid in this, and to ensure that the appropriate knowledge would not be lost, the Triad was created, three immensely complex artificial intelligences - forged with the power of the Other - dedicated to maintaining Arcadia. They would be the only ones to know of the existence of the Othergates, mostly deep below Arcadia, which were given every protection known to humanity at the time. It was considered a necessary evil at the time, else such a massive complex could not be self-sustaining. But the entirety of Arcadia could not be protected. That is where the Technicians came in. Their primary duty would be to prevent any incursions, followed by upholding the peace. And thus was Arcadia formed, and history became myth, which became nearly forgotten."Cain remains silent, simply letting things sink in.
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Post by ThRevanchist on Aug 23, 2019 1:11:01 GMT
That wasn't quite what they had heard in the Under. In fact, reconciling those stories seemed difficult, if not impossible.
...but that was no reason to not try, one question at a time. More to the legendary High Council than Cain, Thoron asked, "Why are Pokemon categorically hostile to humans, if their only goal is to destroy these Othergates? The effect that you all described, of growing closer to Pokemon in ability, is only present in a very small number of people." Curious, he added a tangential, "It seems to me that they would target the infrastructure powered by Other, or even you three, before they would lash out at most humans?"
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Post by Bowyer on Aug 24, 2019 2:52:41 GMT
So the Councilors weren't Human? That was an unexpected development. Somehow similar and dissimilar to the Porygon. Blake vaguely wondered what the difference was but figured it probably wasn't really relevant just yet. Maybe once they were told what was going on.
Frowning and leaving the thought behind, Blake tries to process the AI's story. How different it was from the other they had heard not so long ago. But which was truth? It was a question for later if the city was truly in danger he could delay making that decision until it had passed.
He leaps off of Thoron's question with one of his own, "A pity that something that was once a pet could suddenly turn dangerous. If only our ancestors had sought to find their intentions so long ago...Do you know if anyone outside survived? Or were things too hostile."
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Post by Moriya on Aug 29, 2019 3:11:21 GMT
As much as he'd like to, Silas can't attack their story too aggressively. Clear disloyalty would be deadly, and he should assume that The Council have the strength of Pokemon. Still, there are holes to poke at. "But we're using Othertech, and I assume the outside world hasn't stopped either. And this happened with more than 500 years to go... is there even a point in trying?" As expected, neither side was telling the full truth, and they aren't going about this correctly. A peaceful integration between this world and the Other would be best.
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Post by DataNinja on Aug 29, 2019 3:30:34 GMT
"You see," Cain turns to Thoron, "the thing is that only most of the Gates are in the Under. The ones that are on constantly, producing the nutrient paste, the water, the power that we need. Anything that requires continuous, daily production, it's all made down there. But there are other Gates. The Warehouses. They do not take up resources from the Under, usually. They simply create more when their stocks are low. When we rotate Technician positions, so none question the states of the stocks. But... that's where the problem here comes in. I'll get to that after all other questions have been answered, though. Because it segues into the task that's needed to be done."
"The outside world... it no longer exists," the Councillor says, somberly. "Not as it once was. Everything was lost. Perhaps small pockets survive. But... the world at large was overrun. The bastions of civilization were those where the fabric of reality was stretched thinnest. Where the most Pokémon came through. It's why the Arcadia project. To preserve something of humanity. But anything with high technology, it was basically utterly obliterated. Torn to the ground, and stomped out. Their destruction was general. Anything in the vicinity of their path was wiped out, not just their targets."
"And, yes, there is a point in trying. Arcadia must simply hold on for a little more time. Time enough to build up a force to try and reclaim the world. To move people out once more. Then we can bury this place, and the thin veil."
"What stops the same thing from happening again in the future, though?" Rose asks. "The problem was a lack of resources... won't the same thing happen again eventually?"
"...yes, quite possibly," Cain admits. "We will never be completely free, I fear. But we will be ready, should it ever happen again. It will be controlled. We know now what to expect, and we have the technology to contain it. The Earth will be prepared if a plague of Pokémon ever descends again."
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Post by ThRevanchist on Sept 2, 2019 3:32:00 GMT
That the Warehouses were actually Factories was frustrating. Not that Thoron could blame them for hiding such an otherworldly fact. But the stability that they clearly treasured so much did raise other questions, such as, "Forget about the future for a moment. What changed after these one thousand four hundred and eighty-six years to disrupt your plans this severely?" Obviously, "something that threatened all of Arcadia", but even before what, why? And why now? "It might be that our definitions of "maintain" are different, but an initiative to reclaim the world sounds like the opposite."
"And perhaps five hundred fourteen years means little to our High Council, but do you actually know that the damage caused by the overuse of Othergates on the surface has reversed?" Thoron accused, wondering where his Captain's optimism stemmed from.
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Post by Bowyer on Sept 2, 2019 4:28:27 GMT
"Oh." Blake had been hoping that something might have survived. Some shred of the past. It could all be a lie but it didn't feel like one. It was a rather bleak outlook but there was still a small hope. Arcadia. Hopefully what they were doing would be for the best of everyone.
It seemed that Thoron wanted to get to the heart of the matter. Perhaps too severely."The Unexpected tend to be more disruptive than you'd hope. It's true whenever we go on a mission. I imagine it is doubly so when you have the entirety of the future of humankind in your hands." He pauses to ponder, "1486 years is a rather long time to keep yourself busy with it though. It's fortunate that nothing so hazardous before now."
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Post by Moriya on Sept 10, 2019 2:57:22 GMT
Silas doesn't see any holes in their story that need to be attacked, though he is curious as to how their story will lead to invading 'Seattle'. He would also to hear the Pokemon's response to all of this. "I suppose it's too much to hope for any sort of diplomacy? Some Pokemon are intelligent enough, but if they're even destroying the area around their targets..."
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