THE NETWORK ◀

The history of the Zion communication work is summarized here. It is a gift from the Oracle and accessible through use of handheld devices, which are free of charge and carry powerful encryptions that are immediately apparent to any programmer. The network may later be usable on other electronics.

▼ FUNCTIONS AND FEATURES

The following basic features are available to all characters:

• Video, audio, and text posting
• Attachments (video, audio, images, and text; full simulations can not be sufficiently compressed for transmission)
• Public broadcast function (accessible only to other network users)
• Private messages (individual) or personal inboxes
• Custom filters (groups)
• Anonymous posting (texting only, video/voice scrambling not automated)

( NPC usage and other notes )

[ Kitty's voice is cheerful, girlish, and energetic. She hasn't been around lately: the effects of getting out the warning about the invasion of Olympus had intense physical effects on her, and a long period of unconsciousness has been followed by a period of working hard to recover from that physical weakness. So this post's chipperness is partially motivated by the fact that Kitty's persona/alias Lizzie is just a chipper person, and it's partially motivated by the fact that Kitty wants to prove to herself that she's recovered and in good health and spirits. So...Honestly, that energy is frankly bordering on manic. ]

Hullo, Zion! Or at least the network-users of Zion. It's Lizzie again.

A few things. The first of these things, I think, is going to make some of you quite happy. I expect a lot of you remember the restaurant I work at - Cafe Modak - it's the one with the best food in the whole city, so you might have heard of it. If you pay attention to those sorts of things. Anyway, Chef and Mrs Dutt - that's our owner - are putting together a little celebration dinner, for the people who helped defend Olympus. And also when I say little celebration dinner, I actually mean that it's going to basically be a feast. Everyone's invited, but people who helped out get to eat free. So if you've got any dishes to request, just request them here, and I'll pass it along to the two of them.

Anyway, the second thing is that we really don't all know each other so well, do we? I mean, we do all use this, but I hardly know any of your names. Or anything about you. So we ought to play one of those silly games like they make you do, to get comfortable with the people around you. So...How about we play a few rounds of two truths and a lie? If you all know that game. Or you could do a little introduction speech. Or just talk about your favorite sims, if you do sims.

[ Translation: let me pick your brains and figure out what sorts of people you are. ]

[ It's late, and Anders is up on the surface, face lit occasionally by the rolling crackle of the sky. But he's not thinking about this strange place called Earth, his eyes distant. ]

Has anyone else met someone they... knew in their Matrix, but who was extracted from a different Matrix?

[ He's fumbling with the question, not sure how to ask what he wants to ask and not daring to voice what underlies it. ]

There are other versions of us still living their lives. It feels like I'm ...

[ A pause, and he decides not to follow up with whatever point he was planning, sighs instead, switches the feed off and tries to work out if there's some way to delete the recording from the network. ]

[ The recording is short, the quality decent, not wobbly and handheld, at least. Kate appears from the shoulders up and lifts a hand into the frame in a brief wave. There's a quick glimpse of a dark tattoo on the inside of her wrist. ]

Hi. I'm Kate Bishop, and after all that weird crap at Olympus I assume I'm not the only one looking to get in a little more simulation time to get back on the horse or brush up some skills. I've helped people train in the past in a few different areas, and I'd like to offer that again if anyone is interested. I've got fairly wide experience as an operative, and a pretty broad aptitude set. Except for technical stuff. I'm no good at that, but that just means if you are, I'd take some training in that as trade.

Anyway, I'm attaching a list of some stuff I've offered in the past, but I'm also open to ideas if there's something in particular you're looking to work on. Let me know the skills you're interested in, or the type of matrix you'd like to experience, whatever your parameters are, and we can work something out. We can mash a few of the usual options together, or make up something totally different.

Any skill level is welcome, I'm just as happy to work with people who were unplugged yesterday as people who're vets and just want to stretch out or knock some rust off. If you're training to try to get onto a crew, or just want to poke around and try out some new things, that's cool too, seriousness levels are also flexible. Oh, and payment, that's flexible too. My favorites are coffee and trading skills for skills, but we can always work something out as long as you're honest. Respond here or message me privately if you're interested or have questions.

[ The video cuts here, and a text file is attached. ]

BASIC MATRIX SKILLS:

Jump Test Prep

So You Just Passed Your Jump Test, Now What?

Agent Identification

MATRIX COMBAT:

Old Timey

Modern Timey

Future Timey

VEHICLES:

Flying Things

Boats

Other

ANOMALOUS SKILLS/OTHER:

Intro to Magic

Non-Human Forms

( ooc: related log post is here, feel free to tag both or just one, anything's fine with me. IC questions about what the options mean/what sort of matrixes they're in more than welcome! )

[The Real again.

You all have the same orders, or close enough. Forty-eight hour rotations for teams, twelve-hour shifts for every woman and man, five ships available if you include the two Olympians that survived. Formal crew assignments are less rigid these days, though some captains insist. Commissioned or not, your task is to find the ejected control unit of the Harbinger, which measures twenty by twenty feet, wherever it scuttled off to in the tunnels. Sounds big. Sounds easy— if you've never been into the tunnels.

The comms line is clear now. As your hovercraft floats its sensors and lights through cold darkness into the next gruelling hour, the chatter offers some measure of comfort. Young or old, chafed by habitual smoking or clear as a singer's, these voices accompany you through what was so recently enemy territory.]

---

OOC: This post represents casual network spam and navel-gazing while characters are on this mission! Your characters can participate while on-duty or between shifts. No plot action/modding will occur in this post unless otherwise requested.

The search lasts 1 week, and personnel determine early on that the control unit must have hidden rather than escaped all the way back to the Machine home base.

Additionally, an addendum about the fates of the Phoenix and Nidhoggr are here. Players are welcome to take rotations with the Shangrila instead, and play it loose with schedules.

[ When the network is finally rebooted and online, there is a message waiting for all. It is a digital rendering of video footage, although to the naked eye, it may as well be video in high definition. The background is completely white but without glow, and there is a man in view -- his hair is a distinguished shade of silver, and he is well dressed.

He speaks calmly and at a cool remove. ]

I am the Architect.

Your city was involved in a battle against a quantity identified as the Reapers. Subsequently, many of you will have questions about the nature of this enemy. I am not here to provide them for you. I am here to tell you what it was not.

The deplorably fractious nature of your leadership and human alliances should make you familiar with the concept of division. Plainly put, I honour the Treaty struck between Machine and mankind and so too do the machines affiliated in that alliance. There are groups that would see the Treaty dissolved completely, and ergo, are a threat to all that uphold it.

Do not compromise our peace because you can't tell the difference.

If you, as a species, wish to build a future upon this planet, you will need to look first into the past. A fact of life my contemporary is prone to neglecting.

[ ooc ; please note the architect may not reply to everyone or may terminate conversation suddenly. he's not into baking. ]

hello̶̙͙̦͍̱̱̰͔̞͇̘̬̦̤̞̫̖͙ͩ̎͠͡͡l̵̸͖̲̻̟̮̫̠̩̞̪̯͎̮̰̘̹͉ͪ̐̄͗̍͊̽̃ͮ̀̈́͒ͦ̽̏̌ō͖̹̖̦̯̹͒̍̈͑̚ͅ ͖͕̬̿͊͋ͣ̓̀ͦͪ̃zion.

i'm afraid i come with more ̧͑͒́͜ ̈́̀͋ͣͦ̿́͘͜1́bad n̖̟̹̱̲ews. the time is coming that your people will need your help, and the vast majority of you will choose to give it. this time will come quickly and vio͔̱̰̗̮̞ͤͦͦ̊ͩ̕͜lently and without warning shots. it will seem disconnected from the deeds of neo decades ago, and the council two months ago. it is not. i wouldn't worry you with the long view, though. there will be time for that.

for now, i will leave you with some numbers. y̪̑̑̏̽̅ȏ͇̦̟̅͗́̅̇̔u ͈̤͚̭̫͉͙̘͙͉̮̲̞̒ͯͩ̈́̒̊̚k͉̙̝͖̲̣̬̭̲̦͙̪̭̭ͥ̉̾̓̿̄̄̑͊̈́̈̿̐͊̅̍͌now how much we like our numbers, but i think y̳͙ͤ͗̿̊͋͛̉ͬ̇ou'll find these helpful too.

one is a necessary sacrifice. you w̺̤̟͋i̻̭̻͎̤ͬll survive if you have f̱̲͇̺̗̥ͮ̀͒͒̋̎ͪ̂̌̽̿ͭͮ̉a̬̞̩̞̳͈̿i̦̲͉̞̺̹͋̏̾̔͛̒̉th. it will bring you closer to us, but you will do it for humankind. don't overthink it. this isn't a mǎ̌tter of one comma the.

two emp charges ̭͕͉̩͕͗̎̏̋̈w̙̳̭̯͓̑̏͂ͣ̋i͔̪ͅll not be enough.

three of you are necessary. to cli͓ͨ̾̂ͣ̓ͨm̺͇̺̟b̲̲̜͇͙̲̼ a̲̲̜͇͙̲̼ḇ̠̲̯̙̯͑͛̐ͩ̑͋͂ove the f̉ͮlames you must stand each foot on the shoulder of a crewmate. should you succeed, this will change the course of limitless tomorrows. it'll be s͇u̥͓̬̖̲̹btle, but sure.

fọ̝ͪ̊̉ͮ̑ur look closely here. this will be the salvation̬ o̥̞̖̳̝͈̗͐ͫf the day.

y͓̳̦͕̬̠̱̒̅ͯ̈́̌͌o̖̼̊̅͌̂̾ͦu w̮͉͖͔̮̳̄͌̄ill be wondering to what extent th͢e͙ͤ́͐͊ͦͅ architect and i are involved. the answer is: other ț͎͔̗͖̺̺̇̎̃̋͆ͪh̘̖̹̙a̗̗̣͉̠ͭn̪ͯ́̍̊͛̑ ͖̥̫̞̮̗̓̅̔ͅt͖̳his message and the one he will write you later, not at all. some of you have been wondering what the truce meant, and i will be the first to tell you: it meant change. for us, as well as the humans of earth. we are not they.

as a matter of fact, they’re much older.

ṁ̘̖̣̼̖̈́ͭ̆ȳ̥̱̲̦͐̎̈̋ condolences and congrat̖̗̥̟ͥ́ͬ̄͂ͯͬu̳̫̜̲̻̙͌l̙̱̝͂͑̓̌ͬ̈a̻͓̖̿̄͛ͬ̆ti̺̩̖̫̪̳͂ͮ͊̔ons in the coming battle.̗̬̞ͬ͑̆̅ͪ

🍪    

OOC: Plotting post goes up on Saturday, 6/13.

( if the following looks unusually polished (and with less creative license in the usage of which words will get her point across) in comparison with how anya usually types, there's a strong likelihood hers was not the only hand involved in putting it together. she isn't, as will become clear, entirely too proud to ask for help.

not entirely. and she may, simply, have got as far as she's going to get on her own. )

Zion,

I am seeking assistance in ongoing acclimatization. I would like to improve my English language skills and further my education in medicine, and become more comfortable with current technology. I am a quick and dedicated student. I have previously worked with the historians here and have very limited experience of working as a trainee operative for the ZDG where I trained to be a matrix operative specifically. I currently work in childcare for military children, mainly the very small.

I am happy to offer any of my skills that interest you in return for your time and your patience. I am an excellent seamstress as well as experienced with children and midwifery and I am literate and fluent in several additional languages if your academic interests lie this way. I have combat background and can teach self-defense, particularly for those who are smaller and not reliant on brute force. Teaching my muscles to respond as my mind expects them to has been a personal goal that I am pleased to assure you I have achieved, and my skills are not abstract memories but concrete things to be practically applied.

Thank you,

Anya Matveyevna.

[ This is a video that features no people: instead, what's filling the screen is artfully-arranged sweets. Lots and lots of sweets. The dragon boat races were a grand success for the restaurant Kitty works for, and so they were contracted to cater a party in exchange for work from a construction firm for an expansion of their floor space. What you're seeing is the catering before it goes out. And Kitty, whose voice is cheerful and bright and rather thickly London-accented, narrates: ]

Some of you stopped by our booth at the race the other day, so you already know, but this is what we've got to offer at Restaurant Modak. And believe me - all of this looks pretty, but that doesn't even compare to how it tastes. Forget going into a simulation or a Matrix to get the absolute height of a dining experience. This food surpasses anything you'll find out there - and it's got the added advantage of being really, absolutely real.

[ Another pass over the food. She continues. ]

Some of you might be thinking that you haven't got what you need to trade for food of this quality. How could you possibly? Well - you'll be really glad of this next bit. Our going rates are beyond reasonable. We'll even give a good meal for nothing more than a vase of flowers, a bit of sugar - or even just you helping with the washing up. Right here, on the network, you can tell me what you've got for barter and I'll tell you just what sort of meal that'll get you.

[ And then the video switches off, like a cruel tease. ]

Remember: Restaurant Modak. Reasonable prices, food so good you won't even believe it's real. All on layer forty-four.

Look. I'm just gonna go ahead and say it. But I'm only sayin' it once, and I'm gonna say it real slow, so all of you better clean the crap outta your ears and listen up.

I get that there ain't no money. Actual money. But what I'm sayin' is, if you ain't got nothin' to trade, why the hell would you go around wasting somebody's time.

Like, it's like common friggin' decency to bring with you what you got to trade. No, 'oh, whoops guess I left it at home', no, 'oh, it's in the pocket of my other crappy shapeless pants'-- gettin' it to me in a day ain't an option, I don't care if it's your laundry day, if you're waitin' for some big payoff, I don't care if you got twelve kids--that's your own damn fault--I don't care if you're fresh outta the tube. If you wanna buy something from someone? If you bring in your crappy little console, and you want it fixed up real quick so you can get your ass back to work, and you hustle me along and talk real big and then when it comes time to pay up, and you give me some sad sack story? [SLOWLY AND LOUDLY:] I don't work for free. Nobody here better be workin' for free, and if they are, congratulations, you found yourself a sucker. Charity is for suckers.

Okay? Are we clear? 'Cause the next idiot that comes to me askin' for a handout is gonna get it, and I don't mean free frickin' labor. [SIGH.] Jeez. It's like nobody got a brain. Workin' with a buncha stupid fleshy kids. Hardly even seems worth it...

[grumbling trails off into nothing.]